Tributes paid to APS attack victims

Functions held across K-P to remember the martyrs

PESHAWAR:

Rich tributes were paid to the victims of the Army Public School (APS) massacre on the eighth anniversary of the tragic attack here on Friday.

The main function was held at APS on Warsak Road where special prayers were offered for the departed souls of those who lost their lives in the atrocity. The ceremony was attended by parents of the martyrs and security officials.

The parents of victims laid a floral wreath on the yadgar-e-shuhada inside the school and offered fateha.

Eight years ago on this day, terrorists stormed the APS Peshawar campus and martyred about 150 innocent students, teachers and non-teaching staff of the school. Many more were injured.

The anniversary was observed in all the districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa officially and unofficially.

Families of the victims also held private events to remember their loved ones.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that on December 16 terrorists committed barbarity against the children of Army Public School (APS) eight years ago which is a reminder for the entire nation to be one voice against terrorism.

“The Pakistani nation will never forget the sacrifices of its martyrs,” the prime minister said.

“This day is a message to the whole world that Pakistan has made great sacrifices to eradicate terrorism,” he said. The prime minister vowed to continue the fight against terrorism and extremism.

“Our fight against terrorism will continue with the same strong resolve and perseverance until the complete elimination of this menace,” he added.

President Dr Arif Alvi said the tragic memory of the APS attack is still fresh in the hearts of the nation, which will never forget the sacrifices of the martyred children.

“December 16 will always be a reminder of the great sacrifices of the martyrs of the APS,” he said in his statement.

President Alvi recalled that the militants committed extreme barbarity by targeting innocent young children in 2014.

He said the APS tragedy brought the nation together to get united in a decisive war against terrorism.

Parents of the APS victims stage protest

Meanwhile, the parents of the APS victims staged a protest in Peshawar, demanding justice for their children.

The protest is held every year as some of the parents demand an independent commission to fix responsibility for the attack.

They said that till this day they had no idea who carried the attack at APS and what was the main purpose for this manslaughter.

It may be mentione d here that government claim that all the facilitators of the APS attack had been arrested, convicted and hanged but the families of the martyrs are not satisfied with the explanation.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2022.