UN agrees to inquiry on killing of Bhutto in Pakistan
UNITED NATIONS, New York: Ban Ki Moon, the secretary general of the United Nations, said he has agreed to Pakistan's request to set up an independent commission to identify those responsible for the death of Benazir Bhutto, the former Pakistani prime minister, "with a view to bring them to justice."
The agreement was confirmed by Ban's office moments after it was announced by Pakistan's top diplomat on Thursday. The two had met briefly in private just beforehand.
"The objectives are for the commission to identify the culprits, perpetrators, organizers and financiers of the assassination," said Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Pakistani foreign minister.
Determining who was behind Bhutto's killing could bring clarity and determination to Pakistan's fragile coalition government, which sought the inquiry.
A resolution also could help stabilize a nation that is a key U.S. ally in its fight against terrorism, but that has seen an influx of insurgents joining forces with Al Qaeda and other militant groups basing themselves in Pakistan's remote tribal and mountainous areas.
Pakistan now is governed by a coalition headed by Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, the leader of her Pakistan People's Party. While the government has focused much of its effort on removing President Pervez Musharraf from office, the military that Musharraf once headed remains a driving force in the country, while half of Zardari's cabinet resigned in May amid bickering over the fate of judges dismissed by Musharraf last year.
Qureshi said that Ban would appoint "well-respected, eminent people" to the independent commission. "We have reached an understanding, and there is a concrete decision on that," he said. "What is being discussed and further consultations are required are on the modalities."
Ban's office also said in a statement that "broad understanding had been reached" on the nature of the commission, including how to pay for it, who its members should be, how to protect its independence and impartiality, and that its members should have unfettered access to the information it needs.
But Ban said he would have to talk further with Pakistan and other UN officials to hammer out all the details.
Qureshi said he believed Ban had authority without the UN Security Council's approval to set up a commission. But Qureshi also said some council members he spoke with were supportive of establishing a commission.
Bhutto died in a gun and suicide bomb attack on Dec. 27, 2007, as she left an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi.
UN agrees to inquiry on killing of Bhutto in Pakistan - International Herald Tribune
UNITED NATIONS, New York: Ban Ki Moon, the secretary general of the United Nations, said he has agreed to Pakistan's request to set up an independent commission to identify those responsible for the death of Benazir Bhutto, the former Pakistani prime minister, "with a view to bring them to justice."
The agreement was confirmed by Ban's office moments after it was announced by Pakistan's top diplomat on Thursday. The two had met briefly in private just beforehand.
"The objectives are for the commission to identify the culprits, perpetrators, organizers and financiers of the assassination," said Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Pakistani foreign minister.
Determining who was behind Bhutto's killing could bring clarity and determination to Pakistan's fragile coalition government, which sought the inquiry.
A resolution also could help stabilize a nation that is a key U.S. ally in its fight against terrorism, but that has seen an influx of insurgents joining forces with Al Qaeda and other militant groups basing themselves in Pakistan's remote tribal and mountainous areas.
Pakistan now is governed by a coalition headed by Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, the leader of her Pakistan People's Party. While the government has focused much of its effort on removing President Pervez Musharraf from office, the military that Musharraf once headed remains a driving force in the country, while half of Zardari's cabinet resigned in May amid bickering over the fate of judges dismissed by Musharraf last year.
Qureshi said that Ban would appoint "well-respected, eminent people" to the independent commission. "We have reached an understanding, and there is a concrete decision on that," he said. "What is being discussed and further consultations are required are on the modalities."
Ban's office also said in a statement that "broad understanding had been reached" on the nature of the commission, including how to pay for it, who its members should be, how to protect its independence and impartiality, and that its members should have unfettered access to the information it needs.
But Ban said he would have to talk further with Pakistan and other UN officials to hammer out all the details.
Qureshi said he believed Ban had authority without the UN Security Council's approval to set up a commission. But Qureshi also said some council members he spoke with were supportive of establishing a commission.
Bhutto died in a gun and suicide bomb attack on Dec. 27, 2007, as she left an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi.
UN agrees to inquiry on killing of Bhutto in Pakistan - International Herald Tribune
