Parents of APS victims demand judicial inquiry

PESHAWAR: ? Members of Shuhada and Ghazi Forum on Thursday complained that the government and military authorities didn’t properly address their concerns and grievances yet.
Addressing the parents and relatives of the victims of Army Public School (APS), said they had been demanding “an independent” judicial inquiry into APS tragedy to determine failure of the concerned people that led the loss of precious lives.
The parents and relatives of the school victims had organised candlelight vigil on Thursday evening at Amn or peace Chowk in Peshawar after completion of four months of the tragic incident.
“Our prime demand from the government and military authorities is to order a judicial inquiry into it. It will explain whose fault and failure led it happen. And then those people should be given an exemplary punishment for their failure or negligence,” Abid Raza Bangash, president of the forum said.
He said? members of the forum had accepted the posthumous civilian award as a protest. He said they had demanded of the government Nishan-e-Haider for the APS victims but they were given Tamgha-e-Shujaat. ?”It was very strange as the two teachers martyred in same school with our children rewarded with Sitara-e-Shujaat while our children were given Tamgha-e-Shujaat,” he complained.
?Abid Raza held civil and military officials responsible for their negligence and security lapse that caused the loss of many lives. “If the government is sincere, it should first take action against present IG police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who had stated that he had received a security alert about likely attack on the school but didn’t take it seriously as they used to receive such letters frequently,” the forum president said.
He and other parents vowed they never forget sacrifice of their children.“Today our martyrs children are asking us whether their sacrifice had brought together the nation. Whether the people had forgotten them. Whether it helped the military and the nation to fight the terrorists in a befitting manner,” Abid Raza said.
He our demand from the government is to make December 15 as pubic holiday, establishment of monument in recognition of APS victims and a judicial inquiry into the incident. “We will use other forums such as UN, courts and human rights organizations, if our demands weren’t accepted,” he said.
The parents of APS victims had established a very strong bond and its members seem to be members of same family. It was decided to organise a get together every month on 16 to remember the tragic incident. “We aren’t selling the blood of our children. We need recognition of our children. We wanted others’ children to remain safe in this country.? We don’t want any personal perks and privileges,” Abid Raza said.
On the occasion, members of the UK-based British Pakhtun Association including its president Fazle Rabi Khan, general secretary ?Javed Iqbal Yousafzai GS, and Tahira Khan, general secretary women wing, also spoke and praised the bravery and sacrifices of the school children.