German envoy calls Peshawar attack a 'heinous act'

German Ambassador to India, Michael Steiner, on Wednesday termed the attack on a school in Peshawar as a heinous and atrocious act.

"It is of course a heinous act but there is one thing in all this misery, which is encouraging, that is, that the condemnation of this act was worldwide, was in the neighborhood, in India, Pakistan, in the whole world and I think we have been united there," said Steiner during his visit to a school in Delhi.

"Even these kids here have written a letter to the Pakistan Prime Minister condemning these kinds of acts. The whole world is united on this issue. I think this is what the reaction has shown that we might have differences in views but when it comes to these fundamental rights of kids the whole world is united," he added.

Mourning the incident, the schools across the country observed two minutes of silence and a candle light vigil was also witnessed in various cities.

India has offered all possible help to Pakistan in the wake of the incident. A total of 141 people, including 132 students and 9 staff members were killed in the terror attack.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif over the telephone and strongly condemned the brutal terrorist attack. The Prime Minister said the people of India shared the heart-rending pain and sorrow of the bereaved families and stood with them in solidarity in this hour of immeasurable grief.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the attack. The spokesman for the organisation stated that the attack was revenge for the Pakistani military's operations in the North Waziristan tribal area.