LAHORE: The attack on a church in Quetta, which claimed nine lives on Sunday, was condemned by politicians and civil society.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of life, condoled with the families of the deceased and prayed for quick recovery of the injured.

PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said terrorists, in fact, targeted solidarity and tolerance of the nation by attacking the church. He said such attacks should be checked through better intelligence sharing.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders Ejaz Chaudhry, Chaudhry Sarwar and Dr Yasmin Rashid; PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Pervaiz Elahi; Jamaat-i-Islami’s Sirajul Haq and Liaquat Baloch; Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri; Tehreek-i-Istiqlal President Rehmat Khan Wardag; Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith Emir Sajid Mir; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan’s Pir Ijaz Hashmi; Jamaat Ahle Hadith’s Abdul Ghaffar Ropri, and others demanded the government make better security arrangements at all worship places.

National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) Chairman Archbishop Dr Joseph Arshad, National Director Rev Fr Emmanuel Yousaf (Mani) and Executive Director Cecil S Chaudhry in a joint statement also condemned the “cowardly attack on the church.”

Extending their condolences to the victims, they appreciated the timely response of police and security forces, which helped save lives of nearly 400 worshippers in the church. They prayed for the families of the deceased as well as injured worshipers.

They called upon the government to bring the perpetrators to justice and address extremist elements and root causes of intolerance.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2017