Deaths Mount in Islamabad Blast as Suicide Bombers Target Lawyers Rally in Pakistan Capital

103 responses to “Deaths Mount in Islamabad Blast as Suicide Bombers Target Lawyers Rally in Pakistan Capital”

1. mazhar butt says:

   July 18, 2007 at 4:55 am

   Stranger,,,,,,,,suicidal bombings are provoked by some extreme unhappiness of the doers over some governmental policies against them or their interest. These do not relate to any sect, deobandi or otherwise. The question is what is provoking people to give up and take away lives of innocent people?? Unless someone tries to address this question the world would never come out of hell.

2. jayjay says:

   July 18, 2007 at 4:20 am

   I doubt that a purely democratic setup in Pakistan, where we have not been able to build stronger democratic institutions, would have been able to withstand and deal with the upheaval of post-9/11. The Talibanic Afghanistan practically was an extension of Pakistan, with the movement’s root going deep through the society and many institutions, such as military and its intelligence arms. Despite political will, a democratic government would have struggled to reverse the Afghan policy (aka the most ill-considered Strategic Depth idea), not to mention the dismantling the infrastructure of militancy in Kashmir. The military-men in the depth of all would not have easily bought its diminishing role in this sphere from a civilian government but with a president as one of their own they had to accept this retreat, so to speak.

   The situation is no different today. We may not like Musharraf but do we have an alternative setup (or are we in a position to trial one) which could do a better job in eliminating home grown terrorism? I doubt a political government of any hue will have courage to take unpopular decision for long term national gains. Short-term political exigencies often dictate shallow policies to fragile democracies. It is not easy to fight a war against your own people, even when they are outright rebels and indulging in a terrorism of worst kind. Democracies find it difficult to commit to and sustain military actions over protracted periods — that our struggle against domestic terrorism necessitates — for the fear of the loss of popularity and power.

   I doubt that the scourge of madrassa-groomed terrorism and militancy can be tackled without a direct armed confrontation. Any further appeasement of militants or half-hearted operations will only end up making the final job more difficult. These militants indoctrinated with the ideology of “world domination of Islam

3. Lahori says:

   July 18, 2007 at 3:01 am

   I don’t like Musharraf much but people who are so blinded by their hate for them that they actually believe that these blasts are just because of him or by him are purely delusional…. If you really think that just by his leaving all will be well, these suicidal extremists will go back adn sit quietly, then go smell the coffee. There are many things Musharraf have done wrong but these blasts are not by him. They do not benefit him at all. They only show the weakness of his government. They tell the west that he is incapable of controlling the extremists. They make the fanatics stronger. So, this propaganda about blaming everything on him does not work. There is enough that SHOUDL BE blamed on him but please don’t insult our and your own intelligence by this simplistic nonsense.

4. Kruman says:

   July 18, 2007 at 2:45 am

   Khurram,
   You may also wan to read, “Why military rulers are political bastards,” at:
   http://free-pakistan.blogspot.com/2007/07/why-mili tarty-dictators-are-political.html

5. Kruman says:

   July 18, 2007 at 2:42 am

   The bombing only helps one man, Mush. With the SC verdict due this week, he’ll use this as an excuse for imposing emergency.

   Today’s express is quoting lawyers as saying it a was a timed bomb. They are pointing fingers at the govt.

   Good points Asa, zakoota and Aadil!