The assassination of Mrs Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007, hasconsiderably embarrassed President Pervez Musharraf. This was because theIntelligence Bureau (IB), which comes under the Ministry of the Interior, hadthe over-all responsibility for her security and it was headed by Brig (retd).IjazShah, a close associate of Musharraf, against whom she and her husband Mr.AsifZardari had been repeatedly complaining ever since the first attempt to kill herat Karachi on October 18, 2007. Musharraf's perceived failure to address herconcerns and to respond to her requests for better security have created awidespread perception of wilful negligence in protecting her.