PESHAWAR/NOWSHERA, May 10: The bombing of the mausoleum of nationalist leader and renowned poet Ajmal Khattak was widely condemned across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday.

In Peshawar, the activists of Awami National Party held a demonstration at Sher Shah Suri Road to protest bombing of the mausoleum of their late leader.

Led by Provincial Minister for Information and Culture Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the protesters termed it a cowardly act. ANP provincial general secretary Arbab Tahir, district president Arbab Najeebullah, Tajuddin Khan and Haroon Bilour also participated in the protest demonstration.

Wearing red caps and black armbands, the protesters chanted slogans against terrorists. They said that terrorists involved in the heinous crime would be arrested soon.

They said that militants were attacking shrines of Pakhtun heroes that could not be tolerated.

The under-construction mausoleum of Ajmal Khattak, Pashto poet and two-time central president of ANP, was bombed on Wednesday night and 12 persons were injured in the incident.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Hussain said that Ajmal Khattak was a revolutionary poet, who raised voice for humanity and against violence though his poetry. He not only served Pashto language but also rendered sacrifices for the party and peace, he added.

“The terrorists can’t frighten us,” the minister said. He added that terrorists were enemies of the entire Pakhtun nation.

He also condemned killing of Maulana Naseeb Khan, a religious scholar of Darul Uloom Haqqania, who was assassinated few days ago.

However, he alleged that the slain cleric was mediating among terrorist groups for their reconciliation.

The minister said that differences were created among religious political parties over the murder of Maulana Naseeb. They were holding each responsible for his killing, he added.

He said that the assassination of the cleric would be thoroughly probed and people involved in his killing would be awarded punishment.

The Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) also condemned the bombing of Ajmal Khattak’s mausoleum and said that government failed to overcome the problem of lawlessness.

In a statement, PMAP paid rich tribute to the nationalist leader and said that blowing up of his grave was a condemnable act. The release said that government had given a free hand to terrorists and was avoiding taking stern action against them.

Fazal Tawab Khan, the vice chairman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, also condemned bomb blasts in the mausoleum of Ajmal Khattak and asked government to probe the incident and award exemplary punishment to the perpetrators.

Awami Party Pakistan, during a meeting, adopted a unanimous resolution against the incident and criticised the provincial government for what it called its failure to protect life and property of people.

The provincial organiser of the party, Advocate Shahab Khattak, said that government failed to take appropriate steps for protection of shrines, tombs and graves of the poets and heroes of Pakhtuns.

The government, he said, also failed to devise a strategy to control price hike, unemployment and lawlessness in the province.

Meanwhile, Malgary Ustazan, Malgary Wakilan and Pakhtun Students Federation held separate rallies in Jehangira, Risalpur and Nowshera Cantt to condemn attack on the mausoleum of Ajmal Khattak.

The rally in Nowshera Cantt turned into a huge public gathering at Shobra Chowk that was addressed by ANP district president Ihrar Khattak, senior vice president Malik Juma Khan and general secretary Ahmad Gul.

Provincial Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour visited the mausoleum of Ajmal Khattak and said that such activities could not change the stand of Pakhtuns on terrorism.