Pakistan : Time to act ( DIK Central Jail )

EDITORIAL

Not that we are not accustomed to it, but what surprises the most is that in spite of repeated attempts of a similar nature by the terrorists, the government and its law enforcement agencies have learnt little or nothing about security and its parameters. It would not be wrong to say that in the process we have allowed the terrorists to hone their skills in challenging the writ of the state without much resistance. Those who had broken out of Bannu Jail last year in April are still at large, and the chances are that the criminals who had fled from Dera Ismail Khan’s (DIK) Central Jail the other day would vanish as well. One is at a loss at the tactics successfully used by the terrorists when they attacked DIK’s Central Jail. Armed with rockets and heavy weapons, the group of about 250 militants parked their vehicles just outside the main gate of the Jail and began their assault that lasted several hours. They had come to rescue their accomplices imprisoned there. They did that and left the scene with their 175 friends, after letting off at least 40 explosions and killing 10 people. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has become emboldened with the increasing show of weaknesses of the government. The incapacity of the present incumbents, in office for two months now, to build a coordinated and all-encompassing counter-terrorism strategy is feeding into the strength of the militants. Ever since the PML-N has assumed office, many high profile attacks have occurred across the country. However, the response did not go beyond condemning the incident or a verbal statement to deal with the culprits with an iron hand. Are we confronting a new situation? How many times do we have to create a consensus through All Parties Conferences? There are parliamentary resolutions on the identity of our enemies and the mechanisms to combat them. With so much brainstorming already done, it is just a matter of getting our act together and calling a spade a spade. The present government did not even have the luxury to enjoy the traditional 100-day honeymoon period! The DIK Central Jail had 35 hardcore criminals yet the security of the jail was wholly inadequate. Surrounded by mud walls and protected by ramshackle gates, it was an open invitation to the militants. Only a day before this incident, 10 militants fled after overwhelming the jail staff, although the authorities claim they were subsequently apprehended. There are also reports that there was prior intelligence about the impending attack. Still, the doors of the jail were symbolically kept open. According to TV reports, the police showed no resistance as they lacked training and equipment to confront heavily armed terrorists. It is time to wake up, and to act.