Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday expressed his displeasure against television outlets for not suspending comedy programmes in respect for martyrs of the Army Public School (APS) attack.
On December 16, 2014, six terrorists had stormed APS in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and martyred 147 individuals, most of whom were children. The incident shook the country and resulted in the formation of a National Action Plan (NAP) to stem extremism and terrorism from the country, as well as the creation of military courts to try hardcore terrorists.
The information minister tweeted: “Not a single channel suspended its comedy programmes in respect for APS tragedy. I am accused of being against the media if such issues are pointed out.”
“Grief over the incident is national and not limited to a particular political party. Have some sense of responsibility,” he added.
کسی ایک چینل نے بھی اپنے کامیڈی پروگرام سانحہ APS کے احترام میں منسوخ نہیں کئے جب آپ توجہ دلاتے ہیں تو کہا جاتا ہے وزیر اطلاعات میڈیا کے خلاف ہے۔۔ خدارا کچھ اپنی ذمہ داری بھی محسوس کریں ، کچھ غم ہمارے مشترکہ ہیں قوم کے ہیں سیاسی جماعتوں
کے نہیں ۔۔۔
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) December 16, 2018
On Sunday, Prime Minister Imran Khan called for effective implementation of the NAP to rid the country of terrorism and extremism as he paid tribute to the victim of APS attack.
Speaking on the anniversary of the attack, the PM had said that the attack unified and solidified the “whole nation against an enemy which is a blot on humanity and the worst manifestation of animalism”. He had said that education was the best tool to defeat extremism and terrorism for good.
President Arif Alvi had said that “the APS incident is a national tragedy as well as a day to re-pledge our commitments against inimical forces”.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said that the “barbaric attack on APS remains a scar on the collective memory of Pakistan”.