Times of India : State agencies responsible for attack on Bhutto: Zardari

State agencies responsible for attack on Bhutto: Zardari

October 20, 2007

DUBAI: Former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto-led PPP should reconsider its strategy of dialogue and relations with the government following the deadly blasts that targeted her homecoming procession in Karachi, her husband Asif Ali Zardari has said

"I don't believe that jihadis are involved in the attack on PPP chairperson Bhutto. The state agencies are responsible for this," Zardari alleged.

He said the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) should rethink its strategy of dialogue and relations with the government of the country.

Zardari, who saw off his wife on Thursday morning on her historic return to Pakistan, stayed back in Dubai with the couple's two daughters. He was also booked on an Emirates flight to Karachi on Friday but decided against going to Pakistan back after speaking to Bhutto, Gulf News reported.

The blasts targeting Bhutto's homecoming parade in Karachi on Thursday night had left more than 130 people dead and over 500 injured.

"All who had died included a five-year-old child, policemen, PPP workers and journalists," Zardari was quoted as saying.

Bhutto's daughters only found out about the Thursday night blasts when they woke up next morning, a close family friend was quoted as saying.

Bakhtawar and Asifa were sleeping at the time of the blasts and their father did not wake them up but told them about the incident in the morning. They spoke to Bhutto over phone and were obviously relieved to discover their mother had escaped unscathed, the family friend said.

Zardari told his son, Bilawal, who is studying at Oxford, about the incident immediately after it happened.