WASHINGTON—The United States is ready to help Pakistan investigate the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and welcomed Islamabad's request for British police assistance, the White House said Wednesday.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced that he had asked British police to help investigate Bhutto's death last week in a gun and bomb attack as she left a rally.
"It's very important that a transparent and comprehensive investigation move ahead quickly and we certainly welcome Pakistan's decision to consult U.K. expertise," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.
Prior to Musharraf's announcement, she had said Washington "stands ready to help if asked."
Musharraf blamed allies of al Qaeda for Bhutto's murder, but many Pakistanis believe others were involved and Bhutto's party has called for a U.N. investigation.
President Bush discussed the Pakistan situation in a video conference call with Afghan President Hamid Karzai who visited Islamabad last week, Perino said.
Bush had spoken with Musharraf, an ally in the U.S. war against terrorism, last week after Bhutto was killed.
Regarding the decision to postpone Pakistan's elections by six weeks to Feb. 18 from Jan. 8, Perino was encouraged a definite date had been set.
"The important thing is that they have a date certain for the elections," Perino said. Pakistanis must be "allowed to have a free and fair election where there is the widest possible participation," she said.
"Hopefully in the next few weeks, the political parties will be able to campaign freely and make their case and then the voters can decide," Perino said.
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