Update: Hi there it’s Shaimaa and as you might have read in this post that I was trying very hard to get someone in the Pakistani interior ministry to come on the program and answer your questions about what happened in Lahore. Well, I spent most of yesterday and this morning trying to get Mr. Rehman Malik ,the Pakistani interior minister, to come on World Have Your Say today but his secretary Mr.Abdelmajid told me this morning he’ll be unavailable. I’m still trying to get someone to take your questions tonight and will be updating you once I get something.We know that you have many many questions, theories and suspicions about what happened in Lahore on Tuesday. The only way we can get you proper replies to your questions is by inviting a high-ranking Pakistani official onto the show. Without him or her, we’re not going to be able to get beyond speculation. Shaimaa’s doing her best on this – it may happen today, it may take a little longer. These are some of the questions you’re asking, and you’re welcome to add more…
– why were the attackers able to escape the scene so easily?
– why did they appear not to be coming under any fire while they carried out the attack?
– why did the Pakistani team bus leave late and so not travel in the same convoy as the Sri Lankan team? The two days before they had travelled together?
– why was the same route taken for the three consecutive days, when alternative routes were supposed to be taken?
– why weren’t here more policemen around the two coaches?
– If Pakistani officials are making accusations against India, do they have proof that is where the attackers came from?
This is cricket official Chris Broad who was caught up in the attack. Here he asks some of these questions:
Of course there may be perfectly acceptable answers to all of these, but only someone who’s privy to a lot of information can give them so we’ll wait to see if a high-ranking Pakistani official will join us. When it happens, we’ll put it straight on air.
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BBC World Have Your Say 
If cricket is seen as a “religion” that might be enough to provoke an attack by extremists who want only their version of religion to exist.
The security failed before during and after the attack the how, why, when, who, what and where is up to the Pakistani authorities to determine and inform the rest of the world.
If they are unwillingly or unable to conduct a thorough investigation then the international community should help them.
Life is cheap on the subcontinent and people are flexible in their thinking for instance a young man killed his father (regarding inheritance)he was arrested and imprisoned for only six months before there was a family”compromise” basically he gave up half his share of land for his freedom.
A person had a grudge against his neighbour so he hired a lower caste person to kill his enemy in return for looking after the lower castes individuals family(food ,clothing , marriage ,education and healthcare)
After serving his sentence he was released and had to buy off the murdered mans family (who wanted revenge)Both these incidents happened to people I know in a neighbouring village.
The attack on the cricket team is an attack on the people of Sri Lanka and an attach on all the people across the Commonwealth who love cricket. I take this attack personally. Their action is reprehensible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BBC: “The only way we can get you proper replies to your questions is by inviting a high-ranking Pakistani official onto the show. Without him or her, we’re not going to be able to get beyond speculation. Shaimaa’s doing her best on this – it may happen today, it may take a little longer. These are some of the questions you’re asking, and you’re welcome to add more…”
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THAT IS the problem! THAT is the wrong way to go about it!
Q: What’s THAT?
A: The so called high-ranking official(s)!
Try this; (as I’ve done several times):
Find an (or a few ordinary) Pakistani(s) who has/(have) reasonable connections and a reasonable knowledge of the politics of his/(their) own country. There are many such Pakistanis. Then make sure that he drinks alcohol (there are many who do) or that he/(they) loves/(love) to talk and boast. You will THEN find that:
The truth is SO easy to find. Wonder what the real CIA or other such agents are really doing?!
How do I find the truth?
I correlate worldwide events (as amply reported by BBC and other news channels) with the information that I had. If the information that I had correlates with the subsequent events then my information is correct! Correct?
The West is being and has been taken for a ride by certain elements within Pakistan. (I’ve heard many Pakistanis chuckling and laughing about how their government used or misused the aid or weapons given by the USA or other countries) Watch your step. You don’t seem to know how to watch your wallet though! (Or rather the wallets of the citizens of your countries!)
The problem with my method?
It is post facto! For me this is just a hobby! Imagine what I could find if I made it into a profession!?!
Not a policeman in sight.The only one video’d was taking cover behind a boulder.Appaling news,in particular when viewed from a Sri-lankan perspective.What were those, who were videoing thinking? were they enthralled at events unfolding ?Were phone calls made to the relevant authorities .If so at what time ? and why did’nt the recepients respond. There’s more to it than meets the eye.At least one or more of the terrorists would have, in all probability, been cricket lovers…. Man ! this stinks to high heaven .
Remember when the music died ??when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & The Big Bopper died in a plane crash ?
This time around its “when cricket died in Pakistan”
Don Mclean’s certainly not writing the lyrics this time
Wasanthkumar Perera -JP
FCHSGA[SL] MIH [LON]
Affiliate Member IPM [SL]
is srilankan government only concerned about the lifes of CRICKETERS???
why dont they realize that hundreds of people are killed in the north everyday???
is cricketers life very much precious than the others?? i hope tackling terroeism with no innocent blood shed is the wisest way.
what happened to U.S.A ,,??? Where have they gone..?
they are only interested about IRAQ and AFGANISTAN??? where is justice in these killings??
Pakistan has is fast becoming a major front of the war of terror. most of the poser question posted on the blog by Ros Atkins point to some clever conspiracy by God knows who?
Attacks on civilians from Munich, through to New York, London, Madrid, Bali, Mumbai and now , probably, Lahore were perpetrated by Muslims.
It is time for Muslim communities and Muslim leaders to denounce these atrocities and to bring the rogue elements to account for their criminal acts.
Continued inaction and silence from Muslim Leaders and communities can only be interpreted as condoning these horrific attacks on defenseless, innocent victims.
The good game of cricket was a unifying sport – is this why they didn’t like it? It united people of all cultures and ages and sexes and religion.
When I heard that several police officers had been killed in the attack I wondered if some of the criticism was unfair. However, new video of the attack I saw on the news today showed that a number of them were hiding under the vehicles and, literally, in the bushes for the duration of the attack and not making any effort to do their job. If these were the “elite forces” they were supposed to be, something was seriously wrong.
It’s much too early to expect anyone to have a definitive answer to what happened. You’d be better off getting these people on a week or two from now.
I’m touched by the BBC’s credulity in expecting the truth, pure and simple, about this from any high-ranking Pakistani official. We’d not expect the truth about Iraq from any high-ranking official of the Bush Presidency or any member of Blair’s cabinet. Likewise terrorist violence in Pakistan has too many sub-texts and affects too many interests to expect the truth from a source that – quite possibly – has an unofficial and indirect connection with what happened. This sounds like the kind of issue that you need a variety of perspectives on, not just one from inside Pakistan and of the Pakistani establishment.
Like Vijay, when I heard cricket decribed as a ‘religion’ amongst Pakistanis alarm bells went off. To a rational mind it’s an absurd motivation; but the Islamic terrorists are not sane by the standards of the rest of the world, so it can’t be ruled out. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
I think that the ongoing violence in both Sri Lanka (and) Pakistan-India, had a reasonable connection on what was the triggered for happening in Lahore, Pakistan..
-Dennis Junior
Attack in lahore reflects the inhuman attitude of the terrorists. Cricket must be seen as a sport. Pakistan must stop the blame game against India without revealing any proof. The whole world can join together to fight against terrorism.