UN report blames Islamabad, local governments for Bhutto death (Extra)

Apr 15, 2010, 23:34 GMT

New York - A United Nations investigative report on the murder of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto said Thursday her death could have been prevented if the federal government under President Pervez Musharraf had provided enough security.

The report said authorities in the Punjab province and the Rawalpindi District Police failed in their duties to protect Bhutto, including not providing the full police force of 1,371 officers as planned.

'A range of government officials failed profoundly in their efforts first to protect Ms Bhutto and second to investigate with vigour all those responsible for her murder, not only in the execution of the attack, but also in its conception, planning and financing,' the report said.

It said neither Punjab nor Rawalpindi 'took necessary measures to respond to the extraordinary, fresh and urgent security risks that they knew she faced.'

'The federal government lacked a comprehensive security plan for Ms Bhutto, relying on provincial authorities, but then failed to issue to them the necessary instructions,' the report said.

Bhutto died in a gun and bomb attack on December 27, 2007, when she appeared at an election rally in the garrison town of Rawalpindi outside Islamabad. Bhutto's widower, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, requested the UN investigation carried out by a three-member commission.

The report was handed over to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who gave a copy to Pakistani UN Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon so he can forwarded it to his government in Islamabad.