UN closes offices in Pakistan over security fears

The United Nations yesterday announced a two-day closure of its offices in Peshawar, citing security fears following a deadly attack on the US consulate in the Pakistani city.
Islamist militants with guns, grenades and suicide car bombs Monday targeted the consulate in Peshawar, killing at least two security personnel, and bombed a political rally in the northwest district of Lower Dir, killing 51 people.
"For security reasons, United Nations' offices in Peshawar have closed temporarily for two days," UN spokeswoman Ishrat Rizvi told AFP.
"We took this step as a precautionary measure and for the protection of our staff, we have advised them to work from home for two days. This step was taken because of security fears," she added.
Pakistan's Taliban claimed responsibility for the consulate attack, saying it was to avenge a US drone war targeting top militants in Pakistan's border areas with Afghanistan, and threatened further assaults on American targets.
That heavily-armed militants managed to approach the US mission underscored the potency of their threat despite stepped-up Pakistani offensives and US drone attacks focused on Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked commanders.
Pakistani police said the death toll from the suicide car bombing on the rally in the town of Timargarah, had risen to 51 on Tuesday.
"The death toll has reached 51. Some critically injured people in Peshawar, Mardan and Swat hospitals died overnight. Some people died on their way to hospital," said Qazi Jamil, police chief for the north-western region Malakand.