Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is known for its mountains, green valleys, and strong communities. Its culture comes from a long history of Pashtun traditions, local languages, food, music, and hospitality. But the province has also lived through some of the country’s most difficult periods, and many of those events are still remembered today.
The province connects Pakistan with Afghanistan and Central Asia. Traders, travelers, and families have passed through the region for generations, bringing different ideas, customs, and traditions with them. Generations of families have also lived in these areas, making the region more than just a route for travelers and traders.
But the history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also includes events that brought fear, loss, and hardship to many communities. The province has witnessed attacks, hostage situations, militancy, natural disasters, and other major incidents over the years. From the 1994 Peshawar school bus hijacking to the attacks in Hangu, Swat, Peshawar, and Kurram, these are some of the incidents that people across Pakistan still remember.
Key Takeaways
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has experienced several major incidents involving schools, communities, security, and natural disasters.
- The 1994 Peshawar Bus #10 hijacking became a long hostage situation that ended with a rescue operation in Islamabad.
- The attacks involving Malala Yousafzai, Atizaz Hasan, and Army Public School became important parts of the province’s recent history.
- The 2005 earthquake and major floods also changed communities across the province.
- The 2023 Kurram school shooting was another violent incident that affected teachers and schools.
What We Will Cover
- The 1994 Peshawar Bus #10 hijacking.
- Malala Yousafzai’s shooting in Swat.
- The attack at a school in Hangu and the story of Atizaz Hasan.
- The Army Public School attack in Peshawar.
- The 2005 earthquake and 2010 floods.
- The 2023 Kurram school shooting.
- How these events became part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s history.
The Peshawar Model School Bus Hijacking – 1994
On 20 February 1994, three armed men hijacked Bus #10 from Peshawar Model School near Haji Camp in Peshawar. At the time, the bus was carrying about 70 schoolchildren and school staff. Haji Camp was an Afghan refugee settlement in an area outside the main city. The hijackers took the bus out of Peshawar towards Islamabad.
From Peshawar to Islamabad
The hijackers kept the driver under their control and forced him to drive towards Islamabad. They took the children far from their school while their families and teachers waited for news. After reaching Islamabad, the bus was taken towards the Afghan Embassy. Police surrounded the area, and negotiations started.
During the negotiations, the hijackers agreed to release 55 children and five female teachers. However, sixteen students, along with a male teacher, the conductor, and the driver, remained inside with the three Afghan gunmen. With the remaining children and staff still inside the bus, the incident had become a serious hostage crisis, and the authorities had to find a way to bring them out safely.
The Rescue Operation
For about 40 hours, Pakistani authorities continued talks with the hijackers while preparing for a possible rescue operation. On 21 February, Pakistani commandos entered the Afghan Embassy in Peshawar and rescued the remaining children and staff. The three hijackers were killed during the operation.
The children were safely rescued and brought back to Peshawar. The 1994 incident became one of the major events in the city’s history. It began with the hijacking of a school bus and ended with a rescue operation at the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad.
Malala Yousafzai School Bus Shooting – 2012
The next major incident took place in Swat in 2012, when Malala Yousafzai was attacked on her way home from school. She was 14 and had become known for speaking about girls’ education.
On 9 October, 14-year-old Malala was on her way home from school in Mingora when a gunman stopped the bus. He asked for her by name and then opened fire. Malala was seriously injured, and another girl traveling with her was also wounded.
The Attack in Swat
The shooting happened after many years of conflict in Swat. Militants had opposed girls’ education and had destroyed or closed girls’ schools in areas under their control. Malala spoke out about the importance of education and gained attention through her writing and public statements.
The attack left her seriously injured. She was first treated in Pakistan and then moved abroad for further medical care.
The shooting soon made headlines around the world. Many people followed news about Malala as she recovered.
Why the Incident Is Still Remembered
After recovering from the shooting, Malala continued to speak about girls’ education. Her work brought more attention to the difficulties faced by children in areas affected by violence.
The attack happened during a period of violence in Swat, when many families were facing threats and children were struggling to continue their education. Malala’s story also brought attention to what children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were going through.
Atizaz Hasan and the Hangu School Attack – 2014
On a morning in January 2014, a suicide bomber tried to enter a school in Ibrahimzai, Hangu, where hundreds of students were attending classes. Atizaz Hasan, a 15-year-old student, noticed the man and went towards him to stop him from entering.
What Happened Outside the School
Atizaz and some other students were outside the school when they saw a man walking toward the entrance. They realized he was carrying explosives and moved away from him. Atizaz, however, stepped forward and tried to stop him from getting inside the school.
The attacker set off the bomb during their confrontation. Atizaz was badly injured in the blast and later died from his injuries. The explosion happened outside the school building, before the attacker could enter.
The explosion did not hurt the other students inside the school. By blocking the attacker at the entrance, Atizaz stopped him from getting further into the school.
How Atizaz Hasan Was Honored
Atizaz Hasan was later awarded the Sitara-e-Shujaat, one of Pakistan’s highest civilian awards for bravery. The award recognized the courage he showed during the attack at his school.
His name became well known across Pakistan and is still associated with the Hangu school attack. For many people, the incident is remembered not only as an attempted attack on a school, but also for the courage shown by a 15-year-old student that day.
