Pak reacts cautiously to Saddam's hanging, terms it sad event

Islamabad, Dec 30 (UNI) Pakistan today described deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's execution as a ''sad event'', representing poignant reminder of continuing violence in the war-torn country.

''The execution of Saddam Hussein, which can only be described as a sad event, is another poignant reminder of the violence that continues to grip Iraq,'' Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said here today.

Ms Aslam hoped that this event would not further exacerbate the security situation in Iraq.

''It remains our earnest hope to see peace, stability and reconciliation so that people of Iraq regain control of their affairs in a secure environment,'' she added.

Pakistanis heard the news with mixed feelings of 'surprise and shock' with majority of people believing that the execution would expose Iraq to possible 'disintegration' and may trigger 'sectarianism' in a country, already suffering under clutches of foreign occupation forces.

''This is beyond any doubt that Saddam was a dictator, who unleashed a reign of terror on his people but we should not forget the US involvement and influence during the trial process, which is condemnable,'' said Azeem Haider, a telecommunication engineering student.

He said this was the time for the Muslim countries to assert the US against its hegemonic and anti-Islamic policies.

Secretary General of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Mushahid Hussein Sayed went a step ahead in criticising the US and its anti-terror war.

''I firmly believe that the war on terror has failed mainly because of the flawed US policies,'' he said and expressed the fear that Saddam's hanging would have negative impact on the overall security situation in the West Asian region.

''The US should not smoke-screen its poor performance in the context of the ongoing anti-terror war,'' he said, adding the latest development will also lead to an increased violence in Iraq.

A former Pakistani diplomat Tariq Fatimi saw developments in Iraq, including Saddam's execution, as an American plot to sow a seed of 'division and hatred' among Shiite and Sunni population of the country.

He told Pakistan's private Geo TV that the US would have to pay a heavy price for its wrong policies in Iraq.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi described the event as an attempt to disintegrate the country.

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