Punjab Timeline- 2013

Month/Date

Incidents

January 2

The TTP militants abducted seven soldiers from a bus from Jand area of Punjab. The soldiers were travelling between Army headquarters in Rawalpindi and their stations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when they were taken off their bus in Jand The militants took the seven soldiers and let go a sweeper on the bus with them, one military official said. The gunmen were wearing military uniforms. TTP 'commander' Tariq Afridi, who has forces in the area, was not available for comment and no TTP 'spokesman' returned calls seeking comment.

January 3

One person, identified as Aslam Zia, was injured when two motorcyclists opened fire at a Majlis held in a house at Wahdat Colony, a few metres from the local police station, in Taxila (Taxila District) and fled away. The Majlis was held in connection with the Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain.

Two unidentified armed motorcyclists shot dead vice-president of the SSP, Muhammad Shakeel, near Kot Pindi Das area of Sheikhupura town of same District in Punjab. According to Police, the Muhammad Shakeel had been on his way to Lahore when unknown motorcyclists opened fire on him near Kot Pindi Das.

Punjab Counterterrorism Department report said that there is a threat of a suicide attack on the long march of Dr Tahirul Qadri on January 14, 2013. The feared attack has been planned by a Jihadi group - Ghazi Fidayee Force - under the leadership of Saifullah Baqi of Abbottabad. According to a report of the Department, Yar Bakht Khan of Hango, Ahmad of Charssada and Alam Khan have been assigned the task of a suicide attack.

After a trial spread over 14 months and conducted in an uneasy environment, Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Pervez Akhtar jailed a blasphemy accused, Ghulam Ali Asghar for 10 years and imposed a fine of PKR 200, 000. Convict Ghulam Ali Asghar, a resident of Chinji village in Talagang tehsil was booked on Nov 17, 2011, on a charge of blaspheming the Holy Prophet (PBUH) by misquoting a Hadith in Punjabi language.

Around 4000 personnel of the FC deployed in KP to help the Police in maintaining peace in the province are reaching Islamabad Capital Territory for deployment during the long march of the Tehreek Minhaj-ul-Quran scheduled for January 14. Sources said the federal government directed the commandant of FC to immediately withdraw 4200 personnel assisting the KP Police and multi-national companies in the province for deployment in Islamabad during Tahirul Qadri's long march.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the number of foreign students studying in the madrassas of Punjab had dropped sharply but about 450 are still on their rolls and causing a bit of worry to the Punjab Police. A recent field survey of the madrassas by the Special Branch of the provincial Police revealed that 289 of them are, technically, staying illegally in the country. An overwhelming majority of them, 275, were found lodged in the madrassas in Lahore. Many of the foreign students have been continuing their stay in the residential madrassas without fulfilling legal formalities, the field report said. It suggested the Punjab Government to direct local authorities to ensure the registration of foreigners at District Police level to keep a watch on them on regular basis. Those found violating Pakistan's immigration laws "should be sent back" to their home country. The report partly blamed the administration of madrassas for not paying attention to the legal status of the foreign students on their rolls.

In the face of West's 'war on terror'- and description of the madrassas system as "the breeding ground of Islamic extremists" - the former president Pervez Musharraf ordered, in 2005, that the foreign madrassas students staying in Pakistan illegally must leave the country and the legal ones register themselves with the authorities. Seven years later, the secret Police has counted 444 resident foreign students in the madrassas all over Punjab. Interestingly the highest number, 135, came from Indonesia, the next highest were the 99 students from Thailand. Other foreign nationalities studying in the Punjab madrassas are Kazakhstan (44), China (30), Philippines (28), Kyrgyzstan (21), Malaysia (20) and Myanmar (9), according to the survey report.

A local leader of ASWJ, Qari Mohammad Saeed, was killed by unidentified assailant in Talagang area of Chakwal District in Punjab. Qari Mohammad Saeed, the prayer leader of a local mosque, was attacked by an unidentified assailant when he came out of Ayesha Siddiqua Masjid on Mianwali road after Maghrib prayers.

The LEA arrested four suspected militants from Saggian Bridge of Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab.

Three persons, including two brothers, Jamshed and Sajjad and an Elite Force official Hassan Naeem, were killed while a Policeman was injured during a raid in Katarian area of Rawalpindi (Rawalpindi District).

ATC awarded death sentence to three persons on two counts in a abducting for ransom case in Attock.

