Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The local Catholic Church in Pakistan has called for a credible and neutral investigation into the death of Benazir Bhutto, killed by a bomb blast and gun shots on 27 December in Rawalpindi. All through the Christmas season Catholics said special prayers for national reconciliation and harmony. Prayers will continue in view of elections postponed from 8 January to 18 February, due to the situation of emergency and disorder following the death of Bhutto. On January 6 in Lahore cathedral, a special Mass for the repose of the soul of the leader was presided on Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan. Those present, representatives of civil society, human rights activists, many clergy and religious and lay people members, supported the Archbishop's request for a “transparent investigation into the case, to identify and punish those responsible”.
The same request was made by the Bishops' Justice and Peace Commission and by the Pakistan Catholic Women Organisation, which called for “truth and stability”. The organisations stress the need to discover the truth: “Crime must be treated as such. Only justice can prevent bad feelings”, hatred or revenge.
In the meantime the social situation is fluid. President Pervez Musharraf has refused an investigation under the aegis of the United Nations Organisation on the grounds that Pakistan “is capable of carrying out the investigation alone”. However a recent survey showed that about half of the persons interviewed thinks that government agencies and agencies allied with the government were involved in the killing of Benazir Bhutto. Whereas the government said al Qaeda was responsible for the death of the political leader and for attacks in recent months against security forces in which hundreds were killed.
Political tension rose again following a suicide bomb attack in Lahore on January 10 in which at least 26 died, mostly policemen, and about 60 were injured. Pakistan information minister, Nisar Memon, denounced the massacres as part of terrorist operations to sabotage the electoral campaign and prevent the consolidation of democracy in the country. However the government said these sort of violent events will not stop regular elections on 18 February. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 14/1/2008 righe 27 parole 278)
