Andaleeb Aftab, a courageous Chemistry teacher and survivor of the Peshawar school massacre, shares her harrowing story of resilience after losing her son in the attack. She recounts the terrifying experience of hiding from Taliban gunmen and the chaos that unfolded. Reflecting on her grief, Andaleeb discusses how she has transformed her trauma into inspiration for her students, encouraging them to face their fears while cherishing the memories of those lost. Her powerful reflections highlight the deep emotional scars left on families and communities by such violence.
09:57
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Andaleeb's Story
Andaleeb Aftab, a chemistry teacher, hid in the staff toilets during the Peshawar school massacre.
She tragically lost her 16-year-old son, Huzaifa, in the attack.
insights INSIGHT
Why the School?
The students questioned why they were targeted, stating they were neither with the army nor the Taliban.
The Taliban claimed the attack was retaliation for the government targeting their families.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Returning to School
Andaleeb returned to teaching at the school despite the tragedy.
On her first day back, students wanted to talk about Huzaifa rather than chemistry.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Ten years ago, the Taliban killed more than 140 people at Peshawar Army School on 16 December 2014.
It’s one of the worst terror attacks in Pakistan’s history. Chemistry teacher Andaleeb Aftab survived by hiding in the staff toilets.
The majority killed were young students, including Andaleeb’s 16-year-old son.
She speaks to Ella Rule.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: People light candles in memory of victims of the Peshawar Army School terror attack. Credit: Asif Hassan/AFP via Getty Images)
Witness History