Pakistan firm in its resolve to eradicate terrorism: PM Shehbaz

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the nation would always stand united, firm and unwavering in its resolve to eradicate the scourge of terrorism. He made the statement through a post on his X handle in connection with the anniversary of the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16, 2014. The attack claimed about 150 lives, mostly students.

“Today, we pay tribute to the victims of the Army Public School Peshawar incident, who sacrificed their precious lives for the future of our beloved homeland. The sacrifice of these innocent children and teachers is forever etched in our national conscience,” he said. He added that the incident serves as a constant reminder of “our shared responsibility to defeat terrorism”.

“The entire nation stands united in this war against terrorism and is determined to completely eradicate this evil force from our land,” he said. Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari reiterated that Pakistan’s commitment to defeating terrorism is absolute and there can be no soft corner for terrorists or those who support, finance, shelter or justify them.

“The sacrifice of APS students and staff remains a solemn reminder of the heavy price our nation has paid in the fight against terrorism,” he said, adding that the nation will always honour the resilience of the APS families who transformed their grief into strength for Pakistan. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described the tragedy as “one of the most heartbreaking chapters in Pakistan’s history” and said the attack “exposed the brutal face of terrorism to the world”.

Naqvi said terrorists targeted innocent children and described the assault as an attack on the state of Pakistan and the future of the nation. “There is now no ambiguity or expediency in the fight against terrorism,” he said, adding that terrorism was “unacceptable under any name or flag”.