Pakistan foreign minister cancels Sri Lanka visit amid security concern

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi cancelled his upcoming visit to Sri Lanka in the wake of the security situation in the island nation following the Easter Sunday suicide attacks which killed more than 250 people, a media report said on Thursday.

Qureshi was due in Maldives on May 2 and in Colombo from May 3 till May 5, but the visit was cancelled in light of the security situation in Sri Lanka, the Express Tribune reported, citing diplomatic sources.

A revised schedule for the minister's visit would be released later.

Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday. The Islamic State group has claimed the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) for the attacks.

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Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Muhammad Faisal said last week that Islamabad has offered "every possible" assistance to Sri Lanka in investigations into the terrorist attacks.

"Pakistan will provide every possible assistance that Sri Lanka requests. This offer of support has been extended by the president, prime minister and the foreign minister to their counterparts in Sri Lanka," he said.

There were reports that Sri Lanka had sought assistance of the Punjab Forensic Laboratory but Faisal clarified that Pakistan "had not received any formal request from the Sri Lankan authorities".

Last week, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Colombo may seek Islamabad's help to trace the terrorists behind the Easter attacks.

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