Defend International condemns Bhutto assassination

The leader of the Pakistan People’s Party and former Prime Minister Mrs. Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007 in a combined shooting and suicide bomb attack that also killed at least 20 and many others wounded.

Mrs. Bhutto was shot in neck and chest with an AK-47 rifle as she left a political rally in the Liaquat National Bagh in Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad where she addressed thousands of supporters in her campaign for January 8 parliamentary elections. A gunman then blew himself up. After the attack she was taken to Rawalpindi General Hospital where she died at 6:16 pm. The cause of death was reported: Gunshot to the neck.

Nowadays civil liberties and democracy are under attack as never before and the need for a collective action and response to counter or mitigate these threats has never been greater.

Defend International strongly condemns this terrorist act against Mrs. Bhutto and expresses its deepest sympathy to her family, including her children and her colleagues. Our heartfelt condolences go to the families of all who have lost their lives, as well as to the people of Pakistan.
This attack represents an assault on stability and security in the country and is undermining its democracy. Mrs. Bhutto declined to allow assassins to dictate that exact path in reaching their goals.

* We call for the perpetrators to be brought to justice as soon as possible.
* Pakistan clearly needs serenity, security and stability. Therefore we call on all Pakistanis to work together for peace, security, solid democracy, national unity and reconciliation in Pakistan.
* We do hope the general elections can still be held. The cause of democracy must survive this tragedy.

Facts
* Mrs. Bhutto was born on June 21, 1953.
* She was the eldest child of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
* In December 1976 she was elected president of the Oxford Union, becoming the first Asian woman to head the prestigious debating society.
* On December 1987 she got married with Mr. Asif Ali Zardari. They had three children.
* She was the first woman elected to lead a Muslim state. She served twice as Pakistan s prime minister between 1988 and 1996.
* In 1998 she went into an eight-year self-imposed exile in Dubai.
* On October 18, 2007 she returned to Pakistan from the exile.
* On the same day her parade was targeted by a suicide attacker, killing more than 140 people. On that occasion she hardly escaped injury.
* She risked everything in her attempt to win democracy in Pakistan.

www.defendinternational.org

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