[mks_button size=”large” title=”By: Ali Rehman” style=”squared” url=”#” target=”_self” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=”” nofollow=”1″]

16 December 2014, the worst nightmare Pakistani nation ever had since independence. No one knew that it would take 144 innocent lives. Almost three years have passed since that gruesome act happened but still it feels just like yesterday. It was a fine morning and a fine day for school. Everyone was busy in their lives when a sudden news broke out and tore limb from limb of this nation. The whole nation was shocked and no one knew what to do and what to say.

Seven terrorists attacked the Army Public School Peshawar. The most devastating thing happened to this country. They entered the school building and started firing like they had a never-ending ammunition supply and their targets were those innocent kids who never had dreamt that this would ever happen to them. In a very short span of time they made the school look like a slaughter house but it was the FUTURE of the nation which was being slaughtered there.

It was just after the half break time and most of the students were in the auditorium of school some were in the classes while some were waiting for the day to be over so they could get home. One of the youngest student of APS Peshawar was Khaula, a student of class one. It was her first day in school and no one would have possibly imagined that it will be her last day in the world. She was so energetic and always wanted to join her brother and sister in the same school. Khaula was the only female student martyred that day. What was her fault? Why she was martyred? What was the fault of any student present there? What was the fault of the teachers who were martyred? What was the fault of anyone in those surroundings?

There in that critical situation emerged some heroes. The students and staff members who willingly sacrificed themselves for their companions and students. More than 144 were martyred that day and there are more than 144 stories of courage, sadness, women and children who will be remembered till the time we take our last breath. Afshan Ahmad was just 24 of age, and a teacher in APS and when those terrorists came to her class she stood for students saying “Tm log meri laash sy guzar kr he mery bachon ko maar skty ho”, I wonder sometimes that how motivated our nation is. As a result of this statement Afshan Ahmad was burned alive by those beasts.

Young Uzair Ali was the student of 8th standard yet highly motivated. He saw those inhuman creatures coming and he stood in-front of his companions to save them and he did. The Eighth grader was shot 13 times. 13 times is quite a large number, just imagine being shot for a single time. His bravery saved the lives of his friends. What more could anyone ever do for brotherhood and friendship? Another young lad Fahd who was just fourteen of age held the door of the auditorium open in order to help his school fellows escape that massacre. Most of his fellows were successful in leaving that slaughter house alive. He saved the lives of many of his fellows very bravely but unfortunately couldn’t save his own life, those animals shot him down while he was still holding that door and he embraced martyrdom there.

The terrorists took a lot of precious and innocent lives in a very less time and as soon as the army commandos approached the scene, no causality occurred. In the beginning, it was just a single army personnel who opened fire on the culprits and they thought that the whole Army has come. Couple of minutes later commandos conducted an operation and swept out the culprits leaving no one ALIVE behind. This act of terrorism proved that the terrorists have no soul and only one purpose….. TO KILL. They belong to no religion and they don’t qualify for being humans because humans are called humans because of humanity and humanity seems to be lost on them. Some say that they wanted the revenge on Army or whatever it was, they shouldn’t have done this to innocent children. The seven terrorists that attacked the school on 16 December 2014 were executed then and there but what they did to this nation will always bring tears in the eyes of the nation.

Many of those injured students still go to the same school. They miss their friends but they are highly motivated and ready to face any sort of challenges. This motivation has kept our nation strong and alive for so many years and it has made our nation stronger than ever. Songs were sung in honor of those innocent lives taken on that horrific day. Pakistani Nation will always remember the innocent lives that were brutally taken that day. Pakistan Army launched operation Zarb-e-Azb to eradicate terrorism completely from Pakistan and now after three years of that operation we are living in a much better and safer Pakistan. The masterminds of the APS Peshawar attack have been killed and justice has been served but the wounds which they gave to this nation have yet not fulfilled and if somehow someday they are to be fulfilled.