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Pakistan
Statement:2005
Read more...
Date
Incidents
January - 6 
Lieutenant General (Retd) Iftikhar Hussain Shah, the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Governor, is reported to have said in Peshawar on January 6 that over 100 terrorists who fled the military operation in the tribal areas could regroup. According to Shah, "The military in its operation against m
Read more...
Lieutenant General (Retd) Iftikhar Hussain Shah, the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Governor, is reported to have said in Peshawar on January 6 that over 100 terrorists who fled the military operation in the tribal areas could regroup. According to Shah, "The military in its operation against miscreants, particularly during the last three months in Mehsud tribe areas, destroyed their logistics and hideouts and forced them to flee to Afghanistan and Balochistan." He added that almost 100 terrorists expelled from this belt were now trying to lure the unemployed youth.
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January - 10 
President Pervez Musharraf said in Islamabad on January 10 that Pakistan is facing no external threat and is trying to resolve disputes with India to achieve durable peace in the region. Speaking at the concluding session of the fifth National Security Workshop at the National Defence Collage, Gen.
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President Pervez Musharraf said in Islamabad on January 10 that Pakistan is facing no external threat and is trying to resolve disputes with India to achieve durable peace in the region. Speaking at the concluding session of the fifth National Security Workshop at the National Defence Collage, Gen. Musharraf claimed that efforts were underway to make Pakistan a moderate and enlightened Islamic welfare state as envisioned by the founding fathers of the country.
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January - 11 
President Pervez Musharraf is reported to have opined during a television interview that he is still optimistic about peace with India despite the failure of Baglihar dam talks. He, however, added that "we will not accept any solution to Kashmir issue with the stamp of ‘made in India’ because this d
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President Pervez Musharraf is reported to have opined during a television interview that he is still optimistic about peace with India despite the failure of Baglihar dam talks. He, however, added that "we will not accept any solution to Kashmir issue with the stamp of ‘made in India’ because this dispute could not be resolved without the involvement of Kashmiris and Pakistan."
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January - 11 
President Pervez Musharraf on January 11 asked the nationalist elements in Balochistan to desist from subversive activities in the province. "This is not the era of 1970s, when you can hit and run and hide in mountains… I warn them to stop targeting [Gas fields]," he told a private TV channel. Gen.
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President Pervez Musharraf on January 11 asked the nationalist elements in Balochistan to desist from subversive activities in the province. "This is not the era of 1970s, when you can hit and run and hide in mountains… I warn them to stop targeting [Gas fields]," he told a private TV channel. Gen. Musharraf said the Government is keeping an eye on the activities of these so-called "nationalist or sub-nationalist" elements.
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January - 12 
Interior Minister, Aftab Sherpao, said in Islamabad on January 12 that the Federal Government would take necessary punitive action, including military action, against the renegade tribesmen who attacked gas plants at Sui in the Balochistan province. According to Daily Times, the Balochistan Governme
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Interior Minister, Aftab Sherpao, said in Islamabad on January 12 that the Federal Government would take necessary punitive action, including military action, against the renegade tribesmen who attacked gas plants at Sui in the Balochistan province. According to Daily Times, the Balochistan Government has been asked to review the situation and recommend to the Federal Government the action required to normalise the situation in the province, Sherpao said at a press conference. He disclosed that three officials of the Frontier Constabulary and four civilians had been killed and nine injured in the latest round of violence between security force personnel and miscreants. He did not say how many tribesmen had been killed or injured. Sherpao added that security agencies had seized 14,000 bullets, 425 rocket launchers and 60 multi-barrel guns which were fired from a Bugti colony and a Muhammadi colony near Sui.
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January - 12 
Senior Baloch leader and Jamhoori Watan Party chief, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, has expressed fears that a military operation in Sui and the Bugti areas may soon be launched. Talking to the media in Dera Bugti on January 12, he claimed that a convoy of 3,000 troops had left Quetta, Pannu Aqil and Kashm
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Senior Baloch leader and Jamhoori Watan Party chief, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, has expressed fears that a military operation in Sui and the Bugti areas may soon be launched. Talking to the media in Dera Bugti on January 12, he claimed that a convoy of 3,000 troops had left Quetta, Pannu Aqil and Kashmor for Sui and Dera Bugti along with artillery, while six gunship helicopters had already landed at the Sibi helipad. "In the next couple of days an operation would be launched in the area," he said and added that the area was already under siege as 6,500-10,000 Frontier Corps personnel were already present in the Bugti area, while 3,000 to 4,000 Rangers had set up their camp outside the Bugti area at the Sindh-Punjab border.
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January - 12 
The North West Frontier Province Governor, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, is reported to have said in Peshawar on January 12 that the Government is well prepared to commence operations against foreign terrorists as they are regrouping in the southern areas and one of the top Al Qaeda operatives, Tahir
Read more...
The North West Frontier Province Governor, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, is reported to have said in Peshawar on January 12 that the Government is well prepared to commence operations against foreign terrorists as they are regrouping in the southern areas and one of the top Al Qaeda operatives, Tahir Yaldesh, is organising their activities. In an interview to Statesman, Shah ruled out any amnesty to the tribal militant ‘commander’, Abdullah Mehsud, saying that he has to ‘surrender or face elimination’.
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January - 14 
The Balochistan Government on January 14 formally sought the Federal Government's assistance to ensure security of natural gas installations in the Sui area. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the provincial cabinet held in the capital Quetta with Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad You
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The Balochistan Government on January 14 formally sought the Federal Government's assistance to ensure security of natural gas installations in the Sui area. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the provincial cabinet held in the capital Quetta with Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf in the chair, according to Dawn. Later, briefing the media, Home Minister Mir Shoaib Nausherwani said the decision had been taken in view of the situation in the Sui area which witnessed heavy clashes between security forces’ and armed men for five days. He also said the provincial Government had asked the Federal Government to desist from launching any military operation.
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January - 15 
Muttahida Qaumi Movement's founder Altaf Hussain has stated that the MQM will quit the government if an army operation is launched in Balochistan. He said in an interview with a private TV channel that any extreme step taken in this regard would not be beneficial for the country and the nation.
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Muttahida Qaumi Movement's founder Altaf Hussain has stated that the MQM will quit the government if an army operation is launched in Balochistan. He said in an interview with a private TV channel that any extreme step taken in this regard would not be beneficial for the country and the nation.
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January - 17 
Chief Minister Jam Yousaf said on January 17 that paramilitary forces in Balochistan had identified about 100 homes from where they believe tribesmen fired rockets between January 7 and 11 at Sui installations. "Now, those homes are the focus of search," he said.
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Chief Minister Jam Yousaf said on January 17 that paramilitary forces in Balochistan had identified about 100 homes from where they believe tribesmen fired rockets between January 7 and 11 at Sui installations. "Now, those homes are the focus of search," he said.
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January - 17 
The News has reported that a special session of the Federal Cabinet on January 17, today, would focus on establishing the writ of the Government in Balochistan, particularly in Sui. Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, is expected to chair the meeting amidst reports of worsening law and order situation in
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The News has reported that a special session of the Federal Cabinet on January 17, today, would focus on establishing the writ of the Government in Balochistan, particularly in Sui. Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, is expected to chair the meeting amidst reports of worsening law and order situation in the country’s largest province. "Let’s see tomorrow," Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, told The News when asked whether military options would be discussed.
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January - 18 
Dawn reports that police have traced a network of 19 people suspected of involvement in the July 30, 2004 suicide attack on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Fateh Jhang, and arrested three brothers belonging to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Jamaatul Furqan outfits. At a press conference in Raw
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Dawn reports that police have traced a network of 19 people suspected of involvement in the July 30, 2004 suicide attack on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Fateh Jhang, and arrested three brothers belonging to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Jamaatul Furqan outfits. At a press conference in Rawalpindi on January 18, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Iftikhar Ahmed, identified the three brothers as Nisar Ahmed, Abdul Basit and Abdul Muneem. Amjad Farooqi, who was allegedly involved in an assassination attempt on President General Pervez Musharraf and was killed in a shoot-out with police, is believed to be the mastermind of the attack on Aziz when he was visiting Fateh Jhang in connection with his election campaign. The DIG said that Amjad Farooqi had persuaded Obaid and Irfan, also known as Zeeshan and Shani, to carry out the suicide attack on Aziz. According to the investigation, the DIG said, Obaid and Irfan were opposed to the government's Afghanistan and Iraq policies. Irfan, who carried C-4 explosives wrapped around his waist, was among seven people killed in the suicide attack.
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January - 20 
Foreign Secretary-designate, Condoleezza Rice, indicated on January 20 that the United States is prepared to deal with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons from falling into extremist hands. Questioned by Senator John Kerry during her confirmation hearing for Secretary of State about the possibility of extrem
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Foreign Secretary-designate, Condoleezza Rice, indicated on January 20 that the United States is prepared to deal with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons from falling into extremist hands. Questioned by Senator John Kerry during her confirmation hearing for Secretary of State about the possibility of extremists taking control of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons if President Pervez Musharraf was overthrown, she said the US was "prepared to try to deal with it." During the hearing, Rice claimed that Pakistan had come back from the "brink of extremism" over the last five years due to Gen. Musharraf’s policies in favour of moderate Islam.
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January - 20 
Speaking at a news conference in the Balochistan capital Quetta, provincial President of the Jamhoori Watan Party, Mir Humayun Khan Marri, claimed they had received information that the paramilitary had launched an operation in Sui and added that the regular Army had also moved in from Kashmore to S
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Speaking at a news conference in the Balochistan capital Quetta, provincial President of the Jamhoori Watan Party, Mir Humayun Khan Marri, claimed they had received information that the paramilitary had launched an operation in Sui and added that the regular Army had also moved in from Kashmore to Sui. Further, in Islamabad, military regime spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, said "There is no military operation launched in Balochistan or any of its part... However, protective arrangements with logistic support have been made in and around the Sui gas fields."
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January - 23 
Military regime spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, has denied reports about the arrest of Uzbek terrorist, Tahir Yaldesh, and others in an alleged joint operation with US soldiers in South Waziristan a month ago. "No joint operation has been conducted on the Pakistani soil with the US forces. T
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Military regime spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, has denied reports about the arrest of Uzbek terrorist, Tahir Yaldesh, and others in an alleged joint operation with US soldiers in South Waziristan a month ago. "No joint operation has been conducted on the Pakistani soil with the US forces. They (US) forces have never come to this side of the Pakistan-Afghan border for such an operation," Sultan told The News. He was responding to reports appearing in the western media claiming that the US and Pakistan Army during a joint operation in Waziristan had captured the top leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Tahir Yaldesh, and handed him over to the US.
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January - 23 
Security forces’ searched several suspected homes around the main gas field in Sui and recovered small weapons and ammunition, according to Statesman. "Security forces have recovered a rocket propelled grenade, small arms and ammunition from abandoned homes during search operations in Sui on Friday
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Security forces’ searched several suspected homes around the main gas field in Sui and recovered small weapons and ammunition, according to Statesman. "Security forces have recovered a rocket propelled grenade, small arms and ammunition from abandoned homes during search operations in Sui on Friday and Saturday," said Balochistan Home Minister Shoaib Nausherwani. "The situation in Sui is now peaceful and security forces are protecting the gas installations," the minister claimed. Nausherwani also rejected reports that security agencies had made any arrest in Sui and added that residents of Sui had voluntarily handed over more than 40 pistols and rifles during the "de-weaponisation" campaign.
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January - 24 
India rejected as "baseless" Pakistan’s allegation that Indian troops had violated the truce. "We investigated this allegation and the report was found to be baseless," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Navtej Sarna, told reporters in Delhi when asked about Islamabad’s charge.
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India rejected as "baseless" Pakistan’s allegation that Indian troops had violated the truce. "We investigated this allegation and the report was found to be baseless," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Navtej Sarna, told reporters in Delhi when asked about Islamabad’s charge.
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January - 24 
Pakistan has accused India of violating the cease-fire at the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on January 21, but said that the two sides have also renewed their commitment to the 14-month old truce. Foreign Office spokesperson, Masood Khan, said on January 24 in Islamabad that Indian troo
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Pakistan has accused India of violating the cease-fire at the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on January 21, but said that the two sides have also renewed their commitment to the 14-month old truce. Foreign Office spokesperson, Masood Khan, said on January 24 in Islamabad that Indian troops had violated the cease-fire with small arms fire on January 21. "The ceasefire violation from the Indian side took place in the Mendar sector but Pakistan showed restraint throughout," he claimed, adding that the Directors General of Military Operations of the two countries were in frequent contact and had renewed assurances that the cease-fire would be observed by both the sides. Khan also said it was for the Indians to investigate the incidents of January 18 and 20, as these happened in territory held by India, and inform Pakistan about the outcome of its investigations.
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January - 24 
Pakistan on January 24 said its strategic nuclear assets were in safe hands and that Islamabad needed no external security plan for their safety. Replying to a question at his weekly press briefing about a statement by the US Secretary of State designate, Condoleezza Rice, that the US had contingenc
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Pakistan on January 24 said its strategic nuclear assets were in safe hands and that Islamabad needed no external security plan for their safety. Replying to a question at his weekly press briefing about a statement by the US Secretary of State designate, Condoleezza Rice, that the US had contingency plans for Pakistan's nuclear programme to prevent it from falling into the hands of extremists, Foreign Office spokesperson, Masood Khan, said Pakistan's strategic assets were in safe hands and needed no external security plan. While rejecting allegations published in a section of the US media, Khan noted that extremists had no access to Pakistan's nuclear assets.
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January - 26 
The Pakistan Army has set up a new military base near the Sui gas field in Balochistan province, where troops have been deployed after a series of rocket attacks disrupted fuel supplies earlier this month. The decision was announced to journalists on a trip organised by the military to Balochistan.
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The Pakistan Army has set up a new military base near the Sui gas field in Balochistan province, where troops have been deployed after a series of rocket attacks disrupted fuel supplies earlier this month. The decision was announced to journalists on a trip organised by the military to Balochistan. Tribesmen have strongly opposed Government plans to establish new military garrisons in the province. Col. Mazhar Masood said that "A new cantonment has been set up in Sui over 400 acres of land. Primarily, a battalion of army soldiers with tanks and other military equipment has been taken there… We are now completely ready to respond to terrorists and miscreants. We will cleanse the area of miscreants and protect strategic installations and the citizens of Sui." He also disclosed that 2,500 army and paramilitary troops are guarding the gas field and Sui. Meanwhile, tribal chief, Nawab Akbar Bugti, who heads the Jamhoori Watan Party, accused the military of being "invaders and occupiers" and claimed they were appropriating land to set up the base.
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January - 29 
Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousuf on January 29 assured the members of the provincial cabinet that no military operation was being launched in Sui area. "The security forces, including Army, were moved to Sui to reinforce the Frontier Corps (FC) and the De
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Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousuf on January 29 assured the members of the provincial cabinet that no military operation was being launched in Sui area. "The security forces, including Army, were moved to Sui to reinforce the Frontier Corps (FC) and the Defence Security Guard (DSG) at Sui installations as per the decision of the provincial cabinet," said the governor and chief minister after a briefing to the provincial cabinet at the Corps headquarters Quetta. The governor said the intensity of the attacks on Sui gas installations from January 7 to 11 could be assessed from the fact that over 675 rockets had been fired by attackers during the five days. Therefore, he added, the government had to take strict measures to protect the installations from further attacks.
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January - 31 
President Pervez Musharraf has, in principle, reportedly approved the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan, which envisage issues pertaining to gas royalty as also provincial autonomy and may require constitutional amendments, besides removal of concerns on the location of F
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President Pervez Musharraf has, in principle, reportedly approved the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan, which envisage issues pertaining to gas royalty as also provincial autonomy and may require constitutional amendments, besides removal of concerns on the location of Frontier Constabulary check posts in Sui and some other parts of the province. This was stated by Choudhury Shujaat Hussain, President of the ruling Muslim League, at a news conference in Karachi on January 31. The former Prime Minister also said that the Government wanted an understanding with Baloch leaders, Nawab Akbar Bugti and Sardar Attaullah Mengal, on the recommendations.
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January - 31 
The Federal Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, stated in the Balochistan capital Quetta on January 31 that security forces’ would remain in Sui and Dera Bugti to protect national assets and counter terrorists who posed threats to gas plants and people in the area. He also disclosed that 81
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The Federal Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, stated in the Balochistan capital Quetta on January 31 that security forces’ would remain in Sui and Dera Bugti to protect national assets and counter terrorists who posed threats to gas plants and people in the area. He also disclosed that 819 rockets were fired and 47 bombs exploded in Sui since the past six months. He said the damage to the plants caused about Rupees 400 million losses to the Pakistan Petroleum Limited while the provincial government lost Rupees 154 million in excise royalty due to suspension of gas supply. Sherpao also disclosed that industries were facing losses of Rs 150 million to Rs 200 million a day since the gas plants were targeted. According to the Minister, since 2003, 1,529 rockets had been fired and 113 bombs exploded in Quetta, Sui, Kohlu and Gwadar.
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January - 31 
The Wana operation in South Waziristan has resulted in the largest ever peacetime casualty with an estimated 230 soldiers and personnel of paramilitary forces losing their lives and about 300 of them being injured, according to The News. Military regime spokesperson and Director-General of Inter-Ser
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The Wana operation in South Waziristan has resulted in the largest ever peacetime casualty with an estimated 230 soldiers and personnel of paramilitary forces losing their lives and about 300 of them being injured, according to The News. Military regime spokesperson and Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR), Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, when approached for his views, said that he would not share these casualty counts with the media. However, he noted that in an irregular warfare such casualties are always there. He disclosed that in Wana, the security forces’ were not fighting against a well-defined enemy but against those who have integrated into the local population.
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February - 1 
The Government on February 1 approved the draft of a six-point peace agreement with a Mujahideen ‘commander’ aimed at restoring peace in South Waziristan, according to Dawn. "We have approved the text of the six-point draft agreement. We have told Mehsud tribesmen negotiating the peace deal that we
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The Government on February 1 approved the draft of a six-point peace agreement with a Mujahideen ‘commander’ aimed at restoring peace in South Waziristan, according to Dawn. "We have approved the text of the six-point draft agreement. We have told Mehsud tribesmen negotiating the peace deal that we have no problems with it. As far as we are concerned the draft agreement stands approved," head of security in the Federally Administered Tribal Region (FATA), Brig. Mehmood Shah said. The draft agreement reportedly stipulates that Baitullah Mehsud, ‘commander’ of the Mujahideen in South Waziristan, and his supporters would not give protection to nor support any foreign terrorist in their area. Clause II of the draft says that Baitullah or his supporters will neither fire at any Government functionary nor cause damage to Government installations, nor will they obstruct development activities in the area. The third point provides for the exemption of Baitullah and his supporters from any legal and punitive action for their past activities. It does, however, provide for 'appropriate' punitive action under the Frontier Crimes Regulation against anyone violating the agreement and makes it incumbent upon the Mehsud tribesmen to hand over offenders to the authorities.
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February - 2 
Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, said in Islamabad on February 2 that Pakistan would only share information with the US relating to terror targets in the tribal areas of the country but the US forces deployed in Afghanistan would never be allowed to neutralise terrorists inside Pakistan.
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Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, said in Islamabad on February 2 that Pakistan would only share information with the US relating to terror targets in the tribal areas of the country but the US forces deployed in Afghanistan would never be allowed to neutralise terrorists inside Pakistan. "We have agreements with some countries to counter terrorism under which we share information and we will continue to offer the same," the minister said
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February - 2 
Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, stated in Islamabad on February 2 that the January 19-murder of Deputy Chief of Kazakh mission to Pakistan, Sapargali Aubakirov, in the capital was a terrorist act. Sherpao stating that the killing was not an ordinary crime added, "We have found some clue
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Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, stated in Islamabad on February 2 that the January 19-murder of Deputy Chief of Kazakh mission to Pakistan, Sapargali Aubakirov, in the capital was a terrorist act. Sherpao stating that the killing was not an ordinary crime added, "We have found some clues which confirm that it was a terrorist incident." The minister also said three suspects had been taken into custody and further investigations were under way.
