WaPo : Bhutto Charges Pakistani Government With Impeding Investigation

Bhutto Charges Pakistani Government With Impeding Investigation

By Griff Witte | Washington Post Foreign Service | October 22, 2007

KARACHI, Pakistan, Oct. 22 -- Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Monday charged that government officials are seeking to obstruct a thorough investigation into last week's devastating suicide attack on her convoy because "some people are being protected."

The allegation came after the government rejected her request that international experts be brought in to assist with the investigation.

"If people have nothing to hide, they will be open to working with experts from all over the world," she told reporters Monday at her family compound in Karachi. "I would be simply appalled if the government of Pakistan declined" to bring in international experts.

Bhutto narrowly survived an assassination attempt late Thursday that killed 140 others during a massive procession to mark her homecoming from eight years of exile. She has said she thinks Islamic extremists were behind the attack. But she has also suggested they had help from current and former government officials, including members of the nation's influential army and intelligence services.

"There are very powerful figures behind the assassination attempt on me," she said.

Deputy Information Minister Tariq Azim Khan dismissed the accusation and criticized Bhutto for suggesting Pakistan is not up to the job of investigating. "It's very sad to hear a former two-term prime minister for Pakistan doubt the integrity and the efficiency of the country's own institutions," he said. "Every time there's an incident, are we just going to invite people from all over the world to investigate?"

Earlier, Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said he would "categorically reject" Bhutto's request for foreign investigators. "We are conducting the investigation in a very objective manner," he said.

The exchange highlighted the deep mistrust that remains between Bhutto and members of the government. While Bhutto has been negotiating a power-sharing arrangement with President Pervez Musharraf, many officials below Musharraf are vehemently against her return to her old job.

Musharraf has said investigating the attack against Bhutto would be a priority. But so far there have been no major, public breakthroughs. Police have said they have detained three people for questioning, though it is unclear whether they are considered suspects.

A Western diplomat in Karachi said it was "too soon to speculate" who exactly might have been responsible for the attack.

"Let the investigation go forward. The Pakistanis are doing their thing," said the diplomat. "Is it CSI? No. Not quite to that level. Nevertheless, they do have their procedures."

Bhutto said Monday that the threat against her remains. She is weighing a trip to her ancestral home of Larkana this week, but security could be a significant impediment. She said she had received a call from a government official on Sunday informing her of a plot to attack her in Larkana. Bhutto said she had known about that threat even before she flew back from exile in the United Arab Emirates last week.

"What's new?" Bhutto said. "I heard about this in Dubai."

The government has insisted that it is giving Bhutto all the security she needs but that she has been reckless in making public appearances that place her at risk. Bhutto said Monday that she is still not satisfied with the government's efforts.

"As of now, I haven't got what I want in terms of my security," Bhutto said.