by Muhammad Mohsin Iqbal
The tragedy that unfolded in Khuzdar, where innocent schoolchildren were mercilessly targeted in a despicable act of terrorism, has plunged the nation into mourning and deepened our resolve to confront the evil that stalks our land. This was not just an attack on young lives—it was a calculated strike against our future, a cowardly blow inflicted by an enemy that has repeatedly failed to subdue us on the battlefield and now turns to the slaughter of our children to quench its bitterness.
Why is it that the pure and innocent—the school-going children of Pakistan—are made victims of such heinous crimes? The nation still bears the scar of December 16, 2014, when terrorists stormed the Army Public School in Peshawar and massacred over 140 lives, most of them children. It was a day when the heavens wept, and the earth stood still in grief. Now, a similar nightmare has descended upon Khuzdar. The message from our enemy is unmistakable: if we cannot defeat you in combat, we will break you by murdering your young.
This strategy of targeting civilians and, worse, children, is not born of battlefield tactics but of desperation and inhuman cruelty. After the Peshawar attack, the Government of Pakistan presented a meticulously prepared dossier to the United Nations and other international bodies. That document provided clear, irrefutable evidence of Indian involvement in planning and supporting the terrorists behind the massacre. It detailed communications intercepted between operatives in Afghanistan and handlers linked to Indian intelligence agencies. It revealed funding channels traced back to Indian sources and the use of Afghan soil under Indian patronage for orchestrating the attack.
And yet, despite the gravity of these revelations, the international community remained disturbingly indifferent. The dossier, which should have led to firm diplomatic consequences and international condemnation, was quietly shelved. Justice was neither demanded nor delivered. If that evidence had been given the seriousness it warranted, if India had been held accountable in 2014, perhaps Khuzdar would never have happened.
Allah Almighty has warned in the Holy Qur’an:
“And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right…” (Surah Al-Isra, 17:33)
This divine commandment is not only a cornerstone of Islamic jurisprudence but a universal moral truth. The murder of innocent souls, particularly children, is an abomination that cries out to the heavens. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade the killing of women and children even during war. In an authentic Hadith, he said:
“Do not kill any child, any woman, or any elder or sick person.” (Sunan Abu Dawood)
Such teachings starkly contrast with the barbarity we witnessed in Khuzdar and earlier in Peshawar.
It is time we stand firm and loud against this injustice. Pakistan must revive the 2014 dossier and present it again, now alongside the new evidence emerging from the Khuzdar incident. The patterns are too similar, the motives too familiar, and the enemy too well known for this to be dismissed as coincidence. From covert operations in Balochistan to the funding of separatist and terrorist outfits, India has waged a shadow war against Pakistan for years, often targeting those least able to defend themselves.
The world is well aware of the states that have made brutality their policy. Whether in Gaza or Kashmir, whether it is Israel or India, it is the same thirst for horror that drives bullets into the hearts of children, women, and peaceful citizens. Yet, these powerful nations hide behind diplomatic cloaks and international alliances, while the blood of the innocent continues to flow.
Pakistan must now formulate a coherent and assertive policy that goes beyond statements of condemnation. We must unite our civil and military intelligence, strengthen border surveillance, and take the diplomatic offensive. The world must be shown—again and again—what our enemy is capable of, not with accusations, but with proof, dossiers, and undeniable facts. Let the Khuzdar tragedy become a rallying cry for international justice, not a forgotten headline.
At the same time, we must prepare to respond with the same strength and strategy that has led us to victory on the battlefield. The resolve that broke the back of terrorism after Peshawar must be renewed, and our security apparatus revitalized. We must never let our enemy believe that targeting children can break our will. It cannot—and it will not.
Let this also be a moment of soul-searching for the global conscience. How many more children must die before the world acts not out of politics, but out of principle? How many more coffins must be lowered before justice is no longer selective?
The Holy Qur’an says:
“Whoever kills a soul…it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one—it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:32)
Our mission, then, is not only national but profoundly human. We owe it to the martyrs of Peshawar, to the victims of Khuzdar, and to every tear-stained mother’s prayer. The enemy seeks to instil fear; we must answer with unity, justice, and truth.
We can no longer afford silence. The blood of our children is louder than any speech, and it demands justice with a voice no nation can dare ignore.
