UNITED NATIONS, March 6 The United Nations has received $1.5 million from the government of Pakistan as seed money to partially cover the cost of a three-member fact-finding commission to look into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, UN secretary-general`s spokesperson said Friday.

“The money has been received, I can confirm that,” spokesperson Michele Montas said in reply to a question at her regular briefing.

However, UN sources said that the costs of the commission could go as high as $5 million or more.

Ms Montas said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also spoke to President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday and among the subjects discussed were matters related to the commission.

She said the transfer of money was a “significant” step towards facilitating the work of the commission, which will be headed by

Chile`s UN Ambassador Haraldo Munoz. But, she said, the commission was yet to be completed.

Indonesia`s Marzuki Dar Usman will be a member of the commission, but no decision has been made on its third member. He or she will be either from Sweden or Norway.