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Pakistan
Statement:2011
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Date
Incidents
January - 3 
The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Kayani on January 3 said strong, stable and thriving Balochistan remained an utmost dream of the Army as it could help make Pakistan prosperous, reports Daily Times. He inaugurated a military college in Sui and also announced establishment of an educatio
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The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Kayani on January 3 said strong, stable and thriving Balochistan remained an utmost dream of the Army as it could help make Pakistan prosperous, reports Daily Times. He inaugurated a military college in Sui and also announced establishment of an education city. In his address, COAS spoke about various projects initiated by the Pakistan Army with the support of locals and the Provincial Government. He said 22,786 Baloch students were studying in educational institutions, which were being run by the Army and Frontier Corps.
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January - 6 
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on January 6 claimed responsibility for the assassination of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer saying that the "man who killed him was from among us," reported Indian Express. "We claim responsibility for the killing of Salmaan Taseer. The Punjab Governor was our target
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Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on January 6 claimed responsibility for the assassination of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer saying that the "man who killed him was from among us," reported Indian Express. "We claim responsibility for the killing of Salmaan Taseer. The Punjab Governor was our target and we have planned this programme and the man who killed him was from among us," Shakirullah Shakir, a spokesman for the fidayeen (suicide squads) group associated with Qari Hussain, said.
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January - 10 
Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani on January 10 said it was the collective obligation of the media to make efforts against extremism and not highlight the ideology and activities of extremists.
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Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani on January 10 said it was the collective obligation of the media to make efforts against extremism and not highlight the ideology and activities of extremists.
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January - 11 
Acknowledging that Pakistan has been the biggest victim of terrorism, the US Assistant Secretary of State Philip J Crowley on January 11 reaffirmed its resolve to assist Islamabad in addressing the challenge of violent extremism comprehensively, reports Daily Times. “We are trying to help Pakistan i
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Acknowledging that Pakistan has been the biggest victim of terrorism, the US Assistant Secretary of State Philip J Crowley on January 11 reaffirmed its resolve to assist Islamabad in addressing the challenge of violent extremism comprehensively, reports Daily Times. “We are trying to help Pakistan improve its government, and its relationship with its people, help Pakistan develop the tools and the strategy to combat extremism within its borders,” Assistant Secretary of State Philip J Crowley said at the daily briefing. He noted that extremism is, first and foremost, a threat to Pakistan itself and underscored the strategically located South Asian country’s key importance to regional stability. “There’s no country that has suffered more significantly from terrorism than Pakistan itself.” “It’s a strategic country. It is important in terms of regional stability, it’s important to the United States and others in terms of its links to extremism and the risk of terrorism that does affect all of us, including the United States. We are committed to a long-term partnership with Pakistan.”
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January - 11 
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Athar Abbas on January 11 said that Afghanistan-based militants are behind instability in Bajaur and Mohmand Agencies of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), reports Daily Times. Major General Athar Abbas said Islamabad had
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Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Athar Abbas on January 11 said that Afghanistan-based militants are behind instability in Bajaur and Mohmand Agencies of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), reports Daily Times. Major General Athar Abbas said Islamabad had informed Afghanistan officials about the activities of the terrorists on their soil and Pakistan had identified the areas, especially Kunar, where terrorists had their hideouts. Instability in Bajaur and Mohmand agencies and other areas bordering Afghanistan was caused by terrorists, who flee to Afghanistan after carrying out subversive activities, he said.
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January - 11 
Punjab Home Minister Rana Sanaullah on January 11 said that al Qaeda suspect Qari Saifullah Akhtar was not a terrorist, reports Express Tribune. Former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto accused Akhtar of being involved in an assassination attempt on her on October
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Punjab Home Minister Rana Sanaullah on January 11 said that al Qaeda suspect Qari Saifullah Akhtar was not a terrorist, reports Express Tribune. Former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto accused Akhtar of being involved in an assassination attempt on her on October 18, 2007, in Karachi, Sindh, but Punjab authorities released him for lack of evidence. Rana Sanaullah said. “So if he was released after being interrogated in two most sensitive cases, he cannot be termed a terrorist or accused of involvement in any case without existence of any other proof.”
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January - 13 
All major operations have successfully been completed in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and momentous success has been achieved, Peshawar Corps Commander Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik, said on January 14, reports Daily Times. Addressing the concluding ceremony of the five-day works
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All major operations have successfully been completed in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and momentous success has been achieved, Peshawar Corps Commander Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik, said on January 14, reports Daily Times. Addressing the concluding ceremony of the five-day workshop on human rights laws and rules of engagements, organised by the Army as part of its awareness, education and capacity building programmes for officers and soldiers, Malik said no force or Army could match Pakistan’s efforts, achievements and sacrifices in the war against terror. Hundreds of soldiers were martyred and thousands were injured in the war against terrorism, he said, adding, we have the resolve and strong determination to sacrifice more for the protection of our motherland. Malik said that more than eighty percent of the tribesmen want the Pakistan Army to stay in the Tribal Areas.
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January - 17 
Pakistan strongly denied such charges, and its Washington ambassador Husain Haqqani said the Eclipse report “had no basis whatsoever.” “Sometimes intelligence tips received by professionals turn out to be wrong. The story about Mullah Omar falls under that category,” he told The Washington Post.
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Pakistan strongly denied such charges, and its Washington ambassador Husain Haqqani said the Eclipse report “had no basis whatsoever.” “Sometimes intelligence tips received by professionals turn out to be wrong. The story about Mullah Omar falls under that category,” he told The Washington Post.
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January - 21 
A militant, identified as Abdul Wahab alias Omar, arrested in the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009 in Lahore confessed that the outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) had planned to take the visiting players hostage and bargain for the release of some of its detained members, Indian Expr
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A militant, identified as Abdul Wahab alias Omar, arrested in the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009 in Lahore confessed that the outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) had planned to take the visiting players hostage and bargain for the release of some of its detained members, Indian Express reported on January 21. Wahab revealed that the operation against the Sri Lankan team was planned from Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). "The operation was planned in Waziristan and there were 12 of us designated for this mission. I belonged to the Amjad Farooqi wing of LeJ," said Wahab, adding that “The purpose of the attack at the Liberty roundabout was to take the Sri Lankan players hostage. We were supposed to take them hostage and then our superiors would have bargained their release in exchange for some of our companions in their custody".
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January - 21 
Pakistan’s determined anti-terror effort has helped reduce effectiveness of core al Qaeda group operating along Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the US State Department acknowledged even as it voiced concern over the emerging threat from the terrorist outfits from the Arabian Peninsula, reports Daily Ti
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Pakistan’s determined anti-terror effort has helped reduce effectiveness of core al Qaeda group operating along Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the US State Department acknowledged even as it voiced concern over the emerging threat from the terrorist outfits from the Arabian Peninsula, reports Daily Times on January 21. “We believe that over 10 years, we have had significant successes. Thanks to our international efforts in Afghanistan and also thanks to a very determined effort by the Government and military in Pakistan, we have reduced the effectiveness of this core group of Bin Laden, Zawahiri, and others who are presumably holed up in the Tribal Areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Assistant Secretary of State Philip J Crowley said.
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January - 25 
United States (US) President Barack Obama adhering to his plan to begin drawdown of some American troops from Afghanistan in 2011 said on January 25 that al Qaeda havens along Pakistan-Afghanistan border are shrinking and fewer Afghans live under the Taliban control, after yearlong anti-terrorist op
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United States (US) President Barack Obama adhering to his plan to begin drawdown of some American troops from Afghanistan in 2011 said on January 25 that al Qaeda havens along Pakistan-Afghanistan border are shrinking and fewer Afghans live under the Taliban control, after yearlong anti-terrorist operations, stated Daily Times. “Their leaders and operatives are being removed from the battlefield. Their safe havens are shrinking,” Obama said of al Qaeda in Pakistan. He renewed his pledge to start withdrawing some of the nearly 100,000 US troops from Afghanistan in July 2011 and that NATO led forces would begin to hand over security duties to Afghan forces.
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February - 2 
Pak-Afghan border remains an "epicentre" of global terrorism, the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said on February 2, reports Indian Express. "The downside consequences of a nuclear-capable Pakistan that -- whose government collapses and is then in the hands of violent e
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Pak-Afghan border remains an "epicentre" of global terrorism, the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said on February 2, reports Indian Express. "The downside consequences of a nuclear-capable Pakistan that -- whose government collapses and is then in the hands of violent extremists or theocratic individuals is a huge, huge danger, globally and certainly for us," Admiral Mike Mullen said. Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee's Defence Sub Committee, Mullen stressed on the need to have increased dialogue with Pakistan because it is in the national interest of the United States.
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February - 8 
The US military issued its first new statement of strategy in seven years, moving beyond a focus on the war in Afghanistan to address the rise of China and other strategic challenges. The 2011 national military strategy, issued on February 8, vows to expand security cooperation with Pakistan and ena
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The US military issued its first new statement of strategy in seven years, moving beyond a focus on the war in Afghanistan to address the rise of China and other strategic challenges. The 2011 national military strategy, issued on February 8, vows to expand security cooperation with Pakistan and enable it to defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies operating in the region. “…. We will continue to erode Taliban influence, work with the Afghan government to facilitate reintegration and reconciliation of former insurgents, continue to strengthen the capacity of Afghan security forces, and enable Pakistan to ultimately defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies,” says the document.
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February - 9 
Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza has directed Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Salahuddin Babar Khattak to devise a comprehensive strategy for safeguarding the lives of citizens besides ensuing foolproof security at important Government and semi-Government offices, buildings, consulates and
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Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza has directed Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Salahuddin Babar Khattak to devise a comprehensive strategy for safeguarding the lives of citizens besides ensuing foolproof security at important Government and semi-Government offices, buildings, consulates and Police offices, reports Daily Times. Mirza directed Police to strengthen liaison with other law enforcement agencies, besides intensifying snap checking, police patrolling and rekey system in province.
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February - 10 
Leiter said LeT's previous attacks in Kashmir and India have had a destabilising effect on the region, increasing tension and brinkmanship between New Delhi and Islamabad. LeT, which has a well documented relationship with Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), has been involved in some of the major ter
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Leiter said LeT's previous attacks in Kashmir and India have had a destabilising effect on the region, increasing tension and brinkmanship between New Delhi and Islamabad. LeT, which has a well documented relationship with Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), has been involved in some of the major terrorist attacks in India, including the Mumbai terrorist attack, the attack on the Indian Parliament (December 13, 2001) and Akshardham Temple. “We are concerned that it is increasing its operational role in attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan,” he said. Besides LeT, the US is also focused on other outfits like al Qaeda, Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Haqqani network.
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February - 11 
Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was using charity services in the garb of extremism and gained support from Islamabad, United States (US) official said on February 11, reported The Hindu. “LeT has an enormous presence in Pakistan providing education, medical services and the like, which has ali
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Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was using charity services in the garb of extremism and gained support from Islamabad, United States (US) official said on February 11, reported The Hindu. “LeT has an enormous presence in Pakistan providing education, medical services and the like, which has aligned itself very closely with many in that region and gained support from the Government of Pakistan,” said Michael Leiter, Director of National Counterterrorism Centre.
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February - 13 
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on February 13 demanded that the Government execute Raymond Davis, suspected to be an undercover spy agent, who shot dead two persons on January 27, suspected to be Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agents or hand him over to them, reports Daily Times. “We deman
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The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on February 13 demanded that the Government execute Raymond Davis, suspected to be an undercover spy agent, who shot dead two persons on January 27, suspected to be Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agents or hand him over to them, reports Daily Times. “We demand that the Pakistani Government hang Raymond Davis or otherwise hand him over to us. We will decide his fate,” TTP spokesman Azam Tariq said, calling from an undisclosed location
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February - 16 
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta on February 16 said to US lawmakers that his country has a very complicated relationship with Pakistan and both the countries often have conflicting view point on different issues, reports Times of India. "I have to tell you that it (US-Pakista
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Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta on February 16 said to US lawmakers that his country has a very complicated relationship with Pakistan and both the countries often have conflicting view point on different issues, reports Times of India. "I have to tell you that it (US-Pakistan) is very complicated and it does involve oftentimes conflicting viewpoints of how we deal with issues," Panetta told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing of the senate select committee on intelligence. The relationship between Pakistan and the US is one of the most complicated relationships that he has seen in a long time, he said in response to a question. "On the one hand, obviously we are involved at targeting the leadership of al Qaeda there in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). And we do get the cooperation of the Pakistanis in that effort in trying to target those individuals that concern us and that threaten this country, and threaten their country as well," Panetta noted. "In addition to that we have gotten their cooperation on a military basis, being able to go into places like South Waziristan and have a military presence there, moving some troops from the Indian border for the purposes of doing that. And that has been appreciated as well," he added.
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February - 16 
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on February 16 said it is imperative that the Raymond Davis’ issue must not be allowed to make bilateral relations between the US and Pakistan hostage, and emphasised the need for positive messaging from both the sides to help build trust and confidence between them
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Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on February 16 said it is imperative that the Raymond Davis’ issue must not be allowed to make bilateral relations between the US and Pakistan hostage, and emphasised the need for positive messaging from both the sides to help build trust and confidence between them, reports Daily Times. The Prime Minister was talking to US Senator John Kerry, who called on him at the Prime’s Minister House. Reportedly, the US official also held separate meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif.
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February - 17 
Former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Raymond Davis, accused of killing two Pakistanis, does not have full diplomatic immunity. The Shah Mehmood Qureshi made the comments after meeting US Senator John Kerry who was in the country this week to try and resolve a bitter diplomatic row
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Former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Raymond Davis, accused of killing two Pakistanis, does not have full diplomatic immunity. The Shah Mehmood Qureshi made the comments after meeting US Senator John Kerry who was in the country this week to try and resolve a bitter diplomatic row over Davis’ fate. He, however, defended what he called his principled stand on the issue in his role as minister. “I was given a briefing by the experts in the Foreign Ministry who said that in their opinion the blanket immunity being demanded by the US embassy for Davis does not apply in this case,” Qureshi told a press conference. He said his opinion was also endorsed by the Interior Ministry.
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February - 17 
The United States Counter-terrorism Centre Director Michael Leiter on February 16 said that the Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), has the ability to strike in Europe or America, reports Daily Times. National Counter-terrorism Centre Director Michael Leiter told a Senate intelligence h
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The United States Counter-terrorism Centre Director Michael Leiter on February 16 said that the Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), has the ability to strike in Europe or America, reports Daily Times. National Counter-terrorism Centre Director Michael Leiter told a Senate intelligence hearing that there were indications that LeT, blamed for the 2008 attacks on Mumbai, was “expanding horizons beyond the region”. He said while the LeT had the capacity to attack elsewhere, “We have not yet seen those steps occur”. LeT has been banned in Pakistan, but the Pakistan Government is accused of lacking the will to crack down on the group. Leiter said another LeT attack on India could be a “very destabilising factor” in the region
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February - 18 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on February 18 said that Pakistan risks major instability at home and a hampered war effort in next-door Afghanistan if it does not implement reforms and stop fomenting anti-American sentiment, reports Daily Times. During a speech to the Asia Society in New York, C
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on February 18 said that Pakistan risks major instability at home and a hampered war effort in next-door Afghanistan if it does not implement reforms and stop fomenting anti-American sentiment, reports Daily Times. During a speech to the Asia Society in New York, Clinton said Pakistani cooperation was critical to the success of the fight against Taliban and al Qaeda extremists in neighbouring Afghanistan. She voiced hope that US-led military efforts would split Taliban from al Qaeda in Afghanistan, laying the groundwork for a lasting political settlement. She reaffirmed US plans to start reducing troops in July and complete the drawdown by the end of 2014 as Afghans take charge of their war-torn country.
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February - 20 
Pakistan on February 20 asserted that it was a responsible nuclear weapon state with “impeccable credentials and custodial controls of its strategic assets” after National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon voiced concerns at the Security of nuclear material and weapons in the neighbourhood, report
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Pakistan on February 20 asserted that it was a responsible nuclear weapon state with “impeccable credentials and custodial controls of its strategic assets” after National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon voiced concerns at the Security of nuclear material and weapons in the neighbourhood, reports The Hindu. Foreign Office spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua said it was important for all regional states to live up to their responsibilities on the basis of recognised norms to promote Asian security architecture. Maintaining that Pakistan was mindful of its responsibilities in the context of global peace and security — particularly in “our larger Asian neighbourhood” — she said Pakistan had made a sincere gesture in reaching out to India for promoting stability and peace in South Asia.
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February - 21 
General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said there were 23,322 Baloch students in schools run by the Army and Frontier Corps (FC) and a large number of students from Balochistan were also in reputed educational institutions across the country. Over 4,000 youths from the province have joined the Army and anothe
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General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said there were 23,322 Baloch students in schools run by the Army and Frontier Corps (FC) and a large number of students from Balochistan were also in reputed educational institutions across the country. Over 4,000 youths from the province have joined the Army and another 5,000 will be inducted this year. “With the induction of these youths from Balochistan, Pakistan Army will become a truly national Army,” he said. Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani praised the work being done by the Army for economic and social development of remote areas of the province.
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February - 21 
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on February 21 urged the intellectuals, religious scholars, academia and students to join hands in defeating the retrogressive forces and to preserve Pakistan’s identity and national ethos, reports Daily Times. Addressing the 58th Founder’s Day of the Sadiq Public S
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Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on February 21 urged the intellectuals, religious scholars, academia and students to join hands in defeating the retrogressive forces and to preserve Pakistan’s identity and national ethos, reports Daily Times. Addressing the 58th Founder’s Day of the Sadiq Public School, Gilani said “The retrogressive forces are adamant to impose their myopic and narrow-minded agenda,” the prime minister said and pointed that terrorism and extremism constituted a daunting challenge to the state and society. He termed it a battle of ideas rather than a physical fight, and said; “Through indiscriminate killing of humanity and resort to violence, the forces of conservatism and darkness want to push us to the Stone Age. These bigoted elements are also bringing the fair name of Islam into disrepute,” he warned.
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February - 21 
The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on February 21 said that the Army was not conducting any operation in Balochistan, reports Dawn. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Kassa Hills Marble Project, about 25 kilometres from Loralai town, he said Army troops were not d
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The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on February 21 said that the Army was not conducting any operation in Balochistan, reports Dawn. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Kassa Hills Marble Project, about 25 kilometres from Loralai town, he said Army troops were not deployed in the interior of the province, except one battalion in Sui and the personnel were restricted to the cantonment. The Army Chief said law and order was the basic requirement for development and prosperity.
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February - 22 
A joint team of three militant outfits are believed to be planning to target the Provinces’ Chief Ministers and Iranian diplomatic missions in the country, claims a letter issued by the National Crisis Management Cell in light of intelligence reports on February 22. Small factions of Jundullah, Hark
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A joint team of three militant outfits are believed to be planning to target the Provinces’ Chief Ministers and Iranian diplomatic missions in the country, claims a letter issued by the National Crisis Management Cell in light of intelligence reports on February 22. Small factions of Jundullah, Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami (HuJI) and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) have joined hands to carry out terrorist attacks. The Federal Interior Ministry has informed all the Provincial Governments about the threats and has asked them to take precautionary measures. The cell’s communiqué said that these groups are led by Hafiz Laiqullah (Jundullah), Hafiz Khursheed Bahadur (HuJI) and Abdullah alias Sher Alam Muavia (LeJ). According to reports, Hafiz Laiqullah is a resident of Karachi (Sindh) and commands a group of 13 militants. Bahadur lives in Muzaffarabad (PoK) and claims to enjoy the support of 11 cadres while Abdullah is from Bahawalpur ( Punjab) and leads seven members. The activists of these groups had been part of the Lashkar-e-Islami (LI) and the Sirajuddin Haqqani group and would now like to be known as leaders of their own groups, report the communiqué. The militant leaders are believed to have recently met at Khair-ul-Madaris in Multan (Punjab) and then at the residence of Qari Habibullah in Ziaul Haq Colony in Karachi in Sindh. They also met at the house of Hafiz Naimatullah alias Chota Qari Ilyas in Muzaffarabad.
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February - 22 
A Pakistani official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said allowing high-value targets to escape reflected a decision by the US since August 2010 to use greater caution in the drone strikes. A strike had destroyed a militant hideout in North Waziristan, killing 13 members of the Afghan Taliban
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A Pakistani official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said allowing high-value targets to escape reflected a decision by the US since August 2010 to use greater caution in the drone strikes. A strike had destroyed a militant hideout in North Waziristan, killing 13 members of the Afghan Taliban but also four women and three children who were living among them, according to Pakistani intelligence officials. The US officials said there had been no policy change and say there always had been occasions when the CIA decides not to fire at a target in the midst of civilians. Those officials would confirm only the Haqqani incident also cited two further occasions in the past year when missiles that had already been fired from drones were diverted off target to avoid killing civilians.
