India on Wednesday expressed solidarity with Pakistan with the Parliament condemning the ghastly attack by Taliban on a school in Peshawar and students from schools and colleges from all over the country observing a two-minute silence, holding special prayers and lighting candles to remember the young victims.
The Government said it is a "clarion call" for all those who believe in humanity to join hands to defeat terror. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited Pakistan High Commission here and offered condolences to the victims and their families during his meeting with Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit.
Members in both the lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha stood in silence as a mark of respect to the memory of those killed in the "gruesome" and "horrendous" terrorist attack. The lok Sabha adopted a resolution, moved by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, extending heartfelt condolences to the Government, people of Pakistan besides the bereaved families.
"The House ... Expresses its shock, sense of deep outrage, profound sorrow and condemns the despicable, senseless, horrendous and cowardly terrorist attack. And resolve that all barbaric terrorist attacks, against innocent people, especially vulnerable children, should not be tolerated and harshest and exemplary punishment be meted out to the perpetrators of such heinous crimes," the resolution said.
In the Rajya Sabha, Hamid Ansari said, "This senseless and brutal cowardly act is deplorable. The loss of innocent lives in this incident is indeed tragic and unfortunate. This incident only reaffirms our resolve to fight terrorism with more determination and firmness." The House later joined Ansari in observing silence as a mark of respect to the memory of those who lost their lives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi late Tuesday night too had called his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif and offered "deepest condolences and all assistance" in the hour of grief. As a mark of solidarity with Pakistan, Modi appealed to all schools in India to observe two-minutes of silence on Wednesday.
Special prayers were also held in some schools with children sporting black bands, many of them carrying placards in memory of the children who lost their lives. Candles were also lit as children reflected on the tragedy in silence. "Save the Globe from cruelty, the world is one," read one placard carried by students of a school in Kanpur.