Daily Lessons from Life 27 June 2012 - Tea stall bomb kills five in Pakistan

"Tea stall bomb kills five in Pakistan - AFP 28 June 2012

QUETTA, Pakistan: A bomb planted under a tea stall at a railway station in southwestern Pakistan killed at least five people, including a child, and wounded 15 others late Wednesday, police said.

The explosion appeared to target the express train from the southwestern city of Quetta en route to Rawalpindi, the capital's twin city to the north, as the locomotive came into platform two at Sibi station, officials said.

In Pakistan it is generally the least well off who choose to travel by train, an often laborious journey on ageing carriages that is prone to serious delays.

Baluchistan is rich in oil and gas, but remains one of the most deprived areas of Pakistan. Rights activists have accused the military of mass arrests and extra-judicial executions in its bid to put down the separatist insurgency.

Baluch rebels rose up in 2004, demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the oil, gas and mineral resources in the region.

The province has also been a flashpoint for violence between Sunnis and Shiites, who account for around 20 percent of the population, that has left thousands of people dead since the late 1980s."

Surely one would never had thought sipping tea at a tea stall in a railway station could get one blown to pieces! Something definitely more tragic that the CHC saga that is raging in Singapore's soil with the 'supporters' of the accused persons shielding them and arguing with the media at the front of the courthouse.

Lessons for me are:

1. there is no political will to end this stupidity with supposedly thousands dead since the last 1980s. This is especially sad when it happened between 2 branches of the same religion - the Sunnis and the Shiites. What has their branch taught them?;

2. then there is the perpetual flashpoint - sharing of 'prosperity. The land is gas & oil rich and YET it remains the poorest region in the country? Who are getting rich then? How do they kid themselves into thinking that this is SUSTAINABLE? Without equatible distribution of wealth, there will be discontent and there will be incidents. Some kill too!! Without life, without stability, there is no much chance of spending the wealth gained! Got it? NO?;

3. in such a situation, I often wonder if the people have lost the will or many have simply become numbed to the needs to ensure fair and equitable distribution of wealth so that everyone lives in harmony and peace? It is strange that some are willing to die or to kill for it and YET not ready to talk peace and save lives? Illogical? Definitely. So, another time another place to 'research' the big question - WHY?

May the seriously injured survive this ordeal. May the majority of the people who wants peace and prosperity speak up more rather than let the 'violent' minority dictate the agenda.

Tea, anyone?