RAWALPINDI, July 29: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Thursday strongly condemned the killing of two Pakistanis Raja Azad and Sajjad Naeem by their abductors in Iraq.

The president and the prime minister termed the killings an act of stark brutality. "This is a crime against humanity and totally against the teachings of Islam, which is a religion of peace," they said.

Both the leaders expressed their heartfelt condolences with the families of the victims and prayed that Allah Almighty grant them strength and fortitude to bear this loss.

Every Pakistani was shocked by the tragedy and joined the bereaved families in their hour of grief, they said. The two leaders also discussed the political environment in the country besides other important national, regional and international issues, including the situation in Darfur, Sudan.

The president exchanged views with the prime minister regarding his contacts with various world leaders as well as the leadership of Sudan to defuse the crisis in Darfur.

The president and prime minister stressed upon the need for the international community to use all political means to resolve the Darfur problem in order to ward off a bigger crisis.

ALLAWI CONDOLES: Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi on Thursday telephoned President Gen Pervez Musharraf and expressed his sorrow and grief over the tragic killing of two kidnapped Pakistanis by terrorists in Iraq. He condemned the killings and offered his heartfelt condolences and expressed sympathy with the bereaved families. -APP