PESHAWAR: Political leaders on Thursday mourned the death of children and a woman teacher in the collapse of a private school roof in Dir Colony here and called for accelerated rescue operation, an impartial investigation into the incident as well as the safety audit of educational institutions.

In separate statements, Awami National Party central president Senator Aimal Wali Khan, ANP provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz provincial president and federal minister Engineer Amir Muqam and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram expressed grave concern over the tragedy.

Mr Aimal said the tragedy had plunged Peshawar into mourning once again, leaving families devastated by the loss of their children.

He said the pain of parents who had lost their children was beyond description and that no words of consolation could fill the void left by the deceased children.

Demand transparent investigation into school roof collapse incident

Expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, the ANP leader prayed that Allah Almighty grant the deceased children and the female teacher a high place in heaven and give their families the strength and patience to bear the irreparable loss.

He demanded a transparent investigation into the incident and called for the findings to be made public.

Mr Aimal also urged authorities to conduct the safety audit of educational institutions and take immediate, concrete measures to ensure the safety of school buildings.

Similarly, ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain expressed grief over deaths in the roof collapse and said more children might still be trapped under the rubble, so the rescue operation must not be delayed.

He called for all available resources to be mobilised to speed up rescue efforts and the removal of debris to recover those trapped and save lives.

Also, federal minister Amir Muqam expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the incident.

He extended condolences to the bereaved families, describing the loss of precious lives as an extremely painful tragedy. He called for the provision of the best possible medical care to the injured.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Sheikh Waqas Akram described the incident as an unbearable human tragedy and said the loss of so many young lives had plunged the affected families into immeasurable grief and left the entire nation mourning.

In a statement, he said that the deaths of innocent children, whose lives were filled with dreams and possibilities, were an immense tragedy that no words could adequately describe.

Mr Akram said the tragedy was deeply heartbreaking and that the pain of parents who had lost their children was beyond comprehension.

“The loss of these innocent children and their teacher is a tragedy that has shaken us all. No parent should ever have to endure the unbearable pain of losing a child in such circumstances. Our hearts go out to every family devastated by this immense loss,” he said.

The PTI leader extended condolences to the bereaved families and said the PTI stood firmly with them in their hour of unimaginable sorrow.

Demanding a transparent, impartial and comprehensive investigation, he said the causes of the roof collapse must be established without delay and that those found responsible for negligence or violations of safety regulations must be held accountable under the law.

Mr Akram said the enormity of the tragedy demanded more than routine statements of condolence and that the facts must be brought to light and responsibility fixed to prevent such a devastating incident from happening again.

He said the safety of children in educational institutions must be treated as an absolute priority.

The PTI leader urged authorities to immediately inspect school buildings, assess their structural integrity and ensure strict compliance with construction and safety standards.

He stressed the need for effective monitoring and regular safety audit of educational institutions and strict enforcement of regulations to ensure that no child is exposed to danger because of an unsafe school building or administrative negligence.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2026