Peshawar school attack survivors on Dubai trip

Dubai: Survivors of Pakistan’s deadliest school terror attack in recent times arrived in Dubai on Thursday to cheer their cricketing heroes, a visit organisers said was part of their healing process.

Around 120 students and 19 staff and teachers of Peshawar’s Army Public School (APS) received a warm welcome at the airport on Thursday as they began their four-day trip to the UAE.

Pakistan cricket legend and Peshawar Zalmi team captain Shahid Afridi and teammates Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz received the 9th and 10th graders who are in the country to show support to their home team during the inaugural Pakistan Super League T20 cricket tournament from February 4 to 24.

Taliban gunmen killed nearly 150 children and teachers in a terrorist attack on the school on December 16, 2014.

While grim memories of the fateful day remain, Afridi said he hoped the students will take home something good from the trip.

“We’re happy that whatever promise we made to them and their families, Alhamdulillah, we’re able to fulfil. We’ll accompany them and take them around to bring a smile on their faces. We’ll engage overseas players to take pictures with them and leave them with good memories because they have been through a lot of trauma,” Afridi told Gulf News.

Peshawar Zalmi franchise owner Javed Afridi is hopeful this trip will do its bit in helping the children.

“The reason for establishing Peshawar Zalmi was not only to excel in cricket or to promote cricket but to help alleviate the pain and suffering of the people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. We are not making any tall claims here, but if we can make a small contribution in whatever way, we will do it,” Javed Afridi, himself an APS alumnus, said.

The office of Shaikh Nahyan Bin Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan, which helped make the trip possible, is organising a number of events to entertain the students, including a trip to Ferrari World.

But beach cricket with the all-star members of Peshawar Zalmi cricket team at Skydive Dubai is everyone’s favourite part of the itinerary, especially for Mohammad Waleed Khan, 14.

“I am excited to meet many international cricket players, including my favourite Afridi,” Khan, who was shot six times in the face, once on his arm and leg, told Gulf News.

“I’m feeling very good. This is the best moment of our lives,” he added.

Khan said he is feeling much better now. His wounds have healed and he is recovering quickly from the physical pain. He is still undergoing therapy to help him heal emotionally.

Mohammad Talha Ali, too, is on the way to recovery. Ali was also shot in the face and his wound has not healed completely. He is required to wear a face mask in order to avoid any infections.

“We will enjoy this trip. This is a learning process for all of us,” Ali, 17, said before being whisked away to his bus.

Naghma Habib, the school principal, who is accompanying the students, said engaging the students in game and players they love the most is an excellent gesture. A majority of the students who arrived here were wounded in the attack.

“Sports helps heal pain caused by a tragedy,” the principal said. “This trip will help them have new memories [that will hopefully overshadow] the bad ones that they have. They can bring home these good memories to their families and share them with their friends.”

With inputs from Mariam Mumtaz, Special to Gulf News. Mariam is an intern at XPRESS, Gulf News’ sister publication