Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday appointed Khurram Shahzad, an accused in Benazir Bhutto murder case, as a senior superintendent of police (SSP) of the Special Branch, while the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) termed the appointment-cum-promotion a conspiracy by Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif to save the murderers.

PPP central spokesman and Information Secretary Chaudhry Manzoor termed the appointment “a joke with the law”.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the promotion was an “ugly message” from the Sharif brothers’ government to the people of Pakistan, especially the followers of Benazir Bhutto.

It may be recalled that SP Khurram Shahzad was posted as Special Branch SSP this week and DIG Saud Aziz was promoted post-retirement.

The PPP chairman said it was unfortunate and astonishing that Nawaz Sharif and his party were trying to hide themselves behind the sacrifices of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. On the other hand, the federal and Punjab government were extending promotion and posting to the convicted police officials, he added.

He further said that the Punjab government was conspiring and trying to influence the post-conviction case by posting convicted police officials and giving them sensitive powers to intimidate and threaten people connected to the proceedings.

Bilawal said that the PPP had already challenged the verdict in Benazir assassination case in the courts despite the fact that Bhuttos never got justice from them.

Published in Daily Times, October 11^th 2017.