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February - 3 
According to Dawn, a peace agreement between the Government and wanted tribal militant, Baitullah Mehsud, will take place in Sera Rogha, South Waziristan, on February 7. A delegation of tribal negotiators called on Political Agent, Asmatullah Khan Gandapur, on February 3 after holding talks with the
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According to Dawn, a peace agreement between the Government and wanted tribal militant, Baitullah Mehsud, will take place in Sera Rogha, South Waziristan, on February 7. A delegation of tribal negotiators called on Political Agent, Asmatullah Khan Gandapur, on February 3 after holding talks with the militant. Mehsud, who is accused of protecting foreign terrorists, endorsed the draft of the six-point agreement on February 2, sources said. "We will ink the agreement in Sera Rogha on Feb 7," Gandapur told Dawn.
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February - 4 
The Government informed the Senate on February 4 that the military was not operating in Balochistan nor did it plan to operate in the province. "There is no military operation going on in Balochistan and there are no plans to start a military operation," Aftab Khan Sherpao, Interior Minister, stated
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The Government informed the Senate on February 4 that the military was not operating in Balochistan nor did it plan to operate in the province. "There is no military operation going on in Balochistan and there are no plans to start a military operation," Aftab Khan Sherpao, Interior Minister, stated while concluding the three-day debate on the Balochistan issue. He also said the Government would ensure the safety of vital installations in Balochistan at any cost.
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February - 5 
President General Pervez Musharraf on February 5 said that peace in the region was not possible unless the Kashmiris were given a chance to decide their future. "Establishment of peace in the region is not possible nor can the confidence-building measures proceed unless the Kashmir issue is resolved
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President General Pervez Musharraf on February 5 said that peace in the region was not possible unless the Kashmiris were given a chance to decide their future. "Establishment of peace in the region is not possible nor can the confidence-building measures proceed unless the Kashmir issue is resolved in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiris and they are included in the dialogue process," he said in his message to the special joint session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly and AJK Council which was held to mark the Solidarity Day. The message was read by LA speaker Sardar Siab Khalid as bad weather prevented the president from flying to Muzaffarabad.
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February - 11 
Secretary General of Commonwealth, Don McKinnon, said the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) on February 11 decided not to raise objections about President Pervez Musharraf holding of dual office by till 2007, reported Geo news channel. However, the group insisted that Gen. Musharraf step
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Secretary General of Commonwealth, Don McKinnon, said the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) on February 11 decided not to raise objections about President Pervez Musharraf holding of dual office by till 2007, reported Geo news channel. However, the group insisted that Gen. Musharraf step down as army chief by 2007 at the latest. In an official statement, the Commonwealth "expressed serious concern and regret that President Musharraf had not met his commitment to relinquish his role as chief of army staff by December 31, 2004… CMAG expects the two offices not to be combined in the same person beyond the end of the current presidential term in 2007 at the latest."
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February - 11 
Terrorists have blown up about 26 towers of the transmission lines in Balochistan province during the last 25 days causing a loss of over Rupees 20 million to the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC). The Chief Executive of NTDC, Mohammad Shabir, revealed this at a press conference in L
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Terrorists have blown up about 26 towers of the transmission lines in Balochistan province during the last 25 days causing a loss of over Rupees 20 million to the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC). The Chief Executive of NTDC, Mohammad Shabir, revealed this at a press conference in Lahore on February 11. He also said the company was anticipating more bomb blasts and had arranged extra towers and other material to cope up with any future emergency. The terrorists used bombs and rockets at night to blow up the towers, according to Shabir.
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February - 11 
The Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt. Gen. Safdar Hussain, said on February 11 that he wanted South Waziristan-based tribal militant, Abdullah Mehsud, to surrender without any conditions. Talking to a delegation of clerics and tribal elders from South Waziristan in Peshawar, Hussain reportedly said, "Ab
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The Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt. Gen. Safdar Hussain, said on February 11 that he wanted South Waziristan-based tribal militant, Abdullah Mehsud, to surrender without any conditions. Talking to a delegation of clerics and tribal elders from South Waziristan in Peshawar, Hussain reportedly said, "Abdullah will not be offered amnesty and will be dealt with according to the law." His comment came two days after Abdullah announced a continuation of Jehad against security forces’ in South Waziristan after the February 7-peace deal between fellow militant Baitullah Mehsud and the Government. "Abdullah has committed a serious crime by killing one of the Chinese engineers he kidnapped and he should surrender unconditionally," the General told the delegation led by Maulana Ainullah.
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February - 13 
The Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, stated on February 13 that the Army would not be completely withdrawn from South Waziristan and other tribal agencies but relocation and readjustment would take place in keeping with the demands of the situation. He claimed that acts of terrorism
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The Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, stated on February 13 that the Army would not be completely withdrawn from South Waziristan and other tribal agencies but relocation and readjustment would take place in keeping with the demands of the situation. He claimed that acts of terrorism had ended in South Waziristan since the military had flushed out foreign terrorists and their tribal collaborators. The corps commander added that Uzbek terrorist, Tahir Yuldashev, and other foreign terrorists had rendered the tribesmen hostage and also paid local collaborators to provide them safe haven.
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February - 16 
Director of the US Defence Intelligence Agency, Vice Admiral Lowell Jacoby, reportedly told the Senate Intelligence Committee at a hearing in Washington on February 16 that "Extremist Islamic politicians would gain greater influence" in Pakistan if President Pervez Musharraf was assassinated or repl
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Director of the US Defence Intelligence Agency, Vice Admiral Lowell Jacoby, reportedly told the Senate Intelligence Committee at a hearing in Washington on February 16 that "Extremist Islamic politicians would gain greater influence" in Pakistan if President Pervez Musharraf was assassinated or replaced. "If Musharraf was assassinated or otherwise replaced, Pakistan’s new leader would be less pro-US," claimed Jacoby. While observing "We are concerned that extremist Islamic politicians would gain greater influence", he added that a majority of population in Pakistan holds a "favourable" view of Osama bin Laden. Stating that was the same assessment he gave last year, Admiral Jacoby said: "Our assessment remains unchanged from last year."
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February - 16 
Pakistan and India on February 16 agreed to start a bus service between Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir from April 7, 2005, with people from Kashmir, Pakistan and India to travel across the Line of Control (LoC) by an entry permit system. Foreign Min
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Pakistan and India on February 16 agreed to start a bus service between Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir from April 7, 2005, with people from Kashmir, Pakistan and India to travel across the Line of Control (LoC) by an entry permit system. Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri announced this in Islamabad in a joint statement with his Indian counterpart Natwar Singh after talks between the two. "The bus service will start without prejudice to the stated positions of both the countries on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir," Indian Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran, said at a separate press conference. The entry permit for travel across the LoC will reportedly be issued by both sides on verification of identities and the citizens of a third country will not be allowed to avail this travel facility. "We have discussed the practical procedure that applies to a route and which does not affect our stated positions. Those traveling to Pakistan will also be able to visit Gilgit and Baltistan," said Saran, adding that the bus service was an important development and a "win-win situation" for both countries. Natwar Singh, in his statement, said both sides agreed to also look at a pipeline through Pakistan subject to the satisfaction of India’s concerns related to security and assured supplies. "We also agreed to start a bus service between Amritsar and Lahore and to religious places such as Nankana Sahib and instructed our officials to tie up technical details," added Singh.
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February - 22 
The Jamhoori Wattan Party chief, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, is reported to have threatened an armed resistance if the Government uses force in Balochistan. "The situation in Balochistan is alarming and there could be an armed resistance if a military option is opted, which I can see coming soon," said
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The Jamhoori Wattan Party chief, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, is reported to have threatened an armed resistance if the Government uses force in Balochistan. "The situation in Balochistan is alarming and there could be an armed resistance if a military option is opted, which I can see coming soon," said Bugti on February 22. "Balochi people may die in large number but there can be casualties on the other side as well," he told reporters at the Karachi Press Club.
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February - 22 
The United States has disbursed a sum of $57 million to people in Pakistan who provided information on the Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, according to a senior US official. The official told Christian Science Monitor which carried a report in its February 22 issue on the TV advertising campaig
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The United States has disbursed a sum of $57 million to people in Pakistan who provided information on the Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, according to a senior US official. The official told Christian Science Monitor which carried a report in its February 22 issue on the TV advertising campaign, currently being run in Pakistan, to capture Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda operatives. The unnamed official reportedly said, "This kind of thing has worked before, both here in Pakistan, and in Colombia as well," adding that $57 million has been disbursed thus far under this programme in Pakistan and some of the arrests have been as a result of tip-offs. The advertisements are being broadcast in Urdu, Sindhi, Balochi and Pushto languages along with images of Laden, Ayman al-Zawahri and Mullah Omar.
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March - 3 
According to Dawn, the Government on March 3 offered to buy weapons at market price from the tribesmen in South Waziristan. It intended to purchase anti-aircraft guns, missiles, mortars, rocket launchers, landmines, hand-grenades, light machineguns and AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifles, said local ad
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According to Dawn, the Government on March 3 offered to buy weapons at market price from the tribesmen in South Waziristan. It intended to purchase anti-aircraft guns, missiles, mortars, rocket launchers, landmines, hand-grenades, light machineguns and AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifles, said local administrator, Khan Bukhsh. "This is a golden opportunity for the tribal people… You can sell your weapons and the government will pay you at market price," he said during a meeting with members of the Mahsud tribe at Tank city in South Waziristan. Khan reportedly gave the tribesmen one week to consider the Government's offer.
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March - 6 
According to Dawn, the authorities will seize heavy weapons belonging to tribesmen near the Afghanistan border if they are not surrendered in a Government buy-back programme meant to disarm militants in South Waziristan. The Government wants to purchase anti-aircraft guns, missiles, mortars, rocket
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According to Dawn, the authorities will seize heavy weapons belonging to tribesmen near the Afghanistan border if they are not surrendered in a Government buy-back programme meant to disarm militants in South Waziristan. The Government wants to purchase anti-aircraft guns, missiles, mortars, rocket launchers, landmines, hand-grenades, light machineguns and assault rifles from tribesmen, Brigadier Mehmood Shah, security chief of the tribal areas, told AFP. "We are waiting a response from tribesmen and if no one comes up to sell these weapons then we will work out a strategy to confiscate them," Shah added. However, he did not indicate how many estimated heavy weapons were in the tribal regions or how much money the Government had ear-marked for the buy-back.
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March - 8 
President George W. Bush said in Washington on March 8 that Pakistan had made the United States "more secure" by arresting more than 100 extremists across the country. During a speech the White House described as an update on the war on terrorism, President Bush said, "We're more secure because Paki
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President George W. Bush said in Washington on March 8 that Pakistan had made the United States "more secure" by arresting more than 100 extremists across the country. During a speech the White House described as an update on the war on terrorism, President Bush said, "We're more secure because Pakistani forces captured more than 100 extremists across the country last year, including operatives who were plotting attacks against the United States."
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March - 9 
The Foreign Office of Pakistan said that the bus service would also be available to non-Kashmiri Pakistani and Indian nationals. Spokesperson Jalil Abbas said "The bus service was primarily meant for the divided Kashmiri families. It will ameliorate one of their hardships. But this facility will als
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The Foreign Office of Pakistan said that the bus service would also be available to non-Kashmiri Pakistani and Indian nationals. Spokesperson Jalil Abbas said "The bus service was primarily meant for the divided Kashmiri families. It will ameliorate one of their hardships. But this facility will also be available to other Pakistani and Indian nationals."
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March - 10 
The Federal Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, disclosed on March 10 that nuclear scientist, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, had provided centrifuges to Iran. "He had given centrifuges to Iran in his individual capacity and the government of Pakistan had nothing to do with it," the minister said in Is
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The Federal Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, disclosed on March 10 that nuclear scientist, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, had provided centrifuges to Iran. "He had given centrifuges to Iran in his individual capacity and the government of Pakistan had nothing to do with it," the minister said in Islamabad during a seminar. Centrifuges are used to purify uranium for use as fuel for nuclear power plants or weapons. "He gave them from the black market, and the Pakistan government was not involved," the minister added.
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March - 14 
Osama Bin Laden attempted to communicate with Al Qaeda’s front-man in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a month ago through a letter that was seized when a ground courier in Pakistan was intercepted, a counter-terrorism expert reportedly said in Dubai on March 14. "About four weeks ago, we intercepted com
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Osama Bin Laden attempted to communicate with Al Qaeda’s front-man in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a month ago through a letter that was seized when a ground courier in Pakistan was intercepted, a counter-terrorism expert reportedly said in Dubai on March 14. "About four weeks ago, we intercepted communication between Osama Bin Laden and Zarqawi," which occurred when "a ground courier was intercepted," Bob Newman, Director of international security and counter-terrorism services with The GeoScope Group, told an Airport, Port and Terminal Security Middle East conference. Newman, whose Colorado-based organization provides teams to help track down terrorist suspects at the planning stage, later told reporters the courier was stopped in west Pakistan, "carrying a letter."
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March - 14 
Pakistani security forces’ hunting Osama bin Laden lost track of the Al Qaeda chief after coming close to discovering his whereabouts several months ago, President Pervez Musharraf told the BBC on March 14. "We thought we knew roughly the area where he possibly could be. That was, I think ... not ve
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Pakistani security forces’ hunting Osama bin Laden lost track of the Al Qaeda chief after coming close to discovering his whereabouts several months ago, President Pervez Musharraf told the BBC on March 14. "We thought we knew roughly the area where he possibly could be. That was, I think ... not very long (ago), maybe eight to ten months back," said Musharraf. According to the President, "There have been occasions where, through interrogation of those who have been captured, the al-Qaeda members who were apprehended there, and through technical means, there was a time when the dragnet has closed."
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March - 16 
President Pervez Musharraf, on March 16, urged the United States to support efforts aimed at resolving the Jammu and Kashmir issue in keeping with the aspirations of the Kashmiris. During a meeting with the visiting US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, he reportedly indicated that normalization
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President Pervez Musharraf, on March 16, urged the United States to support efforts aimed at resolving the Jammu and Kashmir issue in keeping with the aspirations of the Kashmiris. During a meeting with the visiting US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, he reportedly indicated that normalization in South Asia would not be possible without the settlement of the ‘core dispute between Pakistan and India’.
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March - 17 
According to Daily Times, the FC called in gunship helicopters for support and used heavy weapons against the tribesmen. Sources said the FC targeted localities, including the Hindu Mohalla (neighbourhood), and added that the number of fatalities could increase. Akbar Bugti claimed that a rocket hit
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According to Daily Times, the FC called in gunship helicopters for support and used heavy weapons against the tribesmen. Sources said the FC targeted localities, including the Hindu Mohalla (neighbourhood), and added that the number of fatalities could increase. Akbar Bugti claimed that a rocket hit one of his rooms and that the FC was targeting civilian areas in the city. The Government had started a full-fledged military operation in Balochistan, Akbar Bugti added. "They’ve started and we’ll see who’ll finish this game," he told AP by satellite phone from Dera Bugti. Meanwhile, Col. Rizwan Malik claimed the fighting commenced after Bugti tribesmen shot at trucks carrying FC personnel in the mountains of Sangsela. Intelligence sources reported that at least 16 tribesmen were killed in the clashes.
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March - 17 
The Federal Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, said in the National Assembly on March 17 that no military operation was going on in Balochistan nor will it take place in the future. While the opposition claimed that 70 civilians had died in Dera Bugti on March 17, the Minister challenged t
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The Federal Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, said in the National Assembly on March 17 that no military operation was going on in Balochistan nor will it take place in the future. While the opposition claimed that 70 civilians had died in Dera Bugti on March 17, the Minister challenged their claim saying that the loss of life was yet to be ascertained. Sherpao said that about 150 tribesmen opened fire on the Frontier Corps (FC) convoy near Sangsela and the latter retaliated in self-defence. He disclosed that the reinforcement convoy was also attacked and about 150 rockets were fired on the FC convoy from Dera Bugti Fort. He said 10 FC personnel were injured while the exact figures about loss of life on the tribesmen’s side are yet to be known.
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March - 18 
Terrorists in Pakistan remain committed to attacking US targets and it is a matter of time before the Al Qaeda or another group uses chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons, said the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director, Porter J. Goss, on March 18, reported Daily Times. He said
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Terrorists in Pakistan remain committed to attacking US targets and it is a matter of time before the Al Qaeda or another group uses chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons, said the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director, Porter J. Goss, on March 18, reported Daily Times. He said this while talking to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in his first public appearance as the Director.
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March - 19 
The Federal Interior Minister, Aftab Sherpao, stated at a press conference in Islamabad that casualty figures claimed by tribesmen were ‘exaggerated’ and ‘baseless’. Sherpao said 21 civilians, including two Hindus, have been killed in the clashes while 34 have been injured, contrary to the claims of
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The Federal Interior Minister, Aftab Sherpao, stated at a press conference in Islamabad that casualty figures claimed by tribesmen were ‘exaggerated’ and ‘baseless’. Sherpao said 21 civilians, including two Hindus, have been killed in the clashes while 34 have been injured, contrary to the claims of tribal leader, Nawab Akbar Bugti, who put the figure of killed at 60 with 150 injured. Eight troops died and 23 sustained injuries during the clashes, according to the Minister. The Minister while denying any plan to conduct army operations in Balochistan added that the paramilitary forces were capable enough to cope with the situation. "We plan no military operation in Dera Bugti but the Army troops present in Sui area are being moved to protect Sui gas installations and the FC personnel present there have been relieved," said Sherpao. He also disclosed that Bugti tribesmen had fired 200 rockets upon the Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, including 107 MM free flight-rockets.
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March - 20 
According to Daily Times, more than 3,000 Government employees and their families escaped on March 19 in vehicles under FC escort from Dera Bugti after a 16-hour battle between the tribesmen and FC personnel on March 17. The Governor said up to 45 people, including eight soldiers, were killed in the
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According to Daily Times, more than 3,000 Government employees and their families escaped on March 19 in vehicles under FC escort from Dera Bugti after a 16-hour battle between the tribesmen and FC personnel on March 17. The Governor said up to 45 people, including eight soldiers, were killed in the fighting. On March 20, about 3,000 people, primarily women and children of the Bugti tribesmen, also left the town because they fear fresh fighting, said district administrator Abdul Samad Lasi. "The situation in Dera Bugti is very tense. You can expect anything (to happen)," Lasi told Daily Times. Citing intelligence reports, Lasi said about 5,000 armed Bugti tribesmen had taken up position on mountains near the town and that FC personnel were ranged against them.
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March - 20 
Bugti tribesmen have surrounded at least 300 Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and Government officials at a base in the Dera Bugti area where fears of fresh fighting between the tribesmen and troops have forced thousands of residents to flee for safety, Balochistan Governor, Awais Ahmed Ghani, said in
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Bugti tribesmen have surrounded at least 300 Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and Government officials at a base in the Dera Bugti area where fears of fresh fighting between the tribesmen and troops have forced thousands of residents to flee for safety, Balochistan Governor, Awais Ahmed Ghani, said in Quetta on March 20. The tribesmen have set up roadblocks and dug trenches along roads into Dera Bugti, the Governor said.
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March - 20 
The Police said on March 20 that they were investigating whether a suicide bomber had detonated a powerful bomb that killed at least 50 devotees at a shrine in the Fatehpur village of Jhal Magsi district in Balochistan province on March 19. Baluchistan police chief, Choudhury Muhammad Yaqub, said, "
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The Police said on March 20 that they were investigating whether a suicide bomber had detonated a powerful bomb that killed at least 50 devotees at a shrine in the Fatehpur village of Jhal Magsi district in Balochistan province on March 19. Baluchistan police chief, Choudhury Muhammad Yaqub, said, "We are trying to ascertain whether it was a suicide bombing, because the body of a man close to the blast site had been ripped into small pieces." No one has claimed responsibility for the attack thus far. It could have been related to sectarian violence or be the handiwork of Baloch insurgents, Yaqub added. It could also have been targeted at the custodian of the shrine, Sadiq Ali Shah, who escaped unhurt, he said. Shah has been in a dispute with relatives over the custody of the shrine and last year survived an assassination attempt, Yaqub claimed.
