SUKKUR: Many towns remained shut for the second consecutive day on Thursday and different political, religious and professional organisations took out rallies, held Quran Khwani and Ghaibana Namaz-i-Janaza for the Peshawar massacre victims.

In Jacobabad, members of the Hindu community took out a rally to condemn the tragedy. It started from their temple and ended at the press club.

Leaders of the Hindu Panchayat Babu Mahesh Lal, Maharaj Gotam Gar and Dr B.H. Karana said that no religion allowed massacre of innocent children and demanded immediate arrest of terrorists.

The Pakistan Peoples Party-Shaheed Bhutto held Quran Khwani at the party office and Ghaibana Namaz-i-Janaza was held in Sarrafa Bazaar. The party leaders said that Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and brotherhood and prohibited killing of the old, women and children.

They demanded arrest of the culprits and strict punitive action against them.

Pakistan Peoples Party activists led by MNA Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani also took out rally, held Quran Khwani, offered Fateha and lit candles to honour the massacre victims.

Mr Jakhrani said the Peshawar incident had united the nation and it would foil the terrorists’ designs.

In Sukkur, officers and staff of the Sukkur Electric Power Company held Quran Khwani and Fateha for the departed souls.

Schools security

Sukkur Division Commissioner Mohammad Abbas Baloch has urged teachers, parents and schools to take steps for the protection of students and carry out security drill according to SOPs.

He said while presiding over a meeting of officers of the education department, principals, headmasters and administrators of schools that registers be placed and intercoms be installed at the schools’ gates.

The patrolling of police and Rangers around all schools be ensured and any armed man or unknown person and vehicles should not be allowed to enter schools, he said.

MIRPURKHAS: Hund­reds of students of different government and private schools took out a rally against the Peshawar school massacre.

Schoolteachers who led the rally demanded that the government arrest the culprits and award them exemplary punishment. They urged the government to ensure security of schoolchildren and prepare a strategy to eliminate terrorists.

BADIN: Traders observed a complete strike in the town on a call given by Tajir Ittehad and took out a rally in which a large number of general public also took part.

Another rally was taken out by teachers and students who demonstrated outside the Chamber of Journalists. The protesters urged the government to eliminate terrorists.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2014