UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday condemned Sunday's attacks in Pakistan that reportedly left more than 50 dead in the wake of separate assaults on the country's main airport in Karachi, and on busloads of Shia pilgrims in Baluchistan. In a statement issued by his office, Ban deplored the attacks, including the assault on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi in which reportedly at least 29 people died, and the suicide attacks targeting Shia pilgrims in Taftan, Baluchistan, which reportedly left at least 25 people dead and many more injured. "The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by this upsurge of violence across Pakistan," the statement said. "While acknowledging the measures already taken to maintain security, he urges the Government of Pakistan to further increase its efforts to address terrorism and religious extremism, including with a view to protecting the rights of all people to safely practice their religion, and to bring the perpetrators of such attacks to justice." Ban also expressed his solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan and extended his condolences to the families of the victims.
