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On Monday, terrorists used machine guns and grenades to launch a savage attack on a police training academy in Manawan, leaving 15 policemen dead and 150 injured. Eyewitness accounts estimate some 20 militants carried out the attack and that at least 11 explosions were heard through the course of the morning.
This attack comes on the heels of the militant attack against the Sri Lankan cricket team, which occured on March 3, 2009. Before that, the penultimate day of the World Performing Arts Festival was marred by three explosions on November 22, 2008.
Why is Lahore increasingly the target of terrorist attacks? Does the ongoing political tussle in the Punjab have any relation to the security situation? Who is responsible for ensuring the safety of Lahore’s residents? How can the Walled City be secured against terrorist attacks?
Are you in Lahore? Are you or anyone you know close to the police academy? If yes, please share eyewitness accounts from Manawan with Dawn.com.
Dear Pakistanis:
The only way to secure our country is to strike back and with much greater force. These people do not understand the language of dialogue and peace. Thats what should be our response. Time to talk is long over.
While I agree with most of the comments that we need to put our house in order. I am deeply disturbed by some of the comments from our neigbours. While our people are dying every day due to terrorist attacks they seem to have a sole agenda on their mind i.e. to discredit Pakistan.
The extremism problem is actually a combination of a host of problems facing Pakistan. The inability of the government to give justice to its people, the lack of proper education and the quality of religious leaders.
If we are to deal with these issues, we need the resolve. The solution lies in dealing with both our internal and external enemies. Unless we dont stop formulating our own strategy and having someone else’s policy shoved down our throats we will continue to face this problem.
What happened in lahore is just a short clip of whats coming up. Does anyone ever think about what is being taught at our Madrassas?
The biggest step is to take all relgious insititues into the government’s custody and implement a real Islamic way of understanding, or atleast have a check and balance on their teachings.
The following needs to be done by the general public:
1. Pressure parties in Panjab, PMLs, PTI, JI, JUI to issue a statement against the perpetrators, and condemn it in a clear way. Their main leaders should be the ones, making these statement on all TV stations.
2. Pressure govt to constitute a civilian investigation committe to investigate state’s support and relations with the sectarian and Jihadi parties since the withdrawal of Russian forces from Afghanistan
3. Direct election of City Police Inspector, who can not be replaced by any govt official.
Thanks
Finally a blog where everyone agrees with everyone else….
Lahore is going Supernova sooner or later and there is no place for political parasites.
The conclusion is, we need a SOCIALIST REVOLUTION.
I from NY born and raised right here in America, my parents are from Lahore and just one month back I was there in the middle of liberty at 2pm and found out I have to run back home since liberty along with most of Lahore is closing down. Every time I am in Pakistan something happens and usually it leads to destruction.
The Question is, Why Pakistan? Why is it that Pakistan is the center of all this? There are many answers but the one that sticks out the most is simple ” in the name of God” we justify everything with that simple phrase. Our leaders manipulate us in the name of God, our poor are taken advantage of in the name of God, people blow themselves up in the name of God, rights are taken away from people in the name of God, people destroy Mosques and other places of worship in the name of God.
Today as you sit in your house and watch your country being destroyed in the name of God get up and do something about it in the name of God. The Rehman and Raheem God that I know would never want what is being done in Pakistan. The youth, the intellectuals, the people of Pakistan with some sense should get up and fight a Jihad yes, that word again. Jihad but do it the right way, Jihad of the pen.
The problem with this country is unemployment, lack of education, lack of business opportunities and lack of honest politicians.
Focus of the recent spate of terrorism is shifting fast from embattled tribal areas of Pakistan to Punjab. A second deadliest terrorist strike in less then 30 days time hitting a city previously immuned to such activities says it all.
Better intelligence, timely coordination among all the security agencies concerned and above all, the political determination to fight it out against all the odds is what we need to combat terrorism.
The biggest hitch is restore the confidence of law enforcing agencies who have faced the brunt of terrorists more than anyone.
