ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Federal government has announced to build a ‘Monument of Martyrs’ at the famous D-Chowk in Islamabad, aimed at paying tributes to thousands of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for security and survival of the country.
The announcement was made by the Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in Islamabad on Saturday.
The minister gave directions to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad administration for preparing a design of the Monument, and said that instead of making D-Chowk as arena for political wrangling and protests, it would be worthwhile to make it a symbol to pay tributes to our martyrs.
The interior minister said that construction of the monument in front of the Parliament House would enable not only the nation but also visiting foreign dignitaries to pay tributes to martyrs.
The D-Chowk area in the federal capital remained in the media spotlight last year when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) staged months long sit-in to register their protest against the 2013 general elections rigging and to bring electoral reforms.
The violent clashes also occurred amid the sit-in on August 30, 2014 when the workers of the two parties marched towards the Prime Minister House but were resisted by the police. In the meantime, a couple of protesters were martyred while hundreds of others were injured.
The area also witnessed the large public gatherings and rallies prior to the last year sit-in by various political parties.
In September this year as well, the PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced to hold a rally at D-Chowk on October 4 to pressurize the Election Commission members to leave their posts for their incompetence in conducting free and fair polls but later the party changed its venue because of not being given permission by the Islamabad administration.
