Two deadly explosions ripped through a highly sensitive area in Quetta on Wednesday in retaliation for the arrest of the Al-Qaeda operative Younis al-Mauritani. They left a total of 24 people dead and 82 others wounded. Most of the injured are in critical condition. Soon after a suicide bomber had detonated his explosives-laden vehicle right outside the house of the Deputy Chief of the FC, another explosion targeted a vehicle of the FC outside the Commissioners office. The attacks should be condemned in all seriousness. It appears that as of now the arrested aI-Mauritani has not been handed over to the US because Defence Secretary Leon Panetta is reported to have said that his government would try to get access to him. Our authorities must resist all American pressure for his handover because, first of all, he is wanted by Pakistan where several charges are lying against him and even had head money set for him. Besides, why should we be handing over suspects to the US when our repeated requests to repatriate Dr Aafia Siddiqui have been ignored in the most callous way? It is obvious that if these arrested operatives are properly interrogated they could provide vital information about their networks and this information could be shared with the US. Moreover, as witnessed in the past, there always remains the possibility of the danger that once in the custody of the US these militants could be forced to confess things that might prove detrimental to our national security. Meanwhile the responsibility for the gruesome attack in Quetta was claimed by TTP that also stated that this was in response to the arrest of al-Mauritani. The spate of mass-casualty attacks in the country suggest that Pakistan is being deliberately pushed between a rock and hard place. We have been forcibly led into a war whose fallout has now shaken us to the core. The only option is to part ways with the US. We should be attending to improving the law and order situation. While there should be no compromise with the forces who are engaged in terrorism, focus should be placed on finding a political solution to the conflict in the tribal areas. American demands to launch an operation in North Waziristan is a ploy meant to further trap us in the quicksand of Fata and must be firmly rebuffed.