Bhutto returns to ancestral home

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Under extraordinarily tight security, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returned to her ancestral homeland Saturday in her first major move since an assassination attempt against her last week claimed 140 lives.

In a quick and tightly scripted visit, Bhutto paid respects at the tomb of her father, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and waved to a crowd of thousands that had gathered to mark her homecoming after eight years of exile. But Bhutto did not speak to the assembled mass of flag-waving supporters, and concerns about another attack seemed to dictate every aspect of the trip.

Her convoy, which included vehicles mounted with machine guns, sped along the route from the airport in the southern city of Sukkur to the tomb in the village of Garhi Khuda Baksh. Only bodyguards and members of the media were allowed near.

Bhutto’s vehicle, a white, bulletproof SUV, was equipped with a hatch in the roof, flanked by two metal slabs. At several points, she emerged to show her face to local backers who hold the Bhutto name with in almost religious regard.

Once inside the tomb – a five-domed, white marble giant that is still being built more than a decade after work began – a solemn-looking Bhutto laid rose petals over the grave of her father, who was hanged in 1979 by Pakistan’s then-dictator, Gen. Zia ul-Haq.

Bhutto, who is campaigning to win back her job as prime minister, flew to Pakistan on Oct. 18, arriving in the port city of Karachi. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out to welcome her. But two explosions – at least one caused by a suicide bomber – struck her convoy as it inched through the streets. Bhutto emerged unscathed, but hundreds of people were injured in addition to the dead.

For more than a week afterward, Bhutto, 54, was sequestered in her family compound in Karachi, although she made brief, unannounced forays to visit wounded supporters at city hospitals. She has said repeatedly since the attack that she believes she is still under threat, and she has complained that the government has not done enough to ensure her safety.

Bhutto cut a deal with President Pervez Musharraf to return to Pakistan, though she has accused rogue government officials of conspiring with Islamic extremists to assassinate her. The government has vehemently denied the charge.

The security concerns pose a considerable challenge for Bhutto and for Pakistan as parliamentary elections that are due by January draw near. Bhutto, whose Pakistan People’s Party has long relied on mass rallies to drum up support, has said her party is talking with political consultants about other, less dangerous campaign tactics, including tape-recorded messages.

On Saturday, Bhutto’s personal bodyguards appeared to be in charge of her protection, with government forces present in modest numbers.