In February 1994, three masked men armed with pistols and grenades hijacked a school bus carrying around 70 children and 06 teachers at Haji Camp in Peshawar. The hijackers forced the driver to take the bus towards Islamabad. Inside, frightened children threw handwritten messages out of the windows, asking for help.

In Islamabad, the hijackers took the bus to the Afghan Embassy and demanded a safe route out of Pakistan. Negotiations led to the release of 55 children and 05 women teachers, while 16 students, a male teacher, the driver, and the conductor remained hostage inside. Security forces surrounded the embassy while officials negotiated for the hostages’ release.

On the second night, Pakistani commandos from the Special Services Group (SSG) launched a rescue operation, killing all three hijackers and freeing the remaining hostages without injuring any children. After around 40 hours, the Peshawar school bus hijacking came to an end; the incident remains an important part of Pakistan’s history.