A joint team of Police and intelligence agencies arrested five cadres of HuT including Saad Jagrani, Head of HuT's Central Contact Committee during the raid on a banquet hall at Kurri Road near Shakrial in Rawalpindi town (Rawalpindi District) of Punjab.

In a sectarian attack, the Lahore General Hospital Ophthalmology Department head Professor Dr Ali Haider and his son were shot dead by two unidentified assailants in the Gulberg area of Lahore city (Lahore District), the provincial capital of Punjab.

Senior LeJ leader Ghulam Rasool was arrested under the maintenance of public order and shifted to the Bahawalnagar jail (Bahawalnagar District).

Maavia Azam, a leader of ASWJ was arrested in Jhang area (Jhang District) under the MPO.

The move came in wake of attacks on Hazara Shia in Balochistan for which the LeJ had claimed responsibility. The Supreme Court also took suo moto notice of the incident and asked the Federal Government to act against those responsible.

Police said that they arrested the leader of LeJ, Malik Ishaq, in the Rahim Yar Khan town of same District in connection with sectarian attacks in Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan that have killed nearly 200 people in 2013. The LeJ claimed responsibility for both attack in Quetta.

ASWJ central information secretary Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui, who survived a life attempt in December 26, 2012 in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh and Bahawalpur chapter chief Rao Javed Iqbal alleged that more than 400 cadres of defunct LeJ were arrested in Police crackdown on February 23, night throughout Punjab.

In a sectarian attack, the Lahore General Hospital Ophthalmology Department head Professor Dr Ali Haider and his son were shot dead by two unidentified assailants in the Gulberg area of Lahore city (Lahore District), the provincial capital of Punjab.

Qari Asad Irfan, the District president of ASWJ, and a cadre, Moreed Hussain were arrested in Chakwal area (Chakwal District) and sent to the Jhelum prison.

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that Punjabi Taliban were behind the attack in Abbas town of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. The minister said that the LeJ had its headquarters in Punjab and claimed that the province's ruling party, the PML-N, was in an electoral alliance with the banned organisation. Malik said that the same group of terrorists was involved in the Quetta and Karachi attacks. He said that terrorism would be eliminated from the country only if action was taken against terrorists in Punjab.

Hundreds of angry protesters turned into arsonists, attacking around 160 houses and 80 shops of Christians just a day after allegations of blasphemy were leveled against a man in a predominantly Christian colony of the Badami Bagh area of Lahore (Lahore District), the provincial capital of Punjab.

The ATC, Judge Irfan Saeed granted four-day physical remand of 14 nominated accused involved in the Joseph Colony arson attack.

Meanwhile, the same court sent 21 accused, involved in the same attack, on judicial remand for their identification parade.

An ATC sent 13 suspects nominated in the Badami Bagh tragedy to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.

A security guard working at a private bus terminal in the jurisdiction of Pirwadhai Police Station in Rawalpindi in the province of Punjab has been shot dead.

Police recovered 10 bags of 1698 dynamite bombs loaded on a truck and arrested the smugglers on Grand Trunk road near Khairabad Chowk in Khairabad town of Mianwali District.

Unidentified assailants shot dead a senior lawyer, identified as Chaudhry Aslam of the Supreme Court, near Fauji Foundation Hospital of Rawalpindi.

JI Gujranwala District 'chief' Bilal Qudrat Butt was injured when unidentified assailants opened fire on his car at Qila Didar Singh town of Gujranwala District.

RPO Ghulam Rasool Zahid denied Rahim Yar Khan District is the headquarters of the TTP as claimed by former interior minister Rehman Malik.

"Terrorism is my only worry which can disturb smooth run-up to the general elections," Punjab's caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi said. Adding that otherwise things were very much under control.

The Lahore High Court has been told by a senior law officer not to rule in favour of giving official legal assistance to JuD and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed in a case filed against him in the US, as doing so would strengthen the hand of the Indian Government.

After the Supreme Court concluded hearing of suo motu notice of March 9, 2013, Lahore Badami Bagh mob attack, at least five persons were injured in a fresh Muslim-Christian clash in Francisi Colony of Gujranwala city of same District.

A lady health worker was injured when some unidentified assailants attacked a polio team at Nasirabad town of Rawalpindi District.

Unidentified militants blew up a 22 inch diameter gas pipeline in the Faiz Muhammad Goth area of Rajanpur District in Punjab, depriving several areas of the province of gas.

