Rawalpindi: Taliban stroked Pakistan Army second time within 24 hours and this time they targeted area of Vatican of Pakistan Army—GHQ in Rawalpindi. According to an eyewitness account, a bicycle rider was spotted on the location and some men tried to overpower him when he blew himself up. The police have collected the parts of suicide bomber. 5-8 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast, sources said.
The blast took place at 7:35 am when the people were going to offices. This is a busy thoroughfare and offices of military agencies are located nearby including the GHQ. Initial reports confirmed that all dead or injured are employees of General Headquarters (GHQ) and regular soldiers.
Hospital sources claimed 17 persons including school students were also injured who were shifted to nearby hospitals including CMH and MS. Security forces reached the site immediately after the incident and cordoned off the area while the residents were forced to stay indoors. Bomb disposal squad was called in to ascertain the safety of the residents. Media men were not allowed to approach the blast site as the security personnel gathered evidences.
Rampage – Killing Spree – Rampage – Head Shot – Awesome.” You can easily remember these words, because these words remind you of your success in the world’s most popular computer game of the 90s – Unreal Tournament. The war between the Pakistan army and the Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) looks like a final game of Unreal Tournament. What an exceptional advantage the TTP has against the Pakistan army without having an air force, naval power, limited resources, and no cantonments to plan or live. Yes, weapons are also non-conventional – a single suicide bomber takes out one tank.
People who understand guerrilla war strategy must appreciate the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Its footwork, intelligence network, weapon power – all are matchless, and there is no doubt it looks impossible for the Pakistan army to defeat them,” said one of my friends who is not a journalist but reads the newspapers and watches television talk shows more than any journalist I know. He wanted my comments about his statement. I told him he was right, but he did not mention the most lethal weapon the TTP has. He asked me then what is that lethal weapon? I said —TTP supporters like Maulana Fazul Rehman, Munawar Hassan, and many more veteran leaders who have created so much confusion that “national resolve” has died, and no army can fight without support from its nation.
In the latest statement that the TTP released, after killing 20 soldiers in Bannu against the TTP leadership, it said that it does not fight with Muslims, indicating that those who were killed in Bannu were, of course, not Muslims.
The TTP looks justified in striking journalists as it did in Karachi, because the TTP believes that the media is playing a negative role against the TTP. One must appreciate that the leadership and followers of the TTP are of a very clear opinion — they have no ambiguity about what they believe and what they do. Their belief about their war against Pakistan is unshaken, and this is the key for their constant successes, because their enemy (Pakistan as a state) is totally shaken in its belief and has yet to decide if fighting against the TTP is right or wrong.
I remember the great philosopher Aristotle said, “We make war that we may live in peace.” However, Pakistan talks about peace without making war against the TTP.
One day young Alexander, which we remember in history as Alexander the Great, asked his mentor and teacher, Aristotle, what is the most important weapon to win the war. Aristotle smiled and said, “Trust in you that the war you are fighting is for a cause.”
Pakistan as a nation has no trust over its so-called war against the TTP, while the TTP leadership has a strong resolve that they are fighting for a cause. We can debate whether their cause is right or wrong, but we must accept that the TTP resolve over what it is doing is unshakeable, and that indicates it can win the war against the Pakistan army.
Meanwhile the TTP is following an exemplary strategy of “move on and keep your enemy busy in negotiations,” The TTP on Sunday again offered peace talks with the government, shortly after killing 20 security officers in Bannu.
TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid said they carried out the attack to take revenge for the killing of their leaders. He claimed the responsibility in a statement and at the same time said the TTP is ready for talks with the government.
“Our stance about the dialogue is very clear. If the government proves its power and sincerity, we are ready for meaningful talks despite our great losses,” Shahid said in a detailed policy statement.
On announcing a ceasefire if talks start, Shahid said it depends on the government, as it had “started the war and sent troops to the tribal regions on the behest of the United States.”
“The government should now declare a ceasefire as it will have to create a conducive atmosphere for talks. We can also review our operations if the government takes some confidence-building measures,” the TTP spokesperson said. “We are of the view that the government has no power and sincerity regarding the peace talks, otherwise our senior leaders would not have been killed after the peace dialogue offer,” Shahid said.
Regarding the killing of CID Officer Chaudhry Aslam, Shahid said the police officer had carried out several operations against the TTP, and they had killed him in a revenge attack. He denied that the TTP was involved in the Peshawar attack on a Tablighi Markaz. Shahid claimed that the TTP “does not attack Muslims,” as such attacks will earn them a bad name about their group.
People in power and in decision-making should appreciate the TTP for its forceful candid resolve, and ask themselves how long they can try to fight against the TTP if there is no commitment, no cause, and no resolve to fight against TTP.