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March - 25 
A suspected Al Qaeda operative was reportedly killed on March 25 in the Hangu district of North West Frontier Province. "We suspect Farooq may be an Al Qaeda man but we have not reached any conclusion as yet," District Police Officer, Zebullah Khan, told Daily Times. Sources said that Farooq was sta
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A suspected Al Qaeda operative was reportedly killed on March 25 in the Hangu district of North West Frontier Province. "We suspect Farooq may be an Al Qaeda man but we have not reached any conclusion as yet," District Police Officer, Zebullah Khan, told Daily Times. Sources said that Farooq was staying with local resident Rafiq in the Zarguri area, 25 kilometers from Hangu city, as a guest when another guest killed him on March 25-night.
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March - 25 
Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt Gen Safdar Hussain, stated in Lahore on March 25 that 48 military operations have been carried out in the length and breadth of South Waziristan and that the possibility of Osama bin Laden being in one of the target areas cannot be ruled out. Christian Science Monitor qu
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Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt Gen Safdar Hussain, stated in Lahore on March 25 that 48 military operations have been carried out in the length and breadth of South Waziristan and that the possibility of Osama bin Laden being in one of the target areas cannot be ruled out. Christian Science Monitor quoted him as saying that "Last year, thousands of military and paramilitary troops battled Al Qaeda militants and tribal supporters in South Waziristan Agency. The 48 military operations resulted in more than 500 deaths, including 304 foreign and local militants and around 200 troops." The paper also quoted Lt Gen Hussain as saying that bin Laden was guarded by some 50 men, divided into concentric circles of security.
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March - 25 
President Pervez Musharraf said on March 25 that military operations would not be carried out in the Balochistan province and that he believed in resolving issues by political dialogue. Speaking to parliamentarians in Islamabad, the President also said that there would, however, be no compromise on
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President Pervez Musharraf said on March 25 that military operations would not be carried out in the Balochistan province and that he believed in resolving issues by political dialogue. Speaking to parliamentarians in Islamabad, the President also said that there would, however, be no compromise on law and order. "We will establish the government’s writ and protect all national assets," he said, referring to the armed tribesmen of Baloch leaders. He added that there was no room for creating states within a state.
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April - 1 
The United Jehad Council (UJC) has reportedly expressed surprise over a statement by the former Prime Minister, Choudhury Shujaat Hussain, that "India and Pakistan will pursue their agenda irrespective of threats by terrorists." In a statement faxed to a Srinagar-based news agency on April 1, UJC sp
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The United Jehad Council (UJC) has reportedly expressed surprise over a statement by the former Prime Minister, Choudhury Shujaat Hussain, that "India and Pakistan will pursue their agenda irrespective of threats by terrorists." In a statement faxed to a Srinagar-based news agency on April 1, UJC spokesperson, Syed Sadaqat Hussain, claimed that Shujaat Hussain was following the Indian Government by labeling the people fighting for a ‘just cause in held Kashmir’ as terrorists. The former Prime Minister is currently on a visit to India.
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April - 4 
Pakistan said on April 4 that there was no threat to the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus passengers in the territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (PoK, Pakistan occupied Kashmir). "There is no security problem in Azad Kashmir because it is the most peaceful area in the region with a very low crime rate," cla
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Pakistan said on April 4 that there was no threat to the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus passengers in the territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (PoK, Pakistan occupied Kashmir). "There is no security problem in Azad Kashmir because it is the most peaceful area in the region with a very low crime rate," claimed Foreign Office spokesperson, Jalil Abbas Jillani, in Islamabad. Jillani also said threats to passengers by some groups in Kashmir were uncalled for because the passengers would be "genuine" Kashmiris.
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April - 7 
Pakistan will deport 17 Afghans, including a former Kabul police chief, who were arrested in January 2005 for their alleged links with the Taliban, said Balochistan police chief, Choudhury Mohammed Yaqub, on April 7. Twenty-three Afghans were arrested from the provincial capital, Quetta, on January
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Pakistan will deport 17 Afghans, including a former Kabul police chief, who were arrested in January 2005 for their alleged links with the Taliban, said Balochistan police chief, Choudhury Mohammed Yaqub, on April 7. Twenty-three Afghans were arrested from the provincial capital, Quetta, on January 27, but six were later released, according to Daily Times. The 17 reportedly include an alleged former Taliban deputy governor and Kabul’s former police chief.
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April - 8 
According to Asia Pulse, Australia has re-listed six groups as terrorist organisations, warning that anyone associated with them faces up to 25 years in jail. Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, named the six organisations as Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ), Jaish-e-Mohammad, both Pakistan-based and Asbat al-
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According to Asia Pulse, Australia has re-listed six groups as terrorist organisations, warning that anyone associated with them faces up to 25 years in jail. Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, named the six organisations as Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ), Jaish-e-Mohammad, both Pakistan-based and Asbat al-Ansar, Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and the Islamic Army of Aden. The six groups were originally listed as terrorist organisations in April 2003, but Australian laws provide that the listing of a terrorist organisation expires after two years. "The government has decided to re-list these groups as I continue to be satisfied on reasonable grounds that they are directly or indirectly engaged in, preparing, planning, assisting in or fostering the doing of a terrorist act," said Ruddock.
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April - 9 
In a press release issued in Islamabad on April 9, Pakistan Muslim League Secretary-General Mushahid Hussain Syed, a member of the official dialogue team to resolve the stand-off between the government and Bugti tribe, stated that the government has agreed to withdraw security forces deployed betwee
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In a press release issued in Islamabad on April 9, Pakistan Muslim League Secretary-General Mushahid Hussain Syed, a member of the official dialogue team to resolve the stand-off between the government and Bugti tribe, stated that the government has agreed to withdraw security forces deployed between Dera Bugti and Sui as a first step of confidence building and implementation of the Shujaat-Bugti agreement. The press release also stated the government had decided to open the route between Dera Bugti and Sui that was closed after the March 17 incident. "About the matters concerning provincial autonomy and other issues regarding Balochistan, the parliamentary committee will undertake a dialogue with the political forces of the province to settle the contentious issues in near future," the press release concluded.
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April - 9 
President Pervez Musharraf on April 9 stressed the need to resolve the Kashmir dispute and said he would discuss the matter with the Indian leadership during his next week’s visit to New Delhi. "The April 17 cricket match has no value compared to the talks to be held on Kashmir," he said while spea
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President Pervez Musharraf on April 9 stressed the need to resolve the Kashmir dispute and said he would discuss the matter with the Indian leadership during his next week’s visit to New Delhi. "The April 17 cricket match has no value compared to the talks to be held on Kashmir," he said while speaking at the Students’ Convention 2005 in Islamabad. The Indian government has invited President Musharraf to watch the last One Day International (ODI) cricket match between India and Pakistan in New Delhi on April 17.
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April - 12 
According to Daily Times, the United States closed its consulate in Karachi on April 12 after receiving a security threat. Americans have been told to avoid the area around the consulate and the nearby Marriott Hotel, said Greggory Crouch, press attache at the US Embassy in Islamabad. Crouch told AF
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According to Daily Times, the United States closed its consulate in Karachi on April 12 after receiving a security threat. Americans have been told to avoid the area around the consulate and the nearby Marriott Hotel, said Greggory Crouch, press attache at the US Embassy in Islamabad. Crouch told AFP that "We have received credible information of a threat and that has heightened our security concern."
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April - 13 
The Bugti tribesmen in Balochistan province have ended a blockade of the Dera Bugti-Sui Road and have left their trenches set up after a clash with security forces on March 17, Col. Abdul Wahid, a Frontier Constabulary (FC) spokesperson, said on April 13. Reciprocally, FC personnel also started remo
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The Bugti tribesmen in Balochistan province have ended a blockade of the Dera Bugti-Sui Road and have left their trenches set up after a clash with security forces on March 17, Col. Abdul Wahid, a Frontier Constabulary (FC) spokesperson, said on April 13. Reciprocally, FC personnel also started removing checkpoints set up around the town of Dera Bugti, he added. "The tribesmen have opened the main road and we are also removing extra checkpoints," he said. Bugti chief, Nawab Akbar Bugti, while confirming the news, said both sides were evacuating their positions on the Dera Bugti-Sui Road. According to Daily Times, the FC had vacated seven pickets while Bugti tribesman had vacated 57 and both sides had moved to their pre-March 17 positions.
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April - 14 
President Pervez Musharraf said on April 14 that he was optimistic that the Kashmir issue could be resolved and described the peace process with India as 'fairly irreversible'. Speaking in an interview with Reuters ahead of visit to India, Gen. Musharraf said: "I hope it doesn't turn out like Agra!"
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President Pervez Musharraf said on April 14 that he was optimistic that the Kashmir issue could be resolved and described the peace process with India as 'fairly irreversible'. Speaking in an interview with Reuters ahead of visit to India, Gen. Musharraf said: "I hope it doesn't turn out like Agra!" He observe that the atmosphere for talks was now much better, but his weekend meetings with Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, would have to concentrate on trying to get closer to a solution for the Kashmir issue. "I am fairly optimistic, I would say, because I see Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to be a sincere person and wanting to come to a resolution of this dispute. So if there is sincerity in the leadership, I think there can be progress." The president added he did not expect an immediate breakthrough. "We cannot solve the issue, we cannot reach a conclusion, but if we make progress on it and we strike some common ground, that is what I would like to achieve and that is the maximum that one can expect."
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April - 18 
India and Pakistan while underlining on April 18 that the peace process between the two countries was "now irreversible," agreed to open trade across the Line of Control (LoC) by allowing trucks between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, open the trans-LoC Poonch-Rawalakot route and take steps for the meeti
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India and Pakistan while underlining on April 18 that the peace process between the two countries was "now irreversible," agreed to open trade across the Line of Control (LoC) by allowing trucks between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, open the trans-LoC Poonch-Rawalakot route and take steps for the meeting of divided families along the LoC. Condemning the attempts to disrupt the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, pledged in a joint statement that they "would not allow terrorism to impede the peace process."
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April - 18 
Several terrorist groups on April 18 accused Pakistani President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, of abandoning the cause of the Kashmiri people by conceding too much during the weekend talks with the Indian leadership in New Delhi. "President Musharraf has sold out Kashmir for trade and tourism," said a sta
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Several terrorist groups on April 18 accused Pakistani President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, of abandoning the cause of the Kashmiri people by conceding too much during the weekend talks with the Indian leadership in New Delhi. "President Musharraf has sold out Kashmir for trade and tourism," said a statement signed by a spokesperson of four terrorist groups and faxed to The Associated Press in Srinagar. The comment referred to a joint statement issued earlier in the day by President Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, at the end of the former’s visit to India. In the statement, both countries agreed to ease restrictions along their border and promote more trade and tourism in Kashmir. "This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a head of state has given in to India," the terrorist groups’ statement said, adding, "We will not give up jihad until Kashmir becomes free." Signatories to the statement were the Al-Nasireen, Save Kashmir Movement, Al-Arifeen and Farzandan-e-Millat.
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April - 18 
The Government is reportedly planning to launch an operation against terrorists in North Waziristan even as US forces prepare to undertake a spring offensive in Afghanistan. This was stated by Commander of the coalition forces in Afghanistan, Lt-Gen David Barno, while talking to journalists at the U
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The Government is reportedly planning to launch an operation against terrorists in North Waziristan even as US forces prepare to undertake a spring offensive in Afghanistan. This was stated by Commander of the coalition forces in Afghanistan, Lt-Gen David Barno, while talking to journalists at the US Embassy in Islamabad on April 18. While referring to a meeting of the Tripartite Commission of the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan held earlier in the day, he said: "We collectively feel that there is a need to undertake an operation in North Waziristan. That's an area where I think the Pakistani military is about to undertake a military operation to keep pressure on terrorist networks." According to Barno, "We are in the middle of beginning a spring offensive and the Pakistani forces are busy moving troops to North Waziristan to continue to put pressure on terrorist networks."
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April - 19 
According to Daily Times, the Government in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) has banned a monthly magazine ‘Shahadat’ run by the terrorist group Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM). Sources said it was for the first time that a terrorist publication had been proscribed by the PoK Government during the last 1
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According to Daily Times, the Government in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) has banned a monthly magazine ‘Shahadat’ run by the terrorist group Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM). Sources said it was for the first time that a terrorist publication had been proscribed by the PoK Government during the last 15 years. The TuM, led by Sheikh Jamilur Rehman, had been publishing the magazine for the last eight years from Muzaffarabad, capital of the PoK. Sources added that the magazine in its recent issue published a few articles on the recent visit of US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, the split in the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and the role of Pakistan, India, and the US in starting the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service and had condemned these Governments along with the PoK Government. The magazine was especially critical of Pakistan’s policy on Kashmir. Interior Ministry of the PoK Government reportedly notified the ban on the basis that such articles could promote sectarianism in the region.
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April - 20 
The Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, on April 20 described as 'highly irresponsible' remarks by a US General that Pakistan was planning an army operation against terrorists in North Waziristan. "It is a figment of his imagination. No operation is being launched in North Waziristan. T
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The Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, on April 20 described as 'highly irresponsible' remarks by a US General that Pakistan was planning an army operation against terrorists in North Waziristan. "It is a figment of his imagination. No operation is being launched in North Waziristan. This is highly irresponsible on his part. This is unwarranted and I condemn it," Hussain told reporters. Commander of the US forces in Afghanistan, Lt-Gen David Barno, had told the media in Islamabad on April 18 that terrorists were infiltrating into Afghanistan from Pakistan and that Islamabad was planning a military operation in North Waziristan. "There is no infiltration taking place from here, rather there is infiltration from Afghanistan into Pakistan. I told Gen. Barno that due to lack of government writ in Afghanistan, weapons, explosives and ammunition are being smuggled into Pakistan from Afghanistan," claimed Hussain.
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April - 20 
Speaking in the Philippine capital Manila on April 20, President Pervez Musharraf reportedly pledged to curb terrorist attacks in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir and to promote the ongoing peace process with India. "We need to resolve this issue once and for all in a flexible manner," he told
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Speaking in the Philippine capital Manila on April 20, President Pervez Musharraf reportedly pledged to curb terrorist attacks in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir and to promote the ongoing peace process with India. "We need to resolve this issue once and for all in a flexible manner," he told a forum for foreign media in Manila. According to the President, "The time of conflict management is over. It has to be conflict resolution. We must resolve this now or never." He said acts of terrorism, like an attack on the recently resumed trans-Line of Control bus service, "must be suppressed at all cost".
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April - 22 
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is alive and is hiding somewhere in the inaccessible Pakistan-Afghan tribal belt, said President Pervez Musharraf. "Osama is alive and I am cent per cent sure that he is hiding in the Pakistani-Afghan tribal belt," Gen. Musharraf said in an interview to the CNN to be
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Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is alive and is hiding somewhere in the inaccessible Pakistan-Afghan tribal belt, said President Pervez Musharraf. "Osama is alive and I am cent per cent sure that he is hiding in the Pakistani-Afghan tribal belt," Gen. Musharraf said in an interview to the CNN to be telecast on April 23, today. The President said the tribal areas on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border stretched to difficult mountain ranges where it would be very hard to locate Osama bin Laden due to the lack of communication infrastructure. Pakistan is developing the infrastructure there to locate bin Laden and the remnants of the Al-Qaeda, he claimed.
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April - 22 
President Pervez Musharraf proposed on April 22 that Kashmir could be divided into seven parts. In his interview to an American TV channel, Gen. Musharraf reportedly said: "The parts of Kashmir held by Pakistan and India separately can be divided geographically into seven parts… Either any specific
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President Pervez Musharraf proposed on April 22 that Kashmir could be divided into seven parts. In his interview to an American TV channel, Gen. Musharraf reportedly said: "The parts of Kashmir held by Pakistan and India separately can be divided geographically into seven parts… Either any specific portion of the Kashmir or its entire area could be declared non-military zone and later changing it statues afterwards." He further said that whatever the portion be for this purpose, but it must be made with consensus between India and Pakistan and he hoped masses of both the countries could accept it. He added, "Deployment of heavy troops on both side of Line of Control (LoC) is creating problem for the people."
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April - 24 
The United Jehad Council (UJC), an umbrella organisation of all Pakistan-based Jehadi groups, has reportedly said that militant organisations will not give up their weapons till Jammu and Kashmir is freed from Indian rule. UJC Chairman Syed Salahuddin told Daily Times on April 24 that people suggest
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The United Jehad Council (UJC), an umbrella organisation of all Pakistan-based Jehadi groups, has reportedly said that militant organisations will not give up their weapons till Jammu and Kashmir is freed from Indian rule. UJC Chairman Syed Salahuddin told Daily Times on April 24 that people suggesting times had changed and the role of the gun in liberation movements after 9/11 had ended were living in a "fools’ paradise". "Let me make it clear that nobody will lay down his or her weapon till Kashmir is liberated," he added. Certain conditions would have to be met if, at any stage, President Pervez Musharraf or any other dignitary called for a cease-fire for a certain period to facilitate the current composite dialogue process with India, Salahuddin said. According to him, "Firstly, UJC leaders will consider the ceasefire call, secondly, the Indian government has to admit that Jammu and Kashmir is disputed territory and thirdly, the demand for the release of Kashmiri prisoners from Indian jails and an end to military operations and atrocities by the Indian Army will have to be met."
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April - 25 
The chief of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Syed Salahuddin, is reported to have accused the Pakistani Government on April 25 of sidelining the Kashmir issue with India. He was quoted as saying in Daily Times that "Pakistan seems to have changed its stance on Kashmir while India is still determined on its
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The chief of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Syed Salahuddin, is reported to have accused the Pakistani Government on April 25 of sidelining the Kashmir issue with India. He was quoted as saying in Daily Times that "Pakistan seems to have changed its stance on Kashmir while India is still determined on its stance." While observing that they could hold talks with India over the Kashmir issue, he added that New Delhi should first declare the territory a "disputed region." The Hizb chief also said Pakistan would not benefit from negotiations with India over Kashmir. "If anyone thinks that any result can come in favour of Pakistan on the negotiating table, they are living in fool’s paradise," he said.
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April - 26 
President Pervez Musharraf said on April 26 that he would not make a U-turn on Kashmir by any means. Speaking to PTV, Gen. Musharraf said he wanted to comfort Kashmiris by resolving the Kashmir issue once and for all. "My intentions are very clear. I want to comfort Kashmiris and lessen the sufferin
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President Pervez Musharraf said on April 26 that he would not make a U-turn on Kashmir by any means. Speaking to PTV, Gen. Musharraf said he wanted to comfort Kashmiris by resolving the Kashmir issue once and for all. "My intentions are very clear. I want to comfort Kashmiris and lessen the suffering they have been bearing for decades," he said. However, he added that Kashmir was a difficult and complicated issue between India and Pakistan and therefore no timeframe could be given for its resolution. "I want to tell all Pakistanis and Kashmiris that I am doing this with all my sincerity, more for Kashmiris than for Pakistanis," he claimed.
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April - 27 
American instructors have been training Pakistan army commandos and helicopter pilots in night-vision flying and airborne assault tactics against the Al Qaeda operatives in North Waziristan, according to the US commander in Afghanistan. In an interview to New York Times on April 27, Lieutenant Gener
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American instructors have been training Pakistan army commandos and helicopter pilots in night-vision flying and airborne assault tactics against the Al Qaeda operatives in North Waziristan, according to the US commander in Afghanistan. In an interview to New York Times on April 27, Lieutenant General David Barno said he visited the Special Services Group headquarters at Chirat on April 23 to attend graduation ceremony of two companies trained by Americans and watched a display by the units in their new Bell4 helicopters. According to Times correspondent Carlotta Gall, who interviewed Gen. Barno in Kabul, "It was the first time the US military has admitted training Pakistani Army units to help in the war against terror because of the extreme sensitivity with which the presence of American troops is regarded in Pakistan. Until now Pakistani authorities have admitted only that some US personnel are assisting with electronic surveillance in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan."
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April - 28 
The Federal Interior Ministry on April 28 asked provinces to submit their monthly reports on outlawed religious outfits, groups and individuals involved in sectarianism and terrorism. Brigadier (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema, Director General of the National Crises Management Cell, told Daily Times that
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The Federal Interior Ministry on April 28 asked provinces to submit their monthly reports on outlawed religious outfits, groups and individuals involved in sectarianism and terrorism. Brigadier (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema, Director General of the National Crises Management Cell, told Daily Times that the relevant provincial departments were asked to expedite efforts towards improving the law and order situation in the country. He added that the ministry had already issued necessary guidelines to the provinces about the mode of submitting the required information on the outlawed outfits. The meeting also directed the provinces to check for outlawed religious outfits that were still operating undercover.
