The coordinated attacks on security infrastructure which went on for a week gave Pakistan a real taste of an insurgent backlash to violent conflict. Over the weekend, amidst security threats to educational institutions, ranging from schools to universities, the media speculated over whether these would close down in order to avoid an ugly hostage situation. There seemed to be some confusion on Monday morning, with headlines claiming that all private schools would remain open in Lahore, ‘including those in cantonment and DHA.’ But by night time, the government had done a 180, announcing that in fact schools across the country would remain closed for the entire week. Though I’m sure no student would complain about a week-long vacation, these mild, curfew-like restrictions suggest that this is the point when the country’s internal conflict gets a little too close for comfort to everyday life, instead of just being something you watch on the television screen.
It was City 42, a news channel, that reported that LUMS (yes, I dare mention LUMS, after all that) would shut down after the blasts at IIU in Islamabad, making the administration’s still-pending decision a self-fulfilling prophecy after students assumed the news to be true. LUMS students were upbeat however, knowing that they had no readings, quizzes, or assignments due. ‘They [the students] don’t care about theses security issues,’ says Haider Fancy, a senior at LUMS. ‘They just want to get the next week off, and not have to go to class, that’s all they care about.’ But not everyone can be so detached. ‘These freshmen are crazy,’ exclaims a slightly more concerned senior, ‘with all this security mess, they’re out on campus celebrating.’
The warden at the female hostel of Beaconhouse National University seemed to be way ahead of the game than the wobbly policies of the LUMS administration. Students living at the hostel claim that the warden had been calling parents up and ‘freaking them out,’ in a sort of polite way to inform concerned parents that ‘they’ were responsible for their daughters’ safety, and not the entrusted hostel administration. As early as last weekend, many hostel residing students got concerned calls from parents all over Pakistan, worried for their children’s safety. Indeed, it seems this sensational propaganda laden ‘war of terror’ has gotten to our nerves.
LUMS students received a security update on their lively email server, warning students that terrorists ‘could take control of their cars’ and use them to execute attacks. If that doesn’t get you a little edgy, the government has been investigating text messages claiming that terrorists might be able to hack into an unsuspected caller’s phone so that when he presses a key to dial a number he detonates a bomb which could bring down a building. (On a side note, wouldn’t everyone agree that the scene would make a great ad for a cell phone provider? The voiceover could say, ‘Now introducing new explosive pre-paid packages, which might put your security, and the security of others around you at risk’ over the backdrop of a three-way split-screen conversation between a man, his wife, and… a terrorist!)
So with all this news of evil, scheming terrorists taking control of strange foreign objects through these ‘Jedi mind-tricks’ which they seem to have mastered in the past few months, I’m afraid of using the lota in my bathroom because it just might be used to launch an attack on some unsuspecting target. Oh what shall we do? Now as a nation we’ll have to conform to the toilet-paper scraping ways of the West. Oh will the Lord finally intervene?
But seriously, the South Waziristan campaign has hardly raged on for a week and it’s already hit home. For a nation with strong resolve, we sure wobble like jelly when the baddies up the ante. This time we don’t even have a highly unexpected Twenty-20 Cricket World Cup win to distract us from the tense fighting and the whip-lashed responses which seem to compromise our security and impinge on our liberties. And now the media surely can’t say that we will defeat those terrorists just like we defeated the teams of cricketing nations around the world.
Indeed, even the media seems to have come under threat lately. Yes, the same media which provides the very stage for these operations, which in turn seem almost tailormade for television (20 minutes of serious operation, 10 minutes of advertisement). Reports suggest that various media outlets have received terrifying threats from these so-called terrorists, threatening to blow this complex media infrastructure we’ve built so diligently sky-high, unless anchors stop calling them ‘terrorists,’ ‘insurgents,’ and all those other bad, bad things they’ve been calling them.
Silly media, you forget so easily, they were ‘mujahids’ just a decade ago, get with the programme! And to think General Pervez Musharraf did all this hard work to free up the media so that private opinions may thrive and democracy may flourish, and this is what you do with your freedom? Terrorists should be called ‘mujahids’ and their death should be referred to as ‘martyrdom,’ not the other way around where security jawans are the martyrs while militants just end up getting ‘killed’ or ‘slain.’ Have some courtesy, media, or they’ll come after you, taking control of people’s remote controls and television sets to launch deadly attacks on you. Beware!
So, as it stands right now, it seems this media blitz and the culture of freaking others out while being freaked out yourself is going to be short-lived, or at least the government would like to think so. Schools are set to re-open on Monday: either the government is expecting the military to be done with its important war aims, significantly affecting the ability of terrorists to plan and carry out attacks over the weekend, or they’re going to take this time to bolster security at places where the daily functioning of everyday life might be at risk of being attacked by sensationalism-starved, media-hungry terrorists. Or, in a possible third scenario, perhaps the government hasn’t actually thought of doing squat, and is just expecting normal life to resume after the weekend when all this nonsense hubbub about guerrillas and terrorists has blown over. Perhaps everyone will casually just forget about all of it. Maybe we should be the ones learning some of those ‘mind-tricks’ to hang on to our very sanity in these times of hyper-paranoia.
