The Lahore assault on the Sri Lankan cricket team exposed the most dangerous of vile mechanisms plaguing Pakistan today. Never before was the government seen to be so not in control. For now it is free for all, amidst shameless admissions by officials concerned of security lapses that facilitated the terrorists.

Here’s some background to Tuesday’s attack. On February 25, Lahore (and the Punjab province) was placed under governor’s rule after President Zardari dismissed the provincial government, following Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s disqualification orders passed by a controversial Supreme Court. The first thing Governor Taseer did after assuming charge was to reshuffle the top bureaucrats whom he suspected of being loyal to the Sharifs. He also resurrected the colonial-time commissionerate system whereby the commissioner serves as a de-facto district chief with magisterial powers aimed at ensuring law and order. The Lahore commissioner, Khusro Pervaiz, actually admitted on Wednesday his administration’s failure to provide adequate security to the Sri Lankans.

Punjab officials have since revealed that they were tipped off by intelligence agencies that certain extremists were planning to attack the Sri Lankan cricket team. It can be argued that the city’s entire security apparatus was focused on the governor’s priority orders to contain the Sharifs and their supporters when the attack took place.

The Sri Lankans were promised presidential security, a euphemism for fool-proof cover provided to the former president, Musharraf, and which Zardari and the PM continue to enjoy. Here’s how it works: roads are cleared of all traffic well in advance of the VVIP movement. Armed policemen may be posted every few yards along the route, and on top of buildings overlooking the road. Mobile phones and remote-controlled devises are jammed; helicopters fly aerial reconnaissance missions overhead; elite police force trained to combat terrorists accompanies the convoy, and Punjab has the best-trained force; reinforcement units are on red alert. The security cover of this order is the bane of citizens as it leaves massive traffic jams in its wake, but the government has successfully argued for it.

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