Whodunit and forensic inquiry
By: Farooq Hassan
A team of Scotland Yard investigators has arrived in Pakistan to assist in the inquiry into the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Earlier three different versions of the killing had come from the Islamabad authorities within the first three days of the tragedy of December 27, 2007. Then Musharraf appearing on the national TV on January 3 suddenly changed his mind and added he was “not fully satisfied” with the investigation into the killing. But he did say he “did not believe government or intelligence agencies had tried to ‘hide secrets’ after Ms Bhutto’s murder last Thursday.”
The visitors from London who had arrived on January 4 and after spending five hectic days in the field have apparently found that the local investigating authorities have done nothing worthwhile to look into any forensic matter relating to this high profiled inquiry. On Monday, January 7 the local investigating staff headed by an Additional Inspector General of Police was left embarrassed when the leader of the police team expressed inability to present any conclusions they had reached so far on various aspects of the case. The situation emerged while a presentation was being made to the Scotland Yard team in which a slide show comprising various photographs taken from the scene of the incident was arranged. It was really humiliating for the Pakistani law enforcement bureaucracy dealing with this inquiry when this fact was admitted frankly; instead of putting forth conclusions Pakistani experts had reached about explosives, forensics and DNA tests, sought the help of visitors from London to determine these basic facts about the case!
Why after so many days noting had been done about even such preliminary and legally necessary formalities would await some explanation but it is clear that no one is in any hurry to solve this murder. In October, Benazir Bhutto had publicly said her enemies in the government and intelligence were out to get her. However, when questioned by the Western media if his regime was involved in the assassination of his political opponent, Musharraf said, “My family by any imagination is not a family which believes in killing people, assassinating.” He further said that he did not believe that his administration was involved either.
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Note: The writer is a Barrister at Law (UK), Senior Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan and Professor Harvard University
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