APS victims to be paid tribute on 16th

ISLAMABAD: The whole nation will pay incomparable and rich tribute to the martyrs of Army Public School (APS) on their first death anniversary on Wednesday (December 16).

The political and military leadership will assemble in Peshawar on the day to remember 144 innocent children and their teachers who were mercilessly killed for none of their crime by ghastly but coward terrorists on the day one year ago. Well placed sources told The News that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif will lead the nation in paying homage to the young souls.

They will visit the APS and lay floral wreaths on the memorial. The leadership will also meet the parents of the martyrs in Peshawar and express their solidarity with them. They will articulate the resolve yet another time to eliminate terrorism and extremism from the face of country as the martyrdom of the innocent students of the APS proved the occasion to take on the terrorists from the front and operation Zarb-e-Azb received new momentum.

The ambassadors/high commissioners of foreign countries posted in Islamabad have also urged to attend the memorial ceremonies. It would be day of mourning at the national echelon and national flag would be lowered half mast for the respect of the martyrs who laid down their lives for the country.

Quran khawani, Fateha khawani and special prayers would be offered throughout the country for the departed souls in the morning. The sources said that comprehensive programme has been chalked out for the day to remember the innocents but due to reason its details haven’t been made public. Befitting tribute would be offered to the departed souls on the day.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate has given final shape to the programme under its Director General Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa who will also be present in Peshawar on the day. The Services Chiefs will attend the programmes to remember the martyrs, the sources added. It would be pertinent to mention that the terrorists who took part in the act of barbarism on December 14, 2014 were killed on the spot and their facilitators and abettors have been apprehended. Four of them have already been consigned to gallows while four others will be hanged any day. Their cases were tried in military courts and they were awarded death penalty by the court after fair trial. The execution took place after the confirmation by COAS General Raheel Sharif.