Peshawer---A New Twist

Fatima Rizvi

The massive bomb blast in Peshawer that killed a hundred people and injured hundreds more is a deviation from the TTP (Tehrik Taliban Pakistan) pattern of attacks. The TTP/Al Qaeda has not deliberately targeted civilians and certainly not women and children. They have invariably targeted military personnel, security personnel, intelligence assets, political leaders and government installations and buildings. They have carried out armed attacks and suicide bombings. The Peshawer attack used a vehicle borne explosive device detonated by remote control. It was meant to kill civilians---women and children-to spread fear and destabilize. It may be too early to reach a conclusion but it suits an entity that seeks to destabilize Pakistan and spark ethnic and religious violence. Besides the TTP the focus should shift to those who operate under the shadow of the TTP.

The US presence in Afghanistan and their operations against Pashtuns are the trigger for the Taliban-Al Qaeda nexus and the Afghan resistance against US presence. The Afghan government is dominated by no-Pashtuns and is a close ally of India and the US. India has a big presence in Afghanistan because of Afghan government sponsorship and US silence on the issue. US and India are allies with a Civilian Nuclear Technology Agreement between them and many other areas of cooperation. Pakistanis see the US-Afghan Government-India combine and conclude that India and Afghan Government are colluding in a pro-active policy to destabilize Pakistan. Pashtuns are predominantly in Southern Afghanistan and the western provinces of Pakistan and US policy of military aggression and drone attacks has alienated them. It is within this broader context that we should see the US-Pakistan alliance and the current operations in Waziristan and the terrorism within Pakistan.