UN, Pakistan at odds over Benazir murder report

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations and the government were on completely different pages on Thursday, as the UN rejected Pakistan’s request to reopen the independent probe into the killing of Benazir Bhutto, saying there was no need for including any further information as the report was “complete”.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi insisted that the statements from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Afghanistan would provide valuable leads. “For example, if there is a puddle outside my office, and I tell you to be careful when you leave, how do I know? Similarly, it would give the report more credibility if the three important statements are also recorded. My sources tell me that three countries — Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Afghanistan — have important information. I believe only one country had been approached. What we are saying is simply, ‘Please don’t overlook the statements from these three countries, as these were the three countries that had important information and that is why they had warned Mohtarma (Benazir Bhutto). What we are saying is: please don’t overlook these three warnings,” Qureshi told our sources.

However, Qureshi was not ready to get into the debate as to the timing of the president’s “special request”, when his request came hours before the release of the report to ask for inclusion of these three countries.

Qureshi shrugged aside the query of the president’s timing several times, only to add that the president was neither asking for an indefinite delay nor was he stopping the report. But none of this is creating ripples at the UN where its spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said to journalists: “The commissioners have informed the United Nations that the report is complete.

“They believe they have finished their work and that there is no need to include any further information. It is for them to consider whether they need to change their report.” Responding to whether the commission would open investigations in the light of Pakistan’s assertion about including the three governments, Nesriky said: “The commissioners have seen a considerable amount of relevant information, including what has been in the news media in the recent days. After conferring in the light of the latest information, they continue to say that they have completed their work.”