The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today most strongly condemned the suicidal attack on the World Food Offices in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. According to UN sources, a few have been confirmed dead while the critically injured are being treated in hospital.
But the Pakistani newspaper Dawn says that at least five have been killed in the attack. The newspaper quotes Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik as saying "The attacker, wearing the uniform of the Frontier Constabulary, whose personnel are deployed on the street, broke through the security cordon when private guards allowed him to use the toilet in the WFP offices.’ ‘He was carrying around 8kgs of explosives.’
Ban Ki-moon has termed the attack as a “terrible tragedy” and “unjustifiable.” He adds in his message to the world community, “This is a heinous crime committed against those who have been working tirelessly to assist the poor and the vulnerable on the frontlines of hunger and other human suffering in Pakistan.”
Similarly, World Food Program (WFP) Director Josette Sheeran has marked the victims as “humanitarian heroes”.
The exact motive of the attack is not yet known.
Meanwhile, UN offices in Islamabad have sought re-assessment of their security situation in Pakistan.
It sounds questionable if it is possible for UN offices to work in Pakistan’s tribal areas while the capital itself faces frequent attacks.