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Islamabad now resembles besieged city

* Violence in Capital claim 300 lives so far
* Schools remain close after attack on university, principals trying to ensure students’ safety

ISLAMABAD: An onslaught of militant violence has transformed Islamabad from a sleepy oasis to something of a city under siege, with its tree-lined streets barricaded, schools shuttered and residents wondering when the next attack will come.

The fear shows how Taliban and Al Qaeda-led insurgents based along the Afghan border have brought the war into Pakistan's political and diplomatic heart, something they hope would force the government to halt a new army offensive into South Waziristan.

The unease has been heightened by the range of targets attacked despite a nationwide security clampdown. Suicide bombers hit the International Islamic University and a UN office in Islamabad; terrorists took officers hostage for 22 hours at the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi; commando-style raids paralysed Lahore; and bombs have ripped through markets in Peshawar.

More than 300 people have been killed, most of them civilians. And no one expects the attacks to end soon.

"The feeling is that things have degenerated terribly," said Javed Akhtar, a corporate lawyer. "The university bombing sent a chill through everyone. There is now a realisation that targets are unrestricted. It is no holds barred," he said.

While Islamabad was occasionally hit, its 900,000 people and several thousand foreign residents still considered themselves largely untouched by the war. But just over a year ago, a truck bombing devastated the Marriott hotel and showed the city was well and truly in the militant cross hairs.

"Every morning as we leave our houses we pray, and we ask our family members to pray that we get back safe and sound," said Muhammad Rahim, who runs an electronics business in the city centre.

"That is what every Pakistani does," he added.

Many schools remain closed following the university attack, while principals try to secure them against possible future attacks. ap

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