ISLAMABAD, Wednesday, May 21, 2025 : The terrorist attack on a school bus in Balochistan\u2019s Khuzdar district, which claimed the lives of several children and left dozens injured, has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community, including China, the United States, and UNICEF.<\/p>\n
Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong expressed his country\u2019s deep sorrow and solidarity with the victims, terming the bombing a \u201cheinous act of terrorism.\u201d In a statement issued Wednesday, he said, \u201cWe strongly condemn this terrorist attack and extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and injured.\u201d He reaffirmed China\u2019s unwavering support for Pakistan\u2019s counterterrorism efforts, stating, \u201cChina opposes all forms of terrorism and will continue to support Pakistan in maintaining stability and safeguarding its people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similarly, the United States condemned the attack in the strongest terms, calling it an \u201cunconscionable assault on innocent children.\u201d U.S. Charg\u00e9 d\u2019Affaires Natalie Baker, in a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, said, \u201cThe murder of innocent children is beyond comprehension. We grieve with the families who lost their loved ones and stand with Pakistan against this senseless violence.\u201d She underscored the need to protect schools and ensure children feel safe in pursuit of education. \u201cNo child should ever fear going to school,\u201d Baker emphasized.<\/p>\n
UNICEF also issued a powerful statement, calling the attack a gross violation of children\u2019s rights. Karen Reidy, Chief of Advocacy and Communication for UNICEF Pakistan, expressed deep sorrow and said the attack \u201cshattered young lives, dreams, and futures.\u201d She demanded urgent action to prevent such atrocities. \u201cChildren must never be the targets of violence. This heartbreaking reality must end,\u201d Reidy said.<\/p>\n
The bombing, which authorities believe may be linked to armed groups operating in the province, has sparked national mourning and reignited demands for stronger protections for students, particularly in conflict zones.<\/p>\n
Civil society organizations, rights activists, and parents across the country have joined international voices in demanding swift accountability and a comprehensive national strategy to secure educational institutions.<\/p>\n
As Pakistan reels from yet another tragedy targeting its youngest and most vulnerable, the unified message from global and local actors remains clear: violence against children must be condemned unequivocally \u2014 and must end now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Wednesday, May 21, 2025 : The terrorist attack on a school bus in Balochistan\u2019s Khuzdar district, which claimed the lives of several children and left dozens injured, has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community, including China, the United States, and UNICEF. Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong expressed his country\u2019s deep sorrow and solidarity with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5008,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,40,58],"tags":[44,45],"class_list":["post-5024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-diplomacy","category-national","category-world","tag-latest","tag-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5024"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5024\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}