UN condemns Peshawar church attack
- September 23, 2013, 6:20 pm
- National News
- 78 Views
UNITED NATIONS/ISLAMABAD, Sept 23 (Online): UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned Sunday’s “atrocious†terrorist attack on a church in Peshawar and called on the government to bring the perpetrators to justice.
A statement issued by UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky said that the secretary general was “appalled†by the attack, which had reportedly killed more than 75 people and wounded over 100 others as they were attending Sunday mass.
“The secretary general condemns this atrocious bombing attack in the strongest possible terms,†the statement said.
The secretary general said these acts of terror cannot be justified by any cause, and urged the government “to do everything possible to find and bring the perpetrators to justiceâ€.
“The secretary general extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the people and Government of Pakistan.â€
He reiterated the solidarity of the United Nations with the government’s ongoing struggle against terrorism and extremism and urges the government to continue taking steps to build tolerance and strengthen relationships between diverse religious and ethnic communities in the country,†the statement added.
Meanwhile The United Nations in Pakistan also strongly condemned the attack carried on the Christian community in Peshawar which killed scores of people and wounded many more.
“This violent act, targeting defenseless minorities, is totally unacceptable. We are horrified by this act of brutality and extend our condolences to the families of the deceased and the wounded. We reaffirm our strongest commitment to protecting the rights of all minorities for them to freely exercise their rights.†said Mr Timo Pakkala, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Pakistan.
The United Nations welcomes the announcement of the Government of Pakistan with reference to increased security measures to protect minorities throughout the country, he said.
The United Nations reiterates its strong support to the Government in its efforts to protect religious and ethnic minorities and expresses full solidarity with the Pakistani people on the occasion of this sad event, he said.
