IT is unlikely that Karachi will ever concede to having transformed in a moment. It takes a lot to rock such resilience off its course, especially when it has known and survived turbulence in the past. But once shock turned to grief, it became clear that normality may be difficult, if not a thing of the past.

Karachi has a long way to go before it returns to its characteristic, swashbuckling confidence of December 26. This becomes an increasingly distant dream when we realise that the tentacles of terror have begun to extend beyond their usual frontiers. They are now looking to turn playgrounds of innocence into graveyards of remorse.

Bomb scares are usually child’s play in a place like Karachi, which has always courted danger well. But what it has not known in the past is the sharp swing in the mood of its schools that have come in particular focus lately with a spate of bomb hoaxes in various campuses. In January, a boarding school, Prince Ali Boys and Muhammadi Girls Secondary School, was perhaps the worst example, as over 300 boarders were forced to return home — a nervous response to a telephonic bomb threat from an unidentified source.

The school, which is also home to many orphans, was warned of an explosion within the week. Despite clearance from the Bomb Disposal Squad, the management remained too unnerved to have its students back on the premises, which affected the completion of the curriculum.

However, our mega-city is not the only target of vandalism. Last week, two upscale schools in Lahore — Beaconhouse School in Defence and a branch of Divisional Public School — were also jolted by similar threats. There was mayhem as students thronged the gates and parents and van drivers launched panic-stricken rescue missions. Officials claim that they had found a bag under the staircase of Beaconhouse, which contained two tiles that were tied with black tape and had two red wires and a watch dial. It was clearly a morbid prank that compelled the administration to pledge vigilance. The school has 16 security cameras, which did not show anyone carrying a suspicious package. However, the management put the blame on a student keen to play truant.

These incidents and many others in places like Multan can hardly be seen in isolation. They raise many questions about our collective choices and individual freedom. Will we ever be at ease in a restaurant, mall, cinema or even a school again? And what is the bargain that we need to strike; is it our freedom that we will eventually trade for security?

Given the debilitating reality that our law-enforcement agencies are far from a threat to the phenomenon of a militant mind, we have little choice but to arrive at our own conclusions.

To make matters worse, lack of training for bomb disposal, security and fire machinery aside, emergencies are not a priority compared to VIP escort duties or lining VIP movement routes. Their equipment, such as wireless services, detection devices and rescue aids, are also in shambles. Officials maintain that there is a dire need for major reforms in emergency services aided by a ‘dedicated response unit’ that monitors and delegates in urgent circumstances, regardless of whether it is a hoax or not.

Reigning in pranksters

As for perpetrators within a school, it is important to implement rules which recognise that such incidents can become indelible scars on young, carefree minds. Whether pranksters have learnt their lessons is open to debate but school authorities should acknowledge the writing on the wall. Their most effective weapon, for example, is a response that includes legal aid, police and juvenile administrators. This will declare such a prank as a felony that is likely to dog the offender into adulthood, when he/she has to seek employment.

Also, students will recognise that such tricks may stall school temporarily, but no aspect of the syllabi is lost to them and may eat into the much-awaited vacations for completion. The schools can do themselves and their students a favour by using the situation to educate and alert themselves. We clearly cannot wake up to the nightmare of lost innocence one fine day.