(Washington, DC) - U.S.  Rep. Gary Ackerman’s (D-NY) resolution that condemns in the strongest terms the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was today passed by the House of Representatives. The measure, the first piece of legislation to be taken-up and passed in 2008, was approved by a vote of 413 to 0.

The resolution also reaffirms the commitment of the United States to assist the people of Pakistan in combating terrorism, and promoting a free and democratic Pakistan.

It also supports efforts by the government of Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice those responsible for the assassination and it expresses condolences to the Bhutto family and the families of all those who were killed or injured in the attack.

In addition, the resolution urges the people and Government of Pakistan to be relentless in its pursuit of a democratically-elected government, including the holding of free and fair elections at the earliest possible opportunity. Further, the measure expresses support for the freedom of the media, the ability of political parties to express their views without restriction, and the independence of the judiciary in Pakistan.

In the wake of the Bhutto assassination and the continuing unrest in Pakistan, Ackerman, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, will convene a Subcommittee hearing at 2 p.m. this afternoon entitled “U.S.-Pakistan Relations: Assassination, Instability and the Future of U.S. Policy.” The hearing will focus on America’s future relations with Pakistan in the wake of the Bhutto assassination and the prospects for a return to political stability. In addition the hearing will examine U.S. assistance to Pakistan. The hearing will take place in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building.

The Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia has jurisdiction over U.S. policy towards Pakistan as well as all other countries located in these two regions.

Below are the remarks delivered by Ackerman on the floor of the House during the consideration of the resolution.

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“On December 27 former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi as she left a peaceful political rally. In addition, 20 of her supporters were killed in a suicide bomb blast and Pakistan was wracked by violence and instability in the immediate aftermath.

Former Prime Minister Bhutto had returned to Pakistan in October after several years in exile in an attempt to bring Pakistan back to the democratic fold and inject a voice of moderation into the Pakistani parliamentary elections. Her killers cut short that effort in an attack that was one of 40 suicide bombings that killed 700 people in Pakistan during 2007. Ms. Bhutto’s life was marked by tragedy that played out on Pakistan’s public stage. Her father was hung after a questionable trial, her brother was murdered. As Prime Minister, she was twice removed from office by the army amid allegations of corruption and wound up in self-imposed exile. 

Yet she remained popular with the people of Pakistan, especially those in her home province of Sindh, and as the awful events of December 27 demonstrate, she was perceived as a threat by someone.

The United States and the rest of the international community has a vital interest in supporting a free, stable and secure Pakistan so as to stem the rise of extremism in South Asia, prevent global acts of terrorism from originating in Pakistan and support the movement toward stable political institutions, democratic values and the rule of law. The fact that al Qaeda, the Taliban and other extremist elements are using the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to regroup, retrain, and recruit for future attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan is a dangerous component of instability that when added to Pakistan’s possession of nuclear weapons conjures up the frightening possibility of terrorists with access to weapons of mass destruction. All of this means that the United States and the rest of the international community need to do all we can to promote and support Pakistan’s economic, social, and political development to prevent Pakistan from becoming a failed state.

The resolution before us today condemns Ms. Bhutto’s assassination, expresses condolences to her family and the families of the other victims of the attack and reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the people of Pakistan as they combat terrorism and work to establish a free and democratic country.

I urge my colleagues to support the resolution and I reserve the balance of my time.”

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