We have come a long way in our challenging journey to peace: COAS

PESHAWAR: The caretaker Prime Minister, Chief Justice (retd) Nasirul Mulk, and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa among others visited the Bilour House here on Thursday for offering condolences to the family members on the death of Awami National Party (ANP) leader Haroon Bilour. Haroon Bilour and 19 ANP workers and supporters were martyred on Tuesday night when a suicide bomber blew him up in a narrow street in the city's Yakatoot locality.

The bombing took place as soon as Haroon Bilour reached the venue of the election corner meeting and was heading to the stage where his uncle Ilyas Bilour and other party leaders were sitting. Haroon's teenager son Danyal Bilour and his younger brother Bassam Bilour were present when the caretaker Prime Minister General Qamar Javed Bajwa and other mourners visited the Bilour House.

KPK Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, caretaker Interior Minister Azam Khan and caretaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister (retd) Justice Dost Muhammad Khan accompanied the prime minister during the visit.

Expressing concern over the loss of precious lives, Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk directed making foolproof security arrangements for the candidates contesting the general election. The Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who was accompanied by Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Nazir Butt and DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor, also visited Bilour House to offer condolences to the bereaved family. The ISPR said that General Qamar Javed Bajwa, while talking to family, said: “Bilour family has stood firm in the war against terrorism with great sacrifices during the national effort. We have come a long way in our challenging journey to peace and the destination isn’t far Inshallah”, we stand united against all proponents of hate and mayhem regardless of hue and colour."

Meanwhile, a large number of people from Peshawar, rest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other provinces, including political leaders, continued visiting Bilour House to express sympathy with the Bilour family. The ANP's central General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain and other party leaders were present at the Bilour House today. The ANP volunteers provided security and looked after the guests.

Haroon Bilour was contesting election from the provincial assembly constituency, PK-78 Peshawar. The ECP had postponed the election in the constituency after his martyrdom. On the second day of Haroon's martyrdom, pictures of his elder son Danyal Bilour went viral on social media visiting the houses of victims of the suicide attack on the ANP corner meeting in Yakkatoot. He has been a calming influence on agitated party workers who were upset over the suicide bombing targeting Haroon Bilour and martyring and injuring many other ANP activists and supporters.