WASHINGTON: At a ceremony held here on Friday to pay homage to the sacrifices of young students and teachers of Army Public School, the United States expressed its determination to stand by Pakistan in countering violent extremism.

The commemorative ceremony was arranged by the Pakistan Embassy and attended by senior US government officials, including Jonathan Carpenter, US Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and State Department`s Principal DeputySRAP Laurel Miller. PakistaniAmerican community members and senior military and civilian officials attended the ceremony.

The participants observed a minute of silence as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack on APS, Peshawar, on Dec 16, 2014, and expressed solidarity with the security forces of Pakistan in their mission to rid the country of the scourge of terrorism.

In a message read out by Mr Carpenter, US Secretary of State John Kerry appreciated the resil-lence and spirit of the Pakistani nation and urged the importance of unity against terrorism and the poisonous ideology that fuelled it.

Secretary Kerry reaffirmed the US determination to stand with the Pakistani people in countering violent extremism and in building a secure and prosperous future for all.

Secretary Defence retired Lt Gen Muhammad Alam Khattak and Corps Commander 1 Corps, Lt Gen Umar Farooq Durrani, who are on an official visit to the United States, also spoke.-APP