PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party has said that the sacrifices rendered by the students of the Army Public School, Peshawar, will lead to eradication of terrorism as the nation had united against those wanting to destabilise the country.

Speaking at a ceremony held in connection with the chehlum of the APS attack victims at the Bacha Khan Markaz here on Sunday, the ANP senior vice president Ghulam Ahmed Bilour termed the unity among all the political and religious parties against militancy a good omen for the country and its people. He said that his party supported peace efforts and was averse to terrorism in all its shapes and manifestations.

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“It is our own war and we have to fight it out to ensure integrity of the country,” he said.

Pakistan, he said faced extraordinary situation and complete unity among all the stakeholders was need of the hour to stamp out militancy.

Mr Bilour said that had the government accepted the advice of their leaders, Bacha Khan and Abdul Wali Khan, and stayed away from the Afghan war, the situation could have been different.

On the occasion, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, ANP central general secretary, paid respects to the APS students, and said they had given sacrifice for the sake of knowledge. He reiterated that the ANP would support the government to eliminate violence from the society. The unity among all segments of the society should not go in vain, and that the government should eliminate terrorism once and for all. He also advised the political parties to set aside other issues and join hands to take decisive action against terrorists.

Mr Hussain said that banned militant organisations continued their activities in different names and in the garb of charities. He urged the government to launch full-scale offensive against all the organisations involved in insurgency.

He demanded of the government to send the critically injured APS students abroad for treatment.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Pakhtuns Student Federation visited the APS where it placed flowers in the memory of the students.

Published in Dawn January 26th , 2015

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