Police arrested at least three
terrorists and seized explosives from their custody during an
action in SITE Town area of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. The SSP of West Zone, Nasir Aftab said in a joint
action, launched by Police and personnel of an intelligence
agency, three terrorists affiliated to a banned outfit were
apprehended and recovered explosive material and detonators
from their possession.
Pakistan lashed out at India,
saying that New Delhi had “deployed” terrorism as an instrument
of state policy in the garb of denouncing terrorism. India,
it added, was involved in perpetrating, sponsoring, supporting
and financing terrorism. The remarks came in a statement that
Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria issued in response to
queries regarding reports about the failure of an Indian move
in the United Nations sanctions committee.
The number of target killings
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, have significantly
decreased by 253 percent during 2016, as compared to 2015, while
the menace of extortions have slashed by 36 percent during the
same period, the annual report of Sindh Police said. However,
Police in the report have claimed that the number of target
killings has reduced because of the good performance of the
Police while the report has not mentioned the achievement of
Sindh Rangers' Karachi operation continued for the past three
years.
Meanwhile, the Sindh Police’s
Counter-Terrorism Department is planning to deradicalise and
rehabilitate an estimated 300 militants held in different jails
of the province with the help of qualified psychologists, said
Additional Inspector General of the CTD, Dr Sanaullah Abbasi.
Under the proposed initiative, the CTD would conduct psychological
profiling of the arrested militants to ascertain the possible
factors, leading to militancy as a move to rehabilitate them.
“The CTD Sindh has taken an initiative to create psychological
profiles of arrested militants in the province,” said Dr Sanaullah
Abbasi. He said a unit of the CTD Sindh had been deputed to
go to jails to create such profiles along the lines of a proforma
created by the NACTA to better identify the factors that lead
to radicalisation of young men. The CTD chief said the unit
concerned had around 15 police personnel, who would collect
data about the imprisoned militants in Karachi and other parts
of Sindh. Dr Abbasi said that there were 250 to 300 militants
in different prisons of the province.
January 2
Six FCB officials were injured
after their vehicle came under attack near Western Bypass in
Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. The personnel
were en route to firing range of the training camp when terrorists
attacked the van with a remote-controlled bomb. The injured
officials are Subedar Muhammad Shafi, Hawaldar Awalur Rehman,
Naik Latif, Sepoys Saif, Raza Rehman and Qaim Khan. According
to the Bomb Disposal Squad, eight to ten Kg explosives were
used in the bombing.
January 3
The CTD officials of Hazara
Division arrested two TTP terrorists, Muhammad Nawaz alias Abrash
and Azizullah alias Hazaza, from Batagaram District of KP. Both
the terrorists are said to have received militant training in
Kunar area in Afghanistan. Nawaz and Azizullah were involved
in a number of terrorism incidents in the past and were also
found plotting an attack in the Batagaram region at the time
of their arrest. CTD officials said the two men revealed major
terrorism plots in Batagaram District during their initial interrogation.
A video clip of DPO Batagaram was also recovered from their
possession.
Deaths linked to violence in
the country decreased significantly in 2016, dropping 45 percent
compared with the previous year, CRSS report said. Some 2,610
people lost their lives due to violence during the period compared
with 4,647 in 2015. "There was nearly a 45 percent reduction
in the number of violence-related fatalities in 2016, which
continued the trend of reduction from 2014," the report
said. "In fact, since 2014, there has been an overall reduction
of nearly 66 percent." December was the least violent month
for the country during the year. Two provinces - Punjab and
Balochistan - had a marginal increase in violence during 2016.
Balochistan suffered the most fatalities as violence-related
deaths rose from 719 in 2015 to 798 last year, an upsurge of
nearly 10 percent, followed by Punjab, which lost 424 people
during 2016 - the highest number of fatalities in the province
during the last four years. Both provinces were the targets
of suicide attacks that increased the casualty count. Balochistan
had three suicide attacks, leaving 186 dead, while Punjab had
one suicide attack at a park crowded with families on Easter
Sunday, killing 75, including many children.
January 4
Three persons, including a Sub-Inspector,
were killed in firing incidents at various parts of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
A SI of Police Iqbal Mehmood,
probing some targeted killing cases was shot dead and two others
injured in the night when unidentified assailants opened fire
at them on main Rashid Minhas Road in Gulistan-i-Jauhar Town
of Karachi. DSP Shara-i-Faisal Ali Anwar Soomro said that assailants
were chasing SI Iqbal Mehmood who was riding a bike along with
his friend Waseem. "As they disembarked from their motorbike
to purchase some items from a vendor near Lal Flats, gunmen
travelling in a car opened fire on them and fled," he said.
Mahmood's friend Waseem and a passerby teenager Hafeez Ullah
sustained bullet wounds in the incident. The deceased SI Iqbal
Mehmood was posted at investigation section of Ferozabad Police
Station. Investigators collected three spent bullet casings
fired from a 9mm pistol from the crime scene.
One person, identified as Rizwan,
who worked as a Police informer against drug peddlers, was shot
dead in a firing incident in Korangi Industrial Area under Korangi
Town of Karachi. SSP Nauman Siddiqui said that the Police had
arrested the killer and recovered weapons from him.
A civilian was shot dead in
a target-killing incident at Jamshed Road near Pardah Park in
Jamshed Town area of Karachi.
January 5
Unidentified militants shot
dead two people in Jinnah Town of Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan. According to Police, both victims were going
somewhere when the assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire
on them. Both the men died on the spot.
FCB neutralised a 10 kilograms
bomb in the Chithar area of Nasirabad District.
January 6
At least four suspected militants
were killed during an exchange of fire with SFs in Uch and other
areas of Naseerabad District in Balochistan. A security officer
said that SFs conducted a search operation in Uch and other
areas of Naseerabad District. Five militants were also arrested.
Moreover, nine sanctuaries of militants were demolished by security
personnel.
Unidentified assailants shot
and injured five Hazara Shias in a suspected sectarian attack
community on Spiny Road in the Qila Mubarak area of Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. DIG, Quetta, Razzak Cheema
said that the incident is a targeted attack when five individuals
were travelling in a taxi
At least one civilian was killed
and two Policemen injured in two separate attacks in North Nazimabad
area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Police constable
Muhammad Iqbal was injured when unidentified assailants lobbed
a hand grenade at Taimuria Police Station in North Nazimabad.
Later, 25-year-old Ali Imran was shot dead when unidentified
assailants opened fire at Five Star Chowrangi in the same area.
Bashir, a traffic police official, was also injured in the firing
incident.
The Military Courts - to try
civilians on terrorism charges - will expire today at midnight
(Night between Friday & Saturday) after which all the terrorism
cases against civilian suspects will be transferred to the ATC.
The 21st Constitutional Amendment, which had paved the way for
setting up the military courts for two years, will become ineffective
on January 07. Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali
Khan said, “The military courts were set up for two years with
the consensus of all the political parties. Any extension in
these courts is not being considered.” He said ATCs will take
up all such cases after expiry of the military courts after
January 07.
January 7
The CTD killed six suspected
terrorists during an encounter on Faisalabad Bypass Road in
Faisalabad District of Punjab. According to CTD Sheikhupura
sources, the CTD Lahore on January 6 arrested two terrorists
identified as Saadullah Khan and Jahanzeb Khan - allegedly involved
in Gulshan Iqbal Park Lahore suicide blast. As per the details,
the CTD Lahore team was taking the arrested terrorists to Kot
Pindi Daas to arrest other terrorists when their alleged accomplices
attacked the team and got released Saadullah Khan and Jahanzeb
Khan. The incident led to a cross firing between Police party
and suspected terrorists. Resultantly, six terrorists were killed
while three others managed to escape. The CTD also recovered
three motorcycles, Kalashnikovs, pistol, bullets and a huge
cache of explosives and hand grenades from them.
A human rights activist, Civil
Progressive Alliance Pakistan (CPAP) president Samar Abbas (40)
has gone missing from the federal capital Islamabad. Mr. Abbas
is an activist based in Karachi who belongs to various forums
that have been raising their voice voicing against atrocities
committed against minority groups in the country.
Earlier, Social media activists
Waqas Goraya and Asim Saeed disappeared from Lahore on January
4, Ahmed Raza Naseer went missing from Sheikhupura on January
7 while Salman Haider vanished from Islamabad’s Bani Gala area
on January 6.
January 8
The Sindh CTD Transnational
Terrorism Intelligence Group in-charge Raja Umer Khattab said
that there might be surge in sectarian violence in city if LEAs
don’t chalk out a strategy to clamp down on sleeper cells. The
sleeper cells of AQIS and the LeJ are believed to be involved
in the recent attacks on Policemen and there might be a surge
in sectarian violence in the coming days, Raja Umer Khattab
said. “In the past AQIS has used homemade bombs containing ball
bearings in the Taimuria Police Station a Russian-made grenade
was used, something that is new,” Raja Umer Khattab added. “AQIS
primarily used handmade bombs. They had started off by making
ball bombs and IEDs. The use of a grenade now suggests that
sleeper cells of these terrorist outfits are now active and
their members possess new kinds of weapons and explosives,”
Raja Umer Khattab added further.
January 9
The BDU neutralised a 10 kilograms
bomb in Karkhano Market of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police said it was a remote-controlled
device.
Bannu Special Police Unit arrested
three suspected TTP terrorists from the Chando Khel area of
Lakki Marwat District. Police recovered a Kalashnikov rifle,
three grenades, an anti-personnel mine, explosives and 30 bore
pistols. The terrorists were identified as Waliullah, Amanullah
and Ravib. The arrested militants were involved in target killing,
extortion and attacking law enforcers. The arrested persons
also stole the rifle of police official Ali Badshah after killing
him.
The Balochistan High Court issued
bailable arrest warrants for former President General (Retired)
Pervez Musharraf in JWP leader Nawab Akbar Bugti's murder case.
A divisional bench of BHC passed this order during hearing of
a review petition challenging acquittal of the former president
by Anti-Terrorism Court. Former Balochistan chief minister and
governor Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed in Dera Bugti District
on August 26, 2006.
The CPLC in its report has identified
sixty 'hot spots' in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh,
where the street criminals operate the most and incidents of
snatchings take place. These areas including PIDC, Tariq Road,
Sakhi Hassan, Hassan Square, Bahadurabad, Aisha Manzil and the
NIPA Chowrangi which are high-risk areas and even some areas
in city's posh localities such as Defence and Clifton make it
to the list. The CPLC report further states that in 2016, 19,336
incidents of mobile snatching were reported which is an increase
of 38 percent as compared to 2015. "Besides mobile snatching,
around 22,358 motorcycles were snatched, which is 24 percent
more as compared to 2015," stated the report. However,
CPLC has claimed that car theft and its snatching incidents
have reduced substantially in Karachi during 2016. All this
is despite the passage of more than three years of Karachi operation,
which is claimed to be successful by the Rangers and the provincial
government adds the news report.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar
Ali Khan stunned the entire opposition in the Senate by stating
that “banned sectarian organisations could not be equated with
other banned terrorist organisations”. The Interior Minister
gave the remarks to justify his meeting with Ahmed Ludhianvi,
the chief of banned sectarian organisation ASWJ.
January 10
Unidentified assailants killed
a Police constable, Khalid Shaikh (30), near his house on Jamshed
Road in the Soldier Bazaar area of Karachi, provincial capital
of Sindh.
January 11
JI ameer (chief), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
Mushtaq Ahmad called for merger of FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and also stated that the people of the FATA were deprived of
basic and democratic rights for the last seven decades, reports
The News. Mushtaq Ahmed also rejected the FCR, saying it was
a black law. “If no solid steps were taken for the merger of
the FATA with KP and uplift of the tribal areas, we will have
no other option but to march on Islamabad,” he said. Mushtaq
Ahmad asked the Government to announce PKR 1,000 billion uplift
package for the tribal areas.
Earlier, JUI-F leaders on January
8 rejected the federal government’s plan to merge FATA with
KP and threatened to launch a protest movement if any changes
were ‘imposed’ on the tribal people. “We request the federal
government, especially the prime minister, to stop implementation
of the reforms until every stockholder is taken on board, otherwise
the JUI-F would start an agitation campaign across FATA,” threatened
Abdul Shakoor, head (FATA) JUI-F.
January 12
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a journalist, Muhammad Jan (37), in Kalat town of same
District in Balochistan. Muhammad Jan, who worked for local
Urdu language daily newspaper ‘Qudrat’, was shot dead while
he was on his way home on a motorcycle. “Two attackers on motorcycle
opened fire on him, using a pistol and killing him on the spot,”
Senior Police Officer Muhammad Ali said.
January 13
The FO rejected allegations
of terrorist safe havens in the FATA, saying Pakistan does not
allow its territory to be used for attacks against any other
country. Responding to queries during the weekly news briefing,
FO Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said Afghanistan was infested
with a number of terrorist organisations due to its instability.
This, he added, created space for terrorist elements such as
Haqqani network's leadership, TTP, Daesh, and al Qaeda, among
other terrorist organisations. "It is, therefore, not appropriate
to blame others for the adversities due to the deteriorating
security situation in Afghanistan. The oft repeated claims regarding
safe havens are, therefore, more of a rhetoric than anything
else," the spokesperson maintained.
The Federal Government claimed
that it has been spending an additional PKR 250 billion annually
on security since the launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb and that
it cannot sustain the burden alone, but the two big provinces
have already refused to share the cost. In a position paper
it has sent to the four federating units to convince them to
pay for security, the NFC Secretariat claimed that security-related
additional spending stood at PKR 732.4 billion since June 2014.
This includes PKR 283 billion allocations for the financial
year 2016-17. “Since 2014-15 alone, when new security operations
started, the federal government has been spending some PKR 300
billion specifically for meeting the expenditures related to
security, rehabilitation and capacity-building of security forces
to meet the challenges of law and order,” the finance ministry
note stated.
January 15
Three Policemen were injured
when unidentified militants attacked the convoy of a Qatari
prince in Musakhel District of Balochistan in the evening. Security
sources said that the militants opened indiscriminate fire on
the convoy, as a result of which District Police Officer Majeed
Dasti and two other security officials received bullet wounds.
The Qatari prince remained unharmed in the attack, said Senior
District Administration official Mohammad Yasir.
Army and LEAs carried out joint
combing operations in Shaheen town, Warsak Road, Dalazak and
Pakka Ghulam areas of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP,
in the evening. According to ISPR, during the combing operation
58 suspects were apprehended including five Afghan nationals.
Huge cache of arms, ammunition and drugs were recovered during
the operation.
January 16
Unidentified militants killed
two Police officials in different areas of Quetta, the provincial
capital of Balochistan. Militants opened fire at a Police constable
in the Killi Deba area of Quetta, killing him on the spot. In
another incident, militants opened fire near the Passport Office
area and killed another Police official on duty. The attackers
managed to escape from the scene in both cases, with Police
officials terming the incidents as acts of target killings.
The special policing powers
granted to Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, by the Provincial Government
under Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 to carry out raids and arrest
suspects ended. The Government had extended the Rangers' Policing
powers on October 18, 2016, for 90 days thus entitling them
to carry out raids, snap checking and arresting the people in
the provincial capital only. Sindh Government, however, had
not issued any official statement in connection with extension
of the powers by the end of the day.
January 17
The CTD personnel shot dead
four suspected militants belonging to a banned outfit near the
Sheikhupura Bypass in Sheikhupura District of Punjab in the
wee hours. CTD officials claimed that they had been tipped off
by intelligence sources regarding the presence of the suspected
terrorists. Upon reaching the place, an armed conflict initiated
between the CTD officials and the suspected militants. Four
alleged terrorists were gunned down by CTD while three managed
to flee. Police managed to recover arms, ammunition and explosive
material from the suspected militants.
January 18
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad
Ali Shah approved the summary extending Rangers' special powers
in Karachi for 90 days. The special powers will grant Rangers
special Policing powers in the metropolis. The summary to extend
the powers of the paramilitary force had been sent to Syed Murad
Ali Shah by the Home Minister.
The Rangers were given extension
last on October 16, 2016 by Murad Ali Shah. Under the Anti-Terrorism
Act of 1997, Rangers have been granted special powers to raid
and take into custody suspects.
JuD has filed a petition in
the Islamabad High Court seeking the removal of its name from
the watch list under Schedule 2 of the ATA 1997. Raja Rizwan
Abbasi filed JuD’s petition before the IHC. JuD is alleged to
be an incarnation of the banned LeT and was placed on the watchlist
in December 2008.
January 19
Police recovered four dead bodies
from an empty plot in Steel Town area of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Malir Town SSP Rao Anwar claimed that the
four victims had been shot to death adding that the corpses
bore torture marks.
Two SF personnel were killed
after unidentified militants opened fire on them in Kohlu area
of Balochistan. The deceased were identified as constable Shero
and Khawand Bukhsh. The militants managed to flee the scene.
The Senate (The upper
house of Parliament) was told that certain foreign intelligence
agencies funded [militant] groups in Pakistan to destabilise
it. Answering a question about major sources of funding being
used in acts of terrorism in the country, Minister of State
for Interior Baleeghur Rahman said it was difficult to pinpoint
with 100 per cent accuracy the sources of terrorism funding.
But some of the generally perceived sources include extortion
and funding by foreign intelligence agencies. He said that militants
were known to extort money from drug dealers and producers operating
in the areas straddling the Pakistan-Afghan border. Giving details
of the investigations being conducted to collect information
about terrorism funding, he said 844 such cases were under investigation,
including 498 registered under the Foreign Exchange Regulation
Act, 230 under anti-money laundering law and 116 cases of suspicious
transactions reported by the financial monitoring unit of the
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The CoAS General Qamar Javed
Bajwa met leaders from the business and trader communities and
assured them of continuation of the security operation in Karachi,
the statement released by the ISPR said. "The Karachi operation
will continue till the elimination of crime in the city,"
said Army chief. He added that all possible measures will be
taken to restore peace in Karachi, and said that the strategy
for Karachi would remain the same and there would be no change
in policy.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad
Ali Shah said that his Government would never allow terrorists
and religious fanatics to play with the lives of innocent people
even if the Federal Government refuses to cooperate with it.
This he said while presiding over the Sindh cabinet meeting
here at the Sindh Secretariat. Briefing the cabinet on the response
of Ministry of Interior to ban 94 madrassa's allegedly involved
in promoting terrorism, the Chief Minister said that in the
Apex committee the list of the madrassa's was presented. The
Committee was told that 94 madrassa's were involved in terrorist
activities. They had presented solid evidences gathered from
the terrorists arrested by Law Enforcement Agencies and they
had revealed startling disclosures against the said madrassa's.
January 21
At least 25 people were killed
and more than 87 others were injured in a bomb blast at the
Sabzi Mandi (vegetable market) area of Parachinar in Kurram
Agency of FATA in the morning. A statement issued by the ISPR
said IED blast took place at 08:50am. Government official Shahid
Khan said the explosion took place when the market was crowded
with retailers buying fruits and vegetables. In a text message
sent to journalists, the al-Alami (International) faction of
LeJ claimed that it, along with the TTP splinter Shehryar Mehsud
group, carried out the attack. The Shehryar Mehsud group did
not independently claim the bombing.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor,
Engr Iqbal Zafar Jhagra strongly condemned the bomb blast and
said "We will continue our struggle till eliminating the
last terrorist from FATA". The terrorist, he added, could
never deter our courage, since we are determined to follow them
to the extreme extent. He further directed the political administration
to expeditiously complete relief activities and no effort should
be spared in ensuring best ever treatment facilities to the
injured.
The number of Pakistanis under
detention in Saudi Arab jails on terror charges reached 69 with
the arrest of a woman in Jeddah’s Al-Naseem District during
a security operation. According to a report in Saudi newspaper
Arab News, Fatima Ramadan Balochi Murad was arrested along with
her Saudi husband from an apartment in Al-Naseem District by
security agencies after a tip-off. A recent statement issued
by the Interior Ministry through its Tawasul (communications)
portal said that 5,085 terror suspects from 40 countries are
in detention in five intelligence prisons in the Kingdom.
January 22
Unidentified assailants opened
fire and killed two persons in Satellite Town area of Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. Police officials said
the gunmen were on a motorcycle when they opened fire and critically
injured two tribal locals. The injured were rushed to the Civil
Hospital in Quetta but they succumbed to their injuries. The
motive behind the attack remains to be ascertained. The assailants
escaped unhurt from the crime scene.
The COAS General Qamar Javed
Bajwa said terrorists would not be allowed to derail the stability
of FATA. According to a statement issued by ISPR Director General
Major General Asif Ghafoor, General Qamar Javed Bajwa said this
during his visit to Parachinar and Peshawar. The COAS was given
a detailed briefing on January 21’s bombing in Parachinar. General
Bajwa lauded the support of tribal people in combating terrorism
and acknowledged their sacrifices for peace. He said that with
their support the Army, FC and other law enforcers have done
a great job in stabilising the area and terrorists will fail
to derail it. The COAS lauded their efforts in maintaining tribal
and sectarian harmony which is source of national integration.
He said, "Pakistan belongs to all of us without any religious,
provincial, tribal, linguistic, ethnic, sectarian or any other
discrimination."
January 23
At least eight security personnel
were injured when their convoy comes under militant ambush in
Gichak area of Panjgur District in Balochistan. "The security
personnel were moving through the district's mountainous Gichak
area to conduct a raid against miscreants when they were fired
upon," said a security official. No arrests were reported
after the incident. There was no claim of responsibility for
the attack.
The Police recovered two suicide
jackets from Abu Bakar mosque under the Paharipura Police Station,
on the outskirt of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. However, no arrests were made. An official at the
Paharipura Police Station said that acting on a tip-off Police
personnel checked Abu Bakar mosque near Benazir Hospital along
the motorway. He said the cops recovered two suicide jackets
containing about five kilogramme explosives from the room of
the prayer leader of the mosque. However, the prayer leader
was not present in the room at the time of the raid.
The CTD arrested two LeJ militants
during raided on a house on Airport Road near railway line in
Bahawalpur District of Punjab around 3pm. A CTD spokesman said
they received information about the presence of ‘terrorists’
planning to attack some installation in Bahawalpur. A CTD team
raided the house on Airport Road and arrested two LeJ militants,
identified as Khalid Mahmood and Sajjad. Explosive material
and two live grenades were recovered from their possession.
January 24
A Shia man, Mohammed Kazim Raza
(39), was gunned down in suspected sectarian attack in Gulistan-i-Jauhar
area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, in the night.
“It appeared to be a targeted killing incident linked with sectarianism,”
said Superintendent Police Dr. Fahad Ahmed.
January 28
Authorities arrested eight more
suspects in connection with the Parachinar market bomb blast
in Kurram Agency of FATA on January 21, as the number of detained
persons reached 15. Officials said that investigations were
underway from different angles to arrest the elements involved
in the blast. After the explosion, the administration took into
custody seven people who were being interrogated. Sources said
most of the arrested persons were daily wagers who were present
at the spot during auction of vegetables in the morning.
The CTD claimed to have arrested
a would-be suicide bomber and another militant, associated with
a banned outfit, who were allegedly involved in major terrorist
acts in urban and rural Sindh and operating their networks in
four major cities of the province besides Jaffarabad District
of Balochistan. In a targeted raid conducted in the Manghopir
area of Karachi, the CTD team detained the two suspects, Shaukat
(would-be suicide bomber) and Abdul Ghani, and seized explosive
material, a suicide jacket, a hand grenade and two pistols from
their custody. “The held militants, who belonged to the Brohi
tribe and were trained in Balochistan, were operating terror
networks in Sukkur, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Sanghar districts
in Sindh and Jaffarabad district in Balochistan,” said Sindh
CTD chief Dr Sanaullah Abbasi.
An ATC of Bahawalpur District
in Punjab jailed two militant for 45 years for carrying explosives
and illegal weapons. According to details, Riaz and Peerakh
were found guilty of carrying explosives and illegal in the
Kot Sabzal Police Station in 2014. After hearing arguments,
ATC Judge Khalid Arshad sentenced them to 45 years. The court
also ordered to confiscate their property and imposed Rs 500,000
fine each.
The Punjab Home Department issued
a warning against possible terrorist attacks in Lahore, the
provincial capital of Punjab. According to the notification,
TTP trained boys aged about 10 to 12 years are currently in
and around major cities of the country including Punjab. Upon
investigation an arrested little boy revealed that he was tasked
to attack an educational institute close to Abdali Chowk in
Lahore. The warning also instructed further security for important
installations and called for an immediate meeting of the District
Intelligence Committee.
Two Policemen, including an
inspector, were shot dead while another official received bullet
injuries in Wapda road area of Dera Murad Jamali District in
Balochistan in the evening. Police officials said that unidentified
militants opened fire at a Police mobile in Wapda road area,
killing Inspector Hidayatullah Kolachi on the spot. His gunman
succumbed to his injuries on the way to a nearby hospital. The
assailants escaped unhurt from the spot.
January 30
A Pakistan Army soldier, Waqas,
who was critically injured in a cross-border terrorist attack
in Khyber Agency of FATA, succumbed to his injuries. "Terrorists
fired from across the border on a Pakistani post in Khyber Agency
critically injuring Sepoy Waqas performing duty at the border
post," read a statement issued by the ISPR.
At least nine people, including
three FC personnel, were injured in a blast on Charsadda road
of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A
contingent of FC personnel was on its way from Mohmand Agency
to Peshawar when their vehicle was targeted through a bomb planted
on the roadside on Charsadda road, SSP Operations Sajjad Khan
said. As a result of the explosion, six civilians and three
security men sustained injuries. There has been no claim of
responsibility for the blast.
The Punjab Government issued
orders to place JuD chief Hafiz Saeed under house arrest. The
Government launched a crackdown against JuD and a heavy contingent
of Police was deployed around the JuD headquarter and offices
in Muridke and Lahore. “A large police team arrived (at JuD
headquarters) and told us that Hafiz would be placed under house
arrest,” said the secretary of information for JuD, Nadeem Awan.
Awan said the Police told them they had an arrest warrant for
Saeed and five others at JuD headquarters.
Hafiz Saeed was reportedly present
at the Qudsia Mosque located in Chauburji area of Lahore. Contingents
of Police and other law-enforcing agencies reached the area
and surrounded the premises, sources said. Police sources further
informed that Saeed will be shifted to his residence in the
Johar Town area of the provincial capital, Lahore, which will
then be declared as a sub-jail. Saeed has been detained under
Section 11-EEE (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1977, a notification
issued by the Interior Ministry said. Meanwhile, the District
intelligence committee has suggested it to the Government to
put the JuD chief’s name in fourth schedule. Moreover, national
flags have been hoisted at the JuD offices in Lahore, instead
of party flags, on the directives of provincial home department,
it added. The provincial authorities have also started to remove
the banners of JuD from the roads of Lahore.
January 31
The ISPR Director General Major
General Asif Ghafoor said JuD chief Hafiz Saeed's house arrest
is a State decision in the best national interest. Sending a
clear message to India, he said whether it is cold start or
any other doctrine, Pakistan is ready to respond with full strength.
Major General Asif Ghafoor said the successes of Army and other
law enforcers in the war on terror has made Pakistan safer than
2008. To a question about the JuD chief's house arrest, he said
that the state took this policy decision in national interest.
He denied any foreign pressure behind the move.
February 1
Sindh Rangers claimed to have
killed notorious Lyari gang war commander Noor Muhammad alias
Baba Ladla in a shootout in Lyari Town area of Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. Two of Baba Ladla’s close associates,
Sikandar alias Sikko and Mohammad Yaseen alias Mama, were also
killed in the encounter. During the operation, Head Constable
Fayyaz and Constable Tufail were also killed. One Kalashnikov,
a 9mm pistol, a 9mm mouser and a hand grenade were also recovered
from their possession. The “most wanted” suspects were involved
in numerous terrorist incidents, said Rangers in a press release.
“Baba Ladla was wanted in more than 74 crimes by police,” added
the press release further. The Sindh government had placed a
head money of PKR Three million on Baba Ladla in 2012.
The press release also revealed
that Baba Ladla had, with the help of Uzair Baloch, committed
the murders of Shera Pathan, Arshad Pappu and Yasir Arafat.
It also stated that in March 2013, Baba Ladla had kidnapped
a group of Muhajirs and murdered them. The Rangers press release
also claimed the other gangster gunned down in the operation,
Sikander alias Siku, was wanted in more than 15 crimes by Police.
Sikander was described by Rangers as a close aide of Baba Ladla
and also his facilitator. In April 2012, Sikander had committed
the murder of Station House Officer (SHO) Fawad Khan while in
the same year he had also killed Constable Asif, according to
the press release. In 2013, he had tortured and subsequently
killed two other men. Sikander had also been involved in the
sale and purchase of illegal weapons.
Security Forces killed a TTP
militant and arrested eight other suspects during an exchange
of fire in the Luni Jungle area under Kulachi tehsil
in Dera Ismail Khan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Three Army
personnel - Major Abbas, Captain Omer and Naik Adnan - were
injured during a 'routine sanitisation operation', the ISPR
said in a statement.
The Federal Ministry of Interior
placed names of JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed Ahmed and 37 other individuals
on the ECL. All 30 people who are put on ECL are affiliated
with JuD or LeT. The decision to place Hafiz Saeed on ECL was
taken two days after JuD chief and four others were put under
house arrest. The Interior Ministry has forwarded a letter to
all Provincial Governments and the Federal Investigation Agency,
which included names of Hafiz Saeed and 37 other individuals
placed on the ECL. On January 31, the Federal Ministry of Interior
placed FIF and JUD on the Watch List and listed these organizations
in the Second Schedule of the ATA 1997 (as amended).
February 2
Police arrested a man, Kashif
Hanif (29), whose name appears on the Fourth Schedule of the
ATA and is said to have links to the so-called 'Tehreek-e-Taliban
Kashmir' (TTK) from Datot village on the outskirts of Rawalakot
in PoK. Hanif is suspected of involvement in nine acts of terrorism,
the SSP in Poonch Mir Abid said. These acts included a suicide
attack on an Army vehicle near Dothan village in January 2010,
in which some Army soldiers were injured. He is also suspected
of being involved in the planting of a bomb outside a hotel
in Rawalakot in September 2010 which killed the bomber was killed
and injured a citizen. Hanif has also allegedly been involved
in other attacks on military vehicles and installations. SSP
Abid said that the accused was wanted since 2010 by five Police
Stations of Bagh, Poonch and Sudhnoti Districts for masterminding
and executing different subversive activities. The SSP said
that the accused belonged to the group of Nazirul Islam alias
Shamil Khan who was the first head of the so-called 'TTK' after
defecting from Asmatullah Muavia.
February 3
Police stopped JuD from holding
a ‘multiparty conference’ (MPC) on Kashmir issue at the press
club in Hyderabad city of Sindh reportedly after receiving ‘orders’
from high-ups in the wake of house arrest of JuD chief Hafiz
Mohammad Saeed. JuD leaders decided to cancel the conference
and disperse peacefully. Later, they informed media persons
through an SMS that the MPC had to be cancelled because of some
‘unavoidable circumstances’. A heavy contingent of Police had
sealed the road with barbed wire outside the press club. JuD
Sindh emir Faisal Nadeem said the MPC was not organised by JuD
only, it was held by Tehreek-i-Azadi Kashmir, a platform founded
by JuD and other parties to discuss Kashmir’s freedom movement.
February 6
A grand jirga of elders from
Khyber Agency was held in Jamrud town, opposing the proposed
merger of the FATA with KP. Jirga participants urged the Government
instead to form an independent FATA Legislative Council or announce
a separate province status for the tribal areas. Malik Ghaffar
Khan Afridi, a tribal elder, said that the merger of FATA with
KP was unacceptable to tribal people. He said the proposed legislative
council should be formed to legislate for the tribal region
in line with the local social, political and traditions. The
elder believed that the FATA reforms proposed by the government
committee went against tribal customs and traditions. He said
legislation and policies on Fata should be made in light of
local traditions and customs. Malik Ghaffar Khan Afridi opposed
the extension of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and high
courts to FATA, saying local residents knew very well how to
resolve their issues through a jirga system.
February 7
At least two Policemen were
injured, in an explosion, at the main gate of Mandan Police
Station in Bannu District of KP. The blast was caused when a
suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the entrance
gate of the Police Station. The main gate of the Police Station
was completely destroyed due to explosion while the building
was partially damaged. The injured Policemen were shifted to
a nearby hospital.
Pakistan handed over four suspected
cadres of Afghanistan chapter of IS to Kabul as ‘a gesture of
goodwill’. The four were paraded before journalists at the Michni
checkpoint before being handed over to Afghan officials at the
Torkham border crossing in Khyber Agency of FATA. Landi Kotal
Assistant Political Agent Niaz Mohammad told reporters that
Javed Khan, Safiullah, Talmeen Khan and Niamatullah, all hailing
from Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, had been arrested by
intelligence agencies in Peshawar after they received information
about the militants’ presence in the city.
The Punjab Government giving
a clean chit to all educational institutes - including 15,000
madrassas - has declared that no seminary or public and private
institute is involved in teaching hate material to students.
During the Punjab Assembly session, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah
while commenting on a resolution moved by a treasury member
Ms Hina Pervez Butt informed the House that the PML-N-led Punjab
Government had registered all 15,000 madrassas, including 532
existing in 'Gray Areas' of the province. Rana Sanaullah confirmed
that as many as 1.1 million students were enrolled in madrassas
in which around 0.4 million students are enjoying boarding facilities,
while 1300 students belong to foreign countries.
February 8
AJK Police announced the arrest
of three men suspected of facilitating a suicide attack on a
Muharram procession in Mirpura village of Neelum Valley in Muzaffarabad
in December 27, 2009. The arrests were made from three different
places in Muzaffarabad in the evening of February 7. The men
arrested have been identified as Malik Mohammad Ashfaq from
Sarriyan District, Muhammad Khaqan Awan from Hattian Bala District
and Umer Farooq Shah from Athmuqam District in Neelum Valley.
The attack left at 15 parsons, including two Policemen, dead
and more than 100 injured. ASP Asif Durrani said that the men
were suspected of providing accommodation and transportation
to the attackers.
Almost 248 Police officials
who took part in 1992 and 1996 Karachi operations were killed
however, so far only six killers of these cops have been convicted.
A total of 378 accused were arrested. Challans submitted in
121 cases out of which in six cases killers have been convicted
whereas a total of 55 accused acquitted and the remaining 60
are still under trial. Official statistics show that from 1995
till 2016, almost 1,488 Policemen were killed in the Karachi
Range. Although, the most number of Police officials – 261 —
were killed in 1995 yet otherwise 2012, 2013 and 2014 were the
worst years for the Karachi Police with 123, 165 and 136 killings
respectively.
The ongoing Rangers’ led operation
appears to have been a blessing even for the Karachi Police
as killings of Police officials in the city had drastically
reduced in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, only 29 Policemen were killed
whereas this figure was 67 in 2015. The official data shows
that a total of 261 Policemen were killed in 1995 58 were murdered
in 1996 74 in 1997 97 in 1998 59 in 1999 49 in 2000 58 in 2001
14 in 2002 19 in 2003 23 in 2004 24 in 2005 40 in 2006 51 in
2007 48 in 2008 41 in 2009 49 in 2010 53 in 2011 123 in 2012
165 in 2013 136 in 2014 67 in 2015 and 29 in 2016.
Outside Karachi in Sindh, Larkana
appears to be the most dangerous place for Policemen from 2001
till 2016. Each year’s number of Policemen killed in Larkana
District during the period (from 2001 till 2016) is 8 7 17 1
6 4 11 21 13 13 13 8 13 20 10 9 and 5 respectively. These figures
show that the most difficult time for the Larkana Police has
been from 2007 to 2014 — the period during which the killing
of policemen remained high. Otherwise, in the Hyderabad District,
the Police had a bad time really in 2014 when a total of 27
Police officials got killed.
February 9
Six militants were killed in
a shoot out with Police during a raid on a chicken farm off
Superhighway near the Baqai Medical University in Gadap town
of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. SSP Malir Rao Anwar
Ahmed said that the six militants belonged to AQIS and TTP,
and were involved in targeting law enforcement personnel. One
of the militant was also involved in the Peshawar Army Public
School attack. An ID card was found from his pocket, but the
investigators are trying to verify his identity as the card
he was carrying may have been faked. Another militant Ibrahim
Haydri had allegedly been wanted by Police for his involvement
in grenade attacks and firing on various Police officials in
different areas of Karachi. "Haydri and the other militants
were responsible for the death of around 25 Police personnel,"
the Rao Anwar Ahmed alleged.
Five persons, including four
children, were injured in a roadside bomb blast in Arang tehsil
of Bajaur Agency in FATA. The bomb was detonated through a remote
control device.
February 10
Two militants killed and three
others injured when Army repulsed militant attack from Afghanistan
on two Pakistan Army checkposts in the Ulai area of Baizai tehsil
in Mohmand Agency of FATA in the night. The Army’s media wing,
ISPR said that Pakistan Army effectively responded to the fire,
rendering it ineffective. Soon after the incident, militants
fled back to Afghanistan, ISPR added. The JuA faction of TTP
stated that it lost two cadres while three others were injured
after they launched an overnight attack on a Pakistani checkpost.
Iranian forces fired four mortar
shells across the border into Balochistan's Panjgur District.
Deputy Commissioner Panjgur Habibur Rehman claimed Iranian forces
fired four mortar shells into Parom area 'without any justification
and provocation'. "We have not received any report about
any human loss", he added.
February 11
Provincial Home Minister Sarfraz
Bugti stated that India was using Afghanistan’s soil to destabilise
Balochistan. Speaking at a seminar at University of Karachi,
Sarfraz Bugti said, Security Forces and the youth of Balochistan
brought peace in the province, adding that rate of crime in
Balochistan is much lower as compared to Karachi and Faisalabad.
A handful (100-200) of miscreants are trying to sabotage CPEC,
he added.
February 12
Two children were killed and
another critically wounded in an accidental grenade explosion
in Buner of Swat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The children
of a shepherd family were playing when they found the hand grenade
and accidentally set it off, local government official Zariful
Maani. The two brothers, aged nine and 10, died, while their
seven-year-old female cousin is in critical condition.
An employee of Samaa TV was
killed evening when unidentified assailants opened fire on a
Samaa TV DSNG van at KDA Chowrangi near Dolmen Mall in North
Nazimabad of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. An assistant
cameraman, Taimur, received a bullet wound to the head and was
rushed to the nearby Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he succumbed
to his injuries. The media van was in the area to cover an earlier
incident, a cracker attack on a Police vehicle, when it was
attacked. “Our team members along with the DSNG had gone there
to cover the cracker attack on the police vehicle when they
came under attack,” said Samaa TV's Director News, Farhan Malik.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Central, Muqaddas Haider
said the same suspects might be involved in both the incidents
and added the cracker attack on the police vehicle did not cause
any damage. “It appears that the suspects attacked the Police
mobile with a cracker to attract media's attention and when
the Samaa team arrived, they chased and attacked it,” added
Haider.
In an effort to promote its
ideology and update supporters about its latest actions in the
country, the TTP has brought out a high gloss, Vogue-style magazine.
The first issue of ‘Mujjallah’ magazine was published in November
2016 and reportedly distributed in Pakistan sometime in December
2016. The inaugural issue had 56 pages. The second issue printed
a couple of weeks ago is slicker and thicker and has more pages
than the first one. The paper quality of the magazine is at
par with that of Vogue, besides having fine printing quality.
The cover carries bulletins of the banned outfit’s activities
in Pakistan and also features reports on how to make bombs and
other explosives. Some experts who have known about the operations
of organisation like TTP stated that the magazine has been modeled
after ISIS publications which were available in Arabic and Urdu
among other languages.
While declining to be named,
they said, the magazine is being printed in Afghanistan, most
likely in Jalalabad, and allegedly distributed throughout Pakistan
amongst hardcore followers and also has a limited circulation
in Afghanistan. Judging from the kind of language used in the
magazine, the articles and features were probably written by
non-native Urdu speakers, possibly Arabic-speaking people. The
articles have not been attributed to anyone. Since TTP has lost
ground in Pakistan, the magazine is most likely an attempt to
spread its propaganda. It may also be an effort to defame the
country, they added. To illustrate their point, they said that
when TTP held a strong position in Pakistan it had never attempted
to bring out such a magazine but now after it had lost ground
such a publication was released.
The ISAF Commander General John
Nicholson (Jr.) said TTP provides the core fighting group for
the militant IS group as TTP militants in Orakzai Agency of
FATA en masse joined the relatively new terrorist group. General
John Nicholson (Jr.) appeared before the US Senate Armed Services
Committee this week to brief American lawmakers on the current
situation in Afghanistan. He told the panel that the IS, which
in Afghanistan was called the Islam State Khorasan Province,
comprised fighters mainly from existing militant groups in Afghanistan
and Pakistan. Primarily, their membership had come from the
TTP, which was a Pakistan-based opponent of the Pakistan regime,
he said. The general said TTP militants in Orakzai Agency had,
en masse, joined the IS-Khorasan and formed the initial group
of fighters who then moved into Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province,
spreading out to about 11 Districts initially. “So, the majority
of the fighters in the IS right now came from the TTP and joined
the banner of the IS,” he added.
February 13
At least 14 persons were killed and 85 injured
when a suicide bomber struck around 6pm outside the Punjab Assembly
on Mall Road of Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, during
a protest. IGP Punjab Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera confirmed that six
Police officials were among the dead, including two senior officers.
DIG, Traffic, Lahore Captain (retd) Ahmad Mobin and SSP, Operations,
Zahid Gondal of Punjab Police were among those killed in the
attack. Hours earlier, DIG Mobin had been seen on television,
mediating with the protesters gathered at the site. A large
group of chemists and pharmaceutical manufacturers were gathered
in front of the provincial assembly to protest a Government
crackdown against the sale of illegal drugs. There was a significant
presence of law enforcers in the area while the protest was
ongoing. "The suicide attacker was on foot," CTD Chief Dr Mohammad
Iqbal said. The JuA faction of TTP claimed responsibility for
the attack.
Three FCB personnel were killed in an IED blast
in Khan Kot Zarmina area of Toe Khula tehsil in SWA of FATA.
The FCB personnel were on a cordon and search operation on motorbikes
in Khan Kot Zarmina area when the planted IED went off.
Two BDS officials were killed and 11 others
injured in a roadside blast near the Sariab Bridge of Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. Police said that explosives
were found planted near the Sariab Bridge after which BDS was
called in. However, the blast occurred while BDS personnel were
defusing explosives.
Two BDS officials were killed and 11 others
injured in a roadside blast near the Sariab Bridge of Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. Police said that explosives
were found planted near the Sariab Bridge after which BDS was
called in. However, the blast occurred while BDS personnel were
defusing explosives.
The TTP-JuA claimed that the previous Operation
Saut-al-Raad (Sound of Thunder), which was aimed at hit and
run tactics, had achieved its targets and that now it was time
to launch big operations. TTP-JuA has already started this by
launching big scale attacks on three Pakistan Army check posts
in Baizai (border area with Afghanistan) simultaneously claiming
to have inflicted heavy losses onto the Pakistan Army, while
conceding that two of its fighters were killed and three injured.
Police sources, talking to Pakistan Today, revealed that law
enforcement agencies are now expecting some large scale attacks
in Mohmand Agency, Bajaur Agency and Peshawar on the LEAs while
sectarian minorities will be targeted too. Shia community-dominated
areas in KP/FATA and Quetta in Balochistan will be likely targets
of these attacks.
February 14
Following the suicide attack on the Mall road
of Lahore, Punjab's law enforcement agencies have launched a
province-wide crackdown on militant outfits. The Provincial
Intelligence Centre of the Punjab Home Department has issued
a letter directing police high-ups to beef up security in different
cities of the province. The letter has been circulated among
the Divisional Commissioners, RPOs, CCPO of Lahore, Deputy Commissioners,
CPO and District Police officers. An officer privy to the development
told Dawn that the crackdown was ordered on the basis of intelligence
reports suggesting that militants might have planned similar
attacks in other cities. The Home Department has directed law
enforcement agencies to ensure extreme vigilance and heightened
security.
February 15
The CTD killed at least six suspected JuA militants
in an operation in Chak 10-R 98 area of Khanewal District in
Punjab. Four suspects managed to flee during the operation.
The operation was carried out on a tip off regarding presence
of militants in the area. JuA is an offshoot of TTP, which is
responsible for the suicide blast in Lahore that killed 14 persons
including two senior police officials on February 13.
Three Levies personnel and two civilians were
killed while eight others injured in twin suicide attacks in
Ghalanai Tehsil of Mohmand Agency in FATA. Two suicide bombers
tried to enter a compound of the local political administration.
When stopped, one of the attackers blew himself up outside the
entrance, a senior official said. "The other attacker was shot
down by Levies officials who were on guard," the official added.
Following suicide attack, FC launched search
operation in Sheikh Banda area and killed five militants. An
encounter took place between militants and FC personnel during
the search raid, the FC spokesman said. As a consequence, five
militants were gunned down. The deceases could not be immediately
identified.
The Driver of the civil judge vehicle was killed
when a motorcycle bourne suicide bomber rammed his bike into
the vehicle in Hayatabad area of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Civil Judge Asif Jadoon and three female
judges of the lower judiciary were travelling in an official
car in Phase 5 area when an attacker on a motorcycle struck
the front of the vehicle and exploded, killing the driver and
injuring the four judges. A total of six persons were injured
in the explosion. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.
"About 15 kg of explosive was used in the suicide bomb," said
Peshawar Police Chief Tahir Khan.
An official from the MoFA met Afghan Deputy
Head of Mission Syed Abdul Nasir Yousafi in Islamabad to address
militant attacks in Pakistan by JuA, an offshoot of TTP, operating
in Afghanistan, said the press release of MoFA. UN&EC Additional
Secretary Tasnim Aslam raised the "grave concern [Pakistan has]
about the continuing terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil by
the terrorist outfit JuA [operating] from its sanctuaries inside
Afghanistan," the release read. Aslam also informed Yousafi
that Afghan authorities had been informed "earlier" about "actionable
intelligence" where Pakistan pressed Afghanistan "to take urgent
measures to eliminate the terrorists and their sanctuaries,
financiers and [facilitators] operating from its territory,"
the statement read.
February 16
At least 88 people were killed when a suicide
bomber attacked the crowded Sufi shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar
in Sehwan Sharif town of Jamshoro District in Sindh, injuring
at least 343 others. The blast took place inside the premises
of the shrine as a dhamaal was taking place, with a large number
of women and children said to be among the casualties. Devotees
throng the shrine of the revered Sufi saint every Thursday to
participate in a dhamaal and prayers. The Assistant Superintendent
of Police in Sehwan said a suicide bomber entered the shrine
through its Golden gate. The attacker blew himself up after
throwing a grenade, which failed to explode, he added. The ISIS
claimed responsibility for the attack through Amaq, the group's
affiliated news agency.
Four Policemen and a passerby were killed when
their vehicle was attacked by unidentified militants in Mission
Mor area of Dera Ismail Khan town in the same District of KP.
The van was stationed at a filling station as part of its normal
patrol duty when it was attacked by unidentified militants,
said District Emergency Officer Imran Khan. The victims were
identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Rehmatullah, Constable
Iqbal, Constable Irshad and a passerby Fazal. The driver of
the vehicle sustained serious bullet wounds and was rushed to
hospital by rescue officials, but he later succumbed to his
injuries during treatment.
Three Army personnel were killed when an IED,
targeting an Army convoy, exploded in Awaran town of same District
in Balochistan. The killed were identified as Captain Taha,
Sepoy Kamran Satti and Sepoy Mehtar Jan. Two other soldiers
were also injured in the attack.
Two personnel of the FC were injured when suspected
militants attacked a post along the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber
Agency of FATA. Troops "effectively responded" to the attack
carried out by militants from the Afghan side of the border,
the ISPR statement said. According to the ISPR, there are reports
of a "few" militants killed in the ensuing exchange of fire.
Pakistan summoned officials of the Afghanistan
embassy to the GHQ in Rawalpindi to lodge protest against the
use of Afghan soil by terrorists to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
The Afghan officials were handed over a list of 76 "most wanted"
terrorists by the Pakistan Army, ISPR DG Major General Asif
Ghafoor said in a Tweet. Afghanistan was asked to either take
"immediate action" against the named terrorists or hand them
over to Pakistan, he said. The move comes two days after a senior
Afghan diplomat was summoned to the Foreign Office in Islamabad
to receive protest over the use of territory of his country
for launching terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The Afghan diplomat
was given a demarche containing details of the recent terrorist
attacks and supporting information.
The Government has sought a three-year extension
in the term of military courts, read a document obtained by
Dawn. The Government has formulated a draft to carry out legal
amendments that aim to extend the tenure of military courts
- they had ceased to function after expiry of tenure earlier
this year. A meeting of parliamentary leaders was convened by
the Government in which it distributed the copy of draft among
the attendees a copy of the draft is also available with Dawn.
According to the new definition of 'terrorist', revealed in
the new draft, now anyone can be termed a terrorist regardless
of the matter that whether he is motivated by religion or not.
February 17
Around 100 terrorists were killed while a sizeable
number of others were apprehended during last 24 hours in intelligence-based
and combing operations by security agencies in parts of the
country including Punjab. As per orders of COAS General Qamar
Javed Bajwa, response to recent terror incidents is in progress
across country, ISPR said in a press release. "IBOs and combing
operations are in progress across the country including Punjab.
No cross border/unauthorised entry will be allowed to Pakistan
from Afghanistan. Security forces have been given special orders
in this regard to have strict watch all along the border," it
read.
At least 18 alleged terrorists were killed in
a raid carried out in Ziarat Mai Garhi, Manghopir area of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh, said a spokesman of Pakistan
Rangers Sindh. Arms and ammunition was also seized from the
possession of the alleged terrorists said to be affiliated with
a proscribed organisation.
At least 17 terrorists including four key militant
commanders were killed in various search operations in Peshawar,
Hangu, Orakzai, Khyber and Kurram Agencies. SFs sources said
four key militant commanders were killed in Mumazo area of Lower
Orakzai Agency where a search and strike operation was conducted.
The forces seized suicide jackets and arms from the location.
In another encounter in Lower Kurram Agency, security forces
intercepted two terrorists who were planting an IED on roadside
and after exchange of firing, both were killed. In Tora Wari
area of Hangu, the forces killed two terrorists while their
accomplices fled.
