Pak Government makes a U-turn on Benazirs death

Pakistans caretaker government led by Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro has made a U-turn by rendering an apology for Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Cheemas statement that slain former premier Benazir Bhutto had died of the head injury after being hit by the sunroof lever of her vehicle in the blast shockwave.

Islamabad, Jan 1 : Pakistan's caretaker government led by Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro has made a U-turn by rendering an apology for Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Cheema's statement that slain former premier Benazir Bhutto had died of the head injury after being hit by the sunroof lever of her vehicle in the blast shockwave.

Apologising for the highly provocative comment made by the spokesman, Interior Minister Lt General (retd) Hamid Nawaz said that the spokesman's comments might have been a mistake and asked forgiveness.

"We are soldiers and we are not so articulate to present our views as you journalists can. I am sorry if that happened and please forgive us and ignore the comment," Nawaz told top newspaper editors at a high-powered briefing where beside him Prime Minister Soomro, Foreign Minister, Information Minister and senior officials were present.

This comes amidst surfacing of new photographs of the tragic moment where an assassin is seen shooting at Benazir.

The government is now open to consider the idea that Bhutto might have been shot by a bullet.

Editor after editor lambasted the government for its non-serious attitude towards the tragedy, and pointed to the medical report of Rawalpindi doctors that was quoted by the spokesman, but it never mentioned the cause of the head injury and stated that there was a head injury with a broken skull which caused cardio-pulmonary arrest of the PPP leader.

Caretaker Prime Minister Soomro first tried to defend the Interior Ministry spokesman, saying he was just relating the facts, which had been told to him, especially about the cause of death.

"We are conducting an investigation and all TV footage, all evidence, that would be available will help in reaching a definite conclusion," The News quoted Soomro, as saying.

Soomro then referred the issue to the Interior Minister who then apologised for the mistake, as editors continued referring to the SUV maker's claim that there was there was no metallic lever, which could have caused the wound to her head.

On being asked about the Government's plan to allow a foreign investigation into the murder, Soomro said that Pakistani experts were fully competent to complete the job.

ANI