Once again, reports have emerged of the Fitna al-Khawarij (the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) striking at the future of our nation; particularly the bright minds of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and, as has become routine, the Gandapur administration appears not just absent from the scene, but completely unaware and disengaged.
This time, sources say that terrorists belonging to the Fitna al-Khawarij (TTP), in pursuit of their anti-education agenda, forcibly halted all educational activities at Khan Zaman High School in Noorri, Miryan Tehsil of Bannu. Armed militants reportedly stormed the school, threatening students, teachers, and staff at gunpoint and compelling them to shut down the school.
“Seeing the Khawarij with weapons terrified not just the students but also the school staff,” one local told us. “And why wouldn’t they be afraid? The enemies of the pen arrived fully armed, while the supposed protectors of the pen failed to show up on time, if at all.”
Unfortunately, this is not the first time terrorists have challenged education with the barrel of a gun. The Khawarij have long opposed both religious and secular education, particularly modern sciences. Their extremism is rooted in the fact that true knowledge, whether religious teachings or scientific principles, directly contradicts their regressive ideology. What’s more, they know that when the light of knowledge spreads, their hideous, twisted faces can no longer remain hidden.
This is precisely why we’ve seen them repeatedly shutting down schools in Waziristan, issuing direct and violent threats to local teachers. One such chilling threat, aimed at deterring external educators, was as follows:
“If an outsider dares to teach here, we’ll treat them in a way no human being can endure. And if any local teacher dares disobey us, we won’t spare their homes either. Our drones will strike there.”
Such threats were so terrifying that some local teachers ended up resigning from their jobs altogether, saying:
“We’ve received threats before, but this time it’s different. These militants are locals, they know us. And now they’re talking about drone strikes.”
Despite the fear and pressure, the presence of security forces and the unconditional support of the local tribesmen meant that schools in those areas remained open.
The incident mentioned above occurred in May this year. The very next month, in June, Khawarij resumed their campaign against education, trying to destroy the futures of innocent children across the merged districts.
On June 6, in Tank’s Gul Imam area, terrorists carried out an IED attack on the only high school in the area, Government High School Akbari. Thankfully, no lives were lost in the explosion, but the school building was reduced to rubble.
Just 14 days later, on June 20, reports emerged from Makeen Tehsil in South Waziristan, where terrorists used drones to target a primary school. A child was martyred, and five others were injured. The motive was clear — to spread fear, pressure parents into withdrawing their children from schools, and to push the region further into darkness and backwardness.
Sometimes, these terrorists attempt to achieve two malicious goals with one act. On July 11, in Bakka Khel, Bannu, they completely destroyed a girls’ primary school using explosives. According to the contractor who built the school, the destruction was so total that the project had to start from scratch, repairs were not even an option.
That contractor also revealed that the school was targeted because the terrorists had demanded extortion money, and he had refused to pay.
The following month, on August 10, terrorists attacked and completely destroyed another school; Government High School Qarabagh in Azam Warsak, South Waziristan Lower. Sources at the time reported that the day before the attack, the terrorists had warned students not to attend classes, or face serious consequences.
In one of the most recent incidents, terrorists of the Fitna struck again, this time in Wanda Zahid Gul, Lakki Marwat. They attempted to blow up Government Primary School Malakhel with an IED. Fortunately, no lives were lost, and the school building suffered only partial damage.
Final Word:
From Tank to Waziristan, Bannu to Lakki Marwat, the goal of these terrorists remains the same: Keep the youth uneducated, keep the region unstable, and keep the darkness alive.
But history has shown that even the fiercest enemies of knowledge cannot extinguish the flame of learning, especially when protected by the resilience of our people and the resolve of our educators.
