“Everything is officially going to hell.” The verdict of a reader quoted by All Things Pakistan said perhaps better than anyone else why the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore marked a defining moment in Pakistan’s agonising descent into chaos.
Six Sri Lankan cricketers and their British assistant coach were wounded when gunmen attacked their bus as it drove under police escort to the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore. Five policemen were killed.
The death toll was small by South Asian standards. But what defined it — beyond the audacity and apparent sophistication of the attack – was the assault on the identity of a country where cricket, as in neighbouring India, is a national obsession.
“An ambush targeting the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore earlier this morning has literally sent waves of disbelief and shock across Pakistan,” said a post on Metroblogging Lahore. “Citizens of Lahore are specifically terrified at the extent of sophisticated weaponry used by terrorists in an incident that caused unprecedented damage to the country’s image and its cricketing future.”
“Why can’t we ever just have a slow news day … every day there’s something new,” complained another post on Twitter.
South Asia is no stranger to violence, from the days of partition onwards. But there seems to me to be something qualitatively quite different in what is going on now, in which brutality and the alienation of the local population is not so much incidental but central to the method.
It’s been there in the assault on traditional Pakistani music and culture, in the deliberately grisly videotaped beheading of a Polish geologist last month, in the targeting of girls’ schools in the Swat valley and now in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers.
Even in darkest days of the Kashmir insurgency which set Pakistan and India at each other’s throats you didn’t see anything like this — in fact one of the signs of normal life there came from boys out in the street playing cricket. In Afghanistan, the hardline Taliban which banned most sports appear to have been less hostile to cricket, as Reuters Kabul correspondent Jon Hemming wrote in this feature about the country’s fledgling national cricket team. I’ve even seen Pakistani soldiers spontaneously playing cricket the harsh terrain of the Siachen battlefield beyond Kashmir, bowling a few balls in the drizzling snow under the lee of steep mountain walls.
Pakistani officials are already speculating about Indian involvement in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers, in revenge for last year’s assault on Mumbai. This speculation will probably run and run — it’s echoing through comments on blogs and on Twitter. But it may obscure a more important point. When you attack a national institution like cricket, it’s an expression of brute power, an assault on culture akin to the burning of books.
According to the Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid, quoted by the Independent: ”I think this is a deliberate attempt to undermine the government at the time when there is a huge political crisis in the country. They are trying to create a vacuum of power in which eventually they can take over.”
(Reuters photo: Pakistan’s Salman Butt in match against Sri Lanka)
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Sow shall you reap. Pakistan sowed the seeds of LeT, JuD, Taliban any many others, now paying the price. The Russians are having LOL for Pakistan, claiming victory by driving out the Russians from Afghanistan. Pakistan is on the verge of fragility in the hands of Taliban.
- Posted by Sunil SinhaPakistan has supported militancy against India, now burning its fingers for its own survival.
The smell of sour relations between India and Pakistan here too as I felt in the youtube.com discussion where X-General Musharraf being devasted by a muslim of India Moulana Madani. I do not know what is there for Pakistan in future but for it,as a failed state, I have my predection for this country and my personal feelings too.Frankly speaking after 26/11 I do not want friendship not even the time when the relations become normal.I have one full article is on it which can be seen at:http://rawatmounal.blogspot.com/2009/ 03/time-to-end-pakistan.html
- Posted by mahipal singh rawatMyra, Peace andUmair
just read this massacre of Pak soldiers-
Pakistani Taliban have shot dead 14 security personnel, a day after kidnapping them in a tribal region near the Afghan border, an official said on Sunday.
The Taliban abducted the security personnel yesterday after an exchange of fire in Mohmand Agency, assistant administrative officer Rasool Khan said.
NOW,
THERE WILL BE ANY NUMBER OF FINGERS POINTING AT INDIA.IN FACT IT WILL PROVE EMBARRASSING THAT SHOULD THEY FAIL TO BLAME INDIA, INDIANS FEEL IGNORED BY THEIR NEIGHBOUR.
- Posted by Azad DPPeace write
who else will gain…..
