Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Karachi blasts

The tragic climax to the welcome accorded to Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan and PPP leader, on her arrival at Karachi after eight years of self-imposed exile, was a grim reminder of the fact that no country is free from Islamist fundamentalism — not even Pakistan.

That the very country which encouraged fundamentalism has become its victim, thanks to the efforts to root out religious terrorism, is ironical. The Karachi blasts which claimed 140 lives must serve as a lesson to other countries of the region. They should not promote cross-border terrorism to destabilise a neighbouring country as they cannot remain insulated from the consequences of their acts for long.

K.V. Raghuram,

Although the attack was not unexpected, the brazenness with which it was mounted on Ms Bhutto’s convoy in spite of the extraordinary security measures that were in place shows the extent to which the Al Qaeda and the Taliban terrorists have penetrated Pakistan. One needs to admire the courage of Ms Bhutto and her party cadres who undertook the massive procession knowing the danger involved. Such defiance of terrorists will help restore the people’s confidence. The Pakistan government must mount a concerted military action in the North West Frontier Province to root out the terrorist forces.

One hopes Pervez Musharraf, Ms Bhutto, and other opposition leaders will show the requisite wisdom to overcome the most dangerous threat Pakistan has ever faced.

Subramanyam Sridharan,

Satwant Kaur,

There is an adage that if you have a tiger for a pet, it is bound to kill you when it is hungry. Pakistan allowed Islamist fundamentalism to breed on its soil. It has now become a victim of the forces it helped to grow. The attack on Ms Bhutto shows that democracy cannot prevail in Pakistan, where innocent lives were lost on Friday in one of the biggest attacks in the country’s history. It is heading towards anarchy, which is extremely dangerous for India. Considering that it is a country possessing nuclear weapons, it is important for India to keep a close eye on the situation and prepare itself for any eventuality.

Krishna Kumar,

The Karachi massacre was profoundly disturbing from not only a humanitarian but also from a strategic viewpoint. We have spent a decade wishing democracy is restored in Pakistan in the hope that it will lead to peaceful co-existence with India.

The fundamentalist groups that have strengthened their hold over Pakistan in the years of military regime have made it clear that the return of a popular leader is not enough to wrest power from them. Ms Bhutto has a long and difficult journey ahead.

Pratima Vishnuprasad,

Ms Bhutto is caught between the devil and the deep sea. She has to fight both religious extremism and military rule.

The increase of terrorism in Pakistan should make its rulers realise their folly of nurturing it. Pakistan, the author of its miseries, should dismantle the terrorist infrastructure from its soil to prevent further strikes.

K. Ramachandran,

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