APS massacre–the darkest hour before dawn

December 16 is that somber, sorrowful day when we recall the bloodcurdling screams of the innocents trapped in that fateful classroom. When textbooks turned crimson, when desks were overturned and doors were kicked in. When there was no distinction between good and evil, when indiscriminate firing was the order of the day. 141 innocent souls perished on that day, when militants committed a crime that would send the whole nation into shock and grief. The Army Public School in Peshawar was attacked on December 16, 2014, an incident that I regard to as ‘The darkest hour before dawn’.

ISPR releases Bara Dushmun Bana Phirta hai’s… by arynewsThe APS incident was etched in blood, horror and grief since it took place. Judging by trends on social, electronic and print media, it’s quite evident the nation is still in mourning and reeling from the perilous attack, one year on. Pakistan, a country prone to suicide bombings, violent killings and mass murders of various ethnicities and communities, couldn’t fathom this attack. Our country has seen its fair share of blood and gore, but the APS tragedy was a horrendous episode of epic proportions. No amount of condemnation, rebuke or retort could undo the damage that had been done. When one looks back at the account of that tragic day, the heart-wrenching details bring back unparalleled feelings of fear and dismay. Not all is fair in love and war, at least those beastly hordes could have respected some boundaries and left alone innocent, unarmed children. What’s most sad about this whole chapter is the fact that those tiny bodies lying still in their graves and the ones recovering from their injuries, had no part in any conflict.

In my view, the day is no doubt distressing and agonising to say the least. However, it did bring about some positive results for the nation. For example, it united the various differing factions within Pakistan, whether political or religious. Every religious sect or school of thought within Pakistan and around the world condemned the slaughter vehemently. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) called off its four-month long sit-in protest in respect of the incident and to show solidarity with the government in their hour of need. Pakistan Army hunted the militants who were responsible for killing and pillaging. The ban on death penalty was lifted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and terrorists were executed one after another. Pakistan had given a strong message, that it would tolerate no more and never forget December 16.

To sum it all up, Pakistan suffered an immense setback on this particular day. We might never recover from this attack, but we can certainly learn from this. Never again should we tolerate militants or terrorists taking our country hostage. No more textbooks drenched in blood, no more crimson uniforms. From now on, we deal with militancy with an iron fist.