Six terrorists were killed and 10 of their hideouts
were destroyed during airstrikes near Pak-Afghan border in Khyber
Agency. At least 10 hideouts of the terrorists were also destroyed.
In Peshawar, the security forces conducted a
search operation in Regi area of Peshawar and killed three terrorists,
said local police said.
The FC arrested 20 suspects during a search
operation in the Nushki area of Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan.
While the ISPR press release gives details about
the killing of above 35 militants, rest of the killing remains
in ambiguity.
Police killed nine TTP militants including would-be
suicide bombers during exchange of fire near Super Highway in
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. SSP Malir Rao Anwar
said the terrorists were planning to attack Rangers Headquarters
in Karachi. He said Police carried out raid at the alleged residence
of father-in-law of TTP Karachi chapter Amir, where the militants
resorted to fire on the arriving police party. In retaliatory
fire, nine militants including suicide bombers were killed.
The Pakistan Army targeted militant hideouts
across the Afghan border, killing several militants including
a top commander of JuA, an offshoot of the TTP. Nature of the
attacks and areas targeted by the Pakistani military were not
immediately known. However, the TV channel said the terrorist
sanctuaries were located across the Mohmand Agency and Khyber
Agency of FATA. The strikes were carried out hours after the
Army summoned Afghan diplomats to GQH in Rawalpindi and handed
over a list of terrorists involved in staging attacks inside
Pakistan.
The Punjab Government has included names of
JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and one of his close aides, Qazi
Kashif, in the fourth schedule of the ATA. Hafiz Saeed's name
has also been put on the exit control list. A senior police
officer privy to the development told Dawn that the CTD had
added their names to the list of the 1,450 'fourth schedulers'
on an order of the Federal Interior Ministry.
Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, while addressing a
press conference in Lahore, claimed that the suspects involved
in planning and carrying out the February 13 suicide bombing
on a protest at Mall road of Lahore. During the conference,
CM Sharif also announced the arrest of an alleged facilitator
of the attacker, who he said belonged to Bajaur Agency of FATA.
The suspect's confessional statement was aired during the briefing.
The suspect introduced himself as Anwar-ul-Haq, and said he
hailed from a remote village in Bajaur Agency. "I was associated
with Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and they trained me," said the suspect,
adding that he has visited Afghanistan around 15 to 20 times.
As many as 26000 combing operations were conducted
and 198 hardcore terrorists and 217 facilitators nabbed while
2.3 million persons were questioned since December 17, 2014
to February 14, 2017 under NAP introduced with consensus among
all the political parties of the country. According to a comprehensive
report presented to PM Nawaz Sharif about implementation of
NAP to curb terrorism in Pakistan, some 20467 operations were
conducted in Lahore where 1.3 million persons were asked questions
during investigation. Similarly, 5784 operations were carried
out in Sheikhupura during this period and 151825 persons were
questioned on the basis of suspicion and intelligence reports.
In all, 1275 cases were registered on alleged involvement in
terror related activities.
In Gujranwala division a total of 6865 operations
were conducted and 88815 persons were subjected to questioning
while 1514 cases were registered on various counts. Some 1305
cases were registered under Foreign Act and lethal weapons were
recovered from 9662 persons during general hold-ups. A total
of 7437 cases were registered on display of weapons and licenses
of 38 Kalashnikovs, 63 rifles, 71 guns and 83 pistols were suspended.
The Police have registered 13975 cases for violation of Sound
System Regulation Ordinance and 260 under MPO 1960.
NACTA has made considerable progress in drafting
a robust national narrative on terrorism and extremism. The
first ever NISP has been formulated to protect Pakistan's national
interests by addressing critical security issues. Initially,
the combing operations were thoroughly conducted in various
districts including Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh,
Multan, Bahawalpur, Jhang, Rahim Yar Khan, Bhakkar, Bahawalnagar,
Rawalpindi, Lahore, Okara, Jaffarabad, Nasirabad, Dera Bugti,
Qila Abdullah, Kohlu, Khuzdar, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Kashmore,
Jacobabad, Naushehro Feroze, Karachi, Kohat, Karak, Tank, Kohistan
and FATA. There is a marked and undeniable reduction in sectarian
violence across Pakistan while not completely eliminated this
level of mitigation is a positive sign.
February 19
Eleven suspected militants allegedly attempting
to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan were killed in a clash with
SFs in Sapperkot and Para Chamkani area of Kurram Agency in
FATA. Two Kurram militia members were also injured in the gun
battle between SFs and the militants. The terrorists were trying
to enter Kurram Agency via Khyber Agency from Afghanistan when
they were intercepted by the security forces and heavy exchange
of fire took place.
ISPR claimed that numerous militants were killed
when Pakistan Air Force fighter jets pounded militants hideouts
who were regrouping in Wucha Bibi area, an Afghan bordering
strip in North Waziristan Agency. However, the ISPR press release
did not mention the number of militants killed in the arial
bombardment.
Seven militants were killed and one rangers
personnel received injuries during a targeted operation between
Pakistan Rangers Sindh and militants in Shah Latif Town of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. A spokesman for the Pakistan
Rangers Sindh revealed that the rangers launched a targeted
operation after receiving intelligence reports about the possible
presence of terrorists in the area. The forces were shot at
by the terrorists and returned fire resulting in the death of
seven members of the banned terrorist outfit, some of the terrorists
managed to flee from their hideout using the dark as cover,
while Police called in backup and cordoned off the area until
the terrorists were found. One ranger's personnel also received
injuries in this incident. A large number of arms and ammunitions
were also recovered from the hideout and it was revealed that
the terrorists were planning a terrorist activity of substantial
scale in the area.
A cracker blast injured 24 persons in the jurisdiction
of Makki Shah Police Station in Hyderabad District, ahead of
a strike called by the banned JSMM against the CPEC. Initial
reports suggested that the cracker was lobbed from Sakhi Abdul
Wahab Shah Jillani flyover on a road where shops of second-hand
clothes and shoes are located.
SFs arrested the alleged facilitator of Lal
Shahbaz Qalandar suicide bomber from the outskirts of Khairpur
town in the same District. Sources said the alleged facilitator,
during initial interrogation, has revealed that Hafeez Birohi
group of Shikarpur is involved in Sehwan Sharif bombing. Hafeez
Birohi group, who was previously affiliated to LeJ, has been
associated with ISIS now. The same group was also involved in
Shikarpur bombings. The suicide bomber was Afghan national and
the suicide vest was also prepared in Shikarpur, the investigation
further revealed. Sources said the car used to target ISI headquarters
in Sukkur was also prepared in Shikarpur.
Sindh security establishment has proposed to
the Government that a dedicated force be raised to keep an eye
on its border with Balochistan after it was found that the suspects
involved in the recent terrorist attacks here had come from
the neighbouring province, said officials. This proposal was
discussed at multiple meetings held between the security officials
and top administrative authorities, including Chief Minister
Syed Murad Ali Shah, after the suicide attack on Lal Shahbaz
Qalandar's shrine in Sehwan.
Investigations into the recent terrorism activities
convinced the relevant authorities that their planners, handlers
and perpetrators had come from the neighbouring province. "A
similar thought or proposal emerged in October last year as
well after it was found that the suspects involved in two terrorists
attacks in Shikarpur in September 2015 had come from Balochistan,"
said a senior official. "The findings pushed the Sindh authorities
to take up the matter with their Balochistan counterparts and
tighten security along the border and as the first step they
deployed policemen at key border points," he said, adding that
the Sindh government then had deployed a total of 400 policemen
on its side of the border.
The CTD killed five JuA militants in a shootout
in Dera Sami Patti area of Chubara tehsil in Layyah District
of Punjab. Three suspects managed to flee during the operation
that was carried out on a tip off. Arms, ammunition and maps
were recovered from the possession of the suspects.
The CTD in an operation arrested an alleged
terrorist, Muhammad Jafar, belonging to a defunct organisation
and recovered two kilogrammes of explosive material from a house
near Sufi Mor on Jhang-Chiniot Road in Muzaffargarh District
of Punjab.
Police arrested 21 suspects during house-to-house
search operation, launched in Muzaffargarh. Accompanying law
enforcers, the Police team encircled various areas of the District
early morning and blocked traffic on road passing through the
area. Police combed the areas and made biometric verifications
of 1,200 people with the arrest of 21 suspects.
12 suspects were arrested after Police conducted
search operations in separate areas of Lahore, the provincial
capital of Punjab. The operations were conducted in Sher Shah
Colony, Chong and Raiwind road and nearby areas, and resident's
identities were scrutinised.
Punjab Government during a provincial apex committee
meeting chaired by Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif decided to seek
support from the Rangers to combat terrorism in Punjab days
after the Mall Road suicide attack in Lahore that killed at
least 15 people and wounded 85 others. The details regarding
the nature and extent of support to be provided by the Rangers
will be finalised later, according to a statement released by
the Punjab Government.
SFs killed a militant in an encounter and seized
arms during a search operation at Darakhshan near Eastern Bypass
area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. According
to a spokesman of SFs, following a tip off, security forces
carried out a search operation in the area while suspect opened
fire on them. The suspect was killed in retaliation by SFs.
Arms were also recovered from his hideout.
Balochistan Government has prepared a new security
plan for Quetta in the wake of recent wave of terrorism in the
country. Official sources said on February 19 that under the
security plan jointly prepared by Police, Frontier Corps and
other security agencies, profiling of houses in the provincial
capital will be carried out to track down the elements working
as facilitators of banned outfits. There will be a ban on residing
in mosques, seminaries, schools and Government buildings which
are required to get themselves registered with the Police Station
concerned. Registration of tenants has been made mandatory.
Legal action will be taken if they fail to do so. Under the
plan, the hosts will have to inform a committee to be formed
by the area police station about the visit of guests.
A special task force has been constituted to
provide better security to judges of the superior courts in
the wake of successive attacks against judicial officers during
the recent spate of terrorist attacks in the country. The task
force was recently notified by the Federal Ministry of Interior,
which also constituted a three-member committee that will provide
recommendations on how to better protect judges. NPB Director
Syed Kaleem Imam will head the three-member committee, formed
by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to give recommendations
on how to improve the security of judges. Islamabad Inspector
General Tariq Masood Yasin and NACTA Director General Umar Sheikh
are also members of the body, which has been given 15 days to
complete its task.
February 20
Army claimed to have conducted and intelligence
based operation in Frontier Region Tank of FATA, killing four
suspected militants. The ISPR released a statement in this regard,
saying the operation was reportedly carried out against Asmatullah
Shaheen Bhittani Group of TTP. The ISPR claimed that the suspects
killed in the military operation were allegedly high-profile
terrorists including the son of former TTP shura member Asmatullah
Shaheen. The identities of those killed in the military operation,
as provided by the ISPR, are Commander Zaman alias Toofan, Naib
Commander Umar s/o Asmatullah Shaheen, Commander Wasiullah and
Commander Zulam alias Zulmat. Asmatullah Shaheen was killed
by another TTP faction due to an internal rift during 2014.
The group was allegedly involved in target killings, extortion
and kidnapping for ransom in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and surrounding
areas.+
CoAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa said that Pakistan
and Afghanistan will fight their "common enemy" of terrorism
together, the ISPR statement said. Chairing a high-level security
meeting at the GHQ, he said enhanced security measures taken
along the Pak-Afghan border are to fight the common enemy, which
includes "terrorists of all hues and colour". The Army Chief
issued directions for more effective coordination between Pakistani
and Afghan officials to curb cross-border movement of terrorists.
General Bajwa "also welcomed proposals from Afghan authorities
to take forward the mutual coordination for result oriented
efforts against terrorism".
The Finance Minister Ishaq Dar informed the
Senate that the Army had been empowered to act against terrorists
across the border after obtaining concrete evidence that Afghanistan
soil had been used to launch recent acts of terrorism in the
country. February 20's session focused on several important
issues including the current law and order situation and the
exclusion of senators from consultations on the revival of powers
of military courts to try civilians. While responding to various
points of public importance, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said
the prime minister had authorised the Army to take out terrorists
wherever they might be.
February 21
At least seven persons, including a lawyer and
an eight-year-old boy, were killed and as many as 25 others
were injured when three terrorists wearing suicide vests attacked
the session's court in Tangi tehsil of Charsadda District in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The attack begun at around 11:40am when
the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire, using automatic weapons
and hurled grenades at the security officials, in an attempt
to enter the court. The gunfire was immediately followed by
explosions of hand grenades, one of which exploded at the entrance,
while another went off near the bar room where a number of lawyers
were reportedly present at that time. However, timely action
by Policemen stationed at the session's court prevented the
attackers from entering the premises, as they gunned down two
attackers and the third one blew himself up after failing to
enter the building. Charsadda DPO Sohail Khalid informed the
media that all the three attackers had been killed in retaliatory
fire. Charsadda Assistant Commissioner Inayatullah Khan said
that the injured included six Policemen who confronted the terrorists
in a gun battle that lasted for at least 14 minutes.
In a statement, JuA, the offshoot of TTP claimed
responsibility for the attack and said it was a continuation
of Operation Ghazi, which they had initiated against Pakistan.
The group released details of two of the attackers - Abdul Basit
of Mohmand Agency in FATA and Khairullah of Kunduz province
of Afghanistan.
Unidentified assailants lobbed a hand grenade
at a residential building in Lyari town of Karachi, leaving
one woman injured. Police said 30-year-old Gul Nisa was injured
when two men riding a motorbike hurled a hand grenade at the
entrance of a building in Afshani Gali and sped away.
Pakistan Rangers Sindh recovered a cache of
arms from Landhi area Karachi. A Rangers communication said
that a raid was conducted on an intelligence tip off that some
miscreants belonging to MQM-London had hidden arms and ammunition
with the intention of committing sabotage. It said that Rangers
took prompt action and during search recovered arms and ammunition
hidden on the rooftop. This consisted of weapons and ammunition
including six Kalashnikovs, five magazines, one rifle of 8 mm,
two 7mm rifles, one repeater, five pistols of 30 bore, and 554
rounds.
The FCB and the FATA political administration
razed the house of the suspected facilitator of the Lahore blast
and arrested his father and two brothers from Bajaur Agency.
The measures were taken in accordance with the FCR territorial
responsibility clause, which states that for any mishap, the
administration can take the community or family members of the
perpetrator to task and punish them under a collective responsibility
clause. The suspect was arrested after video evidence placed
him in the area of the blast, walking along with the suspected
suicide bomber that blew himself on Mall Road near the Punjab
Assembly amid a protest. In his confessional statement, shared
by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a media briefing
on February 17, the suspect had said he hailed from a remote
village in the Bajaur Agency.
The Government has released an amount of PKR
1.4 billion for NACTA, State Minister for Interior Baligh-ur-Rehman
told a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior
and Narcotics Control. He claimed that serious steps were being
taken to strengthen NACTA in order to effectively counter the
challenge of terrorism. He added that the government has released
PKR 1.4 billion out of the PKR 1.8 billion allocated for NACTA
and two buildings have been provided for its use.
February 22
Police shot dead eight terrorists including
a key militant figure affiliated with a banned organization
during a raid on Bakrapeeri Road in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. According to SSP Malir Rao Anwar, the suspected
terrorists were killed during the raid on a tip off regarding
presence of Gul Zaman, Amir of a proscribed outfit. He said
the terrorists were planning to carry out an act of terrorism
in Karachi.
Five militants were killed when Air Force targeted
their hideouts along Pak-Afghan border in the Rajgal area of
Khyber Agency in FATA.
A tribesman, identified as Bahadur Khan, was
killed in a roadside bomb blast in Dawizai area of Pandyali
tehsil in Mohmand Agency.
Police neutralised 14 bombs, weighing 50 kilograms,
placed in ghee tins planted in a park on University Road of
Loralai town of same District in Balochistan. Locals discovered
the bombs and informed Police. BDS personnel later neutralised
al the bombs.
Pakistan Army launched 'Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad'
across the country, said ISPR. Radd-ul-Fasaad - which translates
roughly to 'elimination of discord' - will aim at indiscriminately
eliminating the "residual/latent threat of terrorism", consolidating
the gains made in other military operations, and further ensuring
the security of Pakistan's borders, read the statement. The
announcement followed a meeting in Lahore between Chief of Armed
Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa, the corps commanders of Punjab, the
Director General of Pakistan Rangers Punjab, and the heads of
intelligence agencies. Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil
Armed Forces and other security and LEAs will actively participate
in and 'intimately support' the armed forces' efforts to eliminate
the menace of terrorism from the country, the statement added.
"The effort entails conduct of Broad Spectrum Security / Counter-Terrorism
(CT) operations by Rangers in Punjab, continuation of ongoing
operations across the country, and focus on more effective border
security management," the ISPR said. "Countrywide de-weaponisation
and explosive control are additional cardinals of the effort.
Pursuance of National Action Plan will be the hallmark of this
operation," it added.
The Federal Government had approved a request
forwarded by the Government of Punjab for the deployment of
Rangers personnel in the province. The decision was taken by
Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan during a high-level
meeting attended by National Security Adviser Nasir Khan Janjua,
Federal Secretary Interior Arif Ahmad Khan, Punjab Chief Secretary
Zahid Saeed and other officials of the Punjab Government. Punjab
had requested the Federal Government to deploy over 2,000 Rangers
personnel in the province, who would be given policing powers
to conduct IBOs against militants, wherever required and with
full authority. The Rangers will 'assist' Punjab Police and
law enforcement agencies in their fight against terror for a
period of 60 days, initial reports suggested.
According to report compiled by the Inspector
General of Sindh Police, a significant decline in the number
of targeted killings in Karachi has been witnessed in 2016 as
compared to 2015 showing 72 per cent drop. The report said that
the Police recorded 45 targeted killings in the city last year,
which it described as a huge as compared to 159 such killings
in 2015. The report discussing crime and militancy in Sindh,
however, does not show any visible improvement vis-a-vis incidents
of terrorism. It shows six terrorist incidents last year while
seven such incidents occurred in 2015. Some 188 cases of extortion
were registered last year which were 27pc less than 256 such
cases in 2015.
February 23
Police shot dead two IS militants, identified
as Saifullah and Haneef, in Manghopir area Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. According to sources, Police came under attack
when it raided their hideout. One policeman received injuries
during the gun battle while both the militants were killed and
their accomplices managed to flee the scene. SSP, West Zone,
Nasir Aftab said they found a hit list that included names of
Police officers and other Government officials on the laptop.
The Sindh Home Department issued a notification
that contained certain areas of Karachi which could be on the
terrorists' agenda next. According to details, a notification
by the Sindh Home Department stated that Sindh High Court, Empress
Market, Sindh Assembly, Zainab Market, markets located at M.A.
Jinnah Road and the restaurants located at Do Darya, could next
be targeted by militants.
SFs in Balochistan claimed to killed 470 suspected
militants, associated with various militant outfits, in the
previous two years under the NAP. During the time period, over
100 militants were also injured in exchange of fire with SFs
in Quetta and other parts of the province. "Most of miscreants
were killed during IBOs belonged to sectarian outfits," said
Anwarul Haq Kakar, the spokesperson for the Provincial Government.
The FC, Police, Levies and intelligence agencies conducted a
total of 5,640 IBOs in the Province, added the spokesperson.
More than 20,000 suspected militants were arrested in the Province.
February 24
The CTD conducted an operation in which six
militants were killed in the Patti Sultan Mahmood area of Muzaffargarh
District of Punjab. During the operation, three militants managed
to escape. Five hand grenades, four rifles, three pistols and
other weapons were recovered from the slain militants.
The CTD claimed thwarting a terrorism bid after
arresting an Afghan national named Naimatullah from the Achini
Khwar area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. "This
man, Naimatullah alias Fidai alias Umair is an Afghan national,
currently residing in the Yakatoot area. He was arrested in
Achini Khwar area … He was trying to enter the city with explosives,"
a CTD official said.
A cache of arms and ammunition was recovered
during a raid on a house in the New City Homes locality by a
team of Chamkani Police. SSP Sajjad Khan said that the house
of Ayub, who is a resident of Lakki Marwat, was raided after
an informant forwarded the information, adding that 24 shotguns,
21 pistols and 7,100 cartridges were seized.
25 kilogrammes of explosives, 34 hand-grenades
and prima cord were seized during a raid jointly conducted by
personnel of Police and intelligence agencies on a house in
Shahpoor. SSP (Operations) Sajjad Khan told reporters at Chamkani
police station that the seized material was going to be used
in an attack on Peshawar.
110 suspects were arrested by law enforcement
agencies late in the night as Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
(elimination of discord) continued at Lahore, Islamabad, Sialkot
and Peshawar. Reports suggest that Islamabad Police apprehended
43 suspects which included four Afghan nationals from various
bus stops and stations. While search operations in Lahore's
Punjab University hostels and other areas of the city resulted
in the arrests of seven. An operation in Sialkot's Hajipura
area resulted in the detention of ten 10 suspects while Peshawar
police have claimed to have arrested 50 people from various
parts of the city.
Investigators probing the attack on the shrine
of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, detained four people suspected
of facilitating the attack during raids conducted in different
parts of Sindh, including Shikarpur. Source said that the suspects
were affiliated with Hafeez Brohi and Abdullah Brohi, who were
part of a banned sectarian outfit and were involved in various
terrorist activities, particularly facilitating terrorists and
suicide bombers. "Hafeez and Abdullah Brohi are on the wanted
list since they have been involved in terror activities including
bombings in Shikarpur and Sukkur," said CTD in-charge Raja Omar
Khattab.
A suspected terrorist was arrested and weapons
were seized during an intelligence-based operation carried out
by the FC in Garhi and Kandi Mashti areas of Kurram Agency in
FATA. As many as 10 Rocket Propelled Grenade-7 gun along with
six chargers, one grenade launcher, a heavy machinegun with
115 rounds, a spare barrel of heavy machinegun, one 12-bore
rifle along with 18 rounds, three .303 rifles along with 520
rounds, six submachine guns, magazines along with 120 rounds
and two binoculars were seized during the operation.
February 26
Three persons belonging to the Shia community
were gunned downed under Paroa Police Station area in Dera Ismail
Khan District of KP.
A soldier was injured as terrorists from across
the border opened fire at a check post in Mangrotai area of
South Waziristan Agency in the evening.
A soldier was injured as terrorists from across
the border opened fire at a check post in Mangrotai area of
South Waziristan Agency in the evening.
Balochistan's Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs,
Sarfaraz Bugti, said that thousands of Afghan Taliban were still
studying in seminaries across the province. "There are many
seminaries where Afghan Taliban are studying, and many are owned
by the Afghan Taliban group," Bugti said. Amin-ul-Hasnat Shah,
the Minister of State for Religious Affairs, said that funds
for most of these Madrassas originate abroad, mostly in Arab
countries. "The government is monitoring the money trail and
how this money is spent and utilised by the Madrassas. We want
to ensure that these funds are not used for any suspicious activity
or to promote extremism through Islamic seminaries in Pakistan."
Shah said the Government "has pledged to reform these Madrassas
through registration and change of syllabus" and it was determined
to "keep an eye on any extremism-related activities or links
in these Madrassas."
February 28
At least three FC personnel and one civilian
were injured in an IED blast on Sariab Road of Quetta, the provincial
capital of Balochistan. The bomb, which was planted on the roadside,
targeted an FC vehicle while it was on patrol. The explosion
left the vehicle partially damaged.
Army said that recently launched Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
(elimination of discord) also envisages a countrywide 'de-weaponisation'
campaign. But no timeline can be given for the completion of
Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, said Major General Asif Ghafoor, the
Director General of the ISPR. Speaking in a television interview,
Major General Ghafoor said the very name of the operation was
self-explanatory. "It is aimed at eliminating the elements creating
disorder and mischief, whether they are in or outside the country,"
he added.
About the objectives of Radd-ul-Fasaad, he said
all previous operations were primarily aimed at decimating hideouts
of terrorists in different areas and restoring the writ of the
state there. "And the main objective of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
is to consolidate the gains of the previous operations," he
added. "This operation seeks to smoke out facilitators of terrorists
inside the country." "The operation also envisages a de-weaponisation
campaign," he said but refused to give a timeline for its completion.
The CTD of both Sindh and Balochistan Police
decided to launch a "joint operation" in parts of the country's
largest province where the intelligence wings of the law-enforcement
agency had identified "hideouts" of suspects allegedly involved
in recent terrorist attacks in Sindh. High officials flew from
Karachi to Quetta, where a meeting of the CTD from both provinces
was scheduled. After hours of deliberations and presentations,
the Sindh Police authorities finally convinced their counterparts
about the presence of the hideouts of some banned militant outfits
in Balochistan which were used by terrorists for the recent
attacks in Sindh. "It was a formal meeting after our earlier
correspondence and intelligence-sharing," said Chief of the
Sindh Police's CTD Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi. "We showed
them not only the findings of a JIT (joint interrogation team)
report about high-profile militants but also data and reports
of our intelligence units that strengthened our case. The Balochistan
authorities agreed to cooperate with us and move with Sindh
police in pursuit of these hideouts," he added.
March 1
The cadres of Islamic State or Daesh hide among
the general population, using small businesses as a cover, said
a Police official under the condition of anonymity. The official
under the condition of anonymity said that their approach differs
from the TTP, whose cadres used to openly establish camps in
parts of FATA and even in the settled areas of KP. They are
highly experienced in sabotage and concealment" since most cadres
had previously belonged to the TTP, he added. "These people
hide among the (general) population and we have solid evidence
suggesting that they engage in small businesses such as fruit
vendors, plying pushcarts, using it as a cover, avoiding suspicion
… Their strategy is mostly successful," he said, adding that
these people rent houses and move frequently to avoid detection.
"All new recruits are sent to Afghanistan … Once people know
that you are fighting in Afghanistan, chances are that no policeman
or anyone else will touch you simply because you are (among)
'good Taliban'," he maintained.
March 2
Four militants and two Army personnel, Lieutenant
Khawar and Naik Shehzad, were killed in an exchange of fire
during an intelligence-based operation conducted by SFs in the
Jani Khel area of FR Bannu in FATA, ISPR statement said.
A US drone strike killed two suspected militants
in a border village along Pak-Afghan border in Kurram Agency.
One official from local Administration said that the missile
struck two men riding a motorcycle. It was not clear who was
being targeted. There had been no drone strike by the US in
Pakistan since May 21, 2016.This was one of the longest periods
that no US drone attack had taken place in Pakistan.
One militant was killed and 12 others arrested
during a search operation by FC and intelligence Agencies in
Andoor area of Ketch District in Balochistan. One FC soldier
was injured due to exchange of fire with terrorists and a cache
of arms and ammunition was recovered during the operations.
March 4
Unidentified gunmen killed a lawyer, identified
as Mohammed Jan Gigyani apparently in a targeted shooting near
the Afghanistan border in Shabqadar in Charsadda District in
the KP. According to a Police officer, two gunmen on a motorcycle
opened fire on Mohammed Jan Gigyani while he was driving his
car. He said Gigyani was critically wounded and died en route
to a hospital. He added that Gigyani was a prominent lawyer
affiliated with Aftab Ahmed Khan's Qaumi QWP.
One inspector was killed and a DSP was injured
in an encounter with terrorists in Harrapa village of Sahiwal
District in Punjab. According to CTD officials, in the shoot-out
two terrorists were also injured, around four others were arrested
and explosive material was recovered. The two other terrorists
escaped from the site.
One inspector was killed and a DSP was injured
in an encounter with terrorists in Harrapa village of Sahiwal
District in Punjab. According to CTD officials, in the shoot-out
two terrorists were also injured, around four others were arrested
and explosive material was recovered. The two other terrorists
escaped from the site.
March 5
At least 10 militants and five soldiers were
killed during a clash when militants lunched a cross-border
attack on three Pakistani border posts along the Pak-Afghan
border area in Mohmand Agency of FATA in the night. The ISPR
press release said that five soldiers of the Pakistan Army and
more than 10 suspected militants were reportedly killed in the
attack. The slain soldiers were identified as Naik Sanaullah,
Naik Safdar, Sepoy Altaf, Sepoy Nek Mohammad and Sepoy Anwar.
One militant was killed and four others arrested
during a raid by CTD personnel in Korangi Town area of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. According to CTD official,
Raja Umar Khattab, the terrorist killed by forces was identified
as Dildaar alias Chacha, who was reportedly an expert in making
explosives. He said that the detainees had been planning a terrorist
attack when their hideout was raided. A large amount of explosive
material, detonators and weapons were recovered from the site.
March 6
An attempt to blow up the Quetta-bound Jaffar
Express was foiled when security personnel defused a bomb planted
at a railway track near the Mangoli area in Nasirabad District
of Balochistan. According to official sources, all train services
were suspended between Quetta and Sukkur as the BDS was not
available in Dera Murad Jamali. The BDS team was summoned to
the site from Sibi. Police said the saboteurs had planned to
blow up the train by remote control. The Jaffar Express coming
from Rawalpindi was the target as it was scheduled to reach
Mangoli after 15 minutes, said a senior Police Officer, adding
that the train was stopped at the Dera Allah Yar station.
March 7
Five militants and two Army personnel, including
one Captain Junaid, were killed during an intelligence-based
operation against suspected terrorists in Malikabad area of
Swabi District KP. "[The] five terrorists who were killed [...]
were planning to target educational institutions and judicial
complexes," Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a
statement. Three of the terrorists had been identified, while
the remaining two were "probably Afghans". At least one of the
identified militants was a cadre of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP), added ISPR.
A soldier was killed when a patrol vehicle hit
an IED planted on a roadside in Awaran area of same District
in Balochistan. Sources said that unidentified militants had
planted an IED on the roadside which they detonated with a remote
control device while targeting the security vehicle.
March 8
10 militants were killed when SFs stormed a
compound in a nearby village of Malikabad area in Swabi District
of KP. Earlier the day, five militants and two Army personnel,
including one Captain Junaid, were killed during an intelligence-based
operation against suspected terrorists in Malikabad area.
Five hardcore terrorists were executed at District
jail of Kohat, the statement issued by the ISPR said. The convicts
were tried by military courts, the ISPR said. These terrorists
include Shoukat Ali s/o Abdul Jabbar, Imdad Ullah s/o Abdul
Wajid, Sabir Shah s/o Syed Ahmed Shah, Khandan s/o Dost Muhammad
Khan and Anwar Ali s/o Fazal Ghani, ISPR added.
Police recovered an anti-tank mine and arrested
six suspected persons during a search operation in Injeer Khwar
area of Hangu District. DPO Ihsanullah Khan said that the Police
was informed about an explosive device planted in Injeer Khwar
area. He said that they called in the officials of the BDS who
recovered and defused the explosive device weighing up to three
kilogram. He said that the police conducted a search operation
in Doaba and surrounding localities and arrested six suspected
persons. He said the Police also recovered a Kalashnikov, a
rifle, two pistols and several cartridges from the arrested
suspects.
March 9
Unnamed Officials involved in anti terrorist
operations have revealed that LeJ, a proscribed organization,
particularly active in the port city of Karachi (provincial
capital of Sindh) and Quetta (provincial capital of Baluchistan).
The Organization is still the prime target of LEA for its close
liaison with banned JuA. Most of the organization's activists
have gone underground to escape arrests. The officials claim
that LeJ's almost 90 percent network has been disabled by eliminating
its top leadership. According to the officials, LeJ ties with
ISIS surfaced last year when terrorists attacked the Police
academy in Quetta in October. The group is active in Karachi
and Quetta with two deferent off-shoot groups namely the Naeem
Bukhari Group in Karachi and LeJ Al-Alami in Quetta.
March 11
PM Nawaz Sharif, during his visit to the Lahore
based Jamia Naeemia, asked Islamic clerics to reject in forceful
terms all the religious decrees that incite violence in the
name of Islam. "Hate is being spread in the name of religion
and it is the duty of the Ulema to free it from hate and violence.
One way of doing that is to reject all those fatwas that incite
violence, [and] only the Ulema can do it," said the PM Nawaz
Sharif. He promised that the "few remaining militants" would
not be spared. The government, he said, had brought the political
leadership, the army, the police and other law enforcement agencies
on the same page as far as dealing with terrorism and terrorists
was concerned. "Peace is not far off, especially if the Ulema
extend a helping hand," PM Nawaz Sharif said, adding that religious
scholars should play a proactive role in building an alternative
narrative of Islam that promoted peace and harmony. The religion
has been held hostage by hate-mongers, he said.
March 13
Three personnel of Punjab CIA were injured in
a drive-by shooting incident near Lady Willingdon Hospital in
Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab. The assailants managed
to flee after targeting Police officers. Police sources said
that all three Police officers who are posted at Ghaziabad CIA
were dressed in plain clothes and were returning home after
performing their duty.
March 14
Suspected militants abducted three Government
schoolteachers in Giskhor area of Awaran District in Balochistan
in the evening. Levis official Muhammad Jan said that militants
abducted three teachers as they were returning from a training
session facilitated by the PBS for the upcoming national census
in Giskhor area. Jan identified the abducted teachers as Rashid
Ali, Elahi Bakhsh and Rasool Bakhsh. The men are part of a team
in the District that will collect data for the census.
Balochistan higher education secretary Abdullah
Jan was abducted from Wahdat Colony of Brewery Road area in
Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. Jan's son Mohammad
Attiuqe said his father was on his way to work when unidentified
assailants in a white Toyota Vitz kidnapped him near his house
in Wahdat Colony. Jan was kidnapped along with his driver. However,
the abductors released the driver near Sabzal Road area and
drove off an unknown location, said DIG Quetta Abdul Razzaq
Chema. No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction
so far.
March 15
Three militants convicted by military courts
were executed in the wee hour at Sahiwal District prison of
Punjab, ISPR press release. According to the ISPR, the militants
were involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism,
including attacks on armed forces and law enforcement agencies.
Sharing details of the executed convicts, ISPR said that two
of the convicts - Said Zaman Khan and Muhammad Zeeshan - were
cadres of HuJI. While the third convict was cadres of the Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan TTP. During its two-year constitutional life, the military
courts, set up to try civilians charged with terrorism after
the carnage at the Army Public School in Peshawar in December
16, 2014, have convicted 274 accused. Of them 161 were awarded
death sentence and 113 prison terms, mostly life imprisonment.
Out of 161 death sentences, 21 have been executed so far.
March 17
At least six militants were killed during a
search operation in the Mosal Kor village of Michini area in
Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. FC spokesperson said
that the SFs carried out a search operation in the Mosal Kor
area when terrorists opened fire on the personnel. Six militants
were killed in the retaliatory fire. SFs recovered a cache of
arms and explosive from the possession of slain militants.
One FCB soldier was killed and another injured
in a suicide attack on an FC training centre in Shabqadar area
town of Charsadda District. The ISPR said the attack was "foiled"
and two suicide bombers were killed in retaliatory fire. FCB
Commandant Liaqat Ali Khan said that the attackers tried to
sneak into the training facility in the wee hours to cause maximum
casualties but the guards quickly responded and neutralised
the attackers. One attacker was killed by FCB personnel while
the other died after his jacket exploded when it was hit by
gunfire.
Two personnel of the FC were killed when suspected
militants from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border reportedly
attempted to attack a check post in Khyber Agency in the FATA.
Pakistani troops "effectively responded", as a result of which
six militants were killed during the exchange of fire, the ISPR
was quoted as saying.
March 18
SFs foiled a terror bid by seizing a significant
quantity of arms and explosives in Kohlu District of Balochistan
Province. "The FC and personnel of intelligence agency conducted
a raid and recovered 28 kilograms of explosives, six rockets
and other weapons," said a security official. The official added
that the compound which was raided belonged to "miscreants of
an outlawed militant organisation". No arrest was made during
the raid.
FC forces and personnel of an intelligence agency
arrested four suspected militants during a raid in Smungli area
of Quetta. SFs claimed to have recovered five SMGs, three rockets
and other weapons from their possession.
BNP-M said that Baloch are neither traitors
nor Indian agents and urged media to bring to light the woes
of Balochistan. BNP-M Vice President Abdul Wali Kakar asked
the media to visit interior parts of Balochistan. He regretted
that a wrong image of Balochistan was being portrayed, and media
was barred on the pretext of security issues. As a result, Balochistan
does not get its due rights in the country's media, he added.
He was speaking to the Biennial Delegates Meeting of Pakistan
Union of Journalists. He stressed upon the media to help the
Baloch get their due rights. Balochistan was craving for its
basic human rights, including the availability of pure drinking
water, health and education, he added. It was best opportunity
to discuss the issues of Balochistan in front of journalists,
hailing from various parts of the country.
March 19
At least 19 suspects were arrested during joint
search operations in various parts of Punjab. According to ISPR,
the joint search and intelligence based operations were conducted
by Punjab Rangers, Police and intelligence agencies in Rawalpindi,
Islamabad, Attock, Sialkot, Lahore and Kasur as part of Operation
Radd-ul-Fasaad. At least 19 suspects were apprehended. Weapons,
ammunition, laptops, currency, sectarian hate material and foreign
passports were also seized.
March 20
Qari Yaseen, wanted for involvement in attacks
on GHQ in Rawalpindi and Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore,
was killed in a US drone strike in Barmal District of Paktika
province in Afghanistan. The drone strike carried out in Barmal
targeted Yaseen and three of his accomplices who were travelling
in a vehicle. Yaseen belonged to the Lodhran District of Punjab
and was part of various terrorist attacks carried out in Pakistan.
The other attacks included those on ISI offices in Lahore and
Multan, Data Darbar, Marriott Hotel and the one in RA Bazaar,
Rawalpindi. He was also said to be a facilitator for al Qaeda
and Jundhulla in Pakistan, an expert at making bombs, including
IEDs, and a trainer for terrorists.
The Pakistan Rangers Sindh recovered a cache
of arms and ammunition during an intelligence based operation
from the storeroom of the Safari Park on the University Road
in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. Pakistan Rangers Sindh spokesman said weapons recovered
include rifles, SMGs, LMGs, hand grenades, snipers and large
number of bullets.
March 21
Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad is successfully continuing
across the country as at least 20 insurgents including a Ferrari
commander surrendered to Pakistan Rangers Punjab, ISPR statement
said. The erstwhile militants said they were funded by Indian
spy agency RAW through Brahamdagh Bugti who leads the BRP. Apologising
for their past which was awash with terror activities in Balochistan,
the surrendering insurgents said they were kept misinformed
and fed with negative narrative over the decades, the ISPR statement
added.
Violence-related incidents declined in 2016
as compared to the year before, and casualties from violence
were half the number of casualties in 2015, the CRSS annual
security report said. The report recorded a 66 per cent fall
in violence-related incidents since 2014, but noted that terrorist
groups have changed their strategy for suicide attacks and instead
of sending in one suicide bomber to a location, sent two. It
said militants, facing military operations and law enforcement,
had begun to flee the county and had devised new strategies.
The report said the targeting of geographical areas and population
centres that were less protected was unprecedented, and militants
also begun deploying a wider array of improvised explosive devices
and suicide bombers despite strong resistance from security
personnel. "Karachi has seen the most improvement, with urban
crime and target killings on the decline. Compared to 1,671
people killed in target killing incidents in 2013, 183 people
lost their lives in 2016," report states.
March 22
Five militants, including a high-profile TTP
militant, identified as Duran, were killed in an intelligence-based
operation carried out by SFs in Mirak village of Kalaya tehsil
in Orakzai Agency of FATA. An ISPR press release said two FC
personnel also laid down their lives in the exchange of fire
that ensued during the operation. The deceased were identified
as Major Mudassar and Sepoy Mateeullah.
Two Levies personnel were killed and three others
injured when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle at Angoor
Adda area of South Waziristan Agency. The vehicle was also badly
damaged in the explosion.
A portion of railway tracks damaged when an
IED went off at Misri Shah area near Rohri Railway Station in
Sukkur District of Sindh in the evening. SP Special Branch Mansoor
Mughal said that the service of Karachi-bound Shalimar Express
that passes through Rohri has been halted until the track is
repaired. According to the Bomb Disposal Squad, some 2.5 kilogrammes
of explosive material was used in the blast.
A cracker blast at the Mehrabpur Railway Station
in Naushahro Firoz District damaged a foot-long part of the
track, interrupting trains travelling up and down the tracks.
A government girl's school in Qila Abdulla town
of same District in Balochistan was damaged when an IED placed
near its wall went off. Levies officials said that unidentified
men had planted the remote-controlled device along the school's
wall which exploded with a big bang. The blast shattered windowpanes
of the institution, nearby houses and shops. No casualty was
reported.
The Airport Security Force (ASF) foiled a suspected
terror bid at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore,
the provincial capital of Punjab, by confiscating a cache of
weapons and ammunition. A vehicle was stopped and searched by
the ASF personnel at the airport check post and during a routine
inspection a weapon and a large cache of ammunition was found
in the vehicle, the ASF officials said. The ASF confiscated
a .223 bore rifle, seven magazines, and dozens of bullets from
the vehicle.
The US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson warned
that the militant IS group wants to recruit young people from
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq and has stepped up its efforts
in those places. Speaking at the 10th Global Coalition ministerial
meeting on IS in Washington, Tillerson also hinted at establishing
a safe zone in the Middle East for sheltering Syrian refugees.
"The United States will increase pressure on ISIS and al Qaeda
and will work to establish interim zones of stability, through
ceasefires, to allow refugees to return home," he said. Tillerson
said that since the United States and its allies had broken
their back in the Middle East, IS militants were moving to other
regions to recruit fighters. "Today, … Daesh (IS) is resorting
to many terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and
many other places in Europe in order to send a message that
they are still standing and they want for those young people
to go fight in its ranks," he added.
March 23
Pakistani officials have hosted seven Taliban
leaders in Islamabad to try and press them into peace talks
ahead of a multination meeting in April in Moscow, two Taliban
officials said under the condition of anonymity. The two officials,
who were familiar with the Islamabad meeting, spoke to AP on
condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals by Pakistani authorities
who have not confirmed the meeting. The Two Taliban officials
said the militant leaders used the Islamabad gathering, which
took place last week, to press their own demands, including
that Pakistan free Taliban figures from its jails. Islamabad
has been under international pressure to try and bring Taliban
leaders, who have lived in Pakistan since their rule in Afghanistan
was overthrown in the 2001 US invasion, to some form of negotiations
with Kabul. However, successive attempts have faltered and failed.
Last year Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States
met to jumpstart the peace process but that effort faltered
after a series of deadly Kabul attacks that Afghanistan blamed
on militants hiding in Pakistan. China, Russia and Pakistan
are behind the initiative of the April meeting in Moscow. Afghanistan
will attend the meeting as will Iran and India. Washington has
not said whether it would attend.
March 26
SFs recovered a cache of arms and ammunition
during a raid on a house in Karram village in Mizer Valley area
of NWA in FATA. The recovered arms included rockets of various
types, seven rocket-propelled grenades launchers, and anti-tank
bullets. The security source, however, declined to say if anyone
was arrested during the raid.
FC personnel averted a possible terrorist attack
by diffusing an IED on Turbat-Dasht road in Turbat District
of Balochistan. The ISPR said that the FC, as part of Operation
Radd-ul-Fasaad, recovered and defused an IED planted on Turbat-Dasht
road.
March 27
The Islamabad High Court stayed the extradition
of an American citizen of Pakistani origin Talha Haroon to United
States of America for allegedly planning an attack on New York
in connivance with the IS. Islamabad High Court was hearing
a petition filed by Haroon Rashid, father of the suspect.
March 28
Ahmed Ludhianvi, leader of the proscribed ASWJ,
expressed confidence that his party would be taken off the list
of banned organisations. Mr. Ludhianvi said he had held meetings
with officials and the political leadership in this regard.
He said that meeting officials or political leaders from the
centre or Punjab was a routine matter for all politicians, including
him. "I have one bone to pick with the system - whenever there
is a need to pacify enraged ASWJ workers or to negotiate with
militants, I am called in for the sake of Pakistan. But, legally,
I am a proscribed person and my party is still a banned group,"
he told journalists. He was referring to negotiations with the
militants who had attacked the GHQ in 2009. The ASWJ leader
said: "The decision-makers of the state have acknowledged my
grievances, but if they are not ready to allow us to work as
a legal entity in the country, I will not cooperate with them
in the future."
The rivalry between Afghanistan and Pakistan
has created room for terrorists of the militant IS group to
build a foothold in the region, recent US reports on the issue
point out. Last week, the United States hosted a 68-nation conference
in Washington to formulate a joint strategy for combating the
IS terrorists. In his address to the conference, US Secretary
of State Rex Tillerson not only noted the group's presence in
the Pak-Afghan region but also pointed out that the group had
carried out "many terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan".
In the region, the group is known as the Islamic State of Khorasan
(ISK) and operates from its bases in the Afghan areas along
the Pak-Afghan border. In a recent report on ISK, the Congress-funded
US Institute of Peace underlines the link between this group
and Pakistani militant organisations to show how the Afghan-Pakistan
rivalry benefited the terrorists. The USIP report quotes from
a July 2016 report by the Afghanistan Analysts Network, which
claims that Afghanistan's intelligence agency, "the National
Directorate of Security, has supported the militant organisation
Lashkar-i-Islam and elements of TTP since 2014 "with the aim
of playing these militants against Pakistan in retaliation for
Pakistan's long-time support of the Afghan Taliban." Fighters
from both groups later joined ISK.
March 29
Five militants, affiliated to al Qaeda and TTP
outfits, were killed by the CTD during an encounter in Kanja
area of Gujrat District in Punjab. The CTD sources said the
militants were planning to target secret installations in Gujrat
and Kharian. Weapons and explosives were recovered from the
possession of slain militants.
At least six Ahmadis were killed in Pakistan
in 2016 because of their religious beliefs, a recent report
issued by the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya said. Saleemuddin, the spokesperson
for the group, cited Ordinance XX which later came to be known
as the Blasphemy Law as the main reason behind targeted killings
of Ahmadis. "Since its [Ordinance XX] imposition in 1984, so
far 250 Ahmadis have been killed," he complained. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya
said the promulgation of the ordinance endorsed political, social
and legal discrimination against Ahmadis. While news reports
of the Ahmadi community being targeted appear regularly, the
group accused the local media of holding its own biases against
Ahmadis. It also accused state institutions of not properly
investigating their killings.
March 30
A prominent local leader of the Ahmadi community
and a relative of Nobel laureate Abdus Salam was shot dead in
Nankana Sahib town of Punjab in the morning in an attack claimed
by the banned LeJ. Advocate Malik Saleem Latif, a leader of
the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in Nankana Sahib, was on his way to a
local court on a motorbike along with his son, Advocate Farhan,
when Latif was targeted and shot at by "unidentified attackers".
"Saleem Latif was spreading Ahmadi beliefs in the region," the
LeJ said in a statement claiming the attack. "Around 1,700 advertisements
were published against the Ahmadiyya community in local and
national newspapers in 2016," said Saleem Uddin, a spokesman
for the community. "There is no check on hate mongering and
if the situation remains the same then the killing of Ahmadis
will also continue," he added.
ISPR stated that, Tahir, a 'hardcore terrorist'
belonging to TTP and involved in the 2012 Bannu jailbreak was
executed in Kohat jail. The terrorist was tried and convicted
by a military court. In April 2012, over 200 terrorists attacked
the Central Jail in Bannu, freeing 384 prisoners in the pre-dawn
assault. The execution came two days after Senate approved the
28th Constitutional Amendment Bill, consummating the parliamentary
process to revive military courts for another two years.
A minor girl was killed and a young man wounded
in a bomb blast in Gandi Khankhel area of Lakki Marwat. A Police
official said that a girl identified as Naila Moeen (8), was
playing outside her house in the fields when she mistook a grenade
for a toy. They said that as the girl lifted the grenade it
exploded killing her on the spot. He said that a young man,
Sifatullah, was wounded in the explosion. Police later cordoned
off the area and during search found nine hand grenades from
the place of incident which were defused by officials of bomb
disposal squad.
The Federal Government appointed Salahuddin
Khan Mehsud, as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police chief. A notification
issued by the establishment division said that Salahuddin Khan
Mehsud, a BS-21 officer of the PSP, presently serving under
the KP Government, was transferred and posted as PPO, KP, in
his own pay and scale with immediate effect till further order.
March 31
At least 24 persons were killed and another
100 injured in a suicide attack on an Imambargah in the
Noor market area of Parachinar town in Kurram Agency of FATA.
Sources said the explosion took place as people gathered for
Friday prayers near the women´s entrance of Imambargah. A witness
said security personnel at the Imambargah were checking devotees
when an unidentified person parked a car next to the building,
which then exploded. TTP's faction JuA claimed responsibility
for the attack. The blast was part of its operation Ghazi and
Shias were the targets, the outfit said in a statement sent
to the media.
A high-value terrorist Mehmoodul Hassan alias
Khwaja Madni and his accomplice from the TTP' Sajna group were
killed in an operation by SFs in Jandola area of SWA, the ISPR
statement said. The SFs personnel recovered weapons and ammunitions
from the terrorists' hideout.
President Mamnoon Hussain gave his formal assent
to the Pakistan Army Act 2017 and the 23rd Constitutional Amendment
Bill ? the two pieces of legislation aimed at granting legal
cover to military courts. When it was tabled the 28th Constitutional
Amendment Bill was titled the 23rd Constitutional Amendment
Bill. However, it will now be called the 28th amendment bill.
It was presented along with the Army Act 1952 before the Senate
earlier this week. Military courts were disbanded on January
7, 2017, after a sunset clause included in the legal provisions
under which the tribunals were established, expired.
April 2
Unidentified militants fired four missiles from
Afghanistan into Kurram Agency of FATA. A spokesperson for the
local administration said that the missiles had been fired from
Afghanistan's Paktia province and did not cause any loss of
life. One missile struck a shop in the Shingak area, another
landed near a mosque, and two others in a graveyard at Kachkina.
April 4
The ISPR claimed that eight JuA militants had
surrendered before the Army in Mohmand Agency of FATA. In a
statement issued by the ISPR, the Army said the militants who
surrendered include Akbar, Gull, Siraj and five of their accomplices.
April 5
Six people, including four Army soldiers and
an off-duty Air Force airman, lost their lives after a suicide
bomber targeted a census team in Bedian Road area of Lahore
in Punjab. At least 19 others were injured in the attack, according
to the provincial Government. The TTP claimed the attack. The
injured were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH)
and General Hospital. At least three of the injured were said
to be in critical condition. One, identified as Lance Naik Irshad,
lost his life while undergoing treatment.