Let’s hope and pray that we could see the on going “political heroics” in Punjab off, if collective security of citizens is to matter at all for those at the helm of affairs.
Obviously it was a great shock to the our Nation, but when in these crucial times we try to blame each other that really doesn’t help us at all and it goes in the favor of our enemies. We need to come forward as a strong & stable nation because that’s the first thing our Quaid told us ” Unity ”
We all have to get united, support the govt. institutions and show trust on and respect these institutions, only then we will be able to protect not only Lahore but Pakistan.
LONG LIVE PAKISTAN
First of all our heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in these dastardly attacks.
Now
To Wasit: ”An entry permit for anyone visiting Punjab from NWFP is needed. It may be too late to save NWFP. Let us save at least the heart of Pakistan.”
If thats what some people in Punjab think right now, than I am sorry to say that such kind of a mind set is not a very positive sign for our national integrity.
I strongly believe that its just a transitional phase in our great country’s history. Every vibrant and live Nation goes through some kind of conflicts and wars at different times of history, so we are also not unique.
Rather than panicking at this critical time, we as a nation need to stand united. We have got a beast which has unleashed havoc on our country and our people but i am sure as a resilient nation we will overcome these problems.
It really surprise me when i hear from some quarters (couple of foreign states) that Pakistan is going to be a failed state or on a verge of being declared failed state. I think that is ridiculous!
These are just acts of desperate people who know they’re losing and are on their way exit.
I am shocked at this event! There is urgent need to bring in some permanent Territorial Force/Territorial Army (TFTA) presence into Lahore.
After having skiied down from Swat, these attacks on Lahore now are the last straw. This menace has to be managed. Should the citizens do it themselves? Are they organized enough? The retired generals can help. I propose a Generals Union Brokered Operations (GUBO) as a group that will lead the citizens.
Self-defense is the best defense. No point looking at the light pool under a lamp-post because the noose is hanging above. Peace to all.
Dear Fellow-Pakistanis, Assamualkum from America.
My heart bleeds for Pakistan. The situation keeps getting worse each day. No government can help until the citizens help themselves. We should stop blaming USA for our current predicament. Our nation has been on this downward slope for quite some time (much before 911). Mugging and burglaries in broad daylight have been the order of the day. Even the women and elderly are not spared.
Our students, lawyers and others interest groups are quick to come out to express their anger when they feel threatened. Why hasn’t anyone come out against these butchers and fanatics? It is as if we are in a deep sleep unwilling to wake up while the looters are destroying our homes.
Wake up Pakistanis and reclaim you land. Go out in the street and let them know that you disapprove of the way a small segment of the population is trying to impose its will on the majority.
My hope and prayers are with you.
Please Save your blood brother!
How can I live in peace if my neighbor is being killed by goons.
I’m glad to see that a majority of Pakistanis on this blog don’t see these terrorist attacks in Pakistan, as some conspiracy theory by India or US.
People in Pakistan, seem to be getting around the fact that their Governments (past & present) and military are, at least in part, to be blamed for the cancer of terrorism, which is destroying Pakistan today.
A vast majority of Indians want nothing more than a stable, progressive & moderate Pakistan next door and good relations between the two countries.
In order to secure Lahore & the rest of Pakistan, the silent moderate majority of Pakistan needs to break it’s silence and let their voice be heard loud and clear “NO MORE RADICALISM & TERRORISM”
I am a US based Pakistani. I love my country and it breaks my heart when I see my countrymen losing their lives to face terrorism. Pakistan is not a terrorist state and it’s surely not going to harbor any terrorists. This is a land founded by Quaid-e-Azam for peace and prosperity.
After today’s incident it became evident that Pakistani’s want to eliminate these extremists. As people joined the pak army, rangers and policemen and wanted to barge in to take out the terrorists showed that “we have had it.”
We need to take these terrorists out and punish them to the extent that no one even dares to harm Pakistan. Government must take an “iron fist” strategy and finish this mess once in and all.
