Pakistan: Women's Action Forum voices solidarity with 2014 Peshawar school massacre victims kin

Women's Action Forum (WAF) on Thursday voiced its solidarity with the 2014 Peshawar school massacre victims' families in which at least 150 people, mostly students were killed.

Members of Khawateen Mahaz-e-Amal, Women's Action Forum (WAF), will continue their solidarity with the bereaved parents and families of students and staff of the Army Public School (APS) Peshawar, reported The News International.

In a statement, WAF said, "At this critical juncture, once again we reiterate our abiding solidarity with parents of APS victims and staff. We reaffirm our pledge to support them in condemnation and rejection of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Government's recent announcement of a heinous plan of appeasement of Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP), its affiliates and offshoots, through so-called 'peace talks', 'forgiveness' and 'reconciliation'.

"We agree with you that this is nothing but an acceptance of defeat and abject surrender to a militant extremist entity that has declared war against the State of Pakistan, its Constitution, Parliament, Judiciary and all institutions; that has vowed to take over the country by force, and impose its extremist version of a theocratic state; that forcibly occupied and brutally ruled over Swat for two years until a full-scale military operation was launched to free Swat in 2009; with similar operations carried out in ex-FATA districts, displacing millions, especially from South and North Waziristan. We join you in your demand that the Government of Pakistan must immediately cease all ongoing and planned peace talks with the TTP, its offshoots and all other affiliates; along with plans for 'forgiveness' and 'reconciliation'."

"The PTI government has neither the mandate nor the legal right to 'forgive' the cold-blooded killers of 80,000 Pakistani citizens. Only their families have the legal right to do so. Is this an honourable way to end the so-called 'War Against Terrorism' by a self-respecting State", said the statement.

"The blood of our loved ones shall not be shed in vain - neither at APS, nor Aitezaz Hassan Bangash, nor the 80,000 Pakistani civilians, Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and military personnel we have lost to these terrorists," the WAF statement concluded.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing flak after he said that his government started talks with some groups of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with the aim of having the group lay down their weapons, local media said.

Last Friday, Imran Khan had said that the government would "forgive" TTP members and they would become normal citizens" if they lay down arms.

Recently, TTP leader Mufti Wali Noor Mehsud, in an exclusive interview with Japanese media outlet Mainichi Shimbun, welcomed the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan and said that "we are hopeful for a strong relationship between the two of us".

Experts believe that the recent developments in Afghanistan have encouraged the TTP members and they want to realise Pashtuns' rule in Pakistan.

( With inputs from ANI )

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