At least four persons were killed
and more than 50 others injured when an IED planted in a parked
motorcycle exploded near Ayesha Manzil within the precincts
of Gulberg Police Station in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. The remotely-controlled bomb hit the locality after
a joint public gathering of the MQM and Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran
concluded. The victims were identified as Talib Hussain, Rehan
Ullah, Tayyab and Hashim.
One Abdul Razzaq Baloch (55)
was shot dead by unidentified assailants near SalmanHeights
situated in Gulbahar Police Station of Karachi in Sindh.
ASI, Faiz Ahmed (51), was shot
dead by unidentified assailants near the Habib Bank roundabout
in the SITE-A Police Jurisdiction in Karachi.
Imran Baloch (28) was shot dead
near Muslimabad in Old Golimar of Pak Colony Police Station
in Karachi.
Shahab Khan (32) was shot dead
near Nayabad in Shershah Police Station in Karachi. Police said
that it was a target killing incident.
Aslam (40) was killed in Sector
11-1/2, OrangiTown, in Mominabad Police Jurisdiction in Karachi.
Riaz (26), was shot dead near
a restaurant in Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s Block 10-A in the Sharea Faisal
Police Limits in Karachi. Police said Riaz was a security guard
at the Indus Security Company.
Bakhtiar Alam (30) was shot
dead in Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s Block-11 in Karachi.
Ashraf (25) was shot dead in
Gulistan-i-Jauhar Police Station in Karachi.
An IED was defused in Orangi
Town. Police said a suspicious parcel was found near the Orangi
Town Police Station. After the discovery of the parcel, the
BDU was called for help. The BDU team defused the IED, which
contained two and a half kilograms of explosives. The IED was
connected with four battery cells and circuits.
At least three fishermen, identified
as Sikandar, Akhtar and Sheri Jan, were shot dead while one
Shafiq was injured by unidentified armed assailants in the Pasni
town of Gwadar District in Balochistan.
An officer of the Balochistan
Government, Saifuddin Baloch and his driver, were killed and
another man was injured when their car was sprayed with bullets
in the Besima area of Kharan District in Balochistan.
The warden of Machh jail, Mohammad
Ali, who belonged to the Hazara community, was shot dead in
Machh bazaar of Bolan District in Balochistan.
Unknown armed assailants shot
dead a man, identified as Dost Muhammad, in Manguchar Bazaar
area of Kalat District in Balochistan.
A truck driver, Allahyar was
injured in an attack on National Highway near Dasht area of
Mastung District in Balochistan. According to Levies Force,
a Quetta-bound truck, carrying medicines from Karachi, was on
its way when unidentified assailants riding a motorbike opened
fire on it.
Seven persons, including six
women, working for a NGO, were shot dead at Sher Afzal Kalley
area in Swabi District of KP. An employee for Support with Working
Solutions (SWWS) organisation, working on health and education,
told that the van was on its way from a centre of the NGO when
the gunmen ambushed it at Sher Afzal Kalley. The driver of the
vehicle carrying the local NGO staff was wounded critically,
District Police Officer Abdur Rashid said.
Police foiled a terrorism bid
in the Sarband area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP
by defusing a 70-kilogramme bomb. The bomb was planted in a
drum outside a tribal elder’s house in the semi-tribal village
of Keena Bala. The Bomb Disposal Squad neutralised the bomb.
Unidentified militants exploded
two home-made explosive devices at boys’ primary school at Dallokhel
village in Lakki Marwatof KP, damaging a portion of its boundary
wall. An official said that the bombs weighed 2.5 kilogrammes
each and the watchman who was present in the school building
remained unhurt.
In another such incident the
same night, unidentified assailants attacked a house with a
hand grenade in Abakhel village.
Sub-Divisional Education Officer
Rehmatullah Khan asked the heads of primary schools to ensure
presence of watchmen in their respective schools during night
time. The instructions to this effect have been delivered to
headmasters in Meenakhel, Tajazai, Serai Gambila, Tattarkhel,
Gandi Khankhel and Kala Manjiwala circles.
Two girl students of a seminary
were killed and five others injured when a mortar shell landed
outside the institution in Akkakhel area of Bara tehsil
in Khyber Agency of FATA.
A civilian worker of the FWO
was killed and four security men were seriously injured when
the vehicle they were travelling in was hit by a remote-controlled
bomb near Matches Camp in Miranshah of NWA in FATA.
The house of an anti-polio worker
was partially damaged in a blast apparently carried out by militants
at Vermando Mela in Jamrud tehsil in Khyber Agency FATA.
The Pakistani Army establishment’s
decision to join hands with the US in its war against terror
has made the country suffer 896 deadly incidents of suicide
bombings in the past 11 years which have killed 5,243 innocent
people and injured 11,221 others between January 1, 2002 and
December 31, 2012. Statistically speaking, the staggering death
toll (of 5,243) means that the human bombs were able to kill
476 people every year on average and 40 people each month since
2002. Likewise, Pakistan suffered an average 81 suicide bombings
every year and seven attacks a month over the past eleven years.
Pakistan had experienced only one suicide bombing before 9/11
when the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad was targeted. However,
over the next 11 years between January 2002 and December 2012,
the human bombs let loose a reign of terror in almost every
nook and cranny of the country, killing over 5,000 people in
almost 900 suicide attacks.
January 2
At least six persons, including
two Police guards, were killed in separate incidents of violence
in various parts of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
According to Police, two twin
brothers were targeted on Shah Abdul Latif Bhattai road in Karachiwhen
they were on the way to University of Karachi for B.Com examination.
SHO Jan Khan Niazi said the victims were the residents of Bihar
Colony.
Two Police guards lost their
lives when they offered resistance during a robbery bid near
BanarasBridge within the jurisdiction of Pirabad Police StationKarachi.
SHO Faryad Hussain said the deceased, who were identified as
Rizwan and Naeem, were Police guards.
The brother of one MQM activist,
Rameez (20), son of Mohiuddin, was targeted near Usmania Hotel
within the precincts of Jamsheed Quarters Police Station Karachi.
SHO Inayatullah Marwat said Rameez was the brother of an MQM
activist and might have been killed on the similar ground.
Another man was shot dead near
Habib Bank Chowrangi when he was travelling on a flyover in
a car within the jurisdiction of SITE-A Police Station Karachi.
At least two suspected militants
were killed and six others injured in an overnight operation
by Security Forces in Miranshah of North Waziristan Agency in
FATA. According to an official, curfew had been imposed in the
area indefinitely.
Five students received minor
injuries slightly when an explosive device went off at University
of Peshawar in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
About one kilogram of explosives were used in the blast occurred
in the conference hall of Institute of Islamic and Arabic Studies,
UoP, Campus Police Station SHO Saidullah Afirdi said.
Dera Ismail Khan Police of KP
busted the network involved in two bomb attacks on Ashura processions
and arrested four top members of the group, a Senior Police
Official said. DIG of Police, Dera Ismail Khan, Qazi Jamilur
Rahman told reporters that four persons associated with the
LeJ and the TTP were arrested and suicide jackets, detonators
and explosives and ammunition recovered from their hideouts.
Nine people were killed and 26 others wounded in a blast in
Thoya Fazil on the ninth of Muharram. The next day another bomb
went off in Commissionary Bazaar killing seven people and injuring
over 138 others.
A single-member Peshawar High
Court bench directed the KP Provincial Government to raise money
from philanthropists for safe release of eight Water and Power
Development Authority workers abducted over four months back.
The WAPDA workers were abducted by militants on August 15 when
they were on the way to Tank District from the dam site in South
Waziristan Agency of FATA. The abductors have demanded PKR 150
million ransom. At the same time, the court asked the families
of the abductees not to protest, observing that the act may
threaten the life of their members. While issuing these directions,
Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan gave another week to the Government
for the safe recovery of the WAPDA workers associated with Gomal
Zam dam project, and adjourned hearing to January 10.
A 16-inch-diameter gas pipeline
was blown up in the Pir Koh area of Dera Bugti District in Balochistan,
suspending supply to a purification plant in the area. According
to reports, explosives were planted underneath the main supply
line in the Pir Koh area. However, no casualty was reported.
Unidentified militants abducted
a trader from Panjgur District in Balochistan. Police said that
Ijaz Ahmad was on his way home when militants abducted him and
moved to an undisclosed location.
The TTP militants abducted seven
soldiers from a bus from Jand area of Punjab. The soldiers were
travelling between Army headquarters in Rawalpindi and their
stations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when they were taken off their
bus in Jand The militants took the seven soldiers and let go
a sweeper on the bus with them, one military official said.
The gunmen were wearing military uniforms. TTP ‘commander’ Tariq
Afridi, who has forces in the area, was not available for comment
and no TTP ‘spokesman’ returned calls seeking comment.
Mobile phone services were suspended
in several cities and Districts of the country, in line with
the Government’s security plan for Chehlum announced a day earlier.
The services of all cell phone companies would resume at 11pm
on January 3. The cities and towns where the service were blocked
included Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Rawalpindi,
Multan, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Hyderabad, Dera Ismail Khan and
Bannu. The service was suspended in 18 Districts of Punjab,
nine in Balochistan and six each in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Federal Ministry of Interior had announced that the services
of v-ptcl and other wireless phone services will also be suspended
in sensitive areas of the country including Karachi, Lahore
and Quetta.
A special meeting held at the
Election Commission of Pakistan to discuss security-related
issues for General Elections came to the conclusion that the
army would be deployed at sensitive polling stations only. The
ECP in principle decided to allow candidates to bring along
armed private security guards to polling stations.
Although the Army Generals will
discuss the TTP’s ‘peace offers’ at a corps commanders’ meeting
to be in Islamabad, they want the political leadership to formulate
a response to the militants’ suggestion for a ceasefire. “It
is for the government to decide whether or not to hold dialogue
with the militants. We are continuing with our operations geared
towards eliminating terrorism,” a senior military officer said.
He said that although the offer was yet to be fully dissected
it could be a tactical move by the militant outfit given its
timing and the conditions that had been set.
Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
in an interview published has denied having any links with the
TTP, condemning the TTP’s strategy of blowing up schools and
blocking girls’ education. Hekmatyar, a former Prime Minister
who leads Afghanistan’s second largest militant group Hizb-i-Islami,
told Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper that he was
against the blowing up of schools and educational institutions
“not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan but elsewhere in the world.”
“I don’t think that a devoted Mujahid could be involved in such
things,” said Hekmatyar, accusing ‘foreign intelligence agencies’
of being involved in such attacks.
In what appears to be a paradigm
shift in its decades-old policy, Pakistan Army described home-grown
militancy as the “biggest threat” to national security. According
to the new Army Doctrine, ongoing activities of Taliban militants
in the restive tribal regions and unabated terrorist attacks
on Government installations in major cities are posing a real
threat to Pakistan’s security.
A senior military official confirmed
to The Express Tribune that a new chapter has been added
to the Army Doctrine that would now also include threats posed
by sub-conventional warfare.
The past five years have been
difficult for Balochistan according to statistics revealed by
the Home Department. Violence in the province has claimed over
2,100 lives and left 3,845 injured in over 3,232 incidents of
bomb blasts and rocket attacks in this period. Amidst rising
sectarian strife and targeted killings, the government’s inability
to deal with the situation appears more jarring than ever. Throughout
the province, sectarian killings remain the biggest challenge.
From 2008 to 2012, 758 members of the Shia community were killed
in 478 incidents. Of these, 338 victims belonged to the Hazara
community, indicating that Hazaras remain the prime targets
of these aggressions.
The province has become a base
for a decade-long insurgency as well as a killing field for
various sects. LeJ allegedly keeps targeting Shias throughout
Balochistan. Accordingly, officials have beefed up safety measures
from Quetta to Taftan and are even planning to hold meetings
with Iranian authorities to discuss possible arrangements to
facilitate the movement of Hazaras from Marriabad to HazaraTown
and Hazar Ganji.
The findings also uncover staggering
‘kill and dump’ statistics. Around 570 dead bodies have been
found strewn throughout the province, with 370 of the victims
belonging to the Baloch community and 89 to the Pashtun community.
The rest remain unidentified to this day. Further still, over
402 non-Baloch have been killed in 498 incidents, and over 486
injured in multiple attacks.
Not surprisingly, security personnel
have also suffered great losses. As many as 340 Frontier Corps
personnel and 380 Policemen have lost their lives in the line
of duty, and 508 security officials in total have been left
wounded.
Analysts say that despite the
staggering figures, the Provincial Government is yet to review
regulations pertaining to the movement of pilgrims under the
Travel Agency Act of 1976. In one instance, police decided to
refer the investigation of ‘sensitive cases’ to the Crime Investigation
Department after the arrest of alleged terrorist Sher Dil of
LeJ, also known as Babu, in a bid to curb violence in Balochistan.
January 3
Taliban leader Maulvi Nazir
was among 10 Taliban militants killed in a US-operated drone
strike in the South Waziristan Agency of FATA. The drone targeted
the Taliban leader’s moving convoy. “Maulvi Nazir was on his
way to Wana from Birmal when the convoy was hit in Sarkundi
area (in Birmal tehsil), killing him and nine others,” officials
sources said.
Maulvi Nazir is the second top
Taliban leader to be killed in a drone strike after Baitullah
Mehsud, who was chief of the TTP when he was killed in 2009.
Maulvi Nazir had ‘earned fame’ in spring 2007 when he led a
successful uprising against foreign militants in Ahmedzai Wazir-held
areas, ousting Uzbek militants along with their local supporters.
He linked administration of polio vaccination to cessation of
drone strikes and no polio drive could be launched in Ahmedzai
Wazir areas since the ban in June 2012.
Security agencies warned the
Government of likely backlash from the supporters of Maulvi
Nazir. “There may be backlash from a Taliban group and the federal
government should direct all provincial capitals to increase
vigilance against any threat,” security officials spoke on condition
of anonymity.
The Pentagon (US) welcomed reports
that Maluvi Nazir was killed in a drone strike, saying his death
would represent a “major development.” Pentagon spokesman George
Little did not confirm the reports of the killing, but said,
“If the reports are true, then this would be a significant blow,
and would be very helpful not just to the United States but
also to our Pakistani partners.”
Nazir was killed along with
his five guards when a missile hit his vehicle while he was
going to Wana from Birmal on January 2. Maulvi Nazir’s key aide
Rata Khan was among the other militants killed when the vehicle
was attacked near Angoor Adda on the Afghan border, the official
said. Nazir had survived a suicide bombing in November 29, 2012.
Nazir’s group quickly appointed
his close aide Bawal Khan as a replacement, according to one
of his aides. But a Reuters report named the successor as Salahuddin
Ayubi.
In NWA, six militants, a close
associate of the TTP’s chief Hakimullah Mehsud among them, were
killed in a drone attack in Mir Ali tehsil. According to sources,
unmanned aircraft fired two missiles at about 9am on a car carrying
Shah Faisal and other militants in Mubarak Shahi, some 20 kilometers
east of Miranshah. Two others killed in the attack were identified
as Israr and Lateef.
Local authorities said that
a second drone strike targeted other militants, including TTP
‘commander’ Faisal Khan and two Uzbek militants in Mir Ali region
of NWA on January 2.
Helicopter gunships pounded
several areas in NWA, killing three people, including a woman,
and injuring four others. Dozens of families fled the area after
several houses were damaged by shelling on Matches Camp in Miranshah.
Militants were suspected to be hiding in the areas. The administration
imposed a curfew in the region for the second day and launched
a search operation after a security man and a civilian were
killed and four personnel injured in a roadside bomb attack
on a vehicle of the Frontier Works Organization.
A Government school was blown
up in Mashokhel village ofNWA in the night. Police officials
in the area said the militants bombed the school by placing
explosives at the building of the Government High School Mashokhel
located the jurisdiction of the Badaber Police Station. The
explosion was triggered with a remote-controlled device that
destroyed three rooms and caused cracks in other parts of the
building.
The bullet-riddled body of a
local mosque’s prayer leader was found in the Shahmansoor Mountains
of Swabi District of KP. The prayer leader, Naseebullah alias
Zarbat Khan, belonged to Orakzai Agency of FATA and he went
missing after he offered Asr prayer in his mosque.
Unidentified assailants opened
fire and injured a local trader, Abdul Rahim, in the Pashtoonabad
area of Quetta, the Provincial capital of Balochistan. Police
said that unidentified armed motorcyclists came at the shop
of Abdul Rahim.
Unidentified armed assailants
abducted spiritual leader Mualana Wali Muhammad from the SatelliteTown
area of Quetta in the morning. According to Police, Wali Muhammad
was on his way home after offering Fajar prayers when gunmen
took him away.
One person, identified as Aslam
Zia, was injured when two motorcyclists opened fire at a majlis
held in a house at Wahdat Colony, a few metres from the local
Police Station, in Taxila (Taxila District) of Punjab and fled
away. The majlis was held in connection with the Chehlum of
Hazrat Imam Hussain.
A suspected Pakistani al Qaeda
operative, Abid Naseer, accused of planning attacks in the US,
Britain and Norway was on January 3 extradited to the US, the
Interior Ministry in London announced. Metropolitan Police officers
escorted Naseer from Belmarsh Prison to London’s LutonAirport
where he was taken into custody by US authorities.
The 26-year-old is wanted by
the US authorities over allegations that he provided material
support to al Qaeda and conspired to use explosives. He was
named as a suspect in an alleged transatlantic plot directed
by Pakistan-based al Qaeda groups.
Naseer was originally arrested
in Britain along with 10 other Pakistani men in 2009 over a
suspected bomb plot. But they were released without charge after
prosecutors said there was not enough evidence, and ordered
to be deported. An immigration judge subsequently ruled that
despite Naseer being “an al Qaeda operative who posed and still
poses a serious threat”, he could not be returned to Pakistan
as his safety could not be guaranteed. In July 2010, Naseer
was arrested again on a US arrest warrant. In January 2012,
a judge approved Naseer’s extradition to the US. He appealed
to the European Court of Human Rights but his case was thrown
out in December.
January 4
Twenty militants were killed
and 12 others sustained injuries in air strikes carried out
by Army warplanes in the Kukikhel area of Tirah Valley in Khyber
Agency of FATA. The sources said that fighter jet bombed the
sanctuaries of the TTP in Dwatoy and Bragat areas, killing 20
militants and causing injuries to 12 others. The official sources
said that ‘commander’ Abdul Wali alias Umar Khalid, designated
head of TTP for Tirah valley, was also present in Dwatoy at
the time of the attack. Some reports suggested that he was among
the dead. However, it couldn’t be verified from independent
sources or the TTP due to lack of communication facilities in
the Tirah Valley.
The Kukikhel part of the Tirah
valley fell to the TTP a few months back after the militant
group defeated the Kukikhel Afridi tribal lashkar. The
sources said that the Commander Tariq Afridi-led faction of
TTP having bases in the valley had claimed responsibility for
the assassination of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister Bashir
Bilour in Peshawar and also for the killing of 22 kidnapped
members of the Levies force in Frontier Region Peshawar. Sources
said that TTP cadres had celebrated the death of Bashir Bilour
by resorting to festive firing for two hours in Dwatoy and surrounding
areas. The fresh airstrikes conducted by the SFs might be a
reaction to the assassination of Bashir Bilour and the deaths
of 22 Levies personnel.
Seven more bullet-riddled bodies
were recovered near Sarobi village area on Miranshah-Razmak
road in NWA in FATA. The sources said unknown people after killing
the seven men placed their bodies near Sarobi village. The residents
of Sarobi village went there and saw the seven bodies, but they
were not able to recognise them. The villagers said all the
seven men were shot dead. They said some of the bodies had several
marks of bullet injuries. It was second time bullet-riddled
bodies were recovered in the volatile tribal region during the
past few days. Nine bullet-riddled bodies were recovered a few
days ago from Mir Ali subdivision.
A jirga of Haleemzai tribe in
Mohmand Agency of FATA decided at Ghallanai to strengthen the
local peace committees to protect Government properties in the
area. The jirga, held at the hujra of local peace committee
leader Malik Mohammad Ali Haleemzai at Sangar village, extended
cooperation to SFs and political administration in maintenance
of peace in the tribal region.
Twelve people lost their lives
while several sustained injuries in different incidents of firing
and violence in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Unidentified
assailants, riding two motorcycles, opened fire on a car near
Essa Nagri locality killing Akhtar Hussain and Naveedul Haq
and injuring Ashfaq. The victims were reported to be transporters.
A dead-body was recovered in
a gunny bag on M. A. Jinnah Road near Radio Pakistan office
in Karachi. The body was later identified of a young man who
was kidnapped earlier.
A man was killed by unknown
miscreants near Samama Shopping Centre on University Road while
a man, identified as Sajid, was killed by gunmen who opened
fire on his shop in Rizvia Society of Karachi.
A man was gunned down in Korangi
while special branch’s police inspector Abdul Rasheed was killed
in Gulbahar of Karachi.
Two people were killed in separate
incidents of firing in Maripur Road and Baldia Town areas of
Karachi while three dead-bodies wrapped in gunny bags were recovered
from Baldia Town, Netty Jetty Brigde and Sher Shah neighbourhoods.
The CID police arrested three
suspects, wanted for murders and kidnappings for ransom, and
recovered weapons from possession when they carried out raids
in Surjani Town and New Karachi areas of Karachi.
A Karachi District Education
Officer was also kidnapped along with his car in the metropolis.
Two persons were killed and
one another injured in a bomb explosion in Badhaber area on
the outskirts of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP). A local cricketer Ijaz Khan along with his
friend Aman was returning from the playground after a match
when they were hit by the powerful bomb. Police said that a
bomb had been planted along an electricity pylon in Gul Khan
Forest area of Badhaber. The explosion also damaged the electricity
pylon suspending electricity supply to the area. A rocket had
landed in the same Gul Khan area earlier on Friday but did not
cause any damage.
A man, suspected of involvement
in the January 1 murder of seven aid workers in Swabi District
of KP, was killed in an exchange of gunfire with Police. The
suspect, who had holed up in a house in the Gar area of Swabi
District, was among the gunmen who killed the seven workers,
Swabi District Police Officer Abdur Rashid Khan was quoted as
saying. His companion, a suspected accomplice, escaped, officials
said. Khan said that a motorcycle and a pistol that was used
in the killing had been recovered from the suspected terrorists.
The militants also stormed a
security post in Mera Matani area of Peshawar in KP in the evening.
The alert Police commandos and Frontier Constabulary personnel
resisted the attack. The exchange of fire continued for some
time before the attackers escaped. No casualty was reported
in the attack.
Explosives planted at the building
of a private school in Hassan Garhi of Peshawar went off. The
explosion was heard in many parts of the provincial capital.
However, no casualty was reported in the blast that slightly
damaged the boundary wall of the school.
Unidentified militants blew
up a house in the Kaingar village of Bannu District in KP. Luckily,
no loss to human life took place. However, the house was badly
damaged by the powerful explosion.
Three person sustained injuries
in a blast in the limits of Miryan Police StationBannu District.
The sources said a blast outside the hujra, of one Qalandar
Khan injured him and also Sher Dawar and Izzat Khan. The Sources
said that it could not be ascertained whether it was a hand-grenade
attack or explosives were planted outside the hujra.
Four explosions destroyed the
under-construction District Jail in Rehmanabad area of Hangu
District of KP. Talking to reporters, DPO Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed
said that militants had placed explosives inside the under-construction
jail building in Rehmanabad and triggered the explosions around
midnight. The BDU officials said that 35 kilograms of explosives
had been used in the four blasts. ‘Spokesman’ for the TTP, Darra
Adamkhel chapter, Muhammad, claimed responsibility for blowing
up the under-construction prison.
Police arrested two brothers
in Baffa area of Mansehra District in KP over allegedly threatening
a lady health worker of dire consequences for administering
anti-polio drops to children in their village. The FIR was lodged
on the written complaint of lady health worker Shabnam Bibi.
In her application addressed to the district health officer,
she stated that Shamsur Rehman and his brother Saifur Rehman
threatened her of dire consequences during the anti-polio drive
in December 2012.
SFs arrested a militant ‘commander’
of LI during a search operation in Jalozai campof Mansehra District.
The sources said that the SFs sealed the phase-I in “S” sector
at the camp and launched a search operation at 11am. During
the operation, Abdul Haq was arrested and taken to an undisclosed
location for interrogation.
Two brothers, one of them a
prayer leader, were shot at in the Sariab Road area of Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. Police sources said that
unidentified armed motorcyclists opened indiscriminate fire
on the brothers, leaving them injured. The attackers managed
to escape. The police said that the injured, identified as Maulana
Israr Ahmed and Akhlaq Ahmed, reached the crime scene and shifted
the injured to the Civil Hospital.
Pakistan is providing paramilitary
and Police support to polio vaccinations being resumed discreetly
in the northwest after a series of attacks on medical workers.
UN agencies suspended work on a nationwide campaign to inoculate
children against the highly infectious disease after nine health
workers were murdered in a string of attacks in the northwest
and Karachi in December. Pakistan is one of only three countries
in the world where polio is endemic, but efforts to stamp out
the disease have been hampered by resistance from the TTP, who
have banned vaccination teams from some areas, and distrust.
A Pakistan judicial commission,
appointed 18 months ago, submitted findings from its investigation
into how slain al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden lived in the country
undetected for years until his killing by US Special Forces
on May 1-2, 2012, officials said. The commission’s chairman,
Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal, submitted the report to Prime
Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, a statement from Ashraf’s office
said. Pakistani officials say Ashraf will decide whether to
keep the report classified or make it public, but observers
have said they expect little of substance to be revealed.
The Pakistani Government set
up the five-member panel after US Navy SEALs killed Laden without
informing Islamabad until afterwards.
A senior militant ‘commander’
Salahuddin Ayubi’ has been appointed to succeed Mullah Nazir
group, who was killed in a drone attack on January 3. Two of
his deputies were killed with him, but a close associate and
militant ‘commander’ who goes by the name Salahuddin Ayubi has
been anointed his successor, Pakistani intelligence officials
said.
Pakistan condemning the latest
drone attacks in Waziristan, said the attacks were illegal,
counterproductive, unacceptable and violation of its territorial
integrity. “Pakistan wants to resolve the issue of drone attacks
through bilateral talks with the United States,” said Foreign
Office spokesman Moazzam Ali Khan in the weekly briefing.
Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, talking
to lawmakers from Balochistan, said that instead of finding
a peaceful and lasting solution to the Balochistan issue, the
Ayub Khan, Julfikar Ali Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf regime went
for military action and that has aggravated the situation in
the Province.
Balochistan National Conference,
which concluded at the Punjab University, adopted a unanimous
resolution holding the Federal Government responsible for the
current situation of the Province.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman
Kaira said that the Government generally preferred holding talks
with militants to launching military operation against them
because negotiations were the preferred mode of dispute resolution
He said the government’s anti-terrorism
policy was in place and the forces concerned, including intelligence
agencies, were working on the approved strategy.
He said religious extremism
was the outcome of a particular mindset and criticised the media
for “being soft on those who were supporting extremists”. “It
is you people who should come forward and highlight those who
are giving them the leverage, even providing them with flagged
cars,” Kaira added.
Pakistan is working with the
US to facilitate an Afghan-owned and -led reconciliation process,
said Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Sherry Rehman while also assuring
American lawmakers that Islamabad is equally determined to fight
terrorists inside its borders.
Underlining Pakistan’s efforts
to fight terrorism at home, the ambassador noted that in an
historic joint session, the Pakistan’s parliament had adopted
unanimously a resolution condemning terrorism. She said Pakistan
was also deeply aware of concern of members of the Congress
about US casualties in Afghanistan attributed to IEDs. She pointed
out that the situation in Pakistan’s parliament was similar
as the country also had suffered 15,851 IED-related deaths.
This was 43 per cent of all casualties over the past four years.
Testimonies of 50 of the 294
witnesses recorded in the past four days by the one-man judicial
commission, headed by Justice Shehzado Sheikh, inquiring into
the July 3-11, 2007, operation that killed 103 people, including
family members of Maulana Abdul Aziz, head cleric of the mosque,
teachers and students of the seminaries and 10 security personnel,
revealed that the top clerics of the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque)
in Islamabad and several key functionaries of Jamia Hafsa and
Jamia Faridia, the two seminaries attached to it, were either
not present in the mosque or had left it before the military
launched its final assault on July 10, 2007.
Asiya Hameed, a teacher of Jamia
Hafsa and custodian of the record of the girl’s seminary, was
among the 16 witnesses who recorded their statements with the
commission. “Since I was not in the madrassa during the operation,
I don’t know the exact details,” she said when asked by Justice
Shehzado Sheikh of the Federal Shariat Court, whether she had
the record of the girls who were on rolls, or went missing during
the operation.
PM Raja Pervez Ashraf said that
Pakistan needs to redesign and redefine its military doctrine.
The PM urged national security institutions to further improve
intelligence gathering and establish effective coordination
among civil and military institutions to comprehensively tackle
terrorism.
Federal Minister of Interior
A Rehman Malik said that mobile phones are now a weapon of terrorism.
The Minister said, “Mobile phones are now a weapon of terrorism
as all improvised bombings were conducted through them.”
He said that suspension of mobile
phone services helped avoiding blasts. The minister added that
mobile phone services were suspended in different cities on
Chehlum of Imam Hussain after taking all the provinces into
confidence.
In another context he said that
around 90 per cent Afghan refugees are living in Katchi Abadis
(slums) and despite repeated warnings, they have not yet left
the country. “Anyone who violates the law would be apprehended.
Most of the handlers of suicide bombings were found in Katchi
Abadis,” he said.
January 5
Unidentified militants opened
fire and killed four passengers and injured 10 others travelling
in Jaffar Express near Kohsar area of Kachhi in Bolan District
of Balochistan. Official sources in the Pakistan Railways said
that Jaffar Express was on its way to Quetta from Rawalpindi
when it was attacked by the unidentified militants in the mountainous
area of Bolan.
January 6
At least 17 persons, all believed
to be suspected militants, were killed and eight others sustained
injuries in three separate US drone attacks in the mountainous
Babar area of Ladha subdivision in South Waziristan Agency of
FATA. According to sources, the drones fired 10 missiles and
hit three different compounds of militants located in the remote
mountainous Babar area. The compounds were reportedly inhabited
by the militants affiliated with Hakimullah Mehsud’s TTP and
cadres of the Punjabi TTP chapter leader Qari Imran. A cousin
of the TTP ‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud, Wali Mohammad Toofan,
was among the killed militants. Toofan had been recently elevated
to head TTP’s ‘Fidayee wing’ (Suicide wing) after its leader
Qari Hussain died in a drone strike.
Ten militants killed and several
others were injured when fighter planes shelled in the militants’
stronghold of Arghanjoo in Mamozai area in Orakzai Agency. Witnesses
said that the planes came into action at around 10am and carried
out intense shelling on four houses, razing them to the ground.
The dead belonged to Uthmankhel, Ferozkhel and Mamozai areas.
Six persons, including a woman,
were killed when unidentified assailants ambushed a car in Dargai
area of Jamrud tehsil in Khyber Agency. The sources said that
the car was heading to Jamrud Bazaar from Chapri village when
armed assailants ambushed it and killed two people and injured
four others. All the victims of the shooting belonged to Kukikhel
tribe.
An explosive device went off
near the hujra of an official of a NGO in Arakh area
of Razar tehsil in Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The
sources said that unidentified persons had planted two bombs
near the main gate of the hujra of Fazal Muhammad in Arakh area
and triggered the explosion. The blast damaged the main gate
and boundary walls of the structure but didn’t cause any casualty.
The sources added the personnel of the BDU recovered a second
bomb and defused it.
Six rockets were fired at Bannu
cantonment (Bannu District) from an unspecified direction. However,
no loss of life or property was reported. The local Police officials
said that five of the rockets fell in an open area, while one
hit a residential colony of the Irrigation Department.
The chairman of UJC and ‘supreme
commander’ of Hizbul Mujahideen, Syed Salahuddin said those
calling for settlement of the Kashmir issue through peaceful
means were in fact deceiving the innocent Kashmiris, adding
that an armed struggle was the only way to resolve the dispute.
Salahuddin said that experience of the past 65 years should
convince anyone that only a strong and target-oriented armed
struggle across Indian-held Kashmir could win freedom.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information
Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that the strength of militants
has increased so alarmingly that now, they can reach anywhere
they want to carry out their activities. “The time has come
to take the final decision on whether to hold dialogue with
militants or to begin a meaningful operation against them,”
the Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told the provincial assembly
on a point of order about the recent acts of militancy, especially
the killing of seven aid workers, including six women, in Swabi.
At least 255 lives were lost
in 40 strikes by the CIA-operated drones while 54 people sustained
injuries in various parts of North Waziristan Agency in FATA
in 2012. The US drones carried out at least 40 strikes in North
Waziristan and fired 123 missiles at various targets. Along
with some known foreign and local militants, innocent tribal
people including women and children were also killed in these
attacks. Another 54 persons, mostly women and children up to
15 years of age, were injured in the drone attacks. Most of
the injured were maimed for life.
January 7
At least two security personnel
were killed and another one injured in an IED explosion near
Albo security check post in Margano Jalaa area of Khwezai tehsil,
some 40 kilometres west of Ghalanai, the main town of Mohmand
Agency. Assistant Political Agent for Khwezai, Ghazi Nawaz,
confirmed that two security personnel were killed and one was
injured in the blast.
Tribal elder Malik Amir Nawaz
Khan escaped a remote controlled bomb blast at Kassai area of
Haleemzai tehsil. Officials said that Malik Amir Nawaz was going
to Sangar village to attend a jirga when the blast occurred.
He escaped unhurt.
In Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency,
Army jetfighters targeted militant hideouts. Sources said that
the hideouts were pounded in Khurma Tung area of Akkakhel in
Khyber Agency. Two hideouts were destroyed while militants escaped
unhurt as they had vacated the place before the aerial bombing.
SFs arrested four suspected
militants during a search operation in Ghundi area of Jamrud
tehsil in Khyber Agency.
Eight persons were killed in
Karachi (Karachi District), Provincial capital of Sindh. In
an incident of sectarian violence, a person and his minor daughter
were killed while his wife and other daughter sustained injuries
near Ayesha Manzil within the limits of Gulberg Police Station.
Asghar Ilyas (40) and his two-year-old daughter Zainab were
shot dead, while his wife Farzana and another minor daughter
Dua injured near Ayesha Manzil. Police said that the family
was on its way to home when unidentified assailants opened fire
on them. According to Police, the victims belonged to ASWJ.
Another sectarian killing took
place in Block 13-D of Gulshan-e-Iqbal within the precincts
of Gulshan-e- Iqbal Police Station in Karachi. Police said Ali
Raza Naqvi (26), was going on a motorbike along with his friend
Raees when armed men shot him dead near railway track.
Armed assailants shot dead a
man on his way to home within Soldier Bazaar Police Station.
Police said Murtaza Alvani was on his way to home when unidentified
assailants targeted him near Bara Board.
A truck driver was killed near
Northern Bypass within the precincts of Manghopir Police Station.
Arif (21) was going to a poultry farm on truck when unidentified
assailants intercepted his vehicle and shot him dead.
The bullet-riddled body of a
man was found from Chanasir Goth within the jurisdiction of
Mehmoodabad Police Station.
The dead body of an abducted
person was found from bushes in Toori Bangash Colony within
the limits of Iqbal Market Police Station. Unidentified assailants
kidnapped the man and shot him dead. Police said the person
could not be identified yet.
A prayer leader of Deoband community,
Maulana Shaukat, succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Police said that unidentified assailants targeted him in new
Karachi Sect 5-E within the limits of Bilal Colony Police Station
on 31 December, 2012.
Pakistani Rangers arrested two
suspected members of a banned outfit during a search of Lyari
area. The Rangers raided many houses throughout Lyari acting
on a tip. They arrested two suspects wanted in connection with
various cases. The authorities didn't identify the banned group
or specify the cases that the suspects are linked to. The Rangers
recovered illegal arms, drugs and stolen vehicles from the suspects.
Three militants and a Police
Officer were killed and a Constable was injured in separate
incidents of firing in Lakki Marwat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to official sources, a Police team headed by DPO Mohammad
Idrees Khan surrounded a house in Abakhel village after a tip
that militants were hiding there. Militants opened fire when
Police entered the house, killing the SHO Mohammad Ismail and
injuring a Constable of the elite force, Zahid Ali. Two militants
died when Police retaliated.
Two suspected militants on a
motorbike attacked a patrol party of Ghaznikhel Police when
they signalled them to stop near Balkhi Koroona area. Police
opened fire, killing one of the attackers. The other suspect
was arrested and seven grenades, four Kalashnikovs and live
rounds were recovered from his possession.
Militants made a serious threat
to the Government against re-starting anti-polio campaign by
planting a bomb weighing three kilograms in a health centre
in the Rashidabad area of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the
provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The bomb was, however,
detected and defused. They also found a piece of paper with
a message for the Government and senior health department authorities.
“The letter carried a message, apparently from the militants,
for the government authorities.”
One Abdullah was killed and
three persons — Ehsan Reza, Arif Hussain and Latif — were seriously
injured when the car they were travelling in came under fire
on Spiny Road in Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital
of Balochistan. The victims belonged to the Hazara community
and Police described the incident as a sectarian attack.
An engineer was killed while
three other persons, including a Police official, sustained
injuries in an explosion on Sariab Road. According to Police,
the deceased has been identified as Nazir Ahmed Qambarani, sub
engineer of Balochistan Development Authority, and the injured
as Abdul Salam Bangulzai, Sajjad Ahmed Raisani and Assistant
Sub Inspector of Police Aftab Ahmad Parkani.
A hand-grenade was hurled into
a tea shop on Sariab Road in which two people were wounded.
A bomb exploded in a ground
near Jan Mohammad road in which a man and a woman were injured.
Two unidentified armed motorcyclists
shot dead vice-president of the SSP, Muhammad Shakeel, near
Kot Pindi Das area of Sheikhupura town of same District in Punjab.
According to Police, the Muhammad Shakeel had been on his way
to Lahore when unknown motorcyclists opened fire on him near
Kot Pindi Das.
Hearing a petition by Senator
Haji Adeel for reviewing the progress on the judgement on Karachi
(Sindh) law and order passed by the Supreme Court in October
2011, the court directed the Sindh Chief Secretary and Advocate
General to submit a comprehensive reply by January 22 with regard
to implementation of its orders.
During the hearing, the court
expressed its concern to know that Karachi Police is controlled
and run by a gambler, Wasim Beater, and postings and promotions
of Police Officers are made on his recommendations. Sindh IGP
Fayyaz Leghari, Chief Secretary Raja Muhammad Abbas and Additional
Chief Secretary Wasim Ahmed expressed their ignorance on the
issue. But Hyderabad DIG Sannaullah Abbasi and Sindh Additional
IG Bashir Memon admitted before the court in the presence of
their seniors that Wasim Beater is a junior Police Officer and
run a ‘gambling den’ in Karachi and have great influence in
the Police Department.
January 8
Six persons were killed and
five others sustained injuries in three different firing incidents
in Balochistan. According to Levies officials, unidentified
armed assailants fired indiscriminately at two tankers carrying
LPG in Shiehkwasil area in Mastung District. Three people were
killed and another was injured in the firing. “The deceased
and injured were residents of Punjab,” Levies officials said.
Two people were killed and another
was wounded in Pishin (Pishin District). Levies sources said
that a vehicle was passing through Pishin Bypass area when armed
assailants opened fire on the vehicle killing one person and
two injuring two others.
Levies force said a person was
shot dead by unidentified assailants. However, the incident
site was not mentioned.
One person was wounded in a
bomb blast on Raisani Road in Quetta (Quetta District), the
provincial capital of Balochistan. “The blast damaged electricity
pole and smashed windowpanes of nearby buildings,” a police
official said, adding that three to four kilogrammes of explosives
were used in the blast. According to Police sources, the explosive
device was fixed with an electricity pylon at Raisani Road,
yards away from Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani’s family
residence.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead within the remit of Soldier Bazaar Police Station in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
One Imran Abbas, a resident
of Kashmir colony, was shot dead in Nomish Chowrangi area.
Elsewhere in the District, unidentified
assailants riding a motorbike opened fire at the house of one
Safdar, belonging to the SSP, injuring Safdar and his friend,
Qayoom. Subsequently, irate people set a bus on fire in Golimar
area. Sectarian tension gripped the entire locality amid aerial
firing that injured three boys.
Two armed groups clashed at
Rabia City apartment, leaving one person injured. Police and
Rangers later arrested some eight suspects from the incident
site.
At least eight militants were
killed and four others injured when US drones fired missiles
struck militant compounds in the villages of Haider Khel and
Hisokhel, some 25 kilometres east of Miranshah, the main town
in the North Waziristan Agency of FATA. “US drones fired missiles
on two militant compounds. At least eight militants have been
killed,” a security official in Miranshah said, speaking on
condition of anonymity. The two attacks occurred within an hour,
with four militants killed in each compound, the official added.
Legal lobby group Reprieve estimates that up to nearly 900 civilians
were among the 2,621 to 3,442 people killed by drones in Pakistan
since 2004.
A member of a peace committee
was killed and another injured in an explosion in Bokhar, remote
area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA. Unidentified
assailants had planted the bomb near the road that exploded,
killing a member of peace committee, Imran, and injured another
person, identified as Noor Muhammad.
Three Policemen were injured
when unidentified assailants lobbed a hand grenade at them in
the Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Policemen were
on routine patrolling in the Swabi bazaar (market) when the
attack happened.
FIA has indicated to Indian
officials that they have a water-tight case against LeT ‘commander’
Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and 28 other accused in November 26,
2008, (26/11) Mumbai terrorist attacks. The FIA has matched
the voices of terrorists Abu Al Qama and Zarar Shah with the
samples of the communication intercepts between Karachi-based
LeT handlers and the Mumbai attackers which were provided by
India. Sources said Pakistan authorities had discreetly shared
their findings with Indian Home Ministry official Dharmendra
Sharma, who had stayed back in Islamabad for two more days after
three of his colleagues returned to New Delhi, on December 24,
2012. The FIA officials told Sharma that they were confident
of convicting Lakhvi, but still had to find evidence against
LeT chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed.
The Federal Interior Ministry
says it has intercepted a TTP phone call in which the terrorists
are planning an attack on Dr Tahirul Qadri’s long march to be
held in Islamabad on January 14. The ministry said in a press
release that the caller used Miranshah (headquarter of the North
Waziristan Agency in FATA)-based PTCL landline. The threat alert
was received from a credible intelligence source, the press
release said.
The release further said the
TTP’s statement is an effort to mislead Tahirul Qadri in particular
and public in general. “The government does not believe in the
fake representative of the TTP and will continue to take protective
measures for the long march.”
TTP ‘spokesman’ Ehsanullah Ehsan
had denied that the group had threatened to attack the protest.
“This is not true. We have not issued any threat to attack the
long march. We have no comments for the long march,” he had
said.
Federal Minister of Interior
Rehman Malik had said, “TTP has threatened to attack the long
march. But we will not stop the long march and (we will) provide
them full security.” Qadri leads the Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran,
which has a network of religious and educational institutions.
The annual report by the PIPS,
released on January 4, stated that 5,047 people were killed
and another 5,688 were injured in 2,217 attacks in 2012. Comparatively,
in 2011, there were 2,895 such attacks and 7,107 consequent
fatalities.
Karachi, Quetta, Kurram Agency
and Gilgit were the hardest hit, witnessing more than 85 percent
of all terrorist incidents in 2012, while the TTP emerged as
a major actor responsible for the prevalent instability. Balochistan
remained the focal point of nationalist insurgency and sectarian
violence, witnessing 474 terrorist attacks, the highest for
any region. The TTP-infested and militancy-hit KP and FATA remained
second and third most volatile regions, with 456 and 388 terrorist
attacks reported, respectively. Meanwhile, 187 terrorist attacks
were reported in Karachi and 28 in other parts of Sindh 26 in
Gilgit-Baltistan 17 in Punjab and one in Islamabad.
The country witnessed a 53 percent
increase in sectarian violence. Non-sectarian attacks, on the
other hand, decreased by 20 percent. The number of suicide attacks
across the country fell by 27 percent.
The US drone strikes and the
consequent killings also recorded a 40 percent decrease. The
number of cross-border attacks and clashes decreased from 84
in 2011 to 79 in 2012. However, the casualties in these attacks
increased by 25 percent. “Most of the cross-border attacks and
clashes (70%) were reported from Pakistan’s western border with
Afghanistan, including attacks reportedly carried out by militants
of the TTP’s Swat chapter hiding in Afghanistan’s Kunar and
Nuristan provinces,” said the PIPS report.
Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh, saw its deadliest year in two decades in 2012, with
around 2,000 persons killed in violence linked to ethnic and
political tensions. According to the Citizens-Police Liaison
Committee, 2,124 people were killed in Karachi in 2012, the
worst year since records began nearly 20 years ago. The HRCP
says 1,800 people died in targeted killings in the first nine
months of 2012. In 2011, it put the number at 1,000, which was
then the deadliest in 16 years. Police insist killings related
to ethnic and sectarian disputes accounted for only 20 percent
of the murders, but rights activists say a shortage of law enforcement
officers is part of the problem. “Karachi is becoming a city
where controlling violence is becoming increasingly difficult
because of an insufficient police force, which is less than
30,000 for around 18 million people,” says Zohra Yusuf, HRCP
chairwoman.
Karachi, a business centre with
a population of 18 million, accounts for 20 percent of GDP,
57 percent of tax revenue and elects 33 lawmakers to the Federal
Parliament. Karachi has all the ingredients of an explosive
cocktail – gang warfare, land grabbings, drugs, extremism, political
rivalries, ethnic tensions, extreme poverty and a mushrooming
population owing to migration.
January 9
An Intelligence Agency Official
was shot dead by unidentified militants in the Kharotabad area
of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Abdul Aziz, a worker of the
BNP- M, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants at the
Eastern Bypass. The party sources said that deceased was a nephew
of the former BNP-M general secretary Habib Jalib.
A person was killed by unidentified
assailants in front of Madrassah Darul Uloom, Sariab Road.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead a trader, identified as Manzoor Shah, near Sirat Chowk
of Khuzdar town (Khuzdar District).
A dead body was found in Mand
area of Kech town (Kech District). The deceased was identified
as Abdul Sattar.
Unidentified militants attacked
the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan on Chattan
Road of Panjgur town (Panjgur District) with hand grenades.
A Police source said that nobody was present in the office when
the attack was carried out and nobody got hurt. No group had
claimed responsibility for the grenade attack.
At least three persons, including
a school Principal, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. Syed Ali
Haider (55), the owner of the Lal Qilla Grammar School and also
the Principal of the same institute was shot dead by two armed
assailants outside his residence in Sector 11/A of North Karachi
in the Sir Syed Town Police area.
Mahmood Ahmed Barkati (87),
a Hakeem and former Union Council Nazim was shot dead
by two unidentified assailants, who barged into his clinic near
the Taleem-e-Bagh situated in the FB Area. Apart from being
a Hakeem, the victim was a noted writer and had authored more
than 24 books. He also wrote some 500 columns in different newspapers.
Barkati, the Police confirmed, was also a former UC Nazim from
the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Syed Muhammad Shakeel (35),
an MQM activist, was killed near Sector 11-1/2 of Orangi Town
in the Iqbal Market Police Jurisdiction.
CID Police arrested five suspected
TTP militants from a slum area in Ittehad Town of Karachi. The
CID team recovered a four-wheeler bike for special people that
contained around 60 kilogrammes of explosives, two pressure
cookers, nine cricket balls laden with explosives, 25 kilogrammes
of explosives, and five hand grenades, four Kalashnikovs, five
pistols and ammunition. Sheikh informed media that the arrested
TTP militants were involved in various cases of terrorism and
crimes in the metropolis.
The dead body of a Sikh man,
who was abducted by militants over a month ago after accusing
him of acting as a “spy” for a rival group, was recovered from
Zakhakhel Bazaar in Khyber Agency. Unidentified militants abducted
Mohinder Singh from his shop in Tabbai village on November 20.
Three security men - a khasadar,
Khan Akbar, and two personnel of Mehsud Scouts — Naib Subedar
Ashraf and Sepoy Asad — were injured when unidentified militants
ambush a convoy of SFs in Muslim Dhand area of Bara. The convoy
was on its way to Levies centre in Shahkas when it was attacked.
Four children were injured when
a mortar shell fell on the house of Askar Khan Malikdinkhel
in Sur Kas area of Bar Qambarkhel.
SFs with the help of Shalobar
Peace Committee arrested four suspected militants during a raid
in Nawgazee Baba area. The arrested men, Mohammad Jan, Khuga
Jan, Marjan Khan, Jerman Khan and Zar Mohammad, were accused
of having contacts with a Bara-based militant outfit.
Unidentified militants abducted
four watchmen at Jandola bazaar in the FR Tank. The sources
said watchmen Sultan Khan, Attaullah Khan Bhittani, Shaukat
Khan Bhittani and Samiullah were abducted from a private market
in Jandola Bazaar.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a Shia doctor associated with the ruling PPP in the Dabgari
area of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Riaz Hussain was president of the PPP
branch in Kurram Agency (FATA). He was killed as he left his
clinic in the Dabgari area and police suggested it was a targeted,
sectarian killing.
Two cellular phone shops were
blown up by unidentified militants at a market on Dera Road
in Bannu town (Bannu District). Sources said that unidentified
persons planted improvised explosive devices near the shops
of Zubair and Karimullah in a market at Taji Kallay Bus Stand
that went off one after another at 1am, destroying both the
shops.
The release of another dozen
Afghan Taliban prisoners by Pakistan is on the cards, a move
aimed at boosting the Afghan reconciliation process that has
been ‘sluggish’ hitherto due to a lack of interest shown in
it by the Mullah Omar-led Taliban. Pakistan released eight Taliban
prisoners in December 2012, including former Afghan Taliban
Justice Minister Mullah Nooruddin Turabi. Prior to that in September
2012, as many as 18 Afghan Taliban detainees were set free by
the Pakistani Government during the visit of Afghan High Peace
Council’s delegation to Islamabad led by Salahuddin Rabbani,
son of former Afghanistan President and the council’s first
chief, late Professor Burhabuddin Rabbani. The release of Afghan
Taliban prisoners by Islamabad is seen as a key step that would
help persuade the Afghan Taliban leadership to sit for negotiations
with the Afghan Government. Pakistan is seen as a key player
in the ongoing global efforts aimed at bringing about peace
in Afghanistan, as the US-led foreign troops stationed there
plan to depart the war-torn country in 2014.
The high-ranking TTP leader
Wali Ur Rehman has made a rare video appearance pledging to
send fighters to Kashmir and wage a struggle for the implementation
of Sharia rule in India. "The practical struggle for a
Sharia system that we are carrying out in Pakistan, the same
way we will continue it in Kashmir, and the same way we will
implement the Sharia system in India too. And this is the only
solution for people's problems," Rehman reportedly said.
The translation was provided by the MEMRI, a Washington-based
think tank. Rehman, against whom the US has announced a USD
five million (PKR 27 crore) reward over his involvement in the
murder of seven CIA officials in Afghanistan in December 2009,
is believed to have appeared on video along with TTP ‘chief’
Hakimullah Mehsud. The two militant leaders have spoken for
the first time about their ambitions transcending beyond the
Af-Pak border to Kashmir and the US as well.
Punjab Counterterrorism Department
report said that there is a threat of a suicide attack on the
long march of Dr Tahirul Qadri on January 14, 2013. The feared
attack has been planned by a Jihadi group – Ghazi Fidayee Force
– under the leadership of Saifullah Baqi of Abbottabad. According
to a report of the Department, Yar Bakht Khan of Hango, Ahmad
of Charssada and Alam Khan have been assigned the task of a
suicide attack.
After a trial spread over 14
months and conducted in an uneasy environment, Additional District
and Sessions Judge Raja Pervez Akhtar jailed a blasphemy accused,
Ghulam Ali Asghar for 10 years and imposed a fine of PKR 200,
000. Convict Ghulam Ali Asghar, a resident of Chinji village
in Talagang tehsil was booked on Nov 17, 2011, on a charge
of blaspheming the Holy Prophet (PBUH) by misquoting a Hadith
in Punjabi language.
January 10
At least 82 persons were killed
and over 200 persons were injured in two separate bomb blasts
in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. At least 70
people were killed and over 160 injured in an attack targeting
Shias at Alamdar Road in Quetta late in the evening. A suicide
bomber blew himself up inside a snooker club on Alamdar Road,
which has two Shia prayer halls and a sizeable population of
Shia Hazaras. Another blast took place outside the snooker club
10 minutes later. The twin blasts resulted in the death of as
many as 70 people on the spot, most of them from the Hazrara
Shia community. DSP, Mujahid Hussain, SHO, Zafar Ali, Samaa
cameraman Imran Sheikh, a reporter of the same channel, Saifur
Rehman, and four Edhi volunteers were among those killed.
Police experts said that more
than 125 kilograms of explosives were used in the blasts. "It
was the largest ever bomb to have hit the city," said an
unnamed senior Police Official.
A powerful bomb went off under
a SF vehicle at the busy Bacha Khan Chowk. Twelve persons were
killed and over 40 others injured.
At least 30 members of the Tableeghi
Jamaat were killed and more than 70 were injured in a suicide
blast inside the Tableeghi Markaz located on the Takhta Band
Road in Mingora city, the headquarters of Swat District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Some Police Officials initially claimed that the blast was caused
by a gas cylinder but DIG Malakand Akhtar Hayat later confirmed
that it was a terrorist act.
At least seven militants were
killed when SF pounded the hills of Darra Admakhel town of Kohat
District with artillery shelling.
At least 16 persons, including
two activists of the PPP, a supporter of the MQM and eight labourers,
were shot dead in separate incidents in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Eight labourers were shot dead by unidentified
armed assailants while they were asleep near the Gabol Market
in Quetta Town. Victims are identified as Hubbar Khan (25),
Ghulamullah (30), Sattar (25), Gul Samad, Naeem (25), Javed,
Muhammad Jan and Nazeer.
Maulana Basheer (45), a MQM
activist, was shot dead by two armed assailants near Lucky
Star in the Saddar Police Limits.
PPP activists, identified as
Abdul Ghani (25) and Naeem (25), were shot dead near Anda Morr
in the Sir Syed Police Limits.
Mirza Akhter Baig (30) was shot
dead by armed assailants in the Gulberg Police Jurisdiction
near Water Pump Chowrangi.
Javed Soomro (22) was shot dead
near the Mauripur truck stand in the Kalri Police Limits by
unidentified armed assailants.
Khurrum (40) was shot dead near
Nazimabad Chowrangi in Gulbahar Police area.
A 25-year-old man was shot dead
In the Mauripur Police area.
The bullet-riddled body of a
young man, stuffed in a gunny bag, was found from a drain near
ICI Bridge in Baghdadi police limits. Police said that the victim
was abducted, who later killed him and threw his body in the
drain.
An explosive device resembling
a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG-6) spotted in Rabia City, Gulistan-i-Jauhar,
was safely defused.
At least six militants were
killed in US drones attack in Heso Khel village on the edge
of Mir Ali town, around 35 kilometers east of Miranshah town
of North Waziristan Agency of FATA. It was the fifth American
drone strike reported in Pakistan in a week. Pakistani security
officials said US drones fired four missiles – two at a house
and another two at a nearby motorbike, killing four militants
in the house and two on the bike.
January 11
The death toll in January 10
twin blasts near a snooker club at Alamdar Road in Quetta, the
provincial capital of Balochistan, increased to 105. As reported
earlier, 70 persons were killed in the blasts.
Two blats occurred at around
8.50pm, one inside a snooker club and the other outside in a
car, within a 10-minute gap in a Shia-Hazara community dominated
neighbourhood, killing 105 people and wounding 169. The dead
included 25 rescue workers, nine Police officers and three journalists.
The building housing the club was razed in the blast.
A suicide bomber blew himself
up inside the snooker club. Bomb disposal squad officers said
an estimated six to seven kilograms of explosives were used
by the suicide bomber. As police, rescuers and media persons
rushed to the site, another bomb fixed to a vehicle parked nearby
went off. An estimated 100 kilograms of explosives were used
in the second blast.
The LeJ, claimed responsibility
for the attacks. In calls made to local journalists, LeJ spokesmen
Bakar Saddiq said the first blast was carried out by a suicide
bomber and the second was a bomb planted in a car that was triggered
by remote control.
The United Baloch Army, a separatist
group, claimed responsibility for the attack on Security Forces
at Bacha Khan Chowk in Quetta that took place around 3.50pm,
prior to the twin blasts at Alamdar Road. An estimated 25 kilograms
of explosives were used in the bomb. As many as 13 vehicles
were destroyed in the blast. The explosion also caused damage
to nearby shops, offices and homes.
A complete shutter-down strike
was observed in the Quetta to condemn the bombings on the call
of the Anjuman-e-Tajiran Balochistan, endorsed by nearly all
politico-nationalists parties.
Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar
Ali Magsi expressed his displeasure over the deteriorating law
and order situation in the Province. “We have lost the right
to govern,” Magsi said.
The Balochistan Government once
against gave the Police powers to the FC to maintain law and
order in the Province. A notification issued here stated that
the FC was given Police powers for one month in Quetta to maintain
law and order. According to the notification, the FC would act
under the supervision of the civil administration and would
follow the restrictions and conditions laid down in the Code
of Criminal Procedure 1898. Previously, the Government had withdrawn
the Police powers from the FC on December 3, 2012.
Two drivers were killed and
10 NATO containers were damaged when several rockets attacks
were carried out on a terminal near Hazara Ganji, on the outskirts
of Quetta. According to Police, unidentified armed men fired
four rockets targeting NATO containers which were en route to
Kandahar (Afghanistan) from Karachi (Sindh) and were temporary
parked at the terminal. “Two drivers, identified as Abid and
Waheed Shah, received multiple wounds in the attack and died,”
a Police official said, adding that the assailants also opened
indiscriminate fire that lasted for about half an hour.
Unidentified assailants attacked
Maulana Haseebullah Madni, a leader of the JUI-S, a religio-political
party near Gillani Railway Station in Block 13-D/2 of Gulshan-e-Iqbal
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh,
injuring him and eight others and killing his security guard.
While the assailants were firing on the JUI-S leader’s car,
a private school’s van carrying children was passing nearby
and its driver, Imdad, was struck by a bullet. The driver lost
control of the vehicle and rammed it into a wall. Five children,
aged between five and 10 years, suffered injuries. Police said
that it was the third attack on Madni. Gulshan-e-Iqbal SHO Rana
Haseeb said that the assailants had used Kalashnikovs and 9mm
pistols. “Police found over 70 empty bullet shells at the scene,”
he added.
A Sunni Tehreek cadre, 20-year-old
Muhammad Ali, was shot dead near New Preedy Street in Lines
Area. The Brigade Police said Ali was riding his motorcycle,
when two assailants, also on a two-wheeler, shot him dead.
A 21-year-old Islam Ahmed was
killed and his brother wounded in Sector 15/G of Surjani Town.
In Machar Colony in Sohrab Goth,
assailaints shot dead 22-year-old Behram Khan.
The decomposed body of an unidentified
30-year-old man was found trussed up and stuffed inside a gunny
bag at Khajji Ground in Rizvia Society.
Police arrested 40 people in
connection with the January 10 bomb blast at a Tablighi Jamaat
centre in Takhtaband area of Mingora area of Swat District in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Suprintednet of Police (SP, Investigation)
Irshad told Dawn that five kilogrammes explosive device was
used in the blast. No group has so far claimed responsibility
for the attack. As reported earlier, 30 people were killed in
the blast.
LeT founder and JuD chief Hafiz
Mohammad Saeed warned New Delhi of an escalation in violence
in Jammu and Kashmir. He was giving an interview to Reuters.
The Government’s persistent
failure to protect the minority Shia community from sectarian
attacks by Sunni militant groups, is reprehensible and amounts
to complicity in the slaughter of Pakistani citizens, HRW said.
“The government should immediately hold accountable those responsible
for ordering and participating in deadly attacks targeting the
Shia across Pakistan and particularly the Hazara Shia in Quetta,
the capital of Balochistan province. 2012 was the bloodiest
year for Pakistan’s Shia community in living memory and if this
latest attack [January 10 attacks] is any indication, 2013 has
started on an even more dismal note,” said Ali Dayan Hasan,
Pakistan director at HRW. “As Shia community members continue
to be slaughtered in cold blood, the callousness and indifference
of authorities offers a damning indictment of the state, its
military and security agencies,” he added.
In 2012, well over 400 members
of the Shia population were killed in targeted attacks. Over
120 of these were killed in Balochistan Province, the vast majority
from the Hazara Shia community. Similar attacks targeting the
Shia population have taken place repeatedly over the last year
[2012] in Balochistan, Karachi (Sindh), predominantly Shia populated
areas of Gilgit Baltistan in the northern areas, and in Pakistan’s
tribal areas, HRW said. “Pakistan’s tolerance for religious
extremists is not just destroying lives and alienating entire
communities, it is destroying Pakistani society across the board,”
said Hasan.
Around 4000 personnel of the
FC deployed in KP to help the Police in maintaining peace in
the province are reaching Islamabad Capital Territory for deployment
during the long march of the Tehreek Minhaj-ul-Quran scheduled
for January 14. Sources said the federal government directed
the commandant of FC to immediately withdraw 4200 personnel
assisting the KP Police and multi-national companies in the
province for deployment in Islamabad during Tahirul Qadri’s
long march.
US President Barack Obama said
that it would be very hard to imagine stability and peace in
the region if Pakistan and Afghanistan did not come to some
agreement. At a White House news conference with Afghan President
Hamid Karzai, Obama also acknowledged that he had seen “a greater
awareness (of this issue) on the part of the Pakistani government”.
“We welcome the recent steps,” said Obama in an indirect reference
to Pakistan’s decision to release Taliban leaders in its custody
for enabling them to attend peace talks with the Afghan government.
President Obama also noted that Pakistan and other regional
states had a role in the Afghan peace process and that “a strong
and secure Afghanistan is in the interest of the entire region”.
January 12
One soldier, Amir Khan, was
injured critically when militants fired at a checkpost in Ajali
Nadi area of Shalobar in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency.
Two children received injuries
when a mortar shell fell on the house of Hikmat Khan near Aziz
Market of Akkakhel area while in Mandi Kas area one Hazratullah
was injured in a similar incident.
In the same locality, two rooms
of a private school were badly damaged when a mortar shell hit
it. An overhead water tank at the house of Malik Waris Khan,
a Former Minister of State, was also damaged when it was hit
by a stray mortar shell.
Militants blew up a Government
school for girls in Hanji Ayub Kallay in Spin Qabar area in
the night. The explosion destroyed the school building and caused
damage to two nearby houses.
LI warned Zakhakhel tribe to
either provide it with volunteers or leave the area. Sources
said that LI militants distributed pamphlets and made announcements
through loudspeakers in Shalobar area, asking Zakhakhel to send
them volunteers or leave the area.
A blast killed a child and injured
another person in Brewery road area of Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan in the night. Wazir Khan
Nasar, the Deputy Inspector General said that the militants
planted an improvised explosive device near an internet cafe
in Brewery road area. “The blast killed a passerby child and
injured another person,” he said. Nasar said the blast caused
damage to the internet cafe and other nearby shops.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead in-charge nurse of the District Headquarter Hospital at
a bus stop in Hakeemabad area of Nowshera in same District in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Officials said the nurse Farzana Kawsar,
wife of Sajjawal Khan of Hakeemabad, was waiting for office
vehicle at the bus stop when unidentified assailants opened
fire on her.
The TTP said that they would
cease their occasional attacks on the Army in their stronghold
of FATA and concentrate attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan
instead – an announcement possibly designed to head off divisions
in the insurgency. The ceasefire does not apply to the rest
of the country, where there are often fierce clashes between
the TTP and security agencies. Thousands of soldiers are stationed
in North Waziristan. There have been occasional clashes there
between the soldiers and TTP, but a leaflet issued by TTP ‘Chief’
Hakimullah Mehsud ordered those to stop. A senior commander
confirmed the pamphlet’s veracity. “O Mujahideen brothers! As
you know, the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban under the leadership
of Mullah Muhammad Omar Mujahid are engaged in jihad against
the crusaders and infidels, and are supporters of each others
in the ongoing holy war,” the pamphlet said.
January 13
A roadside bomb killed as many
as 14 soldiers and injured 21 others in Dosali village, 50 kilometres
south of Miranshah, in North Waziristan Agency of FATA. A ‘spokesman’
for the Mujahideen Ansar, a group dominated by Uzbek fighters,
claimed responsibility and said that the attack was retaliation
for the Army's complicity in drone strikes. The group is allied
to TTP. A senior military official said all the soldiers killed
were in one truck and those injured were in vehicles behind
it.
A soldier was killed when a
shell fired by the militants hit a security checkpost in the
Nala area of Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency. The killed
soldier was identified as Sepoy Rehmat Hussain. Following the
attack, SFs shelled the suspected positions of militants in
various areas of Bara.
One person was killed and eight
others were injured when a blast struck a passenger coach in
Khwar Killay area near Sadda town in Kurram Agency of FATA.
A passenger coach, carrying around two dozen passengers, was
travelling from Peshawar to Parachinar when it was struck by
a remotely detonated IED.
At least two persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. A person was killed by unidentified armed assailants
near a shop situated in Kharadar area within the limits of Kharadar
Police Station. Police informed that the identity of the victim
could not be ascertained yet, however, he seemed to be around
20-year-old, belonging to the Memon community.
An elderly man was stabbed to
death in Nazimabad No-1 area within the limits of Nazimabad
Police Station.
Police and the BDS foiled a
terrorism bid by defusing a powerful IED weighing two kilogrammes
on Manghopir Road within the precincts of Pirabad Police Station.
SHO Shahid Khan said that unidentified militants first threw
a low intensity hand grenade in the area, however, no loss occurred.
He informed that during the checking of the blast site, the
Police personnel found a suspicious stuff near the site. The
BDS experts rushed to the scene and successfully defused the
IED attached with a remote control.
Three security personnel were
injured when their vehicle came under a bomb attack in Shabqadar
area of Charsadda District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The vehicle
was passing the Qala Shah Baig area when a remote-controlled
bomb planted on the road hit it. Three security personnel and
a passer-by were injured. The security personnel were identified
as Asif, Asim and Ashar Mahmood.
The Federal Government of Pakistan
accepted to the demands of Quetta bombing victims and protesters
across the country and announced to impose Governor’s rule in
Balochistan, effective from January 14.
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf
announced in principal to invoke Article 234 of the constitution
and impose Governor’s rule in the province, as demanded by the
bereaved families and political and social circles. He assured
the protesters that the Federal Government would fully cooperate
with the Governor.
He said that false cases registered
against members of the Shia community would also be withdrawn.
January 14
Three khasadar personnel, captured
by militants during a clash in Kohikhel area of Shalobar in
Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency in FATA, were beheaded. At least
seven khasadar personnel were injured during clashes. The fighting
erupted in the evening after militants attacked three security
posts in Kohikhel. The attackers reportedly forced security
personnel to retreat from two posts and captured arms and ammunition.
At least two persons, including
a Policeman, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. A Policeman, identified as Ghulam
Shabbir (52) was killed by unidentified armed assailants inside
his house situated in Jamali Goth of Sohrab Goth area within
the precincts of Sohrab Goth Police Station.
A man, Zahid (29), was shot
dead in Orangi Town within the limits of Iqbal market Police
Station.
At least eight persons were
injured in an IED blast, weighing one kilogram, at a mini mart
at petrol station located in Kahayan-e-Ittehad in DHA Phase-VI
within the limit of Gizri Police Station.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead a man, identified as Faqir Muhammad, in Nasirabad
town of same District in Balochistan.
Unidentified armed assailants
injured a man, identified as Rehmatullah near the Western Bypass
of Quetta.
Hearing the Balochistan target
killings case, the Supreme Court observed that it never wanted
the dismissal of the Balochistan Assembly and that there is
a difference between legislative business and authority of executive.
The Court sought the notification dismissing the Provincial
Government and imposing Governor’s rule in the province.
January 15
Seven soldiers and four militants
were killed in fighting between banned LI and SFs in Bara tehsil
in Khyber Agency of FATA. The sources said that dozens of militants
of LI attacked the newly-established three security posts manned
by personnel of FC, Pakistan Army and Khasadar Force in Arjaleen
Adey, Machine Dhand and Mashomanu Adeera in Shalobar area of
Bara. Following the attack, the SFs shelled the suspected positions
of militants in different areas of Bara from nearby bases. Two
helicopters shelled the suspected hideouts of militants in Shalobar
and Nala area but no casualties were reported. The sources said
that dozens of suspected persons were also arrested by SFs in
Sepah and Shalobar area of Bara.
13 bullet-riddled bodies of
local people belonging to three families were also found in
Alamgudar and Dogra areas of Bara populated by Sepah Afridi
tribe. No group or individual claimed responsibility for the
killings.
197 Pakistani militants surrendered
to the Army in the year 2012 in Bajaur Agency. Political Agent
Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah commented, "During the past five
years, more than 6,000 militants have surrendered to the government”.
He further added that ex-militants who surrendered have denounced
terrorism and joined mainstream society. Peace committees and
the general public has been instrumental in forcing militants
to lay down arms, he further said.
Five Policemen, identified as
DSP, in CID, Naseem Baloch, Constable Tahir, Constable Noor
Ahmad, Constable Mohsin Ali and Constable Abdul Whaid were killed
in a remote-controlled blast in Bonistan area of Panjgur District.
A Police official, Atiqur Rehman, said that a Police vehicle
was patrolling in the Bonistan area when the remote-controlled
device went off.
A Policeman, identified as Muhammad
Naeem, was injured in an explosion in Bakra Mandi area of Eastern
bypass, on the outskirts Quetta, the Provincial Capital of Balochistan.
At least three Police personnel
were injured in a bomb explosion in Chaman area of Qilla Abdullah
District, a boarding area with Afghanistan.
At least five persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi, the Provincial Capital of
Sindh. A person, identified as Asghar Ali Shah (30), was shot
dead by unidentified assailants in Sector 7/C in the Surjani
Town Police Jurisdiction. Victim belonged to Shia community
and he was an organiser of a mourning procession. Police said
that it was a sectarian killing.
Abdul Quyyum (25), a hotel employee,
was shot dead in Sector 4/A of North Karachi in the Sir Syed
Town Police Station.
Atta-ur-Rehman (40) was shot
dead and Shabeer was shot injured by unidentified assailants
at a hotel near Qalandri Chowk situated in Sakhi Hassan in the
Shahra-e-Noorjehan Police area.
The dead body of Noor-ul-Hassan
(25) was found near Maser Goth, Lyari, in the Baghdadi Police
Limits.
The dead body of Syed Hassan
Raza (25), stuffed in a gunny bag, was recovered near a local
hotel in the Baghdadi in Napier Police Limits.
January 16
At least five persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. Ibne Hassan (50) was shot dead by unidentified armed
assailants outside his residence near Ghousia Market in Muhammadi
Dara, just opposite Naeem Hospital, in Malir-15 in the Saudabad
Police Limits. According to SHO, Saudabad Hassan Haider, the
man was production manager in General Tyres and he belonged
to the Shia community. Police said that it was a sectarian killing.
A person, identified as Noor
Kabeer Bengali (45), was shot dead outside his residence in
Muhammadi Colony in the Docks Police Limits.
Muhammad Ayub (40) was shot
dead by unidentified assailants near Haroonabad in Baldia Town
in the SITE-B Police Jurisdiction.
Umer Katchi (20) was shot dead
near KMC Workshop in Ranchore Lane in the Eidgah Police Jurisdiction.
The dead body of an unidentified
man, stuffed in a gunny bag, was recovered from Baghdadi area
in the Napier Police Limits.
LI militants attacked the house
of a FC trooper Shabir in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency in FATA
and killed his father Abdul Jalil and four brothers. An FC official
said that Shabir was not at home at the time of the attack.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead an Afghan prayer leader, identified as Abdul Malik,
in the Banda Shiekh Ismail area of Akbarpura in Nowshera District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The house of an official of
the IB was partially damaged in an explosion in Bannu District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The sources said that the explosive device
was planted near the main entrance of the house.
The building of Government Middle
School was partially damaged when an Explosive Device planted
by unidentified militants went off in Shahdand area of Loundkhor
in Mardan District, but no causalities were reported.
Unidentified armed assailants
abducted a man, identified as Mir Hassan, from the Usta Muhammad
area of Jaffarabad District.
Militants attacked a FC check
post with rockets in Panjgur District. No loss of life was reported.
No group claimed responsibility for the incident.
January 17
At least eight persons, including
MQM MPA, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
The MQM MPA, Syed Manzar Imam,
was killed along with three of his guards by six unidentified
assailants in Orangi Town. The TTP ‘spokesman’ Ehsanullah Ehsan,
in a statement from an undisclosed place, claimed the responsibility
for the attack on the MPA. The group also claimed responsibility
for attack on MQM’s rally in Karachi on January 1, 2013, which
killed four persons and injured 50 others.
A man, identified as Arshad
Hussain (27), was killed in Sikandar Goth within the limits
of Sachal Police Station.
Muhammad Hussain (24) was killed
and Noor (27) was injured in an armed attack near Brooks Chowrangi
in Korangi within the jurisdiction of Korangi Industrial Area
Police Station.
Rahmat Ali (37) was killed near
Rehmania Masjid located in sector 3 in Korangi within the jurisdiction
of Zaman Town Police Station.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a man, identified as Hafiz Talha (21), in Bhattai Colony
within the jurisdiction of Ibrahim Hyderi Police Station.
Two seminary students, Identified
as Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Akhtar, were injured in an attack
by assailants in a Gulshan-e-Iqbal locality near Mochi Mor.
At least five persons, including
two women and two children, were killed and nine others were
injured when helicopter gunships shelled targets in Mir Ali
tehsil of North Waziristan Agency of FATA. Sources said the
helicopter gunships attacked targets in Hassamkhel, Haiderkhel,
Inzar, Aipee and Khushal Toorikhel villages in Mir Ali. Several
houses were destroyed in the shelling. According to the sources,
the shelling was in retaliation to a remote-controlled bomb
attack on security personnel.
Unidentified militants blew
up a CD shop at Chowki Mamraiz area of Nowshera District.
US District Judge handed Pakistani
Canadian Tahawwur Rana a 14 year jail term for providing material
support to LeT and for conspiring to provide material support
for a plot involving attacks on the office of Danish newspaper
Jyllands-Posten. The sentencing includes an additional
five years of supervised release. According to a statement issued
by the US Attorney’s office in Chicago, the Judge said, “This
certainly was a dastardly plot.”
January 18
At least six persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. Two brothers, identified as Mohammad Irshad and Mohammad
Akhlaq, cadre of ASWJ, were killed on Lasbela Bridge.
A religious scholar, Mohammad
Ajmal of the Alami Majlis Khatam-e-Nabuwat, and another man
associated with the Majlis were killed on M.A. Jinnah Road.
An unidentified man was killed
in the old Karachi area.
The dead body of an unidentified
man, stuffed in a gunny bag, was recovered near Sohrab Hospital
in Urdu Bazar in the Aram Bagh Police Limits.
Armed assailants shot dead the
principal of a private school, identified as Ikram Mengal, along
with his five-year old son, in Kharan District.
The FC killed BLA ‘commander’
Rashid Shahwani and his companion Shahjahan during a targeted
operation against militants in Mastung District. FC personnel
recovered a large number of weapons and explosive material during
the operation.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home
Department has approved a plan to renovate 274 Police mobile
vans turning them into bullet-proof vehicles in the wake of
security situation.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government
proposed amendments to the relevant laws to protect the identity
of judges, prosecutors and witnesses in terrorism related cases.
The proposal has been sent to the Federal Government in writing,
according to provincial Home Secretary Azam Khan.
The US supports democratic Government
in Pakistan rather than any specific political party or person‚
including Tahirul Qadri, US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson
said. He further said that the US would like to see free and
fair elections in Pakistan.
January 19
Armed assailants on a motorcycle
opened fire on a rickshaw in Sariab Road of Quetta (Quetta District),
killing its occupants, the driver and a woman passenger, on
the spot. The driver of the rickshaw was identified as Mula
Dad, whereas the identity of the women could not be ascertained.
Two brothers were killed in
a land mine explosion near Khameesa Khan Bugti Village of Quetta.
According to the Police, the deceased were identified as Khameesa
Khan and Essa Khan.
Three unidentified militants
entered a house in Kot Azam Village in Tank District and killed
two persons. According to the SFs, three men, wearing uniform,
entered the house of Ramzan and Rehman in the Kot Azam Village
and shot them dead before fleeing the scene.
A girl’s primary school was
blown up by unidentified militants in Badabher, a suburban area
of the Peshawar city. According to the details, miscreants planted
explosives near the main gate of the school which is situated
in Mashoo Khel Village and detonated it with a remote control.
Two rooms of the school were damaged completely, while the blast
also affected some other sections of the school’s building.
Unidentified assailants killed
two Police constables who were deputed at a Police post in Khanote
area of Jamshoro District. The slain Policemen were identified
as Abdul Majeed Pitafi and Sahib Khan Macchi. The unidentified
attackers also took away rifles and mobile phones of the constables.
President Barrack Obama administration
is nearing completion of a detailed counterterrorism manual
that is designed to establish clear rules for targeted-killing
operations but leaves open a major exemption for the CIA’s campaign
of drone strikes in Pakistan, The Washington Post quoting unnamed
US officials reported. The carve-out would allow the CIA to
continue pounding al Qaeda and Taliban targets for a year or
more before the agency is forced to comply with more stringent
rules spelled out in a classified document that officials have
described as a counterterrorism “playbook.”
January 20
At least five volunteers of
Aman Lashkar sustained injuries when a bomb exploded
in the Shalobar area of Khyber Agency in FATA. An IED was planted
on a roadside which exploded. However, no loss of life was reported.
A local leader of ANP, Muhammad
Din Shah Afridi, narrowly escaped a murderous attack carried
out by exploding IED through a remote control that left at least
four persons injured at Khyber Chowk in Ittehad Town area within
the limits of Mochko Police Station in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. Police said that the explosive
devise went off when a vehicle bearing registration No ASE-386
passed from the blast site. As a result, four persons, Abdul
Rehman, Kamran and Hussain travelling in a car with the ANP
leader, and a passerby Imran received injuries.
The Chief Minister Sindh Syed
Qaim Ali Shah said one or two target killings in a big city
like Karachi was not an issue. However, he claimed the situation
will become normal. Talking to the media at the Sukkur airport,
he said the situation in Karachi is not as bad as portrayed
by the media. He pointed out that other murders in Karachi were
on the rise over different other issues.
Police arrested four militants
following exchange of fire in Sarband area on the outskirts
of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According
to the sources, the encounter took place when the militants
opened fire at Police near Riaz Shaheed checkpoint. Police retaliation
injured one attacker. Police arrested the injured attacker and
the other four militants.
The US Ambassador to Pakistan
Richard Olson said the US would extend all the necessary assistance
and equipment to help law enforcement agencies to check incidents
of suicide attacks and bomb blasts. He said the US highly values
its relations with Pakistan, adding that they acknowledge the
sacrifices made by Pakistan during war on terrorism. The ambassador
had meeting with Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik and
exchanged views on bilateral relations and security situation,
particularly in FATA.
Quetta (provincial capital of
Balochistan) CCPO of Mir Zubair Mehmood confirmed that three
senior Police officials arrested by FC were involved in kidnapping
of a resident of Dalbandin for ransom. Addressing a press conference,
Mir Zubair said, “The three officers, including SP and two DSP
of CID Police Quetta and three other personnel have been suspended
from service and an FIR has been registered against them for
kidnapping Abdul Quddoos, a resident of Dalbandin, headquarters
of Chagai district, for ransom.”
January 21
Two security personnel were
killed and 11 others injured when a landmine exploded during
a search operation in Kanra village under Pandyali tehsil of
Mohmand Agency in FATA. SFs with the help of Khasadars and volunteers
of a peace Lashkar were conducting the search operation in Kanra
village, when the landmine planted by militants went off. Lance
Naik Abdul Mehmood and Ziaullah were killed and five security
personnel, four Khasadars and two volunteers were injured.
One Frontier Constabulary personnel
was killed and another received injuries when militants fired
at their vehicle in Zakhakhel Bazaar area in Bara tehsil in
Khyber Agency. Officials said that a group of security men was
attacked by militants when they were fetching water from a natural
spring in the area.
Unidentified militants blew
up a Government school in Merikhel village of Akkakhel in Bara.
The explosion caused damage to a major portion of the school
structure, one of the oldest Government buildings in the area.
SFs recovered two bullet-riddled
bodies from the Pir Koh area of Dera Bugti District in Balochistan.
The deceased were identified as Bahian and Raza Muhammad. They
were shot dead and dumped in a deserted place.
The FC recovered explosive materials
from the Notal area of Nasirabad District and arrested a person.
The recovery includes 10 kilogramme bomb and four kilogrammes
of explosives.
FC personnel recovered a bomb
and explosives from Goth Ghulam Kathore area of Sibi District.
Unidentified militants abducted
a Sikh businessman for ransom from Quaidabad area of Peshawar
(Peshawar District) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Rakbir Singh, a shopkeeper
in Hayatabad market, was kidnapped outside his house in the
Quaidabad area.
Hearing Adiala Jail missing
prisoners’ case, Supreme Court Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhary observed that the intelligence agencies do
not have authority to keep anyone in their custody for an indefinite
period, and warned the ISI and MI that law would take its course
if they were found guilty.
A C-IED working group held a
meeting at GHQ in Rawalpindi, a ISPR press release said. Delegates
from the Afghan National Army, the ISAF and Pakistani Army participated,
the statement said. The participants discussed measures to counter
the IED threat faced by civilians and Security Forces on both
sides of the Pakistani-Afghan border. The working group resolved
to advance work already done to counter the IED threat.
January 22
At least 11 persons, including
a Policeman and a medical superintendent of the Sindh Government
Hospital, were killed in separate incidents of violence in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
A medical superintendent of
the Sindh Government Hospital, New Karachi, was killed at UP
Morr. Police official said that the victim, Dr Hassan Alam,
was heading towards his house in his car when two armed men
intercepted his vehicle and shot at him, killing him on the
spot.
A man was killed in Malir. According
to Police, the 23-year-old victim was shot dead while on his
bike.
One person was killed near the
Northern Bypass in Khairabad. Police said that the victim, Muhammad
Jameel (53), was returning home after his shift in a factory
situated in Manghopir area when armed riders shot him dead and
escaped.
A man was killed in Orangi town.
According to Police, the identity of the victim could not be
ascertained.
A tortured bullet-riddled body
of a man was found from Old Haji Camp area. Police said that
unidentified men abducted the victim, severely tortured him
and then shot him dead. They later threw the body at an abandoned
place. They said that the identity of the victim could not be
ascertained.
A 40-year-old Policeman was
shot dead near Siddique-e-Akbar Mosque in Nagan Chowrangi, whereas
a man was killed in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The victim was shot at
by two armed pillion riders while he was in his car.
A man was killed near his shop
situated along Police training centre Saeedabad within the jurisdiction
of Saeedabad Police Station. According to Police, the victim,
Ghulam Asghar was shot outside his shop.
Dead bodies of two men were
found from Dalda Mor of Baldia Town within the limits of SITE-B
Police station. Police said that the identity of the victims
was yet to be ascertained. Police said that the bodies were
trussed up and bore torture marks.
Another dead body of a man was
found form Memon Goth.
In a sectarian related attack,
one doctor, Dr Shah Nawaz Ali, was shot dead by unidentified
assailants in his cantonment area clinic on Liaquat Street in
Saddar Bazaar of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. The apparent reason for the killing was that Dr
Ali belonged to Shia sect, local residents added. Earlier this
month, Dr Riaz Hussain Shah was shot dead in Dabgari area on
January 9.
An explosive device, planted
near a CD shop at Bacha Khan Chowk on Charssada Road, exploded
damaging three shops. However, no casualty was reported. According
to Police, the target of the blast was a CD shop.
Unidentified militants exploded
explosive devices planted under two school buses near Chota
Lahore in Swabi District. However, no casualty was reported.
According to a Police spokesman, the explosive devices, concealed
in ghee tins, were planted under the buses parked outside Quaid-e-Azam
International Model School.
A two-member bench of Peshawar
High Court took exception to the killing of two ‘missing persons’
and summoned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Police Officer along
with several other officials, directing them to explain as to
why they failed to trace out the culprits involved in the incidents.
Four personnel of the FC were
seriously injured when unidentified militants attacked a convoy
of the Security Forces on the Thall-Mir Ali Road in North Waziristan
Agency of FATA. Sources said a convoy of the Thall Scouts, a
wing of the FC, was on its way to Spinwam in Mir Ali subdivision
from Thall subdivision in the Hangu District (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
when it was targeted through an IED.
