Attack on Malala raises serious questions

Two other injured girls, Kainat and Shazia, who were sitting next to Malala Yousuf Zai in the school van told the media that the gunmen first asked who was Malala and then they opened fire on her. This means that the shooters did not know Malala and the task to kill Malala was given by someone. According to American Free Press (AFP), just after the shooting on Malala a spokesperson of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ehsanullah Ehasan, called AFP reporter and claimed the responsibility. Through AFP the news spread in the Pakistani media and around the world. According to AFP, Ehsanullah told the reporter that they wanted to kill Malala because she was pro-West speaking against the Taliban and calling President Obama her idol. Later, the representative of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Sirajuddin Ahmed, declared that they will attack Malala to kill if she survived this time. Within couple of hours, Washington’s spokesperson appeared in the media, condemned the attack on Malala and reaffirmed that US mission to fight against Taliban will continue in the region.

Bear in mind that United States has been forcing Pakistan to do more against Taliban in Waziristan for some time now. Pakistani national parliament had passed joint resolution against drone attacks; the ruling and opposition parties, civil society and everyone in Pakistan is against the drone attacks and demanding US to stop the illegal attacks inside Pakistan. Yet US is continuing its drone attacks in the Pakistani territory. However, in recent development drone attacks are now being condemned by the international community. Many international survey and media polls being conducted showing that the US drone attacks are getting growing opposition from the international community and also the international human rights organisations are planning to proceed to the international court against US in order to declare drone attacks as an illegal act.

Now after the nation-wide condemnation the attack on Malala in Pakistan, in her latest statement, Victoria Nuland the US state department spokesperson, said that the popular opinion against Taliban in cities and towns of Pakistan will help their government to go after Taliban. This also reflects that the drone attacks in Waziristan will continue. After the attack on Malala and immediately taking the responsibility of attack by Taliban, United States will have a big justification to continue the drone attack in name of targeting Taliban inside Pakistani territory. United States seems to be clear beneficiary of getting grounds to continue its attacks using drones inside Pakistan.

Malala’s diary, life under the Taliban, which she wrote for BBC, inspired the people internationally and created a thought provoking movement against Taliban and their appalling activities in the northern areas of Pakistan. That is why, she was added in the hit list by Taliban in 2011 but fearless Malala continued her campaign for the education of girls in her area. Malala’s mission also is inspiring Pakistani youth in every city and town. Malala’s brave parents decided not to leave their hometown despite of the fact that they were on Taliban’s target.

Therefore, everyone knew in Pakistan that Malala Yousuf Zai could come under Taliban’s potential threat except perhaps the Pakistani government. It doesn't make sense that one side, the present government of Pakistan awarded ‘National Peace Prize’ to Malala Yousuf Zai on her courageous fight against the most dangerous elements of Taliban in the area and on the other hand the Pakistani law enforcement agencies did not provide any security to Malala Yousuf Zai. Was it the responsibility of 14 years old Malala to acknowledge and ask the government to provide her security or was it a duty of the responsible agencies and their high-profile officers sitting in air conditioned offices and travelling in bulletproof vehicle to provide security to Malala Yousuf Zai. The Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, the Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Pakistani, the Interior Minister, Mr. Rehman Malik, all are now condemning the shooting on Malala and asserting to arrest the culprits but how come they were ignorant about the critical situation of the vicinities where Malala Yousuf Zai was living? How come Mr. Malik and his ministry did not realise that Taliban who already declared Malala on their hit list could attack Malala at anytime. What is the point of making claims now except to divert the attention of the people and gain some support to their failing government.

It’s not only Malala Yousufzai, many girls like Malala are being kidnapped, raped and killed by criminals. Look what is happening in Karachi every single day, on average one dozen people either killed or injured by shooters. Even now the news of these killings is become a part of routine bulletins.

In the last four years or so, Pakistan law enforcement and security agencies failed to capture and punish a single terrorist. On the other hand the speeches, claims, condemnations and promises of political leaders are sky touching and people are under false pretenses by these tactics of crook politicians.

The fact of the matter is that regardless of who these killers are and their targets but one reality remains same that in the country of 180 million people these killers are free to kill anyone and the innocent citizens are unsafe and can be killed by any killer anywhere.
From top to bottom, from local to federal government, and from the President to a local parliamentarian now showing sympathies and compassion with Malala and asking for national solidarity and unity with Malala in order not to miss the opportunity to be in the media headlines. Where were these government officials when innocent Malala was travelling with others girls without any protection in the most dangerous streets of Swat Valley?

In any civilized society, the officials sitting on high profile seats resign without wasting time when they find themselves failing to provide safety to their citizens in result of any bloody incident. In Pakistan, from the President, Prime Ministers to the Ministers are master of lip service and cashing their appearance in the media. It is shame that they are now very active and ready to provide every kind of medical facility, resources and protection to save her life from falling conditions, they are visiting hospital, presenting bouquets to Malala’s parents and making news items but no one yet accepted the responsibility of having failed to provide Malala safety and should resign from their position.
It is the government responsibility to provide the security to every citizen of the country, especially, to those who are already in the limelight and putting their lives at risk for the country and nation. Malala is now fighting for her life and she is in critical condition in a hospital. 180 million ordinary people of Pakistan praying for her life, therefore, Malala doesn’t need sweet and kind words from immoral, incompetent, hopeless and conscious-less so called leaders of Pakistan, instead, there are millions of other girls like Malala who expect their safety and security to be discharged by the high profile officials who are enjoying lavish life on tax-payers money.

The attack on Malala has not only saddened the entire Pakistani nation but shocked the international community. There is no dispute in opinion-makers that attack on Malala was the most inhuman act of terrorism except those who claimed the responsibility of this crime.

In the last couple of years, Osama's end game was plotted in Pakistan; Raymond Davis was freed through a strange overnight court settlement, Navy base, Mehran, was attacked by the terrorists in the heart of Karachi and so on, one after the other the people of Pakistan swallowed all of these and let these rulers continue to rule them on the name of establishing democracy. The democracy can only be retained if the country survives.

The history of Pakistan shows that people of Pakistan are ignorant of what has been happening with the country. That is why time and again we see the same faces or the faces of their next generation making false promises to change the country and the people put votes in their baskets. Pakistan cannot survive if its nation is continue to be ignorant and let the looters and shooters take the lives of innocent people and ruin the country. It is now the time for the people of Pakistan to open their eyes, analyse and think who Taliban are, most importantly who are constantly supplying them the modern dangerous weapons? How come they are spreading from Peshawar to Karachi, kidnapping people asking for ransom anywhere at any time? How come the law enforcement agencies have failed to eliminate the criminals operating freely, kidnapping and murdering people in the largest commercial city of Karachi and no one has been arrested and punished?

Malala is only one young girl who has received national and international coverage about what happened to her but there are millions of boys and girls in 180 million population of Pakistan who are now on the mercy of terrorists who can launch any attack anywhere at any time in city or town of Pakistan.

Incidents of kidnapping, rape and murders are happening everywhere, the entire Pakistan is under the wave of terrorism and destruction and law enforcement agencies have failed and cannot stop them. Now it is duty of all Pakistanis to stand-up and ask those who they vote for, who they politically associate with and who they believe their leaders are that how long Pakistan can afford this destruction. What else are the people of Pakistan waiting to see and will they then will stand up for a big change?

Syed Atiq ul Hassan is a Sydney-based journalist and a media analyst, his homepage is www.sahassan.com.

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