AM 'had warned on Bhutto safety'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/7161911.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A Welsh Assembly Member says he warned Benazir Bhutto's security advisers she needed better protection when he was with her during a previous attack.

He spoke after Pakistan's former prime minister was assassinated in a suicide attack at an election rally.

Mohammad Asghar was close to Ms Bhutto in October when two bomb explosions killed more than 130 of her supporters.

The Plaid Cymru AM said: "Why weren't the lessons learned from when I was out there?"

Neither Ms Bhutto nor Mr Asghar had been injured in the explosions in October, although the South Wales East AM had been very close to the blasts.

He said he had spoken to Ms Bhutto's security team at the time of the attacks and warned them she was not being sufficiently protected.

It is the most dreadful day of my political life, my heart is bleeding Mohammad Asghar on the killing of Benazir Bhutto, pictured

Mr Asghar, who is originally from Pakistan, said he could not understand why there were not greater safety measures.

"There is a serious conspiracy somewhere along the line because you can't take the life of a person like this just like that."

He added: "I told her security advisers that Pakistan was not ready for democracy in my book and that she should be protected properly.

"She needed to be protected better and that was my attitude from day one."

Ms Bhutto had been addressing an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi when she was shot in the neck by a gunman who then set off a bomb. At least 16 other people died.

Paying tribute to Ms Bhutto, Mr Asghar, who is the assembly's first ethnic minority AM, said he felt as if he had "lost a sister."

He said: "This is a truly tragic day for Pakistan. For me personally it is the most dreadful day of my political life, my heart is bleeding at the moment.

"Benazir Bhutto had become a beacon for democracy in Pakistan and now that she is dead it is very difficult to see how Pakistan can return to democracy.

"It is a completely devastating event and questions must be asked about the security proceedings that were in place."