Eleven Years After APS, Pain Still Speaks

News Desk

Peshawar: Eleven years ago, this dark day brought immense pain and sorrow for the families of innocent martyrs of the Army Public School (APS), Peshawar, where their loved ones were brutally massacred in a deadly terrorist attack that wounded the hearts of every Pakistani.

The attack, which left around 147 students and teachers, including the APS principal, martyred and many others injured, plunged the entire nation into grief.

Known as a black day in the country’s history, December 16, 2014, was a dreadful day for the family of Sharif Gul, whose elder son Hassnain Sharif, a 10th-grade student at APS Peshawar, was martyred in a horrific gun attack along with 132 other students, shocking the entire nation.

“Eleven years ago, on this fateful day, my elder son Hassnain Sharif, who had a strong desire to join the Pakistan Army as an SSG commando, woke up early in the morning, offered Fajr prayer, recited the Holy Quran as part of his daily routine, and left for school after receiving a motherly kiss on his forehead,” Sharif Gul recalled with sobbing eyes.

“Hassnain was my obedient, intelligent, and disciplined son. To fulfil his dream, I shifted with my family to Peshawar and admitted him to APS, where he showed outstanding performance in academics, sports, and co-curricular activities,” he said.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/two-terrorists-killed-in-cadet-college-wana-attack/

“I was busy with routine office work in Peshawar when my colleagues informed me about a terrorist attack at APS. I rushed towards Warsak Road. Later that night, I was informed that Hassnain had been martyred,” Sharif Gul told APP, with tears rolling down his face.

He said that although Hassnain was no longer with them, his noble mission would be fulfilled. “Pakistan is our country, and if it needs my blood or more sons, we are ready to sacrifice for our beloved homeland,” he said.

The APS attack remains one of the most painful incidents in Pakistan’s history, when about six terrorists dressed in military uniforms entered the school premises and opened indiscriminate fire on students, teachers, and staff.

Shaheed Principal Tahira Qazi and other teachers stood like a rock wall in front of the terrorists to protect their students and sacrificed their lives.

The brave security forces of Pakistan immediately surrounded the school after the attack, killed all the terrorists in a successful operation, and saved many precious lives of students and teachers.

The terrorist attack on APS proved to be a defining moment in the country’s history, uniting the entire nation against the menace of terrorism, said Hamza Khan, PML-N Nowshera president, while talking to APP.

He said the cowardly terrorists aimed to eliminate education, knowledge, and learning by attacking students who were the future of Pakistan.

However, the enemies of education could not dampen the morale of the nation, as people from all walks of life strongly rejected terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/how-civil-society-is-countering-terrorism-in-pakistan/

He said a strong message was sent by the school administration when APS reopened just a couple of days after the attack and academic activities resumed.

The APS tragedy also led to the formulation of a clear policy and national consensus in the form of the National Action Plan to combat terrorism.

“Hats off to the survivor students of APS, who, despite the horrific attack, continued their studies and inspired many through their indomitable courage, willpower, and determination, earning a great name for the country at home and abroad,” he added.

Ahmad Nawaz, a brave son of Peshawar who survived the APS massacre on December 16, 2014, inspired thousands in 2023 by becoming the youngest president of the prestigious Oxford University Union in London, an institution with a history dating back to 1825.

Born to Muhammad Nawaz in Peshawar, Ahmad Nawaz, who sustained multiple bullet wounds during the horrific APS attack, won the Oxford Union election after defeating two opponents. His brother, Haris Nawaz, was also martyred in the attack.

“Ahmad Nawaz is a symbol of indomitable courage and willpower, and a brave son of Pakistan. His success in the Oxford Union election shows that every goal can be achieved with strong determination, belief in one’s abilities, and resilience,” said Professor Dr Zahid Anwar of the Department of Political Science at the University of Peshawar.

Despite the passage of 11 years since the tragic incident, the memory of the horrific bloodshed remains fresh in the minds of Pakistanis, and the sacrifices of the martyrs will always be remembered in golden words.

People and relatives visited the residences of the victims and offered Fateha.

Naqvi pays glowing tribute to APS martyrs on anniversary of tragedy

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday paid rich tribute to the innocent martyrs of the Army Public School (APS) tragedy, describing their sacrifice as a defining moment in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism.

In a statement, the interior minister saluted the courage, resolve and unmatched sacrifice of the brave students who lost their lives in the horrific attack. He said the APS tragedy remains one of the darkest and most painful chapters in Pakistan’s history, exposing the brutal and inhuman face of terrorism to the entire world.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/mohsin-naqvi-hails-di-khan-operation-salutes-martyred-soldier/

Recalling the events of December 16, 2014, Mohsin Naqvi said that terrorists mercilessly targeted innocent children in a direct attack on the State of Pakistan and the future of the nation. He added that the supreme sacrifice of the APS martyrs showed Pakistan a clear, decisive and unwavering national path against terrorism.

“The sacred blood of the martyrs permanently sealed the decision that there is no room left for ambiguity or compromise in the fight against terrorism,” he said.

The interior minister noted that it was on the basis of this national resolve that the state launched comprehensive, coordinated and sustained operations against terrorism. He reaffirmed that the state has made it unequivocally clear that terrorism, regardless of its name, slogan or flag, is unacceptable in all forms.

Mohsin Naqvi further stated that the complete elimination of Fitna-e-Hindustan and its facilitators is a clear and final decision of the state. He emphasized that Pakistan’s firm and unambiguous declaration is that the war against terrorism will be taken to its logical conclusion.

He concluded by reiterating that the nation will always remember the APS martyrs, whose sacrifice continues to guide Pakistan’s resolve against extremism and violence.