THE NWFP is in ethnic turmoil entailing deadly consequences for the people of Abbottabad who are not just all nerves over the renaming issue but suffered the highhandedness of the Police, which brazenly shot dead 16 protestors and injured hundreds of them. The violence and fervour with which the entire city was suddenly hurled into a maelstrom, clearly shows the lengths the Hazarites could go to protect their sense of identity. They have as much right as any other group to be proud of their tribe and be called as such. This ethnic strife was a forgone conclusion of the haste and the clumsy manner in which the 18th Amendment Bill was rushed through in the National Assembly. It reflects poorly on the sagacity of the ruling junta that is now trying to embark on a campaign to repair the damage done to the federations unity and also to their standing in the public eye. Though disturbed by the polices indiscriminate firing on the rioters, Prime Minister Gilani has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Need anyone tell him that there is nothing more to the bloody episode than a police force that has become a law unto itself and is responsible for the deaths. PML-Ns Mian Nawaz Sharifs regret that the naming issue should not have been pegged with the 18th Amendment Bill shows his sense of loss at the fallout, but it also bears repeating that his partys stance leaves much to be desired. In the aftermath of the Abbottabad violence, the PML-Ns suggestion that the name should rather be Hazara Pakthunkhwa, amounts to trying to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted. True, the bill has yet to pass through the Senate where it would be hotly debated but if it gets the thumbs down, it would mean that energy and time has been needlessly consumed. And isnt PML-Qs Kamil Ali Agha right in saying that this is an attempt to divert the peoples attention from the real issues? Now that enough blood has been split and politicians have had enough of their wheeling and dealing, it is time to pick up a neutral name especially one that doesnt rake up the unpleasant memories of the time of independence when secessionist elements were averse to the idea of Pakistan and wanted to divide the newly formed state. The focus must be on reaching a settlement that offends no one, particularly not one that carries political overtones. If not controlled, the events of the past few days, combined with the prevailing resentment over loadshedding and poverty could prove to be a catalyst for a turbulent era.