News
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Thousands bid farewell to Taseer
By Hussain Kashif and Shabbir Sarwar
LAHORE: Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer was laid to rest in Cavalry Ground graveyard with full state honour and respect following his funeral prayers at the Governor’s House, which was attended by thousands of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) workers and political leadership of the country, including prime minister and Senate chairman, on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Senate Chairman Farooq Naik, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Azad Kashmir President Raja Zulqarnain, federal and provincial ministers, including Rehman Malik, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Babar Awan, Ahmad Mukhtar, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Makhdoom Amin Faheem, Raja Riaz, Tanveer Ashraf Kaira, Farooq Yousaf Ghurki, Ashraf Sohna, and others attended the funeral prayers.
PPP Secretary General Jahangir Badar, Deputy Information Secretary Haider Zaman, Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, Secretary Samiullah Khan, Deputy Secretary Malik Usman, Punjab Information Secretary Dr Fakharuddin, Deputy Information Secretary Iqbal Sialvi, Malik Hafeez, Aurangzeb Barki, Asif Hashmi, Ghazanfer Gul, Asghar Gujjar, Akbar Khan, Latif Khosa and others also attended the funeral prayers.
Notable personalities from other political parties who attended the funeral are Acting Governor Rana Iqbal Ahmad Khan of the PML-N, PML-Q dissident group leader Khursheed Kasuri, Awami National Party’s Bashir Bilour, opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Zaheeruddin of the PML-Q, PML-N leaders and provincial ministers Malik Nadeem Kamran and Ahsanuddin Qureshi and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders Babar Ghauri, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Adil Sadiqi, Iftikhar Akbar Randhawa, Raza Haroon, Wasay Jalil, Iqbal Muhammad Ali, Saif Yar Khan and Dr Ayyub Sheikh, former Punjab governors Ghulam Mustafa Khar and Mian Azhar.
As the prime minister announced three days of mourning, national flag was hoisted at half-mast at all the public buildings.
Earlier, Taseer’s body was brought to the Governor’s House from his residence in Cavalry Ground in a Rescue 1122 ambulance. Some of the family members also accompanied the body.
Prime Minister Gilani and Interior Minister Rehman Malik landed in the Governor’s House in a chopper.
Punjab PPP Ulema Wing Secretary General Allama Afzal Chishti led the funeral prayers at 2pm.
After attending the funeral, the prime minister left the venue in a car driving himself.
Police sources told Daily Times that security was put on high alert and 4,000 personnel were deputed at various places while Rangers were giving a cover to the ambulance in which the coffin was transported.
After the funeral, the coffin was airlifted to the Cavalry Ground graveyard. Wrapped in national flag, the body was lowered in the grave in the presence of his sons Shan, Shehryar and Shahbaz, other relatives and some party leaders. A contingent of Punjab Police presented a guard of honour.
Floral wreaths were laid on the grave on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Gilani, Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, Army Chief Ashfaq Kayani, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committe, the air chief, the naval chief, and the Punjab IGP. Later, the sons and relatives of the late Taseer also laid floral wreaths on his grave.
Women family members of the late governor, including Amna Taseer, Sara Taseer, and President’s Adviser Farah Naz Isfahani, also visited the grave, laid floral wreaths and offered fateha.
Qul will be held at 2pm today (Thursday) at the Governor’s House.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk