And the ISIS ambiguity
It is possible, as the Americans seem to believe, that ISIS did not really carry out the Dhaka attack. The Pakistani press understands better than most – owing to its experience of the TTP – how militants sometimes take credit for events out of their jurisdiction to score psychological points. And the media, of course, always helps. But this time it does not matter. Even if ISIS did not sanction this hit, it did obviously inspire it. It not only bore the marks of its recent outreach into Europe, but was also more gruesome. Most of the foreigners killed in that restaurant, according to news reports, were brutally ‘hacked to death with sharp objects’.
This is indeed a grave tragedy. The Pakistani people are no strangers to such barbarism, which is why people from both countries, as well as both governments, should stand together in this time. This is important not only because we are neighbouring states facing the same enemy, but also to upgrade the coalition against that enemy in this existential war. Pakistan must extend all manner of help to Bangladesh. It must first, of course, be established whether ISIS was really behind the attack. If so, it is either expanding. Or, on the run from the Levant, it is looking for an alternative.
In hindsight, Bangladesh is not more surprising than mainland Europe as far as becoming an ISIS target is concerned. Of late, for its own reasons, it had gone out of its way to target elements of the religious right. And there is no better opportunity, recent history has shown, for militant Islam to intervene. And the wide range of targets suggests the response must also be wholesome. Countries in the east and west will have to come together to end this menace of extremist militancy once and for all. And a good beginning would be checking those who continue to inspire, arm and fund these mercenaries.