Nearly half of Pakistanis believe govt killed Bhutto

Nearly half of Pakistanis suspect that government agencies or government-linked politicians killed Benazir Bhutto, an opinion poll showed, highlighting the popular mistrust of the country’s president ahead of elections next month.

Mrs Bhutto, an opposition leader and former prime minister, was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack on December 27.

The government of President Pervez Musharraf has blamed Islamic extremists for the assassination, who had already reportedly threatened to kill her. Mrs Bhutto was a secular politician popular in the US and other Western countries for her vocal opposition to hard-line Islam.

But her political party and family members have repeatedly made vague allegations that elements within Mr Musharraf’s government may have been involved. Mr Musharraf has denied any role in the killing.

The opinion poll showed that 23% of Pakistanis suspected government agencies in the killing, while 25% believed government-allied politicians were behind it. Only 17% suspected a- Qaida or the Taliban.

The poll by Gallup Pakistan, which is affiliated with Gallup International polling group, questioned 1,300 men and women in face-to-face interviews across Pakistan soon after Mrs Bhutto’s killing. No margin of error was given.

Information Minister Nisar Memon questioned the poll and its findings.

“I don’t think this is representative of the thought process of the people of Pakistan and neither does it reflect the realities,” he said of the survey. “It is very clear that people know that it is the terrorists who are responsible.”

Mr Musharraf, who has himself survived at least three assassination attempts blamed on militants, seized power eight years ago in a military coup. His popularity was already low before Mrs Bhutto’s assassination amid demands for greater democratic rule.

The parliamentary elections, which will take place on February 18 after being delayed for six weeks amid rioting triggered by Mrs Bhutto’s death, are seen as key to Pakistan’s transition to democracy as it battles rising attacks by al-Qaida and Taliban militants.

Mrs Bhutto’s party and the other major opposition grouping are expected to do well in the polls, in part because of sympathy over her death. But most analysts expect no party will gain enough seats to form a government alone and predict the polls will result in a likely unstable coalition. Others fear that vote-rigging may taint the whole process and trigger fresh disputes.