Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lanka Cricket team in Lahore yesterday.

Both the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan in a telephone conversation with President Mahinda Rajapaksa conveyed their sincere apologies to the people and the Government of Sri Lanka for the harm caused to the Sri Lankan players by terrorists in Pakistan. They expressed their profound sympathy and concern for the welfare of the injured cricketers and assured President Rajapaksa that Pakistan is determined to combat terrorism and will work with the international community and Sri Lanka to defeat terrorism.

President Rajapaksa in response reiterated Sri Lanka’s position that terrorism should be countered with firm resolve worldwide in all its forms and manifestations.

The President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan strongly supported President Rajapaksa’s call and agreed that this is a very unfortunate incident and that Sri Lanka and Pakistan are victims of terrorism and that both countries should stand together to urge the international community to combat terrorism.

President Rajapaksa thanked the Pakistan authorities for taking immediate action to provide medical treatment for the injured players and to strengthen security for the team. He expressed confidence that the culprits of this terrorist attack will be apprehended and brought to book at the earliest.