Another Attack on Islamabad: 60+ Killed

Posted on September 20, 2008
Filed Under >A for [Pine]Apple, >Adil Najam, Law & Justice, Society
220 Comments
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Asma Mirza and Adil Najam

(New videos and pictures added).

At aftaar time, Marriott Hotel in Islamabad was attacked by an explosive truck. Reportedly it has totally destroyed the hotel. This was the second bomb blast at the hotel in less than a year, adds to the feeling that Islamabad is now a major target of these dastardly killers (here, here, here). The pictures (from BBC) tell part of the story. But only a part.

One should note that this was the biggest of but just one of three suicide bomb blasts in Pakistan. The other two were in the tribal areas of Pakistan where Pakistan military was targeted.

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These are yet more in the long string of attacks on Pakistan. A list so long that one has even lost a sense of how long it is!

Here is an incomplete list of only the ‘major’ suicide attacks on Pakistan this year (from The News):

More than 1,200 people have been killed in attacks, most of them suicide bombings blasts, in the past year. Here is a list of major attacks since the start of 2008:

January 10: Sixteen police and four civilians killed in a suicide bomb attack on police outside the high court in the city of Lahore.
January 14: Bomb kills 10 people at a crowded street market in Karachi.
February 9: Suicide bomber kills 25 people at opposition election rally in the northwestern town of Charsadda.
February 16: Suicide car bomber strikes a rally by party of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto in the northwestern tribal town of Parachinar, killing 37.
February 22: Roadside bomb hits wedding party in northern Swat, killing at least 14 people.
February 25: Suicide bomber kills army surgeon general Lieutenant General Mushtaq Baig and seven other people in Rawalpindi.
February 29: A suicide bomber kills 44 people in Mingora, the main town in the troubled Swat valley, during the funeral of three policemen killed by a roadside bomb earlier in the day.
March 2: Suicide bomber kills 43 at a meeting of anti-militant tribal elders in the northwestern district of Darra Adam Khel.
March 4: Two suicide bombers attack Pakistan Naval War College in Lahore, killing five people and wounding 19.
March 10: Suicide attackers detonate two huge truck bombs in Lahore, killing 26 people and partly demolishing the Federal Investigation Agency building in the city.
March 15: Bomb blast at Italian restaurant in Islamabad kills a Turkish woman and wounds 10 others, including four agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
May 19: Suicide bomber kills 13 at an army bakery in the northwestern town of Mardan.
July 2: Suicide car bomb outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad kills eight people.
July 6: Suicide bomber kills 15 people in an attack on police in Islamabad during a rally to mark the anniversary of an army raid on the radical Red Mosque.
August 12: Roadside bomb rips through Pakistan air force bus in Peshawar, killing 13.
August 19: Suicide bomber kills 23 people at a hospital in northwestern town of Dera Ismail Khan.
August 21: Twin suicide attacks kill at least 57 people outside Pakistan’s main arms factory in Wah, near Islamabad.
August 28: A bomb attack targeting policemen kill 10 people in the northwest garrison town of Bannu near the Afghan border.
September 3: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani escapes an apparent assassination attempt when two shots hit his motorcade, just three days before the country’s presidential election.
September 6: Suicide bomber kills 33 people at a security checkpoint near Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province.
September 11: Suspected militants hurl grenades and fire into a mosque in Peshawar killing at least 20 worshippers.
September 20: A suspected suicide attack outside the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad killing at least 40 people, with more feared trapped inside the building.

According to police sources, the attacking truck was carrying 1000 KG (1 Ton) of explosives. Causing massive damage and causalities. Supposedly F-5 is one of the most secure area of Islamabad. 40+ killed in this havoc and many injured.The security was even tighter today than usual because the new President, Asif Ali Zardari, was making his first address to the parliament. Some wonder how related this was to what he had to say there:

The ones killed include the drivers who were waiting outside in parking lot and the large number of security guards. Also note, just next to Marriott there is a bus stop as well and a queue of taxis wait there. Emergency declared in all hospitals.Gas pipelines was exploded in the process causing more damage. Building nearby such as Balochistan House, Gulshan e Jinnah (living apartments for federal govt. employees) badly affected as well.

According to the news analysts as seen reporting on TV, it can be one of the biggest explosion seen in Pakistan’s history. Analyst Najam Sethi aptly said, “This is 9/11 of Pakistan“.

220 responses to “Another Attack on Islamabad: 60+ Killed”

  1. Asad Khan says:

    I am constantly amazed and how many people are in denial and are making excuses for these murderers. Unless we first wake up to the reality of the attack that we are under from these killers, things will only become worse.

  2. A Fine Balance says:

    @ No Nonsense

    American public is different from CIA. CIA is an agency who’s sole purpose is to cater for US interests worldwide, so they do care about events in Pakistan and elsewhere.

    Looking at the big picture:
    What could be CIA’s interest on destablizing Pakistan? None. As per my understanding, an unstable Pakistan is too dangerous for America. CIA would want that order is established in Pak under Western-aligned leaders. CIA also wants specific targets to be attacked within Pak that they percieve are a threat to America.

    What is Taliban’s interest? a. Revenge against Pak Army’s operations against them, b. Attacking American interests wherever possible, c. Fighting for Shariat establishment in Pak.

    My views on discussions going on here:
    1. People are suspicious of RAW and CIA. That is natural given the history of these agencies and their operations. Some are blaming Taliban as they have taken responsibility of quite a few blasts in the recent past. Both sides could be correct or wrong. However time is running out and the actual problem has to be found soon in order to frame a solution for it. Pakistan’s ISI is responsible for finding the responsible parties here as a national duty. What are those guys doing?

    2. Now the more serious issue. People have no consensus on what religious stance shall be best for Pak, which is fine by the way. Few support shariat, others secularism. As per my understanding, Jinnah wanted secularism in Pakistan. In my opinion, it was he and only he who really understood what could be the best path forward for the state of Pakistan. However what Jinnah wanted is not more important than what the people of Pakistan want. If Shariat is what is in the hearts of the majority, then that should be it. However nothing can be forced on general public, anything that will happen should only happen by a national consensus.

    Finally my understanding of the situation is this (the haze of Pak-US skirmishes aside): Pakistan is at war with the religions extremists in the Pak-Afghan border. This war is sometimes carried out by Pak Army and sometimes by US Drones. However the enemy of Pak/US engages in something more than conventional warfare and strikes civilian centers within Pakistan at will. Even if tomorrow US leaves and Pak Army solely carries out this war the blasts shall continue (God forbid) as per the situation. That’s all there is to it, it is not more compicated than that, conspiracy theories aside.

    To find the best way forward (negotiation/all out war) from here is left for the leaders of Pakistan.

  3. Junaid says:

    May Allah give sabr to all who have died in this tragedy.

    May Allah give hidayat to those who were involved in making this happen or who are trying to defend thsi here in the name of religion.

  4. AZAM says:

    If this was not as tragic as it is, all these idiotic conspiracy theories being floated here would have been funny.

  5. Relunctant Suckularist says:

    I think we should accept Taliban’s existance. They have defeated US and USSR in Afghanistan. Give credit where it’s due.

    Now should we welcome them in Pakistan? why can’t? the evils associate with them are found in secular rulers as well. I believe when Amerika will invade Pakistan in next two months then only our tribal people along with Army jawans would be battling with Americans. The _brave_ liberals who are jumping here and there would prefer to hide behind their wives by covering their faces in Dopattas

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