The killing of three members of the Sabri qawwali troupe, who were an route to Quetta from Karachi, and the injuring of another 13, when their bus was attacked, was not the only fatal incident in Balochistan on Wednesday, as a major of the Pakistan Army was martyred while leading an intelligence-based operation in Awaran. Indeed, the terrorist activity in the country was not restricted to Balochistan, for two policemen were martyred in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khaiber Pakhrunkhea, while a gas pipeline was blown up in Lakki Marwat district. Clearly, the country’s two westernmost provinces are out of control, with the administration unable to guarantee that most basic right, that of free movement. People simply cannot go about their occasions. This is especially true for Balochistan, where this was part of a long series of bus attacks, the last one being attacks on buses in Zhob and Lorelai hardly a week ago, in which nine travellers were offloaded from buses bound for Ders Ghazi Khan and killed. Balochistan also was witness to the Jaafer Express outrage, which again was an attack on movement.
It is not enough to airily dismiss this terrorism as Fitna-i-Hindustan, and blame the recent upsurge on Indian chagrin at being bested in the recent encounter between the two countries. That does not absolve the Pakistani state from its basic responsibilities, which include protecting free movement. IBOs must be conducted so that loss of life or limb are minimised. While taking the fight to militants is positive, it is perhaps more important to get prior information of such activity as bus attacks. That they have been the result of ambushes, indicates that the local law enforcement agencies indicates either incompetence or a decision that discretion is the better part of valour.
These are merely temporary. The real challenge is to dry up the supply of recruits, both for separatist and sectarian terrorists, which means both patience and providing better governance. That applies to the whole country. Or does the government want to wait until the remaining two provinces also explode? It must be realized that sectarianism and separatism are two sides of the same coin of misgovernance throughout the country. There is no guarantee that a hungry, illiterate youth subject to official contumely will become a terrorist. Indeed most do not. Theater is no guarantee that a well-fed, well educated member of the elite will not. But we do know who has a greater chance of taking up arms.
