PESHAWAR: Speakers at a condolence reference for trader leader Haji Haleem Jan here on Friday stressed the need for a unified struggle against terrorism to restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The event was held under the aegis of the Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders at Haleem Tower here to pay homage to Haji Haleem, who was assassinated in the capital city few weeks ago.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar, Mohammad Ihtesham Haleem, Haji Ghulam Ali, Syed Zahir Ali Shah, Senator Mohsin Aziz, Haji Afzal, Senator Nauman Wazir, Malik Mehar Illahi, Shaukat Ali Khan, Mujeebur Rehman, CCPO Mubarak Zeb Khan, SSP Abbas Majeed Marwat, Haji Asghar, police officials, representatives of traders from different districts participated.

Condolence reference held for trader leader Haji Haleem Jan

The speakers paid glowing tribute to Haji Haleem Jan for facing terrorism bravely.

Special prayers were also made for the deceased.

The chief minister linked the restoration peace in the province with stability in Afghanistan and said terrorism was an international issue and there was a need for courage and unified struggle to fight it.

He said the province had been facing the challenge of terrorism for a couple of years and that instead of losing heart, there was a dire need for people to combat terrorism jointly.

Mr. Khattak said ‘systematic steps’ were being taken to fight the menace of terrorism.

He said armed forces of the country were committed and were ready to go to any extent to eliminate terrorism from the country.

The CM said peace was essential in Afghanistan for bringing stability to the whole region.

He said the provincial government on the demand of the traders had asked the federal government for repatriation of the FC troops to the province.

Mr. Khattak said the Afghan Ambassador had categorically been informed to ensure the registration of Afghan refugees in the province as well as their repatriation.

He said dignified repatriation of Afghan refugees was a must for the restoration of durable peace in the province.

The CM said the funding of terrorists from cross the border was the basic cause of terrorism and that was why, steps were needed to control that source of terror financing.

He accepted the demand of business community to name the local hepatitis hospital after Haji Haleem Jan.

Mr. Khattak asked traders to consult the government before giving call for strike or protest.

He said the government had taken all necessary steps to resolve the grievances of traders and would continue doing so.

Trader leaders Malik Mehar Illahi, Shaukat Ali Khan, Mujeebur Rehman, Haji Asghar and Ihtesham Haleem appreciated the CM for withdrawing notices issued to 2,200 shopkeepers during the recent anti-encroachment campaign, announcing Tamgha-i-Shujaat for Haji Haleem Jan and naming the hepatitis hospital after the deceased.

They said they had called off the call for strike at the request of the provincial government.

The trader leaders demanded that the federal and provincial governments take steps for the early resolution of the issue of Afghan refugees.

They said the traders stood by the government in fight against terrorism.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2016