A Tragedy In Peshawar

On the morning of Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Pakistan faced one of the bloodiest and most unbearable attacks in its short history. It hurts to see the country bleed. It hurts to see the people in pain.

All over the world, people mourn and experience sorrow on a regular basis. They mourn over loss. They mourn over death.

On this particular day, I too mourn.

I am sitting inside a coffee shop, peering out at a bustling, noisy street. The aroma of coffee captivates me, while my taste buds erupt with the mouthwatering taste of a warm, buttered croissant. Life is so good, yet so unfair. We feel frustrated when bad things happen to good people, yet we are helpless.

Sitting here, I may appear to be content on the outside, but there is another reality concealed inside me. There is a pain that is stinging me. A thought that is disturbing me.

On the morning of Tuesday, December 16, 2014 my country, Pakistan, faced one of the bloodiest attacks in its short history. The attack, which occurred on the Army Public School and College located in Peshawar, Pakistan, was aimed at destroying the future aspirers of Pakistan. On that morning, the Pakistani Taliban Fighters (TTP), armed with equipment that would last them for days, left home base determined to take revenge against the Pakistani Government. The revenge, however, was systematically planned to be an indirect form of revenge. A revenge in the form of pain. A pain that Pakistan would never be able to overcome. 148 people were killed, over 130 of them children.

It hurts to see my beautiful land falling victim to savages. It hurts to see my people being destroyed. But nothing hurts me more than seeing the faces of the parents who lost their children to death.

The once noisy classrooms are now filled with a strange and disturbing silence. There is darkness in the hallways. Chairs and table turned upside down. Papers and pencils are scattered all over the place, impatiently waiting to be used.

132 pure and impeccable children lost their lives that day. The supposed reasoning behind this unjustified attack was far from irrelevant to the lives of those killed. These children were unwilling and forcefully shoved into playing the role of the victim in this horrendous battle. What pains me the most is that they were trying to get an education. A simple education. An education, that many people, including myself, take for granted.

During the attack, the children were crying, “mama,” “baba” in hope that they would be rescued. One particular incident brings me to tears and leaves me at a loss for words. Shahrukh Khan, 16, was present during the attack upon his school. When he saw a pair of boots coming towards him, he said, “I folded my tie and pushed it into my mouth so that I wouldn’t scream” and thereafter, he played dead. At age 16, a child, by no means, should have to play dead. In circumstances as such, survival should be guaranteed to all children. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for the children of Pakistan.

Imagine sending your child to school, unsure about whether they will return home alive.

Imagine being placed in a dark battleground, where the chances of survival are slim to nothing.

Imagine catching a glimpse of your friend, drenched with blood and helpless than ever.

Imagine calling out to your parents for help, but there being no answer.

Just imagine.

The morning of December 16 unwrapped with these thoughts in mind. As the day advanced, the population of Peshawar steadily declined. As the news of the event unleashed, families, nervous and lost for words, gathered together, waiting to be told whether they were part of the unfortunate group of people who had lost their joy and pride. Bit by bit, blood, tears, and smoke occupied the tense airs of Pakistan.

More than 24 hours later, Pakistan is still in shock. People are carrying coffins, claiming that “the smaller the coffin, the heavier it weighs.” Nations are commemorating this tragedy by observing “moments of silence.” Dead bodies are placed in front of loved ones, who must bear the pain of saying goodbye forever. Naturally, for many of us life will continue to advance forward, but for others, December 16 will be a day that will be engrained in their hearts forever.

As for the Taliban, nothing can be said. We must wait patiently. Nothing more, nothing less.

As I continue to reflect upon this tragedy, I take particular notice and become thankful of the life I, and many of the people around me, live. A life of freedom, security, and opportunity. A life much different than the lives of those who were killed on December 16, 2014.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/17/world/asia/pakistan-peshawar-school-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/12/17/pakistan-mourns-death-142-killed-in-taliban-attack/