Musharraf refuses to accept questionnaire over Benazir killing
The Former President Pervez Musharraf has refused to accept a questionnaire sent by Pakistani investigators to get his views on crucial issues related to former premier Benazir Bhutto's assassination in 2007, according to a media report.
The federal investigation agency's questionnaire was sent to Mr Musharraf, currently living in self-exile in London, by special mail last month but he refused to accept it, the dawn newspaper quoted its sources in the interior ministry as saying.
In a statement issued on Saturday, interior minister Rehman Malik said the letter was sent to Mr Musharraf because the statement of everyone directly or indirectly accused in the assassination case was being recorded.
Following Mr Musharraf’s refusal, the FIA has prepared a new questionnaire and intends to send it to his residence in London.
"We have prepared a questionnaire for the former President to record his statement," said FIA chief Waseem Ahmed.
"We want to record the statement of everybody who has any connection with the case," Mr Ahmed said.
Mr Musharraf's aides have already said he would refuse to accept any questionnaire sent by Pakistani authorities.
Mr Musharraf has also said he enjoys presidential immunity from criminal prosecution.
A joint investigation team of the FIA, which has completed its report on the assassination, prepared a 32-point questionnaire for Mr Musharraf.
Asked why Mr Musharraf was being involved in the case after the investigation team had completed its report and presented it in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, FIA chief Mr Ahmed said though the report had been submitted in court, it did not mean that the probe had been closed.
The probe would remain open to include all supplementary information in the days to come, Mr Ahmed said.
Moreover, the FIA's investigation team headed by director Chaudhry Majeed has not recorded the statement of the interior minister.
Sources said the FIA had prepared a questionnaire for Mr Malik but "could not dare to send it to him".
Though the head of the FIA investigation team told reporters on Saturday that he was working independently and not taking instructions from the interior ministry, observers have questioned why the questionnaire was sent to the ministry for approval as announced by the FIA chief.
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