An Enigma for History

A six-member team of England’s elite anti-terrorism force of Scotland Yard arrived in Pakistan to assist Pakistani investigators in the investigation of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, as President Pervez Musharraf was not satisfied with their working.
On the face of it, the inviting of the world famous investigators must be acknowledged as a very astute step by the Pakistan President but it leaves room to doubt his sincerity. The general feeling of the people everywhere must be that it is just not possible that Musharraf doesn’t have a fair idea who assassinated Bhutto. Al-Qaeda washed its hands of the assassination the next day after it was accused of having assassinated Bhutto. The implication of this denial of Al-Qaeda clearly hints at some serious insinuation and the needlepoints to the Pak govt.

Attacks on the two prominent opposition leaders in Pakistan on the same day can’t be taken to have been a mere coincidence. Whatever political differences Nawaz Sharif may have had with Bhutto, it is clear that while speaking on the TV just a little after Bhutto’s assassination he appeared quite shaken. He fumbled for right words to give expression to his anguish and helplessness on the happening and though he didn’t put it in so many words, he tried to somehow convey the fear of his being the second target. He was very conscious of the fact that it is Musharraf who had sent him on exile to Arabia and he was very much in power leaving very few options to Nawaz Sharif either to make political statements or ensure safety of his own life.

After all Musharraf had some stake in Bhutto’s safety but almost none in Nawaz Sharif’s. Fighting elections in such circumstances is going to test his mettle. On the other hand Musharraf by inviting Scotland Yard team has played a very clever move to dilute the vehemence of public outcry that the government didn’t take the issue of Bhutto’s security seriously and to clear the Pak govt. of the suspicion of its involvement in the assassination as Zardari and PPP members aver.
Musharraf is also trying to divert attention from the very serious issue of how it could have happened just in less than two months of Bhutto’s arrival especially after the October attack on her in which she escaped just by a fluke of fate. Musharraf will also gain time to set his house in order as the Scotland Yard team warms up to the investigation. But there is still doubt of the result being conclusive. Bhutto’s assassination is likely to go down as an enigma forever in the Pak History.