Qissa Khawani firing victims remembered

PESHAWAR: A literary and cultural organization, Gandahara Hindko Board on Thursday marked the Qissa Khawani Martyrs Day with simplicity keeping in view the coronavirus pandemic.

Under instructions from the board Chairman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, members were asked to offer special prayers at homes for those sons of the soil who had embraced martyrdom on April 23, 1930 at historic Qissa Khawani Bazaar when the British security forces had opened fire on the unarmed civilians who were protesting for genuine rights. The board decided not to hold any function at the Martyrs Memorial at Chowk Shaheedaan this time given the coronavirus crisis, and the ban imposed by the government on public gatherings to contain the Covid-19 spread and protect the lives of the citizens.

The members of the board offered fateha at homes for the departed souls of the Qissa Khawani martyrs who sacrificed lives 90 years back in the Walled City of Peshawar for the cause of freedom and glory of Islam. It may be mentioned here the British soldiers had opened fire on the freedom-loving citizens in Peshawar city nine decades ago who were protesting the oppressive Colonial policies. As many as 400 people were killed on the day, though the official account had put the toll at 179.

The Gandhara Hindko Board has been regularly observing the Qissa Khawani Martyrs Day for the last 27 years. The board has staged rallies and arranged special dua at the Martyrs Memorial to pay tributes to the people for the supreme sacrifice they had rendered in Peshawar. It has hosted conferences and photography exhibitions in the past to highlight the incident which had claimed several precious lives and left scores of others injured.