The recent attack in Peshawar, a city fit to showcase Pakistani pluralism given the many shades of politics that it boasts, is a grim warning that the ghosts of 2013 may revisit us again in large numbers — unless the country is ready and vigilant enough to stop their advance which has clearly begun.

This is how our editors concluded Dawn's editorial today, arguing that theories which assert that security for electioneering and poll candidates are an undue luxury must be shunned in these days, in favour of a more pragmatic, and humane, approach.

As Pakistan heads to the polling booths in less than a fortnight, such an approach will be necessary in order to guarantee that all parties have a level-playing field.

Read the rest of the editorial here.