UK MPs, civil society pay tributes to Peshawar APS students

LONDON: British parliamentarians and members of the civil society paid tributes to nearly 150 children and staff killed during terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar.
The event was organised by the United International Communities Forum (UICF-UK) in the House of Lords and was attended by lords, baronesses, government ministers, MPs, diplomats, civic and religious leaders.
Speakers from across the party lines stressed that they had gathered to remember those children and staff who were slaughtered in the school in Peshawar and in their sacrifice the young students symbolised the resilience Pakistani people have shown against terrorism through sacrifices at all levels.
Those who made speeches included Baroness Jenny Randerson, Met Police commander Makhdoom Chishti, Yasmin Quraishi MP, Dr Israr Hussain, Madhu Sethi, Jenny Willott MP and others.
They said that Pakistan army was playing a leading role in ‘war against terrorism’ by leading from the front and rendering more sacrifices than all other countries put together. The speakers said that terrorism is the biggest challenge facing the world in this century and attack on Peshawar school showed why a united effort is needed and Pakistan must be supported instead of focusing on blame game and applying double standards.
The speakers said that Pakistan is the biggest victim of terrorism in the world as carnage mayhem and destruction at the hands of terrorists is unleashed on a daily basis and this has been going on for over a decade now. The Pakistani hospitals are inundated with casualties of terrorist atrocities every day and no other country in the world is having to deal with terrorism as the Pakistan armed forces is currently doing. They said that terrorists chose APS to send a message to Pakistan army that they were united against Pakistan army because of its operation Zarb-e-Azb and action against terrorists in various parts of Pakistan. They said that innocent children were slaughtered to weaken the resolve of Pakistan but General Raheel Sharif has done a remarkable job by declaring that without any discrimination all types of terrorists will be dealt with and the menace of terrorism will be rooted out at any cost.
Shazada Hayat, President of UICF (UK) said the heinous act of indiscriminately killing the defenceless innocent children has gone beyond the boundaries of evil.
“The children killed in their classrooms in the most horrific manner were shown no mercy by the terrorists who brought their life to an abrupt end. Children are looked upon by humanity as angels. Here the carnage and slaughter of these angels is beyond belief. To blame Islam and malign Islam with terrorism is counterproductive and very sad as Islam preaches peace, respect and tolerance. It’s unfortunate that the international community has failed to fully acknowledge the role Pakistan has played to make this world a safe place.
Pakistan has sacrificed its young and innocent people for the safety of the world and that’s precisely the reason why millions of Pakistanis all over the world feel hurt and humiliated when the likes of President Barak Obama lecture Pakistan on rooting out militancy and make baseless allegations of ‘safe havens’.”