ISLAMABAD: The suicide attack that took place in Bajaur on Sunday, which killed dozens of people and left hundreds injured, has drawn strong condemnations from across the Muslim world.

While the leadership of the Muslim nations as well as the heads of the Muslim world bodies condemned the attack and sympathised with the bereaved families, the European Union called the deadly weekend blast “an attempt to weaken democracy”.

The explosion occurred when over 400 members and supporters of JUI-F gathered to attend party workers’ conve­ntion in Khar, near the border with Afghanistan.

Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha, in a statement, condemned the explosion in the strongest terms. He offered his sincere condolences to the victims’ families and to the government and people of Pakistan, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry denounced the attack and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s rejection of violence and terrorism anywhere in the world, expressing that the Kingdom stood in full solidarity with Pakistan and its people.

The ministry offered condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, the government, and the people of Pakistan, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi also condemned the bombing and said that the position of the Cooperation Council was firm.

Also, the EU on Monday called a deadly weekend suicide blast at an Islamist political gathering in Pakistan “an attempt to weaken democracy”.

“The explosion on Sunday that killed at least 44 people at a gathering of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F party was “a terrible attack” that sought “to instil terror,” a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on social media.

In a statement, the UAE foreign ministry also strongly condemned the terrorist attack and reiterated its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability in contravention of human values and principles.

Qatar also expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the explosion. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Qatar’s firm position on rejecting violence and terrorism.

The Iranian foreign ministry was the first to condemn the attack hours after the blast. Besides Kuwait, the state of Egypt also condemned the bombing and renewed its firm stance towards its categorical rejection of all forms of violence. Egypt, government and people, expressed their sincere condolences and sympathy to the government and people of brotherly Pakistan in this painful affliction, and to the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery for all the injured, the Egyptian foreign ministry said.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2023