Heraldo Munoz (C), head of three-member U.N. Commission, Peter Fitzgerald (R) and Marzuki Darusman (L) attending a meeting at the foreign ministry in Islamabad, Pakistan on July 16, 2009. - Photo by Reuters.

UNITED NATIONS The U.N. commission investigating the assassination of former prime minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has formally sought from the Pakistan government a three-month extension for the completion of its work, informed sources said Wednesday.

The three-member commission, which began its work on July 1, was mandated to submit its report identifying facts and circumstances of the 2007 tragedy to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by December 31, 2009. But the commission said it needed more time -- till March 31, 2010 -- since its work schedule was hampered by the security situation in Pakistan, the sources said. Earlier this month, Chiles UN Ambassador Heraldo Munoz, who heads the commission, had hinted about the delay in submitting the report.

'Were working hard and advancing, but there is a great deal of work to be done,' he had told reporters, while also citing the security situation in Pakistan in contributing to the delay. Once the Pakistan government agrees to the extension, the commission will ask the UN chief to extend its mandate, according to the sources.

Meanwhile, the commission will visit Pakistan from December 8 to 12 to resume its work. During the upcoming trip, the commission will interview PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

It has already interviewed former President Pervez Musharraf. The Commission of Inquiry has held meetings with a range of Pakistani citizens, diverse political party leaders and Government officials, and also gathered additional materials relevant to the inquiry.

During its previous visit in July, the commission visited Rawalpindi where the Ms. Bhutto was killed and held meetings with top officials. The other members of the commission are Marzuki Darusman, the former attorney-general of Indonesia, and Peter Fitzgerald, a veteran of the Irish National Police who has also served the UN in a number of capacities. - APP