ISLAMABAD – Despite a lapse of three years, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto remains a mystery that has led many to cast aspersions on the government sincerity to apprehend the killers.
Immediately after her assassination, it was believed that Pervez Musharraf, the former military dictator, was insincere in conducting the probe, as some elements of his regime might turn out to be part of the assassination. For many, the suspicion fortified when Musharraf reluctantly allowed the Scotland Yard to probe into the incident.
The Scotland Yard investigations did not cover all aspects of Benazir’s murder, as it was not mandated to identify the killers. The executive summary of the probe, issued by the British High Commission on February 8, 2008, said, “The primary focus of the Scotland Yard team was to assist the Pakistani authorities in establishing the cause and circumstances of Bhutto’s death.
The wider investigation to establish culpability has remained entirely a matter for the Pakistani authorities”. “The task of establishing exactly what happened was complicated by the lack of an extended and detailed search of the crime scene, the absence of an autopsy, and the absence of recognised body recovery and victim identification processes.
Referring to the events and circumstances surrounding Benazir’s assassination, the UN commission’s report compiled after months’-long probe by a UN team upon the request of Pakistani government also affirmed that the Musharraf regime could not absolve itself of Benazir’s murder, as it had not provided her adequate security and also helped destroy vital evidences after the attack.
Both investigations pertained to probing the circumstantial evidences only, as the identification of the killers was the responsibility of the Pakistani government. The report, although legally not admissible in local courts, paved the way for investigations by local agencies to punish the culprits.
Both reports suggested that it was the responsibility of the Pakistani government to reach the killers and serve justice. The PPP government still has the opportunity to resolve the mystery of Benazir’s murder and the statement by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani at Naudero on Sunday that his government would make the investigations public has renewed the hope.
Nonetheless, sceptics believe such statements on part of top government functionaries on the occasion of her death anniversary were merely an eyewash.