Unidentified gunmen shot dead four laborers
in Kharan District of Balochistan. Police and paramilitary personnel
reached the area and took the bodies to DHQ Hospital. The deceased
were identified as Ghulam Mustafa, Naizi Sohrab Shah and Sajid,
who hailed from Sindh. The men were working on a road project
under the CPEC.
April 7
The CTD of Punjab killed 10 JuA militants in
the night at Manawan area of Lahore, the provincial capital
of Punjab. The CTD said the terrorists killed in the ‘encounter’
were involved in Mall Road suicide attack. Days after the attack,
CTD personnel had apprehended alleged facilitator Anwarul Haq.
The law enforcers, on Haq's pointation, had also arrested his
other accomplices. The sources said the CTD was taking the arrested
facilitators to Manawan for recovery of explosives when their
accomplices ambushed the team. In the retaliatory fire, 10 militants
were killed including the facilitators of the attack.
One veterinary doctor Prof. Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed
(68) who belongs to Ahmadi community was shot dead in a sectarian
target killing in the Sabzazar area of Lahore. The doctor was
being driven by his grandson when a motorcyclist pulled up next
to their car and fired at point-blank range, killing him on
the spot. His grandson, Shahzeb, remained unhurt, while the
attacker, who was wearing a helmet, fled the scene. Prof Dr
Ashfaq Ahmed had retired as a professor from Lahore University
of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. Salim Uddin, a spokesperson
for the Jamaat-i-Ahmadiyya Pakistan, condemned the attack and
protested that the doctor was targeted because of his faith.
"In a span of 10 days, this has been the second killing
of an Ahmadi. There is a campaign of hate against the Ahmadiyya
community and as a cost, innocent people are killed. On the
one hand, the government boasts about the Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
and on the other, people are being killed along religious lines
in broad daylight," read an excerpt from a press release
issued by the Anjum-i-Ahmadiyya Pakistan.
April 9
Five terrorists and Pakistan Ranger Punjab personnel
killed during an IBO in Chhera Thal area of Dera Ghazi Khan
District of Punjab. According to the ISPR, in sequel to Operation
Radd-ul-Fasaad, Pakistan Rangers Punjab started special IBO
in the area of Chhera Thal, 40 kilometres South West of Fort
Manro, in the early hours and was continuing till the mid day.
During trade of fire, Sepoy Kamran was killed while Deputy Superintendent
Rangers Haroon got injured.
The CTD personnel shot dead a terrorist during
snap checking at Sukkur-Shikarpur link road in Sukkur District
of Sindh in the evening. According to SP Irfan Samo, CTD personnel,
during snap checking signalled three men riding on a motorcycle
to pull over. The militants opened fire on CTD personnel that
was retaliated. One terrorist was killed, while two others managed
to flee during the encounter.
The Army seized an explosive laden vehicle near
Chaman town of Killa Abdullah District in Balochistan and arrested
two suspected persons, a statement issued by the ISPR said.
According to the ISPR, 80 kilograms explosive material was fitted
in the vehicle that was prepared in Kandahar and brought in
Pakistan to use it in a terror attack. The ISPR said the vehicle
was seized in an operation that was carried on the basis of
intelligence reports.
April 9
The CTD personnel shot dead a terrorist during
snap checking at Sukkur-Shikarpur link road in Sukkur District
of Sindh in the evening. According to SP Irfan Samo, CTD personnel,
during snap checking signalled three men riding on a motorcycle
to pull over. The militants opened fire on CTD personnel that
was retaliated. One terrorist was killed, while two others managed
to flee during the encounter.
April 11
Two "hardcore terrorists"
tried by Military Courts were hanged in a high security prison
in Sahiwal District of Punjab. The ISPR statement said the two
convicts were awarded the capital punishment for offences related
to terrorism, including the killing of civilians, attacking
armed forces and law enforcement agencies, and assaults on polio
vaccination teams and employees of an NGO. The hanged militants
were identified as Muhammad Shahid Omar, who was an active member
of TTP, and Fazl-i-Haq, an active member of the TTP, who was
also accused of kidnapping and amputating the hands of four
Police officials.
Seven JuA militants were arrested
by the CTD at Severra Chowk in Multan town of same District
in Punjab. According to the CTD spokesperson, the militants
were stationed at Severra Chowk and were caught with hand grenades
and heavy explosives in their possession. The CTD had received
information that the militants were planning to attack vital
installations within the city, after which they conducted a
raid near Severra Chowk, the spokesperson added.
A raid conducted by CTD
officials in Gujranwala town resulted in the arrest of two suspected
terrorists who belong to proscribed organisations. The raid
was conducted after the law enforcement agency received information
that the pair was planning to attack sensitive installations
within the vicinity of Sialkot. During the raid, the CTD team
recovered explosive material and detonation equipment from their
possession.
April 12
Two Pakistan Rangers Sindh personnel
were killed during a raid to arrest militants trained in Syria
and Afghanistan and working for foreign intelligence agencies
were arrested from Mawaach Goth area of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Briefing media on the raid, Rangers spokesperson
Colonel Qaisar said that they raided a militant hideout in Mawaach
Goth area on a tipoff that militants of AQIS have entered in
the metropolis for subversive activities. ‘Eight KG explosives,
one suicide vest, four ball bearing bombs and four SMGs were
seized from the suspects,’ Colonel Qaiser explained, further
adding that ‘two Rangers personnel were martyred during the
raid.’ The LEAs also recovered 360-degree images of a site were
from their possession, he said. Tahir Zaman aka Boxer
Mota was trained in Afghanistan. IED expert Nawaz joined the
AQIS group in 2012, he also provided medical services to another
terrorist, Javed Swati. The third suspect, Bilal, was a close
associate of main suspect Tahir who was involved in the Safoora
attack.
Police arrested a target killer
affiliated to MQM-L, identified as Kamran s/o Jumma Khan, from
Joharabad area of Karachi. Police said Kamran is involved in
two murder cases in Orangi Town.
At least three persons were
injured in a blast on Airport road in Gwadar town in same district
of Balochistan. Police sources said that the IED was planted
in a motorcycle parked on the side of a road.
April 13
A doctor, identified as Dr Zulfiqar,
was killed when two unidentified assailants called out him from
his house and opened fire in Kharadar area of Saddar Town in
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Dr. Zulfiqar used
to run a clinic in Khadda Market.
A journalism student was lynched
at AWKU in Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in broad daylight
after being accused of blasphemy. The deceased was identified
as Mashal Khan, a resident of Swabi and a student at AWKU’s
Journalism and Mass Communication department. A friend of the
deceased student said that a mob attacked him before shooting
him in the head and chest. He added that the mob then continued
to beat his body with sticks.
US said that the safe havens
still exist in Pakistan for terrorist groups to operate from
and carry strikes out on Afghanistan. US State Department acting
spokesperson Mark Toner, in daily press briefing said, “We’ve
been very clear, while we understand that Pakistan has made
efforts to confront terrorism and terrorist organizations on
its own soil, that there are still what we call safe havens
that exist for terrorist groups to operate from and carry strikes
out on Afghanistan.” The spokesperson went on to say, again,
it’s in Pakistan’s interest to work with – constructively with
Afghanistan to address those security concerns.
April 14
One militant was killed and
three of his accomplices apprehended during combing operation
in Factory Area of Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab.
According to Police, the terrorists opened fire on the security
personnel during joint combing operation in the area and in
the ensuing gunfight, a terrorist was killed and three security
personnel sustained injuries. Three militants were arrested
by the law enforcers. A suicide vest, detonators and weapons
were seized from the site where exchange of fire took place
A suspected gangster, identified
as Ghulam Nabi alias Gull, was shot dead in an ‘encounter’
in Kalakot area of Lyari town in Karachi, reports Dawn. The
Police have seized a TT pistol and a hand grenade from his custody.
The deceased was associated with the Uzair Baloch-led Lyari
gang, the Police said. “He looked after drug business in Lyari,”
an unnamed officer added.
April 15
At least nine militants and
three Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) personnel were killed during
an exchange of fire in Basti Dadwani near Choti Zareen area
of Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab. The ISPR said "9-10 hardcore
terrorists" affiliated with the TTP were killed during
the joint security operation launched by Rangers, intelligence
agencies and CTD personnel near Choti Zareen area. Among the
slain militants included Muhammad Asghar Dadwani alias
Ustad Gorchani and Muhammad Naeem alias Waqas Dadwani.
The Punjab Rangers personnel slain in the shootout were identified
as Havildar Asif, Sepoy Aftab and Sepoy Azizullah. Two soldiers
also sustained injuries.
One militant was killed and
three of his accomplices apprehended during combing operation
in Factory Area of Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab.
According to Police, the terrorists opened fire on the security
personnel during joint combing operation in the area and in
the ensuing gunfight, a terrorist was killed and three security
personnel sustained injuries. Three militants were arrested
by the law enforcers. A suicide vest, detonators and weapons
were seized from the site where exchange of fire took place.
April 16
Two suspects, identified as
Ramzan Khan and an Afghan national, were taken into custody
from Cantonment area of Lahore city. The arrested due is suspected
to be involved in Bedian Road, Lahore terror incident.
The LEA apprehended two suspects
from Bhatta Chowk of Lahore city. The duo was arrested for their
involvement in Charing Cross incident
LEA arrested a terrorist, identified
as Omar alias Sufiyan, at Saddar area of Ghazi Road in
Lahore city. He is said to be close aide of militant and proclaimed
offender Azeem aka Fauji.
US NSA Lt-Gen HR McMaster said
the best way for the Pakistani leaders to pursue their interest
in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through diplomacy and not through
the use of proxies that engage in violence. Gen McMaster said:
"As all of us have hoped for many, many years that the
Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest
to go after these groups less selectively than they have in
the past and the best way to pursue their interest in Afghanistan
and elsewhere is through diplomacy not through the use of proxies
that engage in violence."
April 17
The DG of ISPR, Major General
Asif Ghafoor, announced that Ehsanullah Ehsan, former ‘spokesperson’
of the TTP and a senior leader of the JuA, had turned himself
in to Pakistan's security agencies. "…I want to take this
opportunity to announce that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesperson
of the TTP and a leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has turned himself
into our security agencies," he stated. In 2014, after
a split in the TTP, Ehsan had become a ‘spokesperson’ for the
JuA — what was then a newly-formed splinter group of the TTP.
Ehsan had said at the time that 70 to 80 per cent of the TTP
‘commanders’ and fighters had also joined the splinter group.
Naureen Leghari, the wife of
militant Ali Tariq who was killed in an encounter in Lahore
in Punjab in the night of April 14, had allegedly joined the
militant Islamic State (IS) in Syria. According to sources,
the woman had physically taken part in the encounter and had
engaged police personnel for about an hour. Naureen Leghari,
who was arrested during the encounter, had married her husband
after leaving her home and joining the militants. Sources said
that Leghari had allegedly visited Syria to join IS after leaving
her home in February. She had also received training in Syria
for using weapons, they said. She returned home to Lahore three
weeks ago and was being tracked by security personnel.
Naureen Leghari was a medical
student of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences
in Jamshoro, Sindh. She had reportedly been contacted by militants
through social media.
Lahore Police also arrested
Hafeez, the owner of the house where the encounter took place,
and a property dealer, Ayub, and were conducting raids to arrest
Azeem, a facilitator of the militants who is said to be a leader
of the IS. The law enforcement agencies had announced PKR 1
million head money for his arrest.
The Security Forces in Lahore
also arrested four people suspected of being linked with the
IS network in the city.
The Director General of ISPR,
Major General Asif Ghafoor, announced that Ehsanullah Ehsan,
former ‘spokesperson’ of the TTP and a senior leader of the
JuA, had turned himself in to Pakistan's security agencies.
"…I want to take this opportunity to announce that Ehsanullah
Ehsan, the former spokesperson of the TTP and a leader of the
JuA, has turned himself into our security agencies," he
stated. In 2014, after a split in the TTP, Ehsan had become
a ‘spokesperson’ for the JuA — what was then a newly-formed
splinter group of the TTP. Ehsan had said at the time that 70
to 80 per cent of the TTP ‘commanders’ and fighters had also
joined the splinter group.
The JI has launched a mass contact
campaign in accordance with its annual action plan. A high-level
meeting to review the preparations in this regard will be held
at Mansoora on April 19, with JI Secretary General Liaqat Baloch
in the chair. The meeting will chalk out plans to mobilise the
masses through mass contact in all parts of the country to support
the JI in the next elections.
In a recent study carried out
by Sindh CTD about educated ‘hardcore militants’ in the province’s
jails, revealed that out of 500 surveyed militants, at least
64 have a Masters degree or higher. As many as 70 militants
have a Bachelors degree and 63 have completed their matriculate
and intermediate.
Once thriving, adventure tourism
in PoK has seen a sharp decline over the past four years. Since
2013, an additional challenge has been staring the mountaineers
attracted to the largest cluster of daunting peaks in the region.
That year terrorists killed 11 climbers at their base camp at
the foot of the mighty Nanga Parbat. According to the Alpine
Club of Pakistan (ACP), the number of mountaineering expeditions
daring to come for climbing the five highest peaks - K2, Nanga
Parbat, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I and II – has been declining.
“Sadly, the disturbing trend continues,” regrets the APC president,
retired Colonel Manzoor Hussain. “Last year some 34 expeditions
came to Pakistan, compared to nearly 70 plus groups before the
incident.
April 18
Naureen Leghari, the wife of
militant Ali Tariq who was killed in an encounter in Lahore
in Punjab in the night of April 14, had allegedly joined the
militant IS in Syria, reports Dawn on April 18. According
to sources, the woman had physically taken part in the encounter
and had engaged police personnel for about an hour. Naureen
Leghari, who was arrested during the encounter, had married
her husband after leaving her home and joining the militants.
Sources said that Leghari had allegedly visited Syria to join
IS after leaving her home in February. She had also received
training in Syria for using weapons, they said. She returned
home to Lahore three weeks ago and was being tracked by security
personnel.
Naureen Leghari was a medical
student of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences
in Jamshoro, Sindh. She had reportedly been contacted by militants
through social media.
Lahore Police also arrested
Hafeez, the owner of the house where the encounter took place,
and a property dealer, Ayub, and were conducting raids to arrest
Azeem, a facilitator of the militants who is said to be a leader
of the IS. The law enforcement agencies had announced PKR 1
million head money for his arrest.
The Security Forces in Lahore
also arrested four people suspected of being linked with the
IS network in the city.
The JI has launched a mass contact
campaign in accordance with its annual action plan. A high-level
meeting to review the preparations in this regard will be held
at Mansoora on April 19, with JI Secretary General Liaqat Baloch
in the chair. The meeting will chalk out plans to mobilise the
masses through mass contact in all parts of the country to support
the JI in the next elections.
In a recent study carried out
by Sindh CTD about educated ‘hardcore militants’ in the province’s
jails, revealed that out of 500 surveyed militants, at least
64 have a Masters degree or higher,. As many as 70 militants
have a Bachelors degree and 63 have completed their matriculate
and intermediate.
Once thriving, adventure tourism
in PoK has seen a sharp decline over the past four years. Since
2013, an additional challenge has been staring the mountaineers
attracted to the largest cluster of daunting peaks in the region.
That year terrorists killed 11 climbers at their base camp at
the foot of the mighty Nanga Parbat. According to the ACP, the
number of mountaineering expeditions daring to come for climbing
the five highest peaks - K2, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum
I and II – has been declining. “Sadly, the disturbing trend
continues,” regrets the APC president, retired Colonel Manzoor
Hussain. “Last year some 34 expeditions came to Pakistan, compared
to nearly 70 plus groups before the incident.
The SF seized a huge cache of
arms and ammunition during an operation in Kurram Agency of
FATA, officials. Political Officer Shahid Ali Khan and Commandant,
Kurram Militia, Colonel Umar Malik told reporters that seven
rocket launchers, 24 rocket shells, two anti-aircraft guns,
50 hand-grenades and 400 mortar shells were also seized in the
operation. The officials said that the densely populated area
of the town had been declared 'red zone' on the requests of
tribal elders and traders. About 24 kilometer trench had been
dug around the town, they said, adding, the trench had disrupted
movement through unfrequented routes. The officials said that
the trench would be made a ring road in future. They also announced
that motorcycles and other vehicles' entry into 'red zone' had
been banned.
Police claimed to have arrested
a target killer belonging to MQM-L from Gulberg Town in Karachi.
According to Gulberg SP Bashir Brohi, Jauharabad police arrested
Umar Farooque alias Rashid Charya alias Rashid
Kalla. Charya has been involved in at least 12 cases of target
killing and terrorism. A pistol with five bullets has been recovered
from him. "He joined Unit 131 of MQM in 1995. During the
course of interrogation he has revealed multiple terrorist activities
in Karachi," the SP said. He said further Charya attacked
Baloch Goth in 1995-96 in which five people were killed, including
his own accomplice Jameel.
An ATC in Karachi awarded 17
years’ imprisonment to two MQM-L activists each for attacking
a police mobile and possessing illegal arms. After the prosecution
proved the charges against Mohsin alias Peter and Raees
alias Kala, the court sentenced them to 17 years in prison
and imposed a fine of PKR 80,000 on each convict, observing
that they had not only targeted the police but also possessed
illegal arms. According to the prosecution, the MQM-L workers
had attacked the police mobile in Pirabad police jurisdiction
in 2011. Both were arrested after an encounter with a police
team and illegal arms were found on them.
April 19
The ISPR, press wing of Pakistani
Armed Forces, informed that Chief of Army Staff General Qamar
Javed Bajwa signed the death warrants for 30 "hardcore
terrorists" with links to the 2014 Army Public School attack.
The suspected terrorists were involved in "heinous offences,"
which included the "kidnapping and slaughtering" of
soldiers of the Frontier Constabulary and an attack on Saidu
Sharif Airport, the military's media wing said. The 'terrorists'
were also responsible for killing innocent civilians, attacking
the armed forces of Pakistan and law enforcement agencies, ISPR
said.
The CTD of Punjab Police killed
eight militants by busting a 'big' cell of the TTP in the Narang
area of Sheikhupura District of Punjab. Two CTD officials were
injured in the shootout, a handout issued by the department's
spokesman said. The killed militants had planned to carry out
a major terrorist plan in Lahore in the near future, the CTD
said. The CTD team also recovered weapons and explosives from
the possession of the militants including more than three kilogrammes
of explosives, prima cord, three Kalashnikov rifles, five pistols
and ammunition.
The ISPR informed that Chief
of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa signed the death warrants
for 30 "hardcore terrorists" with links to the 2014
Army Public School attack. The suspected terrorists were involved
in "heinous offences," which included the "kidnapping
and slaughtering" of soldiers of the Frontier Constabulary
and an attack on Saidu Sharif Airport, the ISPR said. The ''terrorists''
were also responsible for killing innocent civilians, attacking
the armed forces of Pakistan and law enforcement agencies, ISPR
said.
April 20
The Government is planning to
extend ‘Super Tax’ for yet another year, generating PKR 30 billion
for partially meeting security establishment’s expenditures
although more than 90 per cent of the population affected by
the Operation Zarb-e-Azb have returned to their homes,.
The authorities are clearly not in a mood to withdraw the Super
Tax from next financial year 2017-18, set to start from July
this year, said officials in the FBR. They said that the FBR
proposed that in addition to extending the tax into its third
year, the government should also increase the rate of super
tax to 5 per cent for banking companies.
April 21
A child was killed and two persons
were injured in a roadside bomb blast in Shinkoot area of Bajaur
Agency in the FATA on. Officials said Gul Mast Khan, a local
resident, along with his children was coming home from a nearby
mosque after offering Friday prayers when a remote-controlled
bomb placed along the link road went off. A child identified
as Marwan died on the spot while his father and other child,
Farmanullah, received serious injuries in the blast. No one
claimed responsibility for the blast.
Around 500 militants belonging
to different banned Baloch militant organisations including
12 ‘commanders’ and 16 ‘sub-commanders’ surrendered themselves
at a ceremony held on the lawns of the Balochistan Assembly
in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. The militants
announced that they had abandoned the armed struggle against
the Government and would join mainstream politics. The militants
belonged to the Baloch Republican Army BRA, BLA, Lashkar-i-Balochistan
and some other Baloch militant groups.
Former Army Chief General (retd)
Raheel Sharif left for Saudi Arabia to head a 41-nation military
alliance after the government issued him a NOC. Defence Minister
Khawaja Asif said that Raheel Sharif had requested the Government
for the NoC. "The permission was given after approval from
GHQ," he said. His service tenure will be three years.
Earlier, Khawaja Asif had informed the National Assembly that
the Saudi government would announce the alliance's Terms of
Reference (ToR) in May during a meeting.
April 22
16 people including women and
children were injured in Lyari Jhatpat Market of Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh, when a hand grenade blast took
place on. Shakir alias Shakkar, a Gang War commander
from the Baba Ladla group is reportedly behind the attack, a
source from Lyari informed.
President Mamnoon Hussain said
education is essential to address political, economic, social
and psychological factors behind terrorism and extremism. The
President said it was an important national activity that would
prove to be a message of hope, life and light, not just for
Pakistani nation, but for the entire humanity.
April 23
A khasadar, local Policeman,
was killed while another was seriously injured when an IED planted
along a road hit their motorcycle in Alingar area of Mohmand
Agency in FATA. An official said that the deceased, Iqbal Khan,
along with another khasadar was patrolling the area when their
motorbike was hit by an IED. He died on the spot while his colleague
received injuries.
A man was shot dead in Mansehra
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Abdul Sattar was on his way
to Balakot from Boi area when a group of unidentified people
intercepted him near Garhihabibullah and fired at him, killing
him on the spot. Police said that assailants tortured had tortured
his brother before opening fire at him.
An improvised explosive device
hit a FC vehicle near the Turbat town in Kech District of Balochistan
killing four soldiers and wounding three others.
SFs recovered weapons buried
in Karachi’s Lal Qila Ground in Azizabad in Karachi. The weapons
recovered included SMGs, LMGs, 9mm pistols and a large number
of cartridges.
SFs arrested three wanted suspects,
including two members of the banned BLA. In the first incident,
the SFs raided hideouts of Lyari gang war suspects Sajid Dakait,
Jameel Changa, and Bilal Pappu and arrested two members of the
BLA. According to sources, the three suspects, who reside in
Dubai, were operating a drug den in the Ghazi Khan vicinity
with the help of accomplices Arif Tiki, Obaid Langra, and Fahad
Baloch. In a separate raid, an important member of the Lyari
gang war, Amin Baloch, was arrested during a raid at Lyari General
Hospital. According to the police, Amin was a vital accomplice
of Lyari gang war's Zahid Ladla and the younger brother of gang
war suspect Wasim Qasargandi. Amin had been arrested by Rangers
in the past and had spent time in prison. He had been wanted
by the police in a number of criminal cases.
PPP-led Sindh Government extended
Sindh Rangers special powers in Karachi for another 90 days.
The policing powers of paramilitary Rangers had expired on April
15 after which a summary was forwarded to Chief Minister Murad
Ali Shah seeking extension of the special powers of Rangers.
A khasadar, local Policeman,
was killed while another was seriously injured when an IED planted
along a road hit their motorcycle in Alingar area of Mohmand
Agency in the FATA. An official said that the deceased, Iqbal
Khan, along with another khasadar was patrolling the area when
their motorbike was hit by an IED. He died on the spot while
his colleague received injuries.
A man was shot dead in Mansehra
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Abdul Sattar was on his way
to Balakot from Boi area when a group of unidentified people
intercepted him near Garhihabibullah and fired at him, killing
him on the spot. Police said that assailants tortured had tortured
his brother before opening fire at him.
A total of 113 most-wanted terrorists
hail from various districts of Punjab revealed a Ministry of
Interior and Narcotics Control report. According to the document,
19 most-wanted terrorists hail from Lahore. Eight most-wanted
militants belong each to Sargodha and Faisalabad districts.
Rawalpindi, a city located next to the federal capital, is also
the residential address of six-most wanted terrorists in the
list. Likewise, five militants each hail from districts of Rahimyar
Khan, Sheikhupura, Bhakkar, Multan and Attock districts. The
document revealed that no wanted terrorist belonged to Sialkot,
Jhelum, Hafizabad, Vehari, Narowal, Okara, Chiniot, and Rajanpur.
However, some suspected militants from these districts have
been added to the schedule four of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
The document has divided wanted-terrorists
into three categories. In the first category, there are about
22 terrorists involved in suicide attacks. Punjab Home Department
has also notified head money of PKR 50.33 million for 73 wanted
militants out of a total 113, according to the report. Matiur
Rehman from Bahawalpur continues to lead the list with a head
money of PKR 10 million. His childhood friend Qari Ehsan (head
money PKR 5 million) is the second most wanted militant. They
have been wanted since December 2013, when they orchestrated
suicide attacks against the then president General (retd) Pervez
Musharraf. The first category also included the profiles of
Zubair alias Mughaira from Bahawalpur district and Ziaur Rehman
from Khanewal district. Both the militants are wanted for attacking
the ISI office in Qasim Bela, district Multan, on December 8,
2009. Hafiz M Sohail, M Niaz and Zaheer Ahmed from Attock have
also been added to the list for their alleged role in masterminding
the suicide attack against late Punjab home minister Shuja Khanzada.
A terrorist Saad Munir from Rawalpindi is also wanted in connection
with his alleged role in the murder of an American citizen.
The second category contains the profiles of 62 alleged Sunni
militants and the third the profiles of 29 alleged Shia militants.
Out of total 62 Sunni militants, nine are from Lahore and eight
from Faisalabad. Rahimyar Khan District is home to five wanted
militants, while three each are from Multan, Mianwali, Rawalpindi
and Sargodha.
April 24
At least 15 people, including
five woman and four children, were killed and nine others sustained
injuries when a passenger van hit a landmine in the Godar area
of Kurram Agency. Sources said that the passenger van was en
route to Sadda from Godar when it hit a landmine in Pato Kot
village. Injured people included four Khasadar census workers
who were scheduled to carry out the activity in the far-flung
areas of the agency.
Five persons, including three
terrorists, wife of one of them, and a 5-years-old boy, were
killed while four Rangers personnel were injured in an encounter
in the area of Urdu Bazaar of Karachi, Sindh. Sources said that,
on a tip off, Rangers and security agencies carried out a raid
on a hide out of terrorists in Urdu bazaar. On spotting Rangers,
terrorist attacked on them with cracker bombs. As a result four
Rangers personnel sustained injuries. In retaliatory firing
by Rangers one terrorist was killed while the other was arrested.
However the terrorists and Rangers personnel continued to trade
firing. Blasts were also heard during the exchange of firing.
Five terrorists, including one female, and a 5-year-old boy
died in this seven hours long operation. According to Rangers,
the deceased boy and female were residing in the respective
hide out along with suspects and boy was killed as a result
of explosion from terrorists. Weapons and explosives have been
recovered from their possession. SATP had earlier reported that
one terrorist was killed in the operation.
Reports indicate that the killed
militants belonged to banned outfit Jandullah. Rangers have
arrested 10 suspects, including the flat owner, to investigate
further. Huge cache of weapon was also recovered from the flat.
Rangers personnel and the CTD
of the Sindh Police claim to have arrested eight suspects during
raids and operations in different parts of Karachi. According
to Rangers spokesperson, Saeedul Hassan alias China and Syed
Omar Aijaz alias Omar alias Maaz alias Musab, Saleem alias Chosni,
Furqan alias Shooter, Abu Bakar, Ibrahim alias Hyderi, Sikandar
and Asif Pathan were arrested in the operation. The Rangers
spokesperson has claimed that the accused persons were affiliated
with AQIS, adding that the accused persons were involved in
attacks on police and Rangers check posts in Nazimabad and Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
They were also accused of being involved in various cases of
crime and terrorism, including target killings, wall chalking,
extortion, robberies, and facilitating terrorism. The Rangers
spokesperson said that arms and ammunition were also recovered
from their possession.
The Army's senior command resolved
during the 202nd Corps Commanders' Conference at
the General Headquarters that the military would play its 'due
role' as part of the Supreme Court (SC)-ordered JIT that would
probe Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family's business
dealings abroad. The ISPR said in a statement that the forum
had discussed the SC’s Panama gate verdict with special reference
to the JIT. "The forum pledged that the institution, through
its members in the JIT, shall play its due role in a legal and
transparent manner, fulfilling [the] confidence reposed [in
the military] by the apex court," the ISPR said. The JIT
is to include officials from the NAB, the FIA, the SBP, ISI
and the MI, and will be led by an assistant director general-level
officer from the FIA, according to the SC order.
On April 22, the SC issued notices
to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his sons, directing them
to comply with the Panama gate verdict "as and when required".
Earlier on April 20, the SC
had constituted a six-member JIT to probe the allegations leveled
against Nawaz Sharif regarding the acquisition of London flats
through corruption. The top court directed the prime minister
and his children to appear before the JIT when they are summoned.
The court directed that the JIT submit its progress report periodically
after two weeks and the final report shall be submitted in 60
days before a new bench, constituted by the chief justice. The
new bench shall issue the order after the JIT report. The two
members of the bench Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Gulzar
in their dissenting notes stated that since Prime Minister has
failed to substantiate the money trail for mills and properties,
thus the Prime Minister is liable to be disqualified. The judgment
was passed by a majority of 3-2. The verdict of 3 judges shall
prevail wherein the constitution of JIT is directed.
April 25
CTD of Larkana Police claimed
to have arrested two terrorists in two separate incidents from
Larkana District and Jacobabad District, and recovered weapons,
explosive material from their possession. CTD Larkana SP Abdullah
Ahmed Yar said, "One of the detainees was identified as
Qari Muhammad Bilal who was arrested from Shaikh Zayed Morr
area of Larkana. He is affiliated with banned outfit LeJ and
other terrorist groups of Punjab. He is a resident of Rajanpur
(Punjab) and was also awarded death sentence in 2008 for murder.
Since then he had been absconding." In another action,
the CTD SP said a member of BRA, Abid Shah, was arrested along
with a pistol and explosive material from Jacobabad. "The
detainee was involved in carrying out bomb blasts on railway
tracks, gas pipelines and electricity poles, and an FIR had
already been registered against him in Kashmore for targeting
Khushal Khan Khattak Express in 2015," the SP said.
CTD Mardan region in an operation
arrested an alleged terrorist from Akoddaa Khatak area of Nowshehra
District. The arrested terrorist identified as Rehmat Ullah
was involved in providing SIMS to kidnappers, terrorist, extortionists
and other banned outfits.
Authorities hanged four militants
involved in attacks on civilians, police and troops after they
were convicted by the country’s military courts, an army statement
said. It said the four, who were hanged at a prison in KP, belonged
to the TTP. Those executed were identified as Rehmanuddin, Mushtaq
Khan, Zafar Iqbal and Obaidur Rehman. According to the ISPR
all the TTP militants had confessed to their involvement in
murdering innocent persons and carrying out attacks on armed
forces and law enforcement agencies. The Army Chief Qamar Javed
Bajwa had confirmed death sentences passed by military courts
on 30 militants, some of whom were involved in the country’s
worst-ever extremist attack. The military courts – in which
the army can try civilians on terror charges in secret, despite
strong criticism from rights groups – were established in the
wake of the 2014 attack, which traumatised the country. They
were seen as an “exceptional” short-term measure to give the
government time to reform the criminal justice system, as the
military targeted militants in the tribal areas of the northwest.
The law expired in January 2017, but was shortly extended for
another two years.
The CTD got 14 day remand of
three alleged terrorists from a court in Gujranwala. The CTD
team arrested Sher Khan, Khyber Khan and Faisal Akbar during
a raid at Alam Chowk in Gujranwala on April 24 and seized explosives
from them.
The JeM has started its fund
raising campaign in Punjab as the harvest season for major Rabi
crops sets in. In the latest issue of JeM's weekly online magazine
(accessed on April 25), its charity wing al-Rehmat Trust invited
Ushr contributions for supporting the "families of martyrs,
detainees of Islam and ghazis" along with the "seminaries,
religious centres and the needy". Ushr is an agricultural
equivalent of Zakat, where a portion of agricultural produce
is given away as charity.
April 26
At least six suspected militants
were killed and as many were injured when jets pounded their
hideouts in the Tirah valley of Khyber Agency in FATA. Security
sources said that warplanes destroyed at least two hideouts
of the TTP. One of the hideouts – located in the Rajgal area
of Tirah right on the border with Afghanistan – was used by
terrorists as an ammunition dump, they revealed.
The military claimed that SFs
have thwarted a terror bid in the Zhob District of Balochistan.
“The Frontier Constabulary, Balochistan, seized a huge cache
of explosives and ammunition during a raid on a compound,” the
military’s media wing said in a statement.
April 27
A suspected US drone strike
on a house in the Lawara Mandi area of North Waziristan Agency
of FATA killed at least seven militants, security officials
said. “There are two militant commanders, Abdul Rehman and Akhtar
Mohammad among the dead,” an unnamed intelligence official said.
“We have received reports of a drone attack in North Waziristan
in which some seven militants have been killed,” an unnamed
security official said. Local intelligence officials said drones
were seen in the area before two missiles hit a house in Lawara
Mandi area, believed to be used by the TTP. Officials said
the missiles could have been fired by US drones, but declined
to confirm the origin of the strike.
A terrorist plot was foiled
by the Frontier Constabulary in Bar Qambar Khel Bara in the
Khyber Agency. During the operation, two terrorists, Shahid
and Abdul Raziq, who were planning a major terrorist attack
based on foreign directives, were arrested, the ISPR revealed.
A large quantity of explosives was also recovered from the terrorists.
Five terrorists were killed
during an intelligence-based operation in the Gawak area of
Mand in Kech District in Balochistan. Two FC officials were
also injured in the operation. Deputy Commissioner Kech Sirmad
Ali Khan claimed they were involved in a series of terrorist
activities in the area.
April 28
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a senior Afghan
Taliban leader, Maulvi Daud, near Shamshato refugees’ camp near
Peshawar, provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The gunmen
sprayed bullets at the car of Maulvi Daud – a former Taliban
governor for Kabul. Daud’s driver was also killed in the attack.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. There are
speculations of the Islamic State (IS) involvement in the incident,
as both the Taliban and IS supporters had been involved in fighting
in parts of Afghanistan.
April 30
A suspected militant, Habibullah,
was killed in an exchange of fire with Security Forces in Pasni
town of Balochistan. According to Levies officials, security
personnel launched a search operation in the Kolanch area after
receiving information about the presence of militants there.
‘Heavy exchange of fire took place in the area, resulting in
the killing of an armed militant,’ they claimed.
SFs recovered an enormous store
of arms from a car in Kot Pindi Das in Sheikhupura city. The
Motorway Police recovered approximately a hundred rifles, Kalashnikov
rifles, pistols, and a huge cache of bullets from a car, two
suspects have been arrested. According to Motorway Police, the
accused were transporting the arms and ammunition from Islamabad
to Lahore.
May 1
Successfully foiling attacks
on two check posts of Army from across the border, SFs killed
three terrorists and injured several others in South Waziristan
Agency of FATA. ISPR said Army troops valiantly repulsed the
attack, killing three 'terrorists' and injuring a number of
others in an "intense exchange of fire".
The Motorway Police recovered
a cache of arms and ammunition near Pindi Das area in Sheikhupura
District of Punjab. The Police said the arms were recovered
near Pindi Das area from a car but no arrest was made as the
two men travelling in the vehicle managed to flee. Around 100
rifles, Kalashnikovs and guns were recovered beside huge cache
of cartridges, the Police said, adding that the arms were recovered
from hidden parts of the vehicle. The Police said the arms were
being brought to Lahore from Islamabad and were supposed to
be used in acts of terrorism.
The Sindh Police’s CTD has decided
to execute a comprehensive plan that its team had prepared for
deradicalisation of militants from this month. A core team comprising
forensic psychiatrist and psychologist, facilitator or mediator,
religious scholar and a CTD official has already been established
for this purpose, sources said. A few young suspected militants,
who are in custody for indulging in ‘minor’ activities, were
selected for a pilot project in the first phase of the deradicalisation
plan, said Sindh CTD chief Additional Inspector General of Police
Dr Sanaullah Abbasi. He said a number of sessions with those
youngsters would be held possibly at the CTD office in Garden
police headquarters and if need be, such sessions might be held
at their residences.
May 2
Two soldiers were killed in
a militant attack on a security check post in the Maidan area
of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency of FATA in the evening. Official
sources said that a group of unidentified militants attacked
a check post killing two troops. They said that the attackers
managed to flee after the incident taking cover of the darkness.
At least three FC personnel
were injured as a bomb went off during a search operation in
Kech area of same District in Balochistan. The injured were
rushed to a nearby hospital where they were stated to be in
a stable condition.
An IED explosion was reported
from Dera Bugti District. No casualty was reported from that
incident.
May 3
Four "hardcore terrorists"
of TTP tried by the military courts were hanged. The four were
said to be involved in "committing heinous offences related
to terrorism, including killing of innocent civilians, attacking
armed forces of Pakistan and LEAs," an ISPR statement said.
May 4
A 62-year-old Ahmadi man, identified
as Basharat Ahmad, was shot dead in a suspected sectarian attack
in Saddar area of Rahim Yar Khan District in Punjab in the night.
Basharat Ahmad was on his way to his house in Green Town from
a petrol pump situated in Zahir Pir Road when unidentified assailants
intercepted him and opened fire on him. The reason behind the
murder is yet to be ascertained. However, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya
spokesperson Saleemuddin claimed Ahmad was targeted because
of his religious beliefs. “Ahmad had no enmity and was gunned
down because of the hate campaign against Ahmadis,” the spokesperson
said.
Three ‘hardcore terrorists’
sentenced by military courts were executed in Kohat jail of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said a statement released by the ISPR. The
executed terrorists belonged to TTP. Their names were Hassan
Dar, Umar Zada and Hazrat Ali. They were involved in attacking
the Security Forces and civilians.
May 5
At least 12 persons — 10 civilians
and one sepoy each from the Pakistan Army and the FC — lost
their lives and around 40 others were injured in firing and
shelling after Afghan forces attacked FC personnel guarding
the staff conducting census in Kali Luqman and Kali Jahangir
areas of Chaman tehsil in Qilla Abdullah District of
Balochistan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press
release tweeted by its Director General (DG) Major General Asif
stated, “Afghan border police opened fire on FC troops detailed
for security of census in a village along Chaman border… Since
30th April, Afghan Border Police had been creating hurdles in
conduct of census in divided villages of Killi Luqman and Killi
Jahangir in Charnan area on Pakistani side of the border. This
was done despite the fact that Afghan authorities had been informed
well in advance and coordination was carried out through diplomatic
and military channels for conduct of census."
May 7
The Army said it had killed
more than 50 Afghan soldiers in a clash on the Chaman border
crossing in Qilla Abdullah District of Balochistan on May 5.
The skirmish took place on May 5 at the Chaman border that divides
the Balochistan province and Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar,
as officials were carrying out a census in the area. At least
12 persons — 10 civilians and one sepoy each from the Pakistan
Army and the FC — lost their lives and around 40 others were
injured in firing and shelling by Afghan forces in Kali Luqman
and Kali Jahangir areas. "We are not pleased to tell you
that five Afghan check posts were completely destroyed -- more
than 50 of their soldiers were killed and over 100 were wounded,"
FC Major General Nadeem Ahmed said. "We are not happy for
their losses but we were forced to retaliate," he said.
Afghanistan quickly denied the claim. "Very false claims
by a Pakistani Frontier Corps that as many as 50 Afghan soldiers
lost their lives in Pak (Pakistan) retaliation; totally rejected,"
tweeted Sediq Sediqqi, a Afghan Government spokesman.
Three CTD officials sustain
injuries when an IED exploded at Khattak Pull area of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of KP. According to reports, the CTD
officials were targeted when they were returning after defusing
an IED found outside a girls primary school in Urmarh area.
Police said the blast damaged the vehicle and the injured were
moved to Lady Reading Hospital for treatment where they were
stated to be in stable condition.
May 8
The chief of the Iranian Army Major General
Mohammad Baqeri warned Islamabad that Tehran would hit bases
inside Pakistan if the Government does not confront militants
who carry out cross-border attacks. Ten Iranian border guards
were killed by militants on April 26. Iran said Jaish-al-Adl,
a militant group, had shot the guards with long-range guns,
fired from inside Pakistan. The border area has long been plagued
by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs and separatist militants.
"We cannot accept the continuation of this situation," Major
General Mohammad Baqeri said. "We expect the Pakistani officials
to control the borders, arrest the terrorists and shut down
their bases. If the terrorist attacks continue, we will hit
their safe havens and cells, wherever they are," he said.
May 9
Four TTP terrorists, who were tried by Military
Courts, have been executed in Rawalpindi. According to a statement
issued by the ISPR, the convicted terrorists, named Qaisar Khan,
Mohammed Umar, Qari Zubair, Aziz Khan were members of the TTP
and were involved in attacks on security personnel, mosques
and the general public. They were also involved in the destruction
of satellite systems.
SFs recovered anti-tank mines, suicide jackets,
IEDs and explosive cylinder during intelligence-based operations
conducted in the Khyber and South Waziristan agencies of FATA.
According to an ISPR statement, these operations were conducted
under the ongoing Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
SFs conducted joint operations in Lahore, Attock,
Islamabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Sheikhupura, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim
Yar Khan and Rajanpur cities of Punjab and recovered arms and
ammunition from several suspected persons.
May 10
LEAs claimed to have arrested three alleged
terrorists at Taaja Shaakh (water channel), in the limits of
Dadupur Police Station of Ghari Khairo tehsil of Jacobabad
District in Sindh. LEAs recovered 3 kilograms explosive substance
from their possession According to SSP Jacobabad ,Sarfraz Nawaz
Shaikh, Dadupur Police and law enforcers cordoned off the area
and succeeded in arresting three alleged terrorists, later,
identified as Nawabuddin son of Meer Muhammad aka Sher Muhammad
Sandrani, resident of Baluchistan province, Balach Khan by caste
Banglani, resident of Thull town of Jacobabad, Karim Dino son
of Waris Dino Banglani, resident of Thull town of Jacobabad
and seized 3kg explosive substance from their possession, SSP
claimed.
May 12
At least 27 people were killed and 40 others,
including Senate Deputy Chairman Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri,
suffered injuries in a suicide attack on his convoy in the Mastung
town of same District in Balochistan. Maulana Haideri is also
General Secretary of the JuI-F. The target of the attack was
Maulana Haideri - who hails from Kalat - as motorcycle bourne
suicide bomber rammed the motorcycle into the vehicle in which
the Maulana was travelling on the Quetta-Karachi National Highway.
Maulana Haideri had just left a seminary after attending a graduation
ceremony and offering Friday prayers. A witness said the blast
took place when Maulana Haideri was moving to the place where
lunch was to be served to the guests of the graduation ceremony.
The bulletproof vehicle of Maulana Haideri was
severely damaged in the explosion. The deceased included Maulana
Hafiz Qudratullah, Naib emir of Quetta district chapter of the
JUI-F Iftikhar Mughal, director staff of the Senate Maulana
Haideri's driver, Abdul Waheed, an official of the Anti-Terrorism
Force and seven volunteers of the JUI-F who were escorting Maulana
Haideri as guards. The victims included Mohammad Adil, Mohammad
Imran, Abdul Ghaffar, Zahoor Ahmed and Abdul Karim. Several
bodies have not been identified. A young girl, a child and a
Mastung-based journalist, Abdul Hanan, were among the wounded.
Daesh (the Islamist State, formerly Islamic
State of Iraq and al Sham) claimed responsibility for the attack
through a statement posted on the website of its propaganda
agency Amaq.
Two FCB soldiers were injured in cross-border
firing in Kurram Agency of FATA from Khost province of Afghanistan.
The attack took place as FCB personnel were undertaking construction
of a wall along the border on the Pakistani side, the sources
said, adding that they returned fire across the border.
SFs foiled a major terror bid near the Pak-Afghan
border in Kurram Agency. According to Assistant Political Agent
Shahid Ali Khan, SFs fired at an explosive-laden vehicle entering
Pakistan from the Paktia province of Afghanistan as they suspected
it to be a potential threat. The shots fired at the vehicle
detonated the explosives in the van, which, according to Khan,
was to be used in a major terror plot in Parachinar.
May 13
At least 10 labourers were killed and two others
injured when motorcycle bourne unidentified assailants opened
fire at the construction site in Pishgan area Gwadar town in
Balochistan. "All the labourers were shot at close range," said
Senior Levies Official Muhammad Zareef. The slain labourers
belonged to Naushahro Feroze District of Sindh. BLA claimed
responsibility of attack.
May 14
The CTD of Punjab claimed to have killed four
terrorists of a banned outfit in Jahanian area of Khanewal District.
According to CTD, terrorist Usman Basra and Abdul Rehman were
hiding in a house along with their associates when the cops
launched action. Four terrorists including Usman Basra and Abdul
Rehman were killed in the gunfight with CTD personnel. The CTD
officials recovered 10 kilograms of explosives, hand grenades
and other weapons from the site of shootout.
A political secretary and his security guard
were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Walicheena area
of Kurram Agency in FATA. The secretary, Sarfraz Hussain and
his guard were travelling in a vehicle in Walicheena area when
the suspects opened fire and killed them on the spot.
PM Nawaz Sharif said the CPEC under the OBOR
could be regarded as a 'powerful tool for overcoming terrorism
and extremism', and called for building a peaceful, connected
and caring neighbourhood by shunning mutual differences. OBOR
initiative was open to all countries in the region and that
the project 'must not be politicized'. "Let me make it very
clear that CPEC is an economic undertaking open to all countries
in the region. It has no geographical boundaries. It must not
be politicised," the prime minister said in his address to the
plenary session of High-level Dialogue on BRF, themed 'Cooperation
for Common Prosperity', being held in Beijing.
Protests broke out in Gilgit-Baltistan of PoK
against the ongoing construction of the CPEC project under the
Belt and Road initiative OBOR. China opened one of its biggest
foreign policy initiatives since 1949 - the OBOR summit in Beijing,
which is being attended by heads of state and government of
over 23 nations, including Pakistan. Various students and political
organisations including Karakoram Students Organisation, Balawaristan
National Students Organisation, Gilgit Baltistan United Movement
and Balawaristan National Front have been protesting against
OBOR in Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu and Ghizer. They described the
project as an illegal attempt to grab Gilgit and see it as a
"Road of Gulami or Slavery for Gilgit-Baltistan". Carrying placards
and banners stating "Stop Chinese Imperialism" protestors have
been calling on the world community to stop the Chinese transgression
on Gilgit's soil which remains disputed since 1948-49.
The Pakistan Ministry of Interior during a judicial
review on May 14 said that the Mumbai terror attack mastermind
and JuD, the frontal organisation of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed and
his four aides were under house arrest for "spreading terrorism
in the name of jihad". Saeed appeared before the board and told
it that he had been detained by the Pakistani government in
order to stop him for raising voice for Kashmiris. However,
the Interior Ministry rejected his arguments and told the three-member
board that Saeed and his four aides have been detained for "spreading
terrorism in the name of jihad". The board comprising Justice
Ejaz Afzal Khan of the Supreme Court (head), Justice Ayesha
A Malik of Lahore High Court and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail
of Balochistan High Court directed the Ministry to submit a
complete record regarding detention of Saeed and his aides -
Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid, Abdullah Ubaid and Qazi Kashif
Niaz on next hearing on May 15. The board also sought personal
appearance of the Attorney General of Pakistan on next hearing.
May 15
At least four FC personnel were
injured when their vehicle hit an IED in Splingi area of Mastung
District in Balochistan. No one claimed the responsibility for
the attack.
May 17
Four TTP terrorists, tried by
military courts, were executed at a jail in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
the ISPR said. According to ISPR, the terrorists sent to gallows
were involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism,
including killing of innocent civilians, destruction of communication/electricity
infrastructure, destruction of educational institutions, attacking
Armed Forces of Pakistan and Law Enforcement Agencies.
A report of an Islamabad-based
security think tank CRSS shows that Sindh is the only province
of the country where fatalities from violence have suddenly
increased during the first quarter of this year. The quarterly
report issued by the CRSS, however, states that the other provinces
show a decline in violence-related casualties, when compared
to data from last year’s corresponding period. During the first
three months of the current year, there were 1,129 reported
casualties – 594 dead and 535 wounded – across Pakistan. Regionally,
Sindh is the most violent region, followed by FATA, Punjab and
Balochistan. Sindh is the only province to witness a rise in
violence-related casualties. Unlike in the past, Karachi is
not the principal factor in the rise in the rate of homicides,
Muhammad Nafees, a Karachi-based security expert associated
with the CRSS, told The News.
While ongoing military operations
against proscribed militant outfits, such as the TTP and the
LeJ, have forced terrorists to go into hiding, the Islamic State
(or Daesh) has shown its presence in Sindh and Balochistan by
claiming major suicide attacks on two Sufi shrines, adds the
CRSS report.
May 18
The COAS General Qamar Javed
Bajwa made a subtle distinction between terrorism and extremism,
saying the military could only defeat terrorists but extremism
is something civil society is better equipped to deal with.
He was speaking at a seminar in Islamabad, titled "Role
of Youth in Rejecting Extremism", attended by students,
Army personnel as well as dignitaries from the world of academia.
General Bajwa said extremism is the foremost factor driving
terrorism, adding that though the former is a term "relative
to our perception of what is normal," it has a lot to do
with the environment in which people live. "From that perspective,"
he added, "We must admit that Pakistani youth is being
exploited due to the poor governance [of the country] and lack
of justice in society."
May 19
Unidentified militants shot
dead three labourers and injured another in Hoshab town of Turbat
District in Balochistan. They were making a trip to a marketplace
in Hoshab to buy daily supplies when suspected militants shot
at them and fled, said Frontier Corps official. The slain labourers
were part of a team working in coastal Makran division on a
major highway linking the port-city of Gwadar to the provincial
capital of Quetta, said Sarmad Saleem, a regional official.
As part of the ongoing reconciliation
process, 26 militants belonging to various militant groups surrendered
their weapons to authorities in Khuzdar District of Balochistan.
The militants surrendered at a ceremony organised at the Kalat
Scouts campus in Khuzdar.
At least 14 people including
seven children and women sustained injuries in five different
hand grenade attacks in Shabqadar tehsil of Charsadda District
in KP. According to Police, the hand grenades were hurled at
different places including a private school in Zareef Kore.
A schoolboy and watchman of the school sustained injuries in
the attack on private school, police said. Three houses were
targeted in Meero area. 11 people were wounded when unidentified
miscreants threw hand grenade at a house in Mosul Kore area.
