Why the Pointless UN Investigation into Benazir's Murder is Going Ahead
It has now been 18 months since Benazir Bhutto was assassinated and we can finally solve that vexing 'sunroof theory' once and for all. That's the only conclusion I could draw from reading this story that a UN team, requested by the Pakistani government to investigate Benazir's murder, is about to start work.
I doubt there are very few non-PPP people who dispute that this exercise is a colossal waste of Rs 200 million. But it could be justified if the purpose of the UN commission was to prove beyond any reasonable doubt who killed Benazir. That is not the case:
The mandate given to the UN team seems no different than that under which the Scotland Yard operated: find out how Benazir was murdered but no need to figure out who was responsible. This is a needless farce and I think the 'cult of Benazir' is responsible for its continuation.
In the weeks after Benazir's assasination, passions were undoubtedly ignited and trust in the government was so low and their performance in the aftermath - symbolized by the 'sunroof' press conference - so shambolic that no one even believed a single word uttered by them. Zardari further inflamed the masses by referencing the PML-Q as the 'Qaatil' League. In that climate, it made for good politics when Zardari rejected the government-invited investigation by the Scotland Yard and asked the UN to step in.
Now, the rationale for the UN to involve itself has dissapeared. There is no physical evidence for them to examine - that was washed away minutes after the assassination. If there was any evidence that the previous government was hiding, well, that government has been out of power for a long time and many of its principals are no longer in the country.
Yet, the UN investigation continues, I think, because Zardari would feel that he is somehow disrespecting the memory of Benazir if he called it off. She has now been ascribed such supernatural powers by the PPP that the very fact that the T20 final was played on her birthday guarantueed our victory (according to Rehman Malik in a statement he made on TV). According to this line of thinking, her importance to Pakistan is on a par or surpasses that of Jinnah, as this photograph of the President's House shows. The normal rules don't apply to Benazir, which is why Bilalwal Bhutto Zardari, in a speech he gave at his mother's birth anniversary, made the baffling claim that filing a First Information Report after Benazir's assassination would have been an insult to her memory.
When this is how you perceive Benazir what's the harm in chucking away another Rs 200 million?
I doubt there are very few non-PPP people who dispute that this exercise is a colossal waste of Rs 200 million. But it could be justified if the purpose of the UN commission was to prove beyond any reasonable doubt who killed Benazir. That is not the case:
"The duty of determining criminal responsibility of the perpetrators of the assassination remains with the Pakistani authorities," said a U.N. statement released Saturday.
The mandate given to the UN team seems no different than that under which the Scotland Yard operated: find out how Benazir was murdered but no need to figure out who was responsible. This is a needless farce and I think the 'cult of Benazir' is responsible for its continuation.
In the weeks after Benazir's assasination, passions were undoubtedly ignited and trust in the government was so low and their performance in the aftermath - symbolized by the 'sunroof' press conference - so shambolic that no one even believed a single word uttered by them. Zardari further inflamed the masses by referencing the PML-Q as the 'Qaatil' League. In that climate, it made for good politics when Zardari rejected the government-invited investigation by the Scotland Yard and asked the UN to step in.
Now, the rationale for the UN to involve itself has dissapeared. There is no physical evidence for them to examine - that was washed away minutes after the assassination. If there was any evidence that the previous government was hiding, well, that government has been out of power for a long time and many of its principals are no longer in the country.
Yet, the UN investigation continues, I think, because Zardari would feel that he is somehow disrespecting the memory of Benazir if he called it off. She has now been ascribed such supernatural powers by the PPP that the very fact that the T20 final was played on her birthday guarantueed our victory (according to Rehman Malik in a statement he made on TV). According to this line of thinking, her importance to Pakistan is on a par or surpasses that of Jinnah, as this photograph of the President's House shows. The normal rules don't apply to Benazir, which is why Bilalwal Bhutto Zardari, in a speech he gave at his mother's birth anniversary, made the baffling claim that filing a First Information Report after Benazir's assassination would have been an insult to her memory.
When this is how you perceive Benazir what's the harm in chucking away another Rs 200 million?
Labels:
Minority Reports,
Pakistan
8 comments:
There is also talk of reopening the case for ZAB who has been gone last 3 decades. Not sure who will benefit from that esp since all his kids save one have also passed away since. Its a heavy price to pay for being a Bhutto, maybe the reasoning goes that bringing the past murderers to justice will prevent the next round of assassinations.
Anon527: It would be hard to bring to justice the person responsible for ZAB's execution. He's already dead.
Maybe he's doing it to finally put to rest the "Zardari killed Benazir" meme. Who would order an investigation into a murder they committed themselves?
Oops just realized the "who" part is not part of the investigation, just the "how". My bad.
sara drama hai (its all drama)
if six months ago, on the eve of her first anniversary, zardari claimed he knew who the real mastermind behind her killing is, then what is the freaking point of this fucking investigation??!! Besides UN itself is a fucked up organization and has a fucked up record of investigating notorioius assassinations such as the hariri one. what does that dim wit imbecile zardari think he is accomplishing by having the UN involved??!! like i said, all fucking drama and fraud.
Sameer: Congratulations. You may just have posted the most foul-mouthed comment in the history of five rupees. I approve.
If Zardari is that serious about the
investigation may be he should foot the bill of this investigation himself.I think he owed it to her. what ever he is today is all because of his wife .Spare the taxpayers of poor Pakistanis.
I suggest the reason why UN probe into BB's assasination was chosen over a national commission/inquiry was to malign our main intelligence agency.
They are now waiting for the right moment to get a report out disgracing our agency
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