Terrorists still ahead?
Beginning with the interior minister every government leader and official who has been asked questions about the IS has denied the existence of the terrorist network in Pakistan. Early this week foreign office spokesperson told media that the government is well aware of the threat posed by the outfit and the military and security forces have made it clear that it would not be tolerated on Pakistan’s territory. The ISPR chief reiterated the sentiment on Friday saying that even IS’s shadow will not be allowed in Pakistan. Brave words these.
The same day unidentified assailants lobbed a hand grenade on the bureau office of Dunya News in Faisalabad, smashing windows and injuring three employees. They also left a pamphlet claiming that the attack was conducted by IS Khurasan and threatening rulers, security forces and media that they were in the crosshairs of the terrorist outfit. Irrespective of the claim’s genuineness or otherwise, the attack has already created a stir. Unless the perpetrators are arrested and punished according to the law, a sense of insecurity will continue to prevail
Equally worrisome is the targeted killing of four Rangers personnel in Karachi on Friday. During the last 11 months over 80 policemen have died in the city in targeted attacks. The Karachi operation was initiated in September 2013. Meanwhile claims have been made that the terrorists’ backbone had been broken. The way the well armed Rangers were killed and the terrorists safely disappeared indicates that the killers were no ordinary criminals.
The terrorist networks are clandestine organisations. They are free to choose the target and the timing of the attack. Only an efficient and well-equipped intelligence department can break the terrorist networks. Pakistan is under attack from terrorist gangs since late 1980’s. One had hoped that by now the security agencies would have wrested the initiative from the terrorist Incidents like the one in Faisalabad and the other in Karachi indicate that the terrorists still remain ahead of the agencies.