UNITED NATIONS, March 6 The United Nations has received $1.5 million from the government of Pakistan as seed money to partially cover the cost of a three-member fact-finding commission to look into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, UN secretary-general's spokesperson said Friday.

“The money has been received, I can confirm that,” spokesperson Michele Montas said in reply to a question at her regular briefing.

However, UN sources said that the costs of the commission could go as high as $5 million or more.

Ms Montas said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also spoke to President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday and among the subjects discussed were matters related to the commission.

She said the transfer of money was a “significant” step towards facilitating the work of the commission, which will be headed by

Chile's UN Ambassador Haraldo Munoz. But, she said, the commission was yet to be completed.

Indonesia's Marzuki Dar Usman will be a member of the commission, but no decision has been made on its third member. He or she will be either from Sweden or Norway.