Thursday, 1 January 2015

# Terrorism

Wake up Pakistan!!

It was just a calm and peaceful day in Peshawar on the 16th of December, 2014, when the calamity came with the brutal martyrdom of 145 people including 132 children and other staff members along with the Principal of Army Public School Peshawar, Pakistan. The children were mostly of the ages between eight and eighteen. The number of those who were injured was about 130 as reported by Chief military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa. A rescue operation was also launched as a response to this attack by the Pakistan Army Special Services Group (SSG). All the 7 attacking members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in the rescue operation.

It was one of the most horrible and deadliest attacks by the terrorists in the history of Pakistan targeting innocent school children. It has been reported by different news channels and commentators that it resembled to the attack on Beslan school hostage crisis which took place in the north Ossetia, the Alania region in Russia, in the year 2004.

The tragedy occurred as 7 TTP members broke in the school at about 10:00 am, from a cemetery behind the school, in a Suzuki Bolan ST41 van. They set it on fire while entering the school. They were dressed up in the uniforms of the Pakistani Frontier Corps. Just after entering the school boundaries the terrorists moved straight toward the auditorium which is just in the center of school. A function was being held there and a number of students as well as staff members had gathered there. After entering the auditorium they opened fire on the children as they tried to escape from the exits. But they were killed just right after as they all gathered towards the exist points.

The principal, Mrs. Tahira Kazi and some other teachers were burnt alive before the children and there are reports that they were forced to watch them suffering. Just after about 10-15 minutes the SSG teams arrived at the spot and they entered the school with armored vehicles. They made the terrorists to remain bound in the school premises and this prevented them from the brutal killing of other survivors. The terrorists in order to save their lives ran towards the administration block. One was killed during this rush while the other made it to the block. But soon the 4 of them were also killed by the snipers from the windows and air vents and there are reports that 2 of them blew themselves with the suicide jackets. The police of Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa with the Army Corps sealed all the adjacent areas of the school near the Warsak Road, Peshawar. The hostages were also rescued and two officers were also injured taken to safe places afterwards. Seven commandos with the two officers were injured during this rescue operation. Approximately 1100 students and staff members were in the school and about 960 were successfully rescued with others as injured.

After all this the area was sealed and a search operation was conducted in order to search for any kind of planted IEDs or the suicide vests. There are also reports that the attackers were in constant contact with their handlers and the intelligences agencies and the security forces. Major General Asim Bajwa reported, “We know who they are and who they were in contact with but details cannot be shared due to operation reasons. They were aware of locations and they must have carried out the recon of the area. And it is highly possible that someone from inside might have tipped them off.”

This attack was a response of the operation started by the Armed Forces of Pakistan in the month of June 2014 against the groups in North Waziristan. The Zarb-e-Azb operation was launched on the 8th of June after the attack on the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. Till now according to reports 2100 have been killed and 90 % of the area has been cleared. TTP attack on the school was to kill a maximum number of children whose fathers belonged to Army. The Taliban reported, “More than 50 sons of important army officers were killed after being identified.” Most of them were shot straight in their heads.

The whole nation united after this brutal attack and the Army chief, General Raheel Sharif was in rage after this. Although no Army parents were seen repenting on their children but their grief cannot be consoled. One of them reported, “We have also lost our children but we cannot cry like others because we are Army officers.”

The operation was given fire after this and the killing of the deadly terrorists was increased. The orders to hang the terrorists were given by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Nawaz Sharif. The numbers of terrorists who have been sentenced to death are more than 7000 all over the jails of Pakistan. The hanging process has been started and the country is still in threats from the TTP specially the educational institutions.

Whatever is the situation of Pakistan these days is due to the people of Pakistan. The day when the bomb blasts and attacks started they should have been stopped then and there. At first it was demanded the government just after the attack to punish the attackers but this was soon forgotten. If the demand was kept in position and the Government was made to take these acts as a serious matter then this would never had happen in the first place. Now the situation is that all the educational institutions have been closed for about a month due to security reasons. The government is saying that about 30,000 men are being training for the security of the schools and colleges but this is not enough. The point is that what can they do in case if a suicide bomber comes around?? The number of educational institutions all over Pakistan is more than this. Secondly, what do we expect from the Army, the Rangers, SSG and other security forces; they are protecting us from the external forces, the internal forces. The Army officers sacrifice their lives, their sleep, their families, their peace just only for the peace and well-being of this country.

This all has to stop now. We have to stop this. We cannot let our brothers and sisters to die just like this. We have to stand up for our rights now. It’s the need of hour now to fight not for ourselves but also for this country. This is our prime duty to report anything which we see around us, suspected. On the other hand we should get ourselves and our future generations to get educated and fight them with the help of our pen, because it is the only most beneficial arm of ours against them.


May Allah Almighty protect this nation and our country…!!!!

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