PESHAWAR: Amid sobs and tears a large number of parents of the victim students of Army Public School (APS) and their siblings took to the roads to protest against the government for delaying inquiry and arrest of those involved in the Dec 16 attack.

The mourning parents threatened to stage a protest in Islamabad if the government failed to arrest the elements involved in the killing of innocent students of APS.

Read: Militant siege of Peshawar school ends, 141 killed

Holding pictures of the victims of the APS carnage, the parents and siblings marched on the roads and raised slogans against the government for not taking seriously the probe into the brutal incident, which had left 150 people, including 132 students, dead.

A large banner held by protesters reads: “Sorry kids no banner large to cover the shame of the state and government”. “Chup raho government so rahi hay (keep silent government is sleeping,” reads one of the placards.

The parents assembled at the Amn Chowk and moved in a procession towards the APS while passing through various roads.

A large number of people from civil society and students of other educational institutions also joined the procession.

The parents were led by Shuhda and Ghazi Forum president Abid Raza Bangash. When the procession reached the APS, the mothers started crying. Some of the mothers were trying to solace others.

Talking to mediapersons, Mr Bangash reiterated the parents’ demand for an impartial inquiry into the tragic incident. He also demanded that names of those involved in the APS incident should be made public.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, whose party is ruling in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had accepted the demand of the parents on January 20 that an inquiry would be launched into the APS carnage and its report shared with them within 15 days.

The demand was made at the Chief Minister’s House on the occasion of the students’ Chehlum.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2015

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