Deadliest Day in Pakistan
Thursday, January 10, 2013 will go as one of the deadliest days in the history
of Pakistan when nearly 100 were killed in various blasts and 200 severely
injured. The death toll is on the rise and so is the level of discomfort among
the people.
The intensity of one of the blasts is evident from an AFP photo posted at the
website of a local newspaper and included in this post, if anyone bothers to
look at the details.
The efforts of conventional media must be recognized,
especially because one of the reporters was killed in Quaetta attack and his
colleague severely injured. The social media is debating and often some very
pertinent observations/comments are posted.
While some analysts say that the government is losing its
writ, Moonis Ahmar, an academician has raised a question, have things gone out
of control or there is still time to prevent killing fields in a country which
was created as a result of enormous sacrifices?
I am really impressed by one of the posts placed of Facebook
that says, “If we have to save Pakistan we'll have to look beyond sectarian
divides, not be shias sunnis but muslims only! and at the same time condemn and
speak against every single killing of an innocent person. Call it shia
genocide, muslim genocide, human genocide but condemn and speak against it”.
This confirms the belief that there are certain extremist
groups that take pride in killing.
Another post says,” I don’t know if this Sipah Sahaba, Ahle Sunnat Wal
Jammat are an international conspiracy. Whatever it is, the reality is that
they are open terrorists who not only kill innocent people but take pride in
doing so”.
It is often said that law enforcing agencies initiate
investigations on an incorrect pretext. This seems true if one looks at the
media coverage of Swat incident. It is being stated that a gas cylinder blew up
at a religious gathering that killed 22 people and wounded more than 80.
However, people don’t rule out possibility of sabotage.
According to reports there were around 1,500 people
listening to a Muslim cleric give a speech at the centre located at least 10
kilometres away from Mingora, the main town in Swat district. The area was once
under the control of militants and had set up check posts before the army
undertook an operation in 2009 to rid the area of Taliban-linked groups.
Tableeghi Jamaat is a non political organization and attacks on its gatherings
are very rare. These are considered lesser Muslims for their pacifist approach
and their non-Jehadi approach.
Four explosions have been heard in the provincial capital
Quetta, which in aggregate have killed around 100 people, including four police
officials. Two explosions took place at Alamdar Road and two more explosions
took place near Airport road. Earlier on in the day, 12 people were killed
after a blast took place near Quetta’s Bacha Khan chowk.
The death toll from the explosions in Quetta rose to 102 on Friday.
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