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February - 22 
On February 22 the US administration while commenting on media reports that the man was actually the head of a CIA operation in Pakistan said that Raymond Davis` activities in Pakistan do not affect his diplomatic immunity, reported Dawn. US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P. J. Cr
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On February 22 the US administration while commenting on media reports that the man was actually the head of a CIA operation in Pakistan said that Raymond Davis` activities in Pakistan do not affect his diplomatic immunity, reported Dawn. US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P. J. Crowley said, “We will not comment on his particular activity in Pakistan other than to say he’s a member of the administrative and technical staff of the embassy and has diplomatic immunity.” Both Crowley and the senior official said they understood why Pakistan found it difficult to resolve the issue. “We are very mindful of the difficulty that the Government of Pakistan faces in terms of public opinion in this case. It’s why we have, on an ongoing basis for the past month, engaged them constructively and forthrightly,” Crowley said. “Washington is not considering curtailing any military or economic assistance for Pakistan, but we remain concerned about him, and our message to Pakistan remains he should be released as soon as possible,” adding, “We’re building a strategic partnership with Pakistan. It’s important to the future of the region. It’s also important to the security of the US, we are engaging Pakistan in good faith. We want to see this resolved as soon as possible so it does not become an impediment in our relationship and it does not measurably interfere with the work we are doing together in fighting extremism that threatens Pakistan and us.”
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February - 22 
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) lost a chance IN 2010 to kill Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of an anti-American terrorist network that is closely linked to al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban, when it chose not to fire a missile at him from a predator drone because women and children were nearby, r
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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) lost a chance IN 2010 to kill Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of an anti-American terrorist network that is closely linked to al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban, when it chose not to fire a missile at him from a predator drone because women and children were nearby, reported Daily Times quoting Chicago Tribune on February 22. The incident was one of at least three occasions in the past six months when a militant was identified on video and a shot was available, but United States (US) officials decided not to fire in an effort to avoid civilian casualties, said a senior Pakistani official familiar with the drone programme.
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February - 23 
Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik on February 23 informed the National Assembly (NA) that a new strategy was being evolved to tackle the issue of terrorism in a more effective manner, Daily Times. Under the new mechanism, which would be introduced within a few days, there would be a proper c
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Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik on February 23 informed the National Assembly (NA) that a new strategy was being evolved to tackle the issue of terrorism in a more effective manner, Daily Times. Under the new mechanism, which would be introduced within a few days, there would be a proper check on foreign scholarships offered to students here, visits of Pakistani artists to other countries and particulars of representatives of foreign companies and non-governmental organisations operating in Pakistan, he said while speaking on floor of the House. It would be mandatory for all foreign companies operating in Pakistan to submit an affidavit containing details of their employees and activities, he added. He said that all these security measures are to be made legitimate and the ministry would start implementing them within a week. Malik said that the leaders of banned organisations, like Ayman al-Zawahiri of Ikhwan-Ul-Muslimeen in Egypt, are fighting in this region, adding that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) are also involved in terrorist activities in the region, and when he warned them, they fixed PKR 500 million as his head money. He also informed the House that five terrorists, including Brahmdagh Bugti, grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti, have been trained in Afghanistan to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan, adding, “We would continue aggressive action against terrorists to establish peace in the country”.
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February - 23 
India on February 23 said involvement of ‘state actors' in Pakistan with terrorist outfits has come to light on a number of occasions, including in the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks (also known as 26/11), and terror infrastructure continues to exist in that country, Times of India reports.
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India on February 23 said involvement of ‘state actors' in Pakistan with terrorist outfits has come to light on a number of occasions, including in the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks (also known as 26/11), and terror infrastructure continues to exist in that country, Times of India reports. "Inputs from central security agencies and through various open sources confirm that terrorist infrastructure continues to exist in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by way of numerous training camps, communication centres and launching pads," Minister of State for Home Gurudas Kamat told Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) in reply to a question. Kamat, in his written response, said: "The involvement of state actors with these terrorist outfits has come to light on a number of occasions and also in 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai." He said the Government continues to be alert to these threats and has re-calibrated its measures to combat terrorism by way of reviewing threat perceptions and a number of important decisions and measures have been taken. These steps include augmenting the strength of Central Para Military Forces, effective border management through border fencing, flood lighting, deployment of surveillance equipment, legally enabling deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in joint venture and private industrial undertakings, establishment of National Security Guard hubs at Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai and tighter immigration control. Replying to another question, Kamat said India has consistently emphasised to Pakistan the need to implement its solemn commitments, including those given at the highest level, that it would not permit the territory under its control to be used to support terrorism against India in any manner.
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February - 24 
A Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ‘commander’, Maulana Abdul Khaliq Haqqani, on February 24 warned the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) against freeing Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent Raymond Davis who is facing double murder charge for killing two Pakistani nationals in Lahore, reports Daily
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A Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ‘commander’, Maulana Abdul Khaliq Haqqani, on February 24 warned the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) against freeing Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent Raymond Davis who is facing double murder charge for killing two Pakistani nationals in Lahore, reports Daily Times. “Raymond is killer of Pakistanis and tribal people. We will pick one by one PPP leaders if the American was released,” Maulana Abdul Khaliq Haqqani said in a press statement. He warned that the PPP leaders at provincial, District and town level would be targeted if Davis was released under pressure. “Hand him over to us if the Government is hesitant to punish him for his crime,” Maulana Abdul Khaliq Haqqani demanded.
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February - 25 
Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentarian Lieutenant General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch alleged that the security agencies are behind the abduction and killing of political workers and national activists in Balochistan. Abdul Qadir Baloch, who served as the Army's corps commander in Quet
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Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentarian Lieutenant General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch alleged that the security agencies are behind the abduction and killing of political workers and national activists in Balochistan. Abdul Qadir Baloch, who served as the Army's corps commander in Quetta and was also Governor of Balochistan, made the allegation while speaking in Parliament. "If not the agencies then who are the people responsible for daily abduction and mutilated bodies found in streets almost every other day? And if not the agencies, why are these people not being apprehended and tried in the courts of law?" Baloch asked.
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February - 28 
Prime Minster (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani on February 28 alleged that there was solid evidence that foreign elements and powers were involved in aggravating the situation in Balochistan, reports Daily Times. Delivering policy statement in the National Assembly on the law and order situation in Balochist
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Prime Minster (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani on February 28 alleged that there was solid evidence that foreign elements and powers were involved in aggravating the situation in Balochistan, reports Daily Times. Delivering policy statement in the National Assembly on the law and order situation in Balochistan, the PM said, “We have started the process (of compensation for Baloch people) and coming generations will complete it.” He said leaders like Haribyar and Brahmdagh had taken political asylum in Europe and one Allah Nazar was promoting extremism and giving instructions to the miscreants. He said war in Afghanistan had provided an opportunity to the Baloch youth to get military training in neighbouring countries, which was fuelling terrorism in the province. He also said that target killing of settlers in Balochistan could not be overlooked, as it had further aggravated law and order situation. He said solid proofs had been found that organisations like Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were involved in target killings. Acknowledging that a sense of deprivation prevails in Balochistan, the PM said that the Government had presented the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan (beginning of the rights of Balochistan) package to address these concerns. Long inter-tribal feuds and mutual differences cannot be ruled out when causes to worsening security situation and discouraging developmental schemes in Balochistan were counted, he said. Gilani also said the Federal Government had recruited 6,000 Baloch youth in police and allocated PKR 5.15 billion in this regard and PKR 3.4 billion had been spent till December 2010. He said that 10,000 to 15,000 youth from Balochistan would be trained under the National Internship Programme besides giving them relaxation in education and age.
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March - 1 
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that the Law Enforcement Agencies arrested a high-profile terrorist who wanted to hit Islamabad by rockets from the Margalla Hills in Islamabad.
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Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that the Law Enforcement Agencies arrested a high-profile terrorist who wanted to hit Islamabad by rockets from the Margalla Hills in Islamabad.
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March - 1 
United States (US) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Congress on March 1 not to cut US aid to Pakistan as lawmakers raised concerns about continued incarceration of a Central Investigation Agency (CIA) contractor, Raymond Davis in Lahore, Punjab, states Dawn. “Equally important is our assista
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United States (US) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Congress on March 1 not to cut US aid to Pakistan as lawmakers raised concerns about continued incarceration of a Central Investigation Agency (CIA) contractor, Raymond Davis in Lahore, Punjab, states Dawn. “Equally important is our assistance to Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation with strong ties and interests in Afghanistan,” Secretary Clinton said.
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March - 2 
Britain announced on March 2 it was doubling its development aid for Pakistan over the next four years to £446 million a year by 2015, but tied the increase to Islamabad’s progress on the reform agenda, reports Dawn. British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson said that the planned increase i
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Britain announced on March 2 it was doubling its development aid for Pakistan over the next four years to £446 million a year by 2015, but tied the increase to Islamabad’s progress on the reform agenda, reports Dawn. British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson said that the planned increase in aid was meant to “unlock the potential” of Pakistani youth and as such a large amount of the assistance would be directed to deal with the “education emergency” by getting over four million children into schools, recruiting and training 90,000 new teachers and providing more than 6 million textbooks.
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March - 2 
President Asif Ali Zardari said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Government will not be deterred by extremists and militants and continue the fight against them till final victory.
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President Asif Ali Zardari said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Government will not be deterred by extremists and militants and continue the fight against them till final victory.
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March - 2 
the British Broadcasting Corporation reported that it received a four month old video recording of murdered Shahbaz Bhatti in which the politician said he had been threatened by religious extremists but was not afraid to die. In the message, Bhatti says he has received threats from the Taliban and a
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the British Broadcasting Corporation reported that it received a four month old video recording of murdered Shahbaz Bhatti in which the politician said he had been threatened by religious extremists but was not afraid to die. In the message, Bhatti says he has received threats from the Taliban and al Qaeda, but will not stop “speaking for the oppressed and marginalised Christians and other minorities”.
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March - 3 
a Lashkar (tribal militia) fighting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Adezai outskirts of Peshawar has threatened it would stop its fight if the Government does not issue the militia ration and ammunition within one week. Dilawar Khan, chief of the Adezai Qaumi Lashkar, told a press confer
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a Lashkar (tribal militia) fighting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Adezai outskirts of Peshawar has threatened it would stop its fight if the Government does not issue the militia ration and ammunition within one week. Dilawar Khan, chief of the Adezai Qaumi Lashkar, told a press conference that the Government had “an ambiguous policy” about the TTP in Adezai and accused local legislators of supporting the TTP. “The local MPA (member of provincial assembly) and MNA (member of national assembly) of Awami National Party (ANP) do not support the volunteers of lashkar against the TTP as they don’t belong to their party,” he alleged. He said the tribes of Adezai formed the lashkar in 2008 on the instruction of Government. “Our 47 people including former chief of lashkar Haji Abdul Malik and several commanders have been killed in blasts, attacks and exchange of fire with militants so far,” he said. He said that at the time of lashkar formation, Capital City Police Officer Suleman and former commissioner Azam Khan had assured them that they would be provided with ration, arms and ammunition, adding, “But the commitment has yet to materialised.”
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March - 4 
Senior Minister of Provincial Assembly Bashir Ahmed Bilour said that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) coming to the Peshawar, mainly from Mohmand, Khyber and Orakzai Agencies are creating serious problems for the law enforcement agencies. He said that the people were renting out their houses to t
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Senior Minister of Provincial Assembly Bashir Ahmed Bilour said that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) coming to the Peshawar, mainly from Mohmand, Khyber and Orakzai Agencies are creating serious problems for the law enforcement agencies. He said that the people were renting out their houses to the IDPs without any verification, adding that sabotage activities would continue unless the displaced people were sent back to their hometowns. Mr Bilour said that police had arrested many suspected terrorists but there were a lot more who had spread in various localities of Peshawar and were carrying out sabotage acts, adding that it was also duty of the local people to cooperate with police to arrest such elements.
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March - 6 
the Khyber Agency Political Agent Shafeerullah Khan said that a full-fledged military operation would be launched in Bara areas very soon in order to purge the area of militants and anti-social elements. Talking to local elders at the launching of plantation campaign in Khyber Agency, he said that t
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the Khyber Agency Political Agent Shafeerullah Khan said that a full-fledged military operation would be launched in Bara areas very soon in order to purge the area of militants and anti-social elements. Talking to local elders at the launching of plantation campaign in Khyber Agency, he said that the ongoing military operation was confined only to search operation. He said that the Government was ready to remove any misconception in the minds of ordinary tribesmen about the newly established Agency Development Council.
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March - 7 
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain on March 7 said that 98 per cent terrorists, arrested after hectic efforts and sacrifices of law enforcement agencies, are released by the judiciary owing to lack of evidence, reports Dawn. He appealed to the courts to
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The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain on March 7 said that 98 per cent terrorists, arrested after hectic efforts and sacrifices of law enforcement agencies, are released by the judiciary owing to lack of evidence, reports Dawn. He appealed to the courts to award capital punishment to all arrested terrorists as they became more dangerous for society after release. He was addressing the oath taking ceremony of the newly elected office-bearers of Peshawar Press Club in Chief Minister’s House. "The government and law enforcement agencies are fighting militancy in an organised manner but now it is up to judiciary to award exemplary punishment to terrorists arrested during operations," the minister said. He added that Government increased the number of Police personnel from 40,000 to 80,000 and also provided them with heavy weapons. He said that Government was spending a huge amount on security to protect people of the province. He also appreciated role of media in the war against terrorism
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March - 8 
the Pakistan Army for the first time gave the official version of US drone attacks in the FATA and said that most of those killed were hardcore al Qaeda, Afghan Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and a fairly large number of them were of foreign origin. General Officer Commanding
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the Pakistan Army for the first time gave the official version of US drone attacks in the FATA and said that most of those killed were hardcore al Qaeda, Afghan Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and a fairly large number of them were of foreign origin. General Officer Commanding 7th Division Major General Ghayoor Mehmood said in a briefing that “Myths and rumours about US predator strikes and the casualty figures are many, but it’s a reality that many of those being killed in these strikes are hardcore elements, a sizeable number of them foreigners. “Yes there are a few civilian casualties in such precision strikes, but a majority of those eliminated are terrorists, including foreign terrorist elements.” The Army’s 7th Division’s official paper on the attacks till March 7 said that between 2007 and 2011 about 164 predator strikes had been carried out and over 964 terrorists had been killed. Of those killed, 793 were locals and 171 foreigners, including Arabs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Chechens, Filipinos and Moroccans. In 2007, one missile strike left one militant dead while the year 2010 was the deadliest when the attacks had left more than 423 terrorists dead. In 2008, 23 drone strikes killed 152 militants, 12 of them were foreigners or affiliated with al Qaeda. In 2009, around 20 predator strikes were carried out, killing 179 militants, including 20 foreigners, and in the following year 423 militants, including 133 foreigners, were killed in 103 strikes. In attacks till March 7, 2011, 39 militants, including five foreigners, were killed. Further, Major General Ghayoor, who is in-charge of troops in North Waziristan Agency, admitted that the drone attacks had negative fallout, scaring the local population and causing their migration to other places. In addition, Major General Ghayoor said that “Well we have over 820 checkposts along the border to stop militant movement and there is strict vigilance, but unfrequented routes are an exception for which alternate means, including intelligence-sharing between coalition troops and the Army, are in place.”
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March - 9 
250 clerics from around 18 countries have declared suicide attacks as haram (forbidden), Daily Times reported on March 9. They issued the declaration on the occasion of the three-day-long Seerat-ul-Nabi (Peace Be upon Him) conference in Lahore, which was also attended by several Pakistani clerics be
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250 clerics from around 18 countries have declared suicide attacks as haram (forbidden), Daily Times reported on March 9. They issued the declaration on the occasion of the three-day-long Seerat-ul-Nabi (Peace Be upon Him) conference in Lahore, which was also attended by several Pakistani clerics belonging to different schools of thought. The clerics issued a joint statement at the end of the conference, in which they termed the suicide attacks as “a plan to destroy the State’s infrastructure” and a “well planned conspiracy against Islam”. The clerics also pointed out the need of establishing a committee, consisting of clerics and scholars, to review the 1961 laws. They also emphasised on the selection of academic syllabus of the madrassas according to the demands of the modern era, the channel reported.
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March - 10 
Jama’at Ulema Pakistan-Noorani (JUP-N) announced on March 10 its support for the militants fighting against the United States (US) led NATO forces in Afghanistan, reports Dawn. JUP-N Secretary General Qari Zawwar Bahadur said his party stood with the “Mujahideen” (holy warrior) resisting US invasio
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Jama’at Ulema Pakistan-Noorani (JUP-N) announced on March 10 its support for the militants fighting against the United States (US) led NATO forces in Afghanistan, reports Dawn. JUP-N Secretary General Qari Zawwar Bahadur said his party stood with the “Mujahideen” (holy warrior) resisting US invasion of Afghanistan
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March - 11 
The Army on March 11 assured the Government its full support on the talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), reports Daily Times. This assurance was held out in a meeting that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired to review national security. According to sources, the dialogue process with the
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The Army on March 11 assured the Government its full support on the talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), reports Daily Times. This assurance was held out in a meeting that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired to review national security. According to sources, the dialogue process with the TTP was discussed during the meeting. The military leadership provided assurance that the decisions of the government would be implemented. The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam. Earlier, the Prime Minister held a one-on-one meeting with the Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and Nisar Ali Khan briefed the prime minister during the meeting.
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March - 17 
Reacting to the deadly drone attack on a traditional jirga (tribal council) on March 17 in the Datta Khel of North Waziristan Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) that killed 41 civilians, the tribal elders on March 18 announced waging jihad (holy war) against the US and its allies,
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Reacting to the deadly drone attack on a traditional jirga (tribal council) on March 17 in the Datta Khel of North Waziristan Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) that killed 41 civilians, the tribal elders on March 18 announced waging jihad (holy war) against the US and its allies, reports Dawn. Speaking during a hurriedly called press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, head of the North Waziristan’s Peace Committee Malik Jalal Sarhadi Wazir described the March 17’s drone attack as a barbaric and inhuman act against innocent people. He urged the tribesmen to stand up against the atrocities of US and its stooges, who had been indulging in worst type of human rights violation. "We have allowed our youth to carry out suicide attacks on Americans and we will show to the world how to take revenge for the atrocities on our tribesmen," the tribal elder said and added that they were now compelled to wage jihad against the US and its agents sitting in the country.
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March - 18 
The US led NATO commander in Afghanistan General David Petraeus said ON March 18 that it was ‘hugely important’ that Pakistani Army take action against terrorists in North Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), reports Daily Times. General David Petraeus credited Islamabad
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The US led NATO commander in Afghanistan General David Petraeus said ON March 18 that it was ‘hugely important’ that Pakistani Army take action against terrorists in North Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), reports Daily Times. General David Petraeus credited Islamabad with battling terrorists elsewhere but said the campaign needed to move to North Waziristan, where members of the al Qaeda and Haqqani networks are based. "The fact is that it’s hugely important that there’s a campaign in northern Waziristan that is putting enormous pressure on the al Qaeda sanctuaries there," Petraeus said at a conference in Washington. US officials have long urged Pakistan to crack down on terrorists in North Waziristan but the country’s military commanders have said their forces are already stretched fighting the insurgents in nearby areas.
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March - 18 
the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) threatened to avenge the death of innocent people in the drone strikes. A statement issued by TTP ‘spokesman’ Ihsanullah Ihsan said the attack was a ‘blind retaliatory’ operation launched by the US government in revenge for imprisonment of Raymond Davis in Lahore
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the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) threatened to avenge the death of innocent people in the drone strikes. A statement issued by TTP ‘spokesman’ Ihsanullah Ihsan said the attack was a ‘blind retaliatory’ operation launched by the US government in revenge for imprisonment of Raymond Davis in Lahore.
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March - 20 
Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) protested against the drone attacks in North Waziristan Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) on March 20 and said that if drone attacks were not brought to an end, he would end the peace deal with the Government, reports Da
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Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) protested against the drone attacks in North Waziristan Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) on March 20 and said that if drone attacks were not brought to an end, he would end the peace deal with the Government, reports Dawn. "The peace agreement was made for the establishment of peace in the region but the people of North Waziristan Agency are continuously being targeted with drone attacks and now the jirga’s are not even safe," said Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s spokesperson.
