LAHORE Suspects at Liberty

Published March 4, 2009

RIGHT at the beginning the television footage chillingly reminded the Lahoris of Mumbai, November 26, 2008. By the evening, a large number of people were convinced of the idea — among them respectable analysts, journalists who have been covering crime for long, policemen who wouldn`t want to be named. This however didn`t stop other theories to haunt the latest destination on the global terror tour. There was a pile-up of conspiracy explanations at the Liberty Roundabout on Tuesday. The common strain running through all the theories juggled with was revenge what goes around, comes around at the life`s roundabout.

The Tamil rebels, militants from Lashkar-e-Taiba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Taliban or an obscure group from within Pakistan, Al Qaeda, RAW, an Indian rightwing outfit, even some Bangladeshi militant organisation, of course someone looking to divert attention from the lawyers` long march... all stereotypes converged on the unfortunate square that of all the names in the world, had to wear `liberty` as its title, in a virtual South Asian jamboree on terror. Never have so many suspects gathered at one place in the past.

The list of suspects demanded a South Asian jamboree of the security agencies representing all the states that are bound by the common objective to eliminate terror. The irony of it all was deepened when the worried Lahoris realised that the only people who could best exploit the liberty allowed to them were the “twelve” terrorists still roaming loose in the city.

And if the suspects` list was in any way found lacking, kidnappers also made an appearance on a number of investigation charts later in the day. It was pointed out that given their method and the arsenal they had on them like grenades etc, the `12 terrorists` that struck at 850 on Tuesday may have had plans to hijack the bus with Sri Lankan cricketers on board. It seemed that, aided as they were by the inefficient administrative handling of the incident, the attackers were very `keen` on fleeing after whatever they did or did not achieve — keen on escaping unlike the usual jihadis who are so fond of taking a short cut to heavens through the suicide route. This, to many minds, absolved the jehadis of the act, and eyes were cast towards the eastern neighbour who, a senior analyst argued, had always found it easy to strike Lahore due to the proximity.

But why would those looking to avenge Mumbai embroil another neighbour, Sri Lanka, in it? Nothing conclusive could be arrived at as the answer to the question followed a similar line of thought that has in recent times seen the blame of the twin towers placed at the door of the Jews and which describes Mumabi as an inside job, thereby precluding benefits that can only come with introspection. According to the said scheme, Pakistan`s (and Islam`s) enemies are ready to wound themselves and risk national calamity so long as they are able to sully our name. One wonders, when our `enemies` could have adopted so many other, less complicated and less self-endangering measures to trouble us.

Has it been established beyond a shadow of doubt that the terrorists wanted to target the Sri Lankan team? Could they have mistaken the bus to be carrying the Pakistani cricketers instead? The question begs answers since it was reported that the Pakistanis were scheduled to leave the hotel for Qadhafi Stadium before the visitors. At a press conference in the afternoon, skipper Younis Khan confirmed that he had himself delayed his side`s departure from the hotel by five minutes allowing the Lankans a lead that could have proven fatal.

Again, amid official and unofficial voices that were dead sure that the attack was a result of immaculate planning, it was possible that a terror accomplice did keep his colleagues at Liberty posted about the movement of the bus. An accomplice may have seen the Sri Lankans getting on the bus and may have passed the information to the lead players in the conspiracy.

That should have entailed a quick search of numbers who might have called from the vicinity of the hotel at around 8.30 when the team had left for Qadhafi Stadium. But if the officials were mindful of this aspect of the investigation, they were keeping their findings to themselves. Indeed, as people of Lahore shuddered at the prospect of coming face to face with any of the 12 terrorists, all they heard by way of an assurance was that their city had been cordoned off and the police were looking for suspects.

Not any more welcome was the presence on stage of the squabbling politicians who couldn`t quite stop themselves from striking back at the opposition.

Governor Salmaan Taseer drew flak from all corners for it was his government that had failed to avoid the tragic incident that led to the death of many brave policemen. He was quick to liken it to Mumbai, leading to calls for a Mumbai-like cleaning of the official stables in the wake of the Lahore attack. His opponent, Shahbaz Sharif, chose the day to retort back to the allegations of power abuse levelled by the governor on Monday. Mr Sharif, who hates wastefulness, could have used his time much better by doing something which showed that, in or out of the government, he was standing with the people of his city in their hour of trial.

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