What was the initial target of the suicide bomber in Lahore?
On one level, the bomber who slaughtered dozens of Pakistanis enjoying a day in the park was targeting Christians celebrating Easter Sunday. So far 72 people have died, including many women and children. Scores more were fighting for their lives
in hospitals.
What was the other main target?
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's vision of a more liberal, inclusive democracy in the Muslim-majority nation. Lahore is the biggest city in Punjab and Sharif's hometown.
How severe was this attack compared to others?
The attack was the deadliest since Pakistan Taliban fighters entered an army school in December 2014 and massacred 134 students, shooting some point blank in the head. That strike prompted Sharif and military leaders to enact new measures to fight terrorists, leading to a reduction in violence that helped spur investor interest in the frontier economy.
How is this an attack on Sharif's programme?
The latest bloodbath represents another pivot point for Sharif. In recent months he's called for a more "educated, progressive, forward-looking" Pakistan, a country created for Muslims following independence from the British in 1947. In doing so, he's backed moves to improve the lives of women and religious minorities - including Hindus, Christians and Shia Muslims - who have been frequent targets of sectarian violence. "Sharif seems to have taken some steps which the terrorists clearly are angered by," said Farahnaz Ispahani, a Pakistani author and former MP. "The terrorists are continuing their quest to purify Pakistan of all religious minorities and those who don't conform to their limited vision."
What has the Prime Minister done?
Sharif condemned so-called 'honour killings' as a "dark side" of Pakistani society, and MPs in his political base of Punjab are backing a bill to protect women. His Government also unblocked YouTube and agreed to allow Easter and the traditional Hindu festivals of Diwali and Holi as public holidays. Perhaps most significantly, his Government in February executed Mumtaz Qadri, a bodyguard who shot a former Punjab governor in 2011 after the official sought to ease the country's controversial blasphemy law. As rescuers raced to save victims of Monday's terrorist attack, police in Islamabad clashed with Qadri sympathisers who wanted Sharif to adopt sharia law. "Sharif is suffering a blowback," said Rohan Gunaratna, who runs the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
