Bilal Arshad
Son of Arshad Ali and Naheed Arshad
Siblings: Rashid Ali (19), Shahkar Ali (18), Mashal Arshad (14), Saleena Arshad (12) and Zarak Khan (10)
Age: 17 Class: 8
Bilal Arshad
Bilal Arshad always aspired to join the Pakistan Army as a commissioned officer. A capable athlete, he enjoyed playing volleyball and badminton and also won several laurels for both games. He was exceptionally disciplined and maintained an impeccable appearance, putting a lot of thought into the clothes he wore.
Giving by nature, Bilal often convinced his father to give him money so that he could treat his less-privileged friends to a nice restaurant.
On the morning of the attack, he brought home two cakes before leaving for school. He ate one and told his mother to serve the other to his father who was sleeping at that time. Bilal’s father woke up late that day and immediately learnt of the APS attack that also claimed his son’s life. Till date, the cake is still at home. MORE
Muhammad Sahiban Durrani
Son of Zabith Khan and Shabnam
Siblings: Roman Khan Durrani (19), Seema (17), Saba Durrani (15), Sana Durrani (13), Huma Durrani (11), Jibran Khan Durrani (8) and Jasmin Durrani (8)
Age: 17 Class: 10
Muhammad Sahiban Durrani
Brother of seven, Sahiban was of a very serious disposition. He aspired to join the army as an officer and for that purpose concentrated on his studies a lot. Sometimes, he would be up at 3 am, going through his lessons and preparing for the coming day at school.
Close to his mother, Sahiban would tell her how he would stand by her "in this world and the next".
His father says Sahiban had a favourite spot under a tree near his house. This is where he would relax and unwind. It is now the spot where he is buried. MORE
Aimal Khan
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Attique Akhtar
Siblings: Ahmad Jan (16), Malaika Arman (12) and Zarak Khan (10)
Age: 18 Class: 2nd year
Aimal Khan
Aimal Khan always wondered why the most hardworking people in his city used to sleep in the streets. According to his father, the young boy showed empathy beyond his years.
Aimal made it to the point regularly serve meals to the poor, and during Ramazan, he would make sure all police checkposts in his area were delivered a ration for Iftar.
Aimal was also known in his neighbourhood as a talented artist, and his sketches of sports cars garnered a lot of praise on the internet. He had restored several cars, and his decorative work on seats and rims earned him quite a lot of money.
Aimal’s father proudly declared that the family had never received a complaint about their 18-year-old boy. He was their perfect child. MORE
Ibrar Zahid
Son of Zahid Rashid and Shahida Bano
Siblings: Mohammad Azkaar Zahid (15) and Mohammad Absar Zahid (11)
Age: 18 Class: 2nd year
Ibrar Zahid
The eldest amongst his siblings, Ibrar was a hardworking student and responsible young man. His father says when his son was alive, he did not have to worry about his younger children as Ibrar looked after them like a parent. He also took great care of his mother, and would often run errands with her or take her to the hospital for check ups.
He was obsessed with computer hardware and software and hoped to be an engineer when he grew up.
Ibrar was shot three times – in the spine, chest and leg. He fought for his life for a week after the attack, but succumbed to his injuries on December 23. His mother misses him terribly. She looks at his photographs, trophies, books, his school bag daily – and says she will never forget him. MORE
Imran Ali
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Nisar Ali
Age: 18 Class: 2nd year
Imran Ali
Imran Ali’s family could not be contacted for this obituary.
Imran’s teacher Miss Andaleep Aftab says he came from a very modest home in Kurram Agency. He lived away from his family, at a local hostel in Peshawar. His mother was a tailor and bore all his educational expenses.
His teacher says that if he were alive, he would have pursued his dream to be a doctor, and would have made an excellent one.
She also says he was eager to polish his English. Each morning, he would reach school early with a list of difficult words he wanted to know the meanings of.
He was an only child.
Ishaq Amin
Son of Mohammad Amin and Zarshida
Siblings: Waqar Amin (27), Said Amin (25), Dilawais (23), Amir Amin (17) and Asfandyar Amin (12)
Age: 18 Class: 2nd year
Ishaq Amin
A serious child, Ishaq Amin was a devoted student and enjoyed the sciences.
He was very close to his brother Amir Amin — an APS student who was injured during the Dec 16 attack — the two were good friends. His brothers says Ishaq enjoyed watching English movies, particularly horror films or those relating to combat and war heroes.
A child still, he would ask his father to bring sacrificial animals for Eidul Azha at least a week in advance so he could get time to play with them. MORE
Muhammad Imran
Son of Abdul Karim
Age: 18 Class: 2nd year
Muhammad Imran
The family of Muhammad Imran could not be contacted for this obituary.
His teachers say Imran was a reserved and shy student.
He was the favourite student of Mr. Altaf Hussain, a teacher at APS, who said he could not find any fault in him.
He wanted to be an automotive engineer.
Muhammad Zeeshan Afridi
Son of Hav. Awal Shah and Razia Sanam
Siblings: Naveed (28), Daud (25), Zainab Bibi (22), Noman (15) and Faisal (10)
Age: 18 Class: 10
Muhammad Zeeshan Afridi
His parents say he was a gift from God. He had a warm heart and loved to crack jokes. Because his house was far from school, Zeeshan lived at the hostel. He loved to play cricket and was a good fast bowler. For this reason , he was the captain of the school cricket team.
He wanted to grow up and become a military doctor. He used to say that he would serve the people affected by the military operation in FATA.
According to his father he was a good speaker, writer and reader. He got many medals and certificates in many fields. English and maths were his favourite subjects.
