Heroic APS survivor wins place at Oxford

LONDON/BIRMINGHAM: A heroic survivor of the brutal Army Public School (APS) terrorist attack in Peshawar on December 16, 2014 has been admitted to study at the prestigious University of Oxford.

Ahmad Nawaz, who was shot in the arm during the horrendous terrorist attack and also lost his younger brother, will study Philosophy and Theology at Lady Margaret Hall, the alma mater of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Malala Yousafzai.

In an exclusive conversation with The News, Ahmad said that the horrific incident which claimed over 140 innocent lives had scarred him for life. “I will never be able to forget the trauma, even now I get flashbacks and nightmares but the support from people from Pakistan has helped me move on. Got a newer perspective on life. Before the incident, I was an ordinary kid but now I realise my responsibility,” Ahmed said.

The young student had initially arrived in the UK for treatment of his arm after doctors in Pakistan recommended treatment from a foreign hospital. When Ahmad arrived in the UK, he did not speak English well enough and struggled hard to adjust to the educational system, however, the love and support he received not only from his family but also the people of Pakistan and Britain motivated him to work hard.

Ahmed received a £14,000 per annum scholarship to study at the renowned King Edwards school where he was able to secure 6A* and 2 A grades. He went on to study International Baccalaureate (IB) and scored well enough to secure an interview with the University of Oxford. According to Ahmed, he was determined to study at Oxford because the loss of his brother and friends widened his perspective and showed him the importance of education. “I’m incredibly proud of moving on from such a heinous atrocity. It took me five years to reach this milestone but this is a milestone for all the victims of terrorism. I want to send a message to those terrorists that even if they attack us, they cannot stop us from getting an education,” Ahmed told The News.

Ahmed has been interviewed by BBC, Daily Mail, Times, The Guardian, The Independent and various other international platforms regarding his journey and has also been the keynote speaker at hundreds of events in educational institutions across Britain.

Speaking of the pressure of living in the limelight, Ahmad said that he did not let the pressure get to him because he had a greater goal of helping his community in mind. “The Pakistani youth is brimming with talent but there aren’t many opportunities there but I urge the government to focus on the development of the youth because the future of Pakistan is in their hands,” Ahmed said.

Ahmed said that his role models are philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and Tahira Qazi, the martyred principal of APS, who laid down her life to protect her students.

In a message to the government and people of Pakistan, Ahmad said: “The government should work hard to ensure to provide maximum opportunities for the youth. The youth should also realise that they have to succeed not just for themselves but for their country. We owe it to Pakistan to be the best version of ourselves.”

Speaking to The News, Ahmed’s father, Mohammad Nawaz, said that even though Ahmad had tagged the Prime Minister in his tweet breaking the news of his admission to Oxford but the government of Pakistan showed no reaction.