Zardari, Gilani strongly condemn Shahbaz Bhatti’s assassination
March 2nd, 2011 - 4:30 pm ICT by ANI
Islamabad, Mar 2(ANI): Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the assassination of the Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti.
Bhatti was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Islamabad on Wednesday as he was leaving his house in Sector I-8 area of Islamabad.
Gilani visited the local Al-Shifa hospital, where Bhatti’s body had been transferred soon after his assassination, Geo TV reports.
He ordered an inquiry into the incident, and said such acts would not deter the government’s resolve to fight terrorism and extremism.
Zardari, who is presently in Karachi, immediately sought a report of the incident.
He condemned the murder, terming it a “heinous act” and said the government would continue to stand firm in its stance of not bowing to extremists and terrorists.
After shooting Bhatti, the assassins escaped after leaving behind pamphlets of a Taliban-affiliated group. According to a report, the pamphlets were signed by a group named “Fidayeen e Muhammad” and “al-Qaida in Punjab”.
In his message to Bhatti’s family, Zardari conveyed his heartfelt condolences, and said extremist elements were trying in vain to destabilise the country.Both Gilani and Zardari prayed to Allah Almighty to bless the departed soul and for imparting courage to the family to bear this loss. (ANI)
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Tags: al qaida, al shifa, allah, asif ali zardari, assassins, departed soul, extremist elements, extremists, federal minister, geo tv, heartfelt condolences, heinous act, minorities, muhammad, pamphlets, punjab, raza, shifa hospital, tv reports, unidentified gunmen