The hundreds of students who walked into the sprawling compound of the Army Public School Monday morning as it re-opened in Peshawar after an extended winter break must rank as among the bravest schoolchildren in the world. Along with their parents they went in aware that 132 of their schoolmates, massacred on December 16, would never sit at their desks again.
The presence of Gen Raheel Sharif, with his wife, to personally greet the children as they walked in and join them for an assembly and emotional ‘dua’ held in the absence of their principal Mrs Tahira Qazi, who also perished in the attack, was a much appreciated gesture. It almost certainly contributed to a lifting of spirits as the empty school filled once again.
Mariam Hayat
Lahore