PESHAWAR: Mothers of five of the students and teachers assassinated by militants in the 2014 Peshawar Army Public School attack have moved Peshawar High Court against the ongoing negotiations between the government and proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and sought directives for the government against ‘taking any step of reconciliation with the outfit without taking them into confidence’.

A bench consisting of Justice Lal Jan Khattak and Justice Abdul Shakoor issued a notice to the interior secretary asking him to respond to the petition, jointly filed by the mothers of four slain students and a woman teacher, on the next date of hearing to be fixed later.

The petitioners included Falak Naz, mother of students Noorullah and Saifullah, Shahana, mother of Asfand Khan, Seema, mother of Aimal Khan, and Zulaikha, mother of teacher Sadia Gul.

Advocate Ajoon Khan, who is the father of slain student Asfand Khan, appeared for the petitioners and contended that they were direct victims of the brutal act of killing innocent students and some of their teachers at the APS by the TTP militants, so negotiating with the outfit by the government without redressing their grievances would be a destruction of the justice system in the country.

Seek orders for govt to take them into confidence; PHC issues notice to interior secy for response to petition

The respondents in the petition are the defence ministry through its secretary, interior ministry through its secretary, federal government through law secretary, and focal person of the National Action Plan (NAP).

Mr Ajoon requested the court to issue directives to the government not to take any step of reconciliation with the TTP without taking his clients on board.

He said that the petitioners were the victim of one of the most brutal incident occurred in this country as a consequence of which minor students in large number were martyred.

The lawyer said that from time to time, families of the APS martyrs had protested and raised voice against the campus carnage not only in Peshawar but in other cities, including Islamabad, as well.

He added that the petitioners had also appeared and put forward their grievances before a one-member Judicial Commission consisting of Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, which was probing the matter on the order of the Supreme Court.

Mr Ajoon said the judicial commission had completed its probe and submitted its report to the apex court including its findings and recommendations. He added that some of the reservations of the petitioners had now been pending before the Supreme Court and they had regularly been appearing before it.

The counsel said his clients learned through print, electronic and social media that the federal government had started dialogue with the TTP and that only the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which was heading the coalition government, had exclusively started it without taking into confidence other stakeholders.

He claimed that the Pakistan Peoples Party had objected to the negotiations and had demanded a joint sitting of parliament for discussing the matter.

Mr Ajoon, however, said instead of joint sitting the government had only convened meeting of a National Assembly standing committee to satisfy its coalition partner, whereas the victims of the APS carnage were completely ignored.

He contended that if any compromise took place between the government and the TTP without taking the stakeholders, especially the aggrieved parents of the slain students, into confidence, it would tarnish the country’s image across the world.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2022