KP announces 3-day mourning over Islamabad violence

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government Thursday announced a three-day mourning - from November 29 to December 1 - to condemn what the treasury benches termed as ‘state barbarism’ on the peaceful protesters in Islamabad on November 26.

The announcement was made at the emergency session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly which was summoned at 9.00 pm. However, the session began at about 10.30 pm with Speaker Babar Saleem Swati in the chair.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Law Aftab Alam Advocate, while speaking on the Assembly floor, said that the peaceful protesters led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had fallen victim to the worst barbarism in the federal capital on November 26 where he claimed that dozens of people, including aged people, were killed, injured or missing. “We condemn it and announce three-day mourning from tomorrow in the province,” he added.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Housing Dr Amjad Ali offered collective prayers for those who died in the PTI protest in Islamabad and also for the victims of Kurram violence.

Speaker Babar Saleem Swati also termed the violence against the peaceful participants of the PTI rally as the worst form of police gardi and said that elected representatives of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, including the chief minister, were not spared in the violence, arrest and shelling. The session was adjourned till 7.00pm today (Friday).