Easter Slaughter Tests Sharif’s Push for a More Liberal Pakistan

Chicago Tribune

29 March 2016

The suicide bomber who slaughtered dozens of Pakistanis enjoying a day in the park to celebrate Easter Sunday probably had another target: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s vision of a more liberal, inclusive democracy in the Muslim-majority nation.

As of mid-Monday, 72 people were dead, including many women and children. Scores more were fighting for their lives in hospitals throughout Lahore, the biggest city in Punjab and Sharif’s hometown.

The attack was the deadliest since Taliban fighters entered an army school in December 2014 and massacred 134 students, shooting some point blank in the head. That strike prompted Sharif and military leaders to enact new measures to fight terrorists, leading to a reduction in violence that helped spur investor interest in the frontier economy.

… “Sharif is suffering a blowback,” said Rohan Gunaratna, who runs the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. “Pakistan is today a victim of terrorism, and the world needs to understand that without constantly accusing it of being a perpetrator of terrorism.”

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Last updated on 30/03/2016