Nation will never forget the sacrifices of APS martyrs: President
ISLAMABAD
In his message on the 8th anniversary of terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in which 141 people including 132 children were killed, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Dec 16 renews the spirit among all Pakistanis that they are united against terrorism.
He said this day is a message to the whole world that Pakistan has made great sacrifices to wipe out terrorism and this struggle is still going on till the eradication of this menace.
Taking to his twitter handle, Prime Minister Shehbaz wrote: “Every year, 16th December reminds the entire nation of the pain and sorrow when the terrorists wrote a tale of atrocities in the APS Peshawar. Even after passage of several years, the grief cannot be forgotten. Today is the day to pay tribute to the martyrs of the APS and share the grief of their families. The Pakistani nation will never forget the sacrifices of its martyrs. “The December 16 is the day for the whole of Pakistan to be united against terrorism. This day is a message to the whole world that Pakistan has made great sacrifices to eradicate terrorism. This struggle of ours is going on, which will continue with the same iron will and perseverance until the complete elimination of this menace.”
On 16 December 2014, a group of seven heavily armed terrorists attacked an army-run school in Peshawar and killed 144 innocent people including school children and teachers. The terrorists began their attack in mid-morning when they accessed the large compound by scaling a wall. Entering the main assembly hall, they opened indiscriminate fire. The attackers, who were armed with grenades and automatic rifles, then went to the classrooms, where they concentrated their fire on teachers and older children. According to official sources, they sought only to kill and made no attempt to take hostages.
President Dr. Arif Alvi on Friday said the tragic memory of the Army Public School attack is still fresh in the hearts of the nation, which will never forget the sacrifices of the martyred children. “December 16 will always be a reminder of the great sacrifices of the martyrs of the Army Public School,” he said in his statement on the eighth anniversary of APS incident.
President Alvi recalled that the militants committed extreme barbarity by targeting innocent young children in 2014. He said the APS tragedy brought the nation together to get united for a decisive war against terrorism. He said the entire nation was firm in finally eradicating the remnants of terrorism and expressed the commitment that no attempt could weaken the resolve against this fight.
The president prayed for the elevation of ranks of the martyrs of Army Public School. He said the day was also a reminder to the international community that terrorism was a common problem of humanity and required intensified efforts for its eradication at the global level.
Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah also paid tribute to the Army Public School (APS) martyrs and their bereaved families and brave teachers on the eighth anniversary of the attack.
“December 16 is the day, which will continue to remind us the great sacrifices of APS martyrs,” the minister said in a message released on the eighth anniversary of a terrorist attack on the APS Peshawar. He said the APS tragedy united the entire nation against terrorism and religious extremism.
The entire nation got united and defeated terrorism, he added. Terming the terrorists, who martyred innocent and young children during the attack, “beasts” and “brutal”, Sana said the APS tragedy was one of the saddest incidents in the country’s history. He said the wounds of unforgettable tragedy were still fresh despite the passage of eight years.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Friday that the day of December 16 will always be remembered for the great sacrifices of the martyrs of Army Public School, Peshawar. In her message on the 8th anniversary of APS martyrs, the minister said that martyrs of APS tragedy united the nation against terrorism. She said despite the passage of eight years, even today the nation could not forget the tragedy of APS of 2014.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that cowardly evil elements attacked the future of the nation, the young children and martyred them. “As a nation we have come a long way to defeat terrorism, we are moving towards lasting peace and development in Pakistan”, she remarked. She prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls of the martyrs of Army Public School in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear this loss with fortitude.
