![Pakistan arrests fifth suspect in Bhutto assassination](https://www.jurist.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/jurist-white-text.png)
[JURIST] Pakistani officials on Friday arrested a fifth suspect for his alleged involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto [BBC obituary; JURIST news archive]. Police described the suspect, Abdul Rasheed, as an important member of the conspiracy behind the December 27 attack. The arrest comes three days before parliamentary elections that were postponed after the assassination.
Five men have now been arrested for their alleged involvement with the assassination [JURIST report], part of a suicide attack at a political rally in Rawalpindi. Two were arrested in January [JURIST report], one of whom told investigators he was sent by Baitullah Meshud [BBC profile], a leader with strong ties to the Taliban and al Qaeda. On Wednesday, these two men admitted to supplying the suicide bomber, known as Bilal, with a bomb vest and a pistol. Two additional suspects were arrested last week [JURIST report] and were identified by the Pakistani government as "two very important alleged terrorists." BBC News has more.