An unexplained explosion on Wednesday in the Ayub National Park, a recreation spot situated not very far from the Army House, came as an unsettling reminder for the public that terrorists can strike anywhere anytime. Luckily, the explosion did not cause any casualties.
While experts were still busy investigating what or who might have caused it, two rockets were discovered the next day, ie, Thursday, in Islamabad in the vicinity of the Presidency and Parliament House. Some reports quoting experts said the rockets could not be fired without launchers, which were not there; but according to others they were fixed to launchers and hidden in the bushes. Found on the scene was also a mobile phone that may or may not have been meant to be used as a triggering device.
The only solid piece of information available so far is that the rockets are of Russian make, which suggests that they were brought in from Afghanistan. While this mystery had yet to be fully investigated, two more rockets were discovered on Saturday at a spot in Shakarparian hills in Islamabad, reportedly aimed at the headquarters of the Inter-Service Intelligence Agency. These too were said to be of Russian make, found in abundance in Afghanistan.
Briefing journalists after a high level meeting attended by senior officers from intelligence and law enforcement agencies, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao said that those who placed the rockets only about 200 meters from the Presidency on Thursday, it seemed, had no specific target in mind. Which could mean the culprits wanted only to create "chaos and confusion" or send some sort of a message to the government.
Still, the use of missiles by potential terrorists cannot be dismissed easily. Such sophisticated weapons in the hands of terrorists can only be seen as a grave threat to peace and security within the country and hurtful to its image abroad as a stable society.
It remains to be established who might have had the resources and the motive to transport missiles into the capital. Extremist elements linked to Afghan Jehadists may well have wanted to register their annoyance with the government because of President General Pervez Musharraf's recent meeting with US President George Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Washington where the three leaders reiterated their resolve to cooperate in the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
In fact, Sherpao termed it as "an attempt to tarnish the successful visit of President Pervez Musharraf to the United States, United Kingdom and Cuba." Further strengthening that line of suspicion is the fact that most of the 100 or so labourers working in the area were of Afghan origin. Some of them were detained for interrogation although no immediate arrests were made.
Interestingly, however, the government has not ruled out the possibility of the external involvement. The Interior Secretary dropped a not-so-subtle hint as to the likely identity of the foreign hand, saying that the rockets of the same origin had been used in Balochistan. All possibilities, of course, need to be investigated.
It is hoped that the intelligence agencies would soon be able to track down the culprits. And that the government will do whatever it takes to ensure that no one feels free to terrorise the public and harm the country's image abroad.
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