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| Repeated bombings in Peshawar |
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People fed up with lame govt assurances
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Syed Bukhar Shah
PESHAWAR: Though the site of the November 19 blast is again scene of a bustle, the memories of the suicide attack continue to haunt the visitors of the Judicial Complex here.
“Innocent and law-abiding citizens are the ultimate sufferers of militancy and military operation,” stated a visibly perturbed elder at the entrance to the complex, where 21 people were killed in a suicide attack on Thursday last.
“Have both the parties — militants and security forces — joined hands against the helpless citizens, who do not know what their crime is and for how long the killings would continue,” he added.
The prevailing situation is alarming because of terrorist attacks at public places. The repeated assurances from the federal and provincial ministers after every bombing seem useless, as the people believe the terrorist network is yet to be dismantled completely.
“We are fed up with assurances, condemnations and constant declarations of war against terrorists,” remarked the brother of a child who had been injured in the blast. He said none of the government functionaries admitted their failure but they instead sought more sacrifices from people.
The ruling class could not solve any of the problems confronting the nation. Thousands of educated youths are wandering in search of jobs but the ministers and officers have locked all of their entry gates and blocked all roads leading towards their offices and residences.
People wait in queues for getting sugar and protesting against increasing electricity, gas and other utility bills but nobody is bothered.A government servant, who daily comes to Peshawar from Mardan, observed that the government had deputed police officials at various, sometimes unnecessary, checkpoints. Appreciating performance of police on duty in almost every congested area, he said, the government should take concrete measures and improve intelligence system to foil the terrorism plans.
Besides establishing barricades at almost all main roads, the government has constructed walls around posh localities like the cantonment, leaving the rest of population in the lurch. “It we are alive today, it does not mean the government has given us protection. It is just because our fate is not yet sealed. But anything can happen anytime,” said Rahim, father of two children.
He said he was now thinking to move from the provincial capital to somewhere else. However, his colleagues posed a question as to whether he could be safe in Punjab or elsewhere and “for how long, he could run away from his death.”“Being Muslims, it is our belief that no authority in the world could change time of death,” Ali Khan said, suggesting others not to worry about their life.
Critics of the government have been demanding the government to resign for a permanent solution to the problems but the NWFP government’s spokesman and Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain posed a counter-question as to whom should they hand over power?
“Should we hand over power to those who had been slaughtering human beings, hanging bodies after digging them out from the graves and those lashing our daughters, sisters and insulting women inside their houses? We should have to face the situation and continue struggle till the elimination of the last terrorist and establishment of a society, where every citizen could lead his life with dignity and without any fears,” he said, adding that the terrorists were carrying out their activities at public places as they had fled after the destruction of their dens in Swat and Waziristan.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
