NAB Vs. Senator Asif Zardari

Senator Asif Ali Zardari husband of former Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, former Minister for Environment, thrice elected Senator from the province of Sindh.

Senator Zardari was kidnapped by the Inter Services Intelligence on the orders of President Leghari on the night of November 4, 1996. The President had dismissed the government "in his discretion" by Edict that night. To pre-empt Ms.Bhutto from filing a kidnapping charge against the President, Senator Zardari was formally held without charges on November 6, 1996.

The arrest under Maintenance of Public Order was challenged before the Lahore High Court. The Minister of Interior sent a message to Ms.Bhutto threatening that if the Petition was not withdrawn, her husband would be charged with her brother's murder. When Ms.Bhutto refused to comply, the regime rendered the petition infructious on 27 November 1996 by removing Senator Zardari to Sindh. Senator Zardari was imprisoned again without charges.

Senator Zardari's arrest was challenged before the Sindh High Court on 7 December 1996 which ordered his release on 18 December 1996. Instead Senator  Zardari was arrested in the Mir Murtaza Bhutto case. He was tortured for eight days through sleep deprivation methods. He was made to stand without food, with bright lights shining in his eyes. He was interrogated by the military. He was sent to prison on the orders of the Magistrate South.

Senator Zardari has been kept in Prison since November 96 till date under different cases field against him by the Accountability Bureau of the previous regime.

Senator Zardari has now been detained under NAB Ordinance since November 16th, 1999. Warrants of Arrest of Senator Zardari were issued by Chairman, National Accountability Bureau, General Amjad whereas Senator Zardari is already in jail custody.

Following References have been filed against Senator Asif Ali Zardari by the Nawaz regime under the Ehtesab Act, 1997:-

(I) Ehtesab Reference No. 26 of 1998
i). This reference was made to the Lahore High Court in Feb. 1998
ii). Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is the sole respondent/accused but it has bearing on Senator Asif Ali Zardari in Ehtesab Reference 27 of 1998.
iii). The respondent is alleged to own property beyond her known sources of income. To substantiate this allegation a large corpus of properties situated in the Province of Sindh and abroad, is wrongly attributed to her.
All properties thus wrongly attributed to her, (i.e. other than those declared by her in her electoral, income tax and wealth tax return) have been denied by her.

II) Ehtesab Reference No. 27 of 1998 (Assets Case)

i). This reference is pari materia with Reference No, 26/98. Only the accused is Senator Asif Ali Zardari, husband of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
ii). All other features of this Reference are common to that of Reference No. 26/98.
iii). The most interesting aspect of this Reference is that many of the properties attributed to the ownership of the one is also attributed to the ownership of the other. This is contrary to law and tells upon the very basis of the prosecution’s case.

 III). Ehtesab Reference No. 29 of 1998 (Tractors Case)

i). This Reference concerns alleged receipt of commission/kick-backs in a contract whereby low coast Polish Tractors were imported to benefit the Pakistani farmers. A similar scheme has been introduced by the present government with the same tractors being sold at a much higher cost. This alone vitiates the charge.
ii). Both Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Senator Asif Ali Zardari are respondents/accused in this Reference along with three others.

 IV). Ehtesab Reference Nos. 30 & 31 of 1998 (SGS and Cotecna Case)

i). These concern alleged receipt of kick-backs/commission in contracts awarded to two Swiss Companies (SGS and Cotecna, respectively) for pre-shipment inspection of imports into Pakistan.
ii). Both Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Senator Asif Ali Zardari are respondents/accused in these References.
iii).  The Judges who heard the case and convicted Ms Bhutto and Senator Zardari included the brother (Qayyum) of a ruling parliamentarian. His Father had sentenced Ms. Bhutto’s Father to death. He himself had been Gen. Zia’s deputy attorney general. He had been dismissed as a Judge in Ms. Bhutto’s first term. Justice Kazmi was appointed an acting Judge in a deal with the regime that if he convicted Ms.Bhutto he would be made a permanent Judge. After the conviction, he was duly rewarded and made a permanent judge.