A car was completely destroyed
in three explosions outside a trader’s house in Ghani Rehman
Karlay area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. However,
no casualty was reported in the explosions.
PAF fighter jets pounded several
militant hideouts in Rajgal area of Khyber Agency in FATA. According
to security sources, PAF F-16 aircraft carried out an airstrike
in Rajgal area and destroyed three militant hideouts. The sources
further said that suspected terrorists are likely to have been
killed in the bombing.
A curfew has been imposed in
Mohmand Agency after information was received that six suicide
bombers had entered the Agency. The curfew was imposed as a
preventative measure, Political administration official said,
adding that the agency has been at security risk for quite some
time now. Law enforcement personnel said they had been instructed
to shoot if they saw anything suspicious. Educational institutions,
offices and market places were closed down after the curfew
was imposed and a blanket ban was placed on any social activity.
The CTD of Sindh with the collaboration
of intelligence agency arrested one BLA cadre, involved in blew
up of SSGC pipeline, from in Lyari Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. An explosion had damaged the Sui gas pipeline
near Madinatul Hikmat area of Manghopir on May 17 causing damage
to the 16-inch diameter gas pipeline. Though no loss of life
was reported from the explosion but due to the incident, gas
supply to Manghopir, Banaras, and nearby areas was disrupted.
May 20
Four Police personnel, including
a SHO, were gunned down in the Lachi tehsil of Kohat District.
DSP Lachi Raza Khan told that unknown assailants targeted a
police mobile which was on routine patrol. "The assailants
ambushed the mobile, killing four Policemen on-board, including
SHO Khanullah and additional SHO Tahir Mehmood," said the
DSP.
CTD arrested a TTP ‘commander’
in Mundan village in Bannu District. Mansoorullah Ali alias
Qiyaz is believed to be the mastermind behind attack on Mundan
Police Station in Bannu on February 7, 2017. Police said the
TTP ‘commander’ was found in possession of explosives, grenades
and material used for making bombs.
Police and law enforcement agencies
recovered 400 kilogrammes of military-grade explosives during
a joint raid at a house of one Hunzala in Shamshato Refugee
Camp, an area falling within the jurisdiction of Mattani Police
Station in Peshawar.
May 21
Four assailants, riding on two
Bikes, opened fire on a Police van left two Policemen killed
and one critically injured near Doraji in the jurisdiction of
New Town Police Station in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. East zone SSP Faisal Abdullah said unidentified assailants
fired at New Town Police Station’s mobile van during routine
patrolling, injuring three police personnel. ASI Iftikhar and
Head Constable Raja Younus later succumbed to injuries at hospital.
The SSP Faisal Abdullah added that 30-bore and 9-mm pistols
were used in the incident.
Mortar shells fired by the Iranian
border forces landed and exploded in a border village of Pakistan
in Chagai District of Balochistan. However, no casualty or damage
to property was reported as no house was hit by the shells.
“Five mortar shells fired from Iranian side early in the morning
landed in Talap village,” Taftan Assistant Commissioner Zafar
Kubdani said.
May 22
Five people, including one levies
personnel, were killed in a remote-controlled bomb blast in
Akakhel area of Tirah valley in FATA. Those killed in the blast
included, head of the peace committee, Zarwali Khan and committee
members Noor Khan, Hameed Khan and Amir Nawaz were amongst those
killed in the bombing. Abdul Manan, a levies officer was also
killed in the incident.
May 24
The US drone attack killed three
militants, including a key TTP commander, Abdullah Kashmiri,
in an unspecified place close to Afghanistan border North Waziristan
Agency of FATA.
One militant killed and two
SFs personnel sustained injures in an exchange of firing in
Kalat town of same District in Balochistan. Sources said the
SFs raided a hideout in Kalat where the suspected terrorists
opened fire at the raiding party, leaving two SF personnel injured.
The SFs retaliated and gunned down one of the militant.
A Chinese couple was kidnapped
from the Jinnah Town area of Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan, in the afternoon. According to Police, unknown
abductors had forced the two foreigners into a vehicle at gunpoint
and driven away. “A Chinese couple was kidnapped from the neighbourhood
of Jinnah town in Quetta today. The couple was running a Chinese
language centre,” Acting Deputy Inspector General Police Aitzaz
Goraya said.
One TTP leader, Saeed Ahmed
Badani, describe as the "mastermind" behind three
major attacks in Balochistan was arrested from an unidentified
location of Quetta. The arrested militant, Saeed Ahmed Badani,
was among the planners of three attacks in 2016 that killed
more than 180 people, the Provincial Government spokesman, Anwar
ul Haq Kakar, said. "He was involved with a team in all
the attacks, but I can describe him as a mastermind, because
he was the lynchpin in providing targets and facilitating suicide
bombers," Kakar added.
The two TTP terrorists in involved
in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism, including
the attack on Army Public School Peshawar, were sent to gallows.
According to ISPR, the terrorist, Atta Ullah and Taj Muhammad,
tried by Military Courts were executed.
A major terrorism bid was foiled
as Pakistan Rangers Sindh arrested six suspected militants from
Scout Colony area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
The CTD conducted an operation
near general bus stand in Gujranwala town of same District in
Punjab and arrested a suspected terrorist allegedly belonging
to the Islamic State. The CTD spokesperson informed media that
explosive material, detonators and other ammunition was also
seized from the arrested suspect. He further said that the suspect
was planning to target sensitive installations in Gujranwala.
May 25
The Peshawar High Court stayed
the execution of former spokesman of the Swat chapter of TTP,
Muslim Khan, who was sentenced to death last year by a military
court on multiple charges of terrorism. The PHC bench comprising
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ijaz Anwer issued the
order after a preliminary hearing of a petition filed by Nida
Bibi, wife of Khan, challenging the conviction of her husband
by the military court. The bench issued notices to the Ministries
of Defence and Interior directing them to submit the record
of the case and fixed June 1 for the next hearing. Advocate
Tariq Asad, representing the petitioner, put forward different
objections to the trial of Khan under the Army Act. He said
that Khan was taken into custody by SFs in September 2009 after
which nothing was known about him. Finally, his family came
to know about his conviction through newspapers in December
2016. The counsel said that the family had not been provided
record of the trial proceedings and it was not known under what
charges Khan had been convicted. They submitted an application
to the military court of appeal seeking details of the trial
proceedings, but no reply was given to them. He said that Khan
was not provided a counsel of his own choice and was denied
fair trial as provided under article 10-A of the Constitution.
Pakistan has cut direct and
indirect losses to its economy on account of terrorism by slightly
above 40 per cent to USD 3.9 billion (PKR 407.21 billion) in
the first nine months of this fiscal year. Economic Survey 2016-17
attributes this to an improving security condition in the wake
of ongoing military-led counterterrorism operations in the nation’s
tribal regions and elsewhere. The latest survey, which has recorded
the losses to the national economy under the chapter ‘Impact
of War in Afghanistan and Ensuing Terrorism on Pakistan’s Economy’,
shows that the losses to the economy are steadily decreasing
since FY12 when they hit a peak of USD 23.77bn the year before.
Last year, the economic losses due to deterioration in the security
conditions on account of terrorism went down by about 30pc to
USD 6.49 billion from USD 9.24 billion a year earlier. The cumulative
losses to the economy on account of terrorism in the country
since it joined the global ‘war on terror’ in the aftermath
of terrorist attacks on the American soil in September 2001
have been estimated by the Government at USD 123.13 billion.
May 27
A mortar shell fired from Iranian
side of the border in Balochistan killed a civilian, identified
as Khuda-e-Rahim, in Panjgur area in the morning. The mortar
shell landed on a vehicle in Panjgur, killing the man and caused
extensive damage nearby, District Commissioner Abdul Jabbar
has confirmed.
FC raided hideouts of a banned
outfit and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition in Arjun
Nala and Darenjan Nala areas of Dera Bugti District. The recovered
weapons included RPG launcher with five RPG-7 rounds, four mortar
shells, two land mines, four grenades, 170 pressure buttons
and other equipment that was stashed for subversive activities.
Religious scholars from all
schools of thought issued a fatwa (religious decree) that declared
suicide attacks, armed insurgency against a state and use of
force in the name of imposing Shariah as ‘Haram’ or forbidden
in Islam. The fatwa carrying signatures of 31 noted scholars
was released at a seminar “'Reconstruction of Pakistani society
in the light of 'Mithaq-e-Madina' (Charter of Madina) and announcement
of 'Paigham-e-Pakistan' (Message of Pakistan). The event was
organised by the Islamic Research Institute of the International
Islamic University Islamabad. The unanimous declaration was
presented by Professor Masoom Yasinzai while Mufti Rafi Usmani
read out the fatwa. The religious edict condemned terrorism
and extremism and declared suicide attackers and their supporters
as traitors. It also declared Jihad a jurisdiction of Islamic
state and disallowed use of force in name of enforcement of
Islamic laws.
May 28
The Counter-Terrorism Department
claimed to have killed a wanted gangster in an encounter near
Naurus Chowangi area of Site area in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. The killed gangster, identified as Mohammed
Sohail alias DC, was allegedly involved in targeted killings
of at least 10 people including a local reporter, minority members,
Police and workers of MQM, said CTD Senior SSP Omer Shahid Hamid.
The deceased was associated with Lyari’s gangsters, Wasiullah
Lakho and Taj Mohammed alias Taju. He had fled to Dubai in order
to avoid being arrested, revealed the SSP Omer Shahid.
At least four persons were injured
in a blast after their vehicle ran over an IED along the LoC
in Khilana area of Chakothi sector in Jhelum Valley District
of PoK. The public transport vehicle was passing through Khilana
area to drop passengers from Rawalpindi when the IED went off
at about 9:30pm, according to Deputy Commissioner Jhelum Valley
Abdul Hamid Kiani. The injured persons were identified as driver
Iram Abbas (a resident of Muzaffarabad), Mukhtiar Ahmed, Changaz
Latif and Rehmat Hussain (residents of Khilana area).
More than 5,700 people, including
paramilitary force officials, have lost their lives in FATA
in terrorist attacks during the last six years, Ministry of
States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) figure revealed. The SAFRON
revealed this figure during the recently-concluded 42nd session
of the National Assembly in a written response to a query by
lawmaker Abdul Qahar Khan Wadan of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami
Party. According to surveys conducted by the Ministry to assess
losses sustained as a result of the ongoing war on terrorism,
5,740 people have been killed in the last six years and an estimated
80,000 houses damaged of which the Government had validated
22,471 for compensation. 50,000 killed, USD 80 billion loss
incurred in war on terror, NA told. The Ministry informed lawmakers
that 234 levies, 174 khasadars and 5332 civilians were killed
in terrorist attacks in FATA and 6,427 others injured. The SAFRON
Ministry further added that PKR 3.04 billion had been spent
under the PKR 3.56 billion Shuhada package which the Government
had earmarked.
May 29
Four members of a defunct pro-government
peace militia were killed and another was injured in a targeted
attack in Mattani Bazaar in the outskirts of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Irshad, Imtiaz, Waheed and Muhammad
Ali – all former volunteers of the defunct Adezai Aman Lashkar
– were killed when gunmen ambushed the vehicle they were travelling
in,” SP (Rural), Shaukat Khan said. The injured was identified
by him as Mohsin.
DSP Umer Ur Rehman was killed
and another Police officer injured following a firing incident
in Quetta's Huddah area. The injured sub-inspector, identified
as Bilal Shams, was the nephew of the deceased DSP. There was
no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
May 30
A relative and former secretary
of Afghanistan’s former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar,
Haji Fareed, was shot dead in Tajabad area of Pishtakhara in
Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. Police said unidentified
attackers opened fire on Haji Fareed while he was coming out
of a mosque. As a result, Fareed died on the spot. Haji Fareed
had served as secretary of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. He had recently
returned from Afghanistan. Hailing from Kunduz, Fareed was based
in Peshawar for the past decade with his family.
Around 41 banned outfits of
Pakistan operate openly on Facebook. Activity of 41 sectarian,
terrorist, anti-state organisations is accessible to every user
on the social network. They exist in plain sight, just one search
and one click away from any of Pakistan’s 25 million Facebook
users. An investigation carried out by Dawn across the
month of April 2017 has revealed that 41 of Pakistan’s 64 banned
outfits are present on Facebook in the form of hundreds of pages,
groups and individual user profiles. Their network both interconnected
and public, is a mix of Sunni and Shia sectarian or terror outfits,
global terror organisations operating in Pakistan, and separatists
in Balochistan and Sindh.
June 2
11 Chinese nationals living
in the Jinnah Town of the Quetta city have been shifted to Karachi
for their departure to China. This follows the abduction of
two Chinese nationals from the same locality on May 24 the duo’s
fate remains unknown.
Banned outfits allegedly supporting
those who’re fighting in Afghanistan and other regions, have
once again started collecting donations in areas across the
country. According to a BBC Urdu report, banned organisations
have circulated videos and brochures, asking people to help
the mujahidin. One of the videos, which have apparently been
shot in a mosque of a far flung area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,
invites people for jihad and helping Afghan fighters. Similarly,
a letter circulating on social media appeals the people to help
the Taliban in Afghanistan. The letter is addressed to a mosque
in Zhob District, Balochistan, appealing for donations on Friday
for mujahidin. According to the imam of the mosque, contributions
are collected to help the mujahidin.
June 3
SFs killed at least 12 suspected
IS militants after three days of search operation to recover
abducted Chinese nationals in Mastung District of Balochistan.
“Some 12-13 IS commanders have been killed after intense gun-battles
and the area was cleared late Saturday,” a senior security official
said, but added that the Chinese pair were not recovered from
the scene despite the presence of the vehicle used in their
kidnapping nearby. The Chinese couple was abducted from the
Jinnah Town area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan,
in the afternoon of May 24.
June 4
A man and his younger sister
belonging to the Shia Hazara community were shot dead in the
Spiny Road area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
The siblings, identified as Shakeel Ahmed and Hawa Bibi, were
going to Marriabad from Hazara Town on a motorbike when they
came under fire near Killi Tirkha. They suffered serious injuries
and died while being taken to the hospital by the Police.
SFs recovered a cache of weapons
from an alleged terrorist hideout in Sken Nullah Darango area
of Kohlu District. According to a statement issued by ISPR,
an IBO was conducted in Sken Nullah Darango, on the alleged
hideouts of BLA. “A large cache of weapons, ammunition, and
explosives including guns, rocket launchers, anti-personal mines,
detonators and communication equipment recovered from the hideout,”
read the ISPR statement.
The JuA faction of TTP expelled
four commanders for ‘acting against Shariah and violating group’s
rules and regulations, the group’s spokesman Asad Mansoor said.
The spokesman informed all militant groups in a statement emailed
to the media that the JuA will not be responsible for any act
of the sacked members as they are no more associated with the
outfit. The sacked commanders were identified as Maulana Salahuddin,
Maulana Waqas, Qazi Saqib and Mehdi. Maulana Salahuddin was
a senior commander and in-charge of the JuA’s financial affairs.
He was former member of the TTP ‘shura’. Mehdi was a senior
commander and had many followers among the militants. He also
served as head of the Finance Department. He once headed activities
in the cities. Qazi Saqib, a renowned religious scholar, has
served as Chief Justice of JuA. Maulana Waqas is a religious
scholar and a teacher. All four belong to Mohmand Agency of
FATA and now live in Afghanistan.
June 5
Six kidnapped Pakistani workers
for a Polish oil and gas company have been freed, a local official
said, more than six months after they were abducted. The workers
were kidnapped on November 26, 2016, on a road near the village
of Drazinda, some 80km (50 miles) from Dera Ismail Khan while
carrying out exploration work for oil and gas surveyor Geofizyka
Krakow. The company has been in liquidation since August 2016,
and a spokesperson for its parent company, PGNIG, said at the
time the six were kidnapped that they were “sub-contractors”.
The Sindh Government announced
a 10 per cent increase in the budget for security with a plan
to recruit 10,000 more Policemen in the next financial year
to “improve police-to-citizens ratio, especially in Karachi”.
“When hate rhetoric permeates our worshipping places, our educational
institutions and media outlets, we are faced with a clear and
present danger at our doorsteps,” said CM Syed Murad Ali Shah
while delivering his budget speech in the Sindh Assembly. The
CM said the budgetary allocation for security in the financial
year 2017-18 was proposed at PKR 92.91 billion, reflecting an
increase of 10pc over the allocation of PKR 84.26bn during the
outgoing fiscal year. It is proposed that 10,000 new posts of
different ranks will be created in Sindh police and PKR two
billion will be spent on purchasing vehicles for the law enforcement
agency. “Forensic laboratory at an estimated cost of PKR 2.6
billion is being constructed to provide Sindh police state-of-the-art
centre to investigate and solve complex crimes,” CM Shah said,
referring to key features of the budget proposal for the provincial
security apparatus.
June 6
A Pentagon report released singled
out Pakistan as a possible location for a future Chinese military
base, as it forecast that Beijing would likely build more bases
overseas after establishing a facility in the African nation
of Djibouti. The prediction came in a 97-page annual report
to Congress that saw advances throughout the Chinese military
in 2016, funded by robust defense spending that the Pentagon
estimated exceeded USD 180 billion. That is higher than China’s
official defense budget figure of USD 140.4 billion. Chinese
leaders, the US report said, appeared committed to defense spending
hikes for the “foreseeable future,” even as economic growth
slows.
June 8
IS claimed of killing two Chinese
nationals who were abducted on May 24 in Balochistan. The claim,
by the IS news agency Amaq, came hours after the Pakistani Army
announced it had carried out a successful operation against
IS-affiliated militants in the same region. “Islamic State fighters
killed two Chinese people they had been holding in Baluchistan
province, south-west Pakistan,” Amaq said. The Chinese couples
were studying Urdu in Quetta, where they reportedly also ran
a Mandarin language course. They were kidnapped in late May
by men wearing police uniforms.
India is promoting state-sponsored
terrorism in Afghanistan to sabotage Pak-Afghan bilateral relations,
the Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said. “Pakistan
and Afghanistan need to closely coordinate with each other for
overcoming the scourge of terrorism,” he remarked during the
weekly media briefing of the foreign office. The spokesperson
said Afghanistan has been in turmoil for over forty years, and
this situation has given space to terrorists. “Afghani people
have suffered a lot due to terrorism so have we,” he added.
The instable Afghanistan has affected Pakistan more than any
other country, Nafees Zakaria said adding that Pakistan believes
in Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process.
June 9
Police arrested four people,
including two Police personnel, for running a 'torture cell'
in which they held people after kidnapping them for ransom in
Rohri town of Sukkur District in Sindh. A special team led by
Sukkur DIG Feroze Shah arrested four suspects, including Police
officials Mohammad Jawed Khero and Naeem Ahmed, during a raid
in Rohri. However, the ringleader and in-charge of the 'torture
cell', former Sub-Inspector Ayaz Khero managed to flee during
the raid. Khero had been dismissed from the Police service over
allegations of corruption and extortion. The suspects used to
kidnap people in the guise of checking from Sukkur and other
areas and later locked them up in the torture cell.
Three SHOs were suspended after
a large number of people took to the streets and blocked a section
of the Hyderabad bypass for six hours in protest against the
killing of a villager in, what the Phulelli Police claimed,
was an ‘encounter’. Relatives of the victim, Wali Mohammad Chang
— a resident of Chang Goth located off Hala Naka Road — said
he was actually picked up by Police at around 11am on June 8
and the Police claimed to have killed him in the alleged encounter
at around 11pm. “He [Wali] was fasting ... he was going to buy
fruits when residents of the village saw Police picking him
up at around 11am,” his younger brother, Mairaj Chang, said
while speaking to journalists at the Liaquat University Hospital
(LUH), city branch.
June 11
Three Balochistan Constabulary
personnel were killed and one wounded in a gun attack on a checkpost
in the Chakki Shahwani area of Sariab road in Quetta, the provincial
capital of Balochistan. Balochistan Deputy Inspector General
Police Abdul Razzaq Cheema said four unidentified assailants
riding two motorcycles opened fire on a checkpost in the Chakki
Shahwani area. The slain personnel were identified as Ashiq
Ali, Mehboob Ali and Ghulam Mustafa.
Three SF personnel were injured
after an IED seemingly targeted their vehicle in the Johan area
of Kalat District. There was no immediate claim of responsibility
for the attack.
A senior journalist of a local
newspaper, identified as Baksheesh Allai, was shot dead by undefiled
assailants in the Haripur town of same District in KP. Baksheesh
Allai, the bureau chief of The K2 Times, was on his way
home when motorcyclists intercepted him on a main road and spread
him with bullets, successfully fleeing the scene in its aftermath.
June 12
A drone strike killed a commander
of Haqqani network and his partner in Speen Tal area of Hangu
District in KP. Haqqani network leader Abubakar and his partner
were killed when a drone fired two missiles at his house in
Speen Tal area in the night. The drone strike "completely
destroyed" the suspected militant's house, security sources
said. Local residents said the drone was strafing above the
area for a while, before it destroyed the targeted compound.
FC personnel killed two BLA
militants during an IBO operation in Quetta, the provincial
capital of Balochistan. The ISPR press release said the militants
were killed after they were tracked down by the FC personnel
and a gun battle ensued between the two parties.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar said that two Chinese nationals abducted from
Quetta on May 24 were involved in preaching instead of business
activities — their declared purpose for visiting. Lee Zing Yang
(24), and Meng Li Si (26), were abducted from Jinnah Town of
Quetta on May 24 and later murdered by the militant Islamic
State on June 8. After the briefing, the Interior Minister ordered
an initial review, followed by regulation and the streamlining
of the visa process to avoid the misuse of business visas by
foreign nationals.
June 13
Balochistan Home Minister Mir
Sarfaraz Bugti dispelled “the impression of the presence of
IS in Balochistan” and said that the crackdown against terrorist
is in full swing under Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad. During a press
conference at Madadgar Centre of FC, Bugti rejected the existence
of the IS in Balochistan, adding that the terror organisation
was making efforts to strengthen its base in the entire country,
but the Government and the military had expressed their strongest
resolve to block its entry into Balochistan.
June 14
SFs killed two BLA ‘commanders’,
identified as Nazar Mohammad alias Beerbak and Mohammad Jan
alias Chota, in an operation in the Leela area of the provincial
capital Quetta. The two BLA ‘commanders’ were said to be involved
in 17 bomb blasts and different incidents of target killing.
SFs claimed to have tracked down their links to training camps
in Afghanistan.
SFs claimed to have gunned down
an alleged terrorist in Quetta.
The Lahore Police have finalised
a four-tier security plan for Youm-e-Ali (AS). Under the plan,
more than 7,000 Security Force personnel would provide a security
cover to the main mourning procession. A number of CCTV cameras
have also been installed on sensitive points across the city,
while a police van equipped with latest technology will also
monitor police activity.
CoAS General Qamar Bajwa has
said that mainstreaming of the FATA is essential for enduring
peace and stability in the region. “Our focus now is to transform
our operational achievements in FATA into enduring peace and
stability for which early mainstreaming of FATA through reforms
is essential,” the CoAS was quoted as saying by the ISPR. “Pakistan
Army fully supports all efforts towards that end,” the CoAS
added.
June 15
At least three Police personnel
and one militant were during an ambush on the Police vehicle
in Chamkani area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, in the evening. The Police personnel were on a
routine patrol after iftar when three assailants riding a motorcycle
targeted the Police van, SP rural Furqan Bilal said. As a result
of the firing, constables Umer Hayat, Shahid and Intikhab Alam
laid down their lives while head constable Sheraz sustained
injuries. The Police party, which belonged to Waheedabad Police
Station, retaliated to the assailants' firing, shooting dead
one of the three militants. The other two militant managed to
flee the scene, SP Bilal added.
June 16
Pakistan Rangers Punjab foiled
a major terror bid in Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab, killing
two militants who were planning a terrorist activity on Youm-e-Ali
processions on June 17. According to ISPR statement, the Pakistan
Rangers Punjab launched intelligence based operation in Dera
Ghazi Khan as part of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad and during exchange
of fire two terrorists were killed.
June 18
A rocket hit the gate of the
residence of Sardar Akhtar Mengal, president of the BNP, in
his native town of Wadh in Khuzdar District of Balochistan.
Official sources said the rocket was fired in the early hours
from an unknown place, damaging the main gate of the house badly.
Sardar Attaullah Mengal and Sardar Akhtar Mengal were not in
the house when the attack took place. “The rocket landed and
exploded at the main gate of the house,” Abdullah Baloch, the
SHO of Wadh, said, adding that no casualty took place in the
explosion.
Iranian BSF fired several mortar
shells into Pakistani territory, at least one of which exploded
in the Prom area of Panjgur District. Official sources said
the shells were fired in the early hours of the day and landed
close to the border. The mortar shell that exploded in Prom
had landed in an uninhabited area, causing no casualty and loss
of property.
Two diplomats based in the Consulate
General of Pakistan in Jalalabad city of Afghanistan, went missing
while traveling to Pakistan by road, the FO confirmed. A press
release from FO Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria's office said Islamabad
is in constant contact with Afghan authorities, and the matter
of the diplomats' safety and recovery at the earliest has been
raised with the relevant officials. "Pakistan has requested
the Afghan government that all efforts may be made to ensure
early recovery of our officials and bring the perpetrators of
this heinous crime to justice," the FO statement said.
Pakistan is an ally on counterterrorism
issues and will be essential for bringing the Afghan Taliban
to the table for peace talks, said acting Assistant Secretary
of State for Political-Military Affairs Tina Kaidanow. “The
United States and Pakistan have a close partnership on regional
peace, security, prosperity and stability. And we continue to
work with the government of Pakistan on areas — many areas of
mutual interest, including counterterrorism,” adds the US State
Department’s spokesperson, Heather Nauert. A retired US general,
Douglas Lute, urges Washington to balance “our demands on Pakistan
(with) … our other interests in Pakistan”, adding that “we actually
have several interests in Pakistan (that)… surpass our interest
in dealing with the Afghan Taliban”.
June 19
Two Navy sailors were shot dead and three others
were wounded when their vehicle was ambushed by four assailants
on two motorbikes in the Jiwani area of Gwadar District in Balochistan.
The sailors were transporting iftar items during a routine run
from Jiwani town when their vehicle came under attack. There
has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) and the CTD of Punjab
Police claimed to have arrested 23 members of banned outfits
in joint operations in various areas of the Punjab. Officials
of the law enforcement agencies also recovered a huge quantity
of illegal weapons, ammunition and bulletproof jackets from
their possession. The suspects were allegedly involved in facilitating
terrorists. According to a news release, Pakistan Rangers (Punjab)
and CTD jointly carried out operations in tehsils Kharian and
Sarai Alamgir of Gujrat District. The agencies searched houses
in both tehsils and arrested 20 suspects said to be involved
in facilitating terrorists. They also recovered a huge cache
of arms, ammunition and bulletproof jackets. The suspects were
later shifted to undisclosed locations for interrogation. The
joint operations were part of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, which
was launched on February 22 after a string of terrorist attacks
across the country.
The CTD arrested three TTP cadres from Bahawalpur
whom they claimed were plotting an attack in the city on Eid.
They also recovered explosives and suicide jackets from their
possession. A CTD spokesman claimed that acting on a tip-off
that the TTP was planning to attack a sensitive installation
in Bahawalpur, a local CTD team conducted a raid at around 1:30pm
at a house near Quaid Colony and arrested three suspects belonging
to the TTP. Terrorists were identified as Gohar Ali, Muhammad
Yousaf and Zamurad Khan.
June 20
Two suspected terrorists were killed in an exchange
of fire with SFs when they attempted to raid a checkpost in
Dewana Baba Ziarat area of Tank District in KP. The ISPR press
release said the attack was successfully repelled when the Pakistani
forces engaged in retaliatory firing and killed the attackers,
the ISPR said.
An unmanned Iranian drone allegedly on a spying
mission was shot down by a PAF JF-17 Thunder fighter jet in
the Parom area of Panjgur District in Balochistan. The officials
said the unmanned aircraft was shot down by a JF-17 in the Parom
area after it ventured "deep inside Pakistani airspace" on a
spying mission. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they
were not authorised to speak to media. SFs took custody of the
debris after discovering the wreckage on Monday, but it is still
unclear when the drone was shot down.
The Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), along with the
CTD of Police and intelligence agencies, arrested seven suspects
from the Mandi Bahauddin and Nilore areas of Islamabad. The
ISPR press release said the raids were part of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
The process of phased fencing on the Pak-Afghan
border has been commenced on the directions of Chief of Army
Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, an ISPR statement said. In
phase 1, high infiltration prone border areas in Bajaur, Mohmand
and Khyber agencies of FATA are being fenced, the statement
added. In phase 2, fencing of remaining border areas, including
Balochistan will be executed. Besides fencing, Pakistan Army
and Frontier Crops are constructing new forts/border posts to
improve surveillance and defensibility.
June 21
SFs recovered cache of arms and ammunition from
Maidankai village of South Waziristan Agency and Zarkai village
of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. According to the statement
issued by ISPR, the recovered arms and ammunition include LMGs,12.7,
RPG7s, SMGs, grenades, Rifles, pistols, explosive boxes, Anti-Personal
mines daggers and various calibre ammunition including rockets
of RPG-7, 14.5 mm rounds, ammunition boxes of 12.7, 12 bore
rifle rounds, HMG and SMG ammunition.
SFs recovered cache of weapons and ammunition
in Akka Khel, Guli Khel and Ghaibi Nokia area of the Khyber
Agency. The SMGs, prepared IEDs and fuses were recovered during
the raid.
The CTD of Sindh Police prepared a consolidated
list of websites, web pages and social media accounts spreading
extremism and terrorism. The CTD has written a letter to the
PTA, FIA and other authorities for closing/banning of such websites,
web pages and social media accounts to foil the designs of banned
militant organisations. "We have identified 25 such websites,
which were involved in spreading religious and ethnic extremism
and terrorism," said CTD chief AIG Dr Sanaullah Abbasi. He said
the CTD had sent a list of 25 sites with the recommendation
that they should be banned by the PTA. These sites were linked
with banned organisations or promoting radical thought, he added.
June 22
SF arrested five facilitators of terrorists
during a joint search operation in areas along river in Mandi
Bahauddin area of Rawalpindi in Punjab. ISPR statement said
that automatic weapons and explosives were also recovered from
the arrested facilitators. The search operation was carried
out as part of the ongoing Operation Radd-ul- Fasaad, the statement
added.
Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said
that drone strikes are against Pakistan's sovereignty. During
the weekly news briefing, the spokesperson said that Pakistan's
policy regarding drone strikes had always been clear. The FO's
statement came a day after a Pakistan Air Force JF-17 Thunder
jet shot down an unmanned Iranian drone allegedly on a spying
mission in Balochistan's Panjgur area. Officials said the drone
was shot down after it had ventured "deep inside Pakistani airspace".
In a statement released hours after the drone was shot down
on June 21, the FO said Islamabad had notified Tehran of the
development. During the briefing, the FO spokesperson refused
to comment on foreign media reports that US President Donald
Trump's administration was likely to toughen its policy on Pakistan.
Instead, the spokesperson said that Pakistan values its relationship
with America and would work closely with the Trump administration.
Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said
that drone strikes are against Pakistan's sovereignty. During
the weekly news briefing, the spokesperson said that Pakistan's
policy regarding drone strikes had always been clear. The FO's
statement came a day after a Pakistan Air Force JF-17 Thunder
jet shot down an unmanned Iranian drone allegedly on a spying
mission in Balochistan's Panjgur area. Officials said the drone
was shot down after it had ventured "deep inside Pakistani airspace".
In a statement released hours after the drone was shot down
on June 21, the FO said Islamabad had notified Tehran of the
development. During the briefing, the FO spokesperson refused
to comment on foreign media reports that US President Donald
Trump's administration was likely to toughen its policy on Pakistan.
Instead, the spokesperson said that Pakistan values its relationship
with America and would work closely with the Trump administration.
June 23
Seven Policemen were among 13 killed and 20
others injured in a suicide attack near the office of Balochistan
Police Chief on Gulistan Road of Quetta, the provincial capital.
BDS confirmed that the explosives were planted in a vehicle.
The Police said that the bomber blew up the vehicle after he
was stopped by the law enforcement personnel for screening as
he was mysteriously taking rounds in the area. "The blast took
place near the IGP office (Inspector General of Police) and
it´s possible the assailants were trying to enter the (army)
cantonment which is close by," Provincial Government Spokesman
Anwar ul-Haq Kakar said. Two outfits said they had carried out
the attack - JuA, a splinter group of TTP and the Islamic State.
Unidentified militants shot dead four Policemen,
who were sitting at a roadside eatery for Iftar in the SITE
Town area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. SITE
town SP Asif Ahmed Bughio said that four Policemen were about
to break their fast at a restaurant located between the Siemens
and Habib Bank traffic intersections when two armed motorcyclists
emerged there, fired a volley of bullets at them and rode away.
The victims were identified as ASI Mohammed Yusuf and constables
Shabbir, Khalid and Israr. A hitherto unknown militant outfit,
Jamaat-ul-Ansar al-Shariah Pakistan, claimed responsibility
for the attack.
The CTD official Raja Umer Khattab said that
the Police found a pamphlet from the scene of the crime and
it appeared that the assailants threw it there before fleeing.
Sharing details, the official said that the pamphlet was from
the so-called spokesperson of the newly-formed outfit, in which
he claimed responsibility of the killing of the Policemen. Khattab
said that it was the second attack in Karachi which was claimed
by the group. The name of this group first emerged in April
when it claimed responsibility for the targeted killing of a
retired colonel, Tahir Zia Nagi, in Baloch Colony. The Jamaat-ul-Ansar
al-Shariah was established in Libya and Tunisia in 2011 but
it was reactivated in 2014. This outfit had mostly targeted
law enforcers as well as Americans, Khattab added.
Police killed three militants in an encounter
near grid station of Shahpur in Chamkani area of Peshawar, the
provincial capital of KP. SSP, operations, Sajjad Khan said,
the Police, working on a tip-off, raided a floor mill near grid
station of Shahpur in Chamkani, where terrorists opened fire
at them as a result two Policemen, Inspector Zia and constable
Arshad were injured. While in retaliation, the Police also opened
fire and killed three terrorists belonging to a banned outfit,
SSP added. CCPO, Peshawar Tahir Khan said that weapons, explosive
material, detonators, footage and documents were recovered from
the building during the search operation. IGP Salahuddin said
that "A high profile terrorist commander was also among those
killed".
ISPR DG Major General Asif Ghafoor linked recent
terrorist incidents to 'sanctuaries' in neighbouring Afghanistan.
In his tweet, DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor said, "Recent
terrorist incidents linked to sanctuaries across." The military
spokesman went on to say that security and surveillance of Pak-Afghan
border has been enhanced. He also promised stringent actions
against illegal border crossers. Earlier, he said security has
been tightened across the country and special intelligence-based
and search operations have been launched in coordination with
intelligence and other law enforcement agencies.
June 24
At least 67 persons were killed and more than
200 injured in back-to-back explosions in the Turi Bazaar area
of Parachinar, the headquarter of Kurram Agency, in FATA when
the market was crowed for Iftar and Eid shopping. Initially,
an explosion took place at the busy Turi Bazaar moments after
an Al Quds Day (an international day of solidarity with the
Palestinian people) rally had concluded at central Imambargah.
When people rushed to the spot to remove the injured and bodies,
the second blast, which was more powerful, took place resulting
in most death and destruction. The al-Alami (International)
faction of LeJ claimed responsibility for twin bomb blasts.
It said in a statement it was targeting Shias and threatened
more attacks over "Pakistanis fighting against Sunni militants
in Syria's civil war".
June 25
A bomb resembling a toy killed at least six
children and injured two others in Speenmark village of South
Waziristan Agency in FATA. "Six children aged between six to
12 years, all boys, were killed by a toy bomb and two others
wounded critically," a local government official said on condition
of anonymity.
Unidentified militants attacked a checkpost
of FC in Wadh town of Khuzdar District in Balochistan. Foiling
the attack, the SFs arrested two of the attackers.
Pakistan has deployed a 15,000-strong military
force to protect Chinese nationals working on energy and infrastructure
projects in the country, President Mamnoon Hussain said. The
President told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in
Islamabad that the protection of Chinese citizens working in
Pakistan was the "top priority" of the government, read a statement
issued by the Presidency.
June 27
A high value BLA militant, identified as Abdul
Rasool alias Ustad/Borjon/Boss, along with his group surrendered
to SFs, ISPR statement said. The militant group also surrendered
their group's weapons and ammunition. The ISPR said Abdul Rasool
was involved in terrorist activities in Pasni, Kolanch, Dashat
and Mand areas of Balochistan.
June 30
Women rights activist and founder of the first
female jirga, Tabassum Adnan, survived in an armed attack
conducted by unidentified assailants in Saidu Sharif Police
Station area of Swat District in KP. Tabassum Adnan said that
some unidentified assailants starting firing in the midnight
on which her police guard responded and after sometime the attackers
fled. Tabassum is the founder of first female Jirga known as
Khwendo Jirga which works for women rights. She is the recipient
of several national and international awards.
The CTD arrested a key militant identified as
Saeedur Rehman, a resident of Shawar, in Matta tehsil. The Police
said that he was allegedly involved in anti-state activities
during the Swat mayhem.
SFs foiled an attempt to blow up the Rawalpindi-bound
Jaffar Express passenger train by defusing a 15kg bomb planted
at the main railway line near Mach area of Bolan District in
Balochistan. Pakistan Railway officials said that some gangmen
were checking the main railway line before the arrival of Jaffar
Express in Mach when they found a suspected bag. They said SF
personnel and Railway Police were immediately informed about
the suspected bag. A 15 kilograms bomb was planted to target
the Rawalpindi-bound train. BDS personnel rushed to the area
and defused the bomb after finding it in the suspected bag.
July 2
One SF personnel was injured when their convoy comes under
militants' ambush in the Balnigwar area of Kech District in
Balochistan. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
SFs arrested eight militants from the Kohlu area of Balochistan.
July 3
Pakistan Rangers (Sindh)
arrested two wanted members of Lyari gangsters, Muhammad Omair
and Zaheer Khan, in Madina Colony of Lyari Town in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh.
July 5
One person was killed
and seven others were injured when unidentified assailants ambushed
vehicle of a Member of the MPA Manzoor Khan Kakar at Manan Chowk
in Quetta, provincial capital of Balochistan. Quetta Deputy Inspector
General of Police said that MPA was not present in the vehicle
at the time of the attack but his brother was travelling in the
vehicle along with his guards.
July 6
A Lyari gangster, identified as Wasla, was shot
dead in a Police encounter at Nippier Road under the jurisdiction
of Nippier Police Station in Lyari Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. According to Police, the deceased was affiliated
with the Uzair Baloch gang and involved in murders, grenade
attacks, kidnapping for ransom, attack on Police mobile and
other heinous crime.
Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakariya
said that there was no organised presence of any terror outfit,
including TTP, JuA, Daesh and al Qaeda on Pakistani soil. He
also reiterated that the Haqqani Network operated from Afghanistan,
not Pakistan. At his weekly news briefing, the spokesperson
said the allegations about the presence of Haqqani network in
tribal areas were mere rhetoric. "These are only aimed at putting
the blame of their failures on Pakistan. The killing of a number
of commanders of Haqqani network in Afghanistan clearly indicates
that the group was based in Afghanistan and not operating from
Pakistan," he said.
July 7
Malik Naveed Dehwar, a main leader of the BNP-M,
and three others were killed in two gun attacks on Arbab Karam
Khan road of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Police said that Malik Naveed Dehwar was passing through Arbab
Karam Khan road along with his guard and another person when
four men on two motorcycles opened fire on the vehicle from
two sides. In his 30s, Mr Dehwar hailed from Mastung. He was
a member of the BNP-M's central council. In 2013, he contested
the election from the National Assembly's Mastung-Kalat constituency
on a BNP-M ticket, but lost.
Two persons were shot dead in the Chashma Auchuzai
area on the outskirts of Quetta. Amil Khan Kakar, son of prominent
Pashtu poet, writer and educationist Wali Muhammad Siyal, was
sitting in his farm with his watchman when armed men appeared
and attacked them. Both Kakar and the watchman, whose name could
not be ascertained, died on the spot.
Police and SFs launched a crackdown in Quetta
and adjoining areas, arresting 98 suspects after the killing
incidents over a 24-hour period. There has been no claim of
responsibility for the killings as yet. "Police and Frontier
Corps conducted a search operation in Killi Ismail and adjoining
areas and detained 98 suspects in connection with recent targeted
killings," DIG Razzaq Cheema said.
A data analysis by JPP, a non-government organisation
working for prisoners' rights, shows a total of 465 prisoners
have been executed since the country lifted moratorium on the
executions in December 2014. The organisation regretted that
such a high number of the executions has made Pakistan "fifth
most prolific executioner" in the world, following China, Iran,
Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The research shows the use of death penalty
has failed to curb crime, including terrorism, but it is exceedingly
used as a political tool, sometimes even as a jail overcrowding
solution. Punjab has emerged as a major practitioner of death
penalty, accounting for 83 percent of the executions, and 89
percent of death sentences in Pakistan. However, it has also
witnessed only a 9.7 percent drop in murder rate from 2015 to
2016. Sindh, on the other hand, has registered a drop of nearly
25 percent in the same time period - even though it carried
out only 18 executions compared to Punjab's 382.
July 8
The NSC said peace and progress in the region
was directly linked to resolution of all outstanding issues,
including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting of
the committee, chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the
PM House, discussed matters pertaining to national security
and foreign policy in the regional and global context. The participants
said Pakistan had acted as a frontline state in global counterterrorism
efforts with unparalleled sacrifices and successes. "No other
country in the world has done as much for global safety and
security as Pakistan at a huge cost of both men and material,"
a statement released after the meeting, said.
July 10
The DPO of Qilla Abdullah, Sajid Khan Mohmand,
and his security guard and driver were killed and over 10 other
people, including five Police personnel, injured in a suicide
blast in the border town of Chaman in Qilla Abdullah District
of Balochistan. Sources said that DPO Sajid Khan Mohmand with
his team was on an inspection of the Eidgah area of Boghara
road when the suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blew himself
up after hitting his vehicle. Sources said Sajid Khan Mohmand
died on the spot as the suicide bomber hit the vehicle on the
side where he was sitting. The TTP claimed responsibility for
the attack.
Police killed a Lyari gangster in an encounter
at Mirza Adam Road in Lyari town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Police said they carried out a targeted raid
in Mirza Adam Road. As the gangster saw the police approaching
to him, he resorted to firing and injured a cop, while in retaliation
he got killed, the deceased was affiliated with the Lyari gang,
they added.
July 11
A cache of arms and ammunition was recovered
by the SFs in Kohat Town of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to
an ISPR press release, SFs conducted an intelligence-based operation
and recovered the weapons while they were being transported
from Darra Adam Khel to Wana. "Weapons were discretely hidden
inside the truck's lower body," the press release read. ISPR
said that two men were also apprehended in the operation. The
recovered cache of weapons includes 614 pistols, 115 automatic
weapons, 7,000 rounds of various calibre and 579 pistol magazines.
July 12
An IED explosion was reported from an area near
Jama Mosque Mohammadi in the Bin-Qasim town of Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. Though no casualties were reported,
however, the green belt of the road was damaged. DIG East Arif
Hanif stated, "Sindhudesh Liberation Army is involved in the
incident as its terrorists have been doing such activities in
all over the Sindh to disturb the peace." He informed that suspects
of Sindhudesh Liberation Army (also known as Sindhudesh Revolutionary
Army, SRA) had claimed to have planted bomb on the green belt
to target the convoy of Chinese engineers but likely the convoy
passed through the spot earlier. According to the DIG the suspects
involved have left some pamphlets on the spot claiming the responsibility
of the blast. Sindhudesh Liberation Army issued a letter to
media claiming the responsibly. Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army
claims the responsibility of the bomb attacks on Chinese Engineers
in Karachi today (July 10) and warns the Chinese that they should
not become the part of any Project in Sindh which may be against
the national interest of Sindhis. SRA will continue its struggle
till the freedom of Sindhudesh.
Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed police
department to provide adequate security to the Chinese working
on CPEC related projects and install jammers in their vehicles
when they travel from one are to another. The Chief Minister
said that there are over nine CPEC projects in Sindh, work on
all these seven projects is in progress where 3044 Chinese are
working in them . These projects and their workforce, particularly
the Chinese are very important for the development of the country
in general and Sindh in particular. They should have foolproof
security as it was decided at the start of the CPEC projects.
Home Secretary Qazi Shahid Parvez briefing the
Chief Minister said that seven security headquarters of each
project with a 3044 well trained police force have been deployed
for the security of Chinese. He added that Pakistan Army leads
their security apparatus. He added that the eighth project of
NTDC Transmission line from Matirai to Lahore has been launched
where 15 Chinese have been engaged. "We have provided them a
security force of 65 personnel," he said. The Chief Minister
said according to the data available with some 137 non-CEPEC
projects are going on in the province where 1971 Chinese are
working. "What arrangement have you made for their security,
he asked the home secretary. The home secretary said that 1373
personnel have been deployed on their security. Additional IG
Karachi Mushtaq Maher said that with the approval of the Chief
Minister Sindh police have raised a Special Protection Unit
(SPU) to maintain an effective security response and to avert
any threat to Chinese nationals working on CPEC projects. He
added that the total sanctioned strength of SPU is 2662 against
which 1349 are working while 1313 posts are vacant for which
recruitment process was in progress. DIG RRF & SPU Amin Yousifzai
said that nine projects have been expanded to 11. Talking about
the security arrangements he said that the coal-based power
Plant at Port Qasim have been provided a force of 563 personnel
which include 30 army men, 193 SPU, 149 Rangers, 17 FC, 17 policemen
and 157 private security guards. Similarly, Thar project of
Block-II has been given security of 413 personnel while 46 personnel
have been deployed on Thar power project Block-I. He added that
for the security of four wind power projects in Thatta district
a force of 555 personnel has been deployed. The DIG said that
for 126 km long NDTC transmission line from Sukkur to Ghotki
a force 1197 personnel has been deployed. For the transmission
line from Matirai to Lahore/Faisalabad a force of 76 personnel
has been deployed for the security of Chinese. The 548 km railway
line being laid from Karachi to Peshawar has been given a force
of 75 personnel for the Sindh section.
A report of the PILDAT shared at a public forum
has stated that terrorist activities in Punjab have declined
by 33 per cent. Punjab has apparently improved its performance
in the implementation of the NAP during first quarter (January-March)
of 2017 as compared to performance in previous two years (2015-2016),
said the report. The report records a decrease of 33 per cent
in terrorism incidents in Punjab during the period under review.
"Punjab had witnessed 12 major terrorist attacks during 2015-2016,
bringing the average to 1.5 during each quarter compared to
one terrorist incidence during the first quarter of 2017." It
added, "Of the 15 points pertaining to the performance of Punjab
on the implementation of the NAP, the first quarter of 2017
has recorded upward progress on the implementation of points
No 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15 in Punjab." The remaining eight points
reflect unchanged implementation levels that do not reflect
a regression on status of implementation of NAP in Punjab during
the first quarter of 2017, it said.
July 13
The SP, Mubarak Shah, and three of his Police
guards were shot dead when the motorcycles bourne militants
opened indiscriminate fire at the Police mobile while it was
patrolling in Killi Deba area of Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan. Senior Police Official Abdul Razzaq Cheema said
the attackers opened fire from different directions, killing
Quaidabad SP Mubarak Shah and his three Police guards, adding
that militants managed to escape from the crime scene. The banned
TTP had claimed responsibility for the attack.
Three militants were killed in an encounter
with Police and SFs in Essa Nagri area of Quetta. Police officials
said that militants opened fire on a Police patrolling party
in the area. In response, the Policemen engaged the suspected
terrorists, whereas, a heavy contingent of Police and other
law enforcement agencies immediately reached the spot. After
the encounter, the three suspected terrorists were found killed,
said Police officials. A cache of arms and ammunition, including
five-kilogram of exclusive material were recovered from the
possession of the slain militants.
Two suicide bombers were killed by SF when they
tried to storm the FC camp in Jarobi area of Khyber Agency in
FATA. FC personnel engaged with the attackers as they tried
to enter the camp in Jarobi area, shooting dead one of the suicide
bombers at the gate. The second attacker blew himself up at
the entrance of the camp when SFs opened retaliatory fire. At
least two FC personnel also sustained injuries during the incident.
Sindh Government has given 90-day extension
to the special powers of rangers in Karachi Division under the
Anti-terrorism Act. The period of the special powers of rangers
in Karachi Division was to end on July 12. However, CM Syed
Murad Ali Shah approved a summary to give 90-day extension to
the special powers of the rangers in Karachi Division. However,
the final notification in this regard would be issued by the
Federal Government.
July 14
Four militants were arrested in separate raids
by SFs from Gujranwala and Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab.
The first joint intelligence based operation was conducted in
Dera Ghazi Khan by Pakistan Rangers Punjab, Police and intelligence
agencies. Two militants were arrested along with cache of arms
and ammunition. The ISPR press statement said the weapons and
ammunition was being transported for terrorist activities in
major cities of Punjab and Sindh.
The Punjab CTD conducted an operation on an
intelligence report in Gujranwala and arrested two militants.
The arrested terrorists were identified as Muhammad Sufiyan
and Zaheerud Din," the CTD said. CTD officials said that explosives,
detonators and weapons were seized from the arrested terrorists.
Against the back of a renewed wave of targeted
attacks against senior police officers in Balochistan, Chief
of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa arrived in Quetta
and reviewed the security situation prevailing in the restive
province. The Army Chief assured the people of Balochistan that
their prosperity would remain his priority and his focus was
on bringing them on a par with the people of other provinces.
COAS says the Army will continue to perform its duty with people's
support. According to a statement issued by the ISPR, the Army
chief was apprised that "terrorists in desperation" were targeting
law enforcement agencies and soft targets since there had been
a phenomenal reduction in targeted killings on sectarian grounds
in the province.
July 15
Four militants were killed during an exchange
of fire with the FC troops in the night after they attacked
the Shoaib Nikka post in the Qamar din Kerez area of Zhob District
in Balochistan. According to the ISPR, the militants fired rockets
and used machine guns during the attack on Shoaib Nikka post.
The FC troops, however, foiled the attack, killing four terrorists.
