Parents seek judicial probe into APS massacre

PESHAWAR: Amid demands for judicial probe into the tragedy, glowing tributes were paid to the martyrs of the Army Public School & College (Boys) as the third anniversary of the attack was observed across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata on Saturday.

Functions and rallies were organised where the members of the civil society organisations asked the government to award capital punishment to the detained Taliban spokesperson, Ihsanullah Ihsan and form a judicial commission to probe the terrorist attack that took place on December 16, 2014.

The main function was held at the Army Public School & College (Boys) on Warsak Road where the parents of the martyred and injured APS students and army officials were in attendance.

Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Nazir Ahmed Butt was the chief guest on the occasion. The corps commander laid floral wreath at the martyrs’ monument and offered fateha for the deceased. A guard of honour was also presented.

After recitation from the holy Quran, the APS students presented the national anthem. The military band accompanied the students. Then Quran Khwani was held for the martyred students and staff members. Souvenirs and gifts were also presented.

Earlier, a reception was hosted for the next of kin of the students who were

injured in the attack on the school-cum-college three years ago.

The civil society organisations held a protest sit-in outside the Peshawar Press Club to mark the anniversary of the brazen attack in which 147 persons, including 122 students were martyred and 125 others were wounded.

The Ulasi Tehrik also organised a function at the Archives Hall to observe the third anniversary of the APS attack.

The participants of the protest sit-in, including Taimur Kamal, Shafiq Gigyani, Suleman Yousafzai, Mushtaq Durrani, Fawad Khan and Ibrahim Khan urged the government to accept the demands of the families of the victims.

They said it was unfortunate that the demands were not being met by the government. Speaking on the occasion, some bereaved parents said that December 16 should be declared a public holiday.

The sit-in was attended by people from civil society organisations who said the government had announced after the attack that new schools in the name of the martyred students would be built, but later the old ones were renamed after the martyrs.

They said it was also announced that all schools would be provided security, but later the terrorist attacked the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda and recently the Agriculture Training Institute in Peshawar and this showed it had failed to honour the commitment.

They demanded the government to rebuild the schools destroyed by militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The speakers at the sit-in and the anniversary function criticised the government for its decision to shut down about 1,000 schools in the province.

They urged the government to punish Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan, who had confessed to the killings of the innocent students and claimed responsibility for many terrorist attacks.

They said that Ihsanullah should be awarded death sentence as this was the demand of the families of the APS martyrs.

Dr Said Alam Mehsud, organiser of the Ulasi Tehrik said the government formed judicial commissions to probe the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Model Town killings, but it was reluctant to order probe into the APS tragedy.

He said the government should form a judicial commission to investigate the attack on APS to establish the facts.

PARACHINAR: Glowing tributes were paid to the students and staff of the Army Public School & College (Boys) who were martyred in the terror attack in Peshawar on December 16, 2014.

The students sang national songs and presented programmes in various schools and colleges in Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurram Agency.

Speaking on the occasion, the students said that they would defeat the terrorists by getting education.

They said that APS martyrs would always be remembered in the history of the country.

The students had also arranged Quran Khwani and condolence references for the APS martyrs on the occasion.

Three students, Imran Hussain, Ibrar Hussain and Nadeem Hussain hailing from Kurram Agency, had also embraced martyrdom in the APS attack.

MINGORA: Paying homage to the APS martyrs, Member National Assembly Ayesha Syed said that the government should take concrete steps to avoid such incidents in future. Speaking at a function, she said that killing innocent students was an act of cowardice. Saying that incidents of terror in the educational institutions were regrettable, Ayesha Syed said the whole nation was united and ready to offer sacrifices in the war against terrorism.

Security put on high alert: Security on Saturday remained on alert all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the third anniversary of the attack on Army Public School & College located at Warsak Road.

Officials said that security at the entry points and other places of the provincial capital remained on alert while patrolling was increased to keep a check on any suspicious movement.

Quran Khwani and ceremonies were held at homes of the martyrs, schools and other places on Saturday to mark the third anniversary of the gruesome attack on December 16, 2014.

As many as 147 persons, including 122 students, were martyred and 125 others were wounded when terrorists broke into the Army Public School & College (Boys). The attackers fired indiscriminately at young students and teachers in classrooms, auditorium, corridors and other places where they had taken shelter.

More than a hundred schools, roads and parks have been named after the martyrs of the APS tragedy. Huge billboards of many of the young souls have been displayed on the roadsides in the city to pay tributes to the martyrs.

The officials of the Rescue 1122 on Saturday paid tribute to the APS martyrs during a ceremony held on the third anniversary of the attack.

Director General of the Rescue 1122 Dr Asad Ali Khan and a number of others attended the ceremony in which Fateha was offered for the martyrs. Dr Asad Ali highlighted the role of Rescue 1122 on the day of the APS attack and appreciated the commitment and efforts of the rescuers.

A large number of people on social media paid tributes to the martyrs, the wounded and their families for their sacrifices and asked the government to take measures and ensure that no educational institution or any other place is attacked in the future.