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DESPICABLE attacks in Quetta and Parachinar yesterday — one of the most sacred days of Ramazan — have caused a terrible loss of life and injury.
The immediate emphasis must necessarily be on providing the best possible care to the wounded and the families of those who died in the cowardly attacks in two very different regions of the country.
What the attacks suggest is that the approaching Eid holidays across the country are very much a moment of elevated threat.
Whether it is the rising threat of the militant Islamic State group or the old danger posed by the Pakistani Taliban, the militants, together or separately, have demonstrated that they have the ability to strike inside Pakistan.
It is obvious that complacency will not keep the country safe over the upcoming holidays and that safety will only be incrementally re-established if security standards are urgently tightened.
The country has not suffered a major attack over the Eid holidays in several years — a record for which the security forces deserve credit — but past successes should not obscure the continuing threat.
Beyond Eid, however, there remain fundamental questions that have yet to be answered.
Why, for example, has Quetta, a provincial capital that ought to be the most secure of all regional cities, continued to suffer militant attacks?
Many a time, the attacks are on the outskirts of the city — a zone in which it is difficult to provide security — but far too often the attacks occur in neighbourhoods of the provincial capital where tightened security ought to prevent militant infiltration.
The problem appears to be that any particular attack is not regarded as a failure of defensive networks and that none has led to meaningful accountability or change in standard operating procedure.
Quetta is a city that faces myriad threats, but it is also a city that has manifold security resources that ought to prevent significant militant attacks.
Parachinar, of course, remains a region that years — perhaps more than a decade — of counter-insurgency operations has not been able to return to normality.
Why? Some explanations focus on the terrain, a region in which it is possible for militants to escape to multiple surrounding areas, while others focus on the chronically inadequate resources committed by the state of Pakistan to fight the sophisticated militant threat in the area.
More than a decade on since the first counter-insurgency operation in Fata, all explanations are akin to excuses; there is no strategic, tactical or operational reason why Parachinar continues to suffer such regular violence.
The difference is perhaps this: an attack in Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad would attract such widespread anxiety that the state apparatus would necessarily have to take actions to try and prevent further incidents.
Parachinar and Quetta deserve to be treated in the same way.
An attack anywhere in Pakistan is an attack against the entire country.
Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2017
Comments (14) Closed
Quatta and Parichan both are also part of Pakistan then why govt not take any effective step against such despicable attack. perpetually such coward attack in these area may cause negative impact on countary situation...
spot on, "An attack anywhere in Pakistan is an attack against the entire country."
The boldest of all bold moves would be to move the summer capital to Quetta. Yes, as astounding as it sounds the movement of the entire political machinery to the provincial capital will jolt the nation and the security establishment to its senses and give Balochistan a much needed impetus and an elevated status. This will obviously require tremendous amount of will and "political capital" , in the real sense of the word, something the current administration cannot expend considering the fragile nature of the democratic process.
DAWN brings out an Editorial after every terrorist attack without fail. Whether the attack is in Quetta or Karachi or anywhere in the world, the value of human life is same. Time has come for people to become sensitive to such attacks and denounce where ever it takes place and whoever does it.
This is the part of conspiracy to destailize Pakistan. Our national action plan is in doldrum. Judicial system is too slow to meet the deadly challenges. Despite considerable time has elapsed Safora case still loitering in the court. Due to weaknesses in the system, terrorists take fullest advantages. Leadership busy in other matters and keeping themselves restricted to issue of repeated condemnation statements.
The government should turn buoyant and activate national action plan in letter and spirit.
All the analysis is no meaning... I feel hopeless in these analysis..many more such incident are bound to happen..Muslim world please look from different angles..root cause of these monsters emerged ..why,how they have come?? ...unless there is drastic change in your ideology, and work towards it, the present scenerio is going to be more amplified..
Unacceptable, unbearable, cathartic and controllable but not controversial tragedy. Every time same antagonist and same protagonist. Misunderstanding archetypically speaking is an unhealable wound for there is which no antibiotics and no augmentin. All Athenian, Sophoclean, Shakespearean and Marlovian tragedies concluded catastrophically because misjudgement, undecissiveness, hamartia, hubris, hate, haste and so on and so forth. Now world wants new day theatre. Hope soon perfume of peace will penetrate everywhere in the world. Hope soon sweetsmell of sensibility will spread everywhere in the world.
What is the ultimate goal of these terrorist?
@ejaz ali
Quatta and Parichan both are also part of Pakistan then why govt not take any effective step against such despicable attack. perpetually such coward attack in these area may cause negative impact on countary situation...
ejaz and others, the divide in Pakistan was created by the leaders (both politicians and military) is so deep rooted that the situation in the country will never change.
Pakistan's history beginning from the murder of first PM was written by the corrupt people in last 70 years. There is no solution to these problems as this serves the ruling elite well for staying in power. No one is honest with Pakistan.
Pardon my cynicism folks!
There are almost eight securities check points from Afghan boarder to Parachinar. How on earth a car packed with explosive got through right into city center. Tell me are you 100% sure there are no terror affiliated in your forces . Why always Quetta and Parachinar ?
People's right of self determination should be given .we should lead the way...
I fully agree with Mr. Ghulam Ghumman that it is the "political will" which is required and this is unfortunately lacking.
@Salman Ghumman I have not heared such impractical idea for long, Looks like you got some land at Gwadar and interest in CPEC..
How many people in Pakistan have been trained in first aid?