Killing of kids in Pakistan one of the darkest days of humanity: Satyarthi

Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Tuesday termed the killing of 124 students in a school in Pakistan's Peshawar by Taliban militants as "one of the darkest days of humanity" and offered himself to the terrorists if they were ready to free the children taken hostage.

Satyarthi, who received the Nobel Peace Prize a week back along with Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai, who was also the target of a Taliban attack, said Pakistan government must take all possible steps to protect children and schools from violence.

"If they can hear me, they can keep me hostage, kill me but release those 400 children of mine who are trapped there," he said.

"The Taliban terrorist who have held them hostage, who are shooting them down are enemy of humanity, they are enemies of Allah, enemies of religion, enemies of Islam. They are enemies of all of us. I pray to God that they get wisdom from somewhere," he said.

In a series of tweets, Satyarthji expressed his anguish and urged all right-thinking people to rise against the "inhuman" crime.

"My heart bleeds for bereaved families. One of the darkest days of humanity," he said adding "these are all our children who've been murdered today. My prayers and condolences are with the families.

At least 124 students were among 126 people killed when heavily-armed Arabic speaking Taliban suicide attackers stormed an army-run school, shooting from classroom-to-classroom and taking several hostages using them as human shield in Pakistan's volatile Peshawar city.

"Pakistan government must take all possible steps to protect children and schools from violence. Children are the first casualty of violence and war. It is time we all came together and put a stop to this violence," Satyarthi said.

Satyarthi here appealed to the Pakistan government and the world community to ensure that children kept hostage by armed Taliban militants should be set free immediately and offered himself to the ultras to be held captive with them instead of innocent children.

"I appeal to the Pakistan government and the world community to set free children kept as hostages by the heavily-armed Taliban militants in Peshawar," Satyarthi, who arrived at his birthplace for the first time after receiving the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize 2014 along with Pakistan's child rights activist Malala Yousafzai, said while addressing a function.

"I also offer myself to the militants to keep me captive in place of hostage children," he said.

Earlier, Satyarthi was accorded historic welcome in Vidisha town soon after he arrived at the railway station.