ANKARA
A ceremony in Türkiye’s capital Ankara on Friday commemorated the victims of the 2014 terror attack in the Pakistani city of Peshawar that claimed the lives of over 140 people, mostly children.
At the event held in the Kecioren district, Pakistani ambassador Yousaf Junaid reminded about the trees planted in remembrance of the 134 children and 10 teachers who lost their lives nine years ago. The municipality’s mayor, Turgut Altinok, also attended the memorial.
“The trees planted here gave two messages to the world. Firstly, our children died physically but they are growing. These trees’ growth is telling the world that our resolve to fight terrorism will never end. Every inch these trees grow their height, our resolve will increase,” he said.
These are not just 144 trees, this is the resolve of 300 million people, including every person in Türkiye and Pakistan, to counter-terrorism, the envoy said.
“Both of us subjected to terrorism, we have suffered innumerate losses. Today, the world is facing terrorism in so many ways. Sometimes it is the bullets and bombs, and sometimes it is the decision of the Supreme Court of some countries,” he added.
The trees were planted in memory of martyred children by the Kecioren municipality and youth wing of Türkiye’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) in collaboration with the Pakistan Embassy in January 2015.
He criticized the recent verdict of the Indian Supreme Court, which upheld New Delhi’s 2019 decision to revoke the special status of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir.
“Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute. The final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir is to be made in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and as per the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. There is no supremacy of the Indian Constitution and Indian courts over UN resolutions,” he added.
He said Pakistan is “very grateful” for the stance of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Kashmir.
“We are proud of our relationship with Türkiye. It is not based on some events. It is based on history, culture, religion, and ethnic affiliations,” Junaid said.
Kecioren mayor Altinok extended condolences to the families of those killed in the tragic attack.
On bilateral relations, he said Türkiye and Pakistan, despite geographical boundaries, are “one nation, two states.”
The gun-and-bomb attack on an army-run school killed 144 people, mostly schoolchildren. It was claimed by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
