The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed grave dismay over the killing of 57 people in Sunday’s suicide bombing at Wagah and urged earnest steps to deny terrorists the ability to murder innocent people at will.
In a statement issued Monday, the Commission said, “HRCP is alarmed at the high toll of human life in Sunday’s attack at Wagah. A key aim seemed to have been causing fear and panic among citizens. If the statement of the main officer responsible for law and order in the province about difficulties in preventing suicide attacks is the establishment’s point of view it would only enhance feelings of vulnerability among the people. HRCP would also like to emphasise that such statements serve no purpose.
Security agencies’ tendency to shift responsibility to each other is not confidence inspiring and should persuade rational thinkers to approach the task of protecting people from acts of terror and violence in a holistic manner. Numerous acts of terror have followed what has been called advanced warnings of imminent attacks. This state of affairs highlights gaps in the systems of surveillance and pursuit of terrorists.
Despite ongoing operations against extremist militants and claims of shattering the terror infrastructure, it is a matter of grave concern that the terrorists are still able to target and kill large number of citizens. The authorities must consider all these factors in their strategy to bring peace to the country and protect people, and should explain to the citizens how they plan to prevent not just acts of violence but also confront those managing suicide and other terrorist attacks.”
