Bomb Blast in Islamabad F6 Markaz

Looks like a rest day today, sort of.  We were supposed to do a NEO drill today.  Now, least you go off on a flight of fancy wondering what type of a drill might be used by the protagonist of the Matrix series, allow me to explain.  A NEO is a non-combatant evacuation order.  It is when an embassy sends everyone but key personnel home to the US.  Our office was doing this, as we do several times a year, just to be prepared.  We didn’t tell the rest of the Embassy we were running this drill so as not to alarm them.  In the past week the Pakistan Military has become very active in pursuing insurgents.  They have hit them hard in Miranshah.  So it seemed like a good time to run a NEO drill as retaliatory attacks in the major cities were expected.  So, I was expecting a click-a-tel (text) this morning around 07:00 telling us that the exercise was underway and to come to work with our go-bags (bags of essentials used when making a hasty exit).  Instead, I woke up when my alarm went off and saw a text much earlier than expected: 05:15.  The text mentioned staying in our homes because of multiple bomb blasts around the city.  I found it odd that it didn’t begin with the words EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE.  Then I noted it was form the Embassy and not from our office.  I immediately went online to check the news and yes indeed, two bombs went off early in the morning.  One in sector G9, an area I rarely go to; the other in F6 Market, near where I was at last night.  F6 is where most of the shops I frequent are located.  The news is still sparse but from what I’ve been able to read so far it appears some dumb ass was planting a bomb at 02:00 when confronted by a security guard.  The bomb detonated killing the miscreant and injuring the guard.  At the moment we are restricted to our homes.  Travel is allowed only for essential personnel and then only in hard cars (bullet/bomb proof vehicles). 

 

It will be interesting to see how my last few weeks here play out.  I expect more incidents will occur as the TTP become increasingly desperate.  We don’t know right now if the military actions in the tribal areas are the start of a major offensive, like they executed in Swat in ’09, or simply more of the surgical strikes they have been performing.  Either way, the targeted assaults are welcome.  The Pakistani  military despise the Taliban.  Too many in this country have died at their hand.  Far more than the US has lost in Afghanistan. 

 

These are serious times for Pakistan.  These are serious times for the entire region.  I pray the US does not foolishly abandon Pakistan as we withdraw from Afghanistan. After living here for over a year I feel a sense of belonging.  I have friends here.  I know that the majority of the population does not want religion forced upon them, even as they are deeply committed to Islam.  Despite what the West may think Islam is not a violent religion.  Wahhabism may well be but to lump all Muslims in with the Wahhabis is to lump all Christians in with the Westboro Baptist Church!