Death toll from Pakistan mosque suicide bombing rises to at least 100
Euronews
Mon, 30 January 2023
The death toll from the Monday's suicide bombing at a mosque in northwestern Pakistan rose to 100 on Tuesday, officials said.
The assault on a Sunni mosque inside a major police facility was one of the deadliest attacks on Pakistani security forces in recent years. Current and former officials say the attack reflects reflects “security lapses".
More than 300 worshippers were praying in the mosque in the city of Peshawar, with more approaching, when the bomber set off his explosives vest on Monday morning.
The blast ripped through the mosque, killing and injuring scores of people, and also blew off part of the roof.
What was left of the roof then caved in, injuring many more, according to Zafar Khan, a police officer. Rescuers had to remove mounds of debris to reach worshippers still trapped under the rubble.
More bodies were retrieved from the rubble of the mosque overnight and throughout the day on Tuesday, according to Mohammad Asim, a government hospital spokesman in Peshawar, and several of those critically injured died in hospital.
“Most of them were policemen,” Asim said of the victims.
Bilal Faizi, the chief rescue official, said rescue teams were still working Tuesday at the site of the mosque — located inside a police compound in a high security zone of the city — as more people are believed trapped inside after the roof caved in.
He said the bombing also wounded more than 150 people.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating how the bomber was able to reach the mosque, which is in a walled compound, inside a high security zone with other government buildings.
“Yes, it was a security lapse,” said Ghulam Ali, the provincial governor in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital.
Abbasi, the official who gave the latest casualty tolls, concurred. “There was a security lapse and the inspector-general of the police has set up an inquiry committee, which will look into all aspects of the bombing,” he said.
“Action will be taken against those whose negligence” enabled the attack.
Authorities have not yet determined exactly who was behind the bombing. Shortly after the explosion on Monday, Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, claimed responsibility for the attack in a post on Twitter.
But hours later, TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khurasani distanced the group from the bombing, saying it was not its policy to target mosques, seminaries and religious places, adding that those taking part in such acts could face punitive action under TTP’s policy.
His statement did not address why a TTP commander had claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Suicide bomber kills 59 in Pakistan mosque used by police
Mon, January 30, 2023
By Jibran Ahmad and Asif Shahzad
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) -A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a crowded mosque in a highly fortified security compound in Pakistan on Monday, killing 59 people, including 27 police officials, the latest in a string of attacks targeting police.
The attacker appeared to have passed through several barricades manned by security forces to get into the "Red Zone" compound that houses police and counter-terrorism offices in the volatile northwestern city of Peshawar, police said.
"It was a suicide bombing," Peshawar Police Chief Ijaz Khan told Reuters. He said the mosque hall was packed with up to 400 worshippers at the time and many of the 170 wounded were in critical condition.
The death toll rose to 59 after several people succumbed to their wounds, hospital official Mohammad Asim said in a statement. Police said 27 of the dead were police officials.
Local Taliban known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella group of Sunni and sectarian militant groups, denied responsibility.
The bomber detonated his load at the moment hundreds of people lined up to say their prayers, officials said.
"We have found traces of explosives," Khan told reporters, adding that a security lapse had clearly occurred as the bomber had slipped through the most secure area of the compound.
An inquiry was under way into how the attacker breached such an elite security cordon and whether there was any inside help.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the worst in Peshawar since March 2022 when an Islamic State suicide bombing killed at least 58 people in a Shi'ite Muslim mosque during Friday prayers.
Peshawar, which straddles the edge of Pakistan's tribal districts bordering Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, is frequently targeted by Islamist militant groups including Islamic State and the Pakistani Taliban.
"Tehreek-e-Taliban has nothing to do with this attack," the TTP said in a statement.
The bombing happened a day before an International Monetary Fund mission to Islamabad to initiate talks on unlocking funding for the South Asian country's economy, which is enduring a balance of payments crisis.
'ALLAH IS THE GREATEST'
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Geo TV that the bomber was standing in the first row of worshippers.
