Quetta again

First step is accepting blame

The latest attack in Quetta where four women were killed is just another grim reminder of the reality of the security situation in the city. The women, all four of whom were Shia Hazara, were returning to their homes by bus when they were intercepted by two armed assailants on a bike who shot them dead. What is more worrying is the fact that the attack was possible even when there is a ban on pillion riding in the city due to Muharram with security already tightened.

On the same day, Chief Justice Anwar Jamali, while hearing a suo motu case about the carnage that took place almost two months back at Quetta Civil Hospital blamed the complete incompetence of law enforcement agencies for the attack. Justice Hani who is also part of the 3-member bench expressed his concern over how little the Police IG and the investigating officer knew about the attack. He also questioned how and why the superintendent of the hospital was still working in the same capacity even after he was unwilling to cooperate with the inquiry.

When lawmakers criticised the security enforcement agencies they were fiercely rebuked by the likes of our federal interior minister who also called them ‘traitors acting against national interest’. The whole mess was then conveniently blamed on RAW and its designs to destabilize CPEC. That in itself is nothing but a self-serving deflection of blame and responsibility.

Quetta is a heavily guarded and patrolled city but still there exist loopholes that the enemy is able to take advantage of. Plugging such loopholes requires better coordination amongst the intelligence and security agencies but that seems like a tall order considering the absence of proper accountability that should replace incompetent people with responsible professionals. Security and intelligence agencies should therefore make timely and necessary changes in their hierarchy themselves rather than on the insistence of the judiciary.