While condemning the suicide bombing of a meeting of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) in Pakistan that killed over 54 people, the Security Council and UN leaders have renewed the call for action against terrorism.

The polarised Council came together in a show of unity to issue on Monday a press statement condemning “in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide terrorist attack” on Sunday in Bajaur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the nation gets ready for elections.

“The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”, the statement said.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and  General Assembly President Csaba Korosi also condemned the attack which killed at least 54 people and wounded more than 200.

Korosi said,  “I urge the international community to strengthen their efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism, and to bring the perpetrators to justice”.

Secretary-General’s Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that Guterres “calls on the Pakistani authorities to bring those responsible to justice” and “denounces all instances of terrorism and deliberate targeted attacks against civilians”. 

The Council’s statement that “reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed”, was unanimous, even though one of its permanent members, China, often comes to the aid of Pakistan-based terrorists and protects them against sanctions.

The Islamic State in Khorasan Province terror outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The JUL-F is a member of the ruling coalition, the Pakistan Democratic Movement, behind Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.JUL-F leader Fazal-ur-Rahman brought various parties opposed to former Prime Minister Imran Khan to create the movement.

Sharif has announced that the coalition government will hand over power to a caretaker government this month ahead of the end of the National Assembly’s tenure in order to facilitate elections.

(SAM)