Bhutto says Pakistan not providing enough protection

Benazir Bhutto said Monday that Pakistan’s government had not provided her with adequate security after an assassination attempt that killed 139 people.

The government suspects that Islamic militants were behind Friday’s attack on the former prime minister, who had returned from eight years of self-imposed exile only hours before.

But Bhutto said senior members of the Pakistani establishment also were conspiring against her.

“There are very powerful figures behind the assassination attempt on me,” Bhutto said at a news conference.

She said she had no reason to believe President Pervez Musharraf, who came to power in a 1999 coup, was involved.

Bhutto said she had asked Musharraf and his top advisors to assign police officials of her choice for protection.

“As of now, I haven’t got what I want,” Bhutto said, adding that she wanted protection for all political leaders because moderates were being targeted.