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May - 3 
The Balochistan National Party (Mengal) has reportedly rejected the recommendations suggested by the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan and described them as a farce. In a statement issued in Quetta on May 3, Senator Sana Baloch, the central information secretary of the party, said that the mand
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The Balochistan National Party (Mengal) has reportedly rejected the recommendations suggested by the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan and described them as a farce. In a statement issued in Quetta on May 3, Senator Sana Baloch, the central information secretary of the party, said that the mandate of the Committee, which had been asked to finalize its proposals by January 7, 2005, had expired and, therefore, all its subsequent deliberations were unconstitutional and unlawful. The recommendations of the committee, he claimed, were aimed at depriving the people of Balochistan of their national rights relating to ownership of their resources. He said that unjustly fixed gas prices, denial to allow the provincial government to run the Gwadar port and the retention of anti-Baloch check-posts of federal security agencies were not acceptable.
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May - 4 
Security forces have arrested top Al Qaeda terrorist, Abu Faraj Al Libbi, who was allegedly behind two assassination attempts against President Pervez Musharraf in 2003, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said in Islamabad on May 4. Addressing a press conference, the Minister said the Libyan national h
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Security forces have arrested top Al Qaeda terrorist, Abu Faraj Al Libbi, who was allegedly behind two assassination attempts against President Pervez Musharraf in 2003, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said in Islamabad on May 4. Addressing a press conference, the Minister said the Libyan national had been arrested a few days back. However, he declined to give details about how and from where Abu Faraj had been arrested. "I confirm that Abu Faraj Al Libbi has been arrested but it is premature to say whether he would be handed over to the US because during the investigation process, which is under way, no decision in this regard can be taken," said Sherpao. According to the Minister, the arrest was a major setback for Al Qaeda. "Besides attempts on the life of President Musharraf, the Al Qaeda operative was involved in many other cases of terrorism in Pakistan," he added. Al Libbi, who is said to be number three in the Al Qaeda hierarchy, carried a head money of $10 million. Pakistan also had announced a reward of Rupees 20 million for information leading to his arrest. 40-year-old Abu Faraj was reportedly once Osama bin Laden's personal assistant.
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May - 4 
US President, George Bush, said on May 4 that the capture of Al Qaeda’s operational chief in Pakistan "represents a critical victory in the war on terror." Addressing a gathering of the Latino Coalition in Washington, Bush said: "Before I talk about social security, though, I want to remind you the
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US President, George Bush, said on May 4 that the capture of Al Qaeda’s operational chief in Pakistan "represents a critical victory in the war on terror." Addressing a gathering of the Latino Coalition in Washington, Bush said: "Before I talk about social security, though, I want to remind you the war on terror goes on. And today’s report on the capture of a top Al Qaeda operative — Abu Faraj Al Libbi — represents a critical victory in the war on terror… I applaud the Pakistani government and President Musharraf for acting on solid intelligence to bring this man to justice."
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May - 5 
Aamir Liaqat Hussain, Minister of State for Religious Affairs, said on May 5 that President Pervez Musharraf had a lot of enemies ‘within’ who could make an attempt on his life again at any time. "President Musharraf has a number of enemies who can try to assassinate him," the Minister said in an in
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Aamir Liaqat Hussain, Minister of State for Religious Affairs, said on May 5 that President Pervez Musharraf had a lot of enemies ‘within’ who could make an attempt on his life again at any time. "President Musharraf has a number of enemies who can try to assassinate him," the Minister said in an interview to Daily Times. "No common people could attack President Musharraf and certainly there are elements in the forces who can launch yet another attack against him," he said. Dr Hussain also said there was "an ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] within the ISI, which is more powerful than the original and still orchestrating many eventualities in the country." The Minister added that even his own life was in danger due to his radical thoughts about religion, which were unacceptable to many religious forces operating in the country.
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May - 5 
According to Daily Times, authorities on May 5 banned the display of weapons in North Waziristan while forming two committees to buy heavy weapons from the tribesmen. A spokesperson for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas Secretariat stated that after the ban on the display of firearms in North
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According to Daily Times, authorities on May 5 banned the display of weapons in North Waziristan while forming two committees to buy heavy weapons from the tribesmen. A spokesperson for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas Secretariat stated that after the ban on the display of firearms in North Waziristan Agency’s main bazaars, the political administration had set up two committees to purchase heavy weapons from the tribesmen at market prices. "The public display of weapons in the agency’s main bazaar’s has been banned under a disarmament campaign in the tribal areas. Those violating the ban will be fined and their weapons will be confiscated," he said. The two committees consist of civil and military experts, said the spokesperson, adding that one committee would evaluate the heavy weapons offered for sale by the tribesmen while the other committee would fix their price according to the market value and purchase them from the tribesmen without extending undue hurdles.
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May - 6 
Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on May 6 dismissed as baseless reports by some foreign news agencies that intelligence agencies had foiled a new terrorist attempt to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf. Ahmed said there was no truth whatsoever in the reports. Quoting unnamed intelligence
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Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on May 6 dismissed as baseless reports by some foreign news agencies that intelligence agencies had foiled a new terrorist attempt to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf. Ahmed said there was no truth whatsoever in the reports. Quoting unnamed intelligence officials, a foreign news agency had reported earlier in the day that a new plot by the Al Qaeda to assassinate Gen. Musharraf had been foiled. According to these reports, Mushtaq Ahmed and Mohammad Arshad were found to be involved in the plot.
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May - 7 
Addressing senior civil servants of the 82nd National Management Course at the Pakistan Administrative Staff College in Rawalpindi on May 7, President General Pervez Musharraf emphasized that the quest for Kashmir settlement could not go on indefinitely and there is a growing realization in India an
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Addressing senior civil servants of the 82nd National Management Course at the Pakistan Administrative Staff College in Rawalpindi on May 7, President General Pervez Musharraf emphasized that the quest for Kashmir settlement could not go on indefinitely and there is a growing realization in India and the international community that the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute must be resolved permanently for lasting peace and progress in South Asia. President Musharraf said the past accords between Pakistan and India failed to establish durable peace as they did not address the underlying cause of tension. He pointed out that in the changed international environment the world had also realized that coercive diplomacy cannot lead to durable settlement of lingering disputes, including Kashmir. He said: "The international community views Kashmir as a flashpoint in the post-2002 stand-off between Pakistan and India and feels that a peaceful resolution to the problem is imperative."
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May - 7 
General Officer Commanding (GOC) Peshawar, Maj-Gen Muhammad Akram Sahi met pro-MMA MNA Maulana Nek Zaman, Senator Mateen Shah and one Qari Roman in Miramshah on May 7 and apparently sought the tribal legislators cooperation in tackling foreign and local militants who may be hiding in the area.
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General Officer Commanding (GOC) Peshawar, Maj-Gen Muhammad Akram Sahi met pro-MMA MNA Maulana Nek Zaman, Senator Mateen Shah and one Qari Roman in Miramshah on May 7 and apparently sought the tribal legislators cooperation in tackling foreign and local militants who may be hiding in the area.
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May - 8 
The man arrested by police in Rawalpindi on May 7 for carrying explosives is a Pakistani soldier, said a Rawalpindi police official on May 8. According to Daily Times, Imtiaz Hussain was on leave from his army unit based in Muzaffarabad and was on his way home to Sargodha, said the unnamed official.
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The man arrested by police in Rawalpindi on May 7 for carrying explosives is a Pakistani soldier, said a Rawalpindi police official on May 8. According to Daily Times, Imtiaz Hussain was on leave from his army unit based in Muzaffarabad and was on his way home to Sargodha, said the unnamed official. During initial questioning, Hussain is reported to have told police that he was planning to explode bombs in the crowded areas of Rawalpindi. Police also found explosive sticks and some fuses in his luggage. Army spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, confirmed the arrest and said the army was investigating the issue.
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May - 8 
Pakistani intelligence agencies have reportedly uncovered Al Qaeda plans targeting President Pervez Musharraf, the US and other embassies and high commissions in Pakistan during May and June. According to Daily Times, reports given to the Interior Ministry stated that Al Qaeda operatives were planni
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Pakistani intelligence agencies have reportedly uncovered Al Qaeda plans targeting President Pervez Musharraf, the US and other embassies and high commissions in Pakistan during May and June. According to Daily Times, reports given to the Interior Ministry stated that Al Qaeda operatives were planning suicide missions, rocket and car bomb attacks against Gen. Musharraf, western and Pakistani targets and other diplomatic missions in Islamabad and provincial capitals. Al Qaeda had hired the services of three people to buy the rockets from the tribal areas, sources added.
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May - 9 
On May 9, the Pakistan foreign ministry spokesperson, Jalil Abbas Jillani, told a weekly news briefing in Islamabad that the Kashmir issue has reached a decisive stage where solution to the longstanding conflict is very close. "We think the ongoing freedom movement in Indian occupied Kashmir has com
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On May 9, the Pakistan foreign ministry spokesperson, Jalil Abbas Jillani, told a weekly news briefing in Islamabad that the Kashmir issue has reached a decisive stage where solution to the longstanding conflict is very close. "We think the ongoing freedom movement in Indian occupied Kashmir has come to a stage where the solution appears to be nearer than it was ever before." Jillani rejected Indian press reports that 500 terrorists were ready to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan as mere propaganda.
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May - 11 
Abu Faraj Al-Libbi, the recently-arrested Al Qaeda operative, is also reported to have been involved in an attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz before he assumed office last year. "Yes, he had been involved in the murder plot against Mr. Shaukat Aziz," Interior Minister, Aftab Sherpao,
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Abu Faraj Al-Libbi, the recently-arrested Al Qaeda operative, is also reported to have been involved in an attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz before he assumed office last year. "Yes, he had been involved in the murder plot against Mr. Shaukat Aziz," Interior Minister, Aftab Sherpao, told AFP. However, the Minister declined to elaborate. Alleged Al Qaeda number three Al-Libbi, who is widely believed to have been arrested on May 2 from Mardan, was described as the mastermind behind two failed attempts on the life of President Pervez Musharraf in December 2003.
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May - 12 
The Foreign Minister Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri said in Canberra on May 12 that Abu Faraj al-Libbi, a front ranking Al Qaeda terrorist arrested recently, would not be handed over to the US for now. Kasuri told a press conference that Pakistan was still questioning him and that the Interior Ministry wo
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The Foreign Minister Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri said in Canberra on May 12 that Abu Faraj al-Libbi, a front ranking Al Qaeda terrorist arrested recently, would not be handed over to the US for now. Kasuri told a press conference that Pakistan was still questioning him and that the Interior Ministry would subsequently decide "when and if he will be handed over to any other country." According to Kasuri: "He is in the custody of the Pakistan government and until all the issues are cleared there is no question of him being handed over to anyone else ... Anything relevant to American security is being shared with the United States."
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May - 12 
The Police at Multan in the Punjab province announced on May 12 the arrest of Amir Shehzad and Khawaja Ibrahim, members of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), an outlawed Sunni group, suspected of plotting a series of attacks, including one on the Parliament. District Police Officer, Sikandar Hayat, told R
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The Police at Multan in the Punjab province announced on May 12 the arrest of Amir Shehzad and Khawaja Ibrahim, members of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), an outlawed Sunni group, suspected of plotting a series of attacks, including one on the Parliament. District Police Officer, Sikandar Hayat, told Reuters they were part of a network of up to 23 members who had been recruiting ‘suicide attackers’ for assaults on the National Assembly and Shias. "They had planned to make their way into the National Assembly and take the lawmakers hostage to press for their demands," Hayat disclosed. He also said police had arrested at least eight members of the network and a search was under way for the rest. The two men are also suspected of involvement in a suicide bombing that killed 30 people at a Shia mosque in Sialkot on October 1, 2004.
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May - 13 
According to Dawn, the Kenyan police on May 13 arrested 63 Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals in the port city of Mombassa and said they were investigating them for possible links to terrorism. "We are investigating their presence here and terrorism could be a possibility," an unnamed police offici
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According to Dawn, the Kenyan police on May 13 arrested 63 Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals in the port city of Mombassa and said they were investigating them for possible links to terrorism. "We are investigating their presence here and terrorism could be a possibility," an unnamed police official said. But the suspects could also be linked to money laundering, drugs trafficking or being in the country illegally, he added.
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May - 15 
While there has been no official confirmation, some American news reports have claimed that Al Qaeda leader Haitham al-Yemeni was killed last week by a missile fired from an unmanned Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-operated drone in Toorikhel, a suburb of Mirali in North Waziristan bordering Afgha
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While there has been no official confirmation, some American news reports have claimed that Al Qaeda leader Haitham al-Yemeni was killed last week by a missile fired from an unmanned Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-operated drone in Toorikhel, a suburb of Mirali in North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan. "The Predator drone, operated from a secret base hundreds of miles from the target, located and fired on al-Yemeni late Saturday night ...", Washington Post reported on May 15, citing an unnamed U.S. official and two counterterrorism experts. However, Pakistan's Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, denying these reports said, "No such incident took place near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border."
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May - 16 
According to Daily Times, the Religious Affairs Ministry will oppose the Prime Minister Secretariat’s recent decision to form a Madrassa (Seminary) Reforms Board under the chairmanship of Federal Education Minister, Javed Asharaf Qazi, to restructure religious seminaries. "The Religious Affairs Mini
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According to Daily Times, the Religious Affairs Ministry will oppose the Prime Minister Secretariat’s recent decision to form a Madrassa (Seminary) Reforms Board under the chairmanship of Federal Education Minister, Javed Asharaf Qazi, to restructure religious seminaries. "The Religious Affairs Ministry has decided to oppose the Madrassa Reforms Board and will send a summary to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz asking for this issue to come under the ministry’s domain," sources told Daily Times on May 16.
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May - 16 
Afghan guerrillas are still launching attacks from the safety of Pakistan despite the Pakistani military’s battle against Islamist terrorists, a US army officer said on May 16. "My base, where I live, is in Khost province, and I will say, absolutely, there are insurgents coming across the border fro
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Afghan guerrillas are still launching attacks from the safety of Pakistan despite the Pakistani military’s battle against Islamist terrorists, a US army officer said on May 16. "My base, where I live, is in Khost province, and I will say, absolutely, there are insurgents coming across the border from Pakistan attacking into Khost, then returning back into Pakistan," Colonel Gary Cheek told a news conference. Cheek is commander of approximately 4,000 US-led troops in 16 eastern Afghan provinces, including Khost, according to Reuters.
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May - 16 
The Government announced that it will close Afghan refugee camps in North Waziristan on June 15, offering Afghan residents the choice of voluntary repatriation or relocation. According to Dawn, Pakistan asked the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) and Afghan Government to approach th
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The Government announced that it will close Afghan refugee camps in North Waziristan on June 15, offering Afghan residents the choice of voluntary repatriation or relocation. According to Dawn, Pakistan asked the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) and Afghan Government to approach the World Food Programme in Afghanistan to provide food rations of additional three months as an incentive for the refugees to return from the North West Frontier Province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas, which include North Waziristan. The announcement came during a recent quarterly meeting of the Tripartite Commission comprising the UNHCR and the Governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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May - 17 
A group of 58 religious scholars belonging to all schools of thought issued in Lahore on May 17 an edict (fatwa) against suicide attacks. However, they said that the fatwa was applicable only in Pakistan. The edict was issued by Ruet Hilal Committee Chairman, Mufti Muneebur Rahman, at a press confer
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A group of 58 religious scholars belonging to all schools of thought issued in Lahore on May 17 an edict (fatwa) against suicide attacks. However, they said that the fatwa was applicable only in Pakistan. The edict was issued by Ruet Hilal Committee Chairman, Mufti Muneebur Rahman, at a press conference, according to Dawn. Among those present was Mufti Mohammad Khan Qadri, Member of the National Assembly representing the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Maulana Abdul Malik and other prominent clerics. The edict says that Islam forbids suicide attacks on Muslims and those committing such acts at places of worship and public congregations cease to be Muslims. The fatwa, Mufti Rahman said, would apply only in Pakistan, while people waging ‘freedom movements against alien occupation’ like in Palestine and Kashmir, were exempted of its scope. The decree said that killing innocent people was haram (forbidden) in Islam and carried the death penalty, Qisas and compensation. Killing a fellow Muslim without Islamic and legal reasons was even a bigger crime, it added.
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May - 17 
Abu al-Faraj al-Libbi, believed to be a front ranking Al Qaeda terrorist, has reportedly confessed to masterminding the two assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf in December 2003. Sources privy to the investigation told The News on May 17 that al-Libbi, arrested two weeks ago in Marda
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Abu al-Faraj al-Libbi, believed to be a front ranking Al Qaeda terrorist, has reportedly confessed to masterminding the two assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf in December 2003. Sources privy to the investigation told The News on May 17 that al-Libbi, arrested two weeks ago in Mardan, has told interrogators that he worked with a group of Pakistani terrorists belonging to different groups to carry out suicide bombings to assassinate Gen. Musharraf at Rawalpindi in December 2003. Preliminary investigation suggests that al-Libbi’s motive was specifically to target Gen. Musharraf whose initiatives were aimed at uprooting extremism from Pakistan and bringing peace with India.
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May - 17 
The Federal Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, said in Lahore on May 17 that Gen. Pervez Musharraf will remain President after his current tenure ends in 2007. Addressing the press at the University of Punjab, Ahmed said, "He will seek another term." The Minister, however, avoided answering
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The Federal Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, said in Lahore on May 17 that Gen. Pervez Musharraf will remain President after his current tenure ends in 2007. Addressing the press at the University of Punjab, Ahmed said, "He will seek another term." The Minister, however, avoided answering the question whether the Gen. Musharraf would retain the Army chief’s post after the next general elections. Ahmed told AFP by telephone from Lahore that, "He (Musharraf) will stay as President beyond 2007 because Pakistan needs his leadership."
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May - 19 
According to Reuters, two American citizens of Pakistani descent were freed after more than eight months’ detention in Pakistan on suspicion of having links with terrorists. Kashan Afzal said he and his younger brother, Zain, had been tortured during the early part of their detention. "We were relea
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According to Reuters, two American citizens of Pakistani descent were freed after more than eight months’ detention in Pakistan on suspicion of having links with terrorists. Kashan Afzal said he and his younger brother, Zain, had been tortured during the early part of their detention. "We were released last month after a detention lasting eight months and 10 days," Kashan told Reuters from Karachi. The Afzal brothers, who were both born in the United States, went missing in August 2004 when relatives said about two dozen armed men, who they presumed to be intelligence officers, took them from their home in Karachi. In its report, the Human Rights Watch said the brothers were known to be Islamist sympathisers and had been members of a militant group operating in the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
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May - 20 
During his visit to South Waziristan on May 20, the Corps Commander Peshawar, Lt. Gen. Safdar Hussain, claimed that at least 100 foreign terrorists, still hiding in the area, were no longer able to plan and execute terrorist attacks. "We are hunting them. They cannot operate now," said Hussain.
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During his visit to South Waziristan on May 20, the Corps Commander Peshawar, Lt. Gen. Safdar Hussain, claimed that at least 100 foreign terrorists, still hiding in the area, were no longer able to plan and execute terrorist attacks. "We are hunting them. They cannot operate now," said Hussain.
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May - 20 
President Pervez Musharraf said on May 20 that a solution to the Kashmir issue lay in making boundaries irrelevant. Addressing the concluding session of a conference on Evolving South Asian Fraternity organised by the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) in Islamabad, Gen. Musharraf said there
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President Pervez Musharraf said on May 20 that a solution to the Kashmir issue lay in making boundaries irrelevant. Addressing the concluding session of a conference on Evolving South Asian Fraternity organised by the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) in Islamabad, Gen. Musharraf said there were three statements (on the issue): the boundaries could not be redrawn; the Line of Control (LoC) could not be made a permanent border; and the boundaries should be made irrelevant. "All these are conflicting statements. The solution lies in a compromise on the three," he said when asked about a possible Kashmir solution. "I think the solution lies in the third – that boundaries should be irrelevant."