"As the prayer leader said 'Allah is the greatest', there was a big bang," Mushtaq Khan, a policeman with a head wound, told reporters from his hospital bed.
"We couldn't figure out what happened as the bang was deafening. It threw me out of the veranda. The walls and roof fell on me."
The explosion brought down the upper storey of the mosque, trapping dozens of worshippers in the rubble. TV footage showed rescuers cutting through the collapsed rooftop to make their way down and tend to victims caught in the wreckage.
"We can't say how many are still under it," said provincial governor Haji Ghulam Ali.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes as the police and the rescuers scrambled to rush the wounded to hospitals.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack.
"The sheer scale of the human tragedy is unimaginable," Sharif said. "This is no less than an attack on Pakistan. The nation is overwhelmed by a deep sense of grief. I have no doubt terrorism is our foremost national security challenge."
Sharif, who appealed to employees of his party to donate blood at the hospitals, said anyone targeting Muslims during prayer had nothing to do with Islam.
(Reporting by Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad; Additional reporting by Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan; Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Asif Shahzad; Editing by Grant McCool and Rosalba O'Brien)
Police Lines bombing
Published January 31, 2023
Monday’s savage bombing targeting a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines is a disturbing reminder of the havoc the proscribed TTP is capable of, as well as a tragic illustration of the failed policy of suing for peace with the terrorist group.
In the TTP’s worldview, either the state accepts their unreasonable demands, or gets ready to face murderous rampages like the mosque bombing. It is also a fatal security lapse in what is supposed to be one of the most well-protected parts of the KP capital, bringing back memories of last year’s Koocha Risaldar bombing in the same city. That atrocity was carried out by IS-K.
Monday’s bloodbath has reportedly been claimed by the Mohmand faction of the TTP, apparently as ‘revenge’ for the killing of Omar Khalid Khorasani in Afghanistan last August. That notorious militant had at different times been associated with IS-K, Jamaatul Ahrar, as well as the TTP.
KP has been bearing the brunt of the terrorist onslaught ever since the TTP renounced their truce with the state late last year. While attacks mainly targeting law-enforcement personnel have been occurring with regular frequency, the Police Lines bombing is surely a major escalation, considering the high body count, specifically targeting the policemen and army troops that were offering prayers in the mosque. Sadly, the needed response from the political leadership, treasury and opposition included, as well as the security establishment to the TTP threat, has been lacking.
Politically, the nation has been witnessing paralysis over the past several months, with the PDM and PTI gunning for each other in a destructive battle of nerves. Meanwhile, there exist caretaker governments in KP and Punjab, while policymaking is largely frozen, mainly due to questions about when general elections will be held, as the economy nosedives. This ‘perfect storm’ presents an ideal opportunity for the TTP and others of their ilk to strike at the state.
It is welcome that the prime minister and the interior minister rushed to Peshawar following the tragedy, while the outrage was condemned across the political spectrum. However, more than ‘thoughts and prayers’, what is required now is action. At least where the menace of terrorism is concerned, the government and opposition need to close ranks and put up a united front, working with the security forces to plan and execute a result-oriented counterterrorism strategy.
The foreign minister has said the National Action Plan is the only solution to neutralise the terrorist threat. There can be little disagreement with this, which is why political forces and the establishment need to put all their energies into implementing NAP. Intelligence-based operations should be launched to uproot the terrorist infrastructure, particularly their sympathisers and support system. Too much precious blood of our security men and civilians has been shed to let the ogre of terrorism reanimate itself.
Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2023
Monday’s savage bombing targeting a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines is a disturbing reminder of the havoc the proscribed TTP is capable of, as well as a tragic illustration of the failed policy of suing for peace with the terrorist group.
In the TTP’s worldview, either the state accepts their unreasonable demands, or gets ready to face murderous rampages like the mosque bombing. It is also a fatal security lapse in what is supposed to be one of the most well-protected parts of the KP capital, bringing back memories of last year’s Koocha Risaldar bombing in the same city. That atrocity was carried out by IS-K.
