Nation mourns nine years of APS Peshawar attack

Rich tributes were paid to the victims of the Army Public School (APS) massacre on the ninth anniversary of the tragic attack, that martyred 148 people.

Remembering the gruesome attack, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar said, “Sympathies of the entire nation stand with the parents whose children made a great sacrifice in this tragedy, I still cry when I recall that day,”

“Militants tried unsuccessfully to undermine the morale of the nation in the war against terrorism," the premier added.

"My clear message to the terrorists and the enemies of Pakistan's peace is that the Pakistani nation is stronger and united than before.”

On December 14, 2014, 138 schoolchildren and 10 other people were martyred when heavily armed militants stormed the school and fired at children who were attending classes at the time.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as revenge for Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the Pakistani military's operation in North Waziristan that started in summer 2014.

The mastermind of the APS attack was Mullah Fazal Ullah while the other collaborators included Gul Zaman Orakzai, Omar Narai, and Muhammad Khurasani who were allegedly in touch with RAW and NDS handlers in Afghanistan.

Following the APS attack, the country’s civil and military leadership united to formulate a comprehensive National Action Plan. This plan led to significant operations, including Zarb-e-Azb and Radul Fassad, aimed at eliminating terrorists and securing the nation.