V). Ehtesab Reference No.32 of 1998 (Steel Mills Case)
 
The allegations are that the former Chairman of Pakistan Steel Mills had paid illegal gratification to Senator Zardari that the said Chairman had obtained from a contractor.

VI). Ehtesab Reference No.33 of 1998 (ARY Gold Case)

Pending against Mohtarma Bhutto, Senator Zardari and others. The allegations contained therein are that Mohtarma Bhutto to oblige her husband Senator Zardari took kickbacks of millions of dollars from a company known as ARY in the award of contract for the import of gold to Pakistan.
FOLLOWING ARE CRIMINAL CASES AGAINST SENATOR ZARDARI:

Senator Zardari has been implicated in six (06) false and fabricated criminal cases which are all being tried inside the prison under the orders of the Government in negation of the basic requirement of open, just and fair trial. Additionally, there are six references against the Senator and five against the former Prime Minister.
 

1. MURTAZA MURDER CASE:

    a.. Criminal Case No.761/96 (FIR No.443/96) before Sessions Judge Karachi (West). It is alleged that Senator Zardari conspired to murder Mir Murtaza Bhutto, brother of his wife Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto although a judicial inquiry headed by a Supreme Court Judge has exonerated Senator Zardari of the charge. All accused in this case except senator Zardari have been released on bail.

2. CONTAINER CASE:

Senator Zardari has been arrested in another false FIR No.2/97, under Sections 403/420/109 Pakistan Penal Code registered on 16th February 1997 on which date he was already under detention in the afore described murder case. This case has been registered under Anti-Corruption Laws of Pakistan against Senator Zardari, Wajid Shamsul Hassan, former High Commissioner of Pakistan in United Kingdom and the Deputy Collector of Customs. The charge is that freight charges were not paid on goods sent abroad. The receipts of air freight charges have been produced by the persons concerned. When the receipts were produced, the Government lost interest. The case is being used for judicial harassment. There is no hope of its disposal in the near future.

3. ALAM BALOUCH MURDER CASE

The third case FIR No.70/97 in which Senator Zardari has been arrested pertains to the murder of one Alam Baloch who was killed on 18th September 1997 while Senator Zardari was confined in Central Prison, Karachi. When Zardari was exonerated of the Murtaza murder case by the Judicial Inquiry, the regime involved him in yet another Murder Case. Murder carries the death penalty; corruption does not. The regime wished to try this case under the new Anti Terrorist Legislation it passed for the purpose. When the Supreme Court struck down certain provisions of the Terrorist Act, the regime lost interest in the case. It is being used for harassment.

4. KARACH ELECTRIC SUPPLY CORPORATION TENDER CASE

The fourth case bearing No.14/97 in FIR 9/97 was registered on 18th August 1997 under Anti-Corruption Laws against Senator Zardari. The allegation is that he had influenced the Board of Directors of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation in the award of Contract Lahymar Consultants to commission/kickbacks. Though registered on 18th August 1997 the case has not proceeded at all.

5. JUSTICE NIZAM MURDER CASE:

State Owned television announced on 12th January 1999 that the regime would implicate Senator Zardari on yet another baseless charge in the murder of Justice Nizam Ahmed who was killed in June 1996. A former PPP Candidate, Akhtar Pirzada from Sialkot was produced on television to confess the murder and blame Senator Zardari that took place in June 1996. This was been done by Nawaz regime to achieve the collateral purpose of causing prejudice in the minds of the Judiciary especially his relatives who are also Judges of High Court and Supreme Court.

6. DRUG CASE:

Senator Zardari has been implicated also in a false case viz. First Information Report (FIR) No.525/97 registered under Narcotic Substances Act, 1997 at Qilla Gujjar Singh, Lahore on 19th October 1997. This case was manufactured to fish for alleged Zardari assets in UK on a drug charge when the regime failed to make headway on the Corruption charge. It is based on the alleged statement of Arif Baluch alias Noora Teddy. The statement was allegedly made while in police custody in a theft case from which he was acquitted in two days.

All the witnesses in the case have confessed in the court that their statements were obtained under torture. The Inspector who registered the FIR of the case has also stated in the court that he registered the FIR under malafide orders from superiors to falsely implicate Senator Zardari in the Case.

