The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has condemned the killing of Awami National Party’s (ANP) leader Haroon Bilour in a suicide attack, and also reiterated the resolve to eradicate the menace of terrorism for the Country.
Last night, 21 people including Haroon Bilour were martyred when a suicide bomber entered a corner meeting of the ANP in Yakatoot area of Peshawar and blew himself up. 75 people were also injured in the attack.
“COAS shares grief of Bilour family & ANP on condemnable targeting of Haroon Bilour & victims of heinous terrorist attack,” the Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a twitter message on Wednesday.
“We are fighting against nexus of inimical forces which aren’t willing to absorb a peaceful & stable Pakistan. We remain undeterred & shall IA defeat them,” the COAS said according to the director general ISPR.
Haroon Bilour was among the ANP Candidate vying for upcoming general elections 2018 from PK-78 Peshawar-XIII.
His Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayer) will be offered at Wazir Bagh in Peshawar at 5 pm on Wednesday.
Earlier, the Corps Commander Peshawar visited the Bilour house and expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of Haroon Bilour.
Meanwhile, Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk, Acting President Sadiq Sanjrani, political leaders including Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahbaz Sharif, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto, Co-Chairman PPP Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Siraj-ul-Haq, and Convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui also strongly condemned the Peshawar blast which caused loss of precious human lives including ANP’s Haroon Bilour and injuries to many others.