Is Al Qaeda behind terror attacks in Pakistan?

The Al Qaeda "could be supporting" the Pakistani Taliban that has left the country bloodied and bruised through a string of terror strikes, says a leading Pakistani daily.

"It seems as if there is some other force helping the local Taliban and from the pattern of suicide bombings, it could well be the Al Qaeda network," the Daily Times said in an editorial.

"It is quite apparent that the TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) is getting massive funding from some source and proper training to carry out successive terror attacks all over Pakistan.

"The Al Qaeda leadership has on a number of occasions declared war against the state of Pakistan, which makes it all the more probable that this global terror network could be supporting the TTP in its fight against the state of Pakistan," the editorial says.

Suicide attacks have become a routine occurrence during the past few weeks all over Pakistan, especially in the restive North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

The Afghan Taliban have strongly denied any association with the TTP’s campaign, strategy or tactics.

Afghan Taliban commander Abdul Mannan has condemned suicide bombings and termed it un-Islamic and wrong to target innocent people in blasts.

A spate of terror attacks in recent days is "obviously a backlash against the military operation in South Waziristan against the militants", the paper said.

The military is trying to eliminate the militants from the tribal region but it seems as if the country does not have enough funds for the purpose, rued the editorial.

This can be gauged from Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s statement that the government is now using development funds for the capacity building of law-enforcement agencies in a bid to improve security.

"If Al Qaeda is actually helping the local Taliban, it is not only alarming for our country but for the whole world."

"Fighting the militants on this scale requires heavy-duty finances; it is time the international community, especially the US, rises to the occasion and helps Pakistan in this common cause. Peace and stability in this region, once achieved, will translate into peace all over the world," the editorial stated.

Last updated on Nov 12^th, 2009 at 12:05 pm IST--IANS