UN: Independent Probe Into Bhutto Murder Begins Today

The Commission will submit a report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon within six months.

Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on 27 December 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Courtesy: blog.lib.umn.edu

(GENEVA) - The independent commission charged with examining the facts and circumstances behind the December 2007 assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto formally began its work today, the United Nations said.

The Commission of Inquiry, which has a mandate of six months, will soon make its first visit to Pakistan, although the exact date of that trip has not yet been confirmed, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today.

The Commission is headed by Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz of Chile, and its other members are Marzuki Darusman, the former attorney-general of Indonesia, and Peter Fitzgerald, a veteran of the Irish National Police who has also served the UN in a number of capacities.

Set up following a request from the Pakistani Government, the Commission will submit a report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon within six months. Mr. Ban will then share the report with the Government and submit it to the Security Council for information.