The suicide bombing of Lahore and Karachi Chehlum processions, within 90 minutes of each other, has left 17 people dead, including 13 people in Lahore and four in Karachi, with over 80 injured in both the hits. A teenaged bomber blew himself up in Lahore's Urdu Bazar Chowk while being frisked at a check post. Nine bodies were received at Mayo Hospital morgue, including those of three policemen, while over 50 injured mourners have been admitted to Mayo emergency ward.
The dead include three policemen and a woman who was apparently passing by. Fifteen of the injured are said to be in a critical condition, which makes increase in the final death toll a strong possibility. About 90 minutes later, a bomber riding a bomb-fitted motorcycle and carrying a bag in his hand, hit a police van in Karachi's Malir area when challenged at a security checkpost. Unlike in Lahore where mourners were the main target, the modus operandi employed in Karachi makes it almost certain that the primary target was the security personnel.
The recent dragnet in Karachi in search of weapons and lawbreakers seems to have made police the main target of terrorists. Karachi has seen numerous such attacks in the past. The modus operandi employed on the occasion of Chehlum was identical to the one employed in last year's attacks, which had caused horrendous loss of life.
The Lahore bomber who appeared to be aged 15 was wearing a black suicide jacket. He blew himself up while being frisked at a checkpoint. TTP has claimed responsibility for the blast. The recent security crackdown in Karachi has apparently been a failure.
Religious processions have unfortunately become a favourite target of mayhem. Religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan, as in other countries of the world, being fearful of the majority, are often secretive and more clannish. As the financial pie is often quite small, particularly in developing countries, the fight for share has become more acute and deadly with the passage of time, which seems to have prepared the ground for ethno-sectarian demagogues on either side of the great divide to stoke the flames of hatred.
Secondly, steady economic sidelining of minorities, thanks largely to indoctrination and enthno-religious bias often tends to make them target of hate. Conversely, these underhand tactics are employed at times by the minorities themselves who often have to seek resort to undercover methods even to secure their legitimate interests. Roots of sectarianism essentially lie in socio-economic inequalities and indoctrination.
History is replete with instances where minorities, through clannish secretiveness and use of symbolism to identify each other, had eventually succeeded in marginalising the majority. There is a need to strike a balance.
The curse of sectarianism needs to be rooted out to secure social peace. Community and religious elders, instead of safeguarding their socio-economic fiefdoms, need to demonstrate maturity, and instead of egging on their followers to indulge in such mayhem, play the role of peacemakers. The government must use intelligence services to ferret out terrorists and bust their hideouts. Narrowing down the doctrinal dissimilarities through a comprehensive strategy can help douse the flames of sectarianism in the country.
There is, therefore, a need to launch a phased and coordinated crackdown on secret weapon and suicide jacket-making factories. Crackdown on supply lines can help contain the menace. It is said that Karachi and other urban centres of the country have developed pockets of aliens operating under protection of criminal gangs and even law enforcement agencies. At times protection of local police serves as a facilitator.
At times even members of security agencies have been indoctrinated enough to break the law, as was the case with assassin of Salmaan Taseer. The efficacy of intelligence gathering and security arrangements and, indeed the personnel incharge of such arrangements are open to serious question. A recent press report revealed the number of police officers appointed or promoted on the basis of personal or political expediencies rather than merit.
So the failure of LEAs is only to be expected, unless the situation is remedied immediately. Otherwise the mayhem can go on gathering momentum and get completely beyond control in the not too distant future. The federal and provincial higher-ups have to wake up and take stock of the situation, before it is too late. The stakeholders must realise the gravity of the situation before the conflagration gets totally out of their control as well.