Terror revisited Khyber Pukhtunkhwa on Friday 13 May, 5:55 in Shabqadar where a batch of 70 young Frontier Constabulary cadets were preparing to visit their homes after their passing out parade. Two bombs exploded outside FC training center within a span of short time to engulf the lives of these 65 FC personals and three civilians. There are reports that first one was a planted bomb whereas the second one was a suicide attack. It is noteworthy to mention that this is the first ever big attack within Pakistan after the 2nd May Abbotabad operation which left Osama bin Laden dead. There and then, on 2nd May, TTP vigorously claimed that they would mix blood with tear if Osama was dead in the said operation. In this connection the Pakistani Taliban on Friday claimed responsibility of deadly bombings that killed 68 people, calling it the first revenge for the death of Osama bin Laden and threatened bigger attacks in the future. “This was the first revenge for Osama’s martyrdom. Wait for bigger attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said by telephone from an undisclosed location.
This is the first blow after Osama’s killing but its powerful and shocking which has sent many people in trauma on the Friday morning. Moreover, these bomb blasts show that TTP has the power, capability and intentions to hit again and again. There are some concerning issues for all of us. The very first thing is how much blasts TTP can carry out in Pakistan. Well, it’s simple that they can explode as many times as they want. With addition to it, they do not hesitate in hitting soft targets like schools, hospitals and markets where innocent children, women, elderly and all other are at a greater risk. Secondly, Pakistan security apparatus is weak and ill prepared against such high voltage jolts. Since the start of War on Terrorism Pakistani establishment has not invested substantially in strengthening immune system against these bombs blast. One argument presented is that suicide bomber cannot be stopped at any cost. This is a vague argument which basically shows the escapist ideology of the government and bureaucracy. Suicide bombings could have been averted and brought to minimum level by heavily reinforcing intelligence mechanism. If a bomber and his accomplice are nipped before they blow up can bring a note of success. For this it is necessary to read and decode the language and methodology of these bombers. There must be some common findings in all the bombing incidents. Here , I would like to present to interesting facts. Many suicide blasts occur on Friday and Saturday night. Other days of the week never go safe but bombings on these two days have become a routine. Another common trend is that earlier there would have been a single blast but now two blasts struck to maximize casualty. If security and intelligence operators investigate thoroughly they will surely find some other clues as well.
By killing up to seventy people in this recent bomb blast TTP has bluntly given a practical shape to their claims of taking revenge of Osama’s death inside Pakistan. In my earlier article “Things fall apart for Pakistan” I had mentioned that Pakistan is caught between the devil and the deep sea. This mayhem is a true manifestation of what I and many apprehended earlier. However, like always, government officials are late to react. There weren’t any mass level changes in the security structure which should have been affected as soon as possible right after Osama’s killing. It seems that everyone in the government machinery is hapless against these attacks. What we observe after every blast is a routine business. Blast, media buzz, Redman Malik asking for a report, PM condolence, security beefed up in whole Pakistan and then everyone forget. Will there be any respite for the wretched masses of Pakistan?
