Karachi aiport attack: Pak should realise its issue is not India

Even as the Pakistani security established successfully neutralised the Tehreek-i-Taliban militants who stormed Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport in the intervening night of 8-9 June, questions are now being raised about Pakistan’s stand on its home-grown terror. It is clear that Pakistan is facing a backlash of the terror network that it nurtured itself not so long ago. “Pakistan nurtured Tehreek-i-Taliban and now they are paying the price. They are trying to control them internally and use them externally in Afghanistan and India. Pakistan sincerely needs to tackle militancy. India should be on the alert as well. Pakistan must decide which policy it wants to follow,” former Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen (Retd) Raj Kadyan told CNN-IBN during a panel discussion. [caption id=“attachment_1563077” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Smoke rises after militants launched an early morning assault at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on 09 June 2014. AFP[/caption] The Hindu, resident editor in Mumbai, Amit Baruah felt the attack would affect the image of Pakistan internationally. “The attack comes at a time when a civilian government is trying to restore the economy and peace. Pakistan really faces an existential choice. The Tehreek-i-Taliban has shattered the myth that they are keen on negotiations. Pakistan has been driven to despair because normal citizens have become victims of terror. The time has come for the government and the Pakistani army to really take a call,” Baruah said. The Pakistani army and the government must understand the seriousness of the situation. The willingness to take on terror has to be demonstrated. Today’s attack sends out a signal that Pakistan is not a safe country. The narrow understanding of religion becoming the structure of governance is not a right thing. The hardline notions of Islam should be rejected," the resident editor said. Former diplomat KC Singh shared similar views. “What we saw today in Karachi is a result of the split ISI managed to create in the Tehreek-i-Taliban. Now the onus is on Pakistan to go out and get the other half. Mere aerial strikes on terror pockets won’t help,” Singh said. The former diplomat also rejected the idea of an Indian hand in the attack as reports suggested that India-made weapons and other battle gears were recovered from the slain terrorists. “The involvement of India is theoretically impossible. While there was an outgoing government till a few days ago, the new government is yet to settle in. No government would like to start off in such a fashion. There is a possibility that groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jamaat ud Dawa may use this incident to act against India. This is decision time for Pakistan and they have to act fast,” Singh said. Pakistani journalist Wajahat S Khan vindicated the stand taken by Singh. “There is a knee-jerk reaction to every terror attack in Pakistan that there is an Indian hand. The truth is different elements in Pakistan have not been successful in convincing each other about the real threat which is terror,” Khan said. The Pakistani journalist although said that there is a gradual realisation in Pakistan, particularly in its army, about the need to finish these militant groups. “There is a slow U-turn happening as to how to deal with these bad guys. This military has ceded a lot. In fact, the military which earlier built nukes without caring for permission from the civilian establishment now even struggled to shut down a TV channel (Geo TV). Sad part is this military does not think it is ready to go out and declare war on these militants,” Khan said.