TERROR struck again at Quetta, this time at the Police Training College, killing 62 young cadets and injuring 100. Only three months back about 70 people, mostly lawyers, lost their lives and about 100 were injured in a similar terrorist attack in this city.

Similarities may also be seen in the reaction given by the personalities, who blame security lapses, foreign agencies and specially RAW. Such statements in the past neither dented the abilities of the terrorists to strike whenever and wherever they want, nor have they brought any relief to the citizens.

I wonder why the college was even commissioned without a boundary wall. To me the boundary wall is not the real issue; terrorists have scaled much higher walls time and again. The real problem is how to stop them from entering our territory from neighbouring countries and to close the incubation centres and nurseries within Pakistan.

I hope this tragedy will be an eye-opener for all.

Malikul Quddoos

Karachi

(2)

THE terrorist attack in Quetta speaks volumes of the inefficiency of law-enforcement and intelligence agencies.

After every such attack, and there is no dearth of them in this unfortunate country, we hear the same speeches, and the same rhetoric to punish the attackers. Subsequent visits to hospitals are done as if this will lower the effects of the tragedies.

We all know that our police are not equipped, nor trained, to fight these suicide attackers. It was the duty of the duty of intelligence agencies to thwart such attacks.

How can we call Zarb-i-Azb successful when the enemy strikes with such blatant impunity? Those responsible, whether in uniform or in mufti, must be taken to task.

Jaffar

Lahore

(3)

AFTER two months and 17 days, the second biggest tragedy of the province, the attack on the Quetta Police Training Centre on Oct 25 claimed the lives of 62 cadets and two soldiers.

The criminals must be arrested and given capital punishment in order to lift the spirit of the people, who are depressed because of the carnage. Although the government has spent Rs30bn on the province’s security, let us admit that hospitals, courts, government educational institutions, etc, do not have an adequate security cover.

Mannan Samad

Turbat

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2016