The front page article in Dawn (July 11) titled 'Implications of UN report worry government' misses out the context of the UN investigation of Benazir Bhutto's assassination.

The demand for a UN investigation was made after resolutions in the four provincial assemblies, national assembly and the senate and only after this expression of the will of the people did the government ask the UN to investigate the assassination. Although elected assemblies were in place, the era of dictatorship had not ended and General Pervez Musharraf still exercised control over government as President.

The elected government and the Pakistan People's Party still feel that the dictatorial government at the time was responsible for not providing security to Benazir Bhutto.

In the spirit of reconciliation as espoused by Benazir Bhutto, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have focused on honouring our leader by fighting the militant mindset that led to her murder instead of pointing fingers at individuals and institutions.

The UN investigation worked completely independently of the government of Pakistan and indeed did not interview several key players that the PPP coalition government felt were key to unveiling the truth.

The commission exceeded its specific responsibility, and the references in the report to 'the establishment' and many key institutions of Pakistan, linking them with terrorism, were unfortunate and incorrect.

We had hoped that the U.N. commission's report would pave the way for a proper police investigation and possible penal proceedings. Instead it has been widely construed as a characterisation of the region's political history that misses out nuance and context.

FARAHNAZ ISPHAHANI
Media Advisor to PPP Co-Chairperson
Islamabad