IndiaPost.com - World leaders concerned over Pakistan's stability

ISLAMABAD: World wide condemnation poured in after the assassination of former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto, with leaders urging Islamabad to move forward with the democratic process. The UN Security Council unanimously condemned the assassination and urged all nations to help bring those responsible for "this reprehensible act" to justice.

A tense-looking US President George W. Bush assured Islamabad that it "stand with the people of Pakistan in their struggle against the forces of terror and extremism." The Bush administration had been at the forefront of countries pushing for a power sharing deal between Bhutto and Musharraf so as to put Pakistan back on the democratic path and ensure that the war against Taliban and al-Qaeda terrorists was not disrupted. Bush urged Pakistanis "to honor Benazir Bhutto's memory by continuing with the democratic process for which she so bravely gave her life."

In Britain, where Bhutto had attended Oxford University, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said she "risked everything in her attempt to win democracy in Pakistan and she has been assassinated by cowards who are afraid of democracy." French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Pakistan's elections be held as scheduled on January 8. German Chancellor Angela Merkel termed it a "cowardly terrorist attack" aimed to destabilize Pakistan.

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai, who met Bhutto hours before the tragic incident in Islamabad, said he was "deeply pained" by the assassination. "She sacrificed her life, for the sake of Pakistan and for the sake of this region," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin termed Bhutto's murder "a challenge thrown down by forces of terrorism not only to Pakistan but also to the entire international community."

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the attack "is clearly aimed at destabilizing the country," urging Pakistanis to refrain from violence. Reacting to the news of the killing, Italian Premier Romano Prodi said "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." Israeli President Shimon Peres said Bhutto "feared nothing and served her country with valor." China described Bhutto as a "seasoned statesman" and "an old friend of the Chinese people".

Japan expressed "hope the Pakistani government and people would overcome this hardship and firmly pave the way towards democratization." Describing Bhutto "an historic figure of great influence in modern Pakistan," Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said: "The extremists behind this attack cannot be allowed to succeed."

He urged all parties in Pakistan to act with restraint and to work for a return to a peaceful democratic process. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper termed the suicide attack an "abhorrent act of terrorism," and urged Pakistan not to impede country's moves toward democracy and its general elections.