Uganda condemns Bhutto assassination

Dec 27, 2007

UGANDA has condemned the assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto yesterday.

By Vision Reporter

UGANDA has condemned the assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto yesterday.

“It is very deplorable and very pathetic. We thought that democracy was finally having its day in Pakistan.

“The murder of Bhutto and other people shows that terrorism must continue to be fought relentlessly and without compromise,” state minister for regional cooperation Isaac Musumba said yesterday.

“The leadership in Pakistan must not allow terrorism to derail democracy. At the Kampala Commonwealth summit, we suspended Pakistan due to constitutional issues but terrorism should not be allowed to thrive like this.”

Uganda is the current chairperson of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group that suspended Pakistan from the 53 member body during the November summit.

Pakistan’s consul in Uganda, Bonny Katatumba, said Bhutto’s assassination was a blow to democracy.

“It is a huge tragedy to democracy. Although Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth last month, President Pavez Musharraf had made the required democratic changes in the conditions in Pakistan that facilitated opposition politicians like Bhutto to return home and campaign for power. Terrorism should be fought.”

There are at least 1,000 registered Pakistanis working in Uganda. Sami Cheema, a member of the Pakistani community and the managing director of Cheema Motors, expressed shock over Bhutto’s killing. “Her death and the death of other people is very bad for Pakistan and for democracy the world over. There should be zero tolerance for terrorism,” he told The New Vision.

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