ANY realist would agree that a state’s foremost duty is to guarantee safety to its citizens. Sadly, for our government, this is not the case. All major cities of Pakistan shook and echoed with bomb blasts, killing hundreds in a matter of 48 hours. And the number of deaths would have been higher if not for the successfully defused 13kg bomb in Karachi.

Where are the responsible officials during these gory times? Perhaps they are busy forming a new committee to have peace talks with the third hand behind these blasts, instead of curbing terrorism.

Now with a new shady organisation called the United Balochistan Army (UBA) and the deadline of ceasefire with the TTP approaching swiftly, our government should divert its attention from petty world records and metro bus services and pay heed to the safety of its citizens.

Khoulah Afzal Qamar

Karachi