Tallat Azim "Could you and I with fate conspire, To change the sorry scheme of things entire, Would not we shatter it to bits, And re-mould it nearer to the Heart's Desire" - Omar Khayyam Pakistan's cities are being targeted by terrorists who are present, not just at our doorsteps, but now inside the four walls of our homes too. Their random acts are well coordinated and do cause the mayhem and grief they intend. This is an unwinnable war for the enemy yet they continue their efforts, with more and more desperation, as the blasts become hourly affairs, instead of daily ones. This is a war that we are now unfortunately all embroiled in and fighting along with all our security forces. The need for mature and believable leadership is being felt today as never before. With the governmental fiascos losing count, there is an almost palpable feel to the military chafing at the bit, but alas, it is only the ineptness of the politicians that invites military adventurism. (But that debate is for another day). The resolve to free our country of these terrorists gets firmer with each attack in which precious lives are lost. What everyone would like to see are less tall claims by the Minister of Interior and more quiet focus on the task at hand. And why does the minister feel the need to revert to the English language when talking to the press when more people would understand him if he spoke in the national language - or perhaps he does not want to be understood Up to now the modus operandi for suicide bombing was the usage of innocent, brainwashed little boys from 14 to 16 years' old on the average, but things seemed to have changed lately. And who can we point to as the catalyst for this 'change' in the Taliban? Our neighbour India, perhaps, given their experience with the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka? It appears that the Taliban have joined the league of multinationals and large corporations and have decided to become equal opportunity employers as far as suicide bombing is concerned A woman's place, it is thus established, is not just the home but can also be Paradise. This should help in changing the perception developed about the Taliban regarding treatment of women. They do not just flog them, they blow them up too. At least they have deemed Paradise fit for both men and women, although I am sure they visualise compar-tmentalisation over there as well. It is so sad to know that Southern Punjab too has a few bases from where these strikes are planned. Anyone who has lived in Southern Punjab will vouch for the fact that the natural temperament of the Seraiki speaking people is peaceful, having had centuries of influence from the numerous Sufi saints who made this area their home and from where they converted people to Islam just by being role models. Notwithstanding those sentiments, if the south of Waziristan and some areas of southern Punjab are terrorist dens, then they have to be wiped clean but in a more permanent manner than what we are seeing happening so far. Pakistan has to revert to the tolerant and progressive country it was envisaged to be. I quote from a speech of the chairman of an international conference on the Example (Seerat) of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in Karachi in 1976: "The wisdom of Allah's final Prophet (PBUH) seeking new solutions for problems which could be solved by traditional methods, provides the inspiration for Muslims to conceive a truly dynamic and modern society without affecting the fundamental concepts of Islam." Why are such words forgotten so fast? We have to re-evaluate and re-strategize collectively and on the same wavelength to be able to begin anew. Postscript: We moved to the city of Islamabad in 1987. It had the serenest roads and the sleepiest population, with a lot of people cycling around or climbing hills for exercise. The moment one turned towards Islamabad from Faizabad in Rawalpindi, the chaos and clutter got left behind and the view of the Margalla Hills and the wide tree-lined avenues brought a smile to one's face. Islamabad was almost therapeutic at that time. It had the same effect on shot nerves as the best Spa treatment probably. The rest of the country's residents envied the calm of this new city greatly. With the previous government's policies on car leases etc the story changed somewhat and there were more cars on the roads than the roads could hold. Thus the city planners did some ambitious projects and the capital got its fair share of underpasses and overhead bridges, expressways and such like. The intention was that the traffic flow should remain smooth, unhindered and speedy on all roads, with no bottlenecks. But just as in the saying, "whenever I make my ends meet, someone moves the ends," now that we have all the expressways, we are made to go at a snails pace with the massive security blocks on all roads. However, the worst thing to happen to Islamabad was 9/11. When there was an attack on the twin towers in oh so distant New York, on that fateful day in September 2001, and we watched it happen, as horrified as the rest of the world, we did not have the faintest idea of the bearing it will have on us. As the war on Afghanistan unfolded, the media from the entire world descended on Islamabad and the myth of it being the world's best kept secrets broke for ever. That was when even the smallest rooftop spaces atop hotels were taken for huge amounts of rent for placing satellite dishes for sending news out of the region. From then onwards, things have never been the same and the country as well as its capital have remained in the eye of the storm. Sucked into a war, not of it's making or choice, and with no visible end in sight. In fact, the war came directly to Islamabad with suicide bombers targeting the capital and turning it into a war zone. Ah Islamabad. The writer is a freelance columnist.