PESHAWAR: Politicians, educationists, traders and members of civil society on Tuesday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the Army Public School, Peshawar, saying that they were deeply shocked over the coldblooded murder of the students.

In Peshawar, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao visited the Lady Readying Hospital (LRH) to inquire after the injured children. `They are not alone.

The entire nation shares their grief,` a statement issued by the party quoted him as saying.

Mr Sherpao and other leaders of his party extended their condolences tothe bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of the injured. `It is a big tragedy. We condemn it in the strongest possible terms,` Mr Sherpao said.

In Nowshera, JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq condemned the killing of students and termed the attack an unIslamic act of terrorists. He expressed his deep concern over the incident, saying that no religion permitted such attacks on innocent children and women.

He called upon the government to ensure security of the educational institutions.

The Nowshera District Bar Association announced to boycott courts on Wednesday against the incident. The bar president, Mohammad Ijaz Khan advocate, termed the attack a barbaric act of terrorists. He prayed for the departed souls of the innocent people.

In Mansehra, the civil society, traders and educationists strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the APS in Peshawar and termed it an inhumanact of terrorist elements.

Also, the private schools in Nowshera district would remain closed on Wednesday (today) to mourn the attack and killing of innocent students.

Mohammad Fayyaz, the principal of Jinnah Basic School and College, Mansehra, told reporters that the Education Forum, the representative body of private schools in the district, had announced three-day mourning.

He said that private educational institutions in the district would remain closed for one day on Wednesday.

Besides, the traders would also observe a token strike on Wednesday (today) to condemn the attack on APS in Peshawar.

Speaking to mediapersons, the president of traders` body Hafiz Ijaz, vicepresident Mohammad Shoib and secretary general Mohammad Waseem said that besides a token shutdown of shops and business centres the traders would also take out a rally to protest the killing ofinnocentstudentsin the terrorist attack. He said that it was a cowardly act carried out by those whose only mis-sion was to destroy humanity.

The Mansehra chapter of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has also condemned the attack on Army Public School in Peshawar. Ishtiaq Khan, district secretary general of the party, in a statement said that it was not an attack on a school, but on the entire nation and those who were behind the attack were not human being, but beasts.

In Swabi, leaders of various political parties widely condemned the killing of students of Army Public School in Peshawar by terrorists.

Condemnation statements were pouring in from the leaders of the parties and various other circles, terming the attack on an educational institution and killing of students an inhuman act.

Javid Inqilabi, Swabi district president of Pakistan Peoples Party, said that the federal and provincial governments should shun their differences and work jointly for eradication of terrorism. `Less cooperation would expose them to the terrorists in future, he said.

Masood Jabar, Qaumi Watan partydistrict chairman, said that the school was a soft target for the militants and they attacked the institution under a well-planned strategy.

Rehmanullah, Awami National Party district president, said that the leaders ofhis party shared the pain of the parents and offered their deepest condolences to everyone who lost their loved ones in the attack. PTI district president also condemned the attack.

MNA Usman Tarakai said that they were coalition partner of PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and stood with the government and parents of the children in this hour of grief.

In Charsadda, a cross-section of society, including local leaders of political parties, condemned the attacl< on the Army Public School in Peshawar. In separate statements, leaders of ANP, PTI, JI and other political parties on Tuesday termed the attack and killing of innocent students a national tragedy.

They demanded of the government to ensure security of educational institutions.

They urged the political leaders toshun their differences and unite against terrorists who were bent on ruining the country.

JI district president Misbahullah, general secretary Javed Khan and otherssaidtheyshockedoverthe deathsof innocent children and expressed sympathy with the bereaved families.

ANP Charsadda has announced three-day mourning and postponed all political activities in the district.

The ANP district president and former provincial minister Arshad Abdullah told newsmen that time had come that the prime minister, chief ministers of all the four provinces, leaders of all political parties and heads of security institutions should devise a strategy to cope with the menace of terrorism.

Also, All Private Schools Association, Charsadda, has decided to close down educational institutions to mourn the killing of students in Peshawar. APSA district president Faizullah has announced that all private schools and colleges in Charsadda will remain closed on Wednesday(today).