Never forget: Parents of slain APS children rally for justice
Protest against provincial and federal governments for failing to fix responsibility
Families of APS martyrs at Aman Chowk. PHOTO: INP
PESHAWAR:
Agitated by the failure of the provincial and federal governments to fix responsibility for the security lapse that led to the Army Public School (APS) tragedy, the Shuhada Forum held a protest rally on Saturday.
Accompanied by relatives, school and university students, civil society representatives and people from all walks of life, parents of slain schoolchildren marched from Aman Chowk near Gora Qabristan to APS on Warsak Road.
The demonstrators sought an impartial enquiry into the cold-blooded massacre of innocent schoolchildren and demanded the names of their children’s killers be publically announced by the government.
The bereaved parents held pictures of their martyred children and shouted slogans against the government.
Addressing the protest, Ajun Khan, the general secretary of Shuhada Forum and father of slain APS student Asfand Khan, said the aggrieved parents are disappointed by the government as more than 50 days have passed but it has failed to investigate their children’s killings. “We parents do not want anything from the government; we just want the enemies of our children to be caught,” he said.
Ajun criticised the provincial and federal governments, saying both have failed to identify those involved in the brutal attack despite assurances from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PTI Chairman Imran Khan that the perpetrators would be arrested.
The forum members threatened to take the protest to the federal capital if their demands are not met.
Abid Raza Bangash, father of martyred Rafiq Bangash, said all affected parents have united and will continue their protest till those who killed their children are brought to justice.
He appealed to the national leadership to restore peace in the country, give protection to all schoolchildren and eliminate terrorists from Pakistani soil.
Among the protesters was Kiran Bibi, sister of martyred APS student Basit Ali, who could not hold back her tears. Kiran told The Express Tribune her family has not been the same since her brother died that fateful December day. “The happiness has been sucked out of our house. All family members are caught in their grief and they cannot bear the loss of Basit,” she said.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Ayesha Gulalai, who was also part of the rally, told The Express Tribune the provincial government has directed police officers to investigate the APS attack and the enquiry is under way.
“Terrorist attacks take place in the country every other day; the government keeps making policies but that isn’t enough; the policies need to be implemented properly,” she said.
Gulalai maintained the federal government should take tangible steps in this regard and implement the National Action Plan formulated in the aftermath of the attack.
At the end of the protest, prayers were offered for the souls of the martyred children and restoration of peace in the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2015.
Agitated by the failure of the provincial and federal governments to fix responsibility for the security lapse that led to the Army Public School (APS) tragedy, the Shuhada Forum held a protest rally on Saturday.
Accompanied by relatives, school and university students, civil society representatives and people from all walks of life, parents of slain schoolchildren marched from Aman Chowk near Gora Qabristan to APS on Warsak Road.
The demonstrators sought an impartial enquiry into the cold-blooded massacre of innocent schoolchildren and demanded the names of their children’s killers be publically announced by the government.
The bereaved parents held pictures of their martyred children and shouted slogans against the government.
Addressing the protest, Ajun Khan, the general secretary of Shuhada Forum and father of slain APS student Asfand Khan, said the aggrieved parents are disappointed by the government as more than 50 days have passed but it has failed to investigate their children’s killings. “We parents do not want anything from the government; we just want the enemies of our children to be caught,” he said.
Ajun criticised the provincial and federal governments, saying both have failed to identify those involved in the brutal attack despite assurances from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PTI Chairman Imran Khan that the perpetrators would be arrested.
The forum members threatened to take the protest to the federal capital if their demands are not met.
Abid Raza Bangash, father of martyred Rafiq Bangash, said all affected parents have united and will continue their protest till those who killed their children are brought to justice.
He appealed to the national leadership to restore peace in the country, give protection to all schoolchildren and eliminate terrorists from Pakistani soil.
Among the protesters was Kiran Bibi, sister of martyred APS student Basit Ali, who could not hold back her tears. Kiran told The Express Tribune her family has not been the same since her brother died that fateful December day. “The happiness has been sucked out of our house. All family members are caught in their grief and they cannot bear the loss of Basit,” she said.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Ayesha Gulalai, who was also part of the rally, told The Express Tribune the provincial government has directed police officers to investigate the APS attack and the enquiry is under way.
“Terrorist attacks take place in the country every other day; the government keeps making policies but that isn’t enough; the policies need to be implemented properly,” she said.
Gulalai maintained the federal government should take tangible steps in this regard and implement the National Action Plan formulated in the aftermath of the attack.
At the end of the protest, prayers were offered for the souls of the martyred children and restoration of peace in the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2015.