Re: Breaking News: Another Bomb blast in Lahore
If it is one or two rare attacks here and there it could be called a law & order issue.
If it is say a dozen attacks a year you could call it some sort of movement and with a mix of disciplinary action and diplomacy you can fix it.
What's happening Pakistan for the past 2 years or so is much worse than these. Dissident groups seem to be able to attack where they want, when they want and seem to marshal resources in almost all parts of Pakistan - including within yards of the capital, military barracks, let alone mosques and markets.
This kind of widespread resource acquisition is only possible with a broad based support from the population and institutions.
So what is driving this? Several factors,
- the compulsion felt by groups to implement sharia intensely
- the dysfunctional state of the military officiers who until recently ran the institutions with power privelege and in some cases, pride (I think there are actually two different groups of such military officers - one that existed until 3 years ago and one that formed since then)
- the dichotomy felt by ISI - they have been roundly criticised and given up for some past missions; they are being told to run missions that align to covert policy yet overtly they are being punished - spies are game to be disowned or criticised in public but not for punishment.
- Resources - there is a huge resource issue staring at the government which only gets worse if they go against US policy, yet what US wants is no longer clear
Every distinct group has had its pride hurt seriously - whether it be elite military, intelligence, religious group, provincial administration, justice, police.....Each has become distrustful of each other. When you don't trust your own country men and fellow official, how are you going to trust India or USA or the UN...or OIC or Iran or Saudi?
Leadership is usually what saves the day in such a mess. Unless some leader emerges soon how will the major and stronger of the groups (which in my view is the provincial groups as opposed to religion, politics or ther) to sit idle and await their fate be written for them?