Karachi Blasts: Targeting Pakistan

by Zaheerul Hassan

On October 7, 2010 at least 9 individuals have been killed and more than 85 injured in two successive blasts near a prominent shrine in Karachi .The blasts occurred within minutes of interval at the gate of the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Clifton, where a large number of people gather everyday. Earlier just few days back a Sunni leader has been killed by unknown firers. More than 32 people killed and over 200 injured on September 1, 2010 when three suicide bombers blew themselves up in Shia March in Lahore and in another incident on the same day gunmen opened fire at a procession in Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi wounding seven. Since couple of months terrorists activities like blasts, target killing, robberies and kidnapping are remained on `peek in the country. Reportedly, heads of two suicide bombers of Karachi blasts have been recovered. Pakistan's security situation has become pathetic just because of increasing foreign involvement. The terrorists have been operating covertly under the cover of religious and political individuals. It is quite alarming that more than 430 persons have been killed in Karachi this year alone.

Data Darbar shrine has also been targeted by suicide attackers in July 2010. In that attack, over 100 individuals were killed and many injured. In March this year terrorists targeted Ahmedi mosque in which many innocents' people have been killed.

Any how, these blasts have linkage because of their likely aim of division of the society through sectarianism. The current wave of terrorism is giving very clear cut indication of involvement of Indian intelligence agency "RAW' and others foreign intelligence agency. The conspicuous increase in volatility has been noticed since after 'Mumbai attack". India has started all out proxy war against Pakistan and interested it to drag in sectarianism too. In this connection, she never let any chance and event to malign Pakistan in some terrorist activated.

Most of the local analysts are also in the opinion that prevailing political and adverse security environment is in fact the plot against nuclear Pakistan. It is to note here that twin blasts of Karachi seem to be connected with the NATO and RAW collaboration against Pakistan. The blasts occurred when Torkham border has been closed. As a result supply convoy has been stopped and 300 containers have been parked after the NATO's attack on Pakistani troops. Though officials of ISAF and NATO are endeavoring to reopen the Torkham but in this regard still no decisions have been taken by the authorities’ matters in the helm of affairs. The attack was condemned by whole segments of Pakistani society. Islamabad has taken the serious view of the situation and stopped NATO and ISAF to use Pakistani territory for provision of supplies to their troops. It is also added here that NATO and ISAF authorities are under heavy criticism since couple of days. Therefore, American ambassador also asked Pakistani nation to apology American for the said helicopter attack.

Anyhow, the prevailing terrorism wave have also exposed some more angles for deliberation and identifying the exact causes of the terrorism in the country. Firstly, RAW tried to cash the current rift between NATO and Pakistan and carried out blasts in Karachi. Secondly, RAW with tacit support of foreign intelligence agencies decided to target Karachi and other cities for forcing Pakistan to operate against Taliban and Haqqani group in north and south waziristan. Thirdly, ISAF and NATO's intelligence set up are backing RAW to foment terrorism in Pakistan so that they should be able to justify their past drones and helicopter attacks. The covert US drone war in Pakistan has killed around 1,340 people in about 152 strikes since August 2008. It is also mentionable here that near about 31935 civilians and more than 8000 soldiers have been scarified their lives to fight foreign imposed war. On the other hand only 2100 the western and American troops have lost their lives. Fourthly, situation in Kashmir and Maoist's areas are going worst day by day. Indian political and military leaderships are quite upset because of changing international opinion against New Delhi. In this connection, Indian Interior minister P Chidambaram and Chief of Army Staff have repeatedly threatened Pakistan and alleged China for helping Maoists.   In a ceremony held on March 12, 2010 Indian home minister alleged Pakistan for their domestic ongoing violence and militancy. He said that any act of terrorism from Pakistani territory against India will be taken as not be tolerant in future. In fact, the purposes of such types of statements of political and military leadership are to justify Indian covert and open sabotage activities against Pakistan.

On March 13, 2010, two suicidal bombers walked up to Pakistan military vehicles and exploded themselves in densely populated area RA Bazar of Lahore cantt. In the same month Pakistani Intelligence Agency's "sub-office" in Model Town Lahore has also been targeted through a suicide attack.

Reportedly, strategy of  destabilizing and targeting Pakistan has been devised in a meeting held in Kabul under chairmanship of the direct supervision of former director general Amrullah Saleh of the National Security Directorate of Afghanistan in mid June 2010. Indian local intelligence head, ISAF intelligence representative and CIA official have attended the meeting. The main features of their consensus were weakening Pakistan through economy, damaging political system, supporting separatists in Balochistan, defaming military and main intelligence agency (ISI) and spreading sectarianism while targeting carrying out targeting  killing of various religious leaders, blasting scared places and religious processions . Thus current wave of sectarianism and defaming tarnishing ISI images through former CIA officials are very much part of hidden agenda of the foreign intelligence agencies. It was an open secret that former Intelligence chief of Afghanistan was a main linchpin of the entire game against Pakistan.  Though, President Hamid Karzai picked a presidential guardian Rahmatullah Nabil, to lead the intelligence service. But he too failed to remove Pakistani concerns over utilizing Afghan territory by Indian intelligence agency for launching terrorists in Pakistan.

Pentagon and CIA gestures towards Pakistan security forces and Intelligence Agency (ISI) though apparently remained very cordial but bitter aspect of these relations is this that Pentagon and CIA always doubted and mistrusted ISI and Pakistan Army. For example foreign electronic channel "Fox News" reported on October 7, 2010 that spokesman of CIA Col. Dave Lapan said the Pakistan intelligence service as an organization does not support terrorism, but some elements within the Inter-Service Intelligence, or ISI, may be providing assistance to terrorists. Lapan was responding to a report in The Wall Street Journal that suggested the ISI is pushing the Taliban to keep fighting in Afghanistan, undermining efforts by the Pentagon to end the war. The report would be an eye opener for Pakistani political and military top brass and proves that American and western partners of global war are how much biased towards Pakistan. Obama administration should also know that such type of lose stamens of Pentagon's spokesman will further weaken the already deteriorated relations between Islamabad and Washington.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani condemned the Karachi blasts. They expressed condolences with the families of those who lost their lives in the dastardly terrorist act. The President said the government and people are determined to defeat terrorism and such gruesome acts cannot deter the national spirit is ready to defeat terrorists.