Summary UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Pakistan to move quickly to protect religious minorities.
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged Pakistan to move quickly to protect religious minorities following an attack that killed at least 43 members of the Shiite Ismaili community.
The attack in Karachi was officially claimed by the Islamic State group.
Ban condemned "in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack" and called on Pakistan to bring those responsible to justice.
He urged the government to "take swift measures aimed at effective protection of religious minorities in the country."
Pakistan has experienced a rising tide of sectarian violence in recent years, particularly against Shiites, who make up around 20 percent of the country s predominantly Muslim population of 200 million.
