Pakistan - Go Imran Go slogans at APS

Parents of victims’ of the Army Public School (APS) massacre, newly-wed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Reham, visited the school on Wednesday morning. Holding posters and banners, the protesters tried to stop Khan’s vehicle from entering and complained that the provincial government did not show any concern regarding the school attack. The demonstrators also lamented that it took Khan a month to come to Peshawar and speak to the students after the deadly school massacre. Parents and relatives of the deceased students also welcomed Imran Khan and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) with Go Imran Go slogans.
What an irony that the same slogan that PTI leadership was using against the PML (N) is now being heard against the PTI leadership and that even outside the Army Public School Peshawar, where a garden full of roses was burnt down to ashes. How wonderful had it been if not a single parent of APS had complaint with regard to the treatment meted out to them by the government functionaries and in particular by the PTI who are ruling the KPK province. The KPK Chief Minister should have been present in front of the APS on daily basis till it’s first day of opening and he should have welcomed the parents and the students along with his own wife and children. And that is even the least he could have done as a leader and chief minister of the province where one hundred and thirty four children were massacred in a single day at a single location. This newspaper had requested him and Imran Khan to declare the famous Shama Chowk, close to APS as a monument to honour the students and parents of APS, but not even an appreciation of good idea was received.
The day the sad incident of APS happened, the entire city of Peshawar was in tears, almost every small town and village had a funeral of a young child. People did not even know whose funeral to attend because there were so many of them and they could not have been attended. No where did the Chief Minister KPK Pervez Khattak, PTI Chairman, Imran Khan or the PTI ministers attended any funeral. Imran Khan had even arrived later in Peshawar than the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. In Pakhtoon culture attending some one’s funeral holds the greatest importance and in case of APS, the largest of the funeral should have been arranged by the PTI who are so good in organising protests in short span of time. This attitude of the PTI leadership will never be forgotten or forgiven by the people of KPK and their future in KPK politics will probably be as dim as the Awami National Party at present.
According to media reports few months ago, Imran Khan was ready to replace Pervez Khattak as Chief Minister but then Pervez Khattak made some old school political moves and the decision was delayed on the pretext that the “malang” chief minister may be continued with. It was strange when the PTI members of National Assembly had tendered their resignations but the party had not resigned from ruling the KPK province. Now might be a good time for the PTI leadership to let go of governing the KPK province and give itself some face saving time to contest the next general elections, which according to Imran Khan are anyhow due this year. PTI’s slogans of reforms in accountability, education and health have proved to be a pack of lies and now they have proved to be very uncaring with those countrymen who lost something which was the closest to them, their children. PTI should save itself from further humiliation and embarrassment and should immediately announce construction of monument to honour the students of APS and should also announce compensation along with medals and monetary benefits.