Monday’s bloodbath has reportedly been claimed by the Mohmand faction of the TTP, apparently as ‘revenge’ for the killing of Omar Khalid Khorasani in Afghanistan last August. That notorious militant had at different times been associated with IS-K, Jamaatul Ahrar, as well as the TTP.
KP has been bearing the brunt of the terrorist onslaught ever since the TTP renounced their truce with the state late last year. While attacks mainly targeting law-enforcement personnel have been occurring with regular frequency, the Police Lines bombing is surely a major escalation, considering the high body count, specifically targeting the policemen and army troops that were offering prayers in the mosque. Sadly, the needed response from the political leadership, treasury and opposition included, as well as the security establishment to the TTP threat, has been lacking.
Politically, the nation has been witnessing paralysis over the past several months, with the PDM and PTI gunning for each other in a destructive battle of nerves. Meanwhile, there exist caretaker governments in KP and Punjab, while policymaking is largely frozen, mainly due to questions about when general elections will be held, as the economy nosedives. This ‘perfect storm’ presents an ideal opportunity for the TTP and others of their ilk to strike at the state.
It is welcome that the prime minister and the interior minister rushed to Peshawar following the tragedy, while the outrage was condemned across the political spectrum. However, more than ‘thoughts and prayers’, what is required now is action. At least where the menace of terrorism is concerned, the government and opposition need to close ranks and put up a united front, working with the security forces to plan and execute a result-oriented counterterrorism strategy.
The foreign minister has said the National Action Plan is the only solution to neutralise the terrorist threat. There can be little disagreement with this, which is why political forces and the establishment need to put all their energies into implementing NAP. Intelligence-based operations should be launched to uproot the terrorist infrastructure, particularly their sympathisers and support system. Too much precious blood of our security men and civilians has been shed to let the ogre of terrorism reanimate itself.
Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2023
Road to perdition
DAWN
Published February 1, 2023
A RECKONING is called for, a reckoning unlike that which this nation has ever seen. It must happen now — or, as surely as night follows day, more bestial acts of violence like that which took place in Peshawar on Monday will continue to claim the lives of innocent Pakistanis. And it must come from those who sowed the seeds of a disastrous policy that is once again reaping a harvest of blood.
There is not much to be gained in pointing the finger of blame at particular individuals, though some are indeed more culpable than others. The security establishment as a whole has since decades persisted with a myopic approach to militancy, one that could only lead to perdition.
Its disregard, bordering on contempt, for any input from the civilian leadership — which had to face the public’s wrath as the body count rose — kept it insulated from what might have been wiser counsel.
Following the horrific APS attack in 2014, it seemed for a time that the state had seen the folly in its ‘good Taliban, bad Taliban’ strategy. The National Action Plan that was a response to that tragedy stipulated 20 steps towards eradicating extremism in society.
But while the civilians faltered in taking the measures they were responsible for, the establishment’s inconsistent policy towards militants remained in play and negated whatever steps the government did take.
When the civilian leadership in 2016 warned that Pakistan risked international isolation unless it cracked down on militants of all stripe, it was ruthlessly — and very publicly — cut down to size, leaving no doubt as to who was calling the shots.
Some action against the ‘good Taliban’ was only initiated when Pakistan was about to be placed on the FATF grey list. As a result, ‘charitable entities’ that had earned an international reputation as fronts for extremist propaganda and militancy were forced to suspend their activities.
Nevertheless, some extremist groups continued to find space to hold press conferences and rallies, even field candidates in elections.
Contrast that with the persecution of individuals like Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement leaders Manzoor Pashteen and Ali Wazir, who were warning that militants were once again gaining a foothold in the tribal districts, some of them with the blessing of the state.
After the military-led ‘peace talks’ with the TTP failed and the terrorist outfit began to carry out countrywide attacks, it became clear who had gained from the exercise. In the fullness of time, the state’s missteps are plain to see. The glib platitudes, the doublespeak about ‘zero tolerance’ for militancy have been shown up for what they are.
