Peace in Muharram

WITH the holy month of Muharram a few days away, the safety of citizens should be the government's priority number one. Keeping in view the recent spate of deadly blasts, one cannot help but wonder whether our security establishment can maintain law and order effectively. After all they themselves are insecure and the target of several attacks. Their role and strategy to fight terrorism is questionable at best.
Like all politically conscious patriotic individuals, Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif also feels this general sense of insecurity. He has warned the police to ensure that the terrorists do not succeed in their designs during Muharram. He is also right in urging the ulema to stand united for a peaceful Shia-Sunni co-existence. However, the slanging match between religious leaders inside the Chief Minister's house on Sunday was sad. Their primary obligation was to show solidarity. The ruckus only lays bare the divisions prevailing within our religio-political classes. Of course, in its extreme form such differences take the form of sectarian killings that have been the bane of Pakistan's polity ever since independence. Therefore, Mian Shahbaz rightly asked the religious classes not to lose their cool during the holy month. His words that non-state actors wanted to exploit their divisions to cause sectarian bloodletting should be taken seriously. Our enemy has deftly been playing one group off against the other spilling the blood of innocent Pakistanis.
There are a number of forces working against Pakistan. All of them would definitely have their eyes on Muharram. There is this TTP network carrying out retaliatory attacks and the US firm Xe Worldwide. But New Delhi seems to be ahead of everyone when it comes to trying to destabilise us. Apart from Balochistan, RAW is believed to be behind the string of latest bomb attacks in our urban centres. Our law enforcement agencies must take all necessary measures to preserve the sanctity of Muharram and public peace.