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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.
I am just wondering why does the topic say “how can Lahore be secured”? Does it mean we only care about Lahore? Why doesn’t it say “How can Pakistan be secured”? It’s not only Lahore that is suffering, the entire NWFP, Karachi, Pindi, Islamabad, all of them are suffering.
I strongly condemn these attacks not only in Pakistan but anywhere in the world. The thing that we need to understand is that now its time for all of us to keep our differences aside and do something for Pakistan. I don’t even understand how in the world these security officials don’t understand that we cant take things lightly, few weeks back it was the Sri Lankan team and now its our police cadets. I don’t even understand how long will it be before our leaders stop fighting each other and become united to fight for Pakistan.
This whole mess was created by Pak army starting from Zia ul Haq
Anyone one who interprets that his religion teaches him to kill (therby justifying killing) other human being for the sake of religion has not understood the religion.
I am not a scholar, but if Koran teaches us to kill others in the name of Allah, then the religion itself is flawed. God cannot instruct human being to kill other human being whom he has created. God loves his people even if people are sinners. If God cannot forgive his people then how can human being forgive others?
In short, we should not believe what a Imam tells us but go back and search for true God.
Waqas here conveniently blames the US for all that’s wrong with our country and advocates the establishment of a caliphate. Surely, you are joking. It’s precisely this kind of thinking that has led to the situation that we are in right now. Some obsolete form of government from the middle ages is anything but the solution. Separate state and religion. The Taleban and other similar religious groups need to be shunned and treated like the pariahs they ought to be. We cannot justify their barbaric ways. Don’t negotiate with them; punish them for what they’ve done.
Why blame any foreign power? Pakistan is destroying itself from within. Lack of meaningful leadership contributes to present chaos. President & his cohorts are oblivious to the menace of terrorism. Find out who is providing cash flow to these misguided young men. Besides place in paradise promised by mullahs, someone is paying for the ticket to paradise.
Do your prayers regularly. Keep your faith in allah and follow your religious duties. Allah will save our country.
By arresting all those ISI and other officials who support terrorists.
Dear Parshant,
Pakistan never looked it in “The Indian Angle”,
Its India who does so, See any example in the history, India blamed Pakistan hastily, without even having investigation or proof.
We are a responsible nation, and act responsibly, instead of blaming empty handedly..
All these happenings just bc of greed,selfishness of our leaderships specialy from Zia’s regime, Everyone just want to fullfill their pockets by foriegn aids and putting our nation on stake, Justice is another factor which they use only for thier interests!! Thanks God and to our military forces atleast they have captured few Terrorists. Now again Let’s Hope for the actions and Justice!!
Unfortunately, over the period of time extremism has creeped in our society. There are small number of terrorists who are killing innocent people in the name of jihad or fighting agaisnt America. But On top of these terrorists there is a significant number of Pakistanise, who have soft corner in their hearts for these so called Jihadise. On TV talkshows, press and even in drawing-room discussions we find people who try to justify these anti-state & anti islam elements. To control terrorism, we badly need to control and eridicate the moral support these extremists are getting within our society.
The only organised institution is Pak army. I wish they should step in and safe Pakistan before things get out of their hands. Army should step in and should clear the mess by not allowing any body to flee the country but to kill and permanently remove the evils from the Pak land. Army should not lend any hand of leniency to any body bent on destroying Pakistan. We have tested all these Political parties in the past many times and they have proved that they are the western puppets and nothing more. They do not have capabilty of running the country.
Pakistan is an Islamic country and we do not need any Islamic organisation to run the state.
I am sure there are many like me who are looking for the Army to act and act with sincerity. Please save Pakistan.
We have to widened our vision, and eliminate the network of enemy states who are funding these terrorists to destabilize Pakistan and give a bad name to our great religion.but…
unfortunately we don’t even have the courage to point towards those countries shame on us
I hate the fact that Pakistani people think they know everything. Musharraf was one of the best things that could have happened to us but people do not get it. Atleast he brought in people who had actual real life experience and education to run the country. It takes an economics and finance degree to run the finance ministry. When your goal in life is to “reply” to any attacks or trangressions of India, you have a serious problem. The amount of hyprocrisy within Pakistan is amazing. I guess Pakistan is getting what it deserves.
@ iblees : What religion has to do with extremism???