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March - 22 
The parliamentary delegation on Kashmir led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will soon visit Belgium, Germany and Poland to lobby for support on the Kashmir issue, Times of India reported on March 22. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has approved visits to the three countries by
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The parliamentary delegation on Kashmir led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will soon visit Belgium, Germany and Poland to lobby for support on the Kashmir issue, Times of India reported on March 22. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has approved visits to the three countries by a six-member delegation "to win their support on the Kashmir issue," said a statement issued by Prime Minister Office. Besides Rehman, the other members of the delegation are parliamentarians Muhammad Yousuf Talpur, Attiya Inayatullah, Ayaz Sadiq and Ramesh Lal. A member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference will also be part of the delegation, the statement added.
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March - 24 
A terrorist plotting to target the ongoing cricket World Cup has been arrested, Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik claimed on March 24, reports Times of India. He said there was a "serious attempt" at carrying out a terrorist attack during the ongoing cricket tournament and that a terrorist w
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A terrorist plotting to target the ongoing cricket World Cup has been arrested, Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik claimed on March 24, reports Times of India. He said there was a "serious attempt" at carrying out a terrorist attack during the ongoing cricket tournament and that a terrorist was arrested. Rehman Malik, who did not identify the nationality or the affiliation of the alleged terrorist, made the revelation at a joint briefing with Interpol chief Ronald Noble in Islamabad, saying that the International Police Organisation had helped to uncover the plot. New Delhi had been informed of the plot, the Pakistan interior minister said, as he also claimed that the Taliban had spread its tentacles to India.
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March - 25 
Federal minister for Interior Rehman Malik disclosed on March 25 that the Government has arrested the militants who plotted the conspiracy to murder Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007 and those who executed it, reports Dawn. He said after the PPP’s Central
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Federal minister for Interior Rehman Malik disclosed on March 25 that the Government has arrested the militants who plotted the conspiracy to murder Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007 and those who executed it, reports Dawn. He said after the PPP’s Central Executive Committee briefing details would be made public. “We have achieved our goal of uncovering the whole conspiracy and people behind the assassination.” said Malik, adding, “The terrorist arrested in connection with a plot to carry out attacks during the Cricket World Cup was a national of Maldives.”
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March - 25 
Quoting Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, Dawn reported on March 25 that Pakistan had limited options after the September 1, 2001 debacle and took a decision to join the coalition against terrorism to avoid an international isolation. Addressing Rotary Peace and Goodwill Conference, Kasuri s
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Quoting Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, Dawn reported on March 25 that Pakistan had limited options after the September 1, 2001 debacle and took a decision to join the coalition against terrorism to avoid an international isolation. Addressing Rotary Peace and Goodwill Conference, Kasuri said terrorist attacks in the United States (US) and its aftermaths in terms of American policies directly impacted South Asia. With the Bush administration embarking upon War on Terror, greater attention was focused on South and South West Asia by the US and the world powers. Pakistan believes that the United Nation (UN) can provide global responses to nuclear non-proliferation, counterterrorism, international economic cooperation and climate change.
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March - 25 
Sajid Hussain Turi, the Member of National Assembly from Kurram Agency, has said that the attack on the minibus proved that the agreement signed by the two warring tribes on February 5 is a useless document. The attack on passengers by terrorists was a failure of security agencies and a serious brea
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Sajid Hussain Turi, the Member of National Assembly from Kurram Agency, has said that the attack on the minibus proved that the agreement signed by the two warring tribes on February 5 is a useless document. The attack on passengers by terrorists was a failure of security agencies and a serious breach of the Amman Jirga (peace deal) that the Sunni and Shia tribes had signed, he added. “According to the agreement Sunni tribes would be held responsible for an attack on the Shia community carried out in their territory and vice versa. Since the signing of the deal, the Shia community has been attacked six times in Sunni-dominated areas. Who is responsible now? If we are not Pakistanis then we will have to decide our future course of action,” Sajid Hussain Turi said.
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March - 27 
Maldives Police on March 27 released Iqbal Mohamed suspected of plotting an attack on the Cricket World Cup taking place in South Asia, reports Daily Times. Iqbal was arrested on March 10 as he arrived at Male International Airport from Pakistan following a tip-off from the international Police org
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Maldives Police on March 27 released Iqbal Mohamed suspected of plotting an attack on the Cricket World Cup taking place in South Asia, reports Daily Times. Iqbal was arrested on March 10 as he arrived at Male International Airport from Pakistan following a tip-off from the international Police organisation, Interpol. Federal Minister for Minister Rehman Malik and Interpol chief Ronald Noble announced the arrest last week, with Malik saying a “serious attempt” at an attack had been foiled.
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March - 29 
About 90 per cent of Orakzai Agency has been cleared of militants and the internally displaced people should now quickly return to the safe areas, said Orakzai Political Agent Riaz Khan Masud said on March 29, reports Dawn.
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About 90 per cent of Orakzai Agency has been cleared of militants and the internally displaced people should now quickly return to the safe areas, said Orakzai Political Agent Riaz Khan Masud said on March 29, reports Dawn.
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March - 31 
Chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VFBMP) said on March 31 that as many as 121 bullet-riddled bodies have been recovered from different parts of Balochistan in the past eight months, reported The Express Tribune. “We set up hunger strike camps in Karachi, Islamabad and Quetta in order
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Chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VFBMP) said on March 31 that as many as 121 bullet-riddled bodies have been recovered from different parts of Balochistan in the past eight months, reported The Express Tribune. “We set up hunger strike camps in Karachi, Islamabad and Quetta in order to highlight the deteriorating human rights conditions in Balochistan where people are being picked up by Security Forces (SFs) and kept in safe houses illegally,” said Nasrullah Baloch.
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March - 31 
During a visit to India in 2007, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had hinted at offering his services as a mediator between the US and Taliban, Dawn quoting diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks reported on April 1. The cables published by the Indian daily The Hindu sa
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During a visit to India in 2007, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had hinted at offering his services as a mediator between the US and Taliban, Dawn quoting diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks reported on April 1. The cables published by the Indian daily The Hindu say that US Assistant Political Counsellor Atul Keshap reported on May 3, 2007, that officials had met on April 27, 2007 Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind (JUiH) leader Mahmood Madani and Pandit N. K. Sharma, who claimed close ties with the Gandhi family, after Maulana Fazl visited New Delhi from April 22 to 26. Madani said that Maulana Fazl wanted to discuss Taliban reconciliation as well as his position in Pakistani politics with US diplomats, but only outside Pakistan. “Madani explained that Rehman was interested in acting as a go-between for the United States, to negotiate with the Taliban in order to bring them into the mainstream and peacefully into politics in Afghanistan. Madani said many of the Taliban were just caught up in the conflict and did not have a way out of it. Which Taliban members were willing to be involved and under what circumstances would have to be worked out in the negotiations,” the report said.
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April - 3 
The voluntary repatriation of internally displaced families from the conflict-hit Bajaur and Mohmand Agency will start from April 11, reports Dawn. The FATA Disaster Management Authority said that the programme of voluntary return would continue till May 20. However, officials said that none of the
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The voluntary repatriation of internally displaced families from the conflict-hit Bajaur and Mohmand Agency will start from April 11, reports Dawn. The FATA Disaster Management Authority said that the programme of voluntary return would continue till May 20. However, officials said that none of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) would be forced to leave the camps, set up for them in Jalozai and Risalpur. Presently around 15,000 IDP families have been residing in these camps. The plan of voluntary repatriation is also applicable to around 65,000 displaced families living off-camps. “The return of these IDPs will be in accordance with international standards, which does not allow forced return,” said Allah Dad Khan, in-charge of Jalozai camp, situated around 10 kilometres off the G.T. Road from Pabbi town. Further, the Director General of FATA Disaster Management Authority, Arshad Khan, also said that they had finalised arrangements so that all Bajaur and Mohmand IDPs, who left their homes as a result of operation against militants in their respective areas, could go back with honour and respect. According to FATA Disaster Management Authority, the number of displaced families from Bajaur Agency are 50,000 whereas the displaced families from Mohmand Agency are over 30, 800. The IDPs living off-camps include 37,000 families from Bajaur and around 29,000 families from Mohmand. Mr Allah Dad said that Jalozai camp, the largest of all, housed over 13,000 displaced families from Bajaur and over 1,500 families from Mohmand Agency. The same camp also provides shelter to over 4,000 families belonging to Bara, Khyber Agency, but so far that area had not been cleared by the SFs and no returning plan has been announced for them.
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April - 5 
A new White House Report warned on April 5 that Pakistan still has no clear path to triumph over insurgents, and said Afghanistan’s Taliban was turning more and more to soft civilian targets, reports Dawn. The semi-annual White House Report to Congress is designed to judge progress or otherwise towa
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A new White House Report warned on April 5 that Pakistan still has no clear path to triumph over insurgents, and said Afghanistan’s Taliban was turning more and more to soft civilian targets, reports Dawn. The semi-annual White House Report to Congress is designed to judge progress or otherwise towards key objectives of the war in Afghanistan and operations against al Qaeda in Pakistan, now nearly a decade old. The report noted a deterioration of the situation in inhospitable Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in northwest Pakistan alongside the Afghanistan border between January and March of 2011. It details an operation in Mohmand Agency and Bajaur Agency in the areas that started in January to clear insurgent strongholds —the third time in two years that the Pakistani army has attempted to complete the task. “What remains vexing is the lack of any indication of ‘hold’ and ‘build’ planning or staging efforts to complement ongoing clearing operations,” the report said. “As such there remains no clear path to defeating the insurgency in Pakistan, despite the unprecedented and sustained deployment of over 147,000 forces.” The report also however noted the “tremendous human sacrifices” made by Pakistani forces in the region.
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April - 6 
Expressing apprehension that the United States is being "taken for suckers" and "looked at as patsies" by Pakistan, two American lawmakers on April 6 called for strengthening ties with India even as a White House report gave a harshly critical assessment of Islamabad's effort to defeat extremism, re
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Expressing apprehension that the United States is being "taken for suckers" and "looked at as patsies" by Pakistan, two American lawmakers on April 6 called for strengthening ties with India even as a White House report gave a harshly critical assessment of Islamabad's effort to defeat extremism, reports Times of India. "After 10 years of hearing the same sales pitch I tend to doubt it. I doubt that our money is buying anything that's deep or durable," New York Congressman Gary Ackerman said at a hearing. "I doubt the leaders in the Afghanistan Government and the Pakistani Government are going to do anything except pursue their own narrow, venal self interests. I doubt the ISI will ever stop working with us during the day and going to see their not-so-secret friends in the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) or Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and other terrorist groups at night."In addition, his California colleague Dana Rohrabacher went even further back to frame the situation in a historical context. "I've been hearing that for 50 years. And I will tell you, a realistic relationship, rather than basing the relationship on wishful thinking, is what will bring about peace in that part of the world. What we've had is wishful thinking and what I call irrational optimism," he said at a hearing called to assess U.S foreign policy priorities in South Asia. Still, administration officials defended Washington's outreach to Pakistan, insisting that the country is vital to US national security interests and suggesting the U.S had no other options. But lawmakers were not convinced. Both Rohrabacher and Ackerman, who described U.S ties with New Delhi as the "one shining light" and "brightest light" respectively of the administration's foreign policy pressed for greater emphasis on India. "I would hope that we have the intelligence to work and to make sure that India is our best friend in that part of the world," Rohrabacher said, offering his contrast between the two countries. "The fact is that Pakistan is committed to Islam...India is dedicated to prosperity for their people."
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April - 6 
The use of terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) by Inter Services Intelligence came in for a lambasting at the House of Representatives during a hearing on April 6 on foreign policy priorities and needs amidst economic challenges in South Asia, reports The Hindu. In a well-attended hearing at
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The use of terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) by Inter Services Intelligence came in for a lambasting at the House of Representatives during a hearing on April 6 on foreign policy priorities and needs amidst economic challenges in South Asia, reports The Hindu. In a well-attended hearing at the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill, members of the Congress pressed top Obama administration officials on the core question of why, after USD 20 billion had been pumped into Pakistan over the last decade and over a billion dollars had been supplied under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill, anti-American sentiment in Pakistan was still so strong. Putting it bluntly, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Chabot, Republican of Ohio, said, “The question is basically we spent all this money and they still hate us. What should we do about that?” Congressman Chabot also added that despite efforts “the fact remains that Pakistani and U.S. strategic interests diverge on certain issues — especially those concerning Islamist terrorist groups like LeT, which the Pakistani ISI continues to view as a strategic asset vis-a-vis India.”
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April - 7 
Pakistan on April 7 rejected the highly critical US White House report of its efforts to defeat Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, saying it would not be held accountable for US-led failures in Afghanistan, reports Daily Times. “I would like to categorically state that we do not share the assessment of
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Pakistan on April 7 rejected the highly critical US White House report of its efforts to defeat Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, saying it would not be held accountable for US-led failures in Afghanistan, reports Daily Times. “I would like to categorically state that we do not share the assessment of the US,” Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua told reporters at a weekly briefing in response to a question on the White House document. “The references to Pakistan are unwarranted,” she said. “Pakistan should not be held accountable for the failings of coalition strategy in Afghanistan. Pakistan has a clear strategy in dealing with this and other issues and solely be guided by its own national interest,” added the spokesperson.
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April - 8 
Umar Fidayee (14), the teenage suicide bomber who was arrested as an accomplice to suicide attackers of the shrine of Sufi saint Ahmed Sultan, popularly known as Sakhi Sarwar, in Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab on April 3, confessed that up to 400 suicide bombers are being trained in North Waziri
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Umar Fidayee (14), the teenage suicide bomber who was arrested as an accomplice to suicide attackers of the shrine of Sufi saint Ahmed Sultan, popularly known as Sakhi Sarwar, in Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab on April 3, confessed that up to 400 suicide bombers are being trained in North Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Daily Times reported on April 9. He made the remarks in an interview aired on April 8 from his hospital bedside, where he is being treated after detonating a hand grenade. “I was trained for two months and saw many boys being trained there,” he said, going on to appeal on Pakistanis to “please forgive me”. “God has given me a new life but I am sad that we killed innocent people, innocent children,” he added.
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April - 9 
A total of 3,169 people have been killed and 6,540 others injured in 2,488 terrorist attacks in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) during the past three years, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said in a written reply to a question in the Senate or upper house of Parliament on April 9, report
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A total of 3,169 people have been killed and 6,540 others injured in 2,488 terrorist attacks in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) during the past three years, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said in a written reply to a question in the Senate or upper house of Parliament on April 9, reports Times of India. Rehman Malik said that 1,579 people were killed in 2008-09 while another 1,590 lost their lives in 2009-10. There were 1,157 acts of terrorism during 2008-09 and 1,331 incidents of terror during 2009-10. The rest of the incidents occurred 2011 year. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bore the brunt of suicide attacks, which killed 1,524 people in the region. Punjab recorded 605 deaths, Sindh 134, Islamabad 125 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 11. The reply did not give the figures for Balochistan province and the. Malik said 360 people allegedly involved in bomb attacks were arrested since 2008. A total of 222 of these suspects were acquitted by courts, including 172 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 36 in Punjab and 14 in Islamabad. In response to another question, Malik said the Government had banned four outfits including Lashkar-e-Islam, Ansar-ul-Islam, the Haji Namdar group and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s Punjab chapter in June and August 2008
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April - 10 
Terrorists based in Pakistan do not want the country to normalise its relations with India, says Pakistani Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani, Dawn reported on April 11. In a seminar at the Harvard University, Ambassador Haqqani also described the Sub-continent’s partition as “the worst divorce” in hi
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Terrorists based in Pakistan do not want the country to normalise its relations with India, says Pakistani Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani, Dawn reported on April 11. In a seminar at the Harvard University, Ambassador Haqqani also described the Sub-continent’s partition as “the worst divorce” in history and urged both India and Pakistan to work together to reduce tensions. Haqqani said that the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes were orchestrated by extremists who wanted India and Pakistan to “go to war”. The two countries needed to work together to eliminate terrorism from the region and ensure that “there are no terrorist victims in Pakistan or in India”, he added further.
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April - 11 
The United States (US) is committed to improving its relationship with Pakistan, despite tensions over the shooting deaths of two Pakistanis by a CIA contractor, said US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter on April 11, reports Daily Times. Speaking at a seminar titled “Pakistan-US: A Way Forward”,
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The United States (US) is committed to improving its relationship with Pakistan, despite tensions over the shooting deaths of two Pakistanis by a CIA contractor, said US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter on April 11, reports Daily Times. Speaking at a seminar titled “Pakistan-US: A Way Forward”, jointly organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the US embassy, Munter spoke of a “renewal” in Pakistan-US relations and noted America’s many humanitarian programmes in the country. “We are committed to working together in partnership with Pakistan in the short, medium, and long-term to achieve a strong and successful Pakistan. We want to see a strong and stable Pakistan, one in which democratic institutions are effective and transparent, one in which the extraordinary potential of Pakistanis can be unlocked for the benefit of all, the strength of Pakistan, its vibrant culture and diversity, serves as a symbol of success”. t
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April - 12 
A high ranking US General, Admiral Robert Willard, Head of the US military’s Pacific Command, expressed concern to Congress on April 12 about the expanding reach of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), warning it was no longer solely focused on India or even South Asia, reports Dawn. LeT, one of the largest a
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A high ranking US General, Admiral Robert Willard, Head of the US military’s Pacific Command, expressed concern to Congress on April 12 about the expanding reach of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), warning it was no longer solely focused on India or even South Asia, reports Dawn. LeT, one of the largest and best-funded extremist militant outfits in the region is blamed for the November 2008 attacks on Mumbai, which killed 166 people in India’s commercial capital. The outfit was nurtured by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to fight India in Kashmir, and analysts say it is still unofficially tolerated even though Islamabad banned the outfit nearly a decade ago. Admiral Willard, told the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the United States was actively working with South Asian Governments including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and India to contain LeT. But he cautioned that the group was active elsewhere. “Unquestionably they have spread their influence internationally and are no longer solely focused in South Asia and on India,” Willard told the Senate Armed Services Committee. The United States has evidence of LeT’s presence in Europe and the broader Asia-Pacific region, he added. In the past, LeT has fielded militants in Canada and in the United States. India continues to be LeT’s main target. But Willard noted that the outfit has declared holy war against the United States and renewed longstanding concerns in Washington about attacks by LeT militants against US forces in Afghanistan.
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April - 13 
Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) on April 13 said that it will give new talks with India a chance but had little faith they will succeed and believe it is only a matter of time before they will have to fight again, reports Daily Times. For now, many of them are engaged in peaceful pursuits such as small busines
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Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) on April 13 said that it will give new talks with India a chance but had little faith they will succeed and believe it is only a matter of time before they will have to fight again, reports Daily Times. For now, many of them are engaged in peaceful pursuits such as small businesses, teaching or social welfare, and they face severe Pakistani restrictions on crossing Line of Control (LoC) separating Azad Kashmir (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) and Indian held Kashmir. “We have not given up jihad, but are just giving another chance to talks,” Abdul Aziz Alvi, JuD ‘chief’ in Azad Kashmir said. “If India does not understand the language of negotiation, then guns will start speaking,” Alvi said as he was attending a protest rally against Indian plans to build dams in its part of Kashmir.
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April - 14 
A total of 957 civilians were killed in American drone attacks in the country 2010, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in its annual report on April 14, reports Times of India. Report said that terrorist attacks in Pakistan left 2,542 people dead and 5,062 others injured in 2010. "Target k
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A total of 957 civilians were killed in American drone attacks in the country 2010, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in its annual report on April 14, reports Times of India. Report said that terrorist attacks in Pakistan left 2,542 people dead and 5,062 others injured in 2010. "Target killings" in the country's port city of Karachi saw the death of 237 political activists while in the southwestern province of Balochistan, at least 118 people were killed, the report said. At least 1,159 people, including 1,041 civilians, lost their lives in 67 suicide bomb attacks in the country. During 2010, at least 12,580 people were killed in different incidents, including 791 honour killings. A total of 581 people were kidnapped for ransom. The report, whose statistics were derived largely from media and other undisclosed sources, criticised the government for failing to protect the citizens, especially religious minorities. It said the biggest terrorist incident took place in Lahore at a place of worship place of a religious minority. The attack left 99 members of the Ahmadiyya sect dead.
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April - 14 
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, on April 14 appreciated the support extended by tribal elders in the war against terrorism, Daily Times quoting an ISPR press release reported on April 15. Addressing the tribal elders during his visit to Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan Agenc
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Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, on April 14 appreciated the support extended by tribal elders in the war against terrorism, Daily Times quoting an ISPR press release reported on April 15. Addressing the tribal elders during his visit to Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) and Peshawar, he acknowledged their sacrifices in war against terrorism. He reiterated the army’s resolve to bring peace and stability to the affected areas and protect lives and properties of tribal people against all internal as well as external threats. The COAS inaugurated the Bannu-Mir Ali-Miran Shah-Ghulam Khan road being constructed as part of quick impact projects, undertaken by the Pakistan Army for social development of the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas.
