Pakistan condemns terrorist attack in Kabul

 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attack on a wedding hall in Kabul that has killed more than 40 people celebrating the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), a statement from the Foreign Office said.

At least 50 people were killed in a suicide attack on a religious celebration in Kabul on Tuesday, officials said, in one of the deadliest assaults to strike Afghanistan this year.

“Perpetrators are condemnable for this heinous attack by all religious and human standards. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the Foreign Office said.

Further, the statement said, “We fully stand with and share the grief of the people of Afghanistan at this sad moment.”

“We also express our deep sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives and pray for swift recovery of the injured,” the statement added.

The recent attack in Kabul follows a wave of bloody violence across the war-torn country in recent weeks that has killed hundreds of people as militants step up assaults amid a flurry of diplomatic efforts to end the 17-year conflict.

At least 72 people were wounded in the blast, health ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh said, which targeted religious scholars and leaders inside a wedding hall where hundreds had gathered to mark the Prophet Mohammad's (Peace Be Upon Him) birthday — one of the holiest days in the Islamic calendar.

Religious studies lecturer Mohammad Hanif said verses of the Koran were being recited when there was a deafening explosion followed by "chaos" inside the packed hall.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani declared Wednesday a national day of mourning for the victims of the attack, which he described in a statement as an "unforgivable crime".

A manager of the multi-storey Uranus Wedding Palace, which also hosts political and religious functions, told AFP the suicide bomber blew himself up in the middle of the gathering of around 1,000 people.

"There are a lot of casualties — I myself have counted 30 casualties," he told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The aid organisation Emergency said on Twitter 33 wounded and seven dead had been taken to its hospital in Kabul.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but the Daesh group has claimed most recent suicide attacks in Kabul, which has become the most dangerous place in the country for civilians.