ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: The government has replaced the officer who was investigating the October 18 Karachi blasts, Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema told reporters here on Wednesday.

He said that Deputy Inspector General Manzoor Mughal had been replaced on the demand of the Pakistan People’s Party.

He denied reports that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s name had been placed on the Exit Control List.

“The government has not put the name of the PPP chairperson on the ECL in the recent past,” he said.

Brig Cheema said the blast probe was progressing well. “We have found important leads and recoveries and the DNA tests are being conducted as heads of two suspected suicide bombers have been found at the blast site,” he said.

He said Ms Bhutto had been provided foolproof security on her return to the country but it had always been difficult to prevent suicide bombings, especially during big processions.

“Now we have prepared a code of conduct under which political parties cannot take out rallies, but they will be allowed to hold public meetings only at specified places,” he said.

Responding to a question about the PPP’s demand for involving foreign experts in the investigation, the spokesman said that local experts were capable of doing the work. He also rejected reports that officials of the US Federal Investigation Bureau were investigating the case.

Talking about composite dialogue with New Delhi, he said Islamabad had sought release of 266 Pakistani civilians languishing in Indian jails.