ISLAMABAD, July 27: Former prime minister and Chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party, Benazir Bhutto has said that targeting Muslims is wrong.

She said in a statement issued here on Saturday that it was unfortunate that intolerance and hatred were raising its ugly head in the West as well.

She expressed her shock and concern over the report that an Utah hotel owned by a Pakistani was the target of a hate crime.

A motel owned by a Pakistan family near Salt Lake city, was put on fire amid a wave of hate crimes against Muslims in the United States. Earlier, a family was burnt to death in a suburb of New York.

“Moderate elements in the East and the West must preach the politics of tolerance to make this a safer world for all human beings”.

Middle-class communities, working hard to feed and educate their families, need the full protection of the state and the moral support of the human rights groups, she said.

She expressed the hope that the US administration would punish the perpetuators of the crimes.