LAHORE – The blast in Lahore in yet another reminder of the dire need of the government, the law enforcement and intelligence agencies, the political opposition and various pressure groups to get together and eke out a modus operandi of how to ensure the safety of sensitive areas in the city.
Within a relatively small stretch of land, we have the Punjab Assembly, one of the Chief Minister’s main offices (90, The Mall), the Capital City Police Office (CCPO), the regional headquarters of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Lahore High Court (LHC) and the General Post Office (GPO).
Despite the sensitive nature of the area, Charing Cross remains the most popular spot for protesters to register themselves, be it political parties, like the PTI; religious outfits like the Jamat-ud-Dawa or even trade groups, like the association of pharmacies that had staged its protest ahead of Monday’s blast.
On November 26th, the City District Government, Lahore had declared Nasir Bagh, the historical park in front of Government College University, Lahore, as the designated spot for political activities and rallies, keeping in view the permanent traffic gridlock at the Mall Road and adjacent arteries.
However, due to the intransigence of the protestors and the inability of the government to eke out a consensus on the issue, the practice of blocking Charing Cross continues, unabated.
Monday’s tragic incident wasn’t the first time terrorists have struck this sensitive area of Lahore. A bomb went off on the 27th of May, 2009, near the offices of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) that has since vacated the premises. In the same year, in October, the Regional Headquarters of the Federal Investigation Agency was attacked by four individuals, claiming the lives of four government employees. In 2008, a blast outside the Lahore High Court killed 22, most of them policemen.
Though the Mall, one of the main arteries of the city, cannot possibility be blocked and the area would always remain under some threat, the threat is exacerbated when political rallies are taking place. With high crowd densities on such roads, even a small amount of explosive material can yield large casualties.
