Will "go down fighting" if the Taliban attack our schools

[Devil Soul]

Mohammed Iqbal says he will "go down fighting" if the Taliban attack his school
Following last month's Taliban school massacre, Pakistan is allowing teachers to carry weapons. The BBC's Shahzeb Jillani visits a school in Peshawar where staff are now serving as armed guards.

On a cloudy morning in January, Mohammed Iqbal is conducting a rare physical fitness class inside the courtyard of Government Higher Secondary School Number 1. The sprawling campus of the all-boys school is one of the biggest and oldest government institutions in Peshawar.

The school has a large playground for sports activities. But it's not been much in use since the Taliban massacre at the nearby Army Public School, which killed about 150 people, mostly children.

Until that atrocity, Mr Iqbal's main job was to plan sports activities for his pupils. He now doubles as the school's chief security officer, with a gun tucked under his long shirt.

"It's my personal gun which I have started carrying with me to school," he says as he pulls out a 9mm Beretta pistol.

Government Higher Secondary School Number 1 is now protected by substantial firepower

Some of the school's staff have been redeployed to guard its entrance
The school has recently acquired weapons and armed some of its staff. One of them now serves as a sniper on the rooftop. Others have been redeployed to guard the school entrance.

"A number of teachers were killed in the Army School attack. I want to make sure that if that ever happens here, we go down fighting," he says.

Does he find it hard to carry a gun as a teacher?

"We want to deliver knowledge, not weaponise our young people. But circumstances have compelled us to do this for our own safety," he says.

That's because the management accepts that police simply cannot protect tens of thousands of schools across the province. And unlike the elite private establishments, government-run schools lack funds to hire armed security guards. They often have no option but to make their own security arrangements.

'Security is not our job'
The 16 December school massacre sent shockwaves through the country and beyond. Schools across Pakistan were subsequently closed. When they reopened after an extended winter break of nearly a month, anxious parents debated whether or not to send their children back.

The plan has sparked intense debate around Pakistan about how children can be protected
The authorities called for a series of new measures to enhance security. These included: raising boundary walls, topping them with barbed wire, installing CCTV cameras and setting up security gates.

More controversially, the government said it would allow teachers to carry weapons by issuing arms licences.

"The idea is to enable them to engage the attackers until help arrives," provincial information minister Mushtaq Ghani said at the time.

Since then, criticism of the proposal has grown. "Our job is teaching, not carrying a gun," says Malik Khalid Khan, a head teacher and president of the teachers' union in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. "We are not prepared to become security guards."

Paradigm shift?
Last week, the provincial government was forced to backpedal on some of its earlier announcements.

"We are not ordering teachers to carry arms," Atif Khan, provincial education minister, told the BBC. "What we have discussed is that the government would allow licensed guns if teachers and parents asked for it."

About 150 people were killed in the attack and many more injured

Parents of the killed children hold regular memorials and protests
Officials point out that having a gun or carrying it is not a big deal in north-west Pakistan as it is considered a part of Pashtun tribal culture. Others believe promoting a gun culture in schools is not the way to fight violence and militancy.

For that to happen, many in Pakistan believe the powerful military will have to take on Islamist militants of all shades - whether they are Taliban targeting Pakistanis or jihadists focused on India and Afghanistan.

But that requires a massive paradigm shift in Pakistan's national security perceptions. Some believe that after the Peshawar school massacre, that belated change in thinking is already happening. Others well versed in Pakistan's complicated military-militant nexus are still not so sure.

BBC News - Peshawar massacre: Pakistan replies with 'weaponised' teaching

 

[WAJsal]

Teachers should at least be given basic training,or drills maybe.

 

[ayesha.a]

It is disturbing and scary that schoolteachers are now expected to carry guns, and that schools have snipers. But then that is the whole point of terrorist attacks - to make the population feel scared and vulnerable. Regretfully, I have to say that the TTP terrorists succeeded in that.

 

[WAJsal]

It is disturbing and scary that schoolteachers are now expected to carry guns, and that schools have snipers. But then that is the whole point of terrorist attacks - to make the population feel scared and vulnerable. Regretfully, I have to say that the TTP terrorists succeeded in that.

Unfortunately.

 

[Musafir117]

It is disturbing and scary that schoolteachers are now expected to carry guns, and that schools have snipers. But then that is the whole point of terrorist attacks - to make the population feel scared and vulnerable. Regretfully, I have to say that the TTP terrorists succeeded in that.

Sad but true but other hand it's also a caution to coward rates that next time you are not freely play your devil game, all measure should be taken to protect our future. Allah na kare but I'm worrying about hospitals security coz that's the only one of few institute left to be target and easy to attack may Allah protect us all from devil's hands. Ameen

 

[Jazzbot]

KPK is different than other provinces because of Pukhtoon culture. These people are well familiar will weapons and their usage, since they are well used to with the guns since childhood.

Now if a couple of unarmed female teachers can stand up in front of TTP dogs in APS, and loudly say that I won't let you kill any of my student until I am alive. Then you can imagine what these brave armed teacher can do to TTP dogs.

"A number of teachers were killed in the Army School attack. I want to make sure that if that ever happens here, we go down fighting,"

Just make sure our kids won't be easy targets for TTPu$$ies again..

 

[senses]

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

[Porus]

He was hired to give children a good education and make them better citizens. He is neither a trained guard nor he was hired to do so. It is government's responsibility to provide security to the schools in KPK which became imperative in the wake of Peshawar school attack. Is there anything the kleptocratic oligarchy can do for the people of this country? Where is the Robespierre of Pakistan?

 

[VelocuR]

Governments official doesn't show up to support children on the way back to school except Army.

"The plan has sparked intense debate around Pakistan about how children can be protected
The authorities called for a series of new measures to enhance security. These included: raising boundary walls, topping them with barbed wire, installing CCTV cameras and setting up security gates."

Terrorists have successfully to cut barbed wire and climb on the walls, what the heck we still use same walls with barbed wire again? Doesn't change any security plans for all 2000+ public schools in Pakistan?

 

[Hyperion]

It's Peshawar, everyone is well trained. No additional training required, IMO.

I think it's a positive development, at least for KPK. If everyone is armed, insurgents will think twice.

Teachers should at least be given basic training,or drills maybe.

 

[WAJsal]

It's Peshawar, everyone is well trained. No additional training required, IMO.

I think it's a positive development, at least for KPK. If everyone is armed, insurgents will think twice.

It's stupid but necessary.

 

[Abingdonboy]

I think it's a positive development, at least for KPK. If everyone is armed, insurgents will think twice.

Sounds like the US's NRA tagline "the only thing to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun" and I think we have seen that the gun culture in the US is far from making their nation a safer place.

Sad, sad times when teachers are being used as guards. Respect to them but this is an unspeakable failure of their local and central police agencies.

 

[wadi79]

Sad to see such a turn of events, but frankly, can't think of too many other options. The problem, as someone pointed out, is that there are other softer targets to which these scumbags will move - and a government, no matter how efficient, can't be everywhere at all times.

Perhaps this is a bad idea, but would it be possible to create sanitized areas in these cities in disturbed areas where you can have schools, hospitals, markets and other such places where people can gather/go about their lives without fear. Create a perimeter, and check everything going in - as you would in an airport to ensure no weapons get inside. This might be easier than securing every building/facility individually.

I understand that this isn't a long term solution in any manner - just a thought that came up, given the terrible dilemma you guys seem to be facing.

 

[rockstar08]

we can make Army training necessary in All schools .. there must be two Entry and Exit gates in every school just in case of any Emergency ... and police stations must make sure they send patrol on every school once a day in their Areas ...

 

[anilindia]

That is not permanent solution. I don't think this happens in even afganistan.