MULTAN: All Punjab cities woke up to a day of mourning on Wednesday and stopped their routine businesses to commemorate the deaths of 141 schoolchildren and staffers in a Peshawar armyrun school on Tuesday. Commerce stood at a standstill while people in droves took to the streets, protested the terror attack and offered funeral prayers in absentia for the terror victims.

In Multan, the activists of civil society, trade and political organisations and students arranged processions and vigils while markets were partially closed. Traffic was thin.

Jammatud Dawa chief HafizMuhammad Saeed said America, Afghanistan and India were involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan.

The vice-chancellor of Bahauddin Zakariya University, faculty members, staff and students offered prayers.

Multan Union of Journalists and Multan Press Club members also staged protest processions.

MIANWALI: Markets were shut while lawyers stayed away from courts in protest at the killings.

Hundreds of people attended funeral pryers in absentiafor thevictims at the Markazi Eidgah.

District bar Association President Liaqat Ali Malik and traders` leader Haji Falak Sher Awami condemned terrorism.

VEHARI: Traders, lawyers and private schools stopped working to mourn the deaths. People took out a procession, led by Arshad Ahmed Bhatti, in the Vehari city.

Public colleges and schools also boycotted classes and took out a rally against the Peshawar incident. The Lawyers of Vehari, Mailsi and Burewala took out processions. Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf, Jamaat-i-Islami and traders offered funeral prayers in absentia.

B A H A W A L P U R : Shutterdown, court boycott, protest rallies, candlelight vigils and funeral prayers in absentia remained the main activities in Bahawalpur on the first day of mourning on Wednesday. People thronged the Old Campus Chowk, DCO office lawns and Fowara Chowk for protest, funeral pryers, vigils and Quarn khawani.

Commissioner retired Captain Javed Akbar, DCO Imran Skindar Baloch, RPO Rai Muhammad Tahir and DPO Sarfraz Ahmed Falki joined the prayers.

The Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat, the PTI, the JI, the All Pakistan Clerck Association, MNA BegumParveen Masood Bhatti, MPAs Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar and Fauzia Ayub Qureshi and students of the Islamia University joined protest rallies.

CHINIOT: On the appeal of the Anjuman Tajran, shopkeepers across the district shut their their shops, while on the appeal of Private School Owners` Association, schools remained closed. Well-attended funeral pryers were held at the Islamia College.

The Ahmadiyya community also condemned the Peshawar incident. Their spokesperson Saleemuddin said he was short of words to express his grief and sorrow at the tragedy. He said in this tragic hour the Ahmadiyya community mourned with the people of Pakistan.

Protest processions were also taken out in Lalian and Bhowana.

GUJRANWALA: The district remained closed on Wednesday while traders took out protest processions on GT Road. Lawyers boycotted courts and offered funeral pryers in absentia. Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education employees observed a prayer day. Similarly, Gujranwala Electric Power Company employees and workers also expressed their shock over the carnage. The students of state-run and private schools,traders and political workers also took out protest procession on GT Road while the activists of Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen staged a sit-in at Lohianwala bypass intersection.

Christians held a congregation at Ghakkar Town church where Sharif Alam and Sharaz Sharif Alam condemned the attack.

SHEIKHUPURA: As the district remained closed, in Buchike, people offered funeral pryers in absentia for Tahir Mehmood, a class 10 student, who died in the school attack. The deceased belonged to the locality.

JHANG: A well-attended funeral prayers in absentia for the Peshawar tragedy was held in Charchi Ground. DCO Raja Khurram Shahzad, Pakistan Red Crescent Society`s Riaz Javed and Jhang Bar`s Afzal Sial were present.

Similarly, prayers were offered in Shorkot, Ahmadpur Sial and Athara Hazari.

SIALKOT: Traders, lawyers, students and political activists joined mourning in the district.

They suspended routine life, took out processions and offered prayers for the victims. Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Fazal Jilani with other members lit candles in the memory of the victims.

MUZAFFARGARH: Hundredsof people gathered at Fiaz Park to offer funeral prayers in absentia for Peshawar carnage victims. Such prayers were also held in the four tehsil headquarters. District markets remained closed and people took out rallies.

KASUR: People from all walks of life offered funeral prayers in absentia in Kasur, Pattoki, Chunian and Kot Radha Kishan while DCO Adnan Arshad Aulakh with other officials lit candles at Baldia Chowk. Journalists held Quran khawani at the Kasur Press Club.

GUJRAT: Traders and lawyers observed a complete strike while civil society, students and thee public participated in candlelit vigils. Funeral prayers in absentia were also offered at the police lines and University of Gujrat.

SARGODHA: The district was closed while people were in utter shock atthe tragedy.

A condolence meeting was held in the University of Sargodha where ViceChancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Alcram Chaudhry condemned the act of terrorism.

Pakistan Minorities Alliance`s Tahir Naveed also condemned the massacre of children.

Lawyers observed a strike while traders kept their shutters down till 1pm.