Pakistan remains mired in death and destruction for the last few years. The spate of attacks by the terrorists is like Sword of Dam-ocles for the people. The worst hit appears to be the areas bordering FATA, while the rest of the country gets occasional shocks caused by human and material losses. It goes to the credit of our police that has served the country well, while the army remains embroiled in Swat and Waziristan, yet, in spite of having knocked out the 'enemy. Our generally disorganised people have also stood up against these unfortunate developments. Their forbearance has been epical, despite being dogged by the 'enemy as well as poor governance. Take the IDPs who were, mainly, helped by the society, while the government also stumbled through limited relief operations in camps which catered to the needs of a minority of the distressed. All the Pakistanis while mourning their multiple losses, including security, have tried to maintain the status quo, despite the lack of credibility of the people exercising power in the name of democracy. The latest salvo by the 'enemy was on the Special Investigation Agency (SIA) office in Model Town, Lahore, on Monday. According to reports, 15 people were killed and about 80 were injured. The SIA office in 'K Block has suffered a similar fate as the office of an advertising agency in 'F Block which was targeted on March 12, 2008, killing 28 and injuring over 200 people, with disastrous consequences generally for the residents of Model Town. The situation became even more baffling and tragic as many channels were flaunting an 'intelligence report warning of the 'attacks including against the battered site. Unfortunately in our neo-feudal society, governments can disregard the public opinion and this is being aggressively done under the cover of 'war on terror. Accordingly, an enquiry will be ordered and all maybe forgotten soon as another grievous blow is given to the public by some bomber. That is why the grisly attacks such as the Sri Lankan team, the mass murder in Bibi Shah-eeds rally in Karachi and the regular mayhem that goes on in Karachi allegedly for land grabbing, continue and share the fate as of Murtaza Bhuttos murder case. Lately, the policemen - the usual suspects - who formed the security ring of ZABs son have been released by a court after suffering imprisonment for 13 years as a waiting period. Maybe the honourable chief justice of the Supreme Court can find some way of doing justice to these poor people, including two ASPs on the analogy of the relief provided to an IGP. Unless, such cases are dug up and openly prosecuted under the relevant law in good faith, the fight against the 'enemy will remain a chimera and a political ploy. The creepy catastrophe cropping up in Lahore, like the earlier ones, signifies some object lessons. First, it is an atrocity by the government to allow such sensitive offices to be located in a residential area. However, the head of the SIA office claimed that many commercial organisations, like schools or offices, were functioning in the same area so a government agency was no aberration. Second, education has become a 'business which offers great monetary returns thanks to the bloating population matched by the lack of funds for this sector, as well as clumsy administration. So these rich people can buy off the officials, as well as the political parties, and set up schools in densely populated areas of the cities. No wonder a little girl died in the Model Town attack, like many before her, but nobody appears to be bothered at the societal level. This is the outcome of our new feudal culture which undercuts even the fundamental freedoms for the 'public. We broke Paki-stan because of this syndrome and this part survived when certain elements came together to oust Yahya Khan. Islamabad is also infested with such schools which offer devastating targets to the wo-uld-be bombers. These schools cultivate the people in power. There are school which are a big traffic nuisance but the local administration looks the other way, as their management have connections with the high-ups. Third, our tendency to gossip also compromises our security. Why should it be an open secret regarding which 'sensitive office is located where? No wonder when the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) was being set up (in Kahuta), the bus conductors used to shout bum-factory as their destination implying Kahuta. Keeping our people illiterate and deprived may suit certain quarters but it is a serious thre-at to the country. This is aggravated by the strange mind-set of our political class which tends to make tall claims to impress its hangers-on, as there is no fear of accountability. Fourth, the police are acting brave, as in more than two years of carnage many of them fell for their country. But that is not good, mainly, because even today they remain ill-equipped its counter the basic challenge. Political statements given in Parliament, a forum of rich acolytes which is fast losing its footing in return for personal perks and lack of quorum, wont work. At the same time, the Lahore blast shows that the police have little surveillance equipment like it was when the Sri Lankan team escaped death. While it is good to trust the Almighty for His 'help, we must do our best. The police must not be used as pawns to do some fire-fighting. Serious training and discipline is instrumental to understanding the mission. This gets bolstered by the provision of new devices and the capability to use the same. It is a tribute to our faith and traditions that the police and the people are offering sacrifices despite their reservations about the status quo. As a final word, the US keeps bombing people in Afghanistan and Pakistan just because of the fear of a 'new attack. In these attacks our people are dying, implicitly for aid which does not benefit them, thanks to pilferages and the shifty personalities who appear to be above the law. Undoubtedly, Pakistanis must get politics of integrity otherwise the challenge may worsen greatly. The writer is a former secretary interior.