The PK Notebook

Two Weeks, Two Suicide Bombings

I was sitting at my desk this afternoon around 5:25 when I heard a deafening explosion that rattled the windows of our house. Our cleaner rushed in and we both decided that it sounded like a bomb, coming from the direction of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque). It turned out to be a suicide bombing at Aabpara Market, down the street from the mosque, and at least 13 people died, many of them police officers.


I had been expecting something to happen, especially since the authorities were reopening Lal Mosque for prayers for the first time since the siege in early July, in which at least 87 (and likely many more) people were killed. It seems obvious that reopening the mosque so soon, if at all, was a terrible idea. Protests had begun this morning, with hundreds of former students of the mosque's madrassa demonstrating, chanting "Al Jihad!" and throwing rocks at police. A few days ago, the local papers published claims that suicide bombers were circulating around the city. And last night at dinner with friends, one topic of conversation was the palpable feeling many of us shared that something awful was going to happen, and soon. On the way home from the restaurant, entering into our sector, our car was stopped by the police, who were conducting searches. Today's violence, then, was not entirely unexpected.


Of course, there was last week's big bombing at a lawyers' rally for the now-reinstated Chief Justice, Iftikar Chaudhury, at the F-8 Market, killing 17 people. The F-8 Market is not close to our house, so we didn't hear the blast. B, however, had to go down to the scene and said it was very bloody, with human remains everywhere. He had to bleach his sneakers when he got home.


Geo TV, one of the television channels here, showed plenty of gruesome footage of today's bombing that I'll refrain from describing. It's strange and sobering to think that, at that moment this afternoon when I heard the blast, the lives of more than a dozen people nearby vanished, just like that. And unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the violence is going to end anytime soon.

Aftermath

Two nights ago at 4:10 a.m., I (wide awake, still suffering from pregnancy-related insomnia) heard a series of very intense machine gun fire and explosions that were powerful enough to rattle the windows of our house. Unlike other times though, the fighting didn't stop for many hours. Indeed, the army was finally moving in on Lal Masjid.


I was surprised, because when I last checked the news around 2:00 a.m., the word was that a compromise was 99% settled. But apparently the talks broke down over demands for amnesty for Maulana Ghazi, one of the two mosque leaders, and the foreign fighters that had amassed inside.


The battle was so fierce that it took over a day for the mosque to be cleared. The government says more than 75 militants and 10 soldiers were killed, but no one really knows what the final body count is. Apparently all of the women or children who had been inside were able to flee, but again, this hasn't been independently verified. Reporters were kept away from both the mosque and the hospitals, and some of the bodies found were so badly charred that it was impossible to identify their age or gender. An Al Jazeera correspondent went down to the mass grave site today and one of the gravediggers claimed that some of the coffins contained 2 or 3 bodies each, including women and children.


Security remains extremely heavy, with soldiers posted on every corner in our sector, including ours. Concertina wire has been strung along the entrance of every street. There is tremendous concern that there will now be retaliatory strikes, including suicide attacks.


Last night was the first night in over a week that we've been able to sleep uninterrupted by fighting. Still, I didn't wake up feeling refreshed. The past 9 days have been exhausting, stressful and sad.

Mosque Siege, Day 5

Those of us who live in G-6 sector near the mosque under siege have been under a strict curfew for 5 days now. We have also been told by the police to stay indoors and avoid going out into our yards and roof decks, since bullets can travel up to 3 km. Rumor has it that a man doing construction at the Serena Hotel, which is just outside G-6, was killed by a stray bullet. Needless to say, I'm getting a serious case of cabin fever (but don't worry...we are being very security-conscious).


Since Thursday, the authorities have lifted the curfew for 1-3 hours each day. Whenever this happens, my heroic husband rushes out to buy groceries and other supplies and then rushes back before the barricades go back up. Even when the curfew is lifted, the army and police carefully scrutinize each person coming into the sector, since the last thing they want is more militants entering the area to join in the fighting. Anyone sporting a long beard or a license plate from NWFP is probably getting a hard time.


I have had insomnia for days, partly from the overall stress of our situation and partly from the regular discomforts of being 6 months pregnant (back and round ligament pain, leg cramps, heartburn, etc.). Last night was probably the worst, since I didn't fall asleep until 6 am. There was heavy gunfire and a huge explosion around 1 (which I heard today was the army blowing up the mosque's generator), but I'm no longer fazed much by them. There are hours and hours of complete quiet where you only hear birds singing, but even with the silence one is never lulled into thinking things are back to normal. The sounds of regular life on our street -- the man hawking fresh bread twice a day, the baby playing in the courtyard next door, the neighborhood security guards hanging out and chatting, the whoosh of passing cars -- are missing. Several times a day, the silence is punctuated by moments of intense shelling and gunfire. It's all becoming routine, I guess, though I remind myself that whenever there is a barrage of fire someone might be hurt or dying. I don't want to catch myself becoming blase about it all.


I have to say that our friends here have been fantastic. We have had offers of places to stay, supply runs, transportation and water, and we receive frequent phone calls checking on our well-being and sharing the latest information. It certainly helps us feel that we are not isolated.


