Some parents seek judicial probe into APS attack

Observe first anniversary of tragedy as ‘black day’

PESHAWAR: Though four terrorists who were convicted for facilitating the Army Public School (APS) attack were hanged after being sentenced to death by the military courts, some parents of the victims reiterated their demand here Wednesday for an independent judicial probe into the incident.

The protesting parents holding banners and placards gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club on the first anniversary of the APS attack to highlight their demand.

Talking to reporters, some of the parents including Dr Zahoor Alam, father of Shahood Alam, Fazal Khan, father of Umar Khan and Zafar Iqbal, father of Osama Zafar said they observed the first anniversary of the carnage as ‘black day.’ Other family members of the slain and injured students were also present on the occasion.

They wore black armbands and demanded the registration of separate first information reports about the killing of each martyred student.

The Protesters demanded the formation of an independent judicial commission to probe the massacre so that exemplary punishment could be handed down to the culprits and their masterminds.

They also expressed concern on the selection of certain educational institutions that were named after the slain APS students. They complained that prestigious educational institutions weren’t named after the martyred students. Besides, they claimed 24 APS students had been ignored as no school was named after them.

“Unfortunately, the government neither built a memorial to recognise the bravery of the APS students nor acknowledged them as the victims of terrorism,” said a protester.

It may be mentioned that four of the six APS attack convicts were hanged 14 days ahead of December 16 to honour the commitment made to the families of the carnage to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.

The military courts have so far have sentenced 27 terrorists to death. They include the six APS attackers of whom four were hanged.

The four convicts who were hanged on December 2 at the Kohat district prison included Hazrat Ali, son of Awal Baz Khan and resident of Darra Adamkhel, Maulvi Abdul Salam, son of Shamsi, from Peshawar; Mujeebur Rehman alias Najeebur Rehman, son of Gulab Jan and Sabeel alias Yahya, son of Attaullah, hailing from Khyber Agency.

They were aligned with the Towheed Wal Jihad, a splinter group of the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The other two convicts were identified as Attiqur Rehman and Taj Mohammad alias Rizwan. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has stayed their conviction after their mothers filed judicial review petitions.

Earlier, the PHC had dismissed the judicial review petitions of the four convicts with the observation that there seemed no malafide intention on part of the military courts and the proceedings were carried out as per the law.

The announcement about their convictions was made by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the military, on August 13, 2015.

After dismissal of their mercy petitions by President Mamnoon Hussain, the ISPR announced on November 30 that Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif had issued their black warrants.

Maulvi Salam was convicted of harbouring the suicide bombers who attacked the APS, killing 147 people, including 122 schoolchildren.

The ISPR claimed that he had confessed his crime. It added that he was also involved in the killing of two army colonels and a senior official of the National Development Complex.

Hazrat Ali was convicted of raising funds for the APS attack and also for his involvement in the killing of 23 Levies personnel after kidnapping them.

Sabeel was found guilty of being involved in an attack on the Pakistan Air Force Peshawar base in 2012. He was also convicted of transporting 10 suicide bombers and abetting them in the APS attack.

Mujeebur Rehman was also convicted of transporting 10 suicide bombers for the attack on the PAF base. He was also involved in assaults on personnel of law-enforcement agencies and abetment in the APS attack.

The bodies of two of the convicts i.e. Najeebullah and Sabeel were handed over to relatives in Jamrud by the political administration of Khyber Agency.