A sense of foreboding in Islamabad as the Taliban get nearer...

 Every spring, the Margalla Hills overlooking this capital city burst into life. Evening thunderstorms send torrents of water down the slopes, scenic paths attract hikers and picnickers, and bands of monkeys scramble down from the trees to watch the weekend visitors. 

But this season, the forested ridges have taken on a new, ominous significance for jittery residents. Suddenly, the hills are being depicted as the last barrier to hordes of Islamist insurgents sweeping south from the Afghan border and as perfect places for suicide bombers to lurk. 

"If the Taliban continue to move at this pace, they will soon be knocking at the doors of Islamabad. The Margalla Hills seem to be the only hurdle in their march toward the federal capital," Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a religious party leader, warned last week in a speech to Parliament. He was exaggerating for effect, but the image struck home. More...

See also:

1. Children being killed in Pakistan. WTF!
2. Video of Taliban shooting couple dead for adultery.
3. Pakistan, the Taliban and U.S. involvement...
4. Taliban-controlled Swat in Pakistan...
5. What is it that Indians have that we don't?