BEIJING, Sep. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- 78 people has been killed and over 120 others injured after twin suicide bombs took place in a historic church in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. The sectarian violence has reportedly undermined Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s call to engage militants in peace talks.
A local government official says six hundred people were inside the church when the blast took place. The attack happened as worshippers were leaving the building after attending Sunday mass. No one has claimed responsibility yet, but hard-line militants have been blamed for previous attacks on churches in the region.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif tells reporters that the blast is a hindrance in government talks with the Taliban, an offer the government recently put on the table.
He said, "The government had taken a good step with good intentions. Everyone sat down and the representatives of the entire nation made a decision. Such incidents are not conducive for peace talks. Unfortunately, because of this, the government is unable to move forward on what it had envisioned, on what it had wished for. In fact, the representatives of the entire nation cannot move forward."
(Source: CNTV.cn)
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