The interesting thing is that such an approach is in marked contrast to earlier terrorist attacks in the country, which were almost all committed anonymously. The question we need to be asking is what does it mean that the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen is now stepping out of the shadows.

It means, at the very least, that the time is long overdue for us to get serious about this threat. It is not true, as the government has long claimed, that violent extremists do not exist in the country. It is evident that they exist, and are well-funded and well-organised.

However, neither is it true that there are extremists hiding under every rock and that they are poised to take over the country. The good news is that there is no evidence that the terrorists enjoy any kind of support among the general public. We cannot be complacent but we need not be alarmist either.

But let us hear no more denials of what we all know to be true. The government has brought this on itself due to its perfunctory pursuit of religious extremists in the past. Unfortunately, it has brought this on all of us, too.

The Jamat-ul-Mujahideen has fired the first shot. The serial bomb blasts need to be recognised as a warning shot across the bows of the nation. The smart move would be to take heed. This might sound ridiculously obvious, but the fact is that in the past too many of us have not taken heed of the threat that has been gathering.

Let us never again hear anyone say that religious extremists are not active in the country or that they are not a serious threat. After August 17, we can never again say that we haven’t been warned.

Very timely piece by Zafar — ..yet again.. must read