I do want to emphasize that, apart from the lack of sleep, some restlessness at being stuck indoors and a bit of stress, we are fine. I've been spending my days reading, writing Chinese characters, watching Wimbledon, following the news and playing with Max and Libra. B, of course, has been working almost nonstop.


The latest word on the mosque siege is that there are still hundreds of people inside, including young children. Two young men were killed yesterday trying to flee the mosque, reportedly by their fellow students. One 13-year old boy did manage to get out today, and he claims that many of those inside are being held hostage by a band of hardcore militants bent on martyrdom. I'm sure the full story will get out when this is all over. In the meantime, I hope that the siege ends soon and no one else gets hurt or killed.

3:40 a.m.

Really loud explosions and the most gunfire we've heard to date. Is the army moving in?

It's My Wedding Anniversary and I'll Whine If I Want To

It's the Fourth of July and our second wedding anniversary today, and boy did we originally have big plans: an afternoon barbecue at the embassy club, followed by a nice dinner (maybe Japanese) and then a going-away party for a friend moving to London tomorrow. Perhaps we'd even go to Nirvana Spa (the only place in Islamabad that offers the full Brazilian) and get facials. But of course we weren't able to do anything and in fact, we barely left the house (except to walk down to the corner to gawp at the armored personnel carriers). Waah. The army presence remains in full effect, and this evening, we could see and hear Cobra attack helicopters circling the area. The neighborhood remains blocked off and the curfew is stil in effect. Durn!


But hey, at least we have electricity. Since the authorities cut power to the mosque, many houses in this sector also lost power. And luckily we have enough food for several days and a supply of water, though I refrained from doing laundry today just in case we may run out of the latter.


The latest news from the mosque has several hundred students, male and female, surrendering. In return, they are being given a cash payment of 5,000 rupees ($80 more or less) and are being loaded on buses to take them to their home regions, since many of them come from the NWFP (Northwest Frontier Province) or the FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). Still, there are supposedly hundreds more inside the mosque who are refusing to leave.


Newsflash:
Most incredibly of all so far, the fiery, uncompromising head of Lal Masjid who has been exhorting his minions to turn themselves into suicide bombers, Maulana Abdul Aziz, has just been busted trying to sneak out of the mosque disguised in a burqa and surrounded by a gaggle of female students. BBC also reports that he was carrying a handbag, while Pakistani bloggers report that the students tried to get him past police by referring to him as their "Auntie." Geo TV has been gleefully showing grainy footage of the burqa-clad cleric's arrest nonstop and in slo-mo for hours now. Just think: a hardline religious leader with ties to the Taliban (and purportedly Al Qaeda), known for his tough and violent rhetoric, is caught in a high-profile manner sneaking out of his own mosque, leaving hundreds of followers behind while clad in women's clothing and carrying a purse. Methinks this won't do much for his street cred...

Gunfire & Killings at Lal Masjid

This afternoon around 1:15, I was sitting at my desk eating a PB&J when B and I heard a series of pop pop pop sounds, which B correctly identified as gunfire coming from the direction of Lal Masjid, the radical mosque down the street that I've been blogging about. Security forces yesterday had started to string barbed wire near the mosque, and today, according to news reports, Lal Masjid students decided to seize weapons from a nearby government building, perhaps surmising that the barbed fencing was a prelude to a raid. Gunshots were exchanged, tear gas was fired and the fighting rapidly escalated and lasted all day, except for a one-hour lull in the late afternoon (which I heard was for a prayer break...make of that what you will). Calls came through on the mosque's loudspeakers exhorting followers to retaliate with suicide bombings. The students also set fire to the neighboring Ministry of Environment, and we could see the smoke from our house:





I spent most of the day in the most interior (and therefore safest, I guess) room in the house, watching live footage of the fighting on the Pakistani news channels and Al Jazeera. Many Pakistani journalists risked life and limb to get close to the action in order to obtain visual footage. Reports say more than a dozen people were killed, including passers-by and a journalist, and a cameraman for CNBC Pakistan is in critical condition after being shot in the head. More than 140 people have been injured.


There is still sporadic gunfire coming from the mosque, so it seems that this is far from over. You can read more here, here and here, or listen here.


3 a.m. Update: Geo TV, a national news channel here, is reporting that the army has been deployed to assist the police and rangers, armored trucks are rolling down Jinnah Avenue (the main drag), and a curfew is now in place with orders to shoot violators on sight. Don't worry folks...we're okay and we ain't goin' anywhere.

The Latest Warden Notice

Occasionally the U.S. embassy and its three consulates in Pakistan will issue warden notices to the American expatriate community. These warden notices warn of possible security threats and are usually vaguely-worded.


Today's warden notice was issued in the context of the recent brothel raid by the Lal Masjid ninja squad (see below post) and the language is, well, delicate and diplomatic. How many euphemisms can you spot for "brothel" in the message below?


