UN probe into Benazir`s murder

Published February 18, 2009

THIS is apropos of Ayesha Mughal`s letter, “UN probe into Benazir`s assassination” (Feb 16), in which she has criticised the campaign against the UN investigation into Benazir Bhutto`s murder. She goes on to cite the examples of Liaquat Ali Khan and Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah whose murderers could not be arrested by the local investigators.

She also claims that times have changed. If I may recall correctly, President Asif Ali Zardari, on Ms Bhutto`s first death anniversary, announced that he knew the culprits and would reveal their names when the time was right. This makes the matter a bit complicated for lesser individuals like me who are at a loss to actually comprehend what is happening in Pakistan.

Common sense, which unfortunately is not that common in our country, implies that if the president is aware of the culprits then they should be brought to justice. What`s the logic behind spending, rather wasting Rs50 million of our much valued and scarce US dollars in an exercise which seems futile in the first place. What value will this investigation add if the end result is already known to the president.

If even the president, who also happens to be the supreme commander of all forces, is unable to reveal this secret for any reason whatsoever, then how will the UN help in this regard?

However, all said and done, I completely agree with one fact mentioned by Ms Mughal “in Pakistan there`s no dearth of the devil`s advocates”.

ALTAMASH LONE

Karachi

Opinion

Editorial

On press freedoms
03 May, 2026

On press freedoms

THE citizenry forgets, to its own peril, how important a free and independent media is in the preservation of their...
Inflation strain
03 May, 2026

Inflation strain

PAKISTAN’S return to double-digit inflation after 21 months signals renewed economic strain where external shocks...
Troubled waters
03 May, 2026

Troubled waters

PAKISTAN’S water crisis is often framed in terms of scarcity. Increasingly, it is also a crisis of contamination....
Iran stalemate
Updated 02 May, 2026

Iran stalemate

THE US and Iran are currently somewhere between war and peace. While a tenuous ceasefire — extended largely due to...
Tax shortfall
02 May, 2026

Tax shortfall

THE Rs684bn shortfall in tax collection during the first 10 months of the fiscal year is a continuation of a...
Teaching inclusion
02 May, 2026

Teaching inclusion

DISCRIMINATORY and exclusionary content in Punjab’s textbooks has been flagged in Inclusive Education for a United...