ISLAMABAD – Emphasizing on the need of taking decisive steps to wipe out growing intolerance in the country, various political parties on Wednesday strongly condemned the brutal assassination of federal minister for minorities’ affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti.
PML-Q: Riaz Hussain Pirzada said that the time had come to take practical steps to curb growing extremism in the country.
MQM: Dr Farooq Sattar, MQM’s parliamentary leader in the NA, said Bhatti’s assassination was a conspiracy against Quaid’s Pakistan. “It was a cowardly act of terrorists,” he said.
PML-N: Pervez Rashid of the PML-N said that Pakistani society was tolerant but few militants were trying to take it hostage. “Today Muslims like Christians are grieved over the brutal assassination of Bhatti and it is responsibility of the state to curb such militants.”
PPP: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the killing had tarnished the image of the country in the comity of nations. She said it was a great loss for the country and the nation as Shahbaz Bhatti had made earnest efforts to project a soft image of the country.
JI: Senator Professor Khurshid condemned the incident saying that it was a heinous act to defame Islam and Pakistan. “Islam does not allow anyone to take such steps …… It is the failure of our intelligence agencies which have failed to foil such conspiracies against Pakistan,” he added.
PTI: The PTI condemned the murder, saying the incident showed government’s total failure in curbing terrorism within the country. “How a government that cannot protect its ministers be expected to provide security to its people,” questioned PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
