Terrorists have accelerated their terror activities in Pakistan in the month of March. They have already killed more than 100 people and injured around 400, in different attacks across Pakistan, especially in KP and Lahore.
In their latest heinous terror attack, terrorists have killed around 70 people and injured more than 314 in Lahore on 27 March. According to news reports, “at least 70 people were killed and over 300 injured in a suicide attack in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park of Iqbal Town on Sunday evening. The blast took place a few metres away from the children's swings.
DIG Operations says that there was no information the place would be targeted.
Security agencies have found the dead body of the suicide bomber. "His upper body is recognizable. He was around 22 years old," security sources stated. The suicide bomber has since been identified as 28-year-old M. Yousaf son of Ghulam Fareed, from Muzaffargarh. "For further confirmation the address given on his ID card will be evaluated and DNA will be tested on his remaining body," a security official said.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has condemned the blast and has also announced three-day mourning in Punjab, while the Balochistan government has announced a day of mourning in the province as well.
President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan have also condemned the blast. "We will not rest till the elimination of the last terrorist," PM Nawaz Sharif said.
Indian Premier Narendra Modi also telephoned PM Nawaz and expressed his condolences. Terming the attack as cowardly for targeting women and children, Modi underlined the need for “uncompromising efforts to fight terror”.
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif chaired a high-level meeting after this attack on Sunday night, which was attended by heads of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) among other military officials, said Lt Gen. Asim Bajwa on Twitter. General Raheel said these “inhumane savages will not be allowed to overrun our life and liberty.” “The army chief ordered concerned commanders and intelligence officials to immediately start operations to nab perpetrators of the attack”, said Bajwa.
The attack was claimed by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan Jamatul Ahrar. The latter said the group targeted Christians who were celebrating Easter at the park. "The target were Christians," said a spokesman for the faction, Ehsanullah Ehsan. "We want to send this message to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that we have entered Lahore. He can do what he wants but he won't be able to stop us. Our suicide bombers will continue these attacks."
This is a very threatening statement by the spokesperson of the TTP Jamatul Ahrar to the government and other security agencies. It is a proven fact that in spite of on-going military operation against militants, our security agencies and government have not been able to eradicate extremists from the country. They have become weak but their capacity to attack has not yet been destroyed fully.
Before this Lahore attack, terrorists claimed around 37 lives, including police officers and government servants, in different attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in March. Muhammad Imran and Muhammad Faisal, the two policemen, were shot at near the agriculture workshop on the Dera-Bannu Road, Dera Ismail Khan, on 23 March. They were on their way to perform security duty at the Horse and Cattle Show. In another incident, a retired regional director of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Abdul Latif, was attacked by gunmen on motorcycles in Hayatabad, Peshawar, on 22 March. According to reports, “ Latif, a professor at the Qurtaba University, had retired from his post at the ISI three years ago. The ex-ISI director was to soon fly to Afghanistan to assume the position of dean at a Mazar-e-Sharif university. Even though no group has claimed responsibility for the murder yet, police forces are suspecting it to be a case of targeted killing with a strong Afghan link.” Then, the banned Lashkar-i-Islam killed 16 government servants on 16 March.
On March 7, terrorists killed at least 17 in an explosion in the premises of a local court in Charsadda's Shabqadar area. The Jamatul Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack, saying “the attack was carried out to avenge the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, killer of former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer".
Now, the Jamatul Ahrar has again killed around 70 innocent people in Lahore in its second heinous terror attack in this month. This Lahore attack clearly shows that the Jamatul Ahrar is a very strong militant group which has, now, its presence even in the Punjab after KP.
There is no doubt the armed forces have gained significant successes in the remote areas in the Operation Zarb-e-Azb. The army has killed almost 3,400 terrorists, according to a tweet by Inter-Services Public Relations Director Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa. But, now, the terrorists have changed their strategy. They have established their cells in big cities. It is also an established fact that extremists and terrorists have many sympathisers even in colleges, universities and many other institutions. The government should try to change the minds and views of the extremists by formulating and implementing good educational, economic and other people-friendly social policies in the country.
