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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