THE bomb blasts in Faisalabad and Peshawar on successive days reflect the terrorists' anger against those they view as their direct enemies. The apparent target in Faisalabad was the offices of the ISI. The attackers failed to reach the building but still managed to cause large-scale destruction by detonating a car bomb in the vicinity. This sent a strong message to the city which had thus far remained more or less safe from terrorist strikes. For an industrial hub plagued by shortage of energy to run its mills, this act of terrorism was a devastating blow. Reports based on police information and confirmed by the TTP's claim say the strikers wanted to avenge the killing of one of their colleagues in the same neighbourhood. This once more signifies their ability to penetrate.

The administration has tried to play down the bombing saying the terrorists had failed to reach their intended target. But such remarks have been repeated so often in the last few years that 'ordinary' people are now questioning their logic. To dub the attack as unsuccessful would be disrespectful to those killed by the explosion. It was a tragic incident and while compensation for the loss of life is impossible, the government will only be doing its basic duty by trying to forcefully chase down the hands and minds behind the act. The Punjab government, which is chiefly responsible for the probe, can only perform this job by investigating without discrimination — ethnic, political or of any other type. It does not matter where the terrorists came from; but it is clear they could not have hoodwinked the security system in place without local help. There have been too many incidents in the province to sustain the belief that Punjab does not have its own troublemakers.

Meanwhile, at first glance, Wednesday's suicide attack during funeral prayers near Peshawar is reflective of the government's failure to protect the members of peace squads formed to fight the terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas. These squads have time and again come under fatal attack and even funerals have not been spared. Official explanations which in effect say that funeral gatherings are impossible to protect do not go down well with observers. Such congregations have been far too frequently penetrated by the terrorists to leave any room for complacency. The same holds true for lashkar rallies. True, local customs and traditions make it difficult for enforcers of the law to impose a security code, but this is no excuse for allowing people to be maimed and killed by the terrorists.