ISLAMABAD: Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the acting prime minister, and Murtaza Solangi, the Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs, paid rich tribute to the Shuhada of Army Public School (APS) Peshawar on Saturday.
In a message marking the 9th anniversary of the APS tragedy, the Prime Minister stated that terrorists had launched a cowardly attack on APS on that fateful day, resulting in a grievous incident that deeply saddened the entire world.
Despite the tragedy, the incident fortified the nation’s determination against terrorism, sending a persistent message to terrorists and enemies of peace that the Pakistani nation stood united.
The Prime Minister further expressed the nation’s tribute to the personnel of the police force, Rangers, army, and other law enforcement agencies for systematically eliminating terrorists and their hideouts following the APS tragedy.
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Federal Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said in a separate statement, “Nine years have passed since the tragedy of APS, but the grief of those who lost their lives is still fresh today.”
Following this incident, he noted that all political parties and organizations joined forces against terrorism, leading to the adoption of a twenty-point national action plan and the successful defeat of terrorists. Regrettably, in the recent past, a government allowed the return of terrorists without consulting parliament and public institutions. As a result, the nation is currently grappling with a new wave of terrorism.
The minister said, “Terrorism has never ended due to the appeasement of terrorists around the world. The people of Pakistan will defeat this new wave of terrorism with the strength of their state institutions, and this was the message of today.”
Solangi mentioned that Pakistan had made significant progress in overcoming terrorism, with all state institutions, including civil and military leadership, aligning on a common goal to safeguard the homeland and ensure national security. The minister also honored the martyrs of the Pakistan Armed Forces who gave their lives in the pursuit of peace in the country.
“Pakistan is moving towards lasting peace and development,” he added. —APP
