Attack on Benazir.
19 October, 2007
Charred body parts littered the road flanked by giant plums of fire wafting upward from several burning vehicles as two powerful blasts struck the specially modified lorry of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto upon her return from Dubai after an eight-year long self exile.
Ms Bhutto, who remained unhurt, was leading a 3 kilometers-long procession at the main highway of the commercial hub of Pakistan, Shara-e-Faisal- standing behind the bullet proof screen of a specially modified lorry equipped with bomb jammers and cordoned off by some 300 trained security guards throughout her journey.
The explosions, which occurred within two minutes, were declared an act of a suicide bomber within half an hour by the police.
However, Security agencies contest each other’s claims regarding suicide bombing.
The bomb disposal squad doubts that it was a suicide attack. “ It seems if the bombs were planted either in two of vehicles or along the footpath”, a senior bomb disposal squad said. Eyewitnesses are also skeptical bout the suicide bombing claims. “ I was clinging to the lorry when I saw a police vehicle tossed in the air with a powerful explosion. I fell on the ground, and lost my senses”, Niaz Ali, one of the security guards surrounding Ms Bhutto’s motorcade said.
Before the explosions, the area Ms Bhutto’s procession passing through was surprisingly in dark as the street lights were switched off as soon as dusk approached making the task easier for the terrorists.
“ This was not the act of militants. An intelligence agency is involved in the attack”, Asif Zardari, the spouse of Ms Bhutto told a local TV channel”, Mr Zardari says demanding a through investigation as regards involvement of the intelligence agency in the terrorist attack.
Farhatullah Babar, the spokesman of Ms Bhutto told newsmen that she has demanded of General Musharraf to remove the head of IB from his office, who according to her is responsible for the terrorist attack.
Here are some questions
1)keeping the given circumstances in mind, do you think it was a suicide attack?
2)If yes, who could be behind that?
3)And If no, then what kind of advantage government and Benazir want to achieve?
4)It has become a fashion in Pakistan to declare any terrorism related incident as a result of suicide attack. What do you say?
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