PESHAWAR: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will organise in Peshawar a peace conference of ulema and ambassadors of Muslim countries to adopt a joint strategy against terrorism.

This was said by OIC Secretary General Iyad Amin Madani during a meeting with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak here on Saturday.

Mr Madani condemned the Taliban assault on the Army Public School and expressed sympathy with the families of those who lost their lives in the attack.

He paid tribute to the martyred children and teachers and said the Ummah and the international community shared the grief of the bereaved families.

The secretary general was accompanied by some other officials of OIC.

KP Senior Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai, Minister for Education Atif Khan and senior government officials were present on the occasion.

The chief minister said the provincial government was organising a team of physiatrists that would help schoolchildren come out of the trauma.

The OIC chief also called on Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan and expressed sympathy over the loss of innocent lives in the school attack.

“Terrorists cannot be called Pakistanis, Muslims or even human beings because of their deplorable acts. They do not deserve any sympathy for their inhuman act and I am here to express deep sense of feelings of OIC members,” Mr Madani said.

The spirit of brotherhood which OIC had expressed was a source of encouragement, the governor said.

He said the government and people of Pakistan were firm in their commitment to root out the menace of terrorism from the country.

Mr Madani then paid a visit to the Combined Military Hospital and inquired about the health of children injured in the school attack.

He said rulers and people of all Muslim countries and the international community were shocked over the massacre of schoolchildren.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2014