ISLAMABAD: “The attack on schoolchildren in Peshawar has left us heartbroken but our resolve to seek knowledge and fight militancy has been strengthened,” said a ninth grade student, Ahmed Hassan.

Hassan, a student of Islamabad Model College for Boys G-7/2, was talking to Dawn on Wednesday after special prayers were held at the school for the students killed in the attack.

Similar activities were organised at all government and private educational institutions to condemn the attack and express solidarity with the victims.

In the morning assemblies, students offered prayers for martyred students and observed a minute long silence. Colleges and universities also organised events to condemn the attack.

Teachers announced that they will wear black bands on their arms for the next three days.

A ceremony organised at Islamabad Model School for Boys, G-7/4, was also attended by Director General Federal Directorate of Education Aamir Ashraf Khawaja.

“We all are in a state of deep shock but we must unite against extremists,” Mr Khawaja said to students.

Ceremonies were also organised at colleges in H-9 and H-8 where principals and teachers spoke to the students, expressing solidarity with victims, condemning the attack in particular and extremism in general.

Students of H-8 brought out a rally and walked from their college to Zero Point, holding placards and chanting slogans against terrorists.

Students at National University of Modern Languages (Numl) organised a candle light vigil and students of National University of Science and Technology (Nust) and Quaid-i-Azam University organised walks to express solidarity with the martyrs.

Momina Mujahid, a student of Numl, said the candle light vigil meant to show the world that the entire Pakistani nation was standing by the bereaved families.

Protesting students also raised slogans in favour of operation Zarb-i-Azb.

A large number of students and faculty members of International Islamic University offered funeral prayer in absentia for those killed in the attack.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2014