Pakistan: In a state of anarchy

Yesterday I was flummoxed when NDTV broke the news of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team. I could hardly believe my eyes. It is a shame that even sports persons are not spared by these ruthless terrorists. The motive of the terror plot was obviously to destabilize the Pakistan Polity, rupture its economy, thereby instilling the belief that Pakistani state is absolutely incapable of protecting the lives of its citizens. Frequently, minor terror attacks haunt Pakistan claiming the lives of hundreds of people. These incidents are recorded in some corner of the newspaper or sometimes even evaded. Thus, we are losing the broader picture.

Now, all of a sudden, the Lankan team is attacked by these mercy killers, creating a state of chaos, demonstrating the impact of terrorism on the world of sports. What are these terrorists trying to prove? That somehow such a dastardly attack on a cricket team was going to be more menacing for the Pakistani public, than the more constant attacks on innocent people and the fervent cries of women and children; who still continue to be aggrieved.

Recently, The Indian team was accused by the legendary cricketer Imran Khan for their decision to withdraw themselves from the tour of Pakistan. Imran, for all his political acumen, claimed that terrorists were disinterested to attack cricketers. Paradoxically, his statement has been rendered counter productive. Although Imran and few others (Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram) have been optimistic about battling terrorism in Pakistan, they however, have failed to take adequate steps to control terrorism. They have just been rhetoric about the whole situation.

This unwonted display of truculence on the Lankan team has again revealed the chronic insecurity in Pakistan. Consequently, this has created a major concern in the minds of other international players. This can also be a potential problem for the PCB, as the future prospects of the Pakistani players could be jeopardized. The Indian Premier league has been scrutinized owing to this attack. Some International players exhort that the IPL be deferred next year. Considering the current economic condition, deferring the IPL would prove to be a pivotal blow to its investors and players.

Amidst this state of anarchy in Pakistan let us not forget the mourn of wives and children of all those brave Pakistani Policemen, who lost their life during this attack. This is the crux of the problem today. All credit to Lankan players, for they dealt this misery with great fortitude. Recent Buzz suggests that PCB has expanded avenues for its players by scheduling its matches in a neutral venue or in the Gulf. While all these measures seem optimistic as far as the future of cricket is concerned, the current situation calls for a serious payoff to reduce the ever mounting toll on human lives in Pakistan, for this lunatic vendetta shows no signs of diminishing.