Senior ANP leader Bashir Bilour martyred

PESHAWAR: Senior Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bashir Ahmed Bilour passed away in Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital after doctors failed to resuscitate him. He was critically injured in a suicide attack in Peshawar, Geo News reported.

The blast also left 9 others dead and 17 injured, sources said.

The attack took place when the Awami National Party's President for KPK Bashir Ahmed Bilour was exiting the residence of the party's local leader following a meeting, along with his personal secretary and SHO Kabuli Police Station.

Both the personal secretary Noor Mohammed as well as the SHO, Sattar Khan were killed on the spot while 18 others were injured. According to hospital sources, Bashir Bilour was brought to the hospital in critical condition and was unconscious.

According to eyewitnesses, the suicide bomber detonated the explosives strapped to his body at a close distance from Bashir Bilour, inflicting critical wounds to his chest and stomach that later proved fatal.

Bilour had repeatedly termed the fight against terrorism as 'our own battle'.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Later, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Asharaf announced one-day mourning in the country on the assassination of the senior leader of ANP which is one of the allies of the ruling coalition.

According to sources, the funeral prayer of the martyred ANP leader will be held at Colonel Sher Khan Army Stadium here at 2:00 PM on Sunday. Later, he will be laid to rest in Syed Hassan Pir Badsha Berri Bagh graveyard.

The body of Bashir Bilour will be lifted from his elder brother Ghulam Ahmed Bilour's residence.

ANP Chief, Asfandyar Wali termed the demise of Bashir Ahmed Bilour as the loss of the entire country and nation, and vowed to continue the fight against 'the terrorist mindset'.

 PM! Lowering flag is not the answer

May I dare to ask my honorable PM as to who is safe in my beloved Pakistan when none but Senior Minister of a province is killed nowhere else but in the capital of the same province?

PM Raja Pervez Ashraf has ordered that Pakistan national flag must be flown at half mast for one day today as a mark of respect towards Bashir Ahmad Bilour, Senior Minister, Pakhtun Khawa who has been killed yesterday in broad day light in Peshawar which is mot regretted and condemned not by me alone but world at large and Pakistan in particular. However, I would like to examine the news in bit depth so that one can reach to some logical conclusions and not just superfluous justifications given at such time and or routine actions mostly taken as and when it happens alike. The news itself is very shocking indeed which must have shaken all Pakistanis whether in the country or overseas for the very simple reason that the deceased was not any ordinary Pakistani or even just a minister as one may construe rather on the other hand he was senior minister (higher than minister). In addition to his official position he was senior party leader as well which as such still the more aggravates the killing incident provided someone realizes the gravity and the heat so generated therein.

Our constitution like other constitutions of different countries gives guarantee that life and property of the citizens will be protected by the state which is quite but natural but the question is are we actually protecting the same or not? Just keep a hand on your heart and listen to its beat to realize the seriousness of the grimed situation being prevailing in Pakistan. Even if someone just attacks an ordinary street fellow and injures him, forget about killing, then the accused who attacked knows very well as to what hell he will have to face for injuring the person. If the accused goes farther and not just injures but kills the person then he is himself inviting for his death as well. Relying on the same analogy one can very safely argue and build up the case that as the killer steps farther and kills an officer, director, director general, secretary and minister etc he is attracting harsher and harsher punishment for sure.

Bilour being senior minister had edged himself over all the ministers so his life ought to be protected more than that of a minister but either police did not take cognizance of the grave situation or it is way beyond the ability and capacity of police to protect senior minister. How much is a minister protected could be very appropriate and ripe question to be asked now? What about the life of those who are not ministers but officers otherwise? It must not be forgotten that the incident happened in Peshawar which is the provincial capital and as such it is supposed to be a fortified place in any case as compared to other cities. Can’t one realize as to how much life could be in danger in smaller cities and towns etc? However, irrespective of the ground realities police and other allied agencies are to be taken to task and all those found to be negligent and or inefficient must be given exemplary punishments so that it does not happen again.

Each time as and when it happens alike we notice that condolences which have been written decades ago are issued and even investigation committees are formed but nothing beyond that and hence our lives continue to be endangered. No city whether big or small is safe in Pakistan since many long years. This time PM has gone a step ahead than what had been the practice and issued instructions to even fly our flag at half mast but my simple question is if lowering the flag can be an answer to the situation? Will none be killed in Pakistan from today? Honest to God, we had enough of promises both hollow and false right from President to junior officers that the accused will be brought to justice (US catch words) but never ever anyone could be arrested and punished. Innocent and unrelated people are caught and punished while the real ones are either never hauled or never punished.

Hundreds have offered namaze janaza this afternoon in Peshawar where many seniors have come from Islamabad as well just to show their sympathy and love towards the departed soul. President Zardari should have come to attend the funeral if he was hurt at heart but instead he sent his spokesman Farhatullah Babar. As regards PM Raja perhaps since he has asked to lower the flag he may have realized that his grief is acknowledged through lowering the flag so why he be there in person at the grave yard. Malik Rehman being interior minister came to the burial as a testimony that he knows what has happened and who has died. Political leaders from different political parties have also come to Peshawar to attend the funeral of Bilour very well proves that they were sharing the shock with the aggrieved family.

Wake up from somber sleep and tell us truly on oath if human life will be protected in Pakistan realizing that oath is something very scared and pious and it cannot be given any other meaning than what it implies.