On Thursday, August 22, 2024, a school van in the Attock district of Pakistan’s Punjab province came under attack from armed assailants, resulting in the deaths of two girls and injuring six others, including the driver. The van was bringing children to school when the incident happened early in the morning, local police stated.
Local law enforcement suspect that the attackers had a personal grudge against the driver, who was among the injured. According to police official Mohammad Shakil, initial investigations point to an existing conflict between the driver and certain individuals as a possible motivation behind the attack.
The assailants, who were on motorcycles, targeted the van carrying the school children and quickly fled the scene after the attack. A manhunt has been initiated to capture the perpetrators, who are still on the loose.
The victims who lost their lives in the incident were identified as nine-year-old Rameen Shafiq and ten-year-old Arwa Jamshaid.
Five more children, aged between four and 12 years, along with the 48-year-old driver, were injured in the attack and were transported to a nearby hospital. Local authorities have assured that those injured are receiving the best available medical care.
The incident has been met with widespread condemnation from political leaders in Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the shooting as a brutal act and promised swift justice for the victims. He asserted that all efforts would be undertaken to bring those responsible to justice.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also expressed their condolences over the incident and urged for increased security measures to avert future attacks on children. Naqvi has instructed authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and expedite efforts to capture the culprits.
The UNICEF office in Pakistan has issued a statement expressing deep sorrow over the attack. They extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and stressed the need for enhanced protection of children in conflict-prone regions.
Police have initiated a manhunt for the armed assailants and are carrying out search operations in the vicinity to ensure that those responsible for the heinous act are brought to justice.
