9 August, 2016IndustriALL Global Union condemns the suicide bombing carried out by the Pakistani Taliban at a hospital in Quetta on Monday, which killed 70 people and left at least 120 injured.
The attack took place as a large crowd, including dozens of lawyers, gathered at the hospital following the killing of the Balochistan Bar Association president Bilal Kasi. Many lawyers and some journalists were killed in the blast as well as other civilians.
A number of lawyers have been killed in recent weeks in the Balochistan province of Pakistan where Quetta is the provincial capital.
The Taliban faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has claimed responsibility for both the hospital attack and the killing of Mr Kasi.
IndustriALL’s general secretary, Jyrki Raina, said:
IndustriALL denounces this cruel and cowardly attack in Quetta and sends its deepest sympathies to the victims and their families. IndustriALL stands with its affiliates in Pakistan in demanding that the government should bring the attackers to account and ensure the safety of people in Pakistan.
Lawyers across Pakistan are now boycotting court proceedings for three days to protest against the multiple attacks on members of their profession. They will observe a week of mourning for the victims of Monday's attack.