UN Security Council to meet on
Bhutto's assassination
Posted: 27 December 2007 2351 hrs
UNITED NATIONS : The UN Security Council is to meet in emergency session on Thursday
to discuss the situation in Pakistan following the killing of
opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a UN spokeswoman said.
Marie Okabe said the 15-member council would meet at noon (1700
GMT) to assess the situation after the suicide attack.
Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi on Thursday, just two months
after she returned from exile for a political comeback. Sixteen
other people were killed and 56 wounded.
In Brussels, the European
Commission condemned the killing of Bhutto as "an attack against
democracy and against Pakistan."
"The European Commission condemns this callous terrorist attack
perpetrated less than two weeks ahead of election day in the
strongest terms," Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in
a statement.
"This is an attack against democracy and against Pakistan," he
said, sending the EU executive arm's condolences to the family of
Bhutto and of the other victims.
"We hope that Pakistan will remain firmly on track for a return to
democratic civilian rule," he added.
In Washington, the United States condemned the assassination of
Bhutto, which triggered new fears for the stability of a key US
ally.
The White House said US President George W. Bush would make a
statement, but refrained from mentioning the former prime minister
in its initial reaction to the media.
"We condemn the acts of violence which took place today in
Pakistan," said spokesman Scott Stanzel. "The president will make a
statement about the situation."
The State Department adopted a similar stance, condemning the
violence but not specifically mentioning Bhutto's death.
"We obviously condemn the attack that shows that there are people
out there who are trying to disrupt the building of democracy in
Pakistan," said Deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey.
In New Delhi, India called the
assassination of Benazir Bhutto an "abominable
act."
"We express our shock and horror at her death," Foreign Minister
Pranab Mukehrjee told reporters while junior foreign minister Anand
Sharma said at a separate news conference "no words are enough to
condemn this abominable act."
Sharma said the killing dealt a blow to the democratic process in
the neighbouring country with which India has fought three wars,
two over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
"It is a terrible blow to the democratic process in Pakistan,"
Sharma said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was on a visit to the tourist
resort state of Goa, said Bhutto's killing was a reminder of the
"common dangers" faced by both India and Pakistan.
"The manner of her going is a reminder of the common dangers that
our region faces from cowardly acts of terrorism and of the need to
eradicate this dangerous threat," he said in a statement issued in
Goa.
"The people of Pakistan have suffered a
grievous blow," Singh said and added he was "deeply shocked and
horrified to hear of the heinous assassination of Benazir
Bhutto."
"Mrs Bhutto was no ordinary political leader, but one who left a
deep imprint on her time and age," Singh said.
Singh praised Bhutto's efforts when she served earlier as prime
minister to forge normal relations between mainly Hindu India and
Muslim-majority Pakistan as "exemplary".
India's Hindu nationalist opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani
condemned Bhutto's killing and added it showed Pakistan had come
under the influence of "extremist elements" such as Taliban militia
forces in neighbouring Afghanistan.
"This is a process of Talibanisation of Pakistan which is not only
dangerous for that country but poses a new threat to India as
well," the Bharatiya Janta Party leader said.
China expressed shock at the
assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and
"strongly condemns" the attack, state media
reported.
Foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China "is shocked at the
killing of Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and strongly
condemns the terrorist attack," Xinhua news agency said.
"We also extend condolences to the families of Bhutto and other
victims," Qin said.
Russia condemned the killing and called on the authorities to
ensure stability, Russian news agencies reported.
"We firmly condemn this terrorist act, we express our condolences
to Benazir Bhutto's relatives and loved ones, and we hope that the
Pakistani leadership will manage to take necessary steps to ensure
stability in the country," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail
Kamynin was quoted as saying.
"It will probably unleash a wave of terrorism," Deputy Foreign
Minister Alexander Losyukov was quoted by ITAR-TASS news agency as
saying.
"We think this is a dangerous development that will add to the
instability ahead of elections in Pakistan," Losyukov said.
[size=large]Anatoly Safonov, an
aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin said the assassination was
"extremely worrying" and could destabilise
Pakistan,[/size] Interfax news agency
reported.
"It's clear that a powerful factor has been added to an already not
very calm situation in Pakistan, which could radically change the
situation in the country," Safonov said. - AFP/de
