Parachinar market blast

Vegetable sellers and other passersby were ruthlessly killed on the morning of January 21 at Eidgah Market in Parachinar, Kurram Agency. At the time of writing, 21 casualties were counted and at least 50 people injured, including children, discovered with bloodied faces. The IED explosion was claimed by the sadistic Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, notorious for wanting to cause harm, destruction and agony to people. Terrorists have spared no religious or socioeconomic group in this country but it is frequently the lower socioeconomic rungs of society that become entrapped in their annihilation plots such as the hand-to-mouth vegetable sellers in Parachinar. We have heard too much hypocrisy and hyperbole in the past few years by the government in the wake of operations in the north and south, including Zarb-e-Azb. The operations have been impactful in mitigating the incidents of terrorism but by no means is the wrath of extremist groups eliminated from the country, evidenced by the Parachinar explosion as well as the several foiled terrorist attempts in the recent past not limited to the north of the country. There is a great challenge ahead for the new army chief and his team cannot allow terrorists to infiltrate in this transition period.

Speaking of transitions, apologies should be rendered to the people by the current and previous leaderships after decades of being unable to protect citizens. Those in power themselves daily witness the brutalities against people murdered for one extremist or frivolous belief or another but there is no panacea. Such incidents caution us to think that the current gross development in the country is premature as the negative elements of our society still harbour primitive mindsets of forcing one’s beliefs onto others and resorting to angry murder and destruction otherwise. It is inexplicable why extremist elements continue to thrive in the country, though certain theories exist. We are skeptical that Pakistan will ever be able to eliminate the existence of terrorism from the country. While enthusiasts attempt to present a positive image of Pakistan to the world, we cannot deny that terrorism is a part of life in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2017.

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