UN Benazir probe team arrives

A six-member United Nations team has arrived in Islamabad to probe into the assassination of slain Chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party and former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto. The UN team landed at Islamabad International Airport by Emirates Airlines flight on Tuesday at 2.45 am, Interior Ministry sources told Business Recorder.
The UN team has started work on the matter and will study the case of assassination of the slain PPP leader. It has asked the authorities to provide with investigation reports of the Scotland Yard team and local Joint Investigation Team headed by Additional Inspector General of Police Punjab, Chaudhry Abdul Majeed for study.
The team will examine the investigation and medical reports and meet the police officials, who were on security duty on December 27, 2007, when Benazir was assassinated. The team might meet the detained persons in Adiala Central Jail. Headed by Mark Quarterman, the UN team will prepare a review report about technical and security assistance for central investigative commission of the United Nations.
The team comprises political experts, legal experts and consultants. The sources in the Interior Ministry said that the team would not visit the place of assassination due to security reasons. If the team wants to meet the witnesses and police officials, responsible for security of late Benazir, the meetings will be arranged without taking the team to Rawalpindi.
The sources further said that it was being expected that the team would visit the place of December 27, 2007 incident that killed 26 people including the former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto.
It is pertinent to note that the PPP expressed no confidence on the investigation conducted by a Joint Investigation Team, headed by Additional Inspector General of Punjab Police, Chaudhry Abdul Majeed and announced to hold investigation by the UN.
After assuming power in February 18, 2008 general elections, the PPP Government formally requested the UN to probe into the assassination of its leader. The UN's fact-finding commission would cost up to $30 million, out of which, an amount of $. 1.5 million has already been deposited in the account of the UN Secretary General by the Government of Pakistan.
The transaction took place last month after the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon visited Islamabad on February 4 and advised the government to contribute the amount, as seed money, sources in Foreign Office told Business Recorder.
The UN Commission, headed by Chile's Permanent Representative to the UN, Heraldo Munoz will also include former attorney general of Indonesia, Marzuki Dar Usman. The third member is likely to be a woman legal expert from Norway. A seven-member investigation team of Scotland Yard detectives held the investigation of the assassination and failed to fix the responsibility of this incident.
The Scotland Yard team headed by David Keith stayed in Islamabad for more than a week, but the findings were not made public, as members of the team remained tight-lipped. Benazir was assassinated on December 27, 2007, when she was leaving the historical Liaqat Bagh after addressing an election rally.
Five persons including teenager, Aitzaz Shah and others Sher Zaman, Hasnain Gul, Rafaqat and Abdul Rasheed were arrested and are on judicial remand in Adiala Jail. The Anti Terrorist Court has declared Baitullah Mehsud, leader of Taliban movement and four others including Abdullah alias Saddam, Faiz Ahmed alias Kiscuit, Ikram alias Usman and Abadur Rehman as proclaimed offenders in this case.