Give Them!

Even though we have become increasingly immune to the terror that regularly unfolds in our midst, there is no getting away from the fact that we have failed to control the militant threat. Each month, indeed almost each week, it brings a new litany of deaths. The names of the victims figure briefly in print and then vanish into oblivion. Thousands have now died in such attacks. In most cases we hear little news of the fate of their families. The 'compensation' promised after such attacks, for what it means, is not always paid.
The suicide blast at the Pir Bala check post in the suburbs of Peshawar on Wednesday fits a pattern that has persisted for years. Four policemen manning the post died as an explosives-laden vehicle was rammed into it and six others were injured. As representatives of the state's security apparatus the police have indeed borne the brunt of recent attacks. Under-equipped and under-trained, they are virtually unable to defend themselves. This of course is one reason why the force is so often targeted by killers eager to notch up as many deaths as they can muster. We must find ways to alter the situation. Crucial to this is a re-training of the police. The methods they follow now are antiquated. They offer no protection at all in an environment that has changed beyond recognition and in which they are constantly stalked by well-armed and highly motivated killers. If necessary, experts from overseas should be called in. So too should army trainers. It is cruel to expose young men to such danger without offering them some means to save themselves. They must be given better equipment and know-how that would allow them to take on the militants on a more even footing.