16 December APS attack
THERE are times before nations when life demands the sacrifice of everything dear to their hearts.
Every soldier of the Pakistan Army comes forward by entrusting his life to this country, but no one ever thought that the young soldiers of Pakistan will be studying in a school with their dreams of the future with pen and paper.
The difficult stage of sacrifice for the nation will come before those young soldiers. How many Ghazi children kept saying that even if we had weapons, we wouldn’t have let a single damned terrorist come back alive from school.
In the battle of good and evil, fate also took a turn that asked us to sacrifice our beloved children and their teachers.
It was the second major tragedy after the 1971 war that shook the entire nation. Every eye was filled with tears and wanted to bring the brutal terrorists to justice with their own hands.
The 16 December was an apocalypse that befell us all. Mothers’ laps were broken, fathers’ shoulders were bent and many lost the love of mothers and fathers, while the spouses of some fell into eternal sleep.
The city of flowers saw so many funerals of flowers that it seemed that there was no morning after that night.
The fire of revenge was burning in the heart, everyone was yearning for the innocent. The then Army Chief General Raheel Sharif had promised the nation that he would rid Pakistan of the scourge of terrorism.
After this tragedy, it seemed that Pakistani children would never be able to go to school. Panic spread everywhere, but when the Army Public School reopened on January 12, everyone was surprised to see the Army Chief himself standing to welcome students.
The Pakistan Army left no stone unturned in comforting the families of the martyrs and treating the Ghazis.
Since June 2014, Operation Zarb-e-Azb has been accelerated and it is determined that there will be no let-up until the North Waziristan and Pak-Afghan border are secured.
The most difficult war in history was fought in the North Waziristan region and the writ of the government was established.
An operation was conducted against the terrorists and their facilitators, after which a clear difference was seen in the law and order situation.
In its new war doctrine, the army made the public part of the operation.
Appealed to them to keep their eyes and ears open and report any suspicious activity around them to the army. December 16 is the day of lighting the lamp of victory with blood.
It was an apocalyptic day that has passed us by, but on that day a story of sacrifice, bravery and patience was written which is not comparable in history. This day united us against terrorism.
Terrorists must know that they cannot defeat Pakistanis, the children of this country whose teachers have sacrificed so much, we will continue to protect our freedom and independence at the cost of this sacrifice.
We are all innocent. Martyrs are in debt. Long live Pakistan and long live all martyrs of APS and their families.
—The writer is currently working as an Administrator in Federal Board of Revenue, Islamabad.
