Electric New Paper (Singapore) : Bhutto vs Bhutto: Niece blames aunt for Pakistan suicide bomb deaths

Bhutto vs Bhutto: Niece blames aunt for Pakistan suicide bomb deaths

'They died for Benazir's grand show'

October 24, 2007

YOU caused their deaths.

That's what Ms Fatima Bhutto, said of her aunt Benazir Bhutto after 139 people died in suicide bombings at Ms Benazir's homecoming parade in Karachi last week.

Ms Fatima, a 25-year-old poet and newspaper columnist, said the former Pakistan prime minister had endangered the victims for the sake of personal theatre.

Said Ms Fatima at her plush Karachi home: 'She insisted on this grand show, she bears a responsibility for these deaths and for these injuries.'

She accused her aunt of protecting herself with an armoured truck, while bringing in hundreds of thousands of supporters by bus, despite warnings of an attack.

'They died for this personal theatre of hers, they died for this personal show,' she said.

Ms Fatima is the daughter of MsBenazir's late brother, Murtaza, who was killed by police in Karachi in 1996 amid murky circumstances that led to the collapse of Benazir's second term in government.

Mr Murtaza led a left-wing extremist group after military ruler Zia-ul-Haq executed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1979 and then fell out with his sister over what he felt was her betrayal of their father's political legacy.

Ms Benazir has blamed Islamic extremists, possibly with links to rogue or former intelligence agents, for the attack.

Her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) dismissed Ms Fatima's accusation as 'senseless'.

Reacting to the comments made by Ms Benazir's enstranged niece, Ms Benazir's key aide, fellow PPP leader Sherry Rehman has angrily retorted to Fatima's comments dismissing them as 'inappropriate'.

SHE'S EMOTIONAL

She told a private television channel: 'Fatima Bhutto is young and emotional, she does not even know what she is saying and is also unaware of the reality and politics of the country.

'Benazir Bhutto had come to Pakistan with a message of peace, and it is inappropriate for Fatima to give such a statement against her family.'

Authorities are questioning three people from the south of Punjab province over the attack.

Meanwhile, the PPP has also vowed to defy a planned ban on political rallies in the run-up to general elections. It is seen as a key step to restoring civilian rule here.

The government says it is drawing up a code of conduct for campaigning that would ban large rallies amid fears of further deadly attacks by militants. It will allow only 'small corner meetings' with tight security.

But the PPP has slammed the ban as outrageous amid fears of a crackdown on campaigning.

Ms Benazir has pledged to remain in Pakistan to lead the PPP in the elections set for early January despite the bombings that shattered what she hoped would be her triumphant return to Pakistan after eight years in self-imposed exile.