Rawalpindi in fume, two bomb blasts rock the city

Nov 24:  Pakistan’s anguish multiplied with two near simultaneous suicide bomb attacks at Rawalpindi; killing over 20 people and injuring many on Saturday.

It is reported that the bombers were in the car, one explosive laden car targeted a bus carrying Intelligence agency employees and the other car rammed a checkpoint near the headquarters of Pakistani army.

General Waheed Arshad, Army spokesman said, "Both were suicide attacks.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast, but it is suspected to have been backed by pro-Taliban militants in retaliation of the military operations in the tribal areas in North West Frontier Province.

The tormenting phase of Pakistan begun after Lal Masjid operation in which many of the extremist died. Since, then there have been a number of suicides bombing in Pakistan.

Recently Benazir Bhutto’s rally in Karachi after her return from exile was attacked by suicide bombers in which over hundred people died.

Both Bhutto and Musharraf are against extremist organisation. US was also trying to bring both the leaders on the same platform. The Western ally of Pakistan praise General for his fight against pro-Taliban extremist.

Rawalpindi is known as a military city since colonial period and still serves as army head quarter; it has met with strings of suicide attack in recent past. This is the third of such attack in the year 2007 only.

The other two attacks were on 30th October and 1st November, seven people died when a suicide bomber blew him near the official residence of Gen Tariq Majeed, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee on 30th October and 11 people killed when the other suicide attacker hit his motorcycle into a bus carrying air Force personnel near Sargodha air base on 1st November.

This incident has turned Musharraf plan in murky waters who dragged Pakistan into a state of emergency and gave the condition that it will be lifted only when the state machinery will be under control and free from terrorism.

But his failure to curb terrorism and extremism has added many criticisms for many of his action seem to have been taken against politicians not extremism.

The political crisis and such attack have left the common people in chaos.