A break from the past is needed, but for that the establishment must come clean so that we can start working to put behind us the confusion created by its dangerously muddled policy.
Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2023
There is not much to be gained in pointing the finger of blame at particular individuals, though some are indeed more culpable than others. The security establishment as a whole has since decades persisted with a myopic approach to militancy, one that could only lead to perdition.
Its disregard, bordering on contempt, for any input from the civilian leadership — which had to face the public’s wrath as the body count rose — kept it insulated from what might have been wiser counsel.
Following the horrific APS attack in 2014, it seemed for a time that the state had seen the folly in its ‘good Taliban, bad Taliban’ strategy. The National Action Plan that was a response to that tragedy stipulated 20 steps towards eradicating extremism in society.
But while the civilians faltered in taking the measures they were responsible for, the establishment’s inconsistent policy towards militants remained in play and negated whatever steps the government did take.
When the civilian leadership in 2016 warned that Pakistan risked international isolation unless it cracked down on militants of all stripe, it was ruthlessly — and very publicly — cut down to size, leaving no doubt as to who was calling the shots.
Some action against the ‘good Taliban’ was only initiated when Pakistan was about to be placed on the FATF grey list. As a result, ‘charitable entities’ that had earned an international reputation as fronts for extremist propaganda and militancy were forced to suspend their activities.
Nevertheless, some extremist groups continued to find space to hold press conferences and rallies, even field candidates in elections.
Contrast that with the persecution of individuals like Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement leaders Manzoor Pashteen and Ali Wazir, who were warning that militants were once again gaining a foothold in the tribal districts, some of them with the blessing of the state.
After the military-led ‘peace talks’ with the TTP failed and the terrorist outfit began to carry out countrywide attacks, it became clear who had gained from the exercise. In the fullness of time, the state’s missteps are plain to see. The glib platitudes, the doublespeak about ‘zero tolerance’ for militancy have been shown up for what they are.
A break from the past is needed, but for that the establishment must come clean so that we can start working to put behind us the confusion created by its dangerously muddled policy.
Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2023
A treacherous deal
Published February 1, 2023
TERROR has struck with renewed ferocity, reminding us yet again of the wages of appeasement. The suicide bombing that killed and wounded scores of worshippers inside a mosque in Peshawar raises questions about our flawed counterterrorism strategy.
The bombing that occurred inside a high-security zone demonstrates the rising capacity of the militants to carry out high-profile terrorist actions with deadly effects.
A faction of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with links to the so-called Islamic State’s Khorasan chapter has claimed responsibility for the bombing. The emerging nexus of transnational militant groups has rendered the situation more alarming. Militant groups now seem to have regrouped and appear better equipped with the help of their patrons on the other side of the border. The return of Taliban rule in Afghanistan has certainly given a boost to violent militancy here.
But it is the weakness of the Pakistani state and the absence of a clear policy direction that has allowed the militants to regain their space. Monday’s Police Lines mosque attack in an area that houses the offices of various civilian law-enforcement agencies has exposed the failure of our entire security apparatus.
Most alarming are the reports about the possible involvement of some insiders in the attack. It is apparent that such massive terrorist action requires a strong support network.
There has been a marked escalation in terrorist attacks in the troubled province over the past several months following a reportedly dubious deal with the banned outfit that allowed the militants who had fled to Afghanistan to escape the military operation to return home.
According to some media reports, thousands of armed militants have crossed the border and re-established their bases in the region.
The so-called peace negotiations were just used as a cover by the militants to gain time.
Former prime minister Imran Khan, in a recent statement, revealed that his government had planned to resettle TTP fighters in Pakistan’s tribal districts with the help of the Afghan Taliban. He has blamed the latest resurgence of terrorism in the country on the “unwillingness of the current government to abide by the commitments made by the previous regime”.
“When the militants came, they were not rehabilitated or given any proper attention, and no money was spent on them. We were afraid that if we did not pay attention to them, then terrorism would start in different places, which [is what] has happened,” the former prime minister is reported to have said at a seminar recently.
