Teeth Maestro is currently running a poll on his blog regarding people’s opinion on who do they think planned a terrorist activity of this magnitude and significance.

Who would you blame for the Lahore Attacks?

So far, only one option gets the majority votes. Go, vote and check for yourself…

An ambush targeting the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore earlier this morning has literally sent waves of disbelief and shock across Pakistan. Citizens of Lahore are specifically terrified at the extent of sophisticated weaponry used by terrorists in an incident that caused unprecedented damage to the country’s image and its cricketing future.

On its way to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium for the second test match in series, the convoy carrying Sri Lankan players in a bus was brutally attacked by almost twelve gunmen as it passed through the Liberty Roundabout. The bus was miraculously shielded from about two rocket attacks and serious damage was avoided as Police Security escorts forcefully retaliated twenty-five minutes of heavy gunfire. This, however, did not prevent seven precious lives, including those of five policemen, from being lost while four policemen, five Sri Lankan cricketers, their assistant coach, and a Pakistani umpire sustained injuries. During this mayhem, the team was immediately driven to safety at the Stadium put under heavy guard while two of the injured players were shifted to Services Hospital.

According to the police authorities, about twelve terrorists armed with very sophisticated weapons including rocket launchers, hand grenades, Kalashnikovs, mousers and suicide jackets arrived at the scene in rickshaws and attacked the convoy, exactly when it was turning from Main Boulevard to Gadaffi Stadium, from seven directions according to a highly planned strategy.

Television footage showed all attackers making an astonishing escape after committing this heinous activity, totally unscathed, from one of city’s most important commercial centers in broad daylight. Many analysts are calling it an unparallel security lapse on behalf of the intelligence agencies and local authorities.

The only good news is that all injured cricketers and their assistant coach are stable, out of danger and will be airlifted from Gadaffi Stadium by Pakistan Air Force helicopters to the airport from where they will be safely flown back to Colombo very soon. Sri Lankan foreign minister is on his way to Pakistan to analyze the situation on ground.

In 2008, due to the deteriorating security situation and political instability in the country, Australia was the first team to cancel its tour of Pakistan. Then security concerns with respect to safety of visiting players saw Pakistan’s hopes of hosting the second most prestigious cricketing event, Champions Trophy 2008, coming to an end followed by a consecutive cancellation of India’s highly awaited tour of Pakistan earlier this year. After today’s shocking events Pakistan may see its cricketing image plunging to extreme darkness as we might not have any visitors for quite a long time now.

Forces behind a crime of this magnitude cannot be taken easily as evidence from the sophistication of weaponry and planning used by the attackers suggests that these terrorists were no ordinary ones. There has to be a comprehensive investigation of a possible internal or external involvement and it has to be conducted as early as possible to prevent future recurrences.

We are waiting and watching how the unconcerned politicians are waging a war against the will of common man who does not want anything but security, justice, and only the bare necessities of life at affordable rates. They seem to have little concern with the damage and anarchy their confrontational politics can bring to the already suffering fabric of Pakistani society.

A few hours ago, the SriLankan team was ambushed and attacked by a dozen terrorist gunmen from three sides, who are also being reported to be carrying rocket-launchers and grenades. A few of the guest team’s players were injured, but all of them have survived the attack, while 8 security forces men are reported to have died while protecting the guest team players.

A news report (in Urdu) with video footage from surveillance cameras can be found HERE.

You can follow twitter reports and opinions on #lahore as more facts (and fiction) unfold HERE.

Traffic is being diverted from the Gulberg area to other roads, and the Sri Lankan team is being transported back home immediately.

Stay safe fellow Lahoris.

Faiz museum, a project of Faiz Foundation Trust, was formally inaugurated on Sunday, March 1^st, in Model Town. The museum aims to promote the legendary poet’s work along with promoting his progressive and humanistic ideas.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz, born in Sialkot on February 13, 1911, was the first Asian poet to be awarded Lenin Peace Prize in 1962.

Entries are invited to the first ever Life’s Too Short short-story prize.

For more information, go to http://www.lifestooshort.pk/

Entries will be judged by a panel consisting of Muhammad Hanif, Kamila Shamsie and Daniyal Mueenuddin.

First prize is Rs. 100,000/-, Second prize is Rs. 20,000/- and Third Prize is Rs. 10,000/-.

The ten best short stories selected by the judges will be published as an anthology.

Participants must be of Pakistani origin. Stories should not exceed 5,000 words. Entries must be in English. Poetry will not be accepted.

Entries must be mailed to entry@lifestooshort.pk

Submission deadline is 30 June 2009.

The political ‘kabaddi’ currently going on is not even surprising to most of us as it is just part of Pakistan’s cyclic history. While some optimists did think that things will be different this time and two largest democratic forces in Pakistan will finally pursue conciliatory power-sharing government for betterment of everyone; there still were people, a vast majority, that could foresee this honeymoon, sooner than later, coming to an unhappy end.

Situation in Pakistan is not in any case ready for another upheavel like this. Punjab was so far the only stable government regardless of its unfavorable attitude towards the centre. Disqualification of Sharif brothers from holding any public office for the thrid time can be justified as the honorable court’s verdict but imposition of Governor’s Rule and locking up of the Punjab Provincial Assembly building is surely a matter of grave objection.

However, for a common man, nothing has changed except for long traffic jams due to protests, purposeless damage to public infrastructre for which he had paid from his own pocket and city life coming to an uncertain but grinding halt.

The only bugging question is, regardless of who was right or who is wrong, can we really afford this crisis at this time? Can we bear watching ambulances stuck for hours due to almost daily road block by protesters at the Mall, and for how long? Will restoration of one man ensure speedy justice for a poor peasant? And, finally, do we even deserve democracy or are we just not ready or prepared for it yet?

Been on the lookout for desi nashta in Lahore, but none of my friends have been able to direct me to a nice place. I wonder if the readers can tell me where I can get real Lahori nashta on a Sunday morning. Please no Capri or Espresso. I want real Lahori breakfast :)