A pro-Taliban cleric, one of the two militant leaders blamed by Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf for the assassination of ex-Premier Benazir Bhutto, has claimed that her killing was a 'part of power politics' and he had nothing to do with it.
Maulana Fazlullah, who is being hunted by Pakistani security forces for spearheading a campaign to enforce Shariat or Islamic law in the restive Swat valley of the North West Frontier Province, denied his involvement in the December 27 assassination of Bhutto in Rawalpindi.
The radical cleric, also known as 'FM Maulana' for his sermons advocating jihad being broadcast from an illegal radio station, claimed that the former premier's killing was a 'part of power politics'.
"We have nothing to do with her and her family members know the killers well," Sirajuddin, a spokesman for Fazlullah, told The News daily.
Fazlullah had earlier said a 'lot of suicide bombers' were ready to launch attacks on targeted locations across the country.
Musharraf had blamed Baitullah Mehsud, a Taliban commander from South Waziristan, and Fazlullah for masterminding the assassination of Bhutto and a string of suicide attacks across Pakistan.
Mehsud has already denied his involvement in Bhutto's killing.
Fazlullah has been in touch with the media in Peshawar following intense speculation that he had been killed in military action at Manja in Kabal Tehsil on Wednesday.
