Azam Khalil For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak with most miraculous organ. - Shakespeare There are no surprises in the United Nations report on the assassination of Pakistani ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. It has, however, pointed out serious neglect, which may turn out to be with criminal intent regarding the investigations carried out by Pakistani investigating agencies. However, the report has failed to provide plausible reasons for the disappearance of the scarf (dupatta) that was on the head of Benazir Bhutto when she was killed. At that time some, reports had suggested that there was a hole on the left side of the scarf which could mean that it could have been pierced by a bullet, while Pakistani agencies came to the conclusions that the ex-Prime Minister died due to wounds on her skull on the right side. While no conclusive evidence has ever been produced either by the investigating agencies or by the United Nations commission the whole episode remains shrouded in mystery. This is the reason that a vast majority of the people in this country believe that the real culprits may never be exposed or brought to book, like other high profile murders in this country. It is a pity that at present there is a Peoples Party government in Islamabad but no real progress has been made to find out the hidden hands that cut down prematurely a Pakistani leader recognized internationally and representing a soft face of this country. However, after the publication of the UN commission report the government has moved swiftly and recalled a few officers associated with the inquiry to the Establishment Division and it is now expected that a vigorous hunt will be launched to find out the truth about this assassination by catching the real culprits. There is also talk that ex-dictator Pervez Musharraf could be brought back to this country through Interpol to answer some tough questions about the role of his government in the assassination. Another aspect that remains to be investigated is the fact that just before her death, the ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan had pointed her finger at three names holding important positions in the country at that time, indicating that they could be after her life. Strangely enough, none of these three people were grilled by the joint investigating team but nonetheless it came to its final conclusions accusing the now dead Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud to be the driving force behind the murder. Before he was killed in a drone attack, Baitullah Mehsud tried, on more than one occasion, to clarify and denied his involvement in her assassination. Another strange phenomenon that was witnessed at that time was that the Inspector General of Police at the time of the murder did not visit the site of the crime for at least five days, raising many an eyebrow at that time. When questioned as to why he had failed to visit the scene of the crime, he lamely came out with an explanation that he was discouraged to do so by his bosses. The United Nations commission has failed to pinpoint or fix any responsibility on the Inspector General of Police who failed to proceed against the officials who ordered the washing of the scene of the crime, which resulted in the removal of vital evidence that could have helped resolve the murder. It is now being reported that a close relative of General Pervez Musharraf, who was heading a sensitive agency, may have been instrumental in the issuance of orders that resulted in the washing of the vital evidence that could have been collected from the scene of the crime. Strangely enough, the police blocked the autopsy of Benazir Bhutto, which could have also provided better clues to the investigating officials. It must be remembered that all murder victims must be subjected to an autopsy as per requirement of the law, which was violated. No one was ever asked to explain the reasons for this violation but, on the contrary, even the courts trying the accused did not raise any objection to the half-baked evidence that was produced before them by the prosecutors in this case. The responsibility now squarely lies with the government of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who must ensure not only a transparent investigation but also endeavour that those who investigate this case get to the bottom of the mystery and track down the culprits even if they are holding or were in important positions in the government. While this is going to be a tough call the people of this country will not accept any casual attitude and it would be in the interest of the government and the country if everyone associated with the investigation of this case came out clean on the issue. On the other hand, in case the proceedings drag on unnecessarily it would raise suspicions in the minds of the people and several wild rumours that are already circulating in the country may find credence, which will not be beneficial for anyone. One can only hope that the reinve-stigation of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto would not become the same story that has been repeated in this country over the years, and the issue is not put under the carpet. Those who are responsible for her tragic death must be punished. The government must also be very careful that none of its actions should smack of victimization or vendetta and the government should not interfere in the professional investigations that should now be conducted by a team of professional and competent officials. Otherwise, the blame for failure will have to be accepted by the top leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party, a proposition that will not be seen kindly in the history of Pakistan. The writer is a freelance columnist. Email:zarnatta@hotmail.com