US TELL PAKISTAN ENSURE BHUTTO'S SECURITY

US legislators tell Musharraf to ensure Bhutto's security

US, Three veteran US senators on Wednesday urged Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf to ensure the safety of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto after the deadly attack on her homecoming parade.
In an unusual letter to the key US anti-terror ally, Senators Joseph Biden, Joseph Lieberman and Patrick Leahy warned that the suicide bombings, which killed 139 people, reflected risks faced by all candidates in January's elections.
"We extend our condolences to you, to the victims' families, and to all of the people of Pakistan," the senators wrote in the letter.
"We believe this devastating attack serves as a stark reminder of the need for effective security mechanisms for the protection of all candidates and their supporters (particularly, although not exclusively, Ms. Bhutto and members of her party)..."
The senators called on Musharraf to provide the level of security to Bhutto offered to any former Pakistani prime minister. Meanwhile The top officer leading the probe into devastating suicide attacks targeting Benazir Bhutto has withdrawn from the case following the former premier's objections, an official said Wednesday.
Twin suicide blasts ripped through Bhutto's homecoming parade in Karachi last week, killing 139 people and ruining her planned triumphant return to Pakistan after eight years in self-imposed exile.
"The officer (Mughal) has asked to be sent on leave and a new officer will be appointed to head the investigation," Sindh home secretary Ghulam Muhammad Mohtarram told AFP, saying Bhutto's concerns were the reason for Mughal's request..
Washington, Thursday, AFP