PESHAWAR: Moving scenes were witnessed when Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar visited Army Public School here on Tuesday.

The purpose of the visit of chief justice was to participate in Quran Khwani for the martyrs of Army Public School on invitation of the parents. He met with parents, teachers and staff members of the school and shared his sympathies with the aggrieved families.

During interaction with the families of the students, who were martyred on December 16, 2014, the chief justice said that whole nation was standing shoulder to shoulder with the bereaved families.

“During his visit to the auditorium where the students were martyred, the chief justice expressed his annoyance over the establishment of basketball court in the hall. He ordered establishment of a library in the auditorium,” Advocate Ajoon Khan, the president of APS Shuhda Forum, told Dawn by telephone.

He said that the chief justice also reprimanded the principal for converting the auditorium into the basketball court. “It is extremely shameful on part of the school administration that the auditorium was changed into basketball court,” he said.

Mr Ajoon, who has also lost his son in the attack on APS, said that the parents of the killed students appealed to the chief justice to order the award of Nishan-i-Pakistan for the APS martyrs and provide justice to the aggrieved families in the case.

Tufail Khattak, the father of a martyred student, announced a donation of Rs100,000 for the dam fund.

The chief justice also visited the residence of Justice Roohul Amin to offer condolence on the death of his mother, who passed away on September 29, 2018.

It is to be mentioned here that 144 people were killed in the attack on APS and 122 of them were students. Keeping in view the demand of parents, the Supreme Court has recently ordered formation of a judicial commission to probe the attack.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018