 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
|
 |
| October 2009 proved deadliest month for Pakistan |
|
|
|
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: October 2009 proved to be the worst month for Pakistan as two provincial capitals witnessed bloody terrorist attacks with Peshawar suffering the most because of five bombings that left 191 persons dead and hundreds injured.
Three most shocking terrorist act during the month included an attack on a checkpoint outside the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, simultaneous attacks on three establishments of security forces in Lahore and the massive blast in Meena Bazaar, the densely populated shopping market for females in Peshawar. These incidents had no precedent in the past.
The deadliest attack in Karachi, the capital of Sindh, also occurred in October, but it was a couple of years ago on the return of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto from self-exile. There is a perception that the terrorists are fleeing after the launch of military offensive in South Waziristan, and that is why they are targeting whatever comes their way. As Peshawar has proved to be the easiest high-profile target, it has been the worst sufferer in the ongoing wave of terrorism.
Peshawarites are yet to come out of shock of the deadliest bombing in their city despite the passage of a week. It was on October 28 when a powerful car bomb ripped through Chirri Koban road between Meena Bazaar and Koochi Bazaar. The two markets mainly deal in garments, cosmetics and daily use items for women and this was the reason that 33 out of the 119 people killed in the blast were women and their 14 children.
A family lost nine members, many others three to four relatives. Majority of them were shopping for the ongoing wedding season. Over a dozen people, including two couples, are still missing and believed to have been killed and their bodies completely blown to pieces.
The first attack in October occurred in Peshawar on the 9th, which was a Friday. Civilians were targeted at the Soekarno Square in Khyber Bazaar. At least 55 people were killed and over a hundred injured. Till then the blast was the deadliest in the city, as the loss of lives surpassed the figures of casualties from an attack outside the Wadud Sons departmental store on Saddar Road in 1996.
Bombs exploded on two successive days, October 15 and 16, in Gulshan-e-Rahman on Kohat Road and at the entrance to the building of Special Investigation Unit (SIU) in Swati Phatak, respectively. Sixteen people were killed in these explosions.
Terrorists struck again in the city on October 23, the third successive Friday, with a blast outside the Swan Restaurant in Hayatabad. Though the blast was of high intensity, it did not cause loss of lives, injuring 15 people. The latest blast during the month was the one in Meena Bazaar on October 28.
Terrorists have also struck Islamabad and Rawalpindi on several occasions. The attacks included a suicide blast in the first week of October at the office of World Food Programme, the twin suicide bombings at the International Islamic University, the killing of an army brigadier and the shocking attack outside the GHQ, where another brigadier and a colonel were among the six security personnel killed.
October 15 was a ‘field day’ for terrorists in Lahore, where they attacked the Manawan Police Training Centre, the FIA headquarters and a training school for police commandoes. Several precious lives were lost in the attacks.
Apart from the capital cities, bombers also played havoc in Shangla, Hangu, Bajaur, Kohat and other towns with huge bomb blasts. Innumerable minor blasts were also reported in several parts of Frontier, Fata and other areas of the country.
|
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
