Pakistan is on a trial. It is being tested for its capacity to outmaneuver the militants’ attacks on its educational institutions. The militant’s narrative is clear, deep and precise: “To destroy the country as a Muslim state and create it as an Islamic state.” To destroy the foundations of the nation – its educational institutes – and create fear among young learners. Other than the reported and unreported day to day attacks on schools in FATA and KPK, the massacre at Peshawar’s Army Public School in December last year which claimed 140 above innocent lives was the most ruthless and inhuman act of terrorism.
The state’s response has been ambiguous, ad hoc and weak. Will the steps taken in panic such as raising the boundary walls, posting a retired soldier in every school and installing surveillance cameras, be enough to avoid any unfortunate incident in the future? As per news reports only 40% of the schools have been able to make some of these security arrangements in Punjab while the implementation in other provinces is even worse. One wonders over the state’s ability to respond to the assaults on its institutes of learning.
In this backdrop, following set of actions, such as, no use of school buildings as military bases, strict security of educational institutes, training of students to neutralize the militants attack, immediate rescue operation by the law enforcement agencies, dismantling the ideological roots of militants, elimination of militants leadership and formation of a separate counter-attack strategy for educational institutions, would certainly serve as a bulwark of protection for the country’s educational institutions.
The attacks on educational institutions have started to turn into a permanent feature of Pakistan’s militant landscape. Taliban militants have frequently attacked educational institutes across the length and breadth of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). Meanwhile, some attacks have been reported in Baluchistan, as well, according to Pak Institute of Peace Studies, a security think tank based in Islamabad, in its recent report. It was only recently that this issue had begun to be highlighted by the media after some audacious assaults on education which resulted in large number of killings of innocent children.
The December 16, 2014 attack by the militants of Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) at the Army Public School Peshawar so far has been the most deadly terrorist attack which killed 142 innocent people including teachers and students. Similarly, a year earlier in Quetta, a suicide attacker blew up a university bus when it was transporting female students from campus to home. The unfortunate incident took 40 lives.
According to Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), “900 hundred schools have been attacked between 2012-2014 by the militants in FATA and KPK alone.” This gives one a clear picture of the intensity and seriousness of the challenge confronting the country.
Internationally, the tactic of attacking educational institutes is being used by the infamous Boko Haram in Nigeria while on the local level, Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan and Baluchistan Liberation Army have been using it as a strategic militant weapon against Pakistan Army. There is a lot common in the tactics and objectives of local and international assailants. Boko Haram – which means “Western education is Haram (un-Islamic)” – time and again abducts girls and uses them as a bargaining chip against securing money and weapons from the state to achieve their larger objective of establishing an Islamic caliphate.
On the other hand, TTP has a regional agenda. They want the enforcement of Sharia (Islamic Law) in the areas of FATA and KPK and they think by attacking schools they are removing the state buildings where un-Islamic education is being imparted by the un- Islamic state of Pakistan. Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) however, has different reasons to attack the schools. They consider schools as state symbols and attack them because they have a separatist agenda.
The militant groups attack educational institutes due to different reasons, such as, the use of schools as military base camp. The security forces of Pakistan engaged in a crackdown against the outlaws in FATA, KPK and Baluchistan have been using schools as their base camps. This is because school buildings come already equipped with the facilities of a bathroom, kitchen and spacious rooms for keeping ammunition providing shelter and rest to the military personnel. The militants of TTP have been attacking these school-cum-military-bases to hit the security forces involved in the crackdown against them.
Secondly, the Taliban consider the education of girls as un-Islamic. After taking control of Swat valley back in 2009, Taliban commander Mullah Fazlullah shut down all the girls’ schools and threatened the parents to death if they sent their daughters to schools. Later, his men shot Malala Yousufzai, a young education activist, in the head for promoting education for girls. However, she survived and have lived long enough to become the youngest noble laureate in the world for promoting peace through education in the most dangerous land on earth.
Thirdly, schools are soft targets as compare to other state institutions. It is very easy for the militants to attack schools with almost no resistance. The military crackdown against the militants in their strongholds has weaken them internally. They have not been able to reorganize and to cause a major dint to the armed forces in the battle ground. So, they have turned to schools.
Lastly, Taliban attacked educational institutes in retaliation to the Operation Zarb e Azab.The Peshawar massacre was a case in point. The Taliban spokesperson, Muhammad Khorasani after the attack issued this statement,
“We want the Pakistan Army to feel the pain of seeing their loved ones killed.”
Clearly, the challenge confronting Pakistan is a daunting one. After the Peshawar attack what was called as the darkest day in the history of Pakistan, the parents of schools going children were scared enough to not send their children to schools. The educational institutes had been shut down across the country. Winter vacations had been extended due to possible militant threat. The militants to an extent had managed to psychologically paralyze the nation. Going to school has become an act of bravery. Such state of affairs deserves a serious thought and quick action from the state and its security agencies. The state’s preparedness to provide protection to educational institutes should have following plan of action;
Firstly, no use of educational institutes for military bases. The troops engaged in operation against the militants should not base themselves in the schools. Parallel arrangements in this regard be done. A good alternative would be of building temporary, portable bases on the pattern of NATO forces in Afghanistan. It is hoped that such a step would bring down the number of attacks on schools.
Secondly, the security of educational institutes should be on high alert as these are the soft targets for militants. The security personnel should be equipped with latest weaponry and other required equipment to deal with an emergency situation. They also be thoroughly scrutinized and investigated about their affiliation to any terror group.
Thirdly, the training of students to deal with an emergency like situation by ant-terrorist squads should be made a part of the syllabus at educational institutes. The focus of such trainings should be in the schools located in FATA and KPK. Such trainings would go a long way in minimizing the collateral damage in case of a militant attack.
Fourthly, there should be an immediate rescue operation in place to provide first aid and rescue to the victims. Many lives could have been saved, had the rescue teams arrived in time at the Army Public School Peshawar. They were four hours late. In future, such gross negligence should be avoided.
Fifthly, there should be an exclusive counter attack strategy for educational institutions and prompt rebuilding of damaged schools. The security of the educational institutes should not be tied to other state institutes. These are more vulnerable and deserve exclusive security strategy.
Moreover, the priority of the law enforcement agencies should be the elimination of the Taliban leadership. It would hit them hard and weaken them internally. Last but most important, the ideological roots of the Taliban would have to be dismantled. This is the key. They are ideologically motivated assassins hell bent to convert the current Muslim state of Pakistan into an Islam State of their version. They have to be defeated on that front first.
To cap it all, the educational institutes of the country face a serious threat from the militants. The militants are clearly on a suicide mission. They know very well how to inflict pain in the hearts and create fear in the minds of the people of Pakistan. Especially, after their defeat in the badlands due to ongoing operation Zarb e Azab, they can look for soft targets such as schools. They have done it in the past and they will try to do it again. The Peshawar massacre was the manifestation of their insane, savage and deadly designs. The country’s leadership both military and political has to rise to the occasion. It has to come up with a plan that has potential to outmaneuver the militants’ possible assault on educational institutes in future. The summer vacations must be used to equip all the institutes with necessary requisites to avoid any future mishap. It is hoped that better sense would prevail in the corridors of power, the GHQ and Islamabad and above given suggestions would be considered to provide safety and security to the educational institutes in the country.
