PESHAWAR, Dec 26: People from all walks of life condemned the suicide attack on President Gen Pervez Musharraf and demanded that the government should take effective measures to eliminate terrorism from the country.

Frontier assembly speaker Bakht Jehan Khan termed the attack a cowardly act, saying that extremist elements wanted to create instability in the country through such barbaric activities.

He said the elements behind the suicide bombings wanted to defame Pakistan and Muslims in the international community and expressed the hope that culprits would be brought to justice.

The Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao) condemning the attack said anti-state elements had targeted President Musharraf for his bold stance against terrorism.

The party in its meeting, presided over by MPA Sikendar Hayat Sherpao, regretted that the president’s motorcade was targeted twice in two weeks. Terrorists wanted to lead the country to anarchy, he added.

A party press release said the terrorists had unleashed their activities to sabotage the forthcoming Saarc summit that was likely to bring tranquillity in the entire region.

The Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party and Tehreek-i-Istiqlal also condemned attempt on President Musharraf’s life and said extremist elements were bringing bad name to the country.

Meanwhile, on the appeal of Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, the people observed a thanksgiving day in the provincial capital for saving the nation from a major disaster.

On this occasion, religious scholars in Friday congregations flayed the attempt on the life of President Musharraf and urged people to foil nefarious designs of terrorist elements.