PESHAWAR, Sept 9: The first death anniversary of slain Afghan commander, Ahmad Shah Masood, an anti-Taliban resistance leader, was observed here at the Afghan consulate Peshawar on Monday. The gathering, attended by Peshawar-based Afghan consul-general Abdul Khaliq Farahi, jihadi leader, Syed Ishaq Gilani, and central secretary information Awami National Party, Haji Mohammad Adeel, paid respect to Masood.

The former Afghan defence minister, who was leading the Northern Alliance forces, was killed in a suicide attack in his home town on Sept 9, 2001.

Speaking on the occasion, the Afghan consul-general Abdul Khaliq Farahi, paid rich tribute to the slain commander, saying that Masood sacrificed his life to eradicate terrorism from his country.

He said that the entire world realized Masood’s struggle against terrorism after his death. Farahi said that Afghans would continue their struggle to eliminate terrorist elements and restore lasting peace in the war-ravaged Afghanistan.