Suicide attackers tried to kill a leading Pakistani politician today as members of Benazir Bhutto’s political party prepared for critical meetings on whether to boycott January 8 elections following her assassination.

Pakistan said today it did not need foreign assistance to investigate the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, despite deepening controversy over how the former prime minister died and who killed her.

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto accused President Pervez Musharraf of failing to stop the spread of Islamic militants and promised to crack down on the groups if she won next month’s parliamentary election.