Bhutto to meet party leaders amid tight security

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LARKANA, (Pakistan), Oct 28 (AFP): Former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto is expected to meet with party leaders Sunday as she keeps up a tightly secured tour of her ancestral district following the October 18 deadly blasts.
Bhutto left Karachi on Saturday for her first public trip outside of the city since she was targeted in the suicide bombings that killed 139 people and shattered her homecoming parade after her return from exile.
Thousands of supporters greeted Bhutto as she flew into Sukkur city before being driven in a bullet-proof jeep to her ancestral district of Larkana in a remote corner of southern Sindh province.
She offered prayers at the family mausoleum and scattered rose petals on the tomb of her father, the late prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, before heading to her family home in nearby Naudero.
Bhutto has vowed to stay in Pakistan despite the bombings and lead her party in general elections set for January, which are seen as a key step to the nation's return to democracy after eights years of military rule.
But the two-time premier faces ongoing security fears. She was flanked by heavily armed private security guards at every step on her Saturday trip.
"What sort of politics is this where political parties cannot hold rallies? I want to be among my people but because of the security threat I cannot hold rallies," Bhutto told reporters.
Despite her frustration, Bhutto vowed to continue to fight against extremism, which she said was derailing the Islamic nation's return to democracy.
Bhutto, the first female leader of an Islamic nation, is expected to meet with leaders of her Pakistan People's Party at her home on Sunday, her aides said, although her detailed itinerary is being kept under wraps for security reasons.
The October 18 attacks in Karachi happened just hours after Bhutto set foot on Pakistani soil for the first time since 1999, when she fled into self-imposed exile in London and Dubai.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, with Bhutto alleging a link to rogue elements in the establishment and a pro-Taliban militant denying his involvement.
Meanwhile: Thousands of Pakistanis are fleeing a tense northwestern town and outlying villages amid fears of a showdown between the security forces and an Islamist militant Taliban-style movement, residents said.
The Swat valley in the North West Frontier Province was the scene of a fierce battle between security forces and followers of a radical Muslim cleric on Friday after authorities sent more than 2,000 soldiers to counter growing militancy.
At least 17 paramilitary soldiers and four civilians were killed in a suspected suicide attack near the valley's main town of Mingora on Thursday.
The militants killed seven civilians and decapitated three soldiers and three policemen they had taken hostage in the nearby town of Matta Friday.
Residents said tension was also rising in another town, Khwazakhela, about 25 km (15 miles) west of Mingora.
"People are leaving their homes. All shops and markets are closed," a scared resident of the town told Reuters by telephone, asking to remain anonymous for security reasons.