Pak confirms requesting for delay in UN report over Benazir murder for want of facts

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that Islamabad had asked the United Nations (UN) to delay the investigation report concerning former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, as it wants inputs from the US and Saudi Arabia to be included in the document.

It may be noted that upon President Asif Ali Zardari’s request, US Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had delayed the publication of the probe report till mid-April.nteracting with reporters here, Malik said: “People of Pakistan want a proper report substantiated by facts.”

“I have requested that the commission seek input from former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Saudi Arabia, and include it in its report,” The Daily Times quoted Malik, as saying.

“The UN has informed me that they expect the information would be available to them and the good thing is that President Karzai’s office has confirmed that information will be provided,” he added.

Earlier, the UN rejected reports in the Pakistani media that the government had sought a further delay in the publication of the investigation report.

“We have received no new request,” UN spokesperson Marie Okabe had said, adding that the report would be released next week.

The Pakistani media had flashed reports that the government has requested the UN to further delay the publication of the report until June or even beyond.

The three-member UN commission, headed by Chilean Ambassador Heraldo Munoz, was set up following a request by the Pakistani government to probe the December 2007 attack on Bhutto, and began its work in July 2009 and was supposed to submit its report by March 31, 2010. (ANI)