Pakistan mourns the death of two heroes of the struggle against Islamic extremism
Islamabad ( AsiaNews / Agencies)
- Pakistani civil society and activists are honoring the memory of two
different personalities who have sacrificed their lives in the common struggle
against the Islamic extremism that has bloodied the country for years . Yesterday
Chaudhry Aslam , head of the local anti-terrorism , law enforcement officer
longtime and well-known face in the battle against the Taliban, was killed in
an attack in Karachi. Meanwhile,
mourning continues for the young student who , on January 6 , sacrificed
himself to defend his school in Hangu , a town in the province of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa , from a suicide bomber.
Two
other people were killed in the attack against the super- cop in Karachi. Chaudhry
Aslam was aboard a police convoy, near the area of Essa Nagri when a half-load
of explosives was detonated. The
explosion devastated many cars and several buildings in the area. In
the past he had been the subject of attacks, which, however, he had always
managed to escape .
The
Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack , pointing out that they
had killed the policeman because in the past he had " murdered , tortured
and injured " members of the extremist militias . Moreover
Aslam had often preferred to use brute force in his war against the militants, killing
combatants on the spot rather than arrest them and bring them in front of a
judge.
Meanwhile,
tributes continue to arrive and celebrations are still ongoing in memory of
Aitzaz Hasan, the 15-year old student who sacrificed his life to prevent a
suicide bomber attacking his school causing a massacre among students. On
6 January, the boy was outside the building when he saw a man wearing a vest
laden with explosives. Despite
the appeal of his friends , he faced the bomber who - to avoid being caught - activated
the detonator.
Nasir
Khan Durrani , chief of police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has called for the highest
civilian honor to be bestowed on this young man posthumously for his heroic
gesture of " valor and courage", that has saved the life " of
hundreds of innocent students ." Even
on social networks posts of sympathy and condolences are multiplying and in the
past few hours he has become a true national hero. The
attack took place in the Shiite enclave in a nation where the vast majority of
the inhabitants profess Sunni Islam and recorded in recent years a gradual
Islamization , with attacks targeted towards individuals and communities
belonging to minorities.
In
the past, the Taliban and Pakistani extremists have targeted schools and
educational institutions - particularly women - in the country , considering
education as a taboo . In
contrast , activists and members of civil society have emphasized the
educational challenge ( to
which AsiaNews has dedicated a special dossier in the past) , as one of the
key factors to promote the rebirth of the nation.
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02/02/2023 19:52
