MULTAN The City

APS martyrs

MULTAN: The Pakistan army, district administration and other organisations on Wednesday organised a number of functions to pay tributes to the martyrs of Army Public School, Peshawar.

The City of Saints echoed with the ISPR song as it was being played at every nook and corner of the city. Traffic was stopped for a minute across the city when sirens echoed at 10am and the national anthem was sung in solidarity with the martyrs’ families. Later, the people came out on roads to join the rallies and other activities to pay homage to the APS martyrs who wrote the history with their blood.

The Pakistan army’s Corps-II Headquarters presented a guard of honour at the Memorial of Martyrs. Multan Corps Commander Lt-Gen Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmad and GOC Maj-Gen Hasnaat Gillani presented salutes to the APS children at the memorial.

The district administration organised a ceremony to pay tributes to the APS martyrs at the Arts Council. The families of martyrs, Multan GOC Maj-Gen Hasnaat Amir Gillani, Commissioner Asadullah Khan, RPO Tariq Masud Yasin, CPO Azhar Ikram, DCO Zahid Salim Gondal and a large number of people attended the function. One-minute silence was observed in the memory of martyrs.

More than 8,000 lawyers of Multan did not appear in courts to commemorate great sacrifice of the APS martyrs. They held a condolence reference where speakers condemned terrorists.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, PML-Q, JUP, Ittehad Bainul Muslimeen, Pakistan Patriot Forum, Shaur Developlement Organisation, Sustainable Participatory Organisation and other social, cultural and educational organisations took out rallies to pay homage to the APS martyrs. Exhibitions and declamation contests were also held on the occasion. The SPO held a condolence reference at the press club.

All schools, colleges and Bahauddin Zakariya University remained closed. Quran Khawani and condolence references for the APS martyrs were also arranged at almost all educational institutions and offices.

The Rescue-1122 Headquarters officials organised a walk from Chowk Khumaranwala to Government Moonlight High School to pay tributes to the martyrs and express solidarity with the martyrs’ families. District Emergency Officer Dr Kalimullah led the walk. Emergency Officer Ahmad Kamal, Rescue and Safety Officer Muhammad Imtiaz, Rescue Controller in-charge Muhammad Mudassar Zia, Media Coordinator Abdul Jabbar and other officials took part in the walk. Quran Khawani was also held on the occasion.

Strict security arrangements were made to ensure peaceful observance of the anniversary.

DASKA: On the call of the Punjab Bar Council, local lawyers did not appear in the courts on Wednesday. The lawyers paid glowing tributes to the APS martyrs. The union of journalists took out a rally to express solidarity with the APS martyrs. The rally started from Sambrial Chowk and ended at Rest House Chowk. The participants were carrying placards inscribed with slogans against terrorism.