Pak suspends officials blamed in UN's Bhutto assassination report

Islamabad, Apr 19(ANI): The Pakistan Government has suspended eight officials, including former City Police Officer (CPO) Saud Aziz, who were responsible for on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's security at her last rally in Rawalpindi.

Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar confirmed the suspension, saying the orders had come from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

"The action on the UN report has been started on the directives of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani," The Dawn quoted Babar, as saying.

The government has already initiated action against several serving and retired bureaucrats in connection with the Bhutto assassination case by placing their names on the Exit Control List (ECL).

The move follows after a UN report held officials directly or indirectly responsible for the assassination.

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) insiders said the party has decided to take legal action against all government officials who failed to protect Bhutto.

The Interior Ministry has compiled a list of 13 senior government officers, which include former Director General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen. (Retd) Hamid Gul, former Chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Brig. (Retd) Ijaz Shah, former federal Interior Secretary Kamal Shah and a senior bureaucrat of Punjab Government Ashfaq Anwar. (ANI)