Sign in

Bhutto had asked PAF to be ready to attack India’s N-sites: Beg

Slain former premier Benazir Bhutto had directed the Pakistan Air Force to be ready to attack India’s nuclear facilities in case Pakistan’s atomic installations were targeted in 1990, former army chief Gen Mirza Aslam Beg has claimed.

Updated on: Aug 31, 2009, 17:24:31 IST
PTI | By , Islamabad
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

Slain former premier Benazir Bhutto had directed the Pakistan Air Force to be ready to attack India’s nuclear facilities in case Pakistan’s atomic installations were targeted in 1990, former army chief Gen Mirza Aslam Beg has claimed.

HT Image
HT Image

Bhutto, the then prime minister, issued the directive to the PAF after reports surfaced that the US, Israelis and Indians were allegedly planning to attack Pakistan’s nuclear facilities, Beg told a TV news channel in an interview.

He did not give further details.

Beg also claimed that the Saudis had given “bags full of money” to late politician Mahmood Haroon to woo political leaders to join the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, which was formed in 1988 to ensure that Bhutto did not return to power.

The money was also meant to fund IJI’s election campaign, he said.

The former army chief said Haroon had claimed that the “money bags” were so heavy that his “shoulders hurt for days”.

Beg said Bhutto had posed “no threat to national security”, thus dismissing reports of his differences with the late premier. Bhutto remained “rock solid” in 1990 amid reports of a conspiracy against Pakistan, he said.

  • Rezaul H Laskar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Rezaul H Laskar

    Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music.

Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.