UNITED NATIONS, July 22 “Despite our narrow mandate we can bring about a consensus on facts” leading to the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, the head of the three-member UN commission, Mr Heraldo Munoz, said on Wednesday.

“I realise in Pakistan there is no consensus on the facts, perhaps we can bring about a consensus on the facts” which will serve cause of justice, Mr

Munoz, who is Ambassador of Chile at the UN, said in a brief interview with Dawn on the sidelines of the UN Security Council meeting on “Responsibility to Protect”.

Mr Munoz said he was aware of the restricted mandate given to the UN commission looking into the assassination of Ms Bhutto but believed that the commission's findings could help in establishing facts and circumstances. “We can bring about a consensus on that,” he said.

On the criticism of the commission and its narrow mandate, he pointed out that the United Nations had made it clear to the Pakistan government when it agreed to the terms of reference of the commission that it would not establish any criminality for the assassination.

“The mandate does not include a criminal investigation,” Mr Munoz reiterated.

The two other members of the commission are Indonesia's Marzuki Darusman and Ireland's Peter Fitzgerald, who would also go to Pakistan soon.