PESHAWAR, Nov 22: Nine protesters, including a woman, were injured when a policeman opened fire on a protest rally in Peshawar, which was part of demonstrations staged across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata on Friday to condemn the Rawalpindi violence.

Wafaq-ul-Madaris had given call for the protests.

Police said that the firing incident took place in Wakho Pul area in limits of Bana Mani police station.

The injured were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital. They were identified as Sharifa Bibi, Sajid, Takbir, Tariq, Najeebullah, Abdur Rehman, Zakirullah, Amjad Ali and Muner.

A hospital source said one of the injured was in critical condition.

“We were coming in a procession and as we crossed Ghazi checkpost a policeman opened fire on us from behind with his official rifle,” Najeebullah of Bahadur Kili told Dawn at the LRH.

Peshawar deputy commissioner Syed Zaheer-ul-Islam told mediapersons that the police constable, Syed Ali Badshah of Bana Mani police station, had been arrested and charged in a case under terrorism act. He said the overall situation in the district remained peaceful.

Police had blocked all the entry points towards Shoba Chowk where all the processions were to be converged.

Speakers condemned the Rawalpindi tragedy and criticised the government for failing to protect the lives and properties of people.

They demanded arrest of all those involved in the tragedy. They also asked the government to compensate the victims’ families and take action against the officials who failed to maintain law and order on such sensitive occasions.

Similarly, the speakers also condemned drone strike at a seminary and asked the government to sever ties with the United States.

On the day, all the shopping centres remained closed and traffic was routed to GT Road and no one was allowed to participate in the rallies from the cantonment side. Owing to traffic problems the people were seen marching towards their destinations.

CHASADDA: A protest rally against Rawalpindi incident was held at Farooq Azam Chowk here.

Activists of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jummat and other religious groups and parties participated in the protest. The protesters demanded stern action against the perpetrators of the gory incident.

They alleged that miscreants entered Madrassa Taleemul Islam in Raja bazaar and killed innocent students.

ABBOTTABAD: Complete strike was observed on the call of Diffa-i-Pakistan Council and Wafaq-ul-Madaris to protest against the Rawalpindi incident here on Friday.

All bazaars and shops remained closed, while schools and colleges took a day off as a precautionary measure. Thin transport plied on the roads.

The rally started from Markazi Jamia Masjid after Friday prayers, passed through main bazaar and ended at Jinnah Chowk, where office bearers of different religious parties addressed the gathering.

They condemned the poor administration of the Rawalpindi police and demanded early completion of judicial inquiry into the incident and exemplary punishment to the culprits.

SWABI: All public sector colleges in the district remained closed on Friday over apprehension that the students might join protest demonstrations against the Rawalpindi incident.Among the victims of the incident, two students hailed from the Swabi district.

It was learnt that the colleges had received a letter from the directorate of colleges, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the directives to keep the institutions closed on Friday.

“We have followed the order and observed Friday as a holiday,” said principal of a college.

Some of the students were not aware of the holiday and came to know about it when they reached their colleges.

GILGIT: Like other parts of the country, a complete shutter down strike was observed throughout Gilgit-Baltistan region on the appeal of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat against the Rawalpindi incident.

A large number of people came out on roads after Friday prayers in Gilgit, Chilas, Gahkuch and Astore to denounce the killings.

All government, semi government and private offices, schools, colleges, banks were closed while traders voluntarily kept the markets shut during the day.

Vehicular traffic from Gilgit to other parts of the country remained suspended, creating difficulties to commuters.

In Chilas, people after Friday prayers reached the main thoroughfare where speakers demanded of the government to provide early compensation to the people whose dear ones and properties were lost in the incident.

They said the government should ensure that such didn’t occur in future.

In Gilgit, protesters gathered in Gari Bagh where chief of the ASWJ, GB chapter, Qazi Nisar Ahmed and others demanded of the government to restrict all kinds of rituals inside the worship places.

Elaborated security measures were adopted to avert any untoward incident on the occasion. Law enforcement agencies personnel kept patrolling the streets throughout the day.