#NeverForget: When a nightmare became a reality

Muneeb Dawar survived APS massacre by locking himself in toilet

PESHAWAR:

Muneeb Dawar, 16, locked himself in the toilet to escape the shooting spree at the auditorium of Army Public School on December 16, 2014.

“I was the head boy and was standing in the front row of the auditorium as I was expected to when the militants stormed into the school,” he told The Express Tribune.

The 16-year-old was frozen in fear, all the while wondering whether this was a bad dream or reality.

“I heard the sound of gunshots and saw my friends screaming and crying,” he said.



Driven by the instinct of self-preservation, Muneeb, who was standing close to a door, tried to run out of the auditorium. However, at that point, his instinct failed him.

“As I tried to run, my coat got stuck in the door,” he said.

As a result, the 16-year-old was forced to witness the brutal slaying of his friends.

“I eventually managed to escape,” he said. “I ran towards the administration block and hid inside the staffroom. There were other students in the room as well.”

According to Muneeb, a teacher came into the room and asked them to evacuate the building. However, the instructions were vague and difficult to follow.  “They told us to run outside and somehow leave the school,” he recalled.

His hands began to tremble and he did not know what to do. Fortunately, he, along with a group of teachers and students, were able to lock themselves inside a toilet.

“We stayed their till 5:30pm,” he said. “We heard the sound of gunshots. I still did not understand what was happening. At 5:45pm, army personnel opened the door and rescued us.”

Muneeb finally realised the gravity of the situation when he was taken to Combined Military Hospital.

“I fainted the moment I saw the bodies,” he said.

The 16-year-old went through counselling for three months to recover from the trauma. However, the memory of that fated day continues to haunt him.

A year later, Muneeb still misses his friends who fell victim to the militants’ bullets.

“I left the APS after completing matric,” he said. “It was unbearable to attend the same school and relive the memories I had with my friends at the school.”

He added, “After the attack, the school administration ensured the walls were painted. But the desks still bear blood stains.”

Although they have dried, the stains are an ever-present reminder of a tragedy that shattered the lives of many families.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th,  2015.