Last night I was watching this movie “A Mighty Heart
( 2007),” Angelina Jolie’s film about the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, which happened in Pak in 2003. In all its gripping and sobering serious storyline, I suddenly burst out in convulsive laughter: the Pak information minister proudly declares to national and international media that, ‘we have credible information that the Indian Intelligence agencies are behind this kidnap to embarrass and malign pak’. Later, Al Qaeda enters the picture and starts making demands for release of gitmo prisoners in exchange for their hastage.
This is the typical perennial mindset from very top to bottom in civil and military establishments in Pak.
- Posted by AzadDPWho would be gaining out of this incident……. I think Pakistan should start complete wipe-out program for RA&W elements in Pakistan, Now after its failure to defame Pakistan, even after killing its own people in the name of 26/11 mumbai incident, india has started to show its crule intentions towards a peace-loving country, india is lossing against Pakistan in every aspect and God is helping Pakistan (see Wagha incidents, when indian soldier got terrified byu Pakistani soldier, Nature has beaten india against Pakistan) Now india is using cheap tricks like attacking the Cricket Players, ruining the paradise on earth by funding SWAT militants, and many more. india should not forget that the world is watching. india is famous for mass murders of muslims, who do not know the story of Babu Bajrangi, who himslef raped, killed, burnt alive, tear-apart more than 100 muslims with the support of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and indian govt. is doing nothing on this case (see india\’s owned website http://www.tehelka.com/story_main35.asp? filename=Ne031107NarodaPatyaMassacre.asp )
- Posted by PeaceWhy don’t we just close all borders, sea & air links with Pakistan for 10 years and then check back to see if they’ve learned to live like civilized people. Right now they are not making a positive contribution to the world.
- Posted by PeaceLoverAman, you said:
“Well i didn’t find you reporting about the 44% people who speculate that it could have been Taliban who are responsible for the attack.”
I’ve answered this before but will repeat it. If I had wanted to focus on Pakistanis blaming India, I would have put it at the top of the post. I didn’t. If you read the post, you’ll see that I said there seemed to be something qualitatively quite different in the level of violence going on now and compared the attack on the cricket team to the assault on music and culture, on the burning down of girls’ schools and the kidnapping of the Pole — all of which were blamed on Taliban militants.
I also said (because this was the case) that there was speculation about Indian involvement, but that “this may obscure a more important point” — ie the increase in the level and nature of violence.
I do think you are in danger of shooting the messenger here, or of simply focusing on a few lines and ignoring the rest of the post.
Seriously, if I just wanted page views, I would not have taken the time and trouble to add all the links that you find in that post in an attempt to 1) put the attack on the cricket team into the context or rising violence and 2) give readers access to blogs and Twitter so they could see for themselves what was being said.
Myra
- Posted by Myra MacDonaldMyra,
You said”3) If you look at this poll carried out by the blog Teeth Maestro (http://teeth.com.pk/blog/), you’ll see that a sizeable minority of those polled (34 percent) blame R&AW compared to 44 percent blaming the Taliban/religious groups. You might not like it, but if it is a factor in the way people are thinking, then it needs to be reported.”
Well i didn’t find you reporting about the 44% people who speculate that it could have been Taliban who are responsible for the attack.
Going by your own admission that you need to report/blog about what people are saying then why did you not mention about Taliban being suspected of the attacks?
I guess your blog must be attracting the highest traffic given the sensationalism you add to your blogs and Reuters must be pretty happy about it.
Myra, I feel you should understand that by making only half the disclosures you are doing this world and your profession a disservice. You are unnecessarily adding fuel to the fire that engulfs people from India and Pakistan.
- Posted by AmanFor the Second time in the recent history of World sports, the networking of Global Terror has made a scar in spite of all the effort made to put the differences behind in the spirit of sport. The question we all have to ask ourselves how long we are going to stay blind-eyed to all the sources of these terror networks which are operating under our noses. Terror Groups exploit one’s suffering to execute the terror and the other’s sympathy to finance the terror .. World leaders, it is about time to set up an agenda against this phenomenon unless it will come and knock your door oneday ..
