Heavily guarded Bhutto visits father’s tomb
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Under extraordinarily tight security, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returned to her ancestral homeland Saturday in her first major move since an assassination attempt against her earlier this month claimed 140 lives.
In a tightly scripted visit, Bhutto paid respects at the tomb of her father, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and briefly waved to a crowd of thousands that had gathered to mark her homecoming after eight years of self-imposed exile.
Her convoy, which included vehicles mounted with machine guns, sped along the route from the airport in the southern city of Sukkur to the tomb in the village of Garhi Khuda Baksh.
Bhutto’s vehicle, a white, bulletproof SUV, was equipped with a hatch in the roof. At several points, she emerged to show her face to local backers.
Once inside the tomb - a five-domed, white marble giant that is still being built more than a decade after work began - a solemn-looking Bhutto laid rose petals over the grave of her father, who was hanged in 1979 by Pakistan’s then-dictator, Gen. Zia ul-Haq.
Bhutto, who is campaigning to win back her job as prime minister, flew to Pakistan on Oct. 18, arriving in the port city of Karachi. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out to welcome her.
But two explosions struck her convoy as it inched through the streets. Bhutto emerged unscathed, but hundreds of people were injured.
Bhutto, 54, has said repeatedly since the attack that she believes she is still under threat, and she has complained that the government has not done enough to ensure her safety.
Bhutto cut a deal with President Pervez Musharraf to return to Pakistan, though she has accused rogue government officials of conspiring with Islamic extremists to assassinate her. The government has vehemently denied the charge.
On Saturday, Bhutto’s bodyguards appeared to be in charge of her protection, with government forces present in modest numbers.