February 10, 2008	Sunday	Safar 02, 1429

LAHORE, Feb 9: The Scotland Yard findings in the Benazir Bhutto assassination do not satisfy the basic requirements of any investigation, says the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

“There is also a contradiction in the report as all those present in the car of the late Bhutto confirmed that the explosion took place seconds after she slumped back into her seat in the vehicle,” it said in a statement here on Saturday.

It said the findings of the report on the one hand admitted that “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 recognized body recovery and victim identification processes”, and yet it concluded that “nevertheless, the evidence that is available is sufficient for reliable conclusions to be drawn”.

The HRCP said a categorical conclusion in the absence of basic forensic and freedom of deposition by doctors could only be viewed as a hunch of the investigators. “Other observers in Pakistan have different intuitions but the fundamental objective of any investigation must be of categorically identifying the authors, perpetrators, and accomplices of the attack. This has not been achieved and cannot be reached by an investigation that is carried out under the shadows of the present authorities. A proper investigation must go deeper into establishing the links of those suspected, so far arrested, or identified by the slain leader herself or her family.”

The commission said the murder of Benazir Bhutto had left a huge vacuum in the political arena and severe wounds on the people of Pakistan.

“Uncovering the truth of this most tragic crime is crucial for Pakistan. Without it, there can be no reconciliation amongst Pakistani society and acts of violence will be feared but not wholly condemned or resisted. An impartial investigation will have wider positive implications. The lives of several innocent Pakistanis too have been lost to acts of violence and yet no credible investigation has been carried out. Future lives are at stake as is now evident by the bomb blast in Charsada. It is, therefore, imperative that in the interest of the people of Pakistan a United Nations-led investigation into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the sources of violence in Pakistan be carried out. Benazir believed in justice and not revenge. An impartial investigation will lead to the truth being uncovered.”