Opinion Printline Pakistan
This week,three successive bomb blasts ravaged major cities across Pakistan. While the modus operandi remains the sam...
Spreading terror
This week,three successive bomb blasts ravaged major cities across Pakistan. While the modus operandi remains the same,the terrorists seem to be taking on diverse targets. Daily Times wrote in its editorial on December 9: The spread and range of attacks seems to be widening… Attacks in three major cities highlight the reach of the militants. The terrorist network seems not only to be strengthening,its choice of targets too is widening. In Peshawar they targeted the judiciary; in Lahore they targeted civilians… while in Multan they targeted the security agencies… To execute attacks against the high-profile security apparatus takes more time and planning while targeting civilians is a far easier task. Now there is a generalised terror campaign against the public… For attacks in Peshawar and surrounding areas,it can be said there is an involvement of the local people or militants from FATA,but can the same be said about Lahore or Multan? For a long time now the authorities have not been very forthright about the seminaries in south Punjab… If we do not take steps to deal with them immediately… there might be another South Waziristan on our hands very soon.
Implicating India
In an apparent attempt to divert attention from the turmoil caused by internal elements,Pakistans interior minister,Rehman Malik once again resorted to alleging Indian involvement in Balochistans upheaval. Dawn reported on December 8: Malik has said concrete evidence of Indian interference in Pakistan has been provided to the Foreign Office,which it will take up at an appropriate forum. He said the issue would be taken up forcefully whenever composite dialogue with India resumed and the proof would be shared with the international community. He said arms and terrorists were entering Pakistan from Afghanistan and the matter had been taken up with President Hamid Karzai. The News dwelled upon this on December 10: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said information received by us in this regard is insufficient and more information… is needed to plausibly argue our case… We would have to be cautious and careful. If it is challenged in a court of law,then we will have to ensure it meets its logical end, he added.
A hostile climate
This week,India got flak from Pakistan not only on political matters,but also on environmental issues at the Copenhagen summit. Dawn reported on December 7: Glacial lakes have started forming in the Siachen region because of global warming and Indian military presence,posing serious risk to Pakistans food security,according to Pakistani experts. Director-General of Pakistan Meteorological Department,Dr Qamaruz Zaman Chaudhry said both countries should ensure the Himalayan glaciers were not disturbed. He said the presence of Indian army in the region was causing rapid melting,damaging the glaciers… Pakistans agriculture was dependent on Himalayan glaciers and global warming and military presence could risk food security. The paper followed this up on December 8: Pakistan will highlight the negative impact of glacier melting and trans-border pollution on its food and energy security at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and plead for mounting global efforts against climate change… Pakistan has a very limited role in increasing the atmospheric greenhouse gases and contributes almost 135th of what other nations are producing but is on 12th position in the list of most vulnerable nations in the world. Its closest neighbours,China and India…pose threats not only to Pakistans agriculture,energy supply,settlements and infrastructure but also adversely affect its water supply,increasing temperatures,drought and flooding and population movements. Carbon emissions from the Indian side particularly cause heavy fog and smog in most areas of Punjab.
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