The 8th anniversary of a deadly school attack on the Army Public School (APS) Peshawar that claimed the lives of over 140 people, mostly schoolchildren, is being observed across the country today (Friday), Republic policy news reported.
On December 16, 2014, six terrorists affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) stormed the School and martyred one hundred and forty-seven students and teachers.
The deadliest attack in Pakistan’s history, the carnage, prompted the government to declare an all-out war against terrorist outfits. In the wake of the attack, military courts were set up for trying terrorists under amendments to the Constitution and the Army Act.
The mastermind of the APS massacre, Umar Mansour, alias Khalifa Mansour, alias Umar Naray, was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan.
Eight years on — despite the counter-terrorism National Action Plan (NAP) chalked out days after the APS massacre and other security strategies — educational institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa remain relatively easy targets for militants.
The massacre changed the perception of Pakistan against terrorism, and people in the country raised their voices for uniformed action against all types of militants.
Following the attack, political parties and security departments formed a National Action Plan to stem extremism and terrorism.
Later, the Pakistani Parliament unanimously approved the formation of military courts for speedy trials of hardcore terrorists.
