The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Karachi

The senior detective leading the probe into the suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto has withdrawn from the case after the opposition leader accused him of involvement in the alleged torture of her husband, a senior official said Wednesday. "The investigation team will be formed anew after Manzur Mughal disassociated himself from the investigation in view of the objections raised by Benazir Bhutto on the chief investigator's credentials," said Ghulam Muhammad Mohtarem, the home secretary of Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital. Last Thursday night, two suicide bombers attacked a truck carrying Bhutto, a former prime minister, through a sea of more than 150,000 supporters in Karachi who had welcomed her back from more than eight years in exile, killing at least 136 people. The government has promised a thorough investigation of the attack, which has raised doubts about Pakistan's stability as it heads toward crucial elections.

However, Bhutto has accused elements in the government and security services of complicity in the explosions and called for international experts to help in the investigation. She specifically objected to Mughal, claiming he had been present while her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, was allegedly tortured while in custody on corruption charges in 1999.

Mohtarem said the provincial government had no doubt about Mughal's competency and professionalism, but that he had decided to withdraw to protect the investigation from accusations of bias. Government officials insist Pakistani authorities can handle the investigation without outside help.