By Aamir Latif
KARACHI
Amir Khan, a British boxer of Pakistani origin, visited on Monday the army-run school in the city of Peshawar where militants massacred over 140 people, mostly children, on Dec. 16, to show solidarity with the bereaved families.
“My heart bleeds for the children who were massacred by the terrorists,” said a somber Khan, who has been visiting Pakistan for the last three days.
“It was not an attack on children only, but the terrorists have targeted the future of Pakistan,” the 28-year-old international sports star said.
Khan rose to fame after becoming the youngest ever British Olympic boxing medalist, winning silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics at the age of 17, while competing in the lightweight division. He is also one of the youngest British world champions ever, winning the WBA Light Welterweight title at just 22.
Wearing a waistcoat and the shalwar kameez, a traditional form of Pakistani clothing, Khan, along with several army officers and civilians, raised his hands and prayed for the victims' souls at the school's sprawling lawn.
“I am running out of words to express my feelings on this tragedy. But we have to face this challenge. We have to restore the confidence of the students of this school,” an emotional Khan said. “I am here to boost the confidence of children who are shocked by this tragedy.”
The former two-time welterweight champion dedicated his recent victory in a non-title bout against U.S. boxer Devon Alexander to the victims of the Peshawar massacre, in solidarity with the bereaved families. He also lent his full support to rebuild the army-run public school.
“My message to the children is not to be cowed down by these cowardly attacks and to continue their education,” he added.
Khan also visited the shrine of Sufi Saint Syed Ali Hijveri Data Gunjbux in the city of Lahore on Sunday to attend special prayers for the victims of the massacre.
Wearing a traditional, white cap on his head, Khan was surrounded by scores of his fans who joined him in prayers for the massacred children.
“We feel strengthened and energetic by finding him around us,” said Ali Mustafa Khan, a resident of Lahore and huge Amir Khan fan who accompanied the boxing sensation at the prayers. “His presence with us at this critical time shows that he truly feels and shares our pain. He appears to be tough, but only in the ring; otherwise, he is a kindhearted gentleman. I salute him.”
- Khan meets head of army in unusual welcoming event
Khan, who enjoys a huge popularity in Pakistan, was also hosted at an unusual welcoming event in his country of origin.
Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif, invited Khan to the national army's headquarters, commonly known as General Headquarters or GHQ, in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
It is very unusual for a civilian to be invited to the GHQ.
Khan, according to the Inter Services Public Relations, the Pakistani army's media wing, supported the ongoing military operations against militants in the northwestern tribal belt, saying that the terrorists must be wiped out with the help of the Pakistani army.
Khan also met the chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, a younger brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and expressed his condolences over the Peshawar massacre.
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