Abstrict

The study aimed to assess students' perceptions of the National Action Plan and the impact on the attitudes of South Punjab University students. The study was reserved for male and female students studying at selected universities in South Punjab in 2016. Systematic random sampling was used to draw the sample. The total sample consists of 539 students. A questionnaire (5-point Likert Scale) was prepared and used to collect data. The data collected were analyzed using percentages, average scores, standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA. This study has a constructive purpose of improving the security situation of universities in the south of Punjab and making students think about the whole scenario. The results of the statistical analysis showed that terrorism had changed the lives of students, the Government should take more measures to eliminate terrorism, and students should refrain from thinking about terrorist attacks.

Keywords

Deteriorate, Abstain, Intimidate, Legitimate, Execution, Combating, Crackdown,            Jurisdiction, Security, Indispensable

Introduction

Terrorism is any act that seeks to intimidate a population or an international organization or to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants in order to prevent them from taking any action (United Nations Security Council, 2004). Terrorism is actually derived from the Latin word for "fear." “Illegal use of force with persons or objects to threaten a government, civilians or part of them in the pursuit of political or communal goals” (FBI, 2002). Terrorism is the use of force designed or threatened to cause political change (Jenkins, 1984). A terrorist group is similar to a spiritual sect or cult (Hudson, 1999).

Terrorism is the use of illegal force to obtain a political object when attacked by innocent people (Laqueur, 1987). Terror is nothing more than justice, timely, tough, tough; it is the production of such a being; this large amount is not a special standard because it is the effect of the general principle of the functioning of a democratic state on the most urgent needs of our country (Robespierre, 1794). As one scholar put it, we need to “turn the concept of intimidation into a more logical term than a polemical tool” (Crenshaw, 1995).

Education, in a broader sense, is a lasting process. It begins with the birth of a child and ends with death. This is continuous development. Stability is the law of life. Education is not limited to the classroom, nor is it limited to a specific life cycle. Education is a way of being and lasts from beginning to end. Education matters a lot in the development of a nation or a country. Educated youth can play an effective role in the development of a country, and if a country lacks the educational environment due to security issues, then how can you imagine that you will progress in any field.  Peaceful environment is an integral part of making it happen. Peaceful environment is essential for effective learning.

Literature Review

Education is a basic requirement of any society. A better education system can enhance a country's social, scientific and technological development. The development of a country's human resources depends on the quality of education provided in the country (Mohanthy, 2000).

Higher education serves education in colleges and universities. Allen (1988) "considers it academically appropriate to present the distinctive features of the two stages in order to clarify and avoid repetition of concepts." “Higher education is a completely separate stage from primary, secondary, primary and secondary education” (Best, 1994). Higher education is today recognized as an investment and is very important for the economic and social development of a country (Barnet, 1990). Higher education institutions have a primary responsibility to provide individuals with the advanced knowledge and skills required for positions of responsibility in government and other professions (Mughal &Manzoor, 1999).

Terrorism Effects on Education Sector

During 2009, terrorism highlighted the worst areas of education, especially militancy. Hundreds of schools were blown up in the Fata and KPK districts, and the most horrific incident was a double suicide attack on Islamabad International Islamic University in October, which claimed the lives of innocent people, including three female students. The horrific incident sparked a gesture of fear, and then schools, including schools, colleges and universities, faced a period of closure across the country for more than a week. It had also led to a massive rehearsal for the implementation of most security measures in educational institutions and has also sparked controversy when private schools demanded that the government provide security for private sector institutions.

Deterioration of law and order has led to the postponement of various education-related activities but has become a regular occurrence. However, the conditions also gave rise to some inventive ideas for teaching and learning. A number of private schools have introduced an e-learning program to compensate for the academic loss of students in the event of a sudden closure of schools for security reasons. Another unfortunate feature of the entire department was the collection of additional fees by some privileged private schools under the guise of security measures. Concerned about the lack of state control over the work of private educational institutions, stakeholders again fell morally. A number of incidents related to students' jokes were also reported, emphasizing the psychological impact of the current situation.

