Pakistan Bomb kills Zardari security chief

The bomber reportedly followed Bilal
Shaikh's escort and detonated the
explosives when the security chief
stopped to get out of his vehicle

The chief security officer of Pakistani
President Asif Ali Zardari has been killed
in a bomb attack in the port city of
Karachi, police say.
Bilal Shaikh and two other aides died in the
blast, which took place near an office of Mr
Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Several more people are reported to have
been wounded in the explosion.
An active member of the PPP, Mr Sheikh
was responsible for the safety of Mr
Zardari's son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Mr Sheikh had survived an assassination
attempt near his home in Karachi about a
year ago.

The president's residence is also in the city,
which has been plagued by violent turf
wars between rival political groups and
heavily armed gangs linked to them.
Police escort
Authorities said initial investigations
showed it was a suicide attack.
Security forces cordoned off the area in
the Guru Mandir neighbourhood in central
Karachi, following Wednesday's bombing.

A police escort was accompanying Mr
Sheikh's white armoured car when the
attack took place.
Officials said the bomber was thought to
have followed the vehicles and detonated
the explosives when the security chief
stopped to get out of his car.

"It seems that the suicide attacker walked
up to Sheikh's vehicle and blew himself up
outside the front passenger seat of the
vehicle where Sheikh was seated," police
officer Raja Umar Khattab said.
No group has said it was behind the
bombing.

There has been a series of attacks blamed
on Islamist groups, including the Pakistan
Taliban, around the country since the new
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was sworn in
last month.

Mr Sharif, who has pledged new action on
terrorism, is under mounting pressure to
explain how he intends stopping the
bloodshed, observers say.

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