Kalat ambush

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The killing of three musicians, including two Qawwals belonging to the renowned Sabir family, in an ambush on the outskirts of Kalat is highly disgusting. If the renowned singers from Karachi were targeted deliberately as they were on their way to perform in Quetta, then it is even more condemnable and hints at the sense of otherness that is fast creeping in society. The attack has left at least 13 injured, and seems to be a follow-up of a similar bloodbath in Zhob a few days ago.

The fact that National Highway arteries are not safe in the restive province of Balochistan is a grim reminder that quick-fix measures taken by the authorities after gun-runners are not up to mark, warranting something serious in the kinetic realm, including securing all the passenger buses with armed guards to ward of any eventuality.

This tendency of taking passengers out of buses, profiling them and killing them is a terror tactic meant for showcasing that non-state actors can operate unchecked. This time around all the victims were from Karachi, and might mark a new angle in ethnic terrorism. As military authorities in the last few weeks have cracked down hard on Indian agents operating in disguise, the backlash is understandable. The possession of automatic weapons and the coordination that these outfits have exhibited is a source of concern, and necessitates a solution that is logical and addresses both political and security dimensions.

The terror fissures are now toiling national cohesion, calling for a coordinated response. It seems the government's offer to engage with the militants on their genuine grievances is not on a proper wavelength. That means some out-of-the-box gestures are desired to ensure that the radicals, especially those who are interested in working under the ambit of law and the Constitution, are motivated with state-centric guarantees to give up terror and become part and parcel of civil society. It is a gigantic task that must be backed with prompt military manning so that security does not go up for a toss.