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LAHORE: Gaibana Namaz-e-Janaza (Funeral Prayers) of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin,the founder and spiritual leader of the Hamas resistance movement was held here at Minar-e-Pakistan on Tuesday.

Prominent leaders of different political parties including chief of Jamaat-e-Dawa Hafiz Saeed Ahmad, chief of Khaksar Tehreek Hameedud Din Almashriqi, Maulana Samiul Haque, chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Hafiz Muhammad Idrees and leader of All Parties Hurriyyat Conference (APHC), Ghulam Muhammad Safi and large number of activists of Jamaat-e-Dawa also attended the Gaibana Namaz-e-Janaza of Sheikh Yassin.

PPP terms Assassination, State Terrorism

Pakistan Peoples Party Tuesday condemned the assassination of Palestinian leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is an act of State terrorism.

“This a crude attempt of the Zionist to crush the resistance of the Palestinian people and further their expansionist designs but they forget the lesson of history that the just struggle of the oppressed peoples always meets with final victory”, PPP leadser Mian Raza Rabbani said in a statement.

“This act of the Zionist regime will lead to an escalation of tension in the region. It will also derail the peace process in the Middle East. It is unfortunate that we do not learn from history such acts of violence breed more violence and become the germination ground for extremists”, he said.

“This act of violence that has no sanction under International law, the West should have taken note of the gross violations of human rights being committed by Israel during the past couple of months against the Palestinian people”, he said.

“This act enunciates a very dangerous president were by states are free to target any person or persons they seek to target with no consideration of law. This will give rise to the law of the jungle”, Rabbani said.

“The people of Pakistan do not support terrorism but draw a clear distinction between it and freedom struggles of the people”, he said.

India 'appalled'

Meanwhile a report from New Delhi adds: India said it was "appalled" by Israel's killing of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin which it said, 'would set off more bloodshed in the Middle East'.

The condemnation comes despite India's warming relationship with Israel, which included a visit to New Delhi by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in September.

"We are appalled by the killing in Gaza of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin," an Indian foreign ministry statement said.

Cycle of Violence

"We believe that it would exacerbate the cycle of violence and counter-violence, not only in Gaza but also elsewhere in the region," it said. "The need of the hour is restraint and a resumption of the peace process in line with relevant UN resolutions."

Sheikh Yassin, a wheelchair-bound cleric who founded the movement Hamas, was killed in an Israeli helicopter strike Monday.

India had treated Israel as a pariah for decades but bilateral cooperation, particularly in defence, has improved rapidly since Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's Hindu nationalists entered power in 1998.