Khan’s revelation gives credence to reports of a deal with the terrorist group that is responsible for the killing of thousands of Pakistani civilians and security personnel. Under that deal, several militant leaders who had declared war on the Pakistani state were also released.
It was yet another act of surrender by the state to the militants who have refused to lay down their arms and accept the state’s authority. The nation is now paying the cost of appeasement with the blood of its citizens.
It’s apparent that the deal had been done with the full approval of the security establishment. There was a public uproar when the state decided to start so-called peace negotiations with the TTP facilitated by the Afghan Taliban regime.
But the protests didn’t stop the then ISI chief from going to Kabul and sitting across the table with the outlawed group. Instead of surrendering, the TTP leaders set out their own conditions for talks that virtually asked the state to hand over its control of the former tribal areas to them.
Despite the fact that the negotiations were going nowhere, the state continued to engage in talks with the globally declared terrorist group. The militants used the negotiations to reorganise themselves.
The so-called peace negotiations and the ceasefire were just used as a cover by the militants to gain time. Meanwhile, the state allowed thousands of militants to return with their arms. Parliament and the nation were kept in the dark on the deal that Imran Khan has confirmed.
Not surprisingly, the TTP called off the ceasefire after regrouping and unleashed a deadly wave of terrorist attacks. The end of a tenuous ceasefire has further intensified the militant violence.
Targeted killings, suicide bombings and other forms of attack on security installations have returned to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with lethal force, taking a huge toll on lives, after years of relative calm. The former tribal regions of Bajaur, North and South Waziristan and adjoining districts have been the worst hit.
The attacks have been getting more brazen in recent weeks, with the TTP extending its lethal activities to other parts of the country. In the past three months, the outlawed terror group has claimed more than 150 attacks in KP alone. The police and other security agencies have been the main target of the terrorist group amid worsening political instability that has crippled the provincial administration.
The civilian law-enforcement agencies seem to have collapsed in the face of the militant assault. The Peshawar mosque attack has been the deadliest in recent years and has shaken the country. It raises serious questions about the state of our preparedness to deal with the renewed terrorist threat. Meanwhile, the worsening political and economic crisis has pushed the country close to anarchy.
It has also led to the weakening of the state authority, providing a favourable environment to outlawed groups with a strong ally across the border. The threat to national security has become more serious with the reported tactical alliance between the TTP and some Baloch separatist groups. Consequently, there has been a tangible escalation in terrorist attacks in Balochistan in recent months.
The National Security Committee last month vowed to deal with the terrorist violence with “the full force of the state”. But there is still no clear strategy in place to deal with this existential threat.
Solemn declarations cannot be a substitute for actions. It is most important that the nation be told about the controversial deal with the militants that the former prime minister referred to. Such underhand dealings have earned the country the dubious distinction of being the epicentre of militancy, undermining not only its own national security but also that of the region.
The writer is an author and journalist.
zhussain100@yahoo.com
Twitter:@hidhussain
Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2023
TERROR has struck with renewed ferocity, reminding us yet again of the wages of appeasement. The suicide bombing that killed and wounded scores of worshippers inside a mosque in Peshawar raises questions about our flawed counterterrorism strategy.
The bombing that occurred inside a high-security zone demonstrates the rising capacity of the militants to carry out high-profile terrorist actions with deadly effects.
A faction of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with links to the so-called Islamic State’s Khorasan chapter has claimed responsibility for the bombing. The emerging nexus of transnational militant groups has rendered the situation more alarming. Militant groups now seem to have regrouped and appear better equipped with the help of their patrons on the other side of the border. The return of Taliban rule in Afghanistan has certainly given a boost to violent militancy here.
But it is the weakness of the Pakistani state and the absence of a clear policy direction that has allowed the militants to regain their space. Monday’s Police Lines mosque attack in an area that houses the offices of various civilian law-enforcement agencies has exposed the failure of our entire security apparatus.
