PESHAWAR, Nov 11 (APP/DNA):The nation on Tuesday mourned yet another tragic suicide blast outside the district courts in Islamabad that claimed at least 12 lives and injured 27 others, along with a violent assault on Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan where five Fitnaul Khwaraj were killed on Monday.
The twin attacks of Islamabad suicide explosion and the assault on Cadet College Wana have once again exposed the callousness of the Fitna-ul-Khawarij (TTP), who continue to target innocent citizens and vulnerable institutions in their sinister attempts to sow fear, disrupt education, and weaken national unity after allegedly being facilitated by India and Afghanistan.
These despicable acts of terrorism are not isolated incidents, but part of a broader pattern of anti-Pakistan activities aimed at undermining social cohesion, education, and the very fabric of the nation’s progress and unity.
The terrorists, while attacking Wana Cadet College, tried to replicate the horrific tragedy of the 2014 Army Public School (APS) Peshawar massacre but failed. The brave soldiers of Pakistan have foiled their nefarious plans, eliminating all five assailants and saving countless lives of the students and teachers at Cadet College Wana on Monday.
Although the memory of the APS tragedy still haunts the nation, the Wana attack serves as another grim reminder of the fragility of peace in merged tribal districts when terrorism fanned by Indian proxies festers under the pretext of social, economic, and ideological grievances.
Security experts have underscored the complex intersection of social division, economic disparity, and ideological manipulation that allows terrorism to breed. They emphasized that while poverty and unemployment are global issues, the exploitation of these vulnerabilities by extremist elements in countries with lower literacy and awareness levels poses a significant challenge.
Dr. Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, former IGP and Home Secretary, observed that educated youth embody both hope and resistance to terrorists’ dark ambitions. “That is why educational institutions like we saw APS Peshawar in 2014 and now Wana Cadet College are attacked repeatedly because terrorists fear knowledgeable youth is a big hurdle,” he said. “Our enemies systematically target the illiterate and less educated youth, exploiting them in the name of religion and money through a calculated nefarious strategy.”
He pointed to poor governance structure in Afghanistan and involvement of Indian proxies using outlawed terror groups such as Fitnaul Khwaraj alias TTP and Fitnaul Hindustan alias BLA to destabilize Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
“The rapid progress under CPEC in Balochistan has alarmed hostile forces, who now use terrorism as a tool to derail Pakistan’s development,” he reiterated, urging Afghanistan to fulfill its commitments under the Doha Agreement by taking decisive action against banned TTP, BLA and other terror groups operating from its soil.
Dr. Muhammad Jamil, Director of Regional Studies at the University of Peshawar, stressed that discontent among marginalized communities provides fertile ground for extremist ideologies and such narratives undermine peace and economic development. “Social cohesion and equal opportunities are not just democratic ideals but essential tools in the fight against terrorism,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of positive youth engagement through sports, education and vocational educational training, he added that lack of development and sports facilities in remote and tribal areas of KP largely contributes to radicalization. Revival of traditional cultural institutions such as hujra, cinema, and local sports is vital to defeating extremism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Dr. Jamil Khan emphasized the need for community-based efforts including holding seminars, awareness campaigns, and educational reforms to counter extremist propaganda and rebuild public trust at grassroots level. “The role of civil society, educators, parliamentarians, and religious leaders is crucial in promoting a culture of peace, harmony and coexistence,” he said.
PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Sahibzada Hamza Khan recalled the significant measures taken after the 2014 APS tragedy under the government of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. “From the formulation of the landmark National Action Plan (NAP) to the establishment of NACTA and special anti-terrorism courts, the state took decisive action to cripple terror networks, resulting in peace in KP and Balochistan,” he reiterated.
He added that the PML-N government prioritized youth empowerment through initiatives like laptop distribution, scholarships, and soft loans, helping insulate young minds from extremist influences and bringing them under the education net.
Experts unanimously believed that eradicating terrorism and extremism requires a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy in which all stakeholders play their due role. “Defeating terrorism is not merely a security operation rather it demands complete societal transformation rooted in education, economic justice, continuity of security policies and national unity,” they observed.
They further stressed that educational reforms introducing a unified curriculum promoting tolerance, critical thinking, and national identity are essential. A balanced “carrot and stick” approach is needed; those entrenched in violence must face justice, while those willing to reform should be reintegrated into society.
Ultimately, experts said that a proactive, inclusive, and united front against terrorism remains the only effective path forward. “Terrorism thrives in divided societies but it dies in united ones,” they concluded.