Statement of the Problem

Peaceful environment is an integral part of effective learning at Universities, war against terror also affects the Universities. Students are feeling insecure in the institutions. The government of Pakistan devised National Action Plan to strengthen the security of Universities. This aims to explore the perception of students towards the effectiveness of the National Action plan and the security situation after its implication. 

Assumptions of the Research

The peaceful environment of universities has a strong relationship with the learning of the students. After 9/11, the security situation has been a top priority of the administrators. The government of Pakistan devised a national action plan for strengthening the security of institutions. The security situation of universities also affected the attitude of students. For assessing the change in the attitude of students towards security situations, the following assumptions were made for study:     

1. There are security threats to the universities of southern Punjab.

2. Students feel insecure in their educational institutions.    

3. Attitude of the students is changed after the Implementation of the National Action Plan.

4. Students perceive that the dropout rate is increasing due to security threats to educational institutions.  




Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study were to:

1. Assess the attitude of the students towards their learning.

2. Evaluate the security situation of the universities of South Punjab.

3. Identify security measures that universities have taken according to National Action Plan.

4. Compare the situation of security before and after National Action Plan.




Research Questions

1. What is the relationship between the attitude of the students and security situation of the universities?

2. What is the security situation of the universities of South Punjab?

3. What are the effects of security threats on teaching-learning process?

4. Have universities taken security measures according to National Action Plan?

Significance of the Study

This research helps students understand the effectiveness of the National Education Action Plan for University Education. They will also be informed about the National Action Plan and its importance. If students perform fearlessly, then the country automatically grows. It will be useful for students to improve their learning activities and performance. It can be helpful for both teachers and educators to help students improve their performance in education without fear. It will help law enforcement and other stakeholders to address the weaknesses identified in this study. It will provide a clear picture of the current security scenario of educational institutions in our country, and especially in South Punjab. More work can be done in the areas to be explored in this study, and the safety position may be more effective and efficient. This will help the nation cooperate with forces in targeting criminals. It will help different NGOs working in different sectors plan a security-related program. It will allow foreign investors to invest in Pakistan without fear, if the foreign investment comes to Pakistan, GDP will increase, and the country will move forward. The results of the study will help the entire educational and economic structure.




Delimitations of the Study

The study was reserved for male and female students at South Punjab Universities in Pakistan.

Research Methodology

This paper discusses the assessment of students' perceptions of the National Action Plan and its effectiveness and the current state of security in universities. The chapter also shows how data collection is done in a separate research process and what methodology is used to collect data. In this part of the study, the general research methodology, the detailed details of the population and the sample of the research and how they are solved with different statistical results are discussed. The purpose of the study was “National Action Plan and Universities: Assessing Student Admission in Multan”.




Research Design

The researcher used a descriptive method when determining student enrollment for this study.




Population

All students graduating in 2018 from South Punjab Universities were selected as the work population.




Sampling Technique

The students included in the sample were selected by systematic random sampling. In accordance with the requirements of the research work, only those students participated in the work done on the day of tool management. The description of the sample is as follows:

The sample included 539 students from the faculties of social sciences, language, engineering, pharmacy, trade and statistics at the following ten universities in South Punjab.




Table 1. Sampling

S. No	Name of university	Name of department	Level	Number of students		Total
				M	F
1	NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology, Multan	Electrical             Civil	B. S	40	30	70
2	Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan	Pharmacy Mass Communication	B. S	34	34	68
3	University Of Education, Multan Campus	English, Urdu	B. S	34	33	67
4	Air University, Multan Campus	Economics   Computer science	B. S	22	23	45
5	Women University Chowk Katchehry, Multan	Botany           Zoology	B. S	23	23	46
6	National University Of Modern Languages, Multan	It department	B. S	24	23	47
7	Islamiya University Bahawalpur	Statistics     commerce	B. S	30	28	58
8	Institute Of Southern Punjab	Business administration mathematics	B. S	33	30	63
9	Ghazi University D.G Khan	Plant protection Horticulture	B. S	20	18	38
10	University Of Education, DG Khan	Chemistry       Physics	B. S	20	17	37
Total=539

Development of the Tool

Questionnaires were used to collect information. It was organized after reviewing the relevant literature and discussing it with the supervisor. The questionnaire consisted of 38 items prepared after the survey points were taken, and the Likert scale was used to obtain the respondents' answers in the questionnaire. The feedback form was based on different points of view regarding the National Action Plan and student safety.




