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Published in: Newsline September, 2012
Pakistan faced yet another embarrassing moment on the revered night of the 27th Ramazan, when Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) backed suicide bombers attacked the Kamra air base and battled the military for over five hours before they were out maneuvered. The international media immediately highlighted the connection that does not exist i.e. between the air base and the Pakistan’s nuclear assets. The intention was obvious, showcasing the fact that militants are gaining ground in Pakistan and the Pakistani state is unable to prevent attacks on its security installations. The fact that they were out maneuvered and no real penetration happened was hardly pointed out.
The issues that surface are several and it is only partially important that the international community instead of sympathizing with Pakistan is ready to point fingers. For one, the attacks on the Kamra base, Mehran base last year and on the GHQ before that are not attacks on soft targets. The fact that these happened are indicative of a larger complexity that is brewing in the polity of Pakistan. Related but equally important are issues of intelligence failure and internal compliance.