Another attack in the heart of Lahore, this time on a Police academy. The aim of the attack was clearly to undermine the security apparatus of the country and thereby weaken the state. This is the second attack in Lahore after the commando style attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in Liberty square. It could very well be the case that personnel involved in the police academy attack were the same people who were involved in the Liberty square operation since all of them had managed to escape after the raid.
I have no doubt that Pakistan is suffering the blow back for its Jihadi operations in India and Kashmir. It is very much the case of Chickens coming home to roost. Having said that, it is no coincidence that attacks of such magnitude and ferocity especially in Punjab have kicked up after the Mumbai attacks. I know from my own sources that Pakistani officials were expecting the Indians to vent out their anger and frustration after the Mumabi attacks. They are clearly using the Afghan base to give Pakistan some taste of its own medicine.
The silver lining is the security operation which managed to kill and capture these battle hardened terrorists. I hope that we get some real intelligence from the captured ones. Another positive thing to see was the attitude of the people - Lahorites are known for this - the way they cheer leaded especially when the army came into the scene was very heart warming. They shouted slogans vowing to kill the attackers and praising the security forces. The reaction was spontaneous and goes to show that it needs to be channeled in the right direction to identify the nemesis of the Pakistani state - the Islamist terrorists.
8 comments:
@SH - Thanks for visiting.
I totally agree with you but the thing is that we have to put a name on these people. These people are the biggest culprits because they use the name of our religion to carry out the most heinous of deeds. The problem with our society is that we are in denial of this threat - call it whatever you may want to but the remedy of the problem begins with our acknowledgment that these people are part of our society and we need to take measures to remove this cancer.
This is the end game. The next 12 to 24 months will determine whether we can recover our footing or become a failed state like Somalia.
The world has realised that the real threat is not the situation in Afghanistan but that in Pakistan. The question is, whether the armed forces and the political leadership in Pakistan recognise this also and have the balls to take the bull of Islamic fundamentalism by the horns.
@mustafa- I totally agree with you except for the fact that this maybe more of a drawn out affair.
@ luscious
The same was being said of Afghanistan not too long ago. In just two years they overran Afghanistan. Pakistan will be putty in comparison. Here is what I found in Wikipedia.
"The first major military activity of the Taliban was in October-November 1994 when they marched from Maiwand in southern Afghanistan to capture Kandahar City and the surrounding provinces, losing only a few dozen men. Starting with the capture of a border crossing and a huge ammunition dump from warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a few weeks later they freed "a convoy trying to open a trade route from Pakistan to Central Asia" from another group of warlords attempting to extort money. In the next three months this hitherto "unknown force" took control of twelve of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, with Mujahideen warlords often surrendering to them without a fight and the "heavily armed population" giving up their weapons. By September 1996 they had captured Afghanistan's capital, Kabul.
@Mustafa - Looks like you are relying too much on wikipedia ;)
Pakistan maybe weak but it is no Afghanistan.
I support your argument regarding the urgency to act now. I think the way people of Lahore acted when the forces were pounding the terrorists gives us an indication that people can be motivated against this threat. This war just needs to be 'marketed' the right way.
hi, i am sorry i was outside Pakistan and i missed you all, will contribute regularly now,
Tuk log kabhi sudrenge nahin.. Still blaming India for all your woes!! Mehsud has claimed responsibility for this attack, but you guys persist. Why does India need to do anything. You are doing a great job of screwing yourself.
@Asiam - Glad to have you back
@Mr. Anonymous- The blog entry clearly blames the 'enemy within'. And yes we really are self-destructing here!
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