ISLAMABAD: The 26th session of the National Assembly began in the capital Friday with the House observing a minute's silence over the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris and Lebanon, reported Radio Pakistan.

Earlier this week, 128 people were killed and 180 left injured at multiple locations in Paris in a wave of coordinated attacks by militants. The self-styled Islamic State, which subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack, also bombed the Lebanese capital the same week.

The night before Paris attacks - the deadliest in Europe since the 2004 Madrid train bombings - IS bombed South Beirut, killing 44 people, and wounding over 200. The twin blast were aimed at a Hezbollah bastion, ostensibly in revenge for its military support of regime forces in neighbouring Syria’s civil war.

Both attacks targeted urban centers. In Paris, militants attacked a theatre and several restaurants. In Beirut, they hit a busy shopping street.

A brutal carnage

Pakistan said it “strongly” condemns the Paris attacks and “reiterates its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned “this act of terror... this brutal carnage” while President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain expressed solidarity with the people of France and termed the terrorists “enemies of humanity.”

“The people and Government of Pakistan wish to convey their heartfelt sympathies and deepest condolences to the bereaved families and the people and Government of France. We stand with them in their hour of grief. We pray for speedy recovery of the injured,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan also expressed grief over the attacks in Paris and condemned the bombings in Beirut.

The survivors of Pakistan's deadliest ever terror attack at APS Peshawar also expressed solidarity with the victims of the Paris attacks, describing those responsible as “animals” who had “nothing to do with Islam."

Chemistry teacher Andalib Aftab lost her 16-year-old son as well as many students in the Peshawar attack. She said tearfully during Monday's meeting that she wants to “tell the French they are not alone."

Opinion

Editorial

A new deal
Updated 16 Jun, 2026

A new deal

AFTER three and a half months of war between US-Israel and Iran and an acrimonious temporary ceasefire, a genuine...
Charter of economy
16 Jun, 2026

Charter of economy

NO one expected the PTI to accept the government’s invitation to sign a charter of economy; just as few expected...
Hostage seamen
16 Jun, 2026

Hostage seamen

SOME 50 days on, 11 Pakistani nationals are still in Somali pirates’ captivity. Their appeals to the Pakistani and...
Climate choices
Updated 15 Jun, 2026

Climate choices

The country is confronting increasingly volatile weather patterns with consequences for agriculture, infrastructure, public health and economic planning.
Brief opening
15 Jun, 2026

Brief opening

WE have been here before. Throughout the weekend, there was great anticipation that a tentative framework for peace...
Environmental disaster
15 Jun, 2026

Environmental disaster

IT was a heartbreaking sight. A recent news report in these pages carried a picture of a sea turtle lying half ...