UNITED NATIONS, June 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Saturday condemned deadly attacks in Pakistan, saying that "no cause can justify such violence."
Ban made the remarks in a statement issued here by his spokesman.
"The secretary-general strongly condemns the attacks today in Quetta and Ziarat, Pakistan, in which at least twenty civilians were reportedly killed and many more injured," said a statement. " He deplores the heinous nature of the attacks on a university bus carrying women students and educators and a hospital facility, as well as the heritage Quaid Azam Residency which has a historical importance as a former home of Muhammad Ali Jinnah."
"No cause can justify such violence," said the statement. "The secretary-general notes with dismay that violence against women and educators has increased in recent years, the aim being to keep girls from attaining the basic right to education."
The secretary-general also extended his condolences to the victims and their families, as well as the government of Pakistan, the statement said.
While urging the government of Pakistan to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice, Ban also expressed "the unstinting solidarity of the United Nations in the face of continued terrorist violence in Pakistan."
According to reports, a remote-controlled bomb fixed on a university bus went off Saturday afternoon when students and staff members of Sardar Bahadar Women University in Quetta, a city in southwestern Pakistan, were boarding the bus to go back home. A huge fire broke out following the blast, leaving the bus completely burnt out.
All the bodies and injured were transferred to a local hospital known as Bolan Medical Complex. As the hospital crew were busy with treatment of the injured people, another bomb exploded reportedly outside an intensive care unit in the hospital, killing the deputy commissioner of Quetta Abdul Mansoor Khan who was visiting the blast victims at the time.
At least 20 people were killed and 27 others injured in the twin bomb attacks, said local police. The killed included 11 female university students, a senior government official, three security personnel, four nurses and one civilian, said Mir Zubair, City Central Police Officer of Quetta.
Four militants were also killed in the attacks and one suspected militant was arrested, he said.
These are the most serious terrorist attacks in the country since Nawaz Sharif assumed the post of prime minister on June 5.
So far no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, reports said.
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