President Ashraf Ghani, along with a number of National Unity Government (NUG) and former government officials, on Wednesday attended an Ashura ceremony in Kabul city, just hours after a gunman opened fire on a shrine, killing at least 14 worshipers.

In his address to those present, Ghani condemned Tuesday night's attack on worshipers at a Shia shrine in Kart-e-Sakhi and said it was a crime against humanity.

He also said that the Afghan Shia population has no problems with other Islamic sects anywhere in the world.

Ghani also called on the Ulema Council and the people to denounce terrorists and said their action against terrorists is needed, especially under the current conditions.

"In this sensitive situation that Afghan enemies ambushed us, we should keep our unity. I call on Ulema of Shia and Sunni, political figures and analysts to make people aware about the situation and to be more united," Ghani said.

Meanwhile, Sarwar Danish, second vice president, said that government respects the martyred and that fighting corruption ‎and bringing administrative and electoral reforms are the priority of the NUG.

"From the time that Judicial Anti-Corruption Center started its work, in this short time, many corruption documents have been collected for further investigations. These documents belong to governmental officials, not ordinary people. This center will investigate the cases free of interventions, president,

attorney general and no one will interfere in the investigations and we want them not to do so," Danish said.

Government officials once again insisted that they are working toward improving the economy and are trying to sit with armed anti-government groups around peace tables to bring peace to the country.

Speakers at the ceremony also said that fighting tyranny and injustice in the country is the main message of Ashura and urged the NUG to do its best to gain peoples' trust.

"Government has a responsibility to respond to people and should respond. However, president, what I am saying today through this tribune is that no one wants the country to go into a crisis," said Mohammad Karim Khalili, second vice president under Hamid Karzai.

For Shia Muslims, Ashura marks the remembrance of Muharram, and commemorates the death of Husain ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. Ceremonies are held each year to mark the day.