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April - 14 
Pakistan would back a plan to allow the Taliban to open a political office in Turkey to help with talks to end the war in Afghanistan, a Pakistani official said on April 14 during a visit by President Asif Ali Zardari to Ankara, reports Daily Times. “We have no reservations for such an office to be
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Pakistan would back a plan to allow the Taliban to open a political office in Turkey to help with talks to end the war in Afghanistan, a Pakistani official said on April 14 during a visit by President Asif Ali Zardari to Ankara, reports Daily Times. “We have no reservations for such an office to be opened,” the official said, on condition of anonymity. “We are not against it. As long as there’s ownership from the Afghanistan people and the Afghanistan Government we will not oppose it,” the official added. Analysts say that any solution to the Afghanistan conflict would likely require the support of Pakistan. Turkey, which has hosted talks aimed at building trust between Pakistan and Afghanistan, has said it is open to allowing the establishment of a diplomatic presence for the Taliban on its soil, but that there is no formal request yet. The proposal first surfaced during a trilateral summit in December between Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan in Istanbul, in which Karzai said Kabul would welcome any offer by Turkey meant to facilitate talks. President Zardari, who is in Turkey, and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul declined to comment on the issue during a news conference on April 12. A Turkish foreign ministry official said: “There is no application (for opening a Taliban office) yet and no decision has been taken yet. We will evaluate it when there is such a demand.”
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April - 14 
Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, while strongly condemning drone attacks on April 14, said that they were counter-productive in law enforcement operations against terrorists, reports The Express Tribune. Talking to Haji Muneer Ahmad Orakzai, a Member of National Assembly (MNA) from Federally
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Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, while strongly condemning drone attacks on April 14, said that they were counter-productive in law enforcement operations against terrorists, reports The Express Tribune. Talking to Haji Muneer Ahmad Orakzai, a Member of National Assembly (MNA) from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Gilani said that the issue was being raised at all forums to convey Pakistan’s concerns to NATO forces. The prime minister added that the Government was taking concrete measures for FATA development by bringing them into mainstream politics.
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April - 14 
The Sindh Law and Parliamentary Minister Mohammad Ayaz Soomro has condemned the act of terrorism in Karachi and described it a conspiracy hatched by anti-democratic and criminal elements against the present Government. Talking to newsmen, he said: “Being a son of soil, we are custodian of Sindh and
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The Sindh Law and Parliamentary Minister Mohammad Ayaz Soomro has condemned the act of terrorism in Karachi and described it a conspiracy hatched by anti-democratic and criminal elements against the present Government. Talking to newsmen, he said: “Being a son of soil, we are custodian of Sindh and it is our joint responsibility to protect lives, properties and honor of the citizens without any discrimination of political affiliation, sect, colour or caste.
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April - 15 
A top Washington think tank, Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), has argued that recent examples of nuclear industry goods being smuggled from the United States to Pakistan highlight the need for closer monitoring and raise questions about how an ostensible “ally” of the U.S. co
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A top Washington think tank, Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), has argued that recent examples of nuclear industry goods being smuggled from the United States to Pakistan highlight the need for closer monitoring and raise questions about how an ostensible “ally” of the U.S. could be involved in this illicit trade, The Hindu reported on April 16. Speaking to The Hindu David Albright, President and founder of the ISIS said the “U.S. Government and the nuclear industry need to be working closer together” if such smuggling rings were to be detected. Reflecting upon an ISIS paper that examined the case of Pakistani Nadeem Akhtar, Mr. Albright said, “The U.S. government should simply ask Pakistan to stop this trade, if they want to be our allies,” adding that the recent cases in which smuggling rings were caught they ultimately lead back to supply orders originating in Pakistan. Akhtar's case made news last month when U.S. prosecutors charged him with “running a smuggling operation that shipped materials and equipment to the agencies operating Pakistan's nuclear program,” according to media reports. Akhtar (45) was said to have operated an export firm in Maryland, which obtained items such as radiation-detection devices, calibration equipment and nuclear-grade resins from a company based in North Dakota and passed them on to “agencies that are on a U.S. Commerce Department blacklist.” The orders made to the U.S. Company dated back to 2005 and 2006.
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April - 15 
Iran is building a concrete fence all along its 700-kilometres long border with Pakistan to stop cross-border movements of terrorists, Iran's Defence Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said on April 15, reports Times of India. The three feet thick and 10 feet high fence, built with concrete and
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Iran is building a concrete fence all along its 700-kilometres long border with Pakistan to stop cross-border movements of terrorists, Iran's Defence Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said on April 15, reports Times of India. The three feet thick and 10 feet high fence, built with concrete and fortified by steel rods, will span the impenetrable mountainous terrain in south eastern Iran, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said. "The fence is to prevent villains from crossing into the Islamic republic," the General said. The fence would start from Taftan area to Mand in the Baloch majority Sistan province, which borders Pakistan's Balochistan province. Though the Iranian defence minister did not mention any Pakistani terror groups, the Pakistan-based Baloch outfit Jundullah has been known to operate on both sides of Baloch area.
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April - 15 
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has no plans to suspend “operations” in Pakistan against terror suspects despite objections from leaders in Islamabad, a US official said on condition of anonymity on April 15, reports Daily Times. “Pakistan has criticised missile strikes by US drone aircraft in
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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has no plans to suspend “operations” in Pakistan against terror suspects despite objections from leaders in Islamabad, a US official said on condition of anonymity on April 15, reports Daily Times. “Pakistan has criticised missile strikes by US drone aircraft in its tribal belt, but CIA Director Leon Panetta has told intelligence officials that he has a duty to prevent attacks on the United States,” official said. “Panetta has been clear with his Pakistani counterparts that his fundamental responsibility is to protect American people, and he will not halt operations that support that objective,” the official added.
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April - 15 
The European Parliament on April 15 rebuked Pakistan for the slow progress in the fight against militancy in the country and directed the European Commission to appropriate financial aid to Islamabad based on its sincere efforts to eradicate terrorist groups, reports Times of India. The European Uni
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The European Parliament on April 15 rebuked Pakistan for the slow progress in the fight against militancy in the country and directed the European Commission to appropriate financial aid to Islamabad based on its sincere efforts to eradicate terrorist groups, reports Times of India. The European Union Parliament issued two declarations reprimanding Pakistan about the dangers posed by the Taliban and calling for urgent measures for the security of the European Union (EU). Noting that Pakistani militants are a major threat to Europe and the world, it instructed the Commission to "re-evaluate the size and objectives of its financial aid, depending on the sincere efforts of the Pakistani government to eradicate terrorist groups". It expressed concern about Taliban sympathizers infiltrating into Pakistani military, intelligence and other security establishments. "Taliban militants are continuously attempting to gain control over nuclear warheads, which clearly poses a threat for Europe and the world," EU said. Terrorism and extremism are not just threats to the stability of Pakistan, but also to the rest of the world, it said noting "elements of the Pakistani intelligence and security services are suspected of giving practical and financial support to terrorist groups". EU called on the Pakistani Government to do more to tackle extremism, and the EU member-states to assist in preventing extremist indoctrination, rooting out extremist infiltration of security services and closing the training centres used by groups for terrorist missions abroad.
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April - 15 
The United States (US) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on April 15 voiced understanding for talks with the Taliban as she mourned late diplomat Richard Holbrooke, an avid proponent of reconciliation in Afghanistan, reports Daily Times. At a memorial service, Clinton credited Holbrooke with settin
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The United States (US) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on April 15 voiced understanding for talks with the Taliban as she mourned late diplomat Richard Holbrooke, an avid proponent of reconciliation in Afghanistan, reports Daily Times. At a memorial service, Clinton credited Holbrooke with setting the troubled US relationships with Pakistan and Afghanistan on the right track as special envoy to the countries. “Those who found negotiations with the Taliban distasteful got a very powerful response from Richard - diplomacy would be easy if we only had to talk to our friends,” Clinton said at the American Academy in Berlin. “And negotiating with your adversaries wasn’t a disservice to people who had died, if by talking you could prevent more violence,” Clinton said.
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April - 16 
Federal minister of Interior Rehman Malik on April 16 said that drone attacks cannot be stopped; we are trying to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels, reports Dawn.
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Federal minister of Interior Rehman Malik on April 16 said that drone attacks cannot be stopped; we are trying to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels, reports Dawn.
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April - 16 
Pakistan and Afghanistan on April 16 agreed on the formation of a joint commission to carry forward the reconciliation process, following the withdrawal of foreign troops from the insurgency-torn country, reports Dawn. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who
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Pakistan and Afghanistan on April 16 agreed on the formation of a joint commission to carry forward the reconciliation process, following the withdrawal of foreign troops from the insurgency-torn country, reports Dawn. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who held exhaustive talks here at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, described the parleys as "historic", saying that "the two countries stand together as they have shared destinies." Prime Minister Gilani said that he in consultations with President Karzai, Chairman Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani and members of the High Peace Council, had agreed to establish the two-tier Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Commission for facilitating and promoting reconciliation and peace. The first tier of commission will include the chief executives, foreign ministers along with chiefs of the military and intelligence services of the two countries while the second tier will comprise senior officials of foreign ministries, military and intelligence services. "I have assured President Karzai that Pakistan strongly supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process for reconciliation and peace," Gilani said.
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April - 17 
The suicide attacks are haram (forbidden) and totally against the teachings of Islam, and the suicide bombers are the enemies of Islam and Pakistan, speakers at a meeting organised by Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in Islamabad said on April 17, reports Daily Times. Addressing ‘Istehkaam-e-Pakistan Sun
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The suicide attacks are haram (forbidden) and totally against the teachings of Islam, and the suicide bombers are the enemies of Islam and Pakistan, speakers at a meeting organised by Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in Islamabad said on April 17, reports Daily Times. Addressing ‘Istehkaam-e-Pakistan Sunni Conference’ at Minar-e-Pakistan, SIC Chairman Sahibzada Haji Muhammad Fazal Karim condemned the terrorist attacks in the country, especially at mosques and shrines of Sufis, and called for open trial of terror suspects. He took an oath from the attendants that they would spare no effort to save Pakistan.
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April - 17 
The United States will fail if Pakistan does not succeed in its war against terrorism, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said during an interview to Russian State-run news agency Novosti on April 17, reports The Express Tribune. Terming terrorism an international issue and highlighting Pakistan
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The United States will fail if Pakistan does not succeed in its war against terrorism, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said during an interview to Russian State-run news agency Novosti on April 17, reports The Express Tribune. Terming terrorism an international issue and highlighting Pakistan’s status as a front-line state, Prime Minister Gilani said that US “has now realised that Pakistan is not part of the problem, but it can play an important role in efforts to solve this problem”. Terrorism, he said, recognised no boundaries or religion and its sole objective was to create instability and it operated on foreign agenda. He said that drone attacks were counterproductive as they created sympathies for the terrorists. He said that Pakistan had rendered great sacrifices in the war against terrorism, which was being acknowledged by the international community, adding that Pakistan’s nuclear programme was completely safe. Referring to the cost paid by Pakistan in the war on terror, Gilani said that Pakistan’s economy has also suffered a lot. He said he hoped that the US “will soon accept that Pakistan had an important role in the solution of war against terrorism”. Replying to a question, he said that Pakistan and the US were in this war together and if Pakistan fails, the US will also fail.
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April - 18 
Pakistan's Finance Minister on April 18 dismissed the report that his country is a major recipient of tens of billions of dollars in US aid and termed it as "a myth", reports Dawn. Shaikh said in Washington that the US had not delivered what it promised under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Law aid package,
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Pakistan's Finance Minister on April 18 dismissed the report that his country is a major recipient of tens of billions of dollars in US aid and termed it as "a myth", reports Dawn. Shaikh said in Washington that the US had not delivered what it promised under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Law aid package, which is meant to provide USD 7.5 billion in civilian aid over five years. The law passed in 2009, authorized USD 1.5 billion a year. "There is a perception that there is a lot of money going to Pakistan," Shaikh said, adding, "It is largely a myth that Pakistan is a beneficiary of tens of billions of dollars. The truth is that in the Kerry-Lugar-Berman arrangement this year we have not even received $300 million".
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April - 18 
Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani urged the US on April 18 to end its drone strikes in Pakistan and said that Washington should share intelligence better to allow the country to wage its own war on terror, reports Daily Times. While speaking in the National Assembly (NA), Gilani said that the i
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Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani urged the US on April 18 to end its drone strikes in Pakistan and said that Washington should share intelligence better to allow the country to wage its own war on terror, reports Daily Times. While speaking in the National Assembly (NA), Gilani said that the issue of drone strikes was discussed in detail during his meeting with US House Speaker John Boehner and that he appraised Boehner about the growing unrest among the public due to the US unmanned aerial strikes. PM Gilani said, "I told him that you will have to respect our political and military efforts if you want to succeed in the war on terror." "We are trying to secure drone technology from the US so that after gaining information from their intelligence reports, we can hit the militant hideouts in tribal region", he added. He reiterated that the war against terrorism is Pakistan’s own war, which Pakistan would fight to eliminate the enemy that is posing a serious threat to the country.
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April - 18 
The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani said on April 18 that troops deputed in Balochistan would return to their barracks soon and no operation would be carried out in the province without a permission of the Provincial Government, reports Daily Times. The CoAS claimed that not
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The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani said on April 18 that troops deputed in Balochistan would return to their barracks soon and no operation would be carried out in the province without a permission of the Provincial Government, reports Daily Times. The CoAS claimed that not even a single Army unit was conducting any operation in Balochistan, adding that only two battalions were present in Sui area of the province. Balochistan chief minister was responsible for maintaining law and order in the province, remarked Kayani, adding that the troops would be pulled out and then responsibility would be taken over by the Balochistan Frontier Corps (FC). Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Gwadar Institute of Technology in Sui, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani said that youths of Balochistan would be recruited in the Army according to percentage of their province’s share in the total population of the country. He announced that 5,000 Baloch youth would become part of the Army later this month (April).
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April - 19 
US and Pakistani leaders agree they cannot afford to let security ties unravel, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Army Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said on April 19, even as he acknowledged persistent strains, including alleged Pakistani links to terrorists staging attacks in Afghanistan, reports
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US and Pakistani leaders agree they cannot afford to let security ties unravel, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Army Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said on April 19, even as he acknowledged persistent strains, including alleged Pakistani links to terrorists staging attacks in Afghanistan, reports Daily Times. “We’re working our way through the relationships that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has with the Haqqani network and the strain that that creates,” Mullen said, even as he cited battlefield gains reducing the group’s mobility. “I’ll see Chief of Army Staff General Kayani here shortly and these are issues I address with him every single time we engage. And I certainly intend to (raise that) this week.” Mullen acknowledged that “we’ve had a very turbulent time”, but added that despite the tensions, all sides acknowledged the relationship was vital. “I think that all of us believe that we cannot afford to let this relationship come apart,” Mullen said, referring to US and Pakistani military and intelligence chiefs.
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April - 20 
A Pakistani schoolboy, who failed in his suicide bomb bid as his partner launched an attack at a Pakistani shrine April 3, has spoken of the terror mission and how he was brainwashed by the Taliban, reports Indian Express. "All I was thinking was that I had to detonate myself near as many people as
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A Pakistani schoolboy, who failed in his suicide bomb bid as his partner launched an attack at a Pakistani shrine April 3, has spoken of the terror mission and how he was brainwashed by the Taliban, reports Indian Express. "All I was thinking was that I had to detonate myself near as many people as possible. When I decided it was the right time, it was a moment of happiness for me," the BBC quoted 14-year-old Umar Fidai, as saying. "I thought that there would be a little bit of pain, but then I would be in heaven," he added. The failed suicide bomber revealed the plan was that the other brainwashed schoolboy, Ismail, would “blow himself up near the shrine. I would wait for the ambulances to come and detonate myself near them to kill more people. I had no doubts at all beforehand.”
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April - 20 
The US will not abandon its drone programme in Pakistan but how it goes forward is a matter for the US, Pakistani intelligence and military officials to determine, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff a US official said on April 20, according to Daily Times. “The programme is s
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The US will not abandon its drone programme in Pakistan but how it goes forward is a matter for the US, Pakistani intelligence and military officials to determine, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff a US official said on April 20, according to Daily Times. “The programme is something that we have said we go ahead on. The question is how. And that process is going to be something that is going to be one of the main tasks that our intel and our military guys have,” the official said.
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April - 22 
Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik on April 22 categorically stated that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was not involved in the Mumbai terror attack and maintained that Islamabad had no issues with New Delhi helping Afghanistan in its development provided there was no presence of the I
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Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik on April 22 categorically stated that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was not involved in the Mumbai terror attack and maintained that Islamabad had no issues with New Delhi helping Afghanistan in its development provided there was no presence of the Indian Army on that side of the Durand Line, reports The Hindu. Rehman Malik made these remarks while interacting with an Indian media delegation that is visiting the country on the invitation of the Pakistan Government. Replying to a host of questions, the Minister side-stepped controversial issues such as the alleged Indian hand behind the unrest in Balochistan and how the visa situation between the two countries had been complicated by India's insistence on having every application scrutinised by the Union Home Ministry.
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April - 22 
Pakistan and the United States on April 22 voiced confidence in taking their strategic partnership forward even as Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir urged a review of the drone attacks strategy in pursuit of militants who may be hiding on Pakistani side of the Afghanistan border, reports Daily Times.
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Pakistan and the United States on April 22 voiced confidence in taking their strategic partnership forward even as Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir urged a review of the drone attacks strategy in pursuit of militants who may be hiding on Pakistani side of the Afghanistan border, reports Daily Times. In a joint media appearance with the US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Ambassador Marc Grossman, the top Pakistani career diplomat described talks in the steering group as ‘cordial, constructive and engaging,’ during which the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to an enduring partnership. “Pakistan values its relations with the United States- we had satisfying discussions. We have agreed to give a new momentum to relations in the coming weeks with the visit of Ambassador Grossman to Pakistan next week and possibly Secretary Hillary Clinton’s visit in May for the next round of strategic dialogue,” Bashir added. Grossman, for his part, reiterated Washington’s resolve to pursuing a long-term relationship with Pakistan. Bashir, responding to a question, said there were certain issues on which Pakistan’s position was very clear.
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April - 23 
The Army had broken the back of militants linked to al Qaeda and Taliban and the nation will soon prevail over this menace, the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Kayani said in a speech on April 23 that followed criticism from the United States that it wasn’t doing enough to fight militancy,
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The Army had broken the back of militants linked to al Qaeda and Taliban and the nation will soon prevail over this menace, the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Kayani said in a speech on April 23 that followed criticism from the United States that it wasn’t doing enough to fight militancy, reports Daily Times. “In war against terrorism, our officers and soldiers have made great sacrifices and have achieved tremendous success,” he said in a speech to army cadets at Kakul military academy, north of Islamabad. “The terrorists’ backbone has been broken and (God willing) we will soon prevail”. Washington, struggling to put down a 10-year insurgency in Afghanistan, said this month that Pakistan lacked a robust plan to defeat militants, and its intelligence agents were maintaining links with Afghan Taliban militants.
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April - 23 
Times of India reports that Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik, on April 23 said that Pakistani investigators had collected enough evidence against the masterminds of the Mumbai terror attacks (November 26,2008, also known as 26/11) and that he was confident that the courts would convict t
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Times of India reports that Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik, on April 23 said that Pakistani investigators had collected enough evidence against the masterminds of the Mumbai terror attacks (November 26,2008, also known as 26/11) and that he was confident that the courts would convict them. "We have enough evidence and I am quite hopeful that they will be convicted. But if I say some thing much, that means I'm overstepping my position because the matter has to be decided by the court," Malik told CNN-IBN channel in an interview.
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April - 24 
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on April 24 said, “We have to stand united against anti-state elements and it will be our greatest success that the nation should unite against terrorism and extremism,” adding, “that no country could win a war without the support of people. The Government woul
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Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on April 24 said, “We have to stand united against anti-state elements and it will be our greatest success that the nation should unite against terrorism and extremism,” adding, “that no country could win a war without the support of people. The Government would not rest until and unless terrorism is eliminated, and all possible steps would be taken to give quality education to the citizens” reports Daily Times.
