Time to jack up anti-terrorism efforts
It was widely understood that after their debacle in North Waziristan, the terrorist networks would revive their sleeper cells in cities and train their guns at politicians among others. In 2008, the TTP had killed several activists and leaders of ANP, PPP and MQM whom they had declared enemies for their support of military operations. After the Zarb-e-Azb, it is the turn of the PML-N to be at the receiving end. To be able to cope with the situation the government should have taken measures soon after coming to power to improve the working of the security agencies. The task was however neglected by the interior ministry. Instead of breaking the terrorist networks, the interior ministry went instead for the easier task of rounding up some 500 persons from all over the country who were suspected of being associated with the banned outfits.
What happened in Lahore on Thursday indicated some of the chronic shortcomings of the security set up. The Elite Force was mobilised at a tip off regarding the presence of suspected terrorists a couple of kilometres from the PM’s residence in Raiwind. In the 10-hour long operation that followed two suspected terrorists were killed and another arrested after they had shot dead an Elite Force officer and injured four. The suspects had been living in a rented house undetected for a month and a half and had managed to bring in a fairly good number of Kalashnikovs, hand grenades and suicide belts besides hundreds of rounds of munitions. This they had done dodging several police check posts in the area. With the level of alertness in what happens to be the highest security zone in the country, perhaps one can imagine the state of preparedness in other parts of Lahore and various cities of the country.
The incident should open the eyes of the concerned federal and provincial ministers. Unless they put their act together, the country might lose in cities a battle it is winning in North Waziristan Agency.