The Secretary-General is appalled by today's terrorist attack on a Christian church in Peshawar, Pakistan, which has reportedly killed more than 75 people and wounded over 100 others as they were attending Sunday mass. The Secretary-General condemns this atrocious bombing attack in the strongest possible terms. He is deeply concerned about the repeated acts of blind violence against religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan. These acts of terror cannot be justified by any cause. He urges the Pakistani government to do everything possible to find and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the people and Government of Pakistan. He reiterates the solidarity of the United Nations with the Government's ongoing struggle against terrorism and extremism and urges the Government to continue taking steps to build tolerance and strengthen relationships between diverse religious and ethnic communities in the country.