On the first anniversary of terrorist attack on the Army Public School Peshawar (APS), Shuhuda were remembered at the High Commission for Pakistan in London on the evening of 16 December 2015, says a press release received from High Commission London here today.
Hundreds of people from cross-section of the British society turned up to honour the memory of the martyrs by participating in the Candlelight Vigil held on that occasion and observed one-minute silence.
H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, conferred Tamgha-I-Shuja-at on APS student, Ahmad Nawaz, who received this award on behalf of his younger brother, Shaheed Haris Nawaz of APS. The Government of Pakistan had announced the conferment of this award for all martyrs of APS last year.
Paying tribute to the martyrs, the High Commissioner said:
“APS martyrs’ sacrifices united the entire nation on a single point agenda to defeat the forces of darkness and their extremist ideology. Since that fateful day, our national narrative has changed. The entire nation is united and steadfast to revive the vision of Quaid’s tolerant, modern and pluralistic Pakistan.
“The progress and resilience of our nation is reflected today by the presence of these brave children, Ahmed Nawaz and Ibrahim Khan, who despite their ordeal are fully determined and steadfast to continue their education. Today, they have proved that extremists have miserably failed to defeat the ideology of a modern, educated and forward-looking Pakistan. We as a nation swear by the blood of 132 innocent children that their sacrifices shall not go waste. Insha Allah, we shall not rest until we fulfil the dream of Quaid’s Pakistan.”
In his speech, Ahmad Nawaz narrated his ordeal during the attack and his resilience with which he is coping with the physical and psychological trauma after the attack. He vowed to work for peace, tolerance and education. Ahmad said it is through education that the terrorist ideology can be defeated. He made an appeal to the nation to get united against the menace of terrorism and extremism. Ahmad thanked the Government as well as the High Commissioner for looking after him and his family.
Senator Najma Hameed, Members of the National Assembly of Pakistan Mrs. Tahira Aurangzeb and Mrs. Belum Hasnain, as well as representatives of the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), attended the commemoration ceremony. Besides, two injured students of APS, Ahmad Nawaz and Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, who are currently under treatment in the UK, participated in the Vigil along with their families.
The High Commissioner and the officers of the High Commission, as a token of their affection and admiration for Ahmad Nawaz and Ibrahim Khan, presented them laptops to supplement their educational pursuits.
The High Commissioner held separate meetings with the two affected families and assured them of all possible support while they are in the UK.
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