Pakistan in the Heat: Suicide Bombing and Contention Over Aid Bill

A suicide bomber hit the World Food Program Office in Islamabad on Monday, killing five people and heightening security concerns in the country. UN offices have been temporarily closed, and travel warnings issued to all UN personnel, but the UN has assured the Pakistani government that these closures are temporary. Importantly, the suicide bombing comes at a time when it is being reported that the Pakistani military is considering launching a full-blown offensive in the South Waziristan area; just today Pakistani jets were reported to have bombed Taliban hideouts in South Waziristan. Hence, while the bombing could be a sign of deteriorating security conditions in Pakistan it could also be seen as a desperate attempt by a frustrated Taliban in the face of heightened offensives by the Pakistani military. Either way, the bombing is a huge blow to the nation, particularly as the target carries such high diplomatic value.

 

But attacks by the Taliban are not the only conflict that Pakistan is currently dealing with; as the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 has passed through congress, domestic pressure is building on the Pakistani government to reject the bill as a “document of surrender" rather than an aid bill. (See previous blog post Pakistani Critics on The Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009). Anonymous sources from the Pakistani government revealed that the government may reject the bill. “I’ll be very surprised if Pakistan accepts the Kerry-Lugar Bill with its present formulations because the nation wouldn’t allow a trade-off between sovereignty and US aid,” an important federal cabinet member told Pakistan’s The News.