Benazir in Karachi (AP)

Karachi, Oct. 24 (Agencies): Benazir Bhutto had named four well-known persons, including Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and former ISI chief Hamid Gul, as those who pose a threat to her life, according to a letter written on October 16.

The disclosure coincided with the “withdrawal” of a senior detective from the probe into Thursday’s suicide attack on Benazir from the case. The officer, Manzur Mughal, pulled out of the case after the former Prime Minister accused him of involvement in the alleged torture of her husband, officials said.

In the letter sent to President Pervez Musharraf two days before she returned to Pakistan, Benazir said she feared there was a threat to her life from Elahi, Gul, Hassan Waseem Afzal, the former deputy chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, and intelligence bureau chief Ijaz Shah, Geo TV reported.

In a news conference held hours after the suicide attack in Karachi that killed 139 people, Benazir had, however, said she had named three persons in the letter.

Reacting to the report of his name being mentioned in Benazir’s letter, Gul said: “I absolutely deny it (the allegation).” He said Benazir should “stop being irresponsible” as she is a “very big” leader of Pakistan.

“She has written a letter to Musharraf. Let him investigate and the truth come out. I don’t have to defend.… She is trying to do certain things to please America, to please general Pervez Musharraf,” the former ISI chief said.

In Sindh, commenting on the removal of the detective, Ghulam Muhammad Mohtarem, the home secretary of the province, said: “The investigation team will be formed anew after Mughal disassociated himself from the investigation in view of the objections raised by Benazir Bhutto on the chief investigator’s credentials.”

The government has promised a thorough investigation into the attack, which has raised doubts about Pakistan’s stability as it heads toward crucial elections.

Benazir has accused elements in the government and security services of complicity in the explosions and called for international experts to help in the investigation.

She specifically objected to Mughal, claiming he had been present while her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, was allegedly tortured while in custody on corruption charges in 1999.

Mohtarem said the provincial government had no doubt about Mughal’s competency and professionalism, but that he had decided to withdraw to protect the investigation from accusations of bias.

Government officials insist Pakistani authorities can handle the investigation without outside help.

Police today said investigators have held at least 15 people for questioning.

Some of those held were injured in the attack on Benazir’s homecoming procession and were picked up from local hospitals.

None is currently being treated as a suspect, a police investigator told The Associated Press.

The investigator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said around 15 or 16 people were being held. He would not say exactly where or give information about their identities.