KARACHI, Nov 2: The Karachi Coordination Committee of the Pakistan People’s Party on Friday expressed its lack of confidence in the ongoing government investigation into the October 18 terrorist attack on Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming procession. The committee also expressed its apprehension over the voters’ list and slammed the regime for the “artificial” wheat flour crisis and soaring prices.

The meeting was chaired by Aftab Shahban Mirani at the residence of Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh PPP president. It was attended by leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro, N.D. Khan, provincial secretary-general Nafees Siddiqui, provincial information secretary Dr Fahmida Mirza and president of the PPP Karachi chapter Rashid Rabbani.

While strongly condemning the attack on Ms Bhutto’s rally and expressing condolences with the victims’ families, the meeting termed it “a brutal attempt to block the path of peaceful transition to constitutional democracy.”

The coordination committee members thanked the political parties, groups and persons who had turned up to offer condolences and had condemned the attack. It also expressed its gratitude to foreign governments, heads of state, political personalities and above all to the secretary-general and the security council of the United Nations who have joined the people of Pakistan in condemning the act.

The meeting also expressed its deep concern over the “total failure of the regime and its agencies to forestall the attack despite prior information communicated by Ms Bhutto.”

The meeting strongly criticized the regime for “removing and tampering with physical evidence of the incident and not explaining why the street-lights were switched off.” The meeting was also at variance with the government version of the possible attacker and the haste in which evidence was removed from the scene.

In addition, the meeting also reiterated the party’s position on the non-registration of Ms Bhutto’s FIR and maintained that filing of the police FIR without taking the statements of Ms Bhutto, the PPP leadership and her guards “smacked of foul play.”

The meeting was also concerned about the non-availability of any information regarding what the authorities did to two men caught with pistols by PPP workers half an hour before the explosions and what actions did the regime take regarding the suspected militants whose details were provided prior to the attack. It also reiterated the party’s demand for seeking foreign expert assistance in the investigation.

The party was concerned at the unprecedented phenomenon of suicides and sought an end to the loan write-offs worth billions that squeeze the treasury and shrink valuable resources needed for the poor.

The party was gravely concerned about the fiscal and trade imbalances that threaten macroeconomic stability and resolved that without the needed fiscal steps, the economic situation would get worse.

It termed the atta crisis a result of hoarding and mismanagement and accused the regime of protecting those who deny the people their bread.

The PPP also strongly condemned the Sindh government for “unleashing a reign of terror in several parts of the province.” In this context it deplored the arrest of party leaders and supporters in Thar, Kotri, Hyderabad and Dadu.