Daily Times

LAHORE: The second anniversary of martyrs of Army Public School Peshawar will be marked today (Friday) as different organizations, especially educational institutions will organise several ceremonies to pay tribute to the martyr students.

Seminars and ceremonies were also arranged Thursday at the Lahore Garrison University, Unique Group of Colleges and several others branches of the school. In the ceremonies, students as well as teachers pay homage and rich tribute to those, who lost their lives while studying in APS carnage.

At LGU, students of all departments sang national anthem and other national songs to pay homage to the martyrs. Students wore APS students’ uniform to show solidarity with the martyrs. Students of Unique Group of Colleges also performed tableau, mimes and delivered speeches in which they paid glowing tribute to the APS martyrs. Students of the Punjab University Law College also held a walk in this regard.

Meanwhile, a protest camp will be set up by Rawadari Tehreek today to express unity against hatred, religious extremism and terrorism, and to express solidarity with all those who lost their lives in terrorist attacks. An exhibition will also be held at Coopera Art Gallery in which the artwork of students will be displayed.

In his message, Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu said that the sacrifices of martyred children of APS would be remembered forever. The entire nation and future generations can never forget this heartrending tragedy, he said.

He added that the great sacrifices of the martyred children provided new courage and determination in the war against terror. The minister was of the view that every Pakistani was grieved over this tragic incident of terrorism. He said that those beasts trying to promote ignorance could not stop the children from getting education through their cowardly acts. He said that the innocent children sacrificed their precious lives for the achievement of a great cause. The everlasting sacrifices of these children would not let go waste, he maintained.

Sandhu said that terrorism and extremism would be eliminated from the country and the motherland would be made a haven of peace. He said challenges of terrorism and extremism would be overcome with the support of the nation. “We have to renew our determination to maintain this unity in the war against terrorism for which innocent children had sacrificed their lives.”

He went on to say that the children and teachers of the Army Public School sacrificed their lives for a great cause and their sacrifice would not go waste. He said that the entire nation was united for eliminating terrorism, and there was no room for terrorists and their facilitators in Pakistan.