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| Monday, 2 August 2004 |
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Musharraf condemns suicide attack on PM-designate, vows to fight terror ISLAMABAD, Sunday (AFP) Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Saturday strongly condemned a suicide bomb attack on prime minister-designate Shaukat Aziz and reaffirmed Islamabad's commitment to fighting terrorism, state media reported. "The president expressed his outrage... and said these cowardly attacks will not deter Pakistan from its fight against terrorism," a national television report said. "Such dastardly acts are against the tenants and the teaching of Islam," it quoted Musharraf as saying. Musharraf also expressed "deep sorrow and grief over the loss of life and injuries to the people." Interim Pakistani premier Chaudhry Shujaat also condemned Friday's attack on Aziz and has directed the Punjab provincial government "to probe the incident and arrest the culprits," an official Associated Press of Pakistan report said. "The attack on Shaukat Aziz was carried out by the elements who are against peace and stability of Pakistan," it quoted Shujaat as saying. Aziz had just finished addressing an election campaign rally in Attock, about 45 kilometres (27 miles) west of Islamabad, when a man walked towards his car and blew himself up at about 7:15 pm (1415 GMT) Friday. A senior interior ministry official told AFP on Saturday witnesses statements and evidence collected by police showed a man walked towards Aziz's car and detonated explosive strapped to his body. Aziz narrowly escaped the blast which killed his driver and six others, including the attacker. Seven policemen and 23 other people were injured. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid party believed there was a link between the attack on Aziz and those on Musharraf. "These are same people who tried to kill President Pervez Musharraf last year, now they have attacked Aziz," PML-Q senator Mushahid Hussain told AFP. Meanwhile.Pakistani investigators sought to identify a suicide bomber from his bloodied head after a failed assassination attempt on Aziz. Police have yet to blame any group. But a previously unknown group claiming to be linked to al Qaeda said it had carried out the attack against one of the men of the "American infidel in Pakistan", and threatened more attacks. The body of the attacker was blown into several pieces. Police have found his head, hands, legs and mutilated parts of his torso, and say he was clearly a strong, well-built man. "His face has been damaged, but it is still intact," Zafar Iqbal, senior superintendent of police, told Reuters. "The bomber was a young man in his early twenties." |
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