Gilani condoles Rabbani's assassination, announces Nishan-e-Pakistan

KABUL: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday expressed heartfelt condolences with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over the tragic assassination of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, Chairman of High Peace Council.

The Prime Minister, who arrived in the Afghan capital on a brief visit, offered Fateha for the departed soul of Professor Rabbani and prayed for his eternal peace, at the Presidential Palace here.

The Prime Minister conveyed sentiments of the people of Pakistan, Government of Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari and on his behalf on the martyrdom of Prof Rabbani.

He termed the death of Prof Rabbani as a huge loss not only for Afghanistan but for the whole region.

"Pakistan condemns in strongest terms the terrorist attack that led to the Shahadat of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani," he said.

He said the people of Pakistan stand by their Afghan brothers in this moment of grief.

Paying rich tributes to the late leader, Prime Minister Gilani said that Prof Rabbani being a visionary leader was convinced that violence was not an answer to the problems of Afghanistan, rather he believed in a political solution.

He said, "We will always remember Professor Rabbani as a great friend of Pakistan and an emissary of peace-- who strongly believed that good brotherly and neighbourly relations between the two countries were not only critical for the socio-economic development of Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also vital for the stability and peace of the region."

The Prime Minister said that this cowardly act had reinforced the resolve of the people of Afghanistan to pursue peace and stability.

"I have no doubt that Prof Rabbani's dream for peace will come true and we will see a peaceful Afghanistan on its way to progress and prosperity," he said.

The Prime Minister said that the acts of terrorism constituted a common threat to both Pakistan and Afghanistan."We are together in our joint struggle to combat and eliminate this menace," he added.

Gilani also condoled with the two brothers and four sons of Prof Rabbani - Salahuddin Rabbani, Jalaluddin Rabbani, Muhammad Yusuf Rabbani and Shujauddin Rabbani - present in the meeting and expressed grief over the tragic death of their father.

President Karzai thanked Prime Minister Gilani for his condolences and for sharing the grief of Afghan people on the demise of Prof.Rabbani. He said martyrdom of late Rabbani was a setback to his mission of peace.

The two leaders expressed their resolve to do their best to pursue the process of reconciliation as envisioned by Prof Rabbani and to complete his mission to counter their common enemy.

The two leaders agreed to continue the process of Joint Commission for Peace with the sense of urgency.

Prime Minister Gilani offered the Afghan President help in the joint investigation and instructed Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who was present in the meeting, to help in investigation to nab the culprits of the gruesome incident.

The Prime Minister announced the highest civil award of Nishan-e-Pakistan to be posthumously conferred on Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani in recognition of his meritorious services to promote peace in the region.

Afghan National Security Advisor Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, Minister for Communication and Information Ameerzai Sangeen, and Senior Advisor Hidayatullah Amin Arsala were present.

The Prime Minister's delegation comprised Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Engr. Shaukatullah, Senator Nawab Haji Lashkari Raeesani, Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Kausar, Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir. Pakistan's Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq was also present.

It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister Gilani during his previous visit to Afghanistan on April 16 this year met Prof Rabbani and assured Pakistan's full support and solidarity for an Afghan-led peace and reconciliatory process.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011