Spate of suicide bombings
19 July, 2007
Pakistan has been under the grip of suicide bombings ever since the Lal Masjid saga ended . Since the July 10 operation against the Lal Masjid in which more then 80 people lost their lives, Nearly 200 people mostly Security Personnel have been killed while 263 wounded in 21 incidents of suicide bombings, rocket attacks, abduction, terrorism and bloodshed in NWFP and tribal areas which seems as the reaction to the operation silence that began in Islamabad on July 03. It has been widely speculated by the general public that the recent spate of suicide attacks are a back lash of the Lal Majid operation as mostly security forces and policemen are targeted. The Government however is refusing that it is a reaction to the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa operation but it cannot be ruled out. President General Pervez Musharraf while addressing the nation recently had said that the terrorists, who were present in the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa during the operation, belonged to tribal areas and NWFP. Following the President statement, security forces were targeted in NWFP including tribal areas and Northern Areas in which nearly 200 people lost their lives and over 300 other received injuries. Most ironic is that people of Islamabad, who had always felt safe from the violent incidents, as the capital city is virtually a fort with all the security , saw the unfortunate incident of possible suicide bombing at Islamabad district courts on July 17 in which 18 people were killed.
Here are some questions1)Is the spate of suicide bombings a reaction to the Lal Masjid operation? If it is, is it justified? 2)Are we as citizens of Pakistan paying a price for its governments decision to side with the US? 3)Should the government impose an emergency in the country to control the law and order situation? 4)Should President Musharraf step down with some dignity to defuse the situation? 5)Can Pakistan become another Iraq?
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