Washington, Jan 14: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated on December 27, was denied private security by President Pervez Musharraf, US Senator John Kerry has alleged.

“Benazir told me shortly before she was assassinated that Musharraf had denied her private security,” the Daily Times quoted Kerry as saying.

Refusing to divulge further details, Kerry said that he had contacted the US State Department to arrange security for Benazir after her October 18 homecoming rally was attacked in Karachi in which over 140 people were killed.

The cause of death of Benazir is yet not certain. A Scotland Yard team is assisting Pakistan local investigation team to probe into her death.

Earlier, Benazir wrote an e-mail to her American friend Mark Siegel, saying that if she was harmed in Pakistan she would ''hold Musharraf responsible as she felt insecure by Musharraf's minions, that specific improvements had not been made to her security arrangements." (ANI)