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April - 24 
Times of India on April 25 quoted Army Major General Athar Abbas saying "There is no evidence that the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) has global aspirations or was involved in the 2009 attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul,” adding, “The LeT is a banned group that is being contained, and there is also no evi
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Times of India on April 25 quoted Army Major General Athar Abbas saying "There is no evidence that the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) has global aspirations or was involved in the 2009 attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul,” adding, “The LeT is a banned group that is being contained, and there is also no evidence with Pakistani authorities linking the LeT to militant groups operating in Pakistan's tribal areas. At the same time, Abbas said, “militant commander Ilyas Kashmiri, described by Indian and US officials as a key suspect in the Mumbai terror attacks, had played an "instrumental" role in planning an attack on the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi in October 2009. Kashmiri was also involved in two attempts to assassinate former President and Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf in late 2003,” adding, “Kashmiri, who led a "splinter" group or breakaway faction of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), was working with the local Taliban. Earlier this month, the US announced a reward of five million dollars for anyone who provides information and helps in the arrest of Kashmiri, the commander of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) terror group that supports al Qaeda. Speaking on the issue of 2008 Mumbai attack in India, Abbas said, "A splinter group was involved and we have collected the maximum evidence, LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was heading the splinter group responsible for the terrorist assault in November 2008.”
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April - 24 
US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter said that Pakistan’s legitimate security demands must be taken into account on the question of Afghanistan. Legitimate demands of Pakistan on the Afghan question must be given due consideration, he said, adding, “US has great respect for Pakistan and wants to
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US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter said that Pakistan’s legitimate security demands must be taken into account on the question of Afghanistan. Legitimate demands of Pakistan on the Afghan question must be given due consideration, he said, adding, “US has great respect for Pakistan and wants to see it as a sovereign and stable state. We are working for the stability in the region, and are supporting both the civilian Government and Army in Pakistan.”
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April - 25 
Four more Pakistani conspirators have been charged by US prosecutors with carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks on behalf of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Indian Express reported on April 26. In a second superseding indictment filed by the federal prosecutors before a court in Chicago, the four were
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Four more Pakistani conspirators have been charged by US prosecutors with carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks on behalf of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Indian Express reported on April 26. In a second superseding indictment filed by the federal prosecutors before a court in Chicago, the four were identified as Sajid Mir, Mazhar Iqbal, Abu Qahafa and one by the name of 'Major Iqbal'. Besides, the indictment mentioned an unnamed individual "Lashkar Member D." All are residents of Pakistan. The four persons identified were previously mentioned but not named in the indictments that charged Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley and Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana in connection with the Mumbai attacks which killed 166 people, including six Americans. Sajid Mir was associated with LeT and supervised others linked with the outfit. He served as a "handler" for Headley, who has confessed to his involvement in Mumbai attacks, and others who were directed to carry out actions relating to planning, preparing for and carrying out the terrorist strikes on behalf of LeT. While Abu Qahafa was an associate with LeT who trained others in combat techniques for use in terrorist attacks; Mazhar Iqbal and 'Lashkar Member D' were LeT commanders. An individual known as 'Major Iqbal' participated in planning and funding attacks carried out by LeT in Mumbai, federal prosecutors said. According to the indictment, Sajid Mir, Abu Qahafa and Mazhar Iqbal conspired with each other, Headley, 'Lashkar Member D' and others known and unknown to the grand jury, to deliver, place, discharge and detonate explosives and other lethal devices in, into and against places of public use, state and government facilities, public transportation systems and infrastructure facilities in India.
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April - 25 
The Jama'at-ud-Da'awa (JuD) ‘chief’ Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, mastermind of the 26/11 attacks, on April 25 claimed India cannot prove his organisation's link to the 2008 terror strike and accused the Pakistan Government of succumbing to pressure from India and the US, reports Indian Express. Saeed, who
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The Jama'at-ud-Da'awa (JuD) ‘chief’ Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, mastermind of the 26/11 attacks, on April 25 claimed India cannot prove his organisation's link to the 2008 terror strike and accused the Pakistan Government of succumbing to pressure from India and the US, reports Indian Express. Saeed, who is the founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) which carried out the Mumbai attack, said India had sent a 400-page report to the Pakistani Government in an attempt to substantiate its claims but had failed to do so, Saeed said. India cannot prove JuD's link to Mumbai attacks, he said.
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April - 26 
At least one Guantánamo Bay detainee discovered to be involved in a plot to attack the US Consulate in Peshawar and believed to have carried out a string of bombings in Pakistan in 2002, was also on the payroll for British and Canadian intelligence services, according to secret files on detainees at
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At least one Guantánamo Bay detainee discovered to be involved in a plot to attack the US Consulate in Peshawar and believed to have carried out a string of bombings in Pakistan in 2002, was also on the payroll for British and Canadian intelligence services, according to secret files on detainees at the Guantánamo Bay prison camp, The express Tribune quoting WikiLeaks reported on April 27. Algerian detainee Adil Hadi al Jazairi bin Hamili, linked with the Algerian Armed Islamic Group and the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin, confessed that he had worked for the Taliban’s foreign ministry and intelligence services as well. Hamili was captured in a raid in Peshawar in 2003. According to Pakistan’s Intelligence Bureau, Hamili was an Algerian terrorist, hired assassin, kidnapper, and member of Osama bin Laden’s “umbrella organisation.” However, the Central Intelligence Agency found that not only was Hamili a source for the British and Canadian intelligence services who had withheld information from the two, but he was also running a terrorist cell. According to US assessment, Hamili was actually Abu Adil, who Khalid Shaikh Mohammad had confessed to meeting in early 2002. Mohammad had given PKR 300,000 to support Abu Adil’s cell in Punjab and an assassination plot against the then President General Pervez Musharraf. According to Mohammad, Abu Adil was responsible for attacks on two churches in Islamabad and Sialkot, and possibly involved in the May 2002 attack on Karachi’s Sheraton Hotel in which 11 French engineers and three Pakistanis were killed. Hamili was recruited by foreign intelligence “because of his connections to members of various al Qaeda linked terrorist groups that operated in Afghanistan and Pakistan.” Hamili was not the only spy in custody. Iraqi detainee Bisher al-Rawi also said he had links with MI5 and was providing information to the agency on Abu Qatada, the ‘spiritual leader of the Armed Islamic Group’. The document states that the intelligence service owned up to this. “When visiting Guantánamo Bay, a member of an allied intelligence service admitted a relationship with the detainee.”
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April - 26 
Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik on April 26 said that attempts to defame the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) internationally have always failed, reports Daily Times. “The ISI is never been involved in politics. It has served the country and nation tremendously,” said Malik while briefing
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Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik on April 26 said that attempts to defame the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) internationally have always failed, reports Daily Times. “The ISI is never been involved in politics. It has served the country and nation tremendously,” said Malik while briefing media at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat after twin blasts in Navy buses in Karachi. “The Interior Ministry controls police and some paramilitary units and the ISI is exclusively controlled by the Pakistan Army,” added Rehman Malik. “The ISI is a patriotic organisation and has a great role in combating terrorism in the country. Those who are trying to malign the agency would never succeed in their designs,” the minister remarked. Malik told media that ‘good clues’ had been found in Tuesday’s attacks on the buses of the Pakistan Navy. “We have found good clues and hopefully will nab the culprits,” he added further.
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April - 29 
Repeating US concerns about the safe havens of the Taliban beyond the reach of NATO troops in Pakistan, a Pentagon report said on April 29 that “to consolidate progress in security in recent months, Pakistan needed to make more headway in eliminating the sanctuaries”, reports Daily Times. In a twice
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Repeating US concerns about the safe havens of the Taliban beyond the reach of NATO troops in Pakistan, a Pentagon report said on April 29 that “to consolidate progress in security in recent months, Pakistan needed to make more headway in eliminating the sanctuaries”, reports Daily Times. In a twice-annual report to the US Congress, the Pentagon said that “a surge of foreign troops into Afghanistan has dealt a blow to the Taliban insurgency but total violence has risen since last fall”. It said the increase in overall security incidents, which includes roadside bombs and direct fire, was due in part to the surge of foreign troops, stepped-up targeting of insurgent safe havens, and mild winter weather. The Pentagon warned that “hard fighting” was likely ahead in 2011 as the Taliban, adapting its techniques to match intensified attacks from foreign adversaries, would try to regain areas of south Afghanistan.
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April - 29 
The United Sates (US) Ambassador Cameron Munter on April 29 said that Pakistan and United States will continue to cooperate in the war against their common enemy in an effort to ensure peace in the region, reports Dawn. Talking to media personnel after meeting a jirga (tribal council) headed by form
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The United Sates (US) Ambassador Cameron Munter on April 29 said that Pakistan and United States will continue to cooperate in the war against their common enemy in an effort to ensure peace in the region, reports Dawn. Talking to media personnel after meeting a jirga (tribal council) headed by former senator Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai in Quetta, Cameron Munter said that cooperation between the two countries was vital for peace and stability in the region. “The enemy of Pakistan and the United States is the same, who is targeting worship places, shrines, passenger buses and killing innocent people,” he said, and added that waging a war against terrorists was not easy but the Pakistani military was fighting very bravely against militants.
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April - 29 
Western powers must be firm with Pakistan about its need to crack down on extremists, but there is no alternative to continuing to work with Islamabad, British Member of Parliament (MP) David Miliband said on April 29, reports Dawn. Miliband voiced alarm at the influence inside Pakistani society of
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Western powers must be firm with Pakistan about its need to crack down on extremists, but there is no alternative to continuing to work with Islamabad, British Member of Parliament (MP) David Miliband said on April 29, reports Dawn. Miliband voiced alarm at the influence inside Pakistani society of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). “We should be engaging with Pakistan” he said at the Council on Foreign Relations. Pakistan needs to do more to hold assailants for the Mumbai attack accountable and if Lashkar-e-Taiba is expanding its reach, “then we need to be even more insistent on the need to roll up that infrastructure,” he said. But Miliband called on the US along with the South Asian nation’s neighbours to keep trying to engage both politically and economically. “One of the most chilling things I’ve heard and read over the last few months is that America has a choice about whether or not to sever its links with Pakistan. Because if you think it difficult, frustrating, enervating, dangerous dealing with Pakistan at the moment as a partner, try fulfilling your own interests in South Asia without Pakistan as a partner,” he said.
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May - 1 
Drone attacks are counter-productive and have an adverse impact on the military and the political strategy against terrorism, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on May 1, reports Daily Times. Talking in PTV’s live programme “Prime Minister Online”, Gilani said that drone technology should be tra
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Drone attacks are counter-productive and have an adverse impact on the military and the political strategy against terrorism, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on May 1, reports Daily Times. Talking in PTV’s live programme “Prime Minister Online”, Gilani said that drone technology should be transferred to Pakistan and the US should reconsider its position on use of drones. As a civilised and responsible country, Pakistan is using all the diplomatic channels to put across its viewpoint and there is realisation that drone attacks were creating a negative impact, he added. Gilani said drone attacks started during the government of Pervez Musharraf, after permission was given for surveillance. But subsequently the Americans got intelligence and they carried out drone attacks, he added.
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May - 1 
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a United States (US) operation on May 1, reports Times of India. US President Barack Obama confirmed that Osama Bin Laden was killed in a US Army operation conducted in Abbottabad District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, adds The News. "Tonight, I can re
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Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a United States (US) operation on May 1, reports Times of India. US President Barack Obama confirmed that Osama Bin Laden was killed in a US Army operation conducted in Abbottabad District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, adds The News. "Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the US has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children," said President Barack Obama.
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May - 2 
The killing of Osama bin Laden by United States (IS) forces was not a joint operation with Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari said in a column in Washington Post on May 2, reports Dawn. Zardari, also dismissed any notion that Pakistan was failing to take action against militants on its territory.
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The killing of Osama bin Laden by United States (IS) forces was not a joint operation with Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari said in a column in Washington Post on May 2, reports Dawn. Zardari, also dismissed any notion that Pakistan was failing to take action against militants on its territory. Zardari said the whereabouts of the al Qaeda leader were not known to the Pakistani authorities.
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May - 2 
Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik, May 2, while reacting to a statement of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Asma Jahangir, informed the Supreme Court that there wasn’t any plan to try those terrorists apprehended by law enforcement agencies in military courts, reports Daily
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Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik, May 2, while reacting to a statement of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Asma Jahangir, informed the Supreme Court that there wasn’t any plan to try those terrorists apprehended by law enforcement agencies in military courts, reports Daily Times. A three-judge bench, comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, was hearing the missing persons’ case. During May 2’s hearing, Jahangir appeared before the court on behalf of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and stated that according to her information, a plan to amend the Anti-Terrorist Act to try terrorists in military courts was being considered. She asserted that such a recommendation had been given by three retired judges. Justice Javed Iqbal later said that the apex court did not interfere in the Government’s affairs and added that the courts had never encouraged mischief mongers, regretting that “criminals were released because Police in most of the cases failed to provide evidence”. He asked the interior minister not to take the directions of the apex court lightly. At the outset of the proceedings, Rehman Malik told the court that Balochistan was a victim of international terrorism. He maintained that first miscreants killed people in Punjab, Hazarwal, Sindh and now they wanted to create a law and order situation in Balochistan.
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May - 2 
Pakistan has no interest in protecting any terrorist who may be hiding in the country, Ambassador to the United States (US), Hussain Haqqani, said on May 2, reports Daily Times. “What I find incredulous is the notion that somehow, just because there is a private support network in Pakistan, the stat
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Pakistan has no interest in protecting any terrorist who may be hiding in the country, Ambassador to the United States (US), Hussain Haqqani, said on May 2, reports Daily Times. “What I find incredulous is the notion that somehow, just because there is a private support network in Pakistan, the state, the Government and the military of Pakistan should be blamed,” he said.
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May - 2 
Pakistan’s former President General Pervez Musharraf said on May 2 that the news of Osama bin Laden’s death was a “positive step”, although he criticised the United States (US) for launching the raid within his country’s borders, reports Daily Times.
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Pakistan’s former President General Pervez Musharraf said on May 2 that the news of Osama bin Laden’s death was a “positive step”, although he criticised the United States (US) for launching the raid within his country’s borders, reports Daily Times.
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May - 2 
The United States (US) killing of Osama bin Laden shows that the Taliban cannot defeat the US in Afghanistan and that it should abandon its ties to al Qaeda, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on May 2, reported Daily Times. “In Afghanistan we will continue taking the fight to al Qaeda and t
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The United States (US) killing of Osama bin Laden shows that the Taliban cannot defeat the US in Afghanistan and that it should abandon its ties to al Qaeda, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on May 2, reported Daily Times. “In Afghanistan we will continue taking the fight to al Qaeda and their Taliban allies while working to support the Afghan people as they build a stronger Government and begin to take responsibility for their own security,” Clinton said.
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May - 3 
Australia warned on May 3 of the very high threat of terrorist attacks against Western targets in Pakistan following the killing of Osama bin Laden on May1 in Abbottabad District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, although security warning levels at home remain unchanged, reported Daily Times. “There is a very
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Australia warned on May 3 of the very high threat of terrorist attacks against Western targets in Pakistan following the killing of Osama bin Laden on May1 in Abbottabad District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, although security warning levels at home remain unchanged, reported Daily Times. “There is a very high threat of terrorist attack against places in Pakistan that are frequented by Australians and other Westerners,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, adding, “We continue to receive a stream of credible reports indicating terrorists are in the advanced stages of planning attacks, including in Pakistani cities.”
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May - 3 
British Prime Minister David Cameron said that Islamabad has plenty of questions to answer over Osama bin Laden. “There will be lots of questions about what sort of support system Bin Laden had in Pakistan, and we need those questions answered,” added Cameron.
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British Prime Minister David Cameron said that Islamabad has plenty of questions to answer over Osama bin Laden. “There will be lots of questions about what sort of support system Bin Laden had in Pakistan, and we need those questions answered,” added Cameron.
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May - 3 
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta said on May 3 that officials ruled out informing Islamabad about a planned raid against Osama bin Laden’s compound, as they feared their Pakistani counterparts might alert the al Qaeda chief, reports Daily Times. “It was decided that any effort
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Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta said on May 3 that officials ruled out informing Islamabad about a planned raid against Osama bin Laden’s compound, as they feared their Pakistani counterparts might alert the al Qaeda chief, reports Daily Times. “It was decided that any effort to work with the Pakistanis could jeopardise the mission: They might alert the targets”, said Panetta, adding, that the options presented to United States (US) President Barack Obama included bombing the compound with B-2 bombers or firing a “direct shot” with cruise missiles. Air strikes were in the end ruled out because of the risk of “too much collateral [damage]” said Panetta, referring to potential civilian casualties, approving in the end the helicopter assault. Further, Panetta alleged Pakistan, saying that it was either incompetent or involved when one look at the country's role in Osama bin Laden's whereabouts. Panetta told lawmakers "either they were involved or incompetent. Neither place is a good place to be."
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May - 3 
France’s Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he was not convinced Osama Bin Laden could go undetected in Pakistan until his death and would ask Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to explain. “I find it a little difficult to imagine that the presence of someone like bin Laden in a relatively
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France’s Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he was not convinced Osama Bin Laden could go undetected in Pakistan until his death and would ask Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to explain. “I find it a little difficult to imagine that the presence of someone like bin Laden in a relatively small town could go completely unnoticed,” Juppe said.
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May - 3 
Indian Government sources said that a vast majority of Pakistan's military leadership is unhappy about the United States (US) operation that killed Osama bin Laden and fears that America will conduct similar raids in the future to target the country's nuclear arsenal, reports Times of India. An ass
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Indian Government sources said that a vast majority of Pakistan's military leadership is unhappy about the United States (US) operation that killed Osama bin Laden and fears that America will conduct similar raids in the future to target the country's nuclear arsenal, reports Times of India. An assessment made by Indian agencies suggests that almost three-fourths of the Pakistani military brass is concerned about the way American helicopters crossed into Pakistani territory, carried out a surgical strike and left without informing either the Pakistani Government or security establishment.
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May - 3 
It was reported that the bullet-riddled Pakistani villa that hid Osama bin Laden from the world was put under police control. Bin Laden’s hideout had been kept under tight army control after the raid by US Special Forces on May 1 in Abbottabad District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The army handed over th
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It was reported that the bullet-riddled Pakistani villa that hid Osama bin Laden from the world was put under police control. Bin Laden’s hideout had been kept under tight army control after the raid by US Special Forces on May 1 in Abbottabad District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The army handed over the site to Police and we have deployed about 100 extra Policemen around the compound and in the surrounding streets,” said Police official Qamar Hayat.
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May - 3 
Member of National Assembly (MNA) Sajid Hussain Turi belonging to Parachinar, the capital of Kurram Agency, on May 3 demanded the Government to launch a military operation against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Kurram Agency for killing hundreds of innocent people and to restore the Thal-Pa
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Member of National Assembly (MNA) Sajid Hussain Turi belonging to Parachinar, the capital of Kurram Agency, on May 3 demanded the Government to launch a military operation against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Kurram Agency for killing hundreds of innocent people and to restore the Thal-Parachinar road, which links the region to the rest of the country, reports Express Tribune. Criticizing the Government for its non-serious attitude in resolving the issue, he said, “I boycotted the National Assembly’s session last week and I will continue to protest till our demands are fulfilled”.
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May - 3 
Osama Bin Laden lived for the past five to six years in the compound deep inside Pakistan, where al Qaeda leader was killed by United States (US) forces, President Barack Obama’s counterterrorism chief John Brennan said on May 3, reports Daily Times. “Well I think the latest information is that he
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Osama Bin Laden lived for the past five to six years in the compound deep inside Pakistan, where al Qaeda leader was killed by United States (US) forces, President Barack Obama’s counterterrorism chief John Brennan said on May 3, reports Daily Times. “Well I think the latest information is that he was in this compound for the past five or six years and he had virtually no interaction with others outside that compound. But yet he seemed to be very active inside the compound,” Brennan said, adding, “And we know that he had released videos and audios. We know that he was in contact with some senior Qaeda officials”.
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May - 3 
President Asif Ali Zardari on May 3 said that the accusations on Pakistan extending safe havens to extremists were “baseless” and insisted the country’s long-term help was crucial to the United States (US) triumph in gunning down Osama bin Laden, reports Express Tribune. “Some in the US press have s
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President Asif Ali Zardari on May 3 said that the accusations on Pakistan extending safe havens to extremists were “baseless” and insisted the country’s long-term help was crucial to the United States (US) triumph in gunning down Osama bin Laden, reports Express Tribune. “Some in the US press have suggested that Pakistan lacked vitality in its pursuit of terrorism, or worse yet that we were disingenuous and actually protected the terrorists we claimed to be pursuing,” said Zardari, adding, “Such baseless speculation may make exciting cable news, but it doesn’t reflect fact.” Zardari’s defence came after Washington warned it would probe how the al Qaeda kingpin managed to live in ‘undetected luxury’ in Pakistan. “Pakistan has never been and never will be the hotbed of fanaticism that is often described by the media,” added Zardari
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May - 3 
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that the relationship of the US with Pakistan was complicated but important one, adding, that several critical intelligence provided by Pakistan to the US over a period of time helped them reach Osama bin Laden, reported The News. Carney said that al Qaeda
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White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that the relationship of the US with Pakistan was complicated but important one, adding, that several critical intelligence provided by Pakistan to the US over a period of time helped them reach Osama bin Laden, reported The News. Carney said that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was not armed when US Special Forces stormed his compound but he did resist before he was shot. Bin Laden's wife "rushed the US assaulter" and was shot in the leg but not killed, contrary to what a White House official said on May 2.
