Khyber Agency bombing

What is depressing is how there isn’t any outrage in society against such attacks by the militants.

Any hopes that the new year would usher the conflict-ridden regions of the country into peace have dashed to the ground. The ugly spectre of terrorism unleashed its fury in the town of Jamrud in Khyber Agency on January 10, when a pickup truck laden with hundreds of kilogrammes of explosives ripped through a bus terminal, killing at least two dozen people. At least 25 paramilitary troops have been executed by the Taliban since the start of this month in two separate incidents in North Waziristan and Orakzai agencies. There was no immediate claim of responsibility of the dastardly act of January 10, but, the finger of suspicion inevitably points to the Taliban. Some officials suspect that the bombing appeared to be a revenge attack for the killing of a Taliban militant Qari Kamran, who was recently killed by the security forces in Khyber Agency. Jamrud is inhabited mostly by Zakhakehl, a sub-tribe of the Afridis. The tribe has put its weight behind the government in resisting the onslaught by the Taliban and should be commended for its brave resistance. The militants, on the other hand, have upped their ante and show no mercy towards innocent women and children as they continue to wreak havoc. The militants also seem emboldened by a reprieve from US drone strikes.

Since the killing of Qari Kamran, security forces were expecting reprisal attacks and should have been more alert. Local militias and tribes who have offered their resistance to the Taliban, also need to be better armed and equipped instead of being abandoned to fight the militants alone, as often seems to be the case. The bombing is also a grim reminder of the futility of any peace talks with the militants. It is obvious that the militants want anything but peace and, typically use the pretext of talks to regroup and consolidate their strength. What is also, perhaps, depressing is how there isn’t any outrage in society against such attacks by the militants, with much of the media and citizenry still crying themselves hoarse over America’s apparent arrogance in its ties with Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2012.