Son of Kishwar Sultan and Syed Shah

Siblings: Faheem Shah (23), Zakir Shah (21), Radia Shah (20) and Saira Shah (18)

Zulqarnain joined APS just two months before the December 16 attack. He was previously a student at the Cadet College in Fateh Jang and then another private school in Peshawar, but his father said that the college was too far away and he wanted his beloved son to be closer to home. He was as patriotic as one could be, and would paint the national flag on his face on Independence Day.

Like all boys his age, he loved cricket, biryani and cars. But his favourite snack was French fries. He would ask his sister to make some for him nearly every day.

Zulqarnain was also a prankster. His father relates a story of the time Zulqarnain played a prank on his classmates and teachers on August 14 earlier this year, while he was studying at a private school in the city. During the independence day celebrations, he snuck in some china crackers and silently lit them. There were sounds of mini explosions, sparking panic and chaos within the school grounds and causing people to evacuate. His father says Zulqarnain’s teachers called him and told him to punish his son for the prank. Soon after, he was shifted to APS.

144STORIES: Visit the Army Public School Memorial