ISLAMABAD/KARACHI, 22 October 2007 — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto called on the government to seek foreign help in investigating Thursday’s bombing as police questioned three people suspected of involvement in the blasts. The men were linked to a car from which an attacker threw a grenade, seconds before a suicide bomber blew himself up in the crowd of hundreds of thousands of people.
Two blasts killed 139 people as Benazir traveled through the streets of Karachi packed with supporters welcoming her homecoming.
“We want the government of Pakistan to seek assistance from the international community. They have anti-terrorism expertise to investigate attacks of this nature,” she told reporters after attending a prayer ceremony for the victims.
Earlier in the day, Benazir made an unannounced visit to Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital to meet some of the people wounded in the attack, a party spokeswoman said.
Hundreds of party members held prayers for the dead in Karachi.
Police said they had several leads and were making progress. Investigators also quizzed seven militants in jails in Karachi for possible information on the blasts.
“Police have taken three people from the south of Punjab province for questioning. They were taken to Karachi for questioning and it can be that they hold clues,” the official told AFP earlier.
Hundreds of protesters burned tires and hurled stones in southern Sindh province for a third day yesterday.
Around 10 groups, each of around 50 people, took to the streets in Karachi, an AFP correspondent said.
Some hurled rocks at passing vehicles while others torched piles of tires, sending thick clouds of smoke into the air in the Lyari neighborhood of the port city.
Similar protests took place in the cities of Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Sukkur and other native districts of the victims of the bombing.
“There are reports about mild protests and burning of tires in different districts but all these are largely peaceful,” Sindh province Home Secretary Ghulam Mohammad Mohtarem told AFP.
“The situation is under control and there are no reports of violence. Most shops remained closed yesterday but the total closure is not caused by any violence,” he added.
The government has said the violence would not affect plans for a general election although campaigning might have to be curtailed because of the threat of violence. Benazir said a code of conduct would be prepared in consultation with other political parties in view of the deteriorating security situation.
“We will have to modify our campaign because of the suicide bombings but we are not going to stop our campaign to reach the public,” she said.
A national day of mourning was observed yesterday for those killed. Morgue officials said 75 of the bodies have been buried, while another 29 remained unclaimed.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Benazir yesterday to condemn the bombing that targeted her.
