The intense heat of the afternoon sun was making me restless and I couldn't help asking the kid why he didn’t go to school instead of selling things in the blazing heat? The child was puzzled for a second as if surprised by the hint of concern shown by another and then came a reply that saddened me to the depths of my soul. He told me his family had been hit by a drone in which his parents, along with a brother and a sister died, leaving him to an uncle and the harsh realities of this world all on his own. His uncle then moved to Bannu from Miranshah, in the hopes of avoiding the same fate as his brother. My eyes welled up and I’m pretty sure it wasn't because of the hot waft. A million questions flooded my mind about the fate of this child, asking me why were we so helpless about such incidents. Why do we have to succumb to such attacks? How many more are going to die as “collateral damage”? What is to become of this child and others like him? I offered him some money knowing that it was only a temporary relief in the long and bumpy road ahead of him.

The child departed, leaving my mind tormented with questions. I thought of Malala, the little girl from Swat shot because she raised her voice against militants stopping girls from going to schools. There is a Malala in every home in these areas infested by militancy, craving for progress, yearning for education but their dreams are shattered by these militants. These financially deprived victims of extremism are further victimised by the bombs dropped on them from the sky. I can’t even imagine having both the earth and the sky turn against me. So the question is, where are these innocent people supposed to go? Do the US and Human Rights organisations have a plan for them? Or have they been completely forgotten? Is it justified to make so many innocent people in one region face such agony to ensure the safety (as they believe) of another? Statistics state that at least four thousand lives have been claimed by drone attacks, in which the militants are a tiny fraction and approximately 90 per cent of them are civilians.

It’s no news that a single blast in the west triggers a chain of investigations that usually end up in a few drone attacks in under developed countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Has the definition of humanity and the value of human life changed in favor of the developed nations and against the innocent people killed in our region? It’s because of these unjustified, non-specific attacks that hundreds of young children are left homeless. The fact that their loss is because of the US and its allies, leads to their exploitation of these children by militant groups who then prepare them for their revenge in the form of suicide attacks, promising them a reunion with their lost ones in the afterlife. This is supported by the fact that there are rarely any middle to old aged suicide bombers seen. In this way, drone attacks are escalating the issues they are meant to solve.

The people of the tribal areas are the people whose stories of hospitality, as well as bravery are told even today. The rest of the world does not know these people as they have not adopted the modern ways of communication and social networking, which has lead to their portrayal as extremists by the media. It’s in the nature of these tribals that matters are solved with mutual discussion in the presence of elders and leaders. But it’s also in their nature that the use of force will only lead to a more forceful reaction. They can never be suppressed by force and will fight till their last drop of blood. To resolve the issues that the US has with the people they drone, they need to study and understand them. These attacks are against the sovereignty of our country under the article 2(4) of the UN Charter. As the new government has taken charge in Pakistan, its time to reconsider our policies regarding our tribal areas. The government should work towards improving the lifestyle of these people, educating them and providing them with the protection that is the right of every citizen.

Reference: www.defence.pk