UNESCO chief 'denounces' terrorist attack that killed dozens in Pakistan
| Publisher | UN News Service |
| Publication Date | 10 August 2016 |
| Cite as | UN News Service, UNESCO chief 'denounces' terrorist attack that killed dozens in Pakistan, 10 August 2016, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/57b71bc440c.html [accessed 26 January 2017] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
10 August 2016 - The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom denounced the recent terrorist attack that killed at least 70 people, including two journalists, in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's Baluchistan province.
“There can be no justification for violence targeting civilians,” Irina Bokova, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said today in a statement condemning the attack.
“The loss of these media professionals in the brutal terrorist attack in Quetta undermines citizens' ability to sustain informed debate that is the bedrock of good governance and dialogue,” she added.
Mehmood Khan, a cameraman for Dawn News, and Shehzad Ahmed, a cameraman for Aaj TV, were reporting at the time of the bomb blast on a gathering of mourners following the murder of the president of the Baluchistan Bar Association earlier in the day.
On Monday, in a statement issued by his office, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the attack, underscoring that the targeting of mourners made it “particularly appalling.”
The UNESCO chief regularly issues statements on the killing of media workers in line with Resolution 29 adopted by UNESCO Member States in 1997, entitled “Condemnation of Violence against Journalists.”
