Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s first female Prime Minister and a symbol of democracy, made a chilling revelation before her tragic assassination, explicitly naming General Pervez Musharraf as her potential killer. Despite being declared an absconder in her murder case and convicted of treason, Musharraf was facilitated by the establishment to flee Pakistan in February 2016, escaping accountability.

In a candid interview with senior journalist Amir Mir, just 44 days before her martyrdom, Benazir prophetically stated, “You can name Musharraf as my assassin if I am killed.” This startling claim, documented in Mir’s book The Bhutto Murder Trail, was based on credible intelligence suggesting that the October 18, 2007, attack on her homecoming rally in Karachi was orchestrated under Musharraf’s directives.

Two weeks before her return, Musharraf had warned Benazir not to come back, citing security threats from jihadist factions angered by her criticism of the Lal Masjid operation. She questioned why intelligence agencies, aware of such plans, weren’t arresting the suspects. Her doubts about these warnings being part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by Musharraf’s inner circle proved ominously true when an attempt on her life was made the very night of her arrival.

Benazir believed her political achievements—especially forcing Musharraf to shed his military uniform, which he considered his “second skin”—had turned her into a threat for the dictator. “He fears my public support and wants to eliminate me from his path,” she had said.

On December 27, 2007, Benazir’s premonitions turned into a grim reality when she was assassinated in Rawalpindi. While her murder trial continued for years, no significant progress was made. Musharraf, the central figure in her murder case, never faced justice, his influence shielding him from accountability.

Today, Benazir Bhutto’s voice still echoes from her grave in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, demanding justice and accountability for her untimely death, as her legacy inspires Pakistan’s continued fight for democracy.