Bhutto died due to the effect of bomb blast & not gunfire: Scotland Yard

Former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto died due to the effect of bomb blast that caused a severe head injury and not gunfire as it was believed, says a report released on Friday by the UK investigating agency Scotland Yard. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had called for investigation assistance from the Scotland Yard and the final report was submitted to the Pakistan government on Feb 8 (Friday).

Though the Pakistan authority was of a belief that the assassination occurred due to suicide blast but her family members and the supporters of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has been strongly stressing the fact that her death occurred due to bullet fire.

The investigation also found evidence of only one person being involved in the attack and not two as it was believed earlier. Investigators though had not much in help as the autopsy of the victim was not carried out and the evidence at the crime scene have been destroyed but the available video footage of the rally and x-ray scan of the victims head brought the present conclusion.

“The only tenable cause for the rapidly fatal head injury in this case is that it occurred as the result of impact due to the effects of the bomb-blast, and Bhutto died due to a severe head injury sustained somewhere in the lip of the escape hatch of the vehicle", British government pathologist Nathaniel Cary said in the report.

The entire two and half week investigation process was sufficient to establish the exact cause and circumstances of Bhutto’s death, says the report. During the whole process Bhutto’s family, Pakistan authority and the medical staff involved in her treatment had provided extensive support to the agency.

The finding was completely rejected by PPP and Bhutto’s family who had called for an independent UN inquiry into the assassination but that was rejected by Musharraf.

The present findings may incite the already violent Pakistan as it backs the Musharraf administration earlier theory of Bhutto’s assassination.

Meanwhile, the investigators most probably have to interrogate a 15-year-old young man Aitzaz Shah who was arrested later from the North West Frontier Provinces in connection with his presence at the crime spot.