President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan’s commitment to defeating terrorism was absolute and reiterated that there could be no soft corner for terrorists or those who supported, financed, sheltered or justified them.

“There can be no negotiations with those who raise arms against the state or target our children,” the president said in a message on the 11th anniversary of the APS Peshawar attack.

He said the memory of the APS martyrs strengthened the nation’s resolve. Pakistan would never allow the enemies of peace to succeed.

Today, he said, the nation remembered the innocent children and staff of the Army Public School whose lives were taken in the brutal terrorist attack on December 16, 2014, adding their sacrifice remained a solemn reminder of the heavy price the nation had paid in the fight against terrorism.

“We stand with the families who continue to bear this pain with courage. The nation will always honour the resilience of the APS families who transformed their grief into strength for Pakistan,” he added.

The president said that the nation strongly condemned the Indian-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan.

“The evidence of its involvement in efforts to destabilise our country is well documented. Pakistan will continue to expose these hostile activities and will defend its people with full resolve,” the Press Wing of the President’s Secretariat said in a press release.

The president also paid tribute to the security forces, law enforcement agencies and intelligence services whose efforts had prevented many such tragedies.

He expressed the resolve that the government would continue to pursue every terrorist and every facilitator until justice was done.

“Let me take this opportunity to warn the apologists, facilitators and supporters of terrorists that the people and the armed forces of Pakistan shall not spare them and will defeat them, no matter what political, ideological or fake religious garb they try to shroud themselves in,” he stressed.