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Posts tagged with: Attack
Oct 18, 2009    |       22 comments

The Business of Martyrdom in Pakistani Politics

Two years back in 2007 barely two blocks away from my house a powerful explosion rocked Shahrah-e-Faisal as a suicide bomber tried to attack Benazir Bhutto’s motorcade as it made its way from Karachi airport to a massive rally being held to celebrate her return to Pakistan. We all know that she luckily had survived the attack, we all know what happened after that, we all know how she sadly succumbed to another such attack two months later in December.

Now as I see this PPP government marking its presence on the streets of Karachi today I recall the words I shared in my post back in 2007 immediately after the attack – I wrote “Thank God, Benazir Lives” – two years down I get an eerie feeling to say, I was right, that there is a business of Martyrdom in Pakistani politics, and maybe these ceremonies being held today in Karachi have nothing to do with respecting the departed, but instead I fear its a celebration.
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Oct 18, 2009    |       92 comments

Pakistan Army kicks out Rehman Malik from GHQ

rehman-malikIts a little old news but I still feel the needed to register my appreciation for the Pakistan Army when on Wednesday they refused entry / expelled / kicked out Mr. No-good Rehman Malik as he went to attend ‘a ceremony’ at the GHQ to pay homage to the army personnel who died during the siege on earlier in the week.

It was also reported in the news that initially the Minister was planning to do a grandiose press conference at the memorial, most probably to gain political mileage out of this tragedy, they proceeded to invite the press for ‘unveiling a plaque bearing the names of the slain military personnel’. But when his team got no response from the Army and the GHQ they were forced to call off the press conference and the plaque unveiling. Leaving Mr. Malik alone, twirling his thumbs ‘without protocol’ while he laid a wreath on the memorial and within three minutes he was whisked away back to the capital
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Oct 18, 2009    |       9 comments

Desperation or Challenge – Pakistan Must Act

By Azhar Aslam

When someone declares an open war, how must a nation react? How should they defend themselves? Have we forgotten the lessons from war with India? Why should we feel different now when we are being attacked from inside rather than from outside.

By attacking various institutions of Pakistani state (in attacks of more symbolic value than otherwise), Taliban has thrown an open challenge to our nation. But is it really so? Don’t mistake it because it seems more a sign of desperation on their behalf because they clearly are surrounded and trapped.

The recent attacks are more like a reaction of an animal that has been trapped and feels encaged and knows its time has come. These attacks are designed to create more psychological trauma and undermine the resolve of the people and state of Pakistan, than actually inflict any real measurable material damage.
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Mar 3, 2009    |       42 comments

Sri Lankan players attack amid a ‘political’ security lapse

lahore-sri-lanka-attackEarly today morning a number of terrorist people on foot attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team as it was approaching Gaddafi Stadium the bus was brutally attacked by almost twelve gunmen as it passed through the Liberty Roundabout.

The bus was miraculously shielded from about two rocket attacks and serious damage was avoided as Police Security escorts retaliated for about twenty-five minutes with heavy gunfire. This sadly resulted in critical injuries to police forces and about five of these selfless public servants lost their lives protecting the lives of our cricketing guests.

Reports initially emerged that quite a number of Sri Lankan players were injured but as the news filtered through two players received serious wounds one was a grazing wound to the chest and the other to the ankle. Remaining players received minor injuries due to flying debris and shrapnel. As of now the Sri Lankan team has been evacuated via a helicopter to Lahore airport for an onwards journey to Sri Lanka via Dubai aboard an Etihad Airways flight

Watching different channels and looking at the footage of the attack, it is clear that religious fundamentalists may have struck yet again. They were armed with hand grenades, rocket launchers, modern rifles and other sophisticated weapons apparently they were with a small beard and looked to belong to Pushtoon origin [?].
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