Seems like some of the Pakistani suicide bombers aren’t really that good at what they do. There was a story last year of a man carrying a bomb on a bicycle, in Balouchistan, who blew up and now its these two guys. Also, the person who was discovered and shot at Islamabad airport recently. I really doubt the theories that there is a foreign hand in this since these guys just come across as real amateurs.
BBC News: Saturday 24 February
Police in Pakistan say two people have been killed in the province of Punjab after the bomb they were carrying on a bicycle accidentally exploded.
Police say they hit a road bump on the outskirts of a town in the province.Deputy Superintendent Bashir Ahmed said they did not know whether the two men intended to plant the explosives or to carry out a suicide attack.
Correspondents say Pakistan has suffered a series of suicide attacks in recent weeks.
The two men died near Chichawatni, 120km (75 miles) north of Multan.
There is speculation that there were intending to detonate the bomb at a large cattle market, which is being held in the town.
It is a good thing that these men aren’t good at what they do; otherwise, there will be a lot more bloodshed than we have seen recently. On the other hand, it scares me that the discontent and hatred that is ripe in our society (and for one reason or the other has always been there) is showing its ‘ugly’ head through the acts of bomb-making and shooting ministers. If only the people were given a ‘better’ forum to let out their anger and in most societies such forum would exist first through democracy and then and concurrently through the media. It is a moot question as to whether the latter can exist productively without the former (under the banner of ‘free media’) but I would have hoped that its very existence and continuous rise would precipitate an automatic ‘forum’ for the people. That has not been the case. Instead, the countless channels that have sprung up would have nothing to do with providing the people with a forum: there is much debate on them concerning the foreign policies of nations that least effect the common man but not the policies of the nation itself.
I would like democracy to be the answer and the government to be the problem. However, if the common man doesn’t give the other a chance to exercise his rights, how can you or I blame the government?
I think that Saad’s point about the media concerning itself all too effusively for countries that have little regard for us is very valid. Contrary to being a sign of maturity, it just shows that debate, discussion and critique in our country as it stands is a bit pointless and random - pointless for not being able to mould ground realities, and random for lacking a deeper sense of introsepction.