THE cowardly attack on Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old child, is a part of the unending violence that our society continues to bear and sustain at the hands of religious extremists.

They are extremely upset and frustrated because their creators and mentors are no more willing to support and finance them. Unfortunately, this change of heart on the part of our military and intelligence setup only encourages and persuades militants to indulge in the type of ‘Islamic vigilantism’ that we witnessed in the form of the attack on Malala Yousafzai.

Since the state is the very source that taught these Islamists the lessons of jihad, it should shed little or no tears when religious extremists have turned their guns on the state or anyone that chooses to disagree with the militants’ form of government or religion.

For all those who are filled with anger and want the perpetrators of this heinous crime to be brought to justice I ask a very simple question: who allowed Islamic extremism to creep in our society? Who sponsored Islamic militancy and who gave state patronage to jihadists to fight ‘our secret wars’?

Who partnered the CIA using its dollars and weapons to conduct the biggest covert operations ever in this part of the world? Who again rehabilitated Islamic extremism by asking the jihadists to occupy the Kargil Heights and brought upon us the shame of the failed Kargil Operation?

And, most importantly, whose military coup retained and brought to power the mindset of the senior military officers who instead of being held accountable for their military failures were put in the positions of authority?

It was the same leadership which despite retaining absolute power in one state institution failed to amend the blasphemy law in May 2002 and surrendered to pressures from the extremists. The hands that today hold the weapons that fire at innocent girls like Malala are the same hands that were employed by the state to fight our secret wars.

This enabled the military to create the new ‘ideological frontier’ of which the death TTP’s death squads are an essential part.

The guardians of our territorial frontiers were once the creators and guardians of this ideological frontier that has recruited, armed and trained the perverted minds that indulge in violent acts like the one that severely injured Malala.

Who will hold the state accountable for the state patronage that was given to the jihadists in the past? Will those who ran the affairs of the state or the autonomous and powerful institutions within the state be ever considered responsible criminals for state crimes?

Utilising power without responsibility military dictators used the intelligence agency to create this ‘ideological frontier’ that sponsors the cowards that fired the shots at Malala. We will not be able to defeat the mindset that harbours and flourishes in the ‘ideological frontier’ by only conducting military operations against its believers; we can do this by bringing to justice all those who have in the past played a role in its creation.

M. ALI EHSAN     Karachi

Pride of the nation I CONDEMN the attack on Malala Yousafzai, the pride of the nation. These attacks cannot stop our country from producing heroes, norcan they slow down anyone working for a noble cause. I still remember the serene and rejuvenating environment of Swat when my parents used to take me for my vacation.

The place witnessed scenes of violence during the last few years. They seemed to have returned to somewhat normal because of massive operations by our ‘army’ since my last visit a month ago. I pray to God for Malala’s quick recovery.

ATIF HAFEEZ AWAN Islamabad