Army Public School Attack, Peshawar – 2014
On 16 December 2014, Army Public School in Peshawar became the scene of one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan’s recent history.
Students and teachers were inside the school during the attack, which took place on a school day when hundreds of students were present.
The Attack on APS Peshawar
On 16 December, attackers entered Peshawar and reached the school. They got inside through a back wall. The attack started while students were in the auditorium attending a first-aid workshop. Teachers and other staff members were also in the building. As the attackers moved through the school, students and staff tried to escape to safer areas.
Security forces arrived and launched an operation to clear the building. This operation lasted for hours as they moved from one part of the school to another. Students and staff were taken out as areas were cleared, while fighting continued in other parts of the school.
The operation ended later that day, after the attackers were stopped and the school was cleared.
What Happened After the Attack
Families gathered outside the school and hospitals as they waited for information about their children and relatives. Many of those killed were students, and the news brought sadness across Pakistan.
After the attack, Pakistan changed some of its measures against terrorism. The government introduced the National Action Plan along with other security measures in response to militant violence.
People in Peshawar and across Pakistan still remember 16 December for the students and teachers who lost their lives.
Kurram School Shooting – 2023
In May 2023, armed men entered Teri Mangal High School in Upper Kurram during exams and opened fire. Seven people were killed. Earlier that day, another teacher from the same school was also shot and killed. The two incidents killed eight people.
What Happened at Teri Mangal High School
The attack took place while students were sitting their exams and teachers were carrying out their duties. The gunmen entered the school and targeted people inside the building. The victims included teachers and other school staff.
News of the shooting left families in the area waiting for information about their children and relatives. Initial reports had different details about the victims, but later reports confirmed the number of people killed in the school.
Kurram’s History of Violence
Kurram has experienced many violent incidents over the years. People in this area have faced tribal disputes, sectarian fighting, armed attacks, and clashes. These incidents have sometimes made it difficult for families to live their normal lives, including sending children to school.
The 2023 shooting took place in Upper Kurram, near the Afghanistan border. Kurram has seen violence and clashes at different times over the years. The area is made up of many towns and villages, where people have had to deal with these problems alongside their daily lives.
Natural Disasters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has experienced serious natural disasters, along with attacks and other incidents. The 2005 earthquake and the 2010 floods caused major damage and affected many people in the province.
The 2005 Earthquake
On 8 October 2005, a major earthquake struck northern Pakistan, causing heavy damage across the region. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was among the areas that faced some of the heaviest effects.
The earthquake destroyed homes, schools, roads, bridges, and other important infrastructure. Many communities in the mountains were hard to reach, which made rescue and relief efforts very challenging.
The disaster affected families across the province and led to a large relief effort, both national and international. This earthquake is an important part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s history because of the scale of the destruction and the number of communities that had to rebuild afterward.
The 2010 Floods
Five years later, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faced another major disaster when severe flooding affected large parts of the province.
The floods damaged homes, roads, bridges, agricultural land, and public infrastructure. Families were forced to leave their homes, while rescue teams and relief organizations worked to reach affected areas.
These disasters are remembered for a different reason from the attacks discussed earlier. They were not caused by conflict, but they still changed the lives of thousands of people and left lasting marks on communities.
Why These Incidents Remain in Our Memory
These incidents happened in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the years. Some involved schools and students, while others came from hostage situations, militant attacks, earthquakes, and floods.
The 1994 Peshawar school bus hijacking began as an ordinary journey and turned into a hostage situation that ended at the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad. In Swat, Malala Yousafzai was attacked on her way home from school, while in Hangu, Atizaz Hasan lost his life while trying to stop a suicide bomber from entering his school. The APS attack in Peshawar brought the deaths of students and teachers into the memory of people across Pakistan. Years later, the Kurram school shooting showed that schools and teachers could still be caught in violence.
Natural disasters brought a different kind of loss. The 2005 earthquake and the 2010 floods damaged homes, roads, schools, and other parts of daily life, forcing many families to leave their homes.
Taken together, these events are part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s history. They are remembered through the people who lost their lives, the families who were affected, and the places where these incidents took place.
Conclusion
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has gone through many difficult periods, including school attacks, hostage situations, earthquakes, and floods. These events brought loss to families and communities, and their effects were felt long after the incidents themselves had ended.
Years may pass, but the names of those who lost their lives and the places where these events took place are still remembered. For many people, these memories are tied to family members, friends, schools, homes, and communities that were changed by what happened.
Want to learn more about one of the incidents that left a lasting memory in Peshawar? Watch RAVA Studios’ documentary to learn how an ordinary school journey turned into a tense hostage situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened during the Peshawar school bus hijacking?
On 20 February 1994, armed men hijacked a school bus in Peshawar carrying students and teachers. The bus was later taken to the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, where Pakistani authorities negotiated with the hijackers before the remaining hostages were rescued.
What major natural disasters have affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?
The 2005 earthquake caused heavy damage in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the 2010 floods affected homes, roads, and villages across the province. Many people died in the disasters, while others lost their homes and had to move elsewhere.
What happened in the Army Public School attack in Peshawar?
On 16 December 2014, armed attackers entered Army Public School in Peshawar while students and staff were inside. The attack lasted for several hours before security forces cleared the school. The incident killed 141 people, including 132 students, according to reports at the time.