BLASTS ROCKED PAKISTAN: AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON LIVES

In previous session we have talked about the history of blasts in our country this time we will try to find the impacts of these blasts on the lives of our countrymen.....

Terrorism may have killed thousands and injured hundreds of thousands but they are surely having an adverse impact on the lives of every countrymen. The impact may be calculated from several perspectives however, economic are the most important.Deteriorating Law and Order situation is having an adverse impact on the business world in Pakistan. Blasts at Markets and Trading places shattered buyers confidence though it may not be a significant % of our GDP and an indirect impact of terrorism. According to the business world they had lost almost 40% of the business. In terms of financial losses, the macro-economy has been hurt, mostly in the past three years. Though the nation has been fighting terrorists since 2002, the maximum impact of terrorism has struck in the past three years with suicide bombings and attacks on security forces increasing manifold. The worst impact started showing from 2007, soon after the military operation at the Islamabad's Lal Masjid. For instance, the foreign exchange reserves held by State Bank of Pakistan (excluding those held by private banks) fell 75 percent to $3.45 billion from a record $14.6 billion in one-year period from October 2007 to October 2008, according to the central bank data. Some analysts described the depletion in foreign currency reserves as remarkable and unbelievable. The reserves fell from the safety of six months of imports to barely one month of imports, resultantly, the government had to cut down on shipments abroad. The foreign currency reserves increased after the International Monetary Fund approved bailout loan in November 2008, boosting reserves with three installments of the total of $11.3 billion loan. Although the reserves have increased to about $10 billion with the help of IMF loan, the impact of the loan would be felt by the people in the shape of increased taxes and high prices of utilities such as electricity.

Direct economic impact can be calculated by determining what we are spending to fight terrorism. As there is no official figure available of what have been disbursed on WAR AGAINST TERROR. However, approximately Pakistan have spent around $ 30 billion since 2001 around 18% of the total GDP. Exports of the country have been falling since when we were forced to jump in the war.

The adverse economic impacts were not visible till 2006 but when WAR gained the pace the impacts became more clearer and growth in Large scale manufacturing industry have been falling and currently stand at -9%. In addition to large and small scale manufacturing industry, Foreign direct investment have also been falling. Not only, that new investors are not coming to Pakistan, the people who had already invested in the country have started pulling out. The Foreign direct investment plunged 58 percent to $463 billion in the first quarter of this financial year, from $1.1 billion in the corresponding period last fiscal year ended June 30, 2009 according to data posted on central bank's web site. Foreign direct investment fell to $3.72 billion last fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, from $5.4 billion in the financial year ended June 30, 2008. Similarly, foreign investors sold a net of more than $1 billion of Pakistani shares last fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, in comparasion to the net buy of about $2 billion of share in the financial year before that. The pull out by foreign investors caused the stock market to plunge and it crashed to almost six-year low.

Pakistan's total exports have remained stagnant between $17 and $18 billion in past two financial years. Exports have declined 10 percent to $6 billion in the first four months of this fiscal year started July 1. The exports had more than doubled in the past six years as economy expanded to more than 6 percent from 2004 onwards, however, it was stuck at the $17 billion mark, increasing the trade imbalance as the trade deficit increased to record $20 billion in the financial year ended June 30, 2008. It narrowed to over $14 billion last fiscal year as the government deliberately discouraged imports.

BLASTS ROCKED PAKISTAN: A TERRIFYING HISTORY

Pakistan has a rocking history of blasts killing more than 3,500 and leaving 10,000 injured. The blasts are said to be a consequence of 9/11 and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan accepted majority of the attacks……

2000 - 2008: The blasting scenario started in year 2000 the blast heard in Karachi killing 9 and injured 25 personnel and within a week another blast heard killing 5 and several injured. Overall 14 blasts heard in year 2000 Karachi 2, Hyderabad 2, Lahore 2, Quetta 2, and 1 in Islamabad, Batkhela, Degari, Malohwali, Sialkot and Torkham each, Killed 79 and 316 injured. 62 blasts recorded in year 2001 killing 48 and injuring 342 Karachi was the major victims in the blasts a total of 18 blasts recorded in Karachi which killed 9 and wounded 130. Quetta was the other major victim where 14 blasts recorded which injured 45 and killed 14. Other cities big include Lahore 3, Muzafarabad 3, Rawalpindi 3, Sialkot 2, Hyderabad 2, Peshawar 2 and Islamabad 2. Year 2002 recorded 35 blasts which killed 68 and wounded 299 civilians again Karachi was the major victim, 8 blasts recorded in Karachi killing 22 and leaving 85 injured. Other major cities include Rawalpindi 3, Hyderabad 3, Kohlu 3, Islamabad 2, Lahore 2 and Peshawar 1. Year 2003 killed 34 and wounded 155 civilians in total 42 blasts heard. This time Quetta was the major victim having 11 blasts in the total killed none while injured 11. Karachi was the other major victim having 7 blasts killing 3 and leaving 23 injured. Other major cities included Hyderabad 3, Peshawar 2, Rawalpindi 2 and Sialkot 1. In year 2004 suicide bombing became a real threat for Pakistan, 137 blasts recorded which killed 255 and made 1,040 injured. Though only 7 blasts recorded as Suicide attacks but the impact was much larger when compared to the no. of blasts. Suicide attacks killed 85 and left 300 injured. Suicide attacks recorded in Karachi, Sialkot, Lahore and Rawalpindi. Year 2005 recorded 245 blasts in total killing 210 and leaving 571 injured. Only 4 blasts were recorded as Suicide attacks which killed 80 and 220 injured. Islamabad, Karachi, Swat and Jhal Magsi were the victims of Suicide attacks. A sudden increase is depicted in year 2006 when 300 blasts recorded killed 359 and left 766 injured out of which 7 were suicide attacks. Karachi, Peshawar and Waziristan were the major victims. The major reason behind blasts from 2000 – 2006 were sect(s) and target killing. A minor number is associated with Suicide bombing killing public at large.

From year 2007 suicide bombing gained the pace and every district almost had recorded a blast in the year. In 2007 a total of 56 suicide attacks recorded which killed number of people and left several injured. In total 678 blasts recorded in the year the highest number ever. Majority of the suicide attacks are said to be the consequence of attack at LAL MASJID – Islamabad. The blasts killed 1,078 civilians and armed personnel while 2,484 were reported injured. Baluchistan and NWFP were the most affected provinces cities in general were Dera Bugti, Sui, Quetta, Waziristan, Swat and Peshawar. Though the numbers of blasts were reduced in the year 2008 the total blasts recorded in the year remained 601 killing 1,251 and leaving 3,073 injured. Out of 601 blasts, suicide attacks climbed to 59 in the year.

Year 2009: Year 2009 proved to be a horrible year when it comes to suicide attacks the year could be called as year of Suicide Attacks till now 74 attacks have been recorded which have killed several and left many wounded. Overall 460 blasts have been recorded till now which have killed 1,526 civilians, military and paramilitary personnel. GoP had started operation against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan which in return is attacking on Government and Military elite. Though the attacks could be well justified with the operation however, the root cause must be identified.