Editorial in The News, December 16, 2023
December 16 is a date that Pakistan is not likely to forget, for today marks the ninth anniversary of arguably the darkest chapter in our history. On this day in 2014, heavily armed TTP terrorists stormed the Army Public School in Peshawar and martyred at least 144 people, mostly children. The horrific attack shook the nation to its core, the lives lost that day forever etched into its collective memory, and is one of the deadliest school attacks anywhere in the world.
Thankfully, security forces were able to eliminate the terrorists and evacuate the school, preventing more deaths. The attack also served as a turning point in the nation’s fight against terrorism.
There could be no appeasing or negotiating with those who could subject children to such barbaric cruelty. The National Action Plan (NAP) was launched in January 2015 in order to enhance cooperation among the nation’s different security institutions and other stakeholders and destroy the threat of terrorism more effectively. For a time, it appeared that the country had prevailed. Terrorist attacks, though not eradicated, had declined to a great extent. That being said, Pakistan’s war on terror cost it dearly – nearly 70,000 lives lost, both civilian and uniformed. This makes it all the more important that the lessons we learnt after the APS tragedy are never forgotten and that no future generation of Pakistani children has to live through such trauma ever again.
Sadly, it appears that there has been some unlearning in recent years. Under the PTI government, there was a return to the flawed approach of negotiating with the TTP after the return to power of the Afghan Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan. Then PM Imran Khan claimed that some groups associated with the TTP were willing to engage in peace talks with the government and would be given amnesty if they were willing to lay down their arms. Talking to terrorists and allowing them to resettle in the former tribal areas in the hopes that they would suddenly embrace peace is part of the reason Pakistan is experiencing a resurgence in terrorist attacks, with hundreds martyred by the end of November this year alone. According to an NSC meeting in April, the resettlement of terrorists in Pakistan was compounded by the release of dangerous militants from jail.
However, defeating the terrorist threat for good will require more than just avoiding the negotiating table and making sure imprisoned militants stay that way. Our efforts to defeat terrorism need to be better coordinated, which will require strengthening Nacta. In particular, the role of the police as our first line of defence against terrorism must be recognized and they must be equipped with training, equipment and other resources commensurate with such an important role. The alleged ability of militants to find a safe haven in Afghanistan, a threat those who celebrated the return of the Afghan Taliban had seemingly dismissed, must also be addressed and the Afghan Taliban must be made to realize that terrorism is a loss for the entire region. There is also the long-term alienation and deprivation of the communities and areas in which many, if not most, of the terror attacks are occurring that we have to consider. The terror threat cannot be defeated through force alone and our institutions will need to become more inclusive and representative and better at delivering basic services like health, education, and infrastructure.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1138634-our-darkest-day
Our darkest day
Editorial in The News, December 16, 2023
December 16 is a date that Pakistan is not likely to forget, for today marks the ninth anniversary of arguably the darkest chapter in our history. On this day in 2014, heavily armed TTP terrorists stormed the Army Public School in Peshawar and martyred at least 144 people, mostly children. The horrific attack shook the nation to its core, the lives lost that day forever etched into its collective memory, and is one of the deadliest school attacks anywhere in the world.
Thankfully, security forces were able to eliminate the terrorists and evacuate the school, preventing more deaths. The attack also served as a turning point in the nation’s fight against terrorism.
There could be no appeasing or negotiating with those who could subject children to such barbaric cruelty. The National Action Plan (NAP) was launched in January 2015 in order to enhance cooperation among the nation’s different security institutions and other stakeholders and destroy the threat of terrorism more effectively. For a time, it appeared that the country had prevailed. Terrorist attacks, though not eradicated, had declined to a great extent. That being said, Pakistan’s war on terror cost it dearly – nearly 70,000 lives lost, both civilian and uniformed. This makes it all the more important that the lessons we learnt after the APS tragedy are never forgotten and that no future generation of Pakistani children has to live through such trauma ever again.
Sadly, it appears that there has been some unlearning in recent years. Under the PTI government, there was a return to the flawed approach of negotiating with the TTP after the return to power of the Afghan Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan. Then PM Imran Khan claimed that some groups associated with the TTP were willing to engage in peace talks with the government and would be given amnesty if they were willing to lay down their arms. Talking to terrorists and allowing them to resettle in the former tribal areas in the hopes that they would suddenly embrace peace is part of the reason Pakistan is experiencing a resurgence in terrorist attacks, with hundreds martyred by the end of November this year alone. According to an NSC meeting in April, the resettlement of terrorists in Pakistan was compounded by the release of dangerous militants from jail.
However, defeating the terrorist threat for good will require more than just avoiding the negotiating table and making sure imprisoned militants stay that way. Our efforts to defeat terrorism need to be better coordinated, which will require strengthening Nacta. In particular, the role of the police as our first line of defence against terrorism must be recognized and they must be equipped with training, equipment and other resources commensurate with such an important role. The alleged ability of militants to find a safe haven in Afghanistan, a threat those who celebrated the return of the Afghan Taliban had seemingly dismissed, must also be addressed and the Afghan Taliban must be made to realize that terrorism is a loss for the entire region. There is also the long-term alienation and deprivation of the communities and areas in which many, if not most, of the terror attacks are occurring that we have to consider. The terror threat cannot be defeated through force alone and our institutions will need to become more inclusive and representative and better at delivering basic services like health, education, and infrastructure.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1138634-our-darkest-day
Published in Pak Media comment