UN chief Guterres condemns suicide blast in Pakistan

UN chief Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the suicide bombing at a political convention of a hardline Islamist party in northwest Pakistan and called on authorities to bring those responsible for the attack to justice.

At least 54 people were killed and over 100 injured in the attack on Sunday when more than 400 members of the conservative Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, known for its links to hardline political Islam, had gathered for a meeting under a large tent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Khar town, which borders Afghanistan.

The banned terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.

UN Secretary-General Guterres has extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wished a prompt recovery to the wounded, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York on Monday.

"The UN chief also called on the Pakistani authorities to bring those responsible to justice," he said.

“The Secretary-General denounces all instances of terrorism and deliberate targeted attacks against civilians and stands in solidarity with the government and the people of Pakistan in combating this scourge,” he said.

The UN Office in Pakistan has also strongly condemned the attack.

In a post on Twitter, it said: “We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish the injured a quick recovery.” The suicide bombing on Sunday came hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad, where he signed six new agreements to boost trade and economic ties to mark a decade of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on Monday.

The attack in Bajaur district on Sunday was one of the worst in northwestern Pakistan in the last decade.

In 2014, nearly 150 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.

On January 30 this year, a Pakistan Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up during the afternoon prayers in a mosque in Peshawar, killing 101 people and injuring more than 200.