UNITED NATIONS, March 27 -- The president of the UN General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, on Sunday said that he was "appalled and dismayed by the horrific murder of so many children, men and women in Lahore, Pakistantoday."

"The targeting of so many innocent people including many families at Gulshan-e-Iqbal park shows an utter contempt for humanity," the president said in a statement issued by his spokesman here.

So far, 72 people, including a large number of women and kids, were killed and more than 300 others injured when a suicide bomber hit a public park in Pakistan's eastern Lahore city Sunday evening.

A Pakistan Taliban splinter group claimed the deadly suicide attack.

"My thoughts are with the families of the victims, the many wounded, the police and emergency services dealing with the aftermath of this violent act and the government and People of Pakistan," Lykketoft said in the statement.

"Acts of terrorism are unjustifiable regardless of their motivation and terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to national and international peace and security," the statement said.

"Acts like this have no place in the modern world and only serve to strengthen the resolve of governments the world over to find and prosecute the individuals responsible," the statement added.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain condemned the blast and directed hospital administration to provide the best possible medical treatment to the injured people.