PESHAWAR: One year after the Army Public School and College Peshawar carnage, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has no plan to conduct judicial inquiry into the gory incident.

“Many sensitive institutions have been attacked during the past few years, but no judicial inquiry was conducted,” KP special assistant to the chief minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani told a news conference here on Tuesday.

Ghani said the entire nation was in state of war and had to fight against terrorists.

CM special assistant says Imran will inaugurate ‘Martyrs Monument’

He said security forces had been conducting operations against militants.

The CM’s special assistant said four terrorists involved in the APS attack had already been hanged to death, while trial of more was in progress.

He said the provincial government had notified Dec 16 as a public holiday, while educational institutions and departments in Peshawar district would remain closed to honour 144 people, who were killed in the APS terrorist attack, pay respect to them and express solidarity with the families of the victims.

Ghani said the main function of the anniversary would take place on the premises of APS, while political and military leadership would be present there.

He however said the educational institutions and government offices in other districts of the province would remain open.

The CM’s special assistant said prayers would be held in schools and colleges across the province, while the children would offer fateha in the morning assembly.

He said special functions would also be organised at all district headquarters in KP for offering fateha and respect to the victims of APS attack.

Ghani said central leaders of all political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, had been invited to the anniversary.

He said the entire nation would salute the APS attack victims as they were the national heroes.

The CM’s special assistant said after attending main function, Imran Khan along with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, ministers and parliamentarians would inaugurate the ‘Martyrs Monument’ on the premises of the Public Library and Achieves.

He said parents of the slain schoolchildren would also be present on the occasion.

Ghani said the main library had been named after the victims of the APS attack, while portraits of slain students and teachers would be displayed in the main Archive Hall permanently.

Meanwhile, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend the ceremony taking place at the APS.

The chief ministers of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan too are likely to attend the ceremony.

The civil society will hold candle-light vigils and offer prayers for those who lost life in the APS attack.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2015