Battagram blast

As it steps into the realm of government as an ally of the ruling PPP, the PML-Q finds itself the new target of suicide bombers, who continue their bombing campaigns ruthlessly across the northern areas. Seven people, including two policemen and three women, were killed when a young suicide bomber tried to make his way into the venue of a PML-Q meeting at Battagram, but was stopped by vigilant cops on duty. The main target of the attack appeared to be the provincial chief of the PML-Q, Amir Muqam, who remained quite safe as he had failed to reach the meeting. He has since demanded better security at public gatherings.

But the problem is that better security alone will not solve the problems we face or even significantly reduce the scale of the threat from militants who seem able to strike when they choose, most often killing ordinary people. The fact that the bomber was stopped by police marks an improvement in security arrangements. The real challenge, however, is to do far more to tackle the issue of militancy. It is clear that training centres and other places where militants are based have not been touched. The leaders of key extremist groups remain active and able to operate at will.

If we are to make our country a place where political events can continue without the fear of death, we will need to do more. Most major parties in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have faced the wrought of the Taliban. They need to sit together and work out a strategy on what is to be done. Our democracy cannot afford a further loss in space in which to operate. The extremists have already succeeded in stealing away much of this space from the political parties, thereby weakening them. They must not be allowed to take away more otherwise we will have not only a continuing cycle of violence but a possibly fatal loss of life within the political structures essential to our future.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2011.