Qissa Khwani massacre anniversary

89th Anniversary of Qissa Khwani Bazaar massacre observed on April 23

PESHAWAR: The 89th Anniversary of Qissa Khwani Bazaar massacre will be observed on April 23 (today). The day is observed to pay homage to 400 martyrs who faced bullets for raising voice against the British rule in Sub Continent.

On this day in 1930, a large number of workers of Khudai Khidmatgar Tehreek had assembled in Qissa Khwani Bazaar after the arrest of the founder of the movement, Abdul Ghaffar Khan , for making a speech at Uthmanzai against the British rule. Two platoons of Royal Garhwal Rifles had refused to take part in the action, after which other platoons were sent forward who opened machinegun fire on the unarmed workers.

British put the death toll to 20, while the locals say there were almost 400 martyrs. There are two different monuments of the martyrs in the bazaar which were built by a renowned personality of the Peshawar Ashiq Baqal.

Later, these monuments were built all over again by the ex-mayor late Saeed Ahmed Jan where the workers of Awami National Party (ANP) and other organisations pay tribute to the martyrs by laying the flowers on the monuments every year.  

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2019.