Public opinion skids on security

By Khurram Shahzad

ISLAMABAD: The second assassination attempt on President Pervez Musharraf’s life has opened questions about his security arrangements and the public has expressed dissatisfaction with government agencies in maintaining law and order and protecting the lives of the nation’s leaders and people.

According to a Daily Times report about people’s views on the attack, the public agreed that the attack was not only on President Musharraf but also an attempt to destabilise the country and dent its global reputation. Former Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president Khan Abbas Khan said the enemies of Pakistan and Islam were not happy with Mr Musharraf’s steps he has to repair the country’s image and this was the reason behind the attack.

He said terrorists wanted to kill the only leader of Pakistan and create harassment in the public and destroy the development and progress that the country was achieving through Mr Musharraf’s liberal and bold policies.

“On an occasion of the summit of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit when all the heads of South Asian states are scheduled to visit Pakistan, this was an attempt to demolish this historic occasion and particularly to erase the developments between the relations of Pakistan and India.

These people do not want to see a stable, developed Pakistan,” Mr Khan said. Public Relations Pakistan Tobacco Company General Manager Raza Zulfiqar said those responsible for the attack want to stop Pakistan’s war on terror and its progress.

Political leader in Islamabad Rizwan Sadiq condemned the incident and demanded prompt action against the culprits. He said the enemies of Pakistan try to sabotage the upcoming SAARC summit. He said a flawless investigation should be held and all details be made public.

Pine Parks, Hotels and Resorts General Manager Kamran Ibad said this attempt could be from opposition parties, particularly former former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, to stop Mr Musharraf from finding a solution to the Kashmir problem and building friendship with India.

Jinnah Super Market President Ijaz Abbasi said this attack would damage the economic development and investments in the country and hurt the overall business. He said the attack had exposed the security lax in Pakistan. “This is a total security collapse. If President Musharraf, who is also the chief of army staff, is not safe then what will happen to ordinary people? This incident calls for a total security overhauling,” he said.

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