File photo: Amaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Mollah
Pakistan Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has expressed "deep grief" and concern over the execution of war criminal and leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, Abdul Quader Mollah in Bangladesh.
The minister said on Friday that executing Mollah after 42 years for the events of 1971 was very unfortunate and tragic and some circles are declaring it a judicial murder, Dawn reported.
The interior minister said the Jamaat leader was undoubtedly hanged because of his loyalty and solidarity with Pakistan in 1971.
"Till the very end before creation of Bangladesh, he (Mollah) remained supporter of a united Pakistan and today every Pakistani is saddened and grieved on his death," he said.
Khan said abiding by the demand of international relations, solidarity of international Islamic community and wisdom, conditions and events of the past should be put behind, starting a new era.
"But with this unfortunate incident, an effort is made to revive old wounds of the past."
"In reality, whenever any country regrettably falls victim to a civil war, then all sides in the conflict resort to violence," he said.
Criticising the Bangladesh government, he said, "It would have been better if the Bangladeshi government had shown farsightedness, bigheartedness and magnanimity instead of opening old wounds."
Mollah was executed late Thursday in the first execution of a 1971 Liberation War criminal in Bangladesh, after the country's highest court dismissed his petition to review his death sentence.