Ban Ki-Moon to visit Pakistan
UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon will visit Islamabad later on February 4 to discuss a probe into former Premier, Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. UN Investigation Commission to probe Bhutto’s death have been demanded by the Pakistani leaders including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, has said that government wanted a probe by the United Nations because it did not want the investigations to be ‘prejudiced and politicized.‘
Earlier, a spokesman for Ban had said such a commission could be established soon but that further consultation with Pakistan ‘was needed to examine the commission’s mandate.’
Ms. benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a gun and suicide attack at a campaign rally in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, just two months after returning to Pakistan from exile to compete for a third term in power. Later, Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) went on to win parliamentary elections in February and Asif Ali Zardari (her widower) became the president of Islamic Republic of Pakistan; and General Pervez Musharraf was forced to resign.
There has been reports blaming an al-Qaeda-linked militant for the killing by the US-allied former military ruler and refused to seek a UN probe. Pakistani and US officials have pinned the blame on Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, but he denies any involvement.
The Pakistan People’s Party has criticized Musharraf’s handling of the probe, claiming adequate security had not been provided for Bhutto, even the circumstantial evidences had been deliberately removed thus called for a wider inquiry by the UN to establish the identity and motives of the assassins.
Pakistan has become biggest victim since Bhutto’s assassination. Among several attacks; Marriott Hotel in the capital Islamabad was bombarded that claimed at least 60 people and wounded more than 260.
Input from Agencies
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