Tahira Qazi


Tahira Qazi SS was a Educationist and principal of Army Public School and College Peshawar who was martyred in Peshawar school attack on 16 December 2014.

Early life and career

Tahira Qazi was born on July 1, 1951 in Mardan, Pakistan where she attended early schooling. She completed her master's degree in English from University of Peshawar and started her teaching career in the 1970s. Tahira was principal of Army Public School, Peshawar since 2006 and was set to retire in May 2015. According to her students, she was an English teacher. One of her students told regarding her in an interview, "The first thing that comes to my mind is that she was very strict and good in English."

Personal life

Tahira was married to a Pakistan Army colonel, Qazi Zafrullah in the 1980s. She had three children, daughter Arifa Qazi and sons Imran Qazi and Ahmad Qazi.

Death

On 16 December 2014, Taliban militants attacked Army Public School Peshawar. Tahira Qazi tried to protect the children and jumped forward in front of the militants and said, "I am their mother. Talk to me." She was killed by a shot to the head.

Tahira Qazi was laid to rest in Landi Arbab village.

Awards

Tahira Qazi was posthumously awarded by Sitara-I-Shujat on Pakistan Day 2015 by President Mamnoon Hussain.