The Provincial Government has
set up a new force for conducting operations against elements
involved in cases of terrorism, target killing and kidnapping
for ransom. “The special force will initially comprise 300 personnel,”
Provincial Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani said while presiding
over a meeting of the divisional commissioners and senior officials
in Quetta.
Peace talks with Pakistani militants
will take place before this year's general elections, KP Information
Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said. The PPP and PML-N will
be part of the peace process with the militants, he said, adding
that participants will chalk out a joint peace strategy at the
All Parties Conference for the ANP to convey. "We are trying
to initiate peace talks with the extremists at the earliest,"
Iftikhar added.
ANP President Asfandyar Wali
Khan, said his party supports peace talks with the militants
because this is a national issue and the nation should unite
for such negotiations. The ANP will convene an All Parties Conference
to formulate a joint national strategy to deal with the menace
of terrorism, Asfandyar told participants at a ceremony commemorating
the deaths of ANP leaders Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Bacha Khan)
and Khan Abdul Wali Khan. Bacha Khan died in 1988, followed
by his son Wali Khan in 2006.
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani
Khar told the Senate that the issue of drone attacks would be
taken up with US Ambassador to Pakistan, Richard Olson, and
also with Barrack Obama administration in Washington. During
a policy statement in the Senate, the Foreign Minister said
drone attacks were a violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity,
adding that the Government was not oblivious to the challenges
confronting the country.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhary observed that the Taliban were not a phenomenon that
could not be controlled by the Government. A three-member bench
of the apex court, comprising, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice
Sheikh Azmat Saeed heard the Karachi law and order situation
case. The court directed Sindh Advocate General Fateh Muhammad
Malik to ensure the arrest of the killers of MQM MPA Manzar
Imam by February 6 and submit a compliance report before it.
The court also sought from the Sindh police a reply about the
release of Ajmal Pahari.
In the aftermath of 9/11, the
number of foreign students studying in the madrassas of Punjab
had dropped sharply but about 450 are still on their rolls and
causing a bit of worry to the Punjab Police. A recent field
survey of the madrassas by the Special Branch of the provincial
Police revealed that 289 of them are, technically, staying illegally
in the country. An overwhelming majority of them, 275, were
found lodged in the madrassas in Lahore.
January 23
Seven militants were killed
and four others were injured in a blast in Jandary Killay in
Orakzai Agency of FATA. The sources said that the militants
had been using the abandoned house as hideout in Jandary Killay
area. Unidentified persons, the sources added, had placed explosive
device at the house, which went off at 10 am, leaving seven
militants dead and four others injured. The sources said that
the house comprising four rooms was destroyed in the blast.
Militants dumped the mutilated
body of a purported Afghan spy accused of collaborating on US
drone strikes that killed Mullah Nazir on January 2. The body
of the man, identified as Asmatullah Kharoti, was found in Wana,
the main town of the South Waziristan Agency, which borders
Afghanistan.
Four pro-Government tribesmen
from a militia were shot dead in the hujra of a local
person at Gul Bagh village on the suburbs of the provincial
metropolis Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar (Peshawar District).
Police was told that the tribesmen were asleep inside a room
in his hujra when unidentified assailants killed them. A source
said that the deceased belonged to Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency
in FATA but they had shifted recently to Badhaber area of Peshawar
owing to lawlessness in the tribal region. They were identified
as Khan Bahadur, Zaryab Gul, Jangrez and Abad.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead two Afghan clerics at a mosque in Kata Kani area of Hangu
city in same District on in the night. Sources said that the
mosque attack occurred in Kata Kani area, where the Afghan refugees
had been living for past several months. Those killed were identified
as Maulana Zahir and Maulana Mohammad Yousuf. One person was
injured in the attack.
Five mortars were fired targeting
headquarters of FC in Hayatabad residential area of Peshawar.
These rockets, however, caused no loss of life nor did any damage
to public property, sources said.
Hayatabad Police seized a vehicle
loaded with weapons and ammunitions. During search of the vehicle,
Police recovered 115 pistols, 16 Kalashnikov rifles and thousands
of rounds. “Two persons were arrested on charges of smuggling
weapons,” Hayatabad Police said.
Twin blasts in Charsadda town
in the District, on the occasion of the death anniversaries
of Khudai Khidmatgar Khan Abdul Ghaffar and ANP leader Khan
Abdul Wali Khan created panic. The first blast took place at
4 pm near the Motorway Interchange, 10 minutes after the motorcade
of leaders of ANP led by its provincial chief Senator Afrasiab
Khattak crossed the area. Police said a remote-controlled bomb
planted by unidentified men along the road between a CNG station
and the Motorway Interchange exploded, but it caused no casualties
or damage to property. The second blast took place at 11 am
when an explosive device planted in a shopping bag and placed
in the garbage dump in front of Zakat office on Mardan road
went off just before the arrival of the bomb disposal squad
to defuse it.
A Government-run Kablay Marzay
primary school was blown up by unidentified men in Battagram
area of Shabqadar in the middle of the night. No casualties
were reported.
Two persons, including an activist
of MQM, were shot dead in separate incidents of violence in
the Provincial metropolis of Sindh, Karachi (Karachi District).
The worker of MQM was shot dead
at Chuna Bhatti in Ranchorline within the limits of Eidgah Police
Station. An official said that two unidentified pillion riders
opened fire at a tyre puncher shop, resultantly, 24-year-old
Ameer Ali, son of Iftikhar Ali, received multiple bullet wounds
and died on the spot.
A man was shot dead outside
his house in new Muzaffarabad Colony within the jurisdiction
of Quaidabad Police Station. SHO Amanullah Marwat said that
30-year-old Jamil Zada alias Lune, son of Shirin Zada, was sitting
outside his house when two armed riders accosted him and opened
fire. The SHO said that victim was the father of two children
and hailed form Swat.
A cleric belonging to JUI-F,
Mufti Rehmatullah, was shot dead in Kakar colony of Quetta (Quetta
District) in Balochistan. Unidentified assailants on a motorcycle
opened fire at Mufti Rehmatullah, the prayer leader of a local
mosque, leaving him seriously injured. Police took the cleric
to hospital where he died. Mufti Rehmatullah was prayer leader
of Mian Khan Mosque in Kakar colony and a leader of JUI-F.
At least 10 suspects were rounded
up by FC in targeted operations in Killi Kamalo, Sariab, Hudda
and other parts of Quetta.
Security personnel recovered
a landmine weighing about five kilograms in Ormara of Gwadar
District and called in the Bomb Disposal Squad which defused
it.
Security personnel stopped a
suspicious vehicle at Gadang check post located on Quetta-Chaman
highway and seized an explosive device weighing 20 kilograms.
However, no arrest was made in this connection.
Police defused an anti-tank
mine near Police residential quarters on the outskirts of Khuzdar,
averting a major tragedy. DIG Khuzdar Range Fasihuddin said
unidentified militants had planted the mine in the Khatan area
to blow up the Police quarters. After receiving a tip-off, he
said, the Police and bomb disposal squad defused the mine containing
18 kilograms of explosives. No arrest was reported and security
beefed up in and around Khuzdar town.
A local leader of ASWJ, Qari
Mohammad Saeed, was killed by unidentified assailant in Talagang
area of Chakwal District in Punjab. Qari Mohammad Saeed, the
prayer leader of a local mosque, was attacked by an unidentified
assailant when he came out of Ayesha Siddiqua Masjid on Mianwali
road after Maghrib prayers.
The TTP said the United Nation
bodies and the United States should stop the “BJP-sponsored
state terrorism in Kashmir,” otherwise the TTP has the ability
to strike inside Indian-administered Kashmir. Speaking to Dawn,
the TTP ‘spokesman’ Ehsanullah Ehsan said that the Indian Home
Minister’s statement regarding BJP-backed terrors camps is an
open confession that Hindu extremists are being patronized under
the State’s authority for killing innocent Kashmiri Muslims.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police
busted 12 networks of terrorists and rounded up 459 militants
and killed 52 others during 2012, a Police communiqué said.
It said that during the last 12 months 21 cases of suicide bombings
were registered in different parts of the province. At least
21 Policemen were killed and 45 others sustained injuries in
these attacks. Similarly, the statement said 386 cases of explosive
recovery, missile attacks and blasts at CD and barber shops
were registered in which 54 policemen lost lives and 147 were
injured, the communiqué said. “One suicide bomber was held,
five suicide jackets, 33,036 hand-grenades/dynamites, 6,576
kilogram explosives, 31,416 metre prima chord, 497 rocket shells
and 988 metre safety fuses were recovered,” it added. During
2012, a total of 171 Police encounters took place in which 11
Policemen were killed and 14 more injured, the communiqué said,
adding, some 48 dacoits were killed and 21 injured in these
clashes. Police also recovered 4,715 rifles and light machine
guns, 8,702 shotguns, 36,420 pistols, 4,923 Kalashnikov rifles,
2,356 Kalakov, 327 hand-grenades, 51 Stengun and machinegun,
33 bombs and 2019,594 cartridges were recovered.
January 24
Two blasts in a span of several
minutes left four persons, a DSP and an ASI among them, dead
and 12 others, five of them Policemen, injured in the Sherpao
Colony of the Landhi area in Karachi (Karachi District), the
provincial capital of Sindh. According to Police, a rather low-intensity
bomb exploded in a garbage dump and when police officers, ambulance,
rescue services’ personnel and local people gathered there to
help the injured and investigate the incident, the second explosion
took place and it caused most of the casualties. The second
blast destroyed three ambulances and damaged a police van. Quaidabad
DSP Kamal Khan Mangan and ASI Akbar Hussain died on the spot.
The other two victims were identified as Fazal Khan, a private
security guard, and passerby Saeedur Rehman. Among the 12 injured,
five were Policemen, including the Quaidabad SHO and the others
were staff of rescue services and a few passersby. DIG East
Zone Aleem Jafri said that both bombs had been detonated by
cell-phones, adding that around one kilogram of explosives had
been used in the first blast and three kilograms, laced with
ball-bearing and nails, in the second.
An activist of ANP, identified
as Haji Muhammad Khan, was killed at his shop in Faqeera Goth
behind Al-Asif Square within the precincts of Sohrab Goth Police
Station. An official said that two unidentified armed pillion
riders emerged at the mobile shop, Ibrahim Communications, and
open indiscriminate fire.
Militants rained more mortar
shells on Peshawar on the second consecutive day as four shells
landed in Hayatabad. Sources said four mortar shells, fired
from Shalobar area in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency in
FATA, landed in Phase-VI, Hayatabad, injuring two children.
The armed forces of Pakistan
are prepared to defend country’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity, said CJCSC General Kahlid Shamim Wynne. The CJCSC
was visiting the ongoing ‘Exercise Saffron Bandit 2012-13’ at
an operational base of the Pakistan Air Force. Chief of Air
Staff Tahir Rafique Butt also participated in the exercise.
General Wynne said the prevailing complex global geo-political
environment and regional situation is not only unique but also
more challenging, since Pakistan faces both internal and external
threats. “Readiness and war preparedness have attained enhanced
significance in the current scenario. PAF is a potent and frontline
element of the national security and, through the highest levels
of professionalism, it will always come up to the expectations
of the nation,” he added.
The Attorney General Irfan Qadir
informed the Supreme Court that around 700 persons were in the
custody of the security agencies and those people were arrested
in connection with the ‘war on terror’. He said this while appearing
before a three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief
Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, which took up the case
of prisoners of Adiala Jail.
The UN envoy on counter-terrorism
and human rights launched an investigation into the impact of
drone strikes on civilians, aimed at securing accountability
for attacks going “badly wrong”. Ben Emmerson, a British lawyer
and United Nations special Rapporteur, said the huge expansion
in the technology behind unmanned planes, and consequently their
increasing use, required a new legal framework.
The US Senator John Kerry, President
Barack Obama’s nominee for secretary of state, said during his
confirmation hearing that cutting US aid to Pakistan, would
be a “dramatic, draconian and sledge-hammer” measure. Senator
Kerry also said that Pakistan’s role in leading the US to Osama
bin Laden in Abbottabad had not been sufficiently appreciated.
January 25
At least four people, including
a DSP and two Policemen, were killed in an IED blast in Bakhtawar
Goth, New Muzaffarabad Colony in Karachi (Karachi District),
provincial capital of Sindh. Moreover, another explosion occurred
in Kachra Kundi, without any casualty.
A man was killed and two others
were injured in a hand grenade attack in Mushki Para, Manghopir
within the limits of Manghopir Police Station.
Jet fighters bombarded suspected
positions of the TTP in the Kukikhel area of Tirah valley in
the night, killing nine people, including six militants.
January 26
At least 31 persons were killed
when Tariq Afridi faction of TTP militants attacked AI, a pro-Government
militants group, in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in FATA. About
300 Tariq Afridi faction of TTP militants, armed with mortars
and RPGs, launched the overnight assault in the Maiden area
of Tirah Valley, a maze of valleys on a route from Afghanistan
to Peshawar. The AI cadres retaliated, killing 15 TTP militants
and capturing eight others, while three villagers, including
an elderly woman, were killed in crossfire. TTP militants also
killed 13 AI cadres.
As many as 12 persons, including
two Policemen and two political workers, were killed in separate
incidents of violence in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Two Policemen, Akhtar Shahza
(45), and Abdul Aziz (52), were gunned down in Vita Chowrangi
of Korangi Town.
Sharafat Ali (25) affiliated
with MQM was killed and his brother injured in an armed attack
at Jamshed Quarters within the limits of Jamshed Quarters Police
Station.
Another activist of MQM, Shabbir
Ahmed (27) was killed in Islam Nagar, Orangi Town within the
limits of Orangi Town Police Station.
Noorul Bashar (28), affiliated
with ASWJ, was shot dead and his two companions, Maulana Saleemullah
and Shoaib, were injured in Orangi Town within the jurisdiction
of Orangi Police Station.
Waqar Ahmed (25), a sympathizer
of ASWJ, was killed in Orangi Town within the limits of Pakistan
Bazaar police station.
The bullet-riddled body of a
cadre of ST was found near Saddar parking plaza within the jurisdiction
of Brigade Police Station. The victim was later identified as
Sajid (24).
A man was killed in Block 19,
FB Area within the jurisdiction of Samanabad Police Station.
According to Police, Yousuf (23) was killed by armed riders.
A man was shot dead on Abul
Hassan Ispanhi Road within the limits of Mobina Town Police
Station.
The body of a man was found
near Abdullahabad, Surjani within jurisdiction of Surjani Town
Police Station.
The body of another man was
found from Northern Bypass within the limits of Surjani Police
Station. Police said that the deceased was identified as Adnan
Akram.
Another shot dead man was found
from Bakra Piri, Malir Town. The deceased was identified as
Asif.
January 27
The death toll in the ongoing
fighting between Tariq Afridi faction of the TTP) and pro-Government
militant group AI in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency in FATA climbed
to 71. The violence began in Tirah valley three days ago after
cadres of the Tariq Afridi faction, who operate in Khyber Agency,
captured a building belonging to AI. "The Ansar-ul-Islam
group re-took their centre after intense fighting. A senior
security official confirmed the approximate death toll and said
fighting was ongoing. The area is cut off to journalists and
aid workers so it was not possible to confirm the death toll
independently. As reported earlier, least 31 persons were killed
when TTP militants attacked AI militants on January 26.
A roadside bomb, apparently
planted to target a convoy of the Security Forces on Kohat-Hangu
road in Utman Khel area in Orakzai Agency, went off. However,
the explosion caused no damage or casualty.
At least three members of a
members of pro-government tribal militia, including one of its
‘commanders’, were killed and four others were abducted when
Baloch insurgents attacked their camp in Tilli Mat area of Dera
Bugti District in Balochistan. According to Balochistan Levies
sources, dozens of armed insurgents assaulted the post of the
tribal militia post in the Tilli Mat area, killing at least
three of its members. There was no immediate claim of responsibility
for the attack.
A Government centre housing
the offices of NADRA and Benazir Income Support Programme was
targeted with an IED in the border town of Chaman in Qilla Abdullah
District. According to Levies sources, the IED in a fertiliser
bag was planted along the wall of the centre near the FC Headquarters.
However, no loss of life was reported in the blast.
Militants fired rockets at FC
checkposts in Dolwai area of Barkhan District and Kahan area
of Kohlu District. No casualty was reported.
The BDS defused an IED planted
in a bicycle in Sariab area of the provincial capital, Quetta.
A patrol party of the Motorway
Police escaped unhurt in a roadside blast in Nowshera town of
same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Deputy Superintendent of
Motorway Police Sajjad Sial said they were on a routine patrol
on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway near Marhati Banda when they
saw a man with a briefcase.
Pakistan is still a major destination
for radicalised Muslims bent on a life of jihad, despite
hundreds of US drone strikes, the death of al Qaeda Osama bin
Laden and the fracturing of al Qaeda. New battlegrounds have
sprung up in Africa and the Middle East, but the number of foreign
recruits smuggled into the north western tribal belt is increasing
and they come from more diverse countries. Since the 1980s jihad
to expel Soviet troops from Afghanistan, Muslim fighters from
all over the world have lived and trained on the Afghan-Pakistan
border, moulded into al Qaeda and a host of spin-off militant
networks.
President of Karachi Electronics
and Small Traders Association, Muhammad Irfan, who was shot
and injured in the night of January 24, died of his wounds in
the night. He was attacked by assailants near Abdullah College.
January 28
With 10 more deaths, the death
toll in the fighting between Tariq Afridi faction of the TTP
and pro-Government militant group AI in Tirah valley of Khyber
Agency in FATA climbed to 81. As reported earlier, 71 persons
had died till January 27 in the clashes that erupted on January
25. Due to the volatile situation, thousands of families have
been displaced.
13 suspected militants were
killed and 16 others were injured when Army warplanes targeted
TTP hideouts in Arghanjoo and Mir Qalamkhel area in Mamozai
tehsil of Orakzai Agency. Six militant camps and an explosive-laden
vehicle were reportedly destroyed in the bombardment. The military
offensive during the past few months has cleared Orakzai Agency
of up to 90% of its militant presence, security officials said.
At least 16 persons were killed
across Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of
Sindh.
ST activists Riazuddin, 25,
his elder brother Farhanuddin, 35, and friend Kamranuddin, 30,
suffered bullet wounds when unidentified assailants opened fire
at them near the Khudadad Colony on Kashmir Road. Riaz and Kamran
died later. The deceased victims and the injured were all activists
of the ST. Another activist ST, Khalid Qadri, 27, was shot dead
and a minor child was injured in sector 11-J area of New Karachi.
35-year-old ASWJ activist Maulana
Khalid Saeed was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside
his residence near Bilal Colony in the Korangi Industrial Area
Police limits. He hailed from Hazara.
14-year-old Waseem, an activist
of the MQM, was shot dead by unidentified assailants near the
Able Chowk in the Kazi Bazar in the Kharadar Police jurisdiction.
Doctor Abdul Rasheed, 45, was
shot dead in Korangi.
In Baldia Town Police limits,
Mohammad Akbar, 26, was shot dead by unidentified assailants.
According to the police, the victim was targeted. They added
that the gunmen arrived at the scene, asked the victim his name
and then shot him dead.
Forty-year-old Muhammad Bukhsh
was shot dead by assailants while he was going towards his residence
in the Sohrab Goth Police jurisdiction.
A person was shot dead in Teen
Hathi in Lyari.
A man Riaz, 25, was killed and
two others were injured in an attack near PSO fuel station within
the jurisdiction of Jamshed Quarters Police Station. Another
man, identified as Owais, 20, was killed near Sabeel Wali Masjid
located in Gurumandir Roundabout within the limits of Soldier
Bazaar Police Station.
The bullet-riddled body of Muhammad
Asif, 25, was found in the D-1 Area of Landhi 89. The deceased
was a worker of Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF) and an activist
of the MQM.
A dead body was found near Dua
Hotel in Maripur Road. The victim appeared to be Urdu speaking.
Members of Lyari gang are suspected to be involved in the killing.
The body of another man, aged about 30, was found near Pakistan
Chowk within the limits of Mithadar Police Station. An official
said the victim appeared to be Urdu speaking.
The body of a man was found
behind Al Asif Square within the jurisdiction of Sohrab Goth
Police Station.
In the Ayub Goth area, two cars
and four motorcycles were burnt in an attack on a Police check-post.
Following the incident, an exchange of fire took place and the
attackers fled. According to Police, over a dozen people were
arrested in connection with the attack on the check-post.
Officials of an intelligence
agency arrested a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant
from Sohrab Goth area. According to sources, on a tip-off, officials
of secret agency raided at a hotel in Sohrab Goth and arrested
Alam Sher Mehsud.
Two personnel of the PAF were
among three persons killed in Pasni in Gwadar District. Station
House Officer Imam Baloch said that the PAF personnel were shopping
at the Zareen Markeet when armed assailants opened indiscriminate
fire on them. Resultantly, three people, including two PAF personnel
and a shopkeeper, were killed, while a PAF official sustained
bullet injuries.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a man, identified as Muhammad Jamal, at Al-Faisal Chowk
in Khuzdar District.
A blast in a shop in the Sarband,
a suburb of Peshawar, had panicked Policemen deployed at the
nearby checkpost in the night. In the early report Police said
the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder, later, the experts
from bomb disposal unit said it was caused by explosives.
Police arrested two suspected
militants and recovered a huge quantity of explosives and weapons
during a raid on a depot on Ring Road in Peshawar. The arms
and explosives were hidden underground, Ismail Khan, Assistant
Superintendent of Police for the Gul Bahar area, said. The cache
included 116 kilograms of explosives, thousands of bullets,
rocket-propelled grenades, 25 mortar shells and 80 hand grenades.
DPC has announced to hold a
'peace march' in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, on
March 3. DPC Chairman Maulana Samiul Haq, after the summit meeting
of the DPC parties, on January 28 said the DPC wanted peace
all over the country, including Karachi, and it had held an
All Parties Conference in Karachi for the restoration of peace.
Those who attended the meeting included JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad
Saeed.
He also said that the DPC was
an alliance of parties having public representation and it must
be taken into confidence for the nomination of the Prime Minister
and about the interim set up. He said the nomination of someone
who defied "Two Nation Theory" and the Pakistan ideology as
interim Prime Minister would be strongly resisted.
January 29
At least 24 militants were killed
when Army warplanes bombed militant positions in Tirah valley
of Khyber Agency in FATA. Officials said the planes attacked
targets in Dwa Thoe, Bara Gatt, Wocha Wona and Nakai areas where
TTP and LI have their bases or hideouts. Sources said that stores
of food and arms were destroyed. A statement issued by Security
Forces said militant hideouts were busted during the 24-hour
target operation and 24 terrorists, some of them belonging to
the TTP and LI, were killed.
At least five persons, including
a Policeman, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh. The General Secretary
of Bengali Action Committee, identified as Ghayasuddin (52),
was shot dead by two unidentified armed assailants in Sector-33,
Korangi town within the limits of Korangi Police Station.
A man, Amir Baig was killed
outside his house near Marhaba Hall, 4-D area of Surjani town
within the precincts of Surjani town Police Station.
A man, identified as Shahid
(30) was killed in Lal Masjid located in Matin Quarters within
the limits of Pir Ilahi Buksh Police Station.
A Policeman, Zulfiqar was killed
and two others, Ghulam Nazuk and Arshad Mehmood were injured
in an armed attack at Sohrab Goth Police Station. According
to Police sources, the Police arrested at least seven militants
from Jamali Goth in connection with their alleged involvement
in attack at Police check post, wherein the culprits damaged
its infrastructure and torched six vehicles, including a Police
mobile.
A hand grenade attack injured
four persons in Hangorabad area of Lyari.
An IED bomb, carrying 2.5 kilogram's
explosive, was found from outside the house of a prominent industrialist
in Khayaban-e-Shaheen within the precincts of Darakshan Police
Station.
Unidentified militants shot
dead Policeman escorting a polio vaccination team in Kala, a
village in Swabi District of KP. The team was heading to a nearby
village after vaccinating children in Kala, when two armed motorcyclists
shot at them and fled the area, Police said. "The team, after
finishing the campaign in Kala, was heading towards a nearby
village when three men armed with Kalashnikovs appeared from
sugarcane fields and opened fire," District Police Officer Swabi
Abdul Rasheed Khan said.
A man was killed and three others
sustained injuries in a blast in Acheeni Mera near Al-Hamra
Township in Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. Unidentified
militants had planted explosives in fields in Acheeni that went
off, killing one tribesman, Sardar, hailing from Zakhakhel area
in Bara tehsil of FATA and injuring Gul Shah, Fazal and another
person, who couldn't be identified. Some reports said the bomb
had been planted near a gambling den and the militants had reportedly
warned of target it. However, the police didn't confirm this
version.
Unidentified militants lobbed
hand grenade on Baamkhel Police check-post in Swabi District.
However, no causality was reported. According to details, unknown
miscreants riding a motorcycle hurled a hand grenade on Police
check-post in Baamkhel area. A car parked near the post was
damaged while the Policemen on duty remained unhurt.
Two Police constables, identified
as Ali Dad Hazara and Shamir Baloch, were shot dead on Sabzal
road of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of
Balochistan. A little-known militant outfit, Jaish-ul-Islam
(JuI), claimed responsibility for the attack. Police said that
it appeared to be a sectarian attack.
January 30
At least nine persons were killed
in separate incidents across Balochistan. Four persons were
shot dead in Dera Bugti District. Dera Bugti Tehsildar Bahram
Khan Bugti said that unidentified assailants fired on four people
in Nok Tarani area near Pir Koh, killing them on the spot.
A man, identified as Abdul Kareem
Khilji, was shot dead on Sariab Road near Tariq Hospital of
Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Another person, identified as
Ghulam Qadir Zehri, was shot dead in main Khuzdar bazaar of
Khuzdar District.
Three bullet-riddled bodies
were found in between the mountains at Eastern Bypass in the
proximity of Bussa Mandi in Quetta. "They were shot in the head
and look like Afghans," Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP)
Bahsir Ahmed Brahvi said, and added that their hands and feet
were tied. He said the bodies appeared to be three days old.
The deceased could not be identified.
SFs seized cache of explosives
from a car at Balili check post in the outskirts of Quetta.
400 detonators, an explosive wire, a 200-meter roll, one explosive
piece of cotton weighing 125 kilograms and 1500 kilograms of
ball bearings were recovered.
Eight persons, including two
MQM workers, were shot dead in separate acts of violence in
Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
A bomb blast killed three suspected
militants in Karachi as they were carrying out preparations
for an attack at Indus Plaza on Al-Asif Square. The suspected
militants were attempting to put the bomb in the trunk of a
taxi when it went off, Senior Police Officer Aleem Jafri said.
Just before the explosion a
hand grenade was hurled at a Police van few metres away from
the same place.
A MQM activist was shot dead
outside his house in Aleemabad area within the limits of Malir
City Police Station in Malir. The deceased was the resident
of the same area and affiliated with MQM Unit 79.
Another MQM worker, Raheel (27),
son of Zafar, was shot dead in Baldia Town within the jurisdiction
of Saeedabad Police Station. Police said Raheel was associated
with the MQM Unit 113, and was employed at a private factory.
A ST cadre was abducted and
subsequently shot dead in Jamshed Quarters area within the remit
of Jamshed Quarters Police Station. Police said Adnan Baloch
(28), a resident of the said area, was a motor mechanic by profession.
A young man, Aswat (26), son
of Rizwanul Haq, was shot dead and his brother injured in North
Nazimabad within the precincts of Hyderi Police Station.
A man, Mukhtiar, 35, son of
Hameed, was shot dead in Shah Faisal No-1 within the limits
of Shah Faisal Police Station.
Six members of a family were
killed when a mortar fell on the house of one Ghani Gul in Sponrhai
area of Kukikhel in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency in FATA. Meanwhile,
SFs said that curfew would be imposed in the entire Bara subdivision
of Khyber Agency from January 31 morning. They made announcements
through loudspeakers in most parts of Bara, advising local people
to remain inside their houses till next order. The SFs didn't
cite any reason for imposition of the indefinite curfew in the
entire Bara.
Three soldiers were injured
when unidentified militants attacked a military convoy with
an IED on Bannu-Miranshah road in Miranshah town NWA. The IED
planted on the main road went off when the military convoy was
passing through the area. A military vehicle was damaged and
three soldiers sustained injuries in the blast.
10 mortar shells fired from
across the border in Afghanistan landed in Loli Faqeeran village
of Ghulam Khan Area in NWA.
The Police arrested a militant,
Asif Naveed, during a raid on a house in Kumharnwala in the
limits of City Police Station in Dera Ismail Khan town of the
same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and recovered explosives
from his possession. The recovery includes a suicide jacket,
15 kilograms of explosives and a pistol.
The KP Home and Tribal Affairs
Department announced team for carrying out inspection of the
arms and ammunition manufacturers and dealers as well as licence
branches of Bannu division. An official statement said the team
would be carrying out inspection of arms manufacturing and dealership
units in first week of February. The inspection team will furnish
reports along with its recommendations to the competent authority
by February 11, 2013.
Federal Minister of Interior
Rehman Malik said three banned organisation are responsible
of target killings and law and order situation in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. Speaking in the Senate in response
to a point of order by MQM Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, the
Interior Minister said LeJ, JeM and TTP are terrorizing people
in Karachi.
Rehman Malik explained that
those busy in Karachi are different extremist factions and mentioned
that when the Interior Ministry warned of an attack on long
march of Dr Tahirul Qadri, the same Ehsanullah Ehsan withdrew
his statement. But, after killing of MQM leader Manzar Imam,
he claimed the responsibility as a spokesperson of the TTP.
But, it is evident that he is not working for TTP but for somebody
else, said the Minister.
He said internal and external
groups are involved in Karachi situation and killers are paid
PKR 80,000 to PKR 90,000 for each killing. "I have asked the
intelligence agencies to enhance monitoring as well as security.
I have asked the agencies that when they get any information,
they should apprehend the suspects and take preventive action."
The United States reassured
Islamabad that it would not abandon Pakistan after the drawdown
of coalition forces from Afghanistan completes in 2014. "My
core message today is that the US is committed to a cooperative
and long-term partnership with Pakistan - far broader than any
one issue, and centred on areas of mutual interest," US Ambassador
to Pakistan Richard Olson said at the Institute of Strategic
Studies in Islamabad.
January 31
Twelve militants, including
two peace committee members, were killed and six militants were
injured in clashes in various parts of Tirah valley in Khyber
Agency in FATA. The AI claimed it had gained control of 16 TTP
centres at Mamozai near Tirah.
Eight volunteers of a peace
committee were killed when a mortar shell went off accidentally
in a bunker used by volunteers of the Kamarkhel peace committee
at Takhtakai when ammunitions were being shifted to another
base. Kamarkhel is a neutral tribe and doesn't want to indulge
in fighting but recently it has taken up arms to keep Takhtakai
from the influence of any militant group. LI has been carrying
out sporadic attacks on the Kamarkhel tribesmen to take control
of the important location to which the Kamarkhel volunteers
are offering resistance. AI wants to push back fighters of LI
from Takhtakai area because it is close to Bagh Maidan, the
headquarters of AI.
In a clash with Kamarkhel volunteers
in the area LI 'commander' Mehar Gul was killed and four of
his associates were injured as fierce fighting continued in
Takhtakai.
A bomb blast killed two polio
vaccination workers in Mali Khel village in Kurram Agency. There
has been no claim of responsibility for the killings. "The two-men
team was visiting Mali Khel village in upper Kurram tribal region
when an improvised explosive device planted along the roadside
went off, killing them on the spot," Jawad Ali, in- charge of
the campaign in Kurram Agency said.
At least 14 persons, including
three clerics, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. Three clerics
of the Deoband school of thought, identified as Mufti Abdul
Majeed Dinpuri (50), Mufti Muhammad Saleh (40) and Ehsan Ali
Shah (29) were shot dead within the precincts of Tipu Sultan
Police Station.
Three dead bodies stuffed in
gunny bags were found dumped at Haq Bahu Chowk in Qaim Khani
Colony in a Baldia Town.
The two dead bodies, identified
as Haroon Baloch and Raza Sheikh were found near Northern Bypass
within the remit of the Surjani Town Police Station.
An ex-president of Markazi Tanzeem-e-Aza,
Iqbal Masood (46) was killed by two armed assailants in Landhi
town.
A man belonging to the Tablighi
Jamaat was killed while another was injured in an armed attack
near KDA Chowrangi.
The dead body of an unidentified
young man was found near the Askari Park on University Road
within the remit of the PIB Colony Police Station.
An unidentified young man was
shot dead in Timber Market in Lyari.
The body of a young man, identified
as Nawaz Ali, was found within the remit of the Pak Colony Police
Station.
The dead body of a young man
was found in the Habib Ground within the remit of the Landhi
Police Station.
An ex-president of Markazi Tanzeem-e-Aza,
Iqbal Masood (46) was killed by two armed assailants in Landhi
town.
A man belonging to the Tablighi
Jamaat was killed while another was injured in an armed attack
near KDA Chowrangi.
The dead body of an unidentified
young man was found near the Askari Park on University Road
within the remit of the PIB Colony Police Station.
An unidentified young man was
shot dead in Timber Market in Lyari.
The body of a young man, identified
as Nawaz Ali, was found within the remit of the Pak Colony Police
Station.
Unidentified armed assailants
abducted four Karachi-based NGO workers in the Maripur area.
Legislators in the Upper House
strongly reacted to the killing of Mufti Abdul Majeed Deenpuri
and his other two companions in Karachi and walked out of the
Senate, claiming that the Government failed to ensure safety
of people and their properties. Senators belonging to the JUI-F,
ANP, PML-N, PML-Q, BNP-A and MQM staged the walkout in protest.
BNP-A Senator Kalsoom Parveen held a separate walkout against
the imposition of the Governor's rule in Balochistan and vowed
to continue the token walkout until the rule ends.
At least six militants and a
'commander' of the BLA were killed and several others were arrested
by the FC in a targeted operation in the Mangochar area of Kalat
District.
At least six militants and a
'commander' of the BLA were killed and several others were arrested
by the FC in a targeted operation in the Mangochar area of Kalat
District.
A man, Abdul Rasheed, a barber,
was killed and another was injured when armed assailants opened
fire at a barber's shop on Jail road in Huda area of Quetta
(Quetta Districts), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
At least 10 persons were injured
in a low-intensity bomb blast targeting a Police mobile van
in the Firdus area under limits of Hashtnagri Police Station
in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According
to Police, the vehicle was on routine patrol on the GT Road
near Jinnah Park. The Police vehicle narrowly escaped the explosion,
while six other vehicles were partially damaged.
February 1
Twenty-eight Shia persons were
killed and 46 others injured when a suicide bomber struck outside
a mosque just after the Friday prayers in Pat Bazaar in Hangu
Town of same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The officials of
the BDU confirmed that it was a suicide attack. "We have recovered
the head and legs of the suicide bomber from the spot. Also,
a mechanical trigger was recovered from there," AIG of the BDU
Shafqat Malik said. He added that around six kilograms of explosives
along with pellets were used in the blast to cause more casualties.
Hangu has a mixed population of Sunnis and Shias and there has
been occasional sectarian strife in the city and also Hangu
District. The situation in the adjoining Orakzai and Kurram
tribal agencies of FATA also has an impact on Hangu.
A Police patrol narrowly escaped
an explosion in the morning in Shinwari Town in Paharipura area
of provincial capital, Peshawar. An official of Paharipura Police
Station said an explosive device fitted to a timer and planted
by a road went off at around 6am shortly after a Police patrol
van passed by. The explosive device weighed around 500 grammes
and was packed in a canister.
Unidentified militants hurled
two explosives into the Badaber Police Station in the night,
which didn't go off. Police called the BDU experts who neutralised
the explosives.
SFs neutralised a mortar shell
in Shadheri area under the Kabal tehsil of Swat District. This
was the fifth mortar shell found in the area.
Eleven members of the Kamarkhel
Peace Committee were killed as clashes with LI militants intensified
in the Lakai Sar, Madai and Tor Lagad areas of Takhtakai in
Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in FATA. The day-long clashes
left 11 peace committee members dead and several others injured.
However, the peace committee members were able to keep the LI
men at bay. The LI men torched a number of houses they had captured
in parts of the Takhtakai areas and made bunkers in others.
Six militants were killed when
a mortar shell fired by NATO and Afghan troops from across the
border hit a bunker in Zeba Ghar area near Angoor Adda, some
60km from Wana, in South Waziristan Agency. Sources said 30
shells had been fired from Macha Dad camp across the border
in Afghanistan. One shell hit the bunker, killing six militants
and injuring three others. They belonged to Maulvi Nazir fraction
of TTP.
The bullet-riddled body of a
militant was found in Jandola area of FR Tank. He was identified
as Hikmat Bittani, a member of the group headed by 'Commander'
Turkistan.
SFs arrested a would-be bomber
along with his handler and recovered explosive material during
a check-up at Yakaghund Checkpost in Mohmand Agency. The sources
said acting on a tip-off, the personnel of the Mohmand Rifles
stopped a passenger coach on Yakaghund Checkpost. On thorough
search, the law-enforcement agencies arrested a would-be suicide
and his
At least six persons, including
two MQM activists killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh. A joint in-charge
of MQM, Nayyar (23), was shot dead in sector 11/1-2, Orangi
Town near Rehmat Chowk within the jurisdiction of Pakistan Bazaar
Police Station.
A bank employee affiliated with
labour wing of MQM, Mudassir (32), was killed while other, Wajahat
Hussain (35) was injured in an armed attack at Sohrab Goth Bridge
within the precincts of Yusuf Plaza Police Station.
A man, identified as Syed Ali
Mehdi Zaidi (35), was shot dead in Liaquatabad, Dakkhana.
A man, identified as Syed Ali
Hasan Naqvi (48), was shot dead near Bismillah Bakery in Korangi
within the remit of the Awami Colony Police Station.
A man, Mohammad Yasir (22),
was killed in the Ranchhore Line area within the remit of the
Nabi Bakhsh Police Station. A PPP statement said that the victim
was a son of a senior party worker, Farooq Ghanchi.
The body of an unidentified
man was found in the Bin Qasim area within the remit of the
Sukkan Police Station.
Police and Rangers arrested
at least 20 suspected militants from Orangi Town, Baldia Town
and Chanesar Goth.
Two FC personnel were injured
when a convoy of a Qatari royal dignitary came under attack
in Mirani dam area of Kech District. Gwaram Baloch, a spokesman
for the BLF, claimed responsibility for the attack and said
that FC personnel were its target and not the royal family's
convoy.
A partial wheel jams and shutter-down
strike was observed in different towns and cities of Balochistan
on the call of JUI-F and National Awami Party-Awami against
the imposition of Governor's rule in the province. According
to the details, the sacked coalition parties BNP-A and JUI-F
resented the Governor's rule in Balochistan and called a shutter-down
and wheel jam strike across all districts of the province.
The US will have to keep up
an open-ended drone war against al Qaeda militants in Pakistan
and elsewhere to prevent another terror attack on America, Defence
Secretary Leon Panetta said. The assassination of al Qaeda figures
in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia with unmanned, robotic aircraft
has provoked widespread criticism from human rights groups and
some US allies, but Panetta said the US campaign has been effective.
The HRW accused the Government
of having failed to act against abuses committed by security
and intelligence agencies which are letting extremist groups
to attack religious minorities. "The authorities did little
to address attacks against journalists and human rights defenders,
and committed serious abuses in counter-terrorism operations,"
the HRW said in a report.
February 2
Thirty six persons were killed
when TTP suicide bombers attacked an Army camp in Sarai Naurang
area of Lakki Marwat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 13 soldiers
and 12 militants were killed. Eleven civilians were also killed
after a suicide bomber entered a house in a nearby residential
colony and blew himself up. Eleven security personnel were wounded
in the assault, officials said. The Sarai Naurang town is a
business hub of Lakki Marwat district, about 160kms south of
Peshawar. Claiming responsibility for the attack, TTP 'spokesman'
Ehsanullah Ehsan said it was carried out to avenge the killing
of two Taliban commanders - Toofani and Faisal - in a US drone
attack in January. "We had sent only four fighters on the mission,"
he told journalists by phone from an unknown location, intending
to contradict the Government's claim that 12 militants lost
their lives during the gunfight.
Seven persons lost their lives
in different incidents of targeted killing in different areas
of across Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A Shia man, identified as Sarwar
Hussain (38), was killed by unidentified assailats on Shah Abdul
Latif Bhittai road in Agra Taj within the limits of Kalri Police
Station.
A man, Asgar Ali, (29), was
killed by suspected members of Lyari gang near Dadex factory,
Manghopir within the limits of Manghopir Police Station.
A bullet ridden body of a man,
Shaikh Iftikhar (42), was found from Rexer Line within the jurisdiction
of Solider Bazaar Police Station.
A tortured body of a person
identified as 32-year-old Shahid stuffed in gunny bag was found
from Mewa Shah Graveyard within the remit of Pak Colony Police
Station.
Unidentified persons opened
fire and killed a man, identified as Malik Saeed (26), and injured
another person, identified as Rabnawaz, (29), in Shahnawaz Bhutto
Colony within the jurisdiction of Khuwaja Ajmair Nagri Police
Station.
Unidentified persons opened
fire and killed two men, identified as Abdul Aleem, (28) and
Waheed Shahani, (30), in Faqeera Goth, Sohrab Goth within the
limits of Sohrab Goth Police Station.
February 3
A person, identified as Manzoor,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Essa Nagri on Brewery
Road of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of
Balochistan.
A person, identified as Haji
Allah Bakhsh, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Turbat
town (Turbat District).
The FC recovered explosive materials
rigged to a bicycle on the main Sariab Road in Quetta.
Two low-intensity explosions
took place, causing partial damage to a house and damage to
a shop in Hangu town of same District. But no loss of life was
reported. According to Police sources, one explosion took place
near a house on Warasta Road, partially damaging a house. The
second explosion took place in a vegetable market where an explosive
device was planted near a shop, which was damaged. According
to the Bomb Disposal Squad, half a kilogramme explosive material
was used in each of the blast.
Police arrested 10 suspects
from different areas of Mauripur in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. DIG West Javed Odho informed
the media that five of the suspects were taken into custody
from the Raees Goth area and five from Hub River Road.
The TTP expressed its willingness
to hold talks with the Government, but on two conditions - release
of its seven leaders and guarantees by leaders of PML-N, JUI-F
and JI to make the exercise fruitful. "The release of Muslim
Khan, Maulvi Omar and five other TTP leaders is a prerequisite
for talks, while former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Maulana
Fazlur Rehman and Syed Munawar Hasan should be the guarantors,"
TTP 'spokesman' Ehsanullah Ehsan said in a video message released
in Peshawar. He said the release of Muslim Khan and Maulvi Omar
was essential because they would be TTP's main negotiators.
He did not disclose the names of five other leaders the TTP
wanted to be released. Ehsanullah Ehsan said the TTP responded
positively to an offer for talks, but the Government was not
serious. The TTP, he added, was serious but wanted its two demands
met before any talks.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister
for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain welcomed the TTP's offer
and said the Government was ready to discuss all issues if peace
talks began. "We have offered talks. Let us initiate dialogue
and then all conditions can be discussed, including release
of the Taliban prisoners," he said, adding that the TTP should
not rely only on Muslim Khan and Maulvi Omar because they had
other people who could represent them in dialogue with the Government.
February 4
At least three persons, including
an ASWJ cadre, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. A cadre
of the ASWJ, identified as Umair Yasir (25), was shot dead by
unidentified assailants in Sector 5 C-4 of North Karachi.
Armed assailants shot dead a
private university student, identified as, Malik Zaman (25)
near the KMC Ground in Eidgah area.
A shopkeeper, identified as
Yasir Ahmed (35), was shot dead in Bara Market within the jurisdiction
of the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Police Station. The victim belonged
to the Deoband school of thought.
An office of the ANP was attacked
with a hand grenade by unidentified assailants at PS-128 in
Future Colony of Landhi town. However, no causality was reported
in the incident.
2.5 kilogram's IED blast hit
Hawkes Bay road near Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) petrol
pump within the precincts of Maripur Police Station. No causality
was reported.
A person was shot dead by unidentified
assailants in Pasni town of Gwadar District.
Assailants opened fire at the
Jail Road of Sibi District, killing one person, who was identified
as Ali Jan.
A Police constable, Sajjad,
was killed when two motorcycle bourne unidentified assailants
opened fire on him on the Kohat Road near Ring Road Chowk in
Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The BDU defused an IED, weighing
10 kilogram, planted on the rooftop of a filling station on
the Frontier road.
Security officials arrested
a terrorism suspect and recovered a cache amount of arms and
ammunition during a raid in Shani Khel area under Halemzai tehsil
in Mohmand Agency of FATA. During a press conference, Commandant
Mohmand Rifles, Colonel Mushtaq Ahmad said a joint operation
was conducted by Levies, Khasadars and Mohmand Rifles in Shani
Khel. The raid was conducted at the house of Ijaz the alleged
mastermind of suicide attack in Yakaghund on January 31.
Underlining that Pakistan and
India are standing at the 'crossroads of history', Prime Minister
Raja Pervez Ashraf said the bilateral peace process should be
'uninterrupted' so that it can produce results. Ashraf made
the remarks while chairing a session of the Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir's Council that was held at the Prime Minister's Secretariat
in Islamabad.
The leaders of Afghanistan and
Pakistan said that they would work to reach a peace deal within
six months, while throwing their weight behind moves for the
Afghan Taliban to open an office in Doha (Qatar). Following
talks hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Afghan
President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali
Zardari urged the Islamists to join the reconciliation process
in Afghanistan.
The JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur
Rehman, welcoming the peace-talks offer by TTP, said that the
Government and Army leadership should authorise tribal jirgas
to negotiate. The TTP signalled its willingness to enter peace
negotiations with the Government if three senior politicians
- PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif, the JUI-F chief and Jamaat-e-Islami
Amir Syed Munawar Hasan - would act as guarantors.
February 5
A person, identified as Imam
Baksh, was killed and another, identified as Abdul Waheed, was
injured by unidentified assailants in Turbat town (Turbat District).
Unidentified assailants abducted
three school teachers of the Government Workers' Welfare School
in Khuzdar town (Khuzdar District). The victims were identified
as, Jameel Ahmed, Liaquat Ali and Syed Shahmir Shah.
Unidentified assailants hurled
two hand grenades at PAF Base Faisal situated along main Shahra-e-Faisal
area within the precincts of Shahra-e-Faisal Police Station
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
A passer-by was injured in the attack.
Police and Rangers arrested
16 people in separate operations in different parts of Karachi.
Rangers raided drug dens in Moach Goth and arrested three suspects
for alleged extortion and running the dens. Rangers recovered
an undisclosed number of weapons. Police in an operation in
Clifton arrested 13 suspects.
Sindh Government created a list
of more than 100 most-wanted militants accused of terrorising
the city, and ordered their arrest. The list identifies TTP
militants and members of ethnic groups and political parties
involved in the on-going killings, extortions and abducting
for ransom in Karachi, says Waqar Mehdi, spokesman for Sindh
Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah.
many as 73 persons were killed
across the country in 43 incidents of violence during the last
week while another 20 were injured and one was kidnapped, the
Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) report said. The
statistics were released in a weekly monitoring report prepared
by the FAFEN that collected data from January 26 to February
1, 2013. This week, target killings claimed the most lives,
with 25 persons being gunned down in Karachi alone.
As the authorities contemplate
officially declaring the troubled Tirah Valley area of Khyber
Agency "war-hit zone", more than 2,500 families have been forced
to evacuate amid deadly clashes between militant outfits. Outfits
including the TTP, AI, LI and the pro-Government peace militia
of Qambarkhel have been fighting a bloody turf war in Khyber
Agency for 12 days.
Despite repeated attempts, no
official of the FATA Disaster Management Authority responded
to calls for their comments on the crisis. An official of the
PDMA said, however, that after the political agent declares
an area war-affected, the Fata authority will send the provincial
authority a letter to distribute food and provide other facilities.
The Federal Minister of Railways
Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that they fear militants would increase
their activities during elections. Bilour, who lost his younger
brother, Bashir Bilour, to a suicide bombing attack in Peshawar
(Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) on December 22, 2012, urged all political
parties to join hands to cope with the terror threats.
The PM Raja Pervez Ashraf, while
terming the Kashmir dispute a human rights issue, reiterated
Pakistan's stance that it should be resolved in accordance with
the UN resolutions. Addressing a function in connection with
the Kashmir Solidarity Day, he said that plebiscite is the right
way to give the Kashmiris their right to self-determination.
Pakistan's ambassador to the
United States Sherry Rehman, referring to continued drone strikes
in FATA, urged the Barrack Obama administration not to cross
"red line". Rehman said that drones strikes were "a clear violation
of our sovereignty and a violation of international law" that
threatened stable relations between the two Governments.
Febraury 6
At least 10 militants were killed
and several others were injured when jet fighters pounded their
hideouts in the TTP stronghold of Mamozai town in Orakzai Agency
of FATA. Sources said that the jets targeted militant positions
in Arghanjo and Lando Qamar areas and destroyed four hideouts.
Five persons were killed after
six missiles hit a house in Tehsil Spain Wam of North Waziristan
Agency.
At least four persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. A cadre of ASWJ, identified as Ayaz, was killed on Khalid
Bin Waled Road within the precincts of Ferozabad Police Station.
A person, identified as Aleem
Pervez (40), was shot dead and two brothers, Aun Raza and Ali
Raza, were injured by unidentified assailants in Bohrapir area
within the precincts of Risala Police Station.
A dead body packed in a gunny
bag was found from Banaras Flyover within limits of Pirabad
Police Station.
An alleged member of PAC, identified
as Afzal (25), was shot dead in Gulshan-e-Iqbal within the limits
of Sachal Police Station.
Police arrested 177 accused
from different part of Karachi on February 5 and 6. Police said
that those arrested included 109 absconders and proclaimed offenders.
As many as 57 pistols, two SMGs, one rifle, two hand grenades,
nine mobile phones and cash were recovered from the accused.
Unidentified militants attacked
the Malangi Police check-post in Nowshera town of same District
in KP, prompting an exchange of fire between them and security
personnel, District Police Officer Muhammad Hussain said. No
casualties were reported, and the militants managed to escape.
The TTP and the IMU joined hands
to form a special unit of deadly fidayeen attackers called "Ansar-
Al- Aseer" (supporters of prisoners) whose prime mission would
be to secure freedom for the imprisoned militants by carrying
out jail break fidayeen operations all over Pakistan.
Adnan Rasheed, a dangerous militant
and the mastermind of an assassination attempt on Pervez Musharraf,
appointed the chief operational commander of the lethal fidayeen
unit. Adnan himself was freed in an unprecedented jailbreak
operation which was conducted on April 15, 2012 when around
200 TTP militants armed with guns, grenades and rockets attacked
the high-security Central Jail in Bannu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and released 384 prisoners.
The White House said that US
drone strikes on potential terrorist targets were 'legal,' 'ethical'
and 'wise' and would continue. "These strikes are legal, they
are ethical and they are wise," White House Press Secretary
Jay Carney told a briefing in Washington.
The Pakistani Defence Ministry,
told the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defence that
militants have attacked 16 defence installations since 2009.
A quick response force has been deployed on all four sides of
sensitive installations across the country to avert additional
assaults, Asif Yaseen Malik, Defence Secretary, told the committee.
February 7
At least 14 persons, including
two Policemen, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. Two brothers,
identified as Rashid and his younger brother Kashif were killed
inside their shop in Madni Colony of Maripur. The victims belonged
to Punjab and had received extortion slips.
A cadre of the ASWJ, Dr Abid
Baig (56), was killed inside his clinic in North Nazimabad.
A Policeman was killed by unidentified
assailants near Khyber Chowk of Ittehad town.
A man was shot dead outside
his house in Golimar. In another incident, a paan shop owner
was killed inside his shop in the same area.
An employee of a shipping company
was killed at Albela Chowk in Soldier Bazaar. Also, a man was
shot dead by the unidentified assailants in North Karachi.
A month-old beheaded body of
a man was found from bushes near Port Qasim area.
The dead body of a man was found
near dairy farm in Malir. Also, two dead bodies, stuffed in
gunny bags were found near Zoological Garden.
A Policeman was killed and five
other persons, including two Police, were injured in a bomb
attack targeting a Police van in Orangi town.
A man identified as Syed Zahid
Ali Jafri (35), who was injured on February 5, 2013 in a sectarian
attack in Lines Area died during treatment.
SFs killed 12 militants in an
air raid on militant hideouts in the Mamozai are of Orakzai
Agency in FATA. According to sources, five hideouts were destroyed
in the attack.
Police killed three suspected
militants who attacked a Police van near Yar Hussain village
in Swabi District of KP.
Nearly 24 LI militants invaded
a house in Mera Balarzai, near Badhaber Police Station, in the
provincial capital of KP, Peshawar, and abducted five men in
the night. The LI militants fled after taking Lobia Gul, his
sons Irfan and Hazrat Hussain, and their guests Ibad Khan and
Noor Hussain, residents said. The abducted men belong to Zaka
Khel Afridi tribe from Bara of Khyber Agency (FATA), but were
living in Mera Balarzai since the past few years.
A person was injured in an IED
blast on Archar Road in Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial
capital of Balochistan.
Advising the Government to take
the TTP peace-talks offer seriously, PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif
said that they should immediately start the process. The TTP
expressed its willingness to enter peace negotiations on February
4 with the Government if three senior politicians - Nawaz, the
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Jamaat-e-Islami amir Syed
Munawar Hasan - would act as guarantors.
Federal Minister of Interior
Rehman Malik claimed Nawaz had refused to be an insurer. Criticising
the Government for being unreliable, Nawaz said hardly anyone
would agree to act as a guarantor for the process. Calling for
result-oriented negotiations, the PML-N chief said the country
is in need of peace.
Adviser to the Prime Minister
on Human Rights Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, raised concerns on the
US policy of drone attacks in the tribal area of Pakistan in
a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy,
Human Rights and Labour, Micheal Posner.
February 8
A bomb blast killed 16 persons
and injured 27 others in Kalaya, the capital of the Orakzai
Agency in FATA. A journalist and one paramilitary personnel
were among the dead, said Assistant Political Agent Fazal-i-Qadir.
The bomb targeted people from the pro-government Feroz Khel
tribe, who have shops in the market, he said. The bomb was planted
near the DVD and mobile shop surrounded by small kiosks selling
tea and other edibles, he added further.
Following the attack, nine militants
were killed after jets bombed militants' hideout in Upper tehsil.
Seven militants were killed
and six others injured when the US drones fired six missiles
and pounded two separate mud-built houses in Babar area of Ladha
subdivision in South Waziristan Agency.
At least two FC personnel, identified
as Mohammad Ishaq and Azad Khan, were killed and four were injured
in a rocket attack in Shand area of Mand in Turbat District.
A dead body was found in Loop
Sherani area of Dera Bugti District.
At least three persons, including
a cadre of ASWJ, killed in separate incidents in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. A cadre of ASWJ, identified as
Imran Ahmed (37), was killed near Nagan Chowrangi area within
the jurisdiction of New Karachi Police Station.
A pushcart vendor, identified
as Raheel Shehzad (32), was killed by unidentified assailants
near Taj Complex on MA Jinnah Road within the precincts of Brigade
Police Station.
Mian Mohammad Tariq (55), the
senior advocate of the Sindh High Court, was shot dead in Gulistan-e-Jauhar
town.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a senior Shia lawyer, Malik Jarrar Hussain, in the Gulbahar
area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Unidentified motorcyclists intercepted Malik's car and shot
him after he dropped off his children at school. Malik died
en route to the hospital.
The LEA arrested four suspected
militants from Saggian Bridge of Lahore, the provincial capital
of Punjab.
February 9
Four persons including a Shia
man were killed in separate acts of violence in Karachi. Unidentified
armed pillion riders killed Syed Qamar Raza Naqvi (32) belonging
to Shia sect near his house in Golimar area within the precincts
of Rizvia Police Station.
One Syed Abid Hussain (37) was
killed by armed riders in Ramswami area within the limits of
Nabi Bux Police Station. The motive behind the killing was yet
to be ascertained.
A strangulated body of Ghausia
seminary student was found from T ground in FB area within the
limits of Jauharabad Police Station. The victim was identified
as Ahmed Raza Qadri (21). Police said that unidentified culprits
first kidnapped Raza and strangled to death and later they threw
the body in the ground.
A stray bullet killed a girl
inside her house in Islamia Colony, Orangi Town within the limits
of Pirabad Police Station. Zahida Khatoon (14), daughter of
Syed Nazir, was sitting inside her house with other family members
when suddenly a stray bullet hit in her forehead, resultantly,
she died on the spot.
A tractor driver named Naeem
Baraich, was killed in an IED explosion that took place near
a Police Station in Kuchlak Town near Quetta (Quetta District),
the province of Balochistan. Police said that unidentified persons
had planted the IED weighing five to six kilogrammes in a car
parked outside the Kuchlak Police Station.
During a raid on two LeT training
camps in Sindh, "huge quantity" of incriminating items including
details about the distribution of weapons to the Mumbai attacks''
terrorists were found, a court conducting the trial of seven
men charged with involvement in 2008 attacks was told on February
9. Deputy Director Faqir Muhammad and Inspector Khalid Awan
of the FIA provided details of items found in the LeT camps
when they were cross-examined by defence lawyers during proceedings
conducted by anti-terrorism court Judge Chaudhary Habib-ur-Rehman
at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
After the in-camera hearing,
FIA Special Prosecutor Chaudhary Zulfiqar Ali told PTI that
Muhammad and Awan were "very important witnesses". During the
cross-examination, the witnesses said they raided two LeT training
camps at Yousaf Goth in Landhi area of Karachi and Mirpur Sakro
area in Thatta District.
February 10
At least five persons were killed
and six persons injured in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh. A father and his
son belonging to Shia community, identified as Syed Anjum Abbas
(51) and Syed Asif Abbas (27), were killed near Mehtab Chowk
in Rais Amrohi Colony within the precincts of Iqbal Market Police
Station.
One Nasir (25) was killed near
his house in Khokhrapar within the jurisdiction of Khokhrapar
Police Station.
An unidentified person was shot
dead in the Manghopir area.
The dead body of an unidentified
young man, stuffed in a gunny bag was found in the Hussainabad
area within the remit of the Azizabad Police Station.
A man and his son were injured
by unidentified assailants in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area. The victim
son was identified as Ahsan Zaidi, said to be the chairman of
a labour body affiliated with the PPP.
A person, identified as Kanam,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Tump, a town close
to Pak-Iran border in Kech District.
Noor Muhammad was going to a
bus stop in Kalat of Bolan District when some assailants riding
a motorcycle opened fire, killing him on the spot.
One Mumtaz Ali was killed in
Sunni Shoran area of Bolan District.
Two traders, identified as Sardar
Muhammad and Nazar Mohammad, were abducted from the eastern
bypass area of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital
of Balochistan.
Zakria Kurd was abducted from
Khuzdar-Karachi road area of Khuzdar District.
At least seven persons, including
a woman and a child, were injured in rocket attacks in Khudadad
road, Pir Abul Khair road and Quaidabad areas of Quetta with
brief intervals. United Baloch Army's 'spokesman' Murid Baloch
claimed the responsibility for the attacks.
Four persons were injured in
a blast in the Kuchlak area. Police officials claimed that the
blast was a suicide attack.
A grenade attack on Police in
evening left four officers injured on GT Road in the Nishterabad
area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. A police mobile
vehicle was also reported to have caught fire after the grenades
were launched, according to eyewitness reports.
An explosion in Badaber at the
outskirts of Peshawar damaged the shrine of Akhwan Salaq Baba.
The explosives were planted beside the shrine's wall, and it
was damaged in the blast.
The Police averted a terrorism
attempt by defusing two powerful bombs near Pando Chowk in the
limits of Chamkani Police Station. According to the Police,
the hand grenade bombs were concealed in shopping bags and placed
near Pando Chowk on the Ring Road.
The law enforcement personnel
recovered uniforms of the national armies of Pakistan and Afghanistan
in Lower Dir, and arrested four suspects. The raid and arrests
were made in Samar Bagh area of Lower Dir district, a stronghold
of pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the official sources
said while speaking on condition of anonymity.
KP's new Governor, Engineer
Shaukatullah, said that talks with TTP would start in coming
months and days and he would make them a success. These assuring
words followed the oath-taking ceremony to install the new Governor
from Bajaur Agency, replacing Barrister Masood Kausar.
The TTP is neither serious nor
sincere about peace talks with the Government, Federal Minister
of Interior Rehman Malik said. The Minister''s remarks came
after TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan offered "conditional" talks
and called for the release of two former spokesmen' Maulvi Said
Umer and Muslim Khan. The Ehsanullah Ehsan said the two will
lead the TTP negotiation team. Malik said the TTP''s offer for
dialogue was "suspicious" and that Ehsan has no credibility.
Some of the Afghan Taliban officials
and militants freed by Pakistan to help bring peace in Afghanistan
have rejoined their colleagues in waging war against Western
troops and the Afghan Government, according to Washington
Post report.
February 11
At least 12 persons, including
two Policemen, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. Three persons
were killed and three others were injured in an armed attack
at Haji Allah Buksh Welfare office within the limits of Ahsanabad
Police Station.
An ASI of Police, identified
as ASI Zulfiqar Ali (39), was killed during patrolling in Sherpao
Colony within the jurisdiction of Quaidabad Police Station.
A Policeman, identified as Syed
Mukhtar (33), was killed near his house in Gulbahar area within
the precincts of Gulbahar Police Station.
A cleric of Deoband school of
thought, identified as Qari Muhammad Asim (40), was killed near
University of Karachi within the precincts of Sachal Police
Station. ASWJ spokesman Maulana Saeed Akbar Farooqi said that
the deceased was a sympathiser of his organisation.
A man, identified as Abdul Qadeer,
was killed and another was injured in Garden area within the
limits of Garden Police Station.
A man, identified as Ali Hassan
(33), was shot dead in Lee Market area within the limits of
Bhagdadi Police Station.
Two dead bodies were found from
a garbage dumping point in Abbas town of Abul Hasan Isphani
Road.
A dead body, identified as Hazrat
Umer (30), was found from Eidgah Ground in Bin Qasim area.
Another dead body of a man was
found from Lyari River within the vicinity of Sher Shah Police
Station.
Two cadre of the banned TTP,
identified as Khalid Mehsud and Abdul Rehman Meshud, were arrested
near Javedan Cement Factory in Manghopir area. The Police seized
10 kilograms of explosives, four grenades, two pistols, five
feet of detonating wire and hundreds of bullets.
At least five AI militants were
killed and four others were injured in clashes with TTP in Tirah
valley of Khyber Agency in FATA.
Four persons were killed and
another was injured when unidentified persons opened fire on
them in Palai area in Malakand Agency. The sources said that
Jehanzeb, Amir Bahadur, Sardar Hussain, Hukamdad and Bahadur
Said were returning from mountains after collecting fuel wood
when unidentified persons opened fire on them.
Suspected militants shot dead
a doctor, identified as Dr Tehseenullah, inside his clinic in
Sardar Ahmed Jan Colony on Charsadda Road of Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of KP. Two medical practitioners
killed in the city over the last few weeks.
A heavy amount of explosive
material and illegal weapons recovered from the house of a banned
outfit's member in Madina Colony of Dera Ismail Khan District.
According to details, acting on a tip-off Cantt Police raided
the house of Ahsan alias Sana Baloch and recovered two magnet
bombs with remotes, two electric detonators with batteries,
65 shrapnels, ball bearings, two Kalashnikovs, one 30-bore pistol
and 50 cartridges.
At least 18 senior members of
two religious-political groups were arrested up as the Police
launched a crackdown to arrest suspects involved in targeted
killing incidents. SSP Operations Imran Shahid confirmed the
raids but said eight persons were arrested. "Raids have been
conducted to arrest suspects behind the targeted killings,"
the SSP told.
A source said that those arrested
included leaders of the ASWJ as well as elders of the Shia community.
Some of those arrested during the raids were identified as Usman
Farooqi, Irshad Haideri, Siddiqullah, Shah Faisal, Jan Farooqi,
Aurangzeb Farooqi, Mohammad Gul, Nasrullah, Sajid, Sajjad and
Jamal who were held during raids in different parts of the city.
The raids started in the morning. Heavy contingents of Peshawar
Police as well as commandoes of the Elite Police Force participated
in the raids.
The FC seized 30 rocket launchers,
12 hand grenades and 2,000 SMG rounds from a vehicle coming
from Afghanistan in Gulistan area of Qilla Abdullah District.
50 Afghan nationals were arrested
in Quetta and Nushki during a crackdown launched by Police and
other LEA against unregistered refugees. "We have arrested 28
refugees living in the suburbs of Quetta," a senior administration
official told, adding that 22 refugees were taken into custody
in Nushki district. They have been booked under relevant sections
of the Foreigners ACT.
February 12
Eight militants were killed
and 15 others received injuries as the militants of TTP and
AI clashed in Bhuttan area of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency
of FATA. The renewed clashes, which started on February 11,
continued on February 12 without any letup. Sources said that
TTP launched a fresh offensive against AI in Bhuttan area and
inflicted losses on it. AI claimed that it had strengthened
its hold over two important bunkers in Dwa Stanai area and recaptured
Rocket Sangar. Both sides used heavy weapons against each other.
At least two laboures, identified
as Ghulam Nabi Magsi and Ahmed Ali Sheikh, were killed and other,
identified as Mohammad Hussain, was injured by unidentified
assailants in Nal area of Khuzdar District.
A couple, identified as Allah
Bakhsh and his wife Nasima were shot dead in their house in
Akram Colony of Hub area in Lasbela District.
Two persons were killed when
unidentified assailants ambushed their jeep in Washuk area of
Washuk District. The names of the deceased could not be ascertained.
At least five suspects, including
a foreigner, were arrested by a LEA and weapons were recovered
from them during a search operation on Smuggli Road of Quetta
(Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan. The
recovered weapons and ammunition include a 9mm pistol, 20 magazines,
21 pistol rounds, a 12-bore repeater, three Kalashnikovs, 260
Kalashnikov rounds, 8 bandoliers, one digger, an SMG butt, and
a satellite phone SIM.
At least five persons, including
an activist of MQM, were killed in separate acts of violence
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An MQM activist affiliated with KMOC, identified as Azmatullah
Bengali (34), was killed near his house in Nasir Jump of Korangi
within the precincts of Zaman Town Police Station.
A commuter Essa Khan (37) was
killed near Russian Embassy located in Block 4, Clifton within
the limits of Boat Basin Police Station.
Two men, identified as Idress
Ali and Haji NizamUddin, were shot dead in Golimar area within
the limits of Rizvia Police Station.
A man, identified as Juma Din
(32), was killed in Mujahid Colony ground within the limits
of Mominabad Police Station.
The dead body was found from
Sect L-1 of Surjani town within the vicinity of Surjani Town
Police Station.
Police said that they suspected
involvement of the TTP in February 11-night's blast in an area
of the Defence Housing Authority. The explosion along Korangi
Road, near the KPT flyover, that left a Policeman injured.
The Government Postgraduate
Degree College in Mardan town of same District of KP was rocked
by a mild intensity bomb in afternoon. However, no casualty
was reported. According to Police, the bomb which weighed five
kilogrammes was placed in the veranda of the Physics Department
on the second storey of the college building and exploded with
a big bang, damaging the windowpanes of two classrooms.
The BDU official neutralised
an explosive device in Sangarh locality of Hangu town of same
District. The sources said that unidentified persons had planted
explosives to the house of a trader Nadim in Sangarh area, which
was spotted by locals. Two kilograms of explosives were fitted
to a remote-control device.
A man was killed when an improvised
explosive device went off in a house in Behzadi Chakarkot area
of Kohat.
The Army is considering creation
of a Counter-IEDs force within its ranks to deal with what it
called the "cheapest assassins," an ISPR statement said. Chief
of General Staff Lieutenant General Rashad Mahmood chaired an
inter-agency meeting in Rawalpindi where conferees discussed
ways to control the movement of explosives and calcium ammonium
nitrate fertiliser from regional and extra-regional countries,
the statement added. Pakistan has been the top victim of IEDs
with 33,150 explosions during the past 10 years killing at least
11,250 people, according to the ISPR.
February 13
The on-going infighting between
the TTP and AI killed 19 more militants from both sides in Drey
Stani area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA. Of those
19, 13 were TTP militants and six were affiliated with AI.
A volunteer of a peace committee
was killed and more than a dozen houses were set ablaze by militants
in Sheen Qamar area of Bara tehsil.
In Barkai area of Storikhel,
militants torched the residential compound of a local elder,
Malik Almas Khan Storikhel.
Two migrant workers, from Hyderabad
(Sindh), identified as Ahmed and Babul, were killed and another
was injured by unidentified assailants while they were busy
with construction work on a private bank in Naal area of Khuzdar
District.
Two brothers, identified as
Allah Bakhsh and Khuda Bakhsh were abducted and killed in Pasni
town of Gwadar District.
A person, identified as Ghulam
Sarwar, was shot dead in Gul Abad area of Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Unidentified militants blew
up a primary school for girls in Taja Koroona Shero village
under Katlang Police Station in Mardan District.
Unidentified assailants hurled
a tennis ball filled with explosives at the shop in Landhi town
of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An ATC indicted eight terrorists
in the abducting and murder case of neurosurgeon Dr Aftab Qureshi.
Pakistani Court Orders ATC to
conduct daily hearings in the 2007 Benazir Bhutto assassination
case and to conclude the trial within three months.
The political agent of North
Waziristan Agency of FATA submitted complete report of casualties
caused by the drone attacks from 2008 to 2012 to the PHC through
Deputy Attorney General M Iqbal Mohmand that claimed that around
894 persons, including 48 foreigners, 35 women and 24 children,
were killed in the US drone attacks in during the last five
years. According to the report, the US drones conducted 147
attacks on various locations in North Waziristan from 2008 to
2012.
February 14
At least 11 persons, including
three FC personnel, two Policemen and one Levies man, were killed
and over 23 persons were injured as a suicide bomber rammed
his explosive-laden vehicle into a security post in Spin Thall
area of Hangu District.
Police and LEA repulsed a terrorist
attack on Miryan Police Station of Bannu District, killing five
suicide bombers while another blew himself up. TTP claimed responsibility
for the attack on Miryan police station.
An explosion in the village
of Hassanzo in Orakzai Agency of FATA killed seven people and
wounded 13. In a second attack in the same place, a van carrying
civilians was hit by a blast which killed two people and wounded
10.
Three persons were killed in
separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. Vice President and Joint Sectary of Shershah
Scrap Market, identified as Shakeel (71) and Iftikhar (74),
were killed over extortion issue near Pankha Hotel of Shershah
area within the precincts of SITE-B Police Station.
The dead body was found from
Kalri ground within the limits of Kalri Police Station.
Police found two dead bodies,
identified as Anis Gichki and Amanullah in the industrial town
of Hub in Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of
Balochistan.
Three persons, including two
brothers, Jamshed and Sajjad and an Elite Force official Hassan
Naeem, were killed while a Policeman was injured during a raid
in Katarian area of Rawalpindi (Rawalpindi District).
British High Commissioner to
Pakistan Adam Thomson said that Pakistan army is "already making
a contribution to Pakistan's democratic transition" and has
worked "quite very hard over the last five years to ensure that
Pakistan's political institutions are the decision-makers".
February 15
At least 10 persons killed in
separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A dead body, identified as Muhammad
Asghar (33) and an injured person, identified as Nadeem (30)
were found from near Darul Uloom of Korangi within the precincts
of Awami Colony Police Station.
A dead body of MQM-H worker,
identified as Junaid Khan (28) was found from Ismail Goth Graveyard
Road within the vicinity of Sharafi Goth Police Station.
An industrialist narrowly escaped
while his security guard was killed in an armed attack in Korangi
area within the limits of Awami Colony Police Station.
A Policeman, identified as Basheer
Ahmed (49), was shot dead at Singar Chowrangi within the jurisdiction
of Awami Colony Police Station.
A Shia man was killed on sectarian
attack at Baloch Goth of Orangi Town within the precincts of
Orangi Town Police Station.
A labourer, identified as Samiullah
Khan (25) was killed near Valika Chowrangi within the limits
of SITE Police Station.
Two brothers, identified as
Bakhtzada (30) and Sahibzada (28), were shot dead inside their
slippers shop situated at Mehran Town of Korangi area within
limits of Korangi Industrial Area Police Station.
Chicken shop owner Rashid (37)
was killed while another was injured in an armed attack in Korangi
area within the jurisdiction of Awami Colony Police Station.
A dead was found form a nullah
within the jurisdiction of Sarjani Town Police Station.
February 16
A remote-controlled bomb targeting
Shias killed 84 people including women and children and wounded
more than 200 in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Wazir Khan Nasir, senior Police officer in Quetta said. "It
was a sectarian attack; the Shia community was the target.
Provincial home secretary Akbar
Hussain Durrani said, "We fear more casualties. We have announced
an emergency in hospitals." Durrani said the bomb was planted
near the pillar of a building in a bazaar. "The building collapsed
due to the intensity of the bomb, some people have been trapped
inside," he said.
A spokesman for the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
(LeJ), Abubakar Siddique, told reporters by phone that "Our
suicide bomber carried out the blast and the Shia community
in Hazara Town was the target."
A terrorist was killed and six
others were arrested following a clash with SFs in Bannu District
in Khyber Paktunkhwa.
February 17
As many as 11 persons were killed
in separate incidents of violence and target killing in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Four persons were killed near
their houses in Kharadar area within the precincts of Kharadar
Police Station.
A man was killed in Sarjani
Town within the limits of Sarjani Police Station.
Two shot dead bodies of Katchi
men were found from Shah Latif Raod within the precincts of
Bhagdadi Police Station in Lyari.
A body packed in a gunny bag
was found near Maripur Road within the vicinity of Shershah
Police Station.
The bullet riddle dead body
of a person was found from Malir within the jurisdiction of
Saudabad Police Station.
The bullet-riddled body of a
man was recovered from Landhi area within the limits of Landhi
Police Station.
A bullet-riddled body of a young
man was found near Malir River within the limits of Shah Latif
Police Station.
10 militants were killed when
the jetfighters pounded their hideouts in Jandary Killay, Mir
Qalamkhel and others adjoining localities in the TTP-controlled
Mamozai tehsil (revenue unit) area in Orakzai Agency of FATA.
"Ten militants were killed and four of their hideouts were destroyed
in the shelling," an official claimed.
Four soldiers were injured in
a bomb explosion in Razmak Town of North Waziristan Agency.
Faiz Muhammad Khan, a community
Police constable and brother of Adezai Aman Lashkar's leader
Waqif Khan, was shot dead in the crowded Matani market of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of KP.
A Government high school for
boys was destroyed in an explosion which also partially damaged
an adjacent house in Masho Khel area in the night.
The KP Government informed the
Peshawar High Court that provincial authorities recently moved
about 100 detainees to internment centres. The suspects had
been in army custody since it arrested them in the Swat and
Malakand Districts during the 2009 counter-insurgency offensive.
A joint team of Police and intelligence
agencies arrested five cadres of Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) including
Saad Jagrani, Head of HuT's Central Contact Committee during
the raid on a banquet hall at Kurri Road near Shakrial in Rawalpindi
town (Rawalpindi District) of Punjab.
A recent video released by the
TTP, eulogizing two 'martyred' white Jihadis (holy warriors)
from the US and UK, confirms that despite the ruthless US drone
campaign, Waziristan areas continues to be a major destination
for the white Jihadis from western nations who are being recruited
and trained in terrorism by al Qaeda-linked TTP who want to
effectively strike in the heart of the west.
February 18
At least eight persons, including
four ASWJ cadres, were killed and three persons injured in separate
incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh. An ASWJ cadre, identified as Haji Fayyaz (42), was
shot dead by unidentified assailants near Farooq-e-Azam Chowk
in Surjani town within the precincts of Sarjani Police Station.
During the protests that followed, unidentified assailants attacked
and injured five men, including three ASWJ cadres, outside Jamia
Masjid Subhani in Burhan Bazaar of Patel Para. The three ASWJ
activists, identified as Abdul Raheem (35), Shahrum (28) and
Raju (25), died of injuries later.
A man, Muhammad Rafiq (35),
was killed in Naval Colony of Saeedabad within the limits of
Saeedabad Police Station.
Two dead bodies, identified
as Maqbool Baloch and Akhter Rind, were found from the bushes
near Northern Bypass within the limits of Sarjani Police Station.
Aman was killed and three others
were injured in an armed attack in Gulzar Colony within the
limits of Korangi industrial area Police Station.
A homemade bomb went off near
the FTC flyover, where a number of Shia community members had
been protesting against the Quetta carnage (February 16, 2013).
No casualties were reported.
A handmade bomb was lobbed at
the house of ANP’s ward president Mohammed Hussain in Banaras
Colony of Peerabad Police Station.
Four Security Force personnel
and one civilian were killed while eight persons, including
a senior government official, were injured when two suicide
bombers attacked the Khyber House, office-cum-residence of Khyber
Agency’s political agent in the Cantonment area of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a head constable of the Special Brach at Akakhel area of
Gar village in the limits of Zaida Police Station in Swabi District.
The sources said that Arshad Iqbal was heading to office on
his motorbike when the attackers sprayed him with bullets at
Akakhel, killing him on the spot.
In a sectarian attack, the Lahore
General Hospital Ophthalmology Department head Professor Dr
Ali Haider and his son were shot dead by two unidentified assailants
in the Gulberg area of Lahore city (Lahore District), the provincial
capital of Punjab.
At least two target killers
were shot dead in a shootout that reportedly took place between
them and Police in Hub area of Lasbela District. The Police
team signaled three suspected persons to stop near Lasbela Rest
House and they opened fire at the Police.
Unidentified militants blew
up three electricity towers in Kohlu town (Kohlu District).
Unidentified militants attacked
a convoy of vehicles carrying military equipment bound for NATO
operations in Afghanistan, killing two persons, in Landi Kotal
town in the Khyber Agency of FATA.
February 19
SFs killed four suspected militants
and arrested seven others accused of killing Shias, including
an alleged mastermind of a bomb attack that killed 89 persons
in Hazara town of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital
of Balochistan.
Levies personnel foiled an abducting
bid and during exchange of firing one abductor were killed while
three others were arrested in Khuzdar town (Khuzdar District).
FC recovered two dead bodies
from the outskirts of Khuzdar town.
Levies personnel found two dead
bodies in Ferozabad area of Khuzdar.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a man, identified as Muhammad Naseem in Guldar Baghicha
area of Chaman.
The Pakistan Railways Police
arrested three Afghan nationals, including Abdul Rehman, Abdul
Samad and Abdul Jameel and recovered explosive devices from
their possession after checking in Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah
District.
At least 10 persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. Ashad Pervez (50) was shot dead while Kashif
was injured near the Bhains Colony in the Shah Latif Police
Limits.
Aijaz Sidduiqi (60), a MQM supporter,
was shot dead in the K-Area of Landhi 36-B.
Tauqeer Ashrafi was shot dead
while Tariq was injured as both men were sitting on the streets
of their own neighbourhood of Al-Khizra Society of Gulshan-e-Bihar.
Investigators termed the murder of Tauqeer Ashrafi as a target
killing and confirmed that the victim was a member of the MQM’s
Markazi Ulema Committee from Pakistan Bazaar.
In the Nazimabad area, Asim
Jaffrey, an MQM activist, was shot dead in the Gol Market of
the Nazimabad Police Limits.
While Shias were protesting
across the city against the devastating Quetta blast, members
of the community continued to fall victim to assassins. Syed
Safdar Ali Kazmi (25), one of the people who had become to attend
the sit-in at Star Gate, was on his way back home from the demonstration
when unidentified assailants shot him dead.
Four shopkeepers, three of them
brothers, were sprayed with bullets and killed, while the same
numbers of their colleagues were injured when armed men opened
fire at a mobile phone market of Quaidabad.
A labourer, Ghulam Rasool Jalbani,
was shot dead on the Ayub Goth Road of Karachi.
A Police constable, Azmat Khan,
was killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on a Police
check-post at Gulo Dheri in the limits of Charssada Police Station
in Charsadda District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
APA of Landi Kotal (Khyber Agency,
FATA), Khalid Mumtaz Kundi, who was injured in the February
18’s twin suicide blasts on Khyber House in Peshawar, succumbed
to his injuries, raising the death toll to seven. Sources said
that the APA had received multiple injuries in the suicide bombings.
A vehicle carrying NATO supplies
to Afghanistan was partially damaged when a bomb planted at
a roadside went off at Teddy Bazaar in Jamrud tehsil (revenue
unit) of Khyber Agency in FATA.
Another bomb planted nearby
was successfully defused by the BDS. Following the incident,
Khasadar personnel reached the site and launched a search operation
during which they found another bomb weighing eight kilogrammes.
A senior ‘commander’ of TTP,
Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, was arrested by Afghan intelligence personnel
from an unspecified area along Af-Pak border when he was trying
to cross into Pakistan border from Nangrahar province of Afghanistan.
Reports from Afghanistan said Afghan intelligence agencies had
captured Maulvi Faqir, who was deputy to TTP ‘chief’ Hakimullah
Mehsud until 2011, and his four aides.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman
Malik said that Hazara-dominated areas in Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan should be given the status
of “red zone” to ensure security of the community. He said,
“The localities in Quetta having population of ethnic Hazara
Shia community would have to be declared as red zone in order
to maintain security of the community”.
The Central Information Secretary
of APML, Aasia Ishaq, said that Balochistan should immediately
be handed over to army, while the Government should also resign.
“The problems cannot be resolved through transfer of some administrative
officials as the situation in the country has turned worst.
If Government does not take notice of terrorism in Balochistan,
then it will spread across the country,” she said in a statement.
The LeJ warned the Government
to immediately shift its under-trial militants from the high-security
ATF Jail in Quetta, Cantonment to the Central Jail Hudda in
the Quetta or get ready to face yet another suicide assault
by its Fidayeen attackers – this time targeting the ATF prison.
The spokesman further said,
“The Mujahideen of the LeJ will continue to kill Shias regardless
of the imposition of the Governor’s rule or the deployment of
the Army. We will protect the honor of Islamic Caliphs by sacrificing
each and every one of us.
A glance at the chronology and
timeline of anti-State violence, sectarian killings, tribal
shootings, ethnicity and terrorism etc in Balochistan during
the last 10 years reveals at least 112 major incidents have
rocked this province since June 8, 2003, the day when some 11
Hazara Shia Police trainees were shot dead at Sariab Road of
Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Innumerable NATO oil tankers
have been torched during this decade-long period under review
and various guest Chinese engineers have been shot dead. A good
number of sitting chief ministers and ministers (like late Balochistan
Chief Minister Jam Yousaf, recently ousted Chief Minister Nawab
Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani, still sitting Governor Nawab Zulfiqar
Magsi, Balochistan’s ex-provincial Finance Minister Asim Ali
Kurd and the Punjab-born Balochistan Education Minister Shafiq
Ahmed Khan etc) were also targeted with absolute ease.
February 20
Nine militants were killed and
several others injured in shelling and bombing by military jets
in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in FATA. Security sources said
that three suspected militant hideouts were bombarded. A huge
cache of arms and ammunition was also destroyed in the operation.
At least eight terrorists were
killed in air strikes in Upper tehsil of Orakzai Agency.
At least four persons, including
an activist of PPP, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. A PPP activist,
identified as Bilal (23), was found dead near Old Sabzi Mandi
within the precincts of PIB Colony Police Station.
A dead body of a man was found
from Maripur Road within the limits of Kalri Police Station.
Another body packed in gunny
bag was found from Jam Goth within the jurisdiction of Memon
Goth Police Station.
Grandson of Gaddi Nasheen (caretaker)
of Qambar Dargah was killed and 10 people, including Sain Hussain
Shah, and another of his grandson were injured in a remote-controlled
bomb explosion at a religious gathering at the Goth Ahmad Din
Brohi area of Jacobabad District.
Two passers-by were injured
in a grenade attack on an area office of the MQM in Sector 5-A-3
area within the remit of the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Police Station
of North Karachi.
Sindh provincial authorities
extended for three months the additional powers given to Rangers
in the wake of targeted killings in the Karachi during the past
month. Authorities gave the Rangers additional powers last year,
allowing them to control violence and make arrests. The Sindh
Home Ministry issued the extension.
Unidentified motorcycle borne
assailants shot dead two persons, including a key commander
of a former peace committee, Gul Muhammad Shah, on Bannu Road
in Tank town of same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Gul Muhammad
Shah was killed on the spot while two other persons, identified
as Muhammad Tariq and Zar Janan, sustained severe injuries.
The Law Enforcement personnel
and Levies Force arrested 30 Afghan nationals under the Foreigners
Act in Qilla Abdullah District. The Levies Force said that the
Afghans were trying to enter Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial
capital of Balochistan without legal travelling documents. They
were handed over to the FIA for interrogation.
Senior LeJ leader Ghulam Rasool
was arrested under the maintenance of public order and shifted
to the Bahawalnagar jail (Bahawalnagar District).
