Daily Times

Three separate bomb attacks over the past few days have targeted three different politicians across the great divide. This latest bloodshed left more than 150 dead and many more injured; all in the space of a little over 72 hours. To term this unacceptable is an understatement. In short, the state apparatus needs to pull up its socks when it comes to providing pre-poll security. And it needs to do so immediately.

The citizenry demands and expects answers from caretaker Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk. As head of government, ultimate responsibility for law and order rests with him. Yet he has been found wanting on many fronts; not least when it comes to taking to task the seemingly incompetent Punjab chief minister. The premier must call an emergency meeting with all provincial CMs as well as the COAS to draw up a national emergency plan; charting the path ahead to July 25.

The Army chief must also be held to account for deteriorating security. Admittedly, the people of Pakistan have been promised military protection on election day; including 371,388 security forces assigned to poll duty. This is to say nothing of the 134,894 reservists or the 4,000 Air Force and Navy personnel that are to deployed to keep the country’s borders safe. But what about right now; in the run-up to D-Day?

To be clear, this is not a rhetorical question. Not when the country has suffered the TTP-claimed assassination of Awami National Party (ANP) leader, Barrister Haroon Bilour in Peshawar. That attack on Tuesday left around 20 dead. Not when Friday brought with it two more blasts: Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Mustang in Balochistan. The first targeted the convoy of Akram Khan Durrani, a former KP chief minister and member of the Jamait-Ulema-Islam Fazl (JUI-F). And while he managed to escape unhurt, at least four were killed. Thus far no group has claimed responsibility. The second bombing killed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Siraj Raisani; the brother of a former chief minister of the province. This was owned by ISIS.

All of which suggests that the numerous military offensives in recent times have not been effective in the long-term. It also signals a state not in control of its borders and one that is unable to keep its population safe. Indeed, it raises grave concerns about how such militant outfits have been able to regroup so forcefully and up their game, as it were, as political campaigning enters the final furlong.

What the civil-military leadership must ask itself is this: is it committed to ballots being cast according to schedule? If it is, then it must effectively address the fragile security situation. Failure on this front may well lead to elections being suspended. And as we have said before — this would spell disaster for the country. Bluntly put, it would deliver a resounding victory to the militants. And the people of this country deserve better. As does the widow of Haroon Bilour; who has demonstrated immense courage in deciding to contest the elections from the same constituency as her late husband.Thus we repeat: the sanctity of the voting process must be respected at all costs. Far too many have already sacrificed far too much to throw it all away. *

Published in Daily Times, July 14^th 2018.