HOW fast Pakistan is slipping into violence and lawlessness is revealed by a report presented to the National Assembly on Friday stating that at least 1,395 people were killed in 1,842 terrorist attacks throughout the country from January 2008 to March 2009. The loss to public property though yet to be calculated would easily run into billions of rupees. Unfortunately, the government could not submit inquiry report of any of these attacks to the Parliament. The legislators were told that Pakistan received a total of Rs 169.08 billion for counterinsurgency operations. which given the frequency of attacks suggests the government's failure in making the right use of them. Though the people killed belong to areas from all over the country, it is Balochistan that has topped the list as the province was worst-hit by terrorism where, 436 people died in 1,122 attacks. A large swathe of its territory remains mired in violence. Even the provincial capital Quetta has come under a spate of attacks. Unnerved by the situation made worse by the assassination of three Baloch leaders, and calling for a political solution, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday in his briefing to the Senate attributed the Balochistan imbroglio to some conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the country. A similar explanation was given by former President General Musharraf who maintained that he was absolutely certain that it were the Indians who were sparking unrest in the province. One cannot rule out a foreign hand but at the end of the day it all boils down to the government's efficiency and sincerity to rein in such elements, be they internal or external. And if the authorities suspect involvement of any country, reason demands that they lay the evidence before the public and share it with friendly countries. As it is, terrorism has emerged as the biggest problem faced by the country. It has had an adverse impact on the country's economy as both local and foreign investment has nose-dived. Above all else, it is the security apparatus particularly the intelligence agencies and police that would have to be properly trained and equipped as their current performance raise many an eyebrow. Micheal Leiter director of the National Counter-terrorism Centre in the US, rightly posits out that Pakistan's intelligence services need greater capability to combat the growing militancy in the country. Under the circumstances, the state whose foremost duty is to secure the safety of its citizens needs to gird up its loins to put a stop to the scourge of terrorism.