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Benazir urges govt to reexamine charges of bribing Hubco

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has urged the military government to re-examine Nawaz government charges of corruption against her after a denial by the chief of Hubco that she bribed the company when in power.

The chief executive of Hubco Khurshid Hussain had said that the Sharif government initiated the dispute against his company solely to defame Benazir Bhutto.

"The statements by Khurshid Hussain confirm that there was never any corruption between Hubco and the PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) government," Bhutto stated.

"It is tragic and shameful that the Sharif regime, and now the (General Pervez) Musharraf regime, is willing to destroy Pakistan's economy for short-term political gain," she charged.

"The Sharif regime concocted the whole case against Hubco and sacrificed foreign investor confidence for the sole purpose of maligning my character and the reputation of my administration," the former premier said.

"I demand that the military regime, in light of these statements, re-examine all charges brought against me and my family by the Nawaz regime and dismiss the fraudulent verdicts handed down," Bhutto stated.

Hubco, an independent power producer, was accused by the Sharif government of receiving bribes from the Bhutto government, allegations that Sharif then used to bring charges against Bhutto.

Speaking to reporters last week following a hearing at Pakistan's Supreme Court in Islamabad, Hubco CEO Hussain stated "the more we said we have no evidence of kickbacks by the PPP government, the more pressure was exerted on us."

Hussain's statements were widely covered by Pakistani papers on February 25.

"It has been widely acknowledged by foreign governments and eminent legal experts that the charges against me were politically motivated and the resulting trials were biased and predetermined," continued Bhutto.

"The credibility of the new military regime will rest upon their ability to establish an independent judiciary and uphold the rights of citizens to a free, fair and impartial jurisprudence," stated Bhutto.-Internews