Let’s not forget the war
The TTP attack on air bases in Quetta is just the kind of blowback that was expected as a direct reaction to operation Zarb-e-Azb. Full points to security forces on a number of counts. One, for once intelligence chatter was passed down the right chain of command. Two, necessary precautions were taken and security beefed up at sensitive locations. And three, militants were not allowed to storm into military installations. Both Samungli and Khalid air bases remained safe. There was no loss of property, but 11 security personnel were injured.
After beating a hasty retreat when the military operation became inevitable, the Taliban have upped their resistance profile a little over the last few weeks, though this is the first time after the operation that they have attacked outside FATA. And since reports suggest all attackers were Uzbek, it is not very likely that they were settled in Quetta for long, but rather must have made their way from the badlands very recently. So, from cross border mortar attacks and targeted peace council elders’ murders in Waziristan, and even small incidents near Mardan and Charsadda, reprisal attacks have finally reached bigger cities.
Both government and military no doubt realise that if Quetta can be penetrated, so can Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, etc. And TTP has repeatedly made threats of revenge attacks on soft targets in large cities, something military intelligence’s assessment agreed with. Whether military pre-emption controlled urban centres prior to the operation or the Taliban have still not activated their sleeper cells remains to be seen. But security forces are well aware of the sort of situation that can take shape if such trends strengthen. Therefore, it is in the interest of both the political leadership and the military brass to take this elevation in resistance profile very seriously. Such measures are all the more important in light of the political paralysis gripping the capital. We must not divert focus from the war or the whole country, elected, opposition and military, will pay a collective price.
