ISLAMABAD: A UN inquiry into the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto will last just six months and will not launch criminal proceedings, according to details released.That will make it much less far-reaching than an existing probe by the world body of the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, which is expected to lead to a UN-organised trial in The Hague. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the Bhutto inquiry on Wednesday during a visit to Islamabad.In a letter to the UN Security Council, Ban said that after discussions with the Pakistani government and council members, it had been agreed that an international commission would simply seek to determine the facts and circumstances of the killing.The commission’s mandate would be for a maximum of six months and “would not extend to carrying out a criminal investigation,” Ban said. It would be up to Pakistan to determine the criminal responsibility, he added. The commission will consist of three “eminent personalities”, whom Ban is expected to name shortly. Ban said it would start work once funding had been arranged. Terms of reference attached to Ban’s letter stipulate that Pakistan will ensure freedom of movement for the commission throughout the country and provide protection for people, who supply it with information.
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