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Lahore attacked again

Dawn Editorial 
Thursday, 28 May, 2009

Urgent operation is needed to track down terrorists infiltrating or living in cities. — APP

The third major terrorist strike in Lahore in three months was perhaps not unexpected given the state’s push against the militants on three fronts. In the Malakand division, Pakistan has launched its most serious counterinsurgency operation to date against the militants; in South Waziristan, ground forces are on the move backed by tanks and helicopters; and in Punjab, the detention of some jihadi leaders following the Mumbai attacks has fomented resentment against the state. Only a detailed investigation will reveal the reason behind Wednesday’s strike in Lahore, but once again there seems to be a failure of preventive planning by the state on several levels.
 
First, there appears to have been a breakdown in security in what should have been a high-security area. When the terrorists opened fired and lobbed grenades — and this was before the explosives-laden vehicle rammed into a security barrier outside the Rescue 15 building — reports suggest there was no immediate return of fire. And the reports also suggest that only after the suicide attacker struck did the security forces take up positions on the rooftops of neighbouring buildings. Given that the modus operandi used by the terrorists was not new and that the neighbourhood they struck was a logical target, the security forces should have planned better for just such an eventuality. A quicker and fiercer response could possibly have saved some lives.

Second, the ISI office adjacent to the Rescue 15 building should have been relocated some time ago. ISI offices have been targeted before, in Lahore and Rawalpindi, and they remain very high on the terrorists’ list of potential targets. What was the sense in leaving the office in such a high-security area which everyone from the CCPO Lahore to the chief minister of Punjab frequents?

Third, the collapsed building of Rescue 15 suggests that poor construction could have had a role to play. This would not be very surprising. A recent report by the development section of the Lahore police revealed that out of the 77 buildings used by the police in the city, few were constructed to an international standard. What is needed then is an urgent survey of all public buildings in Lahore to determine whether they can withstand large explosions, and then the necessary steps should be taken to either remove the staff in those buildings to safer locations or shore up unsecured and unsafe structures.

Finally, it is clear that such safety and preventive measures can work only up to a point. What is needed is an urgent operation to track down terrorists infiltrating or living in cities and for them to be taken out before they can launch their destructive attacks. And if that’s like finding a needle in a haystack, then the answer is more resources to find the terrorist needles.

Dawn.com May 28,2009