ISLAMABAD, Feb 25: Caretaker minister, senators and others condemned the Rawalpindi suicide attack in which eight people, including Surgeon General of Pakistan Army and Principal of Army Medical College Lt-Gen Mushtaq Ahmed Baig, were killed on Monday.

In a statement here on Monday, Acting Senate Chairman Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali condemned the suicide blast that claimed several precious lives including that of Lt-Gen Mushtaq Ahmed Baig.

He said the dastardly act was apparently designed to shatter peace and tranquillity and demoralise the people.

Those perpetrating such heinous crimes have no morality or religion. They are rather enemies of the whole of humanity. By targeting the healers of humanity, these elements have demonstrated that they are the worst enemies of mankind.

He urged the people to maintain unity among their ranks to foil the designs of the enemies.

He lauded the services of late Gen Baig and observed that in his death the country had lost a dedicated professional, who remained devoted to his duty till the last moment of his life.

President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Mohammad Zulqarnain Khan also condemned the blast and said certain anti-state elements were hell bent upon disrupting peaceful atmosphere in the country, adding that such people would never succeed in their nefarious designs.

Mr Khan also sympathised with the injured and their families and prayed for their speedy recovery.

Leader of the House in the Senate Wasim Sajjad, Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Nisar A. Memon and Population Welfare Minister Prof A.J. Khan also condemned the suicide attack.

They said extremist elements involved in terrorism and acts of violence were damaging the cause of Islam and image of the country.

Terming the blast a highly heinous act of cowardice, he said the culprits involved in the crime neither had any concern with Islam nor humanity.

Co-Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the suicide attack in Rawalpindi. In a statement, Mr Zardari said it was callousness of the people involved in such attacks because innocent lives were being lost.

He condoled with the bereaved families and prayed for early recovery of the injured. He asked the government to provide best possible medical treatment to the injured.

—Agencies