LAHORE, Oct 23: In what appears to be a shift in Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) stand, Benazir Bhutto’s security adviser Rehman Malik said on Tuesday that the party had not accused the chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh or the director-general of Intelligence Bureau of masterminding the Oct 18 bomb blasts in Karachi.

Talking to Dawn, he said the party was awaiting the outcome of police investigations into the incident.

Mr Malik and PPP president Makhdoom Amin Fahim are reported to be holding talks with the government on the formation of a caretaker set-up to supervise the general elections.

“We have not mentioned any names in the FIR lodged with police. We have not accused the Punjab and Sindh chief ministers or the head of Intelligence Bureau of planning the tragic incident. We have also not said anything against the former NAB deputy chairman. All press reports in this regard are speculative and baseless,” said the PPP leader.

Asked who could be involved in the incident, Mr Malik said the PPP was waiting for the result of police investigations. He said a number of innocent people and policemen had been killed in the incident and, therefore, the party would urge the government to investigate the matter properly.

“The government should ensure that such tragic incidents do not take place in the future.”

About the names of people Ms Bhutto had reportedly mentioned in her letter to President Gen Pervez Musharraf ahead of her arrival in Pakistan, Mr Malik said she had expressed apprehensions that some people could try to assassinate her. However, he claimed that no names had been mentioned.

Mr Malik said nobody had claimed responsibility for the Oct 18 blasts, and since Baitullah Mehsud and Taliban had also denied any role, it would be easier for police to apprehend the culprits.

He said he himself was in contact with the interior secretary to know if there was any progress in the investigations. He said the party was also investigating the matter on its own.

He called for a ‘ceasefire’ among all parties, saying that nobody should level allegations against anybody. “The country needs a consensus and instead of making allegations and counter-allegations, we should wait for the police report on the incident.”

He said PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif should be allowed to return and participate in politics for the sake of national reconciliation.

He said Gen Musharraf had advised the PPP chairperson to delay her return to Pakistan ‘for security reasons’.

He said so far the PPP had not told the government which party leader should head the caretaker set-up.