July 16
The DG of ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor announced
the launch of Operation Khyber-4 under Radd-ul-Fasaad to "wipe
out terrorists" in the Rajgal Valley area of Khyber Agency in
FATA. "An operation to wipe out terrorists has been launched
in Rajgal valley in Khyber Agency," Major General Ghafoor said.
Khyber-4 seeks to target terrorist hideouts in what the DG ISPR
called "the most critical area in the FATA". There is no timeline
for the operation as yet, Ghafoor said in response to a question.
July 17
SFs claimed to have killed at least eight militants
and injured three others in air strikes on their hideouts on
the first day of Operation Khyber-4 in the mountainous region
of Rajgal in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency in FATA. Official
sources said that several hideouts of the LI and IS group were
targeted during the daylong shelling. Residents in nearby areas
said they saw military helicopters approaching Rajgal in the
morning and also heard heavy artillery shelling. Air Force jets
also participated in the strikes along with military helicopters
at the militant hideouts in Pakdara, Naray Naw, Sattar Kalay
and Khairaba areas of Rajgal.
Two FC personnel were killed and four others
injured when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle in Hayatabad
area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. Superintendent
of Police (Cantonment), Imran Malik has confirmed it was a suicide
attack and death of two FC soldiers, including a Major rank
officer.
Two workers of PSP were killed in a suspected
targeted attack in Orangi Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. According to Superintendent of Police Abid Ali Baloch
the PSP workers, Abdul Hameed alias Nadeem alias Mulla (55)
and Rashid Khan (50), were sitting at a corner of a street near
Qazafi Chowk behind Sindh Government Qatar Hospital when armed
pillion riders attacked them and fled.
July 19
At least four persons belonging to the ethnic
Hazara Shia community were shot dead when unidentified assailants
opened fire on their vehicle on the main RCD highway in Mastung
town in the same District of Balochistan. A woman is among the
slain victims. The assailants managed to escape after carrying
out the attack.
Abdur Razzak Shaikh, a former security officer
of PPP MNA and sister of Party Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari,
Faryal Talpur, was shot dead in an act of targeted killing in
District Central at Haji Mureed Goth within the limits of Gulbahar
Police Station in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Abdur Razzak Shaikh was shot multiple times and was taken to
Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medical treatment where he succumbed
to his injuries. His body was handed over to his family for
burial. He was shot at least twice with a close range. DSP Zafar
Khan said that the incident occurred when the victim was sitting
outside his residence when at least two armed men riding a motorcycle
shot him. Razzak was also a close aide of Zardari's chief protocol
officer Bilal Shaikh who had been killed a few years ago in
a suicide attack in Karachi. Bilal's brother, Khan Shaikh, said
that the deceased had served as Talpur's security officer and
had previously served as a security officer at Zardari House.
He had been a founding member of Jannisar-e -Benazir.
The United States (US) listed Pakistan among
nations that provide "safe havens" to terrorists to operate.
It also stated that India continued to be a victim of attacks
"including by Maoist insurgents and Pakistan-based terrorists".
In its annual 'Country Report on Terrorism', the State Department
said that terror outfits like Haqqani Network, LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad
continued to operate, train, organise and fundraise in Pakistan
in 2016. "Although LeT is banned in Pakistan, LeT's wings JuD
and FiF were able to openly engage in fundraising, including
in the capital," it said. "LeT's chief Hafiz Saeed (a UN-designated
terrorist) continued to address large rallies, although, in
February 2017, Pakistan proscribed him under relevant provisions
of Schedule Four of the Anti-Terrorism Act, thus severely restricting
his freedom of movement," it noted.
According to the State Department, the Pakistani
Government did not publicly reverse its December 2015 declaration
that neither JuD nor FiF is banned in Pakistan, despite their
listing under UN sanctions regimes, although in January 2017,
Pakistan placed both organisations "under observation" pursuant
to Schedule Two of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The State Department
also said that Pakistan did not take sufficient action against
the extremely focused groups that continued to exist in the
country. "Pakistan did not take substantial action against the
Afghan Taliban or Haqqani, or substantially limit their ability
to threaten US interests in Afghanistan, although Pakistan supported
efforts to bring both groups into an Afghan-led peace process."
It also said that Pakistani military and security forces undertook
operations against groups that conducted attacks within Pakistan
such as TTP.
According to the State Department, the Pakistani
Government did not publicly reverse its December 2015 declaration
that neither JuD nor FiF is banned in Pakistan, despite their
listing under UN sanctions regimes, although in January 2017,
Pakistan placed both organisations "under observation" pursuant
to Schedule Two of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The State Department
also said that Pakistan did not take sufficient action against
the extremely focused groups that continued to exist in the
country. "Pakistan did not take substantial action against the
Afghan Taliban or Haqqani, or substantially limit their ability
to threaten US interests in Afghanistan, although Pakistan supported
efforts to bring both groups into an Afghan-led peace process."
It also said that Pakistani military and security forces undertook
operations against groups that conducted attacks within Pakistan
such as TTP.
July 20
At least 13 militants were killed and six others
were injured while an Army soldier, identified as Sepoy Abdul
Jabbar, was killed during operation Khyber-4 in Rajgal Valley
area of Khyber Agency in FATA. The ISPR said the raid was conducted
as part of Operation Khyber 4, launched under Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
(RuF), to specifically clear areas in FATA that are susceptible
to threats from the IS.
July 21
Three Policemen and a 12-year-old boy were killed
after six unidentified assailants opened fire on a Police van
parked near Darul Uloom in Korangi town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. SP Landhi Arif Aslam confirmed that an Awami
Colony Police mobile was the target of the attack. The dead
personnel were identified as ASI Qamar Din, Constable Babar
Ali and Constable Amjad. The identity of the boy is still not
known.
The ISPR said a major achievement was achieved
in Operation Khyber-4 when troops including SSG successfully
cleared the highest mountain top Brekh Muhammad Kandao near
Pak-Afghan border in Khyber Agency of FATA. Many terrorists
were killed, with a few managing to escape to Afghanistan, the
ISPR press release said. Terrorists' hideouts were cleared,
and caches of IEDs, arms and ammunition were recovered. "The
forces have established posts at over 12000-feet altitude -
the terrain is riddled with thick forestation," the ISPR statement
said.
July 22
Two FC personnel were killed by unidentified
assailants on the RCD Highway in Chaghi District in Balochistan.
The two soldiers were patrolling the highway on a motorcycle
in the Killi Dawoodabad area when assailants opened fire on
them and fled, the Levies sources said. A search operation was
launched in the area following the attack. There was no immediate
claim of responsibility for the attack.
July 23
A Khasadar force personnel was killed and another
injured when an IED went off in Sheen Drang area of Khyber Agency
in FATA. Security personnel cordoned off the area soon after
the blast.
ISPR said that the Army has cleared two strongholds
of terrorists in the Rajgal valley of Khyber Agency during the
ongoing Operation Khyber-4. The Spinkai Top dominating Saprai
Pass and Star Kille have been secured and are "effectively dominated
by the Pakistan Army", read a statement issued by ISPR.
July 24
At least 26 persons, including nine Policemen,
were killed and 56 others injured in a suicide blast near the
Arfa Karim IT Tower on the Ferozepur Road of Lahore, the provincial
capital of Punjab, in the afternoon. The suicide attack was
carried out during the demolition of the old fruit and vegetable
market. The suicide bomber was aged between 16 to 18 years,
apparently riding a bike, reached the spot where the Police
were standing guard to avert any retaliation from the owners
of the buildings being demolished for a park. The bomber – carrying
a suicide jacket weighing at least 12 kilogrammes of explosives,
including ball bearings – triggered the button at 3:55pm. The
impact of the blast was so huge that it shook the Arfa Karim
Tower like an earthquake as ball bearings shattered a number
of windowpanes. Three bikes and a car were damaged in the blast.
The incident occurred just a few meters away from 180-H Model
Town – the Chief Minister’s camp office, exposing the so-called
combing search operations and maintenance of law and order in
the provincial metropolis. TTP claimed responsibility for the
attack.
Four militants, including Mullah Akbar Swati,
the chief of AQIS Karachi chapter, were killed in an encounter
with Police during a raid in the Sachal area of Malir Town in
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. “The spy agencies
traced a telephone call in the morning that the terrorists were
going to hold a gathering in the area,” Malir SSP Rao Anwar
said. “The surveillance of the area was increased following
intelligence sharing, and preparations were made for the arrest
of the outlaws.” “However, the terrorists opened fire on the
police team that reached the site of terrorists’ gathering,”
the SSP said, adding that the Police retaliated and killed four
of them. Following the encounter, a heavy contingent of Rangers
reached the site and started searching the area to nab other
terrorists.
A traffic Constable was killed and another injured
when unidentified assailants riding pillion on a motorcycle
opened indiscriminate fire at Abul Hasan Ispahani Road in Sohrab
Goth area of Karachi. Gadap town Superintendent of Police Chaudhry
Saifullah confirmed the incident, stating that both traffic
wardens had been attacked near the Paradise Bakery. “Apparently,
today’s incident appeared to be part of a recent wave of attacks
on law enforcers in the city,” stated the CTD's SSP Omar Shahid
Hamid.
July 25
The ISPR said that FC conducted an intelligence
based operation and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition
in Duagai area of Mamond tehsil in Bajaur Agency of FATA.
As per details, FC foiled a sabotage attempt as troops conducted
a successful operation based on intelligence, where troops recovered
a cache of arms and ammunition which were brought there to carry
out a major terrorist activity.
Law enforcement agencies identified a new militant
network, an offshoot of the TTP, as the group responsible for
July 24’s attack on Lahore’s Ferozepur Road. The suicide attack
near the Arfa Karim IT Tower was the first deadly assault by
the TSG, which comprised highly trained suicide attackers (Fidayeen
commandos), a Senior Police Officer said under the condition
of anonymity. The Police officer said the emergence of the TSG
had raised concerns among law enforcement agencies, who were
viewing it as an emerging new challenge. The TSG commandos have
been trained to carry out massive and deadly attacks, he added.
July 26
A religious scholar and leader of the JUI-F,
Maulana Haq Nawaz Haqqani, was shot dead in Shabqadar tehsil
of Charsadda District in KP. According to Police, Maulana Haq
Nawaz Haqqani, administrator of Jamia Muhammadia in the Matta
Mughalkhel area, was going to the mosque in his seminary for
Fajr prayer at about 4.20am when two men on a motorcycle opened
fire on him. He suffered 10 bullet wounds and died instantly,
while the killers escaped. JUI-F leaders termed the incident
targeted killing. They said Maulana Haqqani was a non-controversial
person and had no enmity.
Balochistan's higher education secretary, Abdullah
Jan, who was abducted from Quetta on March 15, 2017, returned
home in the evening. Unidentified gunmen had picked the official
up from Sabzal Road area of Quetta at gunpoint when he was on
his way to work. He was kidnapped when the 6th national census
was underway throughout the country and a large number of Government
employees, including those from the education department, were
participating in the process. "My father has safely reached
home," Attique Khan, Jan's son, said. He said his father's
physical condition was not good. It is not yet apparent whether
the official was recovered by Security Forces in an operation,
or set free after payment of ransom. No group claimed the responsibility
for his abduction.
July 27
Tribal elder along with two members of his family
were gunned down by unidentified assailants in the Haleemzai
area of Mohmand Agency in FATA. An official of the political
administration confirmed the killing of tribal elder Sadiq Shah,
his wife and his son, Yaseen Khan. He added that the assailants
had barged into Sadiq’s house and shot him, his wife and son
to death in the Shani Khel area of Haleemzai. A resident of
the area said that unidentified assailants had entered Sadiq’s
house with the motive to abduct Yaseen Khan. However, Sadiq
and his wife resisted their attempts to abduct Yaseen. Upon
resistance, the assailants killed Sadiq and his family.
July 29
At least four people were killed and five others
sustained injuries in an explosion in Chedgi area of Panjgur
District in Balochistan. The nature of the blast could not be
ascertained yet.
July 30
Four militants were killed in an exchange of
fire in Gishkur area of Awaran District in Balochistan. According
to Balochistan Levies sources, an exchange of fire took place
between SFs and the militants in Gishkur area. Four militants
were killed as a result.
Police and SFs arrested 12 suspects following
raids carried out as part of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad in different
parts of Balochistan. Eleven of them were arrested during a
joint operation conducted by FC Balochistan and local Police
in the Killi Deba area of Quetta, the ISPR said in a statement.
According to the ISPR, the joint Police-FC ‘sanitisation’ operation
was launched in parts of Quetta late July 28-night in view of
the recent spate of target killings and bombings in the provincial
capital. “More than 3,000 security personnel and 208 teams –
also comprising 208 women personnel – are participating in the
operation,” Quetta FC Commander Brigadier Khalid Baig said.
More than 190 weapons, along with caches of ammunition, were
also seized during the Killi Deba raid, ISPR added.
Another wanted terrorist suspect was apprehended
in an IBO in Killa Abdullah District. According to reports,
FC troops and intelligence officials arrested a ‘notorious terrorist’
belonging to a banned organisation from the Killi Segi area
of Killa Abdullah. Rocket launchers and other weapons were also
recovered during the operation.
Haji Daud Mehsud, a senior leader of the TTP,
has declared allegiance to Daesh or the Islamic State that could
be seen as a serious setback for the TTP and a boost for IS-Khorasan
(IS-K) region just two weeks after the US airstrikes killed
the IS-K leader Abu Sayed in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar
province. Daud, who belongs to Haibat Khel tribe in South Waziristan
Agency of FATA, has served as the Karachi TTP chief. Tribal
journalists who are aware of the TTP affairs say he is the first
senior Mehsud within the TTP to join Daesh. He was one of the
few trusted leader of the TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who was
killed in a US drone strike in Miranshah in November 1, 2013.
Hakimullah group had appointed Daud as the Karachi chief, where
he had previously served in the Sindh Police Department, according
to a TTP source.
A militant source said that Daud’s differences
with another top leader Khan Said Sajna surfaced even when Hakimullah
was alive and he could have parted ways with the TTP as Sajna
has rejoined the TTP and Daud was uncomfortable with Sajna.
Sources say Sajna is currently the TTP’s deputy chief, replacing
Sheikh Khalid Haqqani. Splinter Mehsud factions had been involved
in infighting after Hakimullah’s death that had reportedly claimed
the lives of dozens of militants.
Several militants, who are considered confidants
of Daud, have confirmed to the tribal journalists that Daud
has joined Daesh and that he has moved to the group’s controlled
areas in Afghanistan along with his family. A militant leader
said that the TTP leader has declared allegiance to Daesh; however,
neither Daud, nor Daesh has confirmed the decision. He said
the confirmation could come if Daud is given any responsibility.
July 31
Two IS militants were shot dead
in an exchange of fire with SFs during raid on a house in Sector
21-B of Shah Latif Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. Shah Latif Town SHO Amanullah Marwat said the militants
were allegedly involved in the targeted killing of 15 people,
including a DSP, Traffic, Faiz Shigri. One of the deceased was
identified as Abu Huzaifa, while the name of the other militant
could not be ascertained immediately, said SHO Marwat. “Abu
Huzaifa was previously associated with AQIS, but later on he
joined IS,” said Malir SSP Rao Anwar.
The ISPR said that SFs have
foiled a major sabotage attempt by recovering two thousand kilograms
of explosive materials from a vehicle during a raid at Spain
Taiza area of Qilla Abdullah District in Balochistan. According
to ISPR, on a tip-off, SFs conducted a raid at Spain Taiza area
and apprehended two terrorists who were carrying a huge quantity
of explosive materials in their vehicle to carry out sabotage
activities in the province which was averted due to timely operation
of the law enforcement agencies.
The ISPR said at least 19 suspects
were arrested during joint search operations in different areas
of Punjab. According to the statement issued by ISPR, the joint
search operations were conducted by Punjab Rangers, Police and
intelligence agencies. Operations were conducted in Dera Ghazi
Khan, Rojhan, Lahore, Narowal, Rawalpindi and Attock. Nineteen
suspects were apprehended while cache of weapons and ammunition
were also recovered.
Sindh IGP, A.D. Khowaja, said
that talks with different companies and consultants were under
way to install 10,000 cameras in Karachi under the safe city
project and expressed the hope that work on the project would
start soon. Speaking at a ceremony held to hand over 45 Toyota
pick-ups among the investigation wing of Police at the Police
headquarters in Garden area of Saddar Town in Karachi and talking
to journalists after the ceremony, the IGP Khowaja said that
all possible efforts were being made to enhance the capacity
of the police force. IGP Khowaja said that as part of enhancing
the capacity of Police, more weapons such as SMGs and pistols
were being purchased from Pakistan Ordnance Factory in Wah.
He said that Karachi was a megacity and under such a situation,
carrying pistol was more advisable than SMGs. Around 12,000
pistols would be procured while in the past Police had only
3,000 pistols. At least 10,000 bulletproof jackets would also
be purchased as at present the Police had only 18,000 such jackets,
he added.
August 1
The TTP released the first edition
of a magazine for women, apparently aiming to convince its target
readership to join the militant group and take up jihad. The
first edition of Sunnat-i-Khaula — which translates as ‘The
Way of Khaula’, referring to an early female follower of the
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) — published by the TTP features a picture
of a woman veiled from head to toe on its front cover. Inside
is an interview with the TTP’s leader’s wife, who is not named,
in which she talks about being married to the head of the militant
group, Fazlullah Khorasani, at the age of 14. “I ask you why
now everywhere there is hue and cry about underage marriages
... We have to understand that mature boys and girls if left
unmarried for too long can become a source of moral destruction
of the society,” the militant leader’s wife tells the interviewer.
“We want to provoke women of Islam to come forward and join
the ranks of Mujahideen-e-Islam,” reads the opening editorial
of the magazine, which includes an advice column for would-be
lady jihadists. The English-language magazine also includes
an article written by a Pakistani female doctor describing her
decision to shun her western education and embrace Islam, titled
“My journey from ignorance to guidance”.
August 2
The Punjab CTD shot dead three
TTP militants during a raid at University Road of Gujrat Town
in same District of Punjab. According to CTD’s spokesperson,
Police, on a tip-off, conducted a raid and killed three militants
after a heavy exchange of fire, while three others managed to
escape. CTD has recovered four detonators and other explosive
materials from the custody of the slain militants.
August 6
FC personnel shot dead four
terrorists as the cops conducted intelligence based raids at
Dera Bugti and Kohlu areas of Balochistan under Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
According to ISPR, FC carried out raids on a tip-off in Dera
Bugti and Kohlu areas, after a heavy exchange of fire FC killed
four terrorists, involved in attacks on SFs and other sabotage
activities in the province. FC has dismantled several hideouts
of the terrorists and recovered cache of mines, explosive material
and tools of communication during the raids.
Two major commanders belonging
to the banned BLF along with four other suspected militants
surrendered before SFs at Gwadar. The commanders, who were identified
as Hali alias Jahaz and Rafiq alias Aamir and four other militants,
handed over their weapons to Colonel Ali Saeed and other officials
of the Frontier Corps in a ceremony held at Gwadar. “We have
decided to end our armed struggle against the state and join
mainstream politics to serve our people who are facing difficulties
due to the war-like situation in our area,” Rafiq alias Aamir
said while handing over his weapons to the security officials.
The CTD shot dead three militants
in a late night encounter at Machar Colony area of Kiamari Town
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. According to SSP
Shahid Hamid, on a tip-off, CTD carried out a targeted raid
in a house at Machar Colony, where Policemen entered the house
to approach the alleged terrorists, they suddenly resorted to
firing. After heavy exchange of fire three militants got killed,
while four others arrested. CTD recovered a cache of arms and
IEDs.
Pakistan Rangers Sindh conducted
an operation and arrested two suspected militants from a residential
building near the Lal Flat located on the Rashid Minhas road.
Contrary to their previous assumption
that one single outfit has been targeting Policemen and retired
personnel of law enforcement agencies, CTD officials now conclude
that there are numerous splinter groups — of either TTP or LeJ—
responsible for the spate of attacks in recent months. “There
are multiple groups involved in targeted killings of policemen
in the city,” said CTD’s chief ADGP Sanaullah Abbasi. He said
the CTD assessed that there were apparently separate militant
groups involved in around half a dozen acts of terrorism in
the metropolis as their modus operandi were different in each
case. TTP has formed a special cell to target LEA personnel.
They were operating in the East and West zones of the Police’s
organisational structure.
August 7
The CTD killed four TTP militants
in an encounter near Sagian Bridge in Lahore, the provincial
capital of Punjab. According to CTD, Police were deployed at
all entry and exit points of Punjab’s capital as the threats
of more attacks were looming after a blast early on the day,
when the cops approached a vehicle to search, the militants
in that vehicle restored to firing. CTD police effectively responded
and in retaliation four of them got killed, while three others
managed to escape the scene having an advantage of darkness,
spokesperson of CTD added. CTD recovered a cache of arms and
ammunition from the custody of the slain militants.
One person was killed and 37
others were injured in a truck bomb that ripped through Bund
Road area of Lahore. As per details, the explosive material
was planted inside a truck which was loaded with fruit. It is
yet to ascertain that how and when the truck arrived in the
area. According to eyewitnesses, it was a powerful blast which
damaged, partially or heavily, more than 100 vehicles, such
as cars, mini-trucks and motorcycles parked at the stand. A
large number of people in the area came out on roads after the
explosion. The blast was heard in several areas of the city
in the radius of four to five kilometres of the site. The high
voltage wires (132kV) from Saggian Grid Station were also damaged
leaving the area in darkness.
August 8
One ISI personnel was shot dead
by unidentified assailants in Cantonment Bazaar of Multan District
in Punjab. Mahar Muhammad Yasir Manzoor was riding a motorcycle
in Cantonment bazaar when the assailants on a vehicle shot at
and killed him in a drive-by shooting with pistols at 8:37am.
The deceased official was the resident of Maisli area in Vehari
District.
August 9
Four Army personnel, including
a major, and two suicide bombers were killed during an operation
in an attempting to foil a terrorist attack in Sherotkai area
of Timergara in Lower Dir District of KP in the early hours.
The ISPR press release said the Major Ali Salman, who belonged
to an intelligence agency, along with his team carried out an
IBO against a terrorist hideout in Sherotkai area. When the
security personnel raided the hideout, the suspected militants
opened fire on the soldiers. One of the two suicide bombers
present inside the hideout then blew himself up, while the other
was killed in the exchange of fire with soldiers. One suspected
terrorist was apprehended during the operation, the ISPR statement
said. The slain Major and soldiers were identified as Major
Ali Salman, Havildar Ghulam Nazir, Havildar Akhtar and Sepoy
Abdul Karim.
The CTD conducted a search operation
in the Al-Kareem Islamic Academy located in SITE Town area of
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, allegedly linked with
the TTP and arrested seven persons for interrogation. CTD SSP
Omar Shahid Hamid said that a team, along with District Administration
and District Police, had conducted a search operation in the
Al-Kareem Islamic Academy which had been established by Mufti
Shakir, a “dangerous terrorist and TTP commander". “Mufti
Shakir is responsible for a number of police murders in District
Central and West in 2013-14, and is suspected of involvement
in the murder of SSP Chaudhry Aslam,” added the officer.
August 11
A Traffic DSP and his driver
were shot dead in Hussainabad area of Azizabad Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. As per initial reports, DSP
Hanif was on his way home from office when unidentified assailants
opened fire on his vehicle in Hussainabad, said SSP, Central,
Muqadas Haider.
August 12
At least 15 people, among them
eight soldiers, were killed and 40 others injured when a suicide
bomber targeted a military truck near the Pishin bus stop in
Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. “A man riding
a motorbike came close to the army truck and blew himself up,”
an official of the Bomb Disposal Squad said. “We can now confirm
that 15 people have died in the explosion today. At least 32
others are wounded,” Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti
said following the suspected suicide blast, which reportedly
targeted a vehicle carrying military personnel. The deceased
include members of the armed forces and civilians, said the
provincial Home Minister. The ISPR said it was an attack on
an “on duty military vehicle”. It said that terrorists had used
“incendiary explosives” due to which many vehicles in the affected
area caught fire. About the death toll, the ISPR confirmed that
15 people, including seven civilians, were martyred in the attack
and 25 others, including 15 civilians, wounded.
August 14
Eight FC personnel were killed in IED blast
in Khost area of Harnai District in Balochistan. FC personnel
were patrolling between Shahrag and Khost areas when their vehicle
hit an IED planted on their route. The BLA has claimed responsibility
for the blast. "The BLA has carried out a remote-controlled
blast, which caused the death [martyrdom] of eight soldiers,"
BLA spokesman Jeiand Baloch claimed in a statement received
by some media men through email.
August 15
Two militants belonging to the TTP Mufti Shakir
group were killed during an encounter with the CTD personnel
in the Manghopir area of Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. According to a CTD press release, an operation was carried
out in the Manghopir area to intercept the two 'TTP men' reportedly
coming from Balochistan, based on information gathered from
the 'terrorists' apprehended by the CTD in last week in Machhar
Colony. The apprehended terrorists also claimed that Abdul Jabbar
was on his way to Karachi from Balochistan, with plans to attack
jamaat khanas, imambargahs, shrines and Police training centres
and important officials of security agencies. The team, with
the use of the CTD's intelligence, was able to set up check
posts in the city. As soon as the terrorists' vehicle reached
Manghophir, the Police signalled them to stop, the CTD said,
after which the terrorists began firing at the Police. The terrorists,
namely Abdul Jabbar and Daniyal were killed on the spot by the
Police's retaliatory firing, the CTD handout read. According
to CTD forensic scans run on two pistols recovered from the
'terrorists', the weapons were used in the 2015 target killing
of a Police Sub-Inspector in Baldia Town.
Two schoolchildren were injured when one of
the two mortar shells fired from across the Afghan border exploded
near the hostel of the Army Public School inside an Army camp
in Landi Kotal town of Khyber Agency in FATA. Officials said
that the other shell landed in an empty compound and caused
no damage.
At least five mortar shells, fired from the
Afghan side, landed in a hilly terrain of Sheen Pokh area of
Loe Shalman bordering Afghanistan. Officials said that the explosion
of shells caused no damage as there was no population nearby.
The ISPR said that FC KP busted a terrorist
network involved in planting IEDs and other sabotage activities
in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency. Terrorist network involved
in planting and facilitating IEDs and carrying out other terrorist
activities was apprehended after an IBO conducted by FC KP,
ISPR statement said.
August 16
SFs arrested seven TTP militants and 20 Afghan
suspects during various operations conducted over the last 72
hours in Punjab, ISPR said. The statement adds the search operations
had been carried out jointly by Punjab Rangers, Police and intelligence
agencies in Attock, Dera Ghazi Khan and Lahore. Explosive material
and weapons had also been recovered from the militants affiliated
with the TTP.
August 17
One Police Qaumi razakar was killed and another
was injured in a firing incident in the Northern Bypass area
in Karachi. SSP Malir Rao Anwar said the two razakars, wearing
Police uniforms, were standing at a Police chowki near the bypass
when unidentified assailants opened fire on them.
The CoAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa advised
the youth to stay alert as educated people are major target
of Daesh and its affiliated groups. An ISPR statement says the
COAS paid a visit to the Directorate of ISPR and met the interns.
He said that Allah had blessed Pakistan with the intelligent
and energetic youth. He advised the youth to follow merit and
rule of law and lead the country towards peace and prosperity.
He advised the youth to stay alert as educated people are a
major target of Daesh and its affiliated groups.
August 18
A local leader of the JUI-F, Maulana Syed Ataullah
Shah, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Banu Ada area
of Dera Ismail Khan District of KP. The assailants targeted
Maulana Syed Ataullah Shah while he was walking home after offering
Fajr prayers in Banu Ada. Shah, who was serving as the khateeb
(sermon-giver) of a local mosque, was considered to be a prominent
leader of JUI Dera Ismail Khan and a close aide of JUI-F chief
Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
As part of the ongoing political reconciliation
in Balochistan, 22 more suspected militants including a commander
of the BLA surrendered before the SFs in a ceremony held at
FC Madadgar Headquarters in Quetta. According to the statement
issued by the ISPR, the surrender was a part of the larger political
reconciliation process in Balochistan which has led to many
militants surrendering recently.
Reviewing law and order situation in the wake
of recent terror attacks in Balochistan, the province's apex
committee decided to further intensify efforts to take targeted
action against the terrorists and their facilitators including
those providing them shelter in the province. The meeting, held
at the Chief Minister Secretariat, took place in the backdrop
of August 12 suicide attack in Quetta and August 14 blast in
Harnai, in which scores of people including 16 security officials
were martyred.
August 19
Two TTP militants were killed in shootout during
an IBO jointly conducted by CTD and Pakistan Rangers (Sindh)
at Noorani Basti in Korangi Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh, in the early hours. CTD SSP Raja Umar Khattab
said that an IBO jointly carried out in search of militants
at Noorani Basti when the Policemen entered a house the militants
restored to firing and after a heavy exchange of fire two militants
belonged to TTP got killed. CTD said that killed militants were
involved in murder of two Traffic Policemen, Constable Kamran
and Head Constable Mohammad Khan, at Abul Hasan Ispahani Road.
CTD claimed to have recovered weapons and other materials from
the alleged terrorists who had affiliation with TTP's Mufti
Shakir Group and involved in other sabotage activities in the
city.
August 20
Three Punjabi labourers, who were abducted by
unidentified miscreants four days ago, were found dead in Hoshab
area of Kech District in Balochistan. These labourers, who belong
to Rahim Yar Khan District of Punjab, were working on a development
project in the area. The bodies were found with multiple bullet
injuries. There was no claim of responsibility for the killing.
A boy was killed and six other children were
injured in a toy bomb explosion in Spinawari area under Pishtakhara
Police Station in Peshawar, provincial capital of KP. Police
said the children were playing in a field when the explosion
took place at around 4pm. The blast was caused by a toy like
grenade.
August 21
Punjab Police successfully recovered the seven
Policemen, who were kidnapped by a group of bandits from the
Kacha area of Rajanpur District, in an operation after a heavy
exchange of fire. According to details, Police launched an operation
on the directives of Punjab CM Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for safe
recovery of the kidnapped Policemen at the earliest and successfully
recovered them after heavy exchange of fire. The kidnappers
managed to escape due to the advantage of darkness. Seven Policemen,
included Luqman, Zeeshan, Sabir, Shakir, Jamshed, Safdar and
Muzammil, were on their way to a picket of Nabi Shah on a boat
were abducted by 15 dacoits from the riverine area of River
Indus in the limits of Bangla Ichha Police Station on August
20. Rajanpur DPO Attiq Tahir said that the head of Patt gang
Attaullah was involved in the incident who escaped during the
operation.
August 21
Punjab Police successfully recovered the seven
Policemen, who were kidnapped by a group of bandits from the
Kacha area of Rajanpur District, in an operation after a heavy
exchange of fire. According to details, Police launched an operation
on the directives of Punjab CM Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for safe
recovery of the kidnapped Policemen at the earliest and successfully
recovered them after heavy exchange of fire. The kidnappers
managed to escape due to the advantage of darkness. Seven Policemen,
included Luqman, Zeeshan, Sabir, Shakir, Jamshed, Safdar and
Muzammil, were on their way to a picket of Nabi Shah on a boat
were abducted by 15 dacoits from the riverine area of River
Indus in the limits of Bangla Ichha Police Station on August
20. Rajanpur DPO Attiq Tahir said that the head of Patt gang
Attaullah was involved in the incident who escaped during the
operation.
The DG of ISPR, Major General Asif Ghafoor said
that the Operation Khyber-4 that was launched on July 15 has
been successfully completed. Sharing of details of the operation,
Major General Asif Ghafoor said the ground targets had been
achieved in Rajgal and Shawal areas of Khyber Agency in FATA.
253 kilometers of land had been cleared from terrorists in the
Operation Khyber-4, in which 52 militants were killed, one arrested,
31 sustained injuries while four blew themselves. Clearance
operation was still continued in the Khyber Valley, he added,
saying 91 checkposts had been setup in Rajgal area.
US President Donald Trump cleared the way for
the deployment of thousands more US troops to Afghanistan, backtracking
from his promise to rapidly end America´s longest war, while
pillorying ally Pakistan for offering safe haven to "agents
of chaos". In his first formal address to the nation as Commander-in-Chief,
Trump discarded his previous criticism of the 16-year-old war
as a waste of time and money, admitting things looked different
from "behind the desk in the Oval Office." "My instinct was
to pull out," Trump said as he spoke of his frustration with
a war that has killed thousands of US troops and cost US taxpayers
trillions of dollars. But following months of deliberation,
Trump said he had concluded "the consequences of a rapid exit
are both predictable and unacceptable" leaving a "vacuum" that
terrorists "would instantly fill." While Trump refused to offer
detailed troop numbers, senior White House officials said he
had already authorized his defense secretary to deploy up to
3,900 more troops to Afghanistan.
Donald Trump indicated that single-minded approach
would extend to US relations with troubled ally Pakistan, which
consecutive US administrations have criticized for links with
the Taliban and for harboring leading militants like Osama bin
Laden. "We can no longer be silent about Pakistan´s safe havens
for terrorist organizations," he said warning that vital aid
could be cut. "We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions
of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists
that we are fighting," he said. "That will have to change and
that will change immediately." Ahead of the speech Pakistan´s
military brushed off speculation that Trump could signal a stronger
line against Islamabad, insisting the country has done all it
can to tackle militancy. "Let it come," DG of ISPR, Major General
Asif Ghafoor said, referring to Trump´s decision. "Even if it
comes... Pakistan shall do whatever is best in the national
interest."
August 22
Minister for Defence Engineer Khurram Dastgir
rejected the allegations of US President Donald Trump saying
there is no safe haven for terrorists in Pakistan, adding that
armed forces of the country had dismantled all nurseries of
terrorists. While lauding the role of Pakistan Army, the Minister
said Pakistani forces bravely fought the terrorists and rendered
sacrifices to eradicate the terrorism from the country, adding
that through its operations of Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad
brave forces of Pakistan rooted out terrorism from the country.
Khurram emphasized the need of a comprehensive dialogue with
the US and said that Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif
would soon visit Washington in this regard.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the
Government of Pakistan would be in danger if Taliban were not
controlled. The United States again urged India and Pakistan
to engage in direct dialogue to reduce tension, a day after
the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said India could take
some steps of rapprochement on issues with Pakistan to improve
stability. Speaking about the militant groups and regional approach
to the US efforts for peace and stability at a briefing, Secretary
Tillerson said that India and Pakistan had their own issues
that they had to continue to work through. "But I think there
are areas where perhaps even India can take some steps of rapprochement
on issues with Pakistan to improve the stability within Pakistan
and remove some of the reasons why they deal with these unstable
elements inside their own country," he went on to say.
August 23
The CoAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa said that
Pakistan was not looking for any material or financial assistance
from the US, but wants to be trusted and treated with respect,
according to a statement issued by the ISPR. "We are not looking
for any material or financial assistance from USA but trust,
understanding and acknowledgement of our contributions," CoAS
General Bajwa told US Ambassador in Pakistan David Hale who
called on him at the GHQ in Rawalpindi. The meeting comes a
day after US President Donald Trump said his country 'could
no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for militants'
and warned 'it had much to lose by continuing to harbor terrorists'.
According to the ISPR, the US ambassador briefed the CoAS about
the new US policy regarding Afghanistan. The Ambassador said
that US values Pakistan's role in the war against terror and
is seeking cooperation from Pakistan to resolve the Afghan issue.
CoAS Bajwa has apprised the US ambassador of
Pakistan's reservations over giving India an enhanced role in
Afghanistan. Sources said the CoAS conveyed his reservations
over the manner in which Pakistan was singled out and held responsible
for the mess in Afghanistan. He also reportedly cautioned the
US ambassador about the negative implications of giving a formal
role to India in Afghan affairs. Pakistan has long suspected
that India is using Afghan soil to create instability.
August 24
Pakistan's top civilian and military leadership
strongly rejected US President Donald Trump's allegations of
insincerity and duplicity in the fight against terrorism and
set conditions for future counterterrorism cooperation with
Washington and Kabul, specifically the removal of hideouts in
eastern Afghanistan. The Government's formal and comprehensive
response to the Trump administration's policy on Afghanistan
and South Asia came after a meeting of the NSC, which was chaired
by PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and attended by Ministers for Defence,
Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Interior, the National Security
Adviser, Services Chiefs and Heads of Intelligence Agencies
and military operations. The NSC was specially convened for
deliberations on the US policy and formulating the 'comprehensive
response'. The statement issued after the NSC meeting was a
detailed rejoinder to all elements of concern in the new US
policy and President Trump's speech - the allegations about
sanctuaries, claims about taking billions and billions of dollars
in aid from Washington, fears about nuclear security, and the
formalisation of India's role in Afghanistan.
The Senate was told that Pakistan suffered the
loss of USD 107 billion (PKR 11,275 billion) in the war on terror.
PML-N Senator Javed Abbasi said the US must stop crying for
USD 17 billion which had been given to Pakistan, but it had
no idea that the so-called war against terrorism cost Pakistan
over USD 107 billion losses. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
hinted at discussing the recommendations being finalised by
the Senate on the national security in a joint sitting of parliament
expected to be convened shortly to discuss US President Donald
Trump's threats to Pakistan.
The NSC demanded an immediate US military effort
to eliminate sanctuaries harbouring terrorists and miscreants
on the Afghan soil and rejected the notion that India could
be the net security provider in the South Asia region. The committee,
while rejecting specific allegations and insinuations against
Pakistan by US President Donald Trump, said the country had
an abiding interest in peace and stability in Afghanistan. "Scapegoat[ing]
Pakistan will not help in stabilizing Afghanistan," a strong
statement issued at the end of the meeting chaired by Prime
Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at the PM Office said. "Afghan
war cannot be fought in Pakistan," the meeting, which was also
attended by all services chiefs and senior cabinet members,
agreed after a threadbare discussion on the Trump administration's
South Asia Strategy. "More specifically, we would like to see
effective and immediate US military efforts to eliminate sanctuaries
harbouring terrorists and miscreants on the Afghan soil, including
those responsible for fomenting terror in Pakistan." The NSC
pointed out that being immediate neighbour, Pakistan had an
abiding interest in peace and stability in Afghanistan. "India
cannot be a net security provider in the South Asia region when
it has conflictual relationships with all its neighbours and
is pursuing a policy of destabilising Pakistan from the east
and the west."
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif accused Pakistan's
former ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani of authoring US President
Donald Trump's South Asia policy. In a tweet, the minister called
on Asif Ali Zardari, the former president and leader of the
Pakistan People's Party, to "rein in" Hussain Haqqani's. Responding
to Asif's remarks, the former ambassador, who is a staunch critic
of Pakistan's policy towards Afghanistan, said on Twitter: "Pakistan
foreign minister should deal with the policy instead of trying
to bully an exiled Pakistani on Twitter".
August 25
The Sindh High Court transferred 14 cases including
cases against LeJ's high profile suspected target killers Ishaq
alias Bobby and Mohammad Asim alias Ahmed alias Capri nominated
in the Amjad Sabri murder case, to Anti-Terrorism Court-16 (ATC-16).
The Sindh High Court Inspection Team-II issued a notification
regarding transfer of the cases to ATC-16. The court has received
the notification. The court heard the Amjad Sabri case along
with over a dozen of other cases against the two suspected militants
of LeJ. The court issued production orders of the accused. The
accused were arrested by the CTD in November 2016 for their
alleged involvement in over 12 dozen cases pertaining to targeted
killings of Army personnel, Rangers, Police officials and members
of the Shia community.
A country like India that is involved in state-sponsored
terrorism cannot be an effective partner in bringing peace to
the region, said Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria
in his weekly briefing. He was speaking in reference to US President
Donald Trump's speech on the Afghan war, in which he directed
India to provide more assistance and development to Afghanistan.
While expressing Pakistan's reservations regarding the US''s
acknowledgement of "India's important contributions to Afghan
stability", Zakaria said that extremists have found their way
into India's governing bodies. "The extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (RSS) and other such organisations are already influencing
the Indian judiciary's decisions at this time while the Indian
army is lending its support to the RSS as well," Zakaria said.
"There are unresolved issues on a wide range of matters that
India has with various countries, which is why it cannot be
expected to maintain peace in the region."
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said that Taliban
carry our sabotage activities from Afghanistan, denying the
allegations leveled by US President Donald Trump, he said that
Afghan Government had admitted the Taliban's influence and 40
percent of its territory under their control. Speaking on Geo
News'' program ''Naya Pakistan'', the Minister said that Pakistan
had informed Afghan Government that terrorists carried out attacks
and other sabotage activities in our country from Afghanistan,
adding that Afghan Government had told that it had no writ on
40 percent of its territory which is stronghold of Taliban.
Asif said that terrorists need not bases in Pakistan as they
have stronghold in Afghanistan and can freely operate there.
"They (terrorists) do not need bases inside Pakistan if they
control such a huge area in Afghanistan," he said.
The COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa said that
terrorists were common enemies of Pakistan and Afghanistan and
a trust-based coordinated response was required against them
rather than blame game. According to an ISPR statement, the
COAS during a meeting with a nine-member Afghan media delegation
at GHQ said that Afghanistan was Pakistan's brotherly neighbour.
He said media could play a vital role in mitigating the negativity
created by inimical forces. The COAS reiterated that Pakistan
had undertaken operations against terrorists of all hue and
colour and there were no safe havens inside Pakistan, which
were being used against Afghanistan. Emphasizing the need for
an effective border management along Pak-Afghan border, he said
Pakistan had taken measures on its side of the border, including
fencing and establishment of new border forts and posts.
August 26
The CTD Sindh claimed to have arrested a target
killer belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London MQM-L who
was involved in over a hundred cases of target killing from
Qasba Colony area of Orangi Town and recovered huge cache of
dumped weapons, from Shehzad Mor within the limits of Pirabad
Police Station in Frontier Colony, Orangi Town in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. PBTIG in-charge of CTD Mazhar Mashwani
stated that the arrested target killer Imran alias Mama has
remained underground after 2013 until he was arrested on informer's
information from his hideout. Imran was rounded up in a midnight
raid when team of CTD, on spy's information raided near Qasba
Colony, Shehzad Mor under Pirabad Police Station and recovered
dumped weapons including five repeaters action pumps 12 bore,
two rifles, one 8mm rifle, one KK and over 500 rounds of bullets.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stressed
the need for a political settlement in Afghanistan, saying that
like previous US plans President Donald Trump's new strategy
for America's longest-running war in that country will also
fail. "From day one we have been saying very clearly the military
strategy in Afghanistan has not worked and it will not work,"
PM Abbasi said in an interview with Bloomberg News. There has
to be a "political settlement," PM Abbasi said during the interview
adding that "That's the bottom line".
General John W. Nicholson, the top US commander
in Afghanistan, claimed that the US was aware of Afghan Taliban
leadership's presence in Peshawar and Quetta, adding that the
military would continue to put pressure on Afghan Taliban sanctuaries
inside and outside Afghanistan. In an exclusive interview with
Tolo News, the top commander discussed US President Donald Trump's
recent speech in which he revealed his long-awaited policy on
the Afghan war. According to General Nicolson, the matter of
the alleged sanctuaries for terrorists was being addressed "in
private" by the Governments of US and Pakistan. "The Quetta
shura, Peshawar shura - these shuras are identified by cities
inside Pakistan; we know Afghan Taliban leaders are in these
areas," said General Nicholson adding that "Support for terrorists
and insurgents has to be reduced - [it] has to be stopped."
August 27
Two soldiers were killed and three others injured
in a landmine blast in Barmal area of South Waziristan Agency
in FATA. An Army jeep was patrolling the area during a search
operation when it struck a landmine planted on the roadside.
The slain personnel were identified as Sepoy Attaur Rehman and
Sepoy Imran Ali.
Two militants were killed and two of their facilitators
arrested by FC during IBOs in Kahan, Chattar, and Uch areas
of Dera Bugti District in Balochistan. According to an ISPR
statement, four terrorist camps were also destroyed in the operations
conducted under the Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
FC personnel foiled a terrorist activity in
IBO by busting a network of terrorists and their facilitators
in Turbat District. A cache of arms and ammunition, being transported
to carry out terrorist activity in Turbat, was recovered from
the possession of the facilitators.
Assuring cooperation to Afghanistan, the COAS
General Qamar Javed Bajwa said that Pakistan cannot bring Afghan
war into Pakistan. Addressing QCCM in Dushanbe, Tajikistan,
the Army Chief said terrorism is a multinational threat. He
said Pakistan has indiscriminately eliminated all safe havens
of terrorists on its soil. The meeting was attended by senior
military leadership of member countries, including General Bajwa,
General Li Zuocheng (China), General Sobirzoda Imomali Abdurrahim
(Tajikistan) and General Sharif Yaftali (Afghanistan), said
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release. All four
leaders welcomed the QCCM initiative and expressed hope that
an inclusive and cooperative regional approach will prove best
for eradication of terrorism.
On sidelines of the event, COAS General Qamar
Javed Bajwa met his Afghanistan counterpart General Sharif Yaftali.
Both the Army Chiefs agreed to form a joint working group of
the two armies. General Bajwa proposed the working group during
a discussion and Afghan Army Chief accepted the offer. The working
group will "jointly work and formulate security recommendations
for government level discussions aimed at addressing mutual
concerns," said the release. During the discussion, General
Bajwa highlighted Pakistan's efforts for border security. He
termed "dignified repatriation of Afghan refugees" and border
security management as key factors for enduring peace.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said that Afghan
Taliban was the US and Afghanistan's problem, not Pakistan's.
He added that Pakistan had suffered a great deal for being an
ally of the US and the latter should stop pinning the blame
for its own 16 years of failures on the former. "If the US doesn't
trust us, it should repatriate Afghan immigrants in Pakistan
itself," he told reporters in Sialkot. The minister said 0.2
million Pakistani troops were fighting against terrorists and
thousands of soldiers had sacrificed their lives for this purpose.
"Pakistan has managed to cleanse its land from terrorism," he
maintained. Asif said US President Donald Trump's recent remarks
that Pakistan harboured terrorists were disturbing. "Pakistan
has been a partner of the US in the war against terrorism and
such statements undermine our efforts," he remarked. "We want
to maintain good ties with the US and remove misunderstandings."
Minister Khawaja Asif said that Afghan soldiers
used to sell US weapons to Afghan Taliban. Forty percent of
Afghan land is still under the control of Taliban. Over 90 percent
attacks on Pakistan had been carried out from Afghan side.
August 28
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reiterated
that Islamabad wants peace in neighbouring Afghanistan. Speaking
to the British High Commissioner, Abbasi said that Pakistan's
campaign for peace in the region had successfully been going
on. We have rendered countless sacrifices for the elimination
of terrorism, the prime minister told the UK High Commissioner
in the meeting, which also discussed bilateral trade, situation
in the region, Afghanistan and the role of Pakistani community
living in Britain.
Pakistan has temporarily suspended talks with
the US as well as official bilateral visits in protest against
President Donald Trump's speech in which he censured Islamabad
while proposing a new policy on Afghanistan, Foreign Minister
Khawaja Asif said during an in-camera session in Senate. The
Senate was converted into a Committee of the Whole House for
a thorough private discussion on proposals being formulated
by a House panel to suggest to the Government policy guidelines
after the contours of the new US policy on Afghanistan were
delineated by President Trump in his speech. The sources quoted
Asif as saying that as an immediate reaction, he postponed his
first visit to Washington as foreign minister last week. Similarly,
US Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice Well's
tour had also been postponed, he added. Although Pakistan did
not officially suspend bilateral visits or talks, postponement
of the two high-profile visits is being viewed as a significant
development.
America's security aid to Pakistan "will be
conditioned" on the steps Islamabad takes against terrorist
groups such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network, a senior
White House official who said on the condition of anonymity.
"There have been long standing relationships between the Pakistani
intelligence officials and these terrorist groups. So, we don't
expect things to change overnight. We expect incremental changes
over time," the official said. "We will be able to see when
these changes start to happen. They [might] not become immediately
apparent to the public, but we're confident that when Pakistan
takes the steps we're asking it to do, we'll know it and we'll
be able to assess. And so, our security aid will be conditioned
on the steps that we expect them to take against, in particular,
the Taliban-Haqqani Network," the official added.
August 29
The NACTA has begun the process of compiling
data on Pakistan-based individuals that are suspected of involvement
with terrorist organisations abroad, the National Assembly Standing
Committee on Interior was told. NACTA chief Ihsan Ghani said
the authority had completed the task of data compilation on
suspected militants who had fought in conflict zones such as
Yemen, Iraq or Syria. "We are in the process of having the data
verified from Federal and Provincial Departments," he told the
committee during a briefing on the status of implementation
on the NAP to counter terrorism and extremism. Ihsan Ghani tells
National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior about plans
to develop mobile app for reporting hate speech.
NACTA chief detailed measures to choke terrorists'
financial networks, saying that a task force had been established
under the authority to coordinate efforts in this regard. Progress
on updating the list of those individuals who were placed on
the Fourth Schedule of the ATA 1997 was also shared with the
committee. The bank accounts of around 5,000 of the more than
8,000 individuals on the list had been frozen, he said, while
they could no longer be issued passports or gun licenses.
August 30
Twelve cadres of the BRA surrendered to SFs
in Nushki District of Balochistan. A statement issued by ISPR
said "Those surrendered included two mid-tier militants identified
as Wali Khan and Karghani."
SFs arrested 39 suspects, including eight Afghan
nationals and seized weapons and ammunition during the IBOs
conducted under the Operation Raddul Fasaad across the country
in last 48 hours.
National Assembly passed a unanimous resolution
rejecting the "hostile and threatening" statements made by US
President Donald Trump and General John Nicholson, a top commander
of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan. It condemned Washington's
call for increased Indian involvement in Afghanistan due to
"(India's) known support to terrorists and destabilising policies
in the region". The call for an Indian role in Afghanistan's
development is "detrimental to regional stability," the resolution
said, adding that it was premised on a "failure to understand
existing ground realities and challenges in the region." The
resolution called on the US, NATO and Afghan government to ensure
that India was denied use of Afghan territory to attack Pakistan.
August 31
The Judge of ATC, Rawalpindi, Muhammad Asghar
Khan, while announcing the verdict in the former Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto murder case acquitted five accused (Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan), awarded 17-year imprisonment each to former DIG Saud
Aziz and former SP, Rawal Town, Khurram Shehzad, for abetting
the crime, and declared former President General Parvez Musharraf
an absconder. The court also imposed a fine of PKR 500,000 each
on both convicts. The Police arrested the former DIG and the
former SP from the premises of the court on the occasion as
they were on bail.
