Carnage on Ashura

The acts of butchery in Iraq and Pakistan on Ashura have shocked Muslims the world over. In Iraq, the attacks on the shrine of Imam Husain in Karbala and on the Kazimiya mosque near Baghdad took the heaviest toll, leaving nearly 200 dead and hundreds more wounded.

It was one of Iraq's worst acts of violence in recent years. In Pakistan, the attack on the mourning procession in Quetta claimed no fewer than 43 lives, besides causing a much higher number of injuries. This by far has been the worst such attack on Ashura in the country in decades.

Another attack on an Ashura procession in Phalia, Punjab, left 40 people injured. Reports of a sectarian clash that cost at least one life have also come in from Kabul, Afghanistan.

It is too early to say with certainty if Al Qaeda operatives were behind the bloody attacks in Iraq and the one in Quetta, even though these were well planned and involved suicide bombers who struck with the precision associated with that terrorist organization.

The Quetta attack has come as a rude shock to everyone in Pakistan. It is indeed surprising that the terrorists should have chosen to strike in that city, and that too on Ashura, when the authorities repeatedly reassured the people that law enforcement agencies were on a red alert to avert any mishap anywhere in the country.

Quetta has been the scene of some of the worst cases of sectarian violence in recent months: attacks on a group of police cadets and on a Shia mosque there left over 60 people dead last year.

The Quetta Nazim was quoted as saying, "I was present near the procession when we first heard an explosion and then some people fired shots." The attack reportedly involved two suicide bombers followed by grenade throwing and indiscriminate firing on the procession.

The participants of the procession then returned fire and a gun battle ensued, with security personnel apparently standing by and watching helplessly.

The latter reportedly sprang to action only when angry mobs set out to damage public and private property, torching shops, vehicles, a mosque and a cinema house.

By the time the authorities imposed a curfew, much of the damage had already been done. Among the growing number of people being pronounced dead by hospital authorities are six policemen.

The president and the prime minister have done well to order an inquiry into the incident, vowing to bring those behind the attack to justice and announcing monetary compensation for the families of the victims.

The inquiry being conducted must also look into the apparent security lapse on the part of the Quetta administration: the failure of the authorities to secure the buildings along the route of the procession and the fact that some mourners were carrying firearms.

In the larger national context, one is appalled to note that the plethora of security agencies it is our misfortune to foot the bill for have failed to penetrate terrorist groups and pre-empt their attacks.

Ashura, as we all know, does not mark the end of the mourning period; processions are a taken out throughout the months of Muharram and Safar and into Rabi-ul-Awwal.

The authorities must doubly ensure that strict safety measures are enforced in the weeks ahead to avoid any recurrence of the gory drama acted out in Quetta on as solemn an occasion as Ashura.

Kashmiri complaint

Even as Kashmiri leaders debate the status of peace talks with New Delhi, Indian behaviour in the occupied valley leaves much to be desired. The latest complaint comes from Hurriyat leader Maulana Abbas Ansari, who has accused Indian troops of forcibly preventing the Shia population from taking out Muharram processions while placing no such restrictions on large numbers of Hindus observing an annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath.

Although, owing to security reasons, there is a ban on religious processions in the valley, it is unfortunate that Indian security forces should resort to excessive force at a time when peace is in the air. Recently, the police broke up a Muharram procession, causing injuries to more than 20 people and arresting 100.

For some time now, Indo-Pakistan relations have been on the mend. All guns are quiet along the Line of Control, and air, road and rail links across the international border have been restored between the two nuclear rivals.

The meeting between President Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee during the SAARC summit in Islamabad in January has turned out to be seminal, with both sides agreeing to a composite dialogue.

Both Pakistan and India stand to gain if the peace process continues to move forward. Sporting ties, too, have been renewed and the Indian cricket team is to play in Pakistan after a gap of 14 years.

This air of detente has been further strengthened by statements from Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani - both hawks - that the level of "infiltration" by militants into occupied Kashmir has gone down perceptibly.

To maintain the momentum toward peace, it is time New Delhi took some worthwhile steps to lessen tension in the occupied territory. One obvious way could be to rein in its soldiers - and create a congenial atmosphere that would arouse confidence among the Hurriyat leaders in India's commitment to peace.

Unless India restrains its security forces, the ongoing human rights abuses in the valley could well jeopardize the Indo-Pakistan peace process.

Unofficial bus termini

A recent picture in this newspaper showed in proper perspective the havoc caused by the haphazard and unplanned location of inter-city bus termini. One of the largest of such unofficial termini is situated off M.A. Jinnah Road - one of Karachi's busiest traffic arteries.

It was not planned but cropped up over the years to meet the growing demand for inter-city travel. The result is extreme inconvenience for motorists and for people who live in buildings close to the terminus.

Most of the road space and the footpaths have been taken over by the buses or their maintenance staff, and the heavy loads of the massive vehicles have destroyed the road surface

The area around this particular bus terminus, spread over several side streets, has practically become out of bounds for motorists and pedestrians in general. The situation is pretty much the same throughout the city, with bus operators turning residential areas, thoroughfares and side lanes into termini, workshops and booking offices combined.

The city government could have a more constructive and purposeful role in finding a solution which not only meets Karachi's demand for inter-city travel but also minimizes the negative impact of illegal termini on the quality of life of those who live close to them.

A city the size of Karachi needs a central bus terminal. Given Karachi's size and the direction of various destinations it could have perhaps two, but certainly not the dozens that it has on busy roads and in residential areas.

Proper planning will be needed in the location of such a terminal: it will need ample space, should be close to the city's main exit point and away from congested residential areas.

All big cities the world over have bus termini where coaches operate within a discipline and without becoming a nuisance for citizens. Just as Sabzi Mandi was moved out of the heart of the city and located well on the Super Highway, so also a bus terminal must be created away from the city as part of a well thought-out plan.