Saman Hamid
Two years ago a perfectly ordinary day, until the unthinkable happened. In no war and in no place had anyone specifically targeted school children and that too in such a vicious manner? Some 144 students and staff members laid their lives at the hands of the six attackers who worked for TTP. There were three focal persons of the attack; Aurangzeb aka Khalifa Umar Mansoor, the mastermind and Asif aka Haji Kamran, the operational commander both were working under the auspices of Maulana Fazlullah, the head of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Fazlullah was later targeted in a drone attack within days but the damage was done. There are a few important points to be noted in the entire case. First and foremost there were facilitators allegedly belonging to a de-funct Tehreek-e-Taliban Gadeer (TTG); a Peshimam of a mosque, a clerk, a rickshaw driver all harbored the terrorist, it also seems that those living near the school had seen the attackers but were either too afraid to report or did not feel responsible for doing such a thing. Secondly the six attackers although spoke Arabic and English but they came from Fata and KP namely areas such as Bara and Tirah in Khyber Agency, Mohmand Agency and even Peshawar. Third most important factor was that the school had received threats a few months before the attack but they were taken lightly. All in all there are many factors that many still seek to somehow find solace in a tragedy that is unparalleled in the history of mankind.
Tragedies ultimately are a test from the Almighty we constantly seek points in trying to find solace but somehow we must move forward. Two years on and this is exactly what the people of Pakistan got. December 16, will be looked backed upon as a point of inflection in our nations collective psyche; the day everything changed for good. The then COAS; Gen Raheel Sharif is said to have kept the pictures of the victims in his drawer just to keep focus on the road ahead. This is what is reflected in how we moved forward, although there is always a lot more to be desired but at least the first steps seem right. The biggest right step comes in the form of the unwavering parents, the schools have tighter security but the ultimate decision was to send all kids to school. In this regard one of the very best campaigns from last year came on the eve of the same day, when in a song all children vowed to avenge APS attacks by educating the enemy’s kids. The second step came in the focus and unity on operation “Zarb-a-Azb”, declared a success in a little over a year since then. The army recently laid the foundation stones of a cantonment in SWAT.
The biggest development that was applauded post APS attacks was the National Action Plan, the plan that unfortunately never was. The NAP gives a vision but none of its twenty or so point has a clear cut line of action. The major areas it covers are; no extremism in Pakistan; no militant and armed gangs; protection of minorities, reforms of criminal justice, completion of Karachi operation, military courts; implementing death sentences; action against outlets promoting hate speech, political empowerment of Balochistan’s government, and repatriation of Afghan refugees etc. None of the points have seen full implementation. This is perhaps the biggest criticism and the biggest shortfall of the democratic government of PM Nawaz Sharif. Another initiative since 2013; The National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA)’s full scale functionality still remains a question. A country that is one of the top five in Global Terrorism Index needs to consider her options wisely.
Two years on the menace of terrorism is uprooted but not eliminated recent horrors in Quetta stand testament to that but the biggest question marks on the NAP perhaps is the Charsadda university attack, in January 2016. Around four terrorist this time entered the huge Bacha Khan University in early hours of the morning utilizing the fog in the area. Around 20 people were killed even after security forces were swift to secure the area.
Incidents like these after the APS horror and after Zarb-e-Azb’s successful onslaught highlight only one thing; we are lacking somewhere as a nation. The point is also highlighted in the APS incident, the local residents knew something was off about the six attackers yet they decided to ignore the signs. In Charsadda as well the terrorists were operating a cell, something impossible without local co-operation. Obviously the local law and order forces need to do a lot more but the nature of attacks the enemy is subjecting to must enlighten us to become more watchful. We must not relax in arm chairs and wait for the local police to investigate the suspicious looking car or guy next door as we do not want to get into trouble. This is exactly the weakness terrorists recognize as a trait in Pakistanis. We must also not let the political parties get away with putting the issue on back burner, as thousands each day loose lives because perhaps there is no plan and there is no force. The Armed forces simply cannot be expected to be the saviors everywhere, as there are so many fronts open in Pakistan right now that such an expectation is impossible, even then our saviors keep on putting their lives at stake on all borders. Strength is the mantra our nation already knows but collective wisdom is what still needs to be learnt especially in recognizing who our true leaders truly are. The sacrifice and the courage of the 144 people will always be looked upon as the foundation that changed Pakistan for the best and forever. We will never forget but we must learn and we must fight till the very end.
