Pakistan changing into another Afghanistan?

The massacre of hundreds of innocent school children at a military school in Pakistan by the Taliban militants on Tuesday had shocked the entire world.

The militants had directly opened fire at the children, all under the age of 15 and the teachers causing the death of 141 people after entering the Army Public school in Peshawar. The Pakistani Taliban headed by Maulana Fazlullah, immediately claimed responsibility for the brutal attack saying that it was a revenge for the Pakistan government’s Zarb-e-Azb, a joint military offensive for eliminating the various militant groups including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in the North Waziristan. The spokesman Muhammad Umar Khorasani had also warned of more similar attacks in future and justified it as retaliatory attack for targeting their families through the operations. The US intelligence agency warns of more such attacks from the Taliban. The Pakistan government lifted an unofficial six year moratorium on death penalty following the incident and carried out the execution of six terror convicts on Sunday. Reportedly, 152 terrorists have been executed so far. Around 900 schools have been attacked in Pakhtunkhwa, the capital of Peshawar, during the last five years.

US has announced a 100 crore financial assistance to Pakistan following the Peshawar attacks. Pakistan had received more financial help from the US coming up to 28 billion dollars during the last 12 years in the name of wiping away terrorism from the country. America has backed the country in targeting several Al Qaida leaders and other dangerous terrorists in the hit list who posed a threat to its safety and security through many counter operations including the drone attacks. Osama Bin Laden, the most wanted terrorist in the FBI list was killed during one such operation which had Obama in the forefront. Pakistan, in return for the millions of dollars has always backed America in its military offensives against Afghanistan often serving as a hideout for terrorists and a storage site for arms and ammunitions. The country apparently supports terrorism and terrorists with the aid of the US and condoles the death of the victims at the same time. Even though US had declared a bounty of $ one crore on head of Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attack, he is let loose and free in Pakistan without any trouble and often seen on TV channels. The hike in the number of terrorist groups and the attacks against the places of worship and educational institutions targeting innocent civilians are a plain evidence of the futile attempts of the US and its allies in curbing terrorism.

The Pakistan government through their alleged backing of the terrorist groups encourages terrorism which has gripped the country as a whole. It has become a major hideout of terrorists now. With the withdrawal of NATO from Pakistan, the country is compelled to counter the threat on its own. This is practically not getting done due to the poor economic conditions as a result of which Pakistan is seeking international attention for assistance by citing the ‘war against humanity’ in Peshawar and other similar episodes. The country is surely in shambles not knowing how to proceed. With terrorism inflicted, the government fretting over the future moves, the military operations that have been going on for the last six months and the counter attacks from the terrorist groups slaughtering civilians together with the external powers taking advantage of the situation, are all likely to transform Pakistan into another Afghanistan.