The Czech air force special plane carrying the body of Czech ambassador to Pakistan Ivo Zdarek, who became a victim of a terrorist attack in Islamabad on Saturday, landed at Prague Ruzyne airport on Monday evening.
President Vaclav Klaus, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and the victims' relatives were at the airport waiting for the plane.
"The death of our ambassador is an extremely sad and tragic event," Topolanek said at a press conference after a government meeting on Monday.
The Czech government observed a minute of silence for Zdarek atits meeting.
Topolanek said he viewed Zdarek's tragic death as a new challenge for the Czech Republic to seek peace solutions to conflicts and support fight against terrorism.
"I sympathize with his family," Topolanek said.
Klaus said that he felt extremely sorry for Zdarek's death. He also sent condolences to the victim's family on Sunday.
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg vehemently denounced the terrorist attack in Islamabad and expressed sympathy to the victims' families on Sunday.
The attack was an attempt at destabilization of the situation in Pakistan after the recent presidential election, he added.
Zdarek, 47, who used to serve in Vietnam, was appointed ambassador to Pakistan last month and has been staying at the hotel, the embassy sources said.
Zdarek is probably a second Czech who has fallen victim as a civilian to a terrorist attack abroad, CTK said, adding that the first was Petr Koran, 24, who died in an attack on the Egyptian recreational area of Sharm El Sheikh in July 2005.
A huge truck bomb exploded at the entrance to the Marriot Hotel in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Saturday evening, killing53 people and injuring over 250 others. The death toll was expected to rise as some people are still trapped inside the six-story hotel.
Source:Xinhua
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