Lahore-based Asif Akhtar is interested in critical social discourse as well as the expressive facets of reactive art and is one of the schizophrenic narrators of a graphic novel. He blogs at Lahore-based Asif Akhtar is interested in critical social discourse as well as the expressive facets of reactive art and is one of the schizophrenic narrators of a graphic novel. He blogs at http://e-scape-artist.blogspot.com/ and tweets at http://twitter.com/e_scape_artist.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily represent the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
I want to say that media is the root from where the word terrorism is being spreading across the world. Media promotes the local and regional matter and finally it becomes a terrorist activity and people start to call it as terrorism, media should not give promotion to the word “TERRORISM”
All this is just part of a much bigger problem: the sense of moral and ideological superiority that many of our people have. This has paved way for arrogance and intolerance to kick in and the worst part of it is that even literacy can’t cure it. Militant or non-Militant, extremism has probably been a part of our society for decades and we’re paying the price now. We have let our governments loose for too long. The bad news is this: What we needed was a revolution but unfortunately, now its too late for that even. A revolution inevitably leads to a temporary period of anarchy (depicted nicely in the PC-Game Civilization) that paves way for a return to normalcy. But if we had a revolution today, our enemies would take advantage of the temporary period of anarchy and take over for good.
The series of suicide attacks inside pakistan really concerns everybody around. it also raises questions on the ability of our security and intelligence agencies.
i think we need a special anti-terrorist force to combat terrorism.
intelligence network must be improved.
It is sad to see whats going on in Pakisthan. They are paying the price for what thier leaders did in the past.
Hope the new leadership stop meddeling with neighbours and focus on developing the country
Dear All,
Why are we not understanding that religion ia an affair within four walls of a house ? Now we shout that Islam is a religion of peace. If a non Muslim asks can any muslim rationally explain this. I misearably failed and kept silent.
Terrorist are terrorist.You can not call them Muzahid when it serves your interest.
The economic policies including tax system should be encouraged instead extremism in the society.We will have to read out the basic points of open market economy than following extremist parties
Usa collects tax $.26000 Billion annually and Pakistan collects tax just $.25 billion annually.There is a need to make Pakistan prosperous free of extremism
No one wants disruption of education other than the hard core Talibans. The authorities have taken the decision to close educational institutions in order to save lives. I think this was essential and was a good decision to do so. This action puts more pressure on the Talibans and creates more hate for them in the heart and mind of peace loving peoples. Taliban’s days are numbered in Pakistan and soon, God Willing, Pakistan will be freed from the clutches of these illiterate and directionless fighters. We must back our Armed forces and also the steps the government is taking to get rid of Talibans.
AH
i want to say why it always happen with pakistan only why pakistan has become a terriorist country and why the government of pakistan is not doing some measures for it where it is??? have there anyone to answere this? why it is happening with our beloved country? how long do we suffer like this,government should have to give us security and also do something for it as soon as possible.
Time and again history repeats itself. The reason is we don’t learn from past errors. We should not embark upon serious adventures before having our basic security secured. What is happening in Pakistan is a true reflection of inept planning by the so-called decision makers. Poor people are the victims and the Nation is paying the price dearly.
I think Closing of School is the write approach of the government becoause alot of conspiracy around that terrorrist next target will be the schools, colleges & universities.
The Taliban’s leadership must be demolished by pak army in order to eradicate these terrorist
activities from the root..we have to save our country from these terrorists if we want to save our economy
and our youth’s future..May Allah protect all of us from these evils..Ameen!!
very well constructed and does reflect the mood of the school dwellers as far as this terrorist block out is concerned. its quite sad not to see a stronger response rather then expressing elation over not being able to do university work for about a week…………… the impersonal characteristic must be rooted out for a stronger youth response to a nation which was carved out for freedom and finds itself being torn up , limb by limb
I got a message from my university today informing that it will be off for another two days.
The writer does not seem to have any school-going kids or is too detached from realities on ground.
These are the times when each and every Pakistani should get closer to each other and get closer to Allah -and pray to Him for his help.
Truly : “United we stand, divided we fall” – and it’s about time we learn our lessons!
Long live Pakistan!
This is ridiculous, closing down schools. It might be easy for me to speak being in America but stopping the normal life is a victory for the terrorists. We are the most careless nation in the world. We have always had such problems and will continue to have them. Does anyone remember the time when there was this scare that a guy will ask for a ride, sit in your car and reveal his suicide jacket and tell you to drive.
This time the government has been wounded bad, and they are taking steps to properly eradicate terrorism by regulating the madrassas but we need to keep up our normal life so that the terrorist are unable to instill fear in our minds.
you guys dont need to shut your educational institutes and surrender so meekly. today its your educational institutes, tomorrow they will come to your homes, then what will you all do, leave and run away, and where?
to save thousands, hundreds have to be sacrificed.
media should also be banned from the war areas…
this is no time for news stories and speculation.
