The nation’s leaders reaffirmed their steadfast resolve to eradicate terrorism from Pakistan on Monday, the tenth anniversary of the 2014 attack on the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar.
In the meantime, schools in Punjab and the Islamabad Capital Territory will not be open today. Punjabi schools will be shuttered due to “the prevailing security situation.”
On December 16, 2014, heavily armed attackers attacked the APS building, killing 147 people—132 of them schoolchildren—in the bloodiest terror attack in the nation’s history.
The government responded to the horrific event by launching the National Action Plan (NAP) in January 2015, which included a number of kinetic and non-kinetic counterterrorism measures, including the choice to hold terrorist trials in military courts. The PTI-led administration made the decision to reexamine NAP in 2021.
While noting that Mobile Vigilance Team-2 (MVT) and the Quick Response Force (QRF) prevented more destruction, a judicial commission report that was presented to the Supreme Court in 2020 emphasized the tardy response to the terror assault.
The commission also recommended that the siblings of the killed students and the injured receive free education, as well as that the injured and their close relatives receive medical and psychological care.
Today, President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed the country’s resolve to eradicate any remaining elements of extremism and terrorism from Pakistan.
He claimed that December 16 served as a reminder to the country to unite in the fight against terrorism and step up efforts to eradicate this threat.
“Our citizens, including our children, were mercilessly killed by terrorists,” the president stated, adding that the terrorists’ attacks on teachers and children demonstrated their hostility toward the whole public.
He went on to say, “The attack on the children was cruel and against humanity.”
According to President Zardari, the APS tragedy demonstrated that the terrorists’ goal was to bring about instability and devastation in the nation. He noted that the day made an impression on the country’s collective memory.
While expressing his condolences to the children’s heirs, he claimed that events such as the APS attack “exposed the real face of terrorists and khawarij” and that the country will not allow the terrorists to carry out their evil plans.
The president claimed that the APS catastrophe brought the country together in the fight against terrorism and that Pakistan’s political leadership also made sacrifices in this fight.
We honor the courageous soldiers, security agencies, and civilians for their sacrifices against terrorism today. The sacrifices made by our leaders, residents, and children will not be in vain.
The international community must, he emphasized, “make collective efforts to eradicate terrorism.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared in his speech on the anniversary of the APS attack that the country was “standing as a wall of fortified steel against the coward terrorists” and that the atrocity will not be forgotten.
“Our heart is still in grief, and we are shedding tears of blood,” the premier remarked, referring to the ten years that have gone by since the tragic event and deaths at APS.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz called the terrorists “ruthless and vile” and claimed they inflicted “havoc and destruction.”
The youngsters were “robbed off their lives, their dreams, their hopes, their future,” he emphasized.
The premier said, “Time cannot ease the grief and suffering of the families who lost their loved ones, nor can it erase the trauma of the children who witnessed the unfathomable horrors on that day.”
Additionally, PM Shehbaz stated: “Let us reaffirm our commitment to building a safer, more secure Pakistan, where no child will have to live in fear, no innocent will be harmed, and injustice will be punished and punished severely.”
“We have to make this commitment together. Ensuring that the lives lost were not in vain is something we owe to the victims of this tragedy. We will always remember. The prime minister declared, “We will not pardon.
The PM added in his statement that the country should remember that religion and social values have nothing to do with the terrorists’ and anti-state elements’ fitna. He stated that the terrorists targeted defenseless Pakistanis in order to accomplish their objectives at the request of the nation’s adversaries.
In addition to honoring the fortitude of the security forces people who were battling the anti-state groups with perseverance and determination, he said the entire country applauded the teachers’ and children’s bravery.
Special prayers and Quran recitations are being done today in honor of the APS teachers and children who were martyred, according to Radio Pakistan.
To honor the occurrence, the education department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has planned special events.
Separately, PPP MNA Seher Kamran presented the National Assembly, which is scheduled to meet today at 4 p.m., with a resolution on counterterrorism measures and justice for the victims.
The resolution, a copy of which can be found on Dawn.com, reiterates the government’s “commitment to eradicating terrorism and extremism in all forms” and offers condolences to the families of the martyrs.
To “avoid such tragedies in the future,” it calls on the government to “ensure justice for the victims, enhance security of educational institutions, and strengthen counterterrorism efforts.”
“Pain endures to this day.”
The APS tragedy was described as an “unforgettable incident that brought tears to every eye” by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
In a statement, he stated, “This incident united the entire nation, the government, and the institutions against a common enemy and laid the foundation of long-lasting peace in the country.”
According to CM Gandapur, “the sorrow of the APS martyrs is still alive in our hearts today.”
“The National Action Plan was a timely and appropriate step towards a peaceful Pakistan, as the military, government, and political leadership came together to formulate it,” he said.
In a similar vein, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz stated that although the incident had occurred ten years ago, the pain was “still alive today.”
According to CM Maryam, the incident was an assault on humanity, education, and Pakistan’s promising future in addition to a school. She praised the bravery and endurance of the APS martyrs’ families in her message.
“147 APS martyrs envisioned a better Pakistan.”We have an obligation to make the martyrs’ dream a reality. Only after defeating terrorism will we be able to rest,” CM Maryam pledged.
Balochistan’s chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, stated in a post on X that December 16 “will always remain a deep wound in our memories.”
He also urged the country to unify against terrorism in remembrance of the innocent lives lost.
The day has come to represent “our determination to continue fighting against terrorism,” according to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
In a statement, Naqvi added, “The land has been narrowed for the cowardly terrorists, while the APS martyrs are still alive in the nation’s hearts.”
The minister honored the families of the martyred teachers and youngsters, calling them the nation’s heroes.
The nation’s conscience was shaken by the APS carnage. Bilawal
PPP Chairman MNA Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari paid respects to the martyrs and emphasized the country’s will to fight terrorism and protect the next generation.
“The APS carnage remains one of the darkest chapters in Pakistan’s history, a tragedy that shook the nation’s conscience and united us against the menace of terrorism,” he said in a statement.
In order to avoid such tragedies in the future, the former foreign minister urged the federal and provincial governments to make sure that NAP is implemented effectively. He emphasized the need for addressing the underlying reasons for radicalization through social harmony, economic opportunity, and education.
“Let us honor the memory of the APS martyrs on this extremely painful day by reaffirming our commitment to fighting for a Pakistan free from terrorism where every child can dream fearlessly and realize their potential,” he said.
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