Few lessons learned
Apart from being one of the most horrific, brutal and tragic terrorist attacks in the history of the country the Army Public School (APS) Peshawar attack in 2014 was also a wake-up call for all political parties and security/intelligence agencies.
A National Action Plan (NAP) was formulated with much fanfare where political parties across the spectrum displayed a united front against terrorism and possibly a decisive turn against extremism. Unfortunately, multiple events since APS have made it clear that a plan might be there but the will to implement it still lacking.
Soon after the supposed completion of Zarb-e-Azb a spate of terrorist attacks in major cities around the country necessitated the launch of the ongoing Radd-ul-Fasaad. Elimination of militants and terrorists through military operations is necessary but futile if at least an equal amount of effort is not being made to curb extremism.
Three years on the directions set out in NAP to get a grasp on the growing extremism in the country remain largely ignored. It is unfortunate, alarming and shameful to note that we have in fact receded from what little had been achieved after the complete capitulation of the state to opportunistic zealots during the Faizabad sit-in and the questionable role of the army in settling the issue.
It is a disservice to the memory of the 141 lives – 132 of them schoolchildren – lost in the APS attack that the government is contemplating giving clemency to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan for ‘cooperation’ when he should stand trial for his heinous crimes.
Unfortunately, neither the KP government nor the federal government has bothered to investigate how exactly seven terrorists armed to the teeth penetrated a school under army protection in broad daylight and carried out such an attack. It is not only the right of the families of the deceased to have that information but the general public’s as well.
There is still time to implement properly in letter and spirit the NAP. Otherwise the enemy making attempts to carry out another APS might just be successful while the new crop of terrorists is being prepared right under our noses.