Attack in Quetta

The city of Quetta has once again been left reeling from violence. A suicide attack targeting a cavalcade of the Frontier Corps (FC) killed at least 10 people, including four troops, and wounded two dozen more in the city’s red zone on February 6. A convoy of the FC was patrolling Quetta’s high-security area when a man riding a bicycle triggered his explosive belt next to a paramilitary truck, causing loss of life and leaving a trail of destruction. A spokesman for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the atrocity.

The assault came barely two days after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the Rs13 billion Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab Road, part of the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). As is evident by this latest bloodbath in Balochistan, there is no doubt, if there was any, that reaping any fruits from the CPEC will remain a gargantuan task, especially in the insurgency-wracked province. Balochistan is no stranger to bloody violence orchestrated by militants of various stripes. A low-key insurgency by Baloch separatists has since long left the province in chaos and badly mauled. But what is of increasing worry is that this time around, the militants were able to breach the red zone area of the provincial capital, which in general is relatively better secured than other parts of the city. The security failure here needs to be examined carefully. It is clear that militants continue to retain the ability to cause considerable havoc, even with the gains that the military may have made against them in recent times.

In addition, the attack also sounds a warning to the authorities as there is no reason why projects related to the CPEC may not be targeted in the future in Balochistan. This episode illustrates the challenges that lie ahead on the road to peace and development. The civilian and military leaderships need to act with resolution and purpose although one feels that this quagmire will need a lot more than that to get resolved.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th,  2016.

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