PESHAWAR: Condemnations poured in from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the unprovoked Indian military strikes in several parts of the country.

Political parties, trader bodies and lawyers took out rallies and arranged meetings to condemn the Indian aggression against Pakistan. However, life remained normal despite war hysteria on social media. Educational institutions were open.

Political parties, traders and lawyers took out rallies and arranged meetings to condemn the Indian aggression against Pakistan.

In the provincial capital, the traders’ organisation Tanzeem Tajiran took to the streets in the Qissa Khwani Bazaar.

Participants urge people to forge unity to defend motherland

Tanzeem Tajiran leader Malik Mehr Elahi and deputy commissioner Sarmad Saleem Akram led the protesters, who carried banners and placards and said the nation stood behind the armed forces during the current critical circumstances.

The Peshawar High Court Bar Association took out a rally against the Indian aggression, while its general body meeting passed a resolution extending support to the armed forces for responding to India’s military strikes.

PHCBA president Aminur Rehman Yousafzai condemned the Indian attack and urged political parties to shun differences and forge unity.

The KP Bar Council also condemned the Indian aggression and urged the United Nations to play its due role for reducing Indo-Pak tensions.

Awami National Party provincial president Aimal Wali Khan also condemned India’s military strikes and regretted the loss of lives.

In a statement, Mr Aimal said violence was unlikely to resolve any issue and that peace in the region could be achieved through dialogue only. He said that no compromise could be made on national security and integrity, so the nation should shun differences and get united.

“Pakistan has every right to defend itself,” he said.

Large rallies were also staged in Mansehra, Oghi, Torghar, Balakot, Kohistan and other parts of the Hazara division to condemn Indian aggression.

Carrying national flags, banners and placards and shouting slogans for Pakistan and against India, they declared that they would continue standing shoulder to shoulder with the country’s armed forces during the current critical times.

Leaders and workers of the PML-N, PTI, PPP, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl also joined the rallies.

Mardan reported a large rally by the district administration to express solidarity with the armed forces against Indian aggression.

Businesspersons, government officials, lawyers, teachers, students, political and social activists, press club members and people from other segments of society participated in it.

Commissioner Nisar Ahmad, deputy commissioner Dr Azmatullah Wazir and DPO Zahoor Babar Afridi led the rally.

The commissioner condemned Indian aggression and said the nation stood with the armed forces.

In Swabi, a rally was taken out at Karnal Sher Khan Chowk in the district headquarters to express solidarity with the Pakistan Army.

The speakers, including business leader Yasir Khan, who led demonstrators, called for national unity.

Meanwhile, senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser condemned India for attacking sites in Pakistan and said the action was meant to cover up the Pahalgam fiasco.

In a statement, he condemned the unprovoked Indian military strikes against civilians and said Indian aggression won’t succeed as the Pakistani nation was united for the protection of their motherland.

“India orchestrated a fabricated drama in Pahalgam but failed to present any evidence. Now, in an attempt to hide this failure and humiliation, India attacked Pakistan under the cover of night but it was thwarted in a timely and forceful response by the Pakistan Air Force,” he said.

Residents took to the streets in the Civil Colony, Khar, Bajaur, to express solidarity with the armed forces against Indian aggression.

Officials of the district administration and public departments, elders, traders, teachers and students participated in the rally. Holding national flags and banners, they shouted slogans for the armed forces and against India.

Protest rallies and walks were held in Lower Dir district, with political parties, civil society, academic institutions and people from other segments of society coming together to denounce Indian aggression and express unwavering support for the country’s armed forces.

During a function at the University of Malakand, Vice Chancellor Prof Rashid Ahmad condemned India’s belligerent actions and urged the international community to hold Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi accountable for escalating tensions in the region.

He praised the armed forces for their prompt and decisive response against Indian military strikes.

In Samar Bagh and Munda areas, the district administration organised walks to express solidarity with armed forces, drawing significant participation from residents.

The speakers said the nation would defend the motherland at all costs. They said India’s hostile actions would be met with a powerful and united response.

In Timergara, the JUI-F staged a rally outside the press club.

Speakers Sirajuddin, Maulana Huzaifa and Muzaffar Syed condemned the “cowardly night attack by the Indian forces” inside Pakistan and civilian casualties.

They urged political parties to set aside their differences to stand united for the defence of the country’s sovereignty. The leaders lauded the military’s robust response and pledged full public support in the face of any future aggression.

Rallies were also held in Charsadda, Battagram, Dera Ismail Khan, Lower and Upper South Waziristan and other districts in solidarity with armed forces and against India’s war mongering.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2025