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May - 4 
An unnamed Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official told reporters that the compound had been raided in 2003 during a search for the al Qaeda operative, reports Times of India. Since then, the compound had not been on the ISI's radar, the official said. It was revealed that the land for the compo
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An unnamed Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official told reporters that the compound had been raided in 2003 during a search for the al Qaeda operative, reports Times of India. Since then, the compound had not been on the ISI's radar, the official said. It was revealed that the land for the compound was acquired in three separate deals by one Arshad Khan from Charsadda District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Khan has now been identified as one of the two couriers killed along with bin Laden in the United States raid.
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May - 4 
Charging that elements in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have "dual loyalty", United States (US) lawmaker Peter King on May 4 alleged that the Pakistan intelligence outfits spend more time in chasing Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents inside Pakistan rather the terrorists operating insi
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Charging that elements in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have "dual loyalty", United States (US) lawmaker Peter King on May 4 alleged that the Pakistan intelligence outfits spend more time in chasing Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents inside Pakistan rather the terrorists operating inside the country, reported Indian Express. "There's no doubt that there have been elements in the ISI which have not been supportive of our position, which have at least a dual loyalty," said Congressman, Peter King, adding, “The fact that the ISI maintained its headquarters so close to bin Laden's hiding place in a neighbourhood populated by prominent retired military and intelligence officials, and to learn that for six years bin Laden was living in that compound raises questions.” It raises possibility that there was a direct facilitation by elements of the Pakistan Government or the Pakistan intelligence is "entirely inept", King added.
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May - 4 
Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik on May 4 said that Pakistan is fighting the war against terrorism and Osama Bin Laden’s death is part of the war, reports Dawn. Malik said that the Foreign Office of Pakistan has presented a detailed statement about the killing of Osama Bin Laden.
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Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik on May 4 said that Pakistan is fighting the war against terrorism and Osama Bin Laden’s death is part of the war, reports Dawn. Malik said that the Foreign Office of Pakistan has presented a detailed statement about the killing of Osama Bin Laden.
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May - 4 
Lawmaker Mufti Kifayetullah of Jama’at Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) during the proceedings of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on May 4 termed Osama bin Laden as a ‘hero’ of Muslims and a great jihadi leader, who sacrificed his life for the glory of Islam prompting a cabinet member of Awami National Party
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Lawmaker Mufti Kifayetullah of Jama’at Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) during the proceedings of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on May 4 termed Osama bin Laden as a ‘hero’ of Muslims and a great jihadi leader, who sacrificed his life for the glory of Islam prompting a cabinet member of Awami National Party (ANP) Bashir Ahmad Bilour to call him a symbol of terror, reports Dawn. “It is a matter of shame for army and Government that foreign forces invaded the country and killed our hero,” he remarked, adding, “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government was equally responsible for this action. This is a fact that Americans killed bin Laden but they could not eliminate his ideology”.
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May - 4 
NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged Pakistan on May 4 to make progress in the battle against terrorism and said the US commando operation that killed Osama bin Laden was justified, reports Dawn. “We have encouraged the Pakistani authorities to reinforce the fight against terrorists
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NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged Pakistan on May 4 to make progress in the battle against terrorism and said the US commando operation that killed Osama bin Laden was justified, reports Dawn. “We have encouraged the Pakistani authorities to reinforce the fight against terrorists and extremists, in particular in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region,” Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said. “We have seen progress, I think there is potential for more progress,” he added. “We must actively cooperate with the Pakistani Government and military in order to strengthen efforts against terrorists in the border region,” Mr Rasmussen added further.
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May - 4 
Pakistan's ambassador to the United States (US) Husain Haqqani said on May 4 that he and his embassy were receiving threatening phone calls and emails ever since Osama bin Laden was killed, reports Times of India. Haqqani said such threats show how his country's contribution to fighting terrorism w
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Pakistan's ambassador to the United States (US) Husain Haqqani said on May 4 that he and his embassy were receiving threatening phone calls and emails ever since Osama bin Laden was killed, reports Times of India. Haqqani said such threats show how his country's contribution to fighting terrorism was being ignored while only failures are being highlighted. "I'm getting threatening phone calls. My embassy is getting threatening phone calls. They're people sending e-mails saying, instead of recognising what Pakistan has contributed, the failure is being pointed out," said Haqqani, adding, “The Pakistan Government will get to the bottom of it but an important concern right now was to reassure people in the US that Pakistan as a nation did not look upon Osama bin Laden favourably.”
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May - 4 
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on May 4 defended country’s ‘failure’ to spot that Osama bin Laden had been hiding out in a luxury compound near Islamabad, saying that fighting terrorism was the whole world’s responsibility, reports Daily Times. “There is an intelligence failure of the whole world
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Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on May 4 defended country’s ‘failure’ to spot that Osama bin Laden had been hiding out in a luxury compound near Islamabad, saying that fighting terrorism was the whole world’s responsibility, reports Daily Times. “There is an intelligence failure of the whole world, not just Pakistan alone Gilani told reporters in Paris where he met French President Nicholas Sarkozy. “Certainly we have intelligence sharing with the rest of the world, including the United States, so if somebody points out that there are ... lapses from the Pakistan side, that means there are lapses from the whole world,” he said. “We want to fight terrorism in our own interest,” he added, asserting, “There is no threat to Pakistan. West is supporting Pakistan as it is a responsible nation.”
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May - 4 
The doctor Qazi Mahmoodul Haq, who sold the piece of the land where Osama Bin Laden’s final hideout was built, said that the buyer, a Pakistani who apparently sheltered the al Qaeda chief, was a “modest, humble” man who did not seem to be a terrorist, reports Daily Times. The doctor said he sold a p
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The doctor Qazi Mahmoodul Haq, who sold the piece of the land where Osama Bin Laden’s final hideout was built, said that the buyer, a Pakistani who apparently sheltered the al Qaeda chief, was a “modest, humble” man who did not seem to be a terrorist, reports Daily Times. The doctor said he sold a plot of land to Arshad in 2005. Property records obtained by reporters show Muhammad Arshad bought adjoining plots in four stages between 2004 and 2005 for USD 48,000. The two appear to be the same person, and the names may be faked.
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May - 4 
The United States (US) troops were prepared to capture Osama bin Laden alive, but his resistance and use of a woman as shield, forced them to kill the al Qaeda leader, said John Brennan, the National Security Advisor for Counterterrorism and Homeland on May 4, reports Times of India. Brennan said, "
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The United States (US) troops were prepared to capture Osama bin Laden alive, but his resistance and use of a woman as shield, forced them to kill the al Qaeda leader, said John Brennan, the National Security Advisor for Counterterrorism and Homeland on May 4, reports Times of India. Brennan said, "If we had the opportunity to take bin Laden alive, if he didn't present any threat, the individuals involved were able and prepared to do that. We had discussed that extensively in a number of meetings in the White House and with our President".
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May - 4 
The White House said on May 4 that United States (US) President Barack Obama reserves the right to act again against top terror suspects inside Pakistan, following the raid which killed Osama bin Laden, reported The News. Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney said, “President Obama made very clear during the
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The White House said on May 4 that United States (US) President Barack Obama reserves the right to act again against top terror suspects inside Pakistan, following the raid which killed Osama bin Laden, reported The News. Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney said, “President Obama made very clear during the campaign that that was his view, and by the actions he has taken as President, feels that it was the right approach and continues to feel that way”. During the 2008 presidential campaign, then senator Obama said that he would order action against Osama bin Laden or other senior al Qaeda leaders inside Pakistan if the country’s leadership “is unable or unwilling to act.”
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May - 4 
Washington on May 4 worked to establish whether Pakistan had sheltered the al Qaeda leader, which Islamabad vehemently denies, reports Daily Times. South Florida Congressman Allen West said Government of Pakistan may have aided and abetted Osama bin Laden’s lengthy hideout from US forces. Unless the
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Washington on May 4 worked to establish whether Pakistan had sheltered the al Qaeda leader, which Islamabad vehemently denies, reports Daily Times. South Florida Congressman Allen West said Government of Pakistan may have aided and abetted Osama bin Laden’s lengthy hideout from US forces. Unless the United States gets a clear explanation of what Pakistani officials knew about bin Laden’s whereabouts, “all aid from American taxpayers to this nation needs to cease,” West wrote in a letter to congressional leaders. “It is not unreasonable for the American people to question if Osama bin Laden was located on Government-controlled land, next to a military academy and so close the nation’s capital. What real assistance was the Pakistan Government providing for the last 10 years to locate the al Qaida leader and bring him to justice?” He suggested the possibility that Pakistan helped Osama bin Laden elude capture to keep USD 20 billion of aid flowing since the 9/11 attacks. “We need to understand whether the government of Pakistan was harbouring Osama bin Laden all these years,” Allen West wrote.
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May - 5 
A United States (US) official on May 5 said that the material seized from Osama bin Laden's compound showed al Qaeda network had planned strikes on US trains on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, reported The News. As of February 2010, al Qaeda "was allegedly contemplating conducting
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A United States (US) official on May 5 said that the material seized from Osama bin Laden's compound showed al Qaeda network had planned strikes on US trains on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, reported The News. As of February 2010, al Qaeda "was allegedly contemplating conducting an operation against trains at an unspecified location in the US on the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001," the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. It was reported that while it was clear there was some level of planning, there is no recent information to indicate an active ongoing plot to target transportation and no information on possible locations or specific targets. Al Qaeda "was looking into trying to tip a train by tampering with the rails so that the train would fall off the track at either a valley or a bridge," according to the department.
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May - 5 
Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who was shot dead in his hideout by special United States (US) forces in Pakistan, was a mass killer of Muslims and not a martyr as a few people are trying to portray, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on May 5, reported Times of India. In her remarks to the Na
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Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who was shot dead in his hideout by special United States (US) forces in Pakistan, was a mass killer of Muslims and not a martyr as a few people are trying to portray, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on May 5, reported Times of India. In her remarks to the National Conference of Editorial Writers, Clinton said the State Department is now working on a narrative "that will convince people he was a murderer, not a martyr," and that Osama bin Laden murdered more Muslims than anyone else. "He was a mass killer of Muslims," she said.
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May - 5 
Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani on May 5 said that no operation is being conducted in the province and there are no troops or tanks present in the province, reports Dawn. “No military operation is being carried out in Balochistan,” he said while talking to media persons in the Chief M
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Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani on May 5 said that no operation is being conducted in the province and there are no troops or tanks present in the province, reports Dawn. “No military operation is being carried out in Balochistan,” he said while talking to media persons in the Chief Minister’s House. He said the Government had already announced that no new cantonments would be established in Balochistan and Sui cantonment had been converted into a military collage where classes had already started.
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May - 5 
China reaffirmed its support for efforts by its ally Pakistan to combat terrorism after the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US forces, and urged the world to help Islamabad. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu stopped short of directly criticising the daring raid by US Special Forces
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China reaffirmed its support for efforts by its ally Pakistan to combat terrorism after the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US forces, and urged the world to help Islamabad. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu stopped short of directly criticising the daring raid by US Special Forces on Pakistani soil that ended with Osama bin Laden’s death, but said national sovereignty “should be respected” at all times. “Pakistan is at the forefront of the international counter-terrorism effort. The international community should understand and support Pakistan,” Jiang told a press conference.
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May - 5 
COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said that any action similar to the Abbottabad operation, violating the country’s sovereignty, will warrant a review of the level of military and intelligence cooperation with the United States, and demanded it to reduce the strength of its troops in the country to
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COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said that any action similar to the Abbottabad operation, violating the country’s sovereignty, will warrant a review of the level of military and intelligence cooperation with the United States, and demanded it to reduce the strength of its troops in the country to the “minimum essential” levels.
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May - 5 
Congresswoman Kay Granger asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to immediately stop American aid program for flood victims in Pakistan, where al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces on May 1, reports Indian Express. Expressing her "concerns during this time of immense uncer
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Congresswoman Kay Granger asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to immediately stop American aid program for flood victims in Pakistan, where al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces on May 1, reports Indian Express. Expressing her "concerns during this time of immense uncertainty about our country's relationship with Pakistan", Congresswoman Kay Granger, who chairs a key committee with oversight over foreign assistance, urged Clinton to shelve nearly USD 200 million in cash payments to Pakistan agencies.
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May - 5 
Pakistan more than ever needs support in its efforts to combat terrorism and bolster democracy following the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the European Union said on May 5, reports Daily Times. While the US operation on Pakistani soil “has raised questions” on the role of the country’s
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Pakistan more than ever needs support in its efforts to combat terrorism and bolster democracy following the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the European Union said on May 5, reports Daily Times. While the US operation on Pakistani soil “has raised questions” on the role of the country’s Army and intelligence services, “there can be no doubt that we will have to rely on Pakistan’s full cooperation as a partner,” said Michael Mann, spokesman for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy High Representative Catherine Ashton. “More than ever we need to underpin the democratic elected government of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani,” he said. But he cautioned that the death of the terrorist mastermind “underlines the need for a broad and reinforced engagement of Pakistan generally, but also on security-related issues such as counter terrorism and human rights.”
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May - 5 
Pakistan warned the United States on May 5 of “disastrous consequences” if it carries out any more raids against terrorists like the one that killed Osama bin Laden, and hit back at international allegations it may have been harbouring the al Qaeda ‘chief’, reports Daily Times. Briefing media person
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Pakistan warned the United States on May 5 of “disastrous consequences” if it carries out any more raids against terrorists like the one that killed Osama bin Laden, and hit back at international allegations it may have been harbouring the al Qaeda ‘chief’, reports Daily Times. Briefing media personalities at the Foreign Office about different aspects and questions regarding the US operation in Abbottabad, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said that Pakistan’s military and political leadership was well-equipped and mindful of the defence requirements of the country. Salman Bashir said the US action, which led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, was a covert operation and Pakistan armed forces were not consulted. He said that Admiral Mike Mullen had telephoned Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at about 3am and informed him about the operation. Bashir pointed out that the American action involved legal issues concerning violation of sovereignty and these should be addressed for the sake of global peace and stability. Even Americans were mindful of the sovereignty issue and Admiral Mullen, among other things, also raised this issue during the conversation with the Army Chief, he added. The secretary recalled that the UN Security Council had emphasised that “member states must ensure that any measure taken to combat terrorism complies with their obligations under international law and in particular human rights, refugee and humanitarian law”.
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May - 5 
Pakistani Ambassador to US, Hussain Haqqani, promised a thorough probe into allegations some of which were reported in the US media, claiming that active or retired Pakistani officials helped Osama bin Laden hide in Abbottabad. “Pakistan will conduct a full inquiry into what his support network was,
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Pakistani Ambassador to US, Hussain Haqqani, promised a thorough probe into allegations some of which were reported in the US media, claiming that active or retired Pakistani officials helped Osama bin Laden hide in Abbottabad. “Pakistan will conduct a full inquiry into what his support network was, whether the support network was a private network, or whether it involved individuals working at any level in our police or security services or anywhere,” the ambassador told the Foreign Policy magazine. “We totally reject there was complicity as a policy decision. The only other two explanations are incompetence and overconfidence of our security services,” he added.
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May - 5 
The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on May 5 ordered an investigation into the intelligence failure in detecting the presence of al Qaeda ‘chief’ Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad hideout and for determining how the US carried out the operation ‘Geronimo’ without the Paki
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The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on May 5 ordered an investigation into the intelligence failure in detecting the presence of al Qaeda ‘chief’ Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad hideout and for determining how the US carried out the operation ‘Geronimo’ without the Pakistan military getting wind of it, reports Dawn. The directives for a broad-based military inquiry were given at a corps commanders conference at the GHQ as the Army decided on an immediate reduction in the US military presence in the country in protest against the ‘unilateral American operation’ in which the fugitive al Qaeda ‘chief’ with $25 million bounty on his head was killed.
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May - 5 
The United Sates Senator Carl Levin on May 5 said that 'high levels' of the Pakistani Government knew where Osama bin Laden was hiding, must know where Mullah Omar is too, reports The News. The Senate Armed Services Committee, Levin said, has already started a preliminary investigation into Pakista
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The United Sates Senator Carl Levin on May 5 said that 'high levels' of the Pakistani Government knew where Osama bin Laden was hiding, must know where Mullah Omar is too, reports The News. The Senate Armed Services Committee, Levin said, has already started a preliminary investigation into Pakistan's involvement and, depending on the results of that investigation, will decide whether to hold public hearings to investigate further. "We need these questions answered about whether or not the top level of the Pakistan government knew or was told by the ISI, their intelligence service, about anything, about this suspicious activity for five years in a very, very centralized place," Levin said.
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May - 5 
The United States relationship with Pakistan is not always easy but has been productive for both sides, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on May 5, after the killing of Osama bin Laden raised questions about the alliance, reports Daily Times. Clinton acknowledged that Washington’s relationship
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The United States relationship with Pakistan is not always easy but has been productive for both sides, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on May 5, after the killing of Osama bin Laden raised questions about the alliance, reports Daily Times. Clinton acknowledged that Washington’s relationship with Islamabad was awkward at times, but said it was still important. “It is not always an easy relationship, you know that,” Clinton said adding “But on the other hand it is a productive one for both our countries and we are going to continue to cooperate between our governments, our militaries, our law-enforcement agencies but most importantly between the American and Pakistani people.”
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May - 5 
United States (US) on May 5 refrained from drawing a parallel between 9/11 and the dastardly Mumbai attacks, also known as 26/11, and appeared to be unwilling to support any similar "hot pursuit" Indian effort as done by the US Special Forces in Pakistan to kill al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, repor
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United States (US) on May 5 refrained from drawing a parallel between 9/11 and the dastardly Mumbai attacks, also known as 26/11, and appeared to be unwilling to support any similar "hot pursuit" Indian effort as done by the US Special Forces in Pakistan to kill al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, reported Indian Express. "I don't want to speculate too broadly about an operation that was clearly unique in the history of the US and the history of the world, where we had an individual who was possibly the most wanted man in the world and had perpetrated heinous crimes against not only American citizens but citizens around the globe," said US State Department spokesman Mark Toner. Toner said he is aware of all those terrorism related cases in India including the attack on the Indian Parliament and the Mumbai terrorist attack. "Our counterterrorism cooperation both with India and with Pakistan is ongoing and we believe that it's directed at exactly these kinds of elements," he added.
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May - 6 
Afghan intelligence believed Osama bin Laden was in hiding in an area close to Abbottabad District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa four years ago, but no action was taken after the claim was furiously rejected by former president Pervez Musharraf, reports Dawn quoting Afghanistan’s former Intelligence chief A
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Afghan intelligence believed Osama bin Laden was in hiding in an area close to Abbottabad District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa four years ago, but no action was taken after the claim was furiously rejected by former president Pervez Musharraf, reports Dawn quoting Afghanistan’s former Intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh on May 6. Saleh, who has long been a hate figure in Islamabad among officials who believed he was implacably anti-Pakistan also said that he had no doubts “that Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader, was hiding in a safe house owned by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in Karachi”, adding, “He is protected by ISI, General Ahmad Shuja Pasha knows as I am talking to you where is Mullah Omar and he keeps daily briefs from his officers about the location of senior Taliban leaders, simple”.
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May - 6 
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on May 6 said that keeping in view the longstanding relations, the United States should not have violated Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, reports Daily Times. Reacting to the military operation conducted deep inside the country’s territory by a US
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Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on May 6 said that keeping in view the longstanding relations, the United States should not have violated Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, reports Daily Times. Reacting to the military operation conducted deep inside the country’s territory by a US team of Navy Seals, the Prime Minister said that the issue of violation of its sovereignty was a matter of concern for Pakistan. He said that it was particularly so, in view of the cooperation with the United States in the fields of intelligence and defence. “Pakistan’s sovereignty should not have been violated. There was no need to a shortcut or to bypass Pakistan,” remarked Gilani during his informal chat with the journalists who were in his entourage for a three-day visit to France.
