Islamabad  - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced Wednesday the formation of a UN commission to probe the assassination of Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

The announcement was made during Ban's meeting Bhutto's widower and President Asif Ali Zardar, Pakistan's state-run news channel PTV said.

Ban met Zardari during his first visit of the Islamic country since taking office in late 2006.

Bhutto was murdered in a suicide attack on December 27, 2007 during an election rally in the garrison town of Rawalpindi.

A Taliban commander named Baitullah Mehsud was initially blamed for the slaying, but he denied the allegations.

The government asked the UN last year to set up a commission to investigate the assassination.

"The government Pakistan will fully cooperate in the UN," Zardari was cited as saying by the stat television during a meeting with UN secretary general.

Earlier, Ban held a separate meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and asked the country to cooperate fully with India in the probe into the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

"I have urged the prime minister that the Pakistani government should have full investigation in this issue and fully cooperate with Indian government," Ban said at a joint press briefing with Gilani.

India claims that the gun-and-bomb attacks starting on November 26 and leaving more than 170 people dead in the next 36 hours in its financial hub Mumbai were masterminded by a Pakistan based terrorist organization Laskar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Islamabad says it had arrested some key members of LeT and its purported political front Jamaat-ud-Dawa, an Islamic charity, and was conducting further probe in the light of information provided by India to bring those responsible to the justice.

But India insists Pakistan was not doing enough, a claim that has strained relations between the two South-Asian nuclear armed neighbors who have fought three wars over the Himalayan region of Kashmir.

But they launched a peace process to resolve all the mutual problems, including Kashmir, in 2004. The process has been halted after the Mumbai attacks.

Ban called on the two countries to continue the composite dialogue which, according to him, is beneficial not only for the immediate neighbours but also for the entire region, and therefore the world.

He extended full support to Pakistan as it fights terrorism, particularly in its north-western region bordering Afghanistan.

"I have extended support to Pakistan in overcoming the many challenges the country is facing," he said.

He promised to implement international aid programs to reduce poverty, enhance rural development and education, job creation and health services.

Pakistan is engaged in fight against Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters who fled to the country's tribal region following US-led invasion into Afghanistan and launch cross border attacks on international forces.

Ban described Pakistan as a country vital for not only regional but also international security. He arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday afternoon after a brief stop in Afghanistan's province of Kabul where he held talks with Afghan leaders.

He visited Pakistan two days after a top UN official as abducted in north-west Pakistan.

John Solecki, the head of the UN refugee agency was kidnapped in the south-western town of Quetta as he was going to his office on Monday. The attackers killed his Pakistani driver.

Police were investigating but it was not clear who was responsible for the abduction in Quetta, which is believed to be a hotbed of al- Qaeda and Taliban militants. The city is also facing a homegrown insurgency by Baloch separatists.

UN chief said he hoped Pakistan would leave no stone unturned to ensure the secure release of its official.

"Pakistani leaders will also have opportunity to exchange views on regional and international security situation," said the foreign ministry official. dpa