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May - 20 
The Police in Multan said on May 20 that they had arrested three cadres of the proscribed Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) who are suspected of having links with the Al Qaeda. An unnamed police official was quoted as saying in The News that Ali Sher, Haji Ejaz and Pir Jamil were arrested five day
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The Police in Multan said on May 20 that they had arrested three cadres of the proscribed Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) who are suspected of having links with the Al Qaeda. An unnamed police official was quoted as saying in The News that Ali Sher, Haji Ejaz and Pir Jamil were arrested five days ago during a raid at their hideouts on the outskirts of Multan. He said, "These people had fought in Afghanistan and have also reportedly met Osama (bin Laden) and (Ayman) al-Zawahri about a year ago… They were involved in ensuring safe passage and settling down of terrorists and militants fleeing from the South Waziristan area." Laptop computers, satellite phones and maps were seized from their possession.
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May - 21 
Five tribesmen were reportedly killed during an attack by US helicopters in the Lawara Mandai area of North Waziristan on May 21-night, according to Dawn. Another 20 shells fired by the coalition forces from Paktika province in Afghanistan landed near Lawara Mandai, but did not cause any damage. Dir
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Five tribesmen were reportedly killed during an attack by US helicopters in the Lawara Mandai area of North Waziristan on May 21-night, according to Dawn. Another 20 shells fired by the coalition forces from Paktika province in Afghanistan landed near Lawara Mandai, but did not cause any damage. Director-General of Inter Services Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, confirmed that several shells and rockets fired by the coalition troops had landed near Lawara Mandai. However, Sultan said "We don’t know about the casualties." Unconfirmed reports said that US helicopters had intruded into Lawara Mandai up to one kilometer, and two fighter jets flying at a high altitude also violated Pakistan’s airspace.
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May - 23 
Pakistan said on May 23 that it has formally invited the entire leadership of the secessionist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to visit the country and hoped there would be no restriction from India. Foreign Office spokesperson, Jalil Abbas Jillani, stated at a weekly media briefing in Islama
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Pakistan said on May 23 that it has formally invited the entire leadership of the secessionist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to visit the country and hoped there would be no restriction from India. Foreign Office spokesperson, Jalil Abbas Jillani, stated at a weekly media briefing in Islamabad that the Pakistani and Kashmiri leadership would be anxiously awaiting the arrival of APHC leaders by the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service on June 2. "We expect and hope they will be able to make it this time," he added. Asked whether India has been taken into confidence over the invitation to the Hurriyat leaders, Jilani claimed "we understand that they wouldn’t have any problem." Jillani added that Pakistan had invited the entire leadership of the Hurriyat, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who is "very well regarded" in Pakistan and dismissed reports that he has not been invited.
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May - 24 
During an interview to Daily Times, President Pervez Musharraf said he would prefer some kind of "international guarantees" for the implementation of any pact reached with India on the Kashmir issue, which he wants to be settled in a year’s time. ‘‘I don’t know, I haven’t thought of this point, but
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During an interview to Daily Times, President Pervez Musharraf said he would prefer some kind of "international guarantees" for the implementation of any pact reached with India on the Kashmir issue, which he wants to be settled in a year’s time. ‘‘I don’t know, I haven’t thought of this point, but may be the peace process should be guaranteed by the international community. I think if we reach an agreement there should be something other than just bilateral guarantees. I think the international community should play a role in the guarantees. And this is a new thing that I am saying,’’ he said. Asked who would represent Kashmiris at the talks, the General said: "This is another sensitive issue. I feel the true representatives of Kashmiris are the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, the APHC. We feel that there has to be a trilateral arrangement where Kashmiris become part of the dialogue process." To a question whether he was in a position to enforce a cease-fire by militants in Kashmir, gen. Musharraf claimed militancy could die a natural death if there is an agreement acceptable to India, Pakistan and Kashmiris and he could try to persuade the militants to stop their activities if India was willing to demilitarise. "If there is an agreement, up to a point one can try and do something (on ceasefire). But I can’t give a guarantee that there will no bullet fired. Absolutely not, that’s clear. I don’t hold a whistle which when I blow it will end all militancy," he noted.
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May - 25 
According to Daily Times, prominent religious leaders and clerics have held President Pervez Musharraf responsible for the desecration of the Holy Quran in Guantanamo Bay and urged the public to try to depose him. They demanded the Government deport the US Ambassador and visiting US Assistant Secret
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According to Daily Times, prominent religious leaders and clerics have held President Pervez Musharraf responsible for the desecration of the Holy Quran in Guantanamo Bay and urged the public to try to depose him. They demanded the Government deport the US Ambassador and visiting US Assistant Secretary, Christina Rocca, while addressing a ‘Hurmat-e-Quran’ conference held at Masjid-e-Shauhda in Lahore on May 25. Hafiz Saeed, chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (formerly the Lashkar-e-Toiba), said it was shameful for the Pakistanis to see their Government welcome those who desecrated the Holy Book. He said that Pakistan should recall its Ambassador from the US and also deport the US Ambassador. He also claimed that the Government was preaching obscenity in society in the name of ‘enlightened moderations’, which was also a conspiracy against Islam and the Quran. Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) president, said, "Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Pakistan Muslim League president, contacted me seeking invitation to attend the International Protest Day on May 27 against the desecration of the Holy Quran by US soldiers, but I refused saying that he can only join our movement if he leaves Gen Musharraf’s camp."
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May - 25 
The United States will continue to support the ongoing India-Pakistan peace process to ensure it moves forward, said the visiting Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Christina Rocca, during her meeting with Foreign Secretary, Riaz Mohammad Khan, in Islamabad on May 25. Rocca told Khan that
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The United States will continue to support the ongoing India-Pakistan peace process to ensure it moves forward, said the visiting Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Christina Rocca, during her meeting with Foreign Secretary, Riaz Mohammad Khan, in Islamabad on May 25. Rocca told Khan that the US Government was "greatly encouraged" by the India-Pakistan peace dialogue and would continue to nudge both sides to move forward, according to Dawn. Describing the meeting as "very positive" a senior official said the discussions focused largely on bilateral issues and the India-Pakistan peace process.
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May - 27 
the police have released a sketch of the suspected suicide bomber and announced a reward of Rupees 500,000 for anyone who provides information on the attacker. "Initial information suggests it was a suicide attack," said Islamabad police chief, Talat Mehmood Tariq. An unconfirmed report added that t
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the police have released a sketch of the suspected suicide bomber and announced a reward of Rupees 500,000 for anyone who provides information on the attacker. "Initial information suggests it was a suicide attack," said Islamabad police chief, Talat Mehmood Tariq. An unconfirmed report added that there might have been two suicide bombers, one of whom was thought to have had about 2 kg of explosives strapped to his chest.
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May - 27 
Witnesses said the suicide bomber entered the congregation area when Tahreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqa-e-Jafria, a Shia organisation, leader Raja Basharat Hussain Imami entered the venue with his supporters, according to Daily Times. Though their leaders did not call it a sectarian incident, some Shias describ
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Witnesses said the suicide bomber entered the congregation area when Tahreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqa-e-Jafria, a Shia organisation, leader Raja Basharat Hussain Imami entered the venue with his supporters, according to Daily Times. Though their leaders did not call it a sectarian incident, some Shias described it as premeditated. "Nothing happened during the four days of annual Urs and a blast occurred during our annual gathering, showing that the bombing targeted Shia Muslims," said Asad Abbas, an eyewitness.
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May - 28 
Director General ISPR Major General Shaukat Sultan and General Officer Commanding and in-charge Anti-Terrorist Operations Major General Niaz Muhammad Khattak stated on May 28 that as many as 306 terrorists were killed while 700 arrested by the security forces in around 50 anti-terrorist operations c
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Director General ISPR Major General Shaukat Sultan and General Officer Commanding and in-charge Anti-Terrorist Operations Major General Niaz Muhammad Khattak stated on May 28 that as many as 306 terrorists were killed while 700 arrested by the security forces in around 50 anti-terrorist operations carried out in North and South Waziristan agencies. Those terrorists who were killed during the operations also included around 100 foreigners, while security forces suffered 250 casualties during these operations which were carried out from March 2004 till December 2004, they said. When asked about the chances of presence of Osama bin Laden or any other High Value Target of his organization in the area, Khattak said, "No! there is no indication. We have no indication of presence of Osama or any other HVT in the area." However, Khattak said Abdullah Mehsud, a former prisoner in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was still alive and hiding in the tribal region. In North Waziristan there are reports of presence of some miscreants, who are less than 100 in number, both officials added.
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May - 31 
President Pervez Musharraf said on May 31 that he would hand over senior Al Qaeda terrorist Abu Farraj al-Libbi to the United States for prosecution, even though the man is believed to masterminded two assassination attempts against him and could have received the death penalty in Pakistan. Gen. Mus
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President Pervez Musharraf said on May 31 that he would hand over senior Al Qaeda terrorist Abu Farraj al-Libbi to the United States for prosecution, even though the man is believed to masterminded two assassination attempts against him and could have received the death penalty in Pakistan. Gen. Musharraf also said al-Libbi was cooperating but had not provided any useful information on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. "We deport al-Qaeda suspects to the United States," the General told a CNN conference in Atlanta, speaking via video from Islamabad. Al-Libbi was arrested on May 2 reportedly after a shoot-out in the North West Frontier Province.
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May - 31 
The General also disclosed during the video conferencing that "We apprehended about 7,000 al-Qaeda members. We apprehended them and deported them. These 7,000 people roughly had linkages with all organizations and networks in various parts of the world. In Malaysia, in the Gulf, the United States, U
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The General also disclosed during the video conferencing that "We apprehended about 7,000 al-Qaeda members. We apprehended them and deported them. These 7,000 people roughly had linkages with all organizations and networks in various parts of the world. In Malaysia, in the Gulf, the United States, UK, Indonesia, Uzbekistan… These people were involved in the... production of anthrax, the US bombing in Tanzania, the USS Cole bombing, the Bali bombing and the 9/11 bombing."
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June - 2 
Leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) from Jammu and Kashmir arrived in Muzaffarabad, capital of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), on June 2. "We have proposed triangular talks between India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris," said APHC leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at a press conference.
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Leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) from Jammu and Kashmir arrived in Muzaffarabad, capital of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), on June 2. "We have proposed triangular talks between India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris," said APHC leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at a press conference. "We have come on Pakistan government’s invitation for talks with the Kashmiri leadership here. We hope our discussion would help seek a solution of the Kashmir issue, acceptable to all parties," he added. After a two-day stay in PoK, the APHC leaders are expected to travel to Islamabad to meet President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
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June - 3 
Leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on June 3 urged Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) to draw up a joint plan to peacefully resolve the issue. They were addressing members of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) Council and PoK Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad
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Leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on June 3 urged Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) to draw up a joint plan to peacefully resolve the issue. They were addressing members of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) Council and PoK Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad, capital of PoK. Mirwaiz Omar Farooq said they have come to PoK with "solid proposals" for the solution of the Kashmir issue. He also said he wants to share these proposals with the leadership of PoK and Pakistan. "The issue will only be resolved after all the three major parties are included in the peace process," he claimed. Bilal Ghani Lone said Kashmiri leaders have committed mistakes and when people ask questions about it the leadership has no answers. "People are still with us in our struggle. But we need a better approach and strategy," Bilal said. Another Hurriyat leader, Abbas Ansari, said Kashmiris should be included in the peace talks. "Agreement should not be made on our blood. The real party concerned to the dispute is Kashmiris and they must be included in the talks," he is reported to have said.
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June - 5 
The exclusion of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jehadi outfits from the ongoing peace process would not have any adverse effect on it, the visiting All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) delegation claimed on June 5. Hurriyat leaders, Maulana Abbas Ansari and Bilal Ghani Lone, told Daily Times that "indi
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The exclusion of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jehadi outfits from the ongoing peace process would not have any adverse effect on it, the visiting All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) delegation claimed on June 5. Hurriyat leaders, Maulana Abbas Ansari and Bilal Ghani Lone, told Daily Times that "individuals" who did not wish to support the peace process should come out of their belief that their absence would obstruct the process. Another APHC leader Abdul Ghani Bhatt also supported their point of view but said it would be better if Jehadi outfits were also involved in the dialogue process. "There are two types of people in our society – the people who represent the brighter side of a picture and the people who represent the darker side," Bhatt added.
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June - 6 
Foreign Ministry spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani confirmed a reported statement by President General Pervez Musharraf in a United Arab Emirates newspaper on June 6 that Al Qaeda operative Abu Faraj Al Libbi had been deported to United States. "The president made a statement to this effect. The presiden
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Foreign Ministry spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani confirmed a reported statement by President General Pervez Musharraf in a United Arab Emirates newspaper on June 6 that Al Qaeda operative Abu Faraj Al Libbi had been deported to United States. "The president made a statement to this effect. The president’s statement was self-explanatory," Jilani told a weekly news conference in Islamabad. "Yes, we turned Al Libbi over to the United States recently. We don’t want people like him in our country," Musharraf was quoted as saying in the Abu Dhabi daily Al Ittihad.
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June - 8 
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) chairman Mirwaiz Omar Farooq while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on June 8 said, "the UN has miserably failed to get its resolutions implemented and, therefore, the APHC leadership is duty bound to explore other options as well for the resoluti
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The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) chairman Mirwaiz Omar Farooq while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on June 8 said, "the UN has miserably failed to get its resolutions implemented and, therefore, the APHC leadership is duty bound to explore other options as well for the resolution of the core issue of Kashmir". The APHC chairman was flanked by all the other visiting Hurriyat leaders, except Yasin Malik, the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front. However, when asked about details, Mirwaiz said these options were still in the preliminary stages and being discussed.
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June - 9 
Pakistan foreign ministry official Naeem Khan on June 9 denied claims that one of two terror suspects arrested in California had received training at an Al Qaeda camp in the country. "There are no training camps in Pakistan," he said.
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Pakistan foreign ministry official Naeem Khan on June 9 denied claims that one of two terror suspects arrested in California had received training at an Al Qaeda camp in the country. "There are no training camps in Pakistan," he said.
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June - 13 
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman, Yasin Malik, disclosed in Islamabad on June 13 that the Pakistani Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, had in the past set up a militant camp where around 3,500 Jihadis were trained in guerrilla warfare. Malik claimed that "Sheikh Rashid
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The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman, Yasin Malik, disclosed in Islamabad on June 13 that the Pakistani Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, had in the past set up a militant camp where around 3,500 Jihadis were trained in guerrilla warfare. Malik claimed that "Sheikh Rashid has played a great role for Kashmir’s liberation. He used to support the frontline Jihadis, but very few people know about his contributions." However, the minister has thus far refused to comment on Malik’s statement.
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June - 13 
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman, Yasin Malik, had disclosed in Islamabad on June 13 that Rashid Ahmed had in the past set up a militant camp where around 3,500 Jihadis were trained in guerrilla warfare.
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The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman, Yasin Malik, had disclosed in Islamabad on June 13 that Rashid Ahmed had in the past set up a militant camp where around 3,500 Jihadis were trained in guerrilla warfare.
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June - 14 
Pakistan’s Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed denied on June 14 a newspaper report that he ran training camps for Kashmiri militants. "I never ran any militant camp. I have nothing to with any militancy or guerilla warfare," the Minister told Reuters. He said he had provided shelter to Kashmir
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Pakistan’s Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed denied on June 14 a newspaper report that he ran training camps for Kashmiri militants. "I never ran any militant camp. I have nothing to with any militancy or guerilla warfare," the Minister told Reuters. He said he had provided shelter to Kashmiri separatist leader, Yasin Malik, and other Kashmiris when they arrived in Pakistan after an insurgency erupted in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989. "Being a Kashmiri, I have to provide them bread and butter. But there was nothing more than that," he claimed.
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June - 14 
The ongoing India-Pakistan peace process will not be affected by terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said in Canberra on June 14. Gen. Musharraf, speaking a day after a car bomb blast killed 16 persons in Kashmir, said nobody could stop the violence, which h
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The ongoing India-Pakistan peace process will not be affected by terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said in Canberra on June 14. Gen. Musharraf, speaking a day after a car bomb blast killed 16 persons in Kashmir, said nobody could stop the violence, which he vowed would not distract India and Pakistan from the peace process they have both described as irreversible. "I think we should not be overly bothered about (the car bombing) and we should not allow it to affect the peace process," the General told Reuters in an interview during the first visit by a Pakistani president to Australia. He also claimed he had a vision for self-governance for Kashmir but that independence for the region would be unacceptable to both Pakistan and India. "There is nobody who can exercise control on everyone and everything that is happening in Kashmir. I certainly don’t hold a whistle which I can blow and every bullet stops being fired," Musharraf later told Canberra’s National Press Club.
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June - 17 
Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), provided military training to Kashmiri militants battling security forces in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, revealed Amanullah Khan, chief of his own faction of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). Acco
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Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), provided military training to Kashmiri militants battling security forces in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, revealed Amanullah Khan, chief of his own faction of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). According to Dawn, the revelation comes in a new book by Khan in Urdu-language titled Jehad-i-Musalsal (Continuous Struggle), the second volume of his autobiography. "We had a gentleman’s agreement, an oral sort of agreement. I was given the idea that the ISI was all for the independence of Kashmir," Khan told Reuters on June 17. Khan also said he was given the impression that Pakistan’s then military ruler, Gen. Zia-ul-Haq, also supported the notion of independence for Kashmir.
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June - 18 
The United States ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad has suggested that Taliban leader Mulla Mohammad Omar has been hiding in Pakistan and criticised Islamabad’s failure to act against Taliban leaders. In an interview with Afghanistan’s Aina Television, Khalilzad said that a Pakistani TV ch
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The United States ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad has suggested that Taliban leader Mulla Mohammad Omar has been hiding in Pakistan and criticised Islamabad’s failure to act against Taliban leaders. In an interview with Afghanistan’s Aina Television, Khalilzad said that a Pakistani TV channel had interviewed a senior Taliban commander, Mulla Akhtar Usmani, at a time when Pakistani officials claimed they did not know the whereabouts of Taliban leaders."If a TV station can get in touch with them, how can the intelligence service of a country, which has nuclear bombs and a lot of security and military forces, not find them," Khalilzad said. "Mulla Omar and other Taliban leaders should have been in Pakistan," he added.
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June - 20 
An unnamed Afghan official told the Associated Press that his Government was extremely angry at what he called a "lack of cooperation" from Pakistan in stopping terrorists from crossing the border. According to him, "We have always believed that if we got cooperation from Pakistan, this violence wou
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An unnamed Afghan official told the Associated Press that his Government was extremely angry at what he called a "lack of cooperation" from Pakistan in stopping terrorists from crossing the border. According to him, "We have always believed that if we got cooperation from Pakistan, this violence wouldn’t be happening… These militants are getting support from people in Pakistan, and we are not convinced when Islamabad says it can’t control them."
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June - 20 
Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on June 20 rejected a claim of former United States Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad that Mullah Omar and some other Taliban leaders were in Pakistan. "If Mr. Khalilzad had information that top Taliban leaders were hiding in Pakistan then why did
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Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on June 20 rejected a claim of former United States Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad that Mullah Omar and some other Taliban leaders were in Pakistan. "If Mr. Khalilzad had information that top Taliban leaders were hiding in Pakistan then why did he not share it with the Pakistan government at that time," the minister said in Islamabad. He also claimed that Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was not in Pakistan. Sherpao added that Pakistan had protested against the statement of Khalilzad through diplomatic channels.
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June - 20 
The President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, on June 20 accused Pakistan of interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. Radio Tehran quoted Karzai as telling a religious council that Islamabad was backing the anti-Kabul elements. The President alleged that Pakistan had threatened the Taliban with
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The President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, on June 20 accused Pakistan of interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. Radio Tehran quoted Karzai as telling a religious council that Islamabad was backing the anti-Kabul elements. The President alleged that Pakistan had threatened the Taliban with handing over their families to the US if they did not fight against Afghanistan.
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June - 23 
President Pervez Musharraf is reported to have telephoned his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai for a second time in a week on June 23. The call came two days after Gen. Musharraf first spoke to President Karzai to defuse a war of words over Pakistan’s alleged failure to curb Taliban attacks from its
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President Pervez Musharraf is reported to have telephoned his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai for a second time in a week on June 23. The call came two days after Gen. Musharraf first spoke to President Karzai to defuse a war of words over Pakistan’s alleged failure to curb Taliban attacks from its soil. "The president has again assured Mr. Karzai that Pakistan is not involved in any incident in Afghanistan," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told AFP. "We have a deep interest in the stability of Afghanistan and the Karzai government," he said. Karzai’s spokesperson, Jawed Ludin, had said earlier this week that terrorists were receiving training from camps in Pakistan to launch attacks in Afghanistan in the run-up to legislative elections in September 2005.
