78 killed in deadliest attack on Christians in Pakistan

In the deadliest ever attack on Pakistan's minority Christians, at least 78 people were killed and more than 130 injured when two suicide bombers discharged their explosives outside the 19th century colonial-era All Saints Church in the country's northwestern city of Peshawar on Sunday. The bombings came as worshippers finished Sunday morning service at the historic church in Peshawar's old and congested Kohati Gate area. Most of the poor worshippers had gathered at the church's lawn for free food when the bombers struck. Eyewitnesses said the blasts were preceded by gunfire at the entrance gate. "As soon as the prayers finished and people greeted each other in the lawn, two explosions, the second one more powerful than the first, took place. The blast scattered bloodied body parts, pieces of flesh and shrapnel all around," said injured Asher Masih from hospital bed at Lady Reading Hospital. "Around 500 people were in the church when the bombs exploded," he said.

Official rescue efforts were hampered due to holiday and most of the injured were rushed to Lady Reading hospital by volunteers. While Shaukat Yousafzai, provincial health minister, said 70 people were killed and about 130 injured in the attack, the rescue team of Al Khidmat Foundation, a welfare wing of right-wing Jamat-e-Islami party, claimed they had put 75 bodies in coffins. Hospital sources said the dead included 12 women, 17 children and two Muslim policemen who were gunned down by attackers before they entered the church. Doctors feared that the death toll could rise as many of the wounded were in critical condition. It was a bad day for Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf which rules in the restive northwestern Khyber Paktunkhwa. When the attackers struck, the provincial chief minister Pervez Khattak and other PTI ministers were in Islamabad for the party's central executive meeting.

The opposition slammed the provincial government for failing to send any minister to the scene. Hours later, Imran Khan arrived in Peshawar along with his chief minister vowing to end terrorism in the province. "This is a not the time to play politics. But let me remind you that 211 terror attacks have occurred in Peshawar in the last five years and 210 of these happened when PTI was not in government," Imran told reporters. The attack coincided with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's efforts to start peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban. The decision to begin talks was taken last month at a conference of all political parties. However, the Taliban publicly rejected the offer and set pre-conditions for talks, including withdrawal of troops from tribal regions and release of Taliban prisoners in Pakistani jails.

Last week, they had claimed responsibility for killing an army general in Upper dir district, near the border with Afghanistan. Immediately after Sunday's blasts, questions were raised again regarding initiation of peace talks with Taliban. Expressing deep shock over the horrific attack, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said terrorists have no religion. "Targeting innocent people is against the teachings of Islam and all religions. Such cruel acts reflect the brutality and inhumane mindset of the terrorists," Sharif said.

Agencies add that a wing of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it would continue to target non-Muslims until the United States stopped drone attacks in the country's remote tribal region. Bishop Sarfaraz Hemphray announced a three-day mourning period in response to the church attack and blamed the government and security agencies for failing to protect the country's Christians.

"If the government shows will, it can control this terrorism," said Hemphray. "We've been asking authorities to enhance security, but they haven't paid any heed." Survivors wailed in the aftermath of the attack. The white walls of the church were pockmarked with holes from shrapnel and ball bearings. Blood stained the floor and was splashed on the walls. Plates filled with rice were scattered across the ground.

PM Manmohan Singh condemns attack

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the terror attack saying it was yet another deeply disturbing manifestation of the evil forces of terror. "The horrific suicide attack at a church in Peshawar today is yet another deeply disturbing manifestation of the evil forces of terror. That the attack took place at a place of worship and claimed the lives of dozens of innocent worshippers makes this senseless act of violence even more tragic," Singh said, conveying "deepest condolences to the families of the victims".