Musharraf, Aziz are moderates in the present govt: Benazir

Karachi, Oct 26: Former premier Benazir Bhutto has hinted at a realignment of political forces, and describing President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz as moderates in the present regime.

She appealed to "moderate democratic forces" to counter the politics of remnants of former military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq, whose Afghan policy she said was one of the root causes of the spread of terrorism in Pakistan.

"I don’t want suicide attacks to be made on others, but it remains a point that neither federal minister Ijaz-ul-Haq nor PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain were ever attacked by suicide bombers," Bhutto said.

Bhutto said she was dissatisfied with the investigation into the October 18 twin bomb blasts.

"The police give a different story every day. It is inept handling of the case. Don’t show us the heads of suicide bombers. Tell us about the sponsors, organisers and financers of the suicide bombing," she said.

Bhutto repeated her demand that foreign experts must be asked to assist in the investigation, as American or British forensics experts would have modern equipment and facilities for DNA testing needed for the inquiry that Pakistan does not have.

Bhutto made a distinction between "religious madrassas" that taught Arabic and the Quran, and "political madrassas" that had become weapons depots and were teaching their students to hate non-Muslims. She said all madrassa students should be documented.

She also announced that she would visit her hometown of Larkana for the first time in eight years on Saturday, the Daily Times reported.

"I announce my Larkana visit in advance, but sometimes I will be making unannounced visits for security concerns," she told reporters.

Bhutto rejected accusations that she had hurt the national reconciliation process by making allegations about those behind the attack on her reception rally, saying that government officials should be condemning terrorists, not the PPP. (ANI)

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