The court announced the verdict in the Adiala
Jail premises under tight security arrangements. In a landmark
decision, the court declared former President General Parvez
Musharraf an absconder in the case ordering seizure of all his
moveable and immovable property. Five suspects who had been
in jail for nine years, including Rafaqat Hussain, Husnain Gul,
Sher Zaman, Aitzaz Shah and Abdul Rashid were acquitted on murder
charges. The investigation agencies failed to prove a link of
the five accused with Baitullah Mehsud, therefore, the court
acquitted them. The two former Policemen have been awarded 10
years in prison under Section of 119 of the PPC and 7 years
each under Section of 201 of the PPC. They have also been fined
PKR 500,000 each in case they do not pay the fine, they will
have to spend another six months in jail.
The US President Donald Trump administration
has held back previously promised military aid of USD 255 million
to Pakistan by attaching new conditions which, the State Department
says, will allow it to review the level of its cooperation with
Islamabad before making new commitments. "The Department notified
Congress on August 30 of our intent to obligate USD 255 million
in FY 2016 FMF for Pakistan. At the same time, the Department
is placing a pause on spending those funds and on allocating
them to any specific FMF sales contracts," said the State Department
in a statement sent to Dawn. The FMF provides grants and loans
to help countries purchase US weapons and defence equipment
and for acquiring defence services and military training in
the United States. "Consistent with our new South Asia strategy,
this decision allows us the flexibility to continue reviewing
our level of cooperation with Pakistan prior to committing new
security assistance resources to projects in Pakistan," the
State Department said.
The FO rubbished US General John Nicholson's
"unacceptable" claim that Washington is aware of the Afghan
Taliban leadership's presence in Peshawar and Quetta, saying
that terrorist safe havens are present in Afghanistan, not Pakistan.
FO Spokesman Nafees Zakaria told a weekly press briefing in
Islamabad that there had been no high-level contact between
Pakistan and the US following President Donald Trump's August
21 diatribe, in which he lambasted Islamabad for providing safe
haven to terrorists. He announced that a conference of ambassadors
would be held between September 5-7 in order to discuss foreign
policy challenges facing the region and the world. Zakaria reiterated
Pakistan's commitment to an Afghan-led peace process and asserted
that Afghanistan's war could not be brought into Pakistan.
US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale assured
NSA Lieutenant General (Retd) Nasser Khan Janjua that President
Donald Trump did not blame Pakistan for the failure of the War
on Terror in Afghanistan. As Hale and Janjua met in Islamabad
to discuss the Trump administration's new strategy on Afghanistan
and South Asia, the US envoy claimed the perceived misconceptions
it arose due to the press taking the policy apart piece by piece
instead of interpreting it as a whole. Trump, in his August
21 diatribe, denounced Pakistan for allegedly allowing terrorists
to maintain safe havens inside its territory. According to a
press release issued by NSA Janjua's spokesperson, Hale said
it was wrong to assume that the policy recommended a purely
military solution, or that engagement with Pakistan had been
ruled out. Military strategy, he said, was just one piece of
the policy which espoused a political solution. NSA Janjua told
the US envoy that Pakistan was taking its time to examine the
US policy and considering its options. He added that Islamabad
would like to receive further details from the US. "This notwithstanding,
President Trump's address at Fort Myers was disappointing and
had deeply hurt the feelings of the government and the people
of Pakistan," the NSA said, according to the handout.
China reiterated that Pakistan is at the forefront
of fighting terrorism, and for many years has been making positive
efforts and great sacrifices on counter-terrorism. As we have
said many times, Pakistan is at the forefront of fighting terrorism,
and for many years has been making positive efforts and great
sacrifices on counter-terrorism, Chinese Foreign Ministry's
spokesperson Hua Chunying said during her regular press briefing.
The spokesperson said the international community should acknowledge
and fully recognize its contributions. Hua said that China is
willing to work with Pakistan and other countries to enhance
cooperation on counter-terrorism and protect regional security
and stability. Responding to a question about use of China's
influence for arrest of terrorists allegedly based in Pakistan,
she said, "We have taken note of the concerns of the Indian
side on counter-terrorism issues of Pakistan, but I don't believe
that it should feature prominently during the Xiamen Summit,"
she added.
Kashmiri militant outfit HuM, Maulana Fazlur
Rehman Khalil is set to launch political party of his own "Islah-e-Watan".
Khalil was the founder of Kashmiri militant outfit HuM and was
put on the US state department's list of "specially designated
global terrorists" in 2014. Khalil, who also was one of the
founders of HuJI in 1980, is the man who signed the fatwa issued
by Osama bin Laden calling for jihad against the West. He stepped
down as chief of HuM in February 2000. Pakistani authorities
arrested him in May 2004, for allegedly helping transport Pakistani
militants into Afghanistan. However, he was released after six
months due to lack of evidence. He then founded the Ansar ul
Ummah, but the outfit was disbanded after some years. A source
close to the cleric said that the senior cleric was in touch
with many of his associates to mobilise people in order to launch
a political party. "Maulana (Khalil) has taken a lead from Maulana
Makki's decision to mainstream his (banned) outfit. He believes
it is about time to get back all his associates and friends
who have been sidelined due to the effective ban on their movement
and activities," the source said.
Amidst pressure from the international community
to crack down on terror groups operating from its soil, Pakistan-based
terrorists are forming political parties to give cover to their
outfits. Hafiz Saeed, the chief of JuD, the frontal organization
of LeT, and the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, launched
his party, Milli Muslim League, on August 8. Saifullah Khalid,
a religious scholar and longtime official of the JuD, is President
of the newly-formed party. He told reporters in Islamabad that
his party will work to make Pakistan "a real Islamic and welfare
state" and that it is ready to cooperate with like-minded parties.
The party will continue to follow the ideology of JuD.
China sent out a signal that it would defend
Pakistan and would object to any discussion about Pakistan's
role in sheltering terrorists during the upcoming BRICS summit,
which would be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
China is worried Modi may raise the issue at the meeting because
he did so at the Goa summit of BRICS last year while describing
Pakistan as the "mother-ship of terrorism". "We also noticed
that India, when it comes to Pakistan's counter-terrorism, has
some concerns. I don't think this is an appropriate topic to
be discussed at BRICS summit," Hua Chunying, Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesperson, said at a briefing. She also indicated
that raising the topic might affect the success of the summit
because Chinese leaders may be forced to defend its close ally,
Pakistan. "The world is paying great attention to the BRICS
summit. I hope relevant parties can work with China to ensure
the success of the summit and make due contributions," Hua said.
She meant the five members of BRICS including India when she
mentioned "relevant parties".
September 1
Three people including father and his son were
killed in a landmine explosion in Shani Meenah area of Ambar
tehsil in Mohmand Agency of FATA. Two others also sustained
injuries.
NACTA spokesman Usman Ghani said that, upon
the advice of Federal Ministry for Interior, paramilitary forces
will remain high alert in the country for Eidul Azha. "Air wing
of Interior Ministry has been put on high alert from early this
morning," he mentioned. According to media reports, NACTA added
that PDMAs of the four Provincial Governments have been advised
- through a letter - to take intelligence reports seriously
and make arrangements to hold Eid prayers within boundary walls.
NACTA also said that collection of hides of sacrificial animals
without NOC is a punishable offence and stern action should
be taken against the violators.
The Federal Ministry for Interior directed the
Adiala jail authorities to keep the five accused, associated
with the TTP, in the Benazir Bhutto murder case in their custody
for 30 days. According to reports, the Ministry directed the
jail officials to continue detaining Rafaqat Hussain, Hasnain
Gul, Sher Zaman, Aitzaz Shah and Abdul Rasheed under the relevant
laws for a month. The five accused persons had been acquitted
of the high-profile murder case by Rawalpindi ATC on August
31.
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani in his
Eidul Azha message reached out to Pakistan offering "comprehensive
negotiations" to bring peace to their troubled relationship.
"Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been steadily deteriorating
amid spate of allegations about cross-border terrorism among
other disputes," the Afghan president said. While addressing
political elites and journalists at the Presidential Palace,
President Ghani also renewed calls for peace with the Taliban
and for resuming political dialogue with Pakistan to overcome
the differences. "From here, I have a message for Pakistan:
We are ready for comprehensive political talks. Peace with Pakistan
is in our national agenda," Ghani said who has long been blaming
Pakistan for 'waging an undeclared war' against Afghanistan.
The six persons accused of facilitating slain
Afghan Taliban supremo Mullah Akhtar Mansoor acquire a Pakistani
identity have been bailed out, reveals Federal Ministry for
Interior records. Mullah Mansoor, along with another man, was
killed when a taxicab he was travelling in was targeted by US
drone near Nushki District in Balochistan in May 21, 2016. A
Pakistani passport and CNIC were found near the charred wreckage
of the taxi which identified him as Wali Muhammad. A DNA test
conducted on the body later confirmed it was Mullah Mansoor
who had acquired Pakistani CNIC under a fake name. A subsequent
investigation identified six men for facilitating Mullah Mansoor
acquire a Pakistani CNIC and passport. But interestingly, all
these suspects are now out on bail, while another two persons
- a medical officer and wife of Mullah Mansoor - are absconding.
This transpired in a report of Federal Investigation Agency's
Crime Circle Quetta which was recently submitted by the Federal
Ministry for Interior in the Senate in response to a question
raised by Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah
Babar.
The US intends to work with Pakistan to take
down terrorists, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said, asserting
that this is what a "responsible" nation does. He was responding
to questions on Pakistan's reaction to the Afghanistan and South
Asia policy announced by US President Donald Trump. Mattis did
not respond to questions on timeline, if any, for Pakistan to
take action against terrorists and terrorist groups. "We intend
to work with Pakistan in order to take the terrorists down.
I think that's what a responsible nation does," Mattis said
at a media briefing.
September 2
Two people including a child were killed in
an attack in which MQM-P leader Khwaja Izharul Hassan escaped
unhurt in the Buffer Zone area of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh, in the morning. According to details, Khwaja Izharul
Hassan, who is also the leader of the opposition in the Sindh
Assembly survived the assassination attempt when he was leaving
a mosque after offering Eid-ul-Azha prayers. Police said a child
and one of Hassan's security guards were killed in the attack
by unidentified assailants clad in police uniform riding on
the motorcycles. Three other persons were also injured in the
gunshot. An assailant was also killed in the retaliatory fire
while another was injured but managed to flee, Police added.
The shell of a 9mm pistol bullet was also found from the crime
scene.
September 3
At least 13 suspected persons were arrested
on September 2 during a joint IBO in Punjab, an ISPR statement
said. The statement adds that Punjab Rangers and Police conducted
the first operation in Dera Ghazi Khan District and arrested
seven key facilitators wanted for extortion and other criminal
activities in Punjab and Balochistan. In a separate operation
in Lahore, Rangers, police and intelligence personnel took six
suspects, including two unregistered Afghan nationals, into
custody. Weapons and ammunition were also seized from the suspects,
it added.
September 4
One Policeman and one militant were killed while
another Policeman injured during a Police operation in Kaneez
Fatima Society in Malir Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. According to details, Police and Rangers conduct operation
on information given by already arrested militants. During the
raid, fire exchange started between militants and Police resulted
in killing of policeman. One militant was killed while one remained
successful in fleeing the scene. According to SSP, Malir Town,
Rao Anwar, the name of fleeing terrorist is Sarosh Siddique.
"He is mastermind of attack on MQM-P leader Khawaja Izharul
Hassan on Eid day," SSP Malir said. "He is central commander
of banned militant organisation Ansar-ul-Shariah and close associate
of killed terrorist, Hassan," Anwar further added. Sarosh Siddique
was a student of Applied Physics in Karachi University, sources
mentioned.
September 11
Four TTP militants, including
a senior ‘commander’ Nazir Afridi alias Jundullah, were killed
in Nazyan District of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. They
were killed when a private militia of Afghan leader Haji Zahir
Qadeer raided their hideout. Nazir was suspected to be involved
in the killing of senior TTP leader Tariq Afridi in February
2013. Nazir was the brother-in-law of Tariq Afridi and it was
previously stated that Tariq had been killed due to family issues
but later it was revealed that the killing was the result of
an internal rift as some TTP leaders were upset at the brutal
actions of Tariq Afridi. Besides a series of deadly attacks
on the local tribesmen in Darra Adam Khel, Tariq was accused
of beheading a Polish engineer Piotr Stanczak in February 2009.
Five soldiers were injured when
their vehicle hit a landmine in Koda Khel area of Khwazai Bazai
tehsil of the Mohmand Agency in FATA. The injured who
were identified as Havaldar Ismail, Lance Naik Asif, Lance Naik
Khan Wali, Lance Naik Idris and Sepoy Kashif. A search operation
is underway. No arrests have been reported so far.
Two Policemen were injured when
an unidentified assailant opened fire on a Police mobile during
a security check in Rizvia Society of Jahangirabad area in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. Station House Officer Rizvia
Arshad Janjua said an unidentified motorcycle borne assailants
opened fired at a Police mobile during snap checking in Jahangirabad,
injuring police constables Sirajuddin and Zeeshan Safdar. No
one has claimed responsibility for the attack as yet.
PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said
it would be counter-productive for the United States to sanction
Pakistani officials or further cut military assistance, warning
it would hurt both countries' fight against militancy. "We
are fighting the war against terror, anything that degrades
our effort will only hurt the US effort," Abbasi said in
an interview in Islamabad. "If the military aid cuts degrade
our effort to fight war on terror, who does it help?" he
said. "Whatever needs to be done here, it needs to be a
cooperative effort." "We've had to look at other options
to maintain our national defensive forces," he said. "We
have a major economic relationship with (China), we have a major
military relationship since the 1960s, so that's definitely
one of our options," he said. US-Pakistan relations have
frayed since President Donald Trump last month set out a new
Afghanistan policy and lashed out at nuclear-armed Pakistan
as a fickle ally that gives safe haven to "agents of chaos"
by harbouring the Afghan Taliban and other militants. The United
States has already begun conditioning future aid to Pakistan
on progress Islamabad makes in tackling the Haqqani network
militants who it alleges are Pakistan-based and have helped
the Taliban carry out deadly attacks inside Afghanistan.
September 12
Punjab Government opposed the
release of mastermind of Mumbai terror attack and chief of JuD,
Hafiz Saeed, informing the Lahore High Court that freeing the
cleric from house arrest is likely to create unrest in the province.
Punjab Home Department submitted a written reply in the court
during the hearing of an appeal for Saeed's release, stating
that he was put under house arrest under the anti-terrorism
laws to stop him from collecting funds — which is a violation
of various resolutions of the United Nations. A K Khokar, Saeed's
counsel, argued in court that his client's detention was illegal
and baseless, thus the order of keeping him under house arrest
be immediately withdrawn. "The defendant was put under
house arrest after the US threatened to cut Pakistan's aid,
it was done without any cases being registered against him,"
Khokhar told the court. The judges, however, pointed out to
Saeed's lawyer that he had not mentioned about US's alleged
pressure in the case. They said that the defendant's application
is based on a news clipping. Punjab's home department, however,
pointed out that various cases were registered against members
of JuD for collecting hides during the three days of Eid-ul-Azha
in contempt of the ministry's orders. "Cases were also
registered against the party for collecting funds in contempt
of the provincial ministry's orders," the reply said. The
court asked Khokhar to come up with more argument in the next
hearing and adjourned the case until September 15.
September 13
One person was killed while
another sustained injuries after their motorbike ran over a
planted landmine in the Nasau area of Kohlu District in Balochistan.
Sources said two brothers riding on their bike were hit by a
landmine in the Nasau area.
SFs personnel recovered six
hand grenades hidden in Qadirabad area of Nushki District.
September 14
JUI-Fazl leader and former MPA
Hashim Khan and two of his aides were shot dead in Shah Alam
Baba area of Lower Dir District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. SHO Fazal
Mabood said unidentified assailants had opened fire on the vehicle
in which Hashim Khan was travelling, killing him and his two
aides.
The CTD said that two “high-profile
militants” of the banned LeJ who earlier escaped from Karachi’s
Central Jail had crossed over to Afghanistan from the Chaman
border in Balochistan. In a report submitted to the Sindh Home
Ministry on the orders of CM Murad Ali Shah, the CTD said that
the Police party tailing Shaikh Muhammad Mumtaz alias Firaun,
and Muhammad Ahmed Khan alias Munna, failed to arrest the two
men. The fugitives had broken out from Karachi's Central Jail
on June 13 following a shocking lapse of security at the facility.
The two had been arrested in 2013 by the CTD for their alleged
involvement in the killing of over 60 people, mainly members
of the Shia community and law enforcers. The report also said
that the two militants' facilitators were in Police custody
and were being interrogated at the moment. Discussing the prisoners'
escape to Afghanistan, CM Murad Ali Shah later said that: "We
are investigating how the escaped militants reached Afghanistan
and the people who aided them in fleeing will be punished."
"Those whose irresponsibility resulted in the escape of
the prisoners [from Central Jail] were punished and sent to
jail, but the courts set them free by granting them bail,"
he added while addressing the media during a visit to Sufi saint
Abdullah Shah Ghazi's shrine.
Pakistani and Afghan officials
in a bilateral meeting at the Ministry of Defence in Kabul agreed
to formulate an action plan seeking to improve security along
the Pak-Afghan border through enhanced cooperation, ISPR press
release said. The six-member Pakistani delegation led by DGMO
Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza in Kabul also held a trilateral
meeting with Afghan and American officials at the Ministry.
Participants of the bilateral meeting discussed issues related
to cross-border firing and attacks, counter-terrorism and coordinated
actions on their respective sides along the border, as well
as exchange of prisoners, ISPR said. Pakistani and Afghan officials
also agreed to make progress in line with commitments made at
recent high-level meetings.
Federal Minister of Interior
Ahsan Iqbal told the Senate that it was the responsibility of
the Provincial Governments to keep an eye out for and take action
against banned outfits in the country, including those organisations
that were resurfacing under new names after being outlawed.
The Senate had asked Minister Iqbal to provide the name of the
authority or agency responsible for keeping a lookout for banned
organisations in the country, under the National Action Plan,
and the role of the Ministry of Interior in monitoring the activities
of these organisations. In a written reply sent to the Senate,
Minister Iqbal said: “It is the responsibility and authority
of the provincial governments to take action in each case under
the law. Intelligence agencies are mandated to keep regular
watch on the activities of proscribed organisations. The Ministry
of Interior regularly receives reports from intelligence agencies
on the activities of proscribed organisations and shares the
same with the NACTA and the provincial governments.”
September 15
A US drone killed three suspected
Afghan Taliban militants in an attack on a compound in Ghuz
Ghari village of Kurram Agency in FATA. Officials said the strike
took place in remote Ghuz Ghari village, close to the Afghan
border where at least five fighters from the Afghan Taliban
had gathered. “The US drone fired two missiles, at least three
fighters from the Afghan Taliban have been killed and two wounded,”
a senior Government official in Kurram Agency said.
Seven persons, including six
FC soldiers, received injuries in two grenade blasts at Torkham
border crossing in Torkham Town of Khyber Agency. Officials
said that Pakistani security personnel deployed at the border
were targeted in the attack. "At approximately 1:35 pm,
two grenades were fired across the border from Afghanistan.
One grenade hit the Torkham gate while another landed in front
of the forces office. Six FC soldiers and a ten-year old civilian
were injured," officials said.
Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir
Khan said that it is not Islamabad's job to satisfy the US,
and added that his Government is currently "reassessing"
ties with Washington. "We are here to give our point of
view logically and with evidence. We will explain our position.
But it's not for us to satisfy them," said Khurram Dastgir
Khan said. The "reassessment" of ties with the US
is a result of the US President last month roundly criticising
Pakistan for "hosting terror safe havens". He said
the situation in the region was a "challenge" for
Pakistan because the US "keeps changing the goalposts".
He didn't appear to have elaborated on what these "changes"
were.
September 17
Local Tehsildar Fawad Ali and
four Levies personnel were killed when a remote-controlled bomb
went off at a roadside in Loye Mamond area of Bajaur Agency
in FATA. Fawad Ali, along with Levies personnel, was patrolling
in Garigal area when his vehicle was targeted with a remote-controlled
explosive device, killing him and four Levies personnel on the
spot. TTP claimed responsibility for the blast. TTP ‘spokesman’
Mohammad Khorasani said the militants planted an improvised
explosive device “to target security personnel” in the Bajaur
Agency area.
September 18
Two terrorists belonging to LeJ were killed
in an encounter with the CTD officials at Chak 83/M area of
Jalalpur Pirwala tehsil in Multan District. One of the
deceased militants was identified as Ijaz Asghar. The CTD personnel
recovered three hand grenades, a rifle and a pistol from the
scene.
SFs foiled a plot to target Punjab Chief Minister
Shahbaz Sharif and arrested a suspected terrorist with a suicide
jacket. Security sources on an intelligence tip identified a
'terrorist' serving as a driver in a house located in Block
H of Model Town.
Pakistan summoned Switzerland's ambassador-designate
to lodge protest over the display of anti-Pakistan posters in
Geneva. Ambassador-designate Thomas Kolly was summoned by the
Foreign Office after some posters, reading "Free Balochistan",
were displayed in Geneva. The poster campaign was apparently
orchestrated by the BLA, a banned entity in Pakistan. The Foreign
Office in a statement said that Kolly met Additional Secretary
(Europe) Zaheer A Janjua. "A strong protest was lodged with
the ambassador on allowing the use of Swiss territory by elements
linked with a terrorist organisation perpetrating terrorism
and violence in Pakistan," it said.
September 19
At least five persons, including three SF personnel,
were killed and eight others injured in a blast in the Rohri
cement factory in Sukkur District of Sindh. Sukkur Police DIG
Feroze Shah said that the explosion occurred when SF personnel
were engaged in defusing explosives found at the cement factory.
Five people including two Policemen, a Rangers official and
two labourers were killed in the blast. Eight others, including
six Rangers personnel, manager of the factory and one labourer
were also injured.
The CTD claimed to have arrested up two suspected
target killers allegedly belonging to LeJ during a raid in Bandhani
Colony of Liaquatabad in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. In a press release, the CTD said the two target killers
- Muhammad Abdullah Majid and Adnan Ahmad - were involved in
sectarian murders and were planning to carry out more attacks
during the upcoming month of Muharram. The CTD also recovered
three 9mm pistols, 15 bullets and one motorbike from the suspects'
custody.
Sindh Government has shifted some 90 "high-profile"
inmates from the Central Prison Karachi to jails in other Districts
of the province and Rawalpindi (Punjab) on advice of intelligence
and law enforcement agencies, an official confirmed. The key
report about illegal activities of the inmates inside the prison
came from the CTD, which recommended their shifting from the
central prison to other such facilities in Sindh and Punjab
to "break an organised network". The move came after a series
of meetings on the issue of jails' security, the official added.
"The process began in July 2017," he said. "The high-profile
militants belonging to banned outfits, both under trial as well
as those serving their terms, were shifted from Karachi Central
Prison to jails in other parts of the province. So far 90 have
been moved and under the plan some 270 would face the same fate.
More inmates would be transferred to other jails in phases."
The move is meant to break an 'organised network' and improve
prison security Of the 90 prisoners, he said, two had been moved
to a prison in Rawalpindi, eight to Larkana and 80 to Sukkur
jail.
Two militant commanders belonging to a banned
outfit were killed by SFs during an operation in Dera Bugti
District of Balochistan. Two militant camps were destroyed in
the area, and SFs also recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition
from the demolished camps.
Three SF personnel were injured when their vehicle
hit a landmine in Kurram Agency of FATA.
The Interior Ministry of Spain said that the
Police have arrested a Pakistani man suspected of "promoting
terrorism and militant propaganda" on social media networks.
A Ministry statement said that the 25-year-old resident of the
northern Catalan city of Lleida was part of a cell partially
dismantled with the arrest of three Pakistani brothers in Lleida
in 2016. The Ministry said that the man detained on September
19 had become "more engrossed in radical activities" in recent
weeks.
Former ruler of Kalat princely state and a prominent
Baloch leader in exile, Mir Suleman Dawood Jan, said that if
the UN held a referendum, 90 per cent of the Baloch people would
vote for freedom. "If there will be a referendum by the United
Nations, I believe 90% of Baloch will vote for freedom," said
Mir Suleman Dawood Jan Dawood, who currently lives in exile
in Cardiff, in the UK, was speaking on the sidelines of the
36th regular session of HRC in Geneva. He alleged that more
than 360 people in Balochistan were "murdered" just last month,
alleging state complicity, and added that he was "trying to
involve other countries to raise this issue so that our voice
gets heard at the United Nations."
September 20
The Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed
Bajwa confirmed death sentences awarded to four hardcore terrorists,
who were involved in heinous offences related to terrorism,
including abducting/slaughtering of soldiers, attacking law
enforcement agencies and Armed Forces of Pakistan. According
to an ISPR statement issued on September 20, on the whole, they
were involved in killing of 21 persons and injuring another
person. Arms and explosives were also recovered from their possession.
They were Shabbir Ahmed, Umara Khan, Tahir Ali and Aftab ud
Din. These convicts were tried by military courts.
Unless the "core issue" of Kashmir is resolved
first, there can be no progress in ties with India, Pakistan
PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said. Pakistan won't accept Indian role
in Afghanistan, says PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. PM Abbasi was
interacting with an audience at the CFR in New York. He is scheduled
to address the UN General Assembly on September 21. "…I think
we need to engage on core issues. Those have to be resolved
first, and Kashmir is the basic core issue there," the Pakistani
PM said, adding that "in the recent past the aggression from
India has continued unabated, and that is not acceptable." "And
we want normal relations with India, but on the basis of trust
and respect," he said, when asked about what did he foresee
on ties with India.
In response to questions on the deteriorating
relations between the US and Pakistan and the Donald Trump administration's
decision to suspend the strategic dialogue between the two countries,
Mr. Abbasi said: "We're engaged at various levels. And our objective
is the same, to find peace in Afghanistan, to develop the relationship
further. And relationships have their ups and downs. … And I
think the engagement will continue. And I think any misconceptions
will go away. We remain a partner in the war against terror,"
he said. Mr. Abbasi was defiant on the issue of American drone
attacks on Pakistani soil. "No, no. We cannot condone that.
We cannot allow that. I think the sovereignty of our territory
has to be respected," he said in response to a question. The
Pakistani leader accused India of aggression along the Line
of Control, "mostly to draw attention away from the genuine
struggle of the Kashmiri people, who have today risen against
the Indian occupation there."
September 21
At least two Pakistan Customs officials received
injuries when a roadside remote controlled IED went off in the
Matha Khel area of Landi Kotal tehsil in Khyber Agency of FATA.
The administration and local sources said that a Torkham-bound
customs coach, carrying Torkham Customs House crew, was on its
way to its destination from Peshawar when it was targeted at
around 9am with a bomb planted by militants on the main Pak-Afghan
highway. Resultantly, two customs officials identified as Muhammad
Yousaf and Abdul Kareem sustained injuries.
Former President General (retd) Parvez Musharraf
said that Asif Ali Zardari was the real mastermind behind the
murders of Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her brother
Murtaza Bhutto and law enforcement agencies should arrest him.
Through a video message on a social networking site, Parvez
Musharraf said Asif Zardari has levelled allegations against
him for the murder of Benazir Bhutto. "I want to reveal that
the real mastermind behind this gory incident is Asif Ali Zardari,"
he said. Parvez Musharraf said he is addressing Bilawal Bhutto
Zardari, Aseefa and Bakhtawar in particular, and then the people
of Sindh and every citizen of Pakistan in general who were aggrieved
by the death of Benazir Bhutto, "There is no doubt that (former
TTP chief) Baitullah Mehsud and his accomplices murdered Benazir
Bhutto but the real mastermind must be investigated. It needs
to be seen who benefited from the murder of Benazir Bhutto and
who remained at loss. As far as I am concerned, I was at loss
but Zardari took full benefit of it," he said. It may be mentioned
here that Zardari on September 18 filed an appeal against the
judgment of Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) at the Lahore High Court
(LHC) Rawalpindi bench where he sought death penalty for Musharraf
alleging his role in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.
Pakistan refuses to be a "scapegoat" for Afghanistan´s
bloodshed or to fight wars for others, Prime Minister Shahid
Khaqan Abbasi told the United Nations General Assembly. Addressing
the UN General Assembly, Abbasi did not explicitly criticize
US President Donald Trump´s new strategy on Afghanistan but
made clear his displeasure with the renewed onus on Pakistan.
"Having suffered and sacrificed so much due to our role in the
global counter terrorism campaign, it is especially galling
for Pakistan to be blamed for the military or political stalemate
in Afghanistan," Abbasi said. "We are not prepared to be anyone´s
scapegoat," he said. "What Pakistan is not prepared to do is
to fight the Afghan war on Pakistan´s soil. Nor can we endorse
any failed strategy that will prolong and intensify the suffering
of the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan and other regional
countries," he said.
Abolishing militant hideouts in Pakistan is
critical to establishing peace in neighbouring Afghanistan,
President Ashraf Ghani said before meeting US President Donald
Trump on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. "Reduction
of safe havens is absolutely necessary," Mr. Ghani told National
Public Radio in an interview broadcast. "I hope that this time,
Pakistan will get the message loud and clear that business as
usual cannot continue. It's not in their interest. It's not
in anyone's interest," Mr. Ghani said. "Pakistan has never had
this type of dialogue with the U.S. and I hope that wisdom and
shared national interests will prevail", he added further.
The Federal Ministry of Interior recommended
the Election Commission of Pakistan to reject the newly formed
MML’s application to become an official Political party. MML
is “affiliated” with JuD, the frontal organization of LeT, the
terrorist group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. “The registration
of MML is not supported,” the Ministry said in the two-page
letter sent to Election Commission of Pakistan. Spokesmen for
the election commission and the interior ministry acknowledged
the correspondence and confirmed that the letter was authentic.
September 23
Three militants and one
Army Lieutenant Arsalan Alam were killed during a cross border
firing in Rajgal area in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency of FATA.
The ISPR said the Security Forces retaliated and killed three
militants and injured two others when Pakistani militants based
across the Pak-Afghan border sneaked into Rajgal to carry out
the attack on a newly built border post. Post Commander Lieutenant
Arsalan Alam also killed during the action. It added that the
militants took away the bodies of the slain men and also their
injured associates and escaped to Afghanistan.
September 24
SFs killed three militants in Gara Madda area
of Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A press
release issued by ISPR stated that the law enforcement agencies
were carrying out a search operation in Gara Madda area when
the alleged encounter took place. The officials signalled three
people, riding a bike, to stop but they reportedly resorted
to firing on the SF personnel, ensuing an encounter, claimed
ISPR. All the three suspects were later identified as Iqbal,
Waheed, and Majid, said ISPR, adding that Iqbal was reportedly
carrying a head money of PKR one million.
A flag similar to that of the militant IS was
seen waving in Khana area of Islamabad, the Federal Capital,
in morning, before being removed by the local Police after a
citizen reported the matter. Police removed the flag, hoisted
on a pole by an unidentified person, in the afternoon after
one Naveed Ahmed Khan - a resident of Dera Ismail Khan - informed
Rescue 15 of the matter. Khan, who was taken in by the police,
said in his statement that he was travelling on the Sixth Road
in Islamabad when he saw the flag. Khan added that he recognised
the flag as he had seen it on the television before. The flag
had "Khilafat is coming" written on it, in addition to the Arabic
verses. Taking notice of the matter, Federal Minister of Interior
Ahsan Iqbal asked the Inspector General of Police to file a
report on the said matter.
According to a recent report by the Federation
of American Scientists (FAS), Pakistan has stored its nuclear
forces at nine different locations across the country. Renowned
US nuclear weapon expert and co-author of the report Hans Kristensen
said Pakistan's nuclear warheads may be located in storage facilities
near the bases the report identifies, and that these bases themselves
appear to house nuclear-capable launchers that would use those
warheads. The report describes the launcher bases to give readers
an impression of the extent to which Pakistan's nuclear forces
are being dispersed across the country. Kristensen said that
because Pakistan was building a short-range sub-strategic nuclear
arsenal (in addition to its longer-range force), the warheads
would likely be distributed to regional storage sites from which
they could be assembled and transported to the launcher bases.
"Since the shorter-range systems are intended to be used earlier
in a conflict below the strategic level, weapons for these systems
would likely be distributed early in a crisis and raise the
risk of accident and incidents. If used against conventional
attacks, use of the tactical nuclear weapons would likely lead
to escalation to a wider nuclear war quickly," said Kristensen.
September 25
Four militants were killed
during operations conducted by the Frontier Corps in various parts
of Balochistan, ISPR press release said. According to the ISPR
statement, four "wanted terrorists" belonging to the BRA and the
UBA were killed during the operations, while 24 others were arrested.
Among those killed were Thango and Keleri of the BRA, the ISPR
said. According to the statement, they were involved in the abduction
of civilians and responsible for attacks on law enforcement personnel.
The two other militants killed were identified as Muhammad Khan
and Jalal Deen ? both members of the UBA. According to the ISPR,
they were involved in bombing railway lines, the planting of improvised
explosive devices and destroying power lines.
September 26
SFs conducted intelligence-based operations
in Kamar Khel, Baz Garhi and Bara area of Khyber Agency and
recovered arms and ammunition, ISPR press release said. Submachine
guns, grenades, rockets, IED and mortar rounds were recovered
from the sites.
One senior militant Shafqatullah laid down arms
and surrendered before Police in Lakki Marwat District of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. A Police official said that Shafqatullah was wanted
to law enforcement agencies in several militancy-related cases,
including Shah Hasankhel suicide blast of January 1, 2010. Over
97 villagers, including security personnel, had been killed
in the blast when a suicide bomber blew up his double-door pickup
truck in the middle of a volleyball match. "The surrendered
militant is also involved in attacks on district police office,
police lines and city police post when militancy was at peak
in the southern district," the official said, adding Shafqatullah
was also wanted to Police in cases of blowing up a water supply
scheme in Lakki city, a government primary school in Shah Hasankhel
village and a house in Dhoda village.
One IB official, Sub-Inspector Malik Mukhtar
Ahmed Shahzad accused his own agency of protecting terror groups
in a petition in the Islamabad high court, and questioned the
agency for not taking any action against suspected terrorists.
Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Shahzad in the petition requested for a
thorough investigation against his seniors by the ISI. "The
issue of connivance, complacency and involvement of official
of IB and other senior bureaucrats raised in the petition may
graciously be entrusted to the ISI for investigation," the petitioner
requested the court.
Shahzad, who joined the IB in 2007, has alleged
that the agency did not take any action against terror organisations
with roots in Uzbekistan, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and India
despite concrete evidence against them. His petition names several
Pakistan IB officials, including a Joint Director General, Directors
and Deputy Directors as conspirators in the matter. Shahzad
added that the matter was even reported to the IB Director General
but no action was taken. While alleging that many of his seniors
were on the payroll of foreign intelligence agencies to protect
terrorists, Shahzad stated, "Upon thorough intelligence gathering
process, it transpired that certain high officials of the IB
themselves are directly involved with the terrorist organisations
having linkages with hostile enemy intelligence agencies." Shahzad
added that he "has been running from pillar to post including
approaching the prime minister to raise this issue of national
security and protection of lives of the citizen of this country
but in vain."
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif
told an audience in New York that JuD chief and founder of the
LeT Hafiz Saeed and LeT are liabilities. "I accept that they
(Saeed and LeT) are liabilities, but give us time to get rid
of them because we don't have the assets to match these liabilities
and you are increasing them (our liabilities) further," the
minister said.
Pakistan also refused to take the blame for
the Haqqani Network and other alleged militant outfits, reminding
the United States that these 'terrorists' were considered the
'darlings' of the White House up until a few decades ago. Foreign
Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif, who is attending the 72nd session
of the UN General Assembly, made remarks to this end at the
Asia Society forum on September 26. "Don't blame us for the
Haqqanis [the Haqqani Network] and don't blame us for the Hafiz
Saeed [referring to the head of banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD)].
These were the people who were your darlings just 20 to 30 years
back. They were being dined and wined in the White House and
now you say 'go to hell Pakistanis because you are nurturing
these people'."
Afghanistan today didn't mince words in declaring
at the UN that terror in Afghanistan is the "product of (a)
long-standing policy" of Pakistan. "The scourge of terrorism
affecting Afghanistan is (a) product of (the) long-standing
policy by a neighbouring State to keep Afghanistan unstable,"
said Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani at no less a
forum than the UNSC. Afghanistan also said that that terror's
"roots are located in terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens
outside" its borders. "Despite being on (the) receiving-end
of provocative actions, we have maintained a principled position
in seeking to resolve differences through dialogue, diplomacy
and peaceful means...Pakistan has so far failed to respond positively
at its own cost, particularly in relation to its global reputation
and standing," added the Afghan Foreign Minister. With its unequivocal
declarations, Afghanistan today joined US President Donald Trump,
the BRICS countries, Japan and India in naming and shaming Pakistan,
a country many have come to call a "terrorist state".
Speaking at Asia Society seminar in New York,
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that Pakistan
cannot owe responsibility of peace and security in Afghanistan,
adding that effective border management with Afghanistan is
imperative to stop infiltration of terrorists. Khawaja Muhammad
Asif said that the United States cannot succeed in Afghanistan
through waging war, adding that from 16 years of the ongoing
war in Afghanistan, it is clear that peace will not be restored
by the continuing resort to military force, peace can be restored
in Afghanistan only through a negotiated settlement, he added.
He said no one desires peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan.
Numbers of Afghan leaders want to continue status quo for their
vested interests, the minster added.
Pakistan received a proposal to swap Indian
national Kulbhushan Jadhav for a terrorist who carried out the
horrific 2014 Peshawar school attack and is now jailed in Afghanistan,
Foreign Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif has claimed. Asif, however,
did not specify the name of the terrorist and the National Security
Advisor who had made the proposal. "The terrorist who killed
children in APS (Army Public School) in Peshawar is in Afghan
custody. The National Security Advisor (NSA) told me that we
can exchange that terrorist with the terrorist you have, which
is Kulbhushan Jadhav," Asif told the audience after his speech
at the Asia Society.
September 27
Four SF personnel were injured when their patrolling
vehicle hit a roadside IED near Afghan border in Shorki area
of Khyber Agency in FATA.
September 28
Police claimed to have killed five militants
in a raid in Sacha area of Malir Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Malir Town SSP, Rao Anwar said the raid was
jointly carried out by intelligence agencies and Police on the
basis of secret information. Anwar claimed that the militants
had plans to carry out attacks on Youm-e-Ashura. He said a senior
al Qaeda leader Amir Sharif was among the dead. He said a suspected
identified as Hamza was involved in sectarian target killing.
Two senior Central Jail officials in Karachi
were arrested over alleged obstruction of the investigation
of a jailbreak involving two high-profile militants on June
14,. The CTD arrested Central Jail Superintendent Ghulam Murtaza
Shaikh and Assistant Superintendent Abdul Rehman Shaikh, CTD
DIG Amir Farooqi said, over a range of charges from alleged
destruction of evidence to threatening witnesses. DIG Farooqi,
who was handling the jailbreak investigation, said the accused
jailers were creating hindrances into the investigation of the
two militants linked to the banned LeJ - Mumtaz alias Firaun,
and Ahmed alias Munna, who were involved in the murders of 60
people, including members of the Shia community and law enforcement
agencies.
The CoAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa said that
Pakistan was incomplete without Balochistan. The COAS General
Bajwa said this while interacting with a group of 173 students
and faculty members, which called on him, from various educational
institutions of Balochistan. He said that Pakistan cannot progress
without peace, stability and progress of Balochistan. The COAS
termed youth as Pakistan's most precious asset and urged them
to contribute in national integration and progress by performing
their positive role. General Bajwa said that never get misguided
by anti-state propaganda being engineered by certain anti-state
elements from abroad with support of hostile foreign agencies.
Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmad
Chaudhry said that Pakistan would not allow anyone to use Pakistani
land for terrorism. Addressing a ceremony at Pakistan Embassy
in Washington held in connection with the Defence Day of Pakistan,
Aizaz Chaudhry said that Pakistan was committed to eliminate
terrorism jointly with the international community. "This day
is observed every year to commemorate the spirit and the valour
displayed by our armed forces in defending our borders against
the blatant aggression of our neighbor during 1965 war," he
said. He said that the armed forces of Pakistan had not only
defended our frontiers successfully, but had also participated
in the world's largest counter terrorism operation. This resulted
in clearing up most of the area, under the influence of anti
state elements. Besides, the armed forces also participated
in the nation building activities, particularly during natural
calamities and emergencies," he added.
At least 20 people sustained
injuries in an explosion near a hospital located on Ring Road
near Shinwari Town, within the jurisdiction of Paharipura Police
Station, Peshawar, the provincial capital, Police said. While
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi said 20 people sustained
injuries and were treated on the spot, SSP (Operations) Sajjad
Khan said only five people were seriously injured in the explosion.
"The blast occurred just outside the hospital, injuring
many people including one of the owners, Osman Maqsood, who
was on his way back after Friday prayers," an official
said, adding that according to the bomb disposal squad officials
the device used in the attack was probably homemade. Police
said the hospital owner was the target of the attack as he was
already receiving threatening calls from extortionists.
Police and intelligence agencies
in a joint operation rounded up two terrorists and recovered
seven hand grenades, four IEDs and prima card and shrapnel from
an under an construction house in Peshawar.
September 30
Sindh Rangers claimed to have recovered arms
from MQM-L unit office in Orangi Town of Karachi. According
to Rangers spokesman, on an intelligent report that the activists
of MQM-L has hidden arms and ammunition in the unit office in
Orangi town's Sector-7- C for target killing and disturbing
law & order situation in the city, the Rangers conducted a raid
and recovered a Light Machine Gun (LMG), one AK-47 with 11 magazines,
and a 22-rifle, two 30-bore pistols with a magazines and 1850
different types of rounds.
Intelligence agencies and SFs conducted raids
and seized weapons from Makhi Nala area of Kahan in Kohlu District
in Balochistan. In a press conference, Kohlu Deputy Commissioner
Agha Nabil said that the SFs raided Makhi Nala area of Kahan.
"During the raid, weapons and ammunition were seized from the
hideouts, belonging to proscribed organisations," said Nabil.
"Three hand grenades, seven anti-tank mines, 477 LMG rounds,
one kilogram of explosive material, rifles, machine guns, detonator,
five Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG)-7 fuses, 400 yards of detonator
cable and other weapons were recovered," he said.
In another raid, a vehicle that was going to
be used as vehicle-borne IED was seized during an IBO from Tore
Shah, North of Pishin in Balochistan. The vehicle was going
to be used to disrupt Muharram in Quetta. Three suspects were
also arrested during the raid.
Pakistan Rangers Punjab and Police carried out
patrolling/flag marches in important areas of major cities in
Punjab. The ISPR said that extensive intelligence based operations
were carried out in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Multan, DG Khan,
Lahore, Sialkot, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan.
During these operations, 27 suspects were arrested and a cache
of illegal weapons was seized. The CTD arrested four suspected
terrorists from Multan, seizing a sizeable quantity of arms
and explosives from them. The CTD conducted a raid on a tip-off
and arrested four activists of banned outfit, who were identified
as Nasir, Ali, Tahir and Shafqat. The CTD also claimed to have
seized six hand grenades, two pistols, one IED, two kilogrammes
of explosives, three-meter detonating cord, eight-meter safety,
and 10 detonators from the suspects.
October 2
At least one person was killed
and two others injured in a remote-controlled blast in the Ghat
area of Malam Jabba in Swat Valley District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Police said the blast targeted a family member of a VDC member,
Ahmed Zeb. Zeb’s father was killed and two others wounded, Police
officials said.
Eighteen of convicted and under-trial
militants, including leaders of sectarian outfits, are likely
to be transferred from Karachi Central jail to various other
jails of Sindh. There were nearly 100 high-profile ‘hardcore’
terrorists incarcerated at the Karachi central prison belonging
to militant organisations such as LeJ, SSP, JeM, TTP, al Qaeda,
AQIS and Daesh (Islamic States). This includes the militants
who attempted to assassinate former president and then army
chief General (retd) Parvez Musharraf, Omar Shaikh, who was
sentenced to death for killing American journalist Daniel Pearl,
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British terrorist of Pakistani origin
with links to various Islamist militant organisations such as
JeM, al Qaeda, HuM and the Taliban, and LeJ co-founder Mohammad
Ajmal alias Akram Lahori.
The NADRA restarted the process
of registration of unregistered Afghan nationals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The process of registration was temporarily suspended due to
Muharram. Overall 100,000 Afghan refugees who have been living
in Pakistan without Proof of Registration cards have been registered
across the country in last one month out of which 80,000 have
been registered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone.
October 3
A soldier was killed and another
sustained injuries when militants opened fire on a forces check
post in the Rajgal area, along the Pak-Afghan border, of Bara
tehsil of Khyber Agency in FATA. "Two soldiers posted
at the checkpoint were targeted with sniper fire from across
the border," officials said. The militants then escaped
from the area.
Pakistan's external intelligence
agency, ISI, clearly has links with terrorist groups, said the
US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Joseph Dunford. "It
is clear to me that the [Inter-Services Intelligence] has connections
with terrorist groups," said Dunford, in his testimony
at the Senate hearing. Pakistan, of course, continues to deny
there is state or institutional support for terrorists, but
the US isn't buying that falsehood, said Dunford.
US Defense Secretary James Mattis
went a step further and said that ISI even "appears to
run its own policy". "We've seen the government of
Pakistan come down on terrorists, when the ISI appears to run
its own policy," said Mattis, according to Russia Today.
"We need to try one more time to make this strategy work
with them, by, with and through the Pakistanis, and if our best
efforts fail, President (Donald) Trump is prepared to take whatever
steps are necessary," said Mattis said at the House hearing,
reported The Hill. When asked if taking away Pakistan's status
as a major non-NATO ally is an option on the table if it doesn't
act to immediately to rein in terror, Mattis's response was,
"sure it will be."
Both officials were testifying
at the US Senate Armed Services Committee on the US's strategy
in Afghanistan. On the same day, they also testified at the
House Armed Services Committee on the same subject.
Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar, Dawood
Ibrahim's brother has reportedly stated that Dawood wanted to
return to India, Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, won't allow
him to do so. The ISI believes that if Dawood returns to India,
then many of its secrets would be exposed, and it would find
itself in an embarrassing situation. Notably, a few years back
Dawood Ibrahim had reportedly desired to return to India.
October 4
Three terrorists tried and convicted
by military courts were executed at a jail in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
ISPR statement said. The convicts were "involved in committing
heinous offences relating to terrorism, including [an] attack
on a PIA plane at Peshawar Airport, killing of civilians, attacking
the armed forces and law enforcement agencies," the ISPR
handout read. Former Army chief General Raheel Sharif signed
the death warrants of the three terrorists, identified as Sajid,
Behram and Fazal-i-Ghaffar.
The former spokesperson of Balochistan
Government and central secretary information NP, Jan Buledi,
narrowly escaped an attempt on his life as unidentified assailants
attacked his convoy, leaving his son and two security guards
injured in Kech District of Balochistan. Levies officials said
that suspected assailants opened indiscriminate fire at Buledi's
vehicle when he was heading to Turbat from his hometown Buleda.
Iranian troops fired at least
11 mortar shells into bordering town of Chedgi in Panjgur District,
causing no casualty. "The shells landed in an open fray
of bordering town Chedgi, area of Panjgur District, without
causing any casualty but the huge bangs sparked fear among the
people living in bordering towns," Panjgur Deputy Commissioner
Jabbar Baloch said.
A US-based leader of the MQM’s
London faction allegedly financed the targeted killing of a
party worker in Karachi three months ago, Pakistan Rangers Sindh
claimed. Pakistan Rangers Sindh also announced the arrest of
three suspected target killers, allegedly belonging to MQM,
in connection with the chairman of union council-13, Rashid
alias Mamu. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Pakistan Rangers
Sindhs' spokesperson said that the Rangers carried out an intelligence-based
action in Karachi's Shah Faisal Colony and arrested three suspects
"involved in the targeted killing of UC chairman Rashid
alias Mamu.” The arrested suspects were identified as Asif Raees,
Shahid Aziz and Mohammed Danish Khan.
October 5
At least 24 persons, including
a Police constable, were killed and more than 30 injured when
a suicide bomber struck outside the Dargah (shrine) of
Pir Rakhel Shah in Gandawa area of Fatehpur, a small town in
the Jhal Magsi District of Balochistan, where anniversary celebrations
was going on. The deceased include at least three children.
District Police Officer Mohammad Iqbal said the suicide bomber
had tried to enter the shrine but a Police constable on security
duty stopped him, after which the attacker detonated his explosives.
Initial reports suggested that the explosion took place when
the dhamaal — a devotional dance performed at shrines — was
being performed after evening prayers. Balochistan Home Minister
Sarfaraz Bugti said that "if he [the attacker] had managed
to enter the Dargah, the death toll would have been much higher."
IS/Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack.
The CTD shot dead two suspected
militant at Sher Shah Bund area of Multan District in Punjab.
According to CTD, they, on tip-off, carried out a raid in Sher
Shah Bund area about the presence of terrorists linked to the
banned outfit, as the cops approached their hideout they restored
to firing. In retaliation two of the terrorists got killed.
However, three other managed to escape taking the advantage
of darkness. Explosive material and sophisticated weapons were
recovered from the possession of slain militants.
One LeJ militant, Saad Surkhan,
who was planning to carry out major acts of terrorism in the
city, was gunned down in an encounter with a joint team of Police
and IB in Khwaja Ajmer Nagri area of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. However, his two accomplices managed to escape.
Saad Surkhan had provided a suicide jacket to the assassin of
Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada on August 16, 2015, a senior
IB official said on condition of anonymity. The killed suspect
was twice arrested in Karachi but was released on bail.
The DG of ISPR Major General
Asif Ghafoor said that there are no terrorist safe havens in
Pakistan. While addressing a press conference, he stated that
there are no organised bases of any terrorist organisations
in the country anymore. "More than 50 per cent of Afghan
territory is out of their control, which is also affecting Pakistan."
Major General Asif Ghafoor accepted that there are threats to
Pakistan's borders, but added that the important question to
ask is if the threat is by state or non-state actors.
