Zardari rejects probe by Scotland Yard, reiterates UN inquiry dema

Islamabad, Jan 3 (UNI) Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has rejected a probe by Scotland Yard into the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto and reiterated the demand for a UN-sponsored commission to investigate the incident.

Addressing a press conference after the joint meeting of the party central executive committee and federal council at Naudero yesterday, Mr Zardari, while condemning postponement of the general elections till February 18, said the PPP will fully participate in the rescheduled elections and would not allow the ''rulers to flee''.

He scoffed at the caretaker government as ''a bunch of immature and amateur politicians, who had no experience in running any government'', advising them to resign and be replaced with an experienced caretaker set-up capable of conducting free, fair and transparent elections, The News reported.

Flanked by top party leaders, he warned of severe consequences if the polls were rigged. He announced a six-member committee to decide about inviting an inquiry commission of the UN. The committee includes Sherry Rehman, Senator Latif Khosa, Farooq A Naek, Begum Abida Hussain and others.

He berated the government for not calling in Scotland Yard after the first attack on Benazir Bhutto in Karachi after she returned home from self-exile.

The party committe appointed to faciliate the demand for a UN inquiry was trying to include all new videotapes available and government statements regarding the December 27 tragedy.

''The main reason we are approaching the United Nations is the distrust and lack of credibility of the government, and we will prove it,'' the paper quoted Senator Farooq H Naek, one of the members of the committee, as saying.

''PPP lawyers will try to include every possible document regarding the assassination of Ms Bhutto to convince the United Nations Secretary-General to order an independent probe into the December 27 tragedy,'' he added.

UNI XC YA DS1143