Committee to probe Benazir Bhutto assassination crime scene to spark row: Editorial

Islamabad, Apr 26(ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's decision to form a committee to probe the hosing down of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination crime scene is likely to spark more controversy rather than clearing the muddle.

The committee was formed after Pakistan Army Chief General Kayani met the Prime Minister.

It is believed that the military is troubled by the naming of its serving and retired personnel in the UN Commission of Inquiry Report and has moved to clear their names.

The current committee will focus on whether Major General Nadeem Ijaz, who was then-Military Intelligence Director General, ordered the hosing down of the crime scene.

According to a leading Pakistan daily, apart from the 'hosing down', there are many other questions that need thorough investigation.

"Why did Rehman Malik, who was in charge of Benazir's security, along with Babar Awan, immediately leave the scene in the back-up vehicle meant for her? Why was an autopsy not carried out on Benazir despite it being a requirement of the law? It could have provided important indicators about the exact cause of her death and the kind of weapon used," an editorial in the Daily Times said.

"Moreover, whoever ordered the washing of the crime scene, did he do of his own volition or was it part of a coordinated plan? Who was the mastermind behind the systematic elimination of crucial evidence and, by implication, the assassination?" it added.

The editorial further said that it would not be logical to focus on just one aspect and leave out the rest.

"The present committee's findings, at best, will be perceived as partisan if they are not augmented by a wider inquiry into all these questions," it said. (ANI)