No more smoke of gunpowder, slogans of hate in country: PM

Says APS martyrs gave the nation a direction; pledges to avenge blood of every martyr; declares Dec 16 Youm-e-Azm-e-Taleem; countrywide functions pay tribute to martyrs; civil, military leadership attend main function at APS Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Pakistan will have no more smoke of gunpowder and slogans of hate, said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at a graceful ceremony held here on Wednesday at the Army Public School.

He said the blood of the children martyred at the school on December 16, 2014 gave the nation a direction and sense of purpose to defeat terrorism and make Pakistan a bright and peaceful country.

He said security forces, police and civil administration are including their blood into theblood of martyrs by offering sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. About terrorists, he said it is not possible to talk with the beasts.

Paying tributes to the APS martyrs, he said: “Your death was a huge tragedy that pierced our hearts, but the sacrifice unified the nation.” The prime minister was speaking to a large gathering of guests, including the country’s ruling elite, civil and military officers, notables from different walks of life and family members of the martyred and wounded students, teachers and other employees.

The event was held in the spacious lawns of the school-cum-college in the backdrop of the monument built in the memory of the martyrs. Designed by well-known architect Nayyar Ali Dada and his team, the monument’s walls symbolise silence and peace that was disturbed a year ago by the violence perpetrated by six terrorists who indiscriminately gunned down anyone in sight. The names of the martyrs have been engraved in the walls and the shape of birds taking flight represents the 122 schoolchildren who were killed on that fateful day.

The prime minister declared December 16 as the “Youm-e-Azm-e-Taleem” to reinforce the national resolve for promoting education. He announced the setting up of the Army Public Shuhada University in memory of the martyred students, teachers and staffers.

In his speech, Nawaz Sharif repeatedly praised the sacrifices of the slain students and pledged to avenge the blood of every martyr. He was full of praise for General Raheel Sharif-led security forces for uprooting the terrorists from their strongholds and making Pakistan safe and secure compared with the recent past. “We have broken the backbone of the terrorists by launching the military operation Zarb-e-Azb and are now on course to defeating terrorism,” he declared.

The prime minister said those opposed to education were the enemies of humanity. “We need to give a peaceful, educated and prosperous Pakistan to our coming generations,” he added.

The event was held on the first anniversary of the terrorist attack on the APS. The parents of all the 147 martyrs were given medals and ownership documents for a plot of land in the upcoming Defence Housing Authority project in Peshawar. Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak and Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rahman and Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed gave away the medals and documents to the family members, mostly parents of the slain students, of the martyrs.

Apart from the chief ministers of the four provinces and the chief executives of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, the top political leaders of the country attended the event to show solidarity with the APS martyrs. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami head Sirajul Haq, JUI-F General Secretary Maulana Ghafoor Haideri, who is also deputy chairman of the Senate, and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) leader Aftab Sherpao were present along with General Rashad Mahmood, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, and the army, air force and naval chiefs.

The family members of the martyred students, teachers and APS staffers were given standing ovation as they were escorted to the venue by male school students holding portrait of every martyr and bouquet of flowers carried by female students. The profile of every martyr was read out by the APS students and their qualities of head and heart were highlighted.

The entire proceedings were conducted by the confident students of APS. They recited poetry, sang anthems and enlivened the proceedings.

Principal Naghma Habib accompanied the dignitaries as they climbed the stage and received the family members of the martyrs. The family of late principal Tahira Qazi was escorted to the venue first while that of six-year old Khaula Bibi, who was killed in the principal’s office where she had come for seeking admission to the school, was escorted there last.

Functions were also held in different parts of the country to pay tribute to the martyrs of the APS Peshawar.