No ideology in this world can justify the killing of small innocent children, no matter the religion, caste or creed they belong to. But militants from the Pakistani Taliban have shamed humanity by attacking an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 141 people, 132 of them children. Officials said 122 people were wounded. A local hospital said the dead and injured were aged from 10 to 20 years old.
The attack at a military-run high school attended by at least 500 students, many of them children of army personnel came to an end after all six insurgents had been killed. The entire operation continued for more than eight hours, after the six suicide bombers, who, dressed in military fatigues, had slipped into the army-run school.
One of the deadliest attacks that Pakistan has seen in recent times has been justified by the Taliban, who are waging a war against Pakistan to topple the government and set up an Islamic state. Claiming responsibility for the attack it added, “We selected the army’s school for the attack because the government is targeting our families and females,” said Taliban spokesman Muhammad Umar Khorasani. “We want them to feel the pain.”
As soon as the news broke on social media, #PeshawarAttack and #PakSchoolSiege have been trending on Twitter.
Look at the those scared faces. Heartbreaking! #PeshawarAttack pic.twitter.com/LIGG2VPJzd
— Ali (@Alifaruq) December 16, 2021
“Our smile is stronger than your gun” says a cover of a martyred Mubeen Shah’s Facebook profile #PeshawarAttack pic.twitter.com/FfEZMjYdaC
— #PakistanUnderAttack (@TheRajperSays) December 16, 2021
These are the school children who were attacked in #PeshawarAttack today. Hold your heart people. pic.twitter.com/Nnbi9TiIs9 — #PakistanUnderAttack (@TheRajperSays) December 16, 2021
Attacking children and their education is a disregard of the most fundamental principles of humanity. #PeshawarAttack pic.twitter.com/HJNmSjHrrg — UNICEF Pakistan (@UNICEF_Pakistan) December 16, 2021
#PeshawarAttack is 2nd deadliest ever terror attack on an educational institution, after Beslan in 2004, per Global Terrorism Database.
— Josh Levs (@JoshLevs) December 16, 2021
This is not my religion, not my politics. I would rather have no god than a god that justifies the mass murder of children. #PeshawarAttack
— Ali Dayan Hasan (@AliDayan) December 16, 2021
“If you kill one innocent soul, it is as if you’ve killed the entire Humanity” #PeshawarAttack pic.twitter.com/kK8cOU4lFC — عًُمر زمان (@Omar_zmn) December 16, 2021
Over 100 children massacred in school in #PeshawarAttack. My heart bleeds for bereaved families. One of the darkest days of humanity. — Kailash Satyarthi (@k_satyarthi) December 16, 2021
Prayers to the families of the innocent children who lost their lives today. #PeshawarAttack pic.twitter.com/BtjtbuYFX3
— Karεn Ciѵil (@KarenCivil) December 16, 2021
#PeshawarAttack pic.twitter.com/Kl5gDIRWOY
— Asma (@LibyanBentBladi) December 16, 2021
The terrorist attacks found no sympathy from Indians and it has stood with Pakistan during this hour of grief. PM Narendra Modi who was really quick to condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in Peshawar early on social media.
Strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack at a school in Peshawar. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2021
It is a senseless act of unspeakable brutality that has claimed lives of the most innocent of human beings - young children in their school. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2021
My heart goes out to everyone who lost their loved ones today. We share their pain & offer our deepest condolences.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2021
Later he spoke to Pakistan’s PM Nawaz Sharif and offered his condolences and assistance, as stated in his tweets.
Spoke to PM Nawaz Sharif over the telephone. Offered my deepest condolences on the dastardly terror attack in Peshawar. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2021
India stands firmly with Pakistan in fight against terror. Told PM Sharif we are ready to provide all assistance during this hour of grief.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2021
In fact the PM has also requested schools across India to observe a 2 minute silence today as a mark of solidarity.
In the wake of dastardly attack in Pakistan, I appeal to schools across India to observe 2 mins of silence tomorrow as a mark of solidarity. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2021
Besides this #IndiaWithPakistan has been trending on Twitter since yesterday with Indians condemning and showing anger for the barbaric Taliban attack.
Tehseen Poonawala started the hashtag, #IndiaWithPakistan began trending on Tuesday evening after the attacks, a day after #IllRideWithYou began trending on Twitter after the Sydney attack.
Cause we will not bow down to these cowards. Cause our children are our future so let us hashtag #IndiawithPakistan !!
— Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) December 16, 2021
Indians joined the hashtag thereafter:
Yesterday it was #illridewithyou. Today it’s #IndiawithPakistan. Thank God our planet has a few hearts and minds intact.
— Rahul Fernandes (@newspaperwallah) December 16, 2021
When you lose family, the only shoulders you want to cry on is family. We are one with our family in Pakistan! #IndiawithPakistan
— Arun Nambiar (@aruns_nambiar) December 16, 2021
If you are a parent, hug your children tight tonight. Give them one extra kiss, because many parents in Pak can’t #IndiawithPakistan
— Bodhisattva Sen Roy (@insenroy) December 16, 2021
#IndiaWithPakistan because no politics, religion, ideology is above the need to share the grief of Peshawar’s parents
— Shivam Vij (@DilliDurAst) December 16, 2021
So glad to see #IndiawithPakistan trending. After all it’s not about two nations and religions, it’s about HUMANITY! #PeshawarAttack
— Rani Mukherjee (@iamRaniMukherji) December 16, 2021
Yes all kids are ours.. RT @IndLovesPak:Those were our children too.Period. #IndiaWithPakistan #PeshawarAttack pic.twitter.com/dlnH0oofvl
— Raza Rumi (@Razarumi) December 16, 2021
Appreciate the outreach by the Indian community on this tragic day #IndiawithPakistan thank you for sharing our grief
— Awab Alvi (@DrAwab) December 16, 2021
Why kill innocent kids. It’s appalling and barbaric. Terrorism has no religion. Religion is man made to divide us all. #IndiawithPakistan
— SONAL CHAUHAN (@sonalchauhan7) December 16, 2021
Can’t stop crying: #PeshawarAttack #IndiawithPakistan #PakSchoolSiege #TotalCrackdown pic.twitter.com/Z1pRE334ai
— Raza Rumi (@Razarumi) December 16, 2021
Some days overwhelm years of painful history. Today is one such day. Politics & battles can sit this one out #IndiawithPakistan
— IndiaSpeaks (@IndiaSpeaksPR) December 16, 2021
Dear neighbour, with you in your hour of grief. Let humanity prevail over barbarism. #IndiawithPakistan
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) December 16, 2021
I feel schools in india should be closed 4 a day 2 mark our solidarity towards those innocent angels who lost their lives #IndiawithPakistan
— sonu sood (@SonuSood) December 16, 2021
Appeal to whoever controls Pakistan,in grief we are with you #IndiawithPakistan but it’s time to take strong action!shut down terror camps
— Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) December 16, 2021
It might take years for the parents to overcome this incident. In the words of this parent - “My son was in uniform in the morning. He is in a casket now,” distraught father Tahir Ali is quoted by the AP news agency. While collecting the body of his 14-year-old son Abdullah from hospital, he said: “My son was my dream. My dream has been killed.”
16th December once again ripped humanity, this time in our neighboring nation.
