Benazir Bhutto 'killed in suicide blast'

Benazir Bhutto 'killed in suicide blast'
Dec 27 - Leader of the opposition party in Pakistan and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated Thursday evening in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi.
According to the BBC, Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, 54, has been killed in a presumed suicide attack.
Other news agencies have reported that Bhutto was shot five times before the suicide bomber blew self up and that Bhutto died on the way to hospital.
Initial reports said she was only injured in a suspected suicide attack at the Liaquat Bagh park in Rawalpindi, some 30km south from Islamabad.
According to the report, Bhutto had just addressed a pre-election rally in the town of Rawalpindi when the bomb went off.
According to Xinhua, the latest reports from the state-run PTV said at least ten people were killed in the blast while a private TV, ARJ, reported that at least 20 were killed and another 42 were injured in the blast.
PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar initially said that Bhutto was safe but later told BBC that she had died.
Another member of the PPP, Wasif Ali Khan, told the Associated Press news agency from the Rawalpindi General Hospital: "At 6:16 pm (1316 GMT) she expired."
Bhutto had returned from self-imposed exile in October after years out of Pakistan where she had faced corruption charges.
Following a power-sharing agreement with President Musharraf, Bhutto had returned to the country. On the day of her return she led a motor cavalcade through the city of Karachi which was hit by a double suicide attack that left some 130 dead.
Since her return relations with Musharraf have broken down, BBC added.
The PPP has the largest support in the country.
Earlier, at least four supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were also killed Thursday when unidentified gunmen fired at his party's procession in the outskirts of Islamabad.