Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] on Friday spoke to Pakistan former Benazir Bhutto [Images], who survived a terror attack, expressing concern for her life.
The prime minister wished her well during the telephonic talk, his media adviser Sanjaya Baru said. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee also spoke to Bhutto and condemned the dastardly act.
Mukherjee said he was happy she escaped the attack. Singh also sent messages to Bhutto and President Pervez Musharraf [Images] to express his "deep concern".
Strongly condemning the attack, he said "such acts of violence and terrorism are totally unacceptable in any civilised society". Singh's message was conveyed to Bhutto through Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Satyabrata Pal who spoke to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader.
"We are horrified by the loss of innocent life caused by the terrorist attack on your convoy and the injuries to some of your senior colleagues," Pal told Bhutto, adding, "we are relieved that you yourself are unhurt."
Noting that terrorism is a common challenge faced by all countries in South Asia, Pal told Bhutto, "We look forward to working with you to defeat terrorism in all its forms."
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna it was "reprehensible that senior political figures are targeted in this way with such loss of innocent lives".
Sarna said the "spectre of terrorism confronting our region required strong and determined action by all our governments".
Earlier, BJP leader L K Advani also spoke to Benazir Bhutto.
© Copyright 2007 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
|