Children set to leave for a 10 day China trip. PHOTO: AFP
PESHAWAR: Ten survivors of the Peshawar school tragedy will fly out to Beijing Monday morning as part of a 10-day tour of China. This is the first batch of Army Public School (APS) students undertaking the trip.
The principal aim of this tour is to divert the attention of students from the December 16 terror attack on the APS in which 150 people, mostly students, were brutally killed by Taliban.
An official has confirmed that the top 10 survivors of grade 8th to 12th, along with a family member, will leave for China Monday morning.
The group of students along with their family members had lunch in the General Headquarters Rawalpindi while they were also invited by the China Embassy for dinner.
An official said that only two students of class 9th out of 32 survived the attack. One of them was injured while the other is included among the visiting students.
The surviving students from class 8th to 12th will visit three countries – China, Hong Kong and Malaysia – while the martyred pupils’ parents will be sent to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2rd, 2015.
COMMENTS (34)
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@A J Khan: May be I missed that in the article that it was China sponsored. Can you please point out where is that information mentioned in the article? If it is indeed China sponsored, that will still leave one problem - which 10 students get to go from each class? Are some students more traumatized than the others? Was there a lottery? Sending the 10 brightest students only seems very cruel and insensitive to the others.
@Ayesha: Well said, Ayesha.
@In the name of love (what more): Fair enough. Send them all on the trip with funds from charities. If government does it, it has to be fair and that it is not at the cost of other essential programs for all students in the country. 'Top 10 students' out of a 1000+ is very discriminatory, and defeats the purpose.
@Lol: Were only top 10 students traumatized? What about the other 1000 students? What about all the school children in KPK who were traumatized by the massacre? It is cruel to be selective in healing. You should take care of everyone fairly.
@Samir: since when did extravagant trips abroad become “psychiatric treatment"?? What medical book did u read that in?
would somebody please tell why the “top 10" students will be visiting. Is this meant to say that those who didnt have good grades need no diversion from the tragedy. Shouldnt the criteria be based on psychological evaluations to see who are the students clinically in danger of PTSD and needing intervention? And secondly why a trip to china? The army is definitely over-compensating for a problem it itself created. APS being an army school was under army security. The frequent visits of the COAS, the release of the song by ISPR, now this overly expensive trip. All to make the army seem generous and caring to this ever so illiterate nation has no idea who was actually responsible for their children's security.
@Jawad U Rahman: I guess this is the best decision to divert their attention, because what the had gone through is not that easy to forget but people like you never miss a chance to criticize which is pathetic and sad.
It should have been "principle", not "prinicpal".
I never thought that the people would comment in this way. I can only say that it was a much needed step for the survivors. Have a great trip ahead!
They should come to India as Yoga & Pranayam helps in mental rehabilitation. What Atheist China is going to offer?
@Jawad U Rahman: This is China sponsored visit. You cannot cash every hospitality. Besides sufficient funds are available which can look after student and Schools problems if not eaten away by bureaucracy, the termites of Pakistan.
A good measure, indeed. There was a dire need to help these kids overcome the trauma which could haunt them for the rest of their lives.
hahaha because they are kids of military personals?
While this decision can be latched upon by the usual cynics; wasting money, use it for poor, use for security etc., its an unprecedented move by the Pak army. They've never been the best of the humanitarians and benevolence is hardly a word used to describe them. But these little boys need a break...from life.. The army has today done what the west is praised for, have a heart for others.
@c'mon: True that Army has suffered a lot but not more than civilians did. See following link civilian death toll is far more than that of Army.
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/database/casualties.htm
That's good decision... and for all those who are blaming that "what about other pakistanis?" I think this the army who has been suffered alot in this war and has been convinced us to fight against them but our leaders never paid attention and still not focusing on this issue... Why so much hurdles in army courts ?
@Samir: Also what about those survivors of Imambargah attack in Shikarpur where more than 60 were killed? Don't they need treatment? What about survivors of those attacks which killed more than 50,000 Pakistanis?
@Samir: I do understand the pain they endured. But what about other Pakistanis? Don't they need some treatment which they were unfortunately not provided like these children of Fujis.
Jawed----how cruel are you??!! Its a step ahead in the right direction. If you are trumatised, thats the first step to rehab----getting away from that position or point of focus.
In the meantime please don't ask about China trips for the surviving Shias from last week's massacre at Shikarpur....
By the way who is sponsoring this tour, army, provincial or federal government, or Malik Riaz.
This is the government's way of psychological therapy, whenever there is an attack, all the Pakistani Ministers, Chief Ministers, even PM goes to a foreign country for psychological therapy for themselves and may have thought that this is the best way for the kids that went thru horrific experience to have a psychological therapy. To see what is out there, this way government officials also had an excuse for their own psychological therapy, and their baigmaat, the first ladies did the shopping therapy for themselves.
A great initiative. All detractors over here worrying over money are being selfish to the core. You cannot imagine what they went through and there is a need for psychiatric treatment. One of the way to treat is to distract; can you imagine the pain of the grade 9 student who is the lone survivor??
See whose blood is precious (APS student) and whose blood is cheap in this country.(Hazara/Shikarpur/Karachi) etc. The double standard for which curse other is deep rooted in our selves.
@JD: When we have such limited funds and an abysmal unresolved security situation, we have to prioritize. Where on the one hand the government is telling the school teachers to carry guns because it cannot afford to provide security to every school, I think foreign trips for a few selected students will look extravagant. 'Top ten' students from 10th to 12th grade, means 30 students and 30 dear ones. Sending 60 people on a 10 day visit to China translates into roughly 18 Million rupees (300 thousand per person including airfare and hotel, meals, transportation etc). Under the current circumstance, to me it appears inappropriate.
I wish all the best to students.
Right now it would be terribly cold. Hope they would take enough warm cloths to bear the weather.
I went to Beijing from January 17 to 24 and went to the Grate Wall of China. The temprature there was minus twenty degrees centigrade.
The nation will wait for your return. Have a safe journey.
Not bad.
Jawad - Following your line of argument, no one should appreciate any act of compassion (monetary or otherwise) because that money could have been used elsewhere. For eg: couldn't the money to compensate the blast victims have been used to improve security of the ones that are living? Its a never ending discussion. Please appreciate what little steps they take. Its better than nothing and trust me, we mostly get nothing.
With all due respects - what is a top 10 survivor??? Is there a ranking system now? Seems on kids at APS matter. What about the 1000s of kids who have suffered or witnessed similar brutality across the country?
Will the kids be visiting the Muslim region in China where Uighers live? They may learn a thing or two about reality.
So many children including Malala was attacked. Are children of the services greater than the civilians? After all its the army that created the monsters in the first place
Thats a very good idea! Thanks for the wisdom! Money well spent. Mean while, Keep up the security of all vulnerable people and places please.
" The surviving students from class 8th to 12th will visit three countries – China, Hong Kong and Malaysia" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ China will not be too pleased with that!.
Couldn't this money have been used to improve the security for ALL students and citizens in Pakistan. These kids and all other kids of Pakistan don't need foreign trips, they need basic security and want to exercise their fundamental right to go to their schools without fear.