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May - 6 
The al Qaeda confirmed the death of its leader Osama Bin Laden on May 6 and swore revenge for his killing by elite US commandos, Daily Times quoting the SITE monitoring group reported. “We in the al Qaeda organisation pledge to God and ask his help, support and steadfastness to continue on the path
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The al Qaeda confirmed the death of its leader Osama Bin Laden on May 6 and swore revenge for his killing by elite US commandos, Daily Times quoting the SITE monitoring group reported. “We in the al Qaeda organisation pledge to God and ask his help, support and steadfastness to continue on the path of jihad, the path walked upon by our leaders, and on top of them, Osama,” SITE quoted a statement by the organisation as saying. “The blood of Osama, may God have mercy upon him, weighs more to us and is more precious to us and to every Muslim than to be wasted in vain,” the statement added. The statement promised that the US and those who lived in the country “will never enjoy security until our people in Palestine enjoy it”. The statement specified the location of Bin Laden’s death and those responsible, and so is likely end to fringe conspiracy theories that were beginning to form about his demise, while it directly threatened Pakistan’s leaders. “We call upon the Muslims of Pakistan, on whose land Osama was killed, to rise up and revolt to cleanse this shame that has been attached to them by a clique of traitors and thieves who sold everything to the enemies,” the statement made by al Qaeda added.
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May - 6 
United States (US) Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on May 6 that the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden “could be a game-changer” that would have a significant impact on the war in Afghanistan, reported Dawn. Gates said, “US forces would probably be able to tell within six months whether
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United States (US) Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on May 6 that the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden “could be a game-changer” that would have a significant impact on the war in Afghanistan, reported Dawn. Gates said, “US forces would probably be able to tell within six months whether bin Laden’s death has had an effect on the war,” adding, “I think that there is a possibility that it could be a game-changer.”
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May - 7 
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on May 7 challenged the claim by the United States about the killing of al Qaeda ‘chief’ Osama bin Laden and demanded presentation of circumstantial evidence in the shape of a video to remove doubts, reports Dawn. In a message delivered through telephone to journ
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The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on May 7 challenged the claim by the United States about the killing of al Qaeda ‘chief’ Osama bin Laden and demanded presentation of circumstantial evidence in the shape of a video to remove doubts, reports Dawn. In a message delivered through telephone to journalists from an unknown location, TTP’s ‘deputy spokesman’ Ehsanullah Ehsan alleged that Osama bin Laden was killed somewhere else and the US staged a drama to put pressure on Pakistan and other Muslim countries and to defame Islam. The TTP spokesman refused to accept the US version of Osama’s killing and burial at the sea of such an important man and asked for release of video showing his killing.
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May - 8 
Osama bin Laden had a “support network” in Pakistan but it is not clear if the Pakistani Government was involved, US President Barack Obama said in his first public comments on May 8, reports Daily Times. “We think that there had to be some sort of support network for bin Laden inside of Pakistan,”
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Osama bin Laden had a “support network” in Pakistan but it is not clear if the Pakistani Government was involved, US President Barack Obama said in his first public comments on May 8, reports Daily Times. “We think that there had to be some sort of support network for bin Laden inside of Pakistan,” Obama told the CBS show “60 Minutes,” according to excerpts of an interview released. “But we don’t know who or what that support network was. We don’t know whether there might have been some people inside of government, people outside of government, and that’s something that we have to investigate and, more importantly, the Pakistani government has to investigate.”
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May - 8 
Pakistan on May 8 said if it knew Osama bin Laden was hiding in the country, it would have acted against the al Qaeda leader, reported Daily Times. “If any member of the Pakistani Government, the Pakistani military or the Pakistani intelligence service knew where Osama bin Laden was, we would have t
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Pakistan on May 8 said if it knew Osama bin Laden was hiding in the country, it would have acted against the al Qaeda leader, reported Daily Times. “If any member of the Pakistani Government, the Pakistani military or the Pakistani intelligence service knew where Osama bin Laden was, we would have taken action,” Islamabad’s Ambassador in Washington, Hussain Haqqani said, adding, “Osama bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan was not to Pakistan’s advantage”. Pakistan is pursuing an investigation to understand how the al Qaeda leader could have been hiding in a prominent town. “It is premature to reveal details of the investigation,” said Haqqani. It was reported that Pakistani officials have interviewed at least one of Bin Laden’s wives.
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May - 8 
Quoting a senior US intelligence official Indian Express reported that computer material gathered by the US forces after the raid revealed that Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad home was a ‘command-and-control’ centre for al Qaeda. "This is the largest cache of intelligence derived from the scene of any
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Quoting a senior US intelligence official Indian Express reported that computer material gathered by the US forces after the raid revealed that Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad home was a ‘command-and-control’ centre for al Qaeda. "This is the largest cache of intelligence derived from the scene of any single terrorist," said Donilon. The investigations have shown that Osama was actively involved in planning and directing al Qaeda's terror plots. "What we now know, again taking a look initially here, is that he had obviously an operational and strategic role, and a propaganda role, for al Qaeda," Donilon added.
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May - 8 
The US Military Commander in Afghanistan General David Petraeus said that the killing of Osama bin Laden may weaken al Qaeda’s influence on the Afghan Taliban. Even so, General David Petraeus warned that Afghanistan is still a potential refuge for international terror groups, and al Qaeda is just on
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The US Military Commander in Afghanistan General David Petraeus said that the killing of Osama bin Laden may weaken al Qaeda’s influence on the Afghan Taliban. Even so, General David Petraeus warned that Afghanistan is still a potential refuge for international terror groups, and al Qaeda is just one of those. He also warned that the May 2 US raid that killed the al Qaeda leader in Abbottabad did not spell the end of the NATO battle in Afghanistan, which began just one month after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington with the aim of wiping out al Qaeda and bin Laden. During an interview, Petraeus said, the strong link between al Qaeda and the Taliban was personal, not organisational. “The deal between the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda was between Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden, not the organisations,” he said.
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May - 8 
White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon told during NBC’s “Meet the Press” show that Ayman al Zawahiri, the Egyptian surgeon long considered al Qaeda’s number two, “is not anywhere near the leader that Osama bin Laden was”. “They, as an organisation, will have to work themselves through so
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White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon told during NBC’s “Meet the Press” show that Ayman al Zawahiri, the Egyptian surgeon long considered al Qaeda’s number two, “is not anywhere near the leader that Osama bin Laden was”. “They, as an organisation, will have to work themselves through some sort of succession,” Donilon said. Killing bin Laden, he added, was “a real blow”.
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May - 9 
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has no intention of bringing home its chief operative in Pakistan despite an apparent attempt by the Pakistani media to unmask his identity, US officials said on May 9, according to Dawn. While the Pakistani media reports apparently were inaccurate, US officials sai
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Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has no intention of bringing home its chief operative in Pakistan despite an apparent attempt by the Pakistani media to unmask his identity, US officials said on May 9, according to Dawn. While the Pakistani media reports apparently were inaccurate, US officials said they believe the leak was a calculated attempt to divert attention from American demands for explanations of how Osama bin Laden could have hidden for years near Pakistan’s principal military academy in Abbottabad.
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May - 9 
In a related statement, the Inter Services Public Relations said Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had requested Gilani to “consider convening'' a joint session of Parliament for briefing on the security issues related to the “Abbottabad incident''. Speaking to officers at Rawalpindi, Kharian
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In a related statement, the Inter Services Public Relations said Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had requested Gilani to “consider convening'' a joint session of Parliament for briefing on the security issues related to the “Abbottabad incident''. Speaking to officers at Rawalpindi, Kharian and Sialkot garrisons exclusively about the Abbottabad incident, General Kayani noted, “Articulation of a national response through Parliament, under the circumstances, is the most effective way to let the world know the historic achievements of Pakistan against al Qaeda and its terror affiliates.''
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May - 9 
US President Barack Obama said that he thought that “there had to be some sort of support network for [Osama] bin Laden inside of Pakistan”, reports The Hindu. He said, “We don't know whether there might have been some people inside of government, people outside of government, and that's something t
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US President Barack Obama said that he thought that “there had to be some sort of support network for [Osama] bin Laden inside of Pakistan”, reports The Hindu. He said, “We don't know whether there might have been some people inside of government, people outside of government, and that's something that we have to investigate, and more importantly, the Pakistani government has to investigate.” He added that there were not only individual terrorists in Pakistan but “also a climate inside of Pakistan that sometimes is deeply anti-American. And it makes it more difficult for us to be able to operate there effectively.” He said, “[Continuing counterterrorism cooperation] doesn't mean that there aren't going to be times where we're going be frustrated with Pakistanis. And frankly, there are going be times where they're frustrated with us.”
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May - 9 
Western Governments must work with Pakistan to increase the fight against militants on its border with Afghanistan, NATO's secretary general said on May 9, according to The News. Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he saw "no alternative" to cooperating with Pakistan in the war against terrorism. Though he e
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Western Governments must work with Pakistan to increase the fight against militants on its border with Afghanistan, NATO's secretary general said on May 9, according to The News. Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he saw "no alternative" to cooperating with Pakistan in the war against terrorism. Though he expressed appreciation for the efforts so far by Pakistan's military to fight militants in its border region with Afghanistan he said, "But I think more could be done." "My bottom line is that we need strong cooperation with Pakistan. If we are to assure long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan and beyond, then we need positive engagement with Pakistan," Rasmussen said.
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May - 9 
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on May 9 asserted in Parliament “the war against terrorism is our own national priority'' and described the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) as a “national asset'' which has full support of the Government, according to The Hindu. “Indeed, the ISI is a national
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Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on May 9 asserted in Parliament “the war against terrorism is our own national priority'' and described the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) as a “national asset'' which has full support of the Government, according to The Hindu. “Indeed, the ISI is a national asset and has the full support of the government. We are proud of its considerable accomplishments,” he added, according to Daily Times. The premier also mentioned that some 40 key al Qaeda operatives, including Faraj al-Libbi and Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, were arrested by the ISI, and stressed, “No other country in the world and no other security agency has done so much to interdict al Qaeda than our spy agency and armed forces.” He also dispelled the allegations of complicity and incompetence on the country’s security agencies, saying the ISI prosecuted the anti-terror strategy with a high degree of professionalism and superb determination. “Allegations of complicity or incompetence are absurd. We emphatically reject such accusations,” said the Prime Minister. He also warned that any attack on Pakistan’s strategic assets would be retaliated with full force. “Let no one draw any wrong conclusions. Any attack against Pakistan’s strategic assets whether overt or covert will find a matching response,” the premier told the National Assembly. “Pakistan reserves the right to retaliate with full force. No-one should underestimate the resolve and capability of our nation and armed forces to defend our sacred homeland,” said Gilani. About Osama bin Laden's presence in Abbottabad, Gilani's explanation was that asymmetrical warfare had happened to be the tool in vogue against superior conventional forces, adds The Hindu. “Terrorism falls in that category… Hiding in plain sight, as is evident in this case, is perhaps another technique that could be attributed to bin Laden in the realm of asymmetrical intelligence,'' he explained.
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May - 9 
Rejecting Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani's criticism of the unilateral action through which Osama bin Laden was killed on May 1-2, the US on May 9 asserted that it would not apologise to the Pakistan Government for the incident, according to The Hindu. “We do not apologise for the ac
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Rejecting Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani's criticism of the unilateral action through which Osama bin Laden was killed on May 1-2, the US on May 9 asserted that it would not apologise to the Pakistan Government for the incident, according to The Hindu. “We do not apologise for the action,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters. Acknowledging that there were differences between the two countries on a host of issues, he hoped that Pakistan would carry out a complete investigation as to how bin Laden had successfully evaded detection staying in Abbottabad for so long. Asked whether the Obama Administration had confidence in the leadership of Pakistan, Carney said it thought it important that the Pakistanis did a full investigation. “We are, obviously, doing a full investigation and examining some of the substantial material that our operators collected in bin Laden's compound for evidence of the support network that must have existed to allow Osama bin Laden to continue to live in Abbottabad for so long,” he said. “We have made clear that given the threat that bin Laden represented to the US, — given that he was the most wanted man in the world, a mass murderer, a terrorist who continued to plot against us the United States and our allies, — that the President [Barack Obama] would use whatever means necessary to ensure that we could eliminate him. And he did that,” Carney said.
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May - 10 
Acting Inspector General (IG) of Balochistan Police Ghalib Bandesha denied the presence of the militant organization Quetta Shura, composed of top leadership of the Afghan Taliban in Balochistan. Bandesha was responding to recent media reports which stated that the United States (US) and Pakistani i
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Acting Inspector General (IG) of Balochistan Police Ghalib Bandesha denied the presence of the militant organization Quetta Shura, composed of top leadership of the Afghan Taliban in Balochistan. Bandesha was responding to recent media reports which stated that the United States (US) and Pakistani intelligence agencies are on a hunt for Osama bin Laden’s ally Mullah Omar in Quetta after the successful raid on Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad. Omar is reported to have a reward of $25million on his head and is sheltered by heavily-armed fighters in Quetta near the Afghan border. Reports also quoted a senior Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) official confirming to have planned a ‘huge military action in Quetta’.
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May - 10 
Al Qaeda on May 10 again called on Muslims to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden and said Americans will “pay the price” for President Barack Obama’s decision to kill him, the SITE Intelligence monitoring service said, reports Daily Times. Al Fajr Media Centre, which SITE calls the exclusive online
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Al Qaeda on May 10 again called on Muslims to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden and said Americans will “pay the price” for President Barack Obama’s decision to kill him, the SITE Intelligence monitoring service said, reports Daily Times. Al Fajr Media Centre, which SITE calls the exclusive online distributor of al Qaeda propaganda, said the assassination was a “big mistake” and a “serious sin,” and that Obama had brought disaster on the American people. The statement, made available by the US-based SITE, opened with a lengthy eulogy of bin Laden, killed by US commandos in Pakistan. It said that “despite the stress and the affliction, he continued to smile, certain of the victory of Allah and convinced of His support. He did not retreat nor flatter; instead, he incited to jihad and martyrdom and sought that with his person and his money.” Turning to the American people, it said: “Today, Obama distributed among you the blood of our martyr. We are an Ummah (the global Muslim community) that does not remain silent to injustice, so do not blame us after today. “You are those who chose him and you are those who will pay the price. Obama is protected by armies, (but) who will protect you from our assault?”
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May - 10 
Britain on May 10 asked Pakistan to "dismantle" all terror groups operating on its soil and posing a threat to it as well as to the region and beyond, reported Indian Express. Foreign Secretary William Hague noted that Pakistan has suffered more casualties from terrorism than any country since Septe
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Britain on May 10 asked Pakistan to "dismantle" all terror groups operating on its soil and posing a threat to it as well as to the region and beyond, reported Indian Express. Foreign Secretary William Hague noted that Pakistan has suffered more casualties from terrorism than any country since September 11, but nonetheless called upon the beleaguered country to do all it can to "dismantle all militant and terrorist groups operating on, and from, its soil", adding, “We continue to urge Pakistan to do all it can to dismantle all militant and terrorist groups operating on, and from, its soil".
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May - 10 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 10 said that it had yet to receive a formal request from the United Sates (US) to question three widows of Osama bin Laden while US said that it expects Pakistan will “soon” let it in this regard, reports Daily Times. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmi
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 10 said that it had yet to receive a formal request from the United Sates (US) to question three widows of Osama bin Laden while US said that it expects Pakistan will “soon” let it in this regard, reports Daily Times. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not received a formal request from the US.” She also said that no extradition requests had been received from the countries of origin of bin Laden’s wives – Yemen and Saudi Arabia. US investigators want to question his three wives as they seek to roll up his global militant network. “Pakistanis now appear willing to grant access. Hopefully, they’ll carry through on the signals they’re sending,” said a US official familiar with the matter in Washington. Bin Laden’s Yemeni wife has told Pakistani investigators that they lived in the compound where her spouse was killed in the garrison town of Abbottabad for five years.
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May - 11 
A group of US Senators introduced a legislation that would keep the Guantánamo Bay open, reported Indian Express. This legislation came in response to Barack Obama Administration’s intention to close down the detention camp. The group, comprising five Senators, said US needs a safe place to keep ter
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A group of US Senators introduced a legislation that would keep the Guantánamo Bay open, reported Indian Express. This legislation came in response to Barack Obama Administration’s intention to close down the detention camp. The group, comprising five Senators, said US needs a safe place to keep terrorists, as they believe that the death of Osama bin Laden and the materials seized would result in arrests of more terrorists. "I believe that the new intelligence collected in the raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, increases the likelihood that more terrorists will be captured in the near future. We are going to want to have a safe, first-rate facility in which we can house these people in order to keep them off the battlefield and gain intelligence from them," Senator Joe Lieberman said. However, the White House repeatedly asserted that Obama Administration is committed to close down the Guantánamo Bay. Attorney General Eric Holder had also recently restated the administration's intention to close the detention facility.
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May - 11 
Congressman Mike Rogers said that the Haqqani network may have had some "logistical role" behind bombings incidents in India. "We believe that they may have some logistical role in helping in the bombings in India," Congressman Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelli
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Congressman Mike Rogers said that the Haqqani network may have had some "logistical role" behind bombings incidents in India. "We believe that they may have some logistical role in helping in the bombings in India," Congressman Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said in response to a question at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a Washington-based eminent think tank. Rogers, who is being briefed regularly by the American intelligence agencies including the CIA, however did not specify any particular terrorist attacks inside India, but apparently was referring to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
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May - 11 
Former President General Pervez Musharraf warned in an interview on May 11 that the United States would be ‘a loser’ if it alienated Pakistan in the war against al Qaeda and militants, reports Daily Times. General Musharraf, speaking about the US raid in Pakistan which eliminated Osama bin Laden, al
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Former President General Pervez Musharraf warned in an interview on May 11 that the United States would be ‘a loser’ if it alienated Pakistan in the war against al Qaeda and militants, reports Daily Times. General Musharraf, speaking about the US raid in Pakistan which eliminated Osama bin Laden, also told ABC News there was no deal between his Government and Washington almost a decade ago allowing US forces to conduct a unilateral raid in Pakistani territory, as reported by the British newspaper “Never! And this is the assertion being cast by the Guardian and I rejected that. I condemn such an insinuation,” General Musharraf said. “There was no such deal.” Further, General Musharraf said that it is possible that rogue members of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the military knew of Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad. “As a policy, the Army and the ISI are fighting terrorism and extremism, al Qaeda and the Taliban. But rogue elements within are a possibility,” Musharraf said. “As I said, at the lower level, somebody following a policy of his own and violating the policy from above is a possibility.”
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May - 11 
Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani, on May 11, exhorted political leadership from across the party line to stand united and give a collective strategy on national policy on security to face the serious challenges facing the country, reports Daily Times. “I request you to stand united and give us
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Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani, on May 11, exhorted political leadership from across the party line to stand united and give a collective strategy on national policy on security to face the serious challenges facing the country, reports Daily Times. “I request you to stand united and give us a strategy on our national policy on security,” said the PM in his address to the Senate, adding, “We shall not allow our territory to be used for terrorism.” “Our political leaders may have their differences. But, across the world, they stand united on the issue of national foreign policy,” said Gilani as he asked the senators not to give anyone a chance to destabilise the country. “It is our (government and legislators) responsibility to unite over the issues of national importance. There would be differences in the methodology, strategy, approach, but on the issue of national interests, we are all one,” added the prime minister, saying unless the state institutions were strengthened, the country couldn’t be made stronger.
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May - 11 
The Obama administration dismissed demands of a group of lawmakers that US should stop aid to Pakistan in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden. "They are legitimate concerns. But we believe that our counter-terrorism cooperation and our assistance to Pakistan is in the long-term national
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The Obama administration dismissed demands of a group of lawmakers that US should stop aid to Pakistan in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden. "They are legitimate concerns. But we believe that our counter-terrorism cooperation and our assistance to Pakistan is in the long-term national security interests of the US, as well as in the long-term interests of building a stronger, more prosperous and more democratic Pakistan," State department spokesman Mark Toner said.
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May - 12 
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, in an interview with Time Magazine, on May 12 revealed that cooperation between the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and its Pakistani counterpart, the Inter- Services Intelligence (ISI), had broken down, reports Dawn. Gilani said that, continuing to work with the
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Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, in an interview with Time Magazine, on May 12 revealed that cooperation between the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and its Pakistani counterpart, the Inter- Services Intelligence (ISI), had broken down, reports Dawn. Gilani said that, continuing to work with the United States could imperil his Government, unless Washington takes drastic steps to restore trust and win over 180 million Pakistanis. Gilani warned that his Government was accountable to an electorate increasingly hostile to the US. “I am not an army dictator, I’m a public figure,” “If public opinion is against you [referring to his US allies] then I cannot resist it to stand with you. I have to go with public opinion.” Asked about the reason for this trust deficit, Gilani replied tersely, “It’s not from our side. Ask them.” “Traditionally, the ISI worked with the CIA,” he said. Now, “what we’re seeing is that there’s no level of trust.”
