Benazir Bhutto has many enemies in Pakistan who wanted to stop her homecoming and political comeback.

By her own estimate yesterday, no fewer than four different groups wanted her dead within hours of her return.

“There was one suicide squad from the Taleban elements, one suicide squad from al-Qaeda, one suicide squad from Pakistani Taleban and a fourth – a group, I believe, from Karachi,” she said.

As police recovered the severed head of the suicide bomber from the scene of Thursday’s attack, Islamic militant groups in Pakistan emerged as the prime suspects. Not only is suicide bombing the preferred weapon of the militants, but two warlords had threatened to kill Ms Bhutto only days before her homecoming.

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Baitullah Mehsud, the most prominent militant commander in the lawless region of South Waziristan, is allied to al-Qaeda and the Taleban. His forces are engaged in a bloody rebellion against government troops and are holding 200 Pakistani soldiers hostage.

Yesterday he denied any involvement in the attack, in spite of threats that he made this month to greet Miss Bhutto’s return with suicide attacks.

The other suspect is Haji Omar, a Taleban commander in Waziristan. He spoke this week of Taleban plans to assassinate Ms Bhutto and President Musharraf.

“Those people who are doing this, they want to create terror, and election campaigns and rallies are for them targets,” Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, the Pakistani Interior Minister, said.

The militants regard Ms Bhutto’s homecoming as part of an American-inspired plot to keep secular, pro-Western leaders in place in Pakistan as a key front in the War on Terror.

Under the plan, General Musharraf would be confirmed as President, with Ms Bhutto the favourite to become Prime Minister after elections scheduled for early next year. The partnership would be expected to continue the government offensive by 90,000 troops against Islamic militants in the tribal territories, where Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders are believed to be hiding.

The militants are not the only suspects in the bombing on Thursday.

Asif Ali Zardari, Ms Bhutto’s husband, accused the intelligence services of involvement in the attempt on her life.

Under this scenario, Pakistani security forces – in particular the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence – would have had an interest in preventing Ms Bhutto’s return from exile.

They stand to lose power and influence if military rule ends and the country reverts to civilian authority.

There is no love lost between the Bhutto family and the military Establishment. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Ms Bhutto’s father, was overthrown in a military coup in 1977 and hanged in prison two years later by General Zia ul-Haq, the former military dictator.

Suspicion also fell on Ms Bhutto’s political rivals, who will lose out with her return to Pakistan. In the past she has accused conservative figures in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Q) of secretly supporting religious extremists against her.

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