Pakistan marks third anniversary of APS attack

PESHAWAR: The third anniversary of the Army Public School carnage that claimed lives of 147 persons, mostly schoolchildren, is being observed today.

The portraits of the martyrs have been displayed on roads in Peshawar Cantonment and other parts of the provincial capital to pay tributes to them. An event was held at the Army Public School & College (Boys) in Peshawar in memory of the martyrs. Corps Commander Peshawar, Lt Gen Nazir Ahmed Butt was  the chief guest on the occasion.

The families of the martyrs and some organisations have arranged Quran Khwani for the departed souls at their homes and different places in the provincial capital. A group of parents of the martyred students has announced a protest sit-in outside the Peshawar Press Club on the occasion of third anniversary of the terrorist attack to highlight their grievances and demands.

Security across the provincial capital has been upgraded to avoid any untoward incident. According to a senior police official, a number of search and strike operations were carried out all over Peshawar during the last few days to arrest suspects.

A total of 147 people, including 122 schoolchildren, were martyred when six militants attacked the Army Public School & College (Boys) in the Peshawar Cantonment on Warsak Road on December 16, 2014.

The parents of the schoolchildren are still celebrating the birthdays of their martyred kids while mothers of many have kept the schoolbags and all the belongings of their children. They keep visiting the graves of their children.

Not only the parents and close family members, but the friends of the martyred students and even the general public can never forget the smiling faces of the innocent students who became victim of the worst ever terrorist act in the country.

Many schools, roads and a park were named after the martyrs of the APS tragedy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, Punjab and Balochistan. People have placed huge billboards of many of these young souls in different parts of the city to pay tributes to them.

A National Action Plan was launched after the APS attack that led to improvement in the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and rest of the country in recent years. According to the data of the KP Police, 2017 remained the most peaceful year in the last decade due to the actions taken by the police and security forces.

Prime minister pays tribute to martyrs

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has urged the nation to make a pledge to build a democratic society with zero tolerance for violence and extremism in name of religion, sect, ethnicity or race.

In his message to the nation on the anniversary of the tragedy of Army Public School (APS) Peshawar to be observed on Saturday (December 16), the prime minister said the day would be remembered as black day in country’s history when barbaric elements had targeted the innocent children of the APS. He said the children who had gone to school for study, returned either in coffins or severely injured. He said the Pakistani nation had rendered unprecedented sacrifices in war against terrorism, more than any other nation in the world.

The prime minister viewed that the APS tragedy had led to the historic national unity and promoted the nation to make a firm resolve for unanimously launching a decisive action against terrorists.

He said the valiant security forces of Pakistan defeated the terrorists under the National Action Plan and broke their back consequent to their tireless efforts. The blood of the innocent people has come to fruition making the Pakistani nation the only nation across the world that had defeated the terrorists.

Prime Minister Abbasi said the memory of the APS victims would continue disturbing us. This day would keep recalling us as how much innocent souls we had sacrificed to purge our homeland of terrorists.

He said December 16 was the day to pay tribute to those innocent people and sympathise with their grieved parents and the nation would keep their immortal sacrifice alive forever. He said it was also the day to renew our national resolve against

The prime minister said whole of the Pakistani nation pays tribute to its innocent martyrs, Pakistan Army, police and security forces and make a pledge to take this struggle to its logical end.

Imran Khan's message 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan in a tweet said "Today as we remember with sorrow the devastating terrorist attack on APS Peshawar that martyred our precious innocent children & their teachers, we must ensure this can never happen again so our future generations can be nurtured safely to follow their dreams"

Bilawal laments inaction after APS tragedy

In his message on the the third anniversary of APS attack, the PPP chairman said in a tweet, "3 years after the #APS tragedy we continue to fail the victims. Failed to conduct the judicial inquiry their families demanded. Failed to implement #NAP. Failed to insure such an incident would never happen again, not on our watch. We can do better. A #PPP govt will."