Event held to mark anniversary of Bacha Khan varsity attack

Students, parents protest absence of dignitaries

CHARSADDA: The proceedings of the first anniversary event of the terrorist attack on the Bacha Khan University were marred by the protest staged by students and parents against the absence of top dignitaries who were invited to attend the function but failed to turn-up. The annoyed students, parents and relatives of those martyred in the terrorist attack boycotted the event and staged protest chanting slogans against the federal and provincial governments.

The university administration had invited top government officials at the federal and provincial level and military dignitaries to attend the first anniversary.

They included Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jaghra, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and federal ministers. Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Shaukat Yousufzai of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) represented the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in the event.

The recently retired vice-chancellor of the university Dr Fazle Rahim Marwat and none of the elected representatives from Charsadda district attended the event.

The relatives of those martyred of the attack criticised Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, Qaumi Watan Party head Aftab Sherpao, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Senator Sirajul Haq, PTI chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak for skipping the event.

The organisers had delayed the event for an hour, which was scheduled to start at 10am, in the hope that at least someone from amongst the invited dignitaries would show up but none had come.

When they realised the hopelessness of the situation, the organisers requested Shaukat Yousafzai, who is a former provincial minister, to preside over the event.However, the students and relatives of the martyred stood up at their seats soon after the recitation from the Holy Quran and started chanting slogans against the federal and provincial governments.

The protesters termed the absence of the dignitaries from the important event a criminal negligence.They said the government had announced compensation and promised other incentives for the victims of the terrorist strike on the Bacha Khan University but the pledges could not be materialised despite the passage of one year.

They boycotted the event and demanded compensation package similar to that provided to the heirs of the victims of the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar. Shaukat Yousafzai, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mardan range Mohammad Ijaz, some parents of the martyred persons and faculty members spoke on the occasion.The event turned bitter when some students interrupted Shaukat Yousafzai's speech and chanted slogans against him.In his speech, Shaukat Yousafzai paid glowing tributes to the Bacha Khan University martyrs and announced free treatment for one of the injured students of the attack, Samiullah.On the behalf of the provincial government, Shaukat Yousafzai also announced Rs140 million for the construction of the boundary walls to secure the university against any attack in future.He said the incident was heart-wrenching, but such cowardly acts could not deter the resolve of the students and parents. He said that the incident boosted the resolve of the people against terrorists.Khatmul Quran was also held to seek Allah's blessing for those slain in the attack. A floral wreath was laid on the monument for the martyrs. As many as 21 men, mostly students along with a teacher, an assistant librarian and a few low-ranked employees, were killed in the attack by four terrorists who scaled the university's rear boundary wall under the cover of fog and a sugarcane field on January 20, 2016.