UK team complains of non-cooperation in Bhutto investigation
RAWALPINDI: The Scotland Yard team, visiting the crime site almost daily for the last 14 days, has lodged a written complaint with the President of Pakistan, grumbling that no local investigating or intelligence agency was helping them in their probe into the assassination of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson, Ms Benazir Bhutto, reliable sources told The News.
The UK team had arrived here on January 4 on the request of the government to investigate into the assassination The letter was sent to President Musharraf on January 10, demanding help from the investigating agencies, who collected the evidence from the crime site soon after the incident and prepared their reports regarding the mechanism used in eliminating the top opposition leader, the sources disclosed.
It is being said that the authorities supervising the process of investigation of Ms Benazir Bhuttos assassination, have barred the Pakistani intelligence and investigating agencies from providing any sort of information to the Scotland Yard team.
The Punjab Police team led by Additional Inspector General of Police, CID, Abdul Majid is not extending the required cooperation, the sources quoting the letter said. The Scotland Yard has not yet been able to collect any worthwhile evidence due to lack of cooperation by the Pakistani investigating and intelligence agencies, the sources claimed adding that the Presidency, taking notice of the complaint, has asked the relevant agencies to provide the necessary information to the foreign investigators.
They can do nothing without getting direct assistance from the Pakistani investigators and intelligence agencies, the sources claimed adding that the local investigators have of late provided some basic information to the foreign investigators on instructions from the Presidency. Meanwhile, security of the foreign team has been beefed up in the wake of rising incidents of suicide bombing.
Posted by: john frum 2008-01-19 |