The last few years have seen unending violent incidents, which claimed not only thousands of civilian lives but included several attacks on some high profile individuals as well as sensitive places in the country, including the attack on the GHQ, naval bases, airbases, airports and intelligence agencies’ regional headquarters.
The attacks on high profile individuals included two unsuccessful attacks on former president Pervez Musharraf, former premier Benazir Bhutto, former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, Lt Gen Mushtaq Baig, Major Gen (retd) Ameer Faisal Alavi, former head of the SSG, Maj Gen Sanaullah Niazi, Federal Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, Commandant Frontier Constabulary (FC) Sifwat Ghayur and many others.
The recent attack on the Karachi airport killing at least 28 people, including 10 terrorists, has once again raised question marks as who would protect and guard the strategic and sensitive installations. If we have a look at the timeline of attacks on some sensitive installations, then this presents a clear picture of our intelligence failure.
Similarly, at least 15 people, including 10 militants, were killed at the Bacha Khan International Airport on December 15, 2012 due to which the airport was shut down for 18 hours.
During the recent years, one of the major attacks by terrorists occurred on the Minhas Airbase, Kamra, on August 16, 2012. Then on May 22, 2011, the terrorists attacked the Pakistan Naval Base, Mehran, killing at least 17 people including security personnel. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan while claiming responsibility termed the attack revenge for the May 2011 US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
On March 12, 2010, two suicide bomb attacks in Lahore Cantonment area killed at least 45 people. While breaching the security of Pakistan’s most sensitive area i.e the General Headquarters (GHQ), at least 10 terrorists dressed in army uniforms attacked the GHQ in Rawalpindi on October 10, 2009. The TTP claimed responsibility for this attack too.
Similarly, at least 10 police recruits and a civilian were killed when terrorists attacked the Manawan Police Training School in Lahore on March 30, 2009.On December 4, 2008, at least 40 people were killed when terrorists attacked the Askari Mosque in Rawalpindi Cantonment. Besides 17 children, a major general was also among those killed.
The terrorists attacked Pakistan Army’s Surgeon General Lt Gen Mushtaq Baig near the Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi on February 25, 2008.On August 21, 2008, over 70 people were killed when two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the gate of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) in Wah Cantonment.
On December 27, 2007, the two-time prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a shooting and suicide bombing in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh, killing up to 20 others and injuring many more.
Similarly, a suicide bomber struck a police checkpoint in the high security zone of Rawalpindi, less than a kilometre from President Gen Musharraf’s Camp Office, on October 30, 2007, killing seven people. The blast also destroyed the check post of Gen Tariq Majid’s residence. General Tariq was then serving as the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
The list of attacks is long. However, each time the terrorists while breaching layers of security succeeded to target key and sensitive installations, it raised many questions not only in the minds of the people of Pakistan but even the international community expressed its concerns over such terrorism incidents.
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