Validation of Research Tool

To validate the tool, researcher Multan received instructions from experts at the Institute of Social Sciences and the Department of Education at Bahauddin Zakaria University. The feedback form has been redesigned and improved taking into

account the suggestions made by experts.




Pilot Test of the Tool 

Limited questionnaires (20) were distributed among local students of the department of education to learn their ideas for development. In response to the pilot test, the questionnaire was modified to some extent and brought to its current state.




Administration of the Questionnaire 

The researcher personally distributed questionnaires to students. Six hundred questionnaires were distributed among the students. The return of marked questionnaires was 539. However, continuous efforts were made to complete the questionnaires.

Statistical Analysis

Table 2. TERRORISM Affects Studies/Academic Performance

Level	F	%	S. D	Mean
Strongly Agree	96	17.78	171.78	2.87
Agree	119	22.04
Undecided	72	13.33
Disagree	126	23.33
Strongly Disagree	126	23.33

Table 3

Table 2 shows that only 39.82% of respondents are in favor of reporting that terrorism affect work / academic performance. While 46.66% of respondents did not support the statement, the average score was 2.87 (below 3.00), indicating a low level of agreement on the statement.

 Table 3. Terrorism changed life.

Level	F	%	S. D	Mean
Strongly Agree	244	45.19	123.65	4.28
Agree	242	44.81
Undecided	30	5.56
Disagree	10	1.85
Strongly Disagree	13	2.41

Table 3 shows that 90% of respondents support the statement that terrorism has changed lives. Although 4.26% of respondents did not support this statement, the average score was 4.28 (more than 3.00), which indicates a higher level of agreement with the statement.

 

Table 4. Government should Take more Measures to Eradicate Terrorism

Level	F	%	S. D	Mean
Strongly Agree	355	65.74	148.12	4.50
Agree	138	25.5
Undecided	17	3.15
Disagree	21	3.89
Strongly Disagree	8	1.48

Table 4 shows that 91.30% of respondents support the statement that the Government should take more measures to eliminate terrorism. When 5.37% of respondents did not support the statement, the average score was 4.50 (more than 3.00), which indicates a higher level of agreement with the statement.




Table 5. I Feel Safe while going out from Home

Level	F	%	S. D	Mean
Strongly Agree	85	15.74	39.17	2.96
Agree	139	25.74
Undecided	71	13.15
Disagree	160	29.63
Strongly Disagree	84	15.56

Table 5 shows that 41.48% of respondents support the statement that they feel safe when leaving home. Although 45.19% of respondents did not support the statement, the average score was 2.96 (below 3.00), indicating a low level of agreement on the statement.

 

Table 6. I Avoid Thinking about the Terrorist Attacks

Level	F	%	S. D	Mean
Strongly Agree	122	22.59	33.01	3.26
Agree	151	27.96
Undecided	81	15.00
Disagree	116	21.48
Strongly Disagree	69	12.78

Table 6 shows that 50.55% of respondents support the statement that they are reluctant to think about terrorist attacks. When 34.26% of respondents did not support the statement, the average score was 3.26 (above 3.00), which indicates a higher level of agreement with the statement.

