Karachi blasts: 2nd attack was suicide bombing

Karachi, Oct 26: The bomb disposal unit of the Karachi Police has concluded that the second attack on the motorcade of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on October 18 was a suicide bombing.

The conclusion is contained in a report submitted by the bomb disposal unit on Thursday to the Additional Inspector-General Special Branch, Babar Khattak.

The report describes the first bomb as an IED (improvised explosive device) adding around 12kg of plastic explosive and RDX were used in the second bombing along with hundreds of pellets, which caused many instant deaths.

Referring to the first blast, the report says that around 200 grams of dynamite was used in the IED.

The special branch official to Provincial Police, Major (retired) Ziaul Hasan Khan, submitted the report.

Around 140 people died and hundreds of others were wounded when the twin bomb attacks aimed at Bhutto"s specially designed vehicle took place a little after midnight on October 18.

The report comes at a time when a controversy is raging over whether the twin bomb blasts were suicide attacks or caused by devices planted in a vehicle.

So far the submission of the bomb disposal unit"s report is the first significant sign of progress in the ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan People"s Party leadership is determined to lodge a separate FIR on behalf of its chairperson Benazir Bhutto against the bomb attack on her life, but it has been waiting for a positive response from the government.

A party leader said the PPP was firm in its stand that the FIR, which was lodged on behalf of the state a few hours after the incident, did not stand valid as it did not take the aggrieved party"s account.

"We have learned through different sources that both the federal and provincial governments have allowed a separate FIR but have not been informed formally by the police officials," said PPP Sindh President Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

"We are keenly waiting for such information and would definitely register a separate FIR. We have already submitted the chairperson"s letter to the SHO Bahadurabad, which is actually an application for our FIR," he added.

He claimed that it was the responsibility of the Karachi police to inform the party leadership if there was such a development, as the PPP was interacting with the police on the subject.

In-charge of the PPP London"s media cell Habib Jan demanded the Pakistan Government to engage Scotland Yard in the investigations of the October 18 blasts.

ANI>