The Pakistan High Commissioner, Lt. Gen. Ashraf Saleem has pledged his country’s willingliness to help Nigeria rescue the Chibok girls and stem terrorism in the country.
Saleem, who spoke during a solidarity visit by the BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) following the attack by militants from the Pakistani Taliban on an army-run school in Peshawar where 141 people were killed, 132 of them children, stated that his country had the experience to help the nation tackle the problem of insecurity.
“It is very unfortunate that the Chibok girls have not been released. We sympathise with the parents of the the girls and Nigerians. We assure you that Pakistan government is here to help you, though we are bedevilled with our own issues too. On 16th of this month, militants from the Pakistani Taliban attacked an army-run school in Peshawar, where 141 people were killed and 132 of them children,” he said.
He, however, stated that his government had immediately carried a raid and those who carried the dastardly act, including about 200 of the Talibans, were killed.
“We are prepared to help Nigeria in every way possible. We are prepared to cooperate with Nigerians to eliminate these terrorists. And we will continue to pray for the safe return of the Chibok girls. We are going to help the Nigerian people to make sure that we recover these girls,” he said.
Saleem revealed that the unfortunate event in his country has brought about unity as every citizen in the country supports its government and military in the fight against terrorists, and called on all Nigerians to take advantage of the challenges of insecurity in the nation to unite and fight the common enemy.
He commended the BBOG for its effort to keep the abducted girls on the front burner until they are returned alive to their families.
While speaking on the reason for its visit, one of the leaders of the group, Dr Oby Ezekwesili stated that the group was in the Commission to join the global community in condemning the terrorist attack and condoled with the government and people of Pakistan, especially the families of the murdered schoolchildren and their teachers.
She said: “Terrorist groups in Nigeria, Pakistan and other places are increasingly targeting children and schools, the most vulnerable in our communities.
“In Nigeria, we cannot forget in a hurry the murder of 59 school children in Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, in 2013, 23 students of Government Comprehensive Senior Science Secondary School, Potiskum, Yobe State in November 2014, as well as the abduction in April 2014 of 276 Chibok girls, with 219 of them still missing.”
She called on leaders of all countries, the United Nations and regional bodies to work together in setting up policies and processes that protect children in and out of school in conflict prone areas, urging the global community to join hands and confront these terrorists as the common enemy of all humanity, with the aim of crippling their activities everywhere they exist.
“The world cannot watch on helplessly while children across nations are forced to choose between getting educated or being killed. It is time for all to work together and demonstrate to children that we will protect them and preserve their right to knowledge,” she said.