Table 7.  I become Mentally Disturbed by Hearing the Terrorist Attacks

Level	F	%	S. D	Mean
Strongly Agree	260	48.15	107.24	4.16
Agree	182	33.70
Undecided	45	8.33
Disagree	28	5.19
Strongly Disagree	24	4.44

Table 7 shows that 81.85% of the respondents supported the statement that they were mentally disturbed after hearing the behavior. While 09.63% of respondents did not support the statement, the average score was 4.16 (above 3.00), which indicates a higher level of agreement with the statement. 

Table 8. I have Opinion against Terrorism

Level	F	%	S. D	Mean
Strongly Agree	217	40.19	106.09	4.14
Agree	227	42.04
Undecided	63	11.67
Disagree	20	3.70
Strongly Disagree	12	2.22

Table 8 shows that 82.23% of respondents liked the opinion against terrorism. While 05.92% of respondents did not support the statement, the average score was 4.14 (more than 3.00), which indicates a higher level of agreement with the statement.

Table 9.  I am Motivated Enough to Take Part Campaign against Terrorism

Level	F	%	S. D	Mean
Strongly Agree	204	37.78	93.51	4.04
Agree	207	38.33
Undecided	86	15.93
Disagree	34	6.30
Strongly Disagree	8	1.48

Table 9 shows that 76.11% of respondents support the statement that they are motivated to participate in the anti-terrorism campaign. Although 07.78% of respondents did not support this statement, the average score was 4.04 (more than 3.00), which indicates a higher level of agreement with the statement

Table 10. Operations against Terrorists Should Continue

Level	F	%	S. D	Mean
Strongly Agree	357	66.111	149.98	4.54
Agree	141	26.11
Undecided	25	4.63
Disagree	10	1.85
Strongly Disagree	6	1.11

Table 10

Table 10 shows that only 92.22% of respondents were in favor of continuing operations against terrorists. Although 02.96% of respondents did not support this statement, the average score was 4.54 (more than 3.00), which indicates a higher level of agreement with the statement.

Table 11. I know about the National Action Plan.

Level	F	%	S. D	Mean
Strongly Agree	142	26.30	72.09	3.70
Agree	211	39.07
Undecided	97	17.96
Disagree	65	12.04
Strongly Disagree	24	4.44

Table 11 shows that 65.37% of respondents support what they know about the National Action Plan. Although 4.26% of respondents did not support this statement, the average score was 3.70 (above 3.00), which indicates a higher level of agreement with the statement. 

Gender Wise Analysis by using T-Test

Table 12. Results on the Basis of Analysis 

Gender	N	Mean	Std.Dev	df	Sig.(2-tailed)
Male Female	280 259	147.39 149.49	9.91 10.57	537	.017

Table 12 shows that the P value for sig (2-tailed) is greater than 0.05, indicating that male / female perception is significant. There is almost a significant difference between the perceptions of male and female students.




Area Wise Analysis by using T-Test 

Table 13. Results on the Basis of Analysis

Area	N	Mean	Std. Dev	df	Sig. (2-tailed)
Rural Urban	136 403	147.29 148.77	10.65 10.14	537	.146

Table 13 shows that the value of P. for sig (2-tailed) is greater than 0.05. This shows that urban / rural perception is statistically significant. There is almost a significant difference between the perceptions of rural and urban students.




University Wise Analysis by using ANOVA

Table 14. Results on the Basis of Analysis 

	Sum of squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Between groups within groups Total	3766.082 53143.748 56909.829	9 529 538	418.454 100.461	4.165	.000

 

Table 15. Descriptives

Name of University	N	Mean	Std.Dev	df	Sig
NFC BZU U.O.E AIR WOMEN NUML I.U.B I.S.P G.UDG U.O.EDG KHAN Total	70 68 67 45 46 48 57 63 38 37 539	144.84 146.72 150.01 149.95 147.84 145.00 149.75 147.53 153.65 152.54 148.40	9.38 10.68 10.13 10.24 7.76 9.78 10.90 11.44 9.22 8.91 10.28	4.165	.000

Table 14 shows that Gazi University students D.G.Khan have more students than all other universities with an average value of 153, and the standard deviation value is 9. DG Khan, University of Education, shows a high perception of student achievement with an average value of 152 to the 2nd degree, and the standard deviation is 9, which indicates a high agreement. Four universities with the same standard deviation index of 10 (BZU, AIR, I.U.B, U.O.E) averaged 146,149,149,150, respectively, showing high contracts. I.S.P University shows a high contract with an average student perception value of 147, while SD shows 11 with the highest contracts.

