IN an apparent suicide attack on his political house, Punjab Home Minister, Col (r) Shujah Khanzada was killed, along with 18 others on Sunday. Sources in the interior ministry say the banned militant outfit Lashkar-i-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack seems to be a revenge of the killing of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi’s leader Malik Ishaq in July. If this claim is correct, then the perpetrators should be brought to justice as soon as possible.

This is not only the assassination of the home minister but also an attack on the state’s sovereignty.

If the home minister of a province can become a prey to these terrorists, one can feel the vulnerability of the common man. The attack shows that militant outfits are still in power and can easily sabotage peace.

Tariq Faruqi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2015

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