The TTP has threatened to carry out more terror attacks in Lahore, which must be taken very seriously. All are applauding the efforts of the army against the terrorists and terrorism, but there are many miles which still need to be covered to bring about peace and prosperity in the country. The PML-N government should now realise that militants have their sanctuaries in the Punjab. It should shun its partisan politics and take action against those madrassahs and mosques which are fanning extremism in the province. It should now implement NAP fully across the country, if it wants to save the Punjab and other provinces from terrorism.
There are also many external sectors which are hatching conspiracies against Pakistan and aiding anti-state elements. India does not like to see Pakistan as a stable and prosperous country. So, it always tries to destabilise Pakistan by creating violence in the country. Its spy agency RAW is involved in many anti-Pakistan activities. It is giving help to the separatists in Balochistan and the MQM in Sindh, especially in Karachi. It is also giving support to the TTP and other extremists for terror attacks in Pakistan. It has opened up many offices in Afghanistan which are being used to create disturbance and violence in Pakistan, especially in Balochstan and Karachi.
Our security forces have arrested a serving Indian navy officer from Balochistan, on last Thursday who was working for the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry lodged a strong protest with Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale over “India's spying activities” in Balochistan and Karachi, making it clear that this was unacceptable, Foreign Office sources said.
The Indian Foreign Office accepted that “although the alleged RAW agent arrested was indeed an Indian citizen, he had already taken early retirement from the Indian Navy and was on his own”. Pakistan army has many times declared that RAW is involved in many anti-state activities. Commander Southern Command Lt. Gen. Aamer Riaz accused elements sitting in London and Geneva of “hatching conspiracies against the stability of Pakistan”. Speaking at a Youm-i-Shuhada event on last Friday, Commander Southern Command said the RAW agent had contact with separatist elements in Balochistan and was involved in a number of terrorist and subversive activities in the province. "Our enemies do not want development and prosperity in Balochistan," said Lt. Gen. Aamer Riaz. This is a very serious issue which must be raised even in the UNO. It is also a fact that Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) and RAW are also behind funding and training of the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) militants.
Keeping in view the grave external and internal threats, Pakistan is in need of strong intelligence-based operations against the militants. After destroying the militants' bases and infrastructure, intelligence-based operations are the best way to uproot militants , their sympathisers and RAW' s agents across the country. To get this target, the government should formulate a centralised intelligence system.
In their latest heinous terror attack, terrorists have killed around 70 people and injured more than 314 in Lahore on 27 March. According to news reports, “at least 70 people were killed and over 300 injured in a suicide attack in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park of Iqbal Town on Sunday evening. The blast took place a few metres away from the children's swings.
DIG Operations says that there was no information the place would be targeted.
Security agencies have found the dead body of the suicide bomber. "His upper body is recognizable. He was around 22 years old," security sources stated. The suicide bomber has since been identified as 28-year-old M. Yousaf son of Ghulam Fareed, from Muzaffargarh. "For further confirmation the address given on his ID card will be evaluated and DNA will be tested on his remaining body," a security official said.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has condemned the blast and has also announced three-day mourning in Punjab, while the Balochistan government has announced a day of mourning in the province as well.
President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan have also condemned the blast. "We will not rest till the elimination of the last terrorist," PM Nawaz Sharif said.
Indian Premier Narendra Modi also telephoned PM Nawaz and expressed his condolences. Terming the attack as cowardly for targeting women and children, Modi underlined the need for “uncompromising efforts to fight terror”.
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif chaired a high-level meeting after this attack on Sunday night, which was attended by heads of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) among other military officials, said Lt Gen. Asim Bajwa on Twitter. General Raheel said these “inhumane savages will not be allowed to overrun our life and liberty.” “The army chief ordered concerned commanders and intelligence officials to immediately start operations to nab perpetrators of the attack”, said Bajwa.
The attack was claimed by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan Jamatul Ahrar. The latter said the group targeted Christians who were celebrating Easter at the park. "The target were Christians," said a spokesman for the faction, Ehsanullah Ehsan. "We want to send this message to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that we have entered Lahore. He can do what he wants but he won't be able to stop us. Our suicide bombers will continue these attacks."
This is a very threatening statement by the spokesperson of the TTP Jamatul Ahrar to the government and other security agencies. It is a proven fact that in spite of on-going military operation against militants, our security agencies and government have not been able to eradicate extremists from the country. They have become weak but their capacity to attack has not yet been destroyed fully.
