QUETTA: Declaring the twin suicide blasts, at a Christian church in Peshawar, a national calamity, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Monday said it was an attempt to sabotage potential peace talks with Pakistani Taliban militants, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives here, he said the incident has diminished Pakistan’s image internationally and demanded the authorities to unmask the culprits behind the incident.

Sunday’s attack on All Saints church in the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, that killed more than 80 and injured at least 130, is believed to be the deadliest ever to target the country’s small Christian minority.

The JUI-F chief said it was a national tragedy which should be probed by an independent commission at the Supreme Court level. “The perpetrators should be unveiled before the masses through a sincere investigation into the incident,” he added.

Commenting on increasing terrorist attacks in the country, he said such acts were an attempt to destroy Pakistan’s identity. “An impression that non-Muslims are not safe in the country has been propagated through the incident.”

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the twin suicide attacks were carried out a time when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was at the United Nations to present Pakistan’s stance on US drone strikes.

Replying a query, he said sustaining peace in the region was the need of all stakeholders, adding that India and Pakistan were also advocating talks as only solution to the issues.