France 24

International news website providing 24/7 news coverage

Friday, July 04, 2008

Deadly attacks for Bhutto return

Friday, October 19, 2007

Scores were killed after deadly blasts near former PM Benazir Bhutto's convoy in Karachi on her return from eight years in exile.

See the Special Report aboutFar from democracy?

Friday, October 19, 2007

By  France24.com, Agencies

More than 100 people have been killed and over 300 injured after two bombs exploded in Karachi near former premier Benazir Bhutto's convoy during her Pakistan homecoming parade on  late Thursday night.
 
The attack, one of the deadliest in Pakistan’s history, struck Karachi as its streets were packed with hundreds of thousands of people celebrating Bhutto’s return after 8 years of exile, vowing to lead her country toward democracy.
 
A suspected suicide bomber activated the explosives in an attempt to assassinate Bhutto but Pakistani officials confirmed that the former premier has survived the attack and has been taken to her residence.
 
 
FRANCE 24's GRN correspondent in Karachi Graham Usher says that an emergency could be declared and the upcoming elections would be postponed for at least a year if other attacks were perpetrated in Pakistan.
 
 
'Political motivations'?
 
There is no immediate claim of responsibility. However, militants linked to Al Qaeda threatened earlier this week to assassinate Bhutto in reaction to her support to the war on terror.
 
“Bhutto has joined hands with Pervez Musharraf and has openly said that Al Qaeda is a threat, not just to the stability of the international community but also to Pakistan,” Daily Times Editor in chief Lajam Fethi told France 24. “She has joined the war on terror and Al Qaeda responded that it would welcome her with suicide bombers”
 
 
“Mrs. Bhutto was aware of this threat, however she felt that the greater threat to her was from rogue elements within intelligence services in Pakistan that nurtured Al Qaeda, jihad and radical Islamic elements,” added Lajam Fethi. “Rogue elements that are determined to keep her out and not allow any alliance between Musharraf and the popular forces of this country.”
 
Bhutto said ahead of her return that she feared former military officers would try to assassinate her on her return.
 
Her husband Asif Ali Zardari has blamed a Pakistani intelligence agency for the attack on Thursday. "We blame one intelligence agency and we demand action against it... it is not done by militants, it is done by that intelligence agency," Bhutto's husband Asif Ali Zardari told Pakistani private ARY ONE television.
 
 
Sources from Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said Zaradri was referring to the ISI, the country's premier civilian spy agency, headed by retired Brigadier Ijaz Shah, a close aide of Musharraf.
 
"Our people have died, our workers have died, they have sacrificed their lives for the sake of democracy in Pakistan," says Ali Zardari.
     
A government official told AFP before Bhutto's return that different groups of suicide bombers were known to be operating in Karachi.
  
"The threat of suicide bombing is there. There are two or three groups of suicide bombers operating in Karachi, according to intelligence reports," Sindh province home secretary Ghulam Mohammad Mohtarram said.
  
The groups were linked to Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, Afghanistan's hardline Taliban militia and a Pakistani pro-Taliban militant leader who reportedly threatened to "welcome" Bhutto with suicide bombers, he said.
 
Musharraf: conspiracy against democracy
  
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf condemned deadly bomb blasts, describing the attack as a "conspiracy against democracy."
  
Musharraf also appealed for calm after the blasts. The military ruler, who seized power in a 1999 coup, said those behind the attacks would be punished, and he ordered the Sindh provincial government to conduct an inquiry.
  
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also condemned the attack, saying he was deeply shocked. "The president and the prime minister in their separate messages said they had been deeply shocked by the dastardly act," the statement said.
  
Bhutto returned to Pakistan Thursday after Musharraf signed an amnesty earlier this month clearing her of corruption charges that forced her to flee into exile eight years ago.
  
The amnesty was supposed to pave the way for a US-backed power-sharing pact between the pair ahead of crucial general elections due by January.
  
But Musharraf had in recent weeks called for Bhutto to delay her homecoming, amid security fears and until the nation's top court has ruled on the legality of his presidential election win on October 6.
 
 
EU, US denounce deadly blasts
 
"The United States condemns the violent attack in Pakistan and mourns the loss of innocent life there," White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
 
  
"Extremists will not be allowed to stop Pakistanis from selecting their representatives through an open and democratic process," Johndroe said.
 
 
The European Union's Portuguese presidency condemned deadly bomb blasts.  
"The European Union strongly condemns the terrorist attack on the convoy of Mrs. Benazir Bhutto" it said in a statement. "The European Union urges the Pakistani authorities to bring those responsible to justice," it added.

There are no reactions so far.

Be the first user to react to this article.

You will only have to select the button <<REACT>> and fill the indicated fields.

Your reaction

*Required fields

Your reaction

Your reaction has been sent to FRANCE 24. Thank you for your feedback.

France 24 - Recommand

*Mandatory fields

France 24 -  Send by e-mail

*Required fields

France 24 -  Send by e-mail

The article has successfully been sent by email

  • Photos

  • Animation