Turkey condemns suicide attack in Pakistan

By Ugur Cil

ANKARA

Turkey on Friday condemned a suicide attack in southwestern Pakistan which killed at least 26 people and injured over 40, including a top leader of the country’s Senate.

"We condemn this heinous terrorist act and we reiterate our solidarity with the friendly and brotherly government and people of Pakistan on the occasion of this tragic incident," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"We wish Allah’s mercy upon those who lost their lives as a result of this attack, convey our condolences to their families, and wish a speedy recovery to the deputy Senate chairman and others who were injured."

The attack targeted the motorcade of Deputy Senate Chairman Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri in the Balochistan province.

Mohammad , the bomber, blew himself up near the convoy of , who was on his way to Quetta after attending a graduation ceremony at a women's seminary in Mastung, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the provincial capital.

The dead included Haideri’s driver, his personal assistant, and various security guards.

The large Balochistan province, which is also considered to cover parts of neighboring Iran and Afghanistan, is strategically important due to its rich resources of copper, zinc, and natural gas but has been riddled with violence for over six decades, with separatists claiming that it was forcibly incorporated into Pakistan at the end of British rule in 1947.

The province, especially its capital Quetta, has also been facing a deadly wave of sectarian violence over the past decade. Over 2,000 people -- mostly Shia -- have been killed in targeted attacks and suicide bombings in Quetta and other parts of the province.