WHILE the terrorists in Swat and elsewhere continue to challenge the writ of the state, the menace of sectarian strife is exacting a heavy toll on the law and order situation. The sectarian bloodletting, particularly that of Shia-Sunni, is a serious problem that over a period of time has claimed thousands of innocent lives. The blast that ripped through a Shia procession outside a mosque in Dera Ghazi Khan on Thursday, killing 30 and leaving dozens badly wounded, should be strongly condemned. The bomber quietly entered the crowd and blew himself up. That resulted in the death of a number of people. IG Punjab Shaukat Javed is right in saying that the purpose of the attack was to create fear and unrest among the Shia community of the town. While Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Zardari have condemned the attack, mere words would not suffice. Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has ordered the police to wake up to its duty of ensuring safety of the citizens. One cannot rule out the possibility of a foreign hand, but other factors must also be explored. Reportedly the outfit responsible for carrying out a string of attacks targeting he Shia community were involved in the DG Khan carnage. They are suspected of carrying out numerous bomb attacks across the country, killing a number of innocent people. While the law enforcement agencies have been putting in a lot of effort to rein in the terrorist networks, the pity is that the organization, r at least its members. are still at large, carrying out a series of deadly attacks. Another worry is that a number of militant outfits have been spreading their networks quite efficiently in South Punjab. Foremost among them is the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, that a few months back tried to impose its own version of Sharia in the peaceful city of Kot Addu. It distributed leaflets in the city, urging women not to venture outside their homes without a headgear and threatened them with grave consequences in case of noncompliance. Under the circumstances, there is an urgent need on the part of the security forces to root out the growing scourge of militancy. The government's topsy-turvy approach in Swat has made matters worse. While it is still unclear whether there should be a military or a negotiated settlement, the terrorists continue to create mayhem. The incident in Dera Ghazi Khan is all the more alarming because it bears testimony to the strength such non-state actors have been gaining over time. The police should leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to book.