Every single time, those who have very publicly waged a war against us creep out of their strongholds, make a mockery of our law enforcement measures and paint our walls with our own blood, one can’t help but wonder about the wave of euphoria that had swept far and wide to celebrate the victory of Taliban across the border. What culminated at a mosque in Peshawar Police Lines on Monday had been brewing right under our noses for the past two years. But as always, the masses banged pots and clanged pans as loudly as they could–literally begging the authorities to snap out of their deep slumber–only to receive dead silence in return. Losing an unbelievable 47 (at least) of the country-men in just one flash; many of whome would have hurried to reach the blast site in an earnest attempt to get closer to their Provider should have sent shockwaves across the nation, prompting a comprehensive line of action from the civilian and military leadership. The emergency imposed at hospitals across the bloodied, battered city should have been initiated in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. After all, it was the brother of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who had sensed the urgency in rolling out a much-awaited Operation Zarb-e-Azb to cleanse the doorstep. Half-hearted statements and emphatic appeals on social media cannot shift the focus away from the disturbing impunity that has been encouraging terrorist organisations to cherry-pick targets in the past few months. Just two weeks ago, Peshawar had borne the brunt of yet another militant attack on a police station. Another police vehicle had barely escaped the deadly radar in the same region, a few days earlier. How can Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s police be expected to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of millions when a Damoclean sword hovers over their own safety? The demons are busy at work, day in and day out, playing havoc with the last standing structures and making life a living nightmare for the people in this country. However, the multi-million dollar question remains: would the state now mow the ground, pick up pom-poms and wait for them to arrive or actually deliver on its constitutionally-mandated responsibilities? *