Almost a week has passedsince the brutal terrorist attack on the army administered public school, in Peshawar, which killed 132 students and nine staff members including the principal – all of whom were shot dead, one after the other, by Taliban gunmen. The government of Pakistan instead of holding an investigation into the massive lapseof security and the negligence of the army officers stationed there, to protect the children, and despite being informed of the possibility of such imminent attacks – has to-date failed to initiate any type of inquiry into the incident. The government’s stance of turning a blind eye towards this horrible incident clearly shows the seriousness with which the government intends to overcome terrorism. None of those who were directly responsible for providing security to the school and for security inside the army cantonment area – the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) AND Corp Commander of the KPK Province – have been asked to provide reasons and show cause for the gross negligence in security on the fatal day where the terrorists were freely able to enter the heavily guarded cantonment and enter the school.
The entire country is still in shock, and in anger. They are holding candlelight vigils in solidarity with the children, their families and the teachers at various places throughout the country as well as the world over by Pakistanis residing across the world and have shown their anger at the incident and have called an end to the bloody terrorism.
The government and the security establishment have also failed to take any action as recommended in the intelligence reports issued in August 2014 which included the details of more than 120 places of hide-outs used by terrorists, the Taliban and Al-Qaida in Islamabad. Despite the security of Islamabad beingunder the control of the military the number of terrorists hide-outs and Madrasahs (Islamic seminaries) – the training camps of terrorists – have grown in numbers and they have gone un-checked. Instead the security establishment has rather openly promoted these terrorists. The same reports have also revealed that the hide-outs of terrorists have stored large quantities of arms and ammunition and if recovered by the security forces there will be enough ammunition to be used over a period of one month. The government and the Pakistan military must take strong action against all the Islamic seminaries which are operating unregistered and have – as per several intelligence reports – become centres for breeding terrorism. All such Mosques, seminaries etc., which are built on illegal land through land grabbing should not be allowed to be operated under such circumstances.
All this was evident as the government and its agencies came out in support of the Taliban and also used baton charges against activists and other civil society groups for holding a protest in Islamabad against last week’s violent attack on the school children. The activists were holding a peaceful protest in front of the notorious Lal Masjid, the famous hide-out of terrorists and a training centre when the police was called to disperse the protesters. The police used batons to beat them and arrested some of the protesters. The administration of the capital city allowed the terrorists to overpower the demonstration and deliver fiery speeches in favour of the Taliban. Those who delivered these speeches were wanted menin connection with several other terrorist attacks and some of them have declared ‘head money’ on them.
It is no doubt that the Taliban are responsible for this heinous crime, which is deplored and condemned outright. However, the Pakistan military has a greater responsibility in providing security to the people of Pakistan against such brutal terrorist attacks and this is especially true in their own military cantonment areas. The appeasement policies of the government and the security establishment in support of the terrorists arethus turning the country in to turmoil and a virtual civil war. Following the horrific killings at the Peshawar school, there has not been any visible serious attitude or action from the government instead what has been witnessed is the government merely forming a committee consisting of all political parties to chalk out an ad hoc policy against terrorism and has been given a time frame of only seven days to do so. However,since its establishment, and the passage of time, the
Committee sittings have turned out to be merely a ‘talking forum’ and nothing more.
The Asian Human Rights Commission therefore, urges the Government of Pakistan to immediately initiate an inquiry in to the incident that took place at the army Public School in Peshawar and to probe the lapses and gross negligence in providing security to the children and staff. The all party committee must have the authority to take those military officers responsible for this negligence to task. The Corp Commander of Peshawar and other officers responsible should be prosecuted on charges of failing to carry out their duties which resulted in so many innocent and unarmed persons, mostly children, losing their lives.
