By NNN-APP
London : Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said only fair and free parliamentary elections in Pakistan would ensure stability and integrity of the country.
Addressing his maiden press conference in Central London on Tuesday, the teenager confidently fielded questions from a large posse of British and international media and called for respecting his privacy to enable him to continue his studies at Christ Church college in Oxford University.
He said he has been appointed head of the party by the collective decision of the Central Executive Committee and would resume his responsibilities only after completing his studies at the Oxford University.
The 19-year-old son of the assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto admitted that his name was not in the will of his mother, proposing her successor, which she had written weeks before her murder in Rawalpindi on Dec 27.
Bilawal appreciated the decision of the British government to send a team of Scotland Yard Police to Pakistan to help in the investigation into his mother’s killing but reiterated that an international panel would be more appropriate to look into the circumstances that led to Ms. Bhutto’s death at the hands of assassins.
He appealed to the international community and particularly USA to support popular leadership in order to build stronger democratic institutions.
In RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf Tuesday said the government was committed to finding out the facts and bringing to justice those responsible for the assassination of Ms. Benazir Bhutto, by unearthing the evidence.
Talking to the team of detectives of Scotland Yard that called on him here at his Camp Office, the President assured them of full cooperation by all the investigation agencies.
The President hoped that the technical and forensic expertise of the Scotland Yard would supplement the efforts of the investigation, being carried out by their Pakistani counterparts.
The President also thanked the government of United Kingdom for its prompt response to Pakistan’s request for assistance.
The British team that is here to investigate the terrorist attack on Ms Bhutto on December 27, soon after she addressed a public rally, said they were thoroughly investigating the evidence to ascertain the facts regarding the tragic incident.
They appreciated the assistance and cooperation extended to them in the investigation.
In another development, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has posted the complete computerized electoral rolls that were especially prepared for the general elections scheduled for Feb 18, on its official website.
Any voter having his name registered in the computerized electoral rolls can check his or her voting status by simply visiting the ECP website “www.ecp.gov.pk” where he or she is only supposed to provide his/her Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) or old ID card’s number to ascertain his/her voting status, Geo reported.