Scotland Yard: Benazir Killed By Blast, Not Bullet

[Riaz Haq]

Early reports in New York Times and Times Online indicate that Scotland Yard's conclusions support Pakistan Government's findings on the cause of Benazir Bhutto's death. Investigators from Scotland Yard have concluded that Benazir Bhutto, the Pakistani opposition leader, died after hitting her head as she was tossed by the force of a suicide blast, not from an assassin’s bullet, officials who have been briefed on the inquiry said Thursday, according to the New York Times. The British inquiry also determined that a lone gunman, whose image was captured in numerous photographs at the scene, also caused the explosion, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been made public. Pakistani authorities originally said there were two assailants, based partly on photographs splashed across the front pages of the nation’s leading newspapers.

Apparently, these conclusions are based on the brain scans, video and photographic evidence, eyewitness accounts and other forensic evidence gathered without an autopsy or other crime scene evidence washed away immediately after the tragedy.

This report is likely to anger Bhutto supporters and re-ignite charges of conspiracy and cover-up. It may also intensify demands for a UN inquiry into the tragic event.