Tag: Army Public School

  • Nine years pass after APS attack

    Nine years pass after APS attack

    Today Pakistan is observing the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Army Public School Peshawar which took the lives of 144 people, mostly students.

    The heinous attack happened in 2014 and is widely described as Pakistan’s 9/11 for the shockwaves it created nationally and internationally. Schools were shut down in the country due to the security risk whereas vigils were held all over the world.

    Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.

    Following the attack, Pakistan’s military and civil leadership sat down to formulate a National Action Plan which primarily aimed at curbing the menace of terrorism. Different military operations were launched to root out several militant elements in the country. The most prominent operations were Zarb-e-Azab and Radul Fassad.

    Pakistan stands out as one of the worst victims of terrorism with over 80,000 lives lost and economic loss surpassing $150 billion.

    However, the menace is resurfacing with Pakistan a considerable increase in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

    Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) in a report showed that the country experienced a 34 percent increase in anti-state violence last month.

  • APS attack survivor Ahmad Nawaz becomes President of Oxford Union

    APS attack survivor Ahmad Nawaz becomes President of Oxford Union

    Ahmad Nawaz, a survivor of the Army Public School (APS) Peshawar attack, has secured the position of the President of “Oxford Union”, a famous debating society at Oxford University, one of the most prestigious universities in the world. The society was founded in 1823.

    He shared the announcement on his Twitter handle saying, “I am so extremely proud to announce that I have been Elected President of the @OxfordUnion. One of the world’s biggest & historical platforms!.”

    He also thanked his parents, friends, and team who have been supportive throughout his journey.

    He enrolled in Oxford University to study Philosophy and Theology in 2020.

    At the age of 14, he was shot in the arm in the massacre, and his brother, Haris was martyred in the APS attack. After hospitalisation for several days in Peshawar, he was taken to Birmingham for emergency surgery to save his arm.

    He is also a human rights activist to empower youth and ensure access to education for deprived children.

  • Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed retires tomorrow

    Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed retires tomorrow

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed reties on Tuesday (tomorrow). Justice Gulzar had taken oath as the CJP in December 2019.

    CJP Gulzar mainly focused on removing encroachments in Karachi. He ordered the demolition of Nasla Tower as well as illegal houses built around Gujjar Nullah. In the end, he also ordered the relevant authorities to end commercial activities on military land in Karachi.

    Justice Gulzar further ordered to demolish a mosque and other encroachments built on amenity parks near Tariq Road in Karachi. Despite strong protests, he did not withdraw any order for the removal of encroachments in Karachi.

    CJP Gulzar could not give attention to reforms to improve the criminal justice system like his predecessor former CJP Asif Saeed Khosa.

    A three-judge bench led by him summoned Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in a suo motu case on the martyrdom of children in the Army Public School (APS) Peshawar attack.

    The efforts of Justice Gulzar cannot be ignored to end the sense of insecurity among minority communities. He took courageous steps to send a strong message to extremist elements that the judiciary would not spare anyone involved in usurping the rights of minorities.

    Taking to Twitter, federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhary said, “The historic stand CJP Gulzar has taken on minority places of worship has greatly enhanced his prestige, at a time when India’s judiciary seems helpless at the hands of extremists.”

    The outgoing CJP also made history by nominating Lahore High Court’s Justice Ayesha Malik for her appointment as the first female judge of the Supreme Court.

    Justice Umar Ata Bandial will replace Justice Gulzar Ahmed, and will take oath as Pakistan’s 28th Chief Justice of Pakistan on February 2.

  • ‘We will never let down the survivors and parents of our martyred children’: PM Imran on 7th anniversary of APS attack

    Pakistan marked the seventh anniversary of the Peshawar Army Public School (APS) massacre on Thursday. Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that there will be “zero tolerance for violence and those using it as a tool”.

    Taking to Twitter, the premier tweeted, “December 16, 2014, terrorists attacked & martyred over 140 ppl incl 132 children in APS, Peshawar. Pakistan has successfully defeated terrorism.”

    “I reiterate we will never let down the survivors & parents of our martyred children,” wrote PM Khan.

    Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, tweeted, “Have we learned any lessons & corrected our course? When will we sincerely put our heads together for [a] better future of our children?”

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the nation still felt the pain of “this great tragedy”, adding that “everyone is still waiting for justice to be served to the innocent souls”.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted, “Today, 7 years ago, we lost our children and teachers in an inhuman terrorist attack. A black day for humanity. We will never forget. #APSPeshawar.”

    Senator Sherry Rehman tweeted, “It’s a shame that even after all this time, the govt has still asked for more time to submit its report to the SC. The parents are waiting for justice while this govt is talking about giving amnesty to those responsible.”

