Two terrorist bombings left at least 21 people dead and 120 others injured - 70 of them seriously - as they offered Friday prayers at a mosque in Bazdarra village of Malakand Agency, a tribal region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. More lives would have been lost when a second time device went off minutes later at another nearby mosque, but for the fact that the faithful had hurried out to help the first attack's victims. The brutality matches the TTP's signature style. Nonetheless, it has not claimed responsibility for the attack. The post-election scenario too suggests it is unlikely to be involved.
Nawaz Sharif, whom the TTP had recently named as one of the three political leaders it wanted to broker peace negotiations, is soon to take over as the new prime minister. And the PTI, which for long has been advocating talks with the Taliban, is preparing to form the provincial government in KP. The TTP would want to give them time to settle down before expecting the two parties to undertake any substantive initiative. So who could be behind the latest atrocity? One possibility is the Swat Taliban. Following the military operation in Swat and Malakand, the area has been quite peaceful. However, Mullah Fazlullah's and his band of violent extremists who were ousted from Swat and Malakand set up camp on the other side of border. They have been making forays into the border areas attacking soldiers and tribal leaders from the adjoining Afghan provinces of Nuristan and Kunar.
The ISAF and the Afghan government kept looking the other way whilst these extremists used their side of the border as safe haven from which to launch attacks on Pakistani border posts and villages. During the recent months, the level of trust and co-operation between the US and Pakistan has shown a marked improvement. Both have a common interest in restoring peace and stability to that war-ravaged country. Relations between Kabul and Islamabad remain rather tense. President Karzai has been making provocative statements over Durand Line claims, while the border situation remains volatile. There have been several instances of firing and mutual recriminations.
Earlier this month, one Afghan soldier was killed and several Pakistani soldiers injured in a border clash near Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. Kabul had blamed the incident on Pakistani forces, accusing them of constructing four checkpoints on its side of the border in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces - an accusation rejected by Pakistan. Considering these tensions and the fact that in the past Afghan nationals have been involved in terrorist attacks in this country, Friday's horror in the Bazdarra village mosques may well be the handiwork of the Kabul government. Incidents such as this, whether perpetrated by Pakistani terrorists operating from Afghan soil or the Afghan government, aside from being an outrage against humanity, will only create difficulties for the settlement of the bigger war in Afghanistan and its spillover into Pakistan. One can only hope better sense will prevail sooner rather than later, and all sides will act responsibly to end relentless death and destruction.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Pakistan: Carnage in Malakand mosque
Two terrorist bombings left at least 21 people dead and 120 others injured - 70 of them seriously - as they offered Friday prayers at a mosque in Bazdarra village of Malakand Agency, a tribal region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. More lives would have been lost when a second time device went off minutes later at another nearby mosque, but for the fact that the faithful had hurried out to help the first attack's victims. The brutality matches the TTP's signature style. Nonetheless, it has not claimed responsibility for the attack. The post-election scenario too suggests it is unlikely to be involved.
Nawaz Sharif, whom the TTP had recently named as one of the three political leaders it wanted to broker peace negotiations, is soon to take over as the new prime minister. And the PTI, which for long has been advocating talks with the Taliban, is preparing to form the provincial government in KP. The TTP would want to give them time to settle down before expecting the two parties to undertake any substantive initiative. So who could be behind the latest atrocity? One possibility is the Swat Taliban. Following the military operation in Swat and Malakand, the area has been quite peaceful. However, Mullah Fazlullah's and his band of violent extremists who were ousted from Swat and Malakand set up camp on the other side of border. They have been making forays into the border areas attacking soldiers and tribal leaders from the adjoining Afghan provinces of Nuristan and Kunar.
The ISAF and the Afghan government kept looking the other way whilst these extremists used their side of the border as safe haven from which to launch attacks on Pakistani border posts and villages. During the recent months, the level of trust and co-operation between the US and Pakistan has shown a marked improvement. Both have a common interest in restoring peace and stability to that war-ravaged country. Relations between Kabul and Islamabad remain rather tense. President Karzai has been making provocative statements over Durand Line claims, while the border situation remains volatile. There have been several instances of firing and mutual recriminations.
Earlier this month, one Afghan soldier was killed and several Pakistani soldiers injured in a border clash near Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. Kabul had blamed the incident on Pakistani forces, accusing them of constructing four checkpoints on its side of the border in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces - an accusation rejected by Pakistan. Considering these tensions and the fact that in the past Afghan nationals have been involved in terrorist attacks in this country, Friday's horror in the Bazdarra village mosques may well be the handiwork of the Kabul government. Incidents such as this, whether perpetrated by Pakistani terrorists operating from Afghan soil or the Afghan government, aside from being an outrage against humanity, will only create difficulties for the settlement of the bigger war in Afghanistan and its spillover into Pakistan. One can only hope better sense will prevail sooner rather than later, and all sides will act responsibly to end relentless death and destruction.
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