Blast in Islamabad

In case you haven't heard just how big the blast was in Islamabad, here's an account of what the scene looks like. Though no one, as of the writing of the article, has taken credit for the what appears to be the largest terrorist bombing in Pakistan, it is thought that it is the Pakistan Taliban.

Last May, the top commander of the Pakistan Taleban, Baitullah Mahsud, had this to say when he spoke to the BBC: "We do not expect the new government to change anything. But we will fight it, every way we can and if we are not safe in our homes, neither will they be."

'They' has now come to signify ordinary Pakistanis and that shift speaks volumes of how this war has changed in character.

It is no more a stop-start battle of wavering ideals. It is now, without doubt, a battle to the death for the soul of Pakistan.