Will not rest till blood of APS martyrs is avenged, COAS addresses memorial

PESHAWAR: The second memorial anniversary of the deadly terrorist attack on Army Public School is being observed today (Friday) to pay homage to the innocent martyrs of the tragedy.

Two years ago today, on December 16, 2014  147 people, including 132 schoolchildren, were massacred in the deadliest terrorist attack in Pakistan’s history when terrorists stormed Army Public School in Peshawar Cantonment and opened indiscriminate fire.

The main memorial was held at Army Public School in Peshawar earlier today, to pay tribute to the martyrs of the tragedy. Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa, Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Hidayat ur Rehman and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra attended the memorial, along with students and families of the martyred.

'Will not rest until blood of every APS martyr is avenged': COAS

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Bajwa, addressing the memorial, said the nation will not rest until the blood of every APS martyr is avenged.

COAS Gen Qamar Bajwa said the martyrs of the APS tragedy can never be forgotten.

“The blood of the martyrs is a loan on us. We will not rest until we pay it back. We will not rest until terrorism is exterminated from our soil,” he said.

The Army Chief said the terrorists had failed to break the nation’s spirit. He added that he keeps pictures of the schoolchildren martyred in the APS attack in his office to keep himself motivated to root out terrorism.

COAS Gen Qamar Bajwa, accompanied by other officials, laid wreaths at Yadgar-e-Shuhda in memory of the martyrs.

‘Nation stands with families of APS martyrs’: PM

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his condolences to families of the Army Public School martyrs.

“Today reminds us of the horrific APS incident,” he said, adding that the entire nation stands with the bereaved families in their times of sorrow.

He said that the top leadership of the country is determined to exterminate terrorism and extremism. “We have no mercy in our hearts for these ruthless murderers who killed our innocent children,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the country has made immense sacrifices and the world is witness to how Pakistan has managed to defeat terrorism.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has announced holiday for all educational institutions in the province in memory of the martyrs. Arrangements are in place at different educational institutions and other places to remember the young martyrs.

Remembering the fallen

Around 109 government schools in KP have been named after the martyred schoolchildren since the tragedy.

Quran Khwani and other events have been planned by civil society organisations countrywide to remember the martyrs. A large number of people gathered in different parts of the country holding candlelight vigil and pictures of the martyred.

At Cathedral Church in Lahore, a special prayer and candlelight vigil was held earlier today in memory of the APS martyrs. A large number of students attended the vigil and held one-minute silence. Prayers were also held for Pakistan and its Armed Forces. 

Relatives of APS victims hold candlelight vigil at Yadgar-e-Shuhda to pay tribute to martyrs of APS terrorist attack/APP

A boy holds picture of his brother martyred in APS terrorist attack/APP

Relatives of APS victims hold candlelight vigil at Yadgar-e-Shuhda to pay tribute to martyrs of APS terrorist attack/APP

Relatives of APS victims hold candlelight vigil at Yadgar-e-Shuhda in memory of the martyrs/APP

Relatives of students martyred in APS attack hold candlelight vigil on second anniversary of the tragedy at Peshawar Press Club on Dec 15, 2016/PPI

Relatives of students martyred in APS attack hold candlelight vigil on second anniversary of the tragedy at Peshawar Press Club on Dec 15, 2016/PPI

Relatives of students martyred in APS attack hold candlelight vigil on second anniversary of the tragedy at Peshawar Press Club on Dec 15, 2016/PPI

‘Thousands of schools in KP without boundary walls’

Two years after the APS tragedy, 3,816 primary schools, 424 middle schools, 210 high schools and 23 higher secondary schools are still without boundary walls, as revealed in a government report.

70 government schools (for boys) have no security guards in Mansehra, as reported in The News. The posts of lower grade employees or security guards have not been sanctioned since 1992 after these schools were upgraded to middle or high secondary category in the district.

“We have already taken up this issue with Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and hopefully the posts of security guards would be sanctioned soon,” Zafar Arbab Abbasi, the district education officer Mansehra, was quoted by The News.

“We will provide group lavatories, water supply, electrification, boundary walls, furniture and additional rooms at all schools where these facilities are missing in the district before the end of ongoing fiscal year,” said Abbasi.

To a query, the official said 190 schools destroyed in the devastating earthquake in 2005 presented a big hurdle. The Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra) had promised to reconstruct these schools but it had not yet started the construction work on them, he said.

“All 190 schools are without buildings and are functioning in makeshifts or tented schools,” he added.