By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : The US, which had brokered a political deal between Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Benazair Bhutto, Thursday condemned her assassination in a cautious first reaction on the events in that country.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said: “We condemn the acts of violence which took place today in Pakistan.”
President George W. Bush, who is vacationing at his Texas ranch, would make a statement on the killing at 11 a.m. EST, he said. Bush was informed about the reports during a regular morning briefing, Stanzel said.
In Washington, deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey said: “Certainly, we condemn the attack on this rally. It demonstrates that there are still those in Pakistan who want to subvert reconciliation and efforts to advance democracy.”
The assassination of Bhutto is seen here as a major setback to US efforts to build a political coalition between a moderate democratic leader and a key military ally in Washington’s war on terror.
But US relations with Pakistan have been strained somewhat since Musharraf late last year declared emergency rule. It was at Bush’s urging that Musharraf reluctantly shed his military uniform, lifted the emergency and set a timetable for elections.
After the imposition of emergency rule, several opposition Democratic leaders demanded that military aid to Pakistan be suspended and lawmakers this month attached several conditions to some $50 million in military assistance to Musharraf’s government
However, Congress authorised $300 million in aid to Pakistan, as part of a wide-ranging $555 billion spending bill that Bush signed into law Wednesday.
But $50 million in military aid can only be used after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice certifies to Congress that Pakistan is making “concerted efforts” to prevent terrorists and the Taliban from operating inside its borders.
Officials said last week that the administration was confident the new restrictions would not prevent it from actually providing the money. The restrictions would also not affect the sale of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan as part of a $2.1 billion arms deal, they said.