Due to unfair trial his lawyer Babar Awan withdrew from the case in June 2000. The Judge Mian Jahangir nominated Advocate Asghar Khan Bokhari, Advocate Safdar Javed Chaudhry and Advocate Aftab Gill as joint State sponsored counsels and asked Senator Zardari about his consent. Senator Zardari refused to accept the State counsels and sought time from the court to consult his lawyer Dr. Babar Awan. Next hearing on July 22, 2000.

7. DETAILS OF TORTURE ON SENATOR ZARDARI:

    a.. Senator Zardari was confined in Judicial custody of different Courts at Central Prison Karachi as an under trial prisoner. On 16th May 1999 that is Sunday he was taken out from the Central Prison, Karachi by DSP Amanat Jawaid and others and was taken to CIA Civil Lines, Karachi. Senator Zardari was informed that he has been taken into custody for investigation of murder of Justice (Retd) Nizam Ahmed which took place in June 1996 and registered vide FIR No. 357/96 of P.S. Ferozabad, Karachi. He was refused consultation with his lawyers and/or family members. He was continuously interrogated by different teams for different cases and was severely tortured, maltreated by the police. They tried to extract confessional statement of their choice so much so that they tried to compel him to make inculpatry statements by implicating his wife Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. On his refusal police extended threats to kill him and to prove this the police on the night of 17th and 18th May, 1999 tried to cut out his Jugular Vein and as a result he received injuries on his neck.

    b.. On account of illegal detention of Senator Zardari in police station. Habeas Corpus Petition on his behalf was filed by his sister Faryal Talpur bearing Cr. Misc. No. 221/99 before High Court of Sindh at Karachi. The Court ordered on 18th May 1999 that in view of various ailments of Senator Zardari and immediate need for operation of removal of cyst on his right hand and in the light of the order dated 17th May 1999 of another Bench of High Court he should be admitted to Agha Khan Hospital today i.e. 18th May 1999. However the Government of Sindh and the police headed by Inspector General Police. Rana Maqbool, a close associate of Nawaz Sharif family and especially transferred to Sindh from Punjab to crush PPP and Bhutto family refused to obey the orders of the High Court.

    c.. On 19th May, 1999 the police officers during interrogation again sought to compel him to make and sign statements of their choice and informed him that they have instructions from Rana Maqbool, Inspector General of Police, Sindh who was acting under direct order of Mian Nawaz Sharif, (Prime Minister of Pakistan), Mian Shahbaz Sharif, (Chief Minister of Punjab) and Senator Saifur Rehman to kill him showing police encounter. In pursuant of their objectives to obtain confessional statements from him they cut his tongue with a sharp edged weapon to prove that there are capable of carrying out their threats to his life. Senator Zardari started bleeding profusely. His clothes got soaked in blood. One police officer risking his job took Senator Zardari in his own car and got him admitted in Agha Khan Hospital where he was treated and then admitted to the Hospital pursuant to the order of the High Court.

    d.. The order of remand whereby the police shifted Senator Zardari from prison to police station was also challenged by filing Revision Application No. 50/99 before the High Court of Sindh at Karachi which declared the order to be corum non-judice and illegal and set it aside vide order dated 26.5.1999. An application has been filed before the Sindh High Court for registration of cases against all concerned and award of damages in favour of Senator Zardari in view of unlawful acts.

    e.. After international protests over the Zardari matter, the Nawaz regime ordered a low level judicial inquiry. The Pakistan Peoples Party rejected the low level Judicial Commission constituted to inquire into the incident of murder attempt on Senator Asif Ali Zardari by the police in the notorious CIA Centre Civil Lines, Karachi. It demanded the constitution of a high level judicial commission appointed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan headed by a judge of the Supreme Court and including two judges of the Sindh High Court.

7. MEDICAL TREATMENT TO SENATOR ZARDARI:

Medical treatment to Senator Zardari refused:

The government extended No facility to him. Government did not allow any of the relatives, lawyers, friends and family members of Senator Zardari to meet him in prison. He was kept in solitary confinement. The court ordered for removal of solitary confinement, which was not fully adhered to by the government. The courts have allowed restricted visits by lawyers, and family members. In fact courts only in petitions filed by Senator Zardari, if any, have granted facilities.

