Protesting terror: Swat Valley has had enough

The people of Swat have already witnessed enough bloodshed. The people of Swat were displaced. Peace returned in 2009. In the blink of an eye, the situation turned into chaos where despite the presence of a large number of security forces, the Taliban entered, resettled, and sabotaged peace in the region.

Earlier this month, one man was killed while two students were injured when unidentified militants opened fire on a school van in Charbagh tehsil. This incident of violence gripped the valley, prompting citizens to take to the streets against the rising tide of insurgency. The incident brought back memories of the attack on the then-school girl Malala Yousafzai, on October 9, 2012, who survived a gun attack by Taliban gunmen nearly a decade ago. Though militants had been behind the attack on the Nobel Prize winner, the authorities are tight-lipped about the latest incident, while no group has claimed responsibility yet.

The outfit known as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is gaining ground across Swat Valley once again. The people of Swat and other areas of KP must be commended for courageously demanding their right to live in peace. They have witnessed firsthand the bloody rule of the militants, and the associated pain of conflict and dislocation. No one can say for certain how and why TTP members have now resurfaced in Swat as well as several other adjoining tribal districts. This is the main reason for the unease among the people of Swat and is sure to give many a sleepless night to officials, both in the civilian setup as well as the military. And what have the latter done to allay the fears of the people? Not much, unfortunately.

The return of TTP militants to their respective areas is part of the TTP-government negotiations being held in Kabul, Afghanistan, but no agreement has been reached to this effect. It, therefore, remains unclear who, if anyone for that matter, allowed the militants to return before a formal deal had been reached. It would not be wrong if we say the ghosts of the past are coming back to haunt the residents of Swat Valley. The valley has seen enough bloodshed, we hope and pray peace prevails in the region.

Pakistan has lost 80,000 lives in the war on terror. We fought bravely to get rid of terrorism on our soil. The return of terrorism is a bad omen for peace in the country and the region.