Lahore attack: India need not worry, say experts

The attack on police academy in Lahore reveals how terror outfits are becoming bolder in Pakistan. Luckily for India, the Obama administration and its key western allies have a stake in ensuring the Pakistan survives as a moderate Islamic state.

The world cannot allow Pakistan to become a failed state. President Barack Obama has spelt out his government’s carrot and stick policy for Pakistan, which offers funds for the country but demands more from the army in its fight against terror.

But jihadi forces are getting bolder each day and are now focused on attacking symbols of state authority. This happened in Waziristan, several times around the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, and on Monday it was the police training academy.

“The terrorists are challenging the Pakistani state apparatus, telling the government it can strike at will,’’ says Salman Haider, former foreign secretary who follows Pakistan closely. He points to extremists in Iraq who have often targeted police training centres and killed thousands of young men wanting to join the state force.

For India, a Pakistani state that’s no longer in control is a security nightmare and the fact that terrorism has spread to the Punjab province adjoining the Indian border brings them closer home.

But analysts like Ajai Sahani have a different take. “There is no need to worry that the attack took place near the Wagah border and therefore makes India more vulnerable. Mumbai is nowhere near the border and terror attacks have been happening in Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur and other places. All this is with the help of the Pakistani establishment.’’

Sahani believes that as Al Qaeda and Taliban forces begin to target the Pakistan state, the chances of strikes in India will diminish, as no terror group can launch an attack here without the help of the army and Inter-Services Intelligence.

This view is shared by the government. Foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon made it clear that India’s view is that links between the Pakistan establishment and terrorists have not changed. More countries have come to accept this.

When United States special envoy Richard Holbrooke comes to India next month, New Delhi will iterate this view, Menon said. He ruled out resuming composite dialogue till Pakistan takes credible action against terror groups involved in the Mumbai attacks.
Union home minister P Chidambaram did not see any parallels between the Lahore attack and the 26/11 attack.

“In the case of Mumbai, the source is known to be Pakistani soil. We don’t know about the (source of) Lahore attack. Therefore, it would be completely wrong to draw a parallel,” he added.

According to external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, the incident yet again showed that terrorism had not been uprooted from Pakistan.

“We hope the Pakistan government will resolve this problem in its own way,” he added.