Benazir Bhuttos driver, Javed Rehman, has claimed that he rushed his grievously injured leader to the Rawalpindi General Hospital in her bomb-damaged and blazing car.
London, Jan.1 : Benazir Bhutto's driver, Javed Rehman, has claimed that he rushed his grievously injured leader to the Rawalpindi General Hospital in her bomb-damaged and blazing car.
The Mirror quoted Javed, 46, as saying that he put his foot down and weaved the heavily armoured 4x4 - on fire and with all four tyres blown out - through the chaos and screaming crowds. The damaged car spluttered to a halt within sight of Rawalpindi hospital.
Bhutto was transferred to another car for the final few yards. Doctors battled for 90 minutes to try to save her, but it was too late, he said.
Javed, who has worked for the family for 13 years, was too shocked to talk yesterday.
But his brother Khizar, 42 - who was driving another car just ahead in the convoy - said: "Benazir was in the back seat, sitting between two senior party members.
"She suddenly stood up without warning and the next minute she had fallen back inside and lying in a pool of blood. "People were screaming and clinging to the car but he knew they had to get to hospital.
Javed is racked with grief and has not stopped sobbing since Benazir died.
A butler who has served the family for 30 years broke down as he recalled the young mum-of-three blossoming into a political leader.
Mohammed Meqbool, 55, met her when she was 26, and mourning the death of her father, former President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto - hanged in 1979, accused of ordering the murder of a political opponent.
He said she was determined to continue his legacy: "Senior party figures gave her love, encouragement and support and she bloomed in the political environment."
ANI