Most alarming are the reports about the possible involvement of some insiders in the attack. It is apparent that such massive terrorist action requires a strong support network.
There has been a marked escalation in terrorist attacks in the troubled province over the past several months following a reportedly dubious deal with the banned outfit that allowed the militants who had fled to Afghanistan to escape the military operation to return home.
According to some media reports, thousands of armed militants have crossed the border and re-established their bases in the region.
The so-called peace negotiations were just used as a cover by the militants to gain time.
Former prime minister Imran Khan, in a recent statement, revealed that his government had planned to resettle TTP fighters in Pakistan’s tribal districts with the help of the Afghan Taliban. He has blamed the latest resurgence of terrorism in the country on the “unwillingness of the current government to abide by the commitments made by the previous regime”.
“When the militants came, they were not rehabilitated or given any proper attention, and no money was spent on them. We were afraid that if we did not pay attention to them, then terrorism would start in different places, which [is what] has happened,” the former prime minister is reported to have said at a seminar recently.
Khan’s revelation gives credence to reports of a deal with the terrorist group that is responsible for the killing of thousands of Pakistani civilians and security personnel. Under that deal, several militant leaders who had declared war on the Pakistani state were also released.
It was yet another act of surrender by the state to the militants who have refused to lay down their arms and accept the state’s authority. The nation is now paying the cost of appeasement with the blood of its citizens.
It’s apparent that the deal had been done with the full approval of the security establishment. There was a public uproar when the state decided to start so-called peace negotiations with the TTP facilitated by the Afghan Taliban regime.
But the protests didn’t stop the then ISI chief from going to Kabul and sitting across the table with the outlawed group. Instead of surrendering, the TTP leaders set out their own conditions for talks that virtually asked the state to hand over its control of the former tribal areas to them.
Despite the fact that the negotiations were going nowhere, the state continued to engage in talks with the globally declared terrorist group. The militants used the negotiations to reorganise themselves.
The so-called peace negotiations and the ceasefire were just used as a cover by the militants to gain time. Meanwhile, the state allowed thousands of militants to return with their arms. Parliament and the nation were kept in the dark on the deal that Imran Khan has confirmed.
Not surprisingly, the TTP called off the ceasefire after regrouping and unleashed a deadly wave of terrorist attacks. The end of a tenuous ceasefire has further intensified the militant violence.
Targeted killings, suicide bombings and other forms of attack on security installations have returned to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with lethal force, taking a huge toll on lives, after years of relative calm. The former tribal regions of Bajaur, North and South Waziristan and adjoining districts have been the worst hit.
The attacks have been getting more brazen in recent weeks, with the TTP extending its lethal activities to other parts of the country. In the past three months, the outlawed terror group has claimed more than 150 attacks in KP alone. The police and other security agencies have been the main target of the terrorist group amid worsening political instability that has crippled the provincial administration.
The civilian law-enforcement agencies seem to have collapsed in the face of the militant assault. The Peshawar mosque attack has been the deadliest in recent years and has shaken the country. It raises serious questions about the state of our preparedness to deal with the renewed terrorist threat. Meanwhile, the worsening political and economic crisis has pushed the country close to anarchy.
It has also led to the weakening of the state authority, providing a favourable environment to outlawed groups with a strong ally across the border. The threat to national security has become more serious with the reported tactical alliance between the TTP and some Baloch separatist groups. Consequently, there has been a tangible escalation in terrorist attacks in Balochistan in recent months.
The National Security Committee last month vowed to deal with the terrorist violence with “the full force of the state”. But there is still no clear strategy in place to deal with this existential threat.
Solemn declarations cannot be a substitute for actions. It is most important that the nation be told about the controversial deal with the militants that the former prime minister referred to. Such underhand dealings have earned the country the dubious distinction of being the epicentre of militancy, undermining not only its own national security but also that of the region.
The writer is an author and journalist.
zhussain100@yahoo.com
Twitter:@hidhussain
Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2023
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