Sir: The clash between the Pakistan Awami Tehrik and the Punjab police in Lahore, killing innocent people including women was deplorable and inappropriate. Such incidents should be avoided when the armed forces are engaged in a military operation in North Waziristan (NW). All segments of society including media and major political parties have supported the government’s decision to launch a military operation against the terrorists. However, it is unfortunate that in pursuance of their political interests, some elements appear to have lost sight of the collective national interest to bring the country back on its feet. At this critical juncture, political parties and religious leaders must postpone their scheduled protests and rallies. The country is facing serious security issues and needs unity among different facets of society to come out of them. Anza Kanwal Rawalpindi