PESHAWAR: The Army Public School and College has virtually turned into a memorial with people, including teenage survivors of the Dec 16 carnage, showing up in large numbers daily to pay homage to the dead people.

One of the school’s spacious lawns near the main entrance has been marked down for visitors coming in with lit candles, placards and banners.

It has been cut off from the rest of the school by tents.

Visitors are not allowed to go to the site of the carnage as it is still a picture of death and destruction.

Only schoolchildren along with parents can enter the portion, where all the bloodletting had taken place, and that too only for collecting schoolbags, which they had left while running out of the premises to save their lives.

One of the disturbing features of the students going inside the building was their taking pictures of the scenes of destruction.

Even fifth graders were seen taking snaps by cellphone and tablet cameras.

“I have taken these pictures because it will remind me of the horrific incident in future,” said Mohammad Ismail while showing the pictures to his friends outside the school.

People showing up with candles, placards to pay homage to deceased

With schoolbag hanging down his shoulder, he said the pictures would remind him of how he escaped the attack during which a large number of other students was killed.

He said he was present in one of the grounds when the firing began and that he saw one of the attackers entering the auditorium.

“I was present inside the library which is close to the auditorium when I heard the gardener raise alarm about entry of attackers after scaling the rear boundary wall,” seventh grade student Mohammad Haris said, adding that the old gardener was killed by gunmen.

He said he saw one of the attackers wear black dress and hold guns in both hands.

“The attacker sporting a long beard and having long hair was firing gunshots from both guns in the open courtyard. I thought as if he was not mentally stable.”

The student, who was clutching three bags in his hands, two of his friends, said all 28 students of his class present in the library remained unhurt.

He said the army soldiers later showed up and took positions near the classrooms and library before stopping attackers from going in that direction.

Another student of fifth grade, Umair Awan, also recalled with vividness that they were inside classroom when the firing started and they managed to run away from another entrance of the school.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak also visited the school along with some cabinet members.

He went around different sections and examined the destruction caused in the gruesome attack.

The visitors belonged to almost all segments of the society. They included students, civil society groups, social activists, and other individuals. Members of Christian and Hindu communities also turned up in large numbers.

People were seen lighting candles at two of the entrances of the school as well as at the lawn earmarked for them.

A stuffed teddy bear placed near the entrance amidst heaps of roses and bouquets was a major attraction for them.

A large number of placards were pasted on the walls and displayed at other spots inside and outside the school. The cards were carrying different messages in memory of the martyred students and staffers.

The authorities had set up raised marble slabs at different spots in the lawn so as to facilitate the visitors to light candles over it.

People came in groups as well as individually.

Some volunteers had mentioned their cellphone numbers on placards, saying they were psychologists and would be available for counseling of the traumatised people.

Several visitors were seen arguing with the army personnel at the school entrance nearer to the auditorium as they wanted to see that scene of carnage but were not permitted to enter there.

“We want to see where this most tragic incident of our country has taken place,” said Ameer Khan, a resident of Peshawar.

He said he had come here to pay homage to the little heroes, who sacrificed their lives for this country.

“This is a heart wrenching incident and I feel as If my own child was killed in it,” said Uzma, adding that since the occurrence she had thrice visited this place to show that this incident had turned the people united against terrorism.

Published in Dawn December 20th , 2014