Yet another suicide attack has taken place in the troubled NWFP province, putting the spotlight once again on the volatile security situation in the NWFP province of Pakistan. It also highlights the challenges that lie ahead for the newly sworn-in government, led by the Awami National Party. But most important of all, it reflects the state of affairs that the country is now embroiled in.

Pre-9/11, no one in Pakistan knew what suicide attacks were. We, as a nation, had never experienced the sensation of being constantly at risk, and fearful of those wearing bulky shalwar kameezes.

Today, we are constantly on the lookout. The rumor mill has gone into overdrive about would-be suicide bombers approaching citizens and asking them to drive to the nearest army base.

The Pakistani nation deserves better. The monetary benefits of this war may have been great for the establishment of Pakistan, but there is no amount of aid that will make up for the psychological trauma that Pakistanis now go through. There is no amount of aid that will make up for the deaths of countless civilians, whose lives were lost in various suicide attacks in the past year.

The Pakistani nation now wants to know: ‘when will this nightmare be over?’