Another Terror Attack in Pakistan

Khaleej Times Online

An audacious attack on Pakistan Army's bastion outside capital Islamabad is worrisome. Apparently, it is a revenge act on the part of Taleban who have been on the receiving end from the military. But one cannot ignore a host of internal and external factors as well, as Pakistan faces a serious crisis of governance.

Moreover, misadventures on the part of coalition forces in Afghanistan, coupled with the flawed strategy with which the war against terrorism is being fought, have made life miserable in the region. Pakistan army, which has been at the vanguard of fighting a war that had been thrust upon it by virtue of geopolitical upheavals, has however done a commendable job, and it is evident from the successes it has attained in the restive Swat Valley and its adjoining tribal areas. Thus, the attack seems to be an attempt to break its resolve, and a conspiracy to plunge the country in deeper crisis.

The daredevil manner in which the attack was planned and executed, involving exchange of fire for around 45 minutes, has raised many eyebrows. Terrorists disguised in military uniform at the gates of army headquarters jumps straight out of an action movie. But the fact that the plot was foiled comes as a relief. Yet, it goes on to establish the extreme that has been reached on the part of militants, exacerbating the situation perhaps to a point of no return. Saturday's attack is the third consecutive one following the one outside Indian embassy in Kabul and the other outside the provincial assembly in Peshawar. The apparently synchronised moves point to the strength and freedom with which the terrorists are operating on both sides of the Durand Line, posing a challenge for the respective governments that cannot be overlooked, come what may.

Pakistani military authorities, engaged in an intensive debate these days over the impact of the proposed Kerry-Lugar Bill and the evolving geopolitical situation, will certainly look at the rising trend of terrorism in a holistic way. As the army is on the verge of moving into South Waziristan, the fiefdom of Taleban these days, it is compelling the government to ensure that the house is in order, and issues of political exigency do not come to reflect its weaknesses in fighting an enemy that is faceless and stateless.

It would not be out of context to say that the perceptional divide between the army and the government of President Asif Ali Zardari, owing to the impugned piece of US legislation, can prove to be detrimental to the stability and sovereignty of the country. This is the time to stand united, and defeat the enemy that is knocking at the door with impunity.