When will terrorism be eliminated?

Islamabad
One year has passed since we lost her. Fiza Malik, 24, was one of the eleven persons who were killed one year ago in the heart of the capital city during kutchery (district courts) gun shooting and suicide attack on March 3, 2014. Fiza Malik was termed ‘face of tragedy’ on social media. A law graduate from London School of Law (UK), Fiza chose to return to Pakistan to practise law. She had started her practice as an intern just two months before the tragic day when she was shot dead in the terrorist attack.
It was Fiza Malik’s third day of work and she was in the courtroom right next to the entrance from where the attackers barged in. They sprayed bullets indiscriminately and Fiza was the first victim of the senseless killing.
Sharing memories of Fiza, Amira Batool, a lawyer and colleague of the deceased, said, “Fiza was high spirited and excited about her career. Starting practice in Pakistan was her dream and she aspired to become a torchbearer in the darkness of cruelty and injustice. Fiza was very eager about her higher education in law but that could not be.”
The court attack was one of the deadliest attacks in the federal capital since 2008 when Marriott Hotel was attacked that had left 40 people dead. The horrendous attacks one after the other made it clear that Islamabad was no more a safe city. As usual tall claims were made to bring the terrorists to book but nothing has come out so far.
Following the attack, the image of young Fiza Malik spread fast on social media that made her ‘face of tragedy’. Everyone from all segments of society expressed sorrow and grief over the tragic death of a young and energetic lawyer. Condolence messages were sent at prime time on media but later everyone forgot about the tragedy and tragic death itself.
Investigations into court attack were carried out in mysterious circumstances. Preliminary police report created confusion about the death of sessions judge Awan and it was assumed that he was shot dead with a bullet of his own security guard instead of one from the assailants.
According to investigations, the attackers came from North Waziristan and stayed at a seminary of the federal capital. However the identity of the individuals who were guiding and protecting the terrorists from the federal capital were never disclosed. This flaw, as in many other cases, resulted in another tragedy. This time the terrorists targeted Islamabad Sabzi Mandi that also resulted in scores of casualties raising fingers on the performance of Islamabad police and law enforcement agencies.
They say tragedies get us united. Similar is the case with the Peshawar disaster of 16th December last year Peshawar massacre in which almost 145 children were shot dead in one of the most horrendous attacks conceivable. This tragedy brought all political, social, religious as well as armed forces on the same page and determination was expressed to eliminate terrorism and the perpetrators. The spirited National Action Plan (NAP) that was launched with unprecedented gusto should have shown at least some positive results by now, but even after about two months the terrorists are still targeting different places and their back has not been broken. Sectarian violence is on the increase and there is another new element that incidents of target killings have multiplied which is very unfortunate.
For how long the blood of innocent people and victims like Fiza Malik and students of Army Public School, Peshawar, will be shed? Why did the powers that be keep their eyes shut to such brutal incidents? How long will these tragic deaths be tolerated? Why can’t the government and law enforcement agencies implement their mechanism having all sorts of resources and manpower? How long these tragedies will continue to occur? The innocent blood of Fiza Malik and other such victims is asking the high-ups sitting on key positions in this country: Why is the government incapable of eliminating these terrorist organisations and perpetrators of terrorism said to be operating from our own society, from within ourselves?
Until and unless the networks of the supporters and facilitators of terrorist are rooted out, it is very difficult to quell terrorism. Therefore the government and law enforcement agencies should of course punish the perpetrators, but they must open their eyes and look around and within to find the facilitators and sympathisers of the terrorists. Such elements have to be dealt with an iron hand, as they deserve no mercy at all.