October 6
One person, identified as Naeem
Yunus distributing pamphlets of the proscribed terror outfit
HuT outside a mosque in Islamabad, was arrested by Police. Police
said five men were handing out pamphlets outside a mosque in
Sector G-7/2 meant to incite the public against the government
and state institutions. When they saw the Police approaching,
they tried to flee. However, Police managed to arrest one of
them. According to Police, the pamphlets found in his possession
read, "Get rid of this weak leadership which seeks honour
in subservience to an alliance with America." The papers
also carried a hate speech against the government and the institutions
of Pakistan. The Police have booked five suspects under the
anti-terrorism laws.
Federal Minister of Interior
Ahsan Iqbal called on clerics and religious leaders to denounce
'jihad fatwas' posted by people on social media, declaring that
in an Islamic country only the State had the right to declare
jihad, not a Mohalla or a mosque. "Only the state can declare
jihad … no group of people has the right to declare jihad against
another group," he told the National Assembly while speaking
on the suicide blast at Dargah Fatehpur Sharif near Gandawa
area of Jhal Magsi District in Balochistan. "We need to
prevent that from happening and I humbly request religious leaders
to condemn the fatwas posted on social media. If we let this
go on, the country will turn into a battlefield with various
groups and ethnicities pitted against each other," he added.
"The enemy wants Muslims
to behead each other. If we continue treading this path of violence
and unrest, we wouldn't even need an [external] enemy to destroy
us," the Minister said. "If we start handing out fatwas
on kufr in every street and neighborhood, and the maulvi in
every street mosque starts handing out fatwas about who is kafir
and who is Muslim, then there will only be chaos. It is God
who is to decide who is going to heaven or hell … it is not
our job," he said. The Minister said it was not the right
of the any individual to issue decree and declare any person
non-Muslim or to do politics in the name of religion. "Another
thing people do is given out fatwas about who can be murdered
- that is not for individuals to decide, only the state can
decide such matters."
The DG of IB Aftab Sultan met
several parliamentarians only to assure them that a list containing
their names and accusing them of having links with banned outfits
was a fake document and not issued by his agency. Having names
of 37 lawmakers who were alleged to have links with banned outfits,
the list first came to light when a private television channel
aired a report claiming that former PM Nawaz Sharif had directed
the IB to keep a close watch on these legislators, who mostly
belong to the ruling PML-N. The meeting between the parliamentarians
and IB chief Aftab Sultan was arranged by PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
The lawmakers named in the list complained to PM Abbasi that
their opponents could use the document to institute cases against
them and, thus, they would not be eligible to hold a public
office.
October 7
FC Balochistan conducted IBOs
in Grandani area of Kohlu District and Ghazi Nullah area of
Naseerabad District and recovered 1300 kg explosives. According
to an ISPR statement, the explosives were planned to be used
for terrorist activities in the province. Besides explosives,
weapons and ammunition including submachine guns, rockets, hand
grenades, maps of important areas and communication equipment
were also recovered.
October 9
At least five Shia Hazara persons were killed
and one other was seriously injured when unidentified assailants
opened fire at their vehicle on Kasi road in Gawalmandi area
of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. According
to the Police, the deceased were going to Hazar Ganji Sabzi
Mandi in the vehicle when motorcycle borne assailants sprayed
bullets at the vehicle and managed to escape.
While the US continues to suspect Pakistan's
fight against terrorists, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said
that Islamabad has offered Washington an in-sync operation against
the Haqqani network. "We have offered American authorities to
visit Pakistan with evidence of Haqqani network's safe havens
in the country. If they find any activity [of Haqqanis] in the
targeted areas, our troops along with the US would destroy them
once and for all," Asif told anchor Javed Chaudhry on the Express
News show Kal Tak. He further said Islamabad not to bow to 'do
more' demands. He further added that "If the US secretary of
state and secretary of defence are coming to dictate us, we
will refuse to accept their dictates…and now we will do what
is in the best interest of our country."
October 11
The Sheikhupura District and session's court
sentenced three men to death on charges of committing blasphemy.
The court also fined them PKR 200,000 each, but if they are
unable to pay the fine, they would have to undergo six months
of rigorous punishment. In his verdict, Additional District
and Sessions Judge Mian Javed Akram ruled that the three members
of the Ahmadi community of Bhoaywal village had committed blasphemy
by displaying a po ster and banners at their place of worship
in a manner that was offending.
October 12
A local journalist, Haroon Khan, a correspondent
for Waqt News TV, was shot dead outside his house in Swabi town
of same district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Haroon Khan came under
fire when he stepped out of his home. He was also affiliated
with Akhbar-i-Khaiber, while earlier he remained associated
with the Mashriq TV.
The Pakistan Army said that it had recovered
five abducted foreign hostages from terrorists in an operation
based on intelligence shared by the US. An ISPR statement said
the hostages included a Canadian, his American wife, and their
three children. The hostages were recovered "through an intelligence-based
operation by Pakistani troops." "They were captured by terrorists
from Afghanistan in 2012 and kept as hostages there," the ISPR
handout said. US intelligence agencies had been tracking them
and shared their shifting across to Pakistan on October 11,
2017, through the Kurram Agency border.
October 13
A Policeman was killed and three others, including
a child, were injured when unidentified militants opened fire
on a Police patrolling party on Faqeer Muhammad road in Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. Constable Ali Muhammad
was killed in the attack while two other Policemen were injured
along with the child. The assailants managed to escape after
the attack.
The US President Donald Trump said that Pakistan
took "tremendous advantage" of the US over the years, but is
now "starting to have a real" relationship. Trump's remarks
came a day after Pakistan secured the release of an American-Canadian
family from the clutches of the Haqqani network, five years
after they were abducted. "Yesterday, things happened with Pakistan,"
said President Donald Trump. "I have openly said Pakistan took
tremendous advantage of our country for many years, but we're
starting to have a real relationship with Pakistan, and they're
starting to respect us as a nation again, and so are other nations,"
Trump said. "They are starting to respect the United States
of America again," he said and thanked the leaders of Pakistan
for "what they've been doing".
The US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said that
the US should support the Baloch people and other oppressed
groups in Pakistan, who are being subject to grave human rights
violations for demanding the right to self-determination. Dana
Rohrabacher said Pakistan needs to remember what happened in
1971, referring to developments in then East Pakistan which
later on became Bangladesh after years of Pakistani human rights
abuses and persecution of the local population. Resource-rich
Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but least populated province,
has been wracked by a long-running separatist insurgency which
has seen brutal repression by Pakistani security forces and
enforced disappearances. "When the people of Bangladesh wanted
to be a little independent of the Pakistani government, have
some way to control their own lives and control their own government,
they were brutally repressed by the Pakistani government, and
that is what led to, basically, the uprising of the people in
Bangladesh when they freed themselves," Rohrabacher said in
the US House of Representatives. That same type of oppression
is continuing not only against the Baloch, but also against
the Muhajirs who came over from India after Partition, he said.
Rohrabacher said the Muhajirs do not want to be subjugated by
"this corrupt, militaristic, pro-terrorist" government of Pakistan.
"We should be siding with people like that who want their independence
and believe in these same values that we believe in," he said,
adding, the US needs to be supporting the Baloch.
October 15
At least four FC personnel were martyred and
three others injured in an IED blast near the Pak-Afghan border
in the Kharlachi area of Kurram Agency in FATA. An ISPR press
release said the troops targeted by the blast were part of a
search party for handlers of the rescued foreigners, Caitlan
Coleman and Joshua Boyle, who were recovered by the Army near
Kohat. The slain personnel were identified as Captain Husnain,
Sepoy Saeed Baz, Sepoy Qadir and Sepoy Jumma Gul. The injured
were identified as Naik Anwar, Sepoy Zahir and Lance Naik Sher
Afzal. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.
Punjab Government withdrew terrorism charges
against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and his group, paving way for
the possible release. A Punjab Government official told a review
board of Supreme Court on October 14 that the provincial government
did not include charges of terrorism in the new order for Hafiz
Saeed and his aides. Authorities had earlier detained Saeed
under ATA. Saeed's lawyer A.K. Dogar had urged the court to
order the release of Saeed and his four aides since they are
no longer under ATA. The Lahore High Court is expected to decide
his application in the coming week after Justice Muzahir Naqvi
asked the Government to file charges against Saeed. He had warned
the Government earlier this week that Saeed would be freed unless
evidence was presented against the JuD leader.
October 16
At least 20 suspected militants
were killed in US drone strike on a compound near the border
with Afghanistan in Kurram Agency of the FATA. As per details,
four missiles were fired on a compound during the strike, in
which suspected militants of Haqqani network were killed.
October 17
The Federal Government has directed
the Provinces to launch action against proscribed (banned) religious
outfits and those kept under observations by seizing their offices,
weapons and properties. The Federal Ministry of Interior also
instructed all the Provincial chief secretaries and the chief
commissioner of the capital territory Islamabad to submit reports
on the organisations’ financial activities. According to sources,
the orders were issued to the chief secretaries of the four
provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir to restrain members
of all such organisations from continuing their activities.
The decision was taken after the recent statement of Foreign
Minister Khawaja Asif in which he stressed the need for “putting
our own house in order.”
An official of the Punjab Home
Department told a provincial review board comprising judges
of the Lahore High Court that keeping JuD’s chief Hafiz Muhammad
Saeed and his four aides under detention was critical for the
maintenance of law and order. The board was hearing a Punjab
Government application seeking extension in the detention of
Saeed and his four aides. The official said that the Ministries
of Interior and Foreign Affairs had ample material to justify
detention of the JuD leaders. He said the UN had banned the
JuD and its leaders had been detained on direction of the Federal
Government.
October 18
At least eight Policemen were
killed and 24 other people were injured in an explosion on the
Quetta-Sibbi Road in Sariab Mill area of Quetta, the provincial
capital of Balochistan. According to initial reports, SFs claimed
a roadside bomb exploded just as a Police vehicle carrying 35
Police personnel passed the area. However, the nature of the
blast has yet to be ascertained. The TTP claimed responsibility
for the attack.
A Police Inspector, Abdul Salam,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Qambrani road of
Quetta. Abdul Salam was shot multiple times, Police said.
Two SF personnel, identified
as Sepoy Tasawar Ali and Sepoy Ghulam Rabani, were killed their
vehicle hit an IED blast in Jalal check post of FR Bannu in
FATA.
Umar Khalid Khorasani, the ‘chief’
of JuA, an offshoot of the TTP, has been killed in a US drone
strike in Paktia province of Afghanistan’s. “Chief of our Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
Umar Khalid Khorasani, who sustained serious injuries in a recent
US drone strike, succumbed to his injuries Wednesday evening,”
JuA ‘spokesman’ Asad Mansoor told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed
location. “At least nine close associates of Khorasani were
also killed in the strike,” he added. Mansoor said a high-level
meeting of JuA’s consultative council will be convened soon
to appoint the outfit’s new chief. However, a senior JuA ‘commander’
said on condition of anonymity that one of JuA’s senior commanders,
Asad Afridi, has already been appointed new JuA chief.
October 19
A ‘commander’ of Lyari gangster,
Ghafoor alias Chhotu, allegedly involved in targeted killing
of, among others, three foreigners in the Hub area of Balochistan
was shot dead by Pakistan Rangers Sindh during an encounter
in Murad Memon Goth of Malir town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Acting on information, the Rangers encircled
the hideout in Murad Memon Goth at around 2am. On seeing the
Rangers’ personnel, the suspects resorted to firing with automatic
weapons. Reinforcements were called in by the Rangers and during
an intense exchange of fire, one suspect was gunned down while
trying to escape in Bachal Goth near Murad Memon Goth. His two
accomplices fled taking advantage of darkness, said the Rangers’
official. The dead suspect was identified as Ghafoor alias Chhotu.
“He was a close aide of Lyari gang leader Noor Mohammed alias
Baba Ladla,” said the Rangers’ spokesperson, adding that the
dead suspect had established a reign of terror in the Malir
area.
Thirty-five persons were injured
in two grenade attacks in Mastung and Gwadar District of Balochistan
in the evening. Unidentified persons on a motorcycle hurled
a grenade near a mobile market at Safar Khan Chowk in Mastung
town, injuring 15 persons, Police Inspector Abdul Quddus said.
Later in the evening, 20 people were injured when miscreants
lobbed a grenade at Al-Zubair hotel on airport road in Gwadar.
Most of the injured were labourers from Sindh who were having
their dinner when the attack took place.
A provincial review board comprising
judges of the Lahore High Court approved one-month extension
in detention of JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed but turned down
a Government request for extending detention of four other leaders
of the organisation. The Police presented Saeed and his aides
Qazi Kashif Niaz, Prof. Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Abdullah
Ubaid before the board amid strict security. Senior officials
from Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs along with Government’s
law officers also appeared and assisted the board’s members
during in-camera proceedings. The board comprises Justice Muhammad
Yawar Ali, Justice Abdul Sami Khan and Justice Alia Neelum.
After hearing the Government authorities and lawyers, the board
approved extension in the detention period of Hafiz Saeed for
one month but refused to extend detention of other four JuD
leaders. They would stand freed on October 26 when their detention
period expires. The Punjab Government had detained the JuD leaders
under the Maintenance of Pubic Order as recommended by the Federal
Government.
October 20
One militant was killed and
seven others arrested during an intelligence-based operation
by FC personnel in Rojhan Jamali area of Mastung District in
Balochistan on terrorist’s hideouts who were involved in target
killing and grenade attacks, ISPR press release said. A cache
of arms and ammunition including explosives was recovered during
the operation.
Missing journalist Zeenat Shahzadi
who went missing more than two years ago returned home safe
and sound – much to the surprise of the family. Zeenat Shahzadi,
who was affiliated with a private TV channel, went missing on
August 19, 2015 while travelling to her office in an auto-rickshaw
in Lahore. According to witnesses, Shahzadi had been whisked
away by gunmen riding in two cars who intercepted the three-wheeler
she was travelling in. The Express Tribune called up
Shahzadi’s mother for her reaction but could not get through.
“I’ve spoken to Shahzadi’s mother and she has confirmed that
her daughter has returned home,” IA Rehman, veteran Human Rights
campaigner and former chairperson Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan said. However, Rehman wouldn’t say who had recovered
Shahzadi and how. “The good news is that she is back at her
home. Details of her recovery will trickle in,” he said. Justice
(retd) Javed Iqbal, President of the Commission of Inquiry on
Enforced Disappearances, told the BBC that Shahzadi had been
recovered from an area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on
Thursday night. “Non-state actors and anti-state agencies had
abducted her and she has been recovered from their custody,”
Iqbal added. “Tribal elders from Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
played a role in her recovery.”
For the first time, PSGPC general
secretary Gopal Singh Chawla publicly admitted to have been
part of separatist ‘Khalistan movement’ and have also undergone
training for the purpose. A video of Chawla has surfaced on
social media where he is seen as saying "I have been a
part of Khalistan movement, I have also undergone training,
I have been abusing India and its prime minister, if we want
to get rid of India, we have to help this organization (MML-
Milli Musli League)". Chalwa is seen addressing a gathering
from the platform of MML, a political wing of the banned JuD,
a frontal organisation of LeT.
PSGPC general secretary Chawla
in his speech addressed in Punjabi said that PSGPC receives
minimum of five to seven thousand pilgrims every year from India.
"We look into their eyes, out of those seven thousand pilgrims
at least two thousand are RAW [Research and Analysis Wing] agents
and we see a fear of Hafiz Saeed Sahib in their eyes".
PSGPC''s controversial general secretary also raised slogans
in praise of Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwala and Hafiz Muhammad
Saeed and said his organization (Punjabi Sikh Sangat) and supporters
from UK and Canada would help MML. Calling terror mastermind
as his ''Amir'' (Ruler), Chalwa bestowed praise upon Hafiz Saeed
saying that "Unha Indians dia nazra vich maray Aamir Hafiz
Saeed Sab da khauf hunda hai" (There is fear of my Aamir
Hafiz Saeed Sab in the eyes of those Indians" he said.
October 21
ASP ‘chief’, Shehryar alias
Dr Abdullah Hashmi, among eight militants were killed in a raid
jointly carried out by the Pakistan Rangers Sindh and the CTD
in Raees Goth area of Baldia Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh at 11:00 pm. A spokesman for the Rangers said
Dr Abdullah Hashmi, Ameer of ASP was mastermind behind
several terrorist attacks. Another suspect identified as Arsalan
Baig was member of group’s “Target Killing Team”, he said. A
Rangers official said that one CTD personnel and two Rangers
personnel sustained injuries during the encounter. Explosive
material, arms and ammunition were recovered from the militant
hideout.
October 24
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
urged Pakistani leadership to step up their fight against terrorist
groups on their soil and facilitate the Afghan reconciliation
process. “The secretary reiterated President Trump’s message
that Pakistan must increase its efforts to eradicate militants
and terrorists operating within the country,” a US Embassy statement
on Tillerson’s visit said. Tillerson’s message appeared significantly
toned down as compared to the usual American rhetoric on alleged
terrorist sanctuaries on Pakistani soil, although in essence
there was little difference in the messaging. The secretary
had just a day earlier told reporters at Afghanistan’s Bagram
airbase that Islamabad needed to have “a clear-eyed view” of
terror safe havens on its territory and cautioned that bilateral
ties would be conditions-based in terms of whether or not its
leaders take the “specific” actions that were being required
of them.
October 25
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a leader of the MQM-P on Hali Road of Hyderabad city of
same District in Sindh. Dr Noshad, a sector member of the MQM-P,
was targeted by unidentified assailants when he was returning
home after dropping off his children to a school. Noshad received
several bullets and was shifted to a hospital where succumbed
to his wounds.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif
said that decrease in drone attacks in the past few years showed
that there are no more safe havens in Pakistan. The Foreign
Minister shared a chart of drone attacks carried out in the
last 12 years from 2005 till Oct 15, 2017 in the Pakistani territory.
He tweeted: "12yrs drone attacks chart. If we have sanctuaries
why frequency is sharply down. US won’t hesitate attacking funeral,
weddings to get targets". Since 2013 there have been just
65 drone attacks in Pakistan, and 2010 being the year when the
pilot less planes attacked 90 times, the most in 12 years. In
2013, there were 24 drone strikes in 2014, 19 in 2015, 14 in
2016, 03 and in the 10 months this year, 05 attacks took place,
shows the chart shared by Foreign Minister.
In a message to Pakistan, US
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that terror safe havens
will not be tolerated and that too many terrorist organisations
were finding such havens in the neighbouring country. On his
first visit to India, and shortly after a dialogue with his
counterpart Sushma Swaraj, Tillerson qualified his remark by
saying that the US wanted to work in a positive way with Islamabad
as terrorism also threatened Pakistan's own security and stability.
Despite warning Pakistan against hosting "agents of chaos'
and terrorists, the US position on Pakistan has remained open
to conflicting interpretations with President Donald Trump tweeting
earlier this month that he was starting to develop a "much
better" relationship with Pakistan and also thanking Islamabad
for cooperation on many fronts. Stating that the US will continue
to stand shoulder to shoulder with India in the fight against
terrorism, Tillerson added it was in Pakistan's interest to
contain and eliminate the activities of terrorist organisations.
Mumbai terror attack mastermind
and the chief of JuD Hafiz Saeed’s name was not on a list of
75 terrorists the US had handed over to Pakistan, Foreign Minister
Khawaja Asif said. Saeed, who carries a USD 10 million bounty
on his head for his role in terror activities, has been under
house arrest in Pakistan since January this year. Asif told
senators during a session of the parliament's upper house that
the US has "handed over a list of 75 terrorists while we
gave them a list of around 100 terrorists." The list was
passed on during the maiden visit of US Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson to Pakistan on October 24. "The Haqqani network
is on the top of the (US) list but none of the terrorists are
Pakistanis," Asif told senators.
October 26
Abdul Razaq, a leader of the
ANP and his brother were killed in a blast in Harnai District
of Balochistan. Deputy Commissioner Abdul Salam Achakzai said
explosive were apparently planted in the vehicle of the ANP
leader Abdul Razaq and detonated with a remote control when
the two brothers left their house in the morning.
Eight persons, including an
on-duty traffic police constable and a child sustained injuries
when unidentified militants threw a hand grenade at an office
of Pak-News Agency in Turbat town of same District.
Militants opened fire on a vehicle
carrying newspapers in Awaran District, burst all its tyres
with gunshots and torched the newspapers.
October 27
At least five passengers were
injured in a blast targeting Akbar Bugti Express passenger train
in the Hirak area of Bolan District in Balochistan. Bogie Number
9 was partially damaged from the impact of the blast, which
rocked the entire area.
The US issued its direst warning
to Pakistan to roll up terrorist groups operating in the country
and end the establishment support for such groups, warning that
if Islamabad chose not to act, Washington will find ways to
achieve its objectives. Days after US Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson stopped in Islamabad for four hours to deliver a blunt
message that American support to Pakistan was "conditions-based,"
Senior US officials who accompanied him on the trip signaled
that Washington had devised other ways to achieve its objective
of eliminating terrorist groups and stabilising Afghanistan.
"It's up to them whether or not they want to work with
us," acting assistant secretary of state for South Asia
Alice Wells told reporters. "And if they don't ... then
we'll adjust accordingly."
October 29
Two militants, who attacked
checkposts from across the Pak-Afghan border, were killed in
a shootout with the Aman Lashkar in Zakha Khel area of
Khyber Agency in FATA. Security sources said that the militants
from across the border attacked checkposts of Aman Lashkar.
In retaliatory fire, two of the militants were killed while
others managed to flee. The sources said that the terrorists
used mortar shells and rocket launchers to attack the checkposts.
The Police claimed to have arrested
four militants as they attempted to plant a bomb on Shah Alam
bridge in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Counter-Terrorism Department said the suspects belonging
to a banned organization had made the explosive device using
two oil cans. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the
possession of the militants.
October 30
One FC personnel was killed while another was
injured in an IED blast near the Gurguray checkpost in the Sarokai
Tehsil of South Waziristan Agency in FATA.
One militant was arrested during a raid in Gulshan
Shahbaz Old Toll Plaza area of Jamshoro District in Sindh. After
crossfire between the militant and security agencies, Qari Abdul
Hameed Pandrani, a wanted militant with ties to a banned outfit
was arrested in injured condition.
Sindh Rangers have arrested 10 alleged criminals,
including a member of a banned outfit in different targeted
raids in Karachi. A team conducted targeted raids in Gulbreg
area and detained Muhammad Saad alias Darai, a terrorist belonging
to a banned outfit. He was involved in target killing, extortion
and several other crimes in the city.
NACTA'S National Coordinator (NC) Ihsan Ghani
said that the authority had finalised the draft of national
narrative to counter extremist ideology and submitted it before
the Government for final approval.
FO confirmed the death of a Chinese couple who
had been abducted on May 24 from the Jinnah Town area of Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan, reports Daily Times.
Law-enforcement agencies arrested three women
from Chaman border crossing in Killa Abdullah District of Balochistan.
Security sources said that they belong to banned outfits. A
spokesperson of Balochistan Government stated that the women
had crossed from the Pak-Afghan border town of Chaman illegally
and that they had been arrested by FC. According to initial
investigation, the three women reached Chaman on a taxi from
Quetta along with their accomplice and were arrested while they
were trying to enter Afghanistan's border town of Spin Boldak
via Bab-e-Dosti (Friendship Gate) at the Chaman border crossing.
October 31
At least three Levies personnel were injured
after their vehicle hit an IED in the Rashakai area of Khar
tehsil (revenue unit) Bajaur Agency in FATA. The vehicle was
patrolling the Rashakai area for the security of a polio team
when the IED planted at Janat Shah Dry Waterway [Khwar] hit
the vehicle.
The FIA submitted an interim charge-sheet against
MQM-A Chief Altaf Hussain before the administrative judge of
the ATCs, accusing him of terror financing and money laundering.
Investigating Officer (IO) Mohammad Ali Abro filed the interim
investigation report. He named the MQM founder as absconder.
The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson informed
Congress that Pakistan is willing to target terrorists if provided
information and Washington plans to give Islamabad the opportunity
to prove it. At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing
on, American lawmakers also warned that if the US insisted on
having the option of first strike against a nuclear-armed nation,
it could send a wrong signal to other nations with nuclear weapons.
November 1
Three persons, including two Policemen, were
killed while another was injured when unidentified assailants
opened fire at a patrolling Police party in Majoki area of Charsadda
District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The SFs foiled a terror bid,
recovered arms and ammunitions in Kurram agency of FATA which
were later defused. The SFs conducted a joint operation in rainwater
nullah in Lower Kurram Agency. During the operation, four bombs
and six landmines hidden in riverbed near a school building
were recovered.
The CTD arrested two militants and seized explosive
material from their possession near the Central Imambargah (Shia
place of worship) located in Fawara Chowk in Hafizabad city
of same District in Punjab.
SFs conducted IBOs in various parts of South
Waziristan Agency in FATA and recovered arms, ammunition and
explosives under Operation Radd-ul-Fassad.
Punjab Rangers with Police and Intelligence
Agencies conducted operations, patrolling and snap checking
in Dera Ghazi Khan, Attock, Islamabad and Lahore of Punjab.
Sixteen militants, facilitators and smugglers were arrested;
also a number of weapons and explosives were recovered from
them.
The Attorney-General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf
Ali, presented 'sensitive' documents before a judge of the Lahore
High Court in his chamber to defend detention of JuD 'chief'
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.
On the request of Sindh's CTD, the Federal Ministry
of Interior accorded approval to trying two LeJ militants in
military courts in 10 cases of terrorism; including attacks
on military personnel. The two militants were allegedly involved
in a number of acts of terrorism, including target killings
and attacks on military officials in Karachi.
The US Congressman Peter King called for "more
vetting" of people coming in the US from Pakistan, blaming the
country of having a "large terrorist presence".
November 2
The White House retains a list of 20 terrorist
groups that the Donald Trump administration claims are operating
in Pakistan and Afghanistan and is believed to have shared this
list with Pakistani officials. The sources, however, rejected
the suggestion as incorrect that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
gave a list of 75 terrorists to Pakistani officials when he
visited Islamabad last week. The White House list, released
on The Washington Post's demand, includes three types of militants
groups: those who launch attacks into Afghanistan, those who
attack targets inside Pakistan and those who are focused on
Kashmir. Top on the list is the Haqqani network which, the United
States claims, has safe havens in FATA and uses them to launch
attacks into Afghanistan. Other groups on the list are: HuJI,
JuA, JuD al-Quran and Tariq Gidar Group, which is one of 13
TTP affiliates. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Commander
Nazir Group, IM, IJU, IMU ISIS-Khorasan, AQIS and the TIPM are
also on the list.
FO Spokesman Muhammad Faisal during a briefing
said that Pakistan had contributed significantly in the fight
against terrorism. He rejected the US allegations that Pakistan
provides safe havens for terrorists and said that America should
refrain from making unfounded allegations. FO said Pakistan
made gains through its counter-terrorism operations. He also
said that Afghanistan's territory was being used against Pakistan
and added that Pakistan had raised concerns about the presence
of Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah in Afghanistan.
China again blocked Indian bid to list head
of JeM Maulana Masood Azhar as global terrorist at the UN Security
Council, citing "absence of consensus" among member countries
to declare him an international terrorist. China was the only
country opposing the resolution. All other 14 countries of the
15-member Security Council supported the move by the US and
France.
NACTA Ihsan Ghani observed that Pakistan would
have to pursue the joint strategy to root out terrorism, reports
Pak Observer. He stated that media engagement and revival of
culture were key to the new counter terrorism policy. Ghani
said that as per NACTA's Youth Engagement Policy, he had visited
various universities to promote counter terrorism national narrative
and talked to HEC for inclusion of terrorism related topics
in the curriculum along with allocation of scholarships for
that category.
November 3
At least two people were injured when a blast
hit Zakhakhel Adda Rangra market in Landi Kotal, FATA. An IED
remotely controlled and hidden in a plastic bag, went off in
the car parking area of the market and partially damaged three
vehicles that were parked nearby, while two civilians were injured.
ISPR in a statement said that SFs recovered
communication equipment and extremist literature during an IBO
conducted in Mandi Khel near Dosaali in North Waziristan Agency.
During the operation, the security personnel recovered weapons
and ammunition, including guns, mortar, rocket launchers, IEDs
and explosives. This operation was conducted under the army's
on-going Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
MNA Sajid Hussain Turi said that a grand Jirga
in Kurram region has decided to burn houses of those who provide
shelter to militants or anti-state elements. According to the
MNA, some four local tribes after the Jira (public meeting)
met the local administration and law enforcers and informed
them about their decisions, tribesmen held a separate meeting
with FC commandant and other sector commanders and informed
them about the decisions adding that the tribes would extend
full support to the Sfs to maintain peace and those offering
shelter to militants or Afghans without valid documents, their
houses will collectively be burned, and a fine of Rs 100,000
will be imposed. Local tribes would help government keep a check
on the border areas with Afghanistan to help stop any infiltration
into the Kurram Agency.
A suspected militant was arrested and a large
cache of weapons was recovered during an IBO conducted by FC
Balochistan and intelligence agencies in Zhob, Balochistan said
a statement issued by the ISPR. According to the statement,
the FC and intelligence agencies arrested a suspected TTP facilitator
while conducting an operation at a terrorist hideout in Zhob.
The statement added that weapons, IED, explosives and ammunition,
suspected to be used in carrying out terrorist activities in
Quetta were recovered from the terrorist hideout.
Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said
that the Balochistan Government has released women and children
related to leaders of banned BLF and the BLA from the custody
of the FC. The women and the children included wife and daughter
of BLF chief Dr Allah Nazar, sister of Aslam, alias Acho, Commander
of the banned BLA and wife of Dileep, another leading Commander
of the BLF.
COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa has expressed
concern over the lack of terrorism-related cases being transferred
to military courts. He has informed the PM that the Government
has not forwarded any cases to military courts since January
this year. The ministry has also informed the PM office that
it will request formal approval to transfer the cases during
the next meeting of the federal cabinet and was bound to submit
the cases to the federal cabinet as the Supreme Court has defined
the federal cabinet as the federal government for the purpose
of case referrals.
The Federal Cabinet cleared 29 terrorism-related
cases to be sent to the Military Courts, Interior Minister Ahsan
Iqbal told in an interview. He added that 80 more cases, once
approved by the cabinet, will be forwarded to be tried in the
Military Courts.
Two influential Congressional sub-committees
will hold a joint hearing on Pakistan's commitment in the fight
against terrorism, and the review of the US' aid to it, as a
Congressman Ted Yoho expressed concern over its commitment to
denying terrorists safe harbor. Two subcommittees of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, Asia and the Pacific, and Middle
East and North Africa, would hold the hearing on "The President's
Plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan: Objectives and Resources"
on Wednesday, November 8. Alice G Wells, the Acting Assistant
Secretary of state for South and Central Asia, has been asked
to testify before the lawmakers, along with Gregory Huger, Assistant
to the Administrator Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the
USAID. This hearing will allow members to review the approximate
USD 1.1 billion combined FY 2018 budget request for the two
countries, told Congresswoman Elena Ros-Lehtinen.
November 4
A child was killed and another two were injured
in a landmine explosion in Tiarza tehsil (revenue unit) of South
Waziristan Agency (SWA) in FATA. The Security Forces (SFs) cordoned
off the area after the explosion and started the investigation.
Two women were injured in a landmine explosion
at Phelawagh sub-division of Dera Bugti District in Balochistan
on. The SFs cordoned off the area.
The SPU arrested three members of a banned (and
defunct) outfit while they were distributing pamphlets of their
organisation at railway crossing near Firdous Chowk, Peshawar,
KP.
November 5
A 'commander' of the TTP, Abdul Khaliq Haqqani,
along with his fighters, surrendered to the SFs in North Waziristan
Agency of FATA.
NACTA has reported a decline in sectarian terrorism
with only two such incidents during 2017 as compared to 185
in 2012. During last seven years, total 676 incidents of sectarian
terrorism were reported, of which 70 were recorded during 2011,
185 in 2012, 127 in 2013, 176 in 2014, 79 in 2015, 37 during
2016 and two such incidents in 2017.
November 6
Two Policemen were killed in an attack at a
check post in the Mardan District of KP.
A Policeman was killed when unidentified armed
militants attacked a checkpost in Kalat town of Kalat District
in Balochistan.
SFs during the ongoing Operation Raad-ul-Fasaad
arrested three militants and recovered arms and ammunition from
a car in the Darra Adam Khel town of Frontier Region Kohat in
FATA. The recoveries included Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs), 30bore
and 9 mm pistols, 12 bore repeaters and rifles of different
calibres along with thousands of ammunition.
SFs during the ongoing Operation Raad-ul-Fasaad
arrested three militants and recovered arms and ammunition from
a car in the Darra Adam Khel town of Frontier Region Kohat in
FATA. The recoveries included Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs), 30bore
and 9 mm pistols, 12 bore repeaters and rifles of different
calibres along with thousands of ammunition.
SFs recovered 12.7 mm gun and RPG 7 along with
ammunition boxes in another Intelligence-Based Operation (IBO)
carried out in the Boya Ghundakai area of South Waziristan Agency
in FATA.
Karachi Police arrested three IS militants from
Ahsanabad area in the outskirts of the Karachi metropolis in
Sindh. Officials recovered two 30-bore pistols, one 9mm pistol
along with propaganda literature from the possession of the
arrested militants. SSP Malir Rao Anwar, stated that Police
conducted a raid at a house after receiving a tip from an intelligence
agency. He also claimed that the suspects were planning to recruit
young people for their militant group.
United States (US) Ambassador to Pakistan David
Hale, called on Pakistan to take 'decisive action' against all
militant outfits operating within its territory, reports Daily
Times. Addressing the fourth meeting of Pak-US Track II Dialogue,
the US ambassador stated, "Our South Asia strategy looks to
Pakistan for decisive action against all terrorist groups operating
from its soil. We ask for equal diligence in decimating all
the groups operating in Pakistan which threaten the region's
stability, including the Haqqani network". He also stated that
the Pakistani leadership had assured to speed up its efforts
for regaining peace in Afghanistan, adding that the US had also
encouraged India to improve Pak-India relations. "The US secretary
encouraged India to do more to support Afghanistan economically,
and encouraged both India and Pakistan to resume dialogue and
reduce tensions."
Meanwhile, Pakistan's FM Khawaja Asif, during
the 4th Round of US-Pakistan Bilateral Dialogue held in Islamabad
with the title 'Convergence amid Divergence: Identifying Pathways
to Cooperation in a Challenging Environment', stated that Pakistan
had successfully suppressed militant activity within its territory
and that there was no organised presence of any militant outfit
within Pakistan, reports The Nation. The FM added that Pakistan
would not compromise on its sovereignty. He emphasized that
US had assured India's role in Afghanistan would be limited
to economic assistance only and Pakistan welcomed mediation
by United States between India and Pakistan. He added that South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should be
used for promotion of regional trade as the region has been
suffering due to instability in Afghanistan.
The Federal Government decided to extend the
deployment of the Pakistan Rangers in Islamabad, notified the
Interior Ministry. Currently one contingent of Pakistan Rangers
(2000 personnel) and 50 contingents of the Gilgit-Baltistan
Scouts are deployed all over the Federal Capital region on the
request of the chief commissioner under Section 4 of the 1997
Anti-Terrorism Act. This is the first extension in deployment
in the capital granted to the Pakistan Rangers following an
October 3 controversy surrounding the force's 'unauthorised'
deployment outside the Federal Judicial Complex.
November 7
Terrorists carried out an explosion targeting
a Health Department Team engaged in anti-polio vaccination at
Jandol in Arif Kele area in Lower Dir District in KP. No casualty
was reported.
FS Tehmina Janjua claimed that there are no
safe havens for militant outfits in Pakistan and that the country
had expelled all militants. During a briefing of Senate's Committee
on Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, the FS said militant sanctuaries
are in Afghanistan where over 45 per cent area of the country
is without any governance. "The United States (US) has been
apprised of the fact that Indian Intelligence agency RAW [Research
and Analysis Wing] is using Afghan soil for terrorist activities
in Pakistan," she added.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, during
a press conference in Brussels called upon Pakistan to eliminate
militant hideouts within its territory. Secretary-General said,
"Earlier, we had discussed issue of militant attacks in Afghanistan
with Pakistan and now we demand Islamabad to wipe out Taliban
hideouts from its territory." He added that NATO commander in
Afghanistan had discussed the situation with his Pakistani counterpart.
November 8
Five bombs were defused near the entrance of
MUET in Jamshoro District in Sindh, by the BDS. The bombs were
locally made, weighing around 25 kilograms and had been developed
in such a way, that a remote-controlled device could be fitted.
The bombs contained ball bearing, nuts and bolts, and five pencil
cells along with an orange fuse was recovered.
Rangers arrested four suspected LeJ militants
during segregated raids in Mominabad area of Orangi Town neighborhood
in Karachi. They were allegedly involved in several cases of
terrorism, including attacks on polio teams.
Also, a cadre of the MQM-H was arrested along
with arms and ammunition during a raid conducted on a tip-off
in the Landhi area in Karachi. The suspect was identified as
Shahid alias Gada. An unnamed spokesperson of the Rangers said
that Gada was involved in various cases of crime, including
murder.
'Spokesman' for the banned JuA, a breakaway
faction of the TTP, Asad Mansoor, announced that Mukaram alias
Omar Khorasani and his followers had been "banished from the
Jamaat. He said a detailed 'policy statement' would be issued
later, asking supporters not to take any sort of step, which
could hurt their activities.
JuA therefore faces a rift as Mukarram and his
fighters are set to announce their own group. Mukarram was one
of the close confidants of the JuA 'chief' Omar Khalid Khorasani.
Mukarram, belongs to Pandeyali tehsil in Mohmand Agency in FATA,
was the main character behind the JuA's activities with his
position as head of the group's intelligence unit. He was member
of the group's central 'shura' (or council). Some militant sources
say that several 'commanders' are likely to join Mukaram. They
include Jehad Yar Mehsud, 'commander' Muslim Yar Momand, 'commander'
Rashid Mama, Saad alias Wuraf Khan, 'commander' Imran and Salman.
Exiled Baloch' leaders' are set to congregate
in Geneva on November 18, to deliberate on the possibility of
a joint and peaceful struggle for their demands. The Balochistan
Government, however, criticised the idea saying that the Sardars
had lost credibility in the province. BRP is hosting the moot.
The list of confirmed participants includes Harbiyar Marri,
Mehran Marri, Javed Mengal, and representatives of the BNM and
the BLF.
IM Ahsan Iqbal informed Senate in a written
reply that contrary to media reports that slain Afghan Taliban
leader Mullah Mansoor had been carrying a Pakistan passport
and NIC, the card had actually been issued to a man named Muhammad
Wali, son of Shah Muhammad, reports Dawn. The IM added that
a departmental inquiry against all NADRA officials involved
in issuing the fake NIC had been completed and at least three
officials had been removed from service. The Senate was further
told that a total of 65,003 'fake' NICs had been found circulating
in the country, of which Punjab accounted for 20,865; Sindh
for 15,579; Balochistan for 11,859; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for 10,884;
Fata for 3,834; Islamabad for 1,087; Azad Jammu and Kashmir
for 832; and Gilgit Baltistan for only 63
US Senators, decided not to tie financial aid
for Pakistan to counter-terrorism measures against the LeT,
as was proposed by Senator Mark Warner, co-chair of the chamber's
India Caucus, in an omnibus legislation, NDAA 2018 it passed
to fund the US military in 2018, because of resistance from
the US Defense Department reports Hindustan Times. The provision
was dropped from the legislation after the two chambers agreed
through a process called Conference, meant to reconcile differing
versions of a bill passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The reconciled version of the NDAA-2018 now makes $350 million
of $700 million available to Pakistan under CSF contingent upon
certification from the Secretary of Defense, that Pakistan is
taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani Network. The Defense
Department had argued that the US must stay focussed on the
Haqqani Network. A congressional Aide has told that progress
in arresting and prosecuting senior leaders and mid-level operatives
of LeT by Pakistan will be taken up another time.
November 9
At least five militants were killed and four
others wounded as SFs responded to an attack by terrorists on
recently established Pakistan Army posts at the Pak-Afghan border
in Rajgal area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA. An
Army Soldier was also killed during the incident.
Three Policemen, including a DIG of Police,
Hamid Shakil, were killed when a suicide bomber struck his motorcycle
with the DIG's vehicle on the Airport Road in Quetta, Balochistan.
The suicide attack targeted the vehicle of DIG during his morning
commute. Four other Policemen were also injured in the explosion.
TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.
Separately, FC and Intelligence Agencies foiled
en explosion plot after they recovered explosives fitted to
a motorcycle near the Pak-Afghan border in Zhob District.
Meanwhile, the Commander of Southern Command,
Lt. Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa, met Balochistan Governor Muhammad
Khan Achakzai and discussed law and order and some other matters.
The Governor expressed satisfaction over the action taken by
the Pakistan Army against militants across the country under
Operation Radd-ul-Fasad and said that political and military
leadership concurred on the issue of militancy.
NATO Commander in Afghanistan John Nicholson,
said that Pakistan had not increased its efforts and cooperation
against militant safe havens reports Daily Times. Addressing
the media following a meeting of NATO Defense Ministers, he
said, "You've heard the public statements from President Trump,
from Defence Secretary James Mattis, from Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs Gen Joseph Dunford, from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson,
so we are engaging at the very highest levels with the Pakistanis
to work together with them against these terrorists that are
undermining the stability of the entire region". "The United
States has been very clear about the direction we want to go
and we hope to see some change in the coming weeks and months,"
he added.
November 10
Rangers foiled a suicide attack on the occasion
of Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain at a security check point
near Bab-e-Karbala Imambargah, in Rohri of Sukkar District in
Sindh, by killing three militants including two would-be suicide
bombers. According to Sindh Rangers Spokesperson they had prior
intelligence about possible militant activity in Karachi as
well as rural Sindh on the occasion of Chehlum of Hazrat Imam
Hussain.
Meanwhile, the Police arrested a militant of
banned outfit and recovered hand grenades from his possession
in Phuleli near Islamabad Railway crossing in Hyderabad District,
Sindh. The militant identified as, Siddique Soomro was allegedly
planning to attack the railways installations. Two hand grenades
recovered from his custody were later defused.
November 11
Unidentified motorcycle borne assailants killed
two Pakistani employees of Turkish waste management company,
Albayrak, and injured one other in the firing in Rawalpindi
city.
A Peshawar High Court Bench including Chief
Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Roohul Amin Khan has summoned
the CTD's DSP (Investigation) along with the relevant records
over a plea by Fazal Khan, father of a student Umar Khan killed
in the 2014 Peshawar APS attack that his statement be recorded
by the CTD Police Station. He said he had gone to the CTD Police
Station several times to record statement in the case but was
denied.
Meanwhile, the Bench also adjourned hearing
into another petition filed by slain APS student Asfand Khan's
father, Advocate Ajun Khan, who sought orders for the Federal
and Provincial governments to make public all information related
to the 2014 campus attack and the actions taken by them in light
of the August 2014 prior alert about the attack.
CTD arrested a militant from the Army Stadium
Chowk in Peshawar in KP, belonging to a banned outfit suspected
to be involved in an attack on a Police Check Post in Budhber
area, and killing of a Security Personnel Anwar Ali. The militant
has been identified as Ahsanullah.
The Interior Ministry has decided to suspend
arms licenses for all automatic weapons. The notification states
that "All license-holders of afore-mentioned weapons are directed
to get their weapons converted into semi-automatic weapons through
Pakistan Ordinance Factories/ Licensed Armours and get it verified
by armor of concerned District Police Officer (DPO) by 15th
January 2018 or license-holders of full automatic weapon may
return their weapon in the office of the District Magistrate
(DM)/ District Coordination Officers (DC)/ Deputy Commissioners
(DCO)/ Political Agent and get Rs 50,000 as compensation of
their weapon,".
November 12
Four civilians and three Security Personnel
were injured in an remote-controlled explosion on Miryan Road
in Bannu District in KP. The SFs were heading from Bannu Cantonment
to the Jani Khel semi-tribal area, when explosives planted on
a motorcycle parked on Miryan Road exploded.
The Security Forces defused an IED planted by
unidentified persons on Landi Kotal-Torkham Road in Khyber Agency,
FATA. Line Officer Landi Kotal, Tikka Khan Afridi said that
the FC Troops accompanied by the Khasadar and Levies Soldiers
arrived in the area on a routine visit, upon noticing a concrete
block, placed inside a makeshift security check post filled
with explosives, the reinforcement along with BDS rushed to
the spot, suspended the highway for traffic and defused the
bomb..
NACTA responsible for countering internal terrorism
has asked the Home Department of the Punjab Province to enhance
security for the detained perpetrator of Mumbai terror attacks
Hafiz Saeed leader of JuD , claiming that a "foreign spy agency"
was planning to kill him through members of a banned militant
outfit. Saeed is currently being kept at his residence+, 116-E,
in Johar town, Lahore in Punjab. NACTA has sent a letter to
Lahore-based Home Department of Punjab, claiming that a foreign
spy agency had paid Rs 80 million to two activists of a proscribed
militant group to kill Saeed, suggesting the Home Department
to ensure strict security measures in the surroundings of Saeed's
Lahore residence, which has been declared a prison for him by
the Punjab's Government.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Government has removed
the names of MPA Masroor Nawaz Jhangvi and 300 others from the
Fourth Schedule, a list of terror suspects on the recommendation
of a committee responsible for maintaining the list. MPA Masroor,
after his victory in the PP-78 Jhang-II by-poll in 2016, had
joined the JUI-F after objections were raised over his affiliation
with the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba (renamed Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat).
His name was placed in the Fourth Schedule of the ATA 1997 on
May 9, 2014.
November 13
Two soldiers and at least 10 militants were
killed and several others sustained injuries in a skirmish after
the militants attacked a checkpost along the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border, with heavy weapons, in the Mamond Tehsil area of Bajaur
Agency in FATA.
The Pakistan Army asked Afghanistan and NATO's
RSM to further eliminate terrorist sanctuaries on the Afghan
side of the border. "More efforts are required on Afghanistan
side by all stakeholders. Lives of forces and citizens (are)
equally precious on both sides of border. It now requires elimination
of terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan and effective Afghan
border security," DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor said in
a series of tweets posted on his official account. According
to him there has been an increasing trend of cross-border terrorist
attacks on Pakistani posts from across Afghanistan. Almost 308
terrorist attacks have taken place this year. This is the highest
number of attacks since 2012 when 324 attacks were reported.
On an average there have been 248 attacks every year since 2012.
About 29 soldiers have been martyred in the attacks over the
past six years. Pakistan has 975 posts along the 2,600km border
with Afghanistan, which is mostly porous. Afghanistan, meanwhile,
has around 218 posts on its side and there are huge gaps in
between the largest being 650km long on the southern side.
November 14
Authorities have issued a terror alert for Parachinar
in Kurram Agency in FATA, warning tribesmen to be extra vigilant
to prevent a possible attack in the area and the Punjab. Officials
said that Political Administration and Security Agencies issued
a 'Red alert' after receiving reports about a suicide bomber
identified as Talha, member of a banned militant group, JuA,
who walked with a limp as he had lost a leg in an IED explosion.
The militant has sneaked into Kurram Agency from Khost province
of Afghanistan.
FO in a statement said that the cross-border
militant's attacks on SFs confirmed the presence of a large
number of militants in the increasingly ungoverned spaces in
Afghanistan.
The CJCSC General Zubair Mahmood Hayat alleged
that India's R&AW had established a cell with a special allocation
of over $500 million in 2015, to sabotage CPEC projects in Pakistan.
"India's indirect interference in Pakistan is manifested in
sponsoring TTP, Baloch and other sub-nationalist outfits and
many other terrorist groups," he further claimed.
Sources within IM have denied cancellation or
suspension of licenses of prohibited bore arms. Calling the
notification over arms licenses circulating on the social media
fake, sources said that the license of PB arms are neither being
cancelled nor suspended. However, separate policies are being
made for allowed and restricted arms, they added. The final
approval of the arms license policy would be given by the PM
after its approval by the Federal Cabinet. The last date for
getting the restricted bore arms licenses computerized is December
30, 2017.
November 15
Fifteen bullet-riddled bodies were discovered
by the Levies Force Personnel in the Gorak Area of Buleda Tehsil
in Kech District in Balochistan. Makran Commissioner Bashir
Ahmed Bangulzai said that all the victims purportedly belonged
to various districts of Punjab, allegedly were en route to Iran
through an infrequent route illegally, and received multiple
bullets from a close range.
SP Muhammad Ilyas was killed in Nawan Killi
area of Quetta, Balochistan along with three family members.
A passer-by was also injured in the attack. According to Deputy
Inspector General (DIG) Abdul Razzaq Cheema, the SP was killed
when three armed men whose identity are yet to be ascertained,
riding on a motorcycle intercepted his car and opened fire,
killing him along with his wife, son, and granddaughter.
A meeting of NSC chaired by PM Shahid Khaqan
Abbasi was held to discuss the security condition of Balochistan.
It was reportedly agreed to provide more development funds to
the province of Balochistan along with the intent to form a
mechanism to ensure transparency in the development projects.
Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired a meeting
of the PAC in which it was decided to forward 28 high profile
terrorism-related cases to the Military Courts. The committee
was told that the ATCs in the province have so far convicted
1,521 criminals, 94 of which awarded death penalty, while 562
convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment. CM directed Police
and Rangers to initiate, a targeted operation against outfits
involved in criminal activities.
A faction of the Taliban has reportedly made
a comeback to Wana in South Waziristan Agency in FATA, under
the name of a "Peace Committee" and has placed a ban on cultural
and social activities and put restrictions on movement of women
outside their homes without male members of their family. A
local cleric, identified as Ameer Ainullah, has been appointed
"Head of the Committee".
An official statement issued by the Local Administration
said, "A few 'criminal-minded' people who were not representing
the tribes or will of the people in Wana held a meeting to ban
certain social activities." "The Elders of the region called
a Grand Jirga (Big congregation of local leaders) to deliberate
on the threat and agreed not to allow such elements to harm
the social fabric" the statement added.
IEP has released the Global Terrorism Index,
stating Pakistan is the 5th most affected country by terrorism.
The rank of Pakistan had improved and it was excluded from the
list of 20 most dangerous countries affected by terrorism.
Afghanistan's CEO Abdullah, said that TTP
had consolidated presence in Afghanistan and TTP has achieved
that by taking advantage of the instability created by the insurgents
fighting the Afghanistan Government.
November 16
CTD has arrested two militants in Peshawar in
KP. Eight-kilograms of explosives and a hand grenade were recovered
from the arrested militants.
IM Ahsan Iqbal said that India is using Afghanistan
territory for aiding militancy in Balochistan in an attempt
to sabotage CPEC.
Taliban 'commander' Khan Daraz of the Hafiz
Gul Bahadur outfit surrendered to the SFs in North Waziristan
Agency in FATA.
The US Congress passed the bill that requires
Pakistan to work with the Afghan and American Forces to destroy
the Haqqani Network but leaves LeT out.
November 17
ISPR said that BLF leader Younas Taukali was
killed by FC Balochistan near Alandur in Abdul Rehman village
of Turbat town in Kech District in Balochistan after FC conducted
an IBO. Younas Taukali was as one of top eight BLF 'commanders'.
FC personnel conducted IBO on militant hideouts
in Dera Bugti, Uch and Chaman Districts in Balochistan and arrested
five militants. Explosive and ammunition including IEDs, mines,
detonators, grenades and communication equipment were also recovered
during the operation.
Punjab Rangers arrested four suspected militants
belonging to the banned TTP in an IBO in Dera Ghazi Khan District
in Punjab. The militants were allegedly involved in killing
of Police officials in KP and Punjab, said a statement issued
by ISPR. Automatic weapons including grenades were also recovered
from the militants during the raid.
Lahore High Court, adjourned hearing of a petition
of JuD 'chief' Hafiz Saeed against his detention to wait for
a decision on the matter by a PRB.
The CTD Police and Sindh Rangers, in a joint
operation, arrested a militant from Mai Ghari area of Manghopir
on the outskirts of Karachi in Sindh, suspected to be involved
in Lal Shahbaz Qalandar explosion, which killed 80 civilians
and injured over 300. CTD DIG Amir Farooqui stated that weapons
and explosives were seized from the custody of suspect Nadir
Ali alias Murshid Jakhrani.
November 18
Five bullet-riddled bodies were discovered by
Levies Force personnel in Tajaban area of Turbat town in Kech
District in Balochistan. Levies said that all the victims had
received multiple bullet injuries and belonged to Punjab's Gujrat
District.
An ATC in Karachi, Sindh indicted MQM Leader
Amir Khan and Minhaj Qazi in a case for harbouring militants
at Nine Zero, who denied the charges. The Court has declared
other accused in the case as 'absconders' and summoned witnesses
of the case on next hearing on December 4.
November 19
SF personnel from various agencies, including
the IB and FC, jointly conducted a sanitisation operation in
Pashtunabad and surrounding areas in Quetta, Balochistan and
recovered three weapons. The operation was primarily conducted
in the Pashtun living areas.
November 20
Militants from across the border
(Afghanistan side) opened fire at a Pakistani Check Post in
Mushthari, the bordering area of Landi Kotal in Khyber Agency
in FATA, in which a FC trooper sustained bullet injuries.
The Police arrested two persons
after recovery of weapons during search from a car outside Gujranwala
District and Sessions Court in Punjab.
November 21
Two militants and one SF trooper
were killed while three other SF personnel were injured during
an exchange of fire in the Buleda area of Turbat town in Kech
District of Balochistan.
Two separate teams of provincial
CTD conducted IBOs in Gujranwala and Rawalpindi Districts of
Punjab and arrested four TTP militants. The militants were identified
as Muhammad Irfan who was arrested in Rawalpindi, and Abdul
Wahab, Mudassar Nazir and Iqbal arrested in Gujranwala. CTD
also recovered explosives and automatic weapons from the militants.
Security in and around BKIA
in Peshawar, KP, has been put on high alert amid threat of an
attack, on an international flight.
November 22
An Army Major was killed and
one soldier was injured in an exchange of fire with TTP militants,
when the SFs conducted a raid at Musa Zai Mohllah in Kulachi
area of DI Khan City in KP. According to reports, the Army,
acting on a tip-off around midnight, had raided the house of
‘commander’ Zahir Shah of the TTP where he was present with
his accomplices.
A Review Board comprising the
Chair of Justice Abdul Sami Khan, Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and
Justice Aalia Neelum of the LHC, ordered the release of JuD
chief and Lashkar-e-Toiba leader Hafiz Saeed, on expiry of his
30-day detention if he was not required in any other case. The
Officers from FM and Punjab Home Department presented the documentary
record in support of the detention of Hafiz Saeed.
Major General Asif Ghafoor said
that Pakistan welcomes US offer to act against TTP militants.
Saudi Arabia announced that
former Pakistan Army Chief General (retd.) Raheel Sharif would
command the Saudi-led Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism.
Saudi Crown Prince and DM Mohammed bin Salman will chair the
first meeting of the Alliance’s Council of Defence Ministers.
November 23
Police arrested five alleged
militants of TTP from Shabqadar area of Charsadda District in
KP, along with cache of explosive and ammunition. SHO Shabqadar
Police Station Muhammad Arif said the militants were planning
an attack on vaccination teams during the on-going anti-polio
drive in the area. The five militants belonged to Bajaur Agency
of FATA. Police also recovered 40 kilogrammes of explosive,
seven mortar shells, three speaker magnets, two IEDs, 10 hand
grenades, 13 detonators, and five remote control receivers with
a 20-metre of cord from Wacha Wala Graveyard of Subhan Khwar
area on Peshawar-Shabqadar Road.
The TTP, Daesh and JuA groups
are using Afghan soil in nexus with Indian intelligence agency
R&AW for terrorist activities against Pakistan, FO spokesmen
Muhammad Faisal. “Mullah Fazlullah and mastermind of the terror
attack on Army Public School in Peshawar also took refuge in
Afghanistan,” he added.
FO spokesmen stated that the
conditionality related to action against the Haqqani Network
for reimbursement of USD 700 million to Pakistan under the CSF
was not something new.
November 24
AIG of Police, Muhammad Ashraf
Noor was killed while seven other Policemen were injured, when
a suicide bomber hit his motorbike into the vehicle carrying
the AIG and other Personnel, near Zarghoni Mosque in the Hayatabad
area between, Phase 1 and 2 in Peshawar District in KP. There
are however conflicting reports on the total number of casualties
in the attack. Militant outfit LeJ claimed responsibility for
the attack.
BDS neutralised a remote-controlled
IED affixed by unidentified militants to the vehicle of a local
media person Khalil Jibran in Khyber agency in FATA.
FC arrested two militants in
IBOs, carried out in, Dera Bugti District, Gulistan in Qilla
Abdullah District, Uch, Dera Murad Jamali area in Nasirabad
District in Balochistan.
FC recovered a motorcycle laden
with IEDs, in Dera Murad Jamali in Nasirabad District.
November 25
Six civilians, including a woman
and a child, were killed and 17 others injured in a suicide
attack targeting the FC troops in the Sariab Road area in Quetta
District of Balochistan. Balochistan HM Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed
that the FC vehicle was the target of blast.
The CTD killed four TTP militants
in an overnight shootout on Sargodha-Faisalabad Road in the
jurisdiction of Nishatabad Police Station in Faisalabad District
of Punjab. Three other militants however managed to escape the
encounter. Two Kalashnikovs, pistols, three kilogrammes of explosive
material, two detonators and two motorcycles were recovered
from the slain militants. CTD, Faisalabad, had set up a check-post
based on intelligence.
Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar
Shrine blast accused Nadir Jhakrani linked to IS group, confessed
his crime before the Judicial Magistrate in Karachi, in Sindh.
ATC Hyderabad remanded the accused in Judicial Custody for 15
days, while CTD Police has initiated the process for recommending
his trial to a Military Court. In his statement, the suspect
confessed that the explosion was planned in Balochistan by Ghulam
Mustufa alias 'Doctor'.
November 26
The IMCTC’s Military Commander
General (retd.) Raheel Sharif said that the sole objective
of the alliance was to counter terrorism and it is not against
any country or any sect. The final declaration issued after
the Ministers meeting in Riyadh suggested that it would be up
to the Member States to decide the extent of their participation
in the coalition. The Alliance’s TORs were finalised at a meeting
of Defence Ministers of the member countries forming the IMCTC.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khurrum Dastagir represented Pakistan
at the daylong meeting presided over by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad
bin Suleman. The declaration said that “the ministers emphasised
the importance of providing necessary military capabilities
to ensure that terrorist organisations are weakened, dismantled,
eliminated and deprived of the opportunity to reorganise”.
November 27
The US has once again offered
Pakistan to act jointly against the extremists outfits in Pakistan
citing the rise in religious fringe. “Pakistani government now
has an opportunity to demonstrate its seriousness in confronting
all forms of terrorism, without distinction, by arresting and
charging Hafiz Saeed for his crimes” said a White House statement.
Senior Officials at the FM said the US had shown concern over
Pakistan’s failure to check the extremists’ advances as the
Government struggled to contain a sit-in in Islamabad by religious
outfits. “They [the US] were furious over [Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief
(Jud)] Hafiz Mohammed Saeed’s release. The rise of religious
groups like Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah has infuriated
them further. They want us to discourage them before they take
over the country,” said one Official citing contacts in Washington.
November 28
JuD 'chief' Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition
in the UN for the delisting of his name from the UN's list of
Designated Terrorists.
US General John Nicholson said, that he had
observed no changes in Pakistan's support for militants despite
US President Donald Trump's tough line approach.
November 29
Two people including one IB personnel were killed,
while three others were injured, in gunfire outside a Shia Imambargah
in Sector I/8 of Islamabad. The deceased IB official has been
identified as Hubdar Hussain.
Two FC Personnel were killed while four others
were injured in a landmine explosion in Sangan region of Sibi
District in Balochistan. The deceased Soldiers have been identified
as Aqib Ahmed and Masood Ahmed. The injured have been identified
as Muhammad Arif, Muhammad Ayaz, Ghulam Hussain and Altaf.
SI Imdad Shah was killed by two militants riding
on motorcycle at the main gate of Government Sardar Begum Teaching
Hospital in Sialkot District in Punjab.
Former Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif's
appointment to the IMCTC as Commander has led to objection from
Iran calling it a 'sectarian alliance'.
November 30
Five Anti-Taliban Personnel were killed and
two were injured, in a remotely detonated bomb in Spinkai area
near the Afghanistan border, in South Waziristan Agency in FATA.
The group was part of a Volunteers' Militia helping the Military
in operations against Islamist militants. A faction of Pakistani
Taliban militants, known as the Sajna group of TTP, claimed
responsibility for the attack. Deceased have been identified
as Wali Jan, the head of a Peace Committee, Malik Mewa Khan,
Ahmed Gul, Zaman Khan and Malik Ayar Dil Khan while Ahmed Jan
and Khalid were injured in the attack.
Four suspected Haqqani militants were killed
in US drone strike near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the
Kurram Agency of FATA. Afghanistan's Paktia Provincial Governor's
spokesperson Abdullah Asrat, however, said that the strike happened
within the Afghanistan territory with seven militants killed
in the drone strike.
At least three people were killed and eight
others were injured, as armed clash erupted between two Sunni
groups at Ammer Shah Chowk Jani Burira near Hussainabad tehsil
Kotdiji in Khairpur District of Sindh. Rally was brought out
by religious organization Labaik Ya Rasool Allah, when it was
fired upon by unknown gunmen at the Chowk. The deceased have
been identified as Zulfiqar Buriro, Latif Dino Buriro and Mushataq
Buriro. Victim community called a jirga of Buriro community
to decide the further strategy.
Two militants were killed by CTD while three
others managed to escape the raid, in Gujrat District in Punjab.
The CTD Spokesman informed that explosive material including
hand-grenades and arms were recovered from the dead militants.
CTD carried out an operation on the Muzaffargarh
Road in Multan District in Punjab and arrested three militants.
The arrested militants were experts in manufacturing bombs and
explosive material.
December 1
At least nine persons, including six students,
were killed and 37 were injured when TTP terrorists attacked
the ATI in Peshawar, KP. At least four attackers wearing suicide
jackets under burqas reached the compound in a rickshaw. Their
first target was the security guard, after which they headed
inside towards the ATI students' hostel. Two soldiers were also
injured in the rescue operation. A cache of arms and ammunition,
including three suicide jackets, 20 hand grenades, AK-47 rifles
and IEDs were recovered from the incident site. According to
reports, about 120 college residents, out of a total of nearly
400, were present at the time of the attack. Most of the others
had gone home for a long holiday weekend. TTP took the responsibility
for the attack, claiming that it was not targeting the Institute,
but a safe house belonging to Pakistan's ISI in the same area.
A child was killed and two others were injured
in an explosion at Christian Colony in the Chaman area of Killa
Abdullah District in Balochistan.
A soldier was killed and another was injured
in an IED blast in Safi Tehsil of Mohmand Agency in FATA.
ISPR DG Major General Asif Ghafoor said that
attack at a Peshawar college by the TTP was guided from Afghanistan,
and the militants were in contact with leadership in Afghanistan.
"Afghan Director General Military Operations [DGMO] is visiting
Pakistan and substantial evidence of TTP sanctuaries [in Afghanistan]
has been handed over to him."
December 2
Pro-Government tribal elder, Malak Ameer Rehman,
was killed in an IED explosion in the Olai Shah area of Ambar
tehsil in Mohmand Agency of FATA. The Administration said that
the Khasadar Force arrested 13 people during the clearance operation
under the TCRC of the FCR.
Two suspected militants were arrested near Jumma
Khan Khwar in Nasir Bagh area of Peshawar in KP. The arrested
militants were wanted in target killings and arms and explosives
were recovered from them.
Police arrested nine suspects from Badhbher,
Telaband, and other areas outside Peshawar. Arms and ammunition
were recovered from the suspects.
CIA Director Mike Pompeo said that if Pakistan
does not eliminate alleged militant hide outs within its territory
then US will do all within its means to eliminate them.
Jud 'chief' and founder of LeT Hafiz Saeed announced
to contest the general elections 2018. He said he would contest
the NA seat from the platform of the MML to highlight the 'Kashmir
issue' internationally.
December 3
Three TTP militants were killed while two others
managed to escape the encounter with the CTD, within the limits
of Sandal Bar Police Station in Faisalabad District of Punjab.
Arms, explosives, detonators and motorcycle were recovered from
the slain militants.
SFs arrested 11 militants of the BRA from Sanni
Shoran area in Sibi District in Balochistan under Operation
Raad-ul-Fassad.
The SFs launched IBOs at Ilyasi Nullah in Dera
Bugti District and an unspecified area of Dukki District and
recovered arms and ammunition.
Levies Force and Intelligence Agencies recovered
181 Rocket Propeller Gun (RPG)-7 rockets, 172 fuses, an MMRR
75 gun and 80 rounds in the Kahan area in Kohlu District.
Four IEDs were recovered from Killa Saifullah
District.
The Al-Shehab-2-Joint Counter Terrorism exercise
between Pakistan's SSG and KSA Forces is taking place at Prince
Naif Security City in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The exercise started
on November 25 and is due to continue until December 10.
December 4
KP Assembly demanded an inquiry into ATI attack
on December 1 in Peshawar. The Lawmakers of both the Treasury
and Opposition Benches were divided over the role of SFs that
took down the militants at the institute. PPP Lawmaker Nighat
Orakzai said the role of SFs had created unrest among the people.
She said a student, who had had a scuffle with one of the terrorists,
had told her that "he snatched the weapon from the terrorist
and then locked him up in a room, but the terrorist was later
killed by the security forces in the room". JI Senior Minister
for Local Government Inayatullah Khan said "If police could
overcome the terrorist and arrest him easily, then why didn't
they? This needs to be investigated". Law Minister Imtiaz Shahid
Qureshi refuted the statement of the student saying that it
was just hearsay, adding that he had the complete report of
the police which stated that four to five militants who attacked
the institute were killed in the fight with the SFs.
The Senate's Standing Committee on Interior
of the Upper House, which met at the Parliament House, expressed
concern over the recent spur in militancy across the country
and demanded the Government review the NAP and its implementation.
Committee Chairman Senator Rehman Malik claimed that India was
behind the militancy in Pakistan and its agency R&AW was using
the Afghan soil for such activities. The Senators also demanded
that the Government of Pakistan take up with International Crime
Police Organisation INTERPOL the issue of TTP leader Fazalullah
and other militants hiding in Afghanistan.
US Secretary of Defence General James Mattis
held meetings with the civil and military leadership of Pakistan.
He said that his visit was meant for securing long-term ties
between the two states. Pakistan PM Shahid Abbasi, during the
meeting, told Mattis that there were no "safe heavens" for militants
in Pakistan. According to the ISPR, Mattis during his meeting
with the Pakistan's CoAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General
Headquarters in Rawalpindi, remarked that US was willing to
address Pakistan's legitimate security concerns,. "Pakistan
has done much more than its due share despite capacity constraints
but shall remain committed for peace as a responsible member
of international community," the CoAS was quoted by the ISPR.
Both agreed to work towards specific and sustained actions on
each other's concerns.
US Secretary of Defense James Mattis had told
Pakistani Civil-Military leadership during his visit that Pakistan,
US and Afghanistan must launch simultaneous and coordinated
action against Taliban.
December 5
An IED blast near a military
vehicle in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan Agency of FATA
resulted in the killing of six persons, including three civilians
seeking recruitment in the Army; while eight others were injured.
“The casualties came from a bomb planted on a motorcycle parked
on a roadside in Khadi market of Mir Ali town,” said Kamran
Khan Afridi, a Senior Administration Official in the North Waziristan
tribal region.
Militants killed three labourers
and injured another one in Naks area of the Harnai District
in Balochistan. The labourers were affiliated with National
Logistics Cell and were engaged in repairing the Sibi-Harnai
railway track which had previously been blown up by the militants.
Balochistan Home Minister Mir
Sarfraz Bugti confirmed that two facilitators of the suicide
attack on DPO of Killa Abdullah District had been arrested from
Chaman area. They had confessed to receiving PKR 7000 and phone
cards for acting as facilitators.
Pervez Musharraf said that he
is open to forming a political alliance with the JuD and its
‘chief’ Hafiz Saeed.
December 6
Two militants were killed by
SFs in an IBO in the Jahan Abad area of Swat District in KP.
Two facilitators were also arrested.
Ali Mohammad, a Peace Committee
member, was killed by TTP militants in Daggar village of Chagmalai
region in South Waziristan Agency of FATA. According to local
media, TTP claimed the attack with the spokesman of the militant’s
outfit warning that they would continue to target members of
the Peace Committee.
SFs recovered rockets, IEDs
and ammunition of various types in South Waziristan and Bajaur
Agencies.
SFs recovered a bomb along the
wall of Government Primary School in Jamrud tehsil of
Khyber Agency.
SFs recovered a cache of arms,
ammunition and explosives, during an operation in Chaman District
in Balochistan.
December 7
SFs carried out a search operation
under the ongoing Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad and unearthed tunnels,
four caves and a factory for production of IEDs in Nangrosa-Lagad
area of Barra Bara in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency in FATA.
Nangrosa had remained a stronghold of banned militant outfit
LI from 2005 to 2012. A cache of arms and ammunition, including
hand-grenades and IEDs was also recovered.
Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman
stated that PAF will shoot down US drones if they violate its
airspace. The statement has come post the November 30 incident,
when a US drone targeted and killed four Haqqani Network militants
along Pak-Afghan border in Kurram Agency FATA.
Pentagon Chief Spokesperson
Dana White, during a US State Department press briefing said
that no one had lost more troops and lives to terrorism than
Pakistan. “The Secretary [Jim Mattis] had very fruitful conversations
about where they we can find common ground. As he said, you
know, no one has lost more troops and lives to terrorism than
the Pakistanis. So again, this is about broadening our relationship
and looking for opportunities,” stated Dana White.
December 8
Army and Police conducted a
Joint-Search Operation and arrested 19 suspected militants in
Gulberg and Riggi areas of Peshawar District in KP. Arms and
drugs were recovered from marked houses during the operation.
Police reported that in total approximately 80 houses were searched.
JuD ‘chief’ Hafiz Saeed led
a rally to launch a countrywide campaign against US President
Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital,
outside the JuD headquarters in Chauburji in Lahore in Punjab.
Saeed said the Pakistani Government should immediately convene
a Joint Session of Parliament to discuss the issue. Saeed said
the Defence Council Pakistan will send its delegations to Muslim
countries and convince them not to open their embassies in Jerusalem.
The US State Department in a
travel advisory warned its citizens to defer all non-essential
travel to Pakistan, saying that foreign and indigenous militant
groups continue to pose a threat to them throughout Pakistan.
China warned its citizens in
Pakistan to be on alert after receiving intelligence reports
about possible attacks targeting Chinese. The Chinese Embassy
in Islamabad said on its website that it had information about
a “series of terror attacks” planned against Chinese Organizations
and Personnel. It urged its citizens to stay inside and avoid
crowded places.
National Coordinator of NACTA
Ihsan Ghani along with other Senior Officials of the Authority
visited the ISPR in Rawalpindi District in Punjab. He discussed
with the DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor about cooperation
with the ISPR for NACTA’s counter terrorism efforts. The DG
ISPR assured him of ISPR’s support.
December 9
Over 313 militants and 17 militant
‘commanders’ of various militant outfits surrendered to the
Government and Security personnel under ‘Peaceful Balochistan
Policy’ in Quetta in Balochistan.
Pakistan has blocked 937 web
addresses and 10 websites run by banned outfits as part of measures
to prevent the use of internet and social media for militant
activities.
Former Lal Masjid cleric Maulana
Abdul Aziz sought action against online blasphemy. Maulana Aziz
said that he had also petitioned the Islamabad High Court against
the issue but the concerned did nothing.
December 10
Three children were injured
in a landmine explosion near Amin Check Post in Miranshah in
North Waziristan Agency of FATA.
Various religious and political
groups including Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), Difa-i-Pakistan
Council, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), PPP held protests
against US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem
as the capital of Israel in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. The main protest was held near the US Consulate in
Karachi and the activists burnt flags of the US and Israel and
engaged in sloganeering.
December 11
At least two men were injured in a landmine
explosion in the Bareli area of Mamond Tehsil in Kohlu District
of Balochistan. The injured were identified as Muhammad Naseem
and Zakariya Mari.
Six TTP militants were arrested by FC in two
separate IBOs under Operation Radd-ul-Fassad in Rustam Darbar
area in Dera Bugti District and Killi Deba area in Killa Abdullah
District in Balochistan. Explosives, arms and ammunition, including
anti-personal mines, detonators and communications equipment
were recovered from the militants.
Punjab Rangers along with Police and Intelligence
Agencies arrested 12 facilitators of militants during IBOs conducted
in Attock, Rawalpindi and Sargodha Districts in Punjab.
Six militants belonging to a sub-group of TTP
Swat faction, allegedly linked to the ATI attack in Peshawar
in KP on December 1, were arrested during raids in the areas
bordering Charsadda District in KP and Mohmand Agency in FATA.
Suicide vests and explosive material were recovered from the
militants. However the main accused remains absconding despite
raids being conducted by SFs in Bajaur Agency in FATA, where
he was reported to have been present.
December 12
The CTD submitted the final charge sheet to
the ATC in the February 16, 2017, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Shrine
bombing case, in Hyderabad District in Sindh. Imtiaz Ali Domki,
CTD's Hyderabad Inspector and the IO said that said six accused
including Safiullah, son of Mohammad Riaz Mazari; Abdul Sattar,
son of Yusuf Mazari; Aijaz Bangalzai, Farooq Bangalzai, Tanvir
Ahmed and Zulqarnain were absconders.
Two Pakistan Army personnel were killed when
their vehicle was targeted by the militants from atop the mountains
in North Waziristan Agency in FATA. The deceased were identified
as Second Lieutenant Abdul Moeed and Sepoy Basharat.
CTD personnel acting on prior intelligence arrested
a suspected militant from Dogadra Area in Upper Dir District
in KP. The militant was identified as Fazl Subhan.
The CTD submitted the final charge sheet to
the ATC in the February 16, 2017, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Shrine
bombing case, in Hyderabad District in Sindh. Imtiaz Ali Domki,
CTD's Hyderabad Inspector and the IO said that said six accused
including Safiullah, son of Mohammad Riaz Mazari; Abdul Sattar,
son of Yusuf Mazari; Aijaz Bangalzai, Farooq Bangalzai, Tanvir
Ahmed and Zulqarnain were absconders.
Federal IM Ahsan Iqbal in a meeting with a delegation
comprising Senators from France in Islamabad said that militancy
related incidents in Pakistan had dropped by ninety percent.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a statement
at the 2017 Atlantic Council-Korea Foundation Forum held in
Washington D.C. said that Pakistan could lose territory to militants
if it does not sever ties with the Haqqanis and other militant
outfits. "Pakistan has allowed so many terrorist organisations
to find safe haven within its territories, and these organisations
are growing in size and influence, that at some point I have
said to the leadership of Pakistan, you may be the target, and
they turn their attention from Kabul and decide they like Islamabad
as a target better," Secretary Tillerson said.
Brigadier General Lance Bunch, the Director
of the Future Operations at Headquarters of Operation Resolute
Support in Kabul, Afghanistan, said that US Forces were targeting
militants inside Afghanistan but they did not have the authority
to conduct any operations inside Pakistan territory.
December 13
FC Balochistan arrested one illegal arms trader
in Sui sub-division of Dera-Bugti District in Balochistan. Explosive,
detonators, weapons and ammunition were recovered from him.
FC Balochistan in an IBO recovered and neutralised
six IEDs planted on N-50 national highway near Zhob District
in Balochistan.
A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court
acting on the petition filed by one Fazal Khan, disallowed the
Government from releasing the former 'spokesperson' of TTP,
Ehsanullah Ehsan, and directed the authorities to continue with
the investigation. The petition stated that the Government was
planning to give clemency to Ehsan who is in the custody of
Security Agencies. Ehsanullah Ehsan had later joined JuA.
December 14
At least two civilians were killed and another
injured when a militant attacked Aman checkpost in South Waziristan
Agency of FATA.
FC conducted an IBO in Dera Bugti District in
Balochistan and recovered explosives, IEDs, detonators and ammunition.
SFs comprising Punjab Rangers, CTD, Punjab Police
and Intelligence Agencies conducted IBOs and arrested 19 militants,
including facilitators, across Sargodha, Bhakar, DG Khan, Attock
and Lahore Districts in Punjab Province.
KP has witnessed 50 per cent decline in militancy
related incidents in the current year (period not specified)
as compared to the previous year (period not specified). 126
militancy related cases were reported to police in 2017 (period
not specified), as against 258 cases of militancy in 2016 (period
not specified).
Former Pakistan PM and PML-N's President Nawaz
Sharif said that terrorism was under control during his tenure
but it was rearing its heads again in the country. "The current
circumstances in the country are not satisfactory," he added.
December 15
Unidentified militants
hurled a grenade targeting the office of National Party in Kech
District in Balochistan. No casualties or injuries were reported.
December 16
The Pentagon in its report titled 'Enhancing
Security and Stability in Afghanistan' submitted to the US Congress
on Afghanistan said that US will take "unilateral steps in areas
of divergence" with Pakistan and insisted that there must be
"fundamental change" in the way Pakistan deals with militant
sanctuaries within its territory.
Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal
said that the Taliban have largely devolved into groups of criminals
and militants but they must be brought into the peace process.
In an interview to Voice of America Deewa, Zakhilwal stated,
"The Taliban today are not the Taliban of Mullah Omar because
they had some religious commitments and certain values." "But
today, the Taliban force is a mixture of drug barons, spreading
fear; some are opposed to the government on one pretext or the
other and there is a foreign hand involved as well. All these
are to be scrutinised and engaged accordingly," he added. "But
peace with Da'ish (Daesh) is impossible, and, similarly, peace
with other foreign terrorists invading Afghanistan like those
Turkmans, Uzbeks, Chechens, Arabs, Chinese and Russians is out
of the question," Zakhilwal clarified.
December 17
Nine civilians were killed and 56 injured in
a suicide attack by two IS militants on a church in Quetta in
Balochistan. Police Guards stationed at the church entrance
and on its roof killed one militant but the second militant
detonated his explosives-filled vest outside the prayer hall,
confirmed Provincial Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti. At the time
of the incident there were nearly 400 worshippers in the church
for the pre-Christmas service. IS claimed the attack, through
its Amaq News Agency in an online statement, without substantiating
its claim. However, Police Official Abdur Razaq Cheema, said
that two other militants had managed to escape. Bethel Memorial
Methodist Church was the target of attack.
CoAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa said that the
attack targeting the church in Quetta was an attempt to create
religious discord in the country. "Effective response by Law
Enforcement Agencies is commendable. We stay united and steadfast
to respond against such heinous attempts," he added.
December 18
An MQM-Pakistan member Ammad Wasim was killed
by unidentified assailants when he was on his way to Samnabad
Locality from Matric Board Office, within the limits of Nazimabad
Police station in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Police termed the incident target killing but declined to verify
the political affiliation of the deceased.
SFs arrested three suspected illegal arms traders
and recovered a cache of ammunition during a raid in Rizvia
Society in Karachi in Sindh. According to a statement by an
unnamed Rangers spokesperson the recovery included a G3 rifle,
four sub-machine guns (SMGs), two 7mm rifles, M4 rifles, one
.22 rifle, one .22 pistol, six 9mm pistols, five 12 bore rifles,
four 30 bore pistols, a 32 bore pistol, a 38 bore pistol and
2,159 rounds of different weapon.
A Patrolling Unit of FC Balochistan recovered
and neutralised a 12 kilogram IED planted near QDA in Quetta,
provincial capital of Balochistan.
US President Donald Trump in his speech shortly
after White House released NSS said that Pakistan must take
decisive action against the terrorist groups "operating on its
territory". Mandated by the US Congress, President Trump released
his first NSS, according to which the US seeks a Pakistan that
is not engaged in destabilising behaviour and a stable and self-reliant
Afghanistan.
Pakistan PM Shaheed Abbasi's Special NSA Lieutenant
General (retd.) Nasser Khan Janjua during a seminar on National
Security Policy stated, "US seems to be speaking India's language,
and both of them are harbouring identical standpoint over the
lingering Kashmir dispute. This is why the US is willing to
give India a bigger role in Afghanistan while blaming Pakistan
for its own failure in the region,"
Pakistan's NSC conceded that progress on key
elements of the NAP to counter terrorism was lacking and ordered
the finalisation of the long-delayed National Security Policy.
"The National Security Committee (NSC) observed that while fair
progress had been made in the implementation of the NAP, certain
areas such as policy and institutional reform, needed more commitment
and attention," the PM Office said in a statement issued after
the meeting of the highest Civil-Military Coordination Forum.
December 19
Three SF personnel and two civilians were injured
when a bomb planted along a road at Bacha Abad area of Kulachi
Town in Dera Ismail Khan District of KP exploded. No militant
outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Police
sources said the bomb was remotely controlled and exploded when
the SFs' vehicle were travelling towards Loni area from Kolachi.
ASF has increased safety measures at the Allama
Iqbal International Airport in Lahore in Punjab, amid increased
threat of attack by militants.
LEA beefed up security of churches and other
sensitive places in view of upcoming festival of Christmas across
multiple districts in Punjab. RPO Muhammad Idrees Ahmad issued
directives to the Police Heads in Multan, Vehari, Khanewal and
Lodhran Districts to ensure protection of worship places.
MFA Pakistan in statement issued said that accusations
made during the release of National Security Strategy (NSS)
do not reflect the facts on the ground and trivialize Pakistan's
counter-terrorism achievements and efforts.
The military leadership confirmed during the
national security briefing to the Senators that since their
inception in 2015 Military Courts had decided 274 cases and
awarded 161 death sentences (period not specified). Also 56
convicts had been executed since that time, 13 before the launch
of Operation Radd-ul-Fassad on February 22, 2017 and 46 since
the launch of the operation. Since the time General Qamar Jawed
Bajwa was appointed as CoAS, the Military Courts had received
160 cases.
DGMO Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza briefed
the Senators on the progress of Operation Radd-ul-Fassad. He
confirmed that under the Radd-ul-Fassad, at least 18,001 IBOs
were conducted across Pakistan (periods not specified). Giving
further details he said that 1,249 IBOs had been conducted in
KP and the FATA, including 31 major operations; 13,011 operations
had been conducted in Punjab, including seven major operations;
1,410 operations, including 29 major operations, were undertaken
in Balochistan; 2015 operations, including seven major operations,
were conducted in Sindh. No break up was provided for rest 242
IBOs. There were another 4,983 search-based combing operations
(across Pakistan). At least 19,993 weapons were also recovered
during these operations. Further, briefing on Karachi, he said
that since the launch of the Rangers operation in Karachi in
2013, at least 8,780 suspects had been transferred to the Police;
12,105 weapons were seized and 1,948 militants were arrested;
154 abductees had been freed from captivity and 154 kidnappers
were arrested; and 24 soldiers had been killed (period for the
data not specified).
COAS Qamar Jawed Bajwa defended the brokering
of the deal between the Government and the organisers of the
22-day sit-in at Faizabad interchange in Islamabad, the Tehreek-i-Labbaik
Ya Rasool Allah, during the national security briefing. Senator
Nihal Hashmi after the meeting quoted him saying that "he will
resign if the army's involvement is proved in Faizabad protests".
The Army Chief reportedly said that the Police operation had
worsened the Faizabad protests and "Had the army taken any action
against the participants of the sit-in, the situation would
have worsened".
COAS Qamar Jawed Bajwa defended the LeT founder
and JuD 'chief' Hafiz Saeed for raising the Kashmir issue during
the national security briefing on. "Like every other Pakistani,
Saeed can also take up the Kashmir cause," he said.
The Third round of Pakistan-Japan counter-terrorism
consultations was held in Islamabad, MFA Pakistan confirmed.
PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, COAS General Qamar
Javed Bajwa and JUI-F 'chief' Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman met to
discuss FATA reforms. Unnamed sources in the Government confirmed
that Fazl gave conditional support as he wanted the PM to meet
with the Supreme Council of FATA Grand Jirga to listen to their
concerns on the matter.
December 20
Two TTP militants attempting to target Governor
Muhammad Khan Achakzai in a suicide attack were arrested by
SFs in a raid from Gulistan tehsil of Killa Abdullah District
in Balochistan. Provincial HM Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed that
SFs had also recovered suicide jackets, anti-tank mines, rockets,
mortar shells and other subversive materials during the raid.
The militants identified as Hamid Bashir and Munawar, bothe
from Punjab, belonged to a splinter faction of TTP, the Qari
Group.
Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Lt.)
General (Retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch in response to a question
by MNA Muhammad Jamal ud Din confirmed that 14 people had been
killed and 20 others sustained injuries in 22 mine explosions
since the start of repatriation of temporary dislocated persons
in SWA in FATA. The period for the data has not been specified.
Afghanistan Consul General Mohammad Moeen Marastial
during a press briefing stated that tribal people's consent
is a must for KP and FATA merger. "Our Government has no reservations
over the merger, but the opinion of the people of the area is
paramount before taking such a major decision," he said.
The Opposition for the eighth consecutive day
staged a walkout from the National Assembly proceedings over
non-inclusion of FATA reforms bill in the agenda,. PM Shahid
Khaqan Abbasi held a meeting with the FATA Supreme Council of
Grand Jirga to develop consensus on the issue.
The Opposition for the eighth consecutive day
staged a walkout from the National Assembly proceedings over
non-inclusion of FATA reforms bill in the agenda,. PM Shahid
Khaqan Abbasi held a meeting with the FATA Supreme Council of
Grand Jirga to develop consensus on the issue.
One Chinese national, named 'Liu', has gone
missing from Karot Hydropower Project in Kahuta District. He
was associated with Chinese company Sino Hydro Corporation as
a supervisor.
PML-N President Nawaz Sharif on nominated his
brother, and the incumbent CM of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif as the
PML-N's candidate for premiership in the upcoming elections.
Nawaz added that Shahbaz Sharif had differed with him over certain
issues but his thorough and firm commitment with PML-N overrides
everything else since PML-N was a democratic party and considered
difference of opinion as an asset. He added that Shahbaz had
never violated the party discipline.
December 21
Seven people were killed and four others were
injured in firing followed by a mine explosion in Toba Nokhani
area of Dera Bugti District in Balochistan. According to unnamed
Levies sources, six people of the same family were killed and
four others were injured when unidentified militants stormed
a house belonging to a person called Gujjar. Subsequently, a
landmine explosion took place when the vehicle was shifting
the dead and injured to the hospital, killing one more person
on the spot.
Two militants were killed and weapons seized
from their possession during an IBO by SFs in Tump area of (Turbat)
Kech District in Balochistan.
Two suspected militants were killed by personnel
of the CTD during a raid in a compound near Jalalpur Pirwala
in Multan District in Punjab. One of the slain militant was
identified as M Ajmal, the identity of the other killed militant
has not been ascertained yet. Three other militants managed
to escape.
US Vice President Mike Pence during his visit
to said that US President Donald Trump had put Pakistan on notice
for providing safe haven to Taliban and other militant organisations
within its territory. "As the President said, so I say now:
Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the U.S., and
Pakistan has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals
and terrorists." He said at the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.
MFA Pakistan Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal
confirmed that a list of proscribed militant outfits adopted
at the Amritsar Declaration during the Heart of Asia Conference
on December 4, 2016 has been dropped in the Baku declaration
at the seventh HoA Ministerial Conference held in Azerbaijan
on December 1 2017.
MFA Pakistan Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal
confirmed that a list of proscribed militant outfits adopted
at the Amritsar Declaration during the Heart of Asia Conference
on December 4, 2016 has been dropped in the Baku declaration
at the seventh HoA Ministerial Conference held in Azerbaijan
on December 1 2017.
Former PM and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif met
incumbent PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and agreed to address the
concerns of JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman over FATA reforms.
Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and other senior leaders
of PML-N were also present in the meeting.
The National Command Authority (NCA) emphasised
that Pakistan would continue with its policy of Full Spectrum
Deterrence (FSD) to meet growing challenges to its security
and for maintaining strategic stability in the region. "NCA
reiterated Pakistan's policy of developing and maintaining FSD,
in line with the policy of Credible Minimum Deterrence and avoidance
of arms race," the ISPR said after a meeting of the NCA. The
NCA identified three major threats, the growing conventional
asymmetry with India, nuclearization of Indian Ocean Region
(IOR) and Indian plans for development of BMD.
Representatives of different religious and political
organisations and ambassadors of Muslim countries while addressing
at 'Labbaik YA Al-Aqsa Conference' held in Lahore in Punjab,
under aegis of Pakistan Ulema Council announced to reject US
President Donald Trump declaration for relocation of US Embassy
to Jerusalem.
December 22
JuA 'commander' Abdur Rauf alias Abbasi Mohmand
and cousin of JuA 'chief' Abdul Wali Mohmand alias Omar Khalid
Khorasani was killed in Afghanistan, said an unnamed Police
Official. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Rauf was killed by
Khorasani himself after it was found out that he wished to surrender
to the Pakistan Army and abandon militancy. However, reports
about a rival outfit killing him have also surfaced.Three FC
Troops and five militants were killed, when militants fired
on them from across the Pak-Afghan border at Shunkrai area of
Mohmand Agency in FATA. The Troops were targeted when they were
constructing new border post at Shunkrai area. According to
ISPR five militants were injured in retaliatory fire as well.
The deceased Soldiers have been identified as Havaldar Muneer
Khan, Sepoy Haq Nawaz Khan and Lance Naik Irshad Hussain.
Three FC Troops and five militants were killed,
when militants fired on them from across the Pak-Afghan border
at Shunkrai area of Mohmand Agency in FATA. The Troops were
targeted when they were constructing new border post at Shunkrai
area. According to ISPR five militants were injured in retaliatory
fire as well. The deceased Soldiers have been identified as
Havaldar Muneer Khan, Sepoy Haq Nawaz Khan and Lance Naik Irshad
Hussain.
Militants lobbed a hand grenade on a SFs post
at Qayyum Abad Qandhro in Mohmand Agency in FATA. No casualties
or injuries were reported.
FC Balochistan killed two militants in a sanitisation
operation conducted in Sibbi District in Balochistan. According
to the ISPR, two militants who were involved in threatening
locals, were killed in an exchange of fire during the operation.
FC Balochistan killed two militants in a sanitisation operation
conducted in Gandimgozi Kaur area of Kech (Turbat) District
in Balochistan. Arms and ammunition were recovered from their
hideout.
Two persons belonging to the Hazara community
were killed and two others were injured when they were targeted
near Western Bypass in Nakhailabad area of Quetta, provincial
capital of Balochistan. According to DIG Abdul Razzaq Cheema,
12 people were travelling from Quetta to Karachi in a large
van when unknown militants fired at their vehicle killing two
and injuring two others.
MFA Pakistan Spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal
said that VP Pence's "statement is at variance with the extensive
conversations we have had with the US administration". "Allies
do not put each other on notice. On notice should be those factors
responsible for exponential increase in drug production, expansion
of ungoverned spaces, industrial scale corruption, breakdown
of governance, and letting Daesh gain a foothold in Afghanistan"
he added.
DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor said that
the US threats against Pakistan with respect to the latter's
alleged support for militant groups can harm the existing coordination
and cooperation between the two countries.
DIG and RPO Abdul Razzaq Cheema in a media briefing
said that six suicide explosions killed 45 persons including
23 civilians, 12 Policemen and 10 Army personnel in Balochistan
during 2017, reports The Nation. While 195 including 125 civilians,
39 Policemen, 25 Army personnel and 6 FC soldiers were injured
in 2017 in Balochistan (period not specified). During 2016,
155 were killed which included 78 civilians, 71 Police, five
FC and one Army Personnel and 270 were injured (break down not
specified), in a total of four suicide attacks on SFs and civilians
(period not mentioned). The DIG added that 49 personnel of the
Police and FC were targeted this year in 21 targeted killing
attacks in 2017 (period not specified). He went on to state
that 16 cases had been sent to Military Courts by the Police
in 2017 (period not specified). After Court permitted 45,000
kg explosive materials had been defused in 2017 (period not
specified).
December 23
CTD arrested three militants from Faisalabad
District in Punjab. Arms and ammunition, including explosives
and detonators, were recovered from the arrested militants.
CTD (unnamed) officials said they were planning an attack on
the office of a security agency.
The Ministry of Interior has termed the MML
an offshoot of proscribed entities including JuD, FIF and LeT;
and opposed its registration as a political party with the ECP.
The Ministry in its written reply submitted to the Islamabad
High Court on a petition filed by MML seeking its registration
with the ECP requested the Court not to consider MML's plea
and dismiss the petition accordingly. It also mentioned that
a Security Agency opined that "it is difficult to believe that
MML will tread its own path, completely at variance with its
mother (LeT and JuD) organisations".
Pakistan and Iran agreed to joint aerial monitoring
to avoid an untoward situation and effectively patrol their
borders. Senior Security Officials of the two countries met
at the border town of Taftan in Chaghi District in Balochistan
and decided that helicopters would be used for patrolling on
both sides of the borders. Pakistan would monitor the border
belt from pole No 72 to 131.
December 24
Three FC personnel, identified as Naik Inayatullah
Khattak, Sepoy Mohsin Ali Turi and Sepoy Sifatullah were killed
in an IED explosion at Ghulam Khan area in North Waziristan
Agency of FATA. A curfew has been imposed in Ghulam Khan area
after the incident.
JuD 'chief' and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed inaugurated
the MML's office on Mohni Road in National Assembly (NA) constituency-120
in Lahore in Punjab.
Pakistan's stance on the Kashmir issue was incorporated
in the joint 'Islamabad Declaration' at the first-ever Speakers'
Conference held in Islamabad. The Conference included Pakistan,
China, Turkey, Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan. The 19th serial
number in the 29 point declaration stated "We agreed that for
ensuring global and regional peace and stability, the issue
of Jammu & Kashmir needs peaceful resolution by Pakistan and
India in accordance with UNSC resolutions". Speaker National
Assembly (NA) Ayaz Sadiq representing Pakistan in the Speakers
Conference held in Islamabad mentioned that Pakistan had suffered
losses of over 119 billion dollars to its economy because of
militancy.
December 25
Deputy Chairman of Planning
Commission Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan wanted to facilitate
Afghanistan for transit trade. "We wanted to have meetings
with Afghanistan to resolve the business related issues existing
between the two neighbouring countries," he said. "We
will not allow India for transit trade with Afghanistan through
using the land of Pakistan,” he added.
PAF inaugurated a new operational
air base PAF Base Bholari in the Bholari area of Thatta District
in Sindh. The establishment of the airbase would play an important
role in safeguarding the CPEC project, said Chief of the Air
Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman.
December 26
A US drone strike killed two
Haqqani network militants including a ‘commander’ travelling
in a vehicle in the Mata Sangar area near Afghanistan-Pakistan's
border in Kurram Agency in FATA. The Haqqani network ‘commander’
was identified as Jamil-ud-Din. Four other militants were present
in the area when drone strike hit them but they left the premise
before the drone strike was conducted.
The FATA Youth Jirga said in
press briefing in Islamabad that it will start a countrywide
petition campaigning to convince masses within and out of Government
on FATA reforms espousing merger with KP.
The Federal Cabinet approved
early merger of FATA into KP. An official statement issued after
the Cabinet meeting chaired by PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said
that approval was granted “to the formation of NIC on the FATA
Reforms.” The NIC had agreed that the FATA people will be able
to elect 23 members to the KP assembly, while the NA seats would
be finalised after consultations.
Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif said
that 1400 Police Personnel had been killed during ‘war on terror’
(period not specified).
Former PM and PML-N Chief Nawaz
Sharif said that the initiation of a treason case against former
President and General (retd) Pervez Musharraf by PML-N Government
was the reason behind his disqualification.
Pakistan, Afghanistan and China
held the first FM Dialogue in Beijing and urged the Afghan Taliban
to join the peace process. In a joint statement, the three Governments
called for a ‘broad-based and inclusive peace and reconciliation
process’ and reaffirmed their commitment to improving relations,
deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, advancing connectivity
under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and fighting terrorism
in all its forms and manifestations without any distinction.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced
his party's support for PAT led by Tahirul Qadri protest against
Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for
the Model Town incident on June 17 2014.
The NSAs of India and Pakistan,
Ajit Doval and Lieutenant General (retd) Nasir Khan Janjua respectively
held a meeting in Bangkok. However, MFA Pakistan did not confirm
the meeting.
December 27
The Executive Board of the NAB
approved filing of six new corruption references, including
illegal construction of a road to residence, against former
PM and PML-N Nawaz Sharif and his brother & Punjab CM Shahbaz
Sharif.
Former president General (retd)
Pervez Musharraf said that some rogue elements within the ‘establishment’
could have been involved in murder of former PM Benazir Bhutto.
He added that rogue elements could have been in touch with the
Taliban as well because the Pakistani society is polarised on
religious lines.
December 28
A gas pipeline running from
Bakhtyar Abad to Showran was blown up by militants near Jalal
area of Bolan District in Balochistan.
DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor
said that there were no rogue elements within the Pakistan Army.
“I am spokesman of the sitting army chief. You should ask Musharraf
to explain his statements. As of now, I can say that there are
no rogue elements within Pakistan Army”, he said. Responding
to Former PM and PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif’s statement DG ISPR
Major General Asif Ghafoor said that Pakistan Army had no response
to events in the political domain. “If there is any conspiracy
[about Army’s involvement in politics], they should come up
with evidence,” he said.
DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor
additionally stated that military-to-military ties between Afghanistan
and Pakistan were not ideal but there had been some improvement
since CoAS General Qamar Jawed Bajwa’s visit to Kabul on September
28, 2017. “Pak-Afghan military-to-military engagement is very
important. At present, we cannot call it ideal … but situation
has improved after army chief’s visit to Kabul,” he said. Additionally,
he said that “We have already started fencing of 2,611 kilometres
of Pak-Afghan border. Additional posts and forts are being built
and on every 1.5-2 kilometres, we will have a physical presence.”
He also warned US against unilateral military action within
the Pakistan territory.
MFA spokesperson Mohammed Faisal
said that US had not cancelled the sale of F-16 jets to Pakistan.
“They have not refused the sale”, he said.
Russian Consul General Aleksandr
Khozin said that Pakistan occupied a significant place in Russia’s
foreign policy priorities and is considered as an important
business partner in various fields including energy and metallurgy.
December 29
Police arrested six suspected
militants and recovered arms and ammunition in raids at Kot
Walidad and Nikora Check Posts in Kulachi Tehsil of Dera Ismail
Khan District in KP. Five of the arrestees were identified as
Abdullah Jan, Hanif, Ziaullah, Ghulam Mustafa, and Sher Khan.
The Police recovered one gun, one pistol with over 100 bullets
from Abdullah Jan; one gun from Hanif; one rifle from Ziaullah;
two rifles with ten rounds from Ghulam Mustafa; and 12-bore
gun with four cartridges from Sher Khan.
CTD acting on prior intelligence
arrested two TTP militants in Gujranwala District of Punjab.
The militants identified as Imran and Abubakar were allegedly
planning to attack office of LEA. Arms, explosives and detonators
were recovered from them.
A suspected facilitator of Afghan
Spy Agency, NDS, was arrested by personnel of FC and Intelligence
Agencies, in IBOs in Musa colony and Sangan areas of Sibi District
of Balochistan. FC recovered weapons and ammunition including
explosives and communication equipment, ISPR said in a statement.
Five LeJ militants were arrested
in SITE Superhighway Industrial Area of Karachi in Sindh. The
militants were planning to assassinate an important personality
belonging to the Shia community.
Palestine’s ambassador to Pakistan,
Waleed Abu Ali, shared a stage with ‘chief’ of JuD and founder
of LeT Hafiz Saeed during a rally organised by the DePC in Liaquat
Bagh of Rawalpindi city of Punjab. Hafiz Saeed used this rally
to call for an "Islamic summit" to defend Jerusalem
from Israel.
December 30
Five suspected IS militants
were killed in an encounter with the Police in Gharibabad area
near Ayub Goth in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Police acting on prior intelligence received from an IA conducted
a targeted raid at the hideout in which the five militants were
killed. One militant, identified as Qari Habibullah alias Abdul
Salam Burmi, was previously associated with al Qaeda and involved
in the targeted killing of Policemen, Army personnel, and members
of Shia and Christian communities.
December 31
Police recovered one 10 kilograms
bomb on the Circular Road in Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan, which was later neutralised by the BDS. LEA
vehicles were allegedly the target of the planned attack.
Source:Compiled from news reports
and are provisional.