Quiz Rice,Karzai on Benazir killing: Zardari to UN

'The News' says Pak President asked UN panel to meet four 'indirect witnesses' to know how they learnt of threat to Bhutto's life.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari asked the UN to delay a report on the assassination of his wife and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as he wanted investigators to quiz four personalities,including former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,who had prior information on threats to her life.

Zardari is said to have quietly given names of four international personalities Condoleezza Rice,Afghan President Hamid Karzai,Saudi Arabias intelligence chief Prince Muqrin (bin Abdul Aziz) and the UAE intelligence chief to the UN inquiry commission to ask them: How did they know the secret in advance that Benazir Bhutto would be killed, The News daily reported on Thursday.

The UN commission has been asked to meet four indirect witnesses before submitting its report on Bhuttos assassination in 2007,the paper reported,quoting sources. This new information has also resolved a mystery about the two countries that had warned Benazir about a possible attack on her life when she returned to Pakistan from self-exile in October 2007,the report said.

It identified the two countries as the UAE and Saudi Arabia,whose intelligence agencies chiefs had warned the Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson (about) threats to her life.

The report claimed that the UN commission was making contacts with the four personalities to seek explanations from them as how did they already (know of) threats to Bhuttos life.

The report quoted sources as saying that Zardari believed the inside information that could be shared by these four personalities might greatly help the inquiry commission to identify the real killers.

Pakistans permanent representative to the UN,Hussain Haroon,held talks with UN officials in New York to convince them that it was important to interview these four personalities,the report claimed.

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The News also quoted its sources as saying that Zardari was not satisfied with the UN report on the killing of Benazir.

The sources said Zardari knew the information given by these personalities to Bhutto as she kept him informed about these warnings.

The sources said Condoleezza Rice was a potential witness because the US provided a steady stream of intelligence to Bhutto about threats to her and advised her aides on improving her security.

The source said senior US diplomats had multiple conversations,including at least two private face-to-face meetings,with top members of the Pakistan Peoples Party to discuss threats to Bhuttos life and review her security arrangements after a suicide attack on her motorcade the day she returned to Pakistan from exile in October 2007. PTI

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Pak Letters on zardari graft cases not sent to Switzerland

ISLAMABAD: A day after the chief of Pakistans anti-corruption agency told the apex court that two letters had been sent to the Swiss prosecutor to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari,Law Secretary Aqil Mirza informed a seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry that the letters were at his home and had not been sent to Switzerland.

The Chief Justice asked the Law Secretary to complete the process for reopening the cases in Switzerland by Friday. However,Mirza sought more time for the purpose,saying it was a sensitive matter. The government has been asked to send the letters by April 5.

Earlier in the day,the court raised objections to steps taken by NAB to reopen cases against Zardari in Switzerland and directed the government to send a fresh letter to Swiss officials with the Prime Ministers approval. PTI