Police neutralised a major terror bid by recovering an explosives-loaded vehicle which was parked near the Chak Shahzad farmhouse of former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad, the federal capital of Nation. The BDS defused the bomb after which the vehicle was shifted to Shehzad town Police Station.

The ATC has ordered inclusion of Pervez Musharraf in the investigation into Benazir Bhutto assassination case in Rawalpindi city (Rawalpindi District) of Punjab. Musharraf appeared before the court in relation to the case and made three requests, including unfreezing of his assets and bank accounts. During the hearing, the court granted him the permission to meet his lawyers and also allowed him a 15-minute meeting with his lawyers inside the court premises. Further, the court admitted for hearing the former President's request regarding unfreezing of his assets and bank accounts. It also issued a notice to the FIA in this regard.

Unidentified militants blew up gas pipeline of 24-inch diameter with explosive material in Rashidugun area of Larkana city (Larkana District) in Punjab.

A TTP cadre was arrested while pasting the group's pamphlets in the Multan Press Club of Multan city of same District. According to media reports, two members of the TTP were busy pasting pamphlets in the press club, carrying directives for the people to stay away from the upcoming election. The press club management informed the Police, who arrested one of the cadres, identified as Usman Ghani, a university student.

A senior prosecutor handling the 26/11 Mumbai attack case and Benazir Bhutto assassination case was shot and killed by unidentified assailants in the busy commercial area of Karachi Company in Islamabad, the federal capital nation. Assailants riding a motorcycle fired at the car of FIA prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfizar Ali in the busy commercial area of Karachi Company at 7.30am. Ali, who was driving, was hit by several bullets and lost control of the car. The vehicle hit a woman crossing the road and she too died later in hospital. His bodyguard, Frontier Corps trooper Farman Ali, was injured in the attack. The assailants managed to escape after the shooting. Ali was heading for an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi for a hearing of the Bhutto assassination case when he was attacked.

A ST leader, Khurram Qadri, was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Food Street of Tibi City of Sialkot District.

Former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's son, Ali Haider Gilani (27), was abducted by unidentified assailants on the outskirts of Multan city of same District. Officials said his secretary and a bodyguard were killed and four persons were injured. "People came on a motorbike. They also had a car with them and they opened fire and abducted Yousaf Raza Gilani's son Ali Haider in a black Honda," Police officer Khurram Shakur told reporters. There was no claim of responsibility for the abduction. Yousaf Raza Gilani alleged that the PML-N has abducted his son. "The election is a national obligation and we will not boycott," he said. "Kidnapping of my son following killing of his secretary in a firing attack is a horrific incident," he added.

Three Karachi targeted killers were killed by Lahore and Karachi Police in a joint operation in the Satukatla area of Lahore District. Police said that two Policemen also lost their lives during operation.

Chairman of APNA Sardar Arif Shahid was killed by two unidentified assailants in Rawalpindi city of same District. His party, Jammu & Kashmir National Liberation Conference has announced three-day mourning across PoK.

A central leader of the JuD, Khalid Bashir (42), was found dead in Sheikhupura area of Lahore city of same District. JuD's Ameer (chief) Hamza told that Bashir was abducted by some unidentified militants two days ago.

A businessman, Hanif, who is also father-in-law of a PTI leader, Sadaqat Abbasi, has been receiving threats from suspected TTP militants, who have been demanding PKR 100 million to help them in their 'noble cause of Jihad'.

SSP leader Malik Ishaq, who was under custody of the law enforcing agencies, was released from Chohang Jail of Lahore.

Chief Justice of LHC, Umar Ata Bandial deferred the hearing of a petition moved by JuD 'chief', Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, till September 24, seeking direction from the Federal Government over the issue of defending the JuD 'chief' before a US Court, which issued summons to him, former ISI chiefs and other officials on a law suit filed by relatives of US nationals killed in Mumbai attacks (26/11).

JUP General Secretary, Daud Mustafai was brutally murdered while three others were seriously injured in a firing incident at Pindsultani village of Attock Dostrict in Panjab. Daud along with his fellows was trying to evacuate a piece of land of a poor woman occupied by land mafia when some unknown assailants opened fire on them. Daud died on the spot while his brother Abdul Rauf, Umer Farooq, Ahmad and an unidentified person received bullet injuries.

Two persons belonging to Bajaur and Mohmand Agencies in FATA were shot dead by two unidentified gunmen in the busy Taj Mehal market of Rawalpindi. The deceased were identified as Yaquoob Khan and Ajmair Khan.