ISLAMABAD, April 7 Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Wednesday that a UN Commission report into the assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto had been delayed at the request of the Pakistan government and it was expected to be issued by April 15.

Talking to reporters outside the parliament house, the interior minister said that the government had requested the UN to include statements of three heads of state (of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan), who had warned Ms Bhutto about attempt on her life, in the United Nations report.

“We have received information from Afghanistan authorities that Afghan President Hamid Karzai will issue his statement about Ms Bhutto's murder within two days,” the minister said.

He said UN investigators had already received the statement of Dubai's ruler and it might have become a part of the investigation report.

“The UN commission is hopeful that it will obtain the statement of Saudi King before the issuance of the repot which is being released on April 15,” the minister said.

The statement of former US secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was also required, the minister said.

“The government believes that the information from the three countries is of paramount importance in this matter and hence this information may be included in the final report of the United Nations commission,” Mr Malik said.

However, media reports say it was an urgent request from the Pakistan government that delayed the UN report, which was due for release on March 31.