PESHAWAR: The faculty and students would observed the first anniversary of the deadly terrorist attack on the Bacha Khan University today on friday as none of the dignitaries invited by the university administration as chief guest could confirmed their presence.
The university administration had invited all the government and military dignitaries at the federal and provincial level for attending the first anniversary. Among them are Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, federal ministers, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jaghra and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.
The prime minister is abroad and the army chief has other important engagements. The others invited to the event haven’t confirmed their participation to share the moment with the staff members, students and especially the parents and relatives of those martyred in the terrorist attack on the university.
Currently the university is functioning without an administrative head. Prof Dr Fazle Rahim Marwat’s tenure as vice-chancellor ended on January 16 and he left the charge to Registrar Salim Shah till arrival of acting or full time vice-chancellor. The recruitment process for the new vice-chancellor of the university like eight other public universities in the province is underway. However, the provincial government has been unable to appoint pro-vice-chancellor for the university who could have served as an acting head of the institution till the arrival of a full time vice-chancellor. The university administration formed a nine-member committee for organizing the anniversary event. Registrar of the university Salim Shah is convener of the committee.
Salim Shah said that parents, students and faculty members would attend the ceremony that would start with Khatmul Quran. “Some parents have already arrived in the university. Others would come on Friday,” he informed.
He said a formal function would be held wherein the senior faculty members and some parents would share their views. Later, flowers would be placed on the martyrs’ monument in the university, he said. The programme would conclude with collective prayers, he added.
Former vice-chancellor of the university Dr Fazle Rahim Marwat is ill and he won’t be able to attend the anniversary. Talking to Media, he said he would love to be in the university if his health improved.
He said the attack was no doubt a tragic and brutal act of terror in which 21 people mostly students were killed. He said the attack was actually aimed at closing the university and discouraging the people to stop admitting their children in it. He stressed that the architects of the attack failed to accomplish their designs as the incident gave more strength to the management, faculty and students.
“You would be surprised to know that an incredibly large number of students applied for admission in the university this year compared to the years before the terrorist attack,” he said.
Meanwhile, central general secretary of Awami National Party (ANP) Mian Iftikhar Hussain paid tributes to the martyrs of the Bacha Khan University and expressed sorrow over the apathy of the government which failed to announce ‘Shuhada Package’ for the victims of the attack despite lapse of one year.
In a message on the first anniversary of the university attack, he said it was a matter of serious concern that the terrorists attacked an institution that is associated with the name of the great preacher of non-violence. He said certain elements wanted to keep Pakhtuns uneducated and they attack the educational institutions to materialise their nefarious designs.
He asked the government to immediately announce ‘Shuhada Package’ for the martyrs and allocate more funds to the Bacha Khan University for its academic upgradation and security arrangements.