Before this Lahore attack, terrorists claimed around 37 lives, including police officers and government servants, in different attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in March. Muhammad Imran and Muhammad Faisal, the two policemen, were shot at near the agriculture workshop on the Dera-Bannu Road, Dera Ismail Khan, on 23 March. They were on their way to perform security duty at the Horse and Cattle Show. In another incident, a retired regional director of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Abdul Latif, was attacked by gunmen on motorcycles in Hayatabad, Peshawar, on 22 March. According to reports, “ Latif, a professor at the Qurtaba University, had retired from his post at the ISI three years ago. The ex-ISI director was to soon fly to Afghanistan to assume the position of dean at a Mazar-e-Sharif university. Even though no group has claimed responsibility for the murder yet, police forces are suspecting it to be a case of targeted killing with a strong Afghan link.” Then, the banned Lashkar-i-Islam killed 16 government servants on 16 March.
On March 7, terrorists killed at least 17 in an explosion in the premises of a local court in Charsadda's Shabqadar area. The Jamatul Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack, saying “the attack was carried out to avenge the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, killer of former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer".
Now, the Jamatul Ahrar has again killed around 70 innocent people in Lahore in its second heinous terror attack in this month. This Lahore attack clearly shows that the Jamatul Ahrar is a very strong militant group which has, now, its presence even in the Punjab after KP.
There is no doubt the armed forces have gained significant successes in the remote areas in the Operation Zarb-e-Azb. The army has killed almost 3,400 terrorists, according to a tweet by Inter-Services Public Relations Director Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa. But, now, the terrorists have changed their strategy. They have established their cells in big cities. It is also an established fact that extremists and terrorists have many sympathisers even in colleges, universities and many other institutions. The government should try to change the minds and views of the extremists by formulating and implementing good educational, economic and other people-friendly social policies in the country.
The TTP has threatened to carry out more terror attacks in Lahore, which must be taken very seriously. All are applauding the efforts of the army against the terrorists and terrorism, but there are many miles which still need to be covered to bring about peace and prosperity in the country. The PML-N government should now realise that militants have their sanctuaries in the Punjab. It should shun its partisan politics and take action against those madrassahs and mosques which are fanning extremism in the province. It should now implement NAP fully across the country, if it wants to save the Punjab and other provinces from terrorism.
There are also many external sectors which are hatching conspiracies against Pakistan and aiding anti-state elements. India does not like to see Pakistan as a stable and prosperous country. So, it always tries to destabilise Pakistan by creating violence in the country. Its spy agency RAW is involved in many anti-Pakistan activities. It is giving help to the separatists in Balochistan and the MQM in Sindh, especially in Karachi. It is also giving support to the TTP and other extremists for terror attacks in Pakistan. It has opened up many offices in Afghanistan which are being used to create disturbance and violence in Pakistan, especially in Balochstan and Karachi.
Our security forces have arrested a serving Indian navy officer from Balochistan, on last Thursday who was working for the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry lodged a strong protest with Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale over “India's spying activities” in Balochistan and Karachi, making it clear that this was unacceptable, Foreign Office sources said.
The Indian Foreign Office accepted that “although the alleged RAW agent arrested was indeed an Indian citizen, he had already taken early retirement from the Indian Navy and was on his own”. Pakistan army has many times declared that RAW is involved in many anti-state activities. Commander Southern Command Lt. Gen. Aamer Riaz accused elements sitting in London and Geneva of “hatching conspiracies against the stability of Pakistan”. Speaking at a Youm-i-Shuhada event on last Friday, Commander Southern Command said the RAW agent had contact with separatist elements in Balochistan and was involved in a number of terrorist and subversive activities in the province. "Our enemies do not want development and prosperity in Balochistan," said Lt. Gen. Aamer Riaz. This is a very serious issue which must be raised even in the UNO. It is also a fact that Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) and RAW are also behind funding and training of the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) militants.
Keeping in view the grave external and internal threats, Pakistan is in need of strong intelligence-based operations against the militants. After destroying the militants' bases and infrastructure, intelligence-based operations are the best way to uproot militants , their sympathisers and RAW' s agents across the country. To get this target, the government should formulate a centralised intelligence system.
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