Since its exposure in the news media of both France and Pakistan , the scandal has been involved in various investigative journalism and attracted sensations and conspiracy theories in both countries , including this scandal 's allegement of financing the political campaign of then-Prime Minister Edouard Balladur in the presidential elections took place in 1995 . Upon electing President Jacques Chirac cancelled the commissions and kickbacks , angering many officials in Pakistan and France according to the media reports . Other theories and subsequent investigative journalist reports alleged that the bus bombing on 8 May 2002 in Karachi that killed eleven French engineers in Karachi was in retaliation for the cancellation of these commissions . This theory was rejected by the Government of Pakistan when the FIA and the CID made potential discovery in linking the HuM and the al-Qaeda had carried out the terrorist attack in Karachi , mistaking the French nationals for the Americans
bus bombing
2002 Karachi bus bombing
Karachi affair