November 19, 2007	Monday	Ziqa’ad 08, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Nov 18: Former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto has condemned the sectarian clashes in Parachinar.

In a statement released through her party’s media office here on Sunday, Ms Bhutto said it was most unfortunate that people were being killed in the name of religion thereby bringing a bad name to the religion itself.

Over 90 people have been killed in sectarian clashes in Parachinar during the last two days.

She said the regime spent time and energy in fighting democracy loving people and had no time to curb the activities of militants, extremists and religious fanatics.

Ms Bhutto urged the people to strengthen her hands and the hands of the PPP and the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) to save democracy and through it bring peace back to the country. She expressed profound grief over the loss of lives in the clashes.

She has also condemned the murder of the wife of tribal journalist Hayatullah and demanded a thorough probe into the matter and arrest of the culprits.

The wife of Hayatullah was killed in a bomb attack on her house in Mir Ali in North Waziristan late Saturday night.

The former prime minister said she was shocked and grieved to learn about the gruesome murder of the widow of a young and promising journalist who himself had been slain last year by unknown assailants.

Mrs Hayatullah has been vigorously pursuing the killers of her husband and had complained of receiving threatening calls warning her against chasing her husband’s murderers.

Only an impartial and judicial probe can reveal the bloodstained hands behind the crime, Ms Bhutto said.

The PPP chairperson has also condemned the disappearance of journalist Shoaib Bhutta and demanded his early release. The family of Shoaib Bhutta has alleged that he was whisked away by some men in plainclothes from his office in Islamabad and taken to an unknown place.

She said the mysterious disappearances in the country had increased alarmingly and called for bringing the agencies under the ambit of law. She also called for the immediate release of Shoaib Bhutta.