‘Pakistani Taliban newly energised monster’

Islamabad: The Pakistani Taliban is a monster that has been newly energised during the elections, a prominent daily said Wednesday, worried at the lack of serious effort to control this menace. "The new government will already enter office with lots of baggage," observed an editorial in the Daily Times as the country witnessed a series of terror attacks in the run-up to the May 11 general elections.

It said that terrorism "as it has come to invade every part of our lives, and now the elections, was left to grow and fester in the absence of any concerted, integrated and responsive counter-terrorism strategy by the government". "Had there been serious effort to control this menace, the elections, being the most important event of Pakistan’s history, would not have become an issue of life and death," the daily added. Following a string of terror strikes, the editorial said "whether it was lack of political will or sheer negligence of the government, we are now reaping the results". "Obviously the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) tactically is attacking the liberal and moderate parties. That sounds very much like the militants’ programme." It said that the TTP is "a monster newly energised during the elections". "Neither the PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) nor the PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) has uttered a single word against the atrocity that is killing people like flies. Their silence is intolerable for many. It is not a free lunch that they believe they will savour forever. Eventually they might be slaughtered as well," it noted. The editorial said the Taliban has its own agenda to follow. "Their challenge to the state would not go away once the party they are going soft on is in power. In fact those they are now implicitly ‘helping’ to campaign in the elections fearlessly, would be under pressure to toe their line. For now the division between liberal/secular versus conservative reflects an ideological schism that could eventually tear Pakistan apart." For now the division between liberal/secular versus conservative reflects an ideological schism that could eventually tear Pakistan apart." IANS