Nation mourns victims of Quetta police academy terror attack

A shutter-down strike is being observed on Wednesday in Quetta and other cities and towns of Balochistan in protest against the terrorist attack at a police academy that killed 61 people, most of them police cadets.

Quetta wore a deserted and gloomy look as shops, business centres, and educational institutes remained closed. Flags are flying at half-mast at the government buildings as a sign of respect and mourning.

Lawyers are also observing strike on the call of Pakistan Bar Council.

A day of mourning is also being observed in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whereas, Gilgit-Baltistan has announced two days of mourning.

The attack on the Police Training College, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Quetta, began around 11:10 pm (1810 GMT) on Monday, with gunfire continuing to ring out at the site for several hours

Three masked gunmen burst into the sprawling academy in the south-west, pretending to be soldiers as they targeted sleeping quarters home to some 700 recruits, in a strike that sent terrified young men fleeing.

A morgue list seen by a foreign media agency detailed 61 people killed in the attack, while 118 were injured, according to a government spokesman.

Balochistan’s Frontier Corps Chief, Major General Sher Afghan which led the counter-operation, blamed the attack on the Tehreek-e-Taliban-affiliated Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militant group and said the counter-strike was over in three hours.

WORLD COMMUNITY REACTS

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon condemned the attack, stressing on the urgency of bringing the perpetrators of this abhorrent act to justice.

He also extended his condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Pakistan.

The United States reiterated its support to Pakistan in its efforts to end the scourge of terrorism and promote peace and stability in the region.

In a daily press briefing in Washington, US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said terrorism is a common threat to everybody and it requires common and comprehensive collaborative solutions.

Strongly condemning the terrorist attack on police training centre in Quetta, he said we will continue to work with Pakistan to combat the threat of terrorism.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also condemned the attack, stating that terrorism is a common threat to the stability of the region and world.

Saudi Ambassador in Pakistan Abdullah Marzouk Al Zahrani prayed for early recovery of the injured.

French Embassy has also commiserated with the bereaved families and expressed the resolve that the people of France fully support the people of Pakistan in their war against terrorism.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

He expressed his confidence that the plotters and executors of the barbaric crime will be brought to justice and confirmed Russia’s readiness to further expand counter-terrorism cooperation with Pakistan.