SUKKUR: PPP leader Khursheed Shah on Saturday lashed out at former president Pervez Musharraf and asked him to return to the country and face the cases against him rather than passing statements from a foreign country.

Shah was addressing a ceremony in Sukkur and criticized Musharraf who caused a stir recently by alleging that Asif Ali Zardari is involved in Benazir and Murtaza Bhutto’s murder.

“Return to the country like Benazir did, do politics like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto did and spend time in prison like Asif Ali Zardari did,” said the opposition leader.

“We didn’t go abroad, we aren’t scared,” said Shah taunting the former president’s self-imposed exile.

Shah also questioned the timing of Musharraf’s statements and asked why the former president remained quiet for 10 years.

Shah also said that attempts are being made to cause a rift between the parliament and the institutions.

“Those trying to weaken the parliament are not sincere to Pakistan,” said Khursheed Shah and added that the country will progress when people will get their rights.

Pakistan Peoples Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Friday had said Musharraf should return to Pakistan if he is brave.

Musharraf had blamed Zardari for the murder of his wife and former premier Benazir Bhutto.

In a video message, Musharraf had said he was sending out this message as Zardari had personally called him out by blaming him for Benazir’s murder.

Giving his ‘reply’, he had said he is especially addressing [Benazir and Zardari’s children] Bilawal, Aseefa and Bakhtawar, as well as the Bhutto family and all Sindhis and Pakistanis who have been following “this murderer of Benazir”.

“I believe that the reason for the Bhutto family’s demise and the responsible person for Benazir and Murtaza’s murder is Zardari. In any murder, it should be noted who benefits and who loses. I lost a lot from Benazir’s assassination while Zardari benefitted,” he said.

With regards to the day of the incident, Musharraf said providing security at Liaquat Bagh [where Benazir was killed] was not his responsibility.

He questioned the presence of a rooftop hatch in a bulletproof vehicle and also wondered who asked Benazir on the phone to open the hatch and come out to wave to the crowd.

Musharraf also criticised the fact that those sitting with Benazir inside her vehicle — Naheed Khan, Safdar Abbasi, Makhdoom Amin Fahim and “jail buddy” Khalid Shahenshah — were not questioned by the court.

The former president had said an examination of Benazir’s phone could have proved this but it was only made available after two years — “obviously someone must have erased all its data”.

Musharraf had further claimed that the real murderer — Zardari — can be pinpointed by investigating these aspects. “He’s taking my name to divert people’s attention from him. I say he should be brought to book for Benazir and Murtaza’s murders,” he said.

On August 31, the anti-terrorism court hearing the former prime minister’s assassination case for over nine years cleared five accused in the case, sentenced two former police officials to jail and declared former president Musharraf an absconder.