United Nations: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today rejected the suggestion that the world body decide on its own to investigate the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto without Pakistan government asking for it. The world body has not received any request from the Pakistani government to inquire into or provide assistance in the investigation into the "tragic" assassination of Bhutto, the UN Secretary General said addressing a press conference.

But he declined to comment whether the United Nations should investigate such political assassinations. He said the Scotland Yard is already giving technical assistance to Pakistani authorities in the inquiry. Asked about Bhutto family's demand for a UN probe into Bhutto's killing, he said,"I am not a position to comment on request at any private and personal level."

Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party has been insisting on a probe by the UN on the lines of the world body's investigation into the killing of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, but the Pakistan government has ruled out such an inquiry.

So far establishing special tribunals as had happened in the killing of Hariri is concerned, Ban Ki-moon said it must be based on the request from the concerned government and has to be decided by the Security Council and member states of the United Nations.

The UN has undertaken the inquiry into assassination of Hariri on the request of Lebanese government and is in the process of establishing a special tribunal to try the suspects if and when identified.

Source : PTI