I still remember the car ride to school when my parents got a call informing us that there was a bomb blast right near our school. The house of CID DSP Chaudhry Aslam was bombed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban, killing eight people including a teacher and her son. Our school was closed down for almost a week along with all the other schools in the vicinity. Even when school resumed, if there were news vans outside someone from the administration department would ask all the classes to close the curtains, turn off the lights and try to remain quite because our school was officially not supposed to open. This was an event that i never gave much it thought and it was only during this course that I began to critically assess the impact it had on my overall development.
As a Karachite my schooling years coincided with the reign off MQM in Karachi. There were regular strikes and schools closing down for a day or two due to security reasons were a normal part of our journey
Drawing a parallel with the United States, where tragic incidents of school shootings have occurred, I observed a stark difference in the response to such crises. In America, affected students were provided counseling, and their mental health was prioritized. Conversely, despite the profound disruptions caused by conflicts in our country, there was a noticeable absence of external support for us. Pakistan's education sector is constantly disrupted by the conflicts going around hence it is important for schools to cater to the mental needs of students.
