Two suicide bombers killed 92 people and wounded 121 when they targeted a crowded snooker club in Quetta Thursday, in an area dominated by Shias from the Hazara ethnic minority.
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland on Friday said Washington offered "the families of those killed in these brutal attacks in Quetta, in Swat, in Karachi... our deepest condolences".
"We obviously stand with the people of Pakistan in strongly condemning these senseless and inhumane acts," she added.
"We remain concerned about extremist violence of any kind in Pakistan and remain committed to working with the government of Pakistan to combat terror."
Extremist Sunni militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility for what was the worst ever sectarian attack on Shias, who account for around 20 percent of Pakistan's 180 million population.
Hundreds of Shias staged a sit-in at the devastated snooker hall on Friday, refusing to bury loved ones until the army takes responsibility for security in Quetta from paramilitary and police officers.
The government in Balochistan, which is also fighting a separatist insurgency, announced three days of mourning, but the protesters squatted on the road alongside around 30 bodies draped in shrouds and placed in coffins.
It was the deadliest attack in Pakistan since suicide bombers killed 98 people outside a police training centre in the northwest in 2011 - an assault claimed by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Meanwhile, unidentified men fired rockets on NATO containers carrying goods for international troops operating in Afghanistan, killing one person and destroying at least five vehicles in the Hazar Ganji area on the outskirts of Quetta on Friday.
"A group of at least 12 unidentified men attacked the terminal and fired rockets, which triggered a massive fire and gutted five out of 10 containers parked there," senior local police official Hamid Shakeel told AFP.
He said that the attackers escaped after also shooting dead an employee at a nearby petrol pump.
A local police official Noor Bukhsh Mengal also confirmed the incident.
Earlier Thursday, a bomb detonated under a security force vehicle in a crowded part of Quetta, killing 11 people and wounding dozens.
A bomb at a religious gathering in the northwestern Swat valley killed 22 people and wounded more than 80, the deadliest incident in the district since the army in 2009 fought off a two-year Taliban insurgency.
At the snooker club, the first bomber struck inside the building then, 10 minutes later, an attacker in a car blew himself up as police, media workers and rescue teams rushed to the site, said police officer Mir Zubair Mehmood.
Police official Hamid Shakeel put the death toll at 92.
LeJ claimed responsibility in telephone calls to local journalists. The group has links to al Qaeda and the Taliban, and was involved in the kidnap and beheading of reporter Daniel Pearl in January 2002.
The attacks, coupled with violence in the northwest, revived warnings from analysts that militancy could threaten national elections, expected some time in May.
Polls would mark the first time an elected civilian government in Pakistan, for decades ruled by the military, completes a term in office and is replaced by another democratically elected government.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) demanded that the government take immediate steps to clamp down on "murdering mayhem" ahead of the elections.
COMMENTS (21)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
There are ways to stop this madness, or to decrease it. Pakistan society as a whole has to realize and wake up. It should wean itself away from religiosity, sectarianism, keep religion to oneself and between one's maker. It should accept another person as a person, not as a Muslim or Hindu, or Christian, or whatever, people should accept people for what they are not what religion they may or may not belong to. Mosques all over the country should preach tolerance, towards fellow human beings. Pakistan society has to move away from fake values, systems, fanaticism, extremism, religiosity. The more Pakistan society as a whole realizes, that more of the above will only lead to more sufferings., the better of people of Pakistan will be, for themselves, for their children, for the future. This will have to be a very consciensious decision, from, politicians, religious leaders, social leaders, human rights groups. This will be difficult, but this is the only long term panacea, keep away from people who preach extremism, etc.
After the US has killed so many innocent Pakistanis it is slightly reassuring to hear Victoria Nuland expressing concern over the welfare of Pakistanis. Does this mean that America will cease their drone attacks?
Govt and military of Pakistan, please wake up as this is no time to keep quiet and allow the massacre of helpless Shias/Hazaras to continue as if nothing has happened. They are your own people who are not committing a crime by asking for protection which should be provided without any further delay otherwise Pakistan shall be further isolated from the International arena and the country would also suffer Almighty Allah's wrath as well.
This news says Shias account for 20% of Pakistan's population. At one time Hindus also accounted for such a percentage of population and all but a few have been eliminated.
@Yoghurt lover: @Sidrah: Shut up, please shut up! If the massacre of 100 young people is not going to wake your conscience, nothing will. Pakistan is not short of lunatics... the ones who carry out such horrendous attacks and the ones who the justify them.
I request to all international community and US specially please help us.
Everyone wants to stay away from Balochistan related issues because Baloch will get offended. but what is the fault of these poor people who are getting slaughtered?
Why is the Army Chief sleeping? Why is the Joint Chiefs Sleeping? Why are the Core Commanders Sleeping? Why are Brigadiers Sleeping? Why are the Colonels Sleeping? Why are the Majors sleeping? Why are the Cadets sleeping?
Why is the Pakistan Army Sleeping? Which of my brother who has been entrusted to protect my country from the evil of these extremist cowards - do I need to beg to protect us, to do their jobs?
Why is the tax deduction from my salary slip going to these people if they are going to remain silent after such atrocities?
@Yoghurt lover: stop making a yogurt of our brain please. there is no connection between drone attacks and this genocide. both are separate issues and treat them as such.
@zoro:When? where and how? What is your evidence that Hazaras attacked pakarmy? Please don't lie.
@zoro: And the point of your post being?........ @abid Cuz if he did, then your beloved Bloch brotheren would start to make huge awe and cry.....He can not afford to expose army to further defaming by talking about things which have been passively supported by your elected officials. @Yoghurt lover There are two views on that: Drone attacks kill Specifc people of TTP 2) drone attacks kill innocent people. I support first and condone second. And just one thing Why do Indians have such interest in Pakistani affairs? Dont you guys have anything useful to do than coming and gracing us with your whatever toughts?
General Kiani Sahib,
Please take action.
How long you can remain silent to these horrific actions?
i'm not a Shia and i totally condemn this cowardly act, we need to protect our each other, say no to Shia/Sunni/Wahabi/non Muslims killing, fight for justice, protect ur neighbors... WAKE UP PEOPLE, U HAVE BEEN SLEEPING FOR A VERY LONG TIME
so much of killing in pakistan........i think pakis have now crossed afghanis as far as violence is concerned.....soon pakis will become more corrup than afghans too :)
This whole episode is so heart rending. But on Popular TV shows in Pak last night it was usual buffoonery and not a single word of condolence or even a passing remark. It seems news of Shia/Hazara killing on such a scale is now a routine for Pakistanis. Had it been even a minor Indo-Pak issue these jokers would go in proxysms of heperbolic vitriol with chest thumping but systematic genocide of Shia, Hazaras and other minorities does not even warrant nominal condemnation. It is 1971 again, Pakistan is fast heading towards further escalation of violence and more divisions. My condolences to the families of the departed.
Reaction of participating in Afghan war on the side of the US. Hazara-Taliban conflict is long standing and now Pakistan is embroiled in it due to wrong policies.
@Yoghurt lover: "No comments by Pakistanis on those who are killed by US drones?"
Don't worry soon there will be comments justifying why drone attacks are worse than attacks on Shias!!!
No comments by Pakistanis on those who are killed by US drones?
And when Hazaras attack Pakistan army ... they are called Nepali Hindus ... Pathetic is't it ..
i am amazed and it's weird that Pak Army cheif who got his service tenure extended for some unknown reasons has still not uttered a single word on defence of Hazara community.