The Benazir enquiry

After the assassination of the PPP leader, Ms Benazir Bhutto, the PPP had expressed its lack of confidence in the enquiry ordered by the government of General Pervez Musharraf and had demanded a UN enquiry into the circumstances of her death. Considering the situation at the time, the demand of the PPP and other political parties for the restoration of a democratic rule in the country and the lack of public confidence in the impartiality of General Musharraf’s government, the demand to ask the UN to carry out the investigation appeared to be justified. In an earlier article, I was among those who supported this demand. Nothing less, I felt would satisfy a large section of the population that the enquiry had been impartial. The situation since has changed. The PPP is itself in government and the slain ladies’ husband is in control. In the circumstances it makes no sense to ask the UN to carry out the enquiry. The former government had associated Scotland Yard, an acknowledged investigating agency, with the enquiry and if the present government is not satisfied with its findings, it can associate other reputable investigating agencies with this task. The UN can do no more. It is odd that the government when it is in a position to have the investigation conducted by a team of investigators of its choice, should ask the UN to do so.