LONDON: A team of British police is preparing to leave for Pakistan to help investigate the killing of Benazir Bhutto and hopes to be ready in 24 hours, a Scotland Yard spokesman said on Thursday.
“A team of officers will be going out to Pakistan and are currently making travel arrangements,” said the spokesman after the British government agreed this week to a Pakistani request for help. “Negotiations are ongoing and we hope the preparations will be completed in the next 24 hours and they will be flying out as soon as possible,” he added.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Wednesday that London had agreed to send “technical experts” following a request from President Pervez Musharraf after last week’s killing. Scotland Yard said at the time that “a small team of officers from (Scotland Yard’s) Counter Terrorism Command will be travelling to Pakistan to provide support and assistance in the investigation into the death of Benazir Bhutto.
“The officers will travel to Pakistan as soon as possible. The Pakistan authorities continue to lead the investigation into Benazir Bhutto’s death,” it added in a statement. Supporters of Benazir Bhutto insisted that a UN probe was the only way to reveal the truth behind her murder, dismissing a government announcement that Scotland Yard anti-terror officers would help in the investigation. Opposition parties also criticised the government’s decision to delay parliamentary elections.
