Injured DSP confirms Benazir was shot

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ishtiaq Hussain Shah, who gave his first interview from hospital, has said that he saw a man firing at former premier Benazir Bhutto with a pistol.

Rawalpindi, Jan 8 : Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ishtiaq Hussain Shah, who gave his first interview from hospital, has said that he saw a man firing at former premier Benazir Bhutto with a pistol.

"A man wearing sunglasses was standing about three metres from Benazir's car and was firing at her with a pistol. As soon as I jumped to overpower him, a mighty explosion occurred," he said.

Ishtiaq Shah was in charge in charge of security arrangements at the Liaqat Bagh and was among those who sustained multiple injuries in the December 27 attack.

He said that he saw some people appear from nowhere and stop Benazir's car while she was leaving the rally.

"I don't know who they were or from where they came. They were carrying flags of the Pakistan People's Party and shouting pro-PPP slogans. They just appeared on the road," Shah said.

"I started to clear the way for Bhutto's vehicle. I saw a man who was probably wearing a grey jacket and sunglasses shoot from the crowd towards Bhutto. I jumped to overpower him. He was about 10 feet away from my position. A mighty explosion took place soon afterwards," the Dawn quoted Shah, as saying.

He said seconds later he found himself lying at a distance from the scene and darkness overtook the place.

DSP Shah said that he was on the left side of Benazir's car.

About security arrangements made by the police for the rally, he said that they were "absolutely perfect", insisting that there had been no security lapse on their part.

Ishtiaq Shah, however, said he got worried when he saw that the walk-through gates were not working because of a power breakdown, and feared that people would get inside the rally venue without any security check.

ANI