    PPP leader Hina Rabbani Khar tweeted, “The day when millions of Hearts Broke. A day when 132 dreams were broken. The most dark day in the history of Pak. We will never forget you angels. We also remember the school staff & bravest lady Mrs Tahira Qazi who sacrificed her life to protect the children. #BlackDay.”

    https://twitter.com/Hina_RKhar/status/1471306720626417664

    Author Fatima Bhutto tweeted, “Always in our hearts #APSPeshawar.”

    APS to date remains the deadliest terror attack in Pakistan’s history, 131 school children and 10 other people were martyred when heavily armed militants stormed the school building on December 16, 2014.

  • ‘Govt is going to ensure Pakistani citizens are safe without blood being spilt on either side’: Moeed Yusuf on BBC HARDtalk

    ‘Govt is going to ensure Pakistani citizens are safe without blood being spilt on either side’: Moeed Yusuf on BBC HARDtalk

    National Security Adviser (NSA) to the Prime Minister, Dr Moeed Yusuf, while giving an interview to BBC host Stephen John Sackur on BBC HARDtalk said that the state’s job is not to kill another Pakistani.

    “We are going to try our level best to ensure that Pakistani citizens are safe without any more blood being spilt on either side.” The NSA’s comments come in reference to the Pakistan government’s talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    “How secure is Pakistan after the Taliban are back in power in Afghanistan?”: Sackur

    Sackur questioned Yusuf on how secure Pakistan is after the Taliban are back in power in Afghanistan.

    “Frankly it depends on how responsibly the international community plays the future. Pakistan was not behind anything. There was a policy employed by the United States (US) and others who are in Afghanistan. That was always a failing policy. The only country that kept saying that you will not find a military solution to this problem was Pakistan and our advice was not heeded.”

    “We kept saying negotiate from a position of strength, we weren’t listened to, we were blamed and scape-goated and the result is in front of you,” added Yusuf.

    “We heard the worried voices of the Supreme Court when they were grilling PM Khan,” Sackur

    “Pakistanis are very worried. We heard the worried voices of the Supreme Court when they were grilling PM Khan on what was going on under these negotiations with the Taliban,” responded Sackur and further added that during the grilling of the premier, one of the judges alluded to the 2014 terrible atrocity where the TTP attacked the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar and killed more than 130 children and questioned PM Khan whether the government was about to sign a documented defeat with those who killed these children, and are we going to surrender once again.

    “You should recognise the state of democracy in this country that the judge calls in the prime minister who goes gets grilled and now Stephen Sackur has the opportunity to ask me. That’s the state of democracy and I am proud of that,” responded Yusuf.

    “We have a consistent policy as a state to say that negotiation must happen from a position of strength and this is what we told the Americans and United Kingdom (UK).”

    “No military bases of China in Balochistan”: Yusuf

    Yusuf said there were no military bases of China in Balochistan, rather there were economic bases there where any country could invest.

    “Let me clarify that there are no military bases offered to China in Balochistan, including Gwadar. Yes, there are economic bases and the same was also offered to the United States, Russia, and the Middle East and we are open to all the countries,” the NSA said, adding, “CPEC is what, it is road infrastructure and energy infrastructure and anybody can come and invest there, we are not closed to anybody.”

    “Is Pakistan developing relations with China at the cost of its principles of supporting the rights of Muslims in the world?” Sackur

    Sackur asked whether Pakistan was developing relations with China at the cost of its principles of supporting the rights of Muslims in the world. “You raise your voice for Kashmiri Muslims but refuse to condemn the violation of human rights in a Chinese province,” the interviewer asked.

    Moeed said that Pakistan did not accept the Western version of human rights violations in Xinjiang province and if they have any concerns, they should talk to China. “We have relations of trust with China and our ambassador and other delegations from here also visited the Xinjiang province,” he said.

  • PM Khan summoned by Supreme Court in APS massacre case

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan arrived at the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) to appear before the apex court’s bench today (Wednesday) after he was summoned to attend a hearing of the Army Public School (APS) massacre, reports Geo News.

    The apex court summoned the prime minister to appear before the bench when the hearing resumed at 11:30am, in his personal capacity.

    During the previous hearing of the case, parents of the children martyred in the 2014 terrorist attack had complained to the court that they had lost their children in the incident hence the top civil and military leadership of the country should be summoned by the Supreme Court.

    During the hearing, the attorney-general sought time from the court to seek directives from the premier and other officials so he can respond to the court.

    However, the bench said this was a very serious case and that it would summon the prime minister and seek answers from him.

    The attorney-general asked for further time for the prime minister to appear before the court. However, the bench expressed anger at his request and said the parents of the victims of the APS massacre are also in court.

    During the hearing, the issue of the government holding talks with the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was also mentioned.

    Justice Qazi Amin remarked that there are reports that the government is holding negotiations with a group and added, “Is it not the responsibility of the state to identify the real culprits [behind the APS tragedy] and nab them?”

    Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed intervened and said we cannot leave the children alone to die.