In recent years, Pakistan has witnessed increase in violence, including domestic violence, tribal clashes, muggings and acts of terrorism. This could be attributed to the easy access to weapons in the society. But now, some citizens have stood up against the prevalence of weapons in the country. The Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) has joined the fight against the ‘weaponisation’ of the society by collaborating with Citizens Against Weapons. IVS is the first university in the city to declare its campus a ‘Weapon-Free Zone.’ Citizens Against Weapons, comprises concerned citizens that aim to champion the cause of making Pakistan peaceful and weapon-free. They are working under the slogan of ‘Say No to Guns’.“We received a letter from ‘Citizens Against Weapons’ appealing to make our school weapon free,” said IVS admin officer Aamir Kajani. The school has their own monitoring system that includes CCTV cameras, unarmed guards at parking front and back gates, he added.
Pakistan has become a society that finds more comfort around weapons, raising a generation that is in uncomfortably close proximity to guns. To ensure the security of various establishments, adding to the number of weapons on their premises is not necessarily the answer. Deploying a large number of gun-toting security personnel does not come with the promise that security will be ensured. It must be recalled that a teacher in Swat accidentally shot a 12-year-old student in June while cleaning his gun in school. More often than not, a weaponised society only provides a false sense of security. As has been witnessed all too often, areas with the strictest security are also vulnerable to terror attacks. The least we can do is at least ensure that our educational institutions do no become heavily weaponised areas. We hope that other institutions follow the example set by IVS and DUHS, and become places where guns are unwelcome. Schools and colleges should be spaces that provide safety and freedom of movement for students. The presence of guns does not foster such an environment.
pk.shafaqna.com
