RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD, July 13 A UN expert visited Liaquat Bagh on Monday -- prior to the arrival of a fact-finding mission to start an investigation into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

The three-member UN commission is expected here on July 16.

The UN official was escorted by police commandos during the visit to the place where the PPP leader had been assassinated in a gun-and-bomb attack after a public rally on Dec 27, 2007.

He left for Islamabad after inspecting the place and later met Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah and senior security officials to finalise the programme for the inquiry.

The UN commission formed to investigate the assassination of Benazir Bhutto will have the mandate to ascertain the cause of her death and also to determine facts and circumstances behind the incident, says terms of reference (ToR) of the three-member UN commission.

However, the commission will not fix the responsibility. It would be up to the government to do that in the light of the commission's report, an official source told Dawn on Monday.

According to the ToR issued by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the commission would have complete access to all sources of information, including documentary material and physical evidence and freedom to interview government officials and individuals.

It said “In the conduct of its inquiry, the commission shall enjoy the full cooperation of the government of Pakistan. The government shall comply with the requests of the commission for assistance in collecting the required information and testimony, and shall provide it with the necessary facilities to enable it to discharge its mandate. It shall, in particular, guarantee to the commission.”

The UN has asked for protection for all those who appear before or provide information to the commission.

One of the interesting aspects of the ToR is that the commission may approach third states with a request for cooperation in collecting material or information relevant to the case and to provide expert personnel.