Benazir’s ‘assassin’ being made Pakistan’s Deputy PM: Qureshi

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Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi must not be made the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, as former premier Benazir Bhutto had alleged before her assassination that he would be responsible for any attack on her, former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said.

“While informing Mark Seigel through an e-mail about expected attack on her, Benazir Bhutto had said if she was attacked, Pervaiz Elahi would be involved in it,” The News quoted Qureshi, as telling reporters.

“Therefore, President (Asif Ali) Zardari is requested that he should not take any hasty decision on forging an alliance with the PML-Q,” he added.

According to reports, the PML-Q is set to join the Pakistan People’s Party-led government, and will get several top positions in the ruling coalition, including the office of Deputy Prime Minister.

Qureshi said that sincere circles within the PML-Q and the PPP were also worried about this alliance because it would not benefit the common man.

“Besides me, Mian Raza Rabbani and parliamentarians and workers of the PPP and PML-Q have reservations over this alliance. Therefore, a survey should be conducted about this alliance in the two districts of Gujrat and Hafizabad,” he demanded.

Qureshi said that on the one hand, the government was talking of reconciliation, and on the other, a secretariat was being built in Lahore for the deputy prime minister.

“On the occasion of the 2008 general elections, former Punjab governor Khalid Maqbool had asked me that the PPP should forge an alliance with the PML-Q, so that it could form a government in the Punjab,” the former minister said.

Qureshi said he had taken this proposal to President Zardari, who rejected it, saying that “he cannot forge an alliance with the Qatil League.” He said the president had then stated that the PPP’s alliance with the PML-Q would not be natural.