By IANS
Panaji : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday expressed shock and horror at the “heinous” assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto whom he described as “no ordinary political leader” and one intent on improving India-Pakistan ties.
“I was deeply shocked and horrified to hear of the heinous assassination of Mrs. Benazir Bhutto,” Manmohan Singh said in a statement from the Raj Bhavan in Goa where he is on a two-day official visit.
“Bhutto was no ordinary political leader, but one who left a deep imprint on her time and age. Her contributions to a previous moment of hope in India-Pakistan relations and her intent to break India-Pakistan relations out of the sterile patterns of the past were exemplary,” he said.
“In her death, the sub-continent has lost an outstanding leader who worked for democracy and reconciliation in her country.”
Bhutto, the head of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was shot dead Thursday minutes after she addressed a public rally in Rawalpindi.
Manmohan Singh said the manner in which Bhutto was assassinated was a reminder of the common dangers the South Asian region faced from “cowardly acts of terrorism” that called for an urgent need to eradicate “this dangerous threat”.
“My heartfelt condolences go to her family and the people of Pakistan who have suffered a grievous blow.”