By NNN-Bernama
Dubai : The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has condemned the murder of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, describing it as outrageous and brutal.
OIC secretary-general Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said that the blatant crime, which preceded Pakistan’s Jan 8 parliamentary election, was an attack on stability and peace in that country.
“It is an open provocation aiming at derailing the efforts of unity, reconciliation and democratic process,” he said in a statement.
Bhutto, 54, the leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), was assassinated in a suicide bomb attack which also killed at least 20 others at the end of a campaign rally in Rawalpindi Thursday evening.
Ihsanoglu conveyed his condolences to Bhutto’s family members and other victims, the members of PPP, and the Pakistani people.
He stressed that those behind this heinous crime were not only enemies of Pakistan but also of the peaceful and tolerant religion of Islam and should be promptly identified and brought to justice.
He urged the Pakistani people and all political forces to opt for wisdom, cohesion, unity and dialogue in these turbulent moments.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also condemned the assassination and called on the people of Pakistan to unify in the face of a vicious terror.
“The UAE is appalled by this great loss, which is not only a tragic loss for the people of Pakistan but also for the entire UAE people”, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a statement.
“I can’t find words to express our condemnation for this criminal and cowardly act. The late Benazir Bhutto was a great friend of the UAE and had had long relations with this country”, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted his as saying.
He called on the people of Pakistan to brush aside their differences and solidify their unity in the face of their enemies.
Meanwhile, Singapore expressed shock at the suicide bomb attack and extended its deepest condolences to the families of Bhutto and the other victims.
“We strongly condemn these murders,” the Singapore Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It said that Singapore strongly supported the efforts of the Pakistan government to bring the perpetrators to justice and combat terrorism.