Media watch: Attacking provincial heads
Media discusses the possibility of a new terrorist force in the wake of the attack on CM Balochistan.
Media watch is a daily round-up of key articles featured on news websites, hand-picked by The Express Tribune web staff.
Balochistan attack
Suicide bombers are the weapon of choice of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and sectarian groups. But such groups have not made targeting Baloch political leaders a priority — their targets in the province tend to be Shias or the security apparatus. And while Baloch separatist groups like BLUF have been targeting Baloch politicians, the groups are not known for suicide bombings, or, as mentioned above, attacks on tribal chieftains. So it would appear that a new, and very dangerous, form of attacks may be emerging in Balochistan. (dawn.com)
Lucky escape
The motive behind this attempt is not known. What is certain is that matters in Balochistan are still far from settled and need to be worked out. We simply cannot afford a continuation of the unrest that has already acted to destabilise a province through which run too many violent strains and where the federal government has so far failed to douse the flames of anger and discontent. (thenews.com.pk)
Assassination attempt on Raisani
For those who say that the militants wage their war against the security forces only and do not target the country’s leading figures, one only need to remember that the Taliban issued a hit list in 2009 in which it swore to target politicians. It was therefore only a matter of time before they upped the ante. If it really is the militants, this attack on Raisani shows just how alarmingly close the terrorists are to creeping towards our power centres. (dailytimes.com.pk)
Attack on Raisani
While one appreciates the vigour that the two political leaders are displaying after being personally targeted, one is constrained to observe that if they had reacted with similar alacrity when common people were being ruthlessly killed, the state of law and order would have been much better in Balochistan by now. (pakistantoday.com.pk)
Balochistan attack
Suicide bombers are the weapon of choice of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and sectarian groups. But such groups have not made targeting Baloch political leaders a priority — their targets in the province tend to be Shias or the security apparatus. And while Baloch separatist groups like BLUF have been targeting Baloch politicians, the groups are not known for suicide bombings, or, as mentioned above, attacks on tribal chieftains. So it would appear that a new, and very dangerous, form of attacks may be emerging in Balochistan. (dawn.com)
Lucky escape
The motive behind this attempt is not known. What is certain is that matters in Balochistan are still far from settled and need to be worked out. We simply cannot afford a continuation of the unrest that has already acted to destabilise a province through which run too many violent strains and where the federal government has so far failed to douse the flames of anger and discontent. (thenews.com.pk)
Assassination attempt on Raisani
For those who say that the militants wage their war against the security forces only and do not target the country’s leading figures, one only need to remember that the Taliban issued a hit list in 2009 in which it swore to target politicians. It was therefore only a matter of time before they upped the ante. If it really is the militants, this attack on Raisani shows just how alarmingly close the terrorists are to creeping towards our power centres. (dailytimes.com.pk)
Attack on Raisani
While one appreciates the vigour that the two political leaders are displaying after being personally targeted, one is constrained to observe that if they had reacted with similar alacrity when common people were being ruthlessly killed, the state of law and order would have been much better in Balochistan by now. (pakistantoday.com.pk)