The Hindu : Front Page : Blast highlights fears for leaders’ security

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Wednesday, Mar 05, 2008
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Blast highlights fears for leaders’ security

Nirupama Subramanian

U.S. to discuss plans to train Pakistan Army

ISLAMABAD: A suicide attack at the gates of a military college in the heart of Lahore killed at least seven persons and destroyed the post-election upbeat mood in Pakistan’s most important city.

The attack, the second suicide bombing in the Punjab capital since the start of this year, underlined that terrorism is not a phenomenon isolated to the North West Frontier Province but a national challenge that those elected to power will have to tackle immediately.

It has also heightened fears for the security of the leaders of the political parties preparing to form the federal and provincial governments after the February 18 elections. Lahore is the home city and political base of Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz.

The attack came as U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen held talks with President Pervez Musharraf and Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani on the “regional security situation.”

He was expected to discuss plans for U.S. personnel to train the Frontier Corps of the Pakistan military in counterinsurgency and intelligence gathering techniques to make them more efficient partners in the U.S.-led “war on terror” in Afghanistan.

This was Admiral Mullen’s second visit to Pakistan in a month and analysts said it pointed to U.S. concerns about the threat posed by the increasing militancy to the country’s stability to U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan..

Following the Lahore attack, the PML(N) urged that the newly elected parties should deal with the threat of terrorism “our way, not the U.S. way”, while the Pakistan People’s Party also called for a “holistic” solution instead using only military might.

The attack in Lahore took place a little after 1 p.m. in the parking area of the Pakistan Navy War College, which is located on the city’s showpiece Mall Road.

Two bombers

According to the Punjab police version, there were two bombers and they arrived at the gate of the college. One gained entry and blew himself up at the vehicle shed located just inside the gate, while the other detonated himself outside. At least seven persons were killed and 19 injured in the attack..

Police said several more blasts heard immediately afterwards were exploding CNG tanks in the vehicles that caught fire from the suicide blast.

In Islamabad, the Interior Ministry spokesman said a lone bomber driving a small Suzuki car tailgated a college bus to get past the entry gate. The car hit the parking shed and exploding immediately.

Classes were in progress at the college at the time of the attack. The college conducts junior staff courses for navy officers. In line with the spate of suicide attacks targeting military personnel since November 2006, media speculated that the students at the college may have been the possible target of this attack.

The college also adjoins a residential complex for senior officials of the Punjab government.

PML(N) spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said the incidents of terrorism in Lahore were “certainly a cause of concern” for the party with regard to the security of its leadership. He said the government had recently provided Mr. Sharif with jammer vehicles to escort his armoured car.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Iqbal attributed the spate of terror attacks in Pakistan to retired General Musharraf’s continuance in office.

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