The previous regime had denied full and proper medical treatment to Senator Asif Ali Zardari who is ill. He suffers from ulcers, spondolitis (which carries threat of paralysis) and sciatic pain. Occasionally, his blood pressure and sugar reach very high levels. Medical treatment is never prompt. Even when he is ill, the court hearings are not deferred. There is a deliberate and inhumane plan to make Zardari suffer.

    1.. As prisons lack proper medical facilities, the courts intervened. The regime tried to frustrate the orders of the court to deny Zardari treatment. Initially, Session Judge Karachi (District South) passed an order. The regime declined to submit the Medical Report or implement its recommendations. Instead, it pressurised and transferred a doctor who refused to tamper with it. Zardari had to legally fight all the way to the Supreme Court. Professor Rasheed Jumma finally examined him in January 1998 in the Jinnah Hospital, Karachi. A medical board in the Central Prison, Karachi, again examined Senator Zardari on 16th February 1998 that recommended his hospitalisation. This was denied by the regime. After repeated protests, another examination took place on June 11, 1998 by Professor Kamaluddin Khan of Jinnah Hospital in the Central Prison, Karachi. Since his condition did not improve Dr. Amyna Merchant finally took him to Aga Khan Hospital only for check-up on 12th September 1998. Subsequently, under orders of the Sindh High Court dated 7th January 1999, Senator Zardari was shifted in the Aga Khan Hospital at Karachi on 9th January 1999 for complete medical check-up and operation to remove the abnormal growth in his right hand. The doctors had advised hospitalisation of Senator Zardari for at least three weeks. However, just after two days on 11th of January 1999, the police under cover of the Accountability Judges, forcibly removed Senator Zardari from the hospital at Karachi in violation of the orders of the doctors and took him to Rawalpindi which is 1000 miles away from Karachi. Although there was no court hearing for four days, the regime kept him in Rawalpindi jail to harass him by denying proper care. The Accountability Judges in the Lahore High Court refused to adjourn the case for three weeks to permit the operation. Ultimately the Sindh High Court ordered that he should not be removed from hospital at Karachi till his treatment is completed. The police then obtained his unlawful remand from judicial custody to police custody and despite fresh orders from court did not shift him to hospital. At the police station Senator Zardari was tortured, injured and his tongue was cut to obtain, forcible confessional statement which he refused. He was then admitted in hospital in an injured condition. Complaint to that effect was lodged but police failed to take any action. The High Court of Sindh has also declared the remand to be unlawful and coram non-judice.

    2.. Senator Asif Ali Zardari is also suffering from teeth ailment. Dr. Mushtaq Memon, Head of the Department of Dental Surgery of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi examined him on 03.06.97 under court order. Such matters should be settled under the Prison Rules. But since the regime controls the prisons and denies the treatment, Zardari is forced to go to court. Despite needing dental treatment, despite the court order, Zardari was not produced before dental surgeon again as recommended by him. The repeated orders of Special Judge Central-II Karachi have fallen on deaf ears. The dental disease continues to cause pain.

   a.. Bail on Medical Ground:

    1.. In view of health problems, Senator Zardari moved for bail in criminal case No.14/97 registered on 18.8.97 under Section 409/109 PPC read with Section (2) of Act-II 1947 before the Special Judge Central-II Karachi. After seven months, the Judge, in an order dated 6th March 1998 dismissed the application for bail on medical grounds. An appeal against the order was filed before the Sindh High Court. Hearings took place from May 1998 on various dates viz. 11.5.98, 10.10.98, 12.10.98, 13.10.98, 16.10.98 and 20.10.98. The Sindh High Court ordered the release of Sen. Zardari on medical bail on October 22, 1998. However, Zardari was not freed. The regime refused to withdraw it s opposition to his release. Zardari therefore had to file for medical bail before the numerous other courts where the regime has instituted innumerable cases. The purpose is to thwart Zardari's release. Additionally two other court have granted Senator Zardari medical bail. These are in Case No.761/96 (commonly known as Murtaza Bhutto murder case) and Criminal Case No.4/97 (commonly known as container case). vide order dated 28.11.98.

