Results from Scotland Yard Investigation Released; PPP Disputes Findings

On Friday, results from the widely-reported Scotland Yard investigation into the assassination of Bhutto's death dominated press coverage of Pakistan. According to the NY Times this morning, the investigation revealed that Bhutto died after hitting her head as she was tossed by the force of the suicide blast, not from an assassin's bullet, as some suggested. According to the news agency, "The findings support the Pakistani government’s assertion that Ms. Bhutto died of a head injury, while also dismissing an account that had been greeted with disbelief by Ms. Bhutto’s supporters, other Pakistanis and medical experts." The Washington Post cited the investigation report, which said, "The inevitable conclusion is that there was one attacker in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle in which Ms Bhutto was traveling."

Not surprisingly, news sources reported later that Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party disputed the claims, insisting she was killed by gunfire. The PPP spokeswoman, Sherry Rehman, said the party did not reject the findings outright and would give a final reaction once it had fully reviewed the report. However, according to a later-released NY Times piece, she said the PPP is still pursuing its demand for a United Nations investigation and "was no looking into hiring its own private international investigators." She told reporters, "We are seeking a larger probe into the hidden hands that organized, financed, sponsored and perpetrated this event." Rehman said the investigators had been working in Pakistan under certain constraints that could call their conclusions into question.

To be frank, the bottom line is that BB was assassinated by some kind of terrorist element - and that fact alone represents a much wider problem that has deeper ramifications for the security of this country. Instead of the 'he said-she said' debate, we should pay more attention to that overarching issue. [Image from the AFP]