FWD: observing 5th anniversary of APS massacre, Peshawar, 16 December

[Tahira Abdullah]

Dear all,

Please see the notice and draft statement below.

Comments, suggestions, endorsements are requested for the DRAFT STATEMENT - by 4 pm on Friday, 13 December 2019 please.

Please forward this notice to your mailing lists - including on the social media.

Families are welcome.

Thank you, regards.

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DRAFT STATEMENT

Civil Society Observes 5^th Anniversary of APS Peshawar Massacre, 16 December

 

Islamabad, 16 December 2019:  What happened five years ago at the Peshawar Army Public School (APS), on 16 December 2014, was not just a simple act of violence or terrorism or a “tragedy” confined to Peshawar or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.  The brutal targeted massacre of around 150 students, teachers, staff and Principal Tahira Qazi Shaheed was a horrific national outrage.  This barbaric atrocity will remain etched in our collective memory and national psyche forever.

 

We gather at this candlelight vigil to pay tribute to the bravery and courage of our children and adolescents; teachers, staff and the principal.  Each one of the victims and survivors is an iconic hero.

 

We need to and must question the long wait of their relatives for justice, as well as the need for greater transparency of the process.  Our questions still wait to be answered.

 

We must also be informed of the recovery and rehabilitation of the surviving students and teachers.  Five years ago, we demanded that psycho-social trauma therapy be provided for as long as required.  We are waiting to be informed of any follow-up.

 

Globally, it is recognized that little children are voiceless and in need of protection.  As rights-based peace activists, we continue to voice our concerns at the violent and warmongering depiction of the atrocity and its aftermath in some of the songs and videos which followed.  Before we rush off to start educating the children of our enemies, it might be a good idea to enrol all our own 23 million out-of-school children, especially girls – and substantively reform our own curricula and textbooks, in order to produce educated human beings who do not glorify violence and terrorism, but believe in the values of peace, equality, justice, pluralism, and respect for diversity.

 

Our children are our most precious and beloved citizens.  We will never forget APS/2014 and we will never permit the state to forget its responsibilities either.

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[329 words]

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From: Fatima Atif <fatimah...@gmail.com>
Sent: 12 December 2019 00:00

 

To all Concerned Citizens:

16 December 2014 remains one of the darkest days in Pakistan's history.

The APS Peshawar incident was one of the most brutal terrorist acts in Pakistan.

The trauma of APS still prevails and haunts us.

We need to keep the APS memory alive on its 5th Anniversary - in our individual and collective memories.

All Human Rights Defenders/ Human Rights Commissions / Minorities Rights/ Child Rights/ Women's Rights/TGI's rights/PWD's rights - and all NGOs/CSOs/ Networks/ Alliances/Groups/ concerned citizens/civil society members/ mothers/fathers/ children and all Peace and Humanity lovers are requested to participate in a peaceful candlelight vigil to commemorate the APS martyrs and survivors.

Date: 16 December 2019

Day: Monday

Time: 4pm-5pm (sunset)

Venue: opposite National Press Club, Islamabad 

Note: 

Please bring one candle to light as a token of your homage.

If you want, you can also bring placards with appropriate slogans re. APS only.

Please forward this notice widely.

Please do join in this non-partisan, non-funded, non-sponsored event.

Please provide your comments/suggestions//endorsements on the above draft statement before 4 pm, Friday, 13 December 2019.

 

Thank you.