Pakistan bomb blast

What Message does the Pakistan bomb blast give to the World?

Pakistan experienced a serious suicide bomb blast probably the biggest in its history on September 20 which demolished a major power symbol, prompting many to call it Pakistan’s 9/11.A truck laden with 1000kg of explosives that suicide attackers rammed into the high-security Marriot Hotel in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad The Marriot’s physical proximity to the country’s power centres places in it is a high-security area near the parliament , Supreme Court , Presidency and Diplomatic Enclave that houses many foreign missions, including the American, British and Indian close to several television and radio stations. Although most casualties were Pakistani security guards and drivers-the dozen foreigners killed included American, German and Vietnamese citizens besides the Czech ambassador. No one has claimed responsibility but the attack is assumed to be the work of Pakistani Taliban who has strongholds in the country’s north-west bordering Afghanistan. The large explosion rocked the capital in the evening at around 8 pm killing at least 60 including foreigners and leaving 260 inured with mounted panic and fear griping the whole city. Immediately after the massive blast, the hotel building caught fire and scores of inmates were trapped in the premises and some of them were seen waving their hands at the top roof of the building for help.

Zardai vehemently responded to the blast in this way, “ I promise you that such terror attack will not break our determination. We will protect and rid Pakistan of the menace. We do no just condemn this attack but we stand firm in our resolve . We are committed to fighting and rooting out extremism and terrorism in all its colours and extents from the heartland and soil of Pakistan. If anyone thinks that they can challenge the government or the state by such attack they are firmly and sadly mistaken.”

Pakistan government has announced it would reward Rs one crore to whoever provides information about a powerful blast. Rehman Malik, prime minister’s adviser on Interior Affairs told reporters that authorities had received intelligence report on Thursday that some big suicide attempt would be made on parliament.


The attack was symbolically timed overshadowing Zardari’s maiden address to the joint parliament session of National Assembly. The message is that they can strike Pakistani capital and they care nothing for democracy or for religion. They can attack any time and anywhere despite tightest security. It also say if they fail to their main target, they won’t just go back without hitting their subsidiary target. Their main objective is to create panic and show threat..

It also shows a serious security lapse. There were extra-ordinary measures in the capital security forces were vigilant for the whole day. They were checking all the big vehicles entering the city. Even then, it happened.

The attack whose primary victims were Pakistanis, increases pressure on the government to reduce the rising violence in the Muslim nations that many blame on the country’s partnership with the US in the war on terror. Terrorists gave a response that they are very close to Pakistan’s present government and it cannot wipe them out immediately. .
Afghan president Hamid Karzai told Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Zilani that the attack which had been blamed on at Al Qaeda, “ shows that the only way to get rid of terrorism is widespread and honest cooperation in war against it.” “ Now the need for a joint strategy in the war against terror is felt more than ever” Ginlai retorted. Karzai has long been advocating a regional approach to the terrorist threat saying the extremists have support and sanctuary in Pakistan .But Islamabad has been saying that the root of the problem is in Afghanistan” People of both countries are affected by terrorist attacks and a joint cooperation is needed. Now both they countries have got the meaning of the message. These two neighbors are US allies in its ‘ war on terror’ who launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, have been at odds over the extreme that dogs both these Islamic countries. But their relations appear to have softened with the election at the beginning of September and Asif Ali Zardari’s who replacement of the former military ruler Pervez Musharraf with whom Karzai had difficult relationship.

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Asif Ali Zardai has said it is committed to battling militancy but should include attempts to negotiate peace with insurgents with force as a last resort. We appreciate this decision. Only applying force may make them more furious. These people are guided by some ideals which they are highly devoted and dedicated to and this is why they can sacrifice their lives. This is actually the violent form of religious extremism. If religion makes them so furious, cruel and violent, what is the real message of religion? How they will invite people to embrace religion and make them follow the religious creeds? Definitely their ways are derailed from the original beliefs and ideals of religion. This religious extremism is not only a threat to Pakistan and Bangladesh; it has grasped the whole South Asia and the world. Chill penury and environmental hazards are two potential threats to humanity. Extremism has added to the list throwing the whole humanity into a panicky situation and making scope to fully misunderstand the religious message. The proliferation of madaras education, Bush policy in the world , poverty and military rule can be attributed to the present form of religious extremism throughout the globe.

US officials warned that peace pacts simply give Taliban and al-Qaeda militants time to regroup in their bases in Pakistan’s northwest regions where they can plan more attacks in Afghanistan and on the West. They seem to be very afraid of the groups. Actually this is their creation to face the Soviet Union attack in Afghanistan. Now the same group of extremist has posed a serious threat to their peace and even existence.

The Pakistani attack is a message from al-Qaeda and Taliban that unless Pakistan and America stop attacking their sanctuaries in the tribal areas, they can hit back in Pakistan if not the USA. As America is not being affected directly, it will exercise pressure on Pakistan to suppress the group at any cost. But the casualties faced by Pakistani ordinary people go beyond the imagination. So, Pakistan needs to deal with the affair very technically and ingeniously. Pakistan must launch a long term policy to wipe out the root of religious terrorism as the recent attack is an alarm bell for the whole Paki stani nation.




Md. Masum Billah
Program Manager: Brac Education Programme, PACE
Phone: 9355253 (home), 01714-091431(cell)
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com