Funeral prayers being offered for ANP’s Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour. -Photo by Zahir Shah Sherazi

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP)’s Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour was laid to rest at the Syed Hassan Pir graveyard on Sunday after his funeral prayers were offered at the Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Satdium (Army stadium) in Peshawar Cantt area.

Presidential spokesman Farhattullah Babar and a large number of political leaders belonging various parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid ( PML-Q) among others, were present in the funeral procession.

A large number of ANP party workers and city residents also joined the procession of the slain ANP leader.

Around 2,000 personnel of the Army, police and FC were deployed around the stadium as part of strict security arrangements.

Bilour was buried in the Syed Hassan Pir graveyard next to the grave of Shabbir Ahmed Bilour, who was believed to be his son and had been adopted by his brother Federal Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmed Bilour.

A national day of mourning was announced by the prime minister due to the tragedy.

Earlier today, the funeral prayer of Noor Mohammad Khan, Bilour’s personal secretary for almost 25 years, was held in the Kakshal area of Peshawar following which the funeral was taken to his ancestral village for burial.

The funeral prayers and burial of Abdul Sattar Khan, a police Station House Officer (SHO) escorting Bilour, were also held earlier in the day.

FIR for the suicide blast incident that killed Bilour and eight others was registered at a police station in Peshawar.