Quetta carnage deplored

February 28, 2007

By Sohail Sangi
Condemning the Feb 17 suicide attack on a court in Quetta, Daily Ibrat says the government appears to be helpless in the wake of the growing incidents of terrorism.The newspaper says the recent wave of terror had exposed the government agencies’ inadequacies. The daily puts a rhetorical question: “Who are the assailants and what are they up to?”The Ibrat says a sense of insecurity has overtaken the nation after the bomb attacks during Muharram. “People are afraid that anything can happen the next moment.”The paper expresses an apprehension that `under a plan, sustained efforts are being made to create a law and order situation’ in the country. It ridicules a claim made by a senior official that the government has broken the terror network.The Ibrat points out that acts of terror have increased after Washington started pressuring Islamabad into `doing something’ to curb terrorism. “The perpetrators are conveying a message to the US that terrorists are present in Pakistan.”The paper terms the recent wave of terrorism dangerous and calls upon the government to formulate a long-term strategy.Criticising the hasty legislation work in the National Assembly last week, daily Awami Awaz says the passage of four bills betrays the ruling party’s contempt for rules and regulations. “If some member speaks out against this, he is harassed by the treasury benches.”The newspaper says the `rulers appear to be unconcerned about their responsibilities’. For example, the government has urged the cement and sugar barons to bring down the prices. The paper says it is the government’s duty to ensure that businessmen do not fleece the people, but instead of taking administrative steps, it is content with making appeals.Daily Ibrat welcomes the government’s decision to call a multi-party conference (MPC) on provincial autonomy.The paper believes that Sindh will now formulate recommendations about provincial autonomy. The Ibrat calls upon political parties to attend the conference as `vital issues concerning national cohesion are involved’.Daily Hilal-i-Pakistan editorialises on the disappearance of political activists, recalling that the Attorney General has told the Supreme Court about some of the activists’ whereabouts. However, a large number of people are still missing. “These people were either picked up from workplaces or homes. No agency is willing to talk about them.”The paper says even if these people are wanted for `any anti-state activity’, they should be dealt with according to the law.Daily Kawish condemns the Panipat train tragedy, saying that the `sun of peace has never risen since partition’. “Whenever some confidence-building measures are taken, something unpleasant happens.”The paper urges the two governments to investigate not only the attack, but also try to find out who stood to lose in the event of normalisation of relations.