As it seems that efforts of United States’ special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, James Dobbins has bore some fruit and peace talks are going to be resumed with Taliban in Qatar after Afghan government showed some flexibility to enter the talks when its demands not to entitle the Taliban delegation as a ‘government-in-exile’ has been, more or less, accepted by United States. US president Barack Obama and Afghan president Hamid Karzai held a 90-minute conference call to try to revive early efforts to start peace talks even after the attack carried out by Taliban in the heart of Kabul in which three security guards and all of the five assailants were killed and was one of the most brazen assaults in Kabul since President Karzai narrowly escaped assassination in April 2008.

As it is clear that a lot many important issues will be discussed with Taliban in these talks and Taliban have already made two hopeful pledges for the peace; one is to end the war in Afghanistan peacefully and second is to stop using Afghanistan as a base for terror strikes against the other countries, as it did in 9/11.

But a grave concern grows about the perception of Taliban regarding the education of children especially the girls and rights of women. It is unfortunate that in almost all parts of the world, this marginalized and helpless group of women and children become the most vulnerable targets of militancy and terrorism. In last two years, there were several incidents of poisoning of school girls in a number of Northern provinces of Afghanistan aimed to halt the education of girls. In this connection, a number of teachers were shot down in Helmand and other restive provinces which threatened a number of other teachers to switch their profession. At the same time, more than 1000 schools have been bombed or destroyed by the clash between terror groups and security forces since the beginning of war after the arrival of foreign troops in 2001, depriving hundreds and thousands of children from the light of education and enlightenment. At the same time, a number of sad incidents carried out by militant groups or Islamic extremists targeted the school children and girls in different parts of the world. There cannot be any kind of justification for the fire-bombing of a college bus carrying 40 girls from their Quetta campus in Pakistan out of which fourteen defenseless girls died in the blaze while eight more people died when the terrorists ambushed the hospital.

This savage war waged by Islamic extremists in different parts of the world against young people seeking education came up with a number of frightening outcomes. In Nigeria, a terrorist group, Boko Haram, whose name literally means, ‘Western education is sin’ carried out attacks resulted in the sad killing of 16 students. Of these, first incident occurred in Jajeri ward of Nigeria’s Maiduguri metropolis where five students were gunned down in the main school hall just a few minutes after they had started their annual exams. In the second instance, bombs were thrown into the playground of an all-girls school just as Saturday morning open-air prize giving ceremony began.

Keeping in view the above exclusive targeted incidents, the peace deal would not bring violence to an end without a credible pledge to respect elementary human rights. Since last October, when a Taliban terrorist shot down 15-year old Malala Yousufzai in Pakistan, because she had stood up to right of girls to go to school, there has been a clear pattern in the targeting of victims by extremist groups. Despite the worldwide reaction against the shooting of Malala, we have seen an escalation of the threats to --- and the shooting and maiming of--- boys and girls because they dare to go to school.

The Taliban may have embraced TV, the internet and new technology, but they have to yet embrace human rights and continue to prevent girls’ education. Indeed, until the destruction of schools- and the killing of girl leaders- is brought to an end, any peaceful accord to adjust Taliban in the country’s power stream may herald a backward step for girls’ and women’s rights of the country and the region.

Fortunately, girls and boys are no longer prepared to be cowed or intimidated for subjugation. Now they fight back. In an immediate, defiant response to the weeks’ atrocities, Malala, still recovering from life threatening injuries to her head and neck, has launched a petition to be presented to the Secretary General of the UN. The petition calls on the world leaders to fund the four million classrooms and two million teachers required to ensure every boy and girl has a school they can go in. Like the brave schoolteachers who defiantly keep girls’ schools open in Afghanistan, there are many groups in the world that are standing against the extremists hell-bent on denying girls education.

But the girls and boys who are becoming more assertive in demanding their rights to education cannot succeed without far bolder world wide support to counter terrorist extremism.

First, the UN must debate the growing intimidation and brutalization of children who are being thrust into the front line of a terrorist war by militants who want to stop all education. The right to go to school in safety must be upheld by all international organizations- and the message sent out that UN regards an attack on a child at school as seriously as it regards other murderous assaults in hospitals and places of worship.

And in Afghanistan, US must not broker a deal that fails to protect the rights of women and minorities. Negotiators must be clear from the start that any settlement cannot be allowed to wipe out the achievement of getting four million Afghan girls to school for the first time in the history of the country. Girls’ rights cannot be written off as a bargaining chip to be traded in for pretence of peace. Quite simply, the price of agreement cannot be girls finding school doors shut in their faces.

Second, we must show a determination that education will continue despite terrorist assaults and threats. Just as in fragile areas, where the healthcare is provided by Red Cross and Medicins Sans Forntieres, so, too, should education be provided by delivery agencies even if the area is less than secure. This is essential for world’s conflict zones and fragile states where historically, a breakdown in law and order has meant the curtailment of schooling. A new initiative, Education Without Borders, should be developed to provide a continuation of education-in all the restive regions of the world.

There are a number of issues on which we can compromise but it is commonly agreed upon that we can never compromise on education, especially of girls who are the architects of coming generations. This is such crucial that in all the conflicts and disagreements, this issue should be given complete priority and warring factions in different corners of the world should never think of achieving their aims with this dangerous path. Upcoming talks with Taliban in Qatar may have more important issues but this issue should never be neglected. This would be in the best benefits of our country, the region and the world in general.