Al Qaeda may target Bhutto's close aides

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan police has been alerted that Al Qaeda might target close aides of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto.

District police chiefs in Punjab province were directed to take steps to counter Al Qaeda's plans to target Bhutto's top aides, including her security advisor Rehman Malik, police sources were quoted as saying by Geo news channel.

The sources also said Al Qaeda-linked Pakistani Taliban groups had been directed to target retired judge Syed Ibn Ali, a PPP candidate for next month's general election, and his son.

Bhutto was assassinated by a suicide attacker after an election rally in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

The Pakistan government blamed Al Qaeda and Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud for carrying out the attack but Mehsud has denied involvement in her assassination.