UNITED NATIONS, June 19 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Friday that a three-member UN commission of inquiry into the facts and circumstances of the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto would commence its six-month mandate on July 1.

The commission is expected to complete its work within six months and “the secretary-general will share the report with the government of Pakistan and submit it to the Security Council for information,” Ban's spokesperson said at a press briefing.

The commission is headed by the Permanent Representative of Chile, Ambassador Heraldo Munoz, and includes Mr Marzuki Darusman of Indonesia and Mr Peter Fitzgerald of Ireland.

“In accordance with the agreed terms of reference, the commission's mandate will be to inquire into the facts and circumstances of the assassination of former prime minister Bhutto. The duty of determining criminal responsibility of the perpetrators of the assassination remains with the Pakistani authorities. The commission will submit its report to the secretary-general within six months of the commencement of its activities,” the spokesperson said.

Responding to a question regarding the mandate of the commission, the spokesperson said that the narrow mandate had been cleared by the Pakistani government.

In the statement, Mr Ban also noted that the anniversary of the birth of former prime minister Bhutto is on 21 June, and is a reminder of the tragic loss suffered by her family and the Pakistani people.

“The United Nations is committed to assisting Pakistan by determining the facts and circumstances of her death,” the statement said.