Ghulam Ahmad Bilour along with other ANP leaders offer prayers at Bilour House prior to a news conference for the departed souls of Tuesday blast at the party corner meeting. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD IQBAL/EXPRESS TRIBUNE
PESHAWAR: Less than 24 hours after he escaped a suicide blast on his convoy, senior Awami National Party (ANP) leader Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that despite severe threats to his life, he will not step back from contesting elections.
At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up near the venue of an ANP meeting in the Yakatot area of Peshawar on Tuesday. Bilour, the former federal minister for railways and the ANP candidate for NA-I constituency, was the chief guest at the meeting.
The blast had injured the senior ANP leader, but was meant for his nephew, son of his slain brother Bashir Bilour.
Bilour, while addressing a press conference in Peshawar, said that an FIR will be lodged against the President of Pakistan, Supreme Court Chief Justice, Chief of Army Staff, Chief Election Commissioner and the leaders of all those political parties who did not condemn terrorists if any member of Bilour's family or party was targeted henceforth.
Bilour called yesterday’s attack a cowardly act of terrorism and added that if CJSC, COAS, Chairman ECP and President of Pakistan sit together and try, they will arrive at a solution to deal with the threat of terrorism.
“We are fighting a war for the sovereignty and integrity of the country; we do not have personal enmity with anyone,” he said, posing the question, “why ANP activists and leaders are particularly being targeted by the terrorists?”
The former minister further urged the public to come forward and openly denounce terrorist acts in which innocent people have lost their lives. He stated that those cannot be true Muslims killing other Muslims without any cause.
“Ulema should come forward and need to collectively issue a Fatwa against terrorism. Whereas other political parties should also come forward and defend ANP because we are neither non-Muslims nor non-believers; we believe on humanity and have the same faith of Maulana Hussain Ahmed Madani and Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad,” he said.
I do not care for my life, Bilour valiantly declared, while adding that that terrorists attempts to deter ANP political workers from their path are futile and that the party will continue denouncing terrorists and their activities.
Bilour though finds himself in a peculiar quandry after the Taliban apologised to him for the injuries sustained in the attack, claiming they were unaware the senior leader would be at the gathering.
“We apologise to Ghulam Bilour because we announced an amnesty for him,” Taliban spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan had told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location hours after the blast.
“Our target was Haroon Bilour.”
COMMENTS (18)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Unless and until our political elite adopt people,s friendly policies to get their support and educate them against the threat of militancy, this menace cannot be rooted out.
@RizwanKhan: What medicine? Are you mental or something? They lost over a thousand people affiliated with their party. What's worse is they never attacked the taliban; just spoke out against them. I've been affiliated with the PTI since 1998 but the kind of comments you just made are despicable and disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourself. Innocent men, women and children were killed in these explosions. How would you feel if you lost someone precious in something this horrid? This is the difference between Pakistan and the rest of the world. When something like this happened, regardless who or what it is, they stand united; but in Pakistan people have the audacity of wishing it upon others-which is nothing short of vile. This is why there is no hope for this country.
He & his party deserve it. Getting the taste of their own medicine.
The authorities he mentioned are not capable of fighting terrorism. The only people who can fight terrorists are Phakhtoons themselves. Stand up and fight.
What you have been doing in the last 5 years? Oh busy in looting the railway
Says the guy who put a bounty on the 'Innocence of Muslims' director to get in the good books of the very fanatics he's now being targeted by.
@Sara Khan:
they were not sitting in the lap of president. they were resisting the terrorists even at that time, brought an end to their rule in swat, Buner and Did, and lost 800 party workers. at the same time carried out in unprecedented developments in education, health, infrastructure, and power sectors. these facts might be hard for u to digest as elections r around the corner. Cowardly and sadistic silence of people like u and parties u belong to is giving confidence and tacit approval to terrorists, without forgeeting that the nuisance, which at the moment is after anp, would not spare anyone who disagrees to their way of thinking.
Abul Kalam Azad, Abdul Kalam Azad!
@Voice of D.I.Khan: Dr. Tahir ul Qadri has issued a 600page comprehensive fatwa on terrorism. It is one of the most popular books around and has been authenticated by scholars all across the world, including pakistan.
Search for Fatwa on terrorism and you'll find it, its an interesting read.
“Ulema should come forward and need to collectively issue a Fatwa against terrorism. Whereas other political parties should also come forward and defend ANP because we are neither non-Muslims nor non-believers; we believe on humanity and have the same faith of Maulana Hussain Ahmed Madani and Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad,” he said.
Our sympathies should go to Mr. Bilour at this tragic incident. His above statement, however, is as confusing as the nation is on the issue of terrorism. Ulema will not come up with a Fatwa because some of them vicariously believe in the ideals of the Taliban, and others have been threatened or killed to silence them. Also, most of these Pakistani Ulema are the anti-thesis of Maulana Madni and Maulana Azad in the sense that Madni and Azad were proponents of a United India with Muslims, Hindus, and others living together in an undivided country. At least Maulana Azad had predicted these conditions now prevailing in Pakistan more than 60 years ago in his book: "India Wins Freedom." In order to understand what is happening now in Pakistan it is a 'must read' book. Nonetheless, it is true that the elders of ANP supported Madni's and Azad's views and were firm supporters of a secular and united India.
For the last 5 years the ANP chief was curry favoring the US. Making secret visits to the white house while his minister was plundering the Railways. What a crybaby, acusing the interim govt. How about FIR agaist Bilour for plundering the railway?
"Bilour, while addressing a press conference in Peshawar, said that an FIR will be lodged against the President of Pakistan, Supreme Court Chief Justice, Chief of Army Staff, Chief Election Commissioner and the leaders of all those political parties who did not condemn terrorists if any member of Bilour’s family or party was targeted henceforth."
Related news in today's ET: http://tribune.com.pk/story/536640/bomb-attack-house-of-anp-leader-targeted-in-charsadda/
WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO?
@Voice of D.I.Khan:
Because most of them share their views. The good ones who raised their voice against the menace of Taliban, such as Sarfaraz Naeemi, are either killed or cowed into submission.
Maybe Bilour should place a bounty on the Taliban?
What an apology.... Hahahahaha....
Why can't Ulma declare these Taliban Kafir....????????
How about those got killed when ANP was in power for the last 5 years and you all were sitting in presidents lap???