Facing monsters of its own making

“The terrorists of today were the heroes of yesteryears until 9/11 occurred and they began to haunt us as well."
— Asif Ali Zardari

We have examples of it in literature (Frankenstine’s creature vowing to kill its creator), we know it from mythology (Bhasmasur), and we have learnt it from history (the Punjab militancy being a brainchild of Congress leaders and taking life of a Congress PM) that you reap as you sow, you die as you live. Year 2009 brings Pakistan face to face with this truth. Its cities have been reeling under a spate of terrorist attacks leaving life paralysed.
Only, it’s in a state of denial, blaming all external forces for the mess – India, US and Afghanistan. 

In retaliation against the government’s offensive against the Taliban, the terror outfit unleashed a spate of terror in Pak cities, causing one blast after another, and inflicting scores of casualties. A suicide attack in a mosque in northwestern Pakistan, killing 40, a massive explosion on a five-star hotel in Peshawar killing 11, a blast in a place of worship in Lahore killing a liberal seminary besides others… news items like these became staple headlines in 2009.

Cricket under attack
In early March the world was taken aback when 12 gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, the old city of Pakistan. The terrorists were all masked and carried rockets, hand grenades and automatic weapons. The team was en route to Gaddafi stadium for the second test match against Pakistan. Seven Sri Lankan players and the assistant coach Briton Paul Farbrace were injured. Eight Pakistanis had to give up their lives in the attack, which looked like a variant of 26/11. This was the first terror strike on sportspersons since 1972 Munich Olympics in which 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian gunmen.

Pakistani media blamed the attack on India’s external intelligence agency, RAW. The government also pointed towards a foreign hand but did not categorically take any country’s name as they waited for proofs and evidences.

The International Cricket Council decided to move World Cup 2011 out of Pakistan. The decision was taken due to security concerns. After the Sri Lankan team was attacked and many players injured, there were questions raised in the cricket fraternity if Pakistan was safe enough for hosting WC 2011. The ICC’s decision was taken at an executive board meeting in Dubai. Many international teams have refused to play in Pakistan in recent past including South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Attack on police training centre
Again in April, Pakistan faced a deadly terrorist attack when some men armed with machine guns and grenades stormed a police training centre on the outskirts of Lahore. After an eight-hour gun battle with armed militants Pakistani security forces took control of a police training school which is situated at Manawan, a place merely 10 km from the Wagah border with India. According to the government officials eight police trainees were killed and 95 injured in the attack. At least one civilian bystander was also killed in militant fire, while two others were injured. An undetermined number of gunmen captured the school and tore through it with grenades and automatic weapons and three blew themselves up during the siege. None was captured alive from the premises. But one suspect was arrested outside the school, with the police saying they found two grenades.

Pakistan was  shaken when six paramilitary personnel were killed and five others wounded in a suicide attack on a security checkpoint. This time it was the turn of Islamabad, the capital. The explosion came on a day when a missile strike by a US drone in North Waziristan on Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan killed 13 people, including foreign militants. Within 24 hours, another suicide bomber killed 22 people and wounded more than 40 at a packed Shia mosque in the Chakwal district of Punjab province. The attack took place a day ahead of the scheduled arrival of US special representative Richard C Holbrooke. The bomber, said to be no more than a 14 or 15-year-old boy, blew himself up at the gate of the mosque where over a thousand people were gathered for an annual majlis. The security guards tried to catch him, but in vain.

The heat is on
October saw terror groups step up the strikes. At a time when the Pakistan Government claimed, and the world had started believing that the Taliban were suffering setback, the terror group hit back with vengeance. On October 5, five UN workers were killed in Islamabad in a suicide attack. On October 9, at least 49 people were killed in suicide bombing in Peshawar. The very next day, on October 10, an attack on Army headquarters killed 20 people. On October 12, an attack on security convoy killed 41 in Swat valley. But the most chilling attack was on October 15, when serial attacks in Lahore, Peshawar and Kohat killed 39. The targets were Bedian Police Training School, FLA Office and Manawan Police Academy. This attack signaled that Taliban, far from being on retreat, are well entrenched throughout Pakistan. As if to harp the point further, they attacked Islamabad University on October 20, killing five students. The attack was carried out by two suicide bombers. Another attack in Rawalpindi on November 2 killed 35 people.

In a footage of Pakistan Taliban chief Hakimullah Mesud aired on a UK channel, he has claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying these were carried out because Pakistan is following US orders.  If it stops, the strikes too will stop. He added that once the goal is achieved in Pakistan, the next target would be India. Meanwhile, Iran has alleged that a recent suicide attack in South-East Iran had Pakistan links.

Mixed responses
Under attack from extremist elements within the country, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari at one point claimed what we emphasised all along: India is not a threat to Pakistan. Talking to senior civil servants in early July, he said, “The terrorists of today were the heroes of yesteryears until 9/11 occurred and they began to haunt us as well."

Pressurised by the US to put its house in order following rapid advance of Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces in the country, Pakistan withdrew troops from the Indian border to engage them in fight against Taliban forces.

Such is the alarming pace with which Taliban and  Al-Qaeda have spread their tentacles in Pakistan that the US was forced to call trilateral summit with Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Af-Pak policy
A new Af-Pak Policy was announced, which rests on the premises that the security of America, Afghanistan and Pakistan is shared.

This is what President Barack Obama had to say revealing the new policy: "Al Qaeda and its allies — the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks — are in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the United States homeland from its safe haven in Pakistan.  And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban — or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged — that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can.

As part of the new policy Obama has announced "$1.5 billion in direct support to the Pakistani people every year over the next five years — resources that will build schools and roads and hospitals, and strengthen Pakistan's democracy".

And where does India stand in the Af-Pak policy? Obama made just a few references to India, among them being, "To lessen tensions between two nuclear-armed nations that too often teeter on the edge of escalation and confrontation, we must pursue constructive diplomacy with both India and Pakistan."
Meanwhile, Pakistan's offensive against the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces, which has killed hundreds of militants, has also led to humanitarian crisis, with five lakh residents fleeing the Swat Valley and Buner.

Straight from Musharraf
Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf admitted that military aid granted to Pakistan was utilised for strengthening defence against India during his tenure, but justified this siphoning off of funds “in the best interest of Pakistan”. Talking to a news channel, he said he did not care for the US reaction to this admission. However, in a statement issued in Philadelphia, he denied having made this statement, or any question having been raised to this effect. Later on, he denied having made the comment.

In another interview, he admitted that the country’s intelligence agency, ISI, had links with militants. 

The development occurred at a time when Obama administration was trying to get the Congress to approve US$7.5 billion aid to Pakistan over the next five years. Foreign minister SM Krishna expressed his displeasure, saying, “The only problem we have with the US military aid to Pakistan is its misuse against us."
The international community was further concerned when President Asif Ali Zardari claimed that the country’s nuclear arsenal was not secure. He said the world would have to save Pak democracy to save itself.

Meanwhile the sway that the army exercises over the nation became clear when it vehemently opposed the Kerry Lugar Bill, which makes the 7.5 billion dollar US aid to Pakistan conditional on the civilian government keeping the military in check and the aid not being diverted for use against India. It’s now clear that the Army, having enjoyed a free sway in the last six decades, is in no mood to come under any civilian control. Following the Army, the media, and the general public too came out in protest against the Bill, calling it an attack on country’s sovereignty and interference in country’s internal matters.