PESHAWAR: Father of a Shaheed student of the 2014 Army Public School (APS) attack has distributed 27 scholarships named after his martyred son among the talented students of Government High School Sher Shah Shaheed Dag Ismailkhel, Nowshera.

Sher Shah, son of Tufail Khattak, was among the 144 victims of the APS attack in Peshawar.

Tufail Khattak has been distributing scholarships among the talented and poor students of the school named after his martyred son for the last three years. Two years ago, six scholarships were given to the students, while in the second year the number rose to 12, he said. Similarly, this year 27 scholarships have been awarded to the students.

The scholarships were awarded in a ceremony held in the school ground, which was attended by the students, parents, teachers, elders of the village and Nowshera district education officer Shiraz Khan.

Peshawar Press Club president Syed Bukhar Shah was the chief guest on the occasion. Each of the first position-holders from grade-5 to grade-10 was awarded Rs15,000, second Rs10,000 and third Rs5,000 after the recent annual examinations.

“After losing my dear son in the APS attack now I consider these children as my sons,” Mr Khattak said while gesturing to the students during his address to the ceremony. He said that it was his mission now to help the students of the government school of his village.

“Helping these students increases my satisfaction manifold,” he said. He urged the well-off people of the area to come forward and help the students of government schools as they belonged to poor families.

He said that he would also try to also provide uniform to the students along with cash prizes from the next academic year.

District education officer Shiraz Khan urged the influential families of the area to enrol their children in the government schools which had been improved academically and administratively.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2019