President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday condemned the blast in Mardan in which a number of innocent people lost their lives. President Musharraf said the blast is a dastardly act of terrorism and the government was committed to rooting out this menace from the country.

Prime Minister Gilani in a message from Sharm-el-Sheikh, where he is attending the World Economic Forum said such acts of terrorism would not weaken Pakistan's resolve to fight terrorism. The President and the Prime Minister expressed their heartfelt sympathies and directed the authorities to provide best medical care to the injured.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2008