The Hindu News Update Service

Islamabad (PTI): An infant may have been used to carry out the October 18 bombing on former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto's procession in Karachi which left nearly 140 people dead.

The infant was strapped with bombs and a bomber repeatedly tried to get close to Bhutto's armoured truck and hand over the child to her or any other Pakistan People's Party leader, the 'News' reported on Tuesday quoting sources in the PPP.

"The bomber repeatedly tried to carry the child to the back of Benazir Bhutto's bulletproof van and hand over the infant either to Bhutto or any other PPP leader on board the truck but something always prevented him from getting close," the report said.

They also said Bhutto saw the bomber with the infant on the Sharae Faisal avenue a little before the two bombs went off.

Bhutto herself saw the man with the child and "asked him to come closer so that she could hug or kiss the infant". A guard, however, thought the man was behaving abnormally and did not allow the man to come near the truck, it said.

Bhutto believes the explosion in a police van that was near her truck was caused by the bombs strapped to the infant. The PPP leader is said to have told party workers that she recognises the man who was carrying the infant and has requested several TV channels to provide her with footage of the rally.

The details of the bombing have been gathered for presentation to any foreign investigative agency whom she trusts. "Benazir Bhutto has been demanding that the probe must be conducted by the FBI or the Scotland Yard so that she could provide them with the evidence," a PPP source said.