Maavia Azam, a leader of ASWJ
was arrested in Jhang area (Jhang District) under the MPO.
The move came in wake of attacks
on Hazara Shia in Balochistan for which the LeJ had claimed
responsibility. The Supreme Court also took suo moto notice
of the incident and asked the Federal Government to act against
those responsible.
Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz
Ashraf while stressing the dire need of inter-faith harmony
in the country, urged leaders of all faiths and religions to
stand united and strive for peace and security. Addressing a
conference organised by the Ministry of National Harmony aimed
at creating greater understanding amongst people of different
faiths, the PM referred to the recent incidents of terrorism
in which a large number of people were killed and said “lets
come out of this perpetual sense of fear that haunts us all,
and where no place is safe anymore.”
He referred to the Hazaras as
brothers and patriotic Pakistanis and said the entire nation
felt deeply saddened over the plight they underwent in the recent
attacks. “There can be no justification for the murder of the
innocent. How can we justify the killing of a child, women or
a man who is trying to earn a living?” he regretted.
The Pakistani Parliament passed
the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) enabling authorities to confiscate
the assets of terrorists and their financiers. The bill requires
Presidential approval to become law.
February 21
Two persons were killed and
17 others injured in a bomb blast in a mobile phone shop in
Khushal Market in old Hashtnagri area of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of KP.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a soldier of Frontier Constabulary and his cousin in Davil
Galli area of Darband in Nowshera District. Sources said that
FC soldier Mohammad Shabir and his cousin Sajid Wali were on
their way to Larri village in Darband when the attackers opened
indiscriminate firing on them.
The Police neutralised explosive
devices, which were placed near the girls’ school at Bangashkhel
village in the limits of Mandan Police Station in Mardan District.
The recovery includes four explosive devices and nine hand grenades.
Intelligence reports said that
12 suicide bombers have entered the city to target certain places,
Police and official. Police and other law enforcing agencies
stepped up security checks in Peshawar after the reports. It
is not clear what the targets of these bombers are.
KP Government has reconstructed
70% of militancy-hit schools in the province, Education Minister
Sardar Hussain Babak said. Militants destroyed or damaged more
than 3,000 KP schools in recent years. However, with domestic
and international financial assistance, KP has rebuilt or repaired
70% of them, he said. "The remaining restoration work will
be completed within a year," he added.
Unidentified assailants killed
a person, identified as Mehrab Bakhsh, in Killi Mubarak area
of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Two dead bodies were found in
Mithari area of Sibi District.
The Tehsildar (Revenue Administrative
Officer) of Dhadar (Bolan District), Qazi Pervez escaped unhurt
but three Levies’ personnel guarding him were injured when a
roadside bomb exploded when he was on his way to Sanni Shroon
area in Bolan District.
One civilian was killed when
hit by a mortar shell in Takhtakai area of Tirah valley in Khyber
Agency of FATA.
SFs arrested over 200 suspected
persons during a search operation in various areas of Bara tehsil
in Khyber Agency. The sources said that the SFs carried out
search operation in Gudmalang, Droadda and Baazgarah areas and
arrested more than 200 suspected persons and shifted them to
nearby Fort Salop FC base for investigation.
Police arrested three suspected
members of the TTP in the Orangi town area of Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh. They also recovered
drugs and arms during the raid.
At least two suspected militants
were killed and four others were arrested during a pre-dawn
operation carried out at Nawan Kili area of Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan. FC official said that
FC team conducted a raid besieging a house in the Nawan Kili.
The Police recovered and defused
an IED in the Satellite town of Quetta.
Islamabad demanded Kabul to
hand over all TTP terrorists including Maulvi Faqir Muhammad
who have been engaged in anti-state activities in Pakistan.
Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan told that Foreign
Minister Hina Rabbani Khar talked to her Afghan counterpart
Zalmay Rassoul on telephone.
February 22
At least 10 persons, including
three ASWJ cadres, a PML-N activist, two Policemen and a supporter
of the MQM were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh. Maulana Dil Faraz
Muawiya (33) and Abu Bakr (25) were shot dead near the Sidduiqe
Sons Chowarngi in SITE. According to Maulana Akber Saeed, spokesman
of the ASWJ, Maulana Muawiya was a leader of the ASWJ while
Abu Bakar served as an activist.
ASWJ cadre Naveed-ul-Rehman
was shot dead outside his residence, while fellow party cadres
Owais and Sohail were injured in the Gaama Gali of Rizvia Society.
A person, identified as Maqsood
(40), a PML-N worker was shot dead in the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri
(KAN) Police Limits in North Karachi.
Kashif (28), an activist of
MQM, was shot dead outside his house in Sector-5D of New Karachi.
Sattar (40), the chauffer of
a factory owner, was shot dead near the Singer Chowrangi in
the Awami Colony Police Limits.
Police constable Iftekhar shot
dead by unidentified assailants in the SITE-A Police Limits
while he was returning home from duty.
Police constable Naeem Baloch
was shot dead near the Jaweedan Factory in Manghopir.
A person was shot dead by unidentified
assailants on Lane No-3 of Jamshed Road in the Jamshed Quarters
Police Station. The victim was moved to the Jinnah Hospital
and died from a single bullet wound to the chest.
A person, identified as Syed
Faiz Hussain Zaidi, was shot dead and another man was injured
near Kati Pahari area.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a lawyer in the limits of Paharipura Police Station of
Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police
said that the lawyer was on way to his home when unidentified
assailants opened firing on him. He was public prosecutor in
Peshawar and belonged to Charsadda District.
The vehicular traffic was disrupted
in Haleemzai tehsil of Mohmand Agency in FATA when an improvised
explosive device went off on Barokehl-Sultankhel Road.
Police said that they arrested
the leader of LeJ, Malik Ishaq, in the Rahim Yar Khan town
of same District in connection with sectarian attacks in Quetta
(Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan that
have killed nearly 200 people in 2013. The LeJ claimed responsibility
for both attack in Quetta.
Intelligence Agencies warned
Law Enforcers of a possible second attack on the Hazara community
in Quetta, the Supreme Court informed. A three-judge bench was
hearing a suo motu case on the devastating February 16, 2013
attack, which killed at least 89 people. The judges expressed
satisfaction with reports from the ISI and IB, and sought the
Government’s response to the incident.
Heading the bench, Chief Justice
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said, “After going through the reports,
we are to believe that the agencies performed their duties and
shared intelligence with law enforcers in Quetta, indicating
the likelihood of another terror attack on the community on
the occasion of the Chehlum of the persons [who were killed]
at Alamdar Road on January 10, 2013.”
President Asif Ali Zardari called
for unity and harmony among the people to address the challenges
of extremism and terrorism and stressed that war was no solution
to terrorism. Addressing the concluding session of the national
conference on interfaith harmony, titled “Living together with
diversity – Interfaith and inter-cultural dialogue”, which was
organised by the Ministry of National Harmony at the Presidency,
Zardari said there was a need to adopt the approach of peace
and reconciliation to eliminate the menace of extremism and
terrorism. Among others the session was attended by PPP Chairman
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The president said he had been
pleading with the world that the way the issue of terrorism
was being addressed would not lead to success. “We believe in
tolerant Islam and have to counter those who believe in hate,
with peaceful efforts,” he stated.
February 23
Six people including a mosque
cleric were shot dead in separate incidents of violence in different
areas of Karachi, provincial capital of Sindh.
A trader belonging to Bohra
community, identified as Mubasshir Hussain, was killed at his
shop at Tooba Apartment near Gol Masjid, Defense Phase-I within
the precincts of Defence Police Station.
A man was shot dead in Ghaziabad,
Manghopir within the limits of Manghopir Police Station. SHO
Ashfaq Baloch said that unidentified armed riders shot dead
a man and escaped.
The cleric, (identified as Qari
Muhammad Ameen) of Bilal Mosque, affiliated with ASWJ was killed
in Bhittai Colony near Korangi crossing. The sources said Ameen
left Bilal Mosque for some work when armed pillion riders opened
targeted fire on him as a result, he received critical bullet
wounds and died on the spot.
Pakhtun Student Federation Sindh
general secretary, identified as Dr. Painda Khan, was killed
at his homeopathic clinic in Madina Basti near Frontier Morr
within the limits of Pirabad Police Station.
Two unidentified men were shot
dead in Sector 24, Korangi within the jurisdiction of Korangi
Police Station. An official said that the identities of the
victims were yet to be ascertained.
At least six labourers working
on the Makran Coastal Highway, which links the area to Karachi,
were lined up and shot dead by unidentified assailants in the
Shadi Kaur area of Gwadar District. All the victims belonged
to Zhob District.
February 24
Fifteen militants and two security
personnel were killed in shelling by warplanes on the TTP positions
and an encounter between the LI and SFs in Tirah Valley and
Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency in FATA. Sources said the
jet fighters bombarded the positions of TTP in Sorkas, Sra Vella
and Dwatoy in Kukikhel area in Tirah. At least, 10 militants
were killed and eight injured in the air strikes. A vehicle
and five sanctuaries of the militants were also destroyed in
the aerial attack.
SFs encountered with the LI
militants in Nala area during a search operation in various
areas of Bara subdivision including Mandikas, Bachi Nehar and
Yousaf Talab As a result of crossfire, five militants and two
security personnel were killed while 10 soldiers and six militants
were injured. SFs were backed by two helicopters, which shelled
militants’ positions in Nala. The forces also blew up an empty
double cabin pick-up truck left behind by the militants. A car
was seized while two suspects were arrested by the SFs and shifted
to Fort Salop FC camp for interrogation.
FC personnel killed two suspected
militants and arrested five others in a targeted operation near
the Gulistan area of Qilla Abdullah District. The SF personnel
seized rocket launchers, hand grenades, Kalashnikov rifles and
explosives from the arrested accused.
At least three persons were
killed in separate acts of violence in the Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh. A trader, identified
as Anwar Muhammad (29), was killed at his shop under NIPA Bridge
within the limits of Aziz Bhatti Police Station.
A person, identified as Shaikh
Mohsin Shetti (32), was killed near Parda Park in Nazimabad
within the jurisdiction of Gulbahar Police Station.
The dead body was found from
Khamosh Colony of Gulbahar within the jurisdiction of Gulbahar
Police Station. The victim was identified as 29-year-old Shakeel
Ahemd. He was the resident of Lyari.
A Police head constable was
shot dead by unidentified assailants in Yakatut area of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the morning.
Head Constable Farman Khan, residence of Tauheed Abad, was going
for Fajr when some unidentified assailants raiding a
motorbike opened indiscriminate fire upon him, killing Farman
Khan on the spot. He was a head constable in CID.
ASWJ central information secretary
Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui, who survived a life attempt in
December 26, 2012 in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh and Bahawalpur chapter chief Rao Javed Iqbal
alleged that more than 400 cadres of defunct LeJ were arrested
in Police crackdown on February 23, night throughout Punjab.
Federal Minister of Interior
Rehman Malik revealed that two groups of LeJ were operating
in the Pakistan under the leadership of Malik Ishaq and Maulana
Ludhianvi. Talking to the media in Sahiwal (Punjab), Malik said
that all provinces needed to take action against terrorism.
Talking to the media in Jahanian
(Punjab), the minister said that ‘enemies’ were working to destabilise
the country. He said that the TTP started talking about having
a dialogue after become weak. “The government will form a strong
team to have a dialogue with them,” he said.
February 25
At least seven TTP terrorists
were killed when SFs pounded Kukikhel area of Tirah Valley in
Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency in FATA.
One FC trooper was killed and
six others were injured in a blast at Fort Slope Camp in Khajoori
area in Bara tehsil.
In the same Agency, Khasadar
Force defused an explosive device planted along the roadside
In Jamrud area.
At least eight persons were
killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. Two persons were killed and
10 others were injured in a bomb blast at Shah Lakhi Ghulam
shrine in Shikarpur District.
A person, identified as Ikhlaq
(39), was killed near his house in Kunwari Colony within the
precinct of Pirabad Police Station.
A dead body was found from Ghulam
Hussian Weighbridge of Musharaf Colony within the precincts
of Maripur Police Station.
A person, identified as Mufti
Muhammad Abdullah (36), was killed near Faqeer Colony within
the limits of Mominabad Police Station.
A man, identified as Asad (21),
was killed by unidentified assailants near PIDC area within
the limits of Civil Line Police Station.
A body packed in a gunny bag
was found near Muslim Nagar of Sector 11 in Orangi Town within
the jurisdiction of Pakistan Bazaar Police Station.
A dead body was found near Kaghzi
Bazaar of Kharadar within the limits of Kharadar Police Station.
The FC killed two suspected
terrorists and arrested five others in an operation in Gulistan
area of the Qila Abdullah District. Five suspects were arrested
and an unspecified quantity of rocket launchers, hand-grenades,
AK-47 rifles and explosives were recovered.
Unidentified militants abducted
an owner of petrol pump Waheed Zaman in Kohlu District.
Suspected militants blew up
a Government primary school in Badhber area of Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Police said that 195 suspected
militants were arrested during a special campaign in Districts
of Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera.
Federal Minister of Interior
Rehman Malik appealed to Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar
Chaudhry to summon Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and
ask him why he didn’t take any action against the LeJ. Malik
claimed that Shahbaz asked the TTP to stop terrorism in Punjab
as he and the TTP share a ‘common agenda’.
February 26
At least four persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A person, identified as Muhammad
Imran (32), a cadre of ASWJ, was killed near Shahabuddin Market
opposite Saddar Parking Plaza within the precincts of Brigade
Police Station.
A ST cadre, identified as Muhammad
Majid (40), was killed outside Sobraj Hospital within the jurisdiction
of Aram Bagh Police Station.
A trader, identified as Khalid
Hussain (30), was killed in sector 4-B of Sarjani town within
the jurisdiction of Sarjani Police Station.
The dead body was found from
a graveyard in Saeedabad of Baldia town within the precincts
of Saeedabad Police Station.
A hand grenade was hurled at
a local office of the MQM near Lucky Star in the Saddar area.
However, no loss of life was reported.
The CID of Police arrested a
TTP militant, identified as Behrooz Khan Mehmand, in a targeted
raid in Malir town. SSP CID operations, Fayyaz Khan, informed
that Behrooz Khan Mehmand had been extorting traders and sending
the ransom money to Mohmand agency of FATA to strengthen his
outfit financially.
A Policeman was shot dead while
protecting a polio vaccination team at Ghalla Dher on the outskirts
of Mardan town of same District.
Three journalists survived attempt
on their lives as they were fired at outside the Swat Press
Club in Mingora, the headquterer of Swat District.
The TTP and foreign elements
are involved in subversive activities in Karachi, Federal State
Minister for Interior Imtiaz Safdar Warraich told the National
Assembly.
The Federal Government introduced
an anti-terrorism bill to the National Assembly that would bar
the re-formation of banned outfits under new names. The bill
also seeks to bar courts from granting bail to terror suspects
who are charged with crimes punishable by death penalty, life
imprisonment or sentences longer than 10 years.
February 27
At least six persons, including
a cousin of a Former PM Mir Zafar Ullah Khan Jamali, were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Ameer Ullah Jamali (58), a cousin
of a Former PM Mir Zafar Ullah Khan Jamali was shot dead by
unidentified armed assailants at block 15 Gulistan-e-Jauhar
within the precincts of Gulistan-e-Jauhar Police Station.
A person, identified as Shabbir
Ahmed (34), a cadre of ASWJ, was killed at A B Saniya Lines
Bazaar within the limits of Brigade Police Station.
A Shia man, identified as Wajid
Ali (46), was killed near Baba Morr of North Karachi within
the precincts of Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Police Station.
A cadre of JeM, identified as
Khalid Hussain (32), was shot dead near Mustafa Cottage in sector
L-1, Sajani town within the jurisdiction of Sarjani Police Station.
A Security Guard Ashraf Khan
(43) was shot dead and a customer was injured at a Haleem shop
in Block-18, FB Area within the precincts of Samnabad Police
Station.
The dead body was found from
bushes near Raees Goth within the limits of Maripur Police Station.
Unidentified militants hurled
two hand grenades at Shah Faisal Police Station and Baloch Colony
areas, respectively.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead two brothers on Ghundi Road in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber
Agency in FATA.
A journalist Malik Mumtaz Khan
was shot dead in Miranshah town of North Waziristan Agency.
The Senate was informed that
a majority of suicide attacks in the country took place in KP
and that Punjab was particularly vulnerable to crimes against
property. In reply to a question put by Senator Colonel (retd)
Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Interior Minister Rehman Malik
told the house that 57 suicide attacks took place in KP from
2010 to 2012.
Balochistan FC Inspector General
Major General Obaidullah Khan said that some elements want to
divide the people of Balochistan on ethnic, religious and sectarian
grounds.
February 28
At least eight militants were
killed and 12 suffered injuries as jet fighters pounded militant
hideouts in Jendri and Shah Wali villages of Mamozai tehsil
in Orakzai Agency of FATA.
Unidentified militants blew
up two primary and two middle schools in the Kandharoo area
of Safi tehsil in Mohmand Agency.
At least four persons were killed
in separate incidents in Sindh province.
A person, identified as Syed
Danish Abbas Zaidi (30), affiliated with Shia Ulema Council
(SUC), was killed outside his house located in Ancholi Block
20 of FB Area within the precincts of Samnabad Police Station
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
A person, identified as Akhtar
Gabol (28), affiliated with Muttahida Organising Committee was
killed near his house in Faqeera Goth of Sohrab Goth area within
the remit of Sohrab Goth Police Station.
A dead body of a man was found
from Sultanabad area of Manghopir within the limits of Manghopir
Police Station.
An ASI, Abdul Rasheed Samoon,
was shot dead at the Guddu Police Station in Kashmore District.
The Balochistan Levies recovered
three dead bodies from Gazba Road area on Chaman bypass in Qilla
Abdullah District. The deceased were identified as Hayat Khan,
Haji Ata Wali and Mehmood.
The BDU personnel diffused an
eight kilogram of IED planted by militants under a bridge at
Sarokhel in the limits of Doaba Police Station in Hangu District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At least 813 Police personnel
have lost their lives in terrorist activities in KP since 2007,
citing KP Police Department records. The deadliest year was
2009, when 201 Policemen were killed. The report showed that
108 Policemen were killed in 2007, 167 in 2008, 99 in 2012,
142 in 2011, 86 in 2012 and 10 so far this year. Another 1,772
Police personnel have been injured since 2007, according to
the records.
The Government is moving to
import 10 advanced explosive scanner vehicles. The mobile scanning
vans will cost PKR 10 billion (US $101.9m) and will be able
to trace explosive materials to prevent terrorism.
March 1
At least four persons, including
activists of the JUI-F and the MQM, were killed in separate
incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh.
Qari Abdul Razzaq (40), an activist
of the JUI-F, was shot dead at Hussainiya Madressah in Mansoor
Nagar.
Armed assailants shot dead an
MQM activist, Shafqat (35), in Orangi Town.
A trader of garments was shot
dead near Liberty Chowk of Tariq Road in Ferozeabad area.
The dead body of a man was found
near Sattar Kabari Shop of Sonaar Bazaar in Kharadar area within
the limits of Kharadar Police Station.
Four persons were injured in
two grenade attacks in Laurence Road and Shershah areas. The
first attack occurred when armed men lobbed a grenade at Shafee
Iron Works on Laurence Road in Naipier Police area. The explosion
caused injuries to three workers Naeem, Sikander and Adnan.
Another hand grenade was lobbed
at a petrol pump near Gulbai crossing in Shershah Division.
The attack caused injuries to pump manager Peelaj.
Sindh Police arrested four suspected
target killers affiliated with Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen,
from Gulbahar and Rizvia Society and recovered weapons from
their possession.
Unidentified assailants killed
a Shia trader and injured another at a shop in Kochi Bazaar
in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Unidentified militants blew
up the Government Primary School for Boys at Wanda Zerhan area
in the limits of Lakki Police Station in Lakki Marwat District.
A local journalist, identified
as Mehmood Ahmed Afridi, President of the Kalat Press Club,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants near the main bus stop
of Kalat city (Kalat District).
Awais Shiekh, the lawyer of
Sarabjit Singh who is on death row in a Pakistani prison, received
a death threat from the banned TTP for pursuing the case of
the Indian national.
Pakistani authorities issued
a list of 109 "most wanted" terrorists, including
LeJ militant Mati-ur-Rehman who was accused of involvement in
a suicide attack on former premier Shaukat Aziz.
KP Governor Engineer Shaukatullah
said that the Governor’s House would work as a liaison office
between the jirga (tribal council of elders) set up to hold
peace talks with the militants, and the TTP leadership.
March 2
At least 12 persons, including
activists of the MWM and the ASWJ, were killed in separate incidents
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Three people affiliated with
MWM were gunned down at Sabri chowk under Iqbal Market police
Station. The deceased were later identified as Ali Nawaz (25),
Ali Husnian (27) and Hashim Hussain.
A man affiliated with ASWJ,
Nadeem Mavia (28), was shot dead in Green Town within the limits
of Shah Faisal Police Station.
Three dead bodies were recovered
from Musharraf Colony, Hawksbay Road and Mawach Goth areas within
the limits of Maripur Police Station.
Another body of man was found
form Graveyard in C Area, Liaquatabad within the jurisdiction
of Super Market Police Station.
According to police, unidentified
armed pillion riders abducted a man and shot him multiple times
and threw the body.
Another dead body of a man was
found near Baitul Mukkaram Masjid, Block 16, and Gulshan-e-Iqbal
within the jurisdiction of Aziz Bhatti Police Station.
A man was killed near his house
in Ayub Mor within the limits of Khawaja Ajmiar Nagri Police
Station. The deceased was identified as Ali (32).
52-year-old Mian Sahibzada was
killed near a bus stop of intercity bus service in Quaidabad
area within the precincts of Quaidabad Police Station.
Two mobile shops were blown
up at Mian Mandi Market in the Halemzai tehsil of the Mohmand
Agency in the night. Two shops owned by Israr and Adnan were
destroyed in the explosion.
March 3
At least 48 persons were killed
and another 70 were injured in a huge explosion that ripped
through a Shia-majority neighbourhood in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. Three relatives of Sindh Assembly
Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza and several women and children were
among the victims. Worshippers were offering Maghribain prayers
at an Imambargah (Shia place of worship) in Abbas town when
the bomb went off.
Three persons including a Police
head constable, a motorway Police officer and a cashier were
shot dead by unidentified assailants at a motorway Police kiosk
on the Superhighway.
Ten militants were killed in
an operation by SFs at Lando Qamar, Arghanjoo and Adamkhel areas
of the Orakzai Agency in FATA. Two hideouts of the militants
were also destroyed.
Seven militants, a ‘commander’
among them, were killed when PAF jets targeted their hideouts
in Sandana and Speen Dhand areas of Sipah area in Tirah valley
of Khyber Agency. Independent and official sources said the
seven militants belonged to the LI.
SFs had pounded LI positions
with heavy artillery in Ghaibi Neeka area of Bara tehsil,
injuring a man and a minor girl. The artillery shelling being
carried out since March 1 damaged a number of houses and a mosque.
In Shalobar area of Bara, a
lieutenant of Mehsud Scouts was injured when unidentified assailants
opened fire at him. Security officials said the incident took
place during a search operation.
There was no loss of life in
a roadside blast in the Mamond tehsil of the Bajaur Agency.
Source said that unidentified militants had planted explosive
device on the roadside in Damadola which went off without causing
any human loss.
During last two months at least
236 Police encounters were held in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh and 53 gangs of criminals were
busted, said a report of the performance of Karachi zonal Police.
March 4
At least seven persons killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A person, identified as Asif
(27), was shot dead in Sector 89 of Landhi area within the jurisdiction
of Sharafi Goth Police Station.
A person identified as Kashan
(35), was killed outside his house near Mosmiyat Chowrnagi area
within the jurisdiction of Gulistan-e-Jauhar Police Station.
A man Farooq (55) was shot dead
in Landhi area within the limits of Landhi Police Station.
A dead body of Ameen (60) was
found form Kaghazi Bazaar in Kharadar area within the limits
of Kharadar Police Station. .
A body stuffed in a gunny bag
was found from Raees Goth area within Maripur Police Station.
Two dead bodies were found form
the bushes near Golden Farmhouse in Malir area within the limits
of Malir Police Station.
LEA recovered a suicide jacket
and hand grenade during a search operation in Domail area of
the Bannu District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Qari Asad Irfan, the District
president of ASWJ, and a cadre, Moreed Hussain were arrested
in Chakwal area (Chakwal District) and sent to the Jhelum prison.
CJP, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
has taken suo motu notice of the March3, 2013 bomb blast in
Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh
that killed at least 48 people and injured 150. The CJP directed
the advocate general and the Sindh provincial Police officer
to furnish a comprehensive report on the incident.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman
Malik said that Punjabi Taliban were behind the attack in Abbas
town of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of
Sindh. The minister said that the LeJ had its headquarters in
Punjab and claimed that the province’s ruling party, the PML-N,
was in an electoral alliance with the banned organisation. Malik
said that the same group of terrorists was involved in the Quetta
and Karachi attacks. He said that terrorism would be eliminated
from the country only if action was taken against terrorists
in Punjab.
Activists of JUI-S along with
tribal leaders held a protest outside the Peshawar Press Club
against increasing drone strikes in Waziristan of FATA. JUI-S
leader and former legislator, Ikramullah Shahid said that nine
drone attacks occurred during Pervez Musharraf’s regime from
2002 to 2008, whereas 230 drone strikes have been carried out
in Waziristan during the current Government’s tenure, killing
more than 3,500 innocent people.
March 5
At least three persons were
killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
A person, identified as Anwar
(25), was killed by unidentified assailants near Christian Colony
of Shah Faisal area within the jurisdiction of Shah Faisal Police
Station.
A person, identified as Abdul
Shakoor (52), was shot dead near his house at Jadoon Chowk within
the jurisdiction of Docks Police Station.
A dead body of a 32-year-old
man was found under the Natha Khan Bridge.
Two militants threw a hand grenade
at a shop of Metroville area in SITE-A Police Limits. As a result,
two passers-by sustained minor injuries.
Two militants threw a hand grenade
at a Rangers mobile in Mominabad Police Jurisdiction.
Two officials of Pakistan Rangers,
Sindh, identified as, Hawaldars Muneer Ahmed Bhutto and Aijaz
Ahmed Baloch, performing security duty in Nazimabad area are
reportedly missing.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a tailor, Ghulam Farid in the Gandaw area of Jhal Magsi
District.
Unidentified assailants abducted
an ANP member, Malik Sultan Tareen from Bostan area of Pishin
District. Tareen, who was elected on PB-22 Harnai area of Sibi
District seat of Balochistan Assembly, was former minister for
prisons.
Unidentified assailants abducted
a man from Bancha area of Kalat District.
SFs arrested 56 Afghan nationals
while they were travelling from Quetta (Quetta District), the
provincial capital of Balochistan to Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh without legal documents.
A bomb blast injured a polio
lady health worker, identified as Sameea Zaib in the Jamrud
Civil Hospital of Jamrud District in Khyber Agency of FATA.
Police defused two IED bombs
at Maiamzai area in the vicinity of Matni Police Station in
suburbs of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman
Malik claimed that four militants, who had suspected been involved
in the Abbas town tragedy, were arrested. Out of the four militants,
three belong to the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), while one is associated
with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Senate passed with majority,
the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill 2013, which would enable the
Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) to take effective action against
financiers of terrorism in the country. It now needs to be signed
by President Asif Ali Zardari to become law.
March 6
At least six persons, including
two activists of MQM were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An MQM activist, identified
as Rashid Khan (35), was killed near his house in Sector 36-B
of Landhi area within the precinct of Landhi Police Station.
Bial (29) was killed and another
was injured near Sector 29 of Korangi town within the jurisdiction
of Sharafi Goth Police Station.
An employee of a garment factory,
identified as Qadir Hussain (53), was killed near his house
in Sector 48-C of Korangi town within the limits of Zaman Town
police station.
A man, identified as Mohammad
Ali Bhatti (45), was shot dead near Jauhar Complex within the
limits of Sachal Police Station.
The bullet-riddled body of an
MQM worker was found from Samu Goth near Malir River within
the remit of Memon Goth Police Station.
The dead body of a man was found
from Bottle Wali Gali in Kharadar within the jurisdiction of
Kharadar Police Station.
Pakistan Rangers conducted a
targeted operation at Bhakar Goth situated behind Abbas town
and claimed to have arrested at least eight suspected militants,
including four Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) men and recovered
huge cache of weapons from their possession.
Nine militants were killed in
a clash with SFs in Mondan area of Mamozai in upper Orakzai
Agency of FATA.
Five soldiers were injured in
an IED explosion in Frontier Region (FR) Bannu,.
Separately, one person was injured
in a blast in the Jamrud tehsil (revenue unit) of the Khyber
Agency.
Unidentified assailants tortured
a polio worker in Landikotal town and warned him and others
involved in the anti-polio campaign to quit the campaign or
be ready to be killed.
The ‘operational commander’
of the TTP, Qari Basit, and an unidentified foreigner were arrested
by personnel of intelligence agencies in Kheshgi town of Nowshera
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Senate ‘unanimously’ passed
the Twenty-Fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill 2013 to create
new province of Junoobi Punjab amid walkout by PML-N. JUI-F
did not take part in the proceedings. Law Minister Farooq Naik
termed it a historic day while the PML-N branded it a black
day in the history of Pakistan.
SC observed that the Sindh Government
has failed to protect the lives of the people, which is evident
from its indifferent attitude towards the Abbas Town blast victims.
The court ordered the removal of the IG Sindh, DIG East, SSP
Malir and concerned officers from their respective posts for
their failure in preventing the blast and providing assistance
to the affected families.
The ANSC has strongly recommended
that the ISI should be declared a terrorist entity on March
3. Rehmatullah Nabil, Afghanistan's deputy NSA was quoted as
saying in an interview, "The interesting question is why
is a terrorist blacklisted but the person who issues the Fatwa
for them [to act] or who provides havens to them not blacklisted?"
He added, "Against these people, organizations at a global
scale should unite. People of Afghanistan and the government
of Afghanistan will continue their voice of peace, but unfortunately
there is not much hope from Pakistan's side and therefore we
should be more united, more mobilized, and not be deceived by
them." This was the most public outburst from the Afghan
Government after the ‘chief’ of the Pakistan Ulema Council Tahir
Mehmood Ashrafi declared that the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan
was "legitimate".
March 7
At least 12 militants were killed
and several others were injured during an operation by the SFs
in different areas of Orakzai Agency of FATA.
Four militants were killed and
six others were injured in renewed clashes between TTP and AI
in Theerak Sangar and Zeerhak Kandaw areas of Tirah valley in
Khyber Agency.
At least six persons, including
an ANP worker, were killed in separate incidents of target killings
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh
on.
A local leader of ANP, identified
as Mujahideen Khan Afridi (52), was shot dead, while two passersby
were injured near Umer Faooq Mosque.
A labourer, Muhammad Javed (42),
was killed in Gulshan-e-Ghazi area of Baldia town.
A person, identified as Aleem
Raja (40), was killed outside his home in Khokhrapar area.
Two dead bodies, identified
as Maqbool (22) and Iftikhar (24), were found form an abandoned
place in Khairabad area near Northern bypass.
A dead body of an abducted man,
identified as Abdul Sattar (35), was found from Rexer Lane in
Lyari area.
Pakistan Rangers Sindh conducted
a targeted operation and hunt-down of killers of two rangers’
personnel in Lyari area and claimed to have arrested at least
eight suspected Lyari gang war members from Moosa Lane, Baghdadi,
Aat Chowk, Cheel Chawk and Phoolpatti lane.
A person, identified as Haji
Luqman, was killed and another was injuried by unidentified
assailants on Adalat Raod in Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial
capital of Balochistan.
Unidentified armed assailants
opened fire in Jam colony of Hub District and killed a person
identified as Khuda Bakhsh.
Unidentified militants planted
a bomb near Bab-e-Dosti in Chaman District which exploded with
a loud bang.
A Government primary school
was partially damaged in a blast in Katlang area of Mardan District
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
An under-construction building
was damaged in a bomb explosion in Nowshera area (Nowshera District).
Government Officials said that Police found another bomb there
and defused it safely.
Army ‘chief’ Gen. Ashfaq Parvez
Kayani conveyed to President Asif Ali Zardari the military’s
concerns over the rapidly deteriorating law and order and called
for urgent steps to deal with the situation. Soon after a corps
commanders’ conference, where the military’s top brass reviewed
the internal security situation, the army ‘chief’ met President
Zardari to communicate the disquiet among his commanders about
the security situation spiralling out of control.
March 8
At least 20 militants and a
volunteer of peace Lashkar TI were killed in a joint operation
carried out by SFs and Zakhakhel tribal Lashkar against the
banned LI in various areas of the Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency
of FATA. Three hideouts of militants were also destroyed in
the military offensive.
Five militants of TTP and three
from AI were killed in clashes in Khwajalee Tambu area of Tirah
valley.
Three persons were shot dead
and another was injured by unidentified assailants in Garigal
village of Mamond tehsil in Bajaur Agency.
At least two persons, including
an activist of MQM were killed in separate acts of violence
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh
An activist of MQM, identified
as Irshad (33), was killed inside his shop situated at Sector
5J of New Karachi within the precincts of Korangi Industrial
Area Police Station.
A man, identified as Waqar Naseem
(43), was killed near Faiuji Fertilizer hospital of Shah Faisal
Colony within the limits of Shah Fasial Police Station.
FC personnel recovered a huge
cache of weapons and explosives during a search operation in
Dashat area of Mastung District. FC officials told that seven
suspected militants had been taken into custody.
The Lowe House of parliament,
National Assembly passed a key legislation to establish The
National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) to integrate and
synergies the anti-terrorism and counter-extremism efforts in
the country. The Bill notes that the establishment of this authority
is necessary in view of nature and magnitude of terrorists’
threat, and it would present strategic policy options to the
Government for consideration and implementation by the stakeholders
after scientifically studying the phenomenon of extremism and
terrorism in historic and professional perspective. NACTA will
play a pivotal role in coordinating with the entire LEA in taking
effective actions against those who carry out acts of terrorism
and extremism. It will also prepare a comprehensive national
counter-terrorism and counter-extremism strategies.
March 9
At least six people were killed
and 30 others injured in a remote-controlled blast inside Jamia
Hanfia Chishtia Mosque in Meena Bazaar of Peshawar, Provincial
Capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Hundreds of angry protesters
turned into arsonists, attacking around 160 houses and 80 shops
of Christians just a day after allegations of blasphemy were
leveled against a man in a predominantly Christian colony of
the Badami Bagh area of Lahore (Lahore District), the provincial
capital of Punjab.
March 10
At least five persons were killed
in separate incidents of violence in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
A person, identified as Muhammad
Mushtaq (34), was killed near Hill Park area within the limits
of Mehmodabad Police Station.
Two dead bodies were found from
bushes near Steel town within the jurisdiction of Steel town
Police Station. The victims were identified as Abdul Rehman
(40) and Zahid Hussain (35).
Two dead bodies were found from
Manghopir area within the limits of Manghopir Police Station.
The victims were identified as Omer Daraz and Kashif.
A US drone strike killed two
suspected militants in Degan village of Dattakhel tehsil of
North Waziristan Agency of FATA.
A ten-year-old boy was killed
and another was injured in a blast at the Asrafkhel link road
in Landikotal town of Khyber Agency. During the site inspection,
another bomb that was planted near the blast site was recovered
and was disposed off by the BDS, sources said. A massive search
operation was launched in the area and twenty suspected tribesmen
were arrested and sent to the cantonment for interrogation,
according to sources.
Two persons were injured when
a pickup truck was targeted with an explosive device planted
by unidentified militants on roadside near Parao Chinar in lower
Kurram Agency.
Hundreds of Christians protesting
the burning of their homes by a Muslim mob over alleged blasphemous
remarks made against the Islam's Prophet Muhammad clashed with
Police in eastern and southern Pakistan. Around 150 people arrested
for setting dozens of Christian houses on fire in Lahore (Lahore
District), the provincial capital of Punjab after a non-Muslim
was accused of making offensive comments about the prophet,
Police said. Christians across the country rallied against the
incident, but the main demonstrations were in Lahore, the southern
port city of Karachi, the capital, Islamabad, and the adjoining
city of Rawalpindi. Police said that the protesters damaged
several vehicles, uprooted a fence along the road and burned
an electricity generator. Seven Policemen were injured when
the protesters pelted them with stones, he added. The Police,
who used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd, arrested
six protesters.
Sindh IG Police, Ghulam Shabbir
Shaikh finalised an urgent security plan for all churches, missionary
schools and Christian residential colonies in the province.
March 11
Three soldiers, including an
officer, were killed in a roadside blast in Dogar area of Kurram
Agency in FATA.
Two Persons, a father and son
were killed, while a dozen were injured when a remote controlled
IED went off in Khurramabad, within Landhi Police Station of
Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Five persons were abducted at
gunpoint from Turbat town of Kech District.
The ATC, Judge Irfan Saeed granted
four-day physical remand of 14 nominated accused involved in
the Joseph Colony arson attack.
Meanwhile, the same court sent
21 accused, involved in the same attack, on judicial remand
for their identification parade.
The 'chief' operational commander
of the al Qaeda linked Punjabi TTP; Asmatullah Muawiya has warned
that India is set to become a major target of terrorist attacks
once again, especially after the Allied Forces withdraw from
Afghanistan.
The TTP warned the Government
of a severe backlash if it continues making claims of having
broken the back of the militants in operations in different
parts of the countries northwest. A statement issued by the
TTP made a veiled reference to Federal Interior Minister Rehman
Malik's remarks that the Government had the militants in a corner
thanks to its counter-terrorism strategy and rejected demands
for a ceasefire ahead of any peace talks. Malik also said that
the people should unite to root out terrorism as Pakistan was
moving towards "durable peace".
March 12
Nine persons, including three
Policemen, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two Policemen, identified as
Javed and Imran, were shot dead at Defence Garden of Phase 2
Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area within the jurisdiction
of Defence Police Station.
An activist of MQM, identified
as Ejaz Hussain Jaffery (39), was killed at Nazimabad area.
An MQM activist, identified
as Shafqat Ali, was shot dead in Landhi Police Remits.
A SI Abid Hussain was killed
near the Anu Bahi Park of Nazimabad area within the Nazimabad
Police Remits.
Mohammed Asghar (22) was shot
dead by unidentified assailants near Darul Aloom of Korangi
in the Sharafi Goth area.
The dead body of Muhammad Asghar
(25) was found from Link Road Sharafi Goth, reports Daily Times.
The dead bodies of two unidentified
men were found near Malir Naddi in Beli Bagh.
A blast damaged a van parked
outside a filling station at the main University road of Karachi.
However, no casualties were reported after the blast occurred.
At least 31 suspects, including
alleged members of a banned outfit involved in Landhi bomb blast
(March 11), have been arrested during separate targeted operations
and raids carried out by LEA in different areas of the Karachi.
Rangers' sources said that TTP militants were also included
among those arrested.
Quetta District Election Commissioner
Ziaullah Qasmi was killed by unidentified assailants in Chandni
Chowk area of Quetta (Quetta District), the Provincial capital
of Balochistan.
Dead bodies of two persons,
identified as Baz Khan and Sikandar, were found in the Machh
District. A banned outfit operating in Balochistan claimed the
responsibility for the killing, on a piece of paper found near
one of the bodies.
Three persons including a man
and his son were killed and 19 people, two of them Policemen,
were injured as a bomb triggered by a remote control exploded
in Bannu bazaar (Bannu District).
A Bomb Disposal officer was
killed on the outskirts of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the
provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while defusing a roadside
bomb.
Six persons were injured in
a blast just 60 metres from the home of Mian Iftikhar Hussain,
the information minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pabbi town.
Several tribal families have
crossed over into Afghanistan owing to excessive artillery shelling
by the SFs and aerial bombing in parts of Tirah valley of Khyber
Agency in FATA.Source said that the people, who were migrating
to Afghanistan from Tirah, belonged to Sipah, Malikdinkhel,
Akkakhel, Qambarkhel and Kukikhel areas of Khyber Agency.
Pakistan Rangers, Sindh claimed
to have arrested at least 896 suspects, 104 target killers and
39 extortionists and recovered over 782 weapons from their possession
from January till March 12, 2013.
March 13
16 militants were killed and
12 others were injured in fresh clashes between TTP and AI in
Maidan area of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency of FATA, tribal
sources said.
The Director of the Orangi Pilot
Project, Parveen Rehman, 56, was shot dead near the Banaras
Bridge in the Peerabad Police Remits of Karachi (Karachi Districts),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
One Mohammad Abid Baloch was
killed near Madina Bakery at Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Road in
Kalri Police Limits in the afternoon. The Station House officer
Chand Khan Niazi said that two groups of Lyari gang war were
exchanging fire when Abid Baloch was caught in the crossfire
and died.
In Awami Colony area, one Noorul
Islam was shot dead near Darul Uloom in Korangi. Police said
that the murder seems to be a part of target killing.
The body of one Iqbal, stuffed
in a gunny bag and bearing torture marks, was found lying on
the main road in Soldier Bazaar No-2 area.
The bullet-riddled body of another
man was found from Chawala Market in Rizvia Police Limits.
Bullet-riddled body was found
from Kagzi Bazaar in Kharadar area. The dead was reportedly
abducted and later tortured to death.
The body of a teenaged boy Mohammed
Hassan (14) was recovered from bushes near Railway Store in
Civil Lines Police Limits. He was of Afghan origin.
Three TTP Hakimullah Mehsud
group militants were arrested along with a huge cache of weapons,
said the CID. The militants worked in Karachi under Shehzad
Rehman Mehsud's command. The accused were involved in extortion,
kidnappings for ransom and target killings, and were assigned
targets by Shehzad Mehsud. The extortion and ransom money was
sent to their 'commander' Jiyaad Yaar in Waziristan (FATA).
The accused admitted that they were going to carry out a suicide
attack in Karachi, for which they were awaiting Jiyaad Yaar
to specify a target.
Unidentified gunmen abducted
two women tourists, from the Czech Republic, in Chaghi District,
officials said, Local government officials said the women entered
the province from Iran as tourists and were abducted from an
area some 550 kilometres west of Quetta, the provincial town
of Balochistan.
Four people were abducted in
Mand area of Turbat District, Levies sources said.
Police arrested around a dozen
children, some as young as 10, suspected of being used to plant
bombs for separatist militants, officers said. The arrests were
made in raids over the past 24 hours, Quetta Police Chief Mir
Zubair Mahmood said while presenting the children at a news
conference in Quetta. A member of the Baloch militant organisation,
United Baloch Army, Abdul Nabi Bungulzai had lured the children,
who came from poor families, to leave packages containing home-made
bombs in markets, dustbins and on routes used by police and
security forces, Mahmood added.
The Supreme Court observed that
the Punjab Police failed to protect the lives and properties
of the inhabitants of Joseph Colony in Lahore, the capital city
of Punjab. Hearing the suo moto case of the burning of Christian
houses at Joseph Colony in Badami Bagh area of Lahore, the court
in its interim order ruled that Inspector General Police Punjab
had failed in providing security to 220 homes.
The preliminary report of fact-finding
mission of HRCP to the Joseph Colony in Badami Bagh has held
the Police and the provincial administration squarely responsible
for the horrible affair.
The Senate unanimously passed
the Anti-Terrorism (Second Amendment) Bill 2013. The second
amendment bill, which aims to counter terrorism, is an enhanced
and rigorous version of the one passed by the National Assembly
earlier. Some of the key features showed that the bill envisages
dealing more strictly with the elements posing danger to national
security.
March 14
Twenty militants were killed
and another 20 injured as fighting between the TTP and AI outfit
continued in the Qambarkhel area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency
of FATA.
Three Persons were killed and
six others were injured in an explosion in the Landhi area of
New Muzaffarabad Colony within the Quaidabad Police Station.
A JI activist was killed and
two others were injured in North Karachi within the limit of
Surjani town Police Station.
One Irshad (40), an activist
of MQM, was killed near the Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation Centre
in Babar Market.
Nadeem (36), an activist of
SeM, was killed while another was injured in Sector 7-D within
the Surjani Police Station.
The dead body of one Muhammad
Nazeer (27) was found near a telephone exchange on Hashim Raza
Zaidi Road of Malir town.
A dead body packed in gunny
bag was found near Madras society in Sachal area.
Dead bodies of two brothers
Abdullah (29) and Wahid (24) were discovered from Malir River
in the jurisdiction of Khokhrapar Police Station.
Police shot dead a militant
'commander' suspected over the killing of a prominent woman
development worker Parveen Rehman (56).
Police arrested another six
TTP militants from Karachi and seized heavy explosives and weapons.
"Those arrested included Bashir Ullah, who was a mastermind
of the deadly bombing in Abbas Town neighbourhood," senior Police
official Shahid Hayat said.
Pakistan Rangers Sindh claimed
to have arrested 27 suspects, including members of banned outfits,
and recovered weapons form their possession from Mehran town,
Korangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Jamshed Quarter areas. According
to Rangers sources, three alleged cadres of the LeJ and TTP
were among the detainees.
Sindh Police said 156 officials
and personnel of Karachi Police were killed during encounters
with criminals and terrorists' attacks beginning January 2012
to date. The victims were one SP, one DSP, four inspectors,
14 SI, 21 ASI, 24 head constables and 91 constables. The report
also shows that 37 Police officers and personnel were killed
and 85 others injured in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana
during the same year.
Two ethnic Punjabis were shot
dead by unidentified assailants at Qandeel Chowk in Gwadar city
(Gwadar District).
Hundreds of men, women and elderly
people staged a strong protest demonstration outside the Quetta
Press Club of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital
of Balochistan, against the arrest of 11 children being portrayed
as paid workers of banned outfit UBA by the LEA.
The National Assembly unanimously
passed a resolution against the February 9, 2013, hanging of
Afzal Guru (in New Delhi's Tihar Jail), convicted in December
13, 2001, attack on Indian Parliament and called upon the UN
and the international community to help Kashmiris and get their
right to self-determination.The resolution demanded that the
body of Afzal Guru be handed over to his family members for
proper burial and also called upon the Indian Government to
lift the curfew in Jammu and Kashmir.
Nawab Aslam Raisani led coalition
government now stands restored in Balochistan as a two-month
term of Governor Rule imposed in the province expired at 12:00am.
According to sources, Governor Balochistan, Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi,
has held a meeting with the Aslam Raisani to hash over the situation
after the end of Governor Rule and the reinstatement of his
government.
March 15
Three persons were killed in
separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A person, identified as Akram
(53), a vegetable vendor, was killed by unidentified assailants
inside his shop situated in Landhi area.
A dead body of a man, identified
as Muhammad Waseem (26), was found near Naad-e-Ali bus stop
of Malir town.
An unidentified body of a man
was recovered from a metal box at platform no 7/8 Cantonment
Station.
Pakistan Rangers claimed to
have arrested about three dozen suspects including cadres of
TTP and alleged target killer in separate raids in the Karachi.
They also claimed to have recovered a torture cell from Yousuf
Goth, an area of Baldia town.
A tower of a cellular company
was partially damaged in the blast in Togh Sarai area of Hangu
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The BDU defused an improvised
explosive device in a crowded bazaar near Lakki Gate in Bannu
town of same District.
An ATC sent 13 suspects nominated
in the Badami Bagh tragedy to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
Three British Muslims, including
a convert to Islam pleaded guilty in court to travelling to
Pakistan for terror training. Richard Dart (29), Imran Mahmood
(21) and Jahangir Alom (26), appeared by video-link before a
judge at the Old Bailey's central criminal court in London of
England.
March 16
A security guard working at
a private bus terminal in the jurisdiction of Pirwadhai Police
Station in Rawalpindi in the province of Punjab has been shot
dead.
At least five security personnel
were severely injured in a remote-controlled blast in the Miranshah
area of North Waziristan in FATA.
March 17
Seven persons, including three
MQM activists and two Policemen were killed in separate incidents
in Sindh province.
Three activist of the MQM were
shot dead and another was injured by unidentified assailants
on a sector office of MQM in SITE area of Hyderabad city (Hyderabad
District).
Two Policemen, identified as
Constables Raja Khan (32) and Zoheb Khan (27) were killed in
the SITE area of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Abdul Ghafoor (35) was killed
in New Sabzi Mandi on the Super Highway.
A dead body, identified as Kamran,
was found under the Miran Naka Bridge in Shershah area.
The key suspect of the murder
of American journalist Daniel Pearl, Qari Abdul Hayye alias
Asadullah, a former chief of Sindh chapter of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
(LeJ), was arrested in a covert operation by Rangers from Mobina
town.
Unidentified motorcycle bourne
assailants shot dead two Afghan nationals in the limits of Shabqadar
Police Station in Charsadda town of same District in KP.
Meanwhile, four CD shops were
damaged in a suspected militant attack in Matani area on the
outskirts of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP.
Suspected militants blew up
a gas pipeline near Goth Peeru Bugti area of Jaffarabad District.
LEA arrested 26 Afghan nationals
under foreign act in Nokundi area of Chagai District.
March 18
Ten militants were killed and
six others injured when jetfighters pounded their hideouts in
Chappar area of Mamozai tehsil in Orakzai Agency of FATA.
Unidentified militants bombed
two Government primary schools in Safi tehsil of Mohmand Agency.
Seven persons were killed in
separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Principal of a college, a campaigner
of sectarian harmony, Prof Sibt-e-Jafar Zaidi, was shot dead.
The killing came as a shock to the Shia community, his students
and educationists.
A soldier, identified as Imran
Ali (30), was shot dead near Frontier Mor within the remits
of the Orangi town Police Station.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI)
Zakir Hussain was shot dead by unidentified assailants near
the PNS Shifa hospital of Pak Jamhooria Colony area.
Shahrukh (22), owner of a tyre
puncture shop, was in the Ghas Mandi area.
Owner of a tyre puncture shop,
identified as Mohammad Danish was shot dead near Baloch Hotel
in the Liaquatabad area.
A dead body was found near Jungle
School in Machhar Colony. The victim was identified as Zeeshan
aka Moon, a fish seller and resident of Machhar Colony.
A suspected cadre of the TTP
was killed and other was arrested in "a Police encounter" in
the Manghopir area.
A Policeman and three civilians
were killed and 49 persons, including a woman additional district
and session's judge, were injured in a suicide attack in a judicial
complex in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Two suicide bombers entered the complex and one of them blew
himself up in the courtroom of Additional District and Sessions
Judge Kalsoom Zaman while the second was gunned down by police.
TTP 'spokesman' Ehsanullah Ehsan said it was in revenge "for
the failure of the country's judiciary to defend jailed Pakistani
scientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui" in the US.
An unidentified assailant shot
dead a Shia lawyer and injured his assistant seriously on Dalazak
Road in Peshawar.
Meanwhile, a cell-phone shop
was blown up in Karbogha Sharif of Doaba area in Hangu District.
A bomb exploded near Levies
Force office in Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District. No loss
of life was reported.
Unidentified assailants abducted
a man, identified as Gohar Khan from Sui area of Dera Bugti
District.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become
the first province in the country to set up a Strategy and Analysis
Wing (SAW) with an aim to coordinate efforts at combating crime
and terrorism, analysing data and making use of digital and
internet data to achieve its objectives.
In an eight minute video released
by the TTP from an undisclosed location, its 'spokesperson'
Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed that the SFs and Government are not
serious about the peace dialogue, which is why the TTP have
decided to postpone the peace talks. TTP 'spokesperson' further
demanded that the people not participate in the public gatherings
and rallies of the PPP, MQM and ANP, claiming both of these
parties are on the TTP's (hit) list.
The Senate Standing Committee
on National Harmony asked the Government to arrest those involved
in the Badami Bagh incident on March 9, 2013, in which about
200 houses of Christian community were set on fire.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhary said that only those people who are found guilty of
blasphemy through due process should be punished, not the entire
communities.
March 19
Forty six militants, including
an Uzbek 'commander', were killed in twin suicide attacks on
the TTP in the headquarters of the AI in Bagh area of Tirah
Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA.
TTP and LI occupied the Maidan
area, the stronghold of pro-Government AI, in Tirah Valley.
Talking to reporters from an
undisclosed location, the deputy head of AI, Ezatullah, said
that his organisation was intact and would fight from Zakhakhel
and Orakzai Agency to defeat the invaders in Maidan.
One security personnel suffered
injuries when militants attacked a checkpost in Sadiqabad area
in Bajaur Agency.
Nine persons, including Doctor
and Army soldier were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Assistant professor of medicine
in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Dr Asad Usman, was killed along
with his guard near Matric Board Office within the precincts
of Nazimabad Police Station.
Two persons identified as Ejaz
(25) and Shafi alias Bhaiya (30), were killed and one Yaseen
Hussain was injured by unidentified assailants in Al Badar society.
Malik Iftikhar (43) was killed
inside his house of Shah Faisal area within the precincts of
Shah Faisal Police Station.
A surveyor of Pak Arab refinery,
identified as Mansoor Zaki (42), was killed near Malir Naddi
of Sharafi Goth Police Station.
The educationist, writer, scholar
and lawyer Sibt-e-Jaffer, who was shot dead on March 18, 2013,
was laid to rest at Wadi-e-Hussain after his funeral prayers
at Ancholi Imambargah. When procession reached Rashid
Minhas Road and University Road, some participants opened indiscriminate
firing on passersby resulting in the death of Akram Masih and
Hidayatullah.
Some unidentified persons attacked
the Police vehicle deployed for the procession route security
in Ancholi, and snatched a sub-machinegun from the Police constable.
A planted bomb went off in a
vehicle near Saifi College situated in Block H and S, North
Nazimabad area, claiming the life of deputy general manager
of KESC along with injuring three passers-by.
A person, identified as Abdul
Manan, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Shahwani
Mohala in New Sariab area of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial
capital of Balochistan.
A person was killed by unidentified
assailants who later dumped his body in open fields in Rojan
Jamali area of Jaffarabad District.
A man was shot dead by unidentified
assailants in Dhadar area of Kachi District.
Unidentified assailants killed
a soldier of FC, Qadir Khan, and injured two Policemen in Shabqadar
area of Charsadda town of same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Unidentified militants targeted
the residence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly member Babar Khan
in the Shabqadar area. A militant-planted bomb exploded overnight
outside the house of the Qaumi Watan Party-affiliated provincial
MP. He was at home at the time but no casualties were reported.
Two IEDs planted near the main
gate of a private se school went off with a bang in Batgram
area. As a result the gate and boundary wall of the school were
destroyed while other parts of the school were partially damaged.
SFs launched a massive search
in the rural Peshawar and adjacent semi-tribal area a day after
the suicide attack on the Judicial Complex in the provincial
capital. Dozens of suspects were arrested during the drive and
shifted to an unknown place.
March 20
At least nine persons, including
two MQM activists were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
A person, identified as Faisal
(29), an active worker of MQM, was shot dead by unidentified
assailants outside his shop on Ramswami Road.
A MQM activist, identified as
Farasat Mirza (35), was shot dead by unidentified assailants
in Gulbahar area.
A Shia man, identified as Imran
Haider Naqvi (25), was shot dead near Hyderi Imambargah
of Lasbela area.
A Police informer Noor Muhammad
(45) was killed on Mirza Adam Khan Road in Lyari area.
A person, identified as Khaild
(27), was shot dead near his house in sector 7-A of Sarjani
town.
Pakistan Rangers Sindh conducted
a raid in Musharraf Colony and arrested 15 suspected militants.
Police said that 34 weapons of different calibres were recovered
including SMGs, rifles, shotguns, pistols and ammunition.
SFs arrested about 60 suspects
in connection with the March 18, 2013, suicide attack on judicial
complex in Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Police recovered weapons and
drugs from a truck at a check post on Hangu Road of same District.
The seizure included 25 Kalashnikovs and 125 chargers, two shot
guns and three rifles besides nine kilograms of hashish and
opium.
Submitting a progress report
regarding the missing persons, DIG CID Balochistan told the
Supreme Court that six army officers are involved in the abduction
of missing persons in Balochistan.
Police recovered 10 bags of
1698 dynamite bombs loaded on a truck and arrested the smugglers
on Grand Trunk road near Khairabad Chowk in Khairabad town of
Mianwali District.
March 21
At least 17 persons were killed
and 34 others injured in a car bomb explosion in the Jalozai
camp for IDPs in Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Two young girls were killed
when an explosive device, they were playing with, went off in
a house in Sakhakot area of Malakand District.
SFs arrested at least 11 suspects
and recovered explosives and other items used in bomb making
during a search operation in Safi tehsil of Mohmand Agency of
FATA. SFs recovered at least 100 kilograms of explosives and
other item used in bomb making.
A cracker blast damaged the
railway track near Bin Qasim area of Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
Police arrested three alleged
terrorists of TTP and LeJ after a brief shootout at Manghopir
Road in Karachi.
Meanwhile, a report submitted
to Supreme Court said that around 208 target killers and 238
extortionists belonging to political parties and banned outfits
were arrested from Karachi.
Police and Rangers invited the
ire of the Supreme Court by submitting contradictory statements
about 'no-go areas' in Lyari. While Rangers' claim that there
was no no-go area in Lyari, the DIG Shahid Hayat submitted that
Police and Rangers could not enter the crime-infested locality
despite all efforts. The court, which was hearing the case relating
to implementation of its judgment, also expressed concern and
annoyance over reports about the killing of alleged gangster
Arshad Pappu and others and mutilation of their bodies in Lyari
by their rivals.
Police foiled a bid to blow
up a railway bridge on the Quetta-Sibi railway track near Link
Badini area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Responding to stinging criticism
worldwide, the White House is working to shift control of the
Central Intelligence Agency's lethal drone programme to the
military, The Wall Street Journal said. The move on the drone
programme that redefines the widely contested campaign that
targets suspected terrorists in countries like Pakistan and
Yemen was corroborated by the US officials. A United Nations
investigator declared after a secret research trip to the country
that the attacks violated Pakistan's sovereignty.
March 22
Four militants were killed when
US drone fired two missiles on a house in Dattakhel tehsil of
North Waziristan Agency in FATA.
Ten persons, including two children,
were killed and 37 others were injured when a bomb planted on
a motorcycle-rickshaw went off at a crowded bazaar in Dera Allahyar
town in the Jaffarabad District.
A gas pipeline was blown up
near Go-pat area in the Dera Bugti District. The banned BRA
group claimed responsibility for the attack.
FC IG, Major General Obaidullah
Khan Khatak, said that concrete measures put in place by the
Government and LEA has resulted in the reduction of militancy
in Balochistan.
Two activists of the MQM were
shot dead in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
An MQM activist, identified
as Muhammad Ibrar (33), was killed by unidentified assailants
near Rehmat Chowk in Orangi town.
An MQM activist, Muhammad Ismail
(25), was killed by unidentified assailants in New Karachi area.
Fifteen suspected gangsters
wanted by the Police in a number of target killing and extortion
cases were arrested by Rangers in a raid in Mehmodabad area
in the wee hours. During the search of their hideout, the Rangers
also recovered 25 weapons, including Kalashnikovs, sub-machine
guns, repeaters, MP-5, pistols, silencers, Police uniforms and
a large quantity of ammunition. Sources said that during the
search operation, the Rangers arrested a policeman who was present
at the hideout of militants.
A Police team of South Range
raided the Lyari town and arrested 20 suspects, including some
wanted criminals and also recovered arms from their possession.
Police also recovered weapons from their possession.
An armed clash left a militant
killed and a security man injured in Dro Adda area of Akkakhel
in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency in FATA. Officials said that
SFs clashed with a group of militants when the latter attacked
a security checkpost in Dro Adda area. In the firing exchange,
a militant was killed and a soldier received injuries.
Unidentified militants blew
up a Government school in Meeri Khel area of Akkakhel. Official
sources said that militants blew up the girl's school in Misri
chowk by planting a huge quantity of explosives inside the building.
Unidentified persons opened
fire on a NATO container at Wazir Dhand locality of Jamrud tehsil.
Local officials said that a cleaner of the vehicle received
minor injuries in the attack.
Prospective candidates of political
parties in Hangu District have so far restricted their election
meetings to hujras, while some of them have been demanding that
elections should be held under the supervision of Army in this
volatile District due to threat of TTP attacks.
Pakistani prosecutors approached
a court seeking voice samples of seven men, including LeT commander
Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, charged with involvement in the 2008 Mumbai
attacks. Special prosecutor, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali of the FIA
filed an application that was admitted for regular hearing by
the Islamabad High Court on March 21. A two-judge bench issued
notices to the seven suspects, asking them to respond to the
FIA's application seeking their voice samples.
March 23
A suicide bomber rammed a water
tanker bomb at a military check post, killing 17 SFs, one civilian
and injured 25 others near Miranshah, the main town in North
Waziristan Agency, in FATA.
SFs arrested 13 suspects and
recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition during a search
operation in Mohmand area of Mohmand Agency.
The TTP has set up a special
death squad to target former President General (retd) Pervez
Musharraf upon his arrival, who is expected to land in Karachi
on March 24, says a militant video released on March 23. The
TTP has also called upon the Baloch insurgents to join hands
with the militant outfit to wage a joint-war for implementing
Shariah laws in the country.
March 24
A shop owner, identified as
Mohammed Luqman (40), was shot dead by unidentified assailants
in Gujjar Chowk area of Manzoor Colony in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. In the meantime, a mobile van
of Baloch Colony Police Station spotted the fleeing suspects
and challenged them. Upon seeing the Police, the suspects opened
fire and an encounter ensued following which one of the gunmen
was arrested in injured condition, while his accomplice fled
from the scene.
Personnel of the Sindh Rangers
raided the Northern Bypass area in Manghopir and recovered a
prepared suicide Jacket, three detonator cords, 16 detonator
fuses and a magazine of a 9mm pistol, while some suspected terrorists
escaped the paramilitary force.
Personnel of the Sindh Police
Department raided the Banaras area and arrested two cadres of
TTP.
A Levies official, identified
as Ishaq, was killed by unidentified assailants in Gwadar city
of same District.
An explosive device went off
near the house of former MPA Babar Ali Mohmand in Shabqadar
tehsil of Charsadda District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
March 25
Four persons, including two
Police constables killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Police constable Ghulam Nabi
Baloch was killed by unidentified assailants in Sultanabad area
of Manghopir.
Police constable Nadir Ali was
killed by unidentified assailants in Bilal Colony of Korangi
industrial area.
A businessman, identified as
Ali Akber (40), was shot dead near Cable Chowrangi in SITE-B
area.
A businessman, identified as
Kamran, was abducted from Jodia Bazar. The abductors initially
demanded PKR five million as ransom. The family waited for the
abductors to call them again for fixing a collection point,
but they never did. Instead, the Sharea Noor Jehan Police called
them and informed them about recovering Kamran’s body from inside
his car parked in Block L of North Nazimabad.
LEA, Sindh Rangers and Police
- conducted targeted raids in several areas of the Karachi and
arrested 65 suspects along with recovering huge cache of weapons.
Two security personnel were
killed in a remote-controlled blast in Damadola area of Mamond
tehsil in Bajaur Agency of FATA.
More than fifty thousand families
have migrated from the Tirah Valley. The Tirah Valley has now
become an abode of TTP and LI after they have jointly pushed
out the armed fighters affiliated with AI, which is led by Mehboobul
Haq.
The candidates for a National
Assembly seat in Bara have demanded of the authorities to postpone
the upcoming general elections in NA-46 constituency owing to
threats from a militant outfit and inability of political administration
to devise a foolproof security plan for electioneering.
The Jalozai refugee camp administration
has chalked out a new security plan with the help of the DPO
for the safety of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The plan
includes setting up three security barriers and deploying more
police personnel. The UNHCR postponed the registration of IDPs
from Tirah Valley at the camp on March 22 following a deadly
blast that killed at least 17 people, including a female social
worker, and injured 28 others.
The Supreme Court has sought
complete report from the FATA secretary regarding the losses
of human lives due to terrorist attacks in FATA and PATA since
April 12, 2008 to date.
A low intensity bomb exploded
outside the office of a local advertisement company on Dorra
Road within the jurisdiction of Banamari Police Station in Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The SSGC 18-inch IRBP that had
been attacked on March 16 and 22 was blown up for the third
time at around 10.30pm at the same point in the Pat Feeder area
of Dera Bugti District.
SFs arrested nine militants
for their suspected involvement in abducting for ransom activities
and destroyed six hideouts during a search operation in various
areas of the Sibi District.Police said eight motorcycles, a
double-barrel gun and one binocular were seized during the action.
Akhtar Mengal, the leader of
the BNP-M landed in Karachi amid pressure from Baloch militants
and exiled nationalists, calling on him to boycott the 2013
elections. The warning came as election campaigning kicked-off
in Balochistan. Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, commander of BLF warned
all the politicians to boycott the elections arguing that “elections
are to suppress the voice and demands of Baloch people and nothing
else.”
Meanwhile, BLA and other militant
groups have threatened to launch a fresh wave of violence during
the run-off to the general elections and have urged voters to
boycott the poll in Balochistan.
March 26
Two persons were killed in separate
incidents of firing in Khuzdar and Jaffarabad Districts of Balochistan.
Unidentified armed assailants
fired at a shop located on Sardar Munir Mengal Road of Khuzdar
and killed Abdul Ghaffar.
A person was shot dead in Usta
Muhammad town of Jaffarabad district.
Security Forces killed four
Afghan-based militants as the troops repulsed a cross border
attack on a security check-point in Nawagal tehsil.
March 27
A senior Federal Government
official was shot dead, in what Police said was an incident
of sectarian killing in the Gulbahar area of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Unidentified gunmen opened fire
on a WAPDA vehicle carrying Town-2 SDO Khawaja Imran in the
Gulbahar area,” a Police official said. Gulbahar Police said
the WAPDA official was targeted because he belonged to Shia
sect.
Separately, a tribesman was
shot dead and a taxi driver injured in an attack at Dabgari
area.
Two persons were injured in
an explosion near Yunus Park in Peshawar. The blast reportedly
took place outside an arms dealer shop. The building above the
arms dealer’s shop, houses the Peoples Labour office for Peshawar,
an office affiliated with the PPP.
A small intensity explosive
device went off near the house of PPP leader Akbar Khan Mohmand
on Shami Road. Police said that no one had been injured and
only a section of the wall had been damaged.
A leader of the STP, Qambar
Shahdadkot District President Abdul Aziz Mastoi, was killed
in a firing attack in the limits of City Police Station of Qambar
Shahdadkot.
Pakistani Rangers arrested numerous
suspected Lyari gang war participants during operations in Karachi
on two consecutive date of March 26-27. Authorities arrested
30 suspects in raids in the Usmanabad, Jumma Goth, Malir, Kharadar,
Khadda Market, Old Golimar, Hazara Colony and Sabzi Mandi areas.
Unidentified militants blew
up a filling station in Sadda Bazaar of Kurram Agency in FATA.
The sources said unidentified militants placed a bag near the
manager’s room at the filling station owned by Gul Manan in
Sadda Bazaar.
The political administration
in Landi Kotal of Khyber Agency has imposed a ban on display
of arms and use of indecent language during the election campaign.
The decision was taken during a meeting in Landi Kotal that
was attended by all the candidates contesting elections from
NA-45 constituency of Khyber Agency and Assistant Political
Agent Dr Azmat Wazir.
The City Police foiled a massive
terrorism plan in Balochistan and seized a truck full of explosives
during a search operation at Nawabi Gate near Kuchlak in Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Militants have killed more than
49,000 of their countrymen since 9/11, the SC of Pakistan learned.
Militants at one point held 24% of the FATA and 37% of Swat
(Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), but effective military operations restored
the Government's writ, Raja Irshad, a lawyer for the Security
Forces, told a three-member SC bench. The bench was hearing
a petition challenging the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation,
2011.
More than 9000 persons including
military, paramilitary and Police officials along with members
of Government-backed tribal Aman Lashkars (peace militia) have
been killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA during the last five
years. The report said that a total of 235 suicide attacks,
9,257 rocket attacks and 4,256 bomb explosions have taken place
in KP and FATA since 2008.
Among the fatalities, 5,152
were civilians, 1,489 army officials, 675 Frontier Corps, while
1,717 belonged to the Police force. In targeted attacks, 243
people belonging to Lashkars were killed and 275 were injured,
while 995 schools and 35 colleges were also destroyed in the
last five years. The agencies’ report cited 475 major and 135
small raids while 6000 search operations by the security forces
in which, it said, 3,051 militants were killed. Militancy in
the region was at its peak during 2007 and 2008. However, actions
taken by the law enforcement agencies had restrained the militants’
strength, it added.
The Federal Ministry of Interior
warned of a massive terrorist threat in the coming elections.
A presentation made during a meeting between officials of the
Ministry and ECP to discuss security issues revealed that the
Jundallah, in coordination with LeJ and TTP, was planning to
carry out large-scale terrorist attacks in Balochistan, with
Nushki and Quetta as their particular targets.
A participant of the meeting
said that the meeting had been informed that the BRA was also
planning to carry out attacks by IED in Dera Bugti, Naseerabad
and Jaffarabad. Usman Saifullah Kurd, a ‘commander’ of the Balochistan
faction of the LeJ, was planning terrorist attacks in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission
of Pakistan is considering deployment of armed forces in at
least half of the polling stations in KP and the FATA over security
concerns, said Provincial Election Commissioner Sono Khan Baloch.
Nobody was held responsible
for the operation of Lal Masjid as the commission submitted
its report to the Supreme Court. Over 200 people recorded their
statements before the Lal Masjid Commission.
Terror threat emanating from
Pakistan remains a danger to Britain’s national security, the
head of Britain’s counter-terrorism strategy Charles Farr said
in an interview. He revealed that threat to Britain from Pakistan-based
militant groups comes not only from al Qaida but lots of groups
including TTP, Lashkar-e-Toiba and banned militant organisations
inducing from “some settled areas of Karachi”.
As many as 633 missing persons,
including 279 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, remain to be traced,
according to a report submitted in the Supreme Court. Of the
remaining missing persons, 148 are from Punjab, while 100 are
from Sindh, 48 from Balochistan, 26 from FATA, 20 from Islamabad
Capital Territory, 11 from Azad Kashmir and one from Gilgit
Baltistan. The commission also reported that it was handed over
138 cases of missing persons in December 2010 and, so far, it
has received 873 new cases of missing persons from all over
the country. The total number of cases they have handled thus
far is 1,011. Out of these, the commission has traced 316 persons
and deleted 47 names from the list, due to lack of details.
Another 15 names were omitted because of other reasons.
March 28
A remote-controlled bomb killing
two security personnel patrolling Damadola village of Bajaur
Agency, near the border with Afghanistan.
The political administration
along with the jirga members destroyed the houses of four militants
in the Halemzai tehsil of the Mohmand Agency.
Four persons, including an MQM
worker, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An MQM activist, Muhammad Hanif
alias Gaddafi alias Puppy, was killed by unidentified assailants
in Mirchi Gali of Jodia Bazar area.
Saleem Memon (50), a clerk in
the Sindh Food Department, was killed in Kaghazi Bazar of Kharadar
area.
A dead body was recovered from
Essa Nagri area.
A dead body was recovered from
the Northern Bypass of Surjani town.
Two Police officers posted in
Lyari area were dismissed from service for their relations with
criminal elements. Inspector Javed Baloch and SI Chand Niazi
posted at the Chakiwara and the Kalri Police stations respectively
had been put under suspension after the killing of ‘gangster’
Arshad Pappu on March 17, 2013.
PIMA said that Sindh caretaker
Government should focus on law and order situation in the province.
A statement issued by the PIMA said caretaker Chief Minster
should take strict measures to overcome lawlessness, terrorism
and extortion and especially crimes against doctors like abducting,
killing and extortion.
A person, identified as Muhammad
Azeem, was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Sariab
area of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of
Balochistan.
LEA arrested 160 Afghan nationals
under the Foreigners Act in Nokundi area of Chaghai District.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a senior lawyer, identified as Chaudhry Aslam of the Supreme
Court, near Fauji Foundation Hospital of Rawalpindi.
Police neutralised three IEDs
in the limits of Matani and Badaber Police Stations in Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
BDS foiled a terrorist attempt
and defused a 5-kg bomb placed beneath a bridge on Dera Ismail
Khan Road of same District.
March 29
12 persons, including four security
personnel, were killed and 35 others were injured in a suicide
bomber attacked on the vehicle of Commandant of Frontier Constabulary
in the province Abdul Majeed Marwat in the high-security cantonment
area of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan made phone
calls to media offices in Peshawar to accept responsibility
for the attack. “We targeted the FC (commandant) for operations
against the Taliban and tribal people.”
Twelve militants were killed
during operation by the SFs in Mamoonzai area of Orakzai Agency
in FATA. Three militants’ hideouts have also been destroyed
in the shelling.
Four soldiers were injuried
in a roadside blast in Sheedano Dhand area of lower Kurram Agency.
11 persons were killed in separate
incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh.
Two Karachi Metropolitan Corporation
city wardens were killed and another was injured in an attack
near the Matric Board office in North Nazimabad.
A trader, identified as Maulana
Zafar (50), was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Kareem
Centre in Preedy area.
Sub-Inspector Manzoor Elahi
(45) was shot dead on Mauripur Road, near Shenwari Hotel in
Kalri area.
An activist of a Sindhi nationalist
party, identified as Abdul Hameed alias Sindhi Baba (50), was
killed near Mudassir Masjid in Mehran town of Korangi Industrial
area.
A Hindu man, identified as Mohan
Lal (25), was shot dead at Sariya Gali in Napier area.
An estate agent, identified
as Mohammad Saleem (35), was shot dead in Haryana Colony.
A tabla player, identified as
Mohammad Ramzan (28), was shot dead in the UP Morr area of New
Karachi.
A watchman, identified as Sher
Khan, was shot dead outside a house opposite Disco Bakery in
Gulshan-e-Iqbal area. One of his attackers was also killed in
the incident.
A person, identified as Kamran
Hussain, a member of the Shia community, was shot dead in a
sectarian attack outside Ayaz Medical Store at Phool Gali of
Rizvia area.
Rangers arrested 36 suspected
terrorists belonging to banned outfits and recovered weapons
and explosives in three raids from Machar Colony of Sohrab Goth
area. Seventy-four weapons of different calibres, including
LMGs, Kalashnikovs, grenades, launchers, repeaters, shotguns,
rockets and improvised explosive devices were seized.
JI Gujranwala District ‘chief’
Bilal Qudrat Butt was injured when unidentified assailants opened
fire on his car at Qila Didar Singh town of Gujranwala District.
RPO Ghulam Rasool Zahid denied
Rahim Yar Khan District is the headquarters of the TTP as claimed
by former interior minister Rehman Malik.
“Terrorism is my only worry
which can disturb smooth run-up to the general elections,” Punjab’s
caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi said. Adding that otherwise
things were very much under control.
March 30
One civilian killed and eight
others including students injured when an unidentified motorcyclist
hurled a hand grenade and resorted to firing at a school in
Ittehad Town of Karachi (Karachi), the provincial capital of
Sindh.
March 31
The dead bodies of three persons,
who were abducted last week, were found in the limits of Doaba
Police Station in Hangu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Two persons killed and seven
others were injured, among them an election candidate, in a
bomb attack on a motorcade in the Janikhel area of Bannu District.
The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack. Calling from
an undisclosed location, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told
journalists that Mr Wazir was attacked because he was part of
the ANP Government for five years. The TTP threatened more attacks
against the ANP. “We are against ANP. We have directed our associates
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to target ANP election rallies and all
its leaders,” Ehsan said.
A Policeman, identified as Havaldar
Mahmoodul Hassan, was injured when unidentified assailants attacked
a Police patrolling party in Jungle Khel area of Kohat District.
Unidentified militants targeted
a Government-run girl’s school in Bannu city with explosives,
however no causality was reported.
A man sustained injuries when
a hand grenade went off in Amandarra area in Malakand Agency
of FATA.
Two FC personnel were injured,
when a remote-controlled bomb planted in Qambrani road of Sariab
area of Quetta (Quetta), the provincial capital of Balochistan
went off.
Unidentified assailants abducted
a man, identified as Haji Sultan from Girdi Jungal area of Chaghai
District.
The SIU of Police killed three
suspected abductors in an encounter near Northern Bypass area
of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two Kalashnikovs, two hand grenades and a pistol were recovered
from their possession, Police claimed.
Sindh Rangers arrested 25 suspects
including an electrician of Nawa-e-Waqt group, Muhammad Rehan
during a targeted raid in Rangar Mohalla in Baldia town. According
to Rangers spokesman, about 60 weapons of different calibers
including sub machineguns, MP-5 and large quantity of ammunition
were also recovered.
BNP President Sardar Akhtar
Jan Mengal expressed his deep concern over the deteriorating
law and order situation in Balochistan, pointing out that political
workers were being killed ruthlessly to keep them out of campaigning.
A Pakistani Anti-Terrorism Court
conducting the trial of seven men charged with involvement in
the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, issued summons to six witnesses for
selling a boat and other equipment to the accused.
The Lahore High Court has been
told by a senior law officer not to rule in favour of giving
official legal assistance to JuD and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed
in a case filed against him in the US, as doing so would strengthen
the hand of the Indian Government.
April 1
Five NATO containers were set
ablaze on the National Highway near Kambari bridge area of Bolan
District. Bolan Deputy Commissioner Sayeed Waheed Shah said
that a convoy of 40 NATO containers was en route to Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh from Chaman
area of Qilla Abdullah District when unidentified assailants
on two motorcycles opened indiscriminate fire on it.
The Anti Extremism Cell of CID
Police arrested four militants of a TTP and recovered a huge
cache of ammunition and a list of political leaders, who were
their potential targets in Hijrat Colony area of Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Meanwhile, a large number of
people belonging to the Shia community took to the streets and
blocked main Numaish Chowrangi, bemoaning that Police and SFs
detained their supporters during the last few days and shifted
them to undisclosed locations. The protest was organised by
APSAC.
The latest Pakistan-Afghanistan
cross-border shelling incidents and continuing Afghan Taliban
infiltration dominated the meeting between Army 'chief' Gen
Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and the new commander of the ISAF, Gen
Joseph Dunford as the two commanders' explored ways to strengthen
their border coordination mechanisms.
'Chief' of APML, retired general
Pervez Musharraf, expressed his desire that the elections should
be held under the supervision of army. The former president
said he had been facing serious threats, but at the same time
expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made by the caretaker
Government for his security.
Around 43,000 people have been
forced to leave their homes in Maidan area of Tirah valley of
Khyber Agency of FATA over the past two weeks because of escalation
of hostilities between militant groups in the tribal region,
the UN Office for OCHA said. According to figures released by
the FDMA, around 10 per cent of the IDPs have taken refuge in
Kurram Agency and the rest in Hangu, Kohat, Nowshera and Peshawar
Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
April 2
Five WAPDA employees, including
a SDO, and three community Police personnel were found dead
in fields near Sheikh Muhammadi area in Badhaber, a suburb of
Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after
a militant attack on a grid station. During the attack, the
militants fired seven rockets at a 500 kilowatt grid station
in Sheikh Muhammadi, causing it to catch fire. An official of
the BDS, Abdul Haq, said 14 bombs of five kilograms each had
been planted to blow up the offices and the grid station. "Thirteen
bombs exploded while one was defused by the bomb disposal unit,"
he said.
Unidentified assailants killed
a man, Syed Zulqarnain Haider (24), on Daora Road under Pando
Police Station.
One Laiq Hussain of Parachinar
(Kurram Agency of FATA) escaped unhurt when unidentified motorcyclists
opened fire on his car near Motorway Bridge.
Unidentified militants blew
up a cellular phone company tower with explosives in Darsamand
area of Hangu District.
Security Forces arrested a militant,
known for his expertise in making of IED, along with his few
other accomplices from Samanth area located east of Michni in
Peshawar.
Six persons, including one PPP
election candidate, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
The first casualty of the upcoming
elections, a covering candidate of the PPP on the PS-95 of Orangi
town seat, identified as Adnan Qualeti (28) was shot dead in
a targeted attack near Qatar Masjid in Orangi town.
An MQM activist, Asif Ansari
(32) was shot dead while his colleague was injured at a barber
shop on Jinnah Road of Pak Colony.
An MQM activist, identified
as Abdul Hafeez, was shot dead in Sector 7C of Orangi town.
A Shia, identified as Syed Ashraf
Hussain Zaidi (59), was shot dead at his general store in Malir
area.
A contractor, Arshad Mehmood,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Padar Ground in
Keamari area.
An unidentified person was shot
dead near Bantwa Gali on Lea Market Road.
Sindh Rangers continued their
operation against militants in different parts of the Karachi
and arrested 12 suspects during door-to-door search operation.
As many as 12 suspects were arrested from Noorani Basti while
arms were also recovered from their possession, the sources
said. Similarly, Rangers also arrested 12 suspected people from
Qasba Colony and its adjoining areas.
Levies Force arrested 31 illegal
Afghan immigrants, including 11 women and four children, in
Chaman border of Qilla Abdullah District.
Some of the political parties,
like the ANP and PPP-P, are finding it hard to hold big gatherings
for electioneering in FATA due to serious threats. These parties
are even unable to held corner meetings due to strong hold of
non-state actors in FATA.
April 3
At least five persons, including
four paramilitary soldiers and a local leader of ANP, were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Four paramilitary soldiers were
killed and three others were injured in a bomb blast near paramilitary
complex of Korangi area. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
A local leader of the ANP, identified
as Barkat Ali, was killed by unidentified assailants in Pirabad
area of Orangi town.
The CID of Police arrested two
suspected cadres of LeJ and recovered a bomb, 10kg explosives
material, hand grenades, two TT pistol and five detonators and
arms during a search operation at Noor Garden, Sector-D area
of Surjani town.
IGP Sindh, Shahid Nadeem Baloch
has claimed there was no 'no-go area' in the city, regardless
of his admission that Police had been facing resistance in some
areas during search operations. The IGP said there were few
areas where police were facing resistance, but he hoped those
areas would be cleared soon.
After the Supreme Court concluded
hearing of suo motu notice of March 9, 2013, Lahore Badami Bagh
mob attack, at least five persons were injured in a fresh Muslim-Christian
clash in Francisi Colony of Gujranwala city of same District.
Former AG Balochistan, Salahuddin
Mengal, was abducted from the remit of Sariab Police Station
of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Caretaker Interior Minister
Malik Habib said that Balochistan was top priority and that
army should be deployed in areas inhabited by the Hazara community.
"Good officers should be deployed. I have heard that some upright
officers were sidelined and I am looking into this", he added.
Secretary General, JI, Liaqat
Baloch demands for an immediate end to the military operations
in tribal areas to enable the tribal people exercise their right
of vote in a free and peaceful atmosphere.
According to a survey by the
British Council a majority of respondents - 38 percent - said
Islamic Sharia would be the best system for Pakistan while 32
percent backed military rule and only 29 percent favoured democracy.
April 4
Eight militants were killed
when Army fighter jets bombed suspected militant positions in
the Kotkhel area of Orakzai Agency in FATA.
Three militants were killed
and some of their hideouts destroyed when fighter jets bombed
their positions in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency. Sources said
air sorties were conducted at the Ghaibi Neeka area of Sipah
and the Nakai area of Malikdinkhel which targeted hideouts of
the TTP and LI. Two LI cadres and one TTP cadre were killed
in the bombing.
Four militants were killed and
five others sustained injuries when militants across the border
attacked Bhittai checkpost in Shabak area of Alizai sector in
Kurram Agency. Two soldiers were also injured in the attack.
One person was killed and four
others were injured in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An unidentified person was shot
dead by unidentified assailants near Bakhtawar Park in Lyari
area.
Four persons, including an activist
of MQM, were injured in a firing incident at a Machinery Shop
near KMC workshop of Ranchore line.
SIU arrested two militants for
their alleged involvement in abducting for ransom. The Police
also recovered cash and two TT pistols from them.
Rejecting the report of the
Sindh Police and Rangers, the Supreme Court has directed that
no-go areas in the Karachi should be eliminated within seven
days. A five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhry gave the direction during hearing of the Karachi
law and order case.
An excise inspector, identified
as Barkat Ali, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Killi
Qambrani area of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital
of Balochistan.
The Governor Shaukatullah Khan
said the Government had not contacted militants for holding
peaceful elections in FATA. Speaking at a grand jirga (tribal
council) during a visit to the Landikotal tehsil of Khyber Agency,
he said the Government would utilize all resources to conduct
free and fair elections in the tribal region. "There have been
no talks with the TTP for elections in the tribal areas," Shaukatullah
said. However, he said the Government would welcome any steps
taken by tribal jirga for restoration of peace in the FATA.
COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
visited Quetta and held meetings with Balochistan Governor Nawab
Zulfiqar Ali Magsi and Caretaker Chief Minister Nawab Ghous
Baksh Barozai. The security situation and smooth conduct of
the upcoming General Elections were discussed in the meetings.