    2.. However, medical bail proceedings are still to reach a decision in the following cases:

    3.. Criminal case of 1997 (commonly known as Alam Baloch murder case) pending before Anti-Terrorist Court, Hyderabad.

        1.. Criminal case No.525/97 (Anti-Narcotic Case) pending before Sessions Judge, Lahore.

        2.. Accountability Reference No.27/98 pending before Lahore High Court Rawalpindi.

        3.. Accountability Reference No.29/98 pending before Lahore High Court Rawalpindi.

    1.. The Nawaz led PML regime resisted the release of the Senator even on medical bail. It has sought cancellation of bail by appealing the order of the Sindh High Court before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

    2.. After the dismissal of Nawaz Sharif government, on the recommendation on the medical board Senator Asif Ali Zardari was shifted to Hospital for treatment. The NAB insisted that Senator Zardari should be shifted from hospital to Jail on grounds of Security. Sindh High Court allowed Senator Zardari’s treatment in Hospital till July 20, 2000.

May 19, 1999

The Honorable William J. Clinton 
President of the United States of America 
The White House 
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue 
Washington, D.C.  20500 
USA 

Dear Mr. President, 

I am writing with an urgent appeal that you seek an immediate investigation by your Embassy in Pakistan on the growing and systematic abuses to our human rights, freedom of the press, and judicial fairness.  I do so, because as you have time and again rightly said, the international community can no longer remain mere bystanders to abuse inflicted by state dictatorship. 

Your government, over the last weeks, has issued an increasing number of statements expressing concern of the Nawaz Sharif’s disturbing threats, intimidation and illegal incarceration of members of the free press.  It has been widely covered in the Western media that scores of reporters over the last three weeks have been directly and personally threatened, beaten, incarcerated or silenced by the Nawaz regime.  Alleged convictions against political opponents are obtained from courts with hand-picked judges, without the due process of law being applied.  We who remain committed to an open, democratic and law-abiding Pakistan welcome your government in taking notice of the Nawaz Sharif regime’s direct attempts to establish a dictatorship in Pakistan. 

While our once free press remains under a threatening cloud, yesterday my husband Mr. Asif Zardari, who remains a prisoner of the Prime Minister, was severely beaten by high-ranking police and intelligence officials working directly under the orders of Prime Minister Sharif. 

Following Mr. Zardari’s injuries – which the Nawaz regime falsely and brazenly claims were self-inflicted  -- the regime ignored direct court orders for his release to a local hospital for treatment. 

We have good reason to believe that Mr. Zardari’s life continues to be in imminent danger, and, as such, urgently request that your government determine the state of his health and safety. 

In light of the deteriorating situation in Pakistan, and the already demonstrated penchant by the Nawaz Sharif regime to use illegal force, threats, torture and even assassination as tools of his state, it is paramount that the United States and other nations speak out against these gross violations of basic and fundamental human rights, and dispatch immediately your own investigative and medical teams. 

More fundamentally, as you consider this urgent request, it gives me little pleasure to again warn you, for the world’s own security, that a man as brutal as Nawaz Sharif must not be allowed to steward the world’s newest nuclear arsenal. 

Under his iron fist, our people are further impoverished, our economy has been devastated and our unemployment doubled, our free press arrested and jailed and our constitution completely gutted.  Now the regime seems bent on eliminating any and all who offer an alternative to his dictatorial rule. 

Mr. President, without the international community’s leadership to do what is right, to speak out against a tyrant who abuses fundamental human rights, freedom of the press, fair and free judiciaries, and safe treatment of political prisoners, Pakistan shall return – if we have not already – to the dark days of dictatorship.  When free press and human rights are so trampled, it is no longer a domestic political issue to be ignored by the world, rather a security and ethical imperative requiring international leadership. 

It is urgent that the United States take immediate action against this growing tyrannical rule. 

