UN Delays Bhutto Assassination Report

Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in December 2007.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today accepted a request from Pakistan's president to delay the release of a report on the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky made the announcement hours before the UN commission that investigated Bhutto's death was to hold a press conference to discuss the report's findings.

The report has been delayed until April 15. Nesirky said he didn't know why Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari made the last-minute request regarding the death of Bhutto, who was Zardari’s wife.

Bhutto was killed in December 2007. At the time, the government of President Pervez Musharraf blamed the slaying on a Pakistani militant commander, Baitullah Mehsud.

But Bhutto's party repeatedly hinted that Musharraf or his allies were involved and demanded a UN probe, which was granted.

compiled from agency reports