PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Tuesday announced government educational institutions in the province would be named after the children killed by the Taliban militants in the December 16 attack on Army Public School, Peshawar.

“The government schools and colleges will be named after the deceased schoolchildren in the areas they belong to,” he said during an event held at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly building to mourn the killing of 150 people, including 134 schoolchildren, exactly a week ago.

The event was attended by the treasury and opposition lawmakers and assembly employees.

Take a look: “Death to terrorists” chants outside Army Public School

The chief minister said his government had formally requested the federal government to reduce the December 2015 deadline for the repatriation of Afghan nationals.

He said Afghan refugees living in Pakistan should be sent home without delay.

Later, the chief minister along with his cabinet members and the provincial assembly speaker attended a candlelight vigil held on the assembly’s lawns for the victims of December 16 terrorism.

Also in the day, the people from different walks of life and of all ages thronged the APC to mourn the APS massacre.

Visitors cried for the deceased, offered prayers for them, and held a candlelight vigil. They also garlanded the photos of the schoolchildren and teachers killed by militants.

Meanwhile, the Peshawar High Court Bar Association staged a rally to condemn the schoolchildren’s killing.

Led by PHCBA president Essa Khan, lawyers walked from the old bar room at the court to the APC on Warsak Road. They later offered mass prayers for the deceased.

They also demanded that the government ensure that the APS-like incidents don’t happen again.

Also in the day, the University of Peshawar employees and students offered prayers for the APS children on campus. They declared the December 16 attack an attempt to destroy the country’s future and said the nation stood united against terrorists.

Quran Khawani and dua was also offered for the deceased schoolchildren in the condolence ceremony held at the Madina Masjid of the University of Peshawar.

Published in Dawn December 24th , 2014