Islamabad in frontline of Pakistan struggle with Islamic militants
Fortifications are springing up across Islamabad as foreigners retreat from public view and Pakistanis worry about the possibility of a Mumbai-style attack on shops, offices or even schoolchildren.
Twelve-metre (40ft) high sandbag walls, nests of gun-toting soldiers and concrete blast walls have started to appear around the once sleepy federal capital, where over the last year Taliban suicide bombers have attacked a five-star hotel, the Danish embassy and several army and police posts.
The most visible precautions have been taken at
UN offices, most of which now resemble facilities in war zones. "In terms of security instability Pakistan has become as dangerous as Iraq and Afghanistan," said a senior UN official. Last week a Taliban commander, Mullah Nazir Ahmed from South Waziristan, threatened to overrun the city.
"The day is not far when Islamabad will be in the hands of the mujahideen," he told al-Qaida's media wing As-Sahab.
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Meanwhile hardware stores have found a lucrative new product line: blast film. "If a bomb goes off, it stops the glass from flying into your home," saleswoman Zahida Hashmi explained at the Ideal Home store.But the most profound changes are being felt by Pakistanis, including the well-heeled, who are starting to feel their city has moved to the frontline of the war against militancy. Last weekend most English language schools in the city closed, some for several days, amid rumours of a commando-style gun attack on a school. One institution, which caters to foreigners, remains shut, with classes continuing by email.
School owners said they were installing closed circuit television
and hiring armed guards, but admitted the precautions were insufficient to stop a suicide bomber. "Privilege won't buy you security any more," said one. "We are wondering how we can stay here if your kids are not safe."
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/18/islamabad-war-islamic-militantsSchool owners video will soon show the world the barbarians at their gates in close to real time .