His family says that they cannot eat, let alone laugh the way they used to when Zeeshan was in their lives. They miss him terribly. MORE
Shafique ur Rehman
Son of Subedar Noor Rehman and Hafeeza Begum
Siblings: Sher (25), Sabira (21), Ijaz (15), Javeria (13) and Bilal (11)
Age: 18 Class: 2nd year
Shafique ur Rehman
Shafique wanted to be a military doctor. He worked day and night to attain top grades and was preparing for NUST’s medical test before he was killed in the attack.
He was a generous soul. He once asked his father to pay the school fee of a classmate who could not afford to pay tuition.
He loved to play cricket. He was a fantastic bowler and batsman, which earned him a spot at Peshawar’s Qayum Complex cricket club.
His family feels his loss deeply. MORE
Yasir Iqbal
Son of Lance Naik Sher Nawaz Khattak and Naik Pari
Siblings: Nasir (24), Qaiser (21), Mudassir (14), Sheraz (11), Wiqas (8) and Faizan (7)
Age: 18 Class: 2nd year
Yasir Iqbal
Yasir was in the school auditorium the day of the attack. When the firing started, he dropped down and lay on the floor and was safe. But when he saw that one of his best friends was shot and bleeding profusely, he picked him up and tried taking him out of the school. This is when the attackers struck.
His father says Yasir was the most polite and soft-spoken out of his children. He was close to his eldest brother Nasir, who was more a best friend than a brother.
He wanted to become a software engineer. Naturally, his favourite subject was computer science.
His family says is difficult to live without him, they say, and every day is an emotional challenge. MORE
Maher Ali Azam
Son of Kausar Ejaz and Zakia Yasmeen.
Sibling: Hamid Ejaz (13)
Age: 19 Class: 2nd year
Maher Ali Azam
Teachers, classmates and relatives unanimously praise Maher Ali Azam for his intelligence and obedient nature. He wanted to become a doctor and serve the poor people in his village where he also aspired to open a hospital.
He was president of the Urdu literary club in his school. He was fond of playing cricket and was a member of the school cricket team.
Close to his aunt, Robina Kauser, he enlisted her help in his studies. She says he always told her that he wanted to earn a good name for his country. MORE
Muhammad Daud
Son of Khalid Khan and Gulnaz Begum
Siblings: Abdul Qudoos Khan (18), Abdul Qadeer Khan (15), Umra Bibi (13), Sara Bibi (8) and Walliullah (3)
Age: 19 Class: 2nd year
Muhammad Daud
The eldest of six children, Muhammad Daud had dreams of serving his nation as an army officer.
Known to his youngest sibling as ‘Lala Jee’, Daud was punctual, disciplined and studious and had been appointed house captain.
His father says he was a good speaker, writer and reader and had received many medals and certificates. His favourite subject was Biology and he always secured over 90pc marks in the class.
His father says Daud was not just a son, but also a friend. “I was very frank with him,” he says. He shares that after one of Daud's classmates mentioned his father had passed away, Daud would take extra pocket money every day to help his friend. MORE
Saqib Ghani
Son of Maj (retd) Sher Ghani and Iffat Qamar
Siblings: Ambreen Ghani (30), Adnan Ghani (25), Sarish Ghani (25) and Mehwish Ghani (22)
Age: 19 Class:
Saqib Ghani
“Our college is under attack. Firing is going on. Please pray,” is the last message Saqib Ghani sent to his mother.
Saqib’s cousin Asfandyar says he helped those less fortunate than him. When he was promoted to Class 10, he came to know one of his classmates was unable to afford a new uniform. Without informing his parents, Saqib bought a new uniform and gifted it to his classmate.
Saqib aspired to be a civil engineer. He was also inspired by his retired Army Major father, his sister Mehwish says, and desired to fight militancy as an army officer. MORE
Zain Iqbal
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Mohammad Iqbal
Siblings: Aqsa Iqbal (24) and Mohammad Haris Iqbal (22)
Age: 19 Class: 2nd year
Zain Iqbal
Zain was a responsible and diligent student. He stuck by his daily schedules for work and studied hard to be the best student in his class. His father says that he was killed in the very same hall where he used to make presentations for his Biology class.
His family describes him as the soul of any party. His teachers would also say he was the life of the school.
After his death, Zulqarnain’s family learnt of an ageing man in the neighbourhood who died when he heart of the young boy’s death. They discovered that Zulqarnain would frequently offer a lift to the elderly man when he was on his way to the mosque, and the two would pray together. MORE
Abdul Azam Afridi
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Ghayas Ud Din Afridi
Siblings: Alveena Ghayas (30), Dr Amir Azam Afridi (29) and Sikandar Azam Afridi (28)
Age: 20 Class: 2nd year
Abdul Azam Afridi
Abdul was a fun-loving, naughty student. He once went to the computer lab and poured water on all the computers. Later, when an infuriated teacher asked who did it, Abdul owned up to the mischief and paid a fine for the act.
He was not particularly fond of his studies. His passion was martial arts and weight-lifting, which he pursued with a fervour which earned him medals and certificates.
His mother says her boy was child-like. Even at the age of 20, he would sleep in her bed like a two-year-old.
He loved animals and was the proud owner of a dog. Before he passed away, he told his driver he was excited about adopting his friend’s Persian cat. MORE
Waseem Iqbal
Son of Hav. Muhammad Irshad Asif
Age: 20 Class: 4th year
Waseem Iqbal
Waseem Iqbal’s family could not be contacted for this obituary.
Waseem is described by his teachers as a happy go lucky student. He was an active and energetic soul who was loved by all his teachers.
He was fond of playing cricket and was a good player.