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This is an archive article published on January 3, 2008

Radical Pak cleric says Bilawal ‘is a target now’

A week after former Premier Benazir Bhutto's death, a radical Pak cleric has issued a 'chilling' warning to her son, Bilawal.

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Barely a week after former Premier Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, a radical Pakistani cleric has issued a “chilling” warning to her son and political heir Bilawal, saying that he “is a target now.”

“Bilawal has become the target for those who killed Benazir Bhutto. His party (PPP) has to take extra care of him and look after his security,” Maulana Mohavya Irshad – who admits he is happy to become a suicide bomber – was quoted as saying by a media report here.

The 24-year-old bearded cleric, who issued the warning last night at Islamabad’s Lal Masjid where an army operation in July last year had left over 100 people – mostly militants – dead, insisted “I don’t know which group killed Bhutto” on December 27 after she addressed a poll rally in Rawalpindi.

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“At this time, I don’t know much about Bilawal. I only know he is a liberal person and that is deviation from Islam.

True Muslims will not allow him to go against Islam,” the ‘Taliban fanatic’ was quoted as saying by The Sun website.

These “true” Muslims will be horrified to see this image of Bilawal dressed as the devil with a pretty girl on his arm at a decadent party at Oxford University, the cleric said. Bilawal, 19, who is currently in Dubai, is set to get 24-hour protection at Oxford, where he resumes first-year history studies at Christ Church college next week. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema was quoted as saying by The Sun that “Bilawal has now become a main leader so is definitely under threat from terrorists. I think his PPP should take extra care of him. We can also help them with security.” PPP Information Secretary Farzana Raja said: “We are obviously concerned about the safety of Bilawal. We know he might be a target. The British Government knows how important Bilawal is so they will make sure he is safe.”

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