Uneasy calm prevailed here after the Saturday's suicide attack, that claimed 15 lives including that of Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) D.I.G Malik Saad, DSP City, Khan Raziq and four police constables leaving more than 30 injured.
The Nimaz-e-Janaza of the deceased CCPO and DSP City was held in Police Lines, thousands of people attended. Prominent amongst those who attended the last prayers were including NWFP Governor Lieutenant General Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai (Retd), Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani, Corps Commander Lieutenant General Hamid Khan, Speaker Provincial Assembly, Bakht Jehan Khan and members of parliament and provincial assembly.
The deceased senior police officer was later taken to his native town, Kohat for burial; DSP Khan Raziq was buried in his ancestral graveyard in Peshawar while the bodies of the constables were dispatched to their native villages.
The hospital authorities released the identity of the ten victims of the tragic incident.
Besides the city police chief and DSP, the list includes constables Khalid Khan, Wajid Khan, Jalil Jan, Rahat Shah, Nazim Union Council Andher Shehr, Mohammad Ali Safi, and naib nazim, Mian Mohammad Iftikhar and Nazim Union Council, Nauthia, Asif Khan Baghi. However, the identities of the two remaining victims of the blast could not be ascertained.
Speaking to the newsmen, Governor NWFP Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai has termed it terrorism saying that the explosions occurred in the province last few months in the city has share similarity. He said that the objective behind such attacks is to destroy the prevailing peaceful environment in the province.
Meanwhile, on receiving the news of the suicide bomb attack, Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani visited Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and inquired about those injured in the incident.
Talking on the occasion, the chief minister termed a conspiracy to destroy the existing peaceful environment.
The provincial government after the incident had further tightened the security arrangements and personnel of Frontier Corps and Frontier Constabulary were put on high alert and patrolling the city. Similarly, the patrolling of police has also been increased.
The incident had spread waves of shock all around the province and trading community has announced three-hour mourning and a token strike to condemn the killing of innocent senior police officials and general public. Traffic also remained thin as few transport buses were witnessed plying on the roads. A large number of people visiting the spot of the incident and paying tributes to the victims.
The Governor and Chief Minister NWFP had directed the early completion of the investigation into the incident and an investigation team headed by Additional Inspector General (AIG) Fayyaz Toru. The police had found some body parts and jacket of the suicide bomber, which have been sent for DNA test.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) NWFP, Mohammad Sharif Virk posted, DIG Abdul Hameed Marwat as Capital City Police Officer (CCPO).
The provincial police chief said that the investigation have been launched into the incident. However, it is too early to fix responsibility on any one. The situation would become clear with a week or two.
It may be mentioned here that late CCPO, Peshawar posted in the first week of January 2007.
He was a brave police officer and returning from a visit of an Imambargh to check security measures, when all of sudden a suicide bomber attacked the police party in a narrow street at Bazaar-e-Dalgaran near historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar on Saturday night.