ISLAMABAD: Five years into the country’s most heart-wrenching terrorist attack, in which the Taliban murdered 149 people, most of them schoolchildren, Pakistani leaders vow to never forget the victims and the way they died.
On Dec. 16, 2014, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) gunmen entered the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and opened fire on students and teachers, killing 132 children and 17 school staff.
On the fifth anniversary of the APS attack, parents held candlelit vigils in Peshawar to remember the victims.
Special prayers were also offered in different parts of the city to remember the carnage.
The army-run school that came under terrorist attack displayed a huge banner carrying photos of the students killed in the attack and held a special prayer ceremony.
President Arif Alvi said the nation must not forget “the massacre of little angels” and teachers. It is “hard to commemorate this day without tears in one’s eyes. In its remembrance, we reiterate our pledge to root out terrorism and extremism in all its manifestations from our country,” he said in a tweet on Monday.
“Today, we remember and pray for the survivors and victims of APS Peshawar incident. The blood of the innocent united the nation against all forms of extremism, terrorism, violence and hatred,” Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a statement.
While paying tribute to young martyrs, the premier also honored the sacrifices of the country’s security forces “in the fight against the scourge of terrorism.”
“We pledge on this day not to allow any militant mindset to take our country and the nation hostage to its bigoted vision,” Khan said.
The Pakistan Army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), quoted Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa as saying “the APS carnage will never be forgotten. Five of the involved terrorists have been hanged through military courts. Salute to martyrs and their families.”
“We have come a long way in failing terrorism as a nation. United we move toward lasting peace and prosperity of Pakistan,” the Twitter post by the ISPR said.
Pakistan remembers lives lost in 2014 Peshawar school massacre
https://arab.news/p746j
Pakistan remembers lives lost in 2014 Peshawar school massacre
- PM says the blood of the innocent united the nation against all forms of extremism
- Army Public School carnage will never be forgotten, says army chief
Pakistani charity ramps up Gaza aid during Ramadan, delivering 10,000 iftar meals daily
- Al-Khidmat has sent 40 aid shipments to Gaza since Oct. 2023 war began
- Foundation commits $30 million, plans hospital and school projects
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Al-Khidmat Foundation (AKF) has expanded delivery of daily meals, water supplies and emergency relief to families in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan, a senior official said this week, as Palestinians observe the fasting month under severe humanitarian strain following more than two years of war.
The two-year conflict, which began in October 2023, has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and injured over 171,000 others, according to Palestinian health authorities. Vast areas of Gaza have been destroyed, leaving residents dependent on humanitarian assistance despite an October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Since the war began, AKF has dispatched 40 aid shipments to Gaza, funded by public donations in Pakistan and delivered under the patronage of the government and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
“Daily, we are giving 20,000 liters of water to the people who have to break their fast,” AKF President Arshad Malik told Arab News in an interview on Monday. “Second, every day there are families who are getting 10,000 meals for iftar in Gaza.”
Malik said the organization has prioritized food staples tailored to local needs during Ramadan.
“In Ramadan, what we have prioritized is… food like it is oil, it’s hummus, it’s dates, it’s flour,” he said. “It is from people of Pakistan for the people of Gaza.”
Al-Khidmat, one of Pakistan’s largest humanitarian charities, is registered in several countries including the UK, US and Norway, and maintains offices in Japan, Italy and Turkiye. Since October 2023, it has delivered aid through chartered aircraft and sea shipments, coordinating cross-border logistics via Jordan and relying on local teams inside Gaza.
“First of all, we have employed our own people like boots on the ground. So there are people who are there, whom we are paying,” Malik said, explaining that designated camps are used to distribute daily iftar meals.
Each shipment is tracked through an identification number, he added.
“They track [shipments] and they follow that which camp has received those items and which camp has not been able to receive it so far,” Malik said.
Malik acknowledged that delivering aid into Gaza has involved complex logistical and security challenges.
“It was a challenge for us, it was a challenge for Government of Pakistan,” he said, noting that consignments required coordination with regional humanitarian organizations and clearance procedures before entering Gaza. “The logistics charges or the trawler charges were huge.”
However, he said processes have gradually streamlined, enabling faster distribution during Ramadan. Public donations in Pakistan have also increased during the fasting month, allowing the organization to expand its relief efforts.
“Since Oct. 2023, we committed $30 million and till date, we have been able to spend $23 million,” Malik said.
The foundation says it aims to spend Rs6 billion ($21.5 million) on Gaza relief during Ramadan alone.
Beyond emergency assistance, AKF is supporting Palestinian students studying in Pakistan and planning longer-term rehabilitation initiatives.
“One hospital close to Gaza border would be built, operated by Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan,” Malik said, adding that proposals also include building a hospital and a school inside Gaza.
Pakistan does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and maintains a policy of non-recognition, rooted in its support for an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
