In the last few days there has been a sudden upsurge in terrorist violence as part of what seems to be a deliberate attempt to create chaos and confusion in this country. First on Thursday, terrorists struck at the Tableeghi Jamaat's Peshawar centre during Maghreb prayers. At least 10 people died on the spot and another 60 were injured. The causalities would have been much higher had things worked as planned. Apparently, the Tableeghi people thought they could not be a target of bombings by religious extremists. Hence at first the Tableeghi Markaz administration told the provincial police chief that the cause of the explosion was a gas cylinder. But, as the bomb disposal unit was to discover later, a timed device hidden in a ghee canister had exploded. The unit also found and defused two more bombs. No one claimed responsibility for the incident. The usual suspect, the TTP, denied any involvement. Instead its spokesman issued a denial saying those who carry out such blasts want "to tarnish the image of the Mujahedeen." Still, there could be an indirect link considering that the TTP's sectarian affiliates have regularly been targeting civilians in public places - mosques, imambargahs, Muharram processions, as well as Sufi shrines - and claiming credit too. The TTP may not be directly involved in the Peshawar blast, but given the activities of its aligned sectarian outfits, it cannot point fingers at some unknown elements out to 'tarnish' its own blood-soaked image.
On Friday, terrorists struck in three different places, gunning down in Karachi three workers manning a private news channel's DSNG van. In a second incident, also in Karachi, a senior leader of JUI-S was shot dead along with two associates. The third tragic episode involved a bomb explosion aboard Peshawar-Karachi train, Khushhal Khan Khattak Express. Three passengers were killed and 18 other injured when an explosive device went off in one of the train's cars, near Rajanpur in south Punjab, derailing six coaches. Notably, of these three incidents, only one - on the news channel - was owned by the TTP, accusing the media of playing a partisan role, and spreading "venomous propaganda against the Tehreek-e-Taliban." No one claimed responsibility, at least not immediately, for the other three terrorist attacks. Nor has the government helped identify the perpetrators.
As noted earlier, the bomb explosion at the Tableeghi Markaz could be the handiwork of sectarian terrorists, who have nexus with the TTP. On the face of it, those involved in Tableeghi jobs should have no enemies considering their all inclusive approach. They normally avoid discussing questions of fiqh, telling followers to go by their respective fiqh, and focus on urging people to come to prayers. But, of course, they do discuss matters of religion at their annual gatherings at Raiwind near Lahore as well as at local Tableeghi centres, like the one in Peshawar. Press reports point out that people come from far and wide for the special Friday eve sermon delivered at the centre. Sectarian terrorists who have been killing Bralvi Sunnis accusing them of deviation from their own beliefs within the same fiqh can surely take issue with something said during the Friday eve sermons. Quite likely, the latest atrocity in Peshawar is the deed of sectarian terrorists. But who would want to target a JUI-S leader? Not the TTP, considering that the Taliban acknowledge JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq as a teacher and spiritual guide. As for the train explosion, normally Baloch insurgents claim credit for such acts of violence/sabotage. As a matter of fact, perpetrators in all such cases always claim responsibility to draw attention to whatever they want to achieve. The new reign of terror raises worrying questions. Is it part of some dark forces' designs to destabilise this society for the attainment of specific goal(s)? Or is it just a consequence of governmental incompetence in confronting the challenges at hand? Someone has to answer these riddles or questions for sane reason.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Pakistan: A new wave of terror
In the last few days there has been a sudden upsurge in terrorist violence as part of what seems to be a deliberate attempt to create chaos and confusion in this country. First on Thursday, terrorists struck at the Tableeghi Jamaat's Peshawar centre during Maghreb prayers. At least 10 people died on the spot and another 60 were injured. The causalities would have been much higher had things worked as planned. Apparently, the Tableeghi people thought they could not be a target of bombings by religious extremists. Hence at first the Tableeghi Markaz administration told the provincial police chief that the cause of the explosion was a gas cylinder. But, as the bomb disposal unit was to discover later, a timed device hidden in a ghee canister had exploded. The unit also found and defused two more bombs. No one claimed responsibility for the incident. The usual suspect, the TTP, denied any involvement. Instead its spokesman issued a denial saying those who carry out such blasts want "to tarnish the image of the Mujahedeen." Still, there could be an indirect link considering that the TTP's sectarian affiliates have regularly been targeting civilians in public places - mosques, imambargahs, Muharram processions, as well as Sufi shrines - and claiming credit too. The TTP may not be directly involved in the Peshawar blast, but given the activities of its aligned sectarian outfits, it cannot point fingers at some unknown elements out to 'tarnish' its own blood-soaked image.
On Friday, terrorists struck in three different places, gunning down in Karachi three workers manning a private news channel's DSNG van. In a second incident, also in Karachi, a senior leader of JUI-S was shot dead along with two associates. The third tragic episode involved a bomb explosion aboard Peshawar-Karachi train, Khushhal Khan Khattak Express. Three passengers were killed and 18 other injured when an explosive device went off in one of the train's cars, near Rajanpur in south Punjab, derailing six coaches. Notably, of these three incidents, only one - on the news channel - was owned by the TTP, accusing the media of playing a partisan role, and spreading "venomous propaganda against the Tehreek-e-Taliban." No one claimed responsibility, at least not immediately, for the other three terrorist attacks. Nor has the government helped identify the perpetrators.
As noted earlier, the bomb explosion at the Tableeghi Markaz could be the handiwork of sectarian terrorists, who have nexus with the TTP. On the face of it, those involved in Tableeghi jobs should have no enemies considering their all inclusive approach. They normally avoid discussing questions of fiqh, telling followers to go by their respective fiqh, and focus on urging people to come to prayers. But, of course, they do discuss matters of religion at their annual gatherings at Raiwind near Lahore as well as at local Tableeghi centres, like the one in Peshawar. Press reports point out that people come from far and wide for the special Friday eve sermon delivered at the centre. Sectarian terrorists who have been killing Bralvi Sunnis accusing them of deviation from their own beliefs within the same fiqh can surely take issue with something said during the Friday eve sermons. Quite likely, the latest atrocity in Peshawar is the deed of sectarian terrorists. But who would want to target a JUI-S leader? Not the TTP, considering that the Taliban acknowledge JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq as a teacher and spiritual guide. As for the train explosion, normally Baloch insurgents claim credit for such acts of violence/sabotage. As a matter of fact, perpetrators in all such cases always claim responsibility to draw attention to whatever they want to achieve. The new reign of terror raises worrying questions. Is it part of some dark forces' designs to destabilise this society for the attainment of specific goal(s)? Or is it just a consequence of governmental incompetence in confronting the challenges at hand? Someone has to answer these riddles or questions for sane reason.
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