Complete shutdown in KP to mourn school carnage | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Complete shutdown in KP to mourn school carnage

Pakistan Press Foundation

PESHAWAR: All educational institutions and markets remained closed across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as educationists, traders and lawyers observed complete strike and shutdown on Wednesday to mourn the Tuesday’s carnage of students at the Army Public School, Peshawar, and condemn the militant attack. Funeral prayers in absentia for the victims were also held in all the districts while in most cities traffic remained thin on major roads.

In Peshawar, a complete shutdown was observed following a call to observe three days of mourning throughout the country over the killing of students. The shops and business centres in Peshawar city wore a gloomy look as all major bazaars and markets remained closed. The shops and plazas in Saddar, Khyber Bazaar, Qissa Khwani, Shoba Bazaar, Hashtnagri, University Road, Karkhano Market, Board Bazaar, Meena Bazaar, Chowk Yadgar, Ghanta Ghar, Ashraf Road and others were closed on the call of the business community to condemn and mourn the attack on the APS, Warsak Road.

Khbyer Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) also arranged a ‘Fateha Khwani’ for the departed souls, which was participated by almost all its senior office-bearers besides the vice-chairman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade, and traders.

The traders prayed for the departed souls and expressed grief and sorrow over the tragic incident. They assured all-out support to the bereaved families. The leaders of political parties and civil society members jointly held candlelight vigils at Peshawar Press Club and other areas to mourn the death of the innocent students. A walk was also held from the press club to the Governor House to lodge their protest.

Traders, lawyers and educationists hold rallies to condemn the militant attack, offer funeral prayers in absentia for the victims
Almost all roads of Peshawar presented a deserted look as the transport stayed off the roads. The mourners buried the dead students in different areas of the city. The funeral prayer and burial rituals of two students were held at Bazaar Kalan. A large number of people, leaders of political parties, and well-wishers participated in the funeral.

WOMEN leaders of political parties members of civil society hold a candle light vigil in Peshawar. — White Star
WOMEN leaders of political parties members of civil society hold a candle light vigil in Peshawar. — White Star
SWABI: The entire district remained shut to express solidarity with the bereaved families of about 132 students and 10 staff members of the school who were killed in the Tuesday’s terrorist attack on Peshawar school. The students of various colleges staged a joint protest demonstration at Karnal Sher Khan Chowk and raised slogans against terrorist acts, calling on the government to provide security to the students.

MANSEHRA: Traders, lawyers and private educational institutions observed a complete strike on Wednesday. The district, which received two coffins of its martyrs from Peshawar – a soldier and a student killed in the army school carnage – mourned the tragedy as an attack on the nation.

The business centres remained closed and traders held a protest rally to condemn the militant attack. The private schools’ administration had announced three days of mourning. The lawyers boycotted the court proceedings to protest the attack and offered funeral prayers in absentia for the victims.

MINGORA: Demonstrations were held in Swat district and complete shutter down strike was observed to mourn the tragic incident. A laboratory assistant of the APS, Peshawar, a victim of militant attack, was laid to rest here in his ancestral graveyard at Kabal tehsil.

On the call of Swat Traders Federation president Abdur Rahim, all trading centres remained closed in the seven tehsils of the district. Political parties and students and civil society organisations held protest demonstrations against the Taliban attack on the school. Students and political activists condemned the attack and demanded of the government to take steps for ensuring the security of citizens, particularly schoolchildren in the country.

CHARSADDA: A complete shutdown was also seen in Charsadda, Tangi, Umarzai, Shabqadar, Rajar, Sar Dheri, Mandani, Turangzai, Nesata, Sherpao and other areas of the district to mourn the killing of innocent students by terrorists.

All bazaars, markets, schools and colleges remained closed on the call of traders’ community. Protest rallies were held in different areas to condemn the attack. Funeral prayer of the victims in absentia was offered at Farooq Azam Chowk, while peace walks were held in different areas of the district.

The political, religious and business leaders addressed the rallies and urged the country’s political leadership to shun petty differences and unite on one platform to eliminate terrorism from the country. They also demanded protection to educational institutions and life and property of the citizens.

TANK: All bazaars and educational institutions remained closed to mourn the deaths of students. There was a curfew-like situation as transport also remained off the road. The students of degree college, Tank, held a demonstration outside the Tank Press Club where they chanted slogans against killing of school students by militants.

BATKHELA: All bazaars and markets in Batkhela, Dargai, Skhakot, Thana and others cities of Malakand district remained shut on the call of business community in protest against the terror attack on APS, Peshawar. Funeral prayer in absentia was also offered in Batkhela Khwar for the departed souls.

The lawyers boycotted the court proceedings to mourn the brutal killings. A protest rally was also held at Zafar Park, Batkhela, where the protesters demanded action against terrorists.

DI KHAN: People in the district mourned the carnage of innocent schoolchildren in Peshawar with the civil society calling for unity to defeat the scourge of militancy. The city’s business activities came to a standstill, as markets and educational institutions remained closed to mourn the killing of innocent children and educators of the school.

GILGIT: The people of Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the families of victims of the militant attack on APS, Peshawar. A two-minute silence was also observed in the region’s educational institutions in remembrance of the innocent victims of the Peshawar attack.

Flags at government and private buildings were flown at half mast. All the government and private schools and colleges in the seven districts of GB started the day with prayers for the victims. Lawyers boycotted the GB Supreme Appellate Court and other courts’ in protest against the incident, while main markets in Gilgit remained closed.

DAWN