ATTACKS by terrorists are on the rise and the entire country is on red alert. Symbols of the state, especially the security apparatus, are clearly the prime targets. But as the recent spate of violence has shown, civilians are not being spared either by those bent on death and destruction. Sometimes ordinary people are unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. On other occasions they are deliberately targeted to sow fear — and doubts about the crackdown on militants— amongst a citizenry that is now largely supportive of the military offensive against the Taliban. The recent assault on the army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi has reconfirmed the view that no one is safe, civilian or otherwise.

The country's politicians are no exception. Whether part of the government or in the opposition, they represent the system's ruling elite and as such make for high-profile targets whose elimination could influence the democratic process or policymaking vis-à-vis the Taliban. Against this backdrop it is not surprising that parliamentarians are worried for their safety in Islamabad. If the GHQ is vulnerable so is the National Assembly, and the Parliament Lodges may be even easier to hit. Security is now reportedly being beefed up around the National Assembly as well as the Parliament Lodges. Efforts are also under way to ensure 'foolproof' security in the entire Red Zone, a part of Islamabad that houses major official buildings including parliament and the Supreme Court. The diplomatic district also falls within its ambit.

In the case of politicians, however, there is an element of the physician needing to heal himself first. It has been found that several parliamentarians, clearly for reasons of ego, refuse to comply with routine vehicle checks outside the Assembly. Others are accompanied by unauthorised guests who lack security clearance and cannot be searched physically either because the MNAs in question will not allow it. Such hubris is simply unacceptable. No parliamentarian can be allowed to endanger the lives of others and any legislator who tries to bypass security regulations must be taken to task, and publicly so to set an example.