KHAR: People belonging to different walks of life on Tuesday offered prayers and held Quran Khwani in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjacent Fata to pay homage to the students and teachers massacred at the Army Public School and College, Peshawar.

In Bajaur Agency, Quran and fateha Khwani were held on the lawns of the political compound in the civil colony, Khar, where participants offered fateha for the departed souls. Besides political and religious leaders, tribal elders, social activists, students and senior officials of the local administration, including assistant political agent Sohail Ahmed Khan, were in attendance.

All the government and private offices, educational institutions and banks remained closed across the agency on the day.

in Parachinar, Kurram Agency, Quran khwani was organised at the Governor’s House here on Tuesday to pray homage to the victims of the Army Public School, Peshawar.

The function was attended by schoolchildren, students, ulema, tribal elders and officials of the political administration. MNA Sajid Hussain Turi was also in attendance.

The speakers paid tributes to the deceased schoolchildren and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families.

They called for national unity to eliminate terrorism.

Quran Khwani was also held at Qazian seminary in Kohat on Tuesday for the departed souls of the APS.

Local people, including teachers and students, assistant commissioner Mohammad Ali Asghar and chief municipal officer Mohammad Shoaeb, participated in the function. They offered fateha for the departed souls and said that terrorists would be crushed as the nation was united against the scourge of militancy.

The participants said that whole nation was still in shock and mourning, and prayed for courage to the parents of the victims to bear the loss.

Majority of educational institutions remained closed on the occasion.

In Daggar area of Buner, Quran Khwani was held at Dr Qadeer Khan Colony in Daggar in Buner district on the chehlum of the departed souls of Army Public School, Peshawar.

Senior government officials, including the deputy commissioner, additional deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner, ulema and students attended the ceremony to pay homage to the victims.

Published in Dawn January 21st , 2015

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