UN report on Benazir Bhutto assassination “incomplete, unclear”: Zardari

NAUDERO - The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) expressed reservations over the United Nations’ inquiry report on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination because it was “incomplete and did not touch certain issues”, President Asif Ali Zardari has said.

“The national and all provincial assemblies had adopted resolutions calling for UN inquiry into the assassination. The PPP welcomed the UN inquiry, but since the probe report had been incomplete and unclear and did not touch certain issues, it voiced its reservations,” the Dawn quoted Zardari, as saying at a meeting held to mark the third anniversary of Benazir’s assassination.

He said that Benazir herself had sought a UN probe after her homecoming procession had been attacked in Karachi.

“We have fulfilled our promises made to the nation and Benazir. We know the killers but we don’t consider them as our enemy, either it was Baituallh Mehsud or anyone else…it’s an ideology and mindset which we should eliminate,” he added.

The PPP is following the vision of Benazir Bhutto, who believed that “democracy is the best revenge”, said Zardari, as the audience raised slogans of “Jeay Bhutto” and “Zinda Hai Bibi Zinda Hai”.

But many PPP diehards in the town expressed anger and exasperation that although their party had been in power since Benazir’s assassination, it had failed to unravel the mystery of the murder and get hold of the culprits.

The president said that the country was burning after the assassination of Benazir, but instead of waging a revolt, the PPP accepted the postponement of elections and foiled the designs of the enemy to create disunity and destabilise Pakistan.

Zardari, who is also co-chairman of the PPP, said that Benazir had made him the trustee of her children and the country, adding that Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Aasifa were in institutions where their mother had received her education.

“PPP workers have to be patient before the children of Benazir undertake the journey for the cause of Pakistan,” he added.

Zardari said that the present government would complete its five-year term, and pledged to hold the next general elections in a fair and transparent manner to take the process of democracy forward.

“Pakistan is going through a phase of democratic transition and during its three years in power the government has taken steps to resolve people’s problems,” he stated.

The president said that the NFC award and the Balochistan package gave rights to the provinces, and that Pakistan was now moving in the direction charted by Benazir.

“Now the people of Balochistan are thinking that they should stay with Pakistan, but their wounds of over 60 years are deep and a sense of deprivation is still there. Therefore, more needs to be done,” he added. (ANI)