The method to the madness
Terror has struck the blighted city of Peshawar again. Around 19 people and counting have lost their lives while many more are injured. Our hearts go out to the families involved.
The city of Peshawar has been the target of the militants since long. Whereas the city saw its worst time during the last quarters of 2009, when it saw an attack literally every other day. The incident-density was far, far more than the rest of the troubled north-west.
But the number of attacks doesn’t usually serve as a good index of the writ of state. Areas in the backwaters of the tribal areas might not see as many attacks specifically because they are somewhat under the control of militants. It is the city of Peshawar, the seat of provincial government that is their target. But not just random attacks in the city. The militants want to recreate at least a measure of the same kind of weakening of the positive framework of the state that they have managed to achieve elsewhere.
The first in this line of fire comes the political class. For this, the ANP, which is not afraid to pull punches, policy-wise, in the war on terror, has paid a great price. With two sitting legislators having been killed and hundreds of activists as well, the militants have attempted to create a disconnect between the politicians and the electorate. As much in the frontline is the police. The Frontier Police has scores of very impressive accounts of bravery from the ranks. Though constables and inspectors have displayed courage throughout the country, the KP police’s officer cadre have also put their lives on the line.
Then it is the journalist community of the city that are being made to feel as unsafe as that of the tribal areas, the attack on the Peshawar Press Club, foiled by the ultimate sacrifice of a private security guard, being one such incident.
Yesterday’s attack on Charsadda Road is an episode in this very continuity. The targetted bus was carrying employees of the civil secretariat. Serving the state, in any way or capacity, is to be hazardous.
It is the task of the brave people of Peshawar and, indeed, the rest of the province and tribal areas, not to lose hope. It is also imperative for the federal government to realise that there is a dire need not to let the people of the northwest feel abandoned in this time of need.
