Lahore suicide blast: Pak PM Nawaz Sharif calls off visit to Washington

Islamabad: A day after scores of people were killed in an attack in Lahore, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday cancelled his Washington visit, said a statement issued by Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sharif was scheduled to attend Nuclear Security Summit in the United States on March 31.

Minister of State and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Syed Tariq Fatemi Pakistan, will now head Islamabad's delegation to Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.

Sharif spent the whole day today in Lahore condoling with the bereaved families, as well as visiting the hospitals to meet those injured in the tragic terrorist attack.

The attack claimed at least 72 lives and injured over 200 people.

Sharif also vowed to eliminate terrorism from his country.

Addressing the nation in the wake of a fedayeen attack Sharif said, "I reiterate our nation's resolve to fight out terrorism till it is rooted out from our society. Terrorists would be made accountable for every drop of blood of martyrs, and action against them would continue till we made them accountable for the last drop of the blood."

Pakistan has actively participated in the NSS process and has built a strong Command and Control System and multi-layered security of its nuclear programme.