KARACHI, Feb 1: Politicians and intellectuals speaking at a memorial reference held here on Friday for Benazir Bhutto demanded an inquiry by the United Nations into the assassination of the former prime minister, saying that some elements that always hatched conspiracies against democratic forces were responsible for her elimination.

The speakers included PML-N leader and former Sindh governor Mamnoon Hussain, Prof Ghafoor Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami, senior journalists Nazeer Naji and Sajjad Mir, and PPP leaders Babar Awan, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Rashid Rabbani. The reference was organised by PPP Karachi Division.

Babar Awan said those who were talking of PPP splitting into factions lived in a fools’ paradise.

“Asif Ali Zardari is a suitable candidate for the slot of the prime minister but it is up to the party’s central executive committee to take a decision in this regard,” he said.

Prof Ghafoor described Ms Bhutto as the “symbol of the federation”, and said that the elements scared by her popularity in the masses were involved in her assassination.