Qissa Khwani martyrs of 1930 paid rich tribute

PESHAWAR: Continuing with the past practice, the Gandhara Hindko Board Peshawar organized a ceremony at Chowk Shaheedaan in Qissa Khwani Bazaar to remember scores of those sons of the soil who lost their lives when the British security forces opened fire on protesters on April 23, 1930.

The board’s members, including Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Ahmad Nadeem Awan, Sharafat Ali Mubarak, Waseem Shahid, Dr Khadim Ibrahim, along with President of Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Haji Abdul Razzaq, staff members of the Gandhara Hindko Academy and others participated in the ceremony.

The participants laid a floral wreath at the Martyrs’ Memorial and paid rich tribute to those who lost their lives in the firing 95 years ago. They were carrying banners and placards that paid rich tribute to martyrs.

Speaking to the media, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Sharafat Ali Mubarak, Ahmad Nadeem Awan and others said that the wounds of the Qissa Khwani tragedy were still fresh.

They recalled that their ancestors took out a peaceful procession on that day against the tyranny of the Colonial regime.In response, they said, the British security forces opened fire on the demonstrators, resulting in the martyrdom of hundreds of people.

The speakers said people sacrificed their lives but did not bow to Colonial rule.They said the event played a vital role in the struggle for independence.The speakers called upon President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to recognize the Qissa Khwani tragedy with the same importance that the Indian government gives to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The speakers urged the KP Textbook Board to include this historic incident in the national curriculum to raise awareness among the younger generation and preserve the legacy of those sacrifices in history.

It is worth mentioning that the Gandhara Hindko Board has been organizing different ceremonies in memory of the April 23, 1930 martyrs for the past 32 years. The board has arranged conferences, seminars, photographic exhibitions and staged rallies to highlight an important event of the struggle for independence.