General Kayani emphasised the need for participation by all
political parties in the May elections. Amidst growing criticism
of the role of the military and security agencies in Balochistan,
General Kayani said his force will "fully back" any solution
to the problems of the restive province that are within the
country's constitution. "The army will fully back any solution
under the constitution of Pakistan," he added.
A total of 2,050 persons were
killed and another 3,822 were injured in over 1,500 terrorist
attacks across Pakistan in 2012, according to a report issued
by HRCP. According to the report, over 100 Shia Hazaras were
killed in Balochistan province alone during 2012. At least 2,284
persons died in ethnic, sectarian and political violence in
Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh
during the period.
April 5
At least 14 militants, four
soldiers and three pro-government volunteers were killed in
clashes ensued after the Security Forces launched search operation
against the LI in Akkakhel area of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency
of FATA. Similarly, backed by the TI, a group of pro-government
local militia, the SFs moved from Sheenkamer and Sorghar area,
populated by Zakhakhel Afridi tribe, into Akkakhel area where
they exchanged heavy fire with the fighters of LI.
Five persons, including an activist
of MQM were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An activist of MQM, identified
as Mohammad Dilawar Khan (35) alias Khan Sahab, was shot dead
in Gabol colony of Orangi town.
A person, identified as Shahid
(22), was shot dead in Bismillah Colony of Mawach Goth area
within the precincts of Mochko Police Station.
Dead bodies of a man and a woman
were found near from Edhi graveyard within the remits of Mawach
Goth Police Station.
A TTP militant, identified as
Naimatullah Mehsud, was killed in a shootout with Rangers in
the Lasi Goth of Sohrab Goth area.
Police and Rangers arrested
at least 78 suspects along with a huge cache of arms in different
targeted raids in the Karachi.
Rangers managed to detain at
least 23 suspects, including members of banned outfits, and
recovered a large amount of weapons from their possession. At
least 500 Rangers personnel participated in the operation.
In Chanesar Goth area of Quaidabad,
Rangers arrested at least 18 suspects and recovered three TT
pistols from their possession.
At least 55 suspects were taken
into custody by the Police during targeted operations in Sikander
Goth area of Sacchal and Chanisar Goth area of Mehmodabad.
One person was killed and four
others including three minors were injured when three mortar
rounds fired from unknown direction, landed in phase-VI Hayatabad
area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Unidentified militants targeted
a Police van with a remote-controlled device in the Ghaziabad
area of Kohat town in same District but failed to inflict any
causality.
A shopkeeper sustained injuries
when an IED planted by unidentified militants near a mobile-phone
shop went off in the limits of Ghauriwala Police Station in
Bannu District.
No casualty was reported as
two bombs went off near a Police checkpost in Matani and another
in Khazana area of Peshawar. There was no casualty was the policemen
had not yet arrived at the spot for duty.
The CoAS General Ashfaq Pervez
Kayani met with the CEC Justice (retired) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim.
According to a press release issued by ECP, the two discussed
security arrangements pertaining to the general elections. During
the meeting in Islamabad, General Kayani assured the CEC that
the Army fully supported the efforts being made by the election
commission to hold free, fair and credible elections in the
country and that all possible assistance will be extended to
create an environment conducive to achieve this objective.
The Mullah Nazir faction of
TTP assured aspiring candidates that the insurgents would not
interfere with the election process in the South Waziristan
Agency of FATA. The assurance was made by Mullah Nazir Group
'chief' Salahuddin Ayubi, locally known as Bahawal Khan, in
a meeting with over 50 candidates contesting NA-41 (Tribal Area-VI,
South Waziristan) or their representatives in Wana, the main
town in South Waziristan Agency.
Though he assured the candidates
that his group would not interfere in the voting process, he
attached some stringent conditions for trouble-free balloting
in the constituency. Firstly, the candidates will have to stage
public rallies in an open place outside Rustam Bazaar, the main
market in the area, due to security concerns. Secondly, candidates
with no popular vote bank should better not contest the elections.
Thirdly, the candidates have to avoid indecent criticism of
their rivals in their speeches. Fourthly, the candidates of
three parties - PPP, MQM and ANP - were told about the security
threats they might face in the region.
For the second time in six months,
the US has issued a waiver for sale of major defence equipment
to Pakistan likely to be worth USD 2 billion, citing national
security interests. The waiver issued by the then Deputy Secretary
of States, Thomas Nides, on February 15 would pave the way for
some major defence equipment sales to Pakistan.
KP authorities have declared
1,913 polling stations "more sensitive" and 3,213 polling stations
"sensitive," Voters will use the polling stations in the May
11 General Election.
While the secular ANP and a
number of religious parties seem set to vie for Pakhtun votes
in Karachi (Karachi), the provincial capital of Sindh in the
upcoming elections, the balance seems to be tilted in favour
of the Fazlur Rehman-led JUI-F, which adheres to the puritan
Deoband school of thought, analysts say. Former governor Sindh
Lt Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider is of the view that the election
prospects of the Pakhtun nationalist ANP appear bleak in Karachi
as its workers and leaders remain on the hit-list of the TTP,
who adheres to the Deoband school of thought. The TTP and other
militant groups have expanded their network in Karachi, especially
in the Pashtun-dominated suburban neighborhoods, and have forced
the ANP to wind up their operations.
April 6
A hand grenade was lobbed at
the office of the EC in Nushki District of Balochistan. However,
no casualty was reported in the attack.
Personnel of the law enforcing
agencies arrested at least 14 suspects during different targeted
operations in Karachi (Provincial capital of Sindh. Ranger's
officials apprehended at least nine suspects, including an extortionist
and drug peddlers in Sheerin Jinnah Colony. Rangers' spokesman
said that they also recovered weapons of 14 different types
of calibers.
CID arrested three suspects
Naimat, Saeed and Mohammad Umar and recovered 3 TT pistols during
targeted raids in Machar Colony and Sohrab Goth.
Similarly, SIU detained two
suspects Zubair and Rasheed and recovered 2 TT pistols from
their possession during targeted operations in Maripur.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court
conducting the trial of seven men charged with involvement in
the 26/ 11 Mumbai attacks issued summons to a senior investigator
even as six prosecution witnesses failed to appear before the
judge. Prosecutors described Hussain as an "important witness"
in the case against the seven accused, including LeT commander
Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
April 7
Ten militants were killed and
five soldiers injured during the clashes between SFs and LI
militant in remote areas of Akkakhel in Tirah valley of Khyber
Agency in FATA.
Seven militants were killed
when SFs targeted their hideouts with gunship helicopters in
Gowak and Mithari areas of Orakzai Agency.
Two tribesmen were killed when
their motorcycle struck against a landmine planted along a road
in Mir Ali subdivision of North Waziristan Agency.
The business centres remained
closed and traffic was off the roads owing to imposition of
curfew in North Waziristan Agency. The local people said that
the curfew was imposed after an attack on Esha checkpost.
Elsewhere, the SFs repulsed
an attack by militants at Nargas checkpost in the outskirts
of Bara town. Officials said that militants used rocket launchers,
but no one was hurt in the attack.
Eight persons, including a Shia
community member, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Syed Jaffar Zaidi (40), a businessman
and a Shia community member, was killed in Lane 7 of Muhammad
Mustafa Colony.
A person, identified as Jawed
(25), was killed by unidentified assailants in Sector 11E of
Orangi town.
Rehman Elahi (45), a labourer,
was killed by unidentified assailants in New Sabzi Mandi area
of the Sohrab Goth Police Station.
Sajjad (20), a private company's
employee, was killed in Hashim Goth of Sharafi Goth Police Station.
Samad Khan (30) was killed in
FBR Colony of the Peerabad Police Station.
A suspected militant was killed
while another militant was arrested after an encounter with
the Gulshan-e-Maymar Police.
A dead body of a man was found
from near New Sabzi Mandi, Super Highway within the premises
of Sohrab Goth police station. Police officials said that victim
was identified as Abdul Rehman (45), a resident of Janjal Goth.
A dead body of a man was found
from bushes near northern bypass. Police officials said victim
could not be identified as yet.
The CID arrested two militants
during a targeted raid in Kalakot, Lyari, who were allegedly
involved in the Lyari gang war speaking at a press conference,
SSP CID Fayaz Khan said his team conducted a raid on a tip-off
and arrested two suspects Ghulam Haider alias Haidry and Ghulam
Mustafa alias Gullu and also recovered rocket launcher, two
kalashankovs, a TT pistol and other arms from their possession.
Unidentified militants blown
up an 18-inch diameter gas pipeline in Naseerabad District of
Balochistan.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the President
of the BNP, on April 7 said, in a huge party gathering at the
Hockey Stadium of Pakistan Railways adjacent to the Governor's
House and the Civil Secretariat in Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan after returning from his
four-year-long self-imposed exile, "the huge gathering spoke
volumes about the defeat of the enemy who had been using ruthless
power to subdue the Baloch." "BNP is very much present on the
ground and it had emerged stronger during these days. No power
on earth can wipe out the BNP from politics," he added. He disclosed
that intruders were sent in the party by the Establishment in
order to destroy the BNP but they failed. "We had not seen any
form of development in Balochistan during the so-called democratic
Government.
A compact disc shop was blown
up in the main bazaar of Hangu town in the same District of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, no human loss was reported in the
blast.
Meanwhile, four PESCO employees
were safely recovered after they were abducted by the militants
on Shiekh Muhammadi Grid Station in Peshawar few days ago on
April 2.
The TTP described democracy
as a "system of the infidels" and said it was striving for the
establishment of Shariah in the country. "Democracy is the system
of the infidels. We want the enforcement of Shariah in Pakistan
and the Islamic countries," TTP 'chief' Hakimullah Mehsud said
in his latest videotape. He said the TTP didn't believe in democracy
and wanted the establishment of Shariah. "If we believed in
democracy, we would enter the political arena," he remarked.
The TTP chief believed the "infidels" wanted to divide the Muslims
in the name of democracy. "We want the implementation of Shariah,
which can only be enforced through waging Jihad. A time will
come that the Muslims will establish Caliphate on the surface
of earth," he said.
While US Navy seals in 2011
killed most-wanted terrorist Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan in
an operation led by its external intelligence agency CIA, it
has spared Islamabad-sponsored terrorist camps that wage war
against India. US media on Sunday reported that Pakistan's ISI
and CIA made a secret pact to facilitate drone strikes against
selective terrorist targets. Citing excerpts of a soon-to-be
released book, American media said Pakistan gave access to US
drone strikes on condition they would not target nuclear facilities
and terrorist camps where Kashmiri militants underwent training
for attacks against India.
April 8
Thirteen soldiers and an unspecified
number of militants were killed during heavy fighting between
troops and militants at a flashpoint near the Afghan border
in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in FATA. The clashes signalled
a fresh military push in the Tirah valley, where the military
has been targeting TTP and LI.
Security sources said that at
least 30 soldiers and nearly 100 militants have been killed
in fierce fighting over the past four days following a ground
offensive launched by the Army. The officials claimed that the
Army has successfully seized control of a large portion of the
valley from the TTP and their ally, LI. The claims could not
be independently verified.
Security Forces claimed to have
killed eight militants and five others were injured in shelling
through gunship helicopters in Gorak area of Orakzai Agency.
A DSP, identified as Amir Mohammad
Dashti, was shot dead along with his official guard in targeted
killing near Golimar chowk on main Sabzal road of Quetta (Quetta
District), the provincial capital of Balochistan. No group has
so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
Four persons were injured in
a bomb blast near an office of the NADRA in Kharan District.
Security Forces allegedly abducted
another seven innocent Baloch people including five activists
of BRP from different areas of Balochistan.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal, ‘chief’
of the BNP-M, has urged the chief election commissioner to take
notice of threats faced by his party’s workers in various areas
of the province and said their free movement is necessary for
transparent polls.
A dead body was found in the
bushes near Muraqba Hall of the Surjani town in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
IED planted in a rickshaw was
defused by the BDU near Do Minute Chowrangi of North Karachi
area.
LEA arrested at least 86 suspects
in different targeted raids and operations across city.
Rangers’ officials said around
20 were nabbed during a raid in Nistherabad area of Model colony.
According to Rangers spokesman, 40 weapons of different types
were also recovered. While in another raid by Rangers, around
five suspects were arrested during a targeted operation in Quaid-e-Azam
Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, and North Karachi area.
West Zone Police arrested 39
suspects during targeted raids in different parts of Karachi.
According to police officials, 1600grams drugs, 285grams heroine,
cash, mobile phones and other looted valuables were recovered.
ACLC arrested at least 22 suspects
and recovered 14 motorcycles and two TT pistols from their possession.
A powerful blast has been reported
outside the residence of former senator Nasir Khan Afridi in
Hayatabad Phase-II area of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Rockets fired by unidentified
militants hit the house of Raz Gul in Saeedabad area. Sources
said that a rocket landed in a graveyard while another hit an
open plot.
April 9
The military authorities said
that they had launched a major military operation against the
militants in the remote Tirah Valley of the Khyber Agency in
FATA in which 110 militants and 23 soldiers had been killed.
A ten-year-old boy was critically
injured when he picked up a toy bomb in Alamgudar area of Bara
tehsil.
House of a local resident in
Shalobar area was badly damaged when a stray mortar fell on
the house. Sources said the mortar fired by unidentified men
landed at the house of Haji Mohammad Salim, general secretary
of Khyber Union, a local political organisation.
Mangal Bagh, the ‘chief’ of
LI has become supreme leader of both the LI and TTP for the
Khyber Agency. “The decision to elevate Mangal Bagh to the status
of supreme commander for Khyber Agency was taken at a joint
Shura (council) of TTP and LI ‘commanders’,” highly placed Government
officials said.
SHO of the Preedy Police Station,
identified as Agha Asadullah (37), was shot dead by unidentified
assailants in Murshid Bazaar of Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
A head constable of the AEC
of the CID was injured in the Gulbahar area.
LEA arrested 57 suspects during
different targeted raids in the Karachi. According to details,
Rangers conducted the targeted operation in different areas
including Sherpao Colony, Patel Para, Jehangir Road and Baloch
Para in which 24 people were arrested and arms and ammunitions
also recovered from their possession.
Police officials said they arrested
33 suspects in targeted operations in Patel Para and Jahangir
Road, Baloch Para. The women wing of Police also participated
in the operation.
Suspected militants fired seven
mortar shells from the FATA area on Hayatabad area of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, injuring 22 people
and damaging several houses and vehicles.
A CD centre and two nearby shops
were damaged in the busy Mian Iqbal Chowk (Stadium Chowk) in
cantonment area. Police said unidentified militants had planted
explosives with the CD shop owned by one Khairullah that went
off at around 5:30 am.
LeT, which was responsible for
the Mumbai terrorist attack and other high-profile terrorist
attacks in India over the past several years, remains one of
the most potent terror group in South Asia, Admiral Samuel Locklear,
the commander of the US Pacific Command, told lawmakers during
a Congressional hearing. “LeT remains one, if not the most operationally
capable terrorist groups through all of South Asia," Admiral
Samuel Locklear said.
April 10
Nine militants were killed and
two security personnel injured in a gunbattle in Kago Qamar
village of Dabori area in Orakzai Agency in FATA. Sources said
a group of militants launched a two-pronged attack on a security
post in Kago Qamar village.
Six persons, including two Policemen
and PPP activist, killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Constables Zahid Ahmed and Khalid
Mehmood were shot dead by unidentified assailants near Shershah
Chowk of SITE-B Police Precincts.
Two persons, identified as Hassan
(20) and Saeed (22), were shot dead in Korangi area.
An activist of PPP Shoaib (32)
was shot dead by two unidentified assailants in Yousuf Goth
of Surjani town.
A property dealer, Sheikh Rasheed
(40), was shot dead in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area.
Crime Investigation Department’s
counter-terrorism unit arrested a commander of the banned TTP
and recovered a huge cache of weapons during a raid in Sohrab
Goth.
The ongoing drive against criminals
and terrorists in the Karachi has revealed the sense of inadequacy
among LEAs, who are eradicating roadside barriers from lanes
and localities in different areas and keeping Police Stations
and Rangers headquarters under strict security vigilance.
Law enforcers claimed to have
detained around 368 criminals in last seven days, but fail to
stop the killing, robberies, extortion and other criminal activities
so far.
Two children were killed in
a grenade attack in the coastal township of Pasni in Gwadar
District. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
Meanwhile, an 18-inch-diametre
gas pipeline was blown up in the Sui area of Dera Bugti District.
A Policeman was shot dead and
another was injured while escorting a polio vaccination team
in Mosam Koruna area in Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The polio campaigner remained safe in the attack, according
to the Police.
Police recovered two bodies
from Agra road in Shabqadar area under Prang Police Station
of Charsadda District.
April 11
19 persons, including nine soldiers,
seven militants and two volunteers of TI, a pro-Government armed
group, were killed during heavy fighting between troops and
militants at a flashpoint near the Afghan border in Tirah Valley
of Khyber Agency in FATA.Sources said that SFs and volunteers
of TI, moved forward into Sipah area and took control of LI
strongholds of Sandana and Sheikhmal Khel after heavy fighting
which left nine soldiers and seven militants dead. Twelve militants
were injured.
A person, identified as Haris
Khan was killed in a landmine blast in Manatu area of central
Kurram Agency.
12 persons, including an MQM
candidate for the National Assembly and the Sindh Assembly,
killed in separate incidents in Sindh.
Two unidentified assailants
shot dead Fakhrul Islam (46), an MQM candidate for NA-221 and
PS-47 in Hyderabad city (Hyderabad District). The TTP claimed
responsibility for Fakhrul Islam’s murder.
Three city wardens were killed
in targeted attacked in Soldier Bazar of Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two persons were shot dead in
Khamiso Goth area of Basheer Chowk within the precincts of New
Karachi Industrial area Police Station.
A person was shot dead at Super
Highway within the limits of Sohrab Goth Police Station.
A person identified as Akram
(30), was killed within the premises of Mominabad Police Station.
An activist of MQM, identified
as Sheraz (38), was shot dead and another was injured by unidentified
assailants near Piyala Hotel within the remits of Gulberg Police
Station.
A dead body was found in a gunny
bag within the jurisdiction of Kharadar Police Station. Another
dead body of a person was found from Nusrat Bhutto Colony.
A person, identified as Farooq
Shah was found dead near Shah Faisal within the limits of Awami
Colony Police Station.
LEAs arrested around 37 militants
in different targeted raids and operations in the Karachi. According
to details, Rangers claimed the arrest of 15 suspects during
targeted operation in different parts of the city including
Lyari, Rabia City, Mashki Para, Mangopir, PNT Colony and Block-9,
Clifton. Rangers’ spokesman said weapons of 13 different types
were also recovered from their possession.
CID claimed to have captured
two suspects, Abdul Majeed and Gulzar Ali, and recovered two
TT pistols from their custody. CID officials said during an
initial course of investigation the suspects confessed collecting
extortion money from around 50 people.
Police claimed to have arrested
around 18 suspects in targeted operation in Itehad town area
of Baldia Town. Police officials said they recovered a pressure
cooker bomb, four bombs concealed in a tennis ball and eight
TT pistols from their possession.
Risala police also claimed arresting
a suspect, Faisal alias Taya, and recovered a TT pistol and
extortion slip from his custody. Aram Bagh Police also arrested
a miscreant involved in extortion collection. Police officials
said the suspect had been threatening a trader for three days
for want of extortion money.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a Policeman and injured his colleague in Mardan District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A leader of ANP and former provincial
minister Arbab Ayub Jan escaped a bomb attack, however, three
persons sustained injuries in the blast in Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Meanwhile, a blast in Matani
hospital on the suburbs of Peshawar caused panic among the people
of the area. A Police source said that the blast damaged windowpanes
and walls of the hospital; however, it didn’t cause any loss
of life.
The US assistance to Pakistan
has helped in reducing the conditions that foment extremism
in the country, US secretary of state John Kerry said."Our
economic and military assistance to Pakistan helps reduce the
conditions that enable extremism and its calling card - terrorism
- to disrupt and destroy," said John Kerry in an eight-page
budget letter to the US Congress.
April 12
Three persons, including a Policeman,
were killed and three Policemen received bullet injuries in
an encounter at Shagai Road in the limits of Cantonment Police
Station in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Three persons, including a woman,
were shot dead and four others sustained injuries at Shifa Market
in Thall tehsil of Hangu District.
ANP candidates Rehmanullah and
his son Ameer Rehman survived attempt on life while a party
worker was injured in a grenade attack on them at Shewa graveyard
in Sheikh Jana area of Swabi District.
Four persons, who hired a taxi
for Peshawar, were abducted and their vehicle found abandoned
near Lado Ustarzai in Kohat District.
Four persons, including an ANP
activist, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An ANP activist, identified
as Bismillah Jan (50), was killed by unidentified assailants
near Jamshed Petrol Pump in MPR Colony of Peerabad area.
A person, identified as Rashid
(20), was killed and two others were injured by unidentified
assailants in Pipri Sindh Goth of Bin Qasim area.
A Shia scholar, Allama Ghazanfar
Ali (70), was shot dead in Turi Bangash Colony of Nazimabad.
A person, identified as Habibullah
(30), was shot dead in Gulshan-e-Ameen area within the limits
of Sohrab Goth Police Station.
A Police officer was arrested
over his links to banned militant outfits. The officials of
his own cell arrested Rana Ishrat, who was posted to one of
the specialised unit of the Sindh Police, Anti Violent Crime
Cell (AVCC). According to sources in AVCC, it was first revealed
when the officials of the intelligence agency informed AVCC
officials about the involvement of the accused in the target
killing of his colleague, ASI Faiz Mohammad who was shot dead
in an act of target killing in SITE area on January 1, 2013.
Master mind of March 3, 2013,
Abbas Town blast was among the four alleged militants of TTP
arrested by CID during targeted raids at Kati Pahari and Sultanabad
area.
A bomb weighing one-and-a -half
kilogrammes was found near a mosque in the Garden area. A team
of the BDS rushed to the spot upon receiving information and
successfully defused it. The bomb was planted in a cycle parked
outside the mosque.
LEAs carry out search and detention
operation to arrest 101 suspects in different targeted raids
conducted in various parts of the Karachi.
According to surfaced details,
rangers claim to arrest around 35 suspects during separate targeted
raids. About five suspects were taken into custody during operation
conducted in old city area.
CID claims to have detained
two suspects Ayaz and Arsalan and recovered 2 TT pistol and
a hand grenade from their custody during targeted operation
in Old Sabzi Mandi area.
West zone Police claimed to
have arrested at least 64 suspects in different targeted operations
in various parts of the Karachi.
An official of the Balochistan
Constabulary was shot dead in Sariab Road area of Quetta (Quetta
District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
The house of a local candidate
of the ANP, Munaf Afridi, was attacked in a remote area of Khyber
Agency that borders Afghanistan, in FATA. However, there was
no casualty reported.
After two attacks on election
candidates in KP and assassination of a contestant in Hyderabad,
Sindh, contenders would now be allowed to keep five civilian
bodyguards with licensed arms during the polls campaign.
Former Federal Minister and
ANP leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour called on the election commission
to provide security to ANP leaders receiving death threats in
KP. Addressing reporters at the press club, he said the KP’s
caretaker Government has provided very basic security to leaders
of the ANP, and said these ordinary arrangements are not enough
to avoid potential attacks. According to Bilour, it is unfair
that former President General Pervez Musharraf was provided
with adequate security by the caretaker Government upon his
arrival in Pakistan, whereas democratic leaders are left at
the mercy of God.
The Government has established
the NACTA, a dedicated body mandated to create state policies
on countering terrorism."The authority would be an independent
body answerable directly to the Prime Minister," the Federal
Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
A total of 10,082 youth from
Balochistan have joined the Pakistan Army as officers and soldiers
during the last three years, authoritative sources have revealed.
COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had allotted 10,000 vacancies
for the youth of Balochistan in the army during the years 2009-2011
and announced an additional 5,000 vacancies for 2012
The TTP announced supporting
the anti-polio drives on a condition that such campaigns were
not used by the United States as a cover for espionage. The
TTP militants also placed the condition that their apprehensions
about the vaccination campaigns being ‘un-Islamic’ be removed.
Referring to the Abbottabad
incident which led to the capture of Osama bin Laden, Ehsan
said vaccination drives were being used by the CIA to hunt down
its ‘Mujahideen’ (freedom fighters). “Our opposition and suspicion
to the vaccination drives has been increased manifold after
the Abbottabad incident,” he said. He further denied any involvement
in previous attacks on polio workers.
In an interview this week in
Islamabad (Federal capital of Pakistan), CNN said former President
General Pervez Musharraf insisted Pakistan’s Government signed
off on strikes “only on a few occasions, when a target was absolutely
isolated and no chance of collateral damage”, Still, his admission
that Pakistani leaders agreed to even a limited number of strikes
runs counter to their repeated denunciations of a programme
they long claimed the United States was operating without their
approval.
April 13
Nine persons were killed in
a bomb blast in a bus passing through the Matani area of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
SFs have killed seven militants
in the ongoing military operation in Tirah valley of Khyber
Agency in the FATA. Two important hideouts of militants have
been busted and areas of Kata Kanrai and Sniper Morcha in Sipah
area have also been captured.
April 14
Four militants were killed by
a US drone strike in the Manzarkhel area of Dattakhel town,
35 kilometres west of Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan
Agency in FATA.
The driver of a NATO container
was killed and his assistant received injuries in an attack
near Teddi Bazaar in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency.
Three persons, including a retired
employee of the District Government, his son and a servant were
killed by unidentified assailants in Goth Shadi Khan locality
of Bala Narri area of Bolan District.
A bomb fitted on a motorbike
was recovered near checkpost in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border
area of Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District. BDS personnel
defused them.
BRP and Baloch Republican Student
Organisation held a rally in Quetta Press Club (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan, asking the Baloch people
to boycott the elections.
Two persons, including TTP militant
killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. A person, identified as Karam
Ilahi (35), was shot dead in New Karachi area within the limits
of New Karachi Industrial area Police Station. Police said that
the victim was a rickshaw driver and a Police informer.
An alleged mastermind behind
the March 3, 2013, Abbas town bomb blast, who was already in
CID custody, was killed in a Police shootout with militants
in Surjani area. According to CID officials, Aslam Mehsud was
killed in a shootout while the officials were carrying out a
targeted operation in the location identified by the detainee.
Two persons and a child were
injured in a firing incident at Bagh-e-Hilara area. Police said
that unidentified militants shot at the funeral procession of
Babar Qadri, affiliated with ST.
A village defence committee
member and local Awami National Party leader, Mukarram Shah,
was killed in a remote-controlled roadside blast in the Manglawar
area of Swat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. TTP claimed the
responsibility for the attack. In telephone calls to media offices,
TTP ‘spokesman’ Ehsanullah Ehsan said his men had carried out
the attack. He gave no reason for this killing.
Syed Masoom Shah, ANP candidate
for PK-21 in Charsadda Town of the same District, received minor
injuries while three others received injuries in a bomb attack
in Katozai area of Shabqadar. According to details, a convoy
of Masoom Shah was passing through Katozai area of Shabqadar
when the attack was carried out. The driver of the vehicle was
also injured in the incident. Police said that Masoom Shah was
going home after attending a public meeting in Katozai village.
Security Forces foiled terror
attempts by recovering two bombs, planted inside two separate
motorbikes, in Bannu town of same District.
BDS personnel averted a possible
terrorism bid by defusing a bomb planted in the under-construction
house of Muhmmad Naeem Khan, the candidate of PPP for NA-13,
in Swabi Town of same District.
April 15
Nine militants and a soldier
were killed in a clash between the SFs and militants in Dabori
area of Orakzai Agency in the FATA.
A member of the TI, also known
as Zakhakhel tribal lashkar (militia), was killed in a bomb
explosion inside a bunker in Dari area of Tirah valley in Khyber
Agency.
A mortar shell fired from unknown
location fell on a cloth making factory in Alamgudar area of
the Bara tehsil.
Unidentified assailants killed
two political activists and injured three others on Rampur Road
in the Paharpur town of Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
A bomb blast killed a local
leader of ANP in the village of Banjot in Swat District, the
fourth such attack targeting members of secular-learning parties
during their campaigns for next month's parliamentary election.
The residence of a woman civil
judge was partially damaged in a blast in Shabqadar area in
Charsadda District. However, no casualty was reported.
Police along with the BDS thwarted
a terrorist bid by defusing two high-intensity bombs in the
limits of Hawaid Police Station in Bannu District.
Two persons, including a Policeman,
were killed and two others were injured in separate incidents
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An ASI, identified as Syed Murtaza
Hussain (40), was shot dead in a targeted attack at Shamsi area
within the jurisdiction of Pakistan Bazaar Police Station. Police
said the victim belonged to Shia community.
A man affiliated with special
branch of Police was injured in an attack by unidentified assailants
near Block-J of North Nazimabad area within the remits of North
Nazimabad Police Station.
A traffic sergeant, identified
as Ghulam Mustafa, was injured by unidentified assailants at
traffic Police post within the limits of Surjani town Police
Station.
A dead body was found near the
airport area.
One person, identified as Abdul
Ahad, was injured by unidentified assailants in the Gari Nadi
area of Turbat District.
A delegation of Afghanistan
Army officials, headed by Afghan National Army DGMO Major General
Afzal Aman visited the General Headquarters and met Pakistan
Army DGMO Major General Ashfaq Nadeem Ahmed for talks on border
coordination with Pakistani officers. According to an ISPR press
release, all ongoing cross-border coordination issues, including
the border post construction in Mohmand Agency, were discussed
and amicably resolved.
Pakistani officials, human rights
activists and parents condemned the militants' tactic of "hiring"
poor children to transport explosives, conduct acts of terrorism
and even carry out bombings. This effort to "paralyse the
nation" by targeting the upcoming generation of Pakistanis
must stop, they said.
April 16
Eleven militants and a soldier
were killed in clashes at Kago Kamar locality of Dabori area
in Orakzai Agency of FATA.
Nine soldiers were killed and
eight others injured in a suicide attack on a military vehicle
and nearby roadside checkpoint in the Saidgai area of North
Waziristan Agency.
Six militants were killed and
five others received injuries during a clash with SFs when dozens
of militants attacked the Shan Khel Kore checkpost near Mohammad
Ali Chowk in Akkakhel of Khyber Agency.
A minor girl was injured when
a mortar shell fell on a house in Sanzal Khel area of Akkakhel.
Thousands of persons fled the
Akkakhel area and shifted to different localities of Peshawar
after receiving threats from banned militant group LI of Khyber
Agency.
16 persons, including SHO, were
killed and more than 35 were injured when a suicide bomber targeted
the senior ANP leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and his nephew Haroon
Bilour in Mundabheri area of Yakatut in Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The TTP claimed responsibility
for the attack.
Two militants were killed and
seven persons, including four Policemen, injured in exchange
of fire near FC Fort on Wana Road in Tank town of same District.
Five persons, including an MQM
activist and a Policeman, were killed in separate incidents
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Akram Gujjar (35), an MQM activist,
was killed by unidentified assailants in PIB Colony.
A Police constable, Javaid Iqbal
(45), was killed near Marhaba Lawn of Korangi industrial area.
Bakht Zareen (55) was shot dead
at a teashop in Qayyumabad area.
A ST activist, Owais Qadri,
was shot dead on Jahangir Road in the Soldier Bazaar Police
Limits.
A dead body was recovered from
near the Golden Marble House on the Bara Board Road.
Unidentified militant blew up
a gas pipeline near Maripur Road in Kiamari town.
The Supreme Court told that
at least 71 target killers who were arrested by the Karachi
Police but never charged for the heinous offences rather booked
for minor crimes have been released on bail. After going through
JIT reports, a five-member special bench of the apex court,
headed by ‘Chief’ Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry,
gave 24 hours to the Sindh law enforcement agencies to arrest
the people whose names have been divulged in the JIT reports
and directed them to register FIRs against them and submit a
report.
Four persons were killed when
an election convoy of PML-N’s Balochistan leader Sardar Sanaullah
Zehri came under a bomb attack in Anjira area of Khuzdar District.Sardar
Zehri survived the attack but his son, brother and nephew and
a guard were killed. At least 25 persons were injured. The BLA
claimed responsibility for the bomb attack.
Police and Levies Force recovered
explosives from the Gandawa area of Jhal Magsi District. Acting
on a tip-off, Police and Levies Force, along with a BDS team,
reached the site and defused an explosive device weighing around
three kilogrammes.
The safe havens to terrorists
in Pakistan pose a great challenge to peace and stability in
Afghanistan, even as ANSF has been making significant progress
in war against terrorism, US General Joseph Dunford, the commander
of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said.
An election tribunal rejected
the nomination papers of Former President General Pervez Musharraf
from the only constituency where his eligibility to contest
May 11 polls was accepted earlier.
April 17
Nine militants, including five
foreigners, were killed in a US drone attack in Bobar Samal
area of South Waziristan Agency of FATA.
One person was killed and 20
others were injured when the Pakistani army and Afghan Taliban
militants exchanged fire near the Afghanistan border in Miranshah
District.
Three persons were killed in
separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Teenage boy Ali Raza (18) was
shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Jamshed Quarters
area of Jamshed Quarters Police Limits.
Kaleem alias Commando,
was shot dead in Daata Nagar of Orangi town. Sub-Divisional
Police Officer (SDPO) Zahid Siddiqi said that Kaleem was sleeping
in his house when some militants broke inside and shot him.
Kaleem was on parole, the SDPO added.
A dead body was found near Taqwa
Masjid in Sector 3 of Sultanabad area of Manghopir town.
Two persons, including a minor,
sustained injuries when an IED planted by militants went off
near the vehicle of the ANP local leader Farooq Khan in Shadheri
area of Charsadda District.
Two persons were injured in
a hand grenade attack at the residence of a BNP-A leader Azeem
Braich in Kharan District.
Pakistan’s Former President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf was back in court, to have
his bail extended over allegations that he conspired to murder
opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in 2007. “The court has extended
General Musharraf’s bail until April 24,” one of his lawyers,
Afshan Adil said.
President Asif Ali Zardari paid
tribute to a Kashmiri separatist executed in India for plotting
to attack the Indian parliament on December 13, 2001, and called
his hanging an abuse of judicial process. Zardari said “force
and oppression” would not silence calls for self-determination
in Kashmir, where a separatist conflict has claimed an estimated
100,000 lives over the last 20 years.
April 18
At least five persons, including
an MQM activist, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An MQM worker, identified as
Mohammad Faisal Khan, was shot dead in Mehmodabad area.
A person, identified as Syed
Hasnain Mehdi, was shot dead in Urdu Nagar of Malir area.
Dead bodies of three young men
stuffed in gunny bags were found in Kharadar area.
Four persons were killed when
gunship helicopters pounded residential areas and suspected
militant positions in Mir Ali sub-division of North Waziristan
Agency in FATA. The sources said that four people were killed
in the shelling and eight others injured.
A lady health worker was injured
when some unidentified assailants attacked a polio team at Nasirabad
town of Rawalpindi District.
Two unidentified assailants
hurled a hand grenade at an election camp office of a political
party in the Sariab area of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial
capital of Balochistan.No loss of life was reported.
A petition has been filed at
the ATC, seeking the summoning of former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf, a key accused in the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder
case. Jamil Bugti, son of slain Nawab Akbar Bugti filed the
petition.
April 19
Five militants were killed in
retaliatory action by Security Forces (SFs) when militants try
to ambush security personnel in the Dabori area of Orakzai Agency
in FATA.Three security personnel were injured in the attack.
Four persons were killed and
eight others injured in a rocket attack on an election rally
in Wana town of South Waziristan Agency.Unidentified militants
fired four rockets at a rally for independent National Assembly
(NA) candidate Malik Naseerullah Khan, who is running to represent
NA-41, South Waziristan. Naseerullah narrowly escaped without
any injury. The TTP threatened anybody who holds or attends
election rallies in and around Wana Bazaar, and two days ago
the militants "fined" Naseerullah for defying them.
Unidentified militants blew
up a 22 inch diameter gas pipeline in the Faiz Muhammad Goth
area of Rajanpur District in Punjab, depriving several areas
of the province of gas.
A bomb disguised to resemble
a toy killed a woman and her two nieces in the Korya area of
the Buner city in same District of KP.
Militants attacked a polio vaccination
team in Gomal village of Tank District, injuring two Levies
personnel guarding the workers vaccinating children.
Police thwarted an attempt to
blow up the Mardan Press Club by defusing a 15 kilogrammes explosive
device near the building.
The KP caretaker Government
called for the immediate return of all FC troops deployed in
other parts of the country to strengthen security for provincial
election activities. The Government decided to deploy about
80,000 troops at sensitive polling stations across the province.
The Police SIU foiled an alleged
bid to terrorise the election campaign by recovering a cache
of weapons and ammunition in the New Chali area of Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.They recovered weapons
included four Kalashnikovs and a large number of bullets, Senior
Superintendent of Police Farooq Awan said. Militants planned
to use the weapons to attack election activities, Farooq said.
Police arrested former President
General Pervez Musharraf to face allegations he overstepped
his powers while in office, marking a dramatic break with a
political culture in which military rulers have remained untouchable.
April 20
Seven people including two workers
of a political party were gunned down in the metropolis in Karachi.
Two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were shot
dead in separate attacks of targeted killings. The first activist
was shot dead near Kaghzi Bazaar within the jurisdiction of
Kharadar Police station. Another worker of MQM was killed near
Gujjar Nala within the remits of Gulbahar Police station. Also,
unidentified assailants critically wounded 30-year-old Iqbal,
while he was standing at his Dabbu Club.
A rickshaw driver was gunned
down within the remits of Pirabad Police station.
A man was shot dead while three
others injured in a firing incident near Machar Colony.
An unidentified young man was
shot dead in Ranchore Line within the premises of Nabi Baksh
Police station.
A bullet-riddled body of an
unidentified man was found in Sector 48-F, Korangi within the
limits of Zaman Town Police station.
A man was found near Telephone
Exchange within the premises of Garden Police station.
A female suicide bomber blew
herself up outside a hospital in a lawless tribal area of northwest
Pakistan and killed at least four people and wounded four others,
officials said. The attack took place in Khar, the main town
of Bajaur in FATA bordering Afghanistan.TTP take the responsibility
of the attack.
April 21
A roadside bomb targeting a
military convoy killed four Army soldiers and injured four more
in Mir Ali town of North Waziristan Agency in FATA.
Two activists of ANP were killed
by unidentified assailants at the party’s rally in Karbala area
of Pishin District. The deceased were ANP Unit’s President Mustafa
Agha and an activist Naqeebullah. Another activist was injured
in the incident.
A low-intensity blast took place
near a rally being organized by the NP in Turbat city of the
same District. However, no causality was reported.
14 persons were injured in a
grenade attack at election office of MQM in Kharadar locality
of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Police found mortar bombs from
a graveyard in New Muzaffarabad Colony. Police SHO Shabbir Hussain
said the BDS was called immideiately and they defused the bombs.
The BDU neutralised a 10 kilogram
of bomb planted on roadside in Bazidkhel village in south of
Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP.
Law-Enforcement Agencies once
again started arresting former militants in Swat and other parts
of the Malakand Division, fearing that those militants freed
earlier could sabotage the May 11 General election.
The Attock District Police,
on the direction of secret agencies, have reviewed the security
plan to keep a check on entry of terrorists from the bordering
Districts of KP.
In the wake of recent militant
attacks on politicians and campaign rallies, the KP caretaker
Government is addressing political parties' concerns by announcing
the deployment of Army Quick Response Forces to provide security
at polling places May 10-12.
April 22
At least three persons, including
an activist of the MQM and two Policemen were killed in separate
incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh. A Policeman, identified as Javed Awan, was shot dead
and three others were injured by unidentified assailants in
the Lasbela area.
A Policeman, identified as Ali
Ahmed, was killed and his associate was injured in Korangi area.
An activist of the MQM, Arshad
Siddiqui (40), was shot dead on Karsaz Road.
The TTP execute an Afghan in
the Kari Kot village, about 10 kilometers south west of Rustam
Bazaar, in Wana town of South Waziristan Agency in FATA. Mai-u-din,
belonging to the Zedran tribe of Afghanistan, was brought handcuffed
into an open place near the small bazaar of Kari Kot. The militants
then shot him dead in front of the public. Mai-u-Din was 'arrested'
by the local TTP about a week back.
At least five persons, including
two Levies personnel, were injured in a bomb blast in Chaman
area of Qilla Abdullah District.
A convoy carrying BNP-A leader
Mir Asadullah Baloch was hit by a bomb in Panjgur area of same
District. The convoy was passing through the area when a roadside
bomb detonated just as the vehicle passed, Levies sources said.
Mir and his associates escaped unhurt even though two of the
vehicles were damaged in the blast, the sources added.
A student leader was injured
when unidentified assailants hurled two grenades into an election
camp of the ANP in Maneri town in Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
in the evening. Sources said that about 13 ANP workers were
sitting in Hujra of Nadeem Khan, which is being used as the
election office of the party, when the grenade attack took place.
Osama, president of Pakhtun Students Federation, the student
wing of ANP, was injured.
April 23
At least five persons, including
a FC trooper, were killed and over 30 others were injured in
a suicide attack at a check post near Alamdar Road, an area
in Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
The blast damaged several buildings, shops and vehicles.
The attacker's truck was packed
with an estimated 80 kilograms of explosives. The suicide attacker
detonated his explosives-laden truck when he was stopped by
FC personnel at a check post. Officials said the bomber wanted
to target Abdul Khaliq Hazara, a top leader of the Hazara Democratic
Party.
Three other blasts were also
reported from Quetta. Bombs went off in an open field at Jinnah
town, Gawalmandi chowk and an intersection at Gurdat Singh Road.
Six persons were injured at Gawalmandi Chowk. LeJ claimed responsibility
for all the attacks.
At least three persons were
killed and 30 others injured in a huge explosion near an election
office of the MQM in Chowrangi area of the Taimuria Police Remits
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
SSP Raja Umer Khattab of Counter Terrorism Wing (CTW) said that
it was an IED. He said it seems that the attack was conducted
by the TTP. However, the involvement of other groups shall also
be investigated.
LEAs arrested about two-dozen
suspected militants during separate targeted raids and operations
in the Karachi. Rangers detained 15 suspects and recovered 13
weapons of different calibers in targeted operations in Sohrab
Goth, Kati Pahari and Banaras.
Police arrested half a dozen
suspects in targeted raids in different parts of Korangi. Police
said that five TT pistols and hundreds of rounds of ammunitions
were recovered from their possession.
Five vehicles were destroyed
and three others damaged in a blast near a car showroom on the
University Road near Tehkal area of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The blast destroyed five vehicles
and damaged three others.
The BDU neutralised an IED planted
near a graveyard in Matani.
Police neutralised a major terror
bid by recovering an explosives-loaded vehicle which was parked
near the Chak Shahzad farmhouse of former President General
(retired) Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad, the federal capital
of Nation. The BDS defused the bomb after which the vehicle
was shifted to Shehzad town Police Station.
The ATC has ordered inclusion
of Pervez Musharraf in the investigation into Benazir Bhutto
assassination case in Rawalpindi city (Rawalpindi District)
of Punjab. Musharraf appeared before the court in relation to
the case and made three requests, including unfreezing of his
assets and bank accounts.
April 24
At least four persons, including
two Policemen and a former activist of the MQM, were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. ASI Gul Muhammad was shot dead and Head Constable
Umer Khan was injured by unidentified assailants near New Sabzi
Mandi in Sohrab Goth.
Imranullah Qureshi (35), a former
activist of the MQM, was killed North Karachi.
Head Constable Atiq Khan (48)
was killed by unidentified assailants near Sultanabad Morr in
Manghopir.
A Policeman died while his colleague
and a passer-by were injured in a bomb blast in Judbah, the
headquarters of Torghar District in KP. According to the Police,
unidentified persons detonated a remote-controlled device concealed
in sand near the River Indus area.
Two persons, including a woman,
injured in a bomb blast near Sarki Gate area of Peshawar, the
provincial capital of KP. The blast reportedly took place outside
a house.
A toy bomb explosion in Swat
left six persons injured. The injured include three women and
a seven-month old child.
The former MPA and candidate
for PK-67 Israrullah Khan Gandapur escaped unhurt in a roadside
blast in Parori area of Dera Ismail Khan District. The sources
said that Israrullah Khan Gandapur along with his supporters
was on his way home after attending an election rally at Parori.
Abu Ubaidah Abdullah Al Adam,
the 'intelligence and internal security chief' of the terrorist
group, has was on April 17 in a drone attack in Datta Khel area
of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. Even though al Qaeda has
not yet issued an official 'martyrdom' statement about the death
of Abu Ubaidah Al Adam, there are credible reports in the Western
media to suggest that he was killed in an April 17 US drone
attack. Two of his close aides - Al Wathiq Billah and Sanafi
Al Nasr - have tweeted that Abu Ubaida has been killed in an
American drone strike in Pakistan.
A Palestinian national, who
was in fact raised in Saudi Arabia, Al Adam had replaced Mohammad
Khalil Hasan Al Hakaymah alias Abu Jehad Al Misri, the former
'intelligence chief' of the terrorist group, who was killed
in a US drone strike on November 1, 2008, in NWA.
At least 16 persons, including
two Policemen, were injured in three separate blasts in Quetta
(Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan. 13
persons, including a child, were injured in a blast in Satellite
town. Bomb disposal personnel said that around one kilogram
explosive had been used.
Two Policemen were injured in
a blast in the Sariab Road area. Officials said that the explosives
had been detonated by a remote control near the Kechi Baig Police
Station when a Police van arrived there.
An explosive device planted
on road went off at Jadoon Chowk on New Jan Muhammad Road. One
person was injured in the blast.
Unidentified militants blew
up gas pipeline of 24-inch diameter with explosive material
in Rashidugun area of Larkana city (Larkana District) in Punjab.
April 25
At least six persons were killed
while around thirteen persons were injured when a high intensity
bomb shattered the election office of MQM located in Nusrat
Bhutto Colony of North Nazimabad area of Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. TTP 'spokesman' Ehsanullah
Ehsan has reportedly claimed the responsibility for the blast.
An activist of MQM, identified
as Arshan Awan was shot dead in a targeted attacked at Safora
Goth within the precincts of Gulistan-e-Juhar Police Station.
A worker of PML-N, identified
as Raja Anees, was shot dead in Model Colony within the jurisdiction
of Model Colony Police Station.
A soldier of the Rangers was
killed in an attack on a checkpoint outside the Rangers officers
mess in Latifabad area of Hyderabad city of same District.
The AEC of CID arrested eight
suspected terrorists, including four of TTP near Ghani Chowrangi
in SITE-A Police Limits of Karachi. The suspects were involved
in a number of target killing incidents as well as bomb blasts.
The Police also claimed to have recovered 50 kilograms explosive
material, nine TT pistols and nine hand grenades from their
possession.
Rangers and Police arrested
around five-dozen suspects during separate raids and operations
in the Karachi. According to details, around 500 Rangers personnel
participated in the targeted operations in Sohrab Goth's Faqeera
Goth and Shahfaisal's Green Town, and detained several suspects
and recovered large amount of weapons from their possession.
Two Policemen and four militants,
one of them an Iranian national, were killed in an encounter
in Barbara area of Banda Daud Shah tehsil of Karak District
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police said that another four Policemen
were injured in the clash and two injured militants were arrested.
The security agencies freed
13 more missing persons picked up on suspicion of having links
with the militant outfits, while body of one missing person
was found in Mardan District, the Peshawar High Court was told.
A two-member bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad
Khan and Justice Rohul Amin disposed of cases of 13 missing
persons after their lawyers and family members informed the
court that the detainees have been freed by the security agencies
and they have returned home safely.
The counter-terrorism strategies
proposed in the mainstream political parties' election manifestos
do not represent what it would really take to restore peace
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, according to experts. The issue
appears to be quite low on their priority list with Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz proposing its plan for taking on "Militancy
and terrorism" in chapter 13 of its 14-chaptered election manifesto
and Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians declaring it its
sixth priority out of a list of seven point election programme.
A person, identified as Riaz
Hussain, was killed by unidentified assailants in Wahdat colony
of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
A person was killed another
was injured in Awaran District. The body and the injured were
shifted to a hospital, where they were identified as Ibrahim
and Khuda Bakhsh, respectively.
A constable was killed and two
others were injured by unidentified assailants in Loralai District.
A political worker was killed
while another was injured when unidentified militants attacked
an electoral office of the PPP in Nushki area of same District.
No group claimed the responsibility of the attack.
A tribesman died and three others
were injured when a roadside landmine exploded near the Sports
Complex in Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurram Agency, in
FATA. According to the political administration, the blast took
place when a tractor-trolley hit a landmine.
Former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf was, formally arrested over the murder case
of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Musharraf will remain
in his villa on the edge of Islamabad (Federal Capital) where
he is already under a two-week house arrest over his decision
to sack judges when he imposed emergency rule in November 2007.
"Today FIA formally arrested General Musharraf in the Benazir
Bhutto case," prosecution lawyer Chaudhry Azhar told AFP by
telephone. During the interrogation, the former President was
asked why Benazir Bhutto was not provided security upon her
return to Pakistan.
The banned TTP has distributed
pamphlets in several Pakistani cities, including Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh
warning people not to participate in next month's landmark general
election.
Religious scholars and the members
of the All Pakistan Ulema Council have issued a 40-page edict,
which declares the non-casting of vote a sin, saying that casting
vote is compulsory under Islamic injunctions.
The JI Pakistan has refuted
the contents of a report carried by The News stating that some
of the JI candidates who are contesting in the elections from
Punjab were listed on the 4th schedule of the Anti-Terrorism
Act 1997 for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities,
on April 25. A JI spokesman Anwar Niazi has clarified that none
of the JI candidate contesting the polls has any such charges
against him and no JI candidate is contesting election from
PP-38, PP-255 and NA-177.
April 26
At least 11 persons, including
a minor, were killed and 45 others were injured in a bomb blast
at an election gathering of the ANP in Orangi town of Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. TTP 'spokesman'
Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for the blast.
An ANP election candidate was
attacked in the Old Muzaffarabad Colony of Landhi town. Police
said Abdul Rehman was on his way to an election event when his
vehicle was attacked. The ANP leader survived the attack unhurt,
however, two children who were passing by received minor injuries.
The Rangers personnel arrested
28 suspects, including activists of political parties, during
different raids. Rangers conducted search operations in Orangi
Town, Bin Qasim and Rabia City in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
At least six persons, including
a Levies official, were critically injured when the convoy of
JUI-F candidate for PB-30, Haji Muhammad Hashim Shahwani, came
under attack in Mach area of Kachi District. Haji Muhammad Hashim
Shahwani remained unhurt in the incident.
Unidentified militant blew up
a Government school in Khwaja Muhammad area in Hangu District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Two rooms of the school were destroyed
while the remaining portion of the school's building was damaged.
The number of the schools destroyed by the militants in the
area has reached 11.
Unidentified persons hurled
a hand-grenade inside a house in Dhoda area Kohat District,
causing minor damage but no casualties.
A bomb was defused by the BDS
in Bannu town of same District. Bannu City Police official Miranshah
Khan said at around 8am a pedestrian informed Police about a
suspicious polythene bag lying near the boundary wall of Boys
Government High School No 1.
A 15 kilogrammes bomb was defused
in Shabqadar tehsil of Charsadda. Police official Zaman Khan
said they received a tip-off about a bomb planted near Shabqadar
Bazaar.
Further, a low-intensity bomb
weighing two kilogrammes planted by the roadside in Sreekh area
of Battagram was also defused by the BDS.
A bomb allegedly planted to
target ANP activists in Mardan was successfully defused by the
BDS late in the April 25 night. Par Hoti Police official Fazal
Rabi said they were patrolling Sikandray area when they found
an abandoned motorcycle parked at the roadside in Sarai Koruna
where activists of ANP were convening a meeting for their election
campaign.
A bomb planted near the house
of a bank manager in Amirabad area of Charsadda town of same
District exploded, damaging its boundary wall. Mandani Police
official Rajab Ali said a huge explosion occurred near Khursheed
Khan's house at around 5:45pm. BDS said two kilogrammes of explosives
were used in the bomb.
The intelligence agencies have
warned that the TTP have made plans to abduct former President
General Pervez Musharraf, who is currently being held at his
private residence here after being arrested in several criminal
cases. The intelligence agencies have issued an advisory that
the TTP might attempt to abduct Musharraf while he is being
taken from his farmhouse to court.
Three British nationals, including
the ringleader of a terror cell trained in Pakistan have been
jailed for masterminding a plot to set off up to eight bombs
in the UK that could have been more devastating than the 9/11
in the US and the July 7 attacks. The three men had raised an
estimated 39,000 pounds for terror training and to fund the
UK attacks. The money was raised through street collections
in Birmingham, under the false pretence of raising money for
Muslim charities.
At least six people, including
an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), were killed while a religious
cleric was injured in separate acts of violence across the Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Leader of Jaffria Alliance Maulana
Baqar Zaidi was injured while his Police guard ASI Syed Qasim
Jaffry was killed near Gujjar Nala, Liaquatabad within the remits
of Supermarket Police Station.
An alleged target killer affiliated
with Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) was shot dead near Ali
Basti within the precincts of Rizvia Police Station. The deceased
is identified as Hassan Kashmiri. Police said that the deceased
was nominated in various cases of target killings.
Another man was gunned down
in Pukhtoonabad area within the jurisdiction of Manghopir Police
Station. Police said that the deceased, Ghulam Abbas, resident
of the same area, was working at his shop when armed pillion
riders shot him dead and managed to escape.
A man was shot dead in Orangi
Town within the premises of Pakistan Bazaar Police Station.
The victim, Tariq Jivan, was on his way when unknown armed men
targeted him and managed to flee.
A man shot was dead in Korangi
area within the remits of Zaman Town Police Station. The victim
Mohammad Akram was at home when unidentified culprits barged
in and shot him dead.
A bullet-riddled body of man
was found from the bushes near Sector 11-A, New Karachi within
the remits of New Karachi Industrial Area Police Station.
Three persons were killed and
40 others injured in TTP's three bomb attacks on two political
parties MQM and PPP in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
As the Afghan Taliban announced
the launching of annual spring offensive against the US-led
Allied Forces in Afghanistan, this year the TTP has also joined
them. The TTP has released a significant video which shows the
TTP fighters belonging to the "Saad bin Abi Waqas Front" [which
is named after a TTP commander] already carrying out military
and suicide operations against the ISAF Forces in Logar province
of Afghanistan.
On the other hand, however,
the TTP 'chief' Hakimullah Mehsud has released a 67-minute Pashto-language
videocassette titled, "The Caravan of Truth" which has been
posted on Jamia Hafsa Urdu Forum. The footage shows undated
ambushes, mortar strikes and raids being carried out by the
TTP fighters against the ISAF forces.
April 28
Five supporters of independent
candidate Syed Noor Akbar for NA-39 (Orakzai Agency in FATA)
seat were killed when his election office was targeted with
bomb in the Kacha Pakka area of Kohat Town in same District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in the morning. The TTP 'spokesman'
Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for the Kohat blast
and vowed to carry out more attacks.
Three persons were killed and
26 others injured in bomb attack on the elections office of
independent candidate Nasir Khan Afridi for NA-46 seat was targeted
on Charsadda Road in Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP.
Two persons, including a seven-year-old,
were killed in the attack, while 16 others were injured in a
remote-controlled blast took place when people were leaving
after attending the election rally of ANP candidate Ameer Rehman
in the PK-32 constituency in Swabi town of same District. Sources
said that the bomb exploded as Ameer Rehman drove past in a
convoy of dozens of vehicles.
At least six persons, including
an ANP leader and a Policeman, were killed while nine others
were injured in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. A Policeman, identified as
Police constable Fida Hussain (32), and a person, Umar Hussain
(35), were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Sultanabad
within the jurisdiction of Manghopir Police Station.
Two persons, identified as Nasir
and Kamran, were shot dead and two others were injured in an
election rally in Liaquatabad area within the premises of Liaquatabad
Police Station.
A person, identified as Fayyaz
Muneer was shot dead and his friend Naseem Islam was injured
when a firing incident took place in Essa Nagri within the remits
of PIB Police Station.
General sectary of ANP, Ghazi
Gul (35), was shot dead in a targeted attack in Musharraf Colony
within the precincts of Mochko Police Station.
Six persons were injured in
an election rally at Model Colony Turn in the remits of Model
Colony Police Station.
Police arrested 25 suspected
militants in different targeted raids and operations, huge cache
of weapons and ammunitions were also recovered in these search
operations conducted in various localities of Orangi town.
A boy was killed and five others
were injured in a blast on Sariab Road of Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan. The electoral procession
of Shams Mengal, an independent candidate for PB-5 Quetta seat,
was the target. Police sources said that unidentified assailant
had planted a bomb on a bicycle in Faizabad area of Sariab,
where the electoral procession of the Shams Mengal was underway.
The TTP claimed responsibility for blast.
The house of a leader of JUI-F
was attacked with a hand-grenade in Panjgur District. The house
was partly damaged.
The motorcade of the chairman
of Jamoot Qaumi Movement (JQM), escaped unhurt in a rocket attack
in Chattar area of Nasirabad District. "Three vehicles were
damaged in the attack," Police officials said.
April 29
At least 10 persons, including
two Afghan diplomats and a journalist, were killed and over
60 others sustained injuries in a suicide attack on the University
Road in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Those killed in the blast included
the Afghan consulate's Business Attache, Qazi Hilal, and an
official of its refugee section, Mohammad Idrees. Qazi Hilal
was son of the former deputy leader of Hezb-i-Islami and Afghanistan's
Former Minister for Justice and Communications, Qazi Amin Waqad.
A journalist, Arif Shafi, was also among those killed, while
another journalist Gohar Ali's daughter, Ayesha Ali, was wounded.
One person was killed and two
others sustained injuries in an attack on the ANP office in
Nowshera town of same District. Unidentified assailants attacked
the election office of the ANP candidate for PK-13, killing
one of his security guards and injuring two other persons. The
slain guard was identified as Johar Ali (19), while the injured
party workers included Shahid Khan and Adalat Khan. The attackers
escaped after the attack. Two vehicles parked in the hujra (meeting
place) were also damaged in the incident.
A passerby was killed and 20
others sustained injures when ANP candidate for PK-17, Muhammad
Ahmad Khan, was attacked with a remote controlled bomb in Sar
Dheri of Charsadda town of same District. Khan escaped unhurt.
Bomb disposal Unit officials said two kilogram explosive was
used in the explosion.
The hujra and a nearby mosque
were partially damaged when a bomb planted by militants exploded
near the house of the ANP leader Khan Daraz Khan in Hajyanoo
Koroona in Ghundo village in the limits of Katlang Police Station
in Mardan District.
Two unidentified motorcyclists
attacked the vehicular procession of JUI-S candidate for NA-15
Karak and JUI-S Deputy General Secretary Maulana Shah Abdul
Aziz in Jangrezi area of Banda Daud shah tehsil of Karak District.
It was learnt that both the candidates and their workers remained
unhurt in the attack.
Two assailants opened fire on
the hujra of former JUI-F MPA and now independent candidate
for PK-41 Karak-I Malik Qasim Khan in Khojaki area of Takht-e-Nusrati
on the Indus Highway.
A Government boys' school was
blown up with four bombs in the wee hours in Bannu town of same
District. According to Police, four back-to-back bombs exploded
in the school, completely damaging the school building. No casualty
was reported.
Unidentified persons hurled
a hand-grenade at the Bannu woollen Mills on Dera Ismail Khan
Road in Bannu town of same District in the night. Official sources
said that the main entrance to the mills was partially damaged
but caused no casualty.
At least five persons, including
a Policeman, were killed in separate incidents of violence in
Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
A Police Sub-Inspector, identified as Sadru Abro (48), was shot
dead and his daughter was injured in a targeted attack in Orangi
town within the premises of Iqbal Market Police Station.
A person, identified as Akbar
(30), was shot dead in Ilyas Goth area within the remits of
Ibrahim Hyderi Police Station.
A person, identified as Syed
Mohammad Hafeez (25), was shot dead within the jurisdiction
of Rizvia Police Station.
A watchman, identified as Mehmood
Aslam Khan (40), was shot dead by unidentified assailants in
Pakhtoonabad area within the precincts of Manghopir Police Station.
An unidentified person was shot
and killed near Ibrahim Ali Bhai School in Orangi town.
Two persons were injured in
a low-intensity blast, close to metrological office near Safora
Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Police said that unidentified
assailants threw a cracker near metrological department that
injured two pedestrians, Mohammad Hanif and Anwar.
Terrorists blew up the railway
tracks near Seitharija railway station in Khairpur area of same
District.
LEAs arrested over 50 suspects
during various targeted raids and operations in different parts
of the Karachi. According to details, Police arrested about
two dozen suspects during targeted raids in various localities
of Sohrab Goth including Jangal Goth, Faqira Goth, Lasi Goth
and Al-Asif Square.
15 more suspects were taken
into custody during targeted raids in other parts of Karachi
a huge cache of weapons was also recovered from their possession.
Rangers conducted targeted raids
in Haroonabad, Musharraf Colony, Qayyumabad, Sher Khan Colony,
Greek Maripur and Masroor Colony, Falaknaz Plaza, Karnal Basti,
Gulistan Society, Millat Town and Chanesar Goth, and arrested
about 24 suspects. According to Rangers' spokesperson, three
ball bombs, a metal detector, two hand grenades, a wireless
set and about 20 weapons of different calibres were also recovered.
At least 10 more suspects were
taken into custody during targeted raids in Musharraf Colony
area of Maripur. According to Police, at least six hand grenades,
AK-47 rifle and five TT pistols were also recovered from criminals'
possession. In more raids, CID of Sindh Police claimed to have
arrested three alleged target killers.
Nine alleged TTP militants were
arrested in separate rages in Karachi. According to reports,
Rangers claimed to have arrested eight militants of the TTP
during a raid in the Maripur area. Sources privy to the arrests
said that "tennis balls bombs" and a huge cache of arms were
recovered from the arrested militants.
The dead bodies of three missing
SF personnel were found in Adamkot area of North Waziristan
Agency in FATA. Suspected militants had abducted the three troopers
from a checkpost in Wacha Bibi area of Dattakhel tehsil in North
Waziristan in the night of April 26 and shifted them to an undisclosed
location.
A driver was killed when unidentified
assailants opened fire on a NATO container in Jamrud tehsil
of Khyber Agency. Security officials said that the assailants
opened fire on the container coming from Afghanistan, killing
the driver.
At least 15,000 troops from
the Army and FC are deploying to sensitive Districts in Balochistan
for the May 11 General Election, Balochistan Home Secretary
Akbar Hussain Durrani said. The sensitive Districts include
Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Kharan, Turbat, Panjgur, Gwadar and
Nushki, he said.
A TTP cadre was arrested while
pasting the group's pamphlets in the Multan Press Club of Multan
city of same District. According to media reports, two members
of the TTP were busy pasting pamphlets in the press club, carrying
directives for the people to stay away from the upcoming election.
The press club management informed the Police, who arrested
one of the cadres, identified as Usman Ghani, a university student.
April 30
At least 11 persons, including
activists of the MQM, the PPP and the ST, were killed in separate
incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh. Two persons, identified as Haji Guddu (45) and Muhammad
Niaz, were shot dead and three others were injured near Noorani
Mosque located in Lyari within the precincts of Kalri Police
Station. Lyari SP Najam Tareen said PPP leaders and members
were at the party's election office in Agra Taj Colony when
eight to 10 motorcyclists opened fire on them.
A dead body was found from the
Mewa Shah graveyard in Pak Colony. The victim was identified
as Zahid alias Bhola, a resident of Sector 5J of New
Karachi. Police were investigating the murder when they received
information from the Shershah area that a man's body was found
on the Miran Naka Road. The victim was identified as Zahid's
friend Azeem, a resident of New Karachi, who was abducted along
with his friend, tortured and then shot dead. Investigators
said Zahid and Azeem were members of the MQM belonging to the
party's New Karachi sector.
Aftab Ahmed was shot dead by
unidentified assailants outside his house in Khuda Ki Basti
of Surjani town. Investigators said the victim was an activist
of the MQM.
Faraz Qadri, an activist of
ST was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Power House
in North Karachi.
A person, identified as Ghulam
Muhammad Katchi was killed near Bacho Farm in Memon Goth area.
An unidentified person was shot
dead by unidentified assailants at Do Rasta area in Manghopir.
A chemical shop owner, Qadir
Hussain (40), was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Juna
market of Kharadar area.
Rashid Hussain (25) was shot
dead by unidentified assailants in Orangi town. However, Javed
Mehsud, who was wounded in a firing incident in Manghopir locality
on April 29, succumbed to his injuries during treatment at Abbasi
Shaheed Hospital.
An independent candidate, Abdul
Fateh Magsi, was shot dead along with his three supporters while
two others were injured in Jhal Magsi area of same District.
Abdul Fateh Magsi had submitted his nomination papers as an
independent candidate from PB-32 Jhal Magsi. No group has claimed
responsibility for the killing of Abdul Fateh Magsi.
Militants blew up 18-inch diameter
gas pipeline in Malagzara area of Dera Bugti District.
The BDS neutralised an IED in
Badhaber area on the outskirts of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of KP. According to Police, the personnel of BDS were called
in after an explosive filled pot with a mobile device attached
was spotted by the locals in Badhaber.
Former President General Pervez
Musharraf's plans to stage a political comeback were virtually
sealed after the Peshawar high court banned him from contesting
polls for life while another court remanded him in judicial
custody till three days after the May 11 parliamentary polls.
The high court's ruling came on an appeal by the former President
who had challenged the rejection of his nomination papers for
the national assembly seat in the north-western hill-station
of Chitral.
An ATC in Rawalpindi sent him
to a two-week judicial remand in the Benazir Bhutto assassination
case. The court fixed the next date of hearing on May 14, three
days after the polls. Bhutto was killed in a deadly bomb and
gun attack in December 2007 after addressing an election rally
in Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh.
The court gave permission to
the Balochistan Police to question Musharraf in the case relating
to the killing of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan
Bugti. Bugti was killed in a military offensive in the mountainous
Dera Bugti region in southwest in August 2006 when Musharraf
was President and Army chief.
Former Federal Minister of Interior
Rehman Malik said a conspiracy is afoot to break the country
by bringing in a pro-TTP PM. Speaking at a joint press conference
with MQM's Farooq Sattar and ANP's Shahi Syed at MQM headquarters
Nine-Zero in Azizabad, a sub-division of Federal B. Area, of
Karachi, he, while referring to the PML-N and PTI, said "The
public wants to know your agreement with the Taliban." "I had
been told that the upcoming elections would be against terrorists.
The election is in fact against the anti-Taliban parties," Malik
added.
The PPP alleged the both PML-N
and PTI had assured the TTP that if voted to power they would
support the militants. PPP Lahore chapter (women wing) President
Faiza Malik said efforts were being made to push the party to
wall while the PML-N and PTI were campaigning openly as they
were the supporters of the Taliban. "Both parties have assured
the Taliban that they will extend full support to them after
coming to power," Ms Malik said while addressing a party workers'
meeting in Lahore.
In a statement, he said the
people would not let the terrorists and their patrons hijack
their country come what may. "The people will reject them and
their supporters on May 11," he said.
Against the backdrop of a spate
of attacks on election meetings and campaign offices ahead of
the May 11 polls, TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud said that his
group is focussed on ending the country's democratic system.
The TTP aim is to "end the democratic system", Mehsud said in
a letter to the media. As part of this campaign, the group will
hinder elections in the country, he said.
The COAS General Ashfaq Parvez
Kayani said that General Elections would be held in the country
on May 11 and emphasised that the future of the country depends
on their fair conduct. "We must not harbour any suspicions or
misgivings about it," he said while addressing the participants
of the "Yaum-e-Shuhada" (Martyrs Day) ceremony at the GHQ.
"If we succeed in rising above
all ethnic, linguistic and sectarian biases to vote solely on
the basis of honesty, sincerity, merit and competence, there
would be no reason to fear dictatorship or to grudge the inadequacies
of our present democratic system," he added.
"Otherwise, may it be democracy
or dictatorship governance would continue to remain a means
of self aggrandisement and that of plundering national wealth
and resources," he added. He assured that armed forces stand
committed to wholeheartedly assist and support in the conduct
of free, fair and peaceful elections, to the best of their capabilities
and remaining within the confines of the constitution.
General Kayani said that like
every Pakistani, Pakistan Army, in its humble capacity, has
endeavoured to strengthen democracy in the last five years,
with the hope that the next elections would steer the country
towards betterment. Now, once the destination is in sight and
the nation must not err in accomplishing its responsibilities
towards the election process, he added.
May 1
At least eight persons, including
a Navy sailor, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. Two watchmen
of Chitargo School, identified as Chamman Ali and Hafizullah,
were shot dead and other Mohsin was shot dead by unidentified
assailants in Sultanabad area within the limits of Manghopir
Police Station.
An owner of meat shop, Waqas
Sattar (25) and a passerby Haji Hassan (35) were shot dead in
MPR Colony within the premises of Orangi Town Police Station.
A Navy Sailor, identified as
Zahid Iqbal (28), was shot dead by unidentified assailants near
Bakra Hotel within the remits of Kharadar Police Station.
A dead body was found near Phool
Chowk in Kharadar Police Jurisdiction. Police said that deceased
was identified as Waqas (22), resident of Napier Road, left
for his home from work place when unidentified militants abducted
him and later threw his body.
A dead body was found from Lyari
River within remits of Rizvia Police Station. Another body was
found near the bushes of Taiser town within the precincts of
Surjani town Police Station.
Eight activists of the MQM were
injured in an attack on their election office in Bombay Bazar
in the Mithadar Police Precincts. Police said the motorcyclists
had also lobbed a hand grenade at the MQM office, but no one
was injured as a result of the explosion.
Police and Rangers, in a joint
operation, arrested about two dozen suspects including political
workers during a targeted operation conducted near Bilawal House
in Boat Basin area. According to Police, the operation was jointly
conducted in collaboration with the Rangers near Bilawal House
Chowrangi against the criminal elements.
At least eight militants were
killed as jet fighters pounded their hideouts in Dabori area
of Orakzai Agency in FATA. Police said the bombing resulted
in the destruction of four militant hideouts and the killing
of eight militants.
Two security officials were
injured as a result of cross-border firing from Afghanistan
at a security checkpost in Mohmand Agency.
A candidate of the Qaumi Watan
Party, Akbar Khan, who is running for a National Assembly seat
(NA 40, North Waziristan Agency), was abducted from an area
near Mir Ali of North Waziristan Agency.
The BDU official's defused two
bombs planted to target two election contestants in the limits
of Mathra Police Station of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The PTI Chairman Imran Khan
said in an interview with British daily Telegraph, that former
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was not assassinated by the TTP.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan has
said that after coming into power his party would end military
operations in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts
of the country, saying bullet is not the solution to any problem.
Speaking at a public rally, he said that the PTI would transform
the country into a welfare state where justice would be dispensed
without any discrimination.
May 2
At least three persons, including
a PPP activist were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. A person
affiliated with PPP, identified as Nadeem Ahmed, was shot dead
and another was injured by unidentified assailants in North
Karachi within the jurisdiction of Khwaja Ajmair Nagri Police
Station.
A person was shot dead in Baldia
town within the remits of Baldia town Police Station. Police
officials said that deceased identified as Abdul Rehman was
standing near his residence when pillion armed riders targeted
him and managed to escaped from the scene.
A dead body of a missing person
from Balochistan was found near Northern Bypass within the premises
of Surjani Police Station. The body was identified as Naseebuallah,
who hailed from Dashti Bazaar of Turbat District in Balochistan.
Eight persons were injured in
a low-intensity explosion near the MQM sector office located
near Fresco Chowk, Burns Road. It was the 42nd attack on electioneering
since April 11, 2013. Including bombings and armed assaults,
has claimed more than 70 lives, including two contesting candidates,
and left over 350 injured in Karachi.
Two schools designated as polling
stations for the May 11 elections were blown up in the Nasirabad
District. Police sources said that an IED planted in a Government
middle school in Tahir Kot area was detonated on May1 and a
primary school was blown up on May 2 in a nearby village in
Chatter tehsil.
Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman
Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, taking a taut position again on the 'Fatwa
on sanctity of vote as Islamic duty of every Muslim male and
female' has challenged the TTP, who are declaring the practice
of democratic right of vote in Pakistan as a sin and holding
terror attacks in response, for an open debate.
A senior prosecutor handling
the 26/11 Mumbai attack case and Benazir Bhutto assassination
case was shot and killed by unidentified assailants in the busy
commercial area of Karachi Company in Islamabad, the federal
capital nation. Assailants riding a motorcycle fired at the
car of FIA prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfizar Ali in the busy commercial
area of Karachi Company at 7.30am.
May 3
At least six persons, including
an ANP candidate, was killed in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. A lawyer, Shakeel Ahmed Jan
Bangash, was killed and his father Ali Ahmed Jan was injured
by unidentified assailants in a targeted attack at ICI Bridge
of Baghdadi area.
An ANP candidate, Sadiq Zaman
Khattak, was shot dead along with his four-year-old son by TTP
militants in Bilal Colony of Korangi area. The 'spokesperson'
of the TTP Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed the responsibility of killing
the ANP candidate.
A Police constable, identified
as Aurangzeb (40), was killed near Bilal Chowrangi of Korangi
area.
An activist of the MQM, identified
as Rizwan Adil alias Hashoo, was shot dead by unidentified
assailants in Paposh Nagar.
A dead body of an unidentified
person was found from the bushes in Gabol Goth area.
The AEC of the CID arrested
at least five alleged TTP cadres in Kati Pahari area. During
the raid, Police recovered 75 kilogrammes of explosives, two
pressure cooker bombs, six tennis ball bombs, remote control,
detonating cord, detonator, four hand grenades, a Kalashnikov,
a .22 rifle, two TT pistols and a 9mm pistol.
Four militants and one security
official were killed during a clash when militants tried to
ambush a security checkpost in Ladha area of South Waziristan
Agency in FATA.
A ST leader, Khurram Qadri,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Food Street of
Tibi City of Sialkot District.
Peshawar-bound Quetta Express
train escaped a rocket attack by unidentified assailants in
Mach Railway Station of same District. However, the rockets
landed in an open area causing no loss.
Two suspected terrorists, picked
up by intelligence agencies from Butkhela area of Malakand District
in KP in 2009 and 2010, were produced before the Supreme Court.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry had ordered the KP Government on May 2, to produce
the two before the court.
A report, 'Press Freedom Report',
released by PPF said that at least six journalists have been
killed in the line of duty in Pakistan during first four months
of 2013, Two of them were purposely targeted and murdered because
of their work while remaining four were killed in suicide blasts.
The report said that 54 journalists were killed in the country
during the period of Jan 2002 to Apr 2013.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor
Engineer Shaukatullah approved the long-awaited compensation
policy for the terrorism-affected people of FATA. Apart from
the introduction of financial assistance criteria for the heirs
of martyrs, the policy has also determined the compensation
amount to help those whose vehicles, houses, shops, plaza, petrol
pumps and CNG stations have been destroyed and animals killed.
According to the details, all
Government employees in FATA will get equal treatment and incentives
which are already being granted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to compensate
the real heirs of those who embrace martyrdom, a communiqué
said. Apart from this, in FATA Rs 6,000 will be paid for each
sheep and goat killed in both natural calamities and terrorism-related
incidents, while Rs 20,000 will be provided for each cow, buffalo,
horse, donkey and camel lost.
May 4
At least eight militants were
killed and three hideouts destroyed in Security Forces' action
against militants in Upper tehsil, including Qismat Sanga and
Sheen Qamar, of Orakzai Agency in FATA.
A local tribal leader Haider
Khan was shot dead after unidentified militants barged into
his house in the Sanober area of Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency.
A landmine blast was reported
in Baizrot area of Orakzai Agency, but no loss of life was reported.
At least three persons were
killed and 35 others, including Rangers personnel and children,
were injured when two consecutive blasts jolted a MQM office
near the MQM head office Nine Zero in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh, in the evening. TTP 'spokesman'
Ehsanullah Ehsan has reportedly claimed responsibility for the
blasts.
A bullet-riddled body was recovered
in a deserted area of Spain Karez, in the outskirts of Quetta
(Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan. The
victim could not be identified.
Unidentified militants planted
explosives under the 18-inch diameter gas pipeline in Pat Feeder
area of Jaffarabad District that damaged a large portion of
the pipeline. Gas supply to different areas was suspended following
the incident. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
May 5
The SFs destroyed two militant
hideouts and killed 16 militants after heavy overnight fighting
at a flashpoint near the Afghan border in the Tirah Valley in
the Khyber Agency of FATA in which two soldiers also died. The
fighting took place in the wake of a fresh military push in
the Tirah Valley where the military has been targeting TTP and
LI militants.
Two SFs personnel were killed
and three others, among them a captain, injured when their convoy
was hit by a bomb blast on the Razmak-Esha road at Kam Sarobi
area near Razmak town of NWA. The deceased were identified as
sepoys Ehsanullah and Tahir and the injured as Captain Sultan
Ayaz, Subedar Sarwar and Sepoy Atif.
The main entrance to the house
and adjacent hujra of PTI for NA-40 NWA were damaged in a blast
caused by an IED in Mir Ali. Family members of the PTI candidate
Engineer Abdul Qayyum Khan said that unidentified persons had
planed an IED near the main entrance to his house and hujra
at Haiderkhel village in Mir Ali subdivision.
Four persons were killed when
the convoy of Sardar Sarfaraz Khan Domki and Mir Dostain Khan
Domki, grandsons of late Nawab Bugti, contesting elections for
national and provincial assembly seats, comes under bomb attack
in Tali area of Sibi District. The candidates remained safe
but their two security guards were killed. Two attackers were
also killed in an exchange of fire soon after the blast.
Two activists of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
(Nazaryati) were injured in a hand grenade attack on an election
campaign office of the party at Killi Deba area of Quetta (Quetta
District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
As many as nine persons were
injured as the offices of PML-N and National Party were attacked
in different parts of Balochistan. Local Police sources said
unidentified men attacked the office of PML-N candidate from
NA 271 Kharan cum Panjgur General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch
with a hand grenade in Kharan town. The explosion left five
PML-N workers present in the office injured besides damaging
the electoral office.
Militants lobbed a hand grenade
at the electoral office of a National Party candidate in Mach
town of Bolan District leaving three party workers injured.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a man on the Circular Road in Quetta. According to Police,
the victim identified as Asad Ali was on way home when armed
assailants riding a motorbike opened fire on him and fled. He
succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to the hospital.
A boy's high school was blown
up in the Killi Sahibzada area of Nushki District. The building
was partially damaged and no casualties were reported.
Police arrested at least 30
suspects during a targeted search operation and recovered arms
from their possession in Kali Gio area under Sariab Police Station
in Quetta.
At least two activists of PTI
and as many Police constables were injured when an improvised
explosive device planted on a roadside went off when a PTI procession
was passing from there to attend a public meeting in Gharibabad
area of Takhbai tehsil in Mardan District of KP.
A bomb planted to target a candidate
of the ANP for PK-8 was defused in Khidrakhel village in the
jurisdiction of Khazana Police Station in Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of KP.
The Karachi Police and CID arrested
15,658 accused and recovered 13487 weapons and different explosive
materials from their possession during different raids from
January 1 to April 30, 2013. This was informed to IGP Sindh
Shahid Nadeem Baloch in a four-month Police performance report.
May 6
Twenty-three persons were killed
and more than 70 others injured in a blast at the election rally
of JUI-F candidates at a Madrassa in Sewak village in Kurram
Agency of FATA. Along with the local tribesmen, two bodyguards
of the JUI-F candidate from NA-38, Munir Orakzai, and six of
his close relatives were also injured in the blast.
TTP claimed responsibility for
the attack on the JUI-F rally and said Munir Orakzai was the
target. It added that the JUI-F party activists weren’t a target.
TTP ‘spokesman’ Ehsanullah Ehsan said they had been trying for
long to locate and kill Munir Orakzai as he had remained an
active member of the coalition Government of the PPP, MQM and
ANP. TTP ‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud had mentioned Munir Orakzai’s
name in a videotape released in the past by his organisation.
Afghan forces attacked a border
checkpost in Mohmand Agency, injuring four Pakistani soldiers.
Security sources said the Gursal checkpost was attacked at around
9am with rockets, mortars and other heavy weapons. Pakistani
forces retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted over two hours.
This was a second attack from across the border in a week. Two
Pakistani troops were injured when Afghan forces attacked the
Gursal and two other checkposts four days ago.
A dead body, identified as Adam
Khan, was found in the Jhal Magsi area of same District.
SFs foiled a terrorism bid as
they arrested two terrorists and recovered 100 kilograms explosives
from their possession during a raid in Kuchlak area in the suburb
of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Militants blew up a portion
of railway track in Sariab area of Quetta. No loss of life was
reported.
A PPP worker was injured when
a remote controlled bomb planted near the office of a party
candidate in Mirzai area of Shabqadar in Charssada District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, went off. The bomb was planted near the
office of PPP candidate for PK-22 Haji Asadullah Khan in Mirzai
area. The PPP worker identified as Shahid sustained injuries.
The BDU personnel said about four kilograms explosive was used
in the bomb.
Two workers of ANP were injured
when unidentified assailants opened fire on them in Chengolai
area of Swat District. ANP workers Nasruallah and Shah Farooq
were returning home from Khwazakhela bazaar in their car when
unknown armed men ambushed the vehicle just a few yards from
their village.
Dara Adam Khel chapter of TTP
warned the teachers to boycott the polling process “in order
to avoid punishment”. The warning has been issued through pamphlets
distributed in various schools, residences of teachers in different
areas of Peshawar, like Sarband, Salman Khel, Masho Khel and
some areas located in Badbher. Local found the pamphlets and
informed the Police, who gathered the letters for investigation
and to determine who distributed them. According to the letter,
TTP Dara Adam Khel has announced that “we are against those
people who are working for democracy and these people are the
enemies of the Islam who want to destabilise our country and
Islam through democracy”. Through the pamphlet, the TTP has
also demanded that people support the TTP, through money or
participation in jihad and reject the election. The TTP also
warned the teachers and citizens that they should not participate
in election work.
Rangers arrested 13 suspects
during different targeted raids and operations in the Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. On a tip-off,
Rangers raided Marine Drive Apartments near Bilawal House, and
arrested three suspects, recovering 10 different types of weapons
from their custody.
May 7
At least 12 persons were killed
and 35 others were injured in a remote-controlled blast when
a candidate of the Fazlur Rehman led JUI-F was conducting his
election campaign in Doaba Town of Hangu District. DPO Sajjad
Khan said militants had parked an explosive-laden motorcycle
in the main bazaar and triggered the explosion when the JUI-F
candidate Mufti Syed Jannan along with his supporters reached
there to meet the shopkeepers and seek votes.
Five persons, including PPP
leader Muhammad Zahir Shah Khan, were killed in a remote-controlled
bomb blast near the Babagam village in Maidan area of Lower
Dir District.
One person was killed and three
others were injured when unidentified assailants opened fire
at the cavalcade of AJIP ‘chief’ Shahram Khan Tarakai near Baja
village in Swabi District. Police sources said Shahram Khan
and his supporters were on their way back after addressing a
rally in Baja village when unidentified assailants opened fire.
“The AJIP ‘chief’ remained unhurt in the attack but one of his
supporters was killed on the spot,” said a Police official.
JI leader, identified as Malik
Bahram Khan, an election candidate for PK-93 Upper Dir-III,
and three other companions of him were injured in a remote-controlled
bomb attack in Akhagram area of Upper Dir District. None claimed
responsibility for the attacks.
Two activists of MQM, identified
as Anis Ilyas and Qasim Muzaffar, were shot dead and one other,
identified as Jalal Saeed, was injured in an attack on the party’s
office in Juma Himayati Goth area of Korangi town in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Police arrested the Karachi
‘chief’ of LeJ, Qari Shafi Ansari, during a raid at Hub River
Road. Police also claimed to have recovered two hand grenades,
one rifle, one 8mm pistol and TT pistols from his possession.
The Police said Ansari is allegedly involved in number of sectarian
killings and was made ameer of Karachi chapter of the
group after the arrest of Hafiz Qasim Rasheed. Ansari was earlier
arrested in 2001 but set free in 2008.
Police arrested a suspected
TTP militant involved in a number of bank robberies and extortion
cases. CID, Operations Wing SSP Mohammed Fayyaz Khan said following
a tip-off, his team raided a hideout in the Korangi Industrial
Area and after a shoot-out arrested Imran alias Kami. During
interrogation, Imran revealed that he was a member of the TTP.
He and his associates were involved in the robbery at the Soneri
Bank branch in Soldier Bazaar on December 13, 2011, in which
they had walked away with PKR 5.2 million. They had also robbed
PKR 6.8 million from the UBL Bank branch in Naval Colony. They
had looted PKR 1.8 million from the Bank Al-Islami branch near
Lasbela Chowk. Imran further disclosed that he was trained in
Waziristan Agency of FATA and also involved in attacks on military
and intelligence personnel. He was instructed by his commander
in Waziristan to rob banks in Karachi in order to generate funds
for his organisation.
