The brazen attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore is a sign of growing xenophobia and the increasing radicalisation of the Pakistani society. It seems the attack was motivated to prove the clout of radical organisations in the heart of Lahore. Another motivation could have been to prove that the Taliban and other Islamic fundamentalists have the power to bring down or destabilise any democratically elected or US-backed government in Pakistan. From the recent events in the Swat valley, it is certain that Islamist and Taliban militias are growing in strength across Afghanistan and Pakistan. If they are not contained, they can grow powerful enough to destabilise South Asia and even South-East Asia. The onus of containing these forces lies with all those who value freedom, cutting across national and cultural boundaries.
Amit Pradhan, Baroda
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