Daily Times

After the Peshawar attack, in which terrorists attacked the very soft target of a school to inflict a significant blow to the morale of a beleaguered nation that has been fighting against terrorism for last decade, everyone has become frightened about any such repeated, heinous attacks causing a wave of uncertainty and fear among parents about whether to send their children to school or not. Even though all provincial governments extended winter holidays in the wake of beefing up security measures, concerns still prevail as there have been many media reports that a number of terrorists in Karachi and Lahore have been killed in encounters with the security forces. Many private schools and some government institutions are busy extending their boundary walls, the most common security measure being taken. Some of them have placed barbed wires on their wall to make it difficult for any insurgent to enter the premises. Some prominent private institutions that have a say in government circles have taken the help of rangers and police to have them patrol outside their premises. However, media reports indicate that many government schools, which are now the home of less privileged and poor children who cannot afford to go to private institutions to further their studies, are still unsafe as is evident from their pathetic situation owing to prolonged government negligence and lack of enough funds. In many of these schools there are no security guards and media reports indicate that many lower staff members are being forced to wear security guards’ uniforms to hoodwink society by showing that security personnel have been deployed. Although these poor people are resisting such a move, as they will just be holding batons in their hands to look like security guards, they are required to perform such a duty as part of their job description.

We have witnessed many dastardly attacks on civilians such as the one at Wagah border, a church in Peshawar, the Army Public School attack in Peshawar attack and also the Karachi airport attack. In all these ambushes, one aspect was very common: all out efforts on the part of the terrorists to execute their nefarious designs so as to cause maximum damage without even caring for their own lives. That is why no terrorists could be arrested alive in these attacks. The country has been facing the worst kind of terrorism for over a decade, which has now taken a very ugly turn: the fear of children being attacked. The whole nation is united against this extremist mindset, widely known for bombing schools mostly in the tribal areas. Many security measures have been beefed up, including the active role of intelligence agencies, establishment of military courts after very long deliberation and widespread condemnation along with enhanced bombardment in the tribal areas, which are claimed to be a haven for the hideouts of these terrorists.

The whole nation is united now by the grace of God, which is nothing less than a blessing as our security forces need our firm and un-relinquishing support in order to build their morale, crucial for winning this war against a non-traditional enemy engaged in guerilla warfare. If we study the history of those nations that have faced crisis in their lives then it becomes evident that it was their courage and unity that gave them a rebirth. Japan and Germany were in the worst shape after the war but they never lost heart and initiated their recovery. The result is in front of us today as they are included in the top five economies of the world, something nobody would have even thought they would witness after the dismal scenes of their destruction during the world war. It is therefore incumbent upon us to stay united by shunning all petty linguistic and religious differences to fight against our enemy, assumed previously to be hidden but is prevalent everywhere, in every city and every strata.

Given such a grave situation, it is not easy to surmount these challenges. Being an underdeveloped country that has its own limitations we must devise a comprehensive strategy to place special emphasis on combating this menace for good. The role of the police and security agencies should be strengthened along with active prosecution to pave the way for speedy trials of arrested criminals. Besides, active vigilance of religious institutions and sectarian groups is necessary, especially in backward areas where the recruitment of youngsters is usually done by brainwashing them and getting them prepared for such attacks in the name of religion, a religion that revolves around peace. Without building this whole infrastructure even military courts cannot function properly.

Many security experts and parents are questioning these flawed security measures that do not seem sufficient at all to prevent hardened terrorists from targeting schools. If anyone can climb a six-foot wall, then he can also jump over an eight-foot wall to enter the premises. Placing lower staff on security duty is also ridiculous. Even though it is virtually impossible to provide active security to every school given the limited availability of security personnel, surely institutions that are located in sensitive areas should be given more priority with the active role of intelligence agencies and police patrolling during school hours. There is too much discussion going on in social media about the concerns and reservations regarding possible threats for educational institutions, causing paranoia and depression for the parents of this nation. All provincial governments must review their security measures to preempt any such untoward incident, which may cause irreparable damage to our morale.

The writer is a senior educationist and author