Pakistan: Islamabad under attack

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/

The heart of Pakistan’s capital has recently

come under attack. Twin bomb explosions have rocked the federal capital of Islamabad, killing one and injuring two others. The first attack occurred at around 2:00 am in the upscale shopping area of Super Market in F-6 sector. Just half an hour later, another explosion ripped through a car dealership in the F-9 market area. The F-6 blast is being reported to have been the work of a suicide bomber whose explosives vest may have detonated prematurely. His actual target seems to have been a mosque in the vicinity, known as a centre of tolerance and multi-sect concern. The second blast in F-9 did not originate due to a suicide mission; explosives had been hidden inside a parked vehicle and the damage was much more extensive. While the number of fatalities and injuries may not have been as many as could have been expected, these attacks mark a new, more sinister chapter in our fight against terror. Militancy is hitting very close to home now, no longer an ominous spectre confined to the tribal areas. The militants are telling us that they can strike anywhere and at any time. The moment we start to feel safe, we are made to realise that the terrorists have the upper hand.

And that is exactly why the government’s negotiations-centred approach has always been a bad idea. There is no talking to the likes of the Taliban. We may have had a month or so of relative calm while the ‘talks’ were in full swing but now, with absolutely no result in sight, the militants are back to their old tricks. The attacks in Islamabad are most probably in reaction to the military’s no nonsense ground offensive in North Waziristan where more than 60 Taliban commanders and fighters were killed. Military helicopter gunships pounded Taliban camps, showing the militants that after rounds of dialogue that were going nowhere, the Pakistan army would take matters into its own hands. The Taliban now are becoming defensive, going on the offensive and taking some very risky and desperate measures. Islamabad is the perfect target if the militants are pulling at strings. And that they are for this attack, while in the heart of the capital, was amateurish and reeked of poor planning. While the Taliban may be clutching at straws, it is the government that has to learn to let go of its straws in the wind that have worn thin. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his government must realise that now, after so many losses incurred in the war against terror and after the many rounds of negotiations with the militants, there will be no let up in the murder of innocent civilians and destruction of property. One is glad that General Sharif has taken a firm stand after so much lingering by the government. This attack in Islamabad is a perfect illustration of the fact that as long as the Taliban are not dealt with firmly, there will always be danger to the sovereignty and writ of the state. There may have been relatively little damage as far as human life is concerned this time but there is no need to give the militants the chance to do it again and succeed in upping the numbers, whether in the capital or elsewhere in the country.