Islamabad: Osama bin Laden was involved

in former premier Benazir Bhutto`s assassination and the

perpetrators of her murder have been identified, Interior

Minister Rehman Malik claimed on Tuesday.

Talking to reporters at the parliament house, Malik

claimed that al Qaeda chief bin Laden, killed in a US raid on

May 2, was involved in Bhutto`s killing in 2007.

He said since the matter was in court, he would not

comment any further.

"The assassins and perpetrators of Benazir Bhutto`s

murder have been identified. Some have been arrested while

others have been declared proclaimed offenders. If the

(Pakistan People`s Party) leadership will allow it, I will

disclose who they were, where the plan was prepared and how

they came to Rawalpindi," he said.

Asked about the recent transfer of the judge who was

hearing the case against five persons charged with involvement

in Bhutto`s killing, Malik said the government had nothing to

do with the matter as the posting of judges was decided by

judiciary.

Responding to a question about India`s alleged

involvement in fomenting unrest in Balochistan, he said the

issue was highlighted during the meeting of the Interior and

Home Secretaries of the two sides.

Each and every matter cannot be shared with the media

"due to the fear that the culprits and miscreants involved

will flee from the area", he claimed.

Baloch people were being killed in Balochistan to

create unrest in the province but the situation had

considerably improved after the introduction of a development

package, he said.

Balochistan is an important province and the

government initiated the package to remove a sense of

deprivation among its people, he added.

Malik claimed suicide attacks would stop if "we give a

strong message of unity and support to our law enforcing

agencies and armed forces".

He asked opposition parties to avoid politicising

internal and external security issues in the larger national

interest.

PTI