UN chief asks Pakistan to ‘redouble’ counter-terrorism efforts

UN Secretary-General appalled by 'vicious targeting of people on account of their religious affiliation'

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on January 30 condemned the attack on the Imambargah in Shikarpur that very day, calling on Pakistani authorities to step up their efforts to combat terrorism “in all its forms” and protect religious and ethnic minorities.

A statement issued by the Secretary-General’s spokesperson stated that he was “appalled by such vicious targeting of people on account of their religious affiliation”.

“The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the families of the victims and his sympathies to the Government and people of Pakistan,” the statement added.

A powerful explosion in the Karbala-e-Moalla Imambargah in the Lakhidar area of Shikarpur on January 30 killed over 60 worshippers and wounded many more. More than 300 worshippers were inside the double-storey compound of the Imambargah when the bomb went off.