Unidentified armed assailants
abducted three persons from Tump area of Turbat District. According
to Levies Force, Muhammad Jan, Muhammad Ibrahim and Wahid Aziz
were on their way home when armed assailants took them away
to an unidentified location at gunpoint near Mand area.
May 8
Three activists of MQM, identified
as Qasim Saeed, Anis Ilyas and Bilal Ahmed, were shot dead and
one other, identified as Muhammad Hussain was injured by unidentified
assailants in Jumma Goth area within the premises of Ibrahim
Hydri Police Station of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Two MQM activists, identified
as Muhammad Ali and Muhammad Aslam were shot dead and three
others were injured near the Liberty roundabout in Hyderabad
city of same District.
Two cadres of the banned TTP
were shot dead by their colleagues in Mianwali Colony of Karachi.
A person, identified as Qari
Hakim was shot dead in Super Market within the remits of Sohrab
Goth Police Station.
A person, identified as Kashif
Soomro (20), was shot dead near Crown cinema of Mauripur road.
Police suspected that Lyari gangsters were behind the incident.
A Policeman, identified as Dilawar
Khan, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Frontier
Colony within the remits of Pirabad Police Station.
A dead body in a gunny bag,
identified as Fayyaz Haqnawaz, was found near Ghani Chowrangi
area within the jurisdiction of SITE-B Police Station.
Another dead body of a man was
found near Lyari express way of Yasinabad area within the limits
of Jauharabad Police Station.
At least 23 persons were injured
in a bomb attack in Mehboobabad area.
18 persons were injured in an
IED blast near Sitara Bakery of Mehmoodabad area.
Rangers arrested around three
dozen militants during different targeted raids and operations
across the Karachi. According to details, Rangers’ officials
said that the raids were conducted in various parts of the city
including Badia Town, Miran Naka, Machar Colony, Kimari, Model
Colony, Itehad Town, Frontier Colony, Kunwari Colony, Orangi,
Safora Chowrangi, Pahar Gunj and Sajan Goth. Spokesman of Rangers
further said that the arrests were made during door-to-door
search operation. Large number of Rangers personnel participated
in the operation while the entire localities were cordoned off
during the operation hours, he said. He also stated that 52
weapons of different calibers including SMGs, Rifles and mixed
ammunitions were also recovered from the possession.
Police arrested three TTP targeted
killers and recovered suicide jackets and explosives from Zeal
Pak Colony of Hyderabad city of same District. Militants confessed
to killing of MQM candidate Fakhr-ul-Islam on April 11, 2013,
in Hyderabad.
Two Policemen, a woman and a
suicide bomber were killed and another militant arrested with
a suicide vest during an encounter in Rasheed Garhi area of
Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. According to an official, terrorists hurled grenades
at Police when they launched an operation in the locality. Elite
Force personnel Misbahullah of Mian Gujar and Wahab Ali of Mashogagar
of Badbher were killed and a woman and a child injured. The
Police official said an injured intending suicide bomber had
been arrested and he had identified himself as Saadat Khan.
City Police Chief Liaquat Ali Khan told reporters that another
suicide bomber had blown himself up in a house, killing a woman.
He said the militant had forced his way into the building after
attacking Police, but detonated his suicide vest after police
surrounded the house.
A policeman and two women were
killed and 27 others injured as a suicide bomber rammed his
explosives-laden car into Domail Police Station in Bannu city
of same District at 5:00am. Officials said the bomber drove
the car through the densely populated area before hitting the
Police Station, destroying the building and several nearby houses
and shops. Police constable Rehmanullah and two women were killed
and 27, mostly children and women, suffered injuries in the
attack. The bomb disposal unit personnel said 400kg explosives
were used in the explosion, which created an eight feet deep
crater.
Two persons were killed and
18 others, including a Policeman, women and some children, injured
in a remote-controlled blast in Jani Chowk of Hangu Bazaar in
Hangu District. Police said the bomb was planted in a handcart
parked on Railway Road in Hangu Bazaar. Police Sub-Inspector
and platoon commander Ahmad Hussain was among the injured.
Five persons, including three
Policemen, were injured in a hand grenade attack in Dera Ismail
Khan City of same District. Police said unidentified persons
hurled a hand grenade partially damaging part of the house injuring
two persons. Police rushed to the place but when they reached
there, a roadside improvised explosive device exploded destroying
their van and injuring Police Constables Mohammad Timur and
Inayatullah and driver Gulam Fareed.
At least nine militants were
killed and their three hideouts destroyed in an operation by
SFs in Mamozai and surrounding areas of Orakzai Agency in FATA.
According to details, SFs engaged the suspected militants in
Mamozai and surrounding areas with heavy artillery fire. In
SFs’ bombing three hideouts were destroyed resulting in the
death of nine militants injury to several others. Sources said
that death toll may rise further as many militants were reported
buried under the rubble of destroyed hideouts.
A security official was killed
and another injured in a landmine explosion in Shahidano Dhand
area of Parachinar in Kurram Agency. Local officials said the
two security personnel were on routine patrol in the area when
a landmine planted by militants on a village track exploded,
killing one of them and injuring the other.
SFs freed 13 persons in Kalaya
of Orakzai Agency who were abducted by militants from Peshawar
January 31, 2012. The hostages included three WAPDA workers,
nine labourers and a Policeman. Sohail Ahmed, one of the freed
WAPDA workers, said he and his co-workers were working at a
132kV grid station in the Gula Khan Bagh area of Badhaber when
about 30 armed militants abducted them and took them to the
Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency. The militants tortured them and
forced them to work as slave labour, he added.
At least 14 persons were injured
in two hand grenades attack by unidentified assailants at a
hotel near eastern bypass area of Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Unidentified militants fired
rockets at the FC checkpost in Kohlu District. No causality
or injury was reported.
Militants abducted five personnel
of the Levies force after blowing up their post in Johaan area
of Kalat District. Militants entered the building of Police
post and placed explosive devices there and detonated them.
“The building was blown up by the powerful explosion,” sources
said, adding that attackers took away five Levies personnel.
Religious parties in Gilgit
and Diamer Districts, including the ASWJ and JI, called for
a new and ‘acceptable’ governing system for the region, terming
the existing GB Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009 ‘biased’.
“The existing governance system is unacceptable to us as it
has deprived us of our rights,” ASWJ GB chief Qazi Nisar Ahmed
told journalists in Gilgit. He accused Chief Minister Mehdi
Shah for being biased in favour of a particular sect. “Families
of the Sunnis killed were paid Rs 100,000 each while others
killed in similar instances were paid Rs2 million each,” he
alleged. GB JI chief Abdul Sami said the strike was meant to
protest the 2009 Order and draw the attention of whoever forms
the new government following the elections on May 11.
A ‘token strike’ was called
by parties to register their reservations against the order
promulgated by the PPP government in 2009. Under the order,
elections were held in GB for the first time in history and
a Chief Minister and Governor were elected and the PPP became
the ruling party. GB was made a de facto province but not under
the Constitution. During the strike, protesters carried banners
and dispersed peacefully later. However, in a precautionary
move all educational institutions, markets, cellular services
and the Karakoram Highway remained closed on the Government’s
orders. Qazi Nisar Ahmed condemned the mobile phone restriction,
arguing it was a non-violent ‘token strike’ against the self-governance
order.
May 9
At least six persons including
three Policemen were killed and more than 10 others injured
in a remote controlled blast near a Police van in Sarmal Nusratkhail
area in Torghar town of same District. According to Police,
militants detonated a remote-controlled device concealed in
sand near the River Indus. A police party was deployed to check
the passengers of ferries moving from Judbah to Darband and
other parts of Hazara when the blast occurred.
Unidentified militants lobbed
a hand grenade inside the building, the meeting place of an
Awami National Party leader, Haider Ali, in Katlang area of
Mardan District. An official of the Katlang Police said that
around 12:30am, an explosion was heard at the ANP leader’s meeting
place, while a car and motorbike parked inside were damaged
as a result. None were killed or injured.
The ANP party’s election office
was partially destroyed when explosives planted by unidentified
militants went off in the Bhalola area of Charsadda District.
Official said that unidentified militants had planted a remote-controlled
bomb at the election office of ANP leader Asfandyar Wali Khan,
which exploded and destroyed the front of the office that is
situated in Bhalola Bazaar. No human loss was reported.
A bomb planted at the main gate
of an ANP election office in Yar Hussain village of Swabi District
went off, partially destroying the structure. No one was reported
injured or killed.
An internally displaced person
was killed and six others were injured when a bomb planted at
the office of NA-41’s candidate exploded in Mir Ali tehsil
of North Waziristan Agency. An official of the political administration
in Mir Ali said that around 3:00pm a huge explosion occurred
in Mir Ali Bazaar.
A boy was killed and four others
injured when an explosive device went off inside a playground
in Rashkai area of Bajaur Agency. Local residents and officials
said the blast occurred during the final of a cricket tournament.
Former Prime Minister Yousaf
Raza Gilani’s son, Ali Haider Gilani (27), was abducted by unidentified
assailants on the outskirts of Multan city of same District.
Officials said his secretary and a bodyguard were killed and
four persons were injured. “People came on a motorbike. They
also had a car with them and they opened fire and abducted Yousaf
Raza Gilani’s son Ali Haider in a black Honda,” Police officer
Khurram Shakur told reporters. There was no claim of responsibility
for the abduction. Yousaf Raza Gilani alleged that the PML-N
has abducted his son. “The election is a national obligation
and we will not boycott,” he said. “Kidnapping of my son following
killing of his secretary in a firing attack is a horrific incident,”
he added.
Three Karachi targeted killers
were killed by Lahore and Karachi Police in a joint operation
in the Satukatla area of Lahore District. Police said that two
Policemen also lost their lives during operation.
A Balochistan Constabulary operative
was killed while six others were injured when the election rally
of PML-N candidate Akber Askani came under attack in the Mand
area of Kech District. An official of the Balochistan Levies,
Nasir Ali, told that the PML-N candidate of PB-50, Akber Askani,
was on his way to campaign for elections when unidentified assailants
opened indiscriminate fire on his cavalcade. The BLF claimed
responsibility for the attack.
A primary school was blown up
in Ghot Raisani area of Dhadar in Bolan District. Levies sources
said that militants planted explosive material at the primary
school designated as a polling station.
Two other schools designated
as polling stations were blown up in Jaffarabad District. A
third school was blown up in the Chah Sar area of Turbat District.
The AEC of the CID arrested
five suspected TTP militants, for their alleged involvement
in extortion, near the Manghopir Road situated in the Peerabad
Police precincts. CID officials said they recovered two Kalashnikovs,
five hand grenades and three TT pistols from their possession.
The Peshawar High Court ordered
that drones entering Pakistani airspace be shot down. In its
detailed verdict about drone attacks, the court has said they
constitute a violation of international law and the basic human
rights and also violate the territorial sovereignty of Pakistan.
The court directed the Government to stop drone strikes and
contact the IWCT over the issue. A two-member bench of the PHC
headed by Chief Justice Dost Muhammad heard the case against
the CIA-led drone strikes in Pakistan. Justice Dost Muhammad
said drone attacks should be declared a war crime and issued
wide-ranging directives to the Federal Government and Security
Forces to ensure halt to such attacks and that included the
raising of the issue at the UN Security Council and the General
Assembly.
“The drone strikes carried out
in the tribal areas (FATA), particularly North and South Waziristan,
by CIA and the US authorities, are blatant violation of basic
human rights and are against the UN Charter, the UN General
Assembly resolution adopted unanimously, the provision of Geneva
Conventions and thus, it is held to be a war crime cognizable
by the International Court of Justice or Special Tribunal for
War Crimes constituted or to be constituted by the UNO for this
purpose,” the court ruled.
May 10
Nine militants and three soldiers
were killed in a gunfight in Parachamkani area of Kurram Agency
in FATA. According to official sources, militants launched an
attack on SFs in Mohammad Top area early in the morning, killing
three soldiers and injuring four others. The assault was followed
by a heavy exchange of fire between the two sides in which nine
militants were killed and eight wounded, the sources added.
Locals said militants had also abducted four persons. “More
than 1,000 families have left their houses due to disturbance
in Parachamkani,” said a source at the office of the assistant
political agent of central Kurram. The official said 500 families
comprising 20,000 individuals had been informally registered
with the administration and a large number of displaced people
had gone to live with their relatives.
Four persons were killed and
21 others injured in a bomb blast occurred at the Khwaja Jan
Chowk in Miranshah bazaar of North Waziristan Agency near the
election offices of candidates for the NA-40 seat. Sources said
the explosive device placed on a motorcycle parked near the
offices was detonated by remote control at about 10am. The election
offices belong to the candidates of PML-N, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf
and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam. Another, blast took place in Gora
Qabristan on the Miranshah-Bannu road.
Five persons sustained injuries
in a blast in Uthmankhel bazaar in the Orakzai Agency. The sources
said unidentified persons had placed explosives in the grocery
store of Zar Maluk in Uthmankhel bazaar, which went off at 5pm.
The SFs recovered two roadside
bombs in Ferozkhel area.
The LI asked the people to stay
away from the polling stations and threatened to impose fine
amounting to PKR 50,000 on those who take part in the polling.
In a leaflet circulated in Akkakhel area of Bara tehsil,
the LI also threatened “to chop off the thumb” of those who
cast their ballots. Tribal sources said the leaflets had been
pasted on the walls of shops, mosques and houses in Sanzalkhel,
Madakhel and Merikhel areas in Akkakhel.
Two workers of ANP were killed
in a series of bomb blasts which also damaged a polling station
and three election offices in Swabi town of same District in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Three people were injured in the blasts.
One blast took place at the MCB Chowk in Yar Hussain bazaar
near the election office of an ANP candidate for provincial
assembly seat PK-33. Two people killed in this blast were identified
as Farman Ali and Arbab Ali. Police said an improvised explosive
device had been placed near the election office. Officials said
two other blasts occurred in Swabi Khas, damaging election offices
of two ANP candidates for provincial assembly seats PK-32 (Swabi-II)
and PK-31 (Swabi-I). No one was injured. Sources said explosive
devices had been placed in guest houses of candidates Itibar
Khan and Safdar Khan. The fourth blast damaged a Government
school building where a polling station had been set up. School’s
watchman Sher Azam was injured in the blast.
In their bid to sabotage the
May 11 polls, the TTP and other militant outfits are likely
to target the leaders of political parties, foreign election
observers, polling staff and journalists. The militant groups
are carrying out their plans with the backing of foreign countries.
Caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso and the Federal
Cabinet have been informed of these threats by intelligence
agencies. According to documents available with The Express
Tribune, Premier Khoso and the cabinet were warned about the
threats during a cabinet meeting held on May 4 at the Prime
Minister’s Secretariat.
TTP and HT, in their persistent
campaign of violence and extremism against Pakistan's May 11
general election, are following an un-Islamic path of sin, according
to religious leaders of Pakistan Ulema Council. In an effort
to persuade people not to give in to terrorist threats, the
PUC's recent fatwa declared voting a religious obligation.
TTP Shura has allowed
women voters from South Waziristan Agency area dominated by
Ahmedzai Wazirs to exercise their franchise provided that proper
purdah arrangements are made at polling stations. The 120-member
peace committee comprising TTP commanders, and ulema and elders
of Ahmedzai Wazir tribe announced a code of conduct for elections
in Wana, South Waziristan Agency’s administrative headquarters,
before Friday prayer.
The Army has deployed over 75,000
troops across the country and 5,000 troops for ‘most sensitive’
polling stations to strengthen security for the General Election.
A military official said that security cameras had been installed
where necessary. APCs will be used in most sensitive areas as
and when required and aerial surveillance of these areas will
also be conducted. Army’s sniffer dogs have been made available
for security duties.
May 11
At least 15 persons were killed
and 20 others were injured when unidentified assailants attacked
the convoy of the candidate of PB-28 Syed Khadim Hussain’s nephew
in Naseerabad District. The assailants fired several rockets
hitting the passenger bus, which was on its way back to drop
the supporters, after the polling. Reports suggested that the
assailants had taken positions on Naseerabad road and the attackers
fired several rockets at the bus as it approached them at around
10:30pm.
Atleast 14 people were killed
and 61 others injured in three separate bomb blasts in Karachi,
provincial capital of Sindh. According to details, at least
11 people were killed while 45 others were wounded in a blast
that occurred near ANP office situated at Dawood Chali locality
of Quaidabad. Police officials said the bomb was planted in
a rickshaw parked near the election office of ANP, targeting
its party leader Amanullah Mehsud. However after the explosion
Mehsud remained safe.
Another bomb exploded in a bus
in Mianwali Colony area of Pirabad that left one person dead
and wounded five. DSP Zahid Hussain said that bomb was concealed
in a metal box that was laid on front seat of a bus. He said
the bomb was exploded through IED, which also contained nut
bolts and balls bearing weighing around one kilogram. DSP Hussain
further said the bus carried ANP workers and they were the main
target of terrorists.
Two Rangers personnel were killed
and eleven others including six Rangers personnel wounded in
a suicide bomb attack on their vehicle at Islami Colony locality
of Manghopir.
Armed riders hurled hand grenades
in various localities of Karachi city including Orangi Town,
Baldia Town and Garden. Police said unknown armed riders threw
hand grenades and fled the scene.
May 12
Balochistan Inspector General
of Police Mushtaq Sukhera narrowly escaped a suicide attack
in the high security zone on Zarghoon Road in Quetta, the provincial
capital of Balochistan that killed at least six persons and
injured 46 others. IGP Sukhera had just entered his residence
on Zarghoon Road when a suicide bomber in a vehicle laden with
explosives blew themselves up outside. “At least two policemen,
three paramilitary soldiers and one passerby were killed outside
the inspector general’s residence and 46 others were wounded,”
Home Secretary Akbar Durrani said. The windowpanes of several
government premises and other buildings, including that of media
organisations, were smashed in the blast. The four-story building
of Quetta Press Club was also damaged, while a journalist sitting
inside the press club received injuries.
Two persons died in a landmine
explosion in Goth Manzoor Jan area of Naseerabad District. According
to Police, the victims, identified as Allah Dino and Leemo Khan,
were on their way home on a motorbike when they hit a roadside
landmine that went off. As a result, both of them died on the
spot.
Six rockets were fired in different
areas of the provincial capital Quetta in the Sunday night.
Police sources said that unidentified militants fired rockets
from the mountains which landed in different areas of the metropolis.
One of the rockets landed in a ground near a checkpost causing
no damage to life.
Unidentified militants fired
two rockets targeting a Security Force check post in Chatkan
area of Panjgur District. Local Levies sources said the rockets
fired from surrounding mountains, landed in ground near the
check post causing no damage to life.
The BNP-M renounced the results
of the election on various polling stations and demanded the
ECP either recounts the votes or conduct a new election. Speaking
at a press conference, BNP-M Vice President Sajjid Tareen, PB-5
candidate Akhter Hussain Langov, PB-4 candidate Ahmed Nawaz
Baloch and a large number of party workers renounced the election
results. “All the forces deployed for so-called security of
polling stations were utilised to turn the majority of our votes
into a minority,” Sajjid Tareen said, adding that the BNP-M
was punished for its policies and the six-point agenda that
it had put before the CJP for putting an end to the atrocities
perpetrated against the people of Balochistan.
At least 16 persons were killed
in a blast that ripped through a passenger bus in Miranshah
town of North Waziristan Agency of FATA. The nature of the blast
could not be ascertained immediately.
Seven persons, including political
activists and an ASWJ cadre, were killed in separate incidents
of violence across Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two activists of the MQM, Adeel and Anees, were shot dead and
another, Kamran, was injured near Daata Chowk in Sector-11½,
Orangi Town. Iqbal Market SHO Amjad Kiyani said two men riding
a motorcycle opened fire on them and escaped. Adeel and Anees
were shot several times with 9mm pistols.
Two PML-N supporters were killed
and another injured in an attack near Malir No 9 in Khokhrapar.
Model Colony Police said 20-year-old Ishaq, 18-year-old Hamza
and an unidentified man in his 20s were returning home from
a party rally at night when some men shot them.
An ASWJ cadre was shot dead
near Sakhi Hassan Chowrangi in North Nazimabad. SSP Central
Amir Farooqi said 32-year-old Abdul Wahid, a resident of Sector-11½,
Orangi Town, was attacked by two men riding a motorcycle in
the afternoon. Wahid was shot eight times with 9mm pistols.
A senior member of the Daawat-e-Islami,
Akeel Ahmed, was shot dead near Five Star Chowrangi in North
Nazimabad. Akeel Ahmed, a resident of Gulbahar, was on his way
towards Five Star Chowrangi with his son at night when two men
on a motorcycle intercepted his vehicle and shot him. Ahmed
had suffered multiple bullet wounds.
A man was shot dead in the Mannu
Goth area of PIB Colony. New Town Sub-Divisional Police Officer
Nasir Lodhi said Shafi Mohammad, a member of a criminal group,
was shot dead by two unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle
in the afternoon.
Two Policemen were killed and
eight other persons were wounded in two separate attacks in
Badaber area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
in the night. Police said a patrolling party of the Badaber
Police Station was on a routine duty when two IEDs planted on
the roadside in Malikhel area was triggered with a remote-control.
An assistant sub-inspector Amjad Kamal and a Constable Sohail
Khan were killed in the twin blasts while four constables and
two civilians were wounded in the attack.
Two Policemen were injured in
an exchange of fire with alleged militants in Sheikh Mohammadi
village. Police said the attackers wanted to kidnap the polling
staff and polling agents from the women polling station in the
area who were busy in counting votes.
May 13
At least four persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. A Philanthropist and social activist Abdul
Waheed, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at his medical
store in Islamia Colony of Manghopir area. The suspects also
injured his one-year-old daughter Pareesha and his elder brother
Naseeb Taj.
A person, identified as Shahbaz,
was killed by unidentified assailants near KMDC located in North
Nazimabad town within the jurisdiction of Taimoria Police Station.
Waseem (27), a trainee Police
constable, was killed near Saeedabad Police training centre
of Baldia town.
An ASI, Syed Maqbool Shah, was
killed in Farid Colony of Mominabad area.
One more person injured in the
May 12 Zarghoon Road (Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan)
suicide blast, died raising the death toll to eight. At least
seven persons were killed and 68 others injured, many of them
critically, in the blast targeting Inspector General of Police
Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhaira on May 12.
May 14
At least six persons, including
JI and MQM activists were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. An MQM
activist, identified as Muhammad Azam (35), was shot dead by
unidentified assailants near his home in Bengali Para in Bilal
Colony of Korangi town.
A worker of the JI, identified
as Yunus (40), was shot dead and other Asghar was injured by
unidentified assailants in Lyari area.
A person, identified as Muzzamil
Ghani, was shot dead in Lyari area.
Two dead bodies of two brothers,
Shoaib (25) and Adnan (27), were found in Mauripur Road of Mohammadi
Colony.
A dead body of Wilayat Hussain
(35) was found in Abul Chowk of Kaghzi Bazaar in Kharadar area.
CID arrested the chief of TTP
Karachi chapter, Ameer Sahab, during targeted operation in Kemari
and also recovered weapons including four hand grenades, 30-bore
pistol, two repeaters and mixed ammunitions from his custody.
The officials said the accused was involved in target killings
and other cases of crime.
Chairman of APNA Sardar Arif
Shahid was killed by two unidentified assailants in Rawalpindi
city of same District. His party, Jammu & Kashmir National
Liberation Conference has announced three-day mourning across
PoK.
Police arrested alleged TTP
‘commander’ and target killer Abid aka Charger and two other
militants during a raid on a house in the Bahadur Banda area
of Hangu District in KP. Hand grenades and other weapons were
recovered from the possession of the arrested militants, District
Police Officer Hangu Sajjad Khan said.
The IMU acknowledged perpetrating
the May 12 suicide bombing attack on Zarghoon Road in Quetta
(Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan, reports
Central Asia Online. At least eight persons, mostly Police and
SFs, were killed in the suicide bombing, which targeted Balochistan
IGP Mushtaq Sukhera. However, he had escaped unhurt.
May 15
A cadre of the ASWJ and also
an activist of the Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (MDM) Election Committee
for PS-128 Landhi, Hafiz Mohammad Sajjad, was shot dead by unidentified
assailants near the Usman Ghani mosque at Vita Chowrangi in
the Korangi Industrial Area of Karachi (Karachi District), the
provincial capital of Sindh. ASWJ ‘spokesman’ Maulana Akbar
Saeed Farooqi accused the MQM of orchestrating the murder and
said that the MDM member had been threatened on May 11 when
he had resisted rigging and violence against voters during the
elections. ASWJ cadres claimed that the funeral prayers were
also attacked and two of their party workers were injured, while
six others were abducted.
The Government has formally
declared 29 villages in Parachamkani area of Kurram Agency in
FATA a conflict zone, where, officials say, Security Forces
are gearing up for action against militants. An official source
in FATA Secretariat told Dawn that the office of the FATA secretary
(law and order) on May 13 had notified 29 villages of Parachamkani
as a conflict zone and that notification had been issued to
all authorities concerned.
The FDMA in collaboration with
the United Nations aid agencies is planning to begin registration
of around 5,000 internally displaced families from May 16. Officials
said around 6,000 more families would be dislocated from the
area in the next few days and the relevant authorities had requested
the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs to intimate its partners to make all necessary arrangements
to provide relief to displaced families.
A man detained by intelligence
agencies since 2011 told the IHC on May 15 that over 500 terror
suspects had been kept in an internment centre in Lakki Marwat
town of same District in KP. Rana Amir, who went missing in
2011, also was detained at the centre. This was confirmed by
a Defence Ministry Official who told the court on May 2 to ask
the KP Government to produce him before it. On the directive
of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, the Interior Ministry and
the KP Government produced Amir during the hearing of a petition
filed by his wife Rashida Amir.
Responding to the court’s questions,
Amir said that intelligence personnel had picked him up from
his dairy farm in Rahim Yar Khan on February 10, 2011. According
to him, the agencies initially kept him in solitary confinement
for five months somewhere in Bahawalpur. From there he was taken
to Lahore and Peshawar and subsequently to Lakki Marwat. He
told the court that the Lakki Marwat centre housed more than
500 suspects in about 20 barracks.
The TTP said that they do not
rule out a ‘ceasefire’ if the new Government ‘shows seriousness’
to their dialogue offer. TTP ‘spokesman’ Ehsanullah Ehsan says
if the incoming Government takes their talks offer seriously,
his group will also come up with a positive response. “If they
[the new government] takes our dialogue offer seriously and
makes some progress, then we could also stop attacks,” Ehsan
told The Express Tribune by the phone from undisclosed
location.
The incoming Prime Minister,
Nawaz Sharif, said this week that the Taliban’s offer for dialogue
would be taken seriously. The TTP had also offered ‘conditional
dialogue’ to the previous ruling coalition in February only
to withdraw it after they did not receive a ‘positive’ response.
May 16
Three soldiers and two civilians
were killed while six others sustained injuries in a bomb attack
followed by firing on a Security Forces’ convoy on the Kohat
Road near Sra Khawra area of Matani in Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the night. Officials said
a convoy of the Army was on its way from Kohat to Peshawar when
it came under a bomb attack, followed by intense firing near
Sra Khawra in Matani. Three soldiers and two unidentified persons
were killed in the blast and firing, while six others were injured.
The member of Damghar peace
committee and PML-N leader Shah Dawran and his guard were shot
dead by unidentified assailants in Mingora Bazaar of Swat District.
Police said Dawran and his guard, Amanullah of special police
force, were bound for home in Damghar from Mingora in a car
and when they reached Green Chowk, armed men opened fire on
them killing the two on the spot.
Unidentified assailants killed
the driver of a NATO trailer and injured his helper on Ring
Road in limits of Pishtakhara Police Station in Peshawar. Injured
Akbar Ali told local police, “We had just returned from Afghanistan
on a US vehicle and were on the way to Haji Camp that unidentified
gunmen opened fire on us on Ring Road.” The helper said driver
Basharat Ali, of Faisalabad, suffered bullet injures and died.
Police arrested six kidnappers
and recovered an activist of the PML-N from their captivity
in Misri Banda village of Nowshera District. Senior Superintendent
of Police Waqar Ahmed said the Police launched an operation
in Khurram Koroona in Misri Banda for the recovery of Abdul
Wahab, the PML-N senior vice-president for the provincial assembly
constituency, PK-5 in Nowshera District.
Accepting defeat in the General
Elections 2013, ANP chief, Asfandyar Wali Khan claimed his party’s
anti-terrorism slogan was the main reason behind their defeat.
Asfandyar Wali Khan said that despite their reservations over
the general elections, the party accepts the results. Khan vowed
to reclaim the mandate, which, according to him, was snatched
by “terrorists” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Unidentified assailants opened
fire on NATO supply truck passing through Peshawar near the
Afghan border, in the Jamrud area of Khyber Agency in FATA.
“Two gunmen on a motorcycle fired at a NATO truck and killed
its driver,” local official Asmatullah Wazir said.
LEA carried out targeted operations
across the Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh, and detained 31 suspects including six militants of
banned terrorist outfits. According to details, Rangers’ official
said the raids were conducted in Itehad town, Banaras Chowk
and Liaquatabad. Police also claimed to have recovered huge
caches of weapons.
Police arrested four suspected
target killers and recovered arms as well as hand grenades from
their possession in Mauripur area. The Police said a special
team conducted raids of the Grex area of Hawkesbay and arrested
Danish, Mehtab, Amir and Sheraz. They said the suspects were
involved in target killings and were believed to be affiliated
with a political party. Four TT pistols and four hand grenades
were taken from their possession.
LEA arrested three persons,
who were involved in selling explosives to banned-militant outfits,
from Pishin town of same District. According to sources, the
three arrested persons carried license to sell explosives to
mining companies. The sources said that instead of selling explosives
to the mining companies, they were selling it to militants.
The Police also recovered 500 kilograms of explosives from their
custody.
May 17
Twenty-one persons were killed
and around 120 others sustained injuries in separate bomb blasts
during the Friday prayer at two mosques in Baz Darra village
in Palai Union Council of Malakand District in KP. Local sources
said unidentified militants had planted explosives inside Bar
Jumat mosque in Baz Darra and triggered the explosion when the
faithful were offering the Friday prayer at 1:25pm. “Everyone
headed towards the mosque after hearing the blast. Those offering
prayers at the Koz Jumat mosque also left the prayers to take
part in rescue activities,” an eyewitness said. When they were
leaving the mosque, the explosives placed inside the Koz Jumat
mosque also went off.
Two security persons were killed
while another injured when terrorists opened indiscriminate
firing on a security caravan in Matani area of Peshawar, the
provincial capital of KP.
Four Policemen were injured
when terrorists targeted a Police vehicle which was on a routine
patrolling in the Maryam Zai.
At least seven persons, including
activists of JI and MQM, were killed in targeted attacks across
Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
A former union councillor associated with the JI, Mohammed Abid,
was shot dead near the Sindh Sports Board Complex in Nazimabad
area.
An activist of the MQM, identified
as Abdul Jabber, was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside
his house in Ghaziabad of Pakistan Bazaar in Orangi town.
A cadre of the MQM- Haqiqi,
Gulzar Qureshi (34), was shot dead near Noorani Mohalla in Agra
Taj Colony.
One Dilshad (35) was killed
by unidentified assailants at his meat shop in Soldier Bazaar.
A Baloch man, Abdul Rashid Baloch,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Saudabad.
The dead body, stuffed in a
gunny bag, was found near the Kalapul of Mehmoodabad Police
Station.
Ahmed Ramzan (45) was shot dead
by unidentified assailants in Muslimabad D1 area of Khokhrapar.
Four persons were injured by
four unidentified assailants near Bashir Chowk situated in Pukhtoonabad.
A central leader of the JuD,
Khalid Bashir (42), was found dead in Sheikhupura area of Lahore
city of same District. JuD’s Ameer (chief) Hamza told that Bashir
was abducted by some unidentified militants two days ago.
Police recovered a bag containing
16 kilogram explosives in Loralai area of Loralai District.
The BDS took possession of the bag and diffused the explosive.
A US senior Defence Department
official said that the Pentagon sees no need to change the broad
Congressional authorisation under which the military conducts
lethal drone strikes against terrorist targets and estimated
that the war with al Qaeda could continue for up to two decades,
said a report published in The Washington Post.
The TTP is luring more women
to become suicide bombers. The number of incidents involving
female suicide bombers is rising, officials say. "Terrorists
are exploiting psychologically fragile women, motivating them
to execute attacks in the name of religion," said Muhammad
Ali Babakhel, a Deputy Inspector General of the KP Police.
May 18
At least two persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. One person was shot dead and a television
reporter was injured by unidentified assailants on Napier Road
near Denso Hall of Kharadar Police Station.
A dead body, identified as Abdul
Kalam of was found in Brohi Goth area. Police believed the victim
was abducted, tortured and then shot dead.
At least two persons were injured
in a remote-controlled blast near the house of a tribal elder
in Dera Allahyar area of Jaffarabad District. Police sources
told that unidentified militants planted an IED near the house
of a local tribal elder, and detonated it.
May 19
Two persons were killed when
unidentified assailants opened fire on their car in Khal area
of Lower Dir District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Six children suffered injuries
as unknown miscreants hurled a hand grenade in the house of
Raz Mohammad Khan in Kachkot Asad Khan village of Surani area
in Bannu District. The injured children were identified as Osman,
Aiman, Yousaf Khan, Asad Yar Khan, Irfan and Hajra.
A Police patrol party escaped
a roadside explosion in the jurisdiction of cantonment Police
Station. The bomb was attached to a bike along the roadside
in Azad Mandi area. The bomb exploded few minutes after the
Police party passed the area. However, no loss of life or property
was reported in the incident.
Two dead bodies, identified
as Shahzeb and his brother Shah Noor, were found in Murgaap
area of Kech Districts of Balochistan. Police said that both
the boys were in their 20s and were brutally tortured and subjected
to electric shocks. They were abducted on March 11 from Turbat
area of Kech District, said the sources.
A dead body, identified as that
of Naseer Ahmed, was found from Zinda Pir Road area of Khuzdar
District.
At least three persons, including
PTI leader Zahrah Shahid Husain, were killed in separate incidents
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
PTI leader Zahrah Shahid Husain was killed by unidentified assailants
in Defence Phase-IV.
Two unidentified dead bodies
were found in Manghopir area.
Police arrested four alleged
members of TTP during a targeted raid in Ganna Mandi area of
Sohrab Goth. The suspects have been identified as Anar Khan,
Ameer Khan, Sal Mohammad and Naimatullah.
Around 934 persons, including
90 Policemen and Rangers personnel and 844 members of political
parties, were killed in the Karachi (Karachi District), the
provincial capital of Sindh, in the first four months of the
2013. 535 persons have fallen victim to incidents of target
killing and around 569 unclaimed bullet-riddled bodies have
been recovered.
Statistics from the HRCP indicate
the year 2012 recorded 104 cases of sectarian killings. A majority
of those targeted belonged to the Shia community, although in
the consequent tit-for-tat cycle of violence Sunnis have been
victimised too.
May 20
At least six persons, including
activists of the MQM and the STPP, were killed in separate incidents
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An MQM activist, Mohammed Jamal,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Yaqoobabad area
of Orangi town.
An activist of the STPP, identified
as Mohammed Qasim (35), was shot dead near Mosmiyat Chowrangi
in Mobina town.
A person was shot dead and another
was injured in an attack near Gulbahar Chowrangi.
Owner of a cell phone shop,
Junaid, was killed by unidentified assailants in Paposh Nagar.
A person, identified as Yaqoob
Ali (33), was shot dead near Denso Hall in Mithadar area.
A garment factory worker, Mehtab
(35), was killed in C-Area of Khokharapar. Police investigators
said Mehtab was a supporter of a political party.
Sindh provincial leader of ANP
survived a grenade attack outside his residence in Landhi area.
HRCP has expressed alarm over
escalating confrontation and violence in Karachi and appealed
all sides to act in a rational manner and focus on resolving
the litany of challenges facing the country.
Two persons, identified as Abdul
Razaq Bangulzai and Abdul Raziq Hotizai, were killed by unidentified
assailants in Mastung town of same District.
Two Policemen arrested for allegedly
having links with a militants outfit. DIG Fayyaz Ahmed Sumbal
said that ASI Yahya and Constable Mohammad Karim had been taken
into custody a few days ago and they had confessed to having
links with the militants outfit.
One Levies personnel was killed
when an anti-polio vaccination team was fired upon by unidentified
persons in Mamond tehsil in Bajaur Agency of FATA.
A member of the BDS was injured
in a roadside bomb explosion in Manzai area of South Waziristan
Agency.
Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) militants
torched houses of several peace activists and pro-Government
elders in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a worker of peace committee Saifur Rehman near Tablighi
mosque in Tank town of same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Contrary to the military’s stand
on the war against terrorism, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif considers
dialogue with militants as the best option to restore peace
in the country.
May 21
Two security personnel were
killed and four others injured when unidentified militants blew
up an electricity tower in Dargai area of South Waziristan Agency
in FATA.
In the Batkhela area of Dargai,
unidentified assailants shot dead a prayer leader. Sources said
that the assailants entered the mosque in Dargai in the night
and opened fire on its prayer leader Habibullah (33), killing
him on the spot.
Militants attacked a polio team
and destroyed vaccines during an immunisation campaign in Darra
Adamkhel area of Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
SFs foiled a terrorism bid by
seizing an explosives-laden vehicle, and arrested an accused
in Saranan area of Pishin District.
Former Advocate General Balochistan
Salahuddin Mengal was recovered in Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan.
PTI nominee for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Chief Ministers slot Pervez Khattak said the next Provincial
Government to be led by his party had the capability to curb
lawlessness and put the province on path of development.
PTI has sought the help of an
elderly pro-Taliban cleric to initiate peace talks with the
militants, a party leader Shaukat Yusufzai. PTI approached Samiul
Haq, nicknamed the “Father of the Taliban”, after emerging from
elections as the largest party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
US drone strikes in Pakistan
have a “minimal” impact on militants’ recruitment a Brussels-based
think tank ICG report said. ICG report added however the missile
strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas were not a long-term solution
to militancy and urged Washington to be more open about the
clandestine campaign.
May 22
Four persons, including an MQM
activist, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
The dead body of an MQM activist,
identified as Shakeel Ahmed, was recovered from Chishti Nagar
area of Orangi Iqbal Market.
A person, identified as Abbas
Haider (23), was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Liaquat
Chowk.
A person belonging to Christian
community, Daniyal Masih, was shot dead near Ashraful Madaris
within Gulistan-e-Jauhar Police remits.
A dead body was found within
the limits of Napier Police Station. Police stated that unidentified
assailants abducted the victim and later dumped his body.
West Zone Police arrested a
militant, identified as Qari Muhammad Ali, from Sultanabad area
of Manghopir, after heavy exchange of fire and recovered a suicide
vest, a pressure-cooker bomb, an Improvised Explosive Device
(IED) and a 9mm pistol from his possession. Police claimed that
the arrested terrorist was affiliated with the TTP.
The Interior Ministry has conveyed
to the Sindh Government that there is serious threat to the
life of PTI ‘chief’ Imran Khan, and advised it to ensure special
security arrangements for him when he visits Karachi.
A tractor driver was injured
when his vehicle hit a landmine in Turbat area of same District.
Unidentified militants abducted
two persons from Dhadar area of Bolan District.
BNP-M ‘chief’ Sardar Akhtar
Mengal said that had the establishment not stolen the mandate
of his party it would have won at least 12 seats of the Balochistan
Assembly in the recent elections. He said people had reposed
confidence in the party, giving ‘mandate’ to it.
Unidentified militants abducted
four doctors from the Ghazni Khel Police Station jurisdiction
of Lakki Marwat District in KP.
Two suspected militants were
arrested and a cache of explosives recovered during a raid in
Kharmato area in Kohat District.
MNA-elect from NA-47, Darra
Adamkhel, Qaiser Jamal Afridi has said that PTI will approach
the TTP and Security Forces to reopen and rebuild educational
institutions in tribal areas and KP.
Further, Deputy Inspector General
of Police Malakand Division, Abdullah Khan, said a contingent
of 50 Policemen belonging to Swat, Buner, Upper and Lower Dir
Districts have successfully completed a month-long special anti-terrorism
training organised by Pakistan Army at Papapanr in Swat District.
PTI MPA-elect Shaukat Yousafzai
said the new KP Government would provide all-out support to
the Federal Government of PML-N for restoring peace in the country.
A businessman, Hanif, who is
also father-in-law of a PTI leader, Sadaqat Abbasi, has been
receiving threats from suspected TTP militants, who have been
demanding PKR 100 million to help them in their ‘noble cause
of Jihad’.
PML-N chief and prime minister-designate
Nawaz Sharif’s talks offer to the TTP was challenged in the
Peshawar High Court. A freelance journalist Shahid Orakzai filed
a writ petition in which he called the Prime Minister-designate’s
talk’s offer before taking oath of his office an unlawful and
unconstitutional.
US ambassador to Pakistan, Richard
Olson, said holding dialogue with TTP is prerogative of Pakistani
Government. Terming recent general elections as big success
of Pakistani nation in which democratic forces emerged as victorious
he said a historic turnout was witnessed in the elections, which
reflects that the people have confidence in democracy.
May 23
20 militants and four security
personnel, an army captain among them, were killed in a clash
in the Zara Mella area of Parachamkani in Kurram Agency of FATA.
Two personnel of Levies Force
were injured in a militant attack on a checkpost in Yousafabad
area of Khar tehsil in Bajaur Agency.
As many as 13 persons, including
12 Balochistan Constabulary (BC) personnel, were killed and
17 others sustained injuries in an explosion caused by a bomb
rigged to a rickshaw near Link Badini Road in the proximity
of Bhossa Mandi on Eastern Bypass in Quetta (Quetta District),
the capital of Balochistan.
Six persons, including five
women, were killed and two others sustained injuries in a firing
incident on Noorpur Road, an area of Bakra Mandi in Sibi District.
Unidentified assailants lobbed
a hand grenade at a shop on Sariab Road of Quetta, killing its
owner.
Eight persons were killed in
separate incidents of violence in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
A TTP cadre was shot dead while
another injured when unidentified assailants sprayed bullets
at a tea stall in Qasba Colony.
A man, identified as Mohammad
Hussain (55), was shot dead at Fawara Chowk within the limits
of Garden Police Station.
One Ibrahim (32) was shot dead
in Agra Taj Colony within the precincts of Kalri Police Station.
A man was shot dead near Dhobi
Gath Parking Plaza. Police said armed assailants on a motorcycle,
killed victim, Syed Fahim Shah (30).
One man was shot dead by armed
riders in the remits of Site-A Police Station. The victim was
identified as Rizwan Mubashir.
Two bullet-riddled bodies were
found on Dera Shareef Goth Link Road
A three-day-old body of a man
was found from Mewashah graveyard.
Three militants belonging to
the Tariq Afridi faction of TTP was killed when military planes
pounded their hideouts in Khwangi area of Darra Adamkhel in
Kohat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
ATC awarded life imprisonment
to a doctor of the Peshawar Central Prison and head constable
of regular Police on charges of helping two under-trial TTP
‘commanders’ escape from the Police custody and killing of three
Policemen in a militant attack.
Two TTP ‘commanders’ from Darra
Adamkhel, Nadeem Abbas and Zakeem Shah, fled after a group of
militants shot dead three Policemen, identified Muhammad Tariq,
Jafar and Raees, who had taken them to a local hospital for
treatment..
SSP leader Malik Ishaq, who
was under custody of the law enforcing agencies, was released
from Chohang Jail of Lahore.
The Chinese Premier Li Keqiang
praised Pakistan’s strategy against terror while wrapping up
his two-day official visit to Pakistan after promising a deeper
and more comprehensive strategic engagement and a closer coordination
for security and stability in Afghanistan. China had in the
past reservations over the presence of East Turkistan Islamic
Movement (ETIM — a rebel Chinese group) in Pakistan. During
Premier Li’s visit the Pakistani leadership recommitted to “continuous,
active collaboration with and assistance to China in combating
terrorist forces including the ETIM”.
US President Barack Obama outlined
plans to limit the use of US drone strikes against extremists
abroad and took steps aimed at breaking a deadlock on closing
the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Obama said the United States
would only use drone strikes when a threat was imminent, a nuanced
change from the previous policy of launching strikes against
a significant threat.
TTP welcomed Prime Minister-designate
Nawaz Sharif’s call for peace talks made to it on May 19, saying
the offer would be discussed among the top leadership and a
proper reply would be given in due course of time. The TTP ‘spokesperson’,
Ehsanullah Ehsan, said that the offer for the peace talks made
by Sharif was a positive sign and that the militant organisation
was devising a strategy for the course of action to be taken
in response to the peace talk offers.
May 24
Six Policemen were killed and
a District Police Officer (DPO) and his guard were injured when
militants attacked their vehicles with rockets on the Indus
Highway in Mattani area of Darra Adamkhel District.
Three persons were killed in
a suicide attack, targeting Hazi Hayatullah, leader of Afghan
religious outfits Jamatul Dawa Alquran and Sunnah, on Pajagi
Road in Saeedabad area of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the
provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
One NATO driver was killed and
one of the helpers was injured when unidentified assailants
opened fire on a convoy of NATO containers at Shagai area, 20
kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Landi Kotal District.
Police arrested six militants,
including a woman, and seized IED, hand grenades and a suicide
jacket during raid on a house at Tarnab Farm on the outskirts
of Peshawar.
Four persons, including two
militants, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two suspected militants were
killed in a Police encounter in Pakhtunabad area as they were
escaping after shooting a man dead. Police suspect the slain
militants, identified as Toor Khan and Khan Muhammad Mehsud,
could be linked with TTP or its associated militant groups.
A dead body of a young Hindu
person, identified as Ramesh, was found along Shah Latif Bhittai
Road in the Agra Taj area.
Three children were injured
in a hand grenade attack at a school in Orangi town.
A person, identified as Abdul
Salam, was killed in a hand grenade attack at a CD shop near
Awami Petrol Pump of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial
capital of Balochistan.
Unidentified assailants hurled
a hand grenade at the vehicle of SFs in the Tump area of Turbat
District, which left two security personnel injured.
PML-N President Nawaz Sharif
on told the US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson that the
time had come for the US to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty.
During a meeting with the US envoy, the PML-N chief said Pakistan
offered more sacrifices than others in the war on terror. Therefore,
the sacrifices of Pakistanis should be respected in the world.
He said the Pakistani nation wants trade, not aid, from America.
He said the Pak-US relations should be based on equality and
the US should respect the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan.
Militants killed seven Police
personnel in KP. The target of the attack was top Police Officer
Dilawar Bangash, however he survived with minor injuries. Bangash
was heading from Peshawar to Kohat near the lawless tribal region
when the attack occurred.
May 25
Four people, including a Policeman,
were killed in separate acts of targeted attacks in Karachi
city.
A Police constable, Iqbal Hafeez,
(32), was shot dead in a targeted attack in Manghopir area of
Karachi city while unidentified armed riders killed Abdul Rauf,
a private security guard in Manghopir while he was on his way
to home.
One Sikandar Anwar (23) was
shot dead inside his sanitary shop within Surjani Police remits.
Owner of the goods transport,
Fateh Mohammad (26) was shot dead and Abdul Malik wounded, when
unidentified culprits opened indiscriminate firing on them in
Baldia Town No 2.
The trial of seven Pakistani
suspects, including LeT ‘commander’ Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, charged
with involvement in the November 26, 2008 (26/11) Mumbai (Maharashtra,
India) terror attacks was adjourned till June 1 as the government
is yet to appoint a chief prosecutor to handle the case.
May 26
Seven persons were killed in
separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Amir Farooqi alias Ali (32),
a member of the MQM, was shot dead by four unidentified assailants
outside his house in Block-A of North Nazimabad.
Separately, an activist of the
ASWJ, identified as Doctor Hanif (40), was shot dead, while
his wife was injured by unidentified assailants near Rimsha
Morr in New Karachi area.
Shaukat Ali Chandio (35) was
shot dead in the Sherpao Colony of Quaidabad.
A body of one Mohammed Tariq
Jameel (20) was found lying near the Airports Security Force
(ASF) ground in the Airport Police remits.
Two dead bodies of unidentified
persons were found lying in some bushes near Konkar Nadi in
the Gadap City Police limits.
An unidentified fisherman was
killed in the crossfire between two Lyari gangster groups in
the Machar Colony near Saddam Chowk.
LEA arrested two militants near
the Super Highway Toll Plaza, while weapons and grenades were
also recovered from their possession.
Two SF personnel were injured
in a militants attacked on a security checkpost in Janikhel
tehsil of Bannu District.
Separately, SFs defused a bomb
in Karboga Sharif area of Hangu District.
The TTP issued a fresh threat
to assassinate former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf,
currently detained in his palatial farmhouse in Islamabad, over
a string of high-profile cases.
The HRSP in its special report
on the general election observes that the elections have marked
a referendum against extremism. The nation has rejected fundamentalism
and upheld freedom of thought.
May 27
At least five Policemen, including
a DSP, Khan Bahadar, were killed in a roadside bomb blast in
the Poran subdivision of Shangla District.
At least four persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. A Shia person, identified as Haider Abbas
(35) was shot dead by unidentified assailants near the Nishan-e-Haider
Chowk. A passerby named Jumma also suffered bullet wounds in
the attack.
A tutor was killed, while another
man was injured when two unidentified assailants opened fire
at them outside the Thanvi Masjid in the Lines Area after Maghrib
prayers.
Haji Ali Murad (40) was shot
dead near the Rasheedabad Market in the Baldia town.
Muhammad Saleem was killed by
unidentified assailants near Kharadar General Hospital in the
Baghdadi area.
A senior official of the Karachi
Metropolitan Corporation, identified as Munawar Imam, was injured
in an armed attack on Kashmir Road.
Nearly half a tonne explosives
was seized by the Rangers acting on the information provided
by three suspects said to be associated with a banned militant
outfit. The Rangers first picked up the three militants associated
with a banned outfit. Initial findings of the investigations
led to the fact that they had stocked 450 kilos of explosives
in a PECHS block 2 houses. Later, the paramilitary soldiers
seized the explosives.
The BDS averted a possible bid
of terrorism by defusing a bomb at Doaba in Orakzai Agency of
FATA. Assadullah, in charge BDS, said officials of BDS rushed
to the spot and found a roadside bomb concealed in a tin of
vegetable oil. The officials diffused it successfully. The bomb
was of 10 Kg.
The Chelmsford Magistrates Court
of UK was informed that taxi driver Tayyab Subhani (30) and
restaurant worker Mohammed Safdar (41) not only tried to barge
into the cockpit of a Pakistan Airlines plane but also shouted
threats that "crew and passengers would be killed and the aircraft
blown up before landing."
Chief Justice of LHC, Umar Ata
Bandial deferred the hearing of a petition moved by JuD 'chief',
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, till September 24, seeking direction from
the Federal Government over the issue of defending the JuD 'chief'
before a US Court, which issued summons to him, former ISI chiefs
and other officials on a law suit filed by relatives of US nationals
killed in Mumbai attacks (26/11).
May 28
The Army and Paramilitary Forces
killed 14 militants and destroyed their three hideouts located
in Parachamkani, a central subdivision of Kurram Agency in FATA.
A soldier was injured after
militant ambushed a vehicle of Khyber Rifles near Landi Kotal
bazaar in Khyber Agency.
At least ten persons, including
a lawyer and his two sons, were killed in separate incidents
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
A lawyer, identified as Kausar Saqlain and his two sons aged
12 and 15, were shot dead in a suspected sectarian attack.
A worker of the Muttahida Organising
Committee, identified as Rashid, was shot dead in Noorani Basti
within the limits of Zaman town Police Station.
An employee of a private Internet
Service Provider, Taimur Rizvi (25), was shot dead under the
Zaman town Police remits.
A bookshop owner was shot dead
in Orangi town. Police officials said that the victim, identified
as Saeed Baig, was at his shop when unidentified assailants
fired at him indiscriminately, killing him on the spot.
A teashop owner, identified
as Zar Wali (40), was shot dead in C-1 area within Super Market
Police remits.
A man was shot dead in Orangi
town. Police officials said that Faisal Imam (30) ran a beauty
parlor and a cosmetic shop within his house.
A woman was found dead near
from ICI Bridge on Maripur within the premises of Docks Police
Station.
The dead body of a man stuffed
in a gunny bag was found from near a hotel on Maripur Road within
the limits of Kalri Police Station.
At least three persons were
killed and 14 others were injured when a bomb attached to a
motorcycle exploded in the Imamia Colony in Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The
explosives were planted in a motorcycle detonated by remote
control. Most of the people living in the area belonged to the
Shia community which appeared to be the target of the attack.
A member of Mingora Peace Committee
was killed and six others were injured when a roadside bomb
went off. The incident took place in the Beshbanar area of Swat
District where the vehicle of a local member of the peace committee,
Jaja Mian, was attacked with a bomb. As a result, Barkat Ali,
the son of Jaja Mian, was killed on the spot and six others
were hurt.
Unidentified assailants killed
a lady worker, administering anti-polio drops in Peshawar suburbs
and wounded another, while the WHO announced temporary suspension
of the campaign.
The house of a private school's
owner was partially damaged in the blast of an explosive device
in Shabqadar area of Charsadda District. The device was planted
at the main gate of the house of Atta Muhammad. The blast left
the gate and a car parked close at hand destroyed. However,
no damage to human life was reported.
Security personal, identified
as Qadir Jan, was killed and another Muhammad Asharaf, was injured
in an ambush on Levies check-post in Khuzdar area of Kech District.
The local administration found three bodies lying in desolated
areas in the same District. Police said that two bodies were
found from the Pasni Cross, while another body was found from
Josak Bazaar.
The Supreme Court was petitioned
for issuance of a declaration that no person, civil or military,
can engage in any contact or negotiation with any TTP, an act
that is forbidden by Article 256. Freelance journalist Shahid
Orakzai filed the petition under Article 184(3) of the constitution,
nominating as respondents the JCSS through its chairman and
DG of ISI. He requested the court to instruct the DG, ISI to
identify the persons who are in contact with the TTP and their
mode of communication.
An American think tank warned
the Pakistani authorities that if they fail to confront the
growing influence of TTP in Karachi (Karachi District), the
provincial capital of Sindh, the militant network will weaken
the city's overall security and stability.
May 29
The Army and Paramilitary Forces
killed 15 militants and destroyed their five hideouts located
in Parachamkani area of Kurram Agency in FATA.
A US drone strike killed the
deputy 'chief' of the TTP Waliur Rehman, the number two in the
TTP, along with at least five other militants in Chashma village
near Miranshah town of North Waziristan agency.
A Foreign Office spokesman,
in a statement, said, "The Government of Pakistan has expressed
serious concerns over the US drone attack that occurred in North
Waziristan on May 29." "The Government of Pakistan has consistently
maintained that the drone strikes are counter-productive, entail
loss of innocent civilian lives, have human rights and humanitarian
implications and violate the principles of national sovereignty,
territorial integrity and international law."
At least eight persons, including
three MQM activists, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. Sarfaraz
Ahmed, an MQM activist, was shot dead by unidentified assailants
in the Gol Market of Nazimabad area.
Unidentified assailants killed
an MQM activist, identified as Syed Fasahat (28) in Sindhi Muslim
Society near KMC Market.
Mohammed Saleem, an MQM activist,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants in New Karachi.
A person identified as Niaz
Mohammed (70), was shot dead in the Lalabad area. Investigators
believed that was also a targeted attack.
A watchman, Majeed Gul, was
shot dead by two unidentified assailants in Bengali Market of
Awami Colony.
Armed assailants killed an estate
agent in the Nazimabad area. The Police said the deceased was
identified as Rizwan Khan.
Dead body of an unidentified
young person was found from Korangi area. Police said the deceased
was killed with a bullet to the head, but could not be identified
as he carried no identification documents.
Dead body, identified as Amin
(35), was found in the 5-F area of New Karachi Industrial Area.
Dr Ahsan Hussain (35) and his
daughter, Laila (11), were shot injured by unidentified assailants
near the Nusrat Bhutto Colony Morr in Peerabad.
Lance Naek Saleem and Sepoy
Fayyaz were shot injured in an armed attack while they were
patrolling in the Awan and Kunwari colonies.
Unidentified militants attacked
an anti-polio team with stones in Tal area of Hangu District,
injuring a staff member.
Police averted a bid of terrorism
in the restive Badaber area on the outskirt of the Peshawar
(Peshawar District), the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
by defusing a powerful bomb.
May 30
At least 18 militants were killed
and several others were injured when Pakistani jets bombed militant
hideouts in Tabay area of central Kurram Agency in FATA.
A ten year old boy was killed
and three others of his family were injured in a landmine blast
in Loti area of Dera Bugti District.
A prayer leader, identified
as Mullah Mohammad Hassan, was killed by unidentified assailants
in Turbat city of same District.
Mohammad Anwar was shot dead
by unidentified assailants in Khuzdar city of same District.
A person, identified as Abdullah,
was shot dead in Badezai area of Zhob District.
LEAs foiled a possible terrorist
bid and arrested four suspects while seizing huge cache of weapons,
including mines, rocket launchers, seven hand grenades, rifles,
pistols, search lights and cash from their custody in Sherani
District.
At least two TTP militants were
killed by Rangers during an encounter in Kunwari Colony of Pirabad
area, of Karachi (provincial capital of Sindh). The officials
recovered hand grenades, pistols and a motorcycle from their
possession and claimed that the suspects belonged to the Zawail
group of TTP, who were also involved in killing of Policemen.
Three Policemen were injured
in a grenade attack near Baloch Colony Bridge within the remits
of Tipu Sultan Police Station.
TTP confirmed that their second-in-command
Wali-ur-Rehman was killed in a US drone strike. TTP 'spokesman'
Ehsanullah Ehsan also announced that the offer to hold talks
with the incoming Pakistani Government was also being withdrawn.
May 31
At least 34 militants and three
SFs were killed in gunfight in an area between the tribal Districts
of Kurram and Khyber in FATA.
Two people were gunned down
while dead bodies of two others were recovered in Karachi city.
A worker of MQM was shot dead in a targeted attack at Sachal
Goth within the limits of Sachal Police Station. The deceased
identified as Ghulam Haider (35) worked at a petrol pump as
a security guard.
A man was gunned down at Shah
Faisal Chowk in Orangi Town within the jurisdiction of Pakistan
Bazaar Police Station. The victim, Asif Akbar (24) was shot
and killed by two armed riders
Police recovered an unidentified
body of a young man from Lines Area. Officials said that the
victim was shot multiple times and initial investigation suggests
he was killed after being kidnapped. Another young man was found
dead near Lal Masjid in Gulbahar area.
A man was killed when a powerful
bomb exploded in Peshawar city, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The incident occurred in Masogujar village where a bomb planted
by the roadside exploded with a huge bang. As a result, a passerby,
identified as Nadeem Khan, was killed instantly.
A soldier was killed and three
others were injured when militants attacked military vehicles
in Jani Khel area of Bannu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. SFs
later surrounded the area to conduct search operation against
militants loyal to Taliban and Al Qaeda.
June 1
At least 23 suspected militants
and two soldiers were killed after clashes in Bara Chamkani
area of the Kurram Agency in FATA. Five soldiers were also injured
during the shootout with militants. SFs cordoned off the area
after the clash.
Unknown armed men gunned down
two people in Sariab area of Quetta in Balochistan. The unidentified
armed men riding a bike opened indiscriminate fire at two people,
leaving them dead. The assailants managed to escape from the
scene. The deceased were identified as Nazir Ahmed and Muhammad
Din.
JUP General Secretary, Daud
Mustafai was brutally murdered while three others were seriously
injured in a firing incident at Pindsultani village of Attock
Dostrict in Panjab. Daud along with his fellows was trying to
evacuate a piece of land of a poor woman occupied by land mafia
when some unknown assailants opened fire on them. Daud died
on the spot while his brother Abdul Rauf, Umer Farooq, Ahmad
and an unidentified person received bullet injuries.
Militants killed the principal
of a Government High School in Pastawana in the outskirt of
Peshawar city. Local residents said that dozens of heavily armed
militants entered the house of principal Haji Rehman and opened
fire, killing him on the spot.
June 2
At least nine people were killed
in separate acts of violence in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
Three youth, including two activists
of the ST were shot dead in an armed attack by unidentified
assailants in Shah Faisal colony.
A JeI worker was shot dead outside
his residence in Sector 7-D in Surjani locality. The deceased
was identified as Hanif Ansari (55).
A youth, identified as Mohammad
Rafiq (24), was shot dead and his two brothers, Majeed and Kareem
were wounded in Hassan Panwar Goth within Shah Latif Police
Station.
A butcher, identified as Mohammad
Hanif, was killed inside his house within Sukhan Police remits.
Bodies of two men were found
near Pakistan Hotel in Gadap City area. Police officials said
hands and legs of the victims were tied with ropes and initial
investigation suggested that they were shot multiple times.
A 17-year-old youth was found
dead from Shaban Goth in Malir City. Police said the victim
was kidnapped on June 1.
Two militants were killed and
another two captured during an operation carried out by SFs
in Tump area of Turbat District. The operation had been carried
out in an area close to the border with Iran because of 'increasing
terrorist activities' there. In the heavy exchange of fire between
militants and SFs, two armed men were killed and two others
arrested.
Unidentified armed men opened
indiscriminate firing at Agriculture colony in Pasni town of
Gwadar District killing one man, identified as Barkat Ali, on
the spot and seriously wounding Aneel. Aneel died later.
A man was shot dead in Chaman
town of Qilla Abdullah District. The deceased was identified
as Janan.
Unidentified people hurled hand
grenades on two containers in Dasht area of Mastung District.
However, no loss of life and damage to containers was reported.
The containers were heading towards Karachi from Afghanistan
via Quetta.
Two brothers were shot dead
in Daoo village near Khairpur city of Khairpur District. The
attackers opened fire at the brothers, identified as 30-year-old
Ashfaque Ahmed and 38-year-old Irshad Ahmed, killing them on
the spot.
Two SFs were injured in a remote-controlled
IED attack in North Waziristan Agency of FATA. Unidentified
miscreants targeted a vehicle of SFs with an IED near the Esha
checkpost in Miranshah, which damaged the vehicle and injured
two soldiers.
June 3
Two SFs were killed and two
others sustained injuries in a remote controlled bomb blast
in Mastung District.
In Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan, two people were shot dead in two separate firing
incidents. Unidentified armed assailants opened fire at Sirki
Road of Quetta and killed one man, identified as Sultan.
Armed assailants shot dead a
man, identified as Muhammad Iqbal, at Chashma Achozai, in the
outskirts of Quetta.
PTI MPA of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
Fareed Khan, was shot dead in his home District of Hangu. MPA
Fareed Khan was fired at by a motorcyclist in Gunjanabad area
of Hangu city and he died on the spot.
A bullet-riddled body of a man
was found near from Lyari River within the remits of Rizvia
Police Station in Karachi city (Karachi District).
The Pakistan Army started war
games codenamed Azm-i-Nau (New Resolve) IV to update its readiness
strategy for dealing with the complex security threat environment.
MQM expressed serious concerns
over what it said enforced disappearances and killing of its
workers and demanded of the authorities to take notice of the
situation. MQM's senior leader Haider Abbas Rizvi demanded of
the President, incoming Prime Minister and Sindh governor to
take notice of the situation.
June 4
At least eight people were killed
in separate incidents of violence in different parts of Karachi
city (Karachi District).
An activist of MQM was killed
in a targeted attack in Musharraf Colony within the remits of
Maripur Police Station. Mohammad Babar was called outside his
home by culprits where they killed him.
Mohammad Nadeem was shot dead
at Love Lane area within the remits of Solder Bazaar Police
Station.
Tahir Shah was shot dead near
Star Gate within the jurisdiction of Air Port Police Station.
Waseem Musharraf was shot dead
in Bhutto Chowk within the limits of Nipper Police Station.
A body of a man was found near
from Gullbai Bridge within the premises of Shershah Police Station.
The deceased was identified as Sikander Ali Baloch.
A missing person from Balochistan
was found dead from Gulshan-e-Mazdoor. The deceased was identified
as Zahir Anwar resident of Panjgor in Balochistan.
Another body was found near
form Meteorological Office within the remits Sachal Police Station.
Police said unidentified assailants kidnapped the victim, Azmat
Murad, from somewhere and later dumped his body.
Police found a body of a woman
from Kaniz Fatima Society. They said the culprits shot her twice
and dumped her body at the place.
Two persons belonging to Bajaur
and Mohmand Agencies in FATA were shot dead by two unidentified
gunmen in the busy Taj Mehal market of Rawalpindi. The deceased
were identified as Yaquoob Khan and Ajmair Khan.
Unidentified persons shot dead
a watchman at the archaeological site of Aziz Dheri in Swabi
District. The deceased identified as Ishaq Ali belonging to
Police Department. Ali was on a routine duty at the site when
two unidentified motorcyclists opened fire on him. He was killed
on the spot.
In Karak District, Police foiled
a sabotage attempt by seizing an explosive-laden truck and arresting
two suspected persons at Mansoor Garh checkpost. The arrestees
were identified as Afzal Rehman and Niaz Mohammad, residents
of North Waziristan Agency in FATA.
EC lifted ban on the display
of arms in federal capital and all four provinces of the country.
In a letter written to the Ministry of Interior secretary, Punjab
Government Chief Secretary, Sindh Government Chief Secretary,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Chief Secretary and Balochistan
Government Chief Secretary, stated that EC had imposed ban on
carriage and display of all kinds of weapons and fire arms during
the general election. Since the election process has completed
in the country, the EC of Pakistan has been pleased to withdraw
the aforesaid ban with immediate effect.
PHC Chief Justice Dost Mohammad
Khan observed that in the present security situation and after
the passage of 18th Amendment, law and order was provincial
subject and the Act dealing with the Frontier Constabulary was
apparently now a dead law. Heading a two-member bench the PHC
Chief Justice observed that now it was up to the AG for Pakistan
to come and assist the court on what grounds the Frontier Constabulary
could be deployed in rest of the country apart from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
June 5
Three persons, including a woman,
were killed in Jaffarabad District in separate incidents. Unidentified
armed assailants opened fire in Goth Alladad of Dera Allahyar
city in Jaffarabad District, killing two people, including a
woman. The deceased were identified as Imam Khatoon and Zafarullah.
An accused, namely Dada, was
killed after exchange of fire between security personnel and
armed assailants in RD 238 area of Jaffarabad District.
One person was shot dead while
three others sustained bullet wounds in Ferozabad District.
Armed motorcyclists opened indiscriminate firing on inmates
sitting at a restaurant in Delhi Mercantile Society of Ferozabad
District.
Tehsildar (revenue official)
Abdul Karim Bugti and Naib (deputy) Tehsildar Bahadur Khan Khosa
of Jaffarabad District in Balochistan, who were going back to
Jaffarabad from Karachi, the Provincial capital of Sindh, went
missing in Sultankot area of Shikarpur District. When contacted,
Jaffarabad Deputy Commissioner Syed Zafar Ali Shah said that
both officers had gone to Karachi for medical treatment and
went missing while travelling back to Jaffarabad.
Two armed motorcyclists shot
dead a man and injured another when they were returning home
after hearing a case in the court of Mardan District. The victim,
identified as Ansar Ali Shah, along with his maternal uncle
Madin-ul-Haq had came to the court to appear in a case.
Coalition partners in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Government submitted a resolution against drone
strikes in the country's Tribal Areas. The PTI, QWP and JI jointly
drafted the resolution, which is likely to be taken up during
the budget session of the House later this month.
Police Department has abandoned
48 check posts across the province following the directives
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak. According
to the Police, some of the check posts have been abandoned completely
while some of them have been changed into mobile ones.
PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif was
sworn in as Prime Minister for the third term. Some 244 members
of the total 320 present in the Lower House of the Parliament
endorsed Nawaz Sharif for the next chief executive of the country,
before he took oath of his office from President Asif Ali Zardari.
Sharif also called for an end to American drone strikes in tribal
areas.
June 6
Four people were shot dead in
separate incidents of violence while two dead bodies were also
recovered from Karachi city (Karachi District).
Two men were shot dead in Delhi
Mercantile Society within the precincts of Ferozabad Police
Station. The victims were identified as Sheikh Muneer (50) and
Abdul Rehman (52).
A man was shot dead and two
others wounded near Tower area within the premises of Mithadar
Police Station.
A tailor, Sikander Bhura (52),
was shot dead in Jama Cloth market within the limits of Aram
Bagh Police Station.
An unidentified body was found
within the remits of Pak Colony Police Station. Police said
that culprits kidnapped the victim and later threw his body
after killing him.
A dead body was found near Abbas
Mor within the remits of Gulshan-e-Maymar Police Station. Police
said that unidentified assailants abducted the victim and later
dumped his body at the place.
Five persons, including two
militants, were killed and 15 SFs, including an officer, injured
in a clash with suspected members of a banned outfit in Kharoatabad
area in Quetta (Quetta District). Police backed by personnel
of FC raided Kharotabad area of provincial capital following
a tip-off that some members of a banned outfit were present
in a house. When SFs surrounded the house and asked the accused
to surrender, the accused attacked SFs with hand grenades, rockets
and heavy weapons. SFs fired back in retaliation due to which
five people, including two accused, two women and a child, who
were inside the house, were killed.
Police and another LEA defused
a bomb which had been planted under a bridge near Cadet College
in Mastung District.
A roadside bomb attack targeting
Police in Peshawar, the Provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
killed two officers and wounded three others. The IED exploded
when the officers were on a routine patrol in the Daudzai suburb
of Peshawar, killing two of them on spot.
A Pakistani court allowed the
trial of former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf
for sacking and detaining dozens of judges in 2007 to be conducted
at his farmhouse in the suburb of Chak Shahzad in Islamabad
that has been declared a "sub-jail".
Deputy Convener of MQM, Khalid
Maqbool Siddiqui officially said it was unfortunate that Sindh
Government is making no marked efforts to counter terrorism.
He claimed that Lyari town of Karachi is no longer in control
of PPP, but has become the hub of criminals. He asked the Sindh
Government to stop supporting PAC which he claimed was responsible
for the killing of MQM party workers.
June 7
A US drone strike killed seven
militants at Shokhel village of North Waziristan District in
FATA. The missiles hit a compound in the village that is known
as a stronghold of Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants. The
US drone fired two missiles targeting the militant compound.
Armed militants opened fire
on a NATO container and killed its driver at Chaman, the capital
of Qilla Abdullah District in Balochistan.
A female anti-polio worker who
was injured in an attack by armed assailants on May 28 in Badhaber
area on the outskirts of Peshawar, the provincial capital of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost her battle for life. Sumbal Bibi, who
had sustained bullet injuries in an attack by miscreants, succumbed
to her wounds.
PTI General Secretary Shaukat
Yousafzai said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has decided
to withdraw army from Malakand region, including Swat, gradually
enabling the civil administration to take full control of the
Provincially Administered Tribal Areas. He further said the
withdrawal would be gradual and army would hand over control
to civilians in areas where security situation was completely
normal now.
At least four people sustained
injuries in Karachi (Karachi District) in separate incidents
of violence. Unidentified men opened fire on Banaras Bridge,
injuring two persons. One of them was identified as Bashi (25),
while the identity of the 30-year-old second injured was not
ascertained.
20-year-old Shahzeb, was wounded
near Abul Hassan Ispahani Road after firing from unidentified
men.
A 25-year-old man was injured
near Lyari Expressway in Surjani Town. He was identified as
Bilal.
June 8
Four people including political
workers and a cop were shot dead in targeted attacks across
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Three activists of ANP were
killed and another injured at Lasbela Chowk.
A Police Sub-Inspector, Sher
Mohammad (52), was shot dead in Qasba Colony under Pirabad Police
Station.
Members of the BNP-M belonging
to Mastung District advised their party's newly elected members
of national and provincial assemblies to resign from their seats
in protest against the alleged rigging in May 11 elections.
June 9
35 militants were killed and
15 others injured by SFs during operations in Tirah Valley of
Khyber Agency in FATA.
Three soldiers were killed and
four others were injured in bomb attacks on military convoys
in North Waziristan Agency
Unidentified militants attacked
a roadside security checkpoint with rocket-propelled grenades
on the Razmak-Miranshah road and killed three soldiers and injured
another one.
11 persons were killed in separate
incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh. Three Policemen were killed by unidentified assailants
in Patel Para area.
A man and a girl, identified
as Dua (8), were killed and eight others were injured when militants
threw a hand grenade near Gabol Park in Lyari area.
A person was killed and two
others were injured by unidentified assailants at Hussain Hazara
Goth of Gulshan-e-Iqbal area.
A person, identified as Naddem
Ahmed, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Kharadar
area.
Two dead bodies were recovered
from Bihar Colony area of Lyari town. Another dead body was
found from Garden's Dhobi Ghat area.
A dead body was found near
Altaf Nagar in Korangi crossing area.
Five dead bodies were recovered
from different parts of Balochistan. According to Levies sources,
three bullet-riddled bodies were found in Johan area of Kalat
District.
Police recovered two dead bodies
from Irrigation Colony area of Khuzdar town of same District.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Federal Information Minister
Pervaiz Rashid said that drone attacks are against the independence
and sovereignty of the country. "We will have to talk with Americans
and inform them of our reservations on these strikes, as the
people have strong sentiments against these." He said that political
parties, institutions, intelligentsia and the people of Pakistan
had become mature now, and they would focus on common issues,
inclining terrorism, extremism, energy crisis, shortage of clean
water, education, health and other facilities.
The PTI-led coalition Government
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is about to formally demand that the centre
should withdraw army from Swat and Malakand in a phased manner
because it believes it to be an important step for establishing
peace in the province and adjacent tribal areas.
June 10
Six persons were killed when
militants attacked three NATO containers in Shagai area of Jamrud
tehsil of the Khyber Agency in FATA. Jaish-e-Osama, a militant
outfit, claimed responsibility for the attack.
A shopkeeper, identified as
Abdul Waheed, was killed by unidentified assailants in Kharan
Bazaar area of Kharan District.
The PTI submitted a resolution
against drone attacks in the NA, terming them a blatant violation
of the country's sovereignty and urging the Government to respond
militarily against such strikes. The copy of resolution indicates
that drone attacks conducted earlier by the American CIA and
now by the Pentagon through direct missiles fired on Pakistani
territory are a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty.
June 11
At least two persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. A person belonging to Ahmedi community, identified
as Hamid Sami (45), was shot dead and his son Osama (18) and
a companion Salman Zaman (48) were injured in a targeted attack
in Soldier Bazaar locality of Gulshan-e-Iqbal area.
A person affiliated with Muhajir
Qaumi Movement Haqaqi (MQM-H), identified as Noman (33), was
shot dead by unidentified assailants near Shama Shopping Mall
located in Shah Faisal Colony.
Police recovered a bomb from
Bohri compound in Chakiwara area of Lyari. Bomb Disposal Squad
(BDS) successfully defused it.
A Balochistan National Party-
Mangal (BNP-M) worker Haji Ali Akbar Mosyani was killed in Arbab
Complex area in Khuzdar city of same District.
Unidentified assailants killed
former tehsil President of BNP-M Javid Baranzai on Sultan Ibrahim
Road in Khuzdar city.
A Shia doctor, identified as
Dr Shakir Hussain, was injured and his gunman was killed when
militants in Police uniform tried to abduct him near Syed Anwar
Medical Plaza of Dabgari Gardens in the jurisdiction of East
Cantonment Police Station in Peshawar (Peshawar District), the
provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
directed Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch to
initiate a process of reconciliation with estranged Baloch elements.
He asked the Chief Minister to convey his desire for their participation
in the national mainstream.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police are
capable of maintaining law and order situation in Swat and other
Districts of the Malakand division if the Security Forces (SFs)
are withdrawn from the region, says provincial Police 'chief'
Ihsan Ghani.
A United States (US) lawmaker,
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, said he will move an amendment
to the National Defence Authorization Act to prohibit military
aid to Pakistan until it releases the doctor who had helped
the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) track al Qaida 'chief'
Osama bin Laden.
June 12
At least seven persons, including
two activists of the MQM and a Police Constable, were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. An MQM activist, identified as Muslim Noor
Ahmed (30) alias Kallu Banarsi, was shot dead near the Sindh
Government Qatar Hospital in Sector 8 of Orangi Town.
Muhammad Hussain Basharat alias
Sami (25), an MQM activist, was shot dead by unidentified assailants
near the General Post Office around Bilal Chowrangi in Korangi
Industrial Area.
Police constable Ashfaq, was
shot dead by an unidentified assailant near the Sher Shah Bridge
on the Mauripur Road. Investigators said Ashfaq belonged to
the Sindh Reserve Police and was currently posted at the Kharadar
Police Station.
One Muzammil Irshad Ahmed (30)
was killed in the Shahrah-e-Noorjahan Police precincts.
A person was shot dead by unidentified
assailants in Maymar Goth.
A dead body, identified as that
of Shams-ul-Haq (45), was recovered from the Punjab Chowrangi
area.
A person was killed in a blast
near Khyber Chowk in Baldia Town.
A dead body of an unidentified
person was found along the Sakaran Road of Hub city in Lasbela
District.
Another body, identified as
that of one Mir Gul, was found in the Gazgai Chowk in Khuzdar
city (Khuzdar District).Unidentified assailants abducted a food
controller, Faiz Muhammad, at gunpoint at Ward No. 2 area of
Dera Murad Jamali of Naseerabad District.
Unidentified assailants abducted
a food controller, Faiz Muhammad, at gunpoint at Ward No. 2
area of Dera Murad Jamali of Naseerabad District.
Two persons, including a Policeman,
were killed in a firing incident on Dora Road in the limits
of Bala Mani Police Station of Peshawar (Peshawar District),
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
An army officer, identified
as Lieutenant Colonel Sajid, was killed in an Improvised Explosive
Device (IED) blast in the Maidan area of Tirah valley in Khyber
Agency of FATA.
Government announced a hefty
15 percent hike in its defence budget to PKR 627 billion, compared
with PKR 545 billion (about 5.82 billion dollars ) provided
in the fiscal year ending on June 30. The allocation for the
three defence services amounted to 15.7% of the federal budget
of PKR 3.99 trillion for fiscal 2013-14, according to official
budget documents presented in Parliament. The army got the lion's
share of the outlay with PKR 301.54 billion. The air force was
allocated PKR 131.18 billion while the navy got PKR 62.80 billion.
June 13
At least 12 persons, including
two Policemen and an MQM activist were killed in separate incidents
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
A Policeman, identified as Rizwan
Hayder Jagirani and his friend, identified as Najam Ali Qazi,
were shot dead by unidentified assailants at Chakra Goth area.
An activist of MQM was found
dead from the bushes near a link road in the remits of Steel
Town Police Station. Police officials said that deceased, Muhammad
Asif Majeed, was abducted by unidentified assailants, who tortured
and killed him before dumping his body.
A Policeman, identified as Enayat
Solangi, was shot dead at superhighway within the remits of
Sachal Police Station.
A cadre of SSP, identified as
Shafiq Aka Baba was killed and his friend, identified as Saeedur
Rehman, was injured near Disilva Town.
A person belonging to Shia community,
identified as Ali Abbas, was shot dead in Aleemabad area.
A person Noorul Haq (34) was
shot dead in Haroonabad within the limits of Pak Colony Police
Station.
An unidentified person was shot
dead in Taiser Town within the remits Surjani Town Police Station.
Mirza Gull was shot dead at
Qasba colony within the jurisdiction of Pirabad Police Station.
Officials said the victim was on way his home when unidentified
assailants shot him twice on his chest and managed to flee from
the scene.
Two dead bodies were found near
Northern Bypass within the remits of Gulshan-e-Maymar Police
Station. Police said that deceased were identified as Kamran,
and Abdullah.
A dead body of an unidentified
person was found from a Church at Bheempora area within the
jurisdiction of Risala Police Station.
A Policeman, identified as Nawar
Khan, was injured when suspected militants opened fire near
Dobian Chowk of Yar Hussain bazaar in Swabi District.
At least five persons, including
three doctors, were abducted while travelling from Loralai District
towards the Zhob District.
Former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf has been formally arrested by a Balochistan
Police team in the Akbar Bugti murder case. Subsequently, an
Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) ordered a two-week judicial remand
of the former army 'chief'. Musharraf will remain at his farmhouse
for the duration of the remand.
Foreign office (FO) spokesperson
Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said Pakistan had emphatically conveyed
to the US its concerns over drone strikes. The FO said there
was across-the-board political consensus in Pakistan that drone
attacks in its tribal areas should be stopped.
June 14
A guard, identified as Muhammad
Umar, was killed by unidentified assailants in Kali Ismail area
of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
A person, identified as Deedar
Ali was killed by unidentified assailants in Faizabad area.
Militants blew up a gas pipeline
near Mach town of Bolan District. There was no immediate claim
of responsibility.
FC arrested a suspected militant
and recovered two suicide jackets from his possession in Chaman
area of Qila Abdullah District.
FC recovered 15 kilograms of
explosives in Sui tehsil (revenue unit) of Dera Bugti District.
FC sources said no arrests were made during the operation as
the inmates fled the house before the arrival of forces.
At least two persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. An activist of the MQM, identified as Shahrukh
Karim (18), was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the
Sacchal area.
A Policeman, identified as
Constable Naveed (35), was shot dead near Ali Baba Chowrangi
in Boat Basin.
Police officials successfully
averted a threat by having a 10-kilogram remote controlled explosive
defused in Kishan Garh of Mattani area in Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The
explosive device, planted along the roadside, was aimed at causing
damage to the Paramilitary Forces who were also present in the
area. The device after being spotted was defused by the Bomb
Disposal Squad (BDS) who reached the site immediately.
Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul
Malik Baloch said his Government would take all stakeholders,
including the opposition, into confidence in resolving the issues
confronting Balochistan. He said other priorities of his Government
would include restoration of peace, putting Balochistan back
on the track of progress, reviving the province's economy, providing
employment opportunities to the jobless youth and improving
health and education sectors. He added that Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif had assured him of extending full cooperation.
June 15
At least 24 people, including
14 female students, four nurses and at least three FC personnel
along with Quetta Deputy Commissioner, identified as Abdul Mansor
Khan and two others were killed and 27 injured when unidentified
terrorists blew up a bus of Sardar Bahadur Khan (SBK) Women
University, followed by another blast inside the Bolan Medical
College hospital in Quetta (provincial capital of Balochistan).
Five people were killed in separate
acts of violence in Karachi (provincial capital of Sindh Province).
One Police man was killed and 11 injured in two consecutive
blasts at Kati Pahari of Qasba Colony in Karachi city. Police
said the first explosion was a ball bomb which was thrown by
an armed motorcyclist. Then when the Police personnel reached
the spot to help the injured the second bomb exploded claiming
at least one Police constable's life and injuring several others.
An employee of a private bank
was shot dead at Preedy Street. Brigade Police Station officials
said that the deceased Usman was on his way when unidentified
armed motorcyclists shot him dead.
A man was shot dead near Bantwa
Hospital within the limits of Baghdadi Police Station. The dead,
Khalid Mehmood was on his way when an unidentified armed rider
killed him.
A labourer, identified as Chanzaib
Zahoor was shot dead in Musharraf Colony in Mochko area. Police
said Zahoor was scheduled to collect money from someone when
unidentified persons shot and killed him.
Armed men in Sacchal locality
gunned down a young man, identified as Ovais Ahmed a resident
of North Karachi over unexplained reasons.
Two dead bodies were found separately
from Saeedabad and Surjani localities.
Three persons, including an
armed guard and driver of the former Governor and Member of
National Assembly (MNA) of Pakistan Mir Khalid Magsi were abducted
from the Dasht area of Mastung District.
A colonial era heritage building,
where Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, spent his last
days at Ziarat in northwestern Balochistan province, was burnt
to ground after separatist militants fired rockets and grenades
at it. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the BLA
was responsible for the attack and that the separatist group
had replaced the Pakistan flag with its own.
The trial of seven Pakistanis,
including LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, charged with involvement
in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, was shifted from a court in Rawalpindi
(Punjab) to a new ATC Islamabad.
June 16
At least ten persons, including
a MQM activist and a 'commander' of TTP were killed in separate
incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh. Two friends were shot dead and three others were injured
by unidentified assailants near Murtaza Chowrangi in Landhi
area. The victims were identified as Ashiq Allah Dino and Yousuf
Abdul Samad, and the injured as Ghulam Mustafa, his brother,
Ghulam Rasool and Syed Salim.
An additional SHO of the Darakshan
Police Station was injured and his brother and a friend were
killed in an act of targeted killing in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area.
A worker of MQM, identified
as Haider Ghani, was killed outside his residence in sector
5/E, New Karachi.
A transporter, Amjad Sultan,
was shot dead outside his residence in Musharraf Colony.
The dead body a labourer, identified
as Dalil Bakhsh, was recovered from Saudabad area.
