HYDERABAD, Oct 19: Expressing profound grief and sorrow over the killing of nearly 140 people killed in an attack on caravan of the PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto in Karachi on Thursday, the Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party announced three-day mourning throughout the province.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Friday, the acting chairman of the party, Dr Abdul Hameed Memon, general secretary, Hote Khan Gadi, Haider Shahani, Muzaffar Kalhoro and others condemned the terrorist act and said that the main target was Ms Benazir Bhutto and the main objective was to undermine the democratic process.

They said this attack had made it clear that when a popular leader of a biggest political party was not safe than nobody was safe in the country.

They said that it had been repeatedly demanded by the PPP leaders that a foolproof arrangement should be made to protect Ms Bhutto but it was not done.

They said that this had raised many questions and proved the gross inefficiency of the government and the law-enforcement and intelligence agencies.

They said that the government had paid only lip service and totally failed to arrest the perpetrators of terrorism. They held the rulers squarely responsible for all terrorist acts and demanded that a high-level inquiry should be held by the judges of Supreme Court to expose the terrorists behind the attack.

They said Sindh chief minister and adviser to home affairs should be included in the investigation, the chief of IB should be dismissed and the heirs of the martyrs should be paid compensation of Rs500,000 each and the injured Rs300,000 each.

SNF CONDEMNS: Sindh National Front chairman Mumtaz Ali Bhutto condemned the Karachi tragedy and called for an investigation by the judges of Supreme Court to unveil the truth behind the terrorist act.

In a statement issued from Larkana on Friday, he expressed his grief over the incident and loss of innocent lives.

He asked that when the government and the PPP were apprehending the danger why such a big ‘drama’ was staged which had claimed numerous innocent lives and injured hundreds of people.

Now PPP should pay the compensation to the victims, he said.