Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto said she knew who is behind the attack on her homecoming rally and had forwarded their names to President General Pervez Musharraf .

“I know the names and I’ve given these names to President Musharraf on Oct 16 in a letter,” she said addressing a crowded press conference at her residence here. She said she does not need to give these names right now but would make them public later.

“I have been assured that the persons named by me would be taken care of,” said Bhutto, adding that the government was not involved in these attacks but “three persons within the establishment were directly behind them.”

Despite repeated queries from reporters, she did not divulge the names saying these were with her lawyers and said, “if something happens to me they would make these names public.”

“In my letter I made it clear to the president that I won’t name Taliban, terrorists, or anyone else for any attacks on me in Pakistan but these three persons,” she said.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson who returned to the country made her first public appearance after the blasts in her rally that claimed 148 lives and injured more than 500 people.

Wearing black bands on her arms, she was looking depressed but faced the questions with confidence.

The press briefing was held amid heightened security in and around her sprawling residence, Bilawal House, named after her son.

Bhutto said that just half an hour before the tragic incident a person was arrested and was handed over to the police. She mentioned that the roadside lights were not on which helped the suicide bomber to act.

A report was filed on the incident with the Karachi police but it is against “unidentified persons”.

Bhutto thanked President Musharraf, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Indian opposition leader L.K. Advani and others who condoled with her over the deadly blasts.

Without naming anyone, she said that a friendly neighbouring country provided her information that terrorist squads were ready to launch attacks on her during her public campaign.

“I am thankful to this friendly country and also those individuals within the government and establishment who provided me information on my security issues,” she said.

Bhutto said she was informed that a ‘special police squad’ was being posted in police stations near her Karachi and Larkana residences. “I have been told that these policemen will attack me in the garb of terrorists.”

She appealed to the sympathetic elements in the government to continue providing information to her. “I appeal to my brothers and sisters in the government to continue providing information to their sister because it would be used for the better future of this country.”

Bhutto said she would continue her struggle for complete democracy in the country. Asked if she would stay in Pakistan now, she said, “I will continue to come and go because I earn through lectures at different forums and secondly my children live abroad.”