Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, on Tuesday night and offered his “deepest condolences” on the killing of children in a terror attack on a school in Peshawar. He said India stood firmly with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism.
Giving details of his conversation with Mr. Sharif in his Twitter account, Mr. Modi appealed to all schools across India to observe a two-minute silence on Wednesday “as a mark of solidarity.”
India stands firmly with Pakistan in fight against terror. Told PM Sharif we are ready to provide all assistance during this hour of grief.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) >December 16, 2014
Spoke to PM Nawaz Sharif over the telephone. Offered my deepest condolences on the dastardly terror attack in Peshawar.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) >December 16, 2014
In the wake of dastardly attack in Pakistan, I appeal to schools across India to observe 2 mins of silence tomorrow as a mark of solidarity.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) >December 16, 2014
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai said she was “heartbroken” by the attack.
Ms. Yousafzai said that she and millions of others throughout the world mourned the children who were killed in the Taliban assault.
“Innocent children in their school have no place in horror such as this,” she said. “I condemn these atrocious and cowardly acts.”
Ms. Yousafzai is herself the survivor of a Taliban attempt to silence her. In a bid to prevent her from lobbying for the girls’ right to education, a Taliban gunman shot her in the head at close range in Pakistan two years ago.
U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the deadly raid on the school, and promised that America would stand by Pakistan in its struggle against extremism.
“By targeting students and teachers in this heinous attack, terrorists have once again shown their depravity,” he said.
