Fatal bombing in Pakistan takes sinister new twist

The latest terror attack in Lahore would seem to be another bloody signpost pointing towards Pakistan's slide into anarchy.

But there was an added dimension to this bombing which showed the complex intrigue behind the insurgency spreading across the region.

For the first time since the start of the jihad in Pakistan, a base of the intelligence service, the ISI, was hit and a number of its agents were reported to be among the 30 who died in the blast. A suicide squad used guns, grenades and a van packed with explosives.

The Pakistan Taleban took responsibility for the attack, with a militant commander loyal to leader Baitullah Mehsud saying it was in response to the Pakistani Army offensive in Swat.

The ISI has long been the sponsor of the Taleban and other Islamist groups. Did the blast mean that the intelligence service had finally fallen out with its proteges?

The military operation in Swat - launched after intense pressure from the United States - has caused consternation within the military/militant axis. The attack could be the insurgents' response to what they see as the failure of the intelligence service to stop the offensive, and a warning that they are not prepared to be abandoned.

A parting of the ways between the militants and the ISI could have far-reaching consequences, with the insurgents losing the protection they have long enjoyed by men in power.

The US wants to wean the Pakistani military away from the mindset of a conventional conflict with India and towards counter-insurgency and are pressing for more separation between the Army and the ISI to stop soldiers being indoctrinated.

For many officers, the raison d'etre of Pakistan's armed forces is to confront India and as a former head of the ISI, General Javed Ashraf Qazi, pointed out: "You cannot distinguish between the Army and the ISI because 90 per cent of the ISI are uniformed officers."

- INDEPENDENT, AP