Gen Qamar consoles a relative of an APS attack victim. PHOTO: INP
More than 150 people — mostly pupils — perished when terrorists, armed with assault rifles, hand grenades and suicide vests rampaged through the sprawling building of APS in the heart of Peshawar.
“We can’t forget those children,” army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa told the gathering. “The aim of today’s function is to recall how much blood was spilled. The wound is very deep and its complete healing is impossible.”
Addressing the ‘enemies of country’, Gen Qamar said the army would relentlessly chase all terrorists till they were completely uprooted. “My message to the enemies of our country is that our resolve is unflinching and we will chase these savages to their last bastion and will not rest till their total elimination from every nook and corner of the motherland,” he said.
At the memorial in the school, smartly dressed military officers presented a salute in tribute to the students and staff who died. Gen Qamar was the chief guest at the event.
The army chief said the terror attack on innocent children of the school was an attack on humanity and the most painful and unforgettable moment in our history. “While our hearts go out to all affected families, I personally draw my motivation from this huge sacrifice,” the army chief said.
Gen Qamar said he shared the grief of all affected families as ‘a father and a brother’, adding that the terrorists had tried to demoralise the nation and the armed forces by attacking the softest target.
He assured the parents of the martyred children that the armed forces and the whole nation stood shoulder to shoulder with them during these testing times. “We are trying our best to render all necessary assistance to the next of kin of the Shuhada (martyrs) and we will continue our efforts,” he said.
Gen Qamar said education was a prerequisite for progress of any nation and the army would continue to contribute towards provision of quality education. “The armed forces are the guarantor of defence of the country, and we will not leave any stone unturned to fulfill our duty.”
Earlier, the army chief laid a floral wreath at the martyrs’ monument and offered Fateha. Later he joined the families of the martyrs, a large gathering of locals and the APS students and staff for recitation of the Holy Quran on the school premises. Gen Bajwa also met the families of the deceased and interacted with the schoolchildren for more than an hour, assuring them of all his support.
Separately, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also extended ‘his heartfelt sympathies’ to the families of the martyred students as he said the nation could not forget the agony of this day.
“I share the pain and grief with the bereaved families. The entire Pakistani nation feels and shares the pain of the tragedy and stand by the mourning families,” Sharif said in a statement issued by his office.
He said Dec 16 reminded Pakistanis of the most painful tragedy of their lives when their innocent students were mercilessly killed at the place of their studies.
“It was a day when the heartless enemy committed an act of barbarism and savagery against defenceless school boys. We cannot forget the agony of this day,” he said.
The premier said the Pakistani nation and leadership took a clear and categorical decision for an indiscriminate action against terrorists after the incident.
“We decided to act with our full might for elimination of terrorism and extremism from our society; showing no mercy for those who martyred our little angels.”
According to the PM, the world had seen that Pakistan dismantled the terrorists’ networks and broke their back by rendering matchless sacrifices in this war of our survival.
“I assure the nation that we will take this war to its logical conclusion to guarantee a peaceful and stable Pakistan for our future generations,” Sharif added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2016.
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