Munizae Jehangir

Thursday, December 27, 2007 (Islamabad)

After surviving several assassination attempts in the past, PPP leader Benazir Bhutto was not so lucky on Thursday as she was killed by two gunmen who opened fire at her right after she finished addressing a rally at Liaquatbagh.

Bhutto got off the stage after addressing the rally and started moving towards her car. Her vehicle moved a certain distance and she was surrounded by party supporters.

She came out of the car and just then two attackers with AK 47s pumped her with bullets, one in the neck and two in the head. After shooting, a third attacker blew himself up near Benazir's car.

Benazir was declared dead at 6.16 pm local time at a Rawalpindi hospital, 40 minutes after she was taken in.

The attack also killed more than 20 people and left several others injured.

Following Bhutto's death, a high alert has been sounded in Pakistan. Shops and petrol pumps have closed in many cities fearing violence.

Shops across Rawalpindi are being torched by PPP supporters. Asif Zardari and his children are on their way to Karachi.

Nawaz Sharif described Benazir Bhutto's assassination as the most tragic incident in the history of Pakistan.

''I myself feel threatened,'' says Sharif, whose party temporarily suspended the electioneering in the wake of the assassination.

''Are things in control now? Had things been in control, would this have happened?'' he said, adding that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf would have to give answers.

''I also feel unprotected and the lady must also have been feeling very unprotected,'' Sharif said.

Criticising Musharraf, he said, ''If Musharraf can spend crores on his own security, could he not spend some amount on the security of Bhutto.''

Fifty-four-year-old Benazir was rushed to Rawalpindi general hospital, where she was pronounced dead nearly 40 minutes later.

''We are traumatised. People all over are crying. Everyone is saying that this Army has killed Benazir. There is going to be more bloodshed. Will the world now finally wake up? said a distraught Asma Jehangir, Chairperson, Pak Human Rights Commission.

''It is very tragic. It has shocked every Pakistani,'' said Ayaz Amir, columnist.

Prof. Bhim Singh, Chairman of the National Panthers Party and Member of National Integration Council (NIC) while condemning the brutalassassination of Benazir Bhutto, termed it as the most cowardice act of the terrorists and total failure of the Pakistan government.

Bhutto is survived by her husband Asif Ali Zardari and three children. Before she returned to Pakistan in October, Benazir Bhutto told NDTV that she was not afraid of the threats.

In the first reactions coming in from New Delhi, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said, ''We are shocked and saddened by this. Benazir was a promising leader with her own stature in Pakistan. It has happened at a time when the people of Pakistan were looking up to her. We offer our condolences to her bereaved family members and friends.''

Three days of national mourning has been declared. The national flag will be flown at half mast. Benazir is likely to be buried on Friday in Larkana near her father's grave.

National and provincial assembly elections in Pakistan are due on January 8.

In October some 130 people were killed in an attack on Bhutto's cavalcade when she returned to the country.

It was one of the worst incidents of violence in a year of deteriorating security in Pakistan.
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