Carnage: Bishops, political parties announce three-day mourning

Special prayers to be offered in churches across the province .

PESHAWAR:

Bishops of churches across Pakistan and political parties have called for three days of mourning in the country.

Services at churches will continue and special prayers will be held for the victims of the twin suicide attacks. Until this report was filed, no decision had been made on whether missionary schools and colleges will be closed in this time.

“Christians not only in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa but around the country are asking the government to provide security to our places of worship,” said Yonatan Younus of Assemblies of God Church. “Burials of such a large number of people cannot be completed in three days,” he added.

Younus, while talking to The Express Tribune, said they will also hold demonstrations and protests on different levels to press the provincial government to provide equal protection to all non-Muslims.

“It was a terrible incident - watching innocent Christians being killed in such a brutal manner at their place of worship,” said Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Provincial Vice Chairman Sher Muhammad Khan.

“No human on earth from any religion will allow this. Incidents like the murder of former minster for minority affairs and this attack on Christians cast a blight on humanity.”

Such attacks need to be stopped otherwise it would engulf the whole society, added Sher Muhammad Khan.

“It happened when the world is celebrating ‘peace day’ and the issue is being addressed internationally,” said peace activist Azra Nafees Yousafzai.

Coalition for the Rights of Minorities (CRM) also condemned the suicide attacks and extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and support for those injured in the attack.

“Terrorism is a threat to all communities living in Pakistan, irrespective of their faith and belief and only a collaborative approach can counter such cowardly acts,” said a press statement issued by CRM.

The statement read the attack indicates terrorists are indiscriminately killing innocent citizens of Pakistan and urged the government to catch the culprits and bring them to justice.

The Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Jamaat-e-Islami have also called for three days of mourning.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2013.