pakistan is in the jaws of terrorism. This is partly because Pakistan's government policy of nurturing some terror groups who they feel are their supporters such as the Haqqani faction of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Lashkar-e-Toiba in Kashmir. This has been brought home to Pakistan by repeated terror attacks leading to thousands being killed. An attack by two Suicide Bombers on a Methodist church in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan is the latest terror attack. Located in a "secure" area the church was guarded by the Pakistan police it was still a target for the terrorists.
Despite the stringent security, two suicide bombers were able to penetrate the cordon and storm the church. It is small consolation, that both the suicide bombers were neutralised, yet nine Christians have been killed and over 50 injured, including nine who are in a critical condition. The death toll is like to go up. Geo News has given a graphic account of the attack.
Plight of Christians
The Christians constitute barely 1.5% of the population of Pakistan, but they are subjected to repeated terror attacks by hard-line Islamic terrorists. Hundreds of Christians have been killed and in 1998 the Archbishop of Lahore committed suicide, to highlight the plight of Christians in Pakistan.
The terror attack
The Methodist church was carrying out functions in the run-up to the celebration of Christmas. Sadly the two terrorists breached the security cordon and carry out the attack. This breach does not speak highly of the ability of the Pak security forces. The Pak army chief General Bajwa and other Generals have been congratulating themselves the suicide bombers were neutralised in 15-20 minutes, but in that period the bombers killed nine Christians and injured over 50.
This is certainly not something to crow about.
Pak policy
Pakistan will continue to suffer terror attacks as one faction of the Pak army is highly radicalised and dictates policy to the government. The BBC has reported that one facet of that control is the release from house arrest of the global terrorist Hafiz Muhammad Saeed who has a bounty on his head of US$10 million offered by the US.
Earlier the Pakistan government, on prodding from the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan (ISI) had given safe houses for many years to Osama Bin Laden and Mullah Omar.
The latest attack in a sanitised area is cause for concern and as has been pointed out by the CIA it's about time the Government did a U-turn on supporting so-called 'friendly' terrorists and running terror training camps.
