Benazir resposible for blast deaths: niece

Islamabad, Oct 21 (UNI) Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's estranged niece, Fatima Bhutto has held the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader resposible for the October 19 carnage in Pakistan that killed 139 people.

Ms Bhutto bears the responsibility for the deaths of people in the attack on her homecoming parade by exposing them to danger for the sake of her own ''personal theatre'', Ms Fatima Bhutto said.

''She insisted on this grand show, she bears a responsibility for these deaths and for these injuries,'' the 25-year-old granddaughter of late Pakistani premier Zulfiqar Bhutto said in an interview to a French News Agency.

''They died for this personal theatre of hers, they died for this personal show,'' The News quoted Ms Fatima as speaking in the interview at her residence in Karachi.

However, Pakistan People's Party dismissed the accusations terming them as ''senseless'' and said it is the government's job to protect its citizens.

''Those who have died, their families are proud of them.

The attack was against Benazir Bhutto. All those including ourselves, who went there took the risk knowingly,'' senior PPP leader Taj Haider said.

Ms Fatima Bhutto also said her aunt was not the enemy of militancy as she claims to be.

''She talks about extremism and nobody else points out that the Taliban was created under her last government,''she said.

''What this (amnesty) means for this country is very, very frightening,'' she added.

''I can't rule anything out for the future, but I think there are a lot of other ways to be political and right now I am choosing this way.''Ms Fatima said.

She is the daughter of Ms Benazir's late brother Murtaza, who was killed by police in Karachi in 1996 amid murky circumstances that led to the collapse of her second term government.

UNI