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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.
salam
Its all started in 1970’s when our Gen Zia done collaboration with Afghans & become a slave (partner) of US to defeat Russia & all leaders after him followed his footsteps, while history has proven that all the US allies are in deep trouble, they will never to secure internally rather external threats.
It’s a chain of one-sided benefits, which start & end to secure US interests.
Aim behind current kiosk is to attain Pak’s nukes to secure Israel by claiming on media that our land is not secure enough to defend Taliban, & they will access to nuke one day, while Pakistan was never be a threat to Israel, we should learn from Iran the striving nation with threats from all corners but these threats are just from cowards, I wish our leaders should learn and break the joint venture they done to secure US by staking their own homeland.
US motive is to create kiosks and divide our nation not just mentally but physical division on land as well.
I dont know what our intelligence and the counter terrorisim organizations are doing. Also how the provinicial government can leave that important job to the larger organization. What happened to the Punjab Police’s CIA ?…..the terrorists are only a small minority, and they could very easily be taken by a good intellgience networks.
What I can not understand is why the terrorists would attack their own people, their brothers in faith.
These misguided people may think that moderate Sunnis are kafirs too.
The old saying goes “if you play with fire you are in the danger of getting burnt yourself”. The common people of Pakistan, who are the real sufferers, should now come out and tell the politicians that enough is enough. Or else they would continue to suffer.
They should clearly see the games of the Americans / Europeans (A/E)who have been supplying an unending stream of arms & ammunition to all & sundry with two primary objectives 1. To ensure cash flows to their industry and 2. To ensure that the people of South Asia remain busy in permanent conflict with each other so that the A/E do not face competition & can always have an upper hand over a community which they had once ruled.
It’s high time for the common man to rise up to the occassion and reject such politiking or else they would continue to be ruled by them, overtly or covertly.
Unfortunately, we The Pakistanis are forced to clean-up some body’s else mess. And now when we started cleaning it, the ownership/responsibility has been tagged beautifully on us as well (No More Blank Checks).
Since I have experienced travelling in-&-out of Lahore frequently in past via Train, GT Road & Motorway – I personally believe that in continuation to camera recording tradition of every BUS-rider on motorway, highway securities must make it mandatory for every traveler to go through a scrutiny process of his/her CNIC. Just like we do on Airports when leaving abroad. Anybody without CNIC – is not allowed to leave or enter any city.
Plus, people seeking work in big cities like Lahore, Faislabad, Karachi, Islamabad etc must be made to register themselves with some centralize body like NADRA (Same as AQAMA [Work Permit] is Saudia).
Hang terrorists like Masood Azhar, Lakhvi and Zarar Shah. Dismantle ISI and stop cross border terrorism in Kashmir. Make your country truly secular. Only then will fanatics stop growing in Pakistan. Problem is that you guys create religious fanatics by inculcating hardcore religious propoganda since childhood. They grow up and attack using the same venom. Time to change mindset of a nation I say.
I think this is not a matter only for Lahore; it’s a matter of whole country. In my opinion, this is a game between some foreign countries. And Pakistan has a play ground. There are some open friends and hidden enemies for our country. First we analyze, who need these things, and then we will be capable to tackle it.
Why just Lahore? Isn’t Pakistan at threat here? The civil society of Pakistan has to come together and put pressure on the government to a) dismantle the Jihadi infrastructure b) education at Madrasas c) funding of the Madrasas d) dismantling of the nexus between the Talibani and local Pakistani sympathizers e) create a consensus between ALL political parties on how to combat terrorism
Dear Sir / Madam
Its extreamly bad news for whole humanity.
If you want to save pakistan,it should first clean its house by punishing extrimists.. pakistan’s actual enemy is not outside the border but cultivated in its own house… hope pakistan will understand its real enimies and south asia will get peace!!
Our Sympathies are with the ordinary citizens of Pakistan. Your politicians are taking you for a ride.
When it comes to India, they claim that they are strong enough to give a fitting reply and surrender to Taliban at the same time.
Why Lahore? Killing in Karachi, NWFP and Quetta does not make headings any more!! Lahore Does!!
The attackers want to draw attention to something. Lets not guess and assume that certain people, of certain area, of certain ideology are behind the killing. No human being kills unless he/she is driven to it. It is governments duty to carryout the analysis, take appropriate actions and guard lifes of citizens of Pakistan.
It is really shameful series of attacks are taking place every day in our country where innocent civilians are targetted by atrocious militants who have no agenda except fighting and killing innocent persons. The crux of the issue is religious leaders who spread hatred and venom and interpret islam in the hardest version.
Lahore and Punjab has rich cultural heitage and following sufism for centuries which make way for its peaceful and harmonious existence. People here are totally averse to the hardcore islam and wish to live amicably with others.
Many of friends in UK wondered how come woman from Lahore and other parts of Punjab are so modern,educated,intellectual and flexible. I proudly explained them about our heritage and custom. They were shocked about our progressive way of life.
But the recent events in Lahore enlighten the veracity of perilious designs of radical forces who wish to spoil the tranquility.These forces need to be quelled without mercy and quenched from the scene in order to ensure we are not ensnared by these vicious forces.
