US pulls all stops for Bhutto to testify in Burton suit

C K Arora in Washington

The Clinton administration has asked Pakistan for a waiver from its Official Secret Act to enable former prime minister Benazir Bhutto to testify before a federal grand jury on fund-raising allegations against Republican Congressman Dan Burton, a bitter critic of India.

Answering questions before his meeting with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright here on Tuesday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan said this is an unprecedented request for which there is no provision in the Act. He said a copy of the Act has been provided to the US State Department.

Ayub Khan said ''Madame Benazir Bhutto is now in Islamabad'' after a lecture tour of the United States. ''I understand, through the American embassy that arrangement are being made to interview her and other officials who have nothing to do with the government of Pakistan,'' he added.

The grand jury is seeking to question Bhutto about alleged efforts by Burton to pressure a lobbyist for her government to raise campaign contributions for him.

It has already questioned Mark A Siegal, the lobbyist who had complained that he was approached by Burton early last year to raise funds for his re-election campaign.

When he was unable to do so, Siegel said, the congressman complained to the then Pakistani ambassador Maleeha Lodhi here and later threatened to make sure that ''none of his friends or colleagues'' would meets Siegel or his associates.

Siegal had earlier claimed to a Bhutto aide in Islamabad that he had worked in Washington for over 25 years and had ''never been shaken down by anyone before like Mr Burton's threats''.

According to reports from Islamabad, Bhutto is willing to testify if allowed by the Pakistan government. She is reported to have told the US Justice Department that under the Official Secret Act she is barred from divulging anything and suggested that the US government should take up the issue with the Pakistan government.

UNI