The Anjuman-e-Tajiran has announced a full-fledge shutter down strike on Wednesday (today) to express solidarity with traders of Moon Market who suffered huge losses. Lahorites mourned the loss of precious human lives out of deadliest bomb blasts at the Moon Market in a deep remorse throughout Tuesday, leaving everyone with heavy heart amidst touchy scenes at the funerals of the victims.
According to general secretary of All Pakistan Traders Lahore, Razzaq Baber, the decision was taken in a meeting of trade organisations. The meeting presided over by president of Lahore traders' organisation Muhammad Ashraf Pervaiz Bhatti. The meeting also expressed sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the blasts. The meeting decided to observe mourning and close down shops and business centres in protest on Wednesday.
A large number of citizens visited the affected area, inquiring about the sad incident and visited the families of ill-fated victims to console with them. The political leadership also expressed complete solidarity with the affectees and visited many injured ones in different hospitals. Prominent among those who visited different city hospitals to enquire about the health of injured were included: PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Senior Sindh Minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Senior Punjab Minister Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, provincial ministers, opposition leader in Punjab assembly Chaudhry Zaheer Uddin and others.
Further, Secretary General Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan Liaquat Baloch, PML-N MNA Bilal Yaseen, traders of Hall Road and other markets besides people from different walks of life visited the site of Moon Market to express solidarity with the victims.
Traders of Moon market were in a state of severe shock over deaths of their colleagues and loss of property. The trade representatives told Business Recorder that they would soon meet Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and request him to compensate the traders who suffered losses in the tragic incident. 'If fire fighting activities are started in time, loss of life and property could be avoided,' they added.
The blood donors were also queued up at different hospitals to offer their blood to the injured ones. Different City hospitals including Sheikh Zayed, Jinnah, Services and Mayo remained under stringent security measures, as different political leaders turned up there to enquire about the health of injured of tragic incident.
Over a dozen bodies are yet to be identified while some people were seen running from pillar to post in different hospitals to know about their missing near and dear ones. Everyone was seen in a state of deep shock when funeral processions of four victims of tragic incident-Shumaila, Shakila, Zuhra and Zesshan, were taken out from their residence at Huma Block, Allama Iqbal Town.
Talking to reporters after his visit to Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that a new wave of terrorism is underway which poses a serious challenge. He said that morale of the Pakistani nation is high and the enemies will never succeed in their nefarious designs.
He said the time has come that the whole nation should unite on a single platform for rooting out terrorism forever. He said army is fighting to purge the country from menace of terrorism. Answering a question, he said, 'If India destabilises Pakistan, it could not live with peace.'
The Senior Sindh Minister Pir Mazher-ul-Haq told media men after enquiring after the health of injured persons that terrorists would never succeed in their evil designs. He said people of Sindh are with their Punjabi brethren in this hour of need. He said the government is taking serious efforts to eliminate terrorists.
The Punjab Senior Minister Raja Riaz told reporters that India is involved in acts of terrorism. He said that network of terrorists would soon be wiped out. The secretary general Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan Liaquat Baloch said that those who are targeting innocent people had no relation with religion, humanity and morality. They are enemy of Pakistan and nation would foil their designs with unity in their ranks, he added.