Vision To The Blind

Mazhar Abbas September 30, 2002 00:00 IST Vision To The Blind -0001-11-30T00:00:00+05:53

When the Pakistani police swooped on the third-floor apartment of the posh Defence Housing Society on the night of September 10-11, they hadn't expected to encounter stiff opposition from Al Qaeda fugitives. Bursting teargas shells and engaging in a fierce gunbattle that lasted over three hours, the police killed two and apprehended six militants, including two Arab women. Among them was one person whom the fbi had been in hot pursuit of: Ramzi bin al-Shiba, thought to have played a significant role in planning the wtc attack last year and the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl.

The FBI and the police are, understandably, elated at the catch but others feel the ferocious battle is an ominous warning to Karachi—and the military regime—about the bloody future awaiting them. They fear the presence of Al Qaeda militants in the city could also cast a sinister shadow on the general elections, about three weeks away.

There's a veritable sympathy wave for Al Qaeda in the streets of Karachi. Daubed on walls are chilling slogans—'Death to the US', 'Fidayeen attacks on US...