British police arrive in Pakistan to probe Bhutto's death

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- A team of British police arrived here on Friday to help investigate the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the News Network International (NNI) news agency reported.

A five-member team of Scotland Yard will join the Pakistani investigators, NNI quoted officials as saying.

Officials said that the British police team would be informed about the evidences and eye witnesses accounts of the killing of Bhutto. The Scotland Yard team will visit Liaquat Bagh, where Bhutto had addressed the rally. Bhutto was killed when she was waving to her supporters outside the main gate of Liaquat Bagh on Dec. 27.

President Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday said that he had sought help from Britain into the investigation into the killing of Bhutto.

On Thursday, Musharraf said he was not satisfied with the investigation by Pakistani agencies so far. He told foreign journalists at the President House that he did not believe intelligence agencies had ordered any cover-up in the probe of Bhutto's assassination.

Bhutto's People's Party (PPP) has said it wanted the investigation into Benazir's death to be conducted by the United Nations instead of Scotland Yard.

Musharraf said authorities were not responsible for a security lapse that led to the killing of Bhutto. "In the last three months, there have been 19 suicide bombings, and most of them were against the military, against the intelligence," he said.

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Thursday denied allegations that the military was involved in the killing of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

He told a news conference that he had asked British investigators to help probe into Bhutto's death. Full story

LONDON, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A British police team of technical experts will assist the Government of Pakistan in the investigation of the death of Benazir Bhutto, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Wednesday.

"At the request of President Musharraf, the Prime Minister (Gordon Brown) has agreed to send a UK Police team of technical experts to assist the Government of Pakistan in the investigation of the death of Benazir Bhutto," Miliband said in a statement. Full story

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed by "terrorists," Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said in a speech broadcast to the nation on state television on Wednesday.

Musharraf said he was "sad and angry" as the public over the recent assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Full story

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf called on his fellow people Wednesday to maintain peace and stability.

"I appeal to people to maintain peace and stability," said the president in a televised address to the nation. Full story

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of people paid tributes Thursday in front of a portrait of Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto at Liaqat Bagh park, where she was assassinated a week ago.

Out on the streets in the military town of Rawalpindi, it was crowded with cars and motorcycles honking just like anywhere else, showing the return of law and order across most parts of the country.