I think Lahore can only be saved through proper attention by our government police and through other stake holder.First of all we shoul check all exit and entry point of Lahore on which commando type force which should have latest training and equipments like Dogs scanner which can detect explosive at all exit and entry point of lahore.And in the city itself there must also be check point with same commando of highly tranined people be kept and check all people after checking there identity to the main roads of lahore people be asked to come on roads ten to fifteen min checking time including to their office timing and above all this a compaign be launched throuhg highly devoted and noble people commision to clean lahore from weapons as we have seen the quantity of weapons people have in lahore at the event of Basant.
We need to devise a strategy to gurantee life and security for every pakistani. THe Lahore Case is probably the result of mushroom growth of Saudi funded madassas belonging to a particular sect. These madrassas, both towards south and north of Lahore along the G.T. Road., are most likely the nests of these terrorists so lovingly called the “Punjabi Talibans” by our very media. The only way out of this quagmire is to stop the state level, local and international spnsorships of these madrassas and a stern uncompromising approach be adapted. Also, an across the board action be carried out to purge the public and private educational institutes of this menance. Punjabis and more specifically the Lahoris must now realize what this” jihad ” is all about.
The question is wrong. We shouldn’t just want to secure Punjab. We should want to secure the whole of Pakistan against terrorists. And this will be possible only when everyone has adequate resources and opportunities for economic and social development. You can put up all the barricades you want, and man every checkpoint with armed guards, and these people will still be there. Stop providing the terror cells with the cannon fodder they use, and half your problem will be solved.
The other half can only be solved by getting your own house in order. Pakistan’s administration has to wake up from the Afghan Jihad hangover that gave them delusions of grandeur. We’re s small country trying to survive in adverse conditions; stop playing the part of the foot-soldier of other powers’ great games, and mend your fences both internally and externally.
My prayers go with the victims of this cowardly terror attck on Lahor police acadamy. May God accept them in heaven who have died and give them courage to fight back who have survived. Most of us, here in India are thinking that ordinary Pakistani citizens are paying their lives for their government’s so-called Stratigic Assets.
Pakistan means land of peace.
Yet, it has turned out to be a land exporting terrorism and a victim of terrorism.
Neither giving peace to others nor at peace with itself.
It is high time to rethink what is essentially important to Pakistan – Peace and Prosperity or Jihadi terrorism…?
This is a gruesome strike. It goes out to show the might of militancy in our country. They can roam free and attack and kill at will. The time is right to change the mindset of the nation, we dont want to end up like another Iraq.
We need to draw out a strategy to eradicate this poison thats spreading across all cities. Our idealogy should stay as Pakistanis , we do not kill in the name of Islam or sympathise with the ones who do so.
United we should stand and face these threats , which we can scare off if minds think alike , divided we shall fall.
Hi,
I see Pakistan turning to another Iraq, THE FATE Doesn’t LOOK MUCH DIFFERENT THEN IRAQ
FIRST face Anti Pakistan elements are first attacking Pakistan constitution creating instability every way possible,
But I am so afraid losing my great nation.
It really hurts seeing our beautiful nation in this state
I know we don’t have perfect country but I love my people and my country
Brother from New Zealand
I am sorry to say but when I read comments posted here by majority of the Indian readers, I cannot help but conclude that Indians have an axe to grind…
How, as Pakistani, do we counter this? My suggestions:
a. Be patriotic, from the common people to the President, i.e., we must NOT put ourselves for auction before internal or external bidders; be incorruptible!
b. Let institutions play their role above personal aspirations, i.e., have the President behave as the President, the Prime Minister as the PM and the Parliament as the Parliament.
This will strengthen institutions and help them focus on their responsibilities towards people and the country.
People need food, utilities, education, jobs and personal safety.
c. Provide training and equipment to our security forces and intelligence personnel to be able to fight the forces of tyranny effectively, protect the public and our borders.
As for how Lahore can be secured? This is a flawed question. It should be within a national context rather than being specific to a single city. While Lahore is definitely a high target for terrorist for its cultural symbolism and centre of attraction, there are other parts of the country that face similar problems.
For starters, the Rahman Malik – Salman Taseer duo with Zardari is detrimental for our country. They have very taken little action to prove that they are competent to hold the positions that they are at.
There is a serious lack of coordination between our intelligence agencies and law enforcement authorities. It seems they are on different planets. When Sri Lankan team was attacked and the attackers fled, what was done to find them and what were the findings, if any. It seems Long March was a much more important issue than national security.
Karachi has implemented a 24 hr camera surveillance system that is available to local law enforcement agencies as well, that covers most of the major roads and arteries of the city, and it is being expanded further. Lahore should have such a system as well to atleast provide some level of vigilance.
last month some culperts attacked on art festival and sirlankan cricket team and now early morning on 30 march some miscreant hijack police traning station lahore.first of all many question arisen here .if pakistan security forces has been failed to stop such activtivies or present government showing to international community that pakistan itself victim of terrosism
Lahore needs a new police which should be equiped with latest weapons and technology for the investigation and other fields related with this the current police is lazy and inefficient they can only tease general public on roads and get some money in return. They can not do anything better than this.
I live in Athens. Sad to see every day explosions / killings of innocent lives. But there is a saying ” if you feed the snake at home, it will bite you and poison you one day ” Pakistan has to stop sponsoring terrorist organisations. Lets be frank, grow up and destroy all the unwanted elements, then Pakistan will be saved
Why innocent people are being target by these people, If they have dare then why they are not fighting with forces openly. Stop this bloody game of HIDE AND SEEK.