Terror strikes, especially of the suicide bombing variety, are no novelty to Pakistan, and the recent back-to-back bombings in Lahore and Peshawar were something the intelligence agencies had been expecting as the military offensive against the Taliban began yielding positive results. Daily Times’ May 29 editorial laid it out: “After the Taliban accepted responsibility for the suicide-bombing in Lahore, it is obvious they are feeling the heat of the Swat Operation..... Baitullah Mehsud believes in retaliation, and this time he was reacting to the beating his men in Swat are receiving from the Army. There is news about the besieged 4,000 militants there, which must have upset him a great deal.... Some of his best commanders have either been killed or taken prisoner. There are rumours Fazlullah could have been killed during the operation.... If we recall the attacks made earlier in the year, they were all less than perfect. That, of course, doesn’t take away from the damage done by the attacks. But it does indicate Pakistan can confront the Taliban if it resolves to do so.” The national and political consensus against Taliban has no precedent in Pakistan. The News, in its editorial on May 29 lauded the censuring of Taliban by all political parties. “What we should be doing is listening very carefully to the tone and nature of the condemnation of the attack by various political parties. We need to be hearing — loud, clear and consistent — repugnance at the loss of life, with no equivocation and wavering.”

... contd.