Ban appalled, strongly condemns terrorist attack on Pakistani Church

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a Christian church in Peshawar, Pakistan, which killed more than 75 people and wounded over 100 others while they were attending Sunday mass, his press office said in a statement. "The Secretary General condemns this atrocious bombing attack in the strongest possible terms. He is deeply concerned about the repeated acts of blind violence against religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan," the statement said. "These acts of terror cannot be justified by any cause," it stressed, adding that Ban urged the Pakistani government "to do everything possible" to find and bring the perpetrators to justice. Extending his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the Pakistani people and Government, Ban reiterated the UN solidarity with the Government's ongoing struggle against terrorism and extremism, and urged the Government "to continue taking steps to build tolerance and strengthen relationships between diverse religious and ethnic communities in the country.