PESHAWAR: The representatives of civil society organisations, lawyers, journalists and politicians have strongly condemned Quetta blast and urged government to implement the 20-point National Action Plan in real sense to uproot terrorism.

The journalists and political activists also organised a joint procession here on Monday to express solidarity with the families of the victims. The procession was led by Khyber Union of Journalists president Saiful Islam Saifi, Peshawar Press Club president Syed Bukhar Shah, ANP general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain and local leaders of Pak Sar Zameen Party.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with different slogans, the participants of the procession, asked government to take steps for protection of journalists, lawyers and people of other sections of the society.

Syed Bukhar Shah and Saiful Islam Saifi said that government failed to take tangible steps to provide protection to journalists.

Lawyers announce week of mourning; condolence reference held at PPC

Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that more than 70 outlawed groups were present in the country but governments had failed to control them. He added that it was need of the hour to make changes in the current polices at national, regional and international level.

Earlier a condolence reference was held at the press club wherein prayers were offered for the eternal peace of departed souls and speedy recovery for the injured of the blast.

ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan, provincial president Haider Khan Hoti, provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak, Senator Daud Khan Achakzai, Senator Shahi Syed, Afrasiab Khattak, Bushra Gohar, Senator Ilyas Bilour, Baz Mohammad Khan, Sittara Ayaz and PML-N leader Khwaja Mohammad Khan Hoti, JUI-F provincial emir Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan and secretary information Maulana Abdul Jalil Jan also condemned the Quetta blast.

PPP leader Eng Mohammad Humayun Khan also condemned the attack on lawyers and journalists in Quetta and urged government to implement NAP in real sense.

Asfandyar Wali said that peace could not be restored unless NAP was fully implemented. He said that it was time to join hands and devise a sustained policy to eradicate terrorism once for all.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and Peshawar High Court Bar Association also condemned the blast and announced boycott of courts in the province for two days and a week of mourning.

The lawyers wore black armbands and held a general body meeting, chaired by PHCBA president Muzamil Khan, when they heard the tragic news. To show solidarity with the lawyers, the meeting was also attended by PHC Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Qaiser Rasheed and Justice Mussarat Hillali.

Senior advocates Abdul Lateef Afridi, Muzmil Khan, Yousaf Riaz Khalil, Ghulam Nabi, Asthagfirullah Khan and Ijaz Khan Sabi addressed the meeting. They said that lawyers felt insecure. They asked government to take proper steps in that regard.

The speakers said that several senior members of the bar were killed in the Quetta blast which was a great loss to the profession. They also expressed sympathy with the journalists for losing their two colleagues in the incident.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak in their separate statements also condemned bomb blast in Quetta and expressed deep shock and sorrow over the loss of precious lives.

They described the blast a cowardly and heinous act, saying that such attacks could not deter the national resolve to eliminate the wave of militancy and menace of terrorism.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2016