close
Thursday March 28, 2024

Pakistani civil society condemns attack on girls’ school in Kabul

By Our Correspondent
May 11, 2021

Islamabad : Members of civil society have strongly condemned the barbaric attack on a Hazara Shia girls' school in Dasht-e-Barchi, Kabul, killing 64 and critically wounding over 150.

In a statement issued on Monday, the civil society members and rights activists termed the attacked an evil, inhuman act. It says that whether in Ramazan or at any other time - believing devout Muslims are supposed to venerate Ramazan as being holy, sacred, and free of violent extremist militancy, says the statement while condemning the Muslim killers.

"Do political power-hungry groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban, Daaish and their associates, have the temerity to call themselves Muslims?, It asks. The statement further mentions that Islam does not permit the shedding of one drop of blood of non-combatant civilians, especially women and children, condemning the killing of one innocent human being as ‘the killing of all humanity’ (irrespective of religion, sect, sex, age, ethnicity, race or citizenship).

"We call upon all those in Afghanistan, Pakistan, USA, and all other international powers involved in the so-called ‘Afghan Peace Process’ to ponder upon the terms of their engagement with outfits they simultaneously consider to be both ‘good’ and ‘bad’, to be fought against, but also to be used as ‘assets’ where and when required."

The statement questions, are the lives of half the population, comprising women, girls, transpersons, considered to be of no value at all, in any political-military strategic equation? Are they simply fodder in the Great Game? "Our response is a resounding NO. We are standing up to be counted - we must be heard and listened to," it mentions.

At the end, the statement vows to continue standing in total solidarity with long-suffering Afghan sisters and the beleaguered Hazara community in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.