Source & Credit: The News | Blog | May 31, 2010
By Shahid Hussein Qaboolpuria | Lahore
Much to the bewilderment of Punjab Government -also to the people- terrorists struck again in Lahore, killing more than ninety people on the spot and leaving more than one hundred seriously injured. Heavily armed terrorists this time around targeted to minority mosques: one in Model Town the second one in Garhi Shahu at Juma Prayer time. TTP (Punjab) has accepted responsibility -with a vow to carry out more such horrendous attacks in future too.
The attacks, without a doubt, are result of criminal negligence and complacency of provincial Government led by Shabaz Sharif. Chief Minister bears complete responsibility for this bloodshed that has taken place in broad day light in the heart of provincial capital. His oversight has cost to the people immensely. On Friday more than hundred families have paid for his inaction by losing precious lives of their dear ones. Bloody terror attacks are just another reminder how fragile security situation in Punjab is also how inept PML(N) government is to tackle such a complicated and serious problem.
Lately reports were emanating in national print and electronic media regarding terrorists strengthening their network in Punjab. Regretfully, it was Punjab Government that never took these reports seriously. If the Chief Minister, from the very beginning, had taken intelligence reports seriously and had worked out a plan to nip the terror, when it was in the bud things would not have been deteriorated to this extent. He, however, did nothing except fortifying his Raiwind Palace. He always shrugged off the reports terming the intelligence baseless. It is not so he was not aware of growing phenomena of Punjabi Talibans. It's just that Shabaz Sharif never wanted to let the security agencies hunt them down here. His vested political interests always halted him from doing so. For political support from so-called "Right Wing" is so vital for Sharifs.
Besides Sharifs also have links with terror groups in Pakistan since General Zia's days. Nawaz Sharif had personally met with Usama Bin Ladin to get Benazir Bhutto out of his way. The linchpins of banned outfits are still in their good books and they keep meeting them time to time. Just recently Punjab Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah had a meeting with such an element to have political backing from him.That's why every time option to launch an operation against active terror groups in the province opted either by federal Government or by the military authorities Shabaz Sharif vehemently refused.
Now what? On one side is a teetering, lackluster, cowered provincial Government of PML(N) in Punjab that lacks will and determination to fight back and chase Punjabi Talibans down, fearing doing so would deprive its leaders from much needed and hard earned political support of "The Right Wing" while on the other are at risk lives of innocent people, peace of the province and stability in the country. Should the Federal Government and Military establishment not move into Punjab to hunt down Punjabi Talibans, who pose now a serious threat to Pakistan, just because one headless political family owing to its vested political interests does not want them to and risk the country? Or should they move into curb terrorism from Punjab by rooting out Punjabi Talibans once and for all. I think the second option is appropriate one.
Terrorism is a real threat in Punjab. Terrorists have gained strong foot hold here. A stringent military action is must to eliminate terror from here before it is too late.
SHAHID HUSSEIN QABOOLPURIA, LAHORE, PAKISTAN, Comments Date : Monday, May 31, 2010
Read original post here: ‘Punjabi Taliban’ a growing threat for Pakistan
The Shahbaz Sharif government appears to be reluctant to take action against the banned sectarian and Jihadi organisations operating in Punjab in spite of evidence that these may have been involved in many terrorist attacks in the province recently and may have strong links with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Sharif government’s unwillingness to deal with the growing menace of terrorism in the province, including its southern districts, is in defiance of the evaluation by its own counter-terrorism agencies. A recent secret document based on data collected in south Punjab finds that a number of banned groups are carrying out a “sustained drive” to recruit fresh cadre from among the “poverty stricken, illiterate and unemployed” youth in the region. It is regrettable that the Shahbaz Sharif government was pursuing a policy of ‘reaction’ rather than ‘action’ against terrorists. There is sense of insecurity among the people of province just because of hobnobbing of PML-N with terrorist outfits.
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