Punjab CM cancels her Basant activities following Islamabad blast

• Basant show at Liberty Square cancelled: Punjab CM.
• CM Maryam says nation stands with armed forces.
• Sindh govt calls off musical segment of Cultural Night.
  

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday announced the cancellation of all of her Basant-related activities scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday), following a deadly blast in Islamabad that claimed 31 lives.

In a post on X, the Punjab chief minister said that the mega Basant show planned at the Liberty Square stands cancelled in the wake of the deadly suicide bombing inside an imambargah in the Tarlai area of the federal capital.

“It is imperative that the nation remains united against the Khawarji [terrorists] menace and their ‘sympathisers’, shows them no mercy, and stands shoulder to shoulder with our Armed Forces in defence of the country,” CM Maryam stated.

The three-day Basant festival kicked off today in Lahore as Punjab formally lifted a more than two-decade ban, with authorities enforcing strict safety measures to prevent accidents linked to kite flying.

CM Maryam’s decision to cancel her planned Basant activities follows a similar move by the Sindh government, which called off the musical segment of the Cultural Night organised for the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Association.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the dinner in honour of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Association will be held without music out of respect for the victims of the Islamabad blast.

At least 31 people were martyred, and 169 others were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside the imambargah during Friday prayer, confirmed officials.

The explosion occurred at Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra in Islamabad’s Tarlai area.

The suicide bomber detonated himself after being stopped at the entrance of the mosque, eyewitnesses told Brackly News, adding that the terrorists first opened fired and then resorted to the bombing.

The eyewitnesses further said that the main door is at least 30 metres away from the imambargah’s gate, adding that when the terrorist reached the main gate, guards tried to stop him, following which an exchange of fire took place.

“He then ran inside at least 20 metres, and as the prayer was underway, he blew himself up,” the eyewitnesses told Brackly News.