ICC Note:
Christian leaders in Pakistan have strongly condemned a series of terrorist attacks that have swept across Pakistan. Yesterday, at least 75 people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a Sufi temple in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh. Government authorities have taken action against the terrorist and have led operation against them in multiple cities across Pakistan. Christians and their places of worship are often seen as “soft targets” by terrorist in Pakistan, so this recent series of attacks has many Christians on edge. 
02/17/2017 Pakistan (Asia News) – Church leaders in Pakistan strongly condemns yesterday’s attack against a Sufi temple in Sindh, which has killed at least 75 people and wounded more than 200 faithful. Among the victims there are also 20 children, targeted by an Islamic state militant while attending the performance of a ritual dance.
Meanwhile, the government has declared a state of alert in all major cities of the country and implemented a crackdown against terrorists, killing 37. Authorities also closed the border with Afghanistan and asked the Kabul government to deliver 76 refugee terrorists to its territory.
Yesterday a suicide bomber blew himself up in the Sufi shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan town (about 200 kilometers from Karachi). This is the fifth attack in about a week: the first, on 13 February in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, caused 14 victims; in the following days other bombs exploded in Quetta, Peshawar and Mohmand Agency.
Father Paulus Gill conducted prayers for the victims this morning at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Hyderabad 130 kilometers from Sehwan city.
“We are losing human values. What we are witnessing is the result when religion combines with politics. Just when government was announced that the final of their Twenty20 league Pakistan Super League will be held in Lahore as things are getting better, the terrorist showed their muscle”, he told Asia News.
“Shrines have relatively low security due to round the clock visitors. Only dialogue can bring peace with religious fundamentalists, the extremism has crept in our society especially after Islamization by General Zia ul Haq who introduced religious and gender biases in Pakistan’s laws. Now we are drowning and it will be long before peace prevails in Pakistan”.
Meanwhile security forces have closed the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan for all sorts of communication indefinitely. Pakistan Army has asked Afghan Embassy officials to hand over 76 terrorists hiding in Afghanistan. AT least 37 terrorists have been killed in a nationwide security crackdown.
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