Violence in Pakistan should be dealt as a reality and efforts to eradicate militancy should go on ceaselessly. Contrary to that, we have been seeing an ugly pattern: whenever there is a powerful blast or a suicide attack in a Pakistan’s urban area, a crackdown ensues and statements clothed in emotion evoking phrases are issued by those who matter. When the smokes clear in a day or two, the government and the public move on, leaving behind the causalities. In case, the place of the bloodbath is an off-the-capital, ceremonious statements or crackdown are not issued. True, that we do not and cannot mourn deaths forever. True, the life is about taking care of the alive and well lots. Equally true, however, is that callousness prevails in a society where tragedies are taken a matter of hours or days.
We have an ugly history of forgetting tragedies. A twin blast struck a welcome reception for Benazir Bhutto at Karsaz in Karachi in 2007 where several political workers had died only to be forgotten in the coming months as none of the perpetrators of the blast was ever arrested and punished. After 10 years, the menace of terrorism struck a bus carrying police official in Quetta, leaving seven killed and 22 injured in the Sariab Mill area of Quetta. More causalities are feared in the coming days as the people bled and suffered life-threatening injuries. Like the Karsaz attack, this Quetta attack will also unfold not a different story. Balochistan and federal authorities have condemned the attack and vowed to continue to fight against the militancy till their last drop of blood.
The recent days have seen a surge in drone strikes and Taliban attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan amid the talks of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group in Muscat. Earlier on Tuesday, a drone strike killed five people along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border near Kurram Agency. That has been a fourth drone attack since Monday in Afghanistan and Pakistan border areas. Since the rescue of an American-Canadian family inside Pakistan, the Taliban seems to have taken an aggressive warpath against Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sensing a renewal in terrorism, the Pakistan army must be prepared to retaliate and even ambush the militants. Coordinated drone attacks can supplement the efforts to ambush and neutralise terror attacks. The drone attacks that violate the sovereignty of a country are not acceptable. But Pakistan and the US authorities should coordinate in drone attacks and other intelligence-based operations. Pakistan should take drone attacks as a tool in the war on terrorists, not an enemy. Similarly, the US should share the intelligence gathered from man-less warfare with their Pakistani counterparts.
From the Karsaz tragedy to the recent Quetta blast, we have a long trial of a bloodbath, which offers a streak of lessons:
Terrorism is a mission beyond statements and for-the-time being crackdown on known and unknown criminals and militants.
Every terror incident should be investigated, using scientific methods, till their logical conclusion. Police with the coordination of intelligence agencies should track the attackers. All terror cases should be reviewed periodically at the highest level.
Post-blast crackdown and customary statements create confusion among the masses, so they should be avoided.
A narrative against terrorism should be strengthened where drone attacks are not frowned upon if they are putting down the militants. This is a reality that drones have killed scored of terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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