There were recently at least 5 terrorist attacks in a span of 5 days in Pakistan. Even for a country accustomed to such attacks, it still came as a huge shock.
A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Punjab Assembly in Lahore taking 13 lives. Next to follow was a bomb ripping through the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan killing 88 people and injuring 100s. The nearest hospital was reported to be over 100 km away and with no ambulances or doctors available on-site. The injured had to be taken on personal motorbikes and/or rickshaws. This inevitably added to the misery and raised the toll of the dead.
Compelling statements were made after these attacks by the powers that be.
“An attack on them is a direct threat to Jinnah's Pakistan”
“This attack tantamounts to attack on the entire nation”
“Each drop of the nation's blood shall be revenged”
In less than 24 hours, over 100 terrorists had been killed and a large number of apprehensions made as well.
While this is certainly a positive step, my only question is (and I am not the only one wondering) why did they wait for the terrorists to strike before going for them? They nabbed these terrorists literally overnight, which indicates that the Intel was already there. Why did they wait? Especially since two warnings had already been previously received that attacks were going to take place in Pakistan. The Taliban had even blatantly declared that they would attack the shrine. The attack was expected!
What were they waiting for?
Understandably, it is difficult to stop a suicide bomber, as he can quite literally explode anywhere; however the next question to arise is why wasn’t there more security?
We are not new to terrorism!
“This is a virtual declaration of war against the state of Pakistan” was another statement given by the powers that be.
Hadn’t this fact been declared the first time a terrorist attack ever took place?
Or if that did not count, then at the very least the APS attack on Dec 16th 2014 which took 141 lives from which 132 had been kids, should have mattered!
Incidentally, a warning had been given then too that an attack would take place.
We did not learn even then.
While it is great that action is taking place now, there is a lot more to be done.
A shrine of Mumtaz Qadri, the man executed as a criminal by the state, exists freely in Islamabad. People go there to pay their respects and pray for him. What does that indicate to the average person?
Everyone knows about ISIS and what they are capable of doing. Jamia Hafsa brazenly under the approval of Abdul Aziz (Lal Masjid) declared their allegiance to it (ISIS) and yet no one is there to question Abdul Aziz let alone arrest anyone.
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) are a banned terrorist outfit in Pakistan and they hold rallies publicly and often inciting violence, again in Islamabad.
There are numerous madrassas, which teach terrorism instead of actual religion.
Are we waiting for them to go kaboom killing 100s as well?
I am not even talking about the apologists who give power to the terrorists here!
Why can't we see how majority of the main religious groups are shying away from condemning terrorist attacks that are killing Pakistanis? At most, we are getting sugarcoated lines which diminish the fact that the lives of these Pakistanis were violently and painfully taken. Instead, things like God will take care of the murderers are being said. Yes, God indeed will but does that mean that we sit here hand in hand and do nothing?
Have they forgotten: “Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (13:11)
We can’t go into deep slumber and be woken up temporarily only when terrorism takes place. We need to take action and preventive measures before they happen.
Chopping off a rotten finger only fixes the problem momentarily, the disease infecting the body will continue to grow and always move on to rot other parts of the body.
What are we constantly waiting for?