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June - 23 
The Interior Minister, Aftab Khan Sherpao, said on June 23 that the Al Qaeda had established a strong nexus with outlawed extremist groups in Pakistan. "There is a nexus of Al Qaeda and extremist elements in Pakistan. Whenever they feel hurt, they react. But it will not decrease our resolve against
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The Interior Minister, Aftab Khan Sherpao, said on June 23 that the Al Qaeda had established a strong nexus with outlawed extremist groups in Pakistan. "There is a nexus of Al Qaeda and extremist elements in Pakistan. Whenever they feel hurt, they react. But it will not decrease our resolve against terrorism," he told Daily Times in an interview on June 23. Without naming any organisation, the minister said outlawed groups were facilitating Al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan. Sherpao also refuted a recent Los Angeles Times report on the presence of scattered training camps countrywide, saying there were no such training facilities in Pakistan. "Terrorists don’t have to train a suicide bomber. They have people indoctrinated for such a type of job. So there are no training camps," he added. However, he did not deny the involvement of extremist groups in training people at secret locations.
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June - 24 
Sheikh Rashid is reported to have said in Islamabad, "The Indian Government's decision to impose a ban on my travel to Srinagar has shocked and saddened me. It has also frustrated people in occupied Kashmir who were anxiously awaiting my visit. The decision has upset my relatives in occupied Kashmir
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Sheikh Rashid is reported to have said in Islamabad, "The Indian Government's decision to impose a ban on my travel to Srinagar has shocked and saddened me. It has also frustrated people in occupied Kashmir who were anxiously awaiting my visit. The decision has upset my relatives in occupied Kashmir."
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June - 24 
The Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) Prime Minister, Sardar Sikandar Hayat, on June 24 questioned the representative character of the separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) saying it did not cover all regions of Jammu and Kashmir, according to Dawn. "How can we accept any decision (on Kash
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The Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) Prime Minister, Sardar Sikandar Hayat, on June 24 questioned the representative character of the separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) saying it did not cover all regions of Jammu and Kashmir, according to Dawn. "How can we accept any decision (on Kashmir) by those who live under compulsions, do not have unity among themselves and lack representation of all regions," he said while speaking in the PoK Legislative Assembly. The Hurriyat had not come out from a specific area, he said, and no one from the Jammu region had visited PoK and Pakistan. "The decision of the Kashmiris from both sides, including the non-Muslims, will be welcomed but implementing a decision of one faction or an area cannot be accepted," he added.
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June - 24 
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is reported to have said in Moscow on June 24 that terrorists from Afghanistan and Pakistan were training for attacks against Russia and the former Soviet Central Asia and that they periodically cross into Central Asian territory. "On the territory of Afgha
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The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is reported to have said in Moscow on June 24 that terrorists from Afghanistan and Pakistan were training for attacks against Russia and the former Soviet Central Asia and that they periodically cross into Central Asian territory. "On the territory of Afghanistan and on the territory adjacent to the Afghan border with Pakistan, training is going on of terrorists, with the participation of Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan... for conducting terrorist attacks, including on the territory of the Russian Federation," disclosed Lavrov.
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July - 10 
Terrorist training camps in Pakistan have reportedly resumed functioning after a year-long hiatus and the old and new recruits are flocking to them notwithstanding the official ban, according to the Karachi-based Herald. Citing an example of the camps being reopened, the magazine in its cover story,
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Terrorist training camps in Pakistan have reportedly resumed functioning after a year-long hiatus and the old and new recruits are flocking to them notwithstanding the official ban, according to the Karachi-based Herald. Citing an example of the camps being reopened, the magazine in its cover story, said one of Pakistan’s oldest training camps at Mansehra in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) is bustling with activity after a year-long closure, as old and new cadres converged on it to resume their training. "Our transport fleet is back, electricity has been restored and communications systems are in place… Until 2001, thousands of fighters trained here for operations in Kashmir and Afghanistan," the magazine quoted a guide who conducted the correspondent around as saying. According to a top manager of the training camp in Mansehra, all the major organisations, including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) and others, began regrouping in April 2005 by renovating training facilities that were deserted in 2004. Contrary to official denials, the magazine said despite the ban, outfits like HM, HuM, Al-Badr Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) managed to stay in touch with their cadre in 2003-04, which was considered as their worst year.
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July - 12 
The Police said on July 12 that at least three of the bombers who carried out the July 7 terrorist attacks in London are believed to be British males of Pakistani origin who lived in West Yorkshire in Leeds. Police said they believe four men, including the three Pakistani origin persons, who arrived
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The Police said on July 12 that at least three of the bombers who carried out the July 7 terrorist attacks in London are believed to be British males of Pakistani origin who lived in West Yorkshire in Leeds. Police said they believe four men, including the three Pakistani origin persons, who arrived at King's Cross on July 7-morning on a train from Leeds were behind the terrorist attacks that killed at least 52 people and injured 700 on three tube trains and one bus. CCTV footage at King's Cross station showed the four suspected bombers together at 8.30am, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of the Metropolitan police's anti-terrorism branch, told a press conference.
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July - 13 
The mastermind behind the July 7-terrorist attacks in London, which killed more than 50 people and injured at least 700, has reportedly been identified. The British-born man in his 30s arrived at a British port in June 2005 and left the country again the day before the attacks, according to The Time
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The mastermind behind the July 7-terrorist attacks in London, which killed more than 50 people and injured at least 700, has reportedly been identified. The British-born man in his 30s arrived at a British port in June 2005 and left the country again the day before the attacks, according to The Times. The man is of Pakistani origin, the report said. According to the newspaper, he was involved in previous terrorist operations and has links with followers of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network in the United States. Meanwhile, news reports have identified three Britons of Pakistani descent, the alleged suicide bombers, as Shahzad Tanweer, a 22-year-old cricket-loving sports science graduate; Hasib Hussain, aged 19; and Mohammed Sidique Khan, the 30-year-old father of an 8-month-old baby. Britain’s Press Association, citing police sources, said on July 13 that police had identified the fourth suspect but no name or details were reported. Surveillance cameras captured the four as they arrived in the capital 20 minutes before the rush-hour explosions began. In Pakistan, the Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said on July 13 in Islamabad that they would share with Britain all possible information that could help investigations into the London blasts. Asked whether there had been any arrests in Pakistan in connection with the blasts, the minister said he could not share such information with the media at this stage. But Sherpao disclosed that Pakistan had provided "intelligence information" to the British authorities and had helped them to avert a major disaster before the UK elections.
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July - 14 
According to Dawn, military authorities have given a 24-hour deadline to the Utmanzai tribesmen in North Waziristan to expel foreign terrorists from their areas or face ‘large scale’ action. Speaking at a Jirga (tribal council) of the Utmanzai clan, a sub tribe of the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe, General O
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According to Dawn, military authorities have given a 24-hour deadline to the Utmanzai tribesmen in North Waziristan to expel foreign terrorists from their areas or face ‘large scale’ action. Speaking at a Jirga (tribal council) of the Utmanzai clan, a sub tribe of the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe, General Officer Commanding (GOC) North Waziristan, Maj. Gen. Akram Sahi, warned it that the troops would take action if the tribesmen failed to fulfill their collective responsibilities and expel foreign terrorists. "You have only 24 hours to flush out miscreants from the area. If the tribe fails to catch the militants, the army troops can react any time," Sahi warned the tribal leaders.
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July - 14 
The British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is reported to have expressed concern on July 14 over what goes on in some Madrassas (seminaries) in Pakistan, after it emerged that one of the London bombers had attended one. According to The News, Shahzad Tanweer, who bombed an underground subway train at
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The British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is reported to have expressed concern on July 14 over what goes on in some Madrassas (seminaries) in Pakistan, after it emerged that one of the London bombers had attended one. According to The News, Shahzad Tanweer, who bombed an underground subway train at Aldgate in London, had gone to a Madrassa in December 2004 to become a Hafiz (someone who has memorized the Holy Koran). "We are concerned about what goes on in some of the Madrassas in Pakistan," Straw told reporters in London. Meanwhile, officials are reportedly investigating whether Tanweer traveled to Pakistan in 2004 and stayed at a religious school in Lahore. After a four or five day stay at the Madrassa, Tanweer is believed to have traveled to Faisalabad but his reasons were not clear. However, Pakistan said that it has no evidence that the suspected British suicide bombers visited Pakistan in the recent past. "We have no knowledge that they came to Pakistan and no evidence has been shared with us to suggest that they recently traveled to Pakistan", Jalil Abbas Jilani, spokesperson at the Foreign Office told the weekly press briefing in Islamabad on July 14.
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July - 14 
The Education Minister, Lt-Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, claimed in Islamabad on July 15 that no military training was being imparted to students in Madrassas (seminaries) in Pakistan. "We have no evidence of military training being imparted in Madrassas in the recent past," he told CNN and added, "
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The Education Minister, Lt-Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, claimed in Islamabad on July 15 that no military training was being imparted to students in Madrassas (seminaries) in Pakistan. "We have no evidence of military training being imparted in Madrassas in the recent past," he told CNN and added, "We have been reading about it in the press but no body has officially told us about such training in any Madrassa." "If the British government has any evidence, it should tell us and we will certainly look into it and take action," Qazi said while condemning the London blasts that had killed at least 54 people.
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July - 15 
British investigators were attempting to determine whether there was a link between the London bombers and Pakistan-based cells of the Al Qaeda, said London police chief Ian Blair on July 15. Officials in Islamabad said the British police have given a list of terrorist suspects with possible links t
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British investigators were attempting to determine whether there was a link between the London bombers and Pakistan-based cells of the Al Qaeda, said London police chief Ian Blair on July 15. Officials in Islamabad said the British police have given a list of terrorist suspects with possible links to the London attacks. "They provided us with names of certain individuals for information following the London bombing. We are checking the linkages here," an unnamed security official told AFP. According to The News, authorities in Pakistan were investigating a possible connection between one of the suicide bombers, Shahzad Tanweer, and two Al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups - the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) - and Osama Nazir, the man arrested for a 2002 attack on a church near the US Embassy. The investigation is also focusing on at least one trip that Tanweer made to Pakistan in 2004, during which he met Nazir in Faisalabad, officials said. The JeM is linked with the Jamia Manzoorul Islamia school in Lahore, which has denied British media reports that Tanweer had studied there. "We have no knowledge that anyone with the name of Shehzad Tanweer was enrolled in our Madrassa [seminary]. Our records do not confirm this name," Asadullah Farooq, son of Madrassa leader Pir Saifullah Khalid, told AFP. The Lashkar has also denied that Tanweer visited a campus formerly linked to the group in Muridke, near Lahore. "We have checked our records, no one with this name and with British nationality ever stayed there. We do not have a policy of carrying out suicide attacks on civilians," a LeT spokesperson told AFP from Lahore.
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July - 15 
Declaring Pakistan’s firm commitment to combating extremism and terrorism, President Pervez Musharraf on July 15 directed the law-enforcement agencies to launch a countrywide drive against collection of donations, display of arms, holding of gatherings by banned outfits and remove all hate material
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Declaring Pakistan’s firm commitment to combating extremism and terrorism, President Pervez Musharraf on July 15 directed the law-enforcement agencies to launch a countrywide drive against collection of donations, display of arms, holding of gatherings by banned outfits and remove all hate material from markets by December 2005. Speaking to Pakistan’s top police officers in Rawalpindi, Gen. Musharraf claimed that the Government would not tolerate extremism and will continue to combat terrorism with unflinching determination and force, according to The News. He also reiterated the Government’s resolve not to allow banned militant organisations to re-surface using any other name. "You must enforce an end to publication and distribution of hate material, including pamphlets, booklets, CDs etc, and writers, publishers and distributors of all such literature must be held accountable in accordance with the law. You must ensure that such material is not available in markets latest by December, this year," the President said. The President stated that the Government would not allow any militant organisation to collect donations in any form and address gatherings. "Nor will anybody be allowed to brandish weapons." he added. Pakistan, he claimed, stands at cross-roads in its history and there is an urgent need to address extremism existing on the fringes of its society.
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July - 23 
Meanwhile, Hasan Waseem Afzal, Home Secretary of Punjab stated that Pakistan will try over a hundred members of different militant groups, detained in the central Punjab province over the past week under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
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Meanwhile, Hasan Waseem Afzal, Home Secretary of Punjab stated that Pakistan will try over a hundred members of different militant groups, detained in the central Punjab province over the past week under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
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July - 25 
Egyptian forces are reportedly searching for six Pakistani nationals suspected of involvement in the multiple bombings at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in which at least 88 people were killed. According to official sources, Egyptian forces surrounded two villages in the Sinai peninsula where
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Egyptian forces are reportedly searching for six Pakistani nationals suspected of involvement in the multiple bombings at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in which at least 88 people were killed. According to official sources, Egyptian forces surrounded two villages in the Sinai peninsula where they believe two of the Pakistani suspects were hiding. Pictures of the six Pakistanis believed to have entered Egypt in early July 2005 were distributed to police stations in the Sharm el-Sheikh area after the attacks. Their passports were reportedly found in an unspecified Sharm el-Sheikh hotel, police said, adding that one of them may have died in the bombings. Arab satellite channels said that nine Pakistanis had been staying in hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh but disappeared after the bombings early on July 23-morning, leaving their passports at reception. An official at the Pakistan Embassy in Cairo said they were in contact with Egyptian authorities on the issue of the missing Pakistanis. "But they have not officially informed us that the Pakistanis are suspected of involvement in the bombing. They are only saying: "We are searching for them. We cannot trace them," said Khalid Ahmed, a Counselor at the Pakistani mission. Meanwhile in Islamabad, a Foreign Office spokesperson said on July 25 that the Egyptian Government has not approached Pakistan over the issue of alleged linkages of Pakistani nationals with the weekend blasts at Sharm el-Sheikh.
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July - 25 
President Pervez Musharraf said in Lahore on July 25 that it was a misconception that Pakistan was the Al Qaeda headquarters. He said Osama bin Laden’s network did not exist in the country anymore. "I say this with clarity that Al Qaeda has no command structure in Pakistan," claimed the President. P
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President Pervez Musharraf said in Lahore on July 25 that it was a misconception that Pakistan was the Al Qaeda headquarters. He said Osama bin Laden’s network did not exist in the country anymore. "I say this with clarity that Al Qaeda has no command structure in Pakistan," claimed the President. Pakistan had arrested about 700 Al Qaeda activists from the country, had occupied their sanctuaries in Waziristan, had eliminated their command and control system, had broken their vertical and horizontal links and had devastated their communications system, he said, adding that Al Qaeda operatives could not communicate with each other through electronic devices. Gen. Musharraf also confirmed that some of the London bombers had came to Pakistan for two to three months and that Pakistani security forces were investigating the purpose of their visits.
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July - 25 
The Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Syed Safdar Hussain admitted on July 25 that some pro-Taliban elements from Pakistan were crossing into Afghanistan and that some Pakistani religious groups were offering support and cooperation to them. Speaking to a private television channel, Hussain disclosed
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The Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Syed Safdar Hussain admitted on July 25 that some pro-Taliban elements from Pakistan were crossing into Afghanistan and that some Pakistani religious groups were offering support and cooperation to them. Speaking to a private television channel, Hussain disclosed "They [Taliban] are getting public support in Pakistan, especially from some Pakistani religious parties." The General, however, refused to disclose names of the pro-Taliban religious groups. When asked if he was referring to the religious parties ruling the North West Frontier Province, he said, "I leave it to you to judge which group is supporting the Taliban." According to him, the Taliban would further re-organise for the September 2005 elections in Afghanistan, fearing they might sabotage the electoral exercise.
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July - 26 
Meanwhile, the Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Safdar Hussain disclosed on July 26 that approximately 70 to 80 foreign terrorists were still in North Waziristan. "Anti-Pakistan elements are indoctrinating young tribesmen in order to advance their ulterior motives. That is concerning and we won’t all
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Meanwhile, the Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Safdar Hussain disclosed on July 26 that approximately 70 to 80 foreign terrorists were still in North Waziristan. "Anti-Pakistan elements are indoctrinating young tribesmen in order to advance their ulterior motives. That is concerning and we won’t allow such elements to succeed," he said. Hussain, who leads operations in South and North Waziristan, also informed "In more than a year, Pakistani soldiers physically covered an area of 38,000 square kilometers and took part in 53 operations, killing 342 terrorists including about 175 foreigners and arresting 774 others." He said 252 soldiers had also been killed while 550 had been injured.
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July - 27 
Meanwhile, leaders of the Wafaqul Madaris (federation of seminaries) said on July 27 that Pakistan would face "dire consequences" unless the crackdown ends. "We demand that the crackdown (against Madrassas) end at once," Mufti Munibur Rehman told a press conference in Islamabad. "The elements who ar
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Meanwhile, leaders of the Wafaqul Madaris (federation of seminaries) said on July 27 that Pakistan would face "dire consequences" unless the crackdown ends. "We demand that the crackdown (against Madrassas) end at once," Mufti Munibur Rehman told a press conference in Islamabad. "The elements who are advising the government to launch crackdown on madaris want a clash between President General Pervez Musharraf and madaris," Rehman said while reading out a declaration.
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July - 27 
Meanwhile, tribal militant leader Baitullah Mehsud announced in South Waziristan on July 27 that they would pursue Government targets afresh after accusing the military authorities of not abiding to a peace agreement. "The government has not kept the agreement with us. It is not holding anymore… The
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Meanwhile, tribal militant leader Baitullah Mehsud announced in South Waziristan on July 27 that they would pursue Government targets afresh after accusing the military authorities of not abiding to a peace agreement. "The government has not kept the agreement with us. It is not holding anymore… They have violated the agreement by arresting our Mujahideen," he claimed during an interview to Statesman. Mehsud claimed that "I will fight such a dangerous war against the government, which will not be ordinary."
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July - 28 
All Madrassas (seminaries) that fail to register by December 2005 will be shut down, said Lt Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, the Education Minister. "The Interior Ministry has sent a summary to the cabinet division and a law in this regard would be enacted soon," Ashraf said while talking to the media
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All Madrassas (seminaries) that fail to register by December 2005 will be shut down, said Lt Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, the Education Minister. "The Interior Ministry has sent a summary to the cabinet division and a law in this regard would be enacted soon," Ashraf said while talking to the media in Islamabad on July 28. He also said the Government was revising the curricula to reduce disparity in education systems and would introduce a uniform curriculum throughout Pakistan.
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July - 29 
Pakistan agreed on July 29 to co-operate with 10 Southeast Asian nations to combat terrorism, saying it needed the help of all countries to root out the menace, according to The News. Pakistan signed an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) anti-terror co-operation agreement as meetings of
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Pakistan agreed on July 29 to co-operate with 10 Southeast Asian nations to combat terrorism, saying it needed the help of all countries to root out the menace, according to The News. Pakistan signed an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) anti-terror co-operation agreement as meetings of Asia’s top security body, the ASEAN Regional Forum, concluded in Vientiane, capital of Laos.
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July - 29 
President General Pervez Musharraf said in Rawalpindi, on July 29, that all the estimated 1,400 foreign nationals studying in the country’s Madrassas (seminaries) would have to leave the institutions. "All foreigners are to be removed from Pakistan’s more than 10,000 religious schools," Gen Musharra
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President General Pervez Musharraf said in Rawalpindi, on July 29, that all the estimated 1,400 foreign nationals studying in the country’s Madrassas (seminaries) would have to leave the institutions. "All foreigners are to be removed from Pakistan’s more than 10,000 religious schools," Gen Musharraf said, adding that and no new visas would be issued to non-Pakistanis wishing to study in a Madrassa. The ban would also apply to holders of dual nationality, he stated. "An ordinance to this effect will be adopted in the next coming days as part of new rules requiring all seminaries to register with the government by the end of the year," the president told foreign correspondents at the Army House during a two-hour interaction. While saying that these institutions could be the world’s biggest NGOs helping the poorest segment of the society, Gen. Musharraf added "Don’t think they are all negative, this is not the reality." He said it was unfortunate that in the West all Madrassas were perceived to be negative. Commenting on the ongoing countrywide crackdown on Islamist extremism, the president claimed "I don’t want to arrest the workers. I want the leaders of the banned groups. I’m not impressed by figures. We want to get all of the bigwigs."