- Posted by Gamini Gunasekera - MendisTerrorism is a Global phenomenon and it is a network. It is camouflaged as radicles, freedom fighters, or you name it. To finance the terror, it gets one’s suffering, puts in a showcase and solicits those who sympathize its cause. It makes sure that the cash flow is there to procure illegal arms and to propagate its humanitarian mask. Also, it extorts and exploits the weaken one. It acts in a faceless manner in the places where it wants to get total control. To eradicate it, collective effort of the whole world badly needed .. ! As a Sri Lankan, I have seen it in my homeland where we call it the LTTE .. !!
- Posted by Gamini Gunasekera - MendisUmair,
Wish you all the best. Hope Pakistan can still host the world cup.
- Posted by TusharBut for the record sake…. Pakistan has never beaten India in a world cup match. Remember the last time we beat you in 20-20 world cup finals…. Pakistani team no matter how unpredictable is very predictable when they face the Indians…
Umair
I also wish India and Pakistan meet face to face in the final of 2011 world cup, Pakistani players have great talent and this contest will be a good one.
But are you sure cricket will be living in your country by 2011 or your country will be living by 2011. Players are generally nice people, as I said in another comment, Pakistani players should try to get Afghan citizenship and create an afghan team, why play under the flag of a failed state.
From the record book: India has always defeated Pakistan in World cup.
PS:I dont believe in records or winnings or defeats, Game is a Game. Its pakistan which always want to defeat India even in a cricket match. Insecurity Insecurity Insecurity
- Posted by punjabiyaarAzaddp
I wish India and Pakistan meet face to face in the final of 2011 world cup. Imagine Pakistan winning the world cup and smasing India’s arrogance where India have to lick the dust.
Pakistan cricket team is an unpredictable one, on their day no opponents can stand against them. We give a damn about India, as long as there is talent in Pakistan cricket will stay alive. Under street lights, on the roads. The Wasim Akrams and Inzimams became world class cricketers they skipped school to play in the streets with bare feet. We have the raw talent, we have many future stars they are our hope. We look forward to them and be rest assured dont give a damn about IPL and BCCI. India’s BCCI is very rich but morally bankrupt. Will BCCI come forward to express solidarity with PCB at these difficult times? NO
- Posted by UmairPakistan cricket will come back, the green shirts will rule the grounds once again.
Umair,
You are really funny, I mean it
Why shd India thwart Pak Srilanka cricket for crying out loud. India wants to play cricket with Pak alright but not in your country on security grounds. After 26/11 attacks the relations have been strained, that too because of paks denials about the origins of the attack.
In fact there is some basis if pak gets jealous of indias current stature in cricket world. You forgot that the cricketing world not only look up to india with its IPL super success, now ,Brits do want to emulate india to repeat with their own version of IPL.
Paks make great conspiracy theorists, you remind me of those who even today believe that the Sept 11 attackers were all US citizens and arabs were wrongfully implicated. If you like your country to be viewed favorably and want to sincerely better it , first start with some serious introspection. Also, Love thy neighbor.
- Posted by azaddpUmair:
@millitant organizations or Jihadi organizations if you know anything about them operate on stated aims and agendas. I have even seen their pamphlets etc ,they have stated objectives.
-Umair, such a trust on terrorists who claim they do not kill innocents but they do. If you trust India as much and trust Indian stated Indian policies, half of your problems will be solved.
The unstated purpose of millitant organizations is to do what Pakistan wants them to do.
@The Pakistan based LeT has its agenda to fight India and that is no secret.”
- Pakistan based yes, but more appropriately “Pakistan-supported and supporting Pakistan”. Why focus only on LeT. There are n# of hyphenated terror groups, like JeM.
@ But Let doesnt have a policy to attack Sri Lankans or sports as a whole.
-may be may not be—perhaps written between the lines in the pamphlet. Sri Lankans are kafirs-so makes perfect sense.
@I will once again state who ever carried out this attack was an enemy of Pakistan.
-Obviously.
@Be it India or the terrorists. If its the terrorists we are already fighting them.
-make sure that you are not selective in fighting. To begin with, give a statement that LeT and JeM are terrorist organizations.
@ If it turns out to be india, it will pay the price.
-who can prevent you from typing. You can also say “If it turns out to be USA or UK, it will pay the price.” Only Taliban is not paying the price and instead SWATis are paying the price.
Anyway getting back which terrorist organization it could be. Do not forget that LeT has done that in the past.
- Posted by rajeev