LAHORE: Remarks by an uninvited PML-N MPA greatly annoyed the mothers and families of the children who lost their lives in Peshawar`s Army Public School attack and shocked the organisers of a conference on peace which they had come to attend at a local hotel on Wednesday.

MPA Farah Manzoor had accompanied another MPA and was never scheduled to speak. But she came tothe rostrum and nearly spoiled the concluding session of the opening day of the three-day conference organised by the Punjab government, Umeed Jawan, and Bargad Youth Development Organisation.

At that time, students of local educational institutions, members of the civil society and relatives of the victims of Peshawar tragedy and Lahore`s Youhanabad terrorist attack attending the conference were in tears while listening to the woes of the grieved mothers sitting on the stage.

As everyone, including PML-NMNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik, was consoling them, the other MPA appeared and asl(ed what the PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had done for them. She condemned the PTI for holding a prolonged sitin in Islamabad, saying `dharnas could not bring back the massacred children`.

Her remarks turned the grief of the mothers into a strong reaction.

Students stood up and condemned the MPA while some members of the slain children`s families broke into tears over the remarks.Ms Fahmida, whose two sons were killed in the Peshawar tragedy, stepped down from the stage cursing the MPA for giving the tragedy a political angle.

Ms Afshan, the mother of Yaseen, one of the victims of APS tragedy, stood up and shouted at the MPA who was pushed away by the organisers in the meantime. The MPA again appeared on the rostrum to apologise but the organisers asked hertoleave the venue as the guests from Peshawar were boycotting the conference in protest.

Ms Afshan and other mothers earlier demanded a judicial commission to probe the Peshawar tragedy and insisted on the demand. The politicians and organisers assured that the demand would be conveyed to the government for favourable consideration.

Ms Afshan demanded Nishan-i-Haider or an equivalent medal for thekilled schoolchildren saying they did not want any other compensation attached to them (medals).

The mother of two slain children demanded security for the school. She said her two other sons were not going to the school saying they `do not want to return home like their bothers.

Others wanted the killers to be punished before their eyes. `The rulers should provide us security instead of acquiring bullet-proof vehicles for themselves,` demandedanother mother.

They demanded that the government ensure justice and protect children of Pakistan. They said they did not need any financial help but only justice. `We don`t know who are terrorists and Taliban.

What we want is justice for our killed children,` a mothers of another APS victim expressed.

They soughtthe government seriousness in countering terrorism and investment on education for a bright future of the country.