DUSHANBE, April 12, 2011, Asia-Plus — The terrorist act in Minsk is absolutely unexpected because there are no any large ethnic diasporas in Belarus, Parviz Mullojonov, Executive Director of the Public Committee for Democratic Processes Reforms in Tajikistan, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
“Anyway, we can rule out involvement of any religious extremist groups in the Minsk blast,” Tajik expert noted.
He also rules out the possibility of involvement of the Belarus opposition that was dissatisfied with presidential election results in yesterday’s terrorist act in the Belarusian capital. “The opposition in Belarus mostly consists of pro-Westerners who have not resorted to such extreme measures to date.”
According to him, most likely, any small radical group that is sponsored from abroad was behind the blast aimed at destabilizing Belarus.
Asked about the possibility of such terrorist acts in Tajikistan under the current political and social situation, Mullojonov said, “No one country can feel secured against such terrorist acts. Moreover, such acts are occurring in Tajikistan periodically.”
“As far as the political situation in Tajikistan is concerned, it is quite stable, while the social situation is currently complicated due to effects of socioeconomic crisis and agrarian reform problems,” said Tajik political scientist, “Balance is kept mostly due to labor migrants’ remittances that keep many families in Tajikistan above the poverty line.”
We recall that a deadly blast happened in the Minsk metro system on April 11. Twelve people were killed and 149 others were injured in an explosion during the evening rush hour.
The explosion reportedly tore through the Oktyabrskaya metro station, about 100 metres from President Lukashenko”s main office and residence, at 05:55 pm local time. The station, one of the busiest in Minsk, links the city”s two metro lines.
Interfax reported the explosive device was packed with metal fragments
Reuters quoted a source in Belarus president’s administration as saying that prosecutors qualified the blast as a terrorist act.
The BBC reports Belarus” President Alexander Lukashenko has said the deadly blast was an attempt to undermine peace and stability in the country. “I do not rule out that this [blast] was a gift from abroad,” said Mr. Lukashenko, linking it to an explosion in 2008 in which 50 people were hurt.
