Why Pakistan Fails to Counter 'Suicide' Attacks?

By Animesh Roul

As the investigation into the Oct 18 Karachi blast continues, more terrorist strikes (e.g. Oct 20 Baluchistan car bomb blast and Oct 25 Swat blast), violent street protests and fatal shootouts came thick and fast to haunt Pakistan. Blame games and finger pointing are taking its usual round. The larger question, who is responsible for the carnage, is not important at this juncture. Both Jihadi elements and Bhutto herself should be held responsible for this carnage. The procession with thousands supporters was utterly unnecessary for security point of view and that to in the night. Everybody knows about Pakistan’s internal security situation that has been deteriorated further since July this year.

The Karachi suicide attack that ripped the security convoy of former Prime Minister and Pakistan People’s Party leader Bonaire Bhutto, killed over 130 people and left scores of others injured. As many as hundred among those 540 odd injured have been fighting with life and death in various hospitals in and around Karachi. The suicide attack was definitely targeted at Bhutto on her ‘celebratory return’ to Pakistan after years in exile. Even though intelligence agencies intercepted indications of assassination plans by as many as three Jihadi groups linked to al Qaeda/Taliban, they largely failed to prevent the bloodshed and mayhem. One loud Taliban commander Haji Omar gave enough indication of this type of deadly plots against her. Omar said that "She has an agreement with America. We will carry out attacks on Benazir Bhutto as we did on General Pervez Musharraf." However, the suspect list could be long, but government investigation will not fathom it soon, like any other similar attacks in post-Lal Masjid-operation Pakistan. The list reportedly have names of Taliban leaders, Islamist supporters of former President Zia ul-Haq, ISI henchmen and many armed force officials. Bhutto herself pointed fingers at three people, including Pak Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Ezaj Shah. However, no outfit has taken responsibility for Karachi blasts. They won’t take either fearing backlash now.

Interior minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao was quick to add admitting his government's failure in checking suicide bombers on the prowl. He was a survivor of such kind of extreme terror tactic. Sherapo however, defended the capability of Pakistan’s (notorious) intelligence agencies to counter the current Fidayeen wave, forming a kind of deluge across the country. What is surprising is that Sherpao reportedly admitted that ‘it was next to impossible to stop suicide attackers.’ His candid admission reflects not only his government’s failure in containing hydra-headed Islamist forces, but the psychological advantage these Jihadi radical forces have over the political and military force of Pakistan. There were 56 suicide attacks occurred since January 2002 in Pakistan, according to estimate by Sherapo’s office and Oct 18 attack was the deadliest ever. The report also marked the total fatalities in these incidents at 574 and in Karachi itself six such suicide attacks have been carried out since May 2002. In the face of this enormous threat, it’s rather intriguing why Islamabad administration ruled out any foreign help to probe suicide attacks. The Pak anti-terror agencies very well know that they can’t fathom the Jihadi web, leave alone solving the riddle. Equally intriguing is why nations intend to fight terrorism in isolation when they actually lack expertise? If that would be the case then why they go into superficial bilateral and multilateral joint anti terror mechanism, issuing joint statements only? The answer for "why pakistan fails to counter suicide attacks?" lies somewhere in these questions raised here.

In the meantime, Benazir Bhutto has reportedly received another assassination threat and the threat was issued by an alleged “head of suicide bombers and a friend of Al Qaeda and Osama." And conveyed that women Fidayeens are deployed to kill/target her. One thing is sure now that the Karachi Incident would only boost Bhutto’s chance in Pakistani politics, but not Pakistan’s counterterrorism capability at all.

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