PESHAWAR: The 2016 ICC World Twenty20 Trophy reached Peshawar on Sunday which will be brought to the Army Public School, Peshawar on Monday morning (today) to pay tribute to those who had lost their lives in a terrorist attack on Dec16, 2014.

The trophy will be unveiled in a simple ceremony at 8:15am in the presence of Pakistan’s one-day team captain Azhar Ali, ICC president Zaheer Abbas and Pakistan Cricket Board officials.

It was learnt that the PCB had selected the APS, Peshawar, as the venue to unveil the World T20 trophy in Pakistan. A simple ceremony will be held on the occasion where APS students and staff will be given an opportunity to get pictures with the trophy and have a close glance at it.

It is to be recalled that British professional boxer and two-time former world champion Amir Khan had also recently visited APS to express solidarity with the students, staff and parents as well.

Similarly, former Sri Lankan skipper Sanath Jayasuriya visited the APS in August and paid homage to those who lost their lives in the attack and expressed sympathies with the aggrieved families.

Besides, players and officials of Pakistan cricket team had also paid a visit to the victims of Peshawar school carnage who were admitted in CMH. The players had also given autographs and made photographs with the wounded students to encourage them.

Players and officials, including Shahid Afridi, Misbahul Haq, Mohammad Irfan and Ahmad Shahzad, who visited the hospital expressed sympathies with the wounded students.

Star batsman Younus Khan had visited APS and handed over some donations and kit bags to the APS administration on behalf of the New Zeeland Cricket Team in December last year.

According to an ISPR source, the event was a nice gesture to pay tribute to the APS attack victims and express solidarity with the families and school’s staff.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2016