Feeding the snakes of terrorism in its bosom, Pakistan is now being bitten by its own snakes. Yesterday’s blast in Quetta mosque is a confirmation that Pakistan has now become the battle ground of terrorist elements—in this case, Taliban and ISIS.
A mosque in Quetta, which was frequented by Talibani leaders, was ripped apart by a powerful blast during a Jumma (Friday) prayer, on January 10th. The blast has claimed lives of 15 people and 18 others are critically injured. Afghani sources have confirmed that the blast took place when 3 members of ISI (Pakistani spy agency), drug smugglers and Afghan Taliban were gathered for a meeting at the religious school run in the mosque. It has also been confirmed that the Talibani supreme Judge, Sheikh Abdul Hakeem, has been grievously injured in the blast.
Hakeem has long been on ISIS’s crosshair as he was the key person adding fuel to fire in the Taliban versus ISIS fight since 2015. The bone of contention between ISIS and Taliban is not just territory but also the opium trade which right now is dominated by Taliban, with the help of Pakistani spy agency, ISI. This region is world’s largest heroin producer and Pakistani officials have been in cahoots with the drug dealers and Taliban, in trading drugs from this region to different parts of the world.
This isn’t the first time Pakistani spy agency, ISI, has been caught using religious schools for its nefarious designs. In February 2019, Indian Air force had bombed a religious school in Balakot where terrorists were being trained.
In Quetta, Baluchistan, where the blast took place, Pakistani government has earned the ire of locals, as the place has been marred by gang war between terrorists, and also by the atrocities of Pakistani forces. But the Pakistani government has so far done nothing to assuage the predicament of people in Quetta.
After the blast on Friday, ISIS released a picture of the bomber, Abu Jarrah Al Balochi, who attacked the mosque. Taliban has declined that the terrorist group lost its members in the attack, albeit, death of a Pakistani police officer, Haji Aman Ullah, has been confirmed. Presence of the Pakistani Police DSP at the mosque along with Talibani leaders reinforces that Pakistani officials are hand in glove with the myriads of terrorist factions in the region.
With each passing day, Pakistan as a state is being pulled deeper and deeper into the quagmire of terrorism, which for many reasons has been its own Army’s creation.
This article is written by Levina