Pakistan: Upsurge of terrorism

Undoubtedly, a wave of gloom and heightened concerns pervades the country. What could be more disconcerting than to see Kamra airbase being attacked by terrorists saboteurs; learn of some two dozens bus passengers being ruthlessly gunned down in the shadow of Babusar Top while run-of-the mill targeted killings remain unabated during the last week of Ramazan. That the upsurge of deadly violence was coincidental to the holiest of all nights, Lailatul Qadr, there is reason to believe that forces long engaged in destabilising Pakistan have raised the ante as if going for the last push against this country. Of course, we were being kept informed of heightened incidence of terrorism but it's beyond one's comprehension and the authorities were fully prepared and appropriately geared to meet the challenge. But even then all this has happened, creating doubts about the government's capacity to effectively meet the challenge. The latest was the fourth strike on the Kamra aeronautical complex which also houses an airbase and this was not the first time innocent Shia travellers have been waylaid on their way to Gilgit and Skardu. But it appears that preparations to stall the threatened attacks fell short of the required strength and determination and terrorists could claim victory though not complete. Yes, at Kamra all the attackers were killed but they were there to get killed, as death is of no consequence to them. Enough of lessons have been learnt from such incidents; we have to go for action. And that action has to be not only on the battle front; it has to be on the tables of authorities that are tasked to ensure peace and tranquility in the country. The truth is that insofar as an effective response to counter terrorism is concerned the task is assigned to law enforcing outfits and intelligence agencies, as other organs of state and government departments by and large stay clear of any reasonability to fight-back the demons of terrorism. And even among the concerned agencies and departments the required liaison is missing - so much so that there are reports of them not sharing operational intelligence. If the top leadership is left only with issuance of letters of condemnation and condolences following the happenings the parliament too is marginally involved. In the instant case, there was forewarning of an impending terrorist activity in the area and yet the attack occurred. The terrorists launched themselves from the nearby village. It is therefore a security necessity that there should be a buffer-zone around such high security institutions and civilian population, be it an urban slum or a village. The country is beset with the heightened phase of terrorism for more than a decade now but the government has yet to come up with a comprehensive legislation to deal with this threat in an effective and meaningful manner. The terrorists are treated like criminals under the ordinary law; investigation often lack the right direction while prosecution suffer from serious faults and lacunae particularly in the absence of witnesses, who prefer to disappear quickly. So there are only a few convictions, and known terrorists return to their business much sooner than later. We know that the elite are more concerned with their future than of the country, and are expending their energies to return to same green meadows. But that is too myopic a thinking; with the country descending in the vortex of uncertainty and chaos, they too have no future. They are expected to moderate their political ambitions and give some time to Pakistan. Equally disappointing, however, is the role of country's religious leadership. The land and people who constitute Pakistan have never been absolutely free of sectarian tensions and off and on there have been sectarian clashes. But never were they so tense and bloody as now. They need to sit together and think of a way to get out these marshes infested with cannibal crocs. If, God forbid, this boat sinks everyone will get sucked down by suctions caused by the vessel going down. For the political and religious leaderships there are also some detectable signs to read and analyse to see if there is some external force that would benefit from a weakened and isolated Pakistan. Intriguingly enough, weirdly coincidental to the Kamra incident, the foreign media, particularly the Indian and the American, were rife with stories that the airbase housed nuclear arsenal that terrorist wanted to snatch. That these reports almost echoed US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta's similar concerns is an alarming development which underscores the need for a deeper investigation into this incident. Of course, the US government has promptly modified its perception and said it has no reason to believe that terrorists could access to Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Interestingly, such an assertion and a retraction has been made by American officials earlier also. Though the Foreign Office has rejected these reports and the PAF spokesman put paid to propagandists by saying no airbase in the country houses nuclear weapons the fact cannot be denied that efforts are afoot to question Pakistan's capacity and capability to keep its nuclear assets safe from falling into the wrong hands.