The bomb blast and suicide attacks which have almost become daily household news items have made the security situation across Pakistan to deteriorate. The latest incident in Lahore comes on the heels of the militant brutal attack against the Sri Lankan cricket team earier during the month of March. Terrorists used machine guns and grenades on a police training academy in Manawan killing many innocent people. In a society beset by extremist violence, this latest attack was bloody. At a time of economic duress, partly related to the country’s deepening insecurity, this will have severe repercussions. Pakistan’s economy has been affected by the security situation in a negative manner. Denying the accusation by some western media that Pakistan was playing a double game in its fight against terrorism, the government in Islamabad has made it abundantly clear that it had been fighting the war on terror on its own national interest. U.S. officials have said recently that the administration in Washington together with the Congress would develop new benchmarks and metrics to measure its own performance. The statements of the U.S. officials and the U.S. drone attacks on Pakistani soil have driven home a fact that the U.S. was not content with the performance of its ally in Pakistan, analysts said. Clashes and attacks are likely to take place in the country more frequently in the future with nobody knows when they will end. Pakistan would be put in a position where it would have to beef up military operations in the northwestern and tribal areas. The government in Islamabad have confessed that force will not defeat terrorism in the country. A comprehensive strategy should be utilized. Unfortunately, dialogue and peace agreements with militants are, more often than not, vulnerable to maintain peace in the restive northwest.
Remove inefficient top brass including the political elite/ those un-elected persons appointed on the top slots like governer punjab, interior minister etc. Stop political postings of beurocracy / police officials and bring in honest well reputed people with motivation and good training. Carry out strict accountability / swere punishments for the defaulters / inefficient people in the establishment especially the police officials.
Besides we must also get rid of off foriegn arm twisters, money lenders and enemies in the garb of friendship.
It will not save Lahore only but Pakistan as a whole.
Pakistani folks
It is about time your government identify this issue of terrorism will engulf pakistan. ISI and government preoccupied in
destabilizing India whereas Baluchistan,NW frontier, SWAT are about to blow up in your faces.
Like “rauf” said if Pakistan is a land of peace then these Mullahs are spreading the wrong ideology and destroying your nation.
I have studied and worked with many pakistanis and i am happy to say that most of them are well educated and actually very proud people.
Indians and Pakistanis can work together but we have to trust each other first…and BTW Kashmir is an excuse..to start any problem.
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Pakistan
This is a message from one of your brothers in India. In the hour of crisis, we want you to know there are many in India want Pakistan to raise out from this crisis. During Mumbai attack happened, we felt angry when we came to know few Paksitanis are involved. But these terrorists are not even sparing you. We both are victims of terrorism. These people might have born in Pakistan. But they are not human being and do not belong to any particular country.
I am sure 90% Pakistanis do not support terrorism. That is not enough. The time has come for every peace loving Pakistani to raise their voice powerfully, so that the message reaches the terrorists and the rulers of Pakistan.
I sincerely pray to God that Pakistan name become synonymous with Knowledge, wisdom, prosperity, tolerance and peace. Actually the real Pakistan image is Peace and Love. But these handful of Terrorists are giving a bad name to your country worldwide. Please eliminate them before they eliminate your country.
Exploit the Americans your best ally, though they should not be trusted fully.
There is no difference between you and us. We are the children of the same god. Survival of Pakistan is very much important for all countires in south Asia, particularly for India.
If you think that I am intruding in your country affairs, my sincere apologies. All I want you to know, We love you so much and each Pakistani’s life is precious and these terrorists do not have any business to take it except God.
With Love from India
Prasad
I think Pakistan Government is not serious in ending this terrorism Saga. For how long the innocent people will sacrifice their lives. Its high time now that Government should take all the measures which include proper planning, funding for security & involving all the stake holders including public awareness. At present Government is not focused on real job & failed so far to overcome these challenges. I think the present Government doesn’t have a good team who can take the nation along with them to fight against this menace. You need a leader who come upfront & lead you by example. The day Pakistan Nation find such leader, to find a solution for such challenges will not be an issue at all !!! God Bless Pakistan.
When we have deployed hundreds and thousands of law enforcing agency personal to just protect the politicians, this is bound to happen.
Moreover, we are still in the state of denial that “EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT”.
No its not alright, we need truthfulness, honesty and sincerity in our ranks. Our politicians are the ones mostly responsible for this loss of life and instability in our region. They always are pulling the nation in different direction, thus giving a chance for miscreants to do their thing.
It is high time that we wake up and face the reality, if we dont, we may have a different flag flying in our governer houses.
We don’t know our enemy, when we as a nation will try to know our enemy on a collective level then such incidents can be controlled, which can never be controlled by govt departments only.
Our elected politicians need to reduce their unending egos and release our poor police forces from being protocol politics to doing what they are HIRED to do – protect civilian life, property, and justice.
Shame on them all! Hire guards if you are so paranoid.
Traffic police is there to EASE traffic, not block it when politicians want to travel.
Security police is there to PROTECT US, not them.
And yes, it is a ‘them’ and ‘us’. We the people have nothing in common with ‘them’ the leaders.
The next time you are in a protocol traffic block, I urge you all to honk those horns depend on it – they should at least know we are not passive recipients of their will and power. We are pissed off.
Let them do their job, and the security will improve. Release them.
what’s happening/happened in lahore is the after effects of what’s happening in the country at wide scale.
Solution: Pull the plug on extremists and separate religion from state.
in our country who is safe? why our leaders can not reach the rout cause of these issues why they keep silent after few days? are they not able enough to lead this nations in a better way plz be sincer with this nation