Guess Who?

Reaching out for peace at the Data Sahib

Surfing news channels upon returning from a Sunday at work I came across breaking news of Police raiding hideouts of suspected terrorists around Darbar market in the vicinity of the Data Darbar.Remember Data Darbar was attacked by suicide bombers on July 1 killing more than 40 and injuring atleast double this number.

Data Darbar is a very popular 11th century sufi shrine and sufism is seen as a moderate interpretation of Islam as opposed to the sect that Taliban are believed to follow. Eversince this attack there has been a tremendous amount of anger and grief-Just Lahore observing three days of mourning that included market closures and protests led by religious and political sentiment. Thats another thing that the city's restaurants continued to cater to many showing up in their best attire. Punjab government was widely and loudly criticised by political figures.

Take the example of Pakistan Tehrik e Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan who said that whenever Nawaz Sharif of PML-N goes abroad theres trouble here at home. Sherry Rehman of PPP and ex Information Minister named the Punjabi Taliban to be behind the attack on Data Sahib.

It is confusing why the attack on Data Sahib has invited so much wrath only on the Punjab government because this is not the first time that a religious place has come under attack in Lahore or the country for that matter.There have been around 22 major attacks on mosques and other Islamic institutions since December 2007. So, to my surprise this time , its the Punjab Government that is being blamed for what happened. I wonder how everyone forgot about the external elements and Indian hand that were always named after every security failure?

The dangerous part is that this being interpreted as an attack on the moderate muslims in Pakistan carried out by extreme followers of Islam and so is being given a bright hue of sectarianism. The sad attack on Data Darbar should not be separated from the terrorism that the country faces as a whole.

Police with its raids might win some praise that could silence its critics for the time being . But security in the city does need to be more meaningful. Vehicles were being stopped on checkposts yesterday and I happened to be in a rickshaw making my way back from a posh neighbourhood. While the glistening cars were allowed to pass unchecked, my rickshaw was stopped and I was briefly questioned. No problem with that but when I was asked to produce my ID and it turned out to be a press tv one, I was let go. No scrutiny of my bag or any body search. So i was left wondering why was I halted in the first place?

So much for tightening security. Its just suffocating.Meantime, your guess is as good as mine as to who is behind this condemnable attack.