DUSHANBE, April 28, 2015, Asia-Plus – The
News International
(Pakistan) reported on April 28 that Tajik President, Emomali Rahmon, has invited a group of affected students of the Peshawar Army Public School (APS) to visit to Tajikistan for convalescence.
According to the directions of President Emomali Rahmon, various ministries and agencies have chalked out a comprehensive program for students of Peshawar Army Public School, said a press release issued by the Embassy of Tajikistan on Monday.
The program includes cultural performances and trip to historical places in Tajikistan. The purpose of President Emomali Rahmon’s initiative is to share grief of these students and their families and help them recover from the traumatic situation they have been facing ever since that horrible incident took place.
Tajikistan, after China, is the second country, which has invited students to Tajikistan, the
News International
said. Meanwhile, the social and political circles of Pakistan have greatly applauded the goodwill gesture of the Tajik president and hoped other countries would also come forward to share grief of the students.
“Various Pakistani organizations too lauded the step and thanked the Tajik president for his initiative. The step, they hoped, would further cement brotherly ties between Pakistan and Tajikistan besides strengthening people to people relations,” the
News International
reported.
Established in 1992, Army Public School and College is an English Medium school in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. It is one of the 146 school campuses established and managed by the Pakistani Army”s Army Public Schools & Colleges System.
Seven gunmen affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) conducted a terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16, 2014. The militants, all of whom were foreign nationals, included one Chechen, three Arabs and two Afghans. They entered the school and opened fire on school staff and children, killing 145 people, including 132 schoolchildren, ranging between eight and eighteen years of age. A rescue operation was launched by the Pakistan Army”s Special Services Group (SSG) special forces, who killed all seven terrorists and rescued 960 people.
