LAHORE, Dec 27: The Punjab government has ordered a judicial inquiry under a judge of the Lahore High Court into the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

It has also nominated an additional IG to head another inquiry committee.

The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by caretaker Chief Minister Ejaz Nisar on Thursday night, Home Secretary Khusro Pervaiz told Dawn.

He said the government had appointed Additional IG CID Chaudhry Majid to head the committee that would complete the inquiry in seven days.

“We are going to use the best available resources for the inquiry because this is a case of national tragedy,” he said.

He said the LHC had been requested to nominate a judge for the inquiry. Both these steps had been taken to ensure transparency, he said.

Mr Pervaiz said the government had also decided to close all government offices and educational institutions in the province on Friday and Saturday in response to the three-day mourning announced by President Pervez Musharraf in his address to the nation.

He said the Rangers had been called in primarily to protect important installations and buildings in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad and Rahim Yar Khan.

The general and law order duty would be performed by police but the government would not prevent people from mourning the assassination of Ms Bhutto, he said, appealing to them to remain peaceful.