Saudi Arabia, Gulf states condemn ‘treacherous’ attacks against worshippers in Pakistan

Rescue workers search for blast victims in the debris of a collapsed mosque following a suicide attack in Hangu on September 29, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 30 September 2023
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Saudi Arabia, Gulf states condemn ‘treacherous’ attacks against worshippers in Pakistan

  • Over 50 people were killed on Friday after blast targeted gathering in southwestern Pakistan
  • Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Pakistani victims, condemns 'cowardly terrorist attacks'

RIYADH: A number of Arab states condemned “treacherous” terror attacks in Pakistan that killed as many as 57 people so far and shook the country on Friday.

The attack in Mastung was the deadliest with over 50 people at a mosque where worshippers were commemorating the birthday of Prophet Muhammed. The second attack, at a mosque in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed five and trapped scores under rubble after the roof collapsed.
The Saudi foreign ministry condemned the bombings as “cowardly terrorist attacks,” and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s firm position in the renunciation of “violence and terrorism,” and expressed solidarity with Pakistanis. The ministry statement offered Saudi Arabia’s sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Similarly, the UAE condemned the criminal acts, and reiterated its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism “aimed at undermining security and stability in contravention of human values and principles”.
Kuwait also denounced the treacherous and deadly attacks on religious gatherings in the country and expressed its solidarity with the Pakistani nation in the measures it takes to preserve its internal security.
Bahrain issued a similar statement affirming its solidarity with Pakistan, sending condolences to the families of the deceased, and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
Condemning the bombings, GCC Secretary General Jassem Albudaiwi stressed, that the “Council stands firmly against these actions, as they aim to destabilize security and stability and are inconsistent with humanitarian values and principles.”

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation strongly condemns the terror attacks. Its Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha renewed the “principled position of the OIC against all forms and manifestations of terrorism and expressed full support for Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism.”
Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, the secretary-general of the Muslim World League and the chairman of the organization of Muslim scholars, denounced the acts “whose perpetrators were stripped of the values of religion and humanity”.
Al-Issa reiterated the stance of the MWL and Islamic world, rejecting and condemning, violence and terrorism in all its forms, a statement from the organization said.
No group has as yet claimed responsibility for the attack but the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) denied it was involved.
The Daesh group is known for attacks in Pakistan and beyond on religious gatherings and on minorities.


Afghan interior minister welcomes Pakistani scholars for ‘positive’ remarks about Kabul

Updated 59 min 23 sec ago
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Afghan interior minister welcomes Pakistani scholars for ‘positive’ remarks about Kabul

  • Pakistani religious scholars on Dec. 23 called for easing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, resumption of trade
  • Sirajuddin Haqqani says Afghanistan is committed to regional peace, Afghans have “no intentions to threaten anyone”

PESHAWAR: Afghanistan’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani recently thanked Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and religious scholars from the country for expressing positive statements for Kabul despite tensions between the two countries. 

A meeting of religious scholars in Pakistan on Dec. 23, attended by Jamiat Ulama-e-Pakistan political party head Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, called for easing tensions between the two states. The scholars also called for allowing resumption of trade and movement of people between Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

Pakistani news media outlets reported on Saturday that Dar, who is also Pakistan’s foreign minister, praised Haqqani’s earlier statement in which the Afghan minister stressed resolving tensions between Islamabad and Kabul through dialogue. 

In a video statement on Sunday, Haqqani said Afghanistan is committed to peace and stability in the country and the region, adding that Afghans have “no intentions to threaten anyone.” He appreciated Rehman and religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani for speaking in a “positive” manner about Afghanistan in the Dec. 23 meeting.

“We are thankful and grateful for their approach and views,” Haqqani said. 

“Similarly, we really appreciate the positive remarks by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who spoke in a positive way about Afghanistan.” 

The Afghan minister’s statement comes in the backdrop of increased tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan amid a surge in militant attacks in the latter’s territory. 

Pakistan blames Afghanistan’s government for facilitating attacks by the Pakistani Taliban or TTP group. Islamabad accuses Kabul of allowing TTP militants to take shelter in sanctuaries in Afghanistan from where they carry out attacks targeting Pakistan. 

Kabul denies the charges and says it cannot be held responsible for security lapses and challenges in Pakistan. 

The two countries engaged in fierce border clashes in October that led to the killings of dozens of soldiers and civilians on both sides. Pakistan and Afghanistan subsequently agreed to a temporary ceasefire and have held three rounds of peace talks that remained inconclusive. 

Tensions persist as Pakistan has vowed to go after militants even in Afghanistan that threaten the lives of its citizens. Afghan officials have warned Pakistan of retaliation if it attacks Afghanistan.