Hard to forget the Indelible memories of APS December 16, 2014 event

Hard to forget the Indelible memories of APS December 16, 2014 event

Some tragedies are so heartbreaking and massive that they leave a mark on the country’s collective mind that can’t be erased. Attacking APS Peshawar seven years ago was just the kind of thing you would expect to see in a case like this.

TTP militants stormed the school and killed nearly 150 people, including 132 children, in the most horrific way possible. They went from room to room, slaying students and staff members. It was the second-worst terrorist attack in Pakistan, but it was never seen before in terms of how it affected people. Parents were worried about their kids during the attack, but they didn’t know if they were alive or dead. Images of the carnage soon appeared on social media and the heartfelt goodbyes to so many people who died far too young. It is even worse for the students who made it out alive and for the families of the people who died on December 16, 2014.

It looked like the attack had sparked some soul-searching and made the state more determined to fight religious extremism. Civilian and military leaders all agreed that the country needed to go in a new direction. They came up with the 20-point National Action Plan. But, on the other hand, that initial resolve quickly faded away and became stuck in inaction and bureaucratic slogs.

Instead, the state took simple steps like lifting the unofficial moratorium on capital cases, which fed a hurting country’s bloodlust, instead of taking the hard, long-term steps that could remove the root causes of extremism from society. Even the families of the people who died in the attack at APS Peshawar were not given enough attention. They were angry that the attack had happened, even though they had information that the TTP was planning to attack an army-run school.

Families went from place to place looking for those who were negligent and let the massacre happen. As time went on, a group of judges was set up to look into the matter. As part of a 525-page report to the Supreme Court in July 2020, the government said there were security flaws and that “unpardonable” help was given to militants by the locals in the area.

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