Recent media reports indicate that a religious leader has issued a threat accusing women of the diplomatic community of spreading obscenity and nudity in town. These reports appeared after the kidnapping of foreigners from an establishment frequented by international residents of Islamabad.


American citizens are reminded to avoid areas where Westerners are known to congregate, and in light of the above reflected incidents it is recommended to avoid restaurants, health clubs, spas, and other facilities unless they are located in well protected and secure establishments.

Ninja Girl Power...Activate!

A few nights ago, female students at the madrassa run by Lal Masjid -- the local mosque that brought you the storming of the children's library earlier this year, plus the vigilante-style kidnappings of some local policemen and a woman who allegedly ran a brothel -- raided yet another purported den of sin, attacking and abducting several Chinese women who were working as masseuses. This was an act of special courage, since everyone knows that "the Chinese are masters at karate." [Note to Principal Hassan: karate is a Japanese martial art; we Chinese practice kung fu, or wushu. I know we all look alike, but really...]


This time, however, the women were released rather quickly, possibly because the government realized the ninja girls had gone too far by effing with Chinese nationals (thus bringing in the involvement of the Chinese ambassador).


One of the heads of the mosque, Maulana Ghazi, has said the women were treated humanely, and that they had even gotten takeout Chinese food for them to eat. No word on which restaurant or which dishes they ordered, unfortunately...though these are details that of course I'm desperate to know.

Where I've Been / Countdown to October

I haven't blogged in a long time because I've been preoccupied. By now, most of you know why but if I neglected to tell you, it's only because at some point back in March/April, I lost track of who was told what.





FAQ:

1. When is the baby due? Our due date is October 4th.

2. Are you having a girl or a boy? We had an amniocentesis done last month and the baby is definitely a girl.

3. Do you have a name yet? I think so, but we're not telling anyone. The topic is so subjective and everyone has such strong opinions, and I've realized it only takes one bad apple to ruin a name forever for some people ("I hate that name ****. I knew a girl in first grade with that name and she was awful, yadda yadda"). Ultimately, we decided that -- no offense -- we don't really care what anyone else thinks about the names we like!

4. Where are you having the baby? We toyed with the idea of going to Bangkok to deliver, since it's only a direct, 4-hour flight away and they have first-rate medical care there at the excellent Bumrungrad Hospital. But ultimately we decided that it was worth the grueling 20+ hour trip back to New York so we could have our baby while surrounded by family, friends, and the regular comforts of home.

5. Do you have morning sickness, food cravings, etc.? I was really sick with nausea, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, heartburn and all the other fun first-trimester stuff for the first twelve weeks or so. I also developed an extremely heightened sense of smell and some strange food aversions (garlic, onions, curry -- not a fun time to be in Pakistan). I even had a hard time using our regular dishes and eating utensils because even after multiple washings, I could still smell these offending odors. Then after about 12 weeks I woke up one day and just like that, I felt nearly back to normal. Now, at the 24 week mark, I feel pretty good apart from the aches and pains you'd expect from a rapidly expanding belly. And all I can think about nowadays is food, particularly Japanese food, good bread, ice cream, greens and Mom's spicy tofu dishes.

6. Have you felt the baby move yet? I first felt her around 19.5 weeks; at first the movements felt like someone was blowing little bubbles inside my tummy. A few days later, on Mother's Day, B put his hand on my abdomen and the baby, perhaps not wanting to disappoint, delivered what felt like a mega kung-fu roundhouse kick that made him pull his hand back in shock. Now she goes through periods where she'll be really active, usually after I've had fruit juice or anything sweet, and while I'm at rest.

7. Are you showing yet? As someone recently commented, I look like I swallowed a basketball. But don't get me wrong, I'm quite enjoying this part; it's the only time I can stick out my gut and feel darn proud of it.

Drama Fridays

It seems like there's drama every Friday. Friday is the day when many devout Muslim men attend services at their local mosque, but when you live near the (in)famous Lal Masjid, where they often hold rallies after prayers, you know the day is bound to bring something interesting.


Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) is known throughout Pakistan for being a bastion of a very conservative (many say extremist) Islam. Lately, the mosque's madrassa, Jamia Hafsa, has been in the news; female students kidnapped and apparently assaulted a local woman and her female relatives who ran an alleged brothel in the neighborhood. Two police were also abducted, and then later released. Local authorities, likely fearing escalating violence, reacted to this act of religion-inspired vigilantism in the same way they did when the female students took over a local children's library in February -- by doing nothing.


Now the emboldened students have issued demands -- or threats, depending on your point of view -- that local shopkeepers cease selling DVDs and music, both of which are deemed "un-Islamic." They have also called for a "Talibanization" of the area.


Most Fridays I can hear chanting and various crowd noises coming from Lal, and today was no exception. What was significant today, though, was the head cleric's threat to use suicide bombers against the government if video stores are not closed within a month.


Yesterday there was a small counter-demonstration at Aabpara market, which is close to the mosque and houses a couple of said DVD shops, by a group of local progressives and human rights activists, many of them women, protesting against the actions of the mosque's leaders and their followers. Is this a manifestation of the silent majority? I think it's a tough call.