NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD, 31 December 2006 — Thousands of Indians and Pakistanis took to the streets in sporadic protests across both countries against the execution of Saddam Hussein yesterday, accusing US President George W. Bush of murdering him.
The protests came as New Delhi, which had friendly relations with Saddam’s Iraq, said it was disappointed he was executed and hoped this would not hurt the process of reconciliation and restoration of peace in that country.
Pakistan, a key US ally, yesterday also described the execution of Saddam as a “sad event” and expressed hope that it would not exacerbate the security situation in Iraq.
“The execution of former President Saddam Hussein, which can only be described as a sad event, is another poignant reminder of the violence that continues to grip Iraq,” the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We hope that this event will not further exacerbate the security situation,” the statement said.
Thousands of Muslims and Communist party activists marched in the eastern city of Kolkata and the northern city of Lucknow after news of Saddam’s execution broke on TV channels. The protesters shouted anti-American slogans, burned straw effigies of Bush.
In Pakistan, the execution was condemned by the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami party. Dozens of its supporters staged a demonstration in the southern port city of Karachi.
