Strongly condemning the terror attacks on highly venerated Sufi shrine of Data Darbar in Lahore that killed 45 people and wounded 180, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the act was a sinister attempt to destabilise Pakistan.
"The extremists have shown that they respect neither human dignity nor the fundamental religious values of Pakistani society," Clinton said in a statement.
"Violating the sanctity of this revered shrine is a particularly sinister attempt to destabilise Pakistan and to intimidate its people. The attackers will not succeed, as the Pakistani public refuses to be cowed by such violence," Clinton said.
Currently on a tour of Soviet-bloc countries, Clinton is scheduled to visit Pakistan later this month to lead the US-delegation in the second US-Pak Strategic Dialogue.
The first dialogue was held early this year in Washington.
"I was shocked and saddened by Friday's attack on one of Pakistan's most popular places of worship, the Shrine of Syed Ali Hujviri (Data Ganj Baksh) in Lahore, which claimed the lives of many innocent Pakistanis," she said.
"We condemn this brutal crime and reaffirm our commitment to support the Pakistani people in their efforts to defend their democracy from the violent extremists who seek to destroy it. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and with all the people of Pakistan," she said.
{{/usCountry}}"We condemn this brutal crime and reaffirm our commitment to support the Pakistani people in their efforts to defend their democracy from the violent extremists who seek to destroy it. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and with all the people of Pakistan," she said.
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