The Peshawar Mosque attack had not only killed the people but also ruined their hope, dream, and future and left their loved ones with unfulfilled promises, reported Dawn.
On January 30, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque in Peshawar's Police Line and killed over 100 people including police constables.
In that incident, Constable Ahmed Khan lost his colleague, who was planning to start building a house for his family and even borrowed Rs 1.5 million on the day of the attack that is January 30.
Recalling the conversation, Khan said, "He had told me he would repay the debt after his retirement. We had then gone to the mosque together for Friday prayers".
The colleague perished that day in a devastating terrorist attack on the mosque, located in Peshawar's Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines. Khan was in the hospital after the attack, according to Dawn.
"My head still feels heavy," he remarked during the conversation. "I think I'll go to the hospital again on Monday for another check-up."
Khan said his colleagues had been calling to ask when he would be resuming duty. It was still too soon for him. He said he felt too overwhelmed whenever his mind turns to his fallen comrades.
"There were so many; so full of life and dreams for their future," he recalled with sadness. "Their lives were wiped out in the blink of an eye."
According to local news, the suicide bomber, disguised in a police uniform, had slipped inside with the faithful. He detonated his deadly payload as the congregation prayed. Khan was lucky to survive with the injuries to his head, feet and arms, reported Dawn.
Khan's other colleague from Nowsherwa had 10 children and 8 of them are too young. "How will they make it without their father," Khan wondered.
On February 3, the Apex Committee met in Peshawar with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair and Army Chief Gen Asim Munir in attendance.
"The civil and military leadership expressed unflinching resolve to protect the people of Pakistan at any cost," the premier was quoted as saying after the meeting. "Those who attacked innocent citizens will be brought to justice. We will not allow anti-terror gains to be reversed."
Those who have paid for the state's failures in blood took the statement with a heavy pinch of salt, as per the report in Dawn.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor