The attack in Lahore on Sri Lankan cricketers has again turned the world's attention on Pakistan and terrorists who seemingly operate within the nation with a worrying level of impunity. Yet elements of the latest attacks may point to a new and dangerous dimension to domestic terrorism in Pakistan.
All indications so far point to an Islamist hand in the atrocity. It is quite feasible that the perpetrators are locally based international Islamists - members of al-Qaeda or the Pakistani Taleban, for instance, or one of their many affiliates.
But, another option now seems as likely, if not more so: that it was carried out by Pakistani Islamists who until a few months ago saw Pakistan as an ally, not their enemy.
If, as is suggested by the operational similarity with the November attacks on Mumbai, the incident in Lahore was indeed carried out by local Islamists - like Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e-Mohammed - this would be a major departure for them. It could herald an explosive new chapter in Pakistan's turbulent history.
Historically, key parts of the Pakistani military and intelligence apparatus, especially the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (the ISI, Pakistan's largest and most influential intelligence service), have played a double game. On one hand, they fight domestic Islamists who attack Pakistan while, on the other, they support the likes of Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e-Mohammed, which have limited their attacks to India.
By doing so, such groups have been seen by the likes of the ISI as legitimate, and their attacks in disputed Kashmir as serving Pakistani interests. They thus received 'official blessing' from the ISI, with covert operational and financial support.