Kohat Martyrs Funeral Prayers Offered After Mosque Attack
IGP, ministers and a large crowd joined the funeral prayers, where police gave a guard of honour before the bodies were sent to their home areas.
Kohat – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – The Kohat martyrs funeral took place on Friday evening, as the city said a heavy goodbye to the police personnel killed in the attack on the Old Police Lines mosque. Officials say Fitna al-Khawarij was behind the attack.
Funeral prayers were offered for the martyred policemen in Kohat. Police officers, officials and local people stood together in prayer.
Senior Officials Attend the Prayers
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed attended the funeral prayers. Information Minister Shafiullah Jan and Law Minister Aftab Alam joined him.
The General Officer Commanding and the Kohat Commissioner were also present. So were other political and social figures.
The families of the martyrs stood at the front. A large number of citizens also came to share their grief.
For the police force, it was a painful day. The martyrs were colleagues who had been praying together when the blast struck.
Guard of Honour for the Fallen
A smartly turned-out contingent of Kohat Police presented a guard of honour to the martyrs. It is a traditional mark of respect for those who give their lives on duty.
After that, senior officials laid floral wreaths and paid tribute to the martyrs.
IGP Zulfiqar Hameed has said that the police will keep standing against terrorism. He added that the sacrifices of the martyrs will not go in vain, and that the attackers and their helpers will face the law.
Once the prayers ended, the bodies of the martyrs were taken to their native areas for burial. Local media reported that they were sent to Kohat, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Mardan in Rescue 1122 ambulances.
Families in those districts now face the hard task of burying their loved ones and living with the loss.
What Happened at the Police Lines
The attack took place on Friday during prayers. According to police, a vehicle full of explosives blew up near the mosque inside the Old Police Lines. Gunmen then tried to enter the compound.
Officials say at least 21 people died, including 15 police personnel. Dozens of others were injured and taken to hospitals in Kohat. These figures may change as more reports come in.
The blast badly damaged the mosque. An emergency was declared at the District Headquarters Hospital, and doctors on leave were called back to duty.
Police and the Counter Terrorism Department fought the attackers, and several of them were killed in the exchange of fire.
Leaders Condemn the Attack
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack. Both asked officials to give the injured the best possible medical care.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also called the attack unacceptable and asked for a detailed report. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi offered condolences to the families and said the whole nation stood with them.
Kohat Police Lines was also hit by a major attack in September 2010, which killed 20 people. Most of the victims were family members of police personnel.
The Kohat martyrs funeral was more than a farewell. It showed that officials and ordinary citizens stand with the police, who face danger every day.
Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have faced many attacks in recent years. Each loss leaves a family without a son, a father or a brother.
As the martyrs are laid to rest in their home towns, the nation remembers their courage and prays for the injured to recover soon.
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