PIPFPD condemns attack on school children in Peshawar

PAKISTAN INDIA PEOPLES’ FORUM FOR PEACE & DEMOCRACY- INDIA
c/o: F-10/12, (Basement), Malviya Nagar, New Delhi
Contacts: 09811081240, 09869077718, 011-26687725 Website:www.pipfpd.org Email: pipfpd.india@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE

December 17, 2014

Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) strongly condemns the dastardly and cowardly attack on children in a school in Peshawar. In a most barbaric and heinous attack Tehrik-e-Taliban massacred 131 children and nine staff members of an Army run school.

This attack on children studying in a school is the worst form of brutality and violation of fundamental principles of humanity. There can be no justification of such acts.

We express our solidarity with the bereaved families, friends, Pakistani children and victims of the attack. We sincerely believe that this is not just a tragedy for Pakistan but a collective tragedy for the entire world and it calls for global compassion, especially so in the entire sub-continent.

We call upon the all the liberal, democratic and secular forces across the globe to unitedly stand in solidarity with the bereaved families and the people of Pakistan in this moment of grief and also begin a serious effort for a global fight against barbaric and heinous murders committed in the name of religion.

While we welcome the solidarity expressed by the Indian students towards their Pakistani counterparts by observing two minutes silence in their schools, we hope that India and Pakistan should work together along with other SAARC countries in making South Asia free from religious extremism that lies at the root of such senseless violence.

A stronger resolve to make the transition from hostility to mutual trust and build friendly relations between the two countries will go a long way in replacing the mutual insecurity that often gives birth to religious extremism and terror groups. There is need to understand the genesis of such violence as witnessed in Peshawar on December 16 and make a serious endeavour to fight it at that level.

We welcome the Indian government’s gesture of standing with Pakistan at this critical moment. We appeal to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to carry forward this gesture of compassion and urgently resume dialogue with Pakistan.

Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal & Asha Hans
Co-Chairpersons

Jatin Desai
Secretary

For further details contact: 09869077718, pipfpd.india@gmail.com