Respectfully, 

sd/- 
Benazir Bhutto 
Leader of the Opposition 
and Chairperson, Pakistan Peoples Party 

May 19, 1999 

Lieutenant General (Retd.) Moeenuddin Haider 
Governor Sindh 
Karachi 

Subject: Senator Zardari’s life in danger – Police plot to Murder him

My dear Governor, 

In the light of the violation of court orders and the law of the land to transfer Senator Asif Ali Zardari to the Agha Khan hospital, the Senator’s defence counsel once again approached the Sindh High Court on 19 May 1999. The Sindh High Court ordered that Senator Zardari is not to be moved out of the jurisdiction of Sindh and further ordered the Inspector General Maqbool Rana to appear before it tomorrow to explain why the orders and the law of the land were being superseded. 

According to my sources, which are highly reliable, the IG, upon hearing of the court’s latest order, directed the Sindh Police to murder Senator Zardari and show it as if he was killed upon trying to escape. This was the second attempt after plotting yesterday a murder in the guise of a “suicide”. When the Sindh Police urged him to review the order, he called them a bunch of cowards and said, “I will get the job done myself”. We do not know whether the IG is planning to involve other elements of the Sindh Police, the Punjab police that he has called in to Sindh or police from the Punjab from where he has come on this special mission. 

However, I draw your attention to the fact that my husband, Senator Zardari’s, life is in danger at the hands of state terrorism and criminals posing as police men. It is the duty of the state to uphold the rule of law and protect the lives, liberty and rights of its citizen. I call upon you to implement the court order to: 

Transfer Senator Zardari to the Agha Khan Hospital for fifteen days; 

Transfer Senator Zardari to the Agha Khan Hospital in the custody and protection of the Rangers and to at all times give him that protection; 

Transfer the IG who has engaged in a criminal conspiracy against the Opposition with intent to murder, out of the province of Sindh so that he can no longer indulge in criminal activities against the elected representatives of the people of Sindh; 

Ensure that my husband, Senator Asif Ali Zardari is kept, in accordance with the orders of the Sindh High Court, in the jurisdiction of Sindh and not removed from there without the orders of the Sindh High Court; 

Not to remove my husband, Senator Asif Ali Zardari from Sindh on the orders of the Lahore High Court, without prior permission of the Sindh High Court, as the cases in the Lahore High Court are being heard by those judges who were dismissed by the PPP Government and who are close family associates of Nawaz Sharif at whose instigation the IG Sindh has been acting. 

I again stress that Senator Zardari’s life is in danger. As a former General of the Pakistan Armed Forces, I hope you will rise above the temptations of office in the spirit of sacrifice offered by all our soldiers to uphold the rule of law and protect the life, liberty and rights of the sons and daughters of our Motherland. 

As background information, I would like you to know the following: 

On 15 May 1999, Senator Zardari was taken unlawfully on the orders of Nawaz Sharif from hospital where he was to receive treatment.  He was taken IN VIOLATION of orders from Sindh High Court of Karachi Central Prison. 

On Sunday 16 May 1999, Senator Zardari was taken out of Jail IN VIOLATION of the Jail Manual, which prohibits the police from taking a prisoner from Jail on a closed holiday.  Senator Zardari was not returned to Jail that night IN VIOLATION of the Jail Manual, which says that on working days when a prisoner is taken out, he, should be brought in by sunset. 

On Sunday, Senator Zardari was taken to the Central Investigative Agency for torture in the name of “interrogation” IN VIOLATION of the privileges of a sitting Senator who cannot be taken to the CIA centre for interrogation. 

Senator Zardari was taken to the CIA Centre on physical remand ostensibly for the investigation into the murder of late Justice Nizam IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW as Senator Zardari was already on bail in that case. (It is a case where the police in the last two years have produced two different and contrary sets of “confessing accused” who admitted killing Justice Nizam.  One of the persons, who the police said had so confessed, had been killed in a gun battle before the death of the late Justice.) 

On Monday, the Sindh High Court ordered that Senator Zardari be shifted to the hospital.  The IG Police, who was promoted in suppression of 127 other officers by Nawaz Sharif with the explicit aim of eliminating his political rivals and was exported from Punjab province to Sindh for the purpose, VIOLATED THE COURT ORDERS with the backing of Nawaz Sharif. 