A dead body was found in SITE
area. Police said the victim was tortured to death and it seemed
he was killed after being abducted.
A local 'commander' of the TTP
was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Peerabad. Sher Alam
Mehsud (40), the TTP deputy commander of Kunwari Colony, was
sitting outside his house when two assailants on a motorcycle
came across and fired a volley of bullets at him. The victim
was shot five times in the head and chest and died on the spot.
An alleged Police informant,
identified as Sher Alam aka Shera (48), was killed by the TTP
in Manghopir area,.
Three security personnel of
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) were injured in a grenade attack outside
Faisal Air Base main entrance on Karsaz area.
Two male polio workers were
shot dead by unidentified assailants in Gadoon town of Swabi
District.
A Police official, identified
as Karamatullah, was killed and one other was injuried by unidentified
assailants in Gulbahar area of Peshawar (Peshawar District),
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Three Policemen were injured
by unidentified assailants in Badaber area.
Seven persons, including three
personnel of FC, three Policemen and a woman, were injured when
militants attacked a Police post in Mashogagar area on the outskirts
of Peshawar.
At least three Policemen were
killed when militants attacked a checkpost in the Muslim Bagh
area of Qilla Saifullah District.
Intelligence officials revealed
that a female suicide bomber carried out the first attack on
a bus carrying students of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University
earlier on June 15. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility
for the bomb blasts.
The TTP said they will not
change their decision of withdrawing an offer of peace talks
to the Government because they are still mourning the killing
of their Deputy ‘chief’, Waliur Rehman, in a US drone strike.
June 17
Three persons were killed in
separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A supporter of a religious party,
identified as Asif Nawaz (32), was shot dead by unidentified
assailants in Banaras area.
The dead bodies of unidentified
person were found from Rexer Nadi in the Pak Colony Police Limits.
Another dead body was recovered
from a drain in the limits of the Rizvia Police Station.
A suspected militant was killed
in an encounter with Police on Shewa-Parmuli Road in Swabi District.
Lawyers in Lahore observed a
strike to condemn June 15, attacks on Ziarat Residency, a women
university’s bus and the Bolan Medical Complex in Quetta (Quetta
District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
LeT founder Hafiz Saeed said
that militant activities within Pakistan cannot be considered
a part of 'jihad' and asked terrorists to desist from carrying
out attacks in the country. "Militant activities in Pakistan
do not fall in the category of jihad. I appeal to all jihadi
organizations not to carry out attacks inside Pakistan as it
is not jihad (holy war). America and India are taking benefit
from their activities," Saeed alleged in a statement.
The June 15, 2013 twin suicide
attacks in Quetta (Quetta), the provincial capital of Balochistan
targeting a bus of female students and a hospital that killed
25 people were carried out by the LeJ to avenge the June 6,
2013 killing of five people [including two militants, their
wives and a child] by the Security Forces (SFs) during a raid
in the Khrotabad area of Quetta.
The newly appointed AGP, Munir
A Malik, has decided to seek written instructions from the Federal
Government about the pending petitions seeking trial of former
military ruler Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the constitution
which deals with high treason.
June 18
35 persons, including a newly-elected
MPA Imran Mohmand, were killed and over 57 others were injured
when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a funeral prayer in
Shah Zaman Qala village of Shergarh town in Mardan District.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Seven militants were killed
and several others were injured in a clash between two militant
groups in Bosti Khel area Darra Adam Khel town of Kohat District.
The Bosti Khel area of Darra Adam Khel is considered to be a
stronghold of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Arif Afridi,
a cousin of Tariq Afridi, the Taliban leader in Khyber Agency
(FATA) and Darra Adamkhel, controls it.
Six persons, including MQM and
PPP workers, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An activist of the MQM, identified
as Waseem Siddiq (38), was shot dead in a targeted attack in
Agra Taj Colony of Lyari area within the jurisdiction of Kalri
Police Station.
A political worker affiliated
with the PPP, identified as Ashiq Hussain (38), was shot dead
in Musharraf Colony within the limits of Maripur Police Station.
Shaukat Ali was shot dead, while
Shahzad was injured in an act of target killing in Usmanabad
area within the jurisdiction of Garden Police Station.
A person, identified as Shahjahan
aka Badshah Khan was shot dead by unidentified assailants in
Lashkari Village of Garden area.
Kamran Saeed (28) was shot dead
by unidentified assailants in Liaquatabad area.
A dead body was found from Jahangirabad
area of Rizvi Society.
Two personnel of Khasadar Force
were killed in an attack on a checkpost near Mirali Town in
North Waziristan Agency of FATA.
The Government of Punjab province
has allocated millions of rupees in its budget for fiscal 2013-14
for the largest centre of the JuD, considered a front for the
banned LeT. Besides a grant-in-aid of over PKR 61 million for
the JuD centre known as 'Markaz-e-Taiba', the provincial Government
has allocated PKR 350 million for setting up a 'Knowledge Park'
at the centre and other development initiatives.
June 19
Six SF personnel were killed
and three others injured when a convoy of the forces came under
attack in Sra Khawra area of Matani town in outskirts of Peshawar
(Peshawar District), the provincial capital of KP. The sources
said four of the militants were also shot dead when the SF personnel
retaliated.
Peshawar, a Policeman and two
civilians were injured in an explosion that took place in Gulbahar
Police Station on GT Road.
Five persons, including a MQM
activist, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Shahzad Sattar (30), an MQM
activist, was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Shehzad
Chowki in Orangi Town.
A school van driver, Imran Rizvi
(35), was killed by unidentified assailants in Sector 5C/2 of
Khwaja Ajmer Nagri. Central District Senior Superintendent of
Police (SSP) Amir Farooqi said the victim was a member of the
Shia community.
A rickshaw driver Irfan was
killed by unidentified assailants at a market on the G Allana
Road.
A dead body, identified as that
of one Farhan, was found in the Docks Police precincts.
An unidentified dead body was
found in the bushes of Mianwali Colony.
Unidentified assailants opened
fire on a NATO container in Dasht area of Mastung District.
However, no loss of life was reported.
Pakistan is working on a new
policy to stop the US drone strikes, which are a contravention
of the country's sovereignty and counter-productive for the
campaign against terrorism, advisor to Prime Minister on foreign
affairs and national security, Sartaj Aziz said.
June 20
12 persons, including three
Policemen and two activists of the MQM, killed in separate incidents
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two Police personnel, identified
as Head Constable Aftab and Constable Mushtaq Muhammad Khalid,
were killed by unidentified assailants on the Gulbai Bridge
in the limits of the SITE B Police Station.
Rashid (40) was killed by unidentified
assailants in Kharadar near the Kutyana Memon Hospital in the
limits of the Baghdadi Police Station.
An activist of MQM Kaleem alias
Commando was shot dead at Islam Chowk in Orangi town.
MQM activist, Irshad alias Sunny
(25), was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Gandhi
Nagar area of Ghas Mandi.
An activist of Pakistan Sunni
Tehreek (ST), Khalid Rajput (30), was shot dead in sector 5L
of North Karachi.
Also, unidentified people threw
the bullet-riddled body of an unidentified man near Jinnah Bridge
in the limits of the Docks Police Station.
Two dead bodies, identified
as father and son, were found from a garbage dump in the Ram
Swami area. Garden Police said the bodies of Abdul Wahid (50)
and his son Muhammad Iqbal (21) were packed in a gunny bag.
Another body of an unidentified
person was found near a drain in Lyari. He had been badly tortured
and later shot dead. The Kalri Police said the deceased was
abducted and later killed after being subjected to brutal torture.
The body of another person,
identified as Noor Hasan (23), was recovered from some bushes
near the Nadir Hospital on Super Highway.
A person, identified as Altaf
(18), was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Jauhar Morr.
Police said the victim was a resident of Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block-19
and the owner of a mobile communication shop.
A militant was killed and two
others were injured in exchange of fire with Police in Secretary
Pul area, of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency of FATA.
After fierce clashes with the
militants, the SFs have managed to clear the Maidan area of
Tirah valley in Khyber agency. According to ISPR, Maidan area
of the valley has been completely cleared. It further said that
Pakistani flag has been hoisted at Bagh Markaz of Tirah Valley.
The house of a local Baloch
poet Mubarak Qazi was attacked with hand grenades in Pasni town
of Gwadar District. Qazi remained safe as he was not at home
however his wife was injured.
A Government primary school
building destroyed in a blast in Karbogha of Doaba area in Hangu
District. However, no one was injured in the blast.
A Judicial Commission probing
the brutal murder in a jail attack on Indian national Sarabjit
Singh in KotLakhpat jail has so far recorded the statements
of 38 witnesses. The Inspector General of Prisons of Punjab
province and the Superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail among others
have testified before the Lahore High Court.
The military operation and anti-Baloch
policies of Pakistan and its forces continue unabated in Balochistan,
said a statement issued by the BRP.
COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
said the army would maintain its presence in South Waziristan
Agency of FATA until the local people were satisfied with the
law and order situation. General Kayani appealed to the IDPs
from the war-ravaged South Waziristan Agency to return to their
areas, assuring them military support.
June 21
15 Shia persons were killed
and 25 others were injured in a suicide attack at an Imambargah
in largely Shia area of Gulshan Colony on the edge of Peshawar
(Peshawar District), the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Nine persons were killed in
separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. A MQM legislator, identified as Sajid Qureshi
(50) and his son, identified as Ovais (26), were shot dead by
unidentified assailants outside a mosque in North Nazimabad
locality. TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.
A seminary leader affiliated
with Jamia Farooqia, identified as Molana Yasir Qureshi (42),
was shot dead within the remits of Shah Faisal Police Station.
A worker of ASWJ, identified
as Kamran (35), was shot dead within the jurisdiction of Mobina
Town Police Station.
A person, identified as Mohammad
Altaf (42), was shot dead at Keamari area within the remits
of Jackson Police Station.
A person, identified as Nadeem
Sharif, was shot dead and his friend was injured within the
remits of Nappier Police Station.
A person, Shakeel Ahmed (35),
was shot dead by unidentified assailants, while he was standing
outside his home in Urdu Bazaar.
A dead body was found from Lasbela
Riverbed within the remits of Rizvia Police Station. Officials
said that the deceased, Wasif, resident of Lines Area went to
Lyari for some work, where armed men abducted him.
An unidentified dead body was
found from Akbar Road within the limits of Shershah Police Station.
Two members of the peace committee
were killed and two Levies Force personnel were injuries when
the militants attacked a checkpost in Khar, headquarters of
Bajaur Agency of FATA.
A Government primary school
was blown up in Pandialai tehsil of Mohmand Agency. Officials
said militants had planted explosives to the building of Khan
Wali Kor School. They said that the number of schools destroyed
in militant activities in the agency had risen to 118.
An alleged suicide bomber was
killed in a mysterious explosion in Bandat Musazai area of Killa
Saifullah District. “It is yet to be confirmed that whether
explosives planted in motorcycle went off or mistakenly he blew
himself up,” Police said.
Two dead bodies were found from
Zehri area in Khuzdar District.
June 22
Two terrorists and one ASI of
Police were killed during an encounter at Ambela Phari area
in Buner District.
A bomb explosion killed two
volunteers of Peace Lashkar, a Pakistani pro-Government militia
at Chamarkand town in Bajaur Agency of the FATA. They were killed
when an IED went off near them while they were inspecting the
site of an earlier IED blast.
June 23
10 foreign tourists-cum-mountaineer
were among 11 persons killed, when militants wearing paramilitary
uniforms attacked a base camp of Nanga Parbat mountain range
in Bonar area of Diamer District in Gilgit Baltistan region
of PoK. One Pakistani woman guide was also killed in the incident.
TTP ‘spokesperson’ Ehsanullah
Ehsan while claiming the responsibility said that killing was
revenge against the US drone attacks and killing of TTP ‘deputy
chief’ Waliur Rehman Mehsud.
Six militants were killed during
an operation by SFs in Matt area of Sui in Dera Bugti District.
Separately, unidentified assailants
targeted a Levies vehicle with small arms, killing the driver
and injuring two Levies personnel in Basima tehsil (revenue
unit) in Washuk District.
A person, identified as Abdul
Razaq, was killed by unidentified assailants in the Eastern
Bypass area of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital
of Balochistan.
A person, identified as Haji
Omer, was shot dead in Satellite town area.
Five persons were killed in
separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. A teashop owner associated with the JI, identified
as Mohammed Arif (35), was shot dead in Sector-7 D of Surjani
town.
A former Police SI was shot
dead near the Sohrab Goth Bridge in Sacchal area.
In a separate incident, a person,
identified as Abdul Whaeed, was shot dead by unidentified assailants
in Dawood Goth area of Malir town.
A person, identified as Ghulam
Abbas (32), was killed by unidentified assailants near Waheed
Shaheed Chowk in Faqeer Colony of Mominabad area.
A person, identified as Munir
Ahmed, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Napier area.
An activist of the MQM was arrested
after an encounter on June 22, reports Dawn. The A-Section Police
also arrested several MQM activists after registering terrorism-related
cases against 17 suspects.
One trooper was killed and two
others injured in a militant attack in Khawa Khawar area of
Bannu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the officials,
the killing took place when a SFs’ vehicle was targeted with
a remote-controlled bomb in Khawa Khawar area.
One person was killed and five
others sustained injuries in a car explosion in Sadda town of
Kurram Agency in FATA. “Unknown persons had fixed explosives
to the car, which exploded near the Karkhano checkpost when
they were on their way back home,” official sources added.
The Government welcomed the
prospects of talks between the United States and Afghan Taliban
and expressed the hope that the initiative would lead to peace
and stability in the region. “The Nawaz Sharif government firmly
believes that dialogue and reconciliation are the only way forward
in bringing permanent peace to the region,” Interior Minister
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said during a meeting with US Ambassador
Richard Olson at the Interior Ministry.
Pakistan has raised a 25,000-strong
special force and put in place extensive measures to protect
and manage its strategic assets, including its nuclear arsenal,
Federal Minister of Finance Ishaq Dar said. "A special
security force of 25,000 personnel, who have been specially
trained and provided sophisticated weapons, has been deployed
to protect (the nuclear assets)," Dar told the National
Assembly.
According to the CPLC, abduction-for-ransom
‘industry’ is booming in Karachi as this industry has generated
huge money at the cost of life and peace in metropolis. The
data available to the sources in CPLC says that within few months,
from January to June 2013, about 74 such cases have been registered.
In year 2012, there were 132 such cases registered at various
Police Stations of the city.
June 24
At least seven persons were
killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. A person, identified as Raja
Nadeem Abbass (40), was killed by unidentified assailants near
Gulshan Chowrangi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area. The Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Police said the victim was a PPP activist and a resident of
Federal B Area.
A person, identified as Abdur
Razzaq alias Raju Kutchhi (28), was shot dead near Babu Hotel
on Ghausia Road. Police said the victim was supporter of the
KRC.
A businessman, identified as
Sheikh Muhammad Masood, was killed by unidentified assailants
near the Defence Police Station.
A person, identified as Bakhti
Anwar (40), was killed by unidentified assailants in Muslimabad
Colony.
An alleged target killer of
Policemen was killed in an encounter with West zone Police in
Haroonabad area of Site-B.
Dead body of a person, identified
as Afzal Shah (22), was found near a storm-water drain in Memon
Goth.
A dead body was recovered from
the bushes in Quetta town in Karachi.
Rangers arrested around 22 suspects
in separate targeted raids and operations across various parts
of the Karachi. Rangers' personnel said they conducted targeted
raids and operations in areas including Landhi, Shah Faisal
Colony, Northern Bypass, Safora Chowk, Nusrat Bhutto Colony,
Nazimabad, Ahsanabad, North Karachi and Machar Colony and captured
around 22 suspects. The officials also claimed to have recovered
36 weapons of different calibers from their possession.
Suspected militants shot dead
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Amanullah Khan and
his driver on Dalazak Road in Peshawar (Peshawar District),
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The incident took
place at about 8:30pm.
A villager died when explosives
planted in a mosque in Tirayee Payan village went off in the
wee hours.
The FC arrested three militants
and recovered 2,000 kilogrammes of explosives at a checkpost
in Hazar Ganji area of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial
capital of Balochistan.
Thirty-five suspects have been
arrested by the GB Police, in case related to the killing of
10 foreign tourists and their Pakistani guide at point blank
range at a base camp of Nanga Parbat mountain range from nearby
areas in the Diamer District.
Shehzad Ahmed Shigri, a GB Government
spokesman informed that trekking expeditions leading to Nanga
Parbat were also suspended with effect from June 24. Local and
foreign tourists are evacuated from the mountains range.
The PTI Chairman Imran Khan
demanded of the Federal Government devise a national policy
for countering terrorism in the country suggesting that Pakistan
should separate itself from the US led war on terror. While
addressing a press conference on his first visit after his party
formed government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, he said the
Federal Government should call a meeting, which should be briefed
by the army chief.
June 25
At least two persons were killed
and 10 other sustained severe injuries when unidentified arms
assailants opened indiscriminate firing on tribal peace lashkar
in the RD 238 area of Dera Bugti District. The attackers managed
to escape from the incident site.
A blast took place near the
house of one Hakim Khan in Wazirdhand in Jamrud tehsil in Khyber
Agency of FATA in the night. The explosion caused a minor damage
to the building.
The Islamabad Police arrested
two TTP militants involved in the killing of newly-elected Member
of the Provincial Assembly [MPA, KP], Farid Khan of the PTI,
who was shot dead in Hangu (Hangu District) with his driver
on June 3, 2013. The suspects, during the preliminary questioning,
disclosed that they had killed, slaughtered or tortured 36 people
to death.
Farid had won the PK-42 (Hangu-I)
seat as an independent candidate and had then joined PTI. He
was shot dead near his residence close to Singair village, when
unidentified armed men opened fire at his vehicle. Police said
his driver and guard also sustained injuries in the attack.
According to details, the CIA received information that a group
of terrorists was hiding in Tarnol area.
The FIA submitted a challan
against former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf
in the ATC-I, declaring him prime accused in Former Premier
Benazir Bhutto murder case.
The charge sheet also contained
the statements of four witnesses, including that of the US journalist
as well as Benazir Bhutto's own statement, in which she had
said that Musharraf and three others be held responsible if
she was assassinated.
Pervez Musharraf, who is also
facing charges in connection with the murder of Nawab Akbab
Bugti in 2006 and 2007 judges case, is currently under 'house
arrest' at his farmhouse turned jail at Chak Shahzad on the
outskirts of Islamabad.
Former HRCP chairwomen Asma
Jahangir said that if the role of security agencies in Balochistan
did not change, it would be disastrous for the democracy.
The TTP claimed that the Government
of Pakistan does not have the authority to hold talks. TTP 'spokesman'
Ehsanullah Ehsan has said that if the group sees that the elected
Government is able to take a stand against the country's intelligence
agencies, only then will the option of talks be considered.
He also said that the TTP supports
peace negotiations between the US and the Afghan Taliban, a
week after the Afghan insurgent leaders opened a political office
in Qatar. Ehsanullah Ehsan said that the organisation had vowed
allegiance to Mullah Omar and that any decision taken by the
Afghan Taliban chief would be accepted.
He also said that the TTP leadership
considers Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Muhammad Omar as their
supreme commander and has taken an oath of jihad on his hand.
"TTP fighters are always ready to obey Omar's commands," he
said.
June 26
A bomb attack targeting a Sindh
High Court judge killed at least 10 persons, including two Rangers
personnel, six Policemen and the driver of the judge's car,
and injured 15 others, including the judge, near Burns Road
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
The intended target of the terrorists was senior Sindh High
Court judge Justice Maqbool Baqar, who was on his way to the
court along with an escort of four Rangers personnel on two
motorbikes and two Police vehicles. The convoy was near Burns
Road when the powerful bomb exploded. However, Justice Baqar
did not suffer any major wound.
TTP 'spokesman' Ehsanullah Ehsan
claimed the responsibility of the attack, saying they detonated
the bomb remotely. "We attacked the judge in Karachi as he was
taking decisions against Shariah and he was harmful for Mujahideen,''
he said. Ehsan further said that the judge was targeted for
what he said were "anti-Taliban and anti-Mujahideen decisions",
and that the group would continue to target judiciary.
One FC trooper was killed while
three sustained injuries when militants targeted an FC convoy
with a roadside bomb in the Mashkay area of Awaran District
in Balochistan.
Unidentified assailants abducted
eight members of Tablighi Jamaat at gunpoint from a mosque in
the Jhao area of Awaran. The victims were from Peshawar and
Bannu Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Hayatabad SHO Mera Jan was shot
dead in an attack by unidentified assailants at Karkhano checkpost
near Peshawar's (Peshawar District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) border
with Khyber Agency in FATA. Mira Jan was on routine patrol along
the main Pakistan-Afghanistan highway when his vehicle came
under gunfire near an Afghan market, a Police official said.
Gilgit Inspector General Usman
Zakria claimed that 15 terrorists involved in the killing of
foreign tourists at Nanga Parbat base camp had been identified.
He said the terrorists belonged to banned organisations - 10
of whom were from Diamer, three from Kohistan and two from Mansehra.
The chief secretary said that terrorists were present in batches
along the mountainous regions.
Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch
held politicians and bureaucrats equally responsible for "destroying
all government institutions in the province" and called for
making joint efforts to "restore" the institutions.
Welcoming the initiation of
Doha peace process, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman reiterated
his desire that the Pakistan Government should also hold talks
with TTP to bring peace and stability in the region. "The use
of force does not work all the time and in all situations,"
said the JUI-F chief.
June 27
At least three persons were
killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. An unidentified person was
shot dead by unidentified assailants near Mehfil-i-Musatafa
Imambargah in Kalri.
A person was shot dead near
Makki mosque in Bihar Colony.
A businessman, identified as
Sheikh Naveed (50), was shot dead in the Karsaz area.
Sindh Assembly with consensus
passed a resolution that Sindh Government must take effective
measures to curb terrorism and arrest perpetrators of the bomb
attack on Justice Maqbool Baqar's convoy on June 26 morning,
in which nine persons were killed and many others, including
the senior puisne judge of the Sindh High Court, were injured,
on June 26.
At least two persons were killed
and another was injured when a bomb went off in Kuchlak tehsil
in Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Police said a militant was planting an IED near a mosque in
village Killi Kateer on the Quetta-Chaman highway when it exploded.
Two persons were injured in
an attack on NATO containers in the Dasht area of Kharan District.
Levies sources said that unidentified assailants opened indiscriminate
fire on two containers passing through the area, injuring the
drivers and setting ablaze the trucks.
The SFs killed two militants
after an encounter of nine hours in Yousafabad locality of Mingora
city in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The encounter began
at 8pm on June 26 and ended at around 5:30am.
Unidentified militants fired
rockets on a cement factory on Bannu-DI Khan Road in Lakki Marwat
District. However, the attack didn't cause any damage to human
life or property.
The BDS of Frontier Corps destroyed
an IED near Landi Khel area of Akhorwal in Darra Adam Khel of
Kohat District. Officials said that militants had planted a
12kg IED to target the SFs.
Clashes between the TTP and
other militant groups erupted in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border
region as hundreds of fighters attacked TTP bases situated in
Kunar and Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. TTP sources said
hundreds of militants comprising LeT, AI, 'Mohmand force' and
other local militias were part of a joint attack on Pakistani
Taliban positions in Afghanistan.
LeT 'spokesperson' Mahmud Gaznavi
rejected the allegations that the group was involved in the
clashes. Gaznavi said that the LeT is operational only in Kashmir
and has nothing to do with the TTP or the Afghan Taliban.
The Government is reluctant
to give a specific date about the completion of special FIA
team's investigations against former President General Pervez
Musharraf for imposing emergency on November 3, 2007. Attorney
General of Pakistan (AGP) Munir A Malik told a three-member
bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja,
that giving a specific time would be a speculation.
While assuring a fair trial
to the former army chief, the AGP told the bench that the Government
wants to advance the due process for the sanctity of the constitution
and it was not a vendetta against Musharraf.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif after attending the Punjab Assembly session said that
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will shortly convene an All-Party
Conference to devise a joint line of action to tackle the menace
of terrorism.
About the treason case against
former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf, the Chief
Minister said the case did not relate to Oct 12, 1999, and rather
a result of suo motu notice taken by the Supreme Court regarding
the arrest of judges on Musharraf's orders. He said Nawaz had
no vindictive intention against anyone.
June 28
At least three persons, including
a woman were killed and 18 others were injured, when dozens
of Lyari gangsters carried out an armed massacre in streets
of Kharadar area in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. SHO, Kharadar Idrees Bangash said that motive
behind the incident was extortion, but sources in Police said
that Lyari gangsters reached there to abduct a man Aziz Baloch,
on failure they resorted to indiscriminate firing.
Sindh High Court asked Interior
Ministry to put details of MQM-H Chairman Afaq Ahmed's involvement
in terrorist activates on record, in order to substantiate putting
his name on ECL. Headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh the ministry
has been given a last chance to substantiate its claim.
A girl was killed while six
others were injured when a toy bomb went off at Lapakai village
of Maidan area in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in FATA.
Local and international humanitarian
organisations suspended work at the Jalozai refugee camp for
IDPs, 35 kilometres southeast of Peshawar (Peshawar District),
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after intelligence
agencies issued a warning about a bomb attack at the place.
Officials from the PDMA told
that LEA informed camp management on June 25 that militants
had planned to carry out an attack, specifically to target large
gatherings.
Disappointed over Pakistan's
slow pace of trial in 26/11 terror attack case, a top American
Congressman Ed Royce, chairman of the powerful House Foreign
Relations Committee has demanded that the seven suspects, including
LeT operational commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, be handed over
to the ICC.
The seven Pakistani suspects
have been charged with planning, financing and executing the
attacks that killed 166 people in Mumbai in November 2008. A
Rawalpindi-based ATC had been handling the case since 2009 though
the judge has been changed five times.
Addressing a group of Indian-Americans
at a Congressional reception at the Capitol Hill organized by
the American India Public Affairs Committee, Royce said both
India and the United States are facing challenges from terrorism.
June 29
At least five persons were killed
in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. A person, identified as Murad Baloch, was
killed and other person, identified as Ahsan Abdur Rauf, was
injured by unidentified assailants at a milk shop near Mosamiyat
Chowrangi on University Road.
A person, identified as Muhammad
Hayat (22), was shot dead by unidentified assailants near the
water filter plant in Gulshan-e-Maymar area.
A Rangers officer identified
as Imran Masih (25) was shot dead near Nagan Chowrangi.
Two dead bodies were found near
the Karbala ground of Landhi area. The victims were identified
as Tahir Riaz (30) and Farhan Nasir (16).
Three dead bodies were recovered
from the Eastern bypass area of Quetta (Quetta District) the
provincial capital of Balochistan.
The militants blew up two schools,
Government Primary School Kotka Nasruallah and Government Primary
School Matiullah in Paharkhel Pakka in the limits of Ghaznikhel
Police Station in Lakki Marwat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
June 30
At least 28 persons were killed
and 60 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up
near an Imambargah in Aliabad area of Hazara Town in
Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
The victims belong to Shia Hazara community. According to CCPO,
the suicide bomber detonated the explosive strapped to his body
when he was stopped from entering the premises of the Imambargah
Abu Talib.
Muttahida Wahdatul Muslimeen
(MWM) has announced three-day mourning across the country while
Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) has called a shutter-down strike
in Quetta.
Three persons were shot dead
by unidentified militants when they opened fire on passenger
buses in Kaka Heer and Darra Kahala areas of Wadh Tehsil of
Khuzdar District.
Two persons were shot dead by
unidentified assailants in Kubdani Mohalla area of Kharan city
in Kharan District. The victims belong to Sindh province.
Two persons were killed and
one was injured in Killa Abdullah town of same District.
At least 18 civilians were killed
and 46 injured in a car bomb attack on a convoy of the Frontier
Corps in Badbher area on the outskirts of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Almost all the victims were poor
vendors selling fruits, vegetables and corn cobs while the others
were passersby and commuters.
Police defused two rocket shells
in Lodhikhel area in Hangu District. The bomb disposal unit
in-charge, Asadullah, said that acting on a tip-off, a contingent
of Police and bomb disposal unit reached the spot and defused
the rocket shells placed by militants.
An explosion killed four volunteers
of an Amn Lashkar and three soldiers in Miranshah of North Waziristan
Agency in FATA. 15 volunteers and 12 soldiers were also received
injuries.
At least five persons, including
a worker of the MQM and a Policeman, were killed in separate
incidents in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh. An MQM worker Abdul Sattar (35) was killed by unidentified
assailants outside his home near Sindhi Hotel within the remit
of the New Karachi Industrial Area Police Station.
A Head Constable of the Sindh
Reserve Police was abducted, tortured and shot dead in Pak Colony.A
person, identified as Asif Saleem (24), was shot dead in New
Karachi area.
A person, identified as Asif
Saleem (24), was shot dead in New Karachi area.
A dead body of Zahid Shah (32),
stuffed in a gunny bag, was found along the Lyari River in the
Raxer Lane area.
An unidentified dead body was
found in the Khokhrapar area.
Police arrested five cadre of
the TTP in a search operation in Peerabad area. Police recovered
two Kalashnikovs, a rifle, two TT pistols, a 9MM pistol, three
brick bombs, six ball bombs, a walkie-talkie, three kilograms
nut-bolts, explosive materials, a snatched highroof and a stolen
motorcycle. Police said the arrested suspects belong to TTP's
Bhalu group and they were identified as Ismail, Meraj, Ali Bahudar,
Shahid and Samiullah.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan called
for formulation of a policy by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
in consultation with the COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and
PTI to deal with terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Addressing
a convention of the party, Imran Khan said there are different
forms of terrorism in FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Karachi and
Balochistan, which will have to be dealt with through different
means.
In 2013, till June, around 273
persons were abducted from various parts of the Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh and their bodies
were later found dumped in gunny bags. The recovered bodies
carried marks of severe torture before they were being shot,
tortured to such extent that many of them are still lying unidentified
in morgues.
Four militants, 76 bandits and
19 abductors were killed in 1,382 Police encounters in Sindh
from January 1 to June 27, 2013. According to a report sent
to IGP Sindh Shahid Baloch, it was mentioned that during the
aforementioned period, overall 24,385 accused were arrested
including 2,213 proclaimed offenders, 15,138 absconders, 73
abductors, 66 terrorists and 5,699 dacoits.
June 30
JuD chief and the founder of
LeT Hafiz Muhammad Saeed warned the Pakistan Government that
it should not buy electricity from India. India is producing
electricity on Pakistani rivers and offering the same to us
to buy. Don't our rulers understand this basic point?"
Saeed asked while addressing an 'Ummat Conference' at Sheikhupura
in Sheikhupura District. "There is no need to beg India,"
he asserted.
His warning came days after
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed his Minister for Water
and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif to visit India to address the
severe energy crisis facing the country."
July 1
At least seven persons, including
three ST cadres, were shot dead in separate incidents of targeted
killing in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
One ST cadre, identified as
Junaid Sultan (22), was shot dead at Sector 5-F in New Karachi
area. Separately, a local leader of ST, identified as Farooq
(35), was shot dead in Block-2 in Baldia Town. Another ST cadre,
identified as Aslam Qadri, was shot dead at Sector 11-F in New
Karachi area within the remits of New Karachi Police Station.
A ST spokesman said that four ST cadres have been shot dead
in separate incidents of targeted killing in last two days.
A rickshaw driver, identified
as Zubair, was shot dead near Jona Masjid within the limits
of Baghdadi Police Station.
A dead body of a man, identified
as that of Javed Khan, was found near a graveyard at Indus Plaza
within the remits of Soharab Goth Police Station. Police said
that the deceased was affiliated with a criminal group and unidentified
assailants had first abducted him and later dumped his body
after shooting him multiple times.
Another dead body of a man,
identified as that of Imran alias Kawa, was found at Dee Silva
Town within the remits of Shahreh-e-Noor Jahan Police Station.
Police said he had been abducted before being killed.
A bullet-riddled dead body of
a man, identified as Imran, was found near from Dua Hotel within
the remits of Kalri Police Station.
Unidentified assailants opened
fire in Lyari area, spreading panic among the residents of the
locality. According to reports, the armed assailants resorted
to firing and roamed freely in Kalri, Mandra Muhalla, Ahmed
Shah Bokhari Road, Bihar Colony and other areas of the neighbourhood
with Police and Rangers missing.
Sindh Rangers spokesman said
that Saqib alias Boxer, who was killed on June 28, 2013, had
been involved in many serious crimes including killings, abduction-for-ransom
and extortion, and the Rangers did not execute him as a specific
target but he was killed as a result of exchange of fire during
a search operation carried out in Nayabad neighbourhood of Lyari
town, as a routine action to maintain law and order.
At least three labourers, identified
as Noor Muhammad, Jabar and Gul Muhammad, were shot dead when
unidentified armed militants opened fire them in Khan Kot area
of Naseerabad District.
Police recovered a dead body,
identified as that of one Abdullah (27), from Dera Allayar Bypass
in Jaffarabad District. According to details, the deceased belonged
to Orangi Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Unidentified armed militants
abducted a Section Officer of the Home Department, identified
as Syed Manzoor Shah Bukhari, from Sariab Road in Quetta while
he was heading towards Sariab Mill. No further report is available
about the abducted person.
Two Police constables were shot
dead at Ring Road in the Pishtakhara Police Station jurisdiction
of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. Police said that members of the Special Police
Forces Constable Osman and Constable Subhanullah were on duty
on Ring Road when terrorists riding a motorcycle attacked them.
The AGP Munir A. Malik submitted
before the Supreme Court that the issue of missing persons is
the legacy of dictatorial regimes and might take decades to
be completely solved. Malik said that taking cue from the past
it seems that investigation in the matters related to the forced
disappearances was very difficult.
Justice Jawwad asked the top
law officer when would the trial of internment centres’ detainees
start, while Justice Khilji Arif Hussain questioned how long
would these people be detained in internment centres. The AGP
appeared before a three-member bench of the apex court headed
by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja in the missing persons’ case.
After having been accused by
Afghanistan of pushing a power-sharing formula involving the
Taliban, the FO defended Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan and
said it always tried to make a positive contribution. “Pakistan
wants to see a peaceful, united, prosperous and stable Afghanistan.
To that end Pakistan has been making constructive contributions,”
FO spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said.
July 2
At least 17 suspected militants
were killed and two others injured by a US drone which attacked
a house in Sirai Darpakhel area near Miranshah in North Waziristan
Agency of FATA. Intelligence sources confirmed the death toll,
adding that a key militant leader had been targeted whose identity
was not known as yet.
A member of Tawheed ul Islam,
a pro-government peace militia, was killed in a landmine blast
in Zakhakhel Bazaar area of Khyber Agency. Khyber administration
officials said the volunteers were on a routine patrol when
two of them stepped over a landmine planted along a track. One
volunteer was killed on the spot while the other received critical
injuries.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a pro-government tribal elder at Badan area in Mamond tehsil
in Bajaur Agency. Malik Gul Farosh Khan, a local peace committee
member, was on his way home when he was ambushed at Badan area.
A woman was killed when an explosive
device planted in a field went off in border area of Kitkoot.
Local officials said the woman (40) was working in the fields
when the blast occurred.
The return of thousands of IDPs
from Mohammad Khwaja relief camp in Hangu (Hangu District, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa) to Chaper Perozkhel area in Orakzai Agency was
postponed at the eleventh hour over threats of terrorist attacks.
FATA Disaster Management Authority had made preparations for
the return of over 26,000 IDPs to Chaper Perozkhel area from
Tuesday (July 2). The next date for the IDPs’ return will be
announced later on, according to the relevant officials.
At least six FC personnel were
killed and seven others injured when militants attacked the
Kishan Ganga check-post near FR, Jina Kor, in Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of KP. Moreover, Police confirmed
the incident and said that militants also kidnapped two Security
Force personnel.
Police recovered huge cache
of arms and ammunition during various raids in different areas
of the Hangu city (Hangu District) and arrested 31 proclaimed
offenders wanted in various cases of heinous nature.
The PTI openly came forward
to justify acts of terrorism in provincial assembly on July
1 when one of its Ministers instead of condemning the suicide
attack by militants in Peshawar tried to rationalise it.
At least three people, including
an activist of MQM, were shot dead in firing incidents in Lyari
area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. According
to Police details, the firing was a result of the failure of
a ‘truce’ between the KRC and the PAC, recently arranged by
officials of Law-Enforcement Agencies and District Administration.
An activist of MQM, identified
as Muhammad Shahzad (25), was shot dead and two others, identified
as Shakeel Ahmed and Naseem Ahmed, were wounded at a bus stop
near the Tooba mosque in Orangi Town, said the Iqbal Market
Police.
A woman, identified as Amna,
was shot dead in Bihar Colony, the Chakiwara Police said. “Five
more persons sustained bullet wounds in Mandra Para and other
localities,” said the Chakiwara Police official. Militants also
threw a hand grenade in the locality but so far no casualty
has been reported.
One Usman Ghani (40) was shot
dead when two groups resorted to firing near Naval Flats in
Kalri area, said in-charge SHO of Kalri Wazir Muhammad. Ghani
was affiliated with KRC.
In the same locality one person
was also shot at and wounded in the firing.
A resident of Agra Taj said
that for the past three days, they had been made hostage by
armed militants. He said there was such heavy firing in the
area that his nephew, a tailor, could not travel even half a
kilometre to reach his home.
SFs claimed to have arrested
another suspect in connection with the killing foreign tourists
in Diamer District on June 23, 2013. His arrest came a day after
another suspect, a worker of Water and Power Department, was
arrested from Chilas town, the capital of Diamer. The suspect
belongs to a 16-memebr terrorist gang allegedly involved in
the Diamer attack. He was arrested while he was on duty. SFs
have so far arrested three suspects and all are the locals.
The BNP-M accused the Government,
Intelligence agencies and Khuzdar administration of harassing
the people of Wadh town of Khuzdar District The party appealed
to the traders to observe a strike on July 4, and requested
the transporters not to bring to the roads their buses and coaches
on July 5, to support the party’s blockade of the highways.
Leaders and activists of the BNP staged a demonstration outside
the press club in protest against the killing of three persons
in Wadh area on June 29, 2013.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said that he has directed the LEA, including the ISI and IB,
to treat June 30 bombing in the Quetta (Quetta District), the
provincial capital of Balochistan, as a test case and catch
the culprits. He stated, “This (attacks) is neither acceptable
for the provincial government nor for the federal government.”
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul
Malik Baloch has assured the Shia Hazara community that his
Government will fulfil its responsibility to protect their lives
and property and eradicate terrorism.
The number of reported civilian
deaths caused by the CIA’s drone campaign in Pakistan is at
an all-time low, a report by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
(TBIJ) said. According to the data mentioned in the report,
the number of drone strikes conducted under Obama’s administration
stands at 318, while the total number of strikes carried out
since 2004 is 370. These hundreds of strikes in Pakistan’s tribal
region killed at least 2,500 people, 400 of whom are said to
be civilians. The report stated that around 200 children lost
their lives in drone attacks. The campaign carried out with
the help of unmanned aircraft left around 1,100 injured.
There is said to be a steep
decline in the number of US drone strikes in Pakistan strikes
are now at their lowest level since early 2008. The average
number of people being killed in each drone strike has fallen
sharply too, an analysis of the Bureau’s data shows. On average,
four people now die in each attack – just a third of the rate
in the first six months of 2010.
Former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf, one of main accused in the assassination of
former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007, failed to appear
before an ATC, which took strong exception and ordered his physical
presence on July 9, 2013.
July 3
At least three people, including
a woman, identified as Zulekha Aslam (50), Abdul Latif (25)
and Akhter Ahmed (50), were killed in an exchange of gunfire
between two groups in Lyari and other old city areas of provincial
capital of Sindh, Karachi (Karachi District).
Two suspected extortionists,
identified as Shahid alias Cheena and Nazeer alias Khan were
killed in an encounter in Pirabad area. The Police received
a tip-off that four extortionists were to visit the Pakhtun
Bazaar near Banaras to collect extortion money from shopkeepers,
said Orangi SP Chaudhry Asad Ali, adding, a Police party in
a van posted in the area caught the suspects, who fired at the
Police.
An activist of the MQM, identified
as Awal Yasin (40), was shot dead in Orangi Town while was travelling
in a rickshaw.
A schoolteacher, identified
as Asadullah (27), was shot dead near the Saddar parking plaza
while he was passing through the area on a motorbike. Brigade
SHO Javed Sikandar said that Asadullah used to teach Quran to
students of Iqra School at Clifton Branch and hailed from Rahim
Yar Khan District of Punjab.
An unidentified man, said to
be in his early 50s, was shot dead in Khuda ki Basti.
A constable of the CID of Police,
identified as Mohammad Anwar, was shot dead in a targeted attack
in SITE. The Police said that Mohammad Anwar along with his
son was passing through the Habib Chowrangi area in a car when
militants fired at him and sped away.
An unidentified dead body of
young man was found outside a bank branch on Nawab Mohabat Khanji
Road in Lea Market, said an official at the Baghdadi Police
Station.
Another dead body of a man,
identified as that of Ghulam Hussain (50), was found in a ground
near Indus Plaza.
A roadside blast planted on
an under-construction road outside the residence of a PPP Member
of MPA Sohrab Sarki wounded four children in Jacobabad District.
The SITE-A Police SHO Tufail
Ahmed claimed to have detained four extortionists identified
as Mohammad Ahmed, Abdul Qadir, Samdam and Amirullah who had
come to extort money from a factory owner at Bhawani Chali.
Security administration sat
with leaders of the ruling party to resolve the crisis and find
out ways for peace in Karachi. Though the authorities and leaders
of the PPP were reluctant to confirm the meeting, sources close
to the recent development said PPP Karachi division President
Abdul Qadir Patel with other senior members of the party met
senior Police and Rangers officers at the Central Police Office.
A person, identified as Sabir
Ali, was killed by unidentified assailants in Tali area of Sibi
District.
A girl was shot dead in Kuchlak
town near Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital of
Balochistan.
Dead body of an unidentified
person was found from the Satellite Town of Quetta.
A person, identified as Muhammad
Hassan, was abducted by unidentified assailants from Turbat
District.
Police arrested six suspected
militants from a hospital in the Zarghoon Road area of Quetta.
Those arrested included two injured men who were under treatment
at the hospital. Sources said that Police and personnel of the
Anti-Terrorism Force raided the private hospital on a tip-off
and arrested the suspects.
Levies personnel defused a bomb
and arrested two suspects in Dhadar area of Bolan District.
The bomb had been planted on the railway track linking Quetta
with other parts of the country.
The FC seized a huge cache of
weapons and arrested two militants from the Kuchlak area.
Death toll of the Hazara Town
(Quetta) suicide blast on June 30 has risen to 31 after another
injured woman succumbed to her injuries at a hospital.
Unidentified assailants opened
fire on two anti-polio workers in Badarshi area in the Nowshera
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Constable Roohullah reported
to the Cantonment Police Station that the FC personnel, Abdullah
was assigned duty with a polio team, comprising two female workers,
Najma Bibi and Naila Bibi.
BDS personnel defused a bomb
while another explosive device went off near a hujra
in a Chota Lahor tehsil in Swabi District. Chota Lahor
City Police officials said the bombs were planted near the house
and hujra of one Sajjad Khan in Sheikh Dheri village.
Peshawar High Court was informed
that the Federal Government had released PKR 500,000 for payment
of compensation to an old woman, whose only son was allegedly
picked up by intelligence agencies being killed and dumped by
the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway.
The ruling PTI and its coalition
partners backtracked on their statements to table a resolution
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly against the US drone strikes
in tribal areas as the budget session was prorogued. PTI and
its allies, including Jamaat-i-Islami, Qaumi Watan Party and
Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan, had submitted a joint resolution
against the drone attacks to the assembly secretariat before
the start of the budget session.
As a measure to beef up security
in the wake of recent wave of terrorism in the country, the
DIG Operations Lahore Muhammad Tahir Rai said 30 percent additional
force had been deployed for the security of judges and courts,
including Lahore High Court, sessions courts and civil courts.
Additional patrolling by Police would ensure the security of
courts and judges, he added.
Government rejected remarks
from the Afghan Army ‘chief’ Sher Mohammad Karimi that Pakistan
'controls' the Taliban. “The allegations that Pakistan 'controls'
the Taliban and has 'unleashed' them on Afghanistan have no
basis. We reject them categorically,” the Foreign Ministry of
Pakistan said in a statement.
Karimi accused Pakistan of closing
down madrassa schools that serve as incubators of extremism
and as a result had “unleashed” the Taliban on Afghanistan today.
He said “the Taliban are under their control” and Pakistan could
do far more to promote a nascent peace process. He claimed that
Pakistan could end the 12-year conflict in Afghanistan within
weeks if it was really committed to peace.
Following the July 3, 2012,
drone strike in NWA of FATA targeting the Haqqani Network, the
TTP reiterated its earlier stance that civilian Government had
little or no reply to the American drone strikes and therefore
there is no use of talking with it. TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah
Ehsan announced that the TTP would take revenge, blaming Pakistani
authorities for sharing information with the American CIA on
presence of militant leaders.
It was second strike in NWA
in two days targeting the Haqqani Network. The TTP claimed that
none of the Taliban leaders was killed in the attack which claimed
18 lives. TTP had earlier withdrawn their talk offer after May
29, 2013, missiles attack in SWA of FATA in which TTP’s ‘deputy
chief’ Waliur Rehman Mehsud was killed.
TTP said that its militants
have increased attacks on SFs to avenge the killing of the Wali-ur-Rehman
Mehsud. TTP spokesperson claimed responsibility for the attack
on a check post on July 2 that killed six Frontier Constabulary
personnel in Urmar area of FR Peshawar, as part of their plan
to take revenge. He also claimed injuring 10 more FC personnel
but avoided comments on reports that several security men are
missing. “We will keep on targeting the security forces during
the revenge attacks,” he added.
The US Government has requested
USD 1.16 billion for aid to Pakistan in the 2014 financial year
— almost half of the USD 2.6 billion it spent in 2012 and a
quarter of the USD 4.5 billion it spent in 2010, says a report
released. The military aid also goes down to USD 397 million
from over USD 1.2 billion in 2010. The cuts, however, may not
have a major impact on the Pakistani economy as the country
received an estimated USD 12.8 billion from July 2012 to May
2013.
The Obama administration is
also seeking USD 765.7 million (and USD 252.2 million in Overseas
Contingency Operations funds) within the Economic Support Fund
(ESF) for energy assistance, economic growth and agriculture,
education, health, and cross-cutting issues such as supporting
gender equality, human rights, better governance, and political
participation. In the Foreign Military Financing, USD 300 million
for Pakistan would enhance the counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism
capabilities of its Security Forces, and would encourage US-Pakistan
military-to-military engagement, the report said.
July 4
At least five Security Force
personnel were killed and three others injured in a suicide
attack on Bowia check post in North Waziristan Agency of FATA.
According to the security officials, the suicide bomber crashed
an explosive-laden vehicle into the security check post leaving
five security officials dead.
Four persons, including three
women, sustained injuries when the rockets fired by militants
from Kunar province of Afghanistan hit a house in Kaga village
in the Mamond tehsil in the Bajaur Agency. The injured
were identified as Muhammad, Zarfari Bibi, Yasin Bibi and Ruqiya
Bibi.
Government Primary School for
Girls in Sirki Kot area of Wana in South Waziristan Agency was
blown up by unidentified militants at 3.30am. Explosive devices
had been planted in the verandah of the school.
Two TTP militants were killed
in an encounter with the SFs in Sheikh Nala area of the Matani
Police Station in Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. An ASI was killed and one FC
personnel was also injured in the encounter with the militants.
The house of a local activist
of the ANP was partially damaged in an explosion at Station
Koroona in the limits of City Police Station in Charsadda town
(Charsadda) District. The sources said explosive device planted
by unidentified persons near the house of Qasim Ali Khan went
off early in the day.
Unidentified militants attacked
a truck carrying NATO supplies from Karachi (Sindh) to Afghanistan,
killing the driver and injuring his two helpers on the Quetta
(Balochistan)-Karachi National Highway in Wadh area of Khuzdar
District.
The residents of Lyari area
in Karachi protested against continuous violence and targeted
killings in the neighbourhood and set two trailers ablaze amidst
continued firing and hurling of hand grenades for the fifth
consecutive day. Agitated protesters set ablaze two trailers
in Lyari at the protest spot to vent their anger against unrest
and relentless targeted killings.
Anjuman-e-Tajiran President
Saleem Hussain Vohra and office-bearers of other trade bodies
from across the District expressed grave concern over the rising
wave of street crime and extortion in the commercial areas of
Hyderabad District, warning that they will take to the streets
if their long-standing demand for better policing remains unmet.
The Gilgit Baltistan Police
claimed that they have arrested yet another accused, believed
to be involved in the killing of 10 foreign tourists and their
Pakistani cook at Nanga Parbat base camp in Bonar area of Diamer
District region of PoK.
As reported earlier, Inspector
General of Police, Gilgit Baltistan, Usman Zakria on June 26
had claimed that 15 terrorists involved in the killing of foreign
tourists at Nanga Parbat base camp had been identified. He said
the terrorists belonged to banned organisations – 10 of whom
were from Diamer, three from Kohistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and
two from Mansehra (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry
Nisar Ali Khan said that the FIA is taking action against former
President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf in treason case
under Article 6 of the Constitution. The Interior Minister said
he would keep the media informed about any progress made in
this regard.
The Supreme Court hinted at
constituting a commission of civil society members, including
DHR Chairperson Amina Masood Janjua, for visits of internment
centres where missing persons are being held, to examine their
condition. Heading the three-member bench of the apex court,
Justice Jawwad S Khawaja on July 4 observed that the court was
awaiting Government’s action over the internment centres, but
it would also form a commission for visit of every internment
centre.
In March 2013, the Federal Government
had admitted before the Supreme Court that 700 suspected terrorists
were in its custody under internment regulations known as Action
in Aid of Civil Power Regulations 2011. These internment centres
are located in FATA and PATA.
The KP Provincial Government
suggested that Afghan refugees should be equally distributed
among four provinces. Responding to the State and Frontier Region
(Safron) Ministry’s draft policy recommendations for Afghan
refugees beyond 2013, the Provincial Government has made two
proposals for the ‘sustainable’ repatriation of 1.6 million
registered Afghan refugees from Pakistan, an official source
said.
The KP government also opposed
extending Afghan refugees’ stay in the country and suggested
that should the need arose, registered Afghans be equally distributed
among four provinces instead of burdening one federating unit.
Pakistan’s new Government has
ended a moratorium on executions, an official said. “The new
government has decided to deal with all cases of executions
on merit,” said Interior Ministry spokesman Umer Hameed, adding,
“The Government has given clear instructions to see all such
cases on a case-by-case basis and there will be no general amnesty
for the convicts waiting for executions”.
Under the previous Government
led by the PPP, no one except a soldier convicted by court martial
was put to death since 2008. A Presidential order imposing a
moratorium on the death penalty, issued in 2008, expired on
June 30, 2013. In Pakistan, all executions must be approved
by the President.
July 5
At least six people, belonging
to KRC, were killed and 18 others were wounded on sixth consecutive
day of violence in Lyari area of Karachi (Provincial capital
of Sindh). Gunfight, rocket attacks, grenades, crackers, mortar
shells were hurled on Katchi dominated areas, including Mandara
Mohalla, Rahimabad, Al-Falah Road, Hungorabad, Gul Mohammad,
Suleman Azad Road, Jumma Baloch Road, Ghausia Masjid Road and
Taj Masjid Road.
Violence erupted following the
June 28, 2013 killing of Lyari gangster Saqib alias Boxer by
Rangers in an encounter in Lyari. Four of the deceased were
identified as Shoaib Katchi, Iqbal Shah Katchi and Qasim Katchi.
However one, Shakeel Katchi, was allegedly killed by Rangers.
KRC leader Hussain Katchi said
that gangsters wanted to capture Karachi Port Trust to extend
their extortion activities, especially from the goods transporters
passing through the Maripur Road and to get access to the weapons
in NATO containers. KRC leader Haji Adam said, "The situation
of Lyari is worse than that of Waziristan," adding, “miscreants
were free to operate in the area.”
Rangers arrested at least 11
suspects, including a suicide bomber, and seized a huge amount
of arms, few motorcycles, a monitor, mobile phones and threatening
pamphlets during a search operation in Manghopir area. One of
the pamphlets warned women against visiting marketplaces.
According to initial investigations,
the suicide bomber had reached Karachi from North Waziristan
Agency of FATA on July 5, 2013. Sources said that they belong
to TTP; however, Rangers spokesman did not confirm their affiliations
with the TTP.
The reason behind the violence
in Lyari stems from the extortion collected on containers passing
through Mauripur Road everyday where the gangsters collect PKR
5,000 per container. At least 250 to 300 trailers enter or leave
the Karachi Port, sources said.
The MQM strongly condemned terrorist
activities of gangsters of PAC in Lyari, and accused people
at the helm of affairs in Sindh and some leaders of the ruling
PPP of openly patronising them. The Coordination Committee of
the party alleged that although gangsters were forcibly extorting
money from traders, industrialists and shopkeepers of the city,
it seemed that there was no authority which could apprehend
them.
Four persons, including Afghan
security officers, were killed and 10 others sustained injuries
in a suicide attack near Pakistan-Afghanistan border close to
Bab-e-Dosti pass in Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District.
Tight security arrangements
were made in the provincial capital Quetta. Heavy contingent
of law enforcement personnel including FC, Police and Balochistan
Constabulary were deployed on all important city arteries, mosques,
government installations and entry and exit routes.
Two persons were killed and
three others injured when unidentified assailants opened fire
on a passenger van at Bara town of Khyber Agency in FATA. According
to political administration, the passenger van was heading towards
Akakhel from Bara. The slain persons were identified as Mohammad
Khan and Juma Dar, while Abdul Matin, Zar Khan and Noor Said
sustain injuries.
Scores of suspects were arrested
as the Police and Security Forces’ joint search and clean-up
operation in FR Peshawar entered its second consecutive day.
SFs have imposed a curfew in Sambi Khel area of FR Peshawar
and no one is allowed to leave their homes.
The operation began early July
4-morning with hundreds of troops along with helicopter gunships
and heavy police contingents entering Sambi Khel area from Matani.
Later in the day, a gunfight erupted between two militants and
both Army and Police personnel.
A Policeman was shot dead by
an unidentified assailant in a targeted attack in Umeedabad
area of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital
of KP. Officials said that a constable of the Pishtakhara Police
Station was performing duty outside a church in Umeedabad area
when an unidentified masked assailant opened firing on him.
The KP Chief Minister, Pervez
Khattak, in a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, urged to
frame a national policy against terrorism. Pervez Khattak who
is also prominent leader of PTI demanded to call special session
to form a national policy against terrorism in the country.
A three-member bench, headed
by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja expressed dissatisfaction over the
competency and effectiveness of the Commission on missing persons
regarding handling cases. The bench said that the Commission
was not handling cases effectively therefore, all cases were
being heard at the Supreme Court.
The FO said that Pakistan will
take up the issue of drone strikes with US Secretary of State
John Kerry during his upcoming visit to Pakistan later this
month (July, 2013). FO spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, giving
details of the visit of John Kerry in his weekly press briefing,
said that drone strikes were a breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty
and a violation of international laws and human rights, besides
being counter-productive in fight against terrorism.
He said that Kerry would visit
Pakistan towards the end of this month to discuss bilateral
relations, situation in the region and other subjects of mutual
interest. He said the exact dates and agenda of the visit were
being finalised by the two countries. The spokesman, while commenting
on the Afghan Army Chief’s statement accusing Pakistan of controlling
Taliban, said Pakistan was sincere in its efforts to see peace
and stability in Afghanistan.
He further said that the Foreign
Secretary Shahryar Ahmad Khan was in India to conduct Track-II
diplomacy that has always been part of the overall peace process
with India, complementing and supporting efforts for peace wherever
possible.
July 6
Explosives concealed in a polythene
bag went off inside a restaurant on the busy Food Street of
the Old Anarkali area of Lahore city, killing at least four
people and injuring 47 others.
A bomb planted by militants
went off in a Government Girls Primary School damaging the wall
& gate of the school at Miryan area in Bannu District. No
loss of life was reported.
July 7
At least five people were killed
in separate incidents of violence in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh in a sign of resurgence of violence in old
city areas after one day lull that was followed by a high-level
meeting presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari at the Bilawal
House on law and order in the city.
Two men, identified as Mohammad
Waseem (20), and Zakir Ghafoor (30), were found dead before
being kidnapped from Kalri area. The militants after kidnapping
brought them to Agra Taj Colony near Naval Flats outside Attock
General Store, said Station House Officer of Kalri Haji Sanaullah.
An unidentified bullet-riddled
dead body of a young man was found in Baghdadi, according to
a police officer at the Baghdadi Police Station. The victim
had been abducted before being dumped.
An unidentified man was shot
dead while he was standing at a bus stop near Do Minute Chowrangi
in New Karachi area. However, according to sources in Edhi
Foundation who shifted his dead body to the hospital identified
the victim as one Taha (35).
Police said that a man was shot
dead while three others sustained bullet wounds in Orangi Town.
Unidentified militants hurled
a hand grenade at a house on Kansi Road in Quetta, injuring
two women.
Unidentified militants attacked
two NATO containers with heavy artillery in Dhadar town of Bolan
District. The containers caught fire and were reduced to ashes.
However, no casualty was reported in the incident.
Police arrested 14 Afghan nationals
under the Foreign Act near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in
Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District. According to Police,
the Afghan nationals were arrested for not possessing proper
entry documents to Pakistan. Further investigation is underway.
The death toll of July 6, 2013
bomb blast that occurred at Old Anarkali area in Lahore District
reached five.
Armed gangsters belonging to
Chhoto Mazari group resorted to rocket attacks and injured three
Police constables and held hostage nine Police officials of
two check posts in the riverside of the Indus in Rajanpur District.
Retired Police Inspector Muhammad Azam Khan told Dawn
that his nephew, Constable Ghulam Yaseen who was deployed at
one of the posts, told him through his cell phone that he with
eight others had been held hostage by a gang.
Police arrested more than 80
suspects for interrogation, but without any significant breakthrough
in investigation. However, a Police official told Dawn
that a group, calling itself BLT, led by Meeran Baloch, had
claimed responsibility for the attack in phone calls made to
the Balochistan media and police.
Police arrested two militants
for attacking a polio worker in Sahiwal District. Police said
the polio worker, 23, who was assigned to the anti-polio vaccination
in Chichawatni, visited the house of Ziaullah Jutt to administer
vaccine with a colleague. When Jutt entered the room, he began
to hit her.
The Police beefed up security
arrangements across Lahore after reports indicating more attacks.
Sources confirmed that Intelligence Agencies had once again
forwarded their reports to the authorities concerned, passing
information about the presence of terrorists in the city and
expressing fear that follow-up attacks might take place.
A ‘commander’ of the Haqqani
network and an al Qaeda operative were among the 17 persons
killed in drone strike in Sirai Darpakhel area near Miranshah
in North Waziristan Agency of FATA.
An offshoot group associated
with TTP has come to the fore to avenge the killings in Waziristan
by drone attacks. Hitherto known as “Ansarul Mujahideen”, the
group has claimed responsibility for attack on Bovia Check post
and vowed to make life difficult for the United States and its
friends in return for drone attacks.
Abu Baseer said the US and its
friends must know that we have hundreds of suicide Fidayeen
and they would make life difficult for them. He said they respect
independent journalists but nowadays majority of channels and
journalists were supporting US in return for a few dollars.
Police arrested five militants
during a search operation in Nawazikhel, Malakhel, Sherikhel,
Ghazikhel, Tabbi Murad and Wazir Kallay localities of Darra
Pezu in Lakki Marwat District of KP. An official said that
the operation was launched after they got information that militants
had entered the District to carry out subversive acts.
A Grand Jirga was held
by Bar Qamber Khel tribe from Khyber Agency to devise plans
for the repatriation of IDPs after the military operation in
Tirah Valley. This was done under the supervision of former
MNA Hamidullah Jan in Bagh-e-Naran area of Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of KP.
The Supreme Court will hearing
an appeal against the grant of bail to former President General
Pervez Musharraf by the Islamabad High Court in a case regarding
the 2007 detention of dozens of judges. Petitioner Advocate
Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam Ghuman challenged the IHC’s June 11
order for granting bail to Musharraf and dropping terrorism
charges against him.
The Government will soon formally
request the United States to transfer drone technology as part
of the diplomatic efforts seeking an end to the stalemate over
the CIA-led campaign in FATA. A senior Government official,
who is engaged with the US on the subject, said that preliminary
discussions between the two countries to find alternatives to
drone use have already started.
According to the official, however,
the new administration is confident its efforts will yield a
‘positive outcome’. The Government is upbeat due to the fact
that unlike the previous administration it does not have any
secret understanding with the US on drone use, he added.
The year 2013 is emerging as
the deadliest one in decades for the LEAs in Karachi as in the
first six months of 2013 more than 100 Policemen and Rangers
personnel have been killed in different parts of the city amid
growing violence and worsening law and order, said an official.
The official said that in the
first six months of 2012, a total of 44 Policemen were killed
in Karachi. This year posed a more serious threat to personnel
of the key LEA as compared to the previous years. The official
said that since 2000, over 420 Police officials had been shot
dead in several parts of the city. He, however, said the killings
of Policemen registered an unprecedented increase in 2011 and
the figures crossed the 100 mark in 2012.
The Sindh Police Chief agreed
to the statement that the situation was getting bad to worse,
saying that “policing in Karachi means facing several threats
simultaneously”. “Definitely the threat level is much higher
if you compare it with the past few years,” said Sindh police
Inspector General Shahid Nadeem Baloch.
Experts see the police casualties
in other way as well saying that the higher number of attacks
against LEAs personnel suggested their proactive approach against
criminals and suspected militants which in return resulted in
organised assaults.
President of BNP Sardar Akhtar
Mengal admitted to the presence of “death squads sponsored by
Pakistan’s neighbours and foreign powers”. In an exclusive interview
with the Daily, Mengal also condemned the deadly violence
perpetrated by Baloch separatists in the province. A medley
of separatist groups – especially BLA and BRA has upped their
insurgency ante since the killing of JWP chief Nawab Akbar Bugti
in a military operation in 2006.
He acknowledged that Baloch
insurgents have been targeting non-Baloch settlers, mainly those
from Punjab, in Balochistan. “However, some Government officials
also want the settlers to flee the province and sell their properties
at throw-away prices,” he added.
Mengal reiterated that the six-point
formula he had spelt out before the May 11 elections to stabilise
the situation in Balochistan was still workable. “My six-point
formula is within the parameters of the Constitution,” he said,
adding, “We are willing for a debate with anyone who thinks
my six points are against the interest of Pakistan.”
July 8
At least 15 persons, including
five workers of the MQM, a cadre of ST and a Police Inspector,
were killed. The neighbourhoods of New Karachi, North Karachi,
Surjani and Orangi towns were tense after the target killing
of MQM joint unit in-charge, Izhar Hussain, on the night of
July 7, 2013 in Khwaja Ajmer Nagri Police remits. In the aftermath
of the incident, armed militants opened fire at a grocery shop
in Surjani town, where they killed a PST worker, identified
as Zahid Qadri, and wounded another worker, Mehmood Qadri.
In the same incident during
an exchange of fire an member of MQM, identified as Imran, was
also killed. ST spokesperson Fahim Shaikh claimed that Imran
was a target killer. He was trying to flee with his accomplice
after opening fire when a bullet fired by the deceased ST worker
hit him. The ST spokesman, while talking to the daily, blamed
the MQM for the killing of its worker.
ASI Ejaz Khokhar and an MQM
worker, Kamran Ahmed, were killed and another MQM worker, Saqib,
suffered injuries in Sector 5-L, New Karachi while they were
sitting at a shop. Bilal Colony SHO Changaiz Khan said that
it is yet to be ascertained if the MQM workers were the target
or the Police officer.
Two more MQM workers, Yasin
and Majid, were killed and another, Adnan, was injured when
armed assailants resorted to indiscriminate fire at the Dabbu
club in the Kati Pahari area of Orangi Town.
Three unidentified dead bodies
were found from PIB Colony, Napier and Pak Colony. Police said
the victims were shot multiple times after being severely tortured.
Three more unidentified people
were killed in Surjani and Korangi’s Zaman Town.
Two unidentified men were killed
in Malir.
An unidentified man was shot
dead in Baldia.
With the surge in violence in
Lyari area over the past few days, several families have left
the strife-torn locality and taken refuge in Badin and Thatta
Districts of the province. In Badin District most families are
staying at various shrines and some have been taken in by their
relatives.
In Thatta, Kutchhi families,
including women and children, staged a protest and sit-in in
front of the Dhabeji Press Club. The protesters, who had arrived
in Thatta from the Kalri, Agra Taj Colony and Shah Latif Colony
areas in Lyari said they had been residing in Lyari for a long
time but owing to violence between powerful rival groups they
were compelled to leave their homes and properties and take
refuge with their relatives in Thatta District.
At least eight people were killed
and 11 others were injured when a suicide bomber while targeting
tribal elder Malik Habibullah Khan drove his motorcycle into
the car of the tribal elder in the Torha Warhai area of Doaba
Bazaar in Hangu city of Hangu District. At the time of the explosion,
Malik Habibullah was not in the vehicle but his brother Malik
Abdullah and two cousins were killed.
DSP Shaukat Ali Shah confirmed
that the bomber wanted to target Malik Habibullah who has been
actively involved in counter-insurgency efforts in the region.
He had been receiving threats from militants based in Kurram
and Orakzai Agencies of FATA.
Two officials of BDS, identified
as ASI Alamgir Shah and constable Mohammad Junaid were killed
when they were trying to defuse an IED in Jamalabad locality
of Swabi District. The explosive device was planted outside
the main gate of a Government school for boys.
Three persons, including a woman
and a child, were injured in a hand grenade attack on a house
in Muhammadzai area of Kohat District.
The driver of a private container
injured when it was attacked in the Dasht area of Mastung District.
At least a convoy of three NATO
containers was set ablaze in Western Bypass area of Quetta.
One of the containers caught fire and was burnt to ashes whereas
two others were partially damaged. However, no loss of life
was reported.
After getting no response about
the verification of 84 missing persons allegedly detained in
internment centres under regulations known as Action in Aid
of Civil Power Regulations 2011, the three-member bench Supreme
Court headed by Justice Jawad S Khawaja sought the names of
commandants, who are the in charge of these centre.
It is to be noted that the court
on July 2, 2013 sought the verification of 84 disappeared persons
list, allegedly detained in internment centres. The bench directed
the DAG for Pakistan to submit the names of internment centres
along with their Commandants on July 9, saying it was very discourteous
for the court that they could not obtain the verification of
these disappeared persons from internment centres after the
passage of six days.
During the hearing on July 8,
DAG Ali Zai told the bench that the CIED had submitted a list
of unverified list of missing persons, who are detained. After
the court’s refusal not to entertain unverified list, DAG requested
the bench to give sometime for receiving verification of these
84 persons from internment centres.
Progress of the FIA’s probe
into former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s murder stands frozen
as Police refuse to produce the key accused, former General
(retired) Pervez Musharraf, to court in view of security threats,
and nominated witnesses are shying away from the case.
Witnesses such as former Director
General of the IB Brigadier (retired) Ejaz Shah, former spokesperson
of the Foreign Office Brigadier (retired) Javed Iqbal Cheema
and former Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah, all of whom have
been nominated in the challan, refuse to testify against their
former boss General Pervez Musharraf. Former DIG Saud Aziz,
who rounded up five accused in the case, was himself accused
of murder by the FIA during the PPP Government. The five accused
had confessed to their involvement in the former Prime Minister’s
murder on the instructions of TTP commander Baitullah Mehsud.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad
Chaudhry has refused himself from the bench hearing an appeal
against post-arrest bail granted to General Pervez Musharraf
by the IHC in a case relating to detention of judges after the
proclamation of emergency on November 3, 2007.
On June 11, the IHC had granted
bail to the former President on a surety bond of PKR 500,000.
A division bench of the High Court held that there was no record
to determine Musharraf’s role in placing over 60 judges in detention.
Ghumman filed the petition in the Apex Court, challenging the
IHC’s order of granting bail to Musharraf after removing terrorism
from the charge-sheet and requesting the Apex Court to set aside
the decision and order his arrest.
The arrest of an al Qaeda militant,
Khalid Bin Attash, from Karachi (Sindh) in 2002 was the first
major breakthrough in the hunt for al Qaeda leader Osama bin
Laden, the findings of the Abbottabad Commission tasked to investigate
the presence of the al Qaeda chief in the country said.
The Commission found that after
Khalid Bin Attash's arrest, he identified Abu Ahmed Ali Kuwaiti
as bin Laden's right hand man and courier, and led the Americans
to bin Laden. Kuwait's intelligence service was unable to provide
any details about the man and the CIA had provided four phone
numbers to Pakistan between 2009 to November 2010 without any
details as to who they were searching for during the hunt for
Kuwaiti. The numbers mostly remained off. The ISI kept the CIA
in the loop "without knowing the context and to whom these
numbers belonged".
Kuwaiti, who had helped buy
land and construct a compound using fake documents to hide in
Pakistan's Abbottabad town, had been with bin Laden's family
when it moved to Karachi in 2001. He stayed with them when his
boss joined them when they moved to Peshawar a year later. They
then moved to Haripur District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before
shifting to the scenic town of Swat before eventually settling
in Abbottabad. The al Qaeda chief was eventually killed there
in unilateral US raid near a premier army training facility
in May 2011.
The commission, formed after
the US raid, had submitted its 700-page report earlier this
year. The report is yet to be made public. The commission found
that Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, identified as the principal architect
of the 9/11 attacks, had visited bin Laden in Peshawar. They
were forced to shift to Haripur, where they stayed till 2005,
after Khalid Sheikh was arrested from Rawalpindi District of
Punjab. Kuwaiti planned the family's escape to Abbottabad and
supervised the construction of bin Laden's compound after buying
the land for it. The compound had three complexes. Kuwaiti
lived in its annexe with his family. Bin Laden occupied two
top floors along with his family.
The commission has pointed out
the various violations in the construction of the compound that
remained unchecked. "...the fort type construction remained
unnoticed by cantonment board, Police, Intelligence Agencies
and the locals. The occupants also remained unchecked for non-payment
of property tax since 2005," read the Commission's report.
July 9
At least 21 people, including
10 women and a child, were wounded when three to four ‘rifle
grenades’ were fired at an office of PAC in Zikri Mohalla of
Lyari in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. The Police
suspected that the PAC’s rival gang led by Ghaffar Zikri was
involved in the attacks. All victims were passersby. According
to Baghdadi Police Officer Muhammad Khan,
There is something common between
Lyari residents and its gangsters – piercing walls to find their
way. The residents broke their walls to escape the violence
and the gangsters dug holes to penetrate into Katchi neighbourhoods.
The gangsters started entering these areas from a white building
that was adjacent to the neighbourhood in which they had support.
A Police post was attacked with
hand grenades by suspected militants in Bamkhel area of Swabi
District in the night. However, no loss of life or property
was reported. Officials said this was the second attack on the
Police post in Bamkhel. The assailants managed to escape after
the incident.
Bomb disposal squad personnel
defused two bombs planted by unidentified persons at a religious
seminary, Shah Mansoor Madrassah.
SFs launched a search operation
to arrest a suspected militant in Godara area in the limits
of Rahimabad Police Station in Mingora Town of Swat District.
However, he managed to escape.
The relatives of the abducted
employees of the Gomal Zam Dam Project staged protest to seek
early recovery of their loved ones. Holding banners, placards
and a variety of bracelets, the protesters including women and
children, gathered at Peshawar Press Club and chanted slogans
against the Government for its failure to secure safe release
of the employees.
The Supreme Court was told that
the Punjab Government had decided to initiate legal proceedings
against Army officers, including an ISI brigadier, in the missing
persons’ case. During the hearing of the missing persons’ case,
Punjab Additional Advocate General Faisal Malik told the three-member
bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja,
that there is no need for further investigation in this matter
and the Provincial Government has decided to submit challan
against the nominated persons in the light of statements of
Dr Imran Munir and former Rawalpindi CPO Rao Iqbal.
Upon this, Justice Ejaz Ahmad
asked who would be tried and whether anyone was nominated in
the challan. The AAG replied that according to Imran Munir’s
statement, which he had given before a JIT on December 5, 2009,
he had seen missing person Masood Janjua in Westridge area of
Rawalpindi, while he was illegally in the custody of ISI’s Brigadier
Mansoor Saeed Sheikh during the period from July 28, 2006 and
second week of March 2007. He said that the challan would be
submitted in this matter according to the available evidence.
The Supreme Court was informed
that 514 people were under detention in five internment centres
set up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the Action in Aid of Civil
Power Regulations 2011 which allows the civil Government to
confine persons accused of terrorism. A three-judge bench headed
by Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja which had taken up cases of missing
persons ordered the Attorney General’s office to inform it on
July 10 about details and the status of pending cases of disappeared
persons provided by Amina Masood Janjua, a campaigner for missing
persons’ cause, and the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances.
The ATC directed the Police
officials to shift former President General (retired) Pervez
Musharraf, the prime accused in former Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto murder case, to the Adiala Jail if he is not produced
before it on the next hearing of the case on July 30, 2013.
ATC-I Special Judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman had summoned Musharraf
following the submission of a challan by the FIA on June 25,
2013, in which he (Musharraf) had been declared the main accused
in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. It is the second time
that the Police officials, citing security concerns, have failed
to produce Musharraf in the court, which is hearing the high-profile
case for the last five years.
FIA’s Deputy Director Khalid
Rasool had presented the charge sheet in the court against Musharraf
and listed him as the main accused in the light of a statement
recorded by American journalist Mark Siegel. While becoming
the witness in the case, Mark Siegel in his statement to the
FIA’s investigation team had revealed that Benazir was disturbed
after receiving a phone call from Musharraf in his (Siegel’s)
presence on September 25, 2007.
The Frontier Corps Inspector
General Major General Ghayyur Mehmud claimed that all internally
displaced families of Tirah will soon return to their homes
as Security Forces have cleared the valley of militants. He
was speaking at the opening ceremony of cultural and heritage
centre at the Khyber Rifles Mess in Landi Kotal.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar
Ali Khan, while talking to a delegation of the BNP-M, led by
its President Sardar Akhtar Mengal, in Islamabad, expressed
the Government’s resolve to confront all groups indulging in
violence in Balochistan to restore peace. Chaudhry Nisar said
that the difficult conditions prevailing in Balochistan called
for joint efforts by all political forces in the province to
extricate it out of the crisis.
Pakistan had reached an understanding
with the US on drone strikes targeting militants, according
to leaked remarks from a former Intelligence Chief Ahmad Shuja
Pasha. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who headed Pakistan’s premier ISI
Agency at the time of bin Laden’s killing in 2011, told investigators
that drone strikes had their uses.
Pakistan publicly condemns US
missile attacks on TTP and al Qaeda operatives as a violation
of its sovereignty, but the new revelations are the latest sign
of double-dealing in private. The revelations come in findings
of a Pakistani investigation into how al Qaeda leader Osama
bin Laden evaded detection for nearly a decade, which were published
by the Al-Jazeera news network.
The Abbottabad Commission has
called for strengthening democratic control of state institutions
and civilian oversight over so far unaccountable security and
Intelligence Agencies if a national embarrassment like the one
caused by the US raid of May 1-2, 2011, is to be avoided.
While it is said that the Commission
concluded that it was a collective failure at all levels of
the Government and a series of incidents of negligence and poor
policy culminated in the May1-2 incident, the report appeared
to be quite categorical about whom it found to be responsible
as it noted: “The failure was primarily an intelligence-security
failure that was rooted in political irresponsibility and military
exercise of authority and influence in policy and administrative
areas for which it neither had constitutional or legal authority,
nor the necessary expertise and competence.”
At another point in an oblique
reference to the military and its spy agencies, it said systemic
failure in the country was a “concrete outcome and product of
acts of commission and omission of specific individuals and
institutions, who usurp responsibilities that are not theirs”.
The TTP sacked their ‘spokesman’
Ehsanullah Ehsan for making remarks that angered their Afghan
allies. The TTP announced the dismissal of Ehsanullah Ehsan
- an outspoken and prominent figure close to TTP's top brass
- in a pamphlet distributed by militants in North Waziristan
Agency on the Afghan border.
Ehsan was replaced by Sheikh
Maqbool, a man who is considered close to the Afghan Taliban
and has spent much of his time since 2007 in Afghanistan. But
Ehsan’s sacking could also signal yet another chink in the armour
of the TTP itself, which last month lost its second-in-command,
Waliur Rehman, in a US drone strike in North Waziristan Agency.
PoK ‘President’ Sardar Muhammad
Yaqoob Khan urged the PML-N Government not to neglect the Kashmir
issue while fostering trade relations with India. Addressing
a gathering at the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Khan said
the Kashmiris did not want to “defeat” India but desired the
right of expression and freedom. He said India should implement
the UN resolutions on Kashmir.
July 10
The chief security officer of
President Asif Ali Zardari since 2008, Bilal Sheikh, and two
others, including his driver Irfan Sheikh and a fruit vendor
Abdul Rehman, was killed while over a dozen others were wounded
in a suicide attack near Guru Mandir in Jamshed Town of Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. The incident
took place when Bilal Sheikh along with his security guards
was on his way home in Gulbahar from Bilawal House at Clifton
in Saddar Town in a bullet-proof double-cabin vehicle.
SSP Raja Umar Khattab said that
initial investigation showed that it was a suicide blast. Khattab
further said that the attacker had been chasing the convoy and
struck when it stopped and Sheikh was getting out of the car
to buy fruits. “It seems that the suicide attacker walked up
to Bilal Shaikh’s vehicle and blew himself up outside the front
passenger seat of the vehicle where Shaikh was seated,” said
Khattab. The head of the suspect bomber was found from a house
at the crime site.
No militant outfit has claimed
responsibility for the attack so far.
Bilal Shaikh had survived three
attacks in the past. Lyari gangsters, including Shahid Bikkik
and Ahsan Mohajir, were blamed for the last attack on May 28,
2011 at Firdous Colony in Liaquatabad Town.
At least two thousand more residents
of Lyari have moved to Badin and Thatta Districts due to ongoing
gang wars and violent incidents in the area. The migrants affected
by deteriorating law and order situation of Lyari said that
there houses are being attacked with hand grenades and bullets.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a constable on Mulyano Killay Road near Jalaroona area
under the Hoti Police Station in Mardan District of KP. Sources
said constables Mohammad Tariq and Amjad Akbar, members of the
Police Rider Squad, were performing duty on Mulyano Killay Road
when three unidentified assailants opened firing on them. Constable
Mohammad Tariq died on the spot while his colleague Amjad Akbar
escaped unhurt in the firing. Local sources said the accused
also took away the motorbike and weapon from the slain constable.
A doctor remained unhurt when
his car was blown up in a blast at Khyber Medical Centre, Dabgari
Garden in Peshawar, provincial capital of KP, in the evening.
An official said that the vehicle of Dr Siraj, skin specialist,
was parked at the parking lot of the centre where the explosion
took place.
At least one person, suspected
to be a chief of a banned outfit, was killed, while two of his
accomplices were arrested and a huge cache of arms and ammunition
was recovered in a search operation jointly conducted by FC
and ATF in Dasht area of Mastung District. According to the
DIG Investigation, Fayaz Sumbal, SFs conducted a targeted operation
in the area of Dasht following a tip-off, adding that the suspects
opened fire on the SFs during the operation.
Unidentified militants demolished
the house of a member of peace committee and took away all the
household items in Sanzalkhel area of Akkakhel in Khyber Agency
of FATA.
Unidentified militants failed
to blow up the house of a spiritual healer Pir Abdus Sattar
Khattak in Naya Mohallah area of Rawalpindi. The BDS, however,
defused over half-a-kilogram device, wrapped in a polythene
bag, and cleared the area, Police said.
The US Navy SEALs were able
to sneak into Pakistan covertly to kill al Qaeda founder Osama
bin Laden because of Pakistani military's obsession with India
and advanced American stealth technology, the report of the
Abbottabad Commission said.
The former Pakistan ambassador
to the United States Husain Haqqani rejected the Abbottabad
Commission’s suggestion that as ambassador he issued visas without
authorisation or was responsible for CIA agents coming into
Pakistan in large numbers.
July 11
At least seven people were killed,
including an Afghan security guard, and 10 others, including
four FC personnel, sustained injuries in a suicide attack in
Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District bordering Afghanistan.
A suicide bomber wanted to enter the bordering town of Chaman
through the Friendship Gate Baab-e-Dosti) at the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border from Afghanistan when SFs, finding him suspicious, stopped
him at the gate. On being caught, the suicide bomber blew him
up killing seven people, including an Afghan security guard
and three Pakistani and three Afghani civilians. Immediately
after the attack the border was closed for all goods, people
and vehicles. NATO supplies were also suspended due to the closure
of the border.
At least three members of the
Aman Lashkar were found dead in the Gazki Nullah area
of Sui in Dera Bugti District. Sources said that the deceased
members had been abducted on June 26, 2013 from Sui.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a college professor, identified as Abdul Razzaq, and injured
another one Abdul Hakeem who was travelling with him on Chakar
Khan Road in Khuzdar District. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack.
Unidentified militants opened
indiscriminate fire on a shop located on Chandi Road of Mastung
District and shot dead one Ghulam Haider.
Militants abducted a person,
identified as Muhammad Siddiq, from Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah
District.
Balochistan Levies rescued two
abducted labourers, identified as Abdul Wali and Zainuddin,
from the Muslim Bagh area of Qila Saifullah District.
Two persons were killed and
five others sustained injuries in a remote-controlled blast
outside a mosque in the Kacha Pakka area of Kohat Town (Kohat
District) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
CID claimed to have arrested
six operatives of LeJ from Qazafi Chowk area in Orangi Town
of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh,
for their alleged involvement in the June 21, 2013, killing
of MQM MPA Sajid Qureshi and 25 others in a sectarian attack
in North Nazimabad Town.
The suspects were identified
as Talha Bin Badar alias Wikky, Muhammad Asim alias Capri, Kazim
Ali Shah, Muhammad Farhan, Obaidur Rehman and Muhammad Shahab
alias Chota. One of the suspects, Kazim was a constable in the
Sindh Police Department.
A large number of people left
their homes in violence-hit Lyari area with one group calling
the migration a ‘desperate measure’ by community people to save
their lives and the other describing it as a ‘political move’
after the recent thaw in relations between the two parties representing
as many different communities of the city’s oldest neighbourhood.
Vice Chair of the all-Parliamentary
group Lord Avebury called on the United Kingdom to help Pakistan
in reforming its security and intelligence agencies to make
them fit for purpose in order for them to act against banned
terrorists groups, involved in killings of Shia Muslims. Lord
Avebury summoned an emergency meeting in British Parliament
in view of the ongoing relentless killings of the Shia Muslims.
The Supreme Court observed that
the Federal and Provincial Governments must ensure the implementation
of law as well as court judgments for preventing a parallel
system of justice by holding Jirgas (tribal council) in violation
of the law. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice
Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, heard a
suo moto case of Rajanpur wherein a 10-member Jirga awarded
severe punishment to a person after he could not prove himself
innocent.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
during his visit to ISI headquarters urged to increase civil-military
cooperation for eradication of terrorism. Annihilation of terrorism
is the top most priority of the Government, he added. He apprised
the intelligence officials over National Security and counter-terrorism
policies of the PML-N Government.
This was PM Sharif’s first visit
to the ISI headquarters after assuming the office of Prime Minister.
A 'court' stayed the removal
of Ehsanullah Ehsan as ‘central spokesman’ of TTP for another
45 days, says a signed order by the 'court' in the FATA bordering
Afghanistan. The Dar-ul Qaza court of the TTP has issued a ‘stay
order’ against the decision until members of the ‘central council’
appear for a hearing, says the leaflet, a copy of which is available
with Dawn.
On July 9, a pamphlet by the
TTP central council had announced the removal of Ehsan — a prominent
figure close to the TTP’s top brass — for making remarks that
angered the Afghan Taliban and raised the danger of divisions
between the two militant organisations.
July 12
An unidentified dead body was
found from Old Haji Camp in Saddar Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Police said that unidentified militants abducted
the victim and later dumped his body after shooting him multiple
times.
Three bomb blasts were reported
in Hyderabad city of Hyderabad District. However, no casualty
took place. According to details, the office of a SSP was targeted
in the first blast. Later, two more explosions occurred on a
railway track in Hussainabad area, suspending train service
between Karachi and Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) for a while.
Police arrested six accused
and recovered weapons during a search operation in Mauripur
area of Kiamari Town.
