Source: The Times
By Zahid Hussain, Islamabad Correspondent
The suicide bomb attack that killed 22 people in Lahore today is a bloody reminder that Pakistan is fast becoming the main battlefield of Islamic militants.
The country is already gripped by extreme political tension after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto two weeks ago, and today’s atrocity — the latest in a string of attacks on politicians and security officials — will increase concerns about the fate of national elections due on February 18. The poll has already been rescheduled once because of Ms Bhutto’s murder.
The bomber blew himself up among police deployed outside the High Court ahead of a planned anti-government protest by lawyers. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but security officials suspect that militants linked to the Taleban and al-Qaeda could be behind the attack.
Police suspect that the group that masterminded the attack on Ms Bhutto might also be linked to the Lahore bombing.
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Scotland Yard investigators are in Lahore today, visiting forensic laboratories to examine evidence connected to Ms Bhutto’s murder in the garrison town of Rawalpindi.
She and about 20 others were killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack after she had addressed an election rally. The assassination of Pakistan’s most popular leader and twice prime minister led to widespread violent protests that left dozens more dead and forced a six-week postponement in the elections.
Nisar Memon, the Pakistani Minister for Information, said that today’s violence would not affect the election schedule. However, officials fear more violence in the run up to the elections, crucial for Pakistan’s long-awaited return to democracy after nine years of military rule.
There has been a steep rise in terrorist violence since the army stepped up its operations against the Islamic militants seeking to establish Taleban-style conservative Islamic rule in the troubled northern border region.
Military and intelligence agencies have born the brunt of the attacks since last July, when special forces stormed the radical Red Mosque in the capital, Islamabad, killing more than 100 people, including the mosque’s leader, a pro al-Qaeda cleric. Many of the dead were poor students from the north.
Security officials have blamed the suicide bombings on Baitullah Mehsud, a pro al-Qaeda militant leader spearheading fighting against government forces in the lawless Waziristan tribal region. He has also been accused of masterminding the attack on Ms Bhutto. The Government has released the names of several prominent figures believed still to be on the terrorist hit list, including Nawaz Sharif and a half a dozen leaders of other political parties.
The prevailing political uncertainty has helped the extremists to expand their influence. The spread of Islamic militancy out of the border areas into Pakistan’s heartland has had a frightening and destabilising effect.
In 2007 nearly 1,000 people were killed in suicide bombings, making Pakistan second only to Iraq in the number of such attacks. Most of the victims were from among the military, the former patrons of the jihadis. In the past three months 300 soldiers have been killed in 20 suicide attacks, particularly in the troubled northern areas.
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8 responses so far ↓
1 Affan Javed // Jan 11, 2008 at 12:36 pm
How come every thing is the fault of Mr. BaitulaMasud…
every suicuide bomber seem to have a link with him, Govt always know pre-handedly the count of suicide bombers released… govt always anounces people on the hit list…
and this time and last time also the attact his been on people …
lawyers and PPP are all asking for populist demands… baitulamasud has nothing to do with them…. its an internal affair… and i believe this is all the work of government agencies to destabalize the situation further… and find a premise for not having elections at all… Mush has said on several occassions that western democracy cant be succesful here… he wants much more regulated form here… this is all a premise to acheive that form!
2 Sufi // Jan 12, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Guys the powerful establishment wants to postpone the upcoming polls further thats way they are spreading fear,chaos and panic in the country. They would never alow break up of status but would afford the country to disintegrate.
They have enough wealth and power to sustain or to move abroad. They have enough mombers to create havoc and destruction. So no Baithullah Mehsud is involved in this carnage. The establishment is the architect in every bombing. If Baithullah is involved,He too is the scape got and agent of establishment.
3 Sher Shah // Jan 13, 2008 at 10:26 pm
The RAW is involved with dogs in Pak administration.
Any dead mans head can be dropped off.
CIA is on it too, with USA forces sitting on Pak borders to caputure the nukes.
4 Sher Shah // Jan 13, 2008 at 10:29 pm
How can Baitul Maud order the cleaning of the streets with water in Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Why the admin comes up with the fake ideas of latch causing death.
Obvious U know who is covering up.
5 Sufi // Jan 14, 2008 at 10:33 pm
We all know that Baithullah Mehsood is not involved in this carnage,but if the conception exits then He is a scate goat of the ISI.
RAW too is a scape goat friends. We have enough enemy within to unleash such type of inferno.RAW has alot more to do in India-lot more to contain the separatist movenments. So blaming RAW is ridiculus. How could RAW wash out the street soon after the incident?
We have enough killers,assassins,extremists,Mosad/CIA spies,NEO-CON agents,butchers,Bin Ladens,Mohalla Omers,Mir Jaffers/Sadiqs,mercinaries and Qatils to unleash such carnage. The Generals have can afford to repeat the 1971 episode because they are not answerable to the people-but to the US. Their flight is confirmed in case of the split of the state. They have accumulated enough money to live in the US or in Isreal.
If the US is involved then without the backing of Musharra,ISI,Generals and SSG commandoes,such sophisticated operation was not possible.
I urge my friends to see the enemy within.
6 javedrafiq // Jan 20, 2008 at 6:59 am
The time and circumstances demand that all democratic forces, no matter how bitterly arraigned they may be at present against each other or against Musharraf, must rally ropund and to fight the extremists and terrorists and then and after they succeed only then should they clamour for democracy.
The US government too would do well to lend support to any Pakistani government that is fighting the terrorists and extremists rather than making the proper noises supporting democracy there!
7 Zulfiqar Ali Syed // Jan 21, 2008 at 11:01 am
I have huge problem with the concept of terrorism, what is it, Is it a terror, when Mr. Mussharraf use the public roads, In Karachi, for instant i have witnessed, huge military, paramilitary, and police presence on streets, holding state of the art weapons, and literally pointing them to every citizen. Is it a terror when a full jeep of Army personal hit a small motor bike, and all the biker can do is look to the jeep in misery and move away. Is it a terror when your country’s top judges manhandled by police.
YES WE ALL NEED TO FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, AND MUST UNDERSTAND THE ROOT CAUSE, AND MUST ADDRESS IT, BUT FIRST OF ALL WE NEED TO DECIDE WHERE THE TERRORISM IS COMING FROM
8 jasmine // Feb 10, 2008 at 1:47 am
It was actually a LEVER of the Sun Roof as per the final reports of Scotland Yard Police :D
Strange…. how can they do this without a postmortem???
Jasmine Rafique
http://pkfocus.blogspot.com/
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