ABC (Australia) : Pakistani police release photo of Karachi bomber

Pakistani police release photo of Karachi bomber

Reuters | October 20, 2007

Pakistani police have released a photograph of a suicide bomber who killed at least 139 people, as opposition leader Benazir Bhutto worked out her next step after the bloody start to her comeback campaign.

The militant threat demonstrated to such devastating effect in Karachi on Friday raised fears over the prospects for a national election due in early January.

The election is supposed to mark a transition from military-led to civilian-led democracy.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters in Lahore the election schedule would not be affected, and caretaker governments would be in place at federal and provincial levels after November 15.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, however, voiced concern that campaigning could be restricted due to security worries. Both Mr Aziz and Mr Sherpao have survived suicide attacks.

Urdu language newspapers carried passport-sized photographs of the head of the suicide bomber propped on a white sheet.

The dead eyes stared blankly out of the chubby, unshaven face, the heavy growth apparent around the jawline and top lip. The man appeared to be in his twenties.

"The age of suspect is in between 20 to 25 and he looks to be a Karachiite," a security official told reporters.

A police statement said at least 139 people died in Friday's attack and 325 were wounded.

For now, Mrs Bhutto has postponed plans to go to Larkana, a town 240 km north-east of Karachi, to pray at the tomb of her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

He was Pakistan's first popularly elected prime minister, who was deposed and executed after another military coup three decades ago.

"We are observing a three-day mourning over the tragedy. The mourning will end on Sunday and then she will decide about her next plans," PPP spokeswoman Sherry Rehman said.

The hundreds of thousands of supporters who turned out to greet Mrs Bhutto 10 years after she last held power, and eight years since she went into self-imposed exile, showed she retained more mass appeal than any other Pakistani politician.

Looking for clues

Investigators' main focus will be on who sent Friday's suicide bomber. Government officials have already asserted that the culprits were Islamist militants, but they are uncertain which group.

Pakistani Taliban fighters working with Al Qaeda earlier this month made assassination threats against Mrs Bhutto, who has talked of working with General Musharraf to fight militancy and extremism.

But Mrs Bhutto says she had more to fear from un-named members of the Pakistani power structure who she described as allies of the "forces of militancy".

She said she had given their names to General Musharraf, and was not blaming the government at this stage.

There is strong speculation that Mrs Bhutto might share power with General Musharraf after the elections, depending on the performance of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

There is resistance to any partnership with the PPP within the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML), a loose-knit collection of politicians who General Musharraf pulled under his banner.

The election will almost certainly result in a hung parliament, in which all sides will cast around for allies.

Meantime, General Musharraf is struggling to keep Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister he ousted and exiled, out of the country.

Mr Sharif was booted out again in September and deported to Saudi Arabia when he tried to end his exile.

The Saudi government is putting pressure on Musharraf to let Mr Sharif return, but General Musharraf fears PML members will defect if their old party leader is allowed back, according to diplomats.