A suicide blast that killed 74, mostly lawyers in Quetta, is a tragic reminder of the dangerous policies pursued by Pakistan. The attack was apparently well planned and
executed with cold-blooded precision. First, motorcycle-borne gunmen shot down Ailal Anwar Kasi, president of the Quetta Bar Association in the morning. When over 200 mourning lawyers gathered at the hospital to take the body for burial a suicide bomber set off a blast. This is not the first time that lawyers have been targeted by terror outfits. The first big attack against lawyers was in 2007 when a suicide bomber struck in
Islamabad when a rally was being taken out, killing 16 advocates. Three years earlier a similar attack was perpetrated in
Quetta when a cop was shot dead and a suicide bomber targeted
the funeral procession. Quetta, the capital of Balochistan
is the place where Taliban leaders often meet. Safety here is
an issue and anyone perceived to be on the wrong side of the
Taliban is more likely to end up dead. The lawlessness in this
region is a result of political unrest and the failed policies of
Pakistan. As is often said, once you mount the tiger it is difficult
to dismount.
