PARACHINAR BLAST POSES SERIOUS QUESTIONS ON SECURITY FORCES PLANS FOR PEACE

Parachinar blast poses serious questions on security forces plans for peace  

ALI HUSSAIN

Islamabad, February 18, 2012: The Friday blast in Parachinar has exposed serious questions on the government and the security agencies plan for the sectarian violence sensitive tribal region of Pakistan. 

The blast, which is said to be a suicide came on a significant moment when Islamabad was hosting a trilateral summit participated by Iranian President Mehmood Ahmedinejad and Afghan President Hamid Karzai to what security analysts described as “a gift to Shai President Ahemdinejad on his historic visit to Pakistan”.   

The bomb blast in Kurmey Bazaar, which killed 32 local people belonging to Turi tribe, the responsibility for which has already been claimed by Fazal Saeed Haqqani-led Tehreek-e-Taliban Islami (TTI) – a breakaway faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is said to be having close ties with Haqqani Network.
The death tool reached to 36 when four more succumbed to the injuries on Saturday.

The TTI which spares itself from military operation a week earlier Pakistan security forces launched operation against the militants, had raised serious questions at that time as TTI chief Fazal Saeed Haqqani was the one who was leading the four-year long siege of the Upper Kurram, a region of 0.5 million population mainly the Shia Muslims. 

The reservations of the local people to exempt the TTI from military operation came into reality and also posed serious questions on the government and security agencies strategy to maintain peace in the region which is most sensitive for sectarian clashes. 

The security forces deployed in Parachinar for the purpose of maintaining peace also opened fire on protesters soon after the Friday blast in the main town killing five more people and injuring 15 others, also left negative message in the locals that had been in the mercy of the militants for last four years.

According to local sources, the security forces resorted to open fire on peaceful protesters who after the blast were staging protest against the slaughtering of their loved ones. A local source told this reporter that before the security forces operation against the militants, the local people have constituted contingents of volunteers deputed on every entry point of Parachinar for the purpose of checking each and every suspected person.

The source said that no incident of terrorism happened during the period of around four years due to the deployment of volunteers but after launching military operation, the local administration along with security forces stopped the volunteers and deployed Levy force backed by army personnel on the check posts.

According to security analysts the Friday blast was enough evidence for the local administration and security agencies to take action against TTI, which has been involved in killing and abduction of hundreds of people belonging to Turi tribe.