The bomb blast at Al-Haj mosque located on strategic Quetta-Chaman highway on outskirts of provincial capital should be cause for concern and deliberations. According to media reports, this was a time bomb planted under the wooden chair of prayer leader resulting in loss of lives of four and injuries to 25 innocent men who had gathered to offer Friday prayers. It now emerges from reports by TV channels that the guard employed was a recruit of the Afghan National Army and his identity card has also been recovered from him. This is indeed a security lapse.

Obviously, this alien managed to cross the border and also get employed as a security guard in a mosque which is frequented by relatives of the Afghan Taliban. Why did the police, FIA and numerous other agencies deputed in Baluchistan fail to carry out background checks before this Afghan National Army recruit was allowed to be inducted to perform duties as a guard? Mosques have frequently been targeted in this province and the rest of the country.

It is time that our border security seals the border and puts a complete ban on smuggling which is allegedly taking place across the border, with or without the connivance of those who are posted there and along the highway. There should be thorough checking of all vehicles and people before allowing them to cross the border. The security forces posted in Baluchistan should focus primarily on performing their designated role in these times when we face threats both on our Eastern and western border, and delay the launching of DHA schemes, etc.

A.T. MALIK,

Lahore.