ISLAMABAD: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on Wednesday said an independent commission of inquiry would be shortly set up for probing assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

‘On the basis of our extensive consultations with the government of Pakistan and members of the Security Council, I intend to establish very shortly an independent commission of inquiry headed by a very distinguished person, whom I am going to nominate soon,’ Secretary General Moon said at the banquet hosted in his honour by President Zardari.

The UN chief said establishing the commission was important for uncovering facts about assassination of the PPP leader.

He said he was aware of the fact that the issue of her assassination was a matter of great importance to the people of Pakistan. No details about the composition of the commission were shared.

There were high expectations in the government circles that Mr Moon would announce the commission during short stay in Islamabad.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had told media persons in his press talk at Islamic University last week that the secretary general was expected to announce the formation of the commission.

President Zardari speaking on this occasion thanked the secretary general for accepting Pakistan’s request for a UN probe into Bhutto's assassination.

The president hoped that the commission would be made functional soon and that its findings ‘would lead to eventually exposing the financiers, organisers, sponsors and conspirators of this terrorist act and bring them to justice’.

JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE: The secretary general emphasised on friendly relations between Pakistan and India for the sake of peace and stability of the region and urged Pakistan to cooperate with India in bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack to justice and fully investigate the terrorist strike on India’s financial capital.

‘I have urged the prime minister that the Pakistan government should have a full investigation into this issue and fully cooperate with the Indian government,’ he said while replying to a question regarding Pakistan’s compliance with UN Security Council Resolution.

Calling both countries to resume the peace talks stalled in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, the secretary general said maintaining rapprochement between the two neighbours was of critical importance for the regional relations and could pave the way for ‘new era of cooperation, peaceful co-existence and socio-economic transformation in South Asia.’

He said long outstanding issues like Kashmir needed to be ‘addressed and resolved’ peacefully through dialogue.

Mr Moon asked the government to do all that is possible to secure the released of abducted UNHCR official John Solecki, who had been kidnapped from Quetta last Monday while his driver was killed.

‘I sincerely hope that Pakistan government would spare no efforts to get Mr Solecki released.’

On the issue of the internally displaced people because of violence in Fata and Swat, the secretary general, endorsed the appeal for funds launched few days back by Office of Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance and said the UN was gearing to help Pakistan deal with the thousands fleeing their homes because of the ongoing strife in those areas.