Pakistan

The News International, Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Closing of educational institutions all over Pakistan may be a wise step if it's a temporary move for a few days. These few days should be utilized by the administrations to review the security measures and bring them up to the mark. Having done that, the institutions must open. We, as a nation, should not adopt a passive and reactive approach to deal with the terrorists. We must face them fare and square. There is a need to educate all Pakistanis to keep their eyes and ears open and report any untoward activities to the law enforcing agencies. I don't see any public information publicity campaigns by the government. I would go even a step further. Government should organize public awareness sessions with the masses or their elders at the village/mohallah level to educate the masses. Families, shopkeepers, workers in restaurants, hotels, offices, factories and all other sections of the society need to be educated to observe untoward activities and report. Terrorists are living amongst us. Unless all of us unite to identify them before hand, we will continue to be reactive and passive. We need to follow a proactive approach. But for the media, not a single leader has taken the trouble of mobilizing the masses. Who else is going to do this job?