The son and successor of slain Pakistani political leader Benazir Bhutto has accused the government of not providing enough security for his mother.
"It is our belief that had she been provided adequate protection, she would be alive today," Bilawal Bhutto told a news conference in London on Tuesday.
"Since her death is currently under investigation, I'm not prepared to comment further on who we believe is responsible."
Bhutto said although they appreciated the involvement of detectives from Britain's Scotland Yard, he said any investigation overseen by the government of Pakistan's Prime Minister Pervez Musharraf would lack the "necessary transparency."
In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes broadcast Sunday, Musharraf accused Benazir Bhutto of being partly responsible for her own death by standing up through her armoured vehicle's sunroof on Dec. 27 after a political rally had ended.
She was in Rawalpindi to campaign in the country's parliamentary elections that had been scheduled for Jan. 8. The vote has since been delayed to Feb. 18.
"As you know, my mother was very courageous and loved being with the people," Bilawal said.
At the rally, people had travelled long distances to see her "and she did not want to disappoint them," he said. "It was the same courage she showed when she stood at the front of the bus when she returned to Pakistan from exile last October."
On Oct. 18, suicide bombers attacked her welcome-home caravan, killing at least 140 people.
The investigation
On Tuesday, a Pakistan government official said that Musharraf told the British detectives they had a free hand to investigate Bhutto's assassination.
"The forensic experts and analysts from Scotland Yard are independently and freely conducting their investigation. They are helping Pakistan to determine the motives behind the attack and to help us know the exact cause of Benazir Bhutto's death," said Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema.
"Whenever the team from Scotland Yard reaches any conclusion, we will share it with the people."
Last week, Musharraf told reporters that a "wild goose chase" wouldn't be permitted.
The detectives have visited the attack site in Rawalpindi where they recorded images and spoke with security officers. The detectives haven't made any public comment yet.
Local officials hosed down the scene of the attack within hours, destroying much of the forensic evidence. Musharraf has characterized their actions as a mistake and not deliberate.
Bilawal's privacy
While Bilawal was named chair of the Pakistan People's Party in the wake of his mother's death, he will mainly be a figurehead.
His father, Asif Ali Zardari, will be the party's vice-chair; however, he won't be running for elected office.
Bilawal told the news conference he was hoping that he could be left alone at Oxford University to complete his education.
"Politics is also in my blood," the 19-year-old said, but his studies came first at this time.
"Unless I can finish my education and develop enough maturity, I recognize that I will never be in a position to have sufficient wisdom to enter the political arena."
P.J. Crowley of the Centre for American Progress told Canada AM that Bilawal has been put in a very difficult position by Benazir's death.
He predicted it could take 10 to 15 years before Bilawal would be ready to play a leadership role in Pakistan's politics.
With files from The Associated Press
