UN to investigate Bhutto assassination

Updated July 11, 2008 13:31:43

The UN will investigate who was behind the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. [Reuters]

The United Nation's chief, Ban Ki-moon, has agreed to Pakistan's request to establish an independent commission that will investigate the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Ms Bhutto died in a gun-and-suicide bomb attack on December the 27th as she left an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi.

Her death shocked the world, fanning revulsion at rising militant violence and conspiracy theories that Pakistan's powerful spy agencies were involved.

It also helped carry her Pakistan People's Party to victory in the February elections.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, met with Mr Ban on Thursday to discuss the nature of the Bhutto investigation, including funding, composition and the safeguarding of impartiality.

He says the Pakistan government is hoping the investigation will find those responsible for Ms Bhutto's death soon.

"The broad understanding is going to be that it should be done in the shortest possible time, so that we do not want a sort of lingering thing going on for years," Mr Qureshi said.