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Thursday 17 Dec 2015 - 13:44 Makkah mean time-6-3-1437
(Image from EPA)
Peshawar, (IINA) - Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pledged on Wednesday to eliminate terrorism as the country observed the first anniversary of a school massacre that sparked widespread outrage and prompted a crackdown on extremists, DPA reported.
Sharif attended a ceremony under tight security at the army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar, where about 150 people, mostly students, were killed on December 16, 2014, when Taliban militants stormed it.
Sharif was among several civilian and military leaders at a ceremony to honor the victims.
The government's military drive against terrorists "will continue and we will defeat terrorism soon", he said in his speech. "We will defeat the enemies of education and children and give a peaceful Pakistan to the next generation".
"It was exactly after this attack that I gave up the idea of seeking peace with Taliban", said Sharif, who first pursued talks with the militants after coming to power in 2013.
"We have come here with the feelings of grief and sorrow", he told the grieving parents. "We will take revenge for every drop of blood".
Sharif also mentioned the post-attack unity shown by the country in fighting militancy. "The attack unified the divided nation because everybody felt the pain".
Elaborate security measures were taken in Peshawar and the rest of the country to foil any sabotage attempt, security officials said, as hundreds of soldiers were deployed around the school building.
Pakistan reacted to the attack by declaring war on the insurgents, and restarting executions of people convicted of terrorism and other serious offences.
The military says an estimated 3,400 rebel fighters have been killed in the campaign. However, officials said the rebels still have the capability to strike civilian and military targets.
AG/IINA
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