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Asif Ali Zardari wants to show some success in the fight against the Taliban when he meets US President Obama. at the White House
What can be the security situation of a country called when groups of gunmen go on a murderous rampage from one target to other and the administration seems helpless? Same is happening with Pakistan where the terrorists are getting bolder with every passing day and they are enhancing their capabilities by attacking more protected targets.
Unlike in India where terrorists usually target the unarmed civilians, in Pakistan their targets are well protected hotels, highly guarded cricket players and fortified police academies. The last attack on a police academy in Lahore was the latest indication that Islamist terrorism, once confined to Pakistan’s northwest tribal belt, now threatens political stability nationwide.
The assault in the once-peaceful Punjabi heartland came less than three weeks after an attack in Lahore in which gunmen opened fire on a visiting Sri Lankan cricket team, killing seven people. It was a sheer luck that no cricket player was killed. The Lahore attack has raised new questions about the vulnerability of Pakistan, a nuclear-armed Muslim state with a weak civilian government that only recently emerged from a decade of military rule and where extremist ideology is gaining ground at alarming pace. Until now Lahore was known as the cultural capital of Pakistan due to its rich civilisation and high tolerance level for other religions, cultures, societies. But as the city is experiencing attack after attack by the extremist terrorists, the ground situation seems to have shifted with dangerous consequences.
Pakistan has been an incubator for terrorist groups for the past several decades. Until recently, they were trained for external conflicts, especially Kashmir, the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan during the 1980s and the presence of US-led forces in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. Now when all the targets are either fortified or they have lost relevance, these terrorist groups have turned inwards, spreading violence and religious fanaticism among the general population of Pakistan.
These terrorists also have support of a large section of security establishment, who still consider them as assets. US officials have publicly charged that some elements of Pakistan’s army and intelligence services still support the terrorists as a counterweight to India.
Pakistan should understand that the problem of terrorism is no longer confined to a buffer zone with Afghanistan and it was reached much beyond that in the heartland of Pakistan.
Sources say that south Punjab has become the main recruiting centre for militant groups which continue to operate freely, despite being outlawed. The attacks are becoming more organised and co-ordinated, indicating that more than one group is involved. One of the most prominent of such terrorist groups is the Lasker e Toiba (LeT), which has its headquarter and other camps in Punjab province, not far from where the recent attack took place. Rehman Malik, the government’s spokesman recently said that elements of three armed Islamist groups including LeT are suspected for the “assault on the integrity of the country.”
Ironically Pakistan’s security agencies have not been able to solve any case of terrorist incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. This is the biggest problem with the country. Either the security agencies do not want to catch hold of them or they simply don’t have means to do so. In both cases, a dangerous situation is emerging wherein the rule of state is eroding at a fast pace and extremists are gaining ground.
The security services have not adapted to the new threat, and even politicians admit that the forces of law and order are not fully equipped to counter the growing threat. One of the top government officials confided that the police force is not trained and equipped to fight better armed terrorists.
Unlike in India where terrorists usually target the unarmed civilians, in Pakistan their targets are well protected hotels, highly guarded cricket players and fortified police academies. The last attack on a police academy in Lahore was the latest indication that Islamist terrorism, once confined to Pakistan’s northwest tribal belt, now threatens political stability nationwide.
The assault in the once-peaceful Punjabi heartland came less than three weeks after an attack in Lahore in which gunmen opened fire on a visiting Sri Lankan cricket team, killing seven people. It was a sheer luck that no cricket player was killed. The Lahore attack has raised new questions about the vulnerability of Pakistan, a nuclear-armed Muslim state with a weak civilian government that only recently emerged from a decade of military rule and where extremist ideology is gaining ground at alarming pace. Until now Lahore was known as the cultural capital of Pakistan due to its rich civilisation and high tolerance level for other religions, cultures, societies. But as the city is experiencing attack after attack by the extremist terrorists, the ground situation seems to have shifted with dangerous consequences.
Pakistan has been an incubator for terrorist groups for the past several decades. Until recently, they were trained for external conflicts, especially Kashmir, the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan during the 1980s and the presence of US-led forces in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. Now when all the targets are either fortified or they have lost relevance, these terrorist groups have turned inwards, spreading violence and religious fanaticism among the general population of Pakistan.
These terrorists also have support of a large section of security establishment, who still consider them as assets. US officials have publicly charged that some elements of Pakistan’s army and intelligence services still support the terrorists as a counterweight to India.
Pakistan should understand that the problem of terrorism is no longer confined to a buffer zone with Afghanistan and it was reached much beyond that in the heartland of Pakistan.
The increasing pattern of terrorist assaults against high-profile targets especially in Punjab, the traditional home of Pakistan’s large and powerful armed forces—suggests that militancy has spun out of the government’s control. The increasing pattern of terrorist assaults against high-profile government and civilian targets in other regions of the Pakistan—especially in Punjab, the traditional home of Pakistan’s large and powerful armed forces—suggests that militancy has spun out of the government’s control. The nexus between the militants in Punjab and in the tribal areas has been clear for some time now.
Sources say that south Punjab has become the main recruiting centre for militant groups which continue to operate freely, despite being outlawed. The attacks are becoming more organised and co-ordinated, indicating that more than one group is involved. One of the most prominent of such terrorist groups is the Lasker e Toiba (LeT), which has its headquarter and other camps in Punjab province, not far from where the recent attack took place. Rehman Malik, the government’s spokesman recently said that elements of three armed Islamist groups including LeT are suspected for the “assault on the integrity of the country.”
Ironically Pakistan’s security agencies have not been able to solve any case of terrorist incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. This is the biggest problem with the country. Either the security agencies do not want to catch hold of them or they simply don’t have means to do so. In both cases, a dangerous situation is emerging wherein the rule of state is eroding at a fast pace and extremists are gaining ground.
The security services have not adapted to the new threat, and even politicians admit that the forces of law and order are not fully equipped to counter the growing threat. One of the top government officials confided that the police force is not trained and equipped to fight better armed terrorists.
Ironically Pakistan’s security agencies have not been able to solve any case of terrorist incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. In such a scenario people are finding it difficult to cope up with the situation. They need protection and when police is not able to do so, they may end up with more powerful adversary i,e in the camp of these terrorists. With Swat already been surrendered by Pakistan government after similar conditions prevailed there, Punjab is looking bright next on list.
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