On Tuesday, the Sindh High Court once again ordered that Senator Zardari be shifted to Hospital.  Once again the ORDERS OF THE COURT was flouted in open defiance of the law of the land by an undemocratic regime which came into power through conspiring with a President in a shady election boycotted by the people of Pakistan (Only 18% turned out; 82% boycotted. Of the 18% that turned out, only half –9%-- voted for the present regime.) 

On the morning of Tuesday, the Opposition learnt that Senator Zardari had been injured during torture because the police had the audacity to register a case of attempted suicide.  They were saying in other words that they can kill people in custody and call it suicide.  This is attempted murder.  Despite registering a concocted case of suicide to cover up their own culpability, they refused to either hospitalize the Senator or allow any one to even see him to satisfy themselves that the Senator was safe until eighteen hours later. 

A sitting Senator of Pakistan, a former Federal Minister, a thrice elected Parliamentarian, the son of a five times elected Parliamentarian, the head of his tribe, the spouse of the former Prime Minister has been treated in a criminal fashion by the regime of Nawaz Sharif desperate after their so-called decision by a judge who happened to be a family associate was rejected by the people of Pakistan and independent observers as a biased farce. 

The whole attempt of the criminal conspiracy, masterminded by Nawaz Sharif and implemented through the IG Police and others, was to obtain a “confession” from Senator Zardari in the cases they have concocted and for which they have no evidence and cannot be put before any independent and non-partisan body. For four days, Senator Zardari, who has an ulcer, was kept without food, water or sleep.  Despite the fact that he has severe spondolitis, he was kept standing without rest for four days.  Throughout this period, he was starved, forced to undergo sleep deprivation torture and injured, the full details of which cannot be kept hidden, disoriented, did not know whether it was night or day.  Five different interrogation teams sent by Nawaz Sharif from the Punjab to torture the Senator from Sindh kept saying “confess” in a multitude of cases ranging from the Ehtesab proceedings to the murder of Mir Murtaza Bhutto. This exposes their moral bankruptcy and demonstrates how Pakistan is being run by criminals who blatantly violate the law and ruthlessly and relentlessly, in the full glare of the media violate fundamental human rights and the sanctity of the Constitution in their pursuit of imposing a fascist, theocratic one party state. 

The defiance of legal authority is evident from the manner in which the regime dismisses the law to pursue its own agenda through torture and confessions.  An example is the murder case of my brother Mr. Murtaza Bhutto, MPA.  To protect his killers, and to torture and politically damage the PPP, a case has been registered against Senator Zardari.  This has been done despite the fact that a three member Judicial Tribunal headed by a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, exonerated the Senator from the charge ruling that it was based on speculation and hearsay. 

Their treatment of Senator Zardari has brought disrespect and dishonour to the name of Pakistan.  Surely the people of Pakistan deserve a better future than the one which they are suffering, with economic stagnation, unemployment doubling, inflation tripling at the hands of a brutal and barbaric civil tyrant whose lust for power has violated the principles of humanity, the law of the land and the very concept of justice itself. 

Each one of us, in our own conscience and as citizens of this world, owe it, to ourselves and to the Universal Principles of truth and justice, to speak out against inhumanity, to condemn state terrorism, to uphold fundamental human rights and to defend the rule of law. 

This is being brought to your attention to apprise you of the facts so that you may take the measures necessary to uphold the universal right of human dignity, the rule of law and court decisions in a country where they are being ruthlessly trampled. 

What has happened to Senator Zardari, despicable as it is, is only the tip of the iceberg.  The assault on the judiciary through a mob, forcing judges to flee their court rooms to the recent arrests and violence against journalists Hussein Haqqani and Najam Sethi are a sad tale of tragedy where the struggle of one hundred and forty million people of Pakistan to build a modern progressive state was subverted by fanatics and fascists who were brought up in the lap of a military tyrant and who shamefacedly hide their totalitarian aims by exploiting the name of religion. 

Such action in a country, which has just crossed the nuclear threshold, does not augur well for the people of Pakistan, for the region or for the world at large. 

Sincerely, 
sd/- 
(Benazir Bhutto)