The CID of Police claimed to
have arrested a TTP militant, identified as Kochi Khan, allegedly
involved in the assassination of ANP’s candidate Sadiq Zaman
for the May 2013 National Assembly Elections and a few Policemen,
from Gulshan-e-Sikanderabad area of Kiamari Town. CID SSP Raja
Umar Khattab said that the suspect, originally hailing from
Mohmand Agency of FATA, belonged to TTP.
In another raid, the CID Police
arrested another suspect, identified as Amin Bugti, on charges
of being involved in supplying arms to Lyari gangsters and a
political party.
The IDPs, mostly the Kutchi
community members, of Lyari who are currently living in a deserted
place in Badin District are facing immense hardships. Mostly
women and children, these IDPs have been forced by violence
and gang warfare in Lyari to take shelter elsewhere, leaving
behind their homes and properties. The traumatic Lyari IDPs
have been made to take refuge in the graveyard of Dargah Shah
Gahiro in the hope that this would be safe haven for them. But
after a passage of few days, they found themselves forlorn and
forgotten as no Government official or NGO visited them.
The Sindh Chief Minister Syed
Qaim Ali Shah set up a five-member committee comprising three
provincial ministers, Doctor Sikander Mandhro, Jam Mehtab Dahar,
Ali Mardan Shah, and PPP-Sindh Secretary General Taj Haider
and Rashid Rabbani for rehabilitation of affected Kutchhi families,
who had left their homes for Badin and Thatta Districts following
days of violence in Lyari.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a former IB official at Dhaki Nalbandi under Khan Raziq
Police Station in Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. An official said the deceased,
Arif, was former IB assistant director.
Police arrested two persons
suspected to be involved in DSP Amanullah Khan and his driver’s
murder on July 8.
Balochistan Chief Minister’s
spokesman and National Party Information Secretary Jan Muhammad
Buleidi’s nephew, identified as Chiragh, a Levies soldier, was
shot dead in Mehnaz area of Kech District.
Justice Noorul Haq of the IHC
ordered Police to register a murder case against former President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf over the killing of Ghazi
Abdul Rasheed during the 2007 military operation in Lal Masjid
(Red Mosque). Justice Noorul Haq issued the order on a petition
filed by Haroon Rasheed, son of Ghazi Abdul Rashid, through
his counsel Tariq Asad, against the murder of his father and
grandmother during the operation. The complainant said Lal Masjid
Commission report reveals that Musharraf had ordered the operation,
in which his father was killed.
Musharraf’s counsel Ilyas Siddiqui
said that since Musharraf has served as President and Army Chief,
he enjoys immunity in a criminal case.
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui
of the IHC disposed of a petition filed for the recovery of
a missing person, Qazi Muhammad Ibrahim, with the direction
to Margalla Police to trace him and submit a compliance report.
The judge directed SHO Margalla Tanveer Abbasi to make personal
efforts for the recovery of the missing man. Justice Siddiqui
also directed the SHO to inform the court whether the man was
in custody of any Intelligence Agency or had been kidnapped-for-ransom.
Qazi Mohammad Ibrahim went missing
on June 12, 2013, after leaving his residence to visit his new
house at PWD Colony in Islamabad. The petition for his recovery
was filed by his mother Aamira Riaz Qazi. She nominated Directors
General ISI, IB, the FIA, the Secretary Interior, IGP Islamabad
and SHO Margalla as respondents.
A BBC report said that TTP have
set up a base in Syria to assess "the needs of the jihad".
Citing a Taliban operative, the BBC reported that the
base was set up with the assistance of ex-Afghan fighters of
Middle Eastern origin who have moved to Syria in recent years.
At least 12 experts in warfare and information technology had
gone to Syria in the last two months, the Taliban operative
told BBC. The Pakistani Government has not yet commented on
the issue.
Malala Yusufzai, in a speech
to the United Nations on her first public appearance since being
shot at and injured by the TTP on October 12, 2012, vowed on
July 12 not to be silenced by terrorists. “They thought that
the bullet would silence us, but they failed. The terrorists
thought that they would change my aims and stop my ambitions,
but nothing changed in my life, except this: weakness, fear
and hopelessness died.
July 13
At least two militants of foreign
origin were killed in a US drone strike in Mosaki village near
Mir Ali town of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. “The two men,
probably foreigners, were passing through Mosaki village in
Mir Ali subdivision when the drone fired two missiles and hit
them,” a Government official in Mir Ali said.
July 14
Pakistan Air Force jet fighters
struck the militants hideous in Akakhel area of Bara tehsil
in Khyber Agency of FATA destroying at least three of their
secret bases while seven militants were killed and injured many
others. Senior military official confirmed that air strikes
had taken place “somewhere between Orakzai and Khyber”.
Two persons killed in US drone
attack in Mosaki village near Mir Ali town of North Waziristan
Agency, were identified as two militants of foreign origin.
“The two men, probably Arab nationals, were passing through
Mosaki village when the drone fired two missiles and hit them,”
said the official. Their identities were not clear. Another
security source said they were foreign militants of Turkmen
origin.
Police arrested 11 suspected
persons and destroyed six hideouts of the militants in the Frontier
Region Peshawar. Talking to reporters, Deputy Superintendent
of Police Izhar Khan said that Elite Police Force and Nowshera
Police launched midnight operation in Jaroba, Sheikh Babar Baba
forest, Jabba Khushk, Jabba Tar and other areas. He said that
the Police also raided the hideouts of two proclaimed offenders
Shamsul Qamar and Mamraiz. He said the Police arrested Fahad,
Salar, Zulfiqar, Namdar Mamraiz and recovered a cache arms and
ammunition from the hideouts.
Mullah Nazir faction of TTP
banned the use of "tight or thin" clothes both for
men and women in the holy month of Ramzan and warned of one
month imprisonment for not fasting in SWA. The Ramzan code
of conduct guidelines was issued in a pamphlet after the Mullah
Nazir Taliban Group held a Shura (council) meeting in Wana headquarters
of SWA.
Police recovered a dead body,
identified as that of Abdul Hameed, from Turbat District. The
victim had been killed by unidentified militants who later dumped
his body.
Haji Gulzar Awan, a resident
of Westridge-1 in Rawalpindi District, who had contested 2013
election from NA-57 on PPP ticket, has been receiving extortion
threats allegedly from the TTP who are demanding PKR 50 million
from him. Awan complained to the Police that he had received
three long interval threat calls from extortionists who also
threatened of abducting him if he failed to meet their demand.
When a senior police official
was contacted, he said Haji Gulzar Awan, after receiving extortion
calls, went to the SSP Israr Ahmed Abbasi and informed the Police
that the caller, who spoke Pashto, identified himself as a member
of the TTP and demanded ransom. He added that he had received
three similar phone calls so far.
Earlier, Raja Hanif Abbasi,
a wealthy businessman from Murree, had also received extortion
and life threats allegedly from the TTP, which demanded PKR100
million from him, Police said.
Bans by TTP leaders and a lack
of access to certain areas have made it near impossible to make
the country polio-free. Information shared with The Express
Tribune reflects 17 of 20 or 85% of polio cases reported across
the country were due to the above-mentioned reasons, especially
in KP and the FATA. Most of these reasons are interrelated.
July 15
At least four people belonging
to the Shia community were killed when unidentified militants
opened fire on Raza Hussain’s vehicle on Masjid Road area of
Quetta. Two passers-by were also seriously wounded.
The CCPO said that there is
shortage of Police personnel and that Police officials cannot
be deployed for every individual. The other three deceased were
identified as Ali Raza, Idress and Raza Muhammad while Syed
Faizul Haq and Taqi Muhammad were injured.
In an effort to rein in lawlessness
in Balochistan, the Government has decided to revamp the entire
structure of all Law Enforcement Agencies active in the province
while planning to double personnel strength to meet security
challenges.
In his directives, issued through
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Nawaz has asked the
corps commandant Frontier Corps, inspector general of police
and the chief secretary of Balochistan to come up with solid
recommendations meant to rid the troubled province of militancy
and sectarianism.
In its preliminary findings
the Balochistan Home Department has recommended an increase
of 15,000 to 20,000 new personnel in Police, 10,000 to 15,000
in Levies force personnel and similarly 15,000 to 20,000 in
the Frontier Corps, a senior Balochistan Police Official said.
Two people were killed and four
others including two Rangers personnel were wounded in separate
incidents of violence in Karachi.
A man, identified as Shaukat
Ali (40) was shot dead within the limits of Baghdai Police Station
on G Alana Road.
Two Rangers personnel, identified
as Mohammad Azam and Mohammad Naeem, were wounded within the
remits of Sacchal Police Station on Abul Hassan Ispahani Road
in Gulshan Town.
Two men, identified as Akhter
Ali (23) and Haroon (8), were wounded within the premises of
Pirabad Police Station in Pathan Colony of SITE Town.
Unidentified militants threw
a cracker on a shop in Karimabad locality of Gulberg Town, triggering
panic among people. However, the device caused no damage to
life or property.
Punjab Police finally managed
to recover eight Policemen, who were abducted by a group of
robbers from the kacha area of Rajanpur District, after having
successful negotiations with the kidnappers.
On the night of July 14, 2013,
the bandits released three civilians kidnapped months earlier
for a reduced ransom of PKR two million, after talks between
MPA Sardar Atif Mazari – representing the Government – and Ataullah,
alias Patt Umrani, an ally of Chotu Mazari.
A detailed report issued by
HRCP stated that ethnic, sectarian and politically-linked violence
has taken 1,726 lives in Karachi from January to June 2013,
which is around 45 percent higher compared to 1,215 deaths during
the same period in 2012.
HRCP noted that in each of the
six months in 2013, the killings were much higher than the corresponding
period last year with June being the most violent. As many as
291 people were killed in January 2013, compared to 153 in January
2012 - 271 in February compared to 149 in February 2012 - 311
in March 2013 and 182 in March 2012 - 262 in April this year
and 258 in April 2012 - 278 in May this year compared to 244
in May last year and 313 was the death toll in June 2013 compared
to 229 in June 2012. Though the number of fatalities in violence
was by no means small in the previous year, in 2013 the number
never dipped below 250 in any month from January to June 2013.
The initial report prepared
by the Provincial Government’s Committee on the migration of
Kutchi community submitted to Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah states
that the war over extortion and political motives has caused
the recent spell of violence in Lyari that has forced many members
of the Kutchi community to flee to parts of rural Sindh.
The members of the committee
visited Badin and Thatta to hold meetings with the IDPs living
in camps. “We have started consulting various stakeholders and
recorded statements of elected representatives, politicians,
notables and social workers of the area. The initial findings
point towards a ‘bhatta mafia’ and political motives as the
reason behind the unrest,” a member of the committee said.
“We will continue recording
the statements of different stakeholders and present the final
report to the CM within a couple of days.” There were, however,
contradictory statements by the committee members on the number
of IDPs who took shelter in Thatta and Badin Districts. PPP
leader Taj Haider informed the media that around 3,000 people
had been displaced.
Taking note of a report filed
by the Rangers Director General Rizwan Akhtar, which proposed
that the Police force be depoliticised, political parties’ militant
wings should be disbanded, no-go areas be eliminated and a campaign
be launched to deweaponise the city the three-member bench of
the Supreme Court raised their concern that if law enforcers
merely kept filing reports, who would eliminate the no-go areas
and militant wings of the political parties in the city.
The bench of Justice Anwar Zaheer
Jamali, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Amir Hani Muslim,
resumed the follow-up hearing of the Karachi violence suo motu
case and observed that despite the law enforcers’ undertaking
to improve law and order in April, nothing had changed over
the last three months.
The Supreme Court said that
it would not allow any parallel judicial system for the trial
of persons who are detained in internment centres. Heading the
three-member bench on missing persons’ case, Chief Justice of
Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry told Additional Attorney
General of Pakistan Tariq Khosa that under Article 10 of the
constitution, no parallel judicial system could be run in the
country.
“Tell your government that now
it is high time to legislate regarding these issues,” the Chief
Justice told the AAG. “If somebody has committed a crime then
he should be dealt in accordance with law. Do not ruin their
families,” Justice Iftikhar observed.
Justice Jawwad said that 514
persons have been kept in seven internment centres in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. He said the court wanted the Government to itself
resolve the missing persons’ issue.
The ATC issued orders to produce
former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf before it in
the Nawab Akbar Bugti assassination. The judge, Muhammad Ismail,
also rejected an investigation report about former Prime Minister
Shaukat Aziz and former Dera Bugti District Coordination Officer
Samad Lasi and ordered Crime Branch Team to again produce the
report in court at the next date of hearing.
After the refusal of Chief Justice
of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, another Supreme Court
judge, Justice Nasirul Mulk, has recused from the hearing of
the appeal against Islamabad High Court’s decision to grant
bail to Pervez Musharraf in the case of detention of judges
of superior judiciary after promulgation of emergency in November
2007.
July 16
Two unidentified armed assailants
shot dead an MQM supporter, identified as Mohammed Naeem (32),
in Sector-1 D of Orangi Town of Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
A man, identified as Kashif
(27), was found dead at Birzerta Lines in Saddar Town a few
yards away from the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.
A man, identified as Nisar,
was shot dead near a house in Bhittai Abad area of Korangi Town.
A man, identified as Musa Khan
(26), was killed at Faqeera Goth area of Sohrab Goth in Gadap
Town.
One Muhammad Danish (20), was
shot dead at Mohajir Camp in Baldia Town.
A Rangers official killed a
taxi driver, later identified as Murad, in front of his four-year-old
son, as he reportedly did not stop his taxi, despite the Rangers’
signal to do so near his residence in Gulistan-e-Jauhar locality
of Gulshan Town.
The AEC of CID claimed to have
arrested three suspects, identified as Ateeb, Zeeshan and Mohammed
Faizan, allegedly involved in over one dozen cases of target
killings. AEC officials said that CID personnel conducted targeted
raid at criminal hideout on a tip-off in Buffer Zone locality
in North Nazimabad Town.
Police in Karachi claimed that
during an operation in Surjani area of Gadap Town they have
arrested Bashir Leghari, the mastermind behind the June 26,
2013, bombing targeting the convoy of senior Sindh High Court
judge Justice Maqbool Baqar.
Justice Baqar, a member of the
Shia community, was said to be on the hit-list of religious
militants, including the LeJ and TTP. A spokesman for TTP had
claimed responsibility for the attack on the senior judge, claiming
he was targeted due to his “anti-Taliban and anti-Mujahideen
decisions”.
Three persons, including religious
scholar Maulvi Mohibullah, were shot dead on Khuda’ay Dad Road
in the provincial capital Quetta (Quetta District). Police sources
said that Maulvi Mohibullah, his brother Amanullah and a colleague
were sitting at a shop on Khuda’ay Dad Road when unidentified
militants on a bike opened indiscriminate fire at them, leaving
them dead and three others injured.
Unidentified militants blew
up a gas pipeline of 12-inch diameter in Jetani near Mach town
in Bolan District disrupting gas supply to several areas.
Police arrested two suspects
and recovered bomb-making material from their possession from
a village in Kuchlak tehsil of Quetta. Police said that
a patrolling Police team, on a tip-off, raided a house in village
Killi Landi of Kuchlak and arrested two suspects.
A Police Sub-Inspector was shot
dead in Qissa Khwani Bazaar of Peshawar (Peshawar District),
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sub-Inspector
Gharibullah of Khan Raziq Police Station was on duty when unidentified
assailants on motorcycle opened fire on him.
A committee on peace dispelling
the impression that two communities are fighting with each other
in Lyari in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh, claimed that a ‘third force’ is conspiring infighting
between Baloch and Katchi communities in Lyari.
The ECP announced that Presidential
elections would be held on August 6 and result would be announced
on August 7. According to a notification, the ECP has fixed
programme for receipt of nomination papers (to be filed at different
places), scrutiny of nomination papers, withdrawal of candidature,
publication of the list of validly nominated candidates and
about the polling day and the places of polling.
The Chief of JuD and founder
of LeT Hafiz Muhammad Saeed on July 16 said that we would have
to pave the ways for unity of the Ummah (Muslim community) and
we would have to leave behind the sectarianism for welfare of
the Ummah.
The TTP rejected the report
that they were sending cadres to Syria, saying some have gone
there independently but the movement’s focus remained in Pakistan.
TTP sources said some militants, mainly Arabs and Central Asians,
had gone to fight the forces of President Bashar al Assad, but
a senior leader dismissed reports of them setting up camps in
Syria.
Since the uprising against Assad
began in March 2011, foreign jihadists have flocked to Syria,
where disparate rebel groups are seeking his downfall.
July 17
Two members of a peace committee
were killed and six injured in exchange of fire in Tirah valley
area of Landi Kotal tehsil in Khyber Agency of FATA.
Unidentified militants shot
dead Malik Yarzaman Khan, a member of Salarzai Peace Committee,
in Singery area of Salarzai tehsil in Bajaur Agency.
A cadre of an unspecified outfit
was killed by a volunteer of a local peace committee in Nawgazee
Bara area of Shalobar in Bara tehsil.
A security official, identified
as Ahmed Khan, and a militant, identified as Amanullah, were
killed and two others sustained injuries in an exchange of fire
during a raid conducted by Law Enforcement Agencies, including
the Anti-Terrorist Force, Balochistan Levies and Police at a
house in Gulistan tehsil (revenue unit) of Qilla Abdullah District.
A member of a defunct peace
committee was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Omar Adda
locality of Tank District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
An explosion took place in a
bus in Paharipura area of Peshawar ([Peshawar District) near
the Motorway exchange. The blast occurred inside an inter-city
bus travelling between Abbottabad and Peshawar.
Another blast had occurred earlier
outside a house near Scheme chowk on Kohat road Peshawar. Police
sources that a home-made explosive device was used in the blast
and that there no human casualties in the incident.
Police recovered a huge quantity
of explosives and related material and also arrested one suspected
terrorist during a raid conducted in Federal H colony in Hassan
Garhi area.
Hafiz Bashir Leghari, the prime
suspect in connection with the June 26, 2013, attack on Justice
Maqbool Baqar that killed 10 persons, who was arrested from
Surjani area of Gulshan Town in Karachi District on July 16,
2013, succumbed to his injuries.
The ASWJ claimed the Police
raid on 60-year-old Hafiz Bashir Leghari’s home was regrettable.
“In order to hide their own failure, the Police have termed
him the mastermind of the attack on Justice Maqbool Baqar,”
said ASWJ spokesman Maulana Akbar Saeed Farooqi in a press statement,
adding that he was a local social leader, chairman of the Deoband
action committee and businessman.
A foreign student of Mehran
University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), identified
as Muhammad, was abducted by unidentified militants from Hyderabad
District. According to details Muhammad along with his friend
Yousuf was coming from Jamshoro District to Qasimabad in Hyderabad
District when unidentified militants travelling in a car intercepted
them and abducted both of them. Later, the accused released
Yousuf.
It was reported that the Sindh
Government’s efforts to make Lyari area in Karachi safe for
the Kutchhi residents of the area seem to be failing as 250
more of them left the troubled area in three buses destined
for Badin District. Usman Kutchhi, the spokesperson for the
KRC, said the 250 migrants would reach the central shelter camp
in Badin.
Ayla Musharraf, daughter of
former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf, is reportedly
facing threats to her life according to a notification provided
by the Home Department to the Government of Sindh.
Despite a new Government in
place, the situation in Balochistan has turned worse, Chief
Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said. The Chief Justice made
this comment while hearing the Balochistan law and order case.
Then apex court bench observed that the former Government failed
to protect the people of the province and everyone hoped the
new Government will change things for better, however, the situation
has not improved.
Chief Secretary of Balochistan
– who appeared before the court today – admitted that the situation
in Balochistan has turned worse but assured that the Police
were more active than before and have been raiding and arresting
suspects.
The PML-Nawaz Government is
planning to replace its predecessor’s flagship programme for
Balochistan with a new policy after it failed to resolve the
festering problems of the troubled province.
The previous Pakistan People’s
Party-led Government had introduced the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan
package with much fanfare in 2009 as part of its efforts to
stabilise the situation in the province.
The new Balochistan policy will
focus on the 18 non-implemented proposals of the AHB package,
officials preparing the draft said. Its prime focus, according
to them, will be Balochistan’s share in gas royalties from the
Iran-Pakistan pipeline agreement – under the USD 1.4 billion
pact, Islamabad intends to import 750mmcfd of gas from Tehran.
The new policy will allocate a third (250mmcfd) of the gas imported
under the agreement to Balochistan.
Appearing before the Supreme
Court, IG of Sindh Police informed the court that the issue
in Lyari (Lyari Town of Karachi, Karachi District) was not politically
motivated nor was it a clash between different communities rather
it was a tussle between two rival gangs in the locality.
The Supreme Court was hearing
over Karachi unrest case. During the apex court's hearing held
at its Karachi registry, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, inquired
about the root cause of the Lyari issue, further questioning
if the issue was politically motivated.
Few members of the Katchi community,
including women, staged a protest outside the Karachi registry
of the Supreme Court where the hearing over the Karachi unrest
was underway. The protesters demanded that the court take special
notice of the law and order situation in Karachi.
The United States needs to hammer
out a new drone deal with Pakistan as the Nawaz Sharif Government
is unlikely to continue the current policy of plausible deniability,
says US think-tank Council on Foreign Relations report. The
report by Daniel Markey, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign
Relations, Washington, says that the new deal will have to be
sensitive to Pakistan’s concerns and objectives.
The United Kingdom announced
to work in partnership with Pakistan for developing strategies
to tackle the ‘critical’ challenges of terrorism and energy
crisis. British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth
Affairs William Hague paid tribute to the Pakistani people for
their ‘considerable’ sacrifices in the war against terrorism.
A NATO aircraft infiltrated
Pakistan’s airspace and flew around for duration of five to
six minutes. They were in breach of Pakistan’s laws. However,
military sources contradicted the news saying that no such incident
had occurred.
In an open letter released the
senior ‘commander’ of TTP, Adnan Rasheed, wrote to Malala Yusufzai,
accusing her of “smearing” them and urging her to return home
and join a madrassa. Adnan Rasheed, who is a former air force
member turned TTP cadre, said he personally wished the attack
had not happened, but accused her of running a “smearing campaign”
against the militants.
The letter, written in English,
was sent to reporters in northwest Pakistan and its authenticity
confirmed to AFP by a senior Taliban cadre who is a close associate
of Rasheed. He accused Malala of seeking to promote an education
system begun by the British colonialists to produce “Asians
in blood but English in taste” and said students should study
Islam and not what it called the “satanic or secular curriculum”.
“I advise you to come back home, adopt the Islamic and Pashtun
culture, join any female Islamic madrassa near your home town,
study and learn the book of Allah, use your pen for Islam and
plight of Muslim ummah (community),” Rasheed wrote.
July 18
At least seven people, including
two Policemen and two ANP workers, were shot dead in separate
incidents of targeted killing across Karachi (Karachi District).
Two workers of ANP, identified
as Mukamal Ali Shah and Fareed, were shot dead near their residence
on Qaimkhani Road in Orangi Town.
A Police constable, identified
as Ghayasuddin, was killed while his partner Saleem was wounded
when unidentified armed assailants shot at them near Furniture
Market in Karimabad area of Gulberg Town.
A Policeman, identified as ASI
Ghulam Mustafa, was shot dead in Sindhi Muslim Society by armed
assailants.
A seminary leader, Maulana Kalimullah
(34), was shot dead at Khamosh Colony in Liaquatabad Town.
A man, identified as Shakeel-ul-Khair,
was shot dead at Bilal Colony in Korangi Town. Korangi Industrial
Area Police suspects that the motive behind his killing was
extortion.
A body of a gangster, identified
as Amjad Baloch, was found near Mirza Adam Khan Road in Lyari
Town. Chakiwara Police said that abductors tortured and shot
him multiple times before throwing his body.
Two accused, identified as Maviya
Laghari, son of alleged mastermind Bashir Laghari, and Abu Bakar,
in the June 26, 2013, attack on Sindh High Court senior judge
Justice Maqbool Baqar, recorded their statement about their
planning of the attack and the names of other accomplices.
Three members of anti-militants
peace committee were killed when a remote controlled bomb went
off in Badan area of Mamond tehsil in Bajaur Agency of
FATA. Local people and officials said that two peace volunteers
were also injured in the blast.
Two soldiers were killed and
four others received injuries when militants attacked them in
Kamar area. Sources said that militants attacked a vehicle of
the SFs with automatic weapons when the Dir Scouts soldiers
were patrolling the area in the night.
Police arrested 26 persons,
including 10 proclaimed offenders, in a search operation targeting
several villages under Matani Police Station in Peshawar, the
provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The operation in the
jurisdiction of the Matani Police Station was launched around
3am and ended at 9am.
In the last 18 months, 203 incidents
of sectarian violence in Pakistan resulted in 1,800 casualties,
including 717 deaths, of which 635 were Shia, disclosed a detailed
Fact Sheet issued by USCIRF.
The report stated that while
Shias are more at risk of becoming victims of suicide bombings
and targeted shootings, the already poor religious freedom environment
for Hindus, Christians, and Ahmadis continued to deteriorate,
with a number violent incidents occurring against members of
these communities.
Since January 2012, the Shia
community was attacked 77 times, killing 635 members and injuring
834. They also suffered 18 incidents of bomb blasts and 46 times
witnessed targeted shootings. Christians, the second biggest
religious community of Pakistan, were attacked 37 times in which
11 Christians were killed and 36 injured.
The done strikes of US face
broad opposition around the world and are unpopular across the
globe, say Washington based The Pew Research Centre report.
The Pew Research Centre conducted a survey on the issue in 39
countries, out of which 31 countries disapprove of US drone
attacks against extremist groups in places such as Pakistan,
Yemen and Somalia.
July 19
A report of the IB said that
at least three abductors were killed and two Policemen were
injured in a fire fight, while a Hindu girl, identified as Mahi
Suchdev (3), was recovered during a raid at a hideout in Neelam
Colony of Clifton in Saddar Town of Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. Mahi was abducted from Valika
Hospital in SITE Town for a ransom of PKR 50 million.
A worker of the PPP, identified
as Amanullah (45), was shot dead and his son Kashan (14) was
injured in Orangi Town.
A worker of the ANP was shot
dead within the limits of Bin Qasim Police Station in Naseerabad
area of Gulberg Town.
A PAC cadre, identified as Ghulam
Hussain Baloch (40), was shot dead within the remits of Shahrah-e-Faisal
Police Station at Block 15-A of Gulistan-e-Jauhar in Gulshan
Town.
Another suspected criminal,
identified as Bilal alias Mullah, died in Police custody. According
to details, Rangers and Police took Bilal in custody along with
three others during a raid in Ali Town at Sikander Goth in Gulshan
Town on July 17, 2013.
It was reported that due to
illness Bilal was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre
where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment however,
medical report suggests that the deceased was tortured about
36 hours before he was brought to the hospital.
According to reports submitted
by the civilian spy agency to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif the
IB arrested a ‘death squad’ Chief of LeJ, Masoom Billah from
Afra Garden in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Gulshan Town in Karachi
District of Sindh.
It further claims that Billah’s
arrest was a major breakthrough in the case as he was not only
the plotter of the June 26, 2013 attack on Justice Baqar but
was also the chief of the LeJ’s secret ‘death squad’.
At least six militants were
killed and five others injured in SFs’ operation in Akkakhel
area of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency of FATA. The SFs
conducted operation against militants by gunship helicopters.
Two FC personnel were killed
in a roadside IED blast in Akkakhel area. According to FC officials,
the patrolling party was hit by a roadside IED in the area,
killing two FC personnel on the spot.
NATO aircrafts continued violation
of Pakistani airspace, third time in a week. SFs sources said
NATO fighter jets entered Torkham border area and continued
flight for 10 minutes. It was third time NATO aircrafts entered
Pakistani areas in three days.
A pamphlet highlighting punishments
and orders for the month of Ramazan was issued by the TTP in
Wana area of South Waziristan Agency. The pamphlet states the
orders and punishments were unanimously decided upon in a Shura
meeting of the Mullah Nazir faction of TTP.
The Islamabad Koral Police and
the traffic Police arrested four abductors and recovered a vehicle,
two pistols and ammunition from their possession from Muhammad
Ali Park area of Lahore.
An intelligence report sent
to the Provincial Government said that despite being put on
the ATA 1997 watch list, 40 individuals having links to outlawed
outfits are working in different Government departments in the
Rawalpindi Division, comprising the Districts of Attock, Jhelum,
Chakwal and Rawalpindi.
In a written statement to the
Senate Armed Services Committee, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff General Martin Dempsey said that the US cannot defeat
al Qaeda without Pakistan’s support. He also emphasised the
need to help Pakistan stabilise as instability in this key South
Asian state would hurt the entire region.
Explaining the need for continued
US engagement with the country, General Dempsey said: “We also
have an interest in a stable Pakistan and the non-proliferation
of nuclear weapons and technology.” The General also said that
the two countries were now moving towards a more focused and
issue-related relationship instead of a more generalised friendship
they had in the recent past.
A handful of clerics directed
the people of Karak District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to not allow
their women from going to the markets without being accompanied
by a male family member, claiming it was ‘un-Islamic’ for females
to venture out alone.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the
United Nations Masood Khan said Pakistan needs to convince the
Americans to cease drone attacks as part of their drawdown from
Afghanistan and to revisit their military doctrine that justifies
use of armed drones.
July 20
At least 28 militants and six
SFs were killed during clashes in Khyber Agency in the FATA.
SFs killed 10 militants in Akkakhel
area of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency and destroyed their
two hideouts. Two SFs were also killed during the clashes.
18 militants were killed during
fighting in Khurmatang area of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency
where PAF fighter jets pounded militant compounds and razed
two hideouts to the ground. Four SFs were also killed during
the battle.
Two bomb blasts occurred within
an hour of each other in separate areas of Karachi (Karachi
District) killing three persons and wounding at least half a
dozen people.
The first explosion targeted
Metropolitan Commissioner Matanat Ali Khan when he along with
his security guards was on his way to his office. They were
near Essa Nagri when a bomb went off, inuring Khan and four
others.
The second explosion happened
on the third floor of a residential apartment in Patel Para
area. The apartment is owned by a Policeman where terrorists
were assembling an explosive device when it accidentally exploded.
July 21
At least two ANP activists were
killed while several others injured in an explosion that took
outside the party’s office in Gulshan-e-Buner area of Landhi
Town in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of
Sindh.
The death toll in the July 20,
2013, bomb blast at Patel Para in Jamshed Town of Karachi increased
to three. The deceased were identified as Muhammad Subhan (35),
Muhammad Naeem (34), and Matinuddin (34).
Two persons were injured when
an explosion took place near a mosque in Sikandarpurah area
of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
A blast in Yakatoot area damaged
the house of a cosmetic dealer. However, no casualty was reported.
Four unidentified armed assailants
set ablaze two oil tankers in Dasht area of Mastung District.
However, no casualty was reported.
FC claimed to have foiled a
major terror bid by arresting a militant and seizing a huge
quantity of arms and explosives during a raid conducted at a
house in Eastern Bypass area of Quetta (Quetta District), the
provincial capital of Balochistan.
The FC and Police personnel
arrested 28 suspects during another security operation conducted
in the Geo area of Quetta. Fayyaz Sumbal, the DIG Police, said
that SFs recovered weapons and explosive materials from the
suspects during the operation.
The FC arrested 12 suspected
militants, including three foreigners, from the Murgha Kibzai
area of Zhob District. Sources in FC said a large quantity of
arms and ammunition were recovered from their possession.
Law enforcement personnel held
15 Afghan national under the foreign act at Mian Ghundi check
post near Hazar Ganji area of Quetta.
Adviser to the Prime Minister
on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz said that
we have contacts with Taliban but don’t control them. “We have
some contacts with the Taliban because of the past but we don’t
control them,” he told the news conference.
Sartaj Aziz visited Kabul to
hold talks with Afghan leadership and assured that Pakistan
would extend its full support and cooperation in holding intra-Afghan
talks for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Sartaj Aziz had earlier said
that Pakistan is prepared in principle to release more Afghan
Taliban from its jails, including former Taliban ‘deputy’ leader
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, but at the “appropriate time”.
According to an Iranian TV report,
the US has offered Pakistan to sign a prisoner swap agreement
for the extradition of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. The agreement states
that Aafia will have to stay imprisoned in Pakistan for the
number of years she was sentenced to in the US.
Aafia was sentenced to 86 years
in jail on September 23, 2010, after she was found guilty on
seven counts, including attempted murder. She is currently being
held at an American maximum security prison in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Government has agreed to
reveal names of all detainees in internment centres run by the
country’s Intelligence Agencies. At the same time, during a
high-level meeting on July 18, 2013 at the AGP’s office in Islamabad,
a mechanism a mechanism was agreed upon allowing the relatives
of ‘missing persons’ to meet their loved-ones in these detention
centres.
July 22
At least three bullet-riddled
dead bodies, identified as those of Ameer Hamza, Khawand Bakash
and Abdul Gaffar, were found from Sui area of Dera Bugti District.
According to the sources the victims went missing a month ago
from Dera Murad Jamali area of Naseerabad District.
Two Shia Hazaras were killed
when unidentified militants opened fire at a taxi on Shahrah-e-Iqbal
Road in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. No outfit
has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
At least two persons were killed
and four others were injured in an IED blast close to a mosque
adjacent to the Immigration and Custom offices near the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border in the Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District.
At least three persons, including
two women and a child, were injured in a hand grenade attack
at a house in the Taugh area of Kohat town (Kohat District)
in KP.
An explosion took place near
a mosque in the Afghan Colony area under Faqirabad Police Station
of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital of KP.
However, no casualty was reported in the attack.
The JuD ‘chief’ Hafiz Mohammad
Saeed opposed back door diplomacy, composite dialogue sans Kashmir,
and electricity trade between Pakistan and India. He said that
he doesn’t oppose negotiations but it should not be at the cost
of ‘national honour’. He was addressing an Iftar dinner at Dialdas
club in Hyderabad in Sindh.
The Intelligence Agencies expressed
fears of terror attacks targeting officials of Land and Revenue
Department, and Anti-Encroachment Cell in Karachi. The report
further pointed out that four areas of Karachi District - Malir
Town, Gadap Town, Bin Qasim Town and Surjani area - were infested
with militant outfits.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan during his first visit to Karachi said
that he has not talked about imposition of Governor’s rule in
Sindh. He added that the Federal Government, however, cannot
ignore the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi.
July 23
A man, identified as Abdul Ghani
(23), was shot dead within the remits of Saeedabad Police Station
in Sector-4 of Baldia Town in Karachi (Karachi District), the
provincial capital of Sindh.
A man, identified as Khadim
Hussain, was shot dead within the limits of Malir Cantt Police
Station in the Saadi Town area of Gulshan Town.
Police found a body on Mirza
Adam Khan Road in the Lyari Town. Initial investigation by the
Police revealed that the victim was abducted before being killed.
Another body was found within
the limits of Baldia Town Police Station near Northern Bypass
in Baldia Town.
Anti-Terrorism Court III headed
by Ghulam Mustafa Memon declared PAC leader Uzair Jan Baloch
and eight other suspects as absconders in the Lyari gangster
Arshad Pappu murder case, and ordered the confiscation of their
moveable and immovable properties.
A man, identified as Aslam Masieh,
was killed in a landmine explosion while repairing damaged towers
of 132 KV and 22 KV in the Machh area of Bolan District.
Unidentified militants opened
fire at a shop on Moti Ram Road in Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Sindh, killing one person and injuring
another inside the shop.
An unidentified man was shot
dead at Sariab Road area in Quetta when armed assailants opened
fire on him.
Militants set ablaze a NATO
container in the Dhadar area of Bolan District while it was
on its way back from Afghanistan after supplying equipment to
NATO troops. However, no casualty was reported.
Quetta Police defused a remote-controlled
bomb planted on the roadside near the Chandani Chowk area of
Quetta.
Pakistan Medical Association
(PMA) and Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) organised a protest
march from Civil Hospital Quetta to the Press Club, to protest
the kidnapping of five people, including three doctors, from
Loralai District on June 11, 2013.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a member of a peace committee, Shahi Rehman, at Sandheri
in the Kabal tehsil (revenue unit) area of Swat District in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The assailants killed Rehman when he came
out of his house.
Police seized a truck full of
sophisticated weapons and thousands of bullets and arrested
two LeJ militants Ameer Khan, the driver and one Jahanzeb, from
Super Highway in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
The vehicle was coming to Karachi
from Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The arrested suspects
confessed that the weapons were to be used for terrorist attacks
in Ramazan, most probably at the Youm-e-Ali procession celebrated
by the Shia community.
Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel
of PHC observed that bodies of missing persons were found when
the courts put pressure on the intelligence agencies for their
safe release. The PHC senior judge passed these remarks after
Additional Advocate General Malik Mujtaba informed a division
bench during hearing into the missing persons’ cases that a
few days back body of another missing person Sardar Ali was
found in the Karak District. The division bench comprising Justice
Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Musarrat Hilali was hearing
the case of 248 missing persons.
The Supreme Court was informed
that Punjab Police had received arrest warrants from Rawalpindi
Civil Judge Irfan Naseem Tarar for the arrest of an ISI Brigadier,
Mansoor Saeed Sheikh, allegedly involved in enforced disappearance
of Amna Masood Janjua’s husband.
The US Department of State said
that Pakistan is an important partner in supporting a secure
and stable Afghanistan, which is vital to the security of the
region. "Pakistan’s own security and stability is tied
to a successful outcome in Afghanistan and any steps that continue
to build the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan,
in our view, is very important", the State Department’s
spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
July 24
Suicide bombers and armed militants
mounted an attack on the local office of ISI in high security
zone of Sukkur Barrage Colony in Sukkur town of Sukkur District,
sparking a shootout that killed eight persons, including four
terrorists, three ISI officials and a civilian, and injured
50 others. Four terrorists, armed with hand grenades, suicide
vests and assault rifles, launched the attack. DIG Javed Alam
Odho said that a suicide bomber first blew himself up in front
of a Police building and then a second bomber drove his explosive-laden
vehicle into the main gate of the ISI office. “Other terrorists
started firing and throwing hand grenades at the Police,” he
added.
The target of the attack was
ISI official Major Zeeshan, who had important documents containing
details of terrorists. Major Zeeshan was also killed in the
attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the
attack.
Two men, identified as Akbar
Ali (35) and Syed Waris (30), were shot dead within the remits
of SITE-A Police Station near Walika Hospital in the SITE Town
of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
An activist of Muttahida Quami
Movement (MQM), identified as Tanvir Ali (32), was shot dead
at Mauripur Road in the Kiamari Town.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead another man, identified as Ahsan Abbas (22), in the
Saeedullah Goth area of Baldia Town.
A suspected criminal, identified
as Shahid Ramzan, was shot dead outside his house in the Orangi
Town.
The SITE-Association of Industry
is worried about rising incidents of extortion, robbery and
threats and is trying to put together a special Security Force,
which will have ‘legal cover’ to patrol the industrial estate.
The move comes after failed attempts by successive Governments
to curb criminal activities through Police and Paramilitary
Forces, which have not helped in developing confidence in the
country’s largest cluster of factories.
The Federal Government finally
decided to launch targeted action against extortionists and
target killers in Karachi. The Government has decided to take
indiscriminate action against target killers on the basis of
intelligence sharing. However, a final decision will be taken
after taking all stakeholders including political parties and
cabinet onboard.
The body of Ali Ahmed Bizenjo,
the younger brother of BNP-A leader Sardar Aziz Bizenjo, was
found near a drain in Trubat District. Unidentified armed
assailants had abducted Ali Ahmed in the night of July 23 from
Pidark area of Turbat District.
An unidentified man was killed
and two others received injuries in a firing incident in the
Surab area of Kalat District.
The FC during a raid conducted
on intelligence shared by local security agencies in the Gulistan
area of Qilla Abdullah District arrested an arms smuggler and
seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including five SMGs,
three LMGs, four RPG-7 along with its 25 rounds, one 12.7 rifle,
15,100 rounds of different rifles and 90 kilograms of explosive
material, from his possession.
Police arrested a teenage suicide
bomber, Fazal Shah, and his accomplice in the Maqsoodabad area
under Khazana Police Station of Peshawar (Peshawar District),
the provincial capital of KP. Fazal Shah, a resident of Qandharo
in the Mohmand Agency of FATA, was wearing a suicide vest. His
accomplice was identified as Zain Shah, a resident of Bara in
the Khyber Agency of FATA. One TT pistol and 10 gun cartridges
were recovered from the accused and their motorcycle was impounded.
The Badhaber Police along with
the FC repulsed an attack by the militants at the Sheen Drang
check post, on the border of Akkakhel area in the Khyber Agency,
in Peshawar. A gunfight between the militants and the Security
Forces that lasted for an hour forced the militants to retreat.
The KP Police has established
women complaint units in 56 Police Stations across the province
where 116 lady constables have been deployed. “The units have
been established upon the directives of KP Chief Minister Pervez
Khattak. Eventually, such units will be set up in all Police
Stations,” an unnamed Police official said.
Lahore Investigation Police
arrested a suspect for allegedly demanding extortion money from
local traders in the Lahore District. The traders in different
areas of Lahore had lodged several complaints with the Police
about threatening phone calls they had been receiving for the
past many days. Tracing a phone call, the Police arrested a
suspect, identified as Abdullah, a resident of Gujranwala District,
who had made a threatening call to one Imran, a trader of Badami
Bagh Market, and demanded PKR 2.5 million three days ago.
The Election Commission of Pakistan
issued a new schedule for the Presidential Elections following
orders of the Supreme Court to hold polls on July 30, 2013.
The new President will be sworn in after the tenure of President
Asif Ali Zardari expires on September 8, 2013. Earlier it was
reported that the Presidential Elections would take place on
August 6, 2013.
The US embassy in Islamabad
denied reports of a prisoner swap deal with Pakistan involving
Dr Aafia Siddiqui and Dr Shakil Afridi. “No, the United States
Government is not in discussions with the Government of Pakistan
on a prisoner exchange or transfer involving Dr. Aafia Siddiqi,”
said Meghan Gregonis, a spokesman for the US embassy.
US officials stressed armed
drones will continue to patrol Pakistan’s tribal belt and the
CIA will maintain significant presence in Kabul, the Afghan
Capital. A fleet of armed drones are expected to continue to
patrol the tribal belt and the CIA station in Kabul will remain
among CIA’s largest in the world, the report said.
July 25
The dead bodies of 20 suspected
militants were recovered from the Khurmatang area of Bara tehsil
of Khyber Agency in the FATA. Assistant Political Agent Bara
Tehsil Nasir Khan said that the suspected militants were
killed in the Khurmatang area of Bara on the border of Frontier
Region Dara Adamkhel. Codenamed Khyber-2, the operation involving
helicopter gunships and Frontier Corps ground troops was launched
against the TTP hideouts in the Zawa and Khurmatang areas of
Akkakhel in Bara on July 19.
One child was killed and five
others were injured in the night when a mortar shell appearing
to be a toy exploded in the Nasirabad Kausar area of Khar in
Bajaur Agency when the children were playing with it.
Unidentified militants shot
dead four persons, including three tribesmen and a Levies constable,
near the Gazgi Chowki area of Khuzdar District. Muhammad Ali,
a Levies official, said that militants, who had already taken
up positions on a roadside, opened fire on a vehicle carrying
Levies officials. Levies personnel retaliated, but the assailants
managed to flee into nearby mountains.
A PML-N leader Mir Abdul Qadir
Zarakzai was shot dead in the Zehri area of Khuzdar District.
A man, identified as Azamatullah,
was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in the Killi
Shamovi Hazaraganji area of Quetta (Quetta District).
Protesters blocked the main
national highway connecting Quetta to Karachi (Sindh) against
the abduction of one Agha Hafeez Shah.
The displaced Bugti tribesmen
returned to their hometown of Dera Bugti after about eight years.
Fifty vehicles carrying the tribesmen led by Nawabzada Gohram
Bugti, a grandson of Akbar Bugti, left Dera Allahyar in Jaffarabad
District for Dera Bugti after having been cleared by Federal
and Provincial Governments.
Four assailants riding two motorcycles
ambushed a senior Police officer, killing his driver and security
guard, in the Gulbahar area of Peshawar (Peshawar District),
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Deputy Commandant
of Frontier Reserve Police Gul Wali Khan was the target of the
attack.
At least four Police trainees
were shot at and injured by unidentified armed assailants at
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Elite Police Training Center in the Razzakabad
area of Bin Qasim Town in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
The BDS defused a remote-controlled
bomb recovered from the the Jamia Binoria seminary in SITE Town.
A chit of the TTP was attached with the bomb which claimed that
the bomb was a ‘gift’ from them.
The IGP Shahid Nadeem Baloch
directed the Sindh Police for pro-active policing and coordination
with Intelligence Agencies for information sharing.
A TTP ‘commander’ claimed responsibility
for the July 24, 2013, attack on the Sukkur office of the ISI,
which killed eight persons. The ‘commander’, on the condition
of anonymity, said that the TTP faction based in the Mohmand
Agency of FATA and the Taliban Chapter of Punjab (Punjabi Taliban)
had launched the combined attack on the ISI
Disputing the claim, the Jundallah
faction of the TTP claimed responsibility for the same attack.
Ahmed Marwat the ‘spokesman’ of Jundallah claimed that the attack
was revenge for the death of TTP ‘deputy chief’ Wali-ur-Rehman
Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan
Agency of FATA on May 29, 2013.
A recently-constituted task
force on missing people will hold its first meeting. The task
force is mandated to formulate a national policy on the missing
people, monitor the progress and coordinate efforts of all the
stakeholders working on the issue.
The issue of missing people
came to light in 2006 and the Supreme Court took suo motu notice
in a case involving the disappearance of Masood Janjua and others.
In 2010, a Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances
headed by a former judge of the Supreme Court was constituted
and it submitted its report on December 31, 2010.
The Supreme Court was informed
that the Federal Government had instructed the Balochistan Government
to proceed against another ISI brigadier who was allegedly involved
in enforced disappearance of a citizen, Ali Ahmad Bangalzai.
Pakistan said it wants positive
engagement with Afghanistan for peace, security and stability
in the region. FO spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said Pakistan
has exercised maximum restraint to the Afghan allegations on
different occasions.
July 26
At least 48 persons were killed
and 100 others were injured in a coordinated twin suicide attacks
at Parachinar in the Kurram Agency of FATA. Suicide bombers
on motorcycles blew themselves up within a minute of each other
outside an Imambargah in Parachinar bazaar.
Two persons were killed and
seven others were injured in an IED attack targeting a double-cabin
pickup vehicle in the Kharpati area of Kurram Agency.
A child was killed and four
others were injured when a mortar shell exploded in the Kosar
village of Khar tehsil in Bajaur Agency.
At least nine persons were killed
in separate incidents of violence in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. An activist of the MQM, identified
as Ghulam Rasool (38), was shot dead by unidentified assailants
near Kala Pull within the remits of Defence Police Station.
An elderly spiritual faith healer,
identified as Riffatullah aka Matkewala, was shot dead inside
his astana (gathering) situated near Ghausia Masjid in the Orangi
Town within the limits of Pirabad Police Station.
A woman, identified as Zubaida
Bibi, was shot dead and her daughter, Sania, was injured near
Al-Falah Road in the Lyari Town.
A person, identified as Mohammad
Faizan (28), was found dead at Block-13 within the limits of
Shahrah-e-Faisal Police Station. Police officials also found
a chit along with his body stating that the dead body ‘is a
gift for MQM by ANP.
A person was killed and two
others were injured by unidentified assailants near Rabia City
apartments in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar Town.
A person, identified as Javed
Ashraf (32), was shot dead at M.A. Jinnah Road within the limits
of Preedy Police Station.
An unidentified person was killed
in a firing incident near Qazzafi Chowk in the Orangi Town.
An unidentified person was found
dead from a garbage pile at Kunwari Colony within the jurisdiction
of Manghopir Police Station.
Another person was found dead
near Afghan Chowk within the limits of Gulshan-e-Maymar Police
Station.
Police arrested eight suspects,
including six TTP cadres, from the Scheme-33 area of Janjal
Goth.
Twelve suspects were arrested
during a search operation carried out by Security Force personnel
in the Satellite Town of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial
capital of Balochistan. The suspects were allegedly involved
in kidnappings for ransom and targeted killings and they supported
banned religious and other organisations, the sources said,
adding that they were involved in a number of cases.
Police arrested two alleged
terrorists from the Al Saba Chowk area of Gilgit Town (Gilgit
District) and recovered a bomb. SSP Ali Zia claimed that the
two suspected terrorists wanted to attack a mosque. During interrogation,
they both confessed that they belonged to Gilgit and received
‘training’ in the South Waziristan Agency of FATA.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said that the drone strikes should immediately be stopped. The
PM was talking to US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson, who
called on him at the PM’s office. The PM Also said that he would
support any initiative for peace in Afghanistan.
July 27
At least seven Pakistan Coast
Guards personnel were killed and as many sustained injuries,
in an attack by unidentified armed militants, in a checkpost
located in Sundsar area of Gwadar District.
SFs killed at least six terrorists,
during an attack by terrorists, at a check post Speen Tal area
near in Hangu. According to FC, four FC officials were also
injured in the attack.
Terrorists attacked a check
post of SFs in Matani area of Peshawar. A civilian was killed
and four others sustained injuries when a mortar shell hit a
house during the fight.
July 28
Eight militants were killed
when a US drone fired two missiles at a house in the Shawal
valley of the North Waziristan Agency in FATA. Tribal sources
said the drone hit a three-room structure where some militants,
were having an Iftar dinner. There was also speculation that
four of the slain people were foreign fighters.
One person died and two injured
in a bomb blast in Pawar Tungi area of Parachinar in Kurram
Agency. According to the political administration of the area,
a vehicles travelling to Pawar Tungi from Parachinar in Upper
Kurram near Pak-Afghan border was severely damaged by the roadside
bomb blast.
Residents of Parachinar held
a protest against July 26’s bomb blast in which 60 persons lost
their lives and 180 were injured.
The residents of Hazara Town
in Quetta killed an alleged suicide bomber. CCPO Quetta, Mir
Zubair Mehmood said that a suspected suicide bomber travelling
on foot was killed by residents of Hazara Town shortly while
he was approaching a mosque. Mehmood said a suicide jacket and
a hand grenade were recovered from his possession. “A major
terrorist attack was averted,” CCPO claimed.
Unidentified militants blew
up a portion of railway tracks in Musa Colony area on Sariab
Road in Quetta, temporarily shutting down the railway-link between
the Province and the rest of the country. However, no loss of
life was reported.
An official of the Quetta Afghan
Consulate, Muhammad Hashim, was abducted from Satellite Town
area of Quetta.
At least four Policemen were
injured in a grenade attack by unidentified militants on a Police
van in the Hashtnagri area under the jurisdiction of Yakatut
Police Station in Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Police official failed to arrest
the leader of PAC, Uzair Baloch, as he was able to flee from
his house in Lyari area of Lyari Town in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. According to MPA Javed Nagori,
a Police Officer had warned Baloch of the raid before it took
place.
July 29
At least 11 persons, including
five Policemen, four prisoners and two private security guards,
were killed and nine others were injured when the TTP militants,
disguised as Policemen, stormed the Central Prison at Dera Ismail
Khan (Dera Ismail Khan District) in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The militants carried out 25 explosions during the course of
the attack. 247 inmates managed to escape during the attack.
Later, curfew was imposed in the area as a search operation
was launched to arrest the escaped prisoners.
TTP ‘spokesman’ Shahidullah
Shahid claiming responsibility for the attack said that around
100 militants, including a number of suicide bombers, took part
in the attack. He said the TTP has achieved its targets and
their operation was successful.
According to details, the prison
houses TTP militants and militants from other sectarian outfits.
Intelligence reports suggest that there were at least 45 high
profile militants in the jail but there is no official confirmation
about the exact number. An intelligence official, on condition
of anonymity, said that the militants were shouting ''God is
great'' and ''Long live the Taliban.''
A worker of a private company,
identified as Abdul Rehman (35), was shot dead near Guru Mandir
Chowrangi, within the limits of Jamshed Quarters Police Station,
in the Jamshed Town area of Karachi District, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A man, identified as Abdul Sattar
(40), was killed near Dua Hotel on Mauripur Road, within the
limits of Kalri Police Station, in the Kiamari Town.
A Head Constable, identified
as Zafar Iqbal, was shot dead at the Old Muzaffarabad Colony,
within the limits of Landhi Police Station, in the Landhi Town.
An arms dealer, identified as
Tanvir Siddiqui (20), was shot dead by a rival group in Swat
Colony, within remits of Baldia Police Station, in the Baldia
Town.
Two unidentified dead bodies
were found within the remits of SITE-B Police Station in the
Baldia Town. Police said that the victims were first abducted
and later killed and dumped at an abandoned place.
A special Anti-Terrorist Court
sent LeJ militants Masoom Billa alias Abu Bakar and Muhammad
Muawiya, who were arrested in relation to the June 26, 2013,
bomb blast targeting Sindh High Court's Justice Maqbool Baqar,
on judicial remand until August 9, 2013.
At least four suspected militants
were killed and two security officials were injured during a
raid conducted by Police and other Law Enforcement Agencies
near Eastern bypass area of Quetta, the provincial capital of
Balochistan. Heavy cache of arms and ammunition was recovered
from the possession of the suspects.
Balochistan Chief Minister Dr
Abdul Malik Baloch announced that the Provincial Government
will hold talks with armed groups after Eid for which a Parliamentary
Committee of the Assembly will be formed. He said that he had
ordered removal of all “un-necessary check posts” of the Security
Forces throughout Balochistan, providing relief to the people,
adding, that the check posts are responsible for increase in
crime and violence instead of checking it.
A FC soldier sustained injuries
when militants attacked a security post at Khuga Khel in the
Landikotal area of Khyber Agency in FATA. Sources said that
the militants, equipped with rocket launchers and other weapons,
attacked the FC post.
Reacting to a TTP pamphlet asking
men to stop wearing tight clothing, Sher Muhammad Khan, head
of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's KP chapter, said
The TTP have no right to dictate to others in such a way. "It
is the prime duty of the government, not the militants, to implement
laws," he said.
Four TTP militants responsible
for the July 12, 2012, attack on a jail in the Rasool Park area
of Ichra in the Lahore District that killed at least 10 jail
personnel were arrested by the Lahore CIA officials. The four
suspects were identified as, Karamat Ali, Zulfikar Alim, Sohail
and Abdul Hafeez.
July 30
Eight militants and two SF personnel
were killed during clashes between militants and the SFs in
the Darra Adamkhel area of Kohat District in KP. Military sources
said that about 60 militants attacked a check post of the SFs
at Sur Gar Range. The SFs retaliated and in the ensuing clashes
eight militants and two SFs died, while the rest of the militants
managed to escape.
According to media reports the
death toll in the July 29 Dera Ismail Khan Prison attack has
reached to 24, including 12 Policeman, four prisoners (Sajid,
Juma Malang, Akhtar Abbas and Aslam), a bakery watchman Aslam,
a passerby Mohammad Nasim and one unidentified person. Police
claimed of killing five attackers. Earlier, it was reported
that 11 persons were killed in the attack. While accepting responsibility
for the attack, the TTP ‘spokesman’ Shahidullah Shahid said,
“Some 150 Taliban, including 60 suicide bombers, attacked the
Central Prison and managed to free about 300 prisoners”, reports
The Express Tribune. However, different media sources reported
that around 250 prisoners had managed to escape during the attack.
Referring to the incident, KP
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on July 30 said, “No prior intelligence
regarding this incident was shared”.
Two suspected extortionists,
identified as Qasim Ali (23) and Qadir alias Siraj (25), were
shot dead by unidentified armed assailants near Khadda Chowk
in the Gharibabad area of Malir Town in Karachi District, the
provincial capital of Sindh. Malir City Police said that the
Police suspected the involvement of the victims in extortions
because they found a slip in the victim’s pocket on which some
names and amount were written.
A man, identified as Abdul Lateef
(22), was shot dead in the Bihar Colony area of Lyari Town.
Police suspects Lyari gangster’s involvement in the killing.
A man, identified as Ahmed Buksh,
was shot dead within the vicinity of Nappier Police Station
in the Ghans Mandi area of Lyari Town.
A cadre of the ST, identified
as Raheed Siraj, was shot dead and his friend Imran Shaukat
was wounded when unidentified assailants shot at them within
the remits of Bilal Colony Police Station in New Karachi Town.
Two unidentified dead bodies
were found within the vicinity of Malir Memon Goth Police Station
in the Juma Goth area of Bin Qasim Town.
Another unidentified dead body
was found near Dua Hotel situated on the Mauripur Road in Keamari
Town. Police said that the victim was abducted before being
tortured and killed.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found near Mira Naka flyover in the Keamari Town.
A blast occurred in the Azizabad
area of Gulberg Town in the night. No casualty was reported
from the blast site.
The Law Enforcers claimed to
have arrested an unspecified number of suspected militants and
recovered huge cache of explosives from them during targeted
operations in the Patel Para and Lines areas of Jamshed Town.
They claimed that the explosives were to be used to sabotage
the spiritual procession of Youm-e-Ali scheduled for July 31.
Rangers claimed that they have
neutralized a terrorist hideout and recovered a huge cache of
explosives during a targeted raid in the Korangi Town of Karachi.
The Rangers claimed that the explosives were to be used to sabotage
Youm-e-Ali procession in the area.
Rangers detained at least five
TTP militants and recovered suicide jackets and arms during
targeted operations in the Muzaffarabad area of Landhi Town.
Rangers told that the militants were involved in attacks on
polio vaccination workers in the Landhi area.
Two unidentified militants shot
dead a Police constable, identified as Muhammad Shah, who was
guarding a polio vaccination team in the Killi Haiderzai area
of Yaro tehsil in Pishin District.
Police on July 25 claimed to
have arrested a terrorist, identified as Junaid Khan, who was
planning to stage a sectarian attack by targeting a mosque in
Gilgit District. SSP Mohammad Ali Zia said, “Junaid Khan was
on his way to an Imambargah to attack it with a Russian hand-grenade
when he was intercepted by agencies and taken to an investigation
centre”.
Mobile phone services are scheduled
to be suspended in Lahore District of Punjab and Karachi District
of Sindh, on account of Youm-e-Ali procession. Cellular services
will be suspended from 4:00pm to 8:00pm in Lahore, while Karachi
will suffer a prolonged closure from 6:00am to 8:00pm.
In its latest fact-finding report,
titled, ‘Extra-judicial acts by Rangers in Karachi’, the HRCP
called the Paramilitary Force an agent of fear, instead of an
agent of security. In its report, the HRCP took up 11 recent
cases of abduction, extra-judicial killings and torture allegedly
by the Rangers.
Two rival groups in the Bara
tehsil of Khyber Agency have entered a secret deal for
what they call restoration of peace in the Tirah and Bara-Kajorai
areas of Khyber Agency in FATA. Sources privy to the clandestine
negotiations between Amr Bil Maroof wa Nahi Anil Munkir and
Khujalkhel sub-tribe of Bar Qambarkhel said that both the groups
agreed on a verbal peace deal.
Mamnoon Hussain, a veteran politician
and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s trusted ally, was elected
as the 12th President of Pakistan in a vote by legislators.
Hussain defeated his rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate
Justice (retired) Wajihuddin with a huge margin of 355 votes
in a one-to-one contest after opposition PPP boycotted the Presidential
election as a mark of protest against its rescheduling by the
Supreme Court on a petition of the ruling PML-N.
July 31
Four suspected militants were
killed during an operation by SFs in Bakra Peri area of Quetta
(Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan. Two
personnel of the Anti Terrorists Force were also said to be
injured during the operation.
A Hindu trader was shot injured
by unidentified assailants on Chakar Khan Road in Khuzdar Town
(Khuzdar District). Munawar Lal was standing near the road when
armed motorcyclists opened fire on him and fled from the scene.
Unidentified assailants abducted
Bolan Medical College Hospital Assistant Prof Dr Muhammad Ahmed
from Airport road in Quetta. Police sources said that the doctor
was on his way when the armed men intercepted his vehicle at
gunpoint and took him away to an undisclosed location.
Chief Minister Balochistan Dr
Abdul Malik Baloch announced to hold dialogue with all militant
groups. Speaking in the Balochistan Assembly over worsening
law and order in the province, Dr Baloch said a high powered
committee comprising members of the assembly would be formed
to hold dialogue with all militant groups operating in Balochistan.
Two Rangers personnel were injured
when a blast hit their vehicle in Manghopir area of Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. According
to SP Orangi Chaudhry Asad, the Rangers mobile was on regular
patrol when it was targeted by an IED in Manghopir area. The
injured personnel were identified as Sub-inspector Khalil and
Naik Shakoor.
Police rearrested 47 prisoners
who escaped during a TTP attack on the Dera Ismail Khan jail
on July 29. The prisoners were held with some handing themselves
in and others caught in a Police search operation, Aamir Khan
Khattak, a senior government official in Dera Ismail Khan City,
said.
Authorities had suspended a
SP and 27 other security personnel for alleged negligence during
the July 29 Dera Ismail Khan Central Prison attack.
The investigating authorities
of Dera Ismail Khan jailbreak have concluded that the brazen
assault was masterminded by Adnan Rasheed, the mastermind of
an assassination attempt on Pervez Musharraf, who himself was
freed in a jailbreak operation conducted on April 15, 2012.
The investigating authorities further believe that the prison
attackers were led by Adnan Rasheed being the chief operational
commander of a special unit of fidayeen (suicide attackers)
belonging to the TTP and the IMU. Both the Waziristan-based
jehadi groups have already joined hands to form the jehadi unit
called “Ansar Al Aseer” (supporters of prisoners) whose prime
aim is to secure freedom for the imprisoned jihadis by carrying
out jailbreak operations across Pakistan.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government
formed a high-level investigative committee to probe the Dera
Ismail Khan Jailbreak. The PTI media cell, which has circulated
the Government orders, said the committee, headed by senior
member of Board of Revenue Waqar Ayub, will also comprise Special
Secretary Home and Tribal Affairs Syed Alamgir Shah, Additional
Inspector General (Special Branch) KP Syed Akhtar Ali Shah and
the nominee of 11 Corps Headquarters Peshawar.
Dawn has obtained the
list of 253 freed prisoners compiled by the jail authorities
submitted to the Government. Earlier, different media sources
speculated an estimated 250 prisoners escaped during the jail
break.
The son of Water and Power Ministry
Deputy Secretary Zafar Mehmood was abducted in Islamabad. The
kidnappers have demanded a ransom of PKR 3 million (USD 29,400)
ransom for the release of Mehmood's son.
Hearing the case of missing
persons, the Supreme Court directed the Rawalpindi Police to
proceed against Military Intelligence (MI) Major Haider in accordance
with law. A three-member bench of the court, headed by CJP Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhry, was hearing an application by Abida Malik
whose husband Tasif Ali went missing on November 23, 2011, from
the Sadiqabad Police precincts in Rawalpindi.
On the other hand, Ibrahim Satti,
the counsel for MI, raised objection to the court’s order, and
said that Police have no jurisdiction to proceed against any
serving Army Officer under the Army Act, 1952. He also made
it clear that the army would not hand over its officer to Police.
But Justice Jawwad S Khawaja told the lawyer that the MI could
not probe the matter itself as only Police had the authority
to investigate the Army Officer.
A drone strike in Shawal valley
of North Waziristan Agency of FATA on July 28 killed three al
Qaeda operatives who ran a training camp in neighbouring Afghanistan
to prepare militants for attacks, including July 29’s jail break
in Dera Ismail Khan, an unnamed TTP ‘commander’ said.
August 1
At least three people were shot
dead and six others injured in an incident of firing in Jodia
Bazaar of Saddar Town in Karachi District, the provincial capital
of Sindh. Soon after the incident the market was shut down.
According to Kharadar SHO Azam Khan, “criminals belonging to
Sheraz Comrade and Amin Buledi group opened fire on the Joint
Sector in-charge of MQM Shakeel Shako, who was seriously injured
and later died at the hospital”.
An MQM activist, identified
as Syed Farhan Kazmi (28) alias Antenna, was killed and his
companion Hammad and a passerby named Mustafa were injured when
unidentified assailants opened fire on them near Jauhar Chowrangi
in Gulshan Town.
A head constable of the Sohrab
Goth Police Station, identified as Qasim Zakir Hussain (35),
was killed and two others, including ASI Pervez and a Policeman,
identified as Latif, were injured when two unidentified armed
assailants intercepted a Police mobile and shot at them near
the Akakhel service station in Faqira Goth area of Gadap Town.
SI Ashfaq Karamat, who worked
as an accountant at the SSP office, was shot at and killed by
unidentified assailants near Godown Chowrangi in Korangi Industrial
Area of Korangi Town.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found within Pak Colony Police precincts near the
Mewa Shah graveyard in SITE Town. Police said the victim was
subjected to torture and then shot dead.
The SHO of Daudzai Police Station
and his driver were killed when unidentified militants ambushed
their vehicle on Aryana Road on the outskirts of Peshawar, (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A suspected militant was killed
and two others arrested when Police conducted a raid in Badaber
area of Peshawar. According to Police, the arrested persons
were wanted in several cases.
Mushtaq Jadoon, the commissioner
of Dera Ismail Khan, said that more than 30 known militants
who escaped from the Central Prison Dera Ismail Khan on July
29 night as a result of the jailbreak included those involved
in terrorist attacks, sectarian violence and kidnappings for
ransom. The militants who got away from the prison included
TTP ‘commanders’ Abdul Hakim, Abdur Rasheed, Haji Ilyas and
Mamoor. One Walid Akbar, who allegedly had a hand in the bombings
on Ashura procession of 2012 in Dera Ismail Khan in which 25
people were killed, also escaped from the prison. He is said
to be member of a sectarian organisation linked to the TTP.
The commissioner said that 127 among the escaped prisoners had
been convicted and 126 were under trial.
KP Revenue Minister Ali Amin
Khan Gandapur declared the Dera Ismail Khan Jailbreak incident
an act of cowardice on part of local police and said tough action
would be taken against those responsible for the debacle. “Police
officers and constables had hidden in sewer lines when militants
attacked the Dera Ismail Khan central prison.
The Police Chief suspended DSP
City Dera Ismail Khan Salahuddin Kundi and three SHOs i.e. SHO
City Haroon Khan, SHO Cantonment Mohammad Nawaz and SHO Dera
Town Saifur Rehman over negligence and failure to fulfil duty.
A statement issued by the CPO office here said the IGP during
his visit to the Dera Ismail Khan Central Jail the other day
had suspended SP Elite Force, DSP Elite Force and 25 constables
of the Elite Force for not responding to the attack. Until now,
the police officers and personnel suspended in the case include
two SPs, three DSPs, three inspectors and 25 constables.
According to TTP sources Shahbaz
Taseer, the son of slain Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, was
killed in a drone attack in Shawal valley of the North Waziristan
Agency in FATA in 2012. Shahbaz Taseer was abducted from Lahore
District of Punjab on August 26, 2011.
They further claimed that Shahbaz
was buried in the Shawal area on the same day and the Jirga
that was making efforts to get Shahbaz released also returned
to their hometown in sheer disappointment. The sources confirmed
that the TTP are now shifting the abductees to the areas where
chances of drone attacks are at higher possibility to use them
as human shields.
Unidentified militants opened
fire at two oil tankers that were carrying fuel for the Pakistan
Air Force at Kiri Dor in Mastung District. As a result, one
of the tankers caught fire, while oil spilled out from the second
tanker.
President Asif Ali Zardari called
upon the international community, especially the US, to step
forward and prepare a ‘Marshall Plan’ for Pakistan for strategic
economic stability and advancement of the country’s development
agenda. The President said this during his one-on-one and delegation-level
meetings with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the Presidency.
Special US Representative for
Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins will continue the dialogue
with Pakistani leaders as Secretary of State John Kerry wraps
up a key visit to the country, says the State Department. A
State Department spokesperson, Marie Harf, told a briefing that
Ambassador Dobbins was already in the region for meeting Afghan
and Pakistani leaders.
US Secretary of State John Kerry
while making a remark in an interview with Pakistan state television
suggested that US drone strikes targeting the TTP and al Qaeda
operatives in Pakistan could end “very soon”.
When asked by the interviewer
whether Islamabad could expect an end to the strikes, Kerry
said replied, “I think the program will end as we have eliminated
most of the threat and continue to eliminate it.” Asked if a
timeline was envisaged for ending the strikes, Kerry said, “Well,
I do. And I think the US President has a very real timeline
and we hope it’s going to be very, very soon.
During a meeting with US Secretary
of State John Kerry, the PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that stopping
the drone strikes would motivate militants to give up their
jihad narrative. He said that bringing an end to the drone strikes
would allow the militants to own their land and stop them from
carrying out attacks.
The London-based Bureau of Investigative
Journalism said that its field investigation in Pakistan’s tribal
areas appears to confirm that the CIA 2012 briefly revived the
controversial tactic of deliberately targeting rescuers at the
scene of a previous drone strike. It said the tactic has previously
been labelled a possible war crime by two UN investigators.
Congressional aides have previously
been reported as describing to the Los Angeles Times reviewing
a CIA video showing Abu Yahya al-Libi alone being killed. But
the Bureau’s field research appears to confirm what others reported
at the time - that al-Libi’s death was part of a sequence of
strikes on the same location that killed up to 16 people.
If correct, that would indicate
that Congressional aides were not shown crucial additional video
material. The CIA has rejected the charge. Spokesman Edward
Price told the Bureau, ‘The CIA takes its commitment to Congressional
oversight with the utmost seriousness. The Agency provides accurate
and timely information consistent with our obligation to the
oversight Committees. Any accusation alleging otherwise is baseless.’
August 2
At least four Policemen, identified
as Zulfiqar, Afza and Ghulam Shabbir and Sarwar, were shot dead
by unidentified militants near a bridge located at Bagh-e-Korangi
area in Shah Faisal Town of Karachi District, the provincial
capital of Sindh. The Policemen were on routine snap checking
procedure when they were attacked.
The guard of Kharadar Police
Station Chief, identified as Gul Khan (60), was shot dead during
an exchange of fire near the paper market in Saddar Town.
An ATC issued black warrants
for the execution of LeJ militants identified as Attaullah alias
Qasim and Mohammad Azam alias Sharif, in the killing of a Shia
doctor Ali Raza Peerani on sectarian grounds in June 2001 in
Soldier Bazaar of Jamshed Town.
Karachi Police claimed to have
arrested 48 accused, including two absconders, and recovered
arms from their possession from different parts of the District.
In about 51 raids, Police authorities recovered at least 21
different types of firearms.
Six unidentified militants shot
dead Shia Council’s Divisional President Sheikh Manzoor Hussain
and his younger son Haider Ali while they were leaving their
house located at Umar Block in Abbasia Town of Rahim Yar Khan
District.
Security at the Benazir International
Airport in Islamabad was been beefed amid intelligence reports
of a of a possible terror attack.
The Balochistan Government deployed
FCB commandos to all 11 jails in the province. The additional
forces took up posts inside and outside the prison. The Ministry
is also reviewing the records of 145 dangerous prisoners, according
to media reports.
The provincial Interior Ministry
took the step after militants, on July 29, 2013, attacked Dera
Ismail Khan Central Prison in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Political Administration
in militancy-hit Bara area of Khyber Agency in FATA decided
to reopen several roads in Bara subdivision, almost four years
after they were initially shut down in the wake of a military
offensive against extremist militants.
The US State Department said
that no timeline could be provided to end drone attacks. Briefing
the newsmen in Washington, State Department spokeswoman, Marie
Harf said that US has made significant progress against core
al Qaeda by using drones as counterterrorism tools, “but that
as we make that progress the need to use these tools will, of
course, be reduced”.
The US issued a global travel
alert because of an al Qaida terrorist threat. The State Department
says the potential for terrorism is particularly strong in the
Middle East and North Africa. It says an attack could occur
or come from the Arabian Peninsula.
August 3
The SFs and CID Police in a
joint operation arrested an operations commander of TTP, identified
as Mufti Rehmat, and nine other suspected militants in Nowshera
town (Nowshera District) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
August 4
The Chief of ASWJ, Karachi Chapter,
Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui, survived an assassination attempt
when his motorcade was attacked on Abul Hasan Isphahani Road
near Abbas Town in the Gulshan Town area of Karachi District,
the provincial capital of Sindh. Attackers fled after the exchange
of fire with the security guards of the ASWJ leader. However,
no casualty was reported.
Unidentified militants blew
up a Government girls’ primary school in the Rashkai area of
Khar tehsil in the Bajaur Agency of FATA in the night.
Though the school building was completely destroyed, no casualty
was reported in the explosion.
Following terror alert, security
has been intensified in Gilgit Baltistan, including the Ramazan
Bazaar in the Garhi Bagh area of Gilgit city. The Government
decided to close Ramazan Bazaar as local security agencies as
well as reports from the Interior Ministry suggested militants
were planning to target GB. SSP Ali Zia said that Law Enforcement
Agencies had launched an operation to arrest suspects believed
to have entered Gilgit Baltistan after being trained in Miranshah
town of North Waziristan Agency in FATA to carry out terrorist
attacks.
Security in Islamabad, the Federal
Capital, was put on red alert after intelligence reports that
terrorists could attack PAF Headquarters. According to sources,
PAF, Pakistan Navy, and Islamabad Police commandoes mounted
a joint search operation in Margalla Hills detaining several
suspects. According to sources, the SF would remain deployed
on the Hills till further orders.
SSP Operations, Dr Rizwan said
that certain intelligence alerts including a warning regarding
a possible terrorist attack on PAF Headquarters prompted these
special security measures.
Interpol sounded a global terror
alert advising its members to increase their vigilance against
terror attacks. According to the Security Agency, the alert
comes following a series of jailbreaks across nine countries,
including Iraq, Libya and Pakistan. The agency has advised increased
vigilance in August, 2013 which marks the anniversary of terror
acts in Mumbai (India), Gluboky (Russia), Jakarta (Indonesia)
and the 15th anniversary of the US Embassy bombings in Nairobi,
the capital city of Kenya.
Former Interior Minister and
a leader of the APML Mian Zahid Sarfaraz during a news conference
claimed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has assured the United
States (US) that General (retired) Pervez Musharraf will soon
be released and allowed to go abroad.
August 5
At least three passengers, including
a 10 year old child, were killed and several others were wounded
when a bomb exploded in the Karachi-bound Shalimar Express that
was coming from Lahore District in Punjab near Toba Tek Singh
District. The Railways Minister Saad Rafique blamed the attack
on the "extortion mafia". He stated that the Shalimar Express
operator had been receiving threatening telephone calls from
extortionists.
The militants attacked two tankers
that were coming from Sibi District to Quetta (Quetta District)
carrying fuel for PAF, in Bolan District and killed a security
guard while injured another. One tanker was partially damaged
whereas another was safe. There was no immediate claim of responsibility
for the attack.
At least eight passengers were
abducted from a moving bus in the Mach area of Bolan District.
According to levies sources, the bodies of the passengers were
found near mountains.
Four power pylons of 220KV and
132KV were blown up in the Aab-e-gum area of Mach in the Bolan
District in the night. No group claimed responsibility of the
attack.
Police claimed to have foiled
a major bid of terrorism by seizing an explosive-laden auto
rickshaw in Quetta. DIG Police Operations, Fayyaz Sumbal, said
that Policemen were on routine patrolling when they spotted
an explosive-laden rickshaw that carried 150 kilogram of explosives.
A pro-Government tribal elder
was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Masozai area
of Kurram Agency in FATA. Khan was also a member of the village
defence committee and took part in a number of assaults against
militants.
Peshawar Police arrested a TTP
Punjab chapter 'commander' reportedly involved in the July 29
Dera Ismail Khan Jailbreak incident. According to official sources,
the arrestee, identified as Mujahid Ahmed alias Faqeer Baba,
was in injured condition. The suspect has revealed that planning
of the jailbreak was carried out in South Waziristan Agency
(FATA).
Spy agencies have warned against
potential militant attacks on headquarters of Pakistan Navy,
Air force and on the Parliament House. The report pointed out
a recorded conversation of a TTP 'commander', mentioned as Waleed
bin Talib, in which Talib was talking about achieving bigger
goals than the July 29 Dera Ismail Khan jailbreak.
Security agencies are investigating
possible al Qaeda involvement in the Dera Ismail Khan Jailbreak.
"Involvement of al Qaeda is one the factors that we cannot rule
out at the moment," one official said on condition of anonymity.
He said "such attacks are always carried out with involvement
of two type of groups, one which plans and the other which executes".
The Interpol said that it suspected al Qaeda was involved in
the raid and in other prison breaks in eight countries, including
Iraq and Libya. Al Qaeda and TTP have close ties and the link
was under scrutiny in the jailbreak probe.
August 6
At least 14 persons, including
three security personnel, were killed in an attack by BLA militants
on five passenger buses in Machh area of Bolan District in Balochistan.
The buses were on their way from Quetta to Punjab when 200 militants
intercepted them in Machh and kidnapped the passengers. The
militants killed 13 passengers after inspecting their NICs.
The bodies were later recovered from the mountainous area of
Bolan.
A dead body was recovered from
Killi Gishkory in Mian Gundi on the outskirts of Quetta (Quetta
District), the provincial capital of Balochistan. The deceased
was later identified as Saadullah, a resident of Jacobabad.
Three persons including two
children were killed and another one injured in an explosion
at Goth Pervaiz Domki near Jahan Bukhshpur area of Kashmore
District.
Police shot dead an alleged
target killer, identified as Zohaib Rehman, during encounter
near Ghazi Kanta in the industrial area of Sohrab Goth. Rehman
hailed from South Waziristan Agency of FATA.
Three explosions took place
in two different areas of Karachi city. The first two blasts
happened within minutes of each other in the Defence area, while
the third was in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The blasts in Defence took
place on Khayaban-e-Muslim and Khayaban-e-Rahat. SP, Clifton
area, Sarfaraz Nawaz said that a young man who had parked a
motorcycle near the site of the blast in Khayaban-e-Muslim was
taken into custody.
Unidentified militants blew
up a three-foot portion of the railway track in Khudaabad Railways
gate near Tando Adam town of Shaheed Benazir Abad District.
Police sources said that militants placed explosive materials
on the track of Shalimar Express. A three-foot portion of the
track was damaged when the miscreants detonated the explosives.
However, the train was saved from any loss.
At least three persons, including
a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP-Diamer), Muhammad Hilal,
and two Army officers, identified as Colonel Ghulam Mustafa
and Captain Ashfaq Aziz, were killed as unidentified militants
attacked their convoy at Rohni in the Chilas area of Gilgit
Baltistan.
A hand-grenade was lobbed into
the house of a senator from Khyber Agency of FATA in Hayatabad
area of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, no explosion was reported in
the incident. The Police said unidentified militants hurled
a hand grenade at the house of Senator Haji Khan from Khyber
Agency soon after Iftar. However, the attackers managed to escape.
There was no casualty in an
explosion took place near a sweet shop in Darra Pezu bazaar
of Lakki Marwat town (Lakki Marwat District).
The residents of the Lashora
village in Bajaur Agency of FATA foiled a bid to blow up an
under-construction school. The sources said the militants hurled
a hand-grenade into an under-construction government school
for boys in the Lashora village at night.
Investigating authorities traced
another case of extortion and arrested two persons from the
Punjab Housing Society of Lahore (Lahore District), the provincial
capital of Punjab, who demanded PKR two million from a doctor
in the name of TTP. The arrestees were identified as Munawar
and Haider, the residents of Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They
demanded money from Dr Shahzad Ahmad, who runs a hospital in
Nishtar Colony. The callers introduced them as the 'extortionists'
belonging to the TTP (Ehsanullah Ehsan Group) and demanded PKR
two million from the doctor on August 1.
The US blacklisted Bahawal Khan,
the new leader of Mullah Nazir Group. The State Department announced
that it had added Bahawal Khan's name to its list of specially
designated global terrorists. Bahawal Khan is reported to be
aged 34 and an illiterate former bus driver.
Army troops were deployed at
prisons across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Central Jail Peshawar
where Dr Shakil Afridi and important Taliban militants are imprisoned.
The deployment came in the back of TTP attack on the Dera Ismail
Khan jail on July 29. Haripur jail in northern Hazara division
is also under threat and the military has taken responsibility
to guard it against attacks from militant groups, said senior
Government officials. The current arrangement is for a short
period of time and the Army's deployment aims at strengthening
security measures.
Army troops were deployed at
prisons across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Central Jail Peshawar
where Dr Shakil Afridi and important Taliban militants are imprisoned.
The deployment came in the back of TTP attack on the Dera Ismail
Khan jail on July 29. Haripur jail in northern Hazara division
is also under threat and the military has taken responsibility
to guard it against attacks from militant groups, said senior
Government officials. The current arrangement is for a short
period of time and the Army's deployment aims at strengthening
security measures.
TTP claimed responsibility of
killing three security personnel including a SSP-Diamer, Muhammad
Hilal, and two Army officers, identified as Colonel Ghulam Mustafa
and Captain Ashfaq Aziz, at Rohni in the Chilas area of Gilgit
Baltistan. These security officials were investigating June
23 Nanga Parbat massacre of foreign climbers. Diamer SSP Hilal
Ahmad was returning from the DC House along with Colonel Ghulam
Mustafa and Captain Ashfaq Aziz when unidentified gunmen opened
fire on their vehicle.
A TTP group claimed of holding
Ali Haider Gilani, the abducted son of Prime Minister Yousaf
Raza Gilani. "The son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani
is with us and doing well," the Al-Mansoor Brigade 'spokesman'
Abu Yazeed Mansur told a journalist on phone in Hangu.
The Afghan Taliban's reclusive
leader, Mullah Omar, said his group was willing to start peace
negotiations, even as he urged more attacks - including insider
shootings by Government security forces - on foreign troops.
In a wide-ranging emailed message, he blamed America and the
Afghanistan Government for the derailment of talks two months
ago.
August 7
At least 11 persons were killed
and 26 others were injured when a bomb went off outside a packed
football ground in the Lyari area of Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh, in the early morning. Prominent
Lyari resident and MPA Sania Naz claimed that blast occurred
when footballers and the crowd were leaving ground after the
Ramazan Football Tournament came to an end. The apparent target
of the blast was Provincial Minister for Kutchi Abadis and Spatial
Development Javed Nagori. He was also the chief guest at tournament
and was reportedly injured in the blast.
A woman and two children were
killed and 21 others sustained injuries when explosives planted
in a shopping centre exploded in Mastung town (Mastung District)
of Balochistan.
A Balochi language singer was
gunned down in Turbat area of Kech District. According to Police,
unidentified assailants entered the house of Kachkul Bhar on
Panjgur Road area and opened fire. As a result, he was killed
on the spot.
A Balochi language singer was
gunned down in Turbat area of Kech District. According to Police,
unidentified assailants entered the house of Kachkul Bhar on
Panjgur Road area and opened fire. As a result, he was killed
on the spot.
BDS defused two hand grenades
found in the Khazana area of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of KP. A Noor Colony resident identified as Mehboob found them
outside his house and called the BDS.
Three bombs recovered from three
different places at Miryan in Bannu District in the morning.
Police said that one of the bombs was planted at a school, another
at Sardar Yusuf Khan's 'Hujra' (sitting room) and the third
one beside a road. Bomb disposal squad has defused all three
bombs safely, Police said.
Camouflaged under different
names, a number of banned militant organisations are operating
in Karachi with impunity - ravenously pocketing Zakat and other
Ramazan-related charities in the country's financial hub. The
banned al-Rasheed Trust and Al-Akhtar Trust and the charity
wings of even JeM and LeT are openly collecting donations in
Karachi.
The KP Police Chief Ihsan Ghani
directed senior officials to adopt foolproof security measures
to ensure law and order during the last days of Ramazan and
pre-empt all terrorist activities. These directives were given
to all DIG and DPO throughout the province in a circular issued
from the Central Police Office, according to a statement.
The United States said that
the core of al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan is on the path
to defeat. While briefing newsmen in Washington State Department
spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the US has achieved a great
deal of success against al Qaeda core in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
August 8
Thirty eight persons, including
21 Police officials, were killed and 40 others were injured
in a suicide blast at a funeral in the Police Lines of Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. The DIG, Operation, Fayyaz
Ahmed Sumbal, was among those who lost their lives in the blast.
The attack was carried out at the Police headquarters in Quetta.
SP Headquarters Mehrullah, DSP in-charge Shamsur Rehman, SP
Traffic Mohammad Anwer Khilji, Inspector Shakeel Akbar and five
personnel of the ATF were killed while others sustained injuries
in the attack.
The SHO of City Police Station,
Mohibullah, was shot dead and six others sustained injuries
when militants opened indiscriminate fire on a Police van in
Killi Almo area of Quetta. SHO Mohibullah, along with four of
his children and two other Policemen, had left his residence
in a Police van when it came under fire in Killi Almo area.
TTP claimed the responsibility
for the killing of SHO Mohibullah and suicide attack on Police
Lines. "We killed the station-house officer and then we targeted
the funeral to kill the other officers," TTP spokesman Shahidullah
Shahid said. Police said the attack was carried out by a suicide
bomber.
