Terrorists once again attacked a university in Pakistan. The international community, particularly India, which always accuses Pakistan of being a hotbed of terrorists, should realize that Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism. These terror outfits are the result of the US war against former Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Most of these groups were formed during those days. Instead of clearing the regional mess after the fall of Soviet Union, the United States abandoned Afghanistan. Pakistan should not be blamed for the existence of these terror outfits. Even the most dreaded terrorist organization, Daesh, is the product of wrong US policies in the Middle East.

It is sad that these barbaric groups target educational institutions in Pakistan. The masses of the country oppose these elements tooth and nail. Pakistanis are a peace-loving and cultured people and they have no sympathies for such terrorist organizations.

The mainstream international media always give a different picture of Pakistan. Most, if not all, western reports portray Pakistanis as a radicalized lot obsessed with the idea of imposing a skewed interpretation of Islam in the country. This portrayal is not based on facts. It is just an attempt to malign Pakistan and Pakistanis. It is true that a handful of people do support such groups but it is not very surprising. After all, many political parties and groups in the West also oppose diversity and wish to implement their ideals on the majority. They openly spread hatred against their own countrymen whose ancestors had migrated from the Middle East and elsewhere. Such elements don’t represent the masses in general. Same is the case in Pakistan and elsewhere in the Muslim world but the western analysts tend to ignore this important fact, which is very unfortunate. This approach can never help us achieve victory against terrorism and terrorists.