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July - 31 
President Pervez Musharraf has said that Britain is regarded as a safe haven by Islamist extremists because it has failed to crack down on them despite urging other countries to do so, according to The Sunday Times. In an interview to the newspaper, Gen. Musharraf said "They should have been doing w
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President Pervez Musharraf has said that Britain is regarded as a safe haven by Islamist extremists because it has failed to crack down on them despite urging other countries to do so, according to The Sunday Times. In an interview to the newspaper, Gen. Musharraf said "They should have been doing what they have been demanding of us to do – to ban extremist groups like they asked us to do here in Pakistan and which I have done." According to the President, Britain should have banned Al-Muhajiroun and Hizb-ul-Tehrir, groups that he has earlier accused of preaching anger and hatred and of calling for his own assassination. He told the paper: "Good action is when you foresee the future and pre-empt and act beforehand, instead of reacting as in the case of Britain, which waited for the damage to be done and is now reacting to it." According to the newspaper, "One of them [London bombers], Shehzad Tanweer, from the Leeds suburb of Beeston, is said by relatives in Pakistan to have spent time there with militants from the banned extremist Jaish Mohammad organisation… Efforts were under way to arrest Jaish Mohammed leader Masood Azhar, whom Tanweer is believed to have contacted."
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August - 2 
According to The News, the Sindh Government on August 2 gave a 48-hour deadline to Madrassas (seminaries) to expel all foreign students or face retribution. The Sindh Home Secretary summoned some representatives of the seminaries and conveyed them the Government’s decision of expelling foreign stude
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According to The News, the Sindh Government on August 2 gave a 48-hour deadline to Madrassas (seminaries) to expel all foreign students or face retribution. The Sindh Home Secretary summoned some representatives of the seminaries and conveyed them the Government’s decision of expelling foreign students from seminaries and the country within two days. He also warned them of tough punitive measures in case the order was not complied with. The seminaries, meanwhile, have demanded that the Government reverse the decision or face the wrath of millions of students and people in an anti-government movement. They have also reportedly decided to challenge the order in Supreme Court. "We reject this ban and consider foreigner students are goodwill ambassadors of their countries. Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal [MMA] would launch a countrywide agitation movement against the decision after Tahaffuz-e-Madaris Conference," MMA chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad said in Peshawar.
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August - 2 
The Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt. Gen. Safdar Hussain, said that foreign suspects and their local collaborators shifted from South Waziristan to North Waziristan after a military operation was launched in 2004. Talking to a group of tribal elders and religious leaders in North Waziristan on August 2
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The Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt. Gen. Safdar Hussain, said that foreign suspects and their local collaborators shifted from South Waziristan to North Waziristan after a military operation was launched in 2004. Talking to a group of tribal elders and religious leaders in North Waziristan on August 2, Lt-Gen Hussain said the suspects were using the tribal areas to attack allied forces operating in Afghanistan.
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August - 3 
An unnamed official in Islamabad was quoted as saying in The News that authorities were trying to determine whether Ethiopian-born Muktar Said Ibrahim, alleged ringleader in the failed attacks in London on July 21, had visited Pakistan. Investigators reportedly believe that any confirmation of a vis
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An unnamed official in Islamabad was quoted as saying in The News that authorities were trying to determine whether Ethiopian-born Muktar Said Ibrahim, alleged ringleader in the failed attacks in London on July 21, had visited Pakistan. Investigators reportedly believe that any confirmation of a visit by Ibrahim to Pakistan would strengthen the theory of a link between the two groups of bombers.
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August - 3 
There is no evidence that any of the July 7-London suicide bombers visited Madrassas (seminaries) in Pakistan, Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi claimed in Islamabad on August 3. "None of the London bombing suspects visited any Pakistani Madrassa, and we have no evidence about it," Qazi told the
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There is no evidence that any of the July 7-London suicide bombers visited Madrassas (seminaries) in Pakistan, Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi claimed in Islamabad on August 3. "None of the London bombing suspects visited any Pakistani Madrassa, and we have no evidence about it," Qazi told the media, adding "No Pakistani Madrassa was giving military training to students."
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August - 4 
Pakistan on August 4 rejected Indian allegations that terrorists were congregating in training camps close to the Line of Control (LoC). Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Muhammad Naeem Khan, said that India had made the claim to justify deploying more troops in Jammu and Kashmir. "We reject these base
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Pakistan on August 4 rejected Indian allegations that terrorists were congregating in training camps close to the Line of Control (LoC). Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Muhammad Naeem Khan, said that India had made the claim to justify deploying more troops in Jammu and Kashmir. "We reject these baseless allegations," he said. Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had said on August 3 that a large number of terrorist training camps had been activated in Pakistani territory and that there has been an increase in cross-border infiltration in June and July 2005
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August - 7 
The Federal Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, said on August 7 that 1,405 foreign students of 56 different countries studying in the Madrassas (seminaries) of Pakistan would be deported to their countries of origin shortly. Talking to The News in Peshawar, he said among those students 42
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The Federal Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, said on August 7 that 1,405 foreign students of 56 different countries studying in the Madrassas (seminaries) of Pakistan would be deported to their countries of origin shortly. Talking to The News in Peshawar, he said among those students 42 belonged to America, four to Canada, 23 to England, 81 to Afghanistan, over 20 to France and an unaccounted number to Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Sherpao also disclosed that 2,500 refugee students were exempted from this decision and that many foreign students are either without visas or their visas has expired. "A list of these students is already being prepared and will be provided to 12,400 Madaris in the country," he added. "We are doing this to preserve our national solidarity as we want to finish terrorism, extremism and sectarianism from our land," the minister claimed.
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August - 7 
The Pakistani Government is deceiving the US and the West by helping militants freely enter Afghanistan from Waziristan, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Secretary General, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, said on August 7. He told a press conference in Lahore that the Government should give the identity of the
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The Pakistani Government is deceiving the US and the West by helping militants freely enter Afghanistan from Waziristan, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Secretary General, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, said on August 7. He told a press conference in Lahore that the Government should give the identity of the infiltrators and its (government’s) motives for helping them enter Afghanistan. "They must also give the nation the identities of the men being moved from Waziristan to militant camps in Mansehra. This is hypocrisy. The rulers are not only trying to deceive the US and the West, but also hoodwinking the entire nation," he claimed. He also stated that if pressured he would reveal facts that would open a Pandora’s Box. "We ask the rulers to reveal the identity of the people being transported to Afghanistan from Waziristan via Kaali Sarak in private vehicles, reveal who is supervising their trouble-free entry into Afghanistan and reasons for their infiltration," he said. The Government would have to decide whether it wanted to support Jihadis or close down their camps, he said, adding, "We will have to openly tell the world whether we want to support Jihadis or crack down on them. We can’t afford to be hypocritical anymore." Fazlur Rehman, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, also accused Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of running a Jihadi camp for ‘Kashmiri fighters’ near Islamabad.
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August - 7 
The United Jehad Council (UJC), an alliance of Pakistan-based terrorist groups, has reportedly offered a cease-fire to India provided the latter declares Kashmir to be a disputed area and orders a complete withdrawal of troops. Addressing a seminar in Islamabad on August 7 on "Kashmir Freedom Moveme
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The United Jehad Council (UJC), an alliance of Pakistan-based terrorist groups, has reportedly offered a cease-fire to India provided the latter declares Kashmir to be a disputed area and orders a complete withdrawal of troops. Addressing a seminar in Islamabad on August 7 on "Kashmir Freedom Movement: Prospects of Success, Concerns and Threats", the UJC chairman Syed Salahuddin of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) said they would welcome any proposal of a truce "If Indian government declares Held Kashmir as disputed territory, withdraws its troops, releases all detained Kashmiris and stops their killings." According to Nation, the Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Jamaat-e-Islami chief, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, and leaders of various Jihadi groups were present on the occasion. Salahuddin claimed that if Gen. Musharraf or any major country assured the militant leaders that India would fulfill all the conditions and would show its willingness for a negotiated settlement of the Kashmir issue in consonance of Kashmiri people’s wishes, the UJC would have no objection to a cease-fire, according to Dawn. Minister for Information Sheikh Rashid Ahmed is reported to have stated that the ‘struggle for independence of Kashmir’ should not be equated with terrorism. "Terrorism and independence struggle are two different things and should not be compared," he said.
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August - 9 
President Pervez Musharraf said on August 9 that Britain had been too lenient with radical Muslim clerics and must initiate a crackdown on them. Asked by the BBC in an interview if Britain had been too soft on radical clerics, Gen. Musharraf is reported to have said, “Yes I think so, absolutely. It
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President Pervez Musharraf said on August 9 that Britain had been too lenient with radical Muslim clerics and must initiate a crackdown on them. Asked by the BBC in an interview if Britain had been too soft on radical clerics, Gen. Musharraf is reported to have said, “Yes I think so, absolutely. It should be stopped, nobody should be talking of hatred and militancy and aggression. That is not what the mosque is meant for. That should be stopped immediately.” Gen. Musharraf also said he thought the July 7 and 21 incidents in London were possibly linked and supervised by the same mastermind. “I am sure there must be a brain behind it… The people were different and maybe the groups didn’t know each other, but the planner must be the same.”
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August - 11 
According to Daily Times, in contravention of the Election Commission’s directions of July 19 to all District Returning Officers (DROs) to exclude members of 18 outlawed Jihadi groups from the forthcoming local bodies’ elections, dozens of cadres of these groups are contesting the polls. The DROs cl
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According to Daily Times, in contravention of the Election Commission’s directions of July 19 to all District Returning Officers (DROs) to exclude members of 18 outlawed Jihadi groups from the forthcoming local bodies’ elections, dozens of cadres of these groups are contesting the polls. The DROs claim that they received the directions and the list of suspect candidates only after the scrutiny process was completed. "There was little we could do (to stop members of banned organisations). They only needed to submit an affidavit to be eligible for the elections," said a unnamed DRO. The list of banned organisations provided by the Election Commission of Pakistan included Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Sipah-e-Mohammed Pakistan (SMP), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Tehreek-e-Jaferia Pakistan (TJP), Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), Tehrik-e-Islami, Millat-e-Islamia, Khuddam-ul- Islam, Islami Tehrik Pakistan, Jamiat-ul-Ansar, Jamiat-ul-Furqan, Hizb-ul-Tehrir, Khairun Nissa International Trust, Sunni Tehrik and Jamaat-ud-Dawa.
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August - 11 
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, said in Lahore on August 11 that activists of proscribed religious parties and militant groups contesting the polls could be disqualified through petitions after the local council elections.
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The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, said in Lahore on August 11 that activists of proscribed religious parties and militant groups contesting the polls could be disqualified through petitions after the local council elections.
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August - 14 
A rocket is reported to have exploded in a field near an Independence Day celebration in South Waziristan on August 14, without causing any loss of life or injuries. The rocket was fired from atop a hilly area and exploded into a field in Shakai Valley, where more than 1,000 people had gathered to m
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A rocket is reported to have exploded in a field near an Independence Day celebration in South Waziristan on August 14, without causing any loss of life or injuries. The rocket was fired from atop a hilly area and exploded into a field in Shakai Valley, where more than 1,000 people had gathered to mark Independence Day, said Wisal Muhammad, an official. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred approximately 30 minutes before Lt Gen. Safdar Hussain, the Peshawar Corps Commander, arrived at the ceremony, added the official.
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August - 14 
President Pervez Musharraf is reported to have said that a quick settlement to the Kashmir issue would help him in confronting the radicals. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, "I see the sincerity of the Indian leadership. But if we can move faster towards a resolution of Kashmir my hands wil
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President Pervez Musharraf is reported to have said that a quick settlement to the Kashmir issue would help him in confronting the radicals. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, "I see the sincerity of the Indian leadership. But if we can move faster towards a resolution of Kashmir my hands will be stronger to deal with extremism." According to Gen. Musharraf, "I have told the Indians we can only control the extremists to a degree. But there will be nowhere for the extremists to go once there is a settlement on Kashmir." Accusations that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) still backed the Taliban, he claimed, were "false". "Its [ISI] officers dealing with Afghanistan had been changed two or three times since 2001 and nobody was left from the old guard who might have ideological affiliations with the Taliban," he said. "All this talk about the ISI being a government within a government is wrong. There is no government within a government. There is only one government," Musharraf said.
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August - 15 
Pakistan on August 15 rejected as "fabricated and false" the Indian charge of terrorist infrastructure on the former’s soil. "There is no infrastructure of terrorism anywhere in Pakistan or in territories under Pakistan’s control," said Naeem Khan, a foreign ministry spokesperson, in Islamabad while
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Pakistan on August 15 rejected as "fabricated and false" the Indian charge of terrorist infrastructure on the former’s soil. "There is no infrastructure of terrorism anywhere in Pakistan or in territories under Pakistan’s control," said Naeem Khan, a foreign ministry spokesperson, in Islamabad while reacting to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remarks during his Independence Day speech in New Delhi on August 15-morning. "Reports of such infrastructure are fabricated and false," claimed Khan, adding that Pakistan had "put some checks on the activities of terrorists from its soil" but said it was "not possible to achieve success through half-hearted efforts."
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August - 15 
Registration and annual audits have been made mandatory for Madrassas (seminaries) operating in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces, by amendments to the Societies Registration Act 1860, introduced on August 15, according to Daily Times. The Sindh Governor, Ishratul Ibad, promulgated the Societies R
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Registration and annual audits have been made mandatory for Madrassas (seminaries) operating in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces, by amendments to the Societies Registration Act 1860, introduced on August 15, according to Daily Times. The Sindh Governor, Ishratul Ibad, promulgated the Societies Registration (Sindh Amendment) Ordinance 2005 under which no seminary can be established or operated in the province without being registered under the act. Earlier, the Balochistan Governor, Owais Ahmed Ghani, promulgated the Societies Registration (Balochistan Amendment) Ordinance 2005 by amending the Societies Registration Act 1860.
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August - 16 
Authorities in the Sindh province have reportedly repatriated at least 20 foreign students from various Madrassas (seminaries) in Karachi to their home countries and arrangements are being made to repatriate the rest. Sindh Home Secretary, Brigadier Ghulam Mohammad Mohtarram, told Daily Times on Aug
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Authorities in the Sindh province have reportedly repatriated at least 20 foreign students from various Madrassas (seminaries) in Karachi to their home countries and arrangements are being made to repatriate the rest. Sindh Home Secretary, Brigadier Ghulam Mohammad Mohtarram, told Daily Times on August 16 that the 20 repatriated foreign students were from Thailand, Malaysia, Uganda, Indonesia and the South American republic of Surinam. Brig. Mohtarram said the authorities had taken steps to realize the task in the least possible time. "We have got tickets for another 80 students for their departure for their native countries and the process is likely to be completed by the end of this month," he claimed. Official figures indicated that a total of 648 out of the approximately 1,400 foreign students in Pakistan are admitted to Madrassas in Sindh. Of the 648, 591 are admitted to seminaries in Karachi and the remaining 57 to Madrassas in the Shahdadpur town of Sanghar district.
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August - 16 
President Pervez Musharraf promulgated an ordinance amending the Societies Registration Act, 1860, requiring the 11,882 seminaries in the country to get registered with the Government. The registration process will commence with immediate effect and is expected to be completed by the end of November
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President Pervez Musharraf promulgated an ordinance amending the Societies Registration Act, 1860, requiring the 11,882 seminaries in the country to get registered with the Government. The registration process will commence with immediate effect and is expected to be completed by the end of November 2005, Wakil Ahmed Khan, Secretary of the Religious Affairs ministry, told Dawn on August 16. He said the law had been amended in concurrence of the country’s leading alliance of seminaries ‘Ittehad Tanzeemat Deeni Madaris’ (ITDM) encompassing the five major Wafaqs (educational boards of different sects of Islam). Under the ordinance, a new section has been added to the act. The section 21 provides that no seminary will operate without getting itself registered. The ordinance will apply to the federal capital of Islamabad only as Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan have separately promulgated similar ordinances. The new law also defines seminaries, which says that only such institutions which provide boarding and lodging facilities will be registered and Maktabs (traditional elementary schools) operating in mosques will not need registration.
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August - 17 
The Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao on August 17 confirmed the arrest of a senior Taliban leader Muhammad Yasir, saying he was being interrogated. "He (Yasir) has been arrested and interrogation has started… He was a wanted person in Pakistan," he told Al Arabia television. The minister, howeve
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The Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao on August 17 confirmed the arrest of a senior Taliban leader Muhammad Yasir, saying he was being interrogated. "He (Yasir) has been arrested and interrogation has started… He was a wanted person in Pakistan," he told Al Arabia television. The minister, however, did not provide any details on the arrest. Taliban chief Mullah Muhammad Omar had appointed Yasir as head of the ‘Information and Culture wing’ several months ago, according to Daily Times.
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August - 18 
The United States State Department said on August 18 that President Pervez Musharraf and his cabinet were "working to reform the educational system, the Madrassas [seminaries] as well as the textbooks, and they do have a process for reviewing it," while maintaining that the Madrassa reform remained
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The United States State Department said on August 18 that President Pervez Musharraf and his cabinet were "working to reform the educational system, the Madrassas [seminaries] as well as the textbooks, and they do have a process for reviewing it," while maintaining that the Madrassa reform remained "an issue of concern" to America. State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack was replying to a question on a report published by the Los Angeles Times about textbooks taught in Pakistani schools and the anti-Christian and anti-Jewish material they contained. McCormack observed, "These types of reports are of serious concern to us. We have engaged the Pakistani government on this issue, specifically on the issue of textbooks and language that might - that, upon reading it, was clearly, clearly unacceptable and inciteful (sic) or would cause people to perhaps lash out with violent actions and encourages people to do that. So we do have ongoing discussions with Pakistan, the Pakistani Government, on this matter."
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August - 19 
Pakistan has not handed over a single Pakistani to the United States during the war against terrorism, said Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri. Kasuri said that all Al Qaeda-linked individuals handed over to the US were foreigners required by the US for threatening US interests. In an intervie
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Pakistan has not handed over a single Pakistani to the United States during the war against terrorism, said Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri. Kasuri said that all Al Qaeda-linked individuals handed over to the US were foreigners required by the US for threatening US interests. In an interview to a local private channel on August 19, Kasuri claimed that Pakistanis detained at Guantanamo Bay had all been arrested in Afghanistan during the US military campaign, adding that on its part, through persistent efforts, the Government of Pakistan had been successful in getting 60 Pakistanis released from there, according to Daily Times.
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August - 20 
Two bombs weighing half pound each exploded after short intervals in Muslim Town police jurisdiction of Lahore city on August 20 evening. The first remote-controlled bomb exploded by the Lahore Canal near Punjab College, while the second bomb exploded just 25 seconds after the first, destroying the
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Two bombs weighing half pound each exploded after short intervals in Muslim Town police jurisdiction of Lahore city on August 20 evening. The first remote-controlled bomb exploded by the Lahore Canal near Punjab College, while the second bomb exploded just 25 seconds after the first, destroying the canal banks. No casualties were reported in both the blasts. DIG Tariq Saleem Dogar said a timer device caused the explosions and bombs were of mild intensity.
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August - 21 
The United Nations (UN) Security Council Special Committee on Prevention of Terrorism has confirmed that Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami and two other parties links with the Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden are being investigated. The spokesman of the Security Council Committee 1267 also said that if allegat
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The United Nations (UN) Security Council Special Committee on Prevention of Terrorism has confirmed that Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami and two other parties links with the Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden are being investigated. The spokesman of the Security Council Committee 1267 also said that if allegations against the parties were proved after the investigation, the Pakistan Government would be requested to ban these parties, according to The News. The committee is likely to complete investigations in a few weeks.
