That was "a trigger event -- it pulled a lot of the political elite out of their denial," she said. "I see this instance as something similar."

Chaudhary said there's a misconception across the world that the political elite sympathize with the Taliban.

That's untrue, she said. They are afraid of them and the possibility of violent retribution against officials and government installations. If the government doesn't talk about this latest issue and have justice served, it will be a "step back," she said.

Sami Shah, the columnist, said the ruling Pakistan People's Party shares blame.

"There can be a million excuses why the Taliban can still operate with impunity in Pakistan, a lot of them legitimate. But if you are the ruling party, then you must accept responsibility for your failures. And the PPP has resoundingly failed."