Swat is again making headlines as the new wave of lawlessness and the intrusion of militants in the restive Swat district is being reported from the city. The killing of a school van driver in an ambush, which also injured a number of students on board, in Gulibagh area of Charbagh tehsil, led to a standoff, and people poured out to protest in an unprecedented numbers.
The National Security Committee (NSC) also took stock of the security situation in the country after terrorists attacked a school van in Swat. The NSC met at the Prime Minister’s Office under the chairmanship of PM Shehbaz Sharif, with federal ministers, lawmakers, services chiefs, and heads of intelligence agencies in attendance.
The statement of Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also shows the severity of the issue. The minister said the recent talks with outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have borne no concrete outcomes. Addressing a Conference in Islamabad, he said the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is under control and will be tackled amicably in case of any untoward situation and that the armed forces are fully capable to contain any threat to national security.
The backlash against militants is, in fact, uniting the body politic. It is a good omen, and it is great to see that even political elements who were, otherwise, shunned for their radical inclinations are rallying for a peaceful society, and their commitment to stand up against militancy and any kind of upheaval is appreciated.
The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, Swat Olasi Pasoon, Awami National Party and the Jamaat-i-Islami, apart from the ruling Tehreek-e-Insaaf, are on the same page in demanding a serene order for the collective betterment of the province and country. They must now ask what forces of inertia are clandestinely supporting the disgruntled elements to stage a comeback, and why? The public representatives should huddle together to stitch an equation of consensus and find the way forward to resist the death trap.