Unidentified militants attacked
the Levies checkpost in Palai Cherat area of Batkhela tehsil
in Malakand District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, no casualty
was reported in the attack. The Levies personnel guarding the
checkpost returned the fire, forcing the gunmen to escape from
the area.
Police arrested three alleged
TTP militants attempting to force a citizen to pay them in Lahore,
the provincial capital of Punjab. The arrested persons, identified
as Akram, Munawar and Haider, threatened to kill Dr. Shehzad
in the name of the TTP if he didn't pay PKR two million (USD
19,550) per month.
Peshawar Corps Commander Lieutenant
General Khalid Rabbani announced that SFs, along with the help
of tribesmen, had eliminated militants from Bajaur Agency (FATA)
and that the region's borders have now been secured.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
discussed the law and order situation in the country with Federal
Minister of Interior Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan and directed him
to present the final draft of a counter-terrorism strategy on
August 13.
The US Government ordered the
evacuation of non-essential staff from its consulate in Lahore
due to the threat of attack, with the State Department also
warning US citizens not to travel to Pakistan. "The Department
of State ordered this drawdown due to specific threats concerning
the U.S. consulate in Lahore," said a travel warning posted
on the Department of State's website.
In an acknowledgement of Pakistan's
concerns over India's presence in Afghanistan, US Special Representative
James Dobbins said Islamabad's fears are "not groundless". The
US diplomat, in an interview with the BBC Urdu Service in Washington,
recognised the cross-border infiltration of hostile elements
into Pakistan from the Afghan side.
Islamabad has long voiced its
concerns about the Indian moves to establish consulates in Afghanistan's
cities Jalalabad and Kandahar, close to Pakistani western border.
Dobbins, though, said the Indian presence in Afghan cities was
minuscule and claimed it was "perfectly reasonable" because
of their economic and cultural ties.
August 9
A major terrorism attempt was foiled when a suicide bomber
was shot dead at Imambargah (Shia place of worship)
in Bara Kahu village, on the outskirt of Islamabad, the Federal
capital of Pakistan.
130 people lost their lives
during the Holy month of Ramazan in Karachi city because of
target killing or abduction. People who lost their lives include
105 'innocent' people, 13 Police personnel, seven workers of
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), three workers of Awami National
Party (ANP), one worker of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and
one of Pakistan Sunni Tehreek.
TTP is ready to hold talks with
the Government but on certain conditions, said TTP 'spokesperson'
Shahidullah Shahid. Shahidullah Shahid said if the Government
gives a guarantee of putting forward ideal religious and intellectual
leaders, the TTP would be interested in holding talks.
PM Nawaz Sharif reiterated his
firm resolves to overcome terrorism through effective measures.
The Prime Minister said the Government inherited a number of
challenges from the previous regime. However, PML-N had sincere
intention to bring the country out of crises so that the masses
could get relief from the menace of terrorism, lawlessness,
energy crisis and poor economy.
August 10
10 persons were killed and many
others were injured during the Eidul Fitr prayers on Eastern
bypass area of Quetta. According to sources, the incident occurred
when unidentified men opened fire on former Provincial Minister,
Ali Madad Jattak during Eid prayers, which killed eight persons,
however Minister remained safe.
Balochistan CM Dr Abdul Malik
Baloch vowed that the Government would not bow down to the terrorists
and continue fight them until their elimination. The CM said
the Government was aware of the threats and was ready to take
the terrorists head on.
The Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry took suo motu notice of the violence in Balochistan
and summoned the top officials of the province. The chief justice
took the notice on a note of the registrar on the recent incidents
of terrorism that occurred in Balochistan and caused death of
several innocent citizens as well as personnel of law enforcement
agencies, said a press release issued by the Supreme Court.
August 11
SFs shot dead six militants
in the Machh area of Bolan District. These militants were involved
in the killing of 14 persons, including three security force
personnel, on August 6.
Two suspected militants were
killed during a clash between FC personnel and militants in
the Ispalangi area of Mastung District. Weapons, detonators
and mobile SIMs were recovered from the possession of the deceased
militants.
At least one person was killed
and three others were injured when a vehicle struck a landmine
at Dera Murad Jamali in Nasirabad District. Police said that
a family was on its way to Chattar when their vehicle hit a
landmine planted on the road.
A tribal leader, Zara Khan,
was killed while his two security guards sustained injuries
in a roadside bomb blast in the Dera Bugti area of Dera Bugti
District.
A school student was among two
people killed in the mine blasts in different villages of the
Kurram Agency in FATA. The sources said the first incident was
reported from Shakh village where a car carrying three people
hit an anti-personnel mine planted by unidentified militants.
One student was killed while another two persons sustained injuries.
The second mine blast occurred in the border village of Pewaar.
The victim was identified as 55 year-old shepherd, Asghar Ali.
The third terror act was witnessed in the Baghdi village where
the victim stepped on a mine planted on the boundary of Dilasa
village.
Unidentified militants beheaded
a Policeman in the Janglekhel area of Kohat District in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and torched his motorcycle. The sources said that
the beheaded body of Suleman was found in Janglekhel.
Police shot dead a militant,
identified as Muhammad Khan (20), a resident of Bannu, in the
Matani area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Muhammad Khan, a resident of Bannu was reportedly coming from
Kohat to Peshawar.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the Federal Government would provide
a 15,000 strong Security Force equipped with the latest skills
and weapons to the Balochistan Government. Nisar said that the
so-called war on terrorism had been imposed on Pakistan and
now it was the Government's responsibility to secure Quetta
by purging it of all kinds of weapons.
August 12
A man was shot dead and about
a dozen people, including Zahid Ladla, brother of Baba Ladla,
who is a cadre of the PAC, were wounded during a clash between
two rival groups of gangsters within the remits of Chakiwara
Police Station in the Agra Taj Colony area of Lyari Town in
Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two unidentified dead bodies,
identified as that of Ubaid and Sajjad, packed in gunny bags
were recovered from Pehlwan Goth area of Gulistan-e-Jauhar in
the Gulshan Town. According to details the two men were abducted
on August 11, 2013.
A person, identified as Amjad
(23), was found dead within the limits of Kharadar Police Station
near Abal Chowk in Lyari Town. Amjad went missing since August
10, 2013. Police suspects Lyari gangsters involvement in the
killing.
Another unidentified dead body
bearing torture marks was found in the Kharadar area of Lyari
Town.
A dead body was recovered from
the Naval Colony in the Baldia Town.
A dead body of a woman was found
in the Baghdadi area of Lyari Town.
An unidentified dead body was
recovered from Gulshan-e-Zia area of Orangi Town.
Karachi Police arrested an Indian
suspect, identified as Shah Alam, from Baghdadi area of Lyari
Town and recovered Indian passport and Pakistan National Identity
Card from his possession.
The Ramazan performance report
presented to Sindh IGP Shahid Nadeem Baloch stated that the
Sindh Police neutralized as many as 88 gangs of criminals in
Sindh during the month of Ramazan. A Police spokesman said that
between Ramazan 1 and 29 (July 9 to August 8), there were 244
Police encounters in the province and 88 gangs of criminals
were busted. In all, 18 dacoits and four terrorists were killed
and 2,296 arrests were made during the period.
SFs killed at least four unidentified
militants and arrested 10 others during an operation in the
Pir Ghaib area of Bolan District in Balochistan. The FC recovered
arms, including, 22 kilograms of explosives, two Kalashnikovs,
four magazines and a remote control during the operation.
Senior Police Official Bashir
Ahmed Brohi said that “at least two people were killed and a
pedestrian was wounded when a bomb planted on a bicycle exploded
on a roadside in Quetta.
Levies Force claimed to have
recovered a dead body, identified as that of one Muhammad Dawood,
from Shahrag tehsil of Harnai District.
Unidentified armed militants
hurled a hand grenade at the residence of one Anayatullah Khilji
on Kansi Road in Quetta. Police said that the house was partially
damaged.
FC and Police carried out a
joint operation and arrested 33 suspects from the Marri Camp
area of Western Bypass in Quetta.
The residence of a journalist,
Zafar Wazir, was destroyed when a bomb planted by unidentified
militants exploded in the Dabkot area of Wana, headquarters
of South Waziristan Agency in FATA. The official informed unidentified
militants had planted a high-intensity bomb outside
The BDS personnel defused a
half-kilogram explosive device in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar
in KP. SHO Riaz Ali Shah said the homemade bomb was planted
in an empty plot along the road near the Hayatabad Police Station.
A bomb was defused near a Police
check post in the limits of the Saro Kalley Police Station in
Shabqadar town of Charsadda District.
Security has been put on high
alert in the Tank District after TTP threats of targeting the
Government properties, including DPO office. Official sources
said that the TTP militants had threatened a week ago to rob
banks and set abalze the DPO office.
Unidentified militants opened
fire at a passenger vehicle in Danyor area of Gilgit District
in Gilgit Baltistan. However, all seven passengers onboard escaped
unhurt.
The Punjab Chapter of TTP warned
the PML-N Government of dire consequences if it carries on with
its plan of executing some convicts on death row. In a pamphlet
distributed in Southern Punjab and South and North Waziristan
Agencies of FATA, the TTP said that the Government will be considered
at war with them if it goes on to execute their ‘colleagues’
currently serving jail terms and are on death row.
The Election Commission of Pakistan
declared 1,657 polling stations “highly sensitive” for August
22 by-elections, and granted presiding officers powers of magistrate
of first class to hold summary trial of the offenders on the
polling day. According to the polling scheme, polling would
be held at 7,622 stations for 16 National Assembly and 26 Provincial
Assembly seats and some 1,657 polling stations have been declared
“highly sensitive”.
August 13
At least two people belonging
to the Ismaili community were killed and 42 others were injured
when unidentified militants hurled two hand grenade attacks
on in different localities of Karachi District, the provincial
capital of Sindh. The first attack took place at Agha Khan Jama’at
Khana located within the remits of Azizabad Police Station in
the Karimabad area of Gulberg Town.
In the second attack, two people
were injured when militants hurled a hand grenade at Ismaili
Jama’at Khana in Metroville area of SITE Town. Karachi City
Police Chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo said that the TTP and LeJ nexus
was suspected to be responsible for the attacks, because similar
threats had been issued by them last year.
A Lyari gangster, identified
as Muneer, was killed within the remits of Pak Colony Police
Station near Mohammadi Mosque situated in Jahanabad area of
SITE Town.
A Lyari gangster affiliated
Arshad Pappu group, identified as Mir Mohammad Baloch (25),
was shot dead within the jurisdiction of Shah Lateef Town Police
Station in Saleh Mohammad Goth area of Bin Qasim Town.
At least 12 hand-grenade explosions
took place in different Districts across the province, including
Hyderabad, Larkana, Dadu and Mehrabpur city of Naushahro Firoze
Districts of Sindh.
SFs claimed to have killed six
militants in Dhadar area of Bolan District during an operation.
An official of the FC, on condition of anonymity said that SFs
have launched an operation against the militants and there was
heavy exchange of fire between the militants and forces for
more than an hour. He said six militants were killed and two
FC personnel also suffered wounds during the operation.
Several explosions occurred
in Khuzdar, Turbat, Kharan Districts and other towns of the
province on the eve of Independence Day celebration.
A criminal, identified as Akhar
Nawaz, who had escaped from Dera Ismail Khan Central Prison
during jail break by the TTP on July 29, 2013, was re-arrested
in Bhakkar District of Punjab. A senior Police official in DI
Khan said that Nawaz, who was sentenced for murders, attempted
murders, thefts, robberies and other crimes, had escaped from
the jail during the attack.
SFs assisted by Police arrested
seven suspects during a search operation in Zafar Abad Colony,
Gali Bagh Wali, Dinpur and Dera Bypass Road in Dera Ismail Khan
District of KP on a tip-off about the presence of prisoners
who had escaped during the jail break attack and recovered 0.7million
Afghani along with six AK-47s, 21 pistols, 10 double barrel
guns and a sniper rifle from their possession.
Islamabad’s new counter-terrorism
policy, titled National Counter Terrorism and Extremism Policy
2013, seeks to dismantle all terrorist outfits and their networks
through wide-ranging reforms in the education system, police,
judiciary and foreign policy. According to the draft available
the five-layered counter-terror policy seeks to dismantle, contain,
prevent, educate and re-integrate.
The Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said, “We will leave it to the political
parties to decide whether we should hold talks with militants,
use force against them or adopt a mix of tact and might”. The
“war against terror” was thrust upon the nation by a dictator,
but saving Pakistan from death and destruction had now become
“our war”, said Federal Minister of Interior, adding that a
strategy against militants would be thrashed out at a Multi-Party
Conference later this month.
During a meeting in Lahore to
review the law and order situation of Punjab, Chief Minister
Shahbaz Sharif that a special force would be constituted to
protect foreigners. Given the recent rise in terrorism, he ordered
the recruitment of 4,000 constables in the Police force.
Despite threats by the Punjab
Chapter of TTP, the Government has decided to carry out the
execution of the three LeJ prisoners and the death penalty for
the first batch of terrorists belonging to the outfit will be
implemented next week in the Sukkur Central Prison. The three
LeJ terrorists are Attaullah, to be executed on August 20, Mohammad
Azam on August 21 and Jalal on August 22.
The PTI submitted a resolution
against drone attacks in the Punjab Assembly secretariat. The
resolution, submitted by MPA Mian Aslam Iqbal stressed that
drone attacks – which have increased in recent years – were
an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty and led to a number of civilian
casualties. The resolution moreover said that the Federal Government
should convey to the US that such attacks on Pakistani soil
were unacceptable.
The United Nations Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon while speaking at the inauguration of International
Centre for Peace and Stability at the National University of
Science and Technology categorically stated that drones should
be used only for collection of information in accordance with
the international laws. The UN Secretary General said every
effort should be made to avoid civilian casualties in the use
of armed drones.
August 14
A cadre each of the BNM and
BSO-A were killed in an encounter with SFs at a checkpost in
the Turbat District of Balochistan. According to an FC official,
the militants attacked a checkpost of FC near Turbat by rockets.
After the attack FC personnel raided a house in the Absar area
of the District, but armed militants present in the house opened
fire on them. The personnel returned fire and killed two of
them. However, the FC’s claim was rejected by BNF Information
Secretary Abdul Manan Baloch who claimed that the slain activists
were innocent civilians.
While addressing a meeting in
Lahore District of Punjab, the LeT founder and JuD ‘chief’ Hafiz
Mohammad Saeed, who is wanted in India for the November 26,
2008, Mumbai terror attacks, said that he was not a terrorist,
and asked for an independent probe by judges from India and
Pakistan to find out whether he was guilty. "You (India)
are continuously calling me a terrorist. But I am not a terrorist,
and if you are not satisfied, an independent judicial commission
comprising senior lawyers and judges from India and Pakistan
should investigate whether I am guilty," said Saeed.
August 15
A DSP, Qasim Ghauri, and an
ASI of Police, Aslam, were killed while the SHO Haider Zaidi
and two other constables were injured during a six-hour-long
operation to arrest a gang of extortionists in the Gulshan Town
of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh. The operation
was carried out against gangster Zamin Shah Chandio. In retaliation
the Police killed Zamin Chandio, along with his three accomplices
Ilahi Bux Chachar, Ardillo and Sunbul Ahmed.
According to Police details,
Chandio had refused to pay bribe to the Gulistan-e-Jauhar Police
Station and allegedly assaulted its Police Constable, Waseem.
DIG Tahir Naveed, who was supervising the entire operation,
criticised the Policemen occupying lower ranks in the Department.
“Some black sheep of the Police Department were involved in
giving permission to some criminals to run their illegal activities
in the area,” he pointed out, adding that these Policemen had
allowed gambling dens, land grabbing and extortions to take
place under their patronage. “These same elements were involved
in the Police encounter.”
However, the leader of Jeay
Sindh Tehreek, an offshoot of JSQM, Habib Jatoi admitted that
the deceased were their party activists and the Police shot
them dead in a fake encounter.
An activist of PPP, identified
as Rasheed Muneer, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants
near Al-Falah Chowk in the SITE Town.
A man, identified as Shujaat
Ahmed, was shot dead in the Abdullahabad area of Surjani Town.
The body of a man, identified
as Irfan Aslam, was found from Agra Taj Colony in the Lyari
Town.
The bullet riddled dead body
of a PAC cadre, identified as Kamran Baloch, was found from
Al-Falah Road in the SITE Town.
ATC declared nine accused, including
PAC leader Uzair Baloch, Baba Ladla and Habib Jan Baloch as
absconders, and reissued non-bailable arrest warrants for the
accused in the March 16, 2013, murder case of Lyari gangster
Arshad Pappu.
Levies Forces found a dead body,
identified as that of one Ahmed Din, from Surab area of Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan.
SFs found an unidentified dead
body from the Uthal area of Lasbela District.
Dead body of a boy (8), identified
as Muhammad Umer, was found from Hub area in Lasbela District.
Law Enforcement personnel detained
28 Afghan nationals under the Foreign Act during checking at
Mian Ghundi checkpost area of the provincial capital Quetta.
Later, the arrested Afghan nationals were handed over to the
Police for further interrogation.
Holding Islamabad in terror
for six hours an armed man, identified as Muhammad Sikandar,
along with his wife and two children, opened fire in the high-security
Red Zone of Islamabad, demanding the imposition of Sharia’h
in Pakistan. He was later shot and wounded by Police during
a standoff in the capital city. The SFs arrested him on the
directives of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar.
The ATC sent five suspects arrested
in connection with the August 9, 2013, suicide attack on Bara
Kahu mosque in Islamabad on a three-day physical remand on Police
request.
Rejecting Rawalpindi Police’s
investigation report about the recovery of a missing person,
the two-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice
Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry directed the city’s SP-Investigation to
interrogate accused officials of Intelligence Agencies in the
matter related to the forced disappearance of Zaheer Muzaffar,
who has been missing from Rawalpindi since February 2011.
A special anti-target killing
wing was established in the District Security Branch (DSB) –
an Intelligence Department of the Police which comes directly
under the control of the CCPO. “Dozens of people were being
killed in target killing incidents every year, but there was
an increase in such attacks this year, which is why a special
anti-target killing wing has been established in the DSB,” an
unnamed Police Official said.
August 16
Unidentified militants attacked
Rawalpindi-bound passenger train, Jaffar Express, with rockets
in the Dozan area near Mach in Bolan District of Balochistan,
killing at least two persons and injuring 32 others.
SFs killed at least eight armed
militants during a search operation in mountains of Mach and
Kolpur areas.
At least two people, identified
as Jaffer (30) and Shamshad (40), were killed and six others
were injured when unidentified armed assailants opened fire
near Punjabi Club in the Kharadar area of Saddar Town in the
Karachi District.
The Karachi Police shot dead
a TTP militant, identified as Sher Khan, during an encounter
in the Manghopir area of Gadap Town. Police also claimed to
have recovered explosives and firearms from his possession.
A female staff, identified as
Raheela Zohair, and a security guard, Mir Ali, were injured
when four unidentified militants on motorcycles opened fire
at the Express Media office located at Korangi Road in Karachi
District.
Five persons were injured in
a firing incident at Machchar Colony of Docks area in the Kiamari
Town.
One person sustained injuries
in a firing incident in the Agra Taj Colony of Lyari Town.
Another person was injured in
a firing incident in the Malir Town.
Unidentified militants ambushed
the vehicle of PPP MPA Sania Naz Baloch near Dubai Chowk in
the Lyari Town. However, Sania escaped unhurt.
ANP leader Najma Haneef Jadoon
was shot dead by unidentified militants inside her house at
Phase I in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of KP. Soon after the incident, police launched a search operation
in the area and arrested some suspects.
The Multan CIA Police arrested
a gang of abductors accused of abducting people by offering
them drugged food. Police said the gang had abducted 20 people
over the last few months. Initial investigations revealed that
the gang had been active in two Districts and the leader of
the gang had been identified as Muhammad Asif.
Benazir International Airport
in Islamabad has been sealed and security has been tightened
after receiving reports of terror threat. Security has been
beefed up at the airport and commandos have been deployed to
avert any untoward situation.
Islamabad Police registered
a case against Sikandar at Kohsar Police Station under Section
6 of the ATA. His wife, Kanwal, was also named in the FIR.
The FC IG Major General Ghayur
Mehmood Khan termed Mohmand Agency the most peaceful region
of the FATA. “Mohmand Agency is cleared of militants and the
nation cannot forget their sacrifices,” he said.
August 17
Unidentified armed riders killed
a former unit in charge of MQM, identified as Sadiq Rafiq, in
Ali market area of Lyari Town in Karachi District, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Police suspects that Lyari gangster group
was involved in the incident.
Armed riders killed a man, identified
as Mohammad Israr, within the jurisdiction of SITE-B Police
Station.
A suspected extortionist was
killed in a firing by traders in Paper Market on Tayebjee Road
in Saddar Town. Police stated that two extortionists had come
to collect extortion money from a trader of plastic items, when
another trader intercepted them and opened fire.
A bullet ridden body of an unidentified
young man was found near Banaras flyover in SITE Town. Police
said that the victim was first abducted and later killed.
FC personnel killed two suspected
militants, during a search operation, in Dozan area of Bolan
District in Balochistan.
Former Senator belonging to
JUI, Ismail Buledi, escaped an assassination attempt in Turbat
District. While he escaped unhurt in the incident, his nephew
who was accompanying him was injured in the attack.
Balochistan FC officials recovered
five grenades, a pistol and 26 bullets from two unidentified
persons in Mastung District.
August 18
An activist of MQM, identified
as Mohammed Amjad (32), was shot dead near Haroon Shopping Centre
in Bufferzone area of North Nazimabad Town of Karachi District,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
A rickshaw driver, identified
as Imran (25), was shot dead near the Nishan-e-Haider Chowk
at Rizvia Society in Liaquatabad Town.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead one Deen Muhammad (35), near Nullah Stop in Machhar
Colony of Kiamari Town.
An unidentified boy, appearing
to be 18 or 19 years old, was shot dead in Sultanabad area of
Liaquatabad Town.
A bullet-riddled dead body of
a man, stuffed in a gunny bag, was found in Chakiwara area of
Lyari Town. Chakiwara SHO Naseerudin Shah said that the victim
looked like a member of the Kutchhi community.
Armed assailants shot dead an
alleged criminal, Jameel Baloch (25), belonging to Arshad Pappu
Lyari gang near Manzil Petrol Pump in Shafi Mohammed Baloch
Goth area of Shah Latif Town in Bin Qasim Town.
At least one soldier was killed
and two others were injured when two militants opened fire on
a checkpoint of the paramilitary FC at Sariab Road in Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. FC forces retaliated,
killing one of the suspects.
Unidentified assailants killed
a tribal elder, identified as Ajab Khan, at Damadola area of
Mamond tehsil of Bajaur Agency in FATA.
Pakistan on ordered a temporary
stay of executions following objections from the President Asif
Ali Zardari and rights groups, days before they were due to
resume after a five-year moratorium. The Government announced
that executions, which had been scheduled to begin this week,
would be stayed temporarily following objections from outgoing
President Zardari. The stay would last until Zardari returns
from abroad to discuss the matter with Sharif, a statement said.
In a new push to revive peace
process in Afghanistan, officials said that on the request of
the Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s administration Pakistan
may release another batch of Afghan Taliban prisoners. A Government
official, on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the release
of more Taliban prisoners would be on the agenda of talks during
the upcoming visit of President Karzai and the members of the
Afghan High Peace Council to Pakistan.
August 16
Levis Forces arrested two suspects,
identified as Bakht Zaman and Haider Zaman, and averted a bid
of arms smuggling by recovering 40 mortar shells from a vehicle
on Alizai Road in Lower Kurram Agency of FATA. Administration
also arrested two persons on the spot.
August 19
Two people, identified Naseem
Arif Siddiqui (45), and his uncle Pervez Ali (63) were shot
dead within the jurisdiction of Taimuria Police Station near
Masjid-e-Al Huda in Orangi Town of Karachi District, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Arif was a member of Tablighi Jama'at.
A worker of the MQM, identified
as Rizwan (32), was shot dead, while two others, Nawab and Saqib,
wounded within the limits of Garden Police Station in Hassan
Lashkari Village of Saddar Town.
A cadre belonging to ST, identified
as Mohammad Faisal alias Shani (30), was shot dead within the
limits of Eidgah Police Station in Ramswami area of Saddar Town.
A man, identified as Victor
Masih (21), was killed within the vicinity of Nippier Police
Station on Siddiq Wahab Road in New Karachi Town.
ATC II issued notices to the
Judge Advocate General branch of the GHQ of Pakistan Army, for
information about two military officials, Colonel Abdul Malik
and Major Ashraf, who served in Pakistan Rangers, Sindh and
had recovered a Government officer, Jameel Ahmed Baloch, abducted
allegedly by MQM-H in 2001. The court summoned them for September
9, 2013, to record their statements in the kidnapping-for-ransom
case against MQM-H chief Afaq Ahmed WHO has been charged with
abetting the May 2001 abduction of the complainant, Jameel Ahmed
Baloch, the then Sub-Divisional Officer of Karachi Development
Authority in Korangi, for ransom.
At least two Policemen, Sabz
Ali Khan and Jawad Khan, were killed and another, identified
as Saddam Hussain, was injured when unidentified assailants
opened fire targeting Police checkpost on Jahangir Road in Swabi
District of KP.
Police recovered a dead body,
identified as that of Abdul Rehman, from Gulistan Road area
of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
An independent NA member Jamshed
Dasti was injured in an armed attack targeting him during his
visit to address a rally in Sanawan locality of Muzaffargarh
District. Before he could address the rally two unidentified
assailants attacked Dasti with sharp objects and rest of their
accomplices pelted stone on him. At least six of the attackers
were detained by people who had gathered to listen to Dasti,
but four of their accomplices managed to escape.
An Additional District and Sessions
Judge in Lahore District framed charges against four Black Arrow
Printing Press employees, identified as Moeed Ayaz, Asmatullah,
Razaullah and Ghulamullah, under the blasphemy laws for allegedly
publishing blasphemous literature and summoned witnesses for
September 14, 2013. They were arrested on January 7, 2013, as
they loaded a small truck with books and CDs.
ATC granted Kanwal, wife of
Sikandar who had held Islamabad hostage for hours on August
15, 2013, a seven-day physical remand. Earlier, the duty magistrate
had issued a one-day transit remand for Kanwal.
Quetta ATC expressed its displeasure
over non-production of (retired) General Pervez Musharraf before
the court in August 26, 2006 Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti's murder
case and ordered him to be produced before the court in the
next hearing scheduled for September 10, 2013. The court once
again issued arrest warrants of other accused in Nawab Bugti's
murder case, including former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and
former Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and former Dera Bugti DCO
Abdul Samad Lashi.
The Sindh Assembly finally passed
the Sindh Local Government Bill 2013 with a majority of votes,
despite opposition from the MQM. Soon after, Provincial Law
Minister Doctor Sikandar Mandhro moved the bill, MQM members
stood up and asked the Assembly Speaker, Agha Siraj Durrani,
about copies of the bill, which were not provided to a majority
of the MPAs. This triggered an altercation among members of
both the former coalition partners.
The Bill suggests that Karachi
may be given the status of Metropolitan Corporation. It would
be divided in five District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) while
one District Council would be formed which would comprise of
the sub-urban areas of the city. The draft states that DMCs
will also be set up in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Larkana
Districts. Moreover, town and municipal committees are to be
formed in rest of the Districts to manage local government affairs.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain while
rejecting the Bill during a telephonic speech said that the
PPP wanted rural-Urban and Sindh-non-Sindhi division in the
province with the approval of the bill, which he said was tantamount
to imposing British Raj.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
in his first televised address to the nation since taking office
after winning elections in May 2013, called for dialogue with
extremists to end bloodshed. He also warned that his Government
would use force to stamp out militancy from the country. "Wisdom
demands that we follow a path where we minimise the loss of
innocent lives," said Sharif. He campaigned for a historic third
term as premier by offering peace talks to TTP and the leaders
of outfits that have links with al Qaeda.
"This policy of reconciliation
is not confined just to political parties. I take a step forward
and invite for dialogue all those elements who have unfortunately
adopted the path of extremism." But Sharif said dialogue was
not the only option. "I want an end to terrorism whether it
is through dialogue and reconciliation, or through full use
of force," he added.
Describing Kashmir as the "jugular
vein" of his country, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said India
and Pakistan should join hands to tackle poverty and disease
instead of wasting their resources on wars. He said that Kashmir
is a "national issue and the jugular vein of Pakistan" and its
resolution is as dear to him as other Pakistanis.
August 20
A man, identified as Azmat,
was killed when armed assailants opened fire on him in the Korangi
Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
An unidentified man was shot
dead in the Gulshan-e-Bahar area of Orangi Town.
Unidentified armed assailants
opened fire and shot dead a cadre of the ST, identified as Faisal
Qadri, in the Martin Quarters area of Jamshed Town.
Three dead bodies bearing bullet
wounds were recovered from Malir Town.
Police recovered two dead bodies
of Baloch missing persons from Surjani Town area in the Gadap
Town. A hand written slip was also found with the bodies with
their names, Ramzan Baloch (45) and Ghafoor Baloch written on
it.
SSP Central Amir Farooqi said
that unidentified militants opened fire on a vehicle and injured
a man who later succumbed to his injuries in the North Nazimabad
Town.
Sindh Government ordered to
increase security of 29 high profile personalities, including
Police Officers and a High Court Judge. According to sources,
Justice Maqbool Baqar, who recently survived bomb attack, was
on the top of terrorists' hit list.
Sindh Government imposed a ban
on carrying weapons and cancelled all the permits in this regard
as part of security arrangements for the by-polls scheduled
in the province on August 22, 2013. The ban has been imposed
for three days and would be applicable from August 21 to 23,
2013.
Security Agencies raided an
alleged technical hub of al Qaeda in Lahore District and arrested
13 suspected terrorists, including seven women. The alleged
tech hub was being used to trace phone numbers of influential
and affluent people across the country in order to make phone
calls for extortion and kidnapping-for-ransom, an unnamed official
said.
According to a survey carried
out by the Provincial Government, as many as 267 terrorists
are imprisoned in the Punjab out of which 17 are locked up at
Bahawalpur Central Jail. It says that Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi
District, Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore District, Multan Central
Jail in Multan District and Dera Ghazi Khan Jail in DG Khan
District have been declared 'sensitive' and Rangers personnel
have been deployed there.
The FC arrested 10 suspects
and seized a huge quantity of explosives, including remote control
bombs and other material used in making explosives from go-down
in Satellite Town area of Quetta in Balochistan. Colonel Maqbool
of the Commandant Ghaza band Scout, a wing of the FC, said they
recovered over 100,000 kilograms of explosive material that
included 2,800 kilograms of sulphur; 15,000 kilograms aluminum
powder and 80 drums of acid.
Intelligence Agency uncovered
a plot to abduct Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif from his
residence in the Jati Umra town of Raiwind in Lahore District.
The conspiracy was unearthed after a militant of the TTP Punjab
Chapter, identified as Muhammad Usman, arrested on suspicion,
revealed they had completed their reconnaissance and had chalked
out a plan to abduct the Chief Minister. During the course of
investigation Usman revealed that Ubaid alias Qari Muhammad
Imran Group and Aslam Yasin alias Osama Group, 'commanders'
of Punjabi Taliban, had planned to abduct Shahbaz Sharif to
release their accomplices detained in high-profile cases of
terrorism in different jails of the country, particularly in
Punjab. 'Commander' Ubaid and Aslam Yasin were based at Miranshah
in the North Waziristan Agency of FATA, and had also links with
the al Qaeda; sources quoted Usman as telling investigators.
Rawalpindi Special ATC Judge
Chaudhry Habibur Rahman while hearing the December 2007 murder
case of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto indicted the former
President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf. "He was charged
with murder, criminal conspiracy for murder and facilitation
for murder," public prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar said at the ATC
in Rawalpindi hearing the case. However, Pervez Musharraf denied
the charges and the case has been adjourned until August 27,
2013.
The US Treasury set economic
sanctions on a madrassa in Peshawar, the provincial capital
of KP, for acting as training and recruiting base for al Qaeda,
Taliban and the LeT. The Treasury said that the Taleem-ul Quran
Ganj Madrassa in Peshawar was being used as training and recruiting
base by these militant groups. The head of the madrassa, Fazeel-a-Tul
Shaykh Abu Mohammed Ameen Al-Peshawari, known as Shaykh Aminullah,
has been a US and United Nations-designated terrorist since
2009, for his support for al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Reacting to the ban imposed
by the US, the administration of the madrassa said they feel
the sanctions are "unjustified and uncalled for". An administrative
council member of the madrassa, who wished not to be
named, said that Aminullah was just a teacher at the madrassa
and had left it almost eight months ago. There was no information
about him after he was put on the wanted list in November 2012,
he added.
August 21
An officer in ANF, identified
as Zahoor Ahmed Kiyani (46), belonging to the Ahmadiyya community,
along with his neighbour, Noorul Wahid, were shot dead in Mujahid
Colony within the jurisdiction of Orangi Town Police Station
in Liaquatabad Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital
of Sindh, Ahmadiyya community spokesperson Saleemuddin said
that Kiyani was killed on sectarian basis.
A man, identified as Yousuf
(40), and a teenager, Ata-ur-Rehman, were killed, while a child,
identified as Sajid (9), was wounded near Malik Agha Hotel at
Super Highway within the limits of Sohrab Goth Police Station
in Gadap Town. Initial investigation suggests that the militants
belonging to the Wali-ur-Rehman group of the TTP opened indiscriminate
firing to create panic and fear in the area.
PTI activist, Muzaffar Bangash
(21), was killed in the Pehlwan Goth area of Gulshan Town. PTI
workers claimed that Bangash was part of the party and that
he had been registered as the party's polling agent for NA-254.
A poultry shop owner, identified
as Rana Arshad (40), was shot dead in the Korangi Industrial
Area of Korangi Town.
A man was shot dead within the
limits of Saeedabad Police Station in the Baldia Town.
Another man, identified as Omer
Ali (21), was shot dead near Ghausia Masjid in the Bilal Colony
within the limits of Korangi Industrial Area in Korangi Town.
An unidentified man was shot
dead in Furniture Market within the limits of Pirabad Police
Station in Orangi Town.
Two dead bodies, identified
as that of Haji Abdul Razzak (50) and Pathan Khan (35), were
found from Band Murad Goth within the limits of Surjani Town
Police Station in Gadap Town.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found from Ganna Market near Super Highway within
the limits of Sohrab Goth Police Station in Gadap Town.
Another unidentified dead body
of a man was found near Super Highway within the limits of Sohrab
Goth Police Station in Gadap Town.
Over 30 female vaccinators who
were to inoculate children with booster drops against polio
were targeted in an armed attack by six assailants in the Gulshan-e-Maymar
area of Gadap Town. The vaccinators took shelter in a nearby
school as Policemen guarding them returned fire and managed
to arrest one of the attackers. The arrestee was identified
as TTP militant, Ameer Wais (20).
At least two people were killed
and 10 others were injured when a remote-controlled explosive
device planted on a motorcycle parked near the ticket booth
of the Railway Station exploded in the Chaman town of Qilla
Abdullah District of Balochistan.
At least two people were killed
and 10 others were injured when a remote-controlled explosive
device planted on a motorcycle parked near the ticket booth
of the Railway Station exploded in the Chaman town of Qilla
Abdullah District of Balochistan.
Former nazim of Jehangira Town
in Swabi District and a leader of the PTI from Nowshera District,
Mumlikat Khan, was shot dead by unidentified militants in Nowshera
District of KP.
The TTP warned women of Hangu
District in KP not to take part in by-election otherwise they
will be abducted and killed. The polling will be held for one
seat of KP Assembly, PF-42 Hangu-1. The threat by the TTP was
conveyed through leaflets found by people in Hangu bazaar.
DIG of Police, Kohat region,
Ishtiaq Marwat, said that army has been deployed in the area
because a militant attack cannot be ruled out during polling
in Hangu.
Police officers of the four
provinces and Gilgit Baltistan told the Senate Standing Committee
on Interior that the crime was becoming organised as various
criminal groups had associated themselves with terrorist organisations
like the TTP and BLA. "We are heading for a situation like Mexico
where drug lords and street criminals are operating like a corporate
firm," said a senior official of the National Police Bureau.
"The more serious problem in Pakistan is that terrorists and
anti-state elements are getting aligned with all kinds of criminals."
Senator Shahi Syed of the ANP
alleged said that terrorist organisations like the TTP and BLA
operated with the help of local criminals in Lyari and other
parts of Karachi.
The Pakistani Intelligence Agency,
ISI, had informed the Federal Ministry of Interior about al
Qaeda's plan to kill former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto seven
days before the attack. A copy of the letter has been procured.
The Interior Ministry forwarded the letter to Police and concerned
security departments. Despite the forewarning, Bhutto was assassinated
on December 27, 2007 after a rally in Rawalpindi District of
Punjab.
August 22
A pro-al Qaeda 'commander' of
TTP, identified as Ghulam Jan, his uncle, Juma Khan, and three
of his close aides Mir Gul, Asmatullah and Kharote were killed
in roadside bomb explosion targeting his vehicle in Birmal tehsil
in South Waziristan Agency of FATA. Jan was believed to be harbouring
foreign Uzebk, Tajik and Central Asian militants and was earlier
in 2007 ousted from the area by the pro-government Mullah Nazir
group.
Two people, including an army
trooper, were killed, while at least 15 others, including 10
soldiers, were injured in a bomb attack targeting an army truck
near Rangers Headquarters in the Korangi area of Korangi Town
in Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh. TTP spokesman
Ehsanullah Ehsan reportedly claimed responsibility for the blast.
A Shia doctor, identified as
Doctor Ghazanfar Ali Zaidi (58), was killed in a sectarian attack
near Dak-khana in Shahrah-i-Altaf Brelvi area of Liaquatabad
Town. "Dr Zaidi's murder was a clear case of sectarianism,"
said SSP Central Amir Farooqui.
A dead body of a missing journalist,
identified as that of Haji Abdul Razzaq Baloch, was found dumped
on the outskirts of Karachi. Razzaq, an ethnic Baloch, was a
sub editor at the daily Tawar (Voice), a Balochi-language daily,
who went missing in March 2013 from Lyari Town.
A dead body of a missing journalist,
identified as that of Haji Abdul Razzaq Baloch, was found dumped
on the outskirts of Karachi. Razzaq, an ethnic Baloch, was a
sub editor at the daily Tawar (Voice), a Balochi-language daily,
who went missing in March 2013 from Lyari Town.
A dead body of a missing journalist,
identified as that of Haji Abdul Razzaq Baloch, was found dumped
on the outskirts of Karachi. Razzaq, an ethnic Baloch, was a
sub editor at the daily Tawar (Voice), a Balochi-language daily,
who went missing in March 2013 from Lyari Town.
A leader of PPP Quetta and former
Quetta nazim Mir Maqbool Lehri was detained in explosives
recovery case in Quetta.
At least 12 militants were arrested
and heavy ammunitions, including seven hand grenades, a landmine
and six Kalashnikovs, were seized in an operation carried out
by SFs in Kandu Kalay area of Hangu District of KP.
KP Police arrested 275 suspects
during search operations across the Province and recovered heavy
ammunition, explosives and drugs. A Police spokesman said that
Police teams seized 26 AK-47 rifles, 13 Kalashnikov rifles,
61 other rifles, 444 pistols, 4,872 bullets, 200 grams of explosive
material, 23 kilogramme of hashish and 40 bottles of liquor.
Punjab Chapter of TTP welcomed
a call for dialogue by PM Nawaz Sharif with extremists. PM Nawaz
Sharif made the offer to extremists on August 19, 2013. "We
welcome the offer of talks by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,"
TTP Punjab 'chief' Ismatullah Muawiya said in a statement distributed
in Wana town of South Waziristan Agency of FATA.
August 23
A clash between ASWJ and members
of Shias community killed at 11 people in Kotla Jam area of
Bhakkar District in Punjab. As per Police official Abdullah
Khan, people were killed on both sides. The conflict started
when one of the ASWJ cadres was shot dead by unidentified assailants
while he was closing his shop during a rally in the area.
A fugitive militant with PKR
500,000 as bounty on his head, identified as Atique, was killed
in an exchange of fire with the Police in Sabzazar Colony of
Lahore District.
Reports on absence of women
from by-polls were received from Mianwali and Mandi Bahauddin
Districts.
After receiving the inquiry
report from a Chakwal Sessions Judge, a three-member bench of
the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry, directed the ISI through the Defence Ministry to produce
two missing brothers, Umer Hayat and Umer Bakht, on September
28, 2013. A Chakwal District and Sessions Judge told the Supreme
Court that the two brothers were picked up by the ISI on April
5, 2010, from Chakwal District of Punjab.
Two PPP activists, identified
as Muhammad Naseem (48), Farman Aftab (28), were shot dead while
they were having tea at Essa Hotel in Orangi Town of Karachi
District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Three dead bodies identified
as that of Abdul Razzak (28), Mohammad Aslam (25), and Irfan
Ali, (28), were found stuffed in gunny bags from Hub River Road
within the limits of Mochko Police Station in Baldia Town.
Another dead body stuffed in
gunny bag was found near Kashti Chowk in Baghdadi within the
limits of Napier Police Station in Lyari Town.
SITE Police also found an unidentified
dead body of a youth near the Dalda Morr in Sher Shah Village
Kiamari Town. Police said the victim was tortured before being
shot dead.
The HRCP raised concern on continued
dumping of mutilated dead bodies of missing Baloch men in Karachi
and demanded that the killers should be brought to justice.
In a statement the Commission noted "with great dismay and strongly
condemned the fact that there had been no let up in the discovery
of dead bodies of missing persons." It added, "While the discovery
of mutilated dead bodies is unfortunately hardly unusual in
Karachi, it is a matter of grave concern that in recent months
bodies of men who had gone missing in Balochistan have increasingly
been found dumped in Karachi with chits bearing their names
left in their pockets for identification.
An unidentified bullet-riddled
dead body was recovered from Killi Chashma area of Kalat District
of Balochistan.
The volunteers of peace committees
in the suburban areas of Peshawar tightened security in their
respective localities after receiving threatening telephone
calls from militants. Adezai Qaumi Lashkar chief Fazal Malik,
when contacted, said that peace volunteers were already active
but now militants were threatening them to attack the village.
"I have personally received several calls from Bilal, a militant,
who belongs to Adezai village and has recently shifted to Afghanistan.
As many as 60 ex-militants on
August 23 completed a three-month professional training course
in different trades at the Mashal institute in Swat District.
The graduates of the programme took an oath on the occasion
to live peacefully after they had returned to their homes. The
total number of ex-militants who have been rehabilitated at
the Mashal institute reached 1,189.
Women voters were absent from
the polling stations in some parts of the KP because they were
barred from polling either as a result of a ban imposed or an
understanding between the contesting candidates that women voters
should not be allowed to come out for voting on the pretext
of social or cultural norms. The reports of women being barred
from the polling process were received from various polling
stations in Nowshera and Lakki Marwat Districts of the Province.
PM Nawaz Sharif while talking
to The Telegraph stressed the need for having cordial relations
with India, as well as holding peace talks with the TTP. PM
Nawaz said that he has made it clear that he sees his election
victory as a mandate for peace with India. He said, "There will
be progress and there has to be progress... If we have to prosper,
there has to be progress on this," adding, "We didn't have any
India-bashing slogans in the elections. We don't believe in
such slogans. There have been such slogans in the past - 10
years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago - but not now. In fact,
I very clearly spoke about good relations with India even before
the elections were happening."
He also said that his Government
would produce a new national security strategy in the next few
weeks, and that the emphasis will shift away from force and
towards negotiation with the TTP. "Of course we're fighting
each other," he said. "I believe that there may be no harm in
exploring the other option of having dialogue with them if they're
at all serious, and if we find them serious enough - and if
we think that talks can yield positive results."
August 24
A person, identified as Kamran
(25), was killed while four others were injured during armed
clashes between two rival groups in Lyari Town of Karachi District,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
A former member of JeI, identified
as Zafar Iqbal (55), was killed by unidentified assailants in
Liaquatabad Town.
A person, identified as Rizwan
Memon, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Mosamiyat
Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Gulshan Town.
A man identified as Rana (30),
was shot dead in Yousuf Goth of Baldia Town.
A man identified as Rana (30),
was shot dead in Yousuf Goth of Baldia Town.
A man identified as Rana (30),
was shot dead in Yousuf Goth of Baldia Town.
An unidentified dead body was
found near Kati Pahari within the remits of Pirabad Police Station
in Orangi Town
An unidentified dead body was
found near Kati Pahari within the remits of Pirabad Police Station
in Orangi Town
Body of a person identified
as Shahrukh Soomro was found near Lee Market of Lyari Town.
Another dead body was recovered
from Saddam Chowk in Baldia Town.
Pak Colony Police recovered
dead body of another abducted man, identified as Muhammad Naeem
from Lyari riverbed in Lyari Town.
BNF gave a call for shutter
down and wheel-jam strike across the province against recovery
of decomposed body of journalist Abdul Razzaq Baloch and other
missing persons from Karachi (Sindh).
Two TTP militants of Orakzai
Agency Chapter, identified as Bilal alias Umaray and Habib Gul,
were killed and 14 others were arrested during a clash with
the Police and SFs at Al-Sher Mohalla in Hangu District of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
August 25
Maulana Akbar Saeed Farooqi,
spokesperson for ASWJ, succumbed to his injuries after getting
injured in an armed attack near Safari Park in Gulshan Town
of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A rickshaw driver, identified
as Nadir Hussain (33), was shot dead in the Korangi area within
the remits of Awami Colony Police Station in Korangi Town.
An unidentified person was shot
dead near Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Chowrangi within the Sacchal
Police Station in Gulshan Town.
MQM worker, identified as Muhammad
Asif, was shot dead near Shahi Darbar Hall in Baldia Town.
Two MQM workers, identified
as Raheel Jabbar (26) and Tahir Munna, were found dead from
Ibrahim Hyderi area of Korangi Town.
A body was found within the
limits of Shahrah-e-Faisal Police Station.
Police found a body from Baldia
Town.
Two workers of ANP survived
a grenade attack in the Shirin Jinnah Colony area of Kiamari
Town.
A Head Constable, identified
as Khiar Muhammad, was shot dead by unidentified assailants
at Char Mori in Sibi District of Balochistan.
An 18 inch diameter gas pipe
line was blown up by militants in the Pirkoh gas field area
of Dera Bugti District.
Four unidentified militants
opened fire at an oil tanker that was going from Quetta, the
provincial capital of Balochistan to Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh and then set it on fire in the Dasht area of
Mastung District.
SFs arrested a suspect and seized
12 tonnes of explosives during a raid in the Shakas area of
Jamrud tehsil in the Khyber Agency of FATA.
Three soldiers and a civilian
were injured when an explosion took place while transporting
the explosives.
August 24
The ‘spokesman’ for the Hakimullah
Mehsud-led TTP, Shahidullah Shahid, claimed that the head of
the Punjabi Taliban faction, Asmatullah Muawiya, has been stripped
of his leadership for welcoming the Government’s peace talk
offer. He said that the Taliban central Shura had taken
‘serious notice’ of Asmatullah Muawiya’s recent statement as
he was not authorised to respond to the Government’s offer for
talks.
However, Muawiya responded that
the TTP Shura did not have the capacity to remove him
because the Punjabi Taliban is a separate group. He said his
group has its own decision-making body to decide leadership
and other matters.
August 25
A Police constable, identified
as Sher Bahadur, was killed and another, identified as Muhammad
Bilal, was injured when unidentified militants ambushed their
vehicle in Sakwar area of Gilgit Baltistan. They were on their
way to the Police training centre.
A civilian, identified as Sakhi,
was shot dead in the same area after half an hour of the killing
of the Policemen. “Obviously the attacks on the Policemen and
the civilian were sectarian,” said SSP Ali Zia, adding “this
violence seems to be part of the recent wave that has gripped
the country.”
August 26
A man, identified as Qamar Sajjad
(55), was shot dead in a sectarian attack on University Road
within the remits of Aziz Bhatti Police Station in Gulshan Town
of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
An activist of PPP, identified
as Alam Khan Sawati (33), was shot dead, and his brother, Bareen
Khan, was wounded when unidentified armed assailants opened
fire at them near a general store in Bilal Colony of Korangi
Town.
A Police constable, Chaudhary
Sajjad (35), was shot dead near Qatar Hospital within the jurisdiction
of Orangi Town Police Station in Orangi Town. According to Police,
Sajjad hailed from Punjab.
Over a dozen people were injured
when unidentified armed gangsters fired around 25 rockets and
resorted to indiscriminate firing targeting Kuttchi community
areas on Suleman Azad Road in Agra Taj Colony of Lyari Town.
Police said the violence broke out after two groups clashed
with each other over a row involving jurisdiction of their areas.
Normality returned to Lyari after law enforcers in the area
were given shoot-at-sight orders.
A worker of MQM, identified
as Qaiser Mukhtar, was shot dead in Shah Faisal Colony of Shah
Faisal Town.
A man, identified as Rameez,
was shot dead and two others, Mohsin and Shoaib, were wounded
in Dastagir area within the limits of Jauharabad Police Station
in Gulberg Town.
An owner of a bus stand, identified
as Raja Ameer, was shot dead near Manzil Pump within the limits
of Shah Latif Police Station in Bin Qasim Town.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found in Kalakot area of Lyari Town. Police said that
the victim was first kidnapped and later his bullet riddled
body was dumped.
Another unidentified dead body
of a man was found from Mirza Adam Khan Road in Lyari Town.
Police said that the victim had been kidnapped before being
tortured to death.
Police arrested a suspect who
was involved in planting bombs and defused at least three bombs
in different parts of Jacobabad city of Jacobabad District.
Police said that the accused was arrested from Balochistan province.
Intelligence Agencies warned
of possible terror activities in Sukkur District. According
to their report, a group of terrorists from FATA have entered
Sukkur and have plans to carry out terror acts in the city.
Unidentified armed assailants
killed a psychologist, identified as Farhana Mahmood, and his
patient, Sardar Ayub, in Agha Khan Health Services Office in
Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A two-member special bench of
the PHC, comprising of Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and
Justice Manzoor ordered re-polling at those polling stations
in Nowshera (NA-5) and Lakki Marwat (NA-27 ) constituencies
where women were barred from casting their votes during the
by-polls held last week.
A strike was announced by the
ASWJ Gilgit Baltistan Chapter to protest the killing of the
Constable Bahadur in August 25, 2013 sectarian attack in Gilgit.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead a man, identified as Wali Khan, in Killi Walla area
of Zhob District in Balochistan.
Three rockets were fired by
unidentified militants on a check post of SFs in Mewand area
of Kohlu District. However no casualty was reported.
Unidentified militants blew
up two wells of natural gas in Pir Koh area of Dera Bugti District.
Balochistan Government is looking
for support and help of the Central Government to bring an end
to growing sectarian violence in Quetta. Well informed circles
in the NP and PkMAP confirmed that following a strong debate
in Islamabad in recent days, the two ruling parties of Balochistan
– NP and PkMAP – agreed to launch massive crackdown on LeJ and
SSP in Quetta and its adjoining areas but PML-N leaders from
Balochistan as well as from centre were reluctant to go against
the LeJ.
The Government informed the
National Assembly that 339 drone attacks had been recorded in
the country since 2004, according to findings of a number of
unofficial organisations which followed America’s policy to
use drones worldwide. A written answer submitted to the house
in response to a question said that 400 civilians had died in
the tribal belt as a result of the attacks. There was no mention
of the number of terrorists killed.
To a flurry of questions in
which members sought a clarification whether the government
had any underhand understanding with the US Government to allow
the use of drones in the tribal areas, Minister of State Khurram
Dastagir Khan categorical answer was ‘no’. He said the Government
hadn’t found any written agreement between Pakistan and the
US on the use of drones, but it could be safely assumed that
the previous two Governments led by the PML-Q and PPP had silently
agreed, hence they never forcefully raised the issue.
The IGP revealed that the gunman
Sikandar responsible for the August 15, 2013 Islamabad standoff
demanding imposition of Sharia’h had links with a banned
militant outfit. The IG told a press conference that Sikandar
had been operating with militant groups in foreign countries,
including Dubai, for the last five years. He said that the gunman
had been helping terrorist outfits carry out their activities.
He acted as their handler and facilitator, the IG added. According
to details given by the IG, Sikandar underwent combat training
in 1996 after which he started raising funds for the banned
organisation in Dubai. Sikandar received militant training in
PoK.
A Bench of the SC, consisting
of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawad S
Khwaja and Justice Azmat Saeed, hearing the cases of missing
persons in Quetta Registry, observed that FC and other Security
Agencies are not cooperating with the court for the early and
safe recovery of missing persons. The court also said it could
issue arrest warrants of those involved in forced disappearances,
extra-judicial arrest and detention if the authorities concerned
did not cooperate in production of missing persons before the
SC.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai
during his visit to Islamabad urged Pakistan to help arrange
peace talks between his Government and the Afghan Taliban. He
said Afghanistan expected Pakistan to provide “opportunities
or a platform for talks between the Afghan High Peace Council”
– Kabul’s official negotiators – and the Taliban. “We hope with
this on top of our agenda we can move forward in bringing stability
and peace to both countries,” he said.
August 27
Three people, identified as
Muhammad Abbas, Saleem, and Arsalan were killed in separate
incidents in unspecified areas of Karachi District, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain said
that Karachi should be handed over to the army to contain the
ongoing wave of violence in the District. The MQM chief asked
military to act “indiscriminately” against all groups involved
in terrorist activities. He said the city has become a “safe
haven” for terrorists while law and order situation is going
from bad to worse with the passage of time.
Soon after Altaf Hussain’s statement,
MQM called upon the Government to invoke Article 245 of the
Constitution for handling the prevailing law and order situation
in the city. “The situation in Karachi is worsening. Criminals
are being patronised and the situation has gone beyond control,”
claimed Dr Farooq Sattar, MQM’s Parliamentary leader in Lower
House of the Parliament. Article 245 of the Constitution says,
“The Armed Forces shall, under the directions of the Federal
Government, defend Pakistan against external aggression or threat
of war, and, subject to law, act in aid of civil power when
called upon to do so.”
While addressing press conference,
the Pakistan Sikh Council head Sardar Ramesh Singh called on
the Government and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice
of growing incidents of desecration of their holy book, Guru
Granth Sahib, in various parts of Sindh. Singh said that so
far five incidents have occurred which forced him to bring it
to the Government’s notice.
At least four TTP militants
and two soldiers were killed while nine soldiers were injured
when the militants attacked on a SFs camp in Sara Rogh area
of South Waziristan Agency in FATA. Security personnel engaged
in retaliatory firing killing three attackers whereas the fourth
militant detonated a suicide vest that he was wearing. TTP spokesperson
Shaidullah Shahid claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to Police, unidentified
militants opened fire at Kechi Baigh area of Sariab locality
in Balochistan’s provincial capital Quetta, killing a man, identified
as Saeed Ahmed.
A truck driver of a Punjab bound
truck was killed and two other occupants were wounded in Darjan
area Bolan District.
SFs arrested two abductors and
recovered three kidnapped persons during a search operation
in Manzari area of Pishin District.
The SC gave the FC, Police and
Intelligence Agencies two weeks to recover the missing persons.
The Attorney General said that immediate action will be taken
to solve the missing persons’ case. Those FC personnel whose
names will be raised in this case will be investigated by the
CID.
Pakistan said that Afghan Taliban
militants are unwilling to talk to Karzai Government and its
peace negotiators at least for now. The statement came after
Afghan President Hamid Karzai concluded a two-day visit to Pakistan
that was focused on efforts to encourage Taliban to come to
the negotiating table. Pakistan's Advisor to the Prime Minister
on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said the
Taliban are not willing to talk to Afghan Government or Afghan
High Peace Council.
The formal trial of former President
General Pervez Musharraf on charges of involvement in the December
27, 2007, murder of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto began
today. "The trial began with the Anti-Terrorism Court in
Rawalpindi recording evidence of a witness," state prosecutor
Chaudhry Azhar said. He said four witnesses were summoned but
only one turned up to testify.
August 28
Four people, including a political
activist Farhan Sheikh, who was the target of the attack, were
shot dead on Fariya Street in Kharadar area of Saddar Town in
Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh. Kharadar
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Iftekhar Ahmed Lodhi said that
some unidentified armed assailants fired gunshots, killing Farhan,
Arif, Arsalan, and Abbas. Two other people were also injured
in the firing. “Apparently, the actual target was Farhan Sheikh,
while the other victims just fell victim to random firing,”
the Police Officer said.
Two dead bodies, identified
as that of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation employee Pervez
Masih and Awais, were found at the Mewa Shah graveyard in SITE
Town. The two men were missing since the night of August 27,
2013.
Another dead body, identified
as that of Mohammad Ramzan Khaskheli, was found along the bank
of Lyari River in Pak Colony area of SITE Town.
A trader was shot dead by two
unidentified armed assailants near Bismillah Hotel in Pak Colony
area of SITE Town.
In a sectarian attack, the owner
of United Book Shop, identified as Akhtar Hussain (40), was
killed at Urdu Bazaar in Nazimabad area of Liaquatabad Town.
Police investigators believe that as the victim was a member
of the Shia community, the murder could be sectarian in nature.
A rickshaw driver, identified
as Mohammad Sadiq (35), was shot dead in Sector 19-D, Baldia
Town. Sadiq had arrived in the city from Mansehra Division in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Two unidentified armed assailant
shot dead a man, identified as Abdul Kalaam, on Jamia Millia
Road in Al-Falah area of Shah Faisal Town while he was returning
home in Orangi Town after playing a hockey match in the area.
A garment factory employee,
identified as Kashi (35), was shot dead in Allahwala Town area
of Korangi Town. Korangi Industrial Area Police said that Kashif
was a supporter of a political party and that this could be
the reason behind his killing.
A Police constable, identified
as Pervez Akhtar (45), was shot dead at near a filling station
in Metroville area of SITE Town. Following the incident, SITE-A
SHO Muhammad Tufail and the head clerk of the Police Station
were suspended, as the DIG found the Police Station’s staff
to be negligent in maintaining law and order in the locality.
Regardless of various notices
being taken by the Supreme Court as well other Government authorities,
Lyari is one place where violence does not seem to end. Apart
from routine killings and attacks, residents who left the area
in the month of Ramazan to find shelter in safe localities within
Sindh, were also welcomed with hostility by rival ethnic groups
upon their arrival. Till date, at least 30,000 people have migrated
from strife-torn Lyari to coastal areas of Badin and Thatta
Districts.
The Doaba Police on a tip-off
raided a house in Sarokhel area of Hangu District and arrested
three militants, identified as Israfeel, Mujibur Rehman and
Siddiqullah, while they were making bombs.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar
Ali Khan underlined the need for carrying out a targeted operation
in Karachi under the supervision of Sindh Government. Addressing
a press conference, he dispelled the impression of army’s “stretched
operation” across Karachi, saying that criminals and their hideouts
have already been identified and what needed was having a consensus
for the operation.
Speaking to members of MQM Rabita
Committee in Karachi and showing some reservations on Government
proposed ‘apolitical targeted operation’ in Karachi, MQM chief
Altaf Hussain said an operation conducted with honesty and aimed
at restoring peace will be welcomed by the party.
Mamnoon Hussain, the President-elect
of Pakistan, during a gathering at Karachi Chamber of Commerce
and Industry in Karachi said that most heinous crimes take place
in Sindh, particularly in its port city Karachi. Mamnoon Hussain
ruled out the progress of country’s economy without fixing the
order in Karachi.
The SC was told that militant
wings of political parties were active in Karachi. Summoned
by the Court, Sindh Rangers DG Rizwan Akhtar blamed the unrest
on armed wings of political parties, which he said were on a
killing spree. He said it was necessary to eliminate these for
peace in the city. Akhtar told the court that the Rangers had
limited powers. They could arrest criminals, but not investigate
the crimes properly. He added that those arrested were soon
bailed out of prison.
Chief Minister Balochistan,
Doctor Abdul Malik Baloch during a debate over deteriorating
law and order situation during Balochistan Assembly session
revealed that worsening law and order situation in different
parts of the province has deprived around 70,000 children from
education. He said mass migration and worsening law and order
situation in sensitive parts of the province deprived children
from schooling.
Most of the Baloch dominated
areas in Balochistan were “no go” areas, he said. “Right from
the Sariab road area of Quetta to Mand in Turbat District, nobody
feels safe to go there,” he told the House. “Even Taliban style
judgments are being issued in different parts of Balochistan,”
he informed the Provincial Assembly members, who were passionately
listening to the leader of the house. Doctor Baloch revealed
that 78 gangs involved in kidnapping and other subversive activities
were operating in Quetta alone.
Security Agencies agreed to
hand over to Police, those uniformed officers who have been
allegedly involved in abduction of citizens in Balochistan.
A three-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry, heard the Balochistan law and order situation and
missing persons’ cases at the Quetta Registry and issued a written
judgment.
AAG Shah Khawar informed the
Court that the FC IG had agreed to hand over to the CID those
personnel who wereallegedly involved in forced disappearances
and were to be interrogated. “An FC official, Abdul Waheed,
is required to be investigated in the case of Mehrullah Khilji
and Major Saif is required in another case for interrogation
by the Police,” the order mentioned.
KP Inspector General Police
Prisons, Zakar Hussain Afridi during his visit to DI Khan Central
prison said that besides providing basic facilities, modern
weapons will also be given to staff in prisons across the province
in order to ensure an event like the DI Khan jailbreak does
not occur again. He said authorities have started working on
installing jammers and hidden cameras in the prison. “Steps
are being taken to prevent the use of drugs and mobile phones
inside the jail. All internal affairs are being strictly monitored.”
A three-member Turkish Police
delegation met with Punjab IGP Khan Baig at the Lahore Police
Office train Punjab Policemen in counter-terrorism and security
measures. The delegation is part of a programme for mutual cooperation
between the Punjab and Turkish Governments. A formal agreement
in this regard will be signed in September 2013. The delegation
will observe policing patterns across the Punjab and devise
a strategy to fight terrorism in the province. They will also
help improve the Punjab police’s capacity.
August 29
Two activists of MQM, identified
as Naushad Kursheed and Arshad Hussain, were shot dead near
Chamcha Hotel within the precincts of Orangi Town Police Station
in Orangi Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital of
Sindh.
A cleric, identified as Ahmed
Nadeem Farooqi, was shot dead inside a mosque on Jamshed Road
within the limits of Jamshed Quarter Police Station in Jamshed
Town.
A Lyari gangster, identified
as Nayab Ahmad, was also shot dead in Malir area of Malir Town.
A man, identified as Muhammad
Ali, was shot dead while another, identified as Javaid Ibrahim,
was wounded when suspected Lyari gangsters opened fire on them
near Manan Palace within the jurisdiction of Kharader Police
Station. Police said that Lyari gangsters were behind the killing.
The dead body of a man, identified
as Sehbaz Abdul Rehman, a student of Lyari Degree College, was
found from Fida Hussain Shaikha Road, Bihar Colony, within the
limits of Kalri Police Station in Lyari Town. Police said that
the victim was abducted on August 28, 2013, and later his bullet-riddled
body was dumped in Bihar Colony.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found near Kashti Chowk in Lyari Town.
Police arrested several suspects,
including political party activists, during a crackdown in different
areas of Karachi. SSP City Tariq Dharijo said that several suspects
were arrested during raids in Kharadar and Meetha dar areas
of Saddar Town. He said that drugs and arms were also seized
during the raids.
Police said that four suspects
were arrested in Usmanabad area of Garden in Saddar Town and
weapons were also recovered from them. According to reports,
Police also conducted raids in Shah Latif Town and Landhi Town,
arresting three political activists.
At least two people were killed
and one child was injured when an explosion occurred in Turbat
District of Balochistan.
Armed tribal men opened fire
on a man, identified as Ghulam Rasool, killing him on the spot
in Killi Risaldar area of Quetta.
An unidentified militant was
killed and eight others injured in an operation launched by
SFs in Sangan area of Sibi District and Macch area of Bolan
District. Sources said that SFs took action after the reports
of presence of extremists involved in attacks on passenger buses
and trains in the area.
Two unidentified militants killed
a former ASI, Raza Khan, who was nominated in the May 17, 2011
killing of Chechen nationals, in Kharotabad area of Quetta.
A Police Official, Muhammad Aslam, said that Khan was sacked
from his job after an investigation conducted by the Police
Department. Chechen nationals were killed on May 17, 2011 for
allegedly possessing suicide jackets and other arms and ammunition.
Unidentified militants abducted
a religious leader, identified as Syed Ahmad Shah, in Kalat
District.
Official sources said that on
August 29 alleged abductors released a doctor, identified as
Doctor Ahmed, and businessman, Ishaq Mughal, after taking heavy
ransom from their families, in Quetta. Ishaq is the owner of
Madina Iron Store.
The tribesmen of Orakzai Agency
in FATA abducted eight people from Ublan Afghan refugee camp
in Kohat District for trespassing on their area. Police said
that the kidnapped persons had entered the area of Bezote tribe
of Orakzai Agency to collect stones for construction of houses.
Four of the kidnapped men were identified as Basharullah, Qismatullah,
Sawab Khan and Raeed Khan. The names of remaining four men could
not be ascertained. The Bezote tribe had banned entry of shepherds
and labourers for taking soil, stones and wood from their area.
Elders in Sheikhan village in
Peshawar received their third letter in less than two months,
warning them to either kill a local woman accused of ‘ill character’
or hand her over to LI. The letters were sent to an Afghan prayer
leader and directly addressed village elders, blaming the woman
for immoral behaviour. Militants have asked villagers to hand
over the married woman if they cannot kill her, saying LI will
‘take care of her.’ Reshma said her only crime is answering
the door when her husband, who is a government employee, is
away at work.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry, who headed a five-member SC bench, while hearing the
Karachi law and order suo motu implementation case at the SC’s
Karachi Registry said that weapons in large quantities were
being smuggled in through the Karachi port and supplied throughout
the country, including Balochistan. Citing media reports, he
said around 19,000 containers carrying weapons for NATO and
US forces fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan had gone missing.
The Chief Justice remarked that
there was an ongoing turf war between different groups in the
city and the Federal Government had not given any input to the
Provincial Government during last two years to normalise the
situation. The bench directed the attorney general and advocate
general of Sindh to seek instructions from federal and provincial
governments to ensure protection of citizens’ lives. The bench
will take up the case again on August 30, 2013 at the Karachi
Registry.
The Attorney-General Munir Malik
in a report submitted to the hearing uncovered the existence
of yet another shadowy group, ‘Muhajir Republican Army’ that
is believed to be sowing trouble and is responsible for the
shock-and-awe situation in the city. He laid bare the role of
the so-called ‘Muhajir Republican Army’. The report suggested
legal action against the group if and when its members are identified.
“All-out efforts are required to identify the members of the
Muhajir Republican Army and action taken against them under
the law,” it said.
The Interior Ministry wrote
in the report that Karachi is confronted with multi-dimensional
threats. Besides other forms of organised crime, major threats
are terrorism, targeted murders, sectarian and ethnic killings.
“Over time, criminal gangs have matured into formidable syndicates
which have developed alliances with terrorist cells,” the Ministry
claimed, adding, “unfortunately; they have also developed political
patronage.”
A consensus was reached on dealing
with the security situation in Karachi after the PPP, ANP, JeI,
JUF-F MQM supported Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s
call for a targeted operation in the city.
Pakistan termed the recent visit
of Afghan President Hamid Karzai as successful and said that
it had assured Kabul of continuing help and assistance for success
of the reconciliation and peace process. Foreign Office spokesman
Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, in his weekly press briefing said, “Pakistan
has taken a principled stance of fully supporting the Afghan
peace and reconciliation process and these sentiments were shared
with President Karzai by the Pakistani leadership during his
recent visit to Pakistan,” adding, “Pakistan also supported
the Doha talks.” He said Pakistan further believes that the
Afghans themselves should lead the reconciliation process.
Pakistan overturned a 33-year
jail term handed down to Doctor Shakil Afridi, who helped CIA
agents find Osama bin Laden, a decision which may result in
a new trial. Senior judicial official Sahibzada Mohammad Anees
overturned the ruling on the grounds that another official had
exceeded his authority when handing down last year's sentence.
"The assistant political agent ... did not have the authority
to award 33 years imprisonment to Doctor Shakil Afridi,"
said a written judgment. "The assistant political agent
played the role of a magistrate for which he was not authorised."
August 30
Two men, identified as Hasibur
Rehman and Mohammed Akhtar, were shot dead near Allah Waris
Chowk in Pakistan Bazaar area of Orangi Town in Karachi District,
provincial capital of Sindh.
An activist of MQM, identified
as Mazhar alias Bhola (35), was shot dead in Gulshan-e-Bihar
area of Orangi Town.
Another MQM activist, identified
as Mohammad Ejaz (23), was shot dead near Ghausia Chowk in Mominabad
area of Orangi Town.
A labourer, identified as Naseeb
Zada, was killed in Qasba Colony in Peerabad area of SITE Town.
Peerabad SHO Abdul Moeed said, “Policemen patrolling the area
in a van saw the incident and chased the fleeing attackers.”
“After a shootout, the Police arrested one of them, identified
as Wali Jaan, while the other escaped.”
For the third day in a row,
the BDS defused a bomb in Sohrab Goth area of Gadap Town. The
first bomb one was found from ‘Budh Bazaar’ on main Rashid Minhas
Road in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Gulshan Town on August 28, 2013.
Two others were found on Super Highway near Ganna Market within
the limits of Sohrab Goth Police Station in Gadap Town on August
29, 2013.
In a fresh crackdown against
criminals, Karachi Police arrested 135 suspects, including 42
alleged illegal immigrants, during 106 raids conducted in different
parts of the city. Seven illegal immigrants from Afghanistan
were arrested during a Police raid in Civil Lines in Saddar
Town.
Two alleged criminals were arrested
during a police encounter near Guru Mandir within Jamshed Quarters
Police limits in Jamshed Town.
A child was killed and many
others sustained injuries in a bomb blast near the Western Bypass
in Balochistan’s provincial capital Quetta. No outfit claimed
responsibility for the attack.
IG Punjab Police Khan Baig said
that the TTP and other militant outfits operating in FATA and
Waziristan Agency had their offshoots and members in Punjab
province. The IG said that presence of al Qaeda in Punjab was
low as compare to the TTP.
“Unofficial talks between the
Government side and TTP are in progress,” Information Minister
Pervez Rashid said. He said the Government was exploring all
options to restore lasting peace in the country and was in contact
with Taliban at different levels. “I cannot say with which group
of Taliban we are holding talks because today we are talking
with two groups and if another group wants to join we will welcome
it too,” he said.
A senior Taliban leader confirmed
that initial contacts between the militants and the Government
had been made. He told the BBC Urdu Service that the talks encompassing
a wide range of issues including prevention of sectarian violence
and snapping of ties with al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi LeJ
had been held.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali
Shah ordered the LEA to concentrate their efforts on putting
terrorists, target killers, extortionists, and other criminals
behind bars without taking their political affiliations, if
any, into account. “A criminal should always be treated like
a criminal and brought to justice without any discrimination,”
he said. However, following the MQM and the ANP’s outrage over
the arrest of their activists and supporters in “large number”,
the provincial chief executive has directed the IGP to immediately
set free those detained people who are not wanted in a criminal
case and are not involved in any illegal activity.
The SC while taking notice of
smuggling of arms, ammunition and other contraband items in
the country through sea ports, directed the Chief Collector
of Customs, DG Coast Guards, and DG Maritime Security Agency
to hold a joint meeting and submit their report in this regard.
The five member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry, expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted
by the Chief Collector, Customs highlighting the difficulties
being faced by his Department in preventing the smuggling of
arms, ammunition and other contraband items in the country.
The MQM chief Altaf Hussain
called the idea of a ‘Muhajir Republican Army’ another malicious
gaffe after the so-called ‘Jinnahpur’ conspiracy. Attorney-General
Munir A Malik on August 29, 2013 used the term ‘Muhajir Republican
Army’ for a shadowy group he believed to be involved in spreading
violence in Karachi, in a report submitted for the Karachi law
and order case. The MQM chief called upon the Chief Justice
to launch an impartial investigation regarding the mischief-makers
behind this ‘army’.
A fleet of satellites aimed
dozens of receivers watched over Pakistan to collect "critical"
information that prepared the ground for the May 1-2, 2011 US
Navy SEALs raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Top-secret documents provided to The Washington Post
by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, make brief references
to the bin Laden operation. The disclosures about the hunt for
the founder of al Qaeda are contained in classified documents
that detail the fiscal 2013 "black budget" for US
Intelligence Agencies, including the NSA and the CIA.
Also playing a role in the search
for bin Laden was an arm of the NSA known as the Tailored Access
Operations (TAO) group. TAO "implants" enabled the
NSA to collect intelligence from mobile phones that were used
by al Qaeda operatives and other "persons of interest"
in the hunt for bin Laden.
August 31
At least 10 militants, including
two ‘commanders’ were killed in Dokob area of Mand in Kech District
of Balochistan. The incident happened when a FC convoy on routine
patrolling was ambushed by unidentified militants in the area.
Soon after the incident, FC launched search operation and recovered
a large quantity of weapons and explosive.
A homeopathic doctor, identified
as Dr Syed Tahir Hussain, was shot dead in Khurramabad area
of Landhi Town in Karachi District, the provincial capital of
Sindh. Police said that Tahir belonged to Ahmadi community.
A trustee of Salman-e-Farsi
Imambargah, identified as Bostaan Ali, was shot dead
at Turi Bangash Colony in Orangi Town.
Armed assailants took a young
man to Mewa Shah Graveyard in SITE Town and shot him dead.
Two men were shot dead, while
another wounded at Bismillah Market within Korangi Industrial
Area of Korangi Town. The victims were identified as Shahnawaz,
Khan Mohammad and Mohammad Yousuf.
One Muhammad Jafar, a mechanic
shop owner succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. Police said
Jafar was wounded in Soldier Bazaar area of Jamshed Town on
August 25, 2013.
A man, identified as Shahid
(25), was shot dead on Rashid Minhas Road in Gulshan Town.
A US drone killed at least four
militants in a missile strike targeting a compound in Heso Khel
village of North Waziristan Agency in FATA.
Unidentified militants killed
Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) leader Razaullah and injured his driver,
Momin, in Lakki Marwat District of Khyber Pakhtunhwa.
Acting on Intelligence reports,
Police on seized an explosive-laden vehicle in Barakahu area
of Islamabad. The sources said that 130 kilogram of explosives
was fitted in the cylinder and widows of the vehicle. The sources
said that owner of the house was also taken into custody during
the raid. According to Security Agencies, the vehicle was to
be used in a suicide attack possibly on one of military installations
in the country.
Police arrested two TTP militants,
Hammad Adil and Muhammad Tanveer, allegedly involved in the
March 2, 2011 killing of former Minister for Minorities' affairs
Shahbaz Bhatti, from their hideout in Phulgran area of Islamabad.
They were arrested with the help from Intelligence Agencies
and a car laden with explosives was also seized from their possession,
claimed media reports. These two were suspected of planning
the attack on Bhatti with the help of another accomplice Omer
Abdullah.
During the interrogation, Adil
told the Police that he planned to murder Bhatti as he had spoken
about amending the blasphemy laws and supported 'blasphemers'.
He also revealed told the Police that he was preparing for another
terror attack on a major installation. A suicide bomber was
on his way from the tribal areas to Islamabad to drive and hit
the explosives-laden vehicle (found during the raid) into a
key target in the capital city, the report said.
September 1
At least nine soldiers were
killed and as many injured in a bomb attack on a military convoy
in the Boya area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. Ansarul
Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack.
TTP militants raided the house
of sacked TTP Punjab chapter ‘chief’ Asmatullah Muawiya in the
suburbs of Miranshah.
Suspected militants fired a
rocket at Gosh check post on Miranshah-Mir Ali Road. The rocket
damaged the check post but did not cause any casualties, a security
official said.
At least three persons were
killed and several others sustained injuries when unidentified
assailants fired on a musical event in Adam Khel area of Lakki
Marwat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a member of the local peace committee, Akbar Ali Khan,
in Daroshkhel area of Matta tehsil in Swat District.
A senior employee of the KESC,
identified as Muhammad Riazuddin (40), was shot dead near Disco
Morr in Orangi Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
A man, identified as Samiullah
(40) was shot dead and his nephew, Abdul Saboor, was injured
in Jahanabad area of Pak Colony in SITE Town. Samiullah was
a member of the Magsi clan.
An unidentified suspected cadre
of an unspecified outfit was shot dead near Shaheen School in
Sultanabad locality of Manghopir area in Gadap Town.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was recovered from a gunny bag near Askari Park in the
Old Sabzi Mandi locality of Jamshed Town. Police said that unidentified
militants had kidnapped the man, tortured him and then shot
him dead before dumping his body.
A Police spy, identified as
Rehan, was injured in a firing incident near Banaras Chowk in
Orangi Town.
Karachi Police arrested several
foreigners in a raid conducted in Afghan Basti area of Sohrab
Goth in Gadap Town. Karachi The raid enraged the residents of
the area who protested the act by coming onto the Super Highway
and blocking the road by burning tyres.
An official of the Airport Security
Force, identified as Bashir Bhatti, was shot dead in Dalbandin
area of Chaghai District in Balochistan.
Unidentified militants hurled
a hand grenade at the Quetta residence of BNP chief Akhtar Mengal.
There were no reports of the damage caused by the grenade explosion.
However, Mengal said that the attack had failed in its purpose
of frightening him.
The BDS defused an 18-kilogramme
bomb that was planted in a Tirah Mel residential area in of
Mastung District.
Three suspects were arrested
and illegal weapons were recovered during a search operation
by the Frontier Corps near Jangal Pir Alizai area in Chaman
town of Qilla Abdullah District. A huge quantity of arms and
explosives was recovered from their possession.
The abducted official of the
Afghan Consulate in Quetta, Muhammad Hashim Ibrat, reached his
home. Armed militants abducted the diplomat on July 28, 2013
from Satellite Town area of Quetta when he was on his way to
office from home. However, an official of the Consulate, who
requested anonymity, said that some important Taliban leaders
were set free as result of Ibrat's release. “Taliban leaders
were set free from Kandahar,” he claimed.
Balochistan Chief Minister Dr
Abdul Malik Baloch warned that he would not allow security check
posts to be used for collecting extortion money in the province.
Speaking at a meeting in Gwadar District where he was informed
about difficulties faced by Police in training on modern lines,
he said there were reports that check posts set up by Police
and other Security Forces in Makran and other areas of the province
had been forcing people travelling by bus or private vehicles
on national highways and other roads to pay money.
While addressing a press conference
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that Pakistan
is not holding talks with TTP at the moment. He said the decision
to talk with the TTP would be taken during the APC after taking
political parties into confidence. He said it would be pre-mature
to say that talks have gone underway between the Government
and Taliban.
September 2
An activist of MQM, identified
as Imran, was shot dead in Orangi Town.
A man, identified as Javed Hussain
Baloch, was shot dead on Baldia No-4 Road in the Lasi Para area
of Madina Colony in New Karachi Town.
A Sub-Inspector, identified
as Piyaru Khan (45), was shot dead near Banaras Chowk in the
Peerabad area of SITE Town. SHO Abdul Moeed said that Khan was
posted at the Peerabad Police Station for the past 15 years.
Police said Khan had participated in the operation in Karachi
in the late 90s and was posted in District Central at that time.
A supporter of ASWJ, identified
as Arman (35), was shot dead near Khaleel Market at Islam Chowk
in Orangi Town. ASWJ spokesperson Umer Muawiya said Arman was
a supporter of his party.
A man, identified as Ghulam
Din (40), was shot dead near Garam Chashma in the Manghopir
area of Gadap Town. SHO Aslam Joya said Ghulam Din was a supporter
of a religious party.
A dead body of a man was found
under the ICI Bridge in Keamari Town. Station House Officer
Madad Ali Zardari said, “Doctors have told us that the victim’s
neck was broken and he was tortured to death”. “There was nothing
found on the body that can help us identify him,” he added.
The office of the BBC in Karachi
was closed down after it received threats from an ethnic political
party in the city. Since the last eight to nine days the staff
members of the BBC instead of working in the office have confined
themselves to their houses and are working from there, sources
further said.
ATC again issued non-bailable
arrest warrants against PAC leader Uzair Baloch, Baba Ladla
and Taj Muhammad alias Taju in triple-murder case, including
that of Lyari gangster Arshad Pappu. During proceedings, the
investigating officer sought time for arresting the accused
and giving an advertisement in newspapers. The ATC adjourned
the hearing till September 12, 2013.
Militants abducted two boys
from Suleiman Khel village, on the suburbs of Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in
the night. Around a dozen militants entered Suleiman Khel, barged
into a guesthouse and whisked away four boys. Two of them were
later released while the other two, identified as Sohail and
Sadaqat, remain in captivity.
Police registered murder charges
against former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf
in connection with the death of a radical cleric, Abdul Rashid
Ghazi, during the siege of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in July 2007.
Radical cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi was one of more than 100 people
killed after troops stormed the Red Mosque in Islamabad on July
10, 2007.
The BNP-M President Sardar Akhtar
Mengal claimed that operations have been intensified in Balochistan
to suppress the voice of Baloch people clamoring for their rights.
Addressing a news conference at Quetta (provincial capital of
Balochistan), Mengal said, “Operations have been intensified
to stop Baloch people from seeking their legitimate national
rights.” He described the action as ‘genocide’ of the Baloch
people.
The former Balochistan chief
minister reiterated his earlier stance that he wanted to take
Balochistan out of death and destruction, and seek an end to
enforced disappearances and dumping of mutilated bodies at public
places. “We decided to participate in the democratic process
and field our candidates in a difficult situation,” Mengal said,
but expressed reservations over the election results, stating
that election results had been tampered with and changed, converting
victory of the party into defeat.
The PTI led Government in KP
province is set to “restore violent jihadist content in school
textbooks”. KP Information Minister Shah Farman told a news
conference on August 21 that the Government will "rectify"
what it calls "holes and mistakes" in textbooks published
by the previous Government led by the ANP.
According to sources, after
ANP came to power in the province in 2008, education officials
removed Quranic verses preaching jihad or holy war and illustrations
depicting weapons or violence. Chapters covering Islamist figures
and ideology were replaced with lessons on local poets, philosophers
or the region's Pashtun identity. These drastic changes were
introduced by the ANP in textbooks used from the first to 12th
grade in public schools.
September 3
Police claimed to have killed
two terrorists in an encounter in the Peerabad area of SITE
Town in Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh. According
to Superintendent of Police (SP), Orangi Town, Chaudhry Asad,
weapons and hand grenade were also recovered from their possession.
He said that the terrorists were affiliated with a banned organization.
An ASI, identified as Malik
Shamshad (38), was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Orangi
Town of Karachi District. He was serving as the Intelligence
Officer at Pakistan Bazaar Police Station.
A prayer leader of Mehtab Masjid,
identified as Qari Siraj (35), was shot dead in Soldier Bazaar
area of Jamshed Town.
A supporter of the PPP, identified
as Naeem, was shot dead in Orangi Town.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead one Abdul Hameed in the Boat Basin area near Minister Quarters
in Clifton area of Saddar Town.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a man, identified as Zahid Brohi (25), in Jehanabad area
of Pak Colony in SITE Town.
A Shia driver at National Database
and Registration Authority (NADRA), identified as Zaheer Hussain
(45), was shot dead near Jauhar Complex on University Road in
Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town of Gulshan Town.
In Lyari Town, the dead body
a man belonging to Kutchhi community, identified as Usman Hassan,
was found within the limits of Docks Police Station.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead a man, identified as Mohammed Rehan (40), in Jamshed
Quarters area of Jamshed Town.
An unidentified man was shot
dead near Kashti Masjid in Garden area of Saddar Town.
Police claimed to have arrested
a TTP militant, identified as Pir Mehsud, during a raid in Khameso
Goth area of Sohrab Goth locality in Gadap Town. SHO Sohrab
Goth Naeem Khan said that the accused is a security guard of
Ali Machine Tool factory, hailing from Waziristan, and had been
living in New Karachi Town for the past six years.
Two people, identified as Sada
Bakhsh and Ali Hasan, were injured in a landmine blast in Sohbat
Pur area of Jaffarabad District.
A truck driver was injured when
unidentified militants attacked a Karachi-bound NATO container
on National Highway near Mastung District.
Nishtar Colony Police of Lahore
(Lahore District, the provincial capital of Punjab) arrested
a woman allegedly for proclaiming herself ‘prophet’ and booked
her under blasphemy charges. Model Town SP (Operations) Tariq
Aziz said Salma alias Fatima (40), principal of a private school
and wife of Tanveer, a resident of Bahadarabad, started distributing
pamphlets in the neighbourhood around 6am allegedