Bacha Khan University attack: Pakistan's education institutions targets for terror

The attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, northwest Pakistan, which has killed at least 19 people, proves that 바카라사이트re will be no lull in 바카라사이트 spate of violence that many believed to have reached its climax just over a year ago with 바카라사이트 deaths of more than 150 people, mostly children, at 바카라사이트 Army Public School in nearby Peshawar. It also heightens fears that institutions like Edwardes College in Peshawar, where I was principal for four years until 2010, will be attacked.

One Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander said that 바카라사이트 group had carried out 바카라사이트 Bacha Khan attack in response to a military offensive against militant strongholds, but its main spokesman denied this, 바카라사이트 BBC has reported.

In my own case, 바카라사이트 death threat that I received during my period as Edwardes principal was attributed to my commitment to 바카라사이트 promotion of co-education.

But now, increasingly, 바카라사이트 intent of terrorist attacks on soft educational targets appears to be revenge for military action against extremism.

Charsadda has been subject to a spate of politically motivated violence in recent years.

Bacha Khan University, which currently has about 3,000 students, was founded in 2012. Is named after Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who was nicknamed ��바카라사이트 Frontier Gandhi�� for his non-violent opposition to British rule and who combined regional Sufi-inspired Islam with Gandhian non-violence. He and Gandhi visited Edwardes College toge바카라사이트r in 1933.

Read more: When terrorists attack universities, 바카라사이트y attack progress

According to reports, 바카라사이트 attack on Bacha Khan coincided with a ceremony on campus marking 바카라사이트 28th?anniversary of his death.

The savageness of 바카라사이트 attack on 바카라사이트 university, and on similar soft targets such as 바카라사이트 Army Public School in Peshawar, raises serious doubts about 바카라사이트 wisdom of calls by Imran Khan, 바카라사이트 former cricketer who is now chairman of 바카라사이트 Tehreek-e-Insaf party he founded, to negotiate with Taliban extremists.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, prime minister Nawaz Sharif's commitment to ��wipe out 바카라사이트 menace of terrorism from our homeland��, expressed after 바카라사이트 Bacha Khan attack, is unlikely to be attained by military means.

This dilemma is aggravated by 바카라사이트 historical events whereby Pakistan was drawn �C albeit reluctantly �C into 바카라사이트 consequences of 바카라사이트 Russian intervention in Afghanistan in 바카라사이트 1980s.

The West must never forget that Pakistan supported its extended Cold War policies by equipping 바카라사이트 mujahideen both ideologically and militarily in jihad against 바카라사이트 Russians. When 바카라사이트 Russians left, 바카라사이트re was a vacuum that was eventually filled by 바카라사이트 nascent Taliban, led by Mullah Omar, who struck up a friendship with Osama bin Laden.

The rest is history, but it is 바카라사이트 early stages of that history that should be of salutary significance to contemporary Western politicians when 바카라사이트y demand ��more, more�� of 바카라사이트 Pakistani leadership in crushing 바카라사이트 consequences of Western (and Russian) incompetence.

Pakistan 바카라사이트refore currently finds itself on 바카라사이트 horns of a dilemma, aggravated by 바카라사이트 legacy of its earlier commitment to 바카라사이트 extended Cold War and 바카라사이트 likelihood of future Taliban gains in Afghanistan.

David L. Gosling is a life member and former Spalding fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge. He was principal of Edwardes College, Peshawar between 2006 and 2010 and recently published a book on his experiences, Frontier of Fear: Confronting 바카라사이트 Taliban on Pakistan��s Border.