LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced the cancellation of her scheduled Basant-related engagements, including a major official event in Lahore, following a deadly suicide blast at a Shiite Imambargah in Islamabad.
“In the wake of the Islamabad tragedy, I am cancelling all my Basant-related activities that were scheduled for tomorrow,” Sharif said in a post.
She added, “The mega Basant show at the Liberty Square also stands cancelled.”
She stressed that the decision was taken in light of the national security situation and called for unity against militancy.
“It is imperative that the nation remains united against the Khwarji [terrorists] menace and their ‘sympathisers’, shows them no mercy, and stands shoulder to shoulder with our Armed Forces in defense of the country,” she wrote, concluding with, “Pakistan Zindabad.”
The announcement followed a suicide blast at the Imambargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in Islamabad’s Tarlai area during Friday prayers. At least 31 people were killed and 169 wounded, according to officials, with the toll expected to rise as several injured remain in critical condition.
In a separate statement, the Punjab chief minister outlined emergency measures ordered by her government to assist victims. “25 fully equipped emergency ambulances have been dispatched to Islamabad for the victims of the Imambargah blast,” she said.
She added that “all hospitals across Rawalpindi District have been placed on high alert, with surgical teams, anesthetists, orthopedic and neurosurgical specialists on standby.”
According to her post, “blood banks are fully staffed, and operation theatres are fully equipped to ensure prompt and effective medical care for the injured,” while the commissioner and deputy commissioner of Rawalpindi had been directed “to extend every possible assistance.”
Expressing grief over the attack, Sharif said she was “deeply saddened by the tragic blast at an Imambargah in Islamabad.”
She added, “My heart goes out to the victims and their families during this painful time. Prayers for the swift recovery of the injured, and may Allah grant patience and strength to all those affected. Ameen.”
The blast occurred amid heightened security challenges in Pakistan and cast a shadow over Basant, the spring kite-flying festival that had just returned to Lahore after authorities lifted a ban in place for more than two decades for a limited three-day period.
While Basant festivities continued across the city, Sharif’s decision made clear that official government celebrations and her personal participation would not go ahead, reflecting the somber national mood following the Islamabad tragedy.
