Attempts on Musharraf’s Life Raise Security Concerns, Nasim Zehra

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ISLAMABAD, 27 December 2003 — Even for the Pakistanis, who have become used to living dangerously, the second consecutive terrorist attempt to kill President Gen. Pervez Musharraf was a shock. Unlike the previous attempt on Dec. 14, this terrorist attack was bloody, leaving 17 dead and 50 injured.

The windscreen of the president’s bulletproof Mercedes was smashed — it was a very close call. But an unruffled Musharraf immediately spoke to the press. He attributed his survival to Allah’s blessings, his mother’s prayers and the nation’s goodwill.

He acknowledged there had been a security lapse but, on a positive note, reaffirmed his faith in the security arrangements, in the police force and in the loyalty of “his men.” He vowed to continue his “mission” against terrorism. The SAARC summit would go ahead as planned, he said, since he and not the participating heads of state were the targets of attacks.

The attack highlights several issues. Not least among them is that it is one particular group that is now consistently and in a coordinated fashion targeting Musharraf. This group, which attempted to take his life twice within 11 days, clearly feels confident of its capabilities. After all, the planners of these attacks must have known that the security apparatus would be on high alert after the first attack.

Normally, a terrorists group will abandon the pursuit of a target for a while until matters have settled down and security relaxes. Not so this group. They kept coming, confident their operation would escape detection despite heightened vigilance all round.

Nor should the seriousness of the security lapse be ignored. The president’s faith in “his men” notwithstanding, the question remains how professionally the security apparatus is being run. More coordinated pre-emptive intelligence gathering is clearly needed.

It may not be easy to trace suicide bombers targeting public places, but security agencies must do their utmost. More importantly, they must be on high alert in the vicinity of the president’s own place of work and residence, especially if it has just been the site of an attack. This is entirely feasible, and it did not happen. There can be no margin of error when it comes to the protecting the life and property of the people of Pakistan.

Of course it is unrealistic to expect a rapid national turnaround. But it is not unrealistic to expect a turnaround in a limited zone — the presidential offices. Effective anti-terrorism measures require impeccable professionalism, including inter-agency coordination. The attackers are said to be both nationally and internationally motivated. Pakistan’s support for the US-led war on terror and its anti-Taleban position have created pockets of active hostility against the Musharraf government.

Initial evidence suggests the suicide bombers were not Pakistanis. Al-Qaeda has few Pakistanis in its active ranks, although they do have sympathizers here as they do in many other Muslim countries.

What then are the signals the two attacks are sending domestically and abroad? One of them is that security must remain at the top of the agenda. The security apparatus must remain on maximum alert, and there must be tighter state controls on the movement of foreigners in the country.

The government must continue to push the international community to resolve issues like Kashmir and Palestine which galvanize extremist movements into attacks.

Pakistani officialdom now needs to respond in a coordinated and competent manner to the challenge it faces. An objective stocktaking of the security apparatus is apparently already under way.

— Nasim Zehra is an Islamabad-based security analyst and fellow of the Harvard University Asia Center.