Interior Minister Rehman Malik meeting with three-member UN commission, Heraldo Munoz, Peter Fitzgerald and Marzuki Darusman in Islamabad.—File photo
Interior Minister Rehman Malik meeting with three-member UN commission, Heraldo Munoz, Peter Fitzgerald and Marzuki Darusman in Islamabad.—File photo by Reuters
RAWALPINDI Four investigators and seven other members of the United Nations fact-finding team on the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto cut short their visit and left Islamabad on Monday.

The four investigators had arrived in Islamabad on Dec 13 and interviewed several people. One of them, Ms Viraic Right, left Islamabad earlier and the other three, Ms Marcie Mersily, Mr Suman Pradhal and Mr Milbert Shin, on Monday.

The seven other members of the team were from the security wing.

The team began its probe in January this year and visited Liaquat Bagh where Ms Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack.

Official sources said that the reason for the team cutting short its visit appeared to be a change in the schedule of arrival of three members of the fact-finding commission, Chilean Ambassador to UN Heraldo Munoz, former Attorney General of Indonesia Marzuki Darusman and Peter Fitzgerald, a veteran of Irish national police.


They were first scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Dec 18, and then on Dec 22, but their visit was postponed again.

Opinion

Editorial

Iran’s new leader
Updated 10 Mar, 2026

Iran’s new leader

The position is the most powerful in Iran, bringing together clerical authority and political and ideological leadership.
National priorities
10 Mar, 2026

National priorities

EVEN as the country faces heightened risks of attacks from actual terrorists, an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi...
Silenced march
10 Mar, 2026

Silenced march

ON the eve of International Women’s Day, Islamabad Police detained dozens of Aurat March activists who had ...
War & deception
Updated 09 Mar, 2026

War & deception

While there is little doubt that Iran is involved in many of the retaliatory attacks, the facts raise suspicions that another player may be at work.
The witness box
09 Mar, 2026

The witness box

IT is often the fear of the courtroom and what may transpire therein that drives many victims of crime, especially...
Asylum applications
09 Mar, 2026

Asylum applications

BRITAIN’S tough immigration posture has again drawn attention to the sharp rise in asylum claims by Pakistani...