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August - 21 August - 22
Security forces seized weapons, wigs and women’s outfits from a fake Madrassa (seminary) near Miranshah in North Waziristan, an Inter Services Public Relations press release said on August 22. A deserted compound, designed to look like a religious school, was raided on August 21-night, it said. "The
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Security forces seized weapons, wigs and women’s outfits from a fake Madrassa (seminary) near Miranshah in North Waziristan, an Inter Services Public Relations press release said on August 22. A deserted compound, designed to look like a religious school, was raided on August 21-night, it said. "The compound was being used as a terrorist den. Security forces carried out a search following a tip-off that suspected militants visited the compound," said the statement. During the search, the troops seized grenades, fuses, guns, binoculars, daggers and commando uniforms as well as women costumes and wigs.
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August - 22 
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazlur Rehman faction) has reportedly refused to register its Madrassas (seminaries) with the Government under the Madaris Registration Ordinance 2005. Maulana Fazlur Rehman told reporters in Islamabad on August 22 that his party would not register its 8,500 seminaries acro
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The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazlur Rehman faction) has reportedly refused to register its Madrassas (seminaries) with the Government under the Madaris Registration Ordinance 2005. Maulana Fazlur Rehman told reporters in Islamabad on August 22 that his party would not register its 8,500 seminaries across Pakistan. "We reject the Madaris Registration Ordinance which President General Pervez Musharraf has promulgated by amending the Society Act. If we approve such amendments and the parliament also approves them we will be forced to introduce the government-dictated syllabus and employ government-recommended teachers in the Madrassas. This is not possible for us," he said.
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August - 24 
In an interview to the Japanese news agency Kyodo on August 24, President Pervez Musharraf confirmed that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan provided centrifuge machines and their designs to North Korea, but said these transfers did not help North Korea acquire a nuclear weapons capability. Gen Musharraf said Kha
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In an interview to the Japanese news agency Kyodo on August 24, President Pervez Musharraf confirmed that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan provided centrifuge machines and their designs to North Korea, but said these transfers did not help North Korea acquire a nuclear weapons capability. Gen Musharraf said Khan could not have been of immense help to North Korea nuclear weapons programme because his laboratory had engaged in uranium enrichment, and not involved in the other steps needed to make a nuclear bomb such as conversion of uranium into gas and development of the trigger mechanism and delivery systems, according to Dawn. Khan had confessed in February 2004 to having supplied nuclear technology and expertise to North Korea, Libya and Iran.
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August - 26 
The Government said on August 26 that it would not check, investigate or even comment on audit details of accounts submitted by the Madrassas (seminaries). Religious Affairs Secretary, Vakil Ahmed Khan told Daily Times that the Government wanted to compile a database of Madrassas in Pakistan to coun
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The Government said on August 26 that it would not check, investigate or even comment on audit details of accounts submitted by the Madrassas (seminaries). Religious Affairs Secretary, Vakil Ahmed Khan told Daily Times that the Government wanted to compile a database of Madrassas in Pakistan to counter propaganda against them. He said that seminaries once registered with the Government would not be asked for registration again. He added that seminaries were not bound to disclose the names of their donors but they had been asked to submit details of their expenses and donations.
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August - 29 
President Pervez Musharraf is reported to have said that there is no quick fix or military solution to the problem of extremism in Pakistan. "While we have to confront terrorism with force, the malaise of extremism has to be handled with care, as change cannot be imposed and pertains to the hearts a
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President Pervez Musharraf is reported to have said that there is no quick fix or military solution to the problem of extremism in Pakistan. "While we have to confront terrorism with force, the malaise of extremism has to be handled with care, as change cannot be imposed and pertains to the hearts and minds of people," Gen. Musharraf said at a seminar on global terrorism in Islamabad on August 29. "It will take years before it (extremism) is completely curbed," he said. According to him, extremism and terrorism must be differentiated and separate strategies be made to address them. "We must address terrorism holistically and get to the roots. The resolution of core disputes will pull the carpet from under the feet of extremism and terrorism," he claimed.
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August - 30 
A Taliban cadre from Pakistan is reported to have died while two others suffered injuries in an overnight clash with security forces in the southwestern Helmand province of Afghanistan, officials said on August 30. Haji Mohammad Wali, spokesperson for the Helmand province Governor, said the body of
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A Taliban cadre from Pakistan is reported to have died while two others suffered injuries in an overnight clash with security forces in the southwestern Helmand province of Afghanistan, officials said on August 30. Haji Mohammad Wali, spokesperson for the Helmand province Governor, said the body of the Pakistani was still lying at the clash site in Baghny district. Helmand’s Deputy Police chief, Haji Mohammad Ayub, disclosed that two Kalashnikov assault rifles, two hand-grenades and a walkie-talkie had been recovered from the incident site.
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August - 30 
A Taliban sympathiser was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the murder of a Government official. The detainee is reported to have confessed to complicity in the murder, receiving arms from "Pakistan and delivering them to Taliban," an unnamed Helmand military official said.
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A Taliban sympathiser was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the murder of a Government official. The detainee is reported to have confessed to complicity in the murder, receiving arms from "Pakistan and delivering them to Taliban," an unnamed Helmand military official said.
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August - 30 
The Tanzimul Madaris Ahle Sunnat (Barelvi school), one of the apex bodies of Madrassas (seminaries), on August 30 rejected registration of seminaries under the amended law and said it would not cooperate in the process unless their reservations about changes made in the law were removed, according t
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The Tanzimul Madaris Ahle Sunnat (Barelvi school), one of the apex bodies of Madrassas (seminaries), on August 30 rejected registration of seminaries under the amended law and said it would not cooperate in the process unless their reservations about changes made in the law were removed, according to Dawn. Speakers at a convention on "Religious Institutions and Contemporary Needs" in Islamabad also said that they would not abide by the Government’s orders on the question of syllabus nor would they stop teaching the concept of Jihad as it was in the Holy Quran and Hadith. They rejected allegations that some religious schools were giving militancy training to students. Earlier last week, the Islamabad chapter of Wafaqul Madaris (Deobandi school) had announced not to get their affiliated seminaries registered and had constituted a 19-member committee to deal with the Government on the issue.
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September - 9 
President Pervez Musharraf said, on September 9, that Pakistan had proposed setting up a barbed-wire fence along the border with Afghanistan to prevent Islamist terrorists from crossing the rugged area. But Gen. Musharraf told The Associated Press in an interview that Pakistan could not afford the m
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President Pervez Musharraf said, on September 9, that Pakistan had proposed setting up a barbed-wire fence along the border with Afghanistan to prevent Islamist terrorists from crossing the rugged area. But Gen. Musharraf told The Associated Press in an interview that Pakistan could not afford the major undertaking through mountainous terrain and deeply conservative tribal regions "by itself". "We could do selective fencing," he suggested as an alternative to an unbroken barrier.
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September - 11 
The United Jehad Council (UJC) chairman and ‘supreme commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Syed Salahuddin said, on September 11, that "Ceasefire in the occupied territory is out of question unless India accepts the conditions we have laid down for this purpose long ago." He further stated: "I
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The United Jehad Council (UJC) chairman and ‘supreme commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Syed Salahuddin said, on September 11, that "Ceasefire in the occupied territory is out of question unless India accepts the conditions we have laid down for this purpose long ago." He further stated: "I ask if Kashmir has been accepted (by India) as a disputed territory, if its army is going back to barracks, if the Kashmiri prisoners have been released and if India has agreed to holding tripartite talks. If the answer is ‘no’, then how can we go for laying down our weapons." Without naming anyone, he also alleged "Some people have been addicted to holding purposeless and futile talks (with India) either to keep themselves alive in the media or under some illusion."
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September - 12 
The Ittehad-e-Tanzimat-e-Madaris-e-Dinya (ITMD), an alliance of Madrassas (seminaries), on September 12 rejected the Societies Registration Act 1860 (Amendment) Ordinance 2005 and refused to register Madrassas under this law. "ITMD demands that Madrassa degrees be recognised and President General Pe
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The Ittehad-e-Tanzimat-e-Madaris-e-Dinya (ITMD), an alliance of Madrassas (seminaries), on September 12 rejected the Societies Registration Act 1860 (Amendment) Ordinance 2005 and refused to register Madrassas under this law. "ITMD demands that Madrassa degrees be recognised and President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz take steps to resolve the issue of foreign students studying in seminaries, on priority," a press release issued after an ITMD meeting in Islamabad said. "ITMD is ready to register madrassas under the Societies Registration Act 1860 and Trust Act 1882 unconditionally but not under the amended ordinance issued by the government because it is discriminatory," it added.
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September - 23 
Representatives of Madrassas (seminaries) in a meeting with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on September 23 announced to register their institutions with the Government by December 31. Speaking on behalf of the Ittehad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaris-Deenia, a confederacy of seminaries, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman sai
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Representatives of Madrassas (seminaries) in a meeting with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on September 23 announced to register their institutions with the Government by December 31. Speaking on behalf of the Ittehad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaris-Deenia, a confederacy of seminaries, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman said the matter has been amicably settled and there would be no problem in the registration. "This is not a success or defeat of anyone, but is the success of Pakistan, of religion Islam and a step forward to settle issues amicably without any confrontation and therein lies our national interest," he said. He added that there were around 13,000 seminaries across the country providing education at places where there are no government schools and that all of them would register by December 31. However, Qazi Abdul Rashid, president of the Wafaq-ul-Madaris-ul-Arabia (another confederacy) for Punjab province, said the seminaries would register if the National Assembly and all four provincial assemblies approved the order handed down by President Pervez Musharraf. He also said the agreement was conditional on the Madrassas not revealing their sources of funding.
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September - 25 
The "safest place" for Osama bin Laden to seek sanctuary is the rugged Pakistan-Afghanistan border, President Pervez Musharraf said in an interview with Time magazine released on September 25. Gen. Musharraf said Pakistani authorities a year ago "had some identification of a rough area where he was,
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The "safest place" for Osama bin Laden to seek sanctuary is the rugged Pakistan-Afghanistan border, President Pervez Musharraf said in an interview with Time magazine released on September 25. Gen. Musharraf said Pakistani authorities a year ago "had some identification of a rough area where he was, through technical means, but then we lost him… That is how intelligence works. You can get to a person immediately, or you can just lose him immediately." "I think the safest place would be on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, because this line we are not including in each others areas, so therefore you can easily switch sides," added the President
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September - 30 
Federal Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao disclosed on September 30 the deaths of 11 soldiers during two days of fighting in North Waziristan even as helicopter gun-ships continued to bomb villages to flush out terrorists who have been offering stiff resistance to the troops, according to The News. Ex
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Federal Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao disclosed on September 30 the deaths of 11 soldiers during two days of fighting in North Waziristan even as helicopter gun-ships continued to bomb villages to flush out terrorists who have been offering stiff resistance to the troops, according to The News. Exact casualty figures were not available due to fighting still continuing in the area. In an interview to BBC Urdu service, Sherpao said six soldiers were killed on September 29 while another five, including an Army Major, died the following day. The minister estimated that 25 to 30 terrorists were also killed in the fighting. The village of Khattay Killay, scene of most of the fighting, has reportedly been evacuated completely due to the intense exchange of gun-fire and the constant threat to life and property.
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October - 18 
Addressing a press conference, on October 18, in Muzaffarabad, the earthquake-hit capital of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, President Pervez Musharraf stated that the Government would allow Kashmiris from across the Line of Control (LoC) to help in relief work. "We have decided this to enable the people
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Addressing a press conference, on October 18, in Muzaffarabad, the earthquake-hit capital of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, President Pervez Musharraf stated that the Government would allow Kashmiris from across the Line of Control (LoC) to help in relief work. "We have decided this to enable the people to have linkages with their brethren across the LoC," he disclosed. He said in view of a lot of people on both sides of the LoC wanting to talk to each other and help out each other following the tragedy, the Government has also decided to allow mobile phone companies to start their service in the area. However, he said Pakistan cannot accept the Indian military coming from across the LoC. "I am extremely grateful to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who called me and offered assistance. We have accepted all assistance except military men coming across… There is a sensitivity here, we cannot accept the Indian military coming across the LoC on this side," said the president.
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October - 20 
President Pervez Musharraf has said that banned religious groups will not be allowed to conduct relief efforts in the earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan. In an interview with CNN on October 20, he said that Pakistan had banned several extremist organisations and a few others were still under obse
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President Pervez Musharraf has said that banned religious groups will not be allowed to conduct relief efforts in the earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan. In an interview with CNN on October 20, he said that Pakistan had banned several extremist organisations and a few others were still under observation. The president stated that he had ensured that organisations working in the earthquake-hit areas were not ones outlawed by the Government. Gen. Musharraf also denied that any organisation working in the quake-affected areas was recruiting people for militancy. "With our own resources and with international help, we will beat extremism. I know that some extremist outfits placed on (the government’s) watch list are participating in relief activities in the quake-affected areas. Their activities are being watched closely," the president said, adding that anyone found involved in extremist acts will be punished. "However everyone is motivated to help the quake victims. I am not going to prevent anyone from helping the people," he added.
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October - 26 
President Pervez Musharraf on October 26 acknowledged that extremist religious groups had stepped into an administrative vacuum, providing relief and humanitarian assistance in the earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan, but said the Government must outdo them. Gen. Musharraf told Financial Times tha
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President Pervez Musharraf on October 26 acknowledged that extremist religious groups had stepped into an administrative vacuum, providing relief and humanitarian assistance in the earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan, but said the Government must outdo them. Gen. Musharraf told Financial Times that Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Al-Rashid Trust (ART), organisations that are not officially outlawed but are on a watch list, were doing good and he would make sure they did not "draw people towards extremism or militancy." It quoted Musharraf as saying that the Government had warned Jihadi groups that if it saw any single activity of their involvement in anything other than welfare, the Government would proscribe them. "But now since they are there, certainly we would not like them to stop," it quoted Musharraf as saying.
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October - 29 
Pakistan and India agreed on October 29 to open foot crossings at five points across the Line of Control(LoC) from November 7 to facilitate earthquake relief operations. The agreement was reached between the two sides after negotiations at the senior officials’ meeting held at the Foreign Ministry i
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Pakistan and India agreed on October 29 to open foot crossings at five points across the Line of Control(LoC) from November 7 to facilitate earthquake relief operations. The agreement was reached between the two sides after negotiations at the senior officials’ meeting held at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad. A joint press statement issued at the end of the talks announced that the five crossing points across the LoC that the two sides agreed to open are: Nauseri-Tithwal; Chakoti-Uri; Hajipur-Uri;Rawalakot-Poonch and Tattapani-Mendhar. The Pakistan delegation was headed by Syed Ibne Abbas, DirectorGeneral (South Asia), at Ministry of Foreign Affairs while the Indian delegation was led by Dilip Sinha,Joint Secretary (Pakistan), at the Ministry of External Affairs.
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October - 31 
President Pervez Musharraf on October 31 offered full co-operation to India in investigating the October 29-terrorist attacks in New Delhi and said Pakistan was willing to go as far as conducting joint investigations. The president made this offer first at his Press Conference in Islamabad and later
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President Pervez Musharraf on October 31 offered full co-operation to India in investigating the October 29-terrorist attacks in New Delhi and said Pakistan was willing to go as far as conducting joint investigations. The president made this offer first at his Press Conference in Islamabad and later during his 10-minute telephonic conversation with the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. "I condemn this dastardly act of terrorism," the president said, adding: "Pakistan stands with India on this act of terrorism which has been perpetrated in New Delhi. We condole with India, we condole with all the families of all the deceased in this terrorist attack."
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November - 1 
Security forces are reported to have killed a foreign Al Qaeda suspect and arrested another in Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, on November 1. "Security forces had an encounter when they raided a house [at Sirki Road] in Quetta on Tuesday. They captured a foreigner and killed another and the
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Security forces are reported to have killed a foreign Al Qaeda suspect and arrested another in Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, on November 1. "Security forces had an encounter when they raided a house [at Sirki Road] in Quetta on Tuesday. They captured a foreigner and killed another and they may be Al Qaeda operatives," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told AFP. "They are Arabs but their nationality is not yet known," Rashid added. Security agencies are reportedly trying to establish if one of the men is a wanted Syrian national, Mustafa Setmariam Nasar alias Abu Musab Al Suri, who has a bounty of $5 million. Nasar is an Al Qaeda trainer at terrorist camps in Afghanistan and an expert in using poisons and chemicals. He is allegedly also linked to the Madrid and London bombings.
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November - 1 
The US military said on November 1 that one of its Chinook helicopters delivering aid to earthquake victims was believed to have come under fire in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). "A United States Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter flying in the vicinity of Chakothi delivering relief aid to earthquake v
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The US military said on November 1 that one of its Chinook helicopters delivering aid to earthquake victims was believed to have come under fire in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). "A United States Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter flying in the vicinity of Chakothi delivering relief aid to earthquake victims is believed to have been fired upon by a rocket-propelled grenade today around 1:45 pm", the US military said in a statement issued by the embassy in Islamabad. "The aircraft was not hit and returned safely with its crew without further incident to Chaklala Air Base around 2:30 pm," the statement added. However, Pakistan’s military regime spokesperson, Major General Shaukat Sultan, said that the chopper had not come under RPG fire but that the crew had heard a dynamite blast carried out to clear landslides triggered by the October 8 earthquake. "Our investigation revealed that it was blasting on the roadside by engineers, under way exactly at that time when the helicopters were flying over the area," Sultan claimed. The US Department of Defence currently has 24 military helicopters flying dozens of sorties daily to relief centres and villages in the quake-affected PoK and North West Frontier Province, according to The News.
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November - 1 
The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is reported to have denied, on November 1, any involvement in the October 29 serial bomb blasts in the Indian capital Delhi in which at least 62 people were killed and more than 155 injured. A LeT spokesperson told the local media in Jammu and Kashmir that allegations of in
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The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is reported to have denied, on November 1, any involvement in the October 29 serial bomb blasts in the Indian capital Delhi in which at least 62 people were killed and more than 155 injured. A LeT spokesperson told the local media in Jammu and Kashmir that allegations of involvement were ‘baseless and false’. "We do not believe in killing innocent people especially women and children. Our religion does not allow killing innocents. There is no way we can be linked to these bombings," the Kashmir News Service quoted a Lashkar spokesperson as saying in a statement.
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November - 8 
The Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, on November 8, promulgated the Societies Registration (Balochistan Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2005 in the province with immediate effect. Under the Ordinance, all Madrassas (seminaries) shall not operate without getting themselves registered. All seminar
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The Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, on November 8, promulgated the Societies Registration (Balochistan Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2005 in the province with immediate effect. Under the Ordinance, all Madrassas (seminaries) shall not operate without getting themselves registered. All seminaries, according to the Ordinance, shall submit an annual report of its educational activities to the Registrar. Every Madrassa is to carry out an audit of its accounts and submit a copy of its report to the Registrar. Under the law, no seminary shall teach or make public any literature, which promotes militancy or spreads sectarianism or religious hatred.
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November - 9 
Afghan and US forces have arrested a suspected suicide bomber who is allegedly from the neighbouring tribal region of Waziristan in Pakistan, according to AFP. "In a joint operation on Tuesday we arrested a Pakistani national who was attempting to carry out a suicide attack in Khost city," said Abdu
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Afghan and US forces have arrested a suspected suicide bomber who is allegedly from the neighbouring tribal region of Waziristan in Pakistan, according to AFP. "In a joint operation on Tuesday we arrested a Pakistani national who was attempting to carry out a suicide attack in Khost city," said Abdul Ghafar, top intelligence official in the eastern province of Khost. He added that the suspect was also connected to an incident last month in Khost when security forces seized an empty car filled with explosives that they said was to be used in an attack.
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November - 12 
The head of Afghanistan’s reconciliation commission has reportedly accused forces in Pakistan of propping up an insurgency being waged in the name of loyalists of the Taliban regime ousted four years ago. "We have not seen any direct military interference except from our Pakistani brothers… I don’t
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The head of Afghanistan’s reconciliation commission has reportedly accused forces in Pakistan of propping up an insurgency being waged in the name of loyalists of the Taliban regime ousted four years ago. "We have not seen any direct military interference except from our Pakistani brothers… I don’t know why they have not stopped their inhumane interference in Afghanistan so far," Sibghatullah Mojaddadi told reporters in Kabul on November 12. While President Musharraf might not be directly involved in supporting the militants, other groups such as the country’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and religious schools were, he said. "Pakistan or its ISI have given them (militants) plans to implement in Afghanistan, have provided them with weapons and facilities and warned them if they do not do it they will be handed over to Americans as al-Qaeda activists," he said.
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