United Nations: The United Nations on Tuesday
delayed till April 15 the release of its probe panel`s report
on the assassination of former Pakistani premier Benazir
Bhutto following a request from Islamabad.
"Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has accepted an urgent
request by the President of Pakistan to delay the presentation
of the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the facts and
circumstances of the assassination of the former Pakistani
Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto until 15 April 2010," a
statement issued by Ban`s office said.
"The Commission has informed the Secretary-General that,
as of today, all relevant facts and circumstances have been
explored, and the report is now complete and ready to be
delivered," it said.
The Secretary-General received an overnight communication
from Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari, requesting that
the disclosure of the report by delayed until April 15, UN
spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters here.
The reasons for the request have not been disclosed but
Nesirky underlined that only the Commission knew the contents
of the report, which had not been seen by Ban or any other
member of his office. "The Secretary-General has not seen the
report," he said.
Asked why Ban had agreed to Zardari`s request without
viewing the reports, Nesirky said, "If the president of a
country contacts you with an urgent request for something that
is about to happen then you listen and on guidance decide what
you`re going to do."
"The advice that the Secretary-General received and the
decision he took was to accept the request," he said.
Shortly after the decision was announced, Ban met with
the head of the inquiry commission Heraldo Munoz, who is the
Chilean ambassador to the UN, and the Permanent Representative
of Pakistan Abdullah Hussain Haroon.
The first woman prime minister of a Muslim country,
Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack at a rally in the
garrison town of Rawalpindi in December 2007 campaigning for
the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in parliamentary and
provincial elections.
Investigations carried out by then president Musharraf`s
government blamed Baitullah Mehsud, a Pakistani Taliban
commander who operates in the lawless tribal areas of
northwest region, for the attack.
Britain`s Scotland Yard was called into to find whether
Bhutto died from the blast or the gunfire. Her supporters, not
satisfied by Pakistani investigations, have accused Musharraf
and his allies were involved in the murder.
When Zardari became president, he asked the UN to carry
out an independent investigation. The Commission, which
started its work on July 1 last year to perform "fact finding
activities in Pakistan and abroad", was criticised for having
a limited mandate.
The Commission commenced investigations on July last year
and was supposed to submit the report on 31 December 2009 but
its term was extended for another three months.
The investigative team had also questioned Musharraf in
November.
The commission will submit its report to the
Secretary-General who will share it with the Government of
Pakistan and a copy of the report will also be given to the
Security Council for information.
PTI