Let the Armed Forces do what they do best.
everyone, not just uniformed comrades, should be keeping their eyes open and reporting suspicious people or activity
all Pakistani men and women are soldiers. And it is our collective responsibility to protect our country and crush the enemies.
a united country is a strong one.
We have already proven that attacks will not deter us any longer.
I am from Kurram Agency. 95% of Kurramis are ready to fight alongside Army and rid our nation of terrorist scum.
Neither the foreign militants nor ‘traitors’ will be allowed to tarnish our country’s image.
Long live the Army
Long live Pakistan
painful death and agony to the enemies and ill-wishers of Jinnah’s Pakistan.
when my father was a child his father used to tell him dont go out (haalat kharaab hain), when I was a kid my father used to tell me dont go out (haalat kharaab hain),Now since I have my own kids used to tell them dont go out becoz (haalat kharaab hain). Only Allah know when we would be able to tell our kids that they can go out freely and enjoy their lives while looking after other.
@Jay S
October 24th, 2009 at 11:11
who said “I think the more religious a community gets the more backward it becomes in terms of development.”
–Well said.
Pakistan will continue to suffer as long as it refuses to face reality and not blame foreigners, like India, U.S.A,U.K. and now Iran for its problems. I am glad to see many articles on these lines in the Dawn. You have to face facts and move on in a united fashion.
I hope Pakistan comes out of this mess. We in india would like to see a strong democratic Pakistan. Our hearts go out to all the innocent pakistan citzen who lost their life.
No amount of security can protect us when the terrorist live and hide among us. As a nation we must wake up and open our eyes. Why are we renting our houses for more money to strangers who appear to have no buisness in that area. Same goes for renting bikes and cars. We don’t take the intiative to recognize the threat right under our noses, fail to inform security agencies and blame after something happens. We all have to come together and recognize and agree that taliban, their mullahs advocating them are our enemies, we deny them that breathing room amongst us and stop being influenced by their crazy ideology, you’ll see how hard it will be for them to carry out a terror attack in Pakistan.
Taliban is an enemy in physical form that I’m sure Pak Army will defeat sooner or later however, it’s their ideology that is the main enemy that once we defeat will we be truly safe.
Well, we have just gone crazy! Closing school and colleges, et al, does not solve the problem. What do you mean that after a week’s closure the terrorists will not attack educational institutions? Strange. On Monday 26 October will the studenst feel safe to carry on their studies. Impossible. Have the institutes raised their walls to the desired 9-ft or have the CCTVs fixed? we have to work concertedly for a strong Pakistan – terror or no terror? The more educated we become, the more resilient to terror we shall be. It is the narrow minded religious fanatics who have created this fuss. Religion is not that scary, its the proponents – the mullacrats. Save us from their wrath. Islam is beautiful!
I agree with Ali. Lets have a relationship with our neighbors then only we can sleep properly. I should ask our government where is who always pretend to be our friend.
As a father of two kids in school, I think if the government cannot protect our children, schools should be shut down until the military ends terrorism by finishing the insurgents. And if they cannot finish the terrorists, then I must ask the government to resign for getting us into a mess with no end in sight. I remember the 6 months off when Zia came into power. This is graver than that situation.
Pakistan armed forces must eliminate Taliban’s leadership first and then wipe out the rest of its members and foreign insurgents.
These evil terrorists must not be allowed to threaten Pakistan’s stability, lives of its citizens and its infra-structure. Terrorism aims to destroy not only security of a nation but also ruin its economy.
Students all over the world think in the same way. When I was in the primary classes, I was also too happy to get a holiday or two when some strike happened or something. Of course I was too young at that time to take these incidents seriously.
I wonder if there is a correlation in here somewhere. Development of a society, to me, seems to be inversely proportional to the penetration of religion with that society. I think the more religious a community gets the more backward it becomes in terms of development.
Profound article. Reading between the lines …Wow!
Law and order .. well .. is breaking down it appears.
Freaking out or not – this breakdown of law and order is a real world fact.
This is universally when the evil GOONS of different shades usually take over and spread their own terror.
They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.
You have rightly said. Because of such terrible element most of the time our schools,colleges and universities are either closed or suffer intermittent disruptions. Most of students does not care for who is dieing and who is not they only care for their holidays. When the news slide came on 20th oct that tomorrow would be holiday ,my friends were saying why the government has just given a day holiday of university why not for a week.Instead of thinking or saying like this all of us should pray for innocent people who are dieing daily in such blast.
Those who are doing these terrorism, I think they want to see Pakistan illiterate and at backward position.
May ALLAH help Pakistan to tackle these issues… Long Live PAKISTAN !!
So you wrote that a little too late. So far I hear schools will be closed for two months and this will be substituted with two months of schooling during the summer break.