Pakistan: Bulldozing Over Civilization · Global Voices
Halima Khan

Bomb Blast In Karachi. Painting uploaded by Flickr user Dr. S Ali Wasif. CC BY-NC-ND.
Pakistanis were shocked by the news that over 1,000 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack that killed 19 people in Karachi a few days ago.
Allegedly this lethal bomb attack in Karachi's high-security Red Zone was carried out by the Pakistani Taliban. This bomb aimed to target the Criminal Investigation Department police quarters near the Sindh’s provisional chief minister's seat opposite the Sheraton hotel in the south of the city.
Among the 115 people injured in the blast were some high profile militants being help at the CID quarters. They have now been moved to an undisclosed location.
S. Raza Hassan in a public report at Dawn News narrates what an eye witness to the incident saw:
‘The blast left a crater over 15 feet deep and 30 feet across. “I ran for safety inside the offices after hearing what appeared to be a shootout between two sides. It lasted 10 to 15 minutes, during which a small explosion also took place, and was followed by a massive blast”.
The destruction caused by the explosives is massive. It shook buildings, shattered glasses and people’s sense of security. The sad fact is that this has become a routine Pakistanis are being forced to live with.
Imran Khan, a Doha based corespondent writes at Al-Jazeera blog:
“The scene was a gruesome reminder that Pakistan teeters on the edge of collapse, perhaps saved only by the extraordinary resilience of its citizens.
Resilience that seems to be turning to acceptance. Acceptance that bombings are now part of the country's every day.”
Kalsoom at Chup: Changing Up Pakistan adds a personal thought that forces us to think beyond what we have been hearing in news:
‘Again, if the CID conducted arrests of high-profile militants yesterday, we have to think that the logistics that would go into such an attack in a highly fortified area would be pretty extensive, if it was indeed motivated by those arrests. Therefore, the attacks were either connected indirectly to the arrests and/or had been planned beforehand, OR the Taliban wasn’t directly responsible for the logistics, but it relied on groups… who have more extensive networks in urban areas, to carry it out.’
The resilience shown by the Karachi locals is commendable. These people are still recovering from the gang wars and the target killings of recent times and yet they go on with their lives like it is just another day.