The news channels had not ceased to buzz with the shocking news that attack
on the Sri Lankan team had already been pre-warned by the intelligence agencies
of Pakistan. This report had been issued on January 22, 2009 to all relevant
security and administrative departments, as reported by Sir Ansar Abbasi,
Senior Journalist, The News on Hamid Mir's Capital Talk aired on March 3, 2009.
The government had to fumble with the explanation of two issues,
1. Was the imposition of Governor Rule followed by the replacement of key
administrative officers responsible for the warning report going unseen?
2. Was the following whirl of political horse-trading responsible for the
warning report being ignored?
Governor Salman Taseer says that he had no information of such a report
while Ms. Sherry Rehman says that the report had been fielded for the Sri
Lankan team's first visit to Pakistan this year in which they had not been attacked.
I do not know how the government assumed that the threat was for Sri Lankan
team's initial visit only and the terrorists would not seek to play it out in
any other visit.
However, despite the existence of warning reports pointing fingers at RAW,
India, the government's investigations are suddenly leading towards some
Islamic Activist group from the tribal areas. Now this would be very convenient
for (almost) everybody. If the attack is proved to be done by the Islamic
Activists, the following results are achieved,
1. The government will no longer be answerable for the issue of pre-hand
warning reports and not acting in accordance.
2. The War-on-terror western coalition would also be very happy, now they have
all the more reason to send in drones in our tribal areas.
3. Pakistan will not have to face the tension of accusing India and seeking to
take an international stand like an honorable nation. Also, confrontation with
India calls for our army to be moved from the Western border to the eastern
border as a preemptive. Since we are not allowed to do that by the
War-on-terror western coalition (and neither is India allowed), it is better to
avoid a confrontation with India.
