Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday pledged that Pakistan would continue its efforts with determination until the elimination of terrorism.
The premier renewed his resolve as the eighth anniversary of a deadly school attack on the Army Public School (APS), Peshawar was observed on Friday. “Dec 16 is the day for the whole Pakistan to be united against terrorism. This day reminds the world that Pakistan has rendered great sacrifices to eradicate terrorism,” PM Shehbaz wrote on Twitter. Paying tribute to the martyrs of the APS attack and condoling with the families of the victims, he said the nation would never forget the sacrifices of its martyrs.
On Dec 16, 2014, six terrorists affiliated with the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) stormed the school and martyred 140 students and teachers. The deadliest attack in Pakistan’s history prompted the government to declare an all-out war against terrorist outfits. In the wake of the attack, military courts were set up for trying terrorists under amendments made to the Constitution and the Army Act.
The mastermind of the APS massacre, Umar Mansour, alias Khalifa Mansour, was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan. The massacre changed the perception of Pakistan against terrorism and people in the country raised voices for a concerted action against all types of militants. President Dr Arif Alvi said the tragic memory of the Army Public School attack was still fresh in the hearts of the nation, which would 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 the 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 in 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.