Swat is part of my country and I don’t want it to be excluded from Pakistan. We, Pakistanis, need to raise our voices and join hands now, more than ever before, to become an iron wall against these infiltrators.
Arun – I live in the US too and count some of my dearest friends who are Indian Hindu and we eat together, dance together, and hug together. Your comment is the most beautiful I have read in a long time with all this nonsense hate going on. I can tell you a very large majority of Pakistanis were in complete anguish when the Mumbai attacks were happening. Thank you brother for being a sane voice.
Best Regards,
Adnan
Osman – you are the poster boy for woman’s progress with that love for sharia law you profess to. Backward class shining through on blogs.
Boy, women rejecting your slum mentality must have played havoc on your disposition. Perhaps, we should bring slavery back as well, so men like you could be treated like wise.
Today’s terrorist act furher underscores the dire need to rid Pakistan of it’s centuries old fuedal system, coupled with a colonial way of doing things. Mass education made mandatory through federal/state legislation, complete devaluation of fuedal families and the uprooting and complete eradication of foreign and domestic terrorists. No amount of $ will ever be solve Pakistan’s varied problems. The only way to remedy these problems are for the people of Pakistan to rise in unison and revolt against centuries old ways of doing things.
Shria Law is not the problem. People that define the shria law in their own sense are the problem. Being educated in religion, does not guarantee one’s ability to make accurate Islamic decisions. I would love to see a shria law, if the prophet (PBUH) was defining it, not if it is define by the Saudis or any other so called Islamic clergies.
Pakistan cannot hope to have peace as long as criminals and militants are allowed to set up camps, train, recruit and spread their message of hate. They are doing all these openly in Pakistan. I still like to believe a minority of people with guns are holding the majority of moderates hostage. Time for the Pakistan Government, army and people to take action and expel these extremists. Start with Dawood Ibrahim, Masood Azhar and the likes who have so much blood on their hands.
I am also from Lahore and I love my city as well. And I agree 100% with M Shoaib Akbar. We have to make the whole country safe, not just Lahore.
I live in USA. I am originally from India. I play cricket on teams that have as many friends from Pakistan as from India. When we play cricket, we play as one team, all of us as friends, brothers and team-mates.
We all shout with joy if one of us takes a wicket and one of us hits a boundary. We don’t discriminate based on religion or nationality. If one of us gets injured, we all feel the pain. When one of our players injury causes blood to ooze out, the last time I checked, the blood was of the same color.
Some of the days, games are played during Muslim religious observations (like Rojas) or Hindu religious observations. If some of us have to offer prayers during lunch time, we all respect the need for a player or players to offer their prayers with respect.
If we can play as a team in USA, why can’t we be a team closer to our homes, in India and in Pakistan? Why do we have to accuse and point fingers? Why can’t we fight terrorism as a team?
I have traveled a lot. But one country that I would love to visit, with my family, is Pakistan.
My appeal, as a Hindu from India, to all Pakistanis is to please work hard and create conditions in your beautiful country so that I can visit, as a tourist, Pakistan in my lifetime (I am 45 years old).
By the way, my parents (who migrated from Pakistan in 1947) tell me that Pakistan is or at least was a most beautiful country in 1947.
Today it was Lahore , tomorrow it will be another city!!
This government with the current military leadership smacks of incompetency all around with one blunder after another!
I think its very important that we protect our cities from these militants from the FATA and Afghanistan.
All these people caught today should be publicly hung. Moreover their families should also be given that punishment. I believe once we attack this terrorism with no remorse these people will stop. All their women and children should be killed. They deserve no remorse from us.
I feel we should have strict checking of ID cards and the bogus ID cards issued by NADRA to these afghan refugees etc should be revoked.All these people should be arrested stopped from entering our cities!!Otherwise we will face more of these.
I was just wondering if Govt of Pakistan will now get another reason from this unfortunate incident to start negotiating with US for more Money $$$