DPA
Suicide bombers have targeted an Anglican church in Pakistan's north-western city of Peshawar, in the deadliest attack on Christians in the predominantly Muslim country.
Medics at the Lady Reading Hospital said they counted 78 bodies.
"This figure may go up. Many injured are in a critical condition," said Iftikhar Ali, the head doctor.
Police said 145 people were injured.
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The two bombers blew themselves up seconds apart inside the All Saints Church as a service attended by 600 people drew to an end, Peshawar police chief Muhammed Noor said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the hatred and violence behind attack.
"Today, in Pakistan, because of a bad choice of hatred and war, more than 70 people are dead. This path is not the right one, it leads nowhere," the pontiff told thousands of young faithful during a visit to the Italian island of Sardinia.
Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said 34 women and seven children were among the dead.
Two policemen who had been guarding the church were also killed, Noor said.
The bombing in the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province sparked protests in other parts of the country with a record of religious persecution.
Relatives of the victims blocked streets in Peshawar, chanting anti-government slogans.
In Karachi, police used teargas to disperse demonstrators.
Protesters blocked the main highway to the airport in the capital Islamabad.
The government declared three days of mourning and promised an investigation.
The Bishop of Karachi, Sadiq Daniel said, "All missionary educational and social services institutes will remain closed for three days to mourn the victims."
The head of the Christian Development Organisation, Shakeel Shahzad, said the attack illustrated the vulnerability of churches in the country.
The government is reportedly holding peace talks with Islamist militants operating in the north-western region.
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