In another extremist act, terrorists blew up two girls’ schools in the Mir Ali sub-division of the North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. According to the authorities, two girls’ schools located in the Musakki and Hassu Khel villages of the Mir Ali sub-division had been targeted and destroyed by the terrorists on Sunday night, however, no loss of lives occurred. The police have registered cases against unknown terrorists under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
In another extremist act, terrorists blew up two girls’ schools in the Mir Ali sub-division of the North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. According to the authorities, two girls’ schools located in the Musakki and Hassu Khel villages of the Mir Ali sub-division had been targeted and destroyed by the terrorists on Sunday night, however, no loss of lives occurred. The police have registered cases against unknown terrorists under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Over the decades, neither our political leadership nor military strategists could access the full extent and gravity of the problem of terrorism and extremism that has taken deep routes in our society. The state-sponsored jihad in Afghanistan and Kashmir not only radicalized Pakistani youths but numerous political groups and military dictators used religion as a tool for political and electoral gains. Thus countless political, ethnic, and religious extremist pressure groups have emerged in the country that often use their street power to challenge the writ of the law and pressurize the government in administrative, constitutional, and policy matters in pursuit of cheap popularity. Currently, a huge chunk of our population in various parts of the country had been radicalized due to the insane policies of past governments. The Pakistani nation in general and Pushtuns and Baloch communities in particular faced irreparable damages due to those sentiments, whilst extremist behaviors and intolerance are also on the rise in Punjab. Ironically, Pakistani leaders always preferred instant benefits and temporary gains instead of considering the long-term effect and repercussions of their domestic and foreign policies on society and country.
A fresh wave of terrorism has erupted in the country, and several incidents of violence against educational institutions had been witnessed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after a long pause. Earlier this month, eight people including five teachers had been killed in separate shootings in Upper Kurram Tehsil that caused fears in academia and intellectual circles in the country. Currently, the security forces are carrying out intelligence-based Counter Terrorism operations (IBOs) on a regular basis, while the terrorists are on the run. Amid, heighten security in the major cities and a kinetic targeted operation by the LEAs, the terrorists seek easy targets like schools, teaching staff, and polio workers to create fear among the masses and divert the focus of the secuirty forces from the ongoing operation against the terror outfits.
Although the LEAs and other state institutions are actively working to curb the menaces of extremism and terrorism from the country’s soil, there is a dire need for public military partnership against this evil. Brave Pakistani tribesmen had played a heroic role during Operation Zarb-e-Azb and rendered unmatchable sacrifices including economic and monetary losses, along with enduring hardships, and months-long displacement from their homes. Baloch and Pashtuns’ had suffered utmost from unrest and violence in their areas and now they are not in the mood of living in such dire conditions.
The theory of good and bad Taliban as well as the policy of comparable risk had proved totally fatal. Now there is time for zero tolerance for terrorism, no partnership with extremism, and no use of thugs and violent gangs for the so-called state interest as those sketchy and immature plans had cost irreparable damage to the country over the past four decades. The government must use the latest technology to unearth terrorists’ hidden caches in cities and safe havens in far-flung hilly areas in KP and Balochistan. The government must initiate awareness and indoctrination campaigns against extremism and radicalization to completely eradicate this menace from society, so our coming generations can live in a peaceful, enlightened and terror free environment in the future.
