WEB DESK: (Click Pakistan) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday cancelled all Basant festival activities scheduled for Saturday following a suicide bombing at a Imambargah in Islamabad that killed at least 31 people and injured 169 others, officials said.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Nawaz announced that the planned Basant event at Lahore’s Liberty Square would not proceed in light of the attack. She stressed the need for national unity against terrorism, urging citizens to stand alongside security forces.
“It is imperative that the nation remains united against the Khawarji menace and their sympathisers and stands shoulder to shoulder with our armed forces in defence of the country,” she said.
The decision came as Lahore launched a three-day Basant festival, marking the provincial government’s move to lift a ban on the traditional kite-flying celebration that had been in place for more than two decades due to safety concerns. Authorities had introduced strict safety measures to prevent accidents associated with the festival.
The move by Punjab’s Chief Minister followed similar actions by the Sindh Government, which cancelled the musical portion of a Cultural Night organized for the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Association. Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the dinner event would proceed without music to honor the victims.
The bombing occurred during Friday prayers at Imambargah Khadijah tul-Kubra in Islamabad’s Tarlai area. According to officials and eyewitnesses, the attacker detonated explosives after being stopped at the mosque’s entrance. Witnesses reported that security personnel attempted to block the suspect, leading to an exchange of gunfire before the blast.
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