LAHORE, Jan 14: Leaders of all political parties were unanimous in declaring Monday’s Karachi blast an act of terrorism, expressing sympathies with the families of those who were killed and praying for the early recovery of the injured.

In separate statements, PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi demanded that the culprits involved in the cowardly act should be brought to book.

“Some unscrupulous elements want to create chaos in the country but they would not succeed in their nefarious designs.”

PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said the Musharraf government had failed to control the ongoing wave of terrorism in the country. “The Musharraf government should accept its failure and step down in the larger interest of the nation so that democracy could return to the country.”

Punjab PPP president Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the government had failed to provide security to the common man. “The Karachi blast has exposed the government claims in this behalf.”

Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Naib Amir Prof Ghafoor Ahmad and Secretary-General Syed Munawwar Hassan demanded that after accepting his failure to improve law and order, Pervez Musharraf should immediately resign.

Tehrik-i-Insaaf president Imran Khan and Punjab president Ahsan Rasheed maintained the whole nation had been held hostage by a single person. “Pervez Musharraf, please have pity on the nation, step down, constitute a national government that could ensure safety for the common man,” Khan said.

Meanwhile, caretaker Punjab chief minister justice (retired) Ijaz Nisar and District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood also condemned the Karachi blast.