Attack on Pakistan’s gateway

I was just a child when in the mid ’60s, the deputy foreign minister of Poland was killed in what could be described as the first suicide attack at the tarmac of Terminal 1, Karachi. Several VIPs, who were at the reception line were also killed. The assailant was said to be an extremist and anti-communist.

Decades later Terminal 1, of Karachi airport, now the Jinnah International airport, is in the news again, after about a dozen militants stormed the airport.What happened at Terminal 1 on Sunday was an attack on the Gateway of Pakistan, and the entire country is still in the grip of fear and terror. It raised serious questions about our national security and the confusion that prevails about unanimity of views between civilian and military leadership.

This incident poses serious challenge to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s vision of Pakistan and one wonders whether this attack would take Pakistan forward or further backwards. Weapon-free Karachi is still a dream and it looks as it will remain a dream. One was surprised to read the statement of the government that major attack was foiled. We should thank our stars for that, otherwise it the militants could have hijacked a plane or blown up some planes. The fallout of such an eventuality would have been unnerving. We must admit that the militants put the country on the defensive. This could be the beginning of a long war.

A big attack was expected in the major cities since the sudden break up of “peace talks,” but the attackers and planners chosen Pakistan’s economic hub, Karachi, which may see more deadly attacks in the coming weeks and months, as warned by the intelligence agencies. Thus, the move looked well calculated to target country’s “gateway.”

Despite target killings, day to day shut down or strikes, protests, bhatta mafia threats, industrial shut down, the port city of Karachi still provides 60 per cent revenue to the country. Had the city been peaceful with satisfactory law and order, it could have changed the destiny of the nation.

Pakistan is a victim of the policies of the two Generals, who ruled this country for almost 22 years: — General Zia ul Haq and General (R) Pervez Musharraf. Interestingly, both adopted different policies but the results were almost similar. They created a mess and made peace a dream for over 180 million Pakistanis which may not be realized in the near future.

There is no need to elaborate Pakistan’s bloody journey as a consequence of the policies of both Gen Zia and Gen Musharraf. Both looked after US interests but at the cost of interest of millions of Pakistanis. Both fought US war in return for billions of dollars and made Pakistan, poorer and poorer, unsafe and insecure. We are a nuclear power, but getting weaker and weaker due to internal conflicts.

Terminal 1, reminded me of the bloody dramatic end of 1986 hijacking of PAN-AM airliner at the same venue and it was also Sunday. I had covered that event as a junior reporter, when our commandos stormed the plane to rescue the hostages. But, that was confined to one plane; target was not Pakistan but a particular plane. The only similarity between the two incidents was that in both cases the attackers were “foreigners,” but Muslims. In PAN-AM case it was a group of Palestinians and here they were suspected Uzbeks (though it is yet to be confirmed).

It was perhaps the natural outcome of the events of the last two months, when all of a sudden “peace talks” were suspended and the militants started attacking security forces followed by air strikes on their hideouts in North Wazirstan in retaliation. To date, no one knows what led to the break up in talks? Both sides blame each other but none of them gives a convincing reply. Where is the government? Why has the Parliament not been taken into confidence? Does the so-called difference of opinion between civilian and military leadership still persist? Apparently we have not heard or read any categorical statement from the civilian leadership.

From day one the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) government was double-minded in dealing with Taliban and other extremist groups. Whether to go for peace talks with Taliban or opt for a full scale military operation? The first option was adopted when some Islamic clerics were used, whose name were not disclosed. But, no one knows why and how that committee was replaced by another committee. Here too, strangely, the consent of members was not sought before announcement of the committee. Then the task was given to retired Major Aamir, PM’s advisor Irfan Siddiqui and noted journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai. Taliban too nominated the committee headed by Maulana Samiul Haq with Prof Ibrahim and Yusuf Shah as its members.

Although both sides expressed optimism after the first round, the second round was delayed for unknown reasons and despite the release of some prisoners which, Taliban said they had never demanded, the situation started getting tense day by day.

Perhaps, too much media attention and desire of both sides to go to media, every second day also created misunderstanding.It was gratifying to note (and the government took credit for that) that there was no US drone attack after the process of peace talk was initiated. After some attacks on security forces, the civilian and military leadership finally decided, “unanimously,” that Pakistan army would retaliate, if attacked. Thus, for the first time instead of “drones” Pakistani Air Force hit the militant camps. However, Taliban claimed that many civilians were killed in these attacks but security forces said many foreign and local militants were killed.

In the meantime, Federal Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan expressed his optimism about another round of peace talks but for unknown reasons his efforts could not succeed.Now, the Minister of Defence Khawaja Asif, who is struggling hard to get into the good books of military establishment, declared after the Karachi attack that the government would “eliminate the militants.” How? Only Khawaja Sahab has the answer to this question.

But it is now time for the civilian and military leadership to be on the same page. Their differences are not mere whims but hard realities ever since government decided to arrest retired General Musharraf under Article 6, and to try him for high treason. That the army was not amused with the action is an open secret. Relations became so strained that a strong feeling emerged within the establishment that the government is backing Geo. Though, army did support government initiative for peace talks but within its own circle, they were not very optimistic about the success of the talks.

Now, only Ch Nisar Ali Khan, who was given full mandate for the talks by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, knows what actually happened and what went wrong? Maybe one day he will speak out and tell the whole story!But at the moment it seems that there would be attacks and counter attacks without any formal announcement of launching an “all out operation.”

Secondly, even if the government gave green signal to military operation, will it be confined to Waziristan and adjacent areas or would be for the entire country? This may be an uphill task. One thing is certain three cities are likely to be affected most: Karachi, Rawalpindi and Islamabad while situation in Peshawar too may see deadly scenes.

Killing of around 30 people including 11 from Airport Security Force clearly indicates the kind and amount of weapons the militants were carrying. Though, there was no specific alert about the airport but Ministry of Interior did warn Sindh government about possible terrorist attack on sensitive installations in Karachi. To be very honest such high security was never placed in highly sensitive areas.

At least, no high or red alert was visible at the airport.Terminal 1, was most vulnerable for such attacks as you may hardly find any major security, if you come from “Star Gate.” There were all kind of speculations from where the terrorists have come. They may have come from the main gate, where you hardly found top security unless some VVIPs were coming. They could have come from the adjacent colony and who knows, some of them might be staying at the hotel in the vicinity with fake names.

Gallant SSG commandos and ASF personnel succeeded in preventing the terrorist from hijacking a plane or entering the main Terminal II, and some brave ASF soldiers also sacrificed their lives. The fact is that the event has once again exposed our “security and safety narratives.” How many attacks would be needed to teach us the lesson?

Militant’s strategy was clear. They knew they were on a suicidal mission but they also knew that this event would hurt Pakistan badly, both from security and more from economic point of view.

In the last few years, we had witnessed attacks on airports like the one at Peshawar airport or at Mehran base, but the attack on Pakistan’s biggest International Airport, Karachi is the attack on Pakistan. It is an attack on country’s jugular vein, the economic hub of Pakistan. Can our economy survive in case Karachi becomes another Waziristan?