South Asia News
Pakistani militants to "welcome" Bhutto with bombings (Extra)
Oct 5, 2007, 8:20 GMT
Islamabad - Taliban militants in Pakistan have threatened to launch suicide bomb attacks against former prime minister Benazir Bhutto when she comes home from exile on October 18, the Daily Times newspaper reported Friday.
'My men will welcome Bhutto on her return,' Baitullah Mehsud, a senior militant commander in the tribal areas by the border with Afghanistan, told negotiators trying to secure the release of around 240 government soldiers captured in August.
'We don't accept President General Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto because they only protect the interests of the US and see things through its glasses,' Mehsud reportedly told a member of parliament during ongoing talks to free the captives.
The influential militant leader claims to have a following of 35,000 fighters, including a squad of trained suicide bombers.
Bhutto, who is due to arrive in the southern port city of Karachi in two weeks, says she will work closely with the United States to eliminate militancy and terrorism in Pakistan if she rejoins the national leadership under a deal with Musharraf.
The military ruler is due to seek re-election in a parliamentary vote on Saturday, prior to which he was expected to formalize an amnesty agreement closing corruption cases against Bhutto.
Bhutto has lived in self-exile in London and Dubai since charges against her gathered momentum in 1999 under former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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