World leaders condemn Bhutto's killing

Published on Thursday 27 December 2007 15:42

FROM London to Washington to New Delhi and points in between, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto produced dismay and condemnation, along with concern for the stability of the region.

In India, which has fought three wars against Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Ms Bhutto was irreplaceable, and noted she had striven to improve relations between the two nuclear-armed countries.

"I was deeply shocked and horrified to hear of the heinous assassination," Singh said. "In her death, the subcontinent has lost an outstanding leader who worked for democracy and reconciliation in her country."

Ms Bhutto's assassination "is not only bad for Pakistan," said former Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh. "It is bad for the entire region."

The United States had been at the forefront of foreign powers trying to arrange reconciliation between Ms Bhutto and President Pervez Musharraf, who under heavy US pressure resigned as army chief and earlier this month lifted a state of emergency, in the hope it would put Pakistan back on the road to democracy.

"Certainly, we condemn the attack on this rally," said deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey. "It demonstrates that there are still those in Pakistan who want to subvert reconciliation and efforts to advance democracy."

In Britain, where Ms Bhutto went to Oxford University, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was "deeply shocked".

"Benazir Bhutto showed in her words and actions a deep commitment to her country," Miliband said.

"She knew the risks of her return to campaign but was convinced that her country needed her. This is a time for restraint but also unity."

Italian Premier Romano Prodi said he was filled with grief and called Ms Bhutto "a woman who chose to fight her battle until the end with a single weapon, the one of dialogue and political debate."

"The difficult path toward peace and democracy in that region must not be stopped, and Bhutto's sacrifice will serve as the strongest example for those who do not surrender to terrorism," Mr Prodi said.

In Moscow, Anatoly Safonov, Russian President Vladmir Putin's envoy on international cooperation against terrorism, expressed fears the assassination would trigger violent repercussions.

"The already unstable situation in Pakistan will be further exacerbated by this powerful factor," he said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin condemned the attack. "We hope that the leadership of Pakistan will succeed in taking all measures for guaranteeing security in the country," Mr Kamynin said.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who personally knew Ms Bhutto, said he hailed her memory and called on the international community to support Pakistan and its democracy.