Father says everyone showed concern for bereaved families

PESHAWAR: The father of a martyred student of Army Public School and College has appreciated the federal and provincial governments, military authorities and general public for sharing their grief at each and every moment.
“The love, affection, respect and attention of the entire society enabled all of us to bear such a heart-wrenching tragedy,” said Tufail Khattak, whose son Sher Shah was martyred in the terrorist attack on the school on December 16 last year.
His other son Ahmad Ali Shah survived miraculously. Sher Shah was studying in grade 10 in the school and Ahmad Ali Shah in grade 8.Within three months after the incident, Tufail Khattak who is serving in a private firm, said the federal and provincial governments and military authorities fulfilled their commitments and people belonging to all walks of life consoled them.
Lauding the political leaders, military authorities, government officers, activists of civil society and general public, he said that they visited each and every affected family and shared their grief.
Hailing from Daag Ismailkhel village in Nowshera district, Tufail Khattak said the provincial government named higher secondary school in his village after his son, Sher Shah Shaheed. He said other schools in almost every village and union council were named after the martyred students.
He said the provincial government also gave Rs2 million as compensation to each affected parents besides releasing huge funds for the treatment of the injured students at the Agha Khan Hospital in Karachi.
“The psychotherapy of all survivors is going on under the supervision of a highly qualified team of doctors led by Brigadier Rashid Qayyum,” he said. He added that two batches of parents had been sent to Saudi Arabia for performing Umrah while the third one would be leaving for Jeddah on March 21.
He said VIP arrangements and facilities were provided to the affected parents even in Saudi Arabia. He reminded that the students along with attendants were sent to other countries such as China and were given admission in Cadet College.
He said free education would be provided to one brother of the martyred students. He said the federal government has already announced Sitara Shujaat and Tamgha Shujaat for all martyred students and sent summary to the President of Pakistan to be announced on March 23.
The parents, he said were given a briefing in Garrison Club and were told that most of the criminals out of the total 27 involved in the school attack had been killed and arrested and the rest would be apprehended soon.