Bhutto had received threats

KARACHI, Pakistan, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who escaped unhurt in deadly blasts in Karachi Thursday, reportedly had been threatened by Islamic militants.

Pakistan’s English-language Dawn reported Friday that Bhutto -- whose homecoming reception was marred by the blasts that killed more than 120 people -- had earlier received threats from al-Qaida and other extremists.

However, she refused to accept a bullet-proof glass wall shield on her specially-built truck used in the motorcade, the report said. She reportedly had said the people and Allah would protect her from such threats and wore an Imam Zamin amulet on her arms.

A former security chief was quoted as telling a private television channel many leaders of Bhutto's Pakistan People’s Party were injured. Bhutto was resting in the vehicle’s compartment at the time of the blasts.

Just prior to the blasts, the Dawn report, quoting sources, said a man had come running toward Bhutto’s vehicle shouting “bomb, bomb.”

Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao denied any suggestion of lax security -- including a charge that no cell phone jammers had been provided by the government to prevent suicide attacks, the report said.