U.N. not to investigate Benazir's assassination: Ban Ki-moon

United Nations, Oct 8 (PTI) The United Nations has turned down Pakistan's request to investigate the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, but may appoint a fact-finding commission, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said.

Ban said the details were still being discussed with the
Pakistan government and indicated that several issues remained
to be resolved.

"We are looking at finding ... situations of
assassination of Mrs. Bhutto. But we are still discussing this
matter with the Pakistani government," Ban said.

Among the issues yet to sorted out, he said, are the
composition of the commission, its scope, time frame and
funding.

"But this is not going to be an investigation," he
emphasised at a press conference Tuesday.

This is first time that the U.N. has made it clear that
it is not going to hold an independent inquiry into the
assassination of Bhutto on December 27 in Rawalpindi during an
election rally.

The Pakistan government as well as Benazir's Pakistan
People's Party (P.P.P.) had requested the world body for an
independent inquiry into the assassination so that truth
behind Bhutto's assassination could be established.

Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan President and widower of
Benazir, had personally met Ban last month in New York and
requested the U.N. to probe the assassination of the late
Prime Minister. PTI DS