Over 25 innocent civilians were injured on Sunday when two motorcyclists chucked a hand grenade towards Ganj Mandi in Rawalpindi—one of the busiest marketplaces in the region. This was the second time that the city had been the target of terrorist activity within the last week, and the fifth time this year. Given the alarming frequency with which such incidents have been occurring, it is vital that the government cracks down on the perpetrators as well as the open market for weapons and explosives in Pakistan.
According to the authorities, the handheld grenade was made. This could have been the doing of a non-state terrorist organisation, a foreign funded agency or an attempt at extortion. However, regardless of who was behind this, targeting an innocent population in the middle of the day is unacceptable. Thus, all of our focus needs to be placed on ensuring that the identity of the criminals is uncovered and that they are held accountable immediately.
Furthermore, the government needs to ensure that extensive barriers exist in the process of acquiring any sort of weaponry or materials that can be used to create explosives. The market prospers, experiencing little to no surveillance or regulation, at the expense of the people. As such, to ensure the wellbeing of the country, strict action must be taken.
Lastly, it would also work to the benefit of the authorities if they revert their attention towards developing comprehensive procedures to trace militants and enhance anti-terror funding efforts in the country. When these two capabilities are coupled with our excellent counter-intelligence, the forces will have all the necessary tools to ensure that the probability of an occurrence like this is reduced dramatically if not completely eliminated.
https://nation.com.pk/15-Dec-2020/explosion-in-pindi
Explosion in Pindi: edit in The Nation, Dec 15th, 2020
Over 25 innocent civilians were injured on Sunday when two motorcyclists chucked a hand grenade towards Ganj Mandi in Rawalpindi—one of the busiest marketplaces in the region. This was the second time that the city had been the target of terrorist activity within the last week, and the fifth time this year. Given the alarming frequency with which such incidents have been occurring, it is vital that the government cracks down on the perpetrators as well as the open market for weapons and explosives in Pakistan.
According to the authorities, the handheld grenade was made. This could have been the doing of a non-state terrorist organisation, a foreign funded agency or an attempt at extortion. However, regardless of who was behind this, targeting an innocent population in the middle of the day is unacceptable. Thus, all of our focus needs to be placed on ensuring that the identity of the criminals is uncovered and that they are held accountable immediately.
Furthermore, the government needs to ensure that extensive barriers exist in the process of acquiring any sort of weaponry or materials that can be used to create explosives. The market prospers, experiencing little to no surveillance or regulation, at the expense of the people. As such, to ensure the wellbeing of the country, strict action must be taken.
Lastly, it would also work to the benefit of the authorities if they revert their attention towards developing comprehensive procedures to trace militants and enhance anti-terror funding efforts in the country. When these two capabilities are coupled with our excellent counter-intelligence, the forces will have all the necessary tools to ensure that the probability of an occurrence like this is reduced dramatically if not completely eliminated.
https://nation.com.pk/15-Dec-2020/explosion-in-pindi
Published in Pak Media comment and Pakistan