By: Sardar Abdul Khaliq Wasi
Seven years have passed since the tragedy of APS Peshawar but the parents of these innocent children are still facing hearings in the Supreme Court for justice. No relief could have been provided to the affected families so far. Even at the last hearing, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court had to summon Prime Minister Imran Khan and gave instructions, but no progress was seen. In contrast, the then Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif formulated the National Action Plan immediately after the incident but the enemies of the Constitution and democracy did not give him the opportunity to identify the culprits and punish them. They would have provided relief to the victims and they would not have needed courts and sit-ins today.
On 16th December 2015, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on the occasion of the first anniversary of Martyr’s Day of APS Peshawar expressed his heartfelt condolences to the parents, survivors and fellow students and teachers of the martyred children. He termed this day as National Commitment of Education and declared it to be celebrated every year next year and conveyed the message to the nation that they are determined to give a peaceful and brighter Pakistan to the new generation. The country where the flowers of peace, love and brotherhood bloom and no one could extinguish the candle of knowledge and spread darkness in the country. Each and every sentence of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s speech was an expression of devotion to the martyrs and reiterating the determination that the noble cause for which innocent children have rendered the sacrifice which the words fail to express will always be remembered and the enemies of knowledge will be wiped off the face of the earth. The sacrifices of these children have created unity and solidarity within the nation and created a new anthem.
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif devised a strategy to provide all required resources to grant APS Peshawar the status of a university. A few days ago, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had also inaugurated a federal educational institution in Islamabad and granted one billion rupees for the historical institution of Islamia College University Peshawar, which was declared by Quaid-e-Azam as his own institution. Likewise, the announcement of a lucrative package for federal educational institutions under Prime Minister’s Education Reforms Program, the issuance of special directives to take all the possible measures to promote education in each province, including recruitment of well qualified teachers on all the vacant positions, the construction of school buildings, installation of water filteration plants, establishment of academic authorities and advisory councils, equipping computer laboratories with the latest softwares and technologies, provision of books in the libraries, transport system for the students, installation of biometric system to ensure regularity of the teachers and provision of school bags, uniforms and other essential facilities to the students are the measure that speak volumes of Nawaz Sharif’s commitment to education.
Following the vision of her father, Maryam Nawaz, had also played her role promoting her father’s vision and dreams without any privileges and any protocol of fame and position. She was equally eager to bring about a soft revolution in the field of education and health and translate Iqbal’s and Jinnah’s vision into a living reality. Maryam Nawaz had launched Prime Minister’s Youth Program, the Youth Business Loan Program, Scholarships, and many more. Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom also commended Maryam Nawaz for her volunteer role in providing educational services to children and assured her of her full support. While this honor was a source of appreciation for her, it was also a source of pride for Pakistan. During his tenure, Nawaz Sharif has entrusted the responsibility of CAD ministry to Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, an MNA from Islamabad and a professional and dynamic political figure, so that he can play his role in formulating these projects at the governmental level.
In order to put Pakistan on the path of progress and development, Nawaz Sharif has been conceiving and initiating new economic and development projects so that the people of Pakistan could always benefit from their fruits. Making Pakistan a nuclear state was a feather in Nawaz Sharif’s cap. What other rulers could have dared to do, Nawaz Sharif could not be intimidated. When the motorway project was started, it was criticized but today millions of people are benefiting from it. Similarly, Metro and Orange Projects were criticized but today millions of people are traveling on the metro every day and are in full praise of these projects. Nawaz Sharif laid the foundation stone of the Lahore-Karachi Motorways project at a cost of about 700 billion rupees. The CPEC project was no less than an economic miracle involving more than 46 billion rupees. Had it not been postponed for six months due to the PTI’s sit-ins at that time, the country would have been on the path of development today and the people of the country would be benefiting from it. Nawaz Sharif, in spite of all the difficulties, conspiracies and obstacles, left no stone unturned to move Pakistan forward. At that time, Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves had exceeded 20 billion rupees which was at the highest level in the history of Pakistan.
Nawaz Sharif’s national commitment to education was not just a slogan but a passion signifying a new independent, prosperous and sovereign Pakistan. Thousands of children, youth, elders, women and people of all schools of thought have sacrificed for the cause of peace and freedom from terrorism, hatred, sectarianism and these sacrifices were the guarantee of security and stability of Pakistan for which Parliament, Judiciary, The administration, civil society, forces and police are working hard and with the bold and wise steps of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the country was on the path of development.
The time seems near when the slogan of “Respect the vote” will be fulfilled and Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-N will again be in power. Pakistan’s economy and democracy will be restored and the national economy will be free from the clutches of IMF and the World Bank. The economic goals will be achieved under the leadership of eminent economist Senator Ishaq Dar who in the light of the vision of Nawaz Sharif has raised Pakistan’s economy in the past. The judiciary will be independent and sovereign and the rule of law will be established. Justice will not be professed but justice will be done. The families affected by the Peshawar tragedy will also have access to justice.
The writer is member Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council.