(Dr Zafar Khan Safdar)
They say there is a reason, They say that time will heal, But neither time nor reason, Will change the way I feel, No-one knows the heartache, That lies behind my smile, No-one knows how many times, I have broken down and cried, I want to tell you something, So there won’t be any doubt, You’re so wonderful to think of, But so hard to be without.
Even when you know your child is in heaven, it still hurts like hell. Nine years are gone yet it seems like yesterday and people have not forgotten the nightmare that was unfolded on this day back in 2014. The December 16 attack on APS in Peshawar was the worst terrorist act in Pakistan’s history that claimed the lives of more than 158 people, including 134 children, and a nearly equal number injured. After a squad of many armed men launched a suicide attack during class hours with indiscriminate firing on school children as they raided classroom after classroom, eight hours elapsed before military forces regained control of the school.
Terrorism has claimed thousands of innocent lives in Pakistan over the last several years, but the APS massacre is the bloodiest in the nation’s recent history. It sparked unparalleled shock across the country and abroad, as people disbelievingly grieved the loss of young children attending an otherwise normal day in school. This national tragedy failed to find words of grief and sorrow, the consolation was meaningless. I happened to attend few funerals of relatives who died in APS. The winter gloom of Peshawar was awfully exacerbated; city and surroundings were in utter grief that was beyond narration. Everyone was crying in tons before everyone after mentioning the tragedy, and this is continued till day.
Responsibility for the massacre was claimed by the banned TTP, who declared to have undertaken it as revenge for the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb in tribal areas since June 2014. The formation of the TTP dates back to the 2002 that absorbed many Al-Qaeda fighters who fled from Afghanistan to the bordering tribal areas of Pakistan following the US attack in Oct 2001. In the year 2007, TTP was formally created as an umbrella organisation, led by Baitullah Mehsud, incorporating 13 militant groups. Mehsud’s successor, Hakimullah Mehsud, declared a war against the state of Pakistan in October 2013, seeking to replace Pakistan’s ‘un-Islamic system’ by an Islamic one. Hakimullah Mehsud was killed the following month in a US drone strike. Major differences in the historical background, interests and goals of the TTP and the Afghan Taliban mean there is no direct affiliation between the two. The distance between the groups was highlighted when an Afghan Taliban spokesman criticised the APS attack by calling it ‘un-Islamic’.
The Zarb-e-Azb operation was launched on June 15, 2014, following the government’s dissatisfaction with peace talks with the TTP. The army became edgy as military installations were targeted by the TTP, including the assassination of Lt Gen Sanaullah Niazi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The TTP also beheaded 23 captured Frontier Corps soldiers in February 2014. In February 2014, the TTP used IMU members to attack Karachi Airport, killing 28 security personnel.
Pakistan has experienced a significant increase in suicide attacks and blasts due to military operations against the TTP. In 2009, the country saw a 48% rise in terrorist deaths, costing over $128 billion. Pakistan ranks seventh among the 10 most severely impacted nations by terrorism. The 2014 APS massacre in Peshawar was considered the strongest contender, leading political parties and military leadership to condemn the attack and create a National Action Plan (NAP) to eradicate terrorism.
The government’s strategy to eradicate terrorists has been divisive, with attempts at diplomacy and military operations. The Malakand Accord, reached in 2009, highlighted the risks of mediating peace agreements with the Taliban. After the government’s decision to take the offensive, the military launched airstrikes and 30,000 troops marched into North Waziristan. Operation Zarb-e-Azb was successfully completed in February 2017, and replaced with ‘Radd-ul-Fasaad’ to continue counter-terrorism operations, focus on border security management, explosive control, and the National Action Plan.
Pakistan’s armed forces have killed over 19000 terrorists in the war on terrorism over the past two decades, including 1300 Al Qaida terrorists. They have also dismantled international terror networks. There has been an 86% drop in terror attacks in 2021-22 compared to 2019-20 and a 97% decrease in suicide bombings since 2009. Security forces have also averted over 50% of terror threats in 2022-23. Pakistan has achieved significant success against terror groups, destroying their network and limiting attacks. The current threat landscape consists of hybrid warfare and disinformation campaigns, rather than organized terrorist infrastructure. The Pak-Afghan and Pak-Iran borders have been significantly deterred by border terminals, posts, scanners, biometric systems, and fencing. Nearly 86% of the 2,600-km border has been secured, and over 39% of the Pak-Iran border has been completed. The fencing has led to a 58% decrease in terror incidents and an 18% reduction in IED blasts in border districts. Following successful military operations, the government has initiated 199 development projects worth Rs. 601 billion in Balochistan and 831 similar projects worth Rs. 31 billion in the merged tribal districts for economic prosperity.
The National Action Plan has been criticized for effectively achieving its objectives, particularly in regulating Madaaris, curbing hate speech, and blocking terrorist financing. The real threat today to national security is from social media, and Pakistan needs to develop legislation, establish an independent authority, ensure user privacy, combat disinformation, digital literacy, and collaborate with companies. Pakistan’s legal system is inadequate to combat terrorist threats, and the government has not taken decisive action. The terrorist strain aims to destroy the state and its institutions, proving the current legal framework ineffective. To combat terrorism effectively, Pakistan must differentiate between conflict detainees and constitutional detainees, as anti-state terrorists use private armies and military organizations to impose illegitimate rule.
The prosecution faces challenges like limited resources, high waiting lists, and high costs for secure prisons and courtrooms. The trial of miscreants in groups also presents challenges. The legislative framework has to be updated in order to address the threat of terrorism and avert another 9/11 for Pakistan.
The writer is Ph.D in Political Science, and visiting faculty at QAU Islamabad. His area of specialization is political development and social change. He can be reached at zafarkhansafdar@yahoo.com and tweet@zafarkhansafdar.