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May - 12 
The United States (US) commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden was “not an assassination”, US Attorney General Eric Holder said on May 12 after the al Qaeda leader’s sons denounced the operation on May 11, reported Daily Times. Holder said that the raid on bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan on May 1
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The United States (US) commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden was “not an assassination”, US Attorney General Eric Holder said on May 12 after the al Qaeda leader’s sons denounced the operation on May 11, reported Daily Times. Holder said that the raid on bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan on May 1 was a “kill or capture mission” and that his surrender would have been accepted if offered, but that the safety of US Navy commandos was paramount. “What happened to bin Laden was not an assassination,” Holder said, adding, “I think the action that we took against him can be seen as an act of national self-defence. You have to remember it is lawful to target an enemy commander”. Holder added, “But the threat has not gone. We have to face others in al Qaeda, others still sworn to do harm to the US and its allies. We have to deal with them as well”.
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May - 13 
Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha on May 13 surrendered himself before Parliament for accountability after conceding intelligence failure of the country’s premier secret agency in the Abbottabad operation in which al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden w
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Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha on May 13 surrendered himself before Parliament for accountability after conceding intelligence failure of the country’s premier secret agency in the Abbottabad operation in which al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces on May 2, reports Daily Times. The declaration of the ISI chief came during an in-camera session of the joint session of parliament, which was convened to take the lawmakers on board about the Abbottabad incident, which has stirred a storm throughout the country. In a rare show of parliament’s supremacy over the country’s military and intelligence institutions, the ISI head also offered to resign if parliament so decides, and pleaded forgiveness from the nation for the “intelligence lapse” in Abbottabad. He told the House that the United States had used stealth technology on its helicopters that could not be detected. “It was due to the technological superiority that they managed to get in undetected,” Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdaus Ashiq Awan quoted the ISI chief as saying. Pasha, however, pointed out that apart from the failure of the ISI, it was also the responsibility of the Provincial Government, local Police and related agencies to attain information about the al Qaeda chief. “We are, of course, not shying away from our responsibility, but all must share their failure,” Pasha said.
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May - 14 
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on May 14 urged Pakistan to stand united with its Western allies to tackle the Taliban, who were behind a double suicide bombing in the country, reports Daily Times. “It is with shock and sadness that I learned the death of some 80 paramilitary cadets kil
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NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on May 14 urged Pakistan to stand united with its Western allies to tackle the Taliban, who were behind a double suicide bombing in the country, reports Daily Times. “It is with shock and sadness that I learned the death of some 80 paramilitary cadets killed in a terrorist attack,” Rasmussen wrote in a letter to President Asif Ali Zardari. “This attack is a stark reminder that Pakistan and the allies must stand united to defeat the scourge of violent extremism,” he added.
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May - 15 
One of the militants involved in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team on March 3, 2009, arrested in Taunsa Sharif city of Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab on May 15, reports The Express Tribune. Sources said that Police arrested Adnan Khosa for a bank robbery that took place on May 14 in Taun
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One of the militants involved in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team on March 3, 2009, arrested in Taunsa Sharif city of Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab on May 15, reports The Express Tribune. Sources said that Police arrested Adnan Khosa for a bank robbery that took place on May 14 in Taunsa Sharif. Upon interrogation, Khosa confessed that he and his father, Qari Irshad, had been involved in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore. Khosa and his father had fled the country after the attack, according to sources, and had only recently returned from Dubai. Soon after the attack, police had arrested a man named Zubair from Hotel Makhan, on the Indus Highway near Shah Saddar Din, another town in Dera Ghazi Khan. Zubair had mentioned an accomplice by the name of Adnan Khosa during his interrogation.
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May - 15 
The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha o May 15 warned India that any Abbottabad-like attack by it would invite a fitting response from Pakistan as targets inside the country “had already been identified” and “rehearsal” carried out, reports The Hindu. Pasha
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The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha o May 15 warned India that any Abbottabad-like attack by it would invite a fitting response from Pakistan as targets inside the country “had already been identified” and “rehearsal” carried out, reports The Hindu. Pasha's warning came as he addressed the in-camera joint session of the Senate and National Assembly held behind closed doors.
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May - 16 
Barrister Iqbal Jaffree moved a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on May 16 calling for the expulsion of the United States (US) Ambassador Cameron Munter from the country, ban on transit facilities to the US until it apologises over the Abbottabad operation, and finally to take the matter to t
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Barrister Iqbal Jaffree moved a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on May 16 calling for the expulsion of the United States (US) Ambassador Cameron Munter from the country, ban on transit facilities to the US until it apologises over the Abbottabad operation, and finally to take the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), reported Daily Times. He said that “cowardly” policies made by the Pakistani rulers, including Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf gave courage to the US to carry out a military operation within Pakistani territory, adding, “All the leaders lack the courage to stand against the US as all have been taking dollars from it by handing over innocent Pakistanis.”
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May - 16 
Britain and Pakistan need to work closely to further enhance their partnership in diverse areas, mainly in trade, investment and education with a view to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan and promote peace and security of the region and the world, President Asif Ali Zardari said on May 16, reports D
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Britain and Pakistan need to work closely to further enhance their partnership in diverse areas, mainly in trade, investment and education with a view to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan and promote peace and security of the region and the world, President Asif Ali Zardari said on May 16, reports Daily Times. President Asif Ali Zardari said this while talking to a British delegation led by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Alistair Burt, which called on him at the Presidency. Briefing the media, spokesperson to the President, Farhatullah Babar, said that matters relating to Pak-UK bilateral cooperation, strategic dialogue, fight against terrorism, trade and economic cooperation and regional issues were discussed during the meeting. The situation arising out of the Abbottabad operation was also discussed during the meeting, he added. The president said that Pakistan had rendered great sacrifices, both human and material than any other country in the fight against terrorism. He said that the Government and the people of Pakistan appreciate Britain’s acknowledgement of Pakistan’s counter terrorism efforts.
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May - 16 
Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani on May 16 said that it was the need of the hour that the United States and Pakistan should rebuild the trust and confidence between their governments and institutions, reports Daily Times. PM said Pakistan desired due recognition and support of the internationa
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Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani on May 16 said that it was the need of the hour that the United States and Pakistan should rebuild the trust and confidence between their governments and institutions, reports Daily Times. PM said Pakistan desired due recognition and support of the international community, particularly that of the US, at this stage rather than negative messaging and uncalled-for criticism, emanating from there. Talking to a US delegation, led by US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator John F Kerry, Gilani reiterated Pakistan’s strong commitment and resolve to fighting the menace of extremism and terrorism. He, however, underlined the imperative of mutual trust, interest and respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty to strengthen its national consensus in the war against terror to achieve the common objective of defeating the forces of terror.
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May - 17 
Former Prime Minister and leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Nawaz Sharif on May 17 urged Pakistan to stop treating India as 'biggest enemy', reports Times of India. He called for reappraisal of ties with its neighbour to move forward and progress, saying Islamabad must stop treating New Delhi as
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Former Prime Minister and leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Nawaz Sharif on May 17 urged Pakistan to stop treating India as 'biggest enemy', reports Times of India. He called for reappraisal of ties with its neighbour to move forward and progress, saying Islamabad must stop treating New Delhi as its "biggest enemy".
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May - 17 
The Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on May 17 said that the country’s security agencies had caught the terrorists involved in attacks on the Marriot hotel, GHQ and Parade Lane Mosque red handed, but due to lacuna in the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the culprits got released, reports Daily Ti
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The Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on May 17 said that the country’s security agencies had caught the terrorists involved in attacks on the Marriot hotel, GHQ and Parade Lane Mosque red handed, but due to lacuna in the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the culprits got released, reports Daily Times. He said that the existing evidence only provided for a thumbnail impression of an accused, while the latest mode of investigation could not be used as the law did not permit to do so and we are facing problems with India over investigation of the culprits. He said the Government was making efforts to amend the ATA to bring the terrorists to justice.
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May - 18 
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) vowed to fight with “new zeal” in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death to complete the al Qaeda chief’s mission of waging holy war against the West, the ‘deputy commander’ of TTP Waliur Rehman told the Associated Press on May 16, Daily times reported on May 18. Re
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The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) vowed to fight with “new zeal” in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death to complete the al Qaeda chief’s mission of waging holy war against the West, the ‘deputy commander’ of TTP Waliur Rehman told the Associated Press on May 16, Daily times reported on May 18. Rehman said that terrorists would continue to stage attacks in the coming days. Rehman spoke to the AP along the border between North and South Waziristan. “After the martyrdom of Sheikh Osama, the Mujahideen (revenue unit) will continue jihad to complete his mission with a new zeal,” Rehman said, referring to his fighters. “We have the same target, programme and mission,” he added. “Our enemies are NATO, Jews and Christians.” Rehman also questioned details that have emerged about the US raid that killed bin Laden.
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May - 19 
Asked about the killing of five alleged Chechen terrorists in Kharotabad area, the Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi said it was the provincial Government’s responsibility to investigate the incident and determine if the foreigners were suicide bombers or not and whether they were carryi
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Asked about the killing of five alleged Chechen terrorists in Kharotabad area, the Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi said it was the provincial Government’s responsibility to investigate the incident and determine if the foreigners were suicide bombers or not and whether they were carrying weapons and explosive materials. Asked about the law and order situation, Magsi said the question was related to the provincial Government and it should deal with it. “The problems will not be resolved by holding tribal jirgas (tribal councils) because we are not living in such an era in which such traditional jirgas give result,” he added.
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May - 19 
Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi said that he has no idea whether the Quetta Shura, a group comprising Afghan Taliban leadership, including top leader Mullah Omar, is in Balochistan, but if it was present then no one could stop the United States (US) from carrying out attacks against it
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Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi said that he has no idea whether the Quetta Shura, a group comprising Afghan Taliban leadership, including top leader Mullah Omar, is in Balochistan, but if it was present then no one could stop the United States (US) from carrying out attacks against it.
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May - 19 
In a recording made shortly before his death, Osama bin Laden praised the mass protests that have toppled and shaken long-time rulers across the Arab world. Laden’s message, released on militant websites on May 19 addressed to the Muslim nation, represents an attempt by him to remain relevant follow
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In a recording made shortly before his death, Osama bin Laden praised the mass protests that have toppled and shaken long-time rulers across the Arab world. Laden’s message, released on militant websites on May 19 addressed to the Muslim nation, represents an attempt by him to remain relevant following sweeping changes in which al Qaeda and other militant outfits have played almost no role, reported Dawn. “The winds of change will spread through the entire Islamic world, God willing,” Bin Laden said in the 12-minute audio message, adding, “The youth need to make necessary preparations and not act without consulting the experience of the honest ones and those who are far from half solutions and compromises with the oppressors.”
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May - 19 
The tribal elders said that Government should replace paramilitary forces with the army in the area. “The government should deploy regular army on the main road,” they added. They alleged that Frontier Corps (FC) had lost the confidence of people as the force failed to provide security to local popu
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The tribal elders said that Government should replace paramilitary forces with the army in the area. “The government should deploy regular army on the main road,” they added. They alleged that Frontier Corps (FC) had lost the confidence of people as the force failed to provide security to local population.
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May - 19 
Announcing election manifesto, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on May 19 said it will contest all 41 seats of Legislative Assembly of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the General Elections of June 26, 2011, reports Dawn. National Press Club, MQM Deputy Convener Farooq Sattar said MQM will continue
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Announcing election manifesto, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on May 19 said it will contest all 41 seats of Legislative Assembly of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the General Elections of June 26, 2011, reports Dawn. National Press Club, MQM Deputy Convener Farooq Sattar said MQM will continue struggle for the genuine rights of Kashmiris, adding, “MQM wants to resolve the Kashmir dispute as per aspirations of Kashmiris. They should be part of every talk over Kashmir between Pakistan and India.”
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May - 20 
One passerby was killed and 11 other injured in a car bomb blast on a US consulate vehicle on Abdarra Road in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, at about 8 am on May 20, reports Dawn. Two consulate personnel in the bullet-proof Land Cruiser also suffered minor injuries. Accordin
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One passerby was killed and 11 other injured in a car bomb blast on a US consulate vehicle on Abdarra Road in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, at about 8 am on May 20, reports Dawn. Two consulate personnel in the bullet-proof Land Cruiser also suffered minor injuries. According to Police, the vehicle carrying US personnel was going to the consulate office in the cantonment from the American Club in the posh University Town. US embassy spokesman in Islamabad, Alberto Rodriguez, said in a statement that the vehicle had been hit by an improvised explosive device. The vehicle was damaged, but no US personnel were seriously injured. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in telephone calls to AFP, claimed responsibility, threatening further attacks against Western targets and indicating that the blast was to avenge the May 2 killing of Osama bin Laden by US Navy SEALs. “Our first enemy is Pakistan, then the United States and after that other NATO countries,” said TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan.
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May - 20 
Quoting from a United States (US) cable dated April 8, 2008, accessed through the WikiLeaks, The Hindu on May 20 reported that the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi told US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher that India-Pakistan relations could not be held hostage to the is
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Quoting from a United States (US) cable dated April 8, 2008, accessed through the WikiLeaks, The Hindu on May 20 reported that the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi told US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher that India-Pakistan relations could not be held hostage to the issue of Kashmir alone. The Pakistan military and successive political establishments have consistently argued that Kashmir is the core issue between India and Pakistan, and that without a resolution of the dispute there can be no meaningful progress in ties. Yet, after a few months in office, Qureshi too was calling Kashmir a ‘core issue.' Qureshi said there was a large constituency on both sides of the border that believed in moving forward, but they were not particularly vocal. In his assessment, the answer to improved relations lay in more confidence-building measures, people-to-people contacts and increased trade. The cable said: “But within the coalition, there are two important players on the extremism issue. One is Awami National Party (ANP) leader Asfundyar Wali Khan, who is liberal and ‘thinks like us' but is a Pashtun who looks at things differently. “The other is Nawaz Sharif, who sounds more aggressive and belligerent than the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), especially on the issue of the then President Pervez Musharraf's future.
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May - 22 
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik while condemning the assault in PNS Mehran said that al Qaeda and Taliban are enemies of Pakistan, reported The News. “The attack was not on Pakistan navy but on Pakistan,” Malik said.
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Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik while condemning the assault in PNS Mehran said that al Qaeda and Taliban are enemies of Pakistan, reported The News. “The attack was not on Pakistan navy but on Pakistan,” Malik said.
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May - 22 
In addition, Barack Obama said that Pakistan's obsession with India that makes it look at its neighbour as an “existential threat” is a mistake and it would do well to shed this contest mentality. Obama said both he and British Prime Minister David Cameron understood that Pakistan had been “very obs
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In addition, Barack Obama said that Pakistan's obsession with India that makes it look at its neighbour as an “existential threat” is a mistake and it would do well to shed this contest mentality. Obama said both he and British Prime Minister David Cameron understood that Pakistan had been “very obsessed” with India. US wants Pakistan to realise that the biggest threat to it does not come from outside but is “homegrown”. He said, “They see that (India) as their existential threat. I think that’s a mistake. I think that peace between India and Pakistan would serve Pakistan very well.”
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May - 22 
Pakistan Army on May 22 denied a report that US Special Forces were embedded with Pakistani troops for intelligence- gathering missions in the northwest of the country, reports Dawn. The Dawn on May 21 said that it had obtained secret dispatches from WikiLeaks that revealed that US Special Forces we
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Pakistan Army on May 22 denied a report that US Special Forces were embedded with Pakistani troops for intelligence- gathering missions in the northwest of the country, reports Dawn. The Dawn on May 21 said that it had obtained secret dispatches from WikiLeaks that revealed that US Special Forces were deployed with Pakistani troops in joint operations in Pakistan by September of 2009. A spokesman from the Pakistani military’s media relations department categorically denied the presence of American troops in North and South Waziristan. “No US troops are involved in any military operations in FATA,” said the spokesman.
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May - 22 
Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on May 22 that the United States (US) had a mole right inside Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad hideout and this was how the al Qaeda chief was tracked down, reports Times of India quoting a media report. Top US officials said after the raid that they were on
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Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on May 22 that the United States (US) had a mole right inside Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad hideout and this was how the al Qaeda chief was tracked down, reports Times of India quoting a media report. Top US officials said after the raid that they were only partially certain of Osama's presence inside the $1 million mansion, but Malik says only definitive information could have led them right to the room where bin Laden was killed. The report also says that bin Laden's Saudi wives believe that it was his younger Yemeni wife Amal who betrayed him either by supplying information or by allowing herself to be tracked to the compound.
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May - 22 
The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha on May 22 warned the US that Pakistan will be "forced to respond" if it does not stop drone strikes in the country's tribal belt, reports Indian Express. The ISI chief took a firm stance with the US on drone strikes, as
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The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha on May 22 warned the US that Pakistan will be "forced to respond" if it does not stop drone strikes in the country's tribal belt, reports Indian Express. The ISI chief took a firm stance with the US on drone strikes, as saying "We will be forced to respond if you do not come up with a strategy that stops the drone strikes”. Pasha also described a recent incursion by NATO helicopters into Pakistani airspace as a "shock" for defence cooperation between the US and Pakistan.
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May - 22 
There are elements within the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Pakistani Army who provided support to Osama bin Laden, said American lawmaker and Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence Mike Rogers on May 22, reported Indian Express. Rogers, who has access to classified Unite
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There are elements within the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Pakistani Army who provided support to Osama bin Laden, said American lawmaker and Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence Mike Rogers on May 22, reported Indian Express. Rogers, who has access to classified United States (US) information on bin Laden case, however, said there is no evidence so far which indicates that the top leadership of either of these two Pakistan organisations were aware of the presence of bin Laden in Abbottabad. "But I believe, and I think many believe that there were elements within those organisations that may have provided them safety and at least logistical support to some degree," Rogers said.
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May - 22 
US President Barack Obama on May 22 said that he would approve an Abbottabad-like operation which killed Osama bin Laden if another militant leader was found in Pakistan, reports Indian Express. Speaking to the BBC on the eve of his visit to Britain, Obama said that he was mindful of Pakistani sover
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US President Barack Obama on May 22 said that he would approve an Abbottabad-like operation which killed Osama bin Laden if another militant leader was found in Pakistan, reports Indian Express. Speaking to the BBC on the eve of his visit to Britain, Obama said that he was mindful of Pakistani sovereignty but said the US could not allow "active plans to come to fruition without us taking some action". Asked what he would do if one of al Qaeda's top leaders, or the Taliban leader Mullah Omar, was tracked down to a location in Pakistan or another sovereign territory, he said the US would take unilateral action if required. He said, "Our job is to secure the United States. We are very respectful of the sovereignty of Pakistan. But we cannot allow someone who is actively planning to kill our people or our allies' people. We can't allow those kinds of active plans to come to fruition without us taking some action."
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May - 23 
An Afghan security official refusing to disclose the details confirmed the killing, saying: "It is correct that Mullah Omar has been killed."
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An Afghan security official refusing to disclose the details confirmed the killing, saying: "It is correct that Mullah Omar has been killed."
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May - 23 
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir rejected the reports of “security breach” at the Pakistan Navy’s airbase that was attacked by TTP, saying the attack on the airbase could not be termed “security lapse”. “Terrorists wanted to cause damage to the assets of the navy. And it was clear that they
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Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir rejected the reports of “security breach” at the Pakistan Navy’s airbase that was attacked by TTP, saying the attack on the airbase could not be termed “security lapse”. “Terrorists wanted to cause damage to the assets of the navy. And it was clear that they targeted naval forces,” said Noman Bashir. Contrary to Bashir’s statement, Pakistan defence and political analysts termed the attack on the Mehran naval air base as a "big security lapse", reports Indian Express. Security Experts said that "insiders" were facilitating the militants in their deadly agenda and asked the Government and military to wake up to this. The daring attack by the armed militants, who used rockets, grenades and heavy ammunition, has raised serious doubt over the military's ability to protect its key installations. "It is a worrying thing that this attack is nothing but a serious security lapse on part of the navy," Air Vice Marshal and defence analyst (retd) Shahzad Chaudhary, said. "It is not possible for these terrorists to have so much creditable information about the presence of the aircrafts on the base without inside help. The fact that these militants have managed to hold off the SFs for 16 hours shows they came well drilled and prepared for the operation," Nasim Zehra, a political and current affairs expert said.
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