Key Findings

1. While a minority of 39% of students were in favor of statements about the impact of terrorism on work / academic performance, 46% of respondents said that terrorism did not affect academic performance. (Table No. 2.1)

2. While the majority of students were in favor of statements that 90% of terrorism changed lives, 04% of respondents said that terrorism did not change lives. (Table No. 2.2)

3. The majority of students said that 91% said that the government should do more to eradicate terrorism, while 05% of respondents said that the government should do more to eradicate terrorism. (Table No. 2.3)

4. A minority of 41% of students said they felt safe when leaving the house, while 45% of respondents said they did not feel safe when leaving the house. (Table No. 2.4)

5. The majority of students support the statement that 50% are afraid to think about terrorist attacks, 34% of respondents said they are not afraid to think about terrorist attacks. (Table No. 2.5)

6. The majority of students said they were mentally disturbed by hearing 81 percent of terrorist attacks, while 9 percent of respondents said they were not mentally disturbed by hearing terrorist attacks. (Table No. 2.6)

7. The majority of students said that 82% said they had an opinion against terrorism, while 05% of respondents said they did not have an opinion against terrorism. (Table No 2.7)

8. The majority of students said that 76% supported the statement that they were motivated enough to participate in the anti-terrorism campaign, while 07% of respondents said they were not motivated enough to participate in the anti-terrorism campaign. (Table No. 2.8)

9. The majority of students said that 92% of operations against terrorists should continue, while 02% of respondents said that operations against terrorists should not continue. (Table ? 2.9)

10. The majority of students said that 65% liked their information about the National Action Plan, while 16% of respondents did not know about the National Action Plan. (Table No. 2.10)

Conclusion

This study focused on students' perceptions of the National Action Plan and its importance to universities and students. Achieved research objectives:

• The study shows that the students were not feeling secure and performing well in the environment of terror. After implication of NAP shows the better picture than before. Students are showing totally different attitude towards their studies and they have performing very well in their educational institutions.

• It is concluded that the security situation of Universities of South Punjab was miserable before the implementation of NAP. 

• Southern Punjab Universities have improved their security systems in the light of the YAP, but still do not have strong security plans, they should make more efforts to improve the level of security.

• The survey concluded that parents do not want to send their children to educational institutions. Terrorism has changed everyone's life. People did not feel safe leaving their homes, but now the situation is different. Students feel safe and motivated enough to participate in the anti-terrorism campaign. Although the implementation process of the YAP is slow, it continues in the right direction. The results of the YAP are gratifying. The situation is improving day by day

Recommendations

• As a result, most students do not agree that they feel safe leaving home. Students are encouraged to trust law enforcement and help eliminate the evils of terrorism.

• Given the response of students to the statement that educational institutions in South Punjab are not safe from any terrorist attack. It is recommended that more security measures be taken to protect educational institutions in the region as time demands.

• Precautions create fear in students, so actions should be taken with extreme caution, and students should briefly state that all actions are done for safety and should not be feared. Lectures should be given to support students to continue their education.

• Given the response of students to the statement that all educational institutions in South Punjab do not have a strong security plan. It is recommended that they review security plans and be prepared to deal with any situation.

• Parents restrict their children from attending classes. Now the situation is getting better. They should allow children to participate in such activities so that they can use their abilities in such activities.

• Given the response of students to the statement that they are mentally disturbed by hearing terrorist attacks. It is recommended that the current situation be better now and that they carry out their activities without fear. There are a small number of black sheep trying to carry out these activities, most of them terrorists were killed in operations carried out by the Pak Arm 

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