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Benazir survives mid-night assassination plot; 139 killed |
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Saturday, 20 October 2007 |
Karachi, Oct 19 (UNI) In the worst-ever
terrorist attack in Pakistan, at least 139 people were killed and more
than 500 injured when radical opponents of democracy made a vain
attempt to assassinate former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto late last
night by triggering two powerful suicide explosions as her homecoming
procession after eight years in self-imposed exile made its way to her
ancestral home here.
The two explosions went off a minute apart
shortly after midnight near Karsaz close to the vehicle Ms Bhutto was
travelling in, at the head of a procession of hundreds of thousands of
PPP supporters who had flooded the streets of the city to welcome the
return of their leader.
Ms Bhutto refused to use a bulletproof
glass cubicle that had been built atop the truck taking her to the tomb
of Pakistan's founding father, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, to address a rally.
Just before the blasts, she had gone inside the truck to take
rest. However, several senior PPP leaders suffered splinter injuries.
She was immediately taken to her ancestral Bilawal House, Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema said.
Police Surgeon Karachi, Dr. Bashir Ahmed Shaikh confirmed 126 deaths.
According
to eyewitnesses more than two dozen vehicles, including police mobile
units, were completely destroyed in the explosions. They said at least
20 policemen were among the dead.
Police official Raja Umer
Khitab said evidence at the scene suggested it was a suicide bombing.
He said it destroyed two police vans escorting Ms Bhutto's truck. He
said the legs and head of the suicide bomber has been found.
A
high alert was sounded in the city and an emergency declared in all
hospitals. Forty bodies were taken to the Liaquat National Hospital, 60
to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and 27 to the Civil Hospital.
As
the entire world, including India, condemned the dastardly attack, Ms
Bhutto told the media this evening that she had informed President
Pervez Musharraf about the possibility of such an attempt on her life.
''There may be more attacks on me and my house in future,'' she added.
Describing
the attempt on her life as an attack on democracy, she said militancy
was a threat to unity and integrity of Pakistan.
President
Musharraf called up the former Prime Minister to strongly condemn the
assassination bid on her in Karachi and directed intelligence agencies
to utilise all resources to apprehend those behind the attempt.
As
many as 91 wounded were admitted to Civil Hospital, 93 taken to Abbasi
Shaheed Hospital and 55 admitted at Aga Khan Hospital.
Ms
Bhutto demanded the removal of Intelligence Bureau chief Brig Ijaz
Shah. Her husband Asif Ali Zardari was quoted by Geo TV as saying that
''some elements'' within the government were behind the attacks.
In
separate messages, Gen Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz
condemned the attack and said such acts would deter the government from
its resolve to fight extremism and terrorism.
The United States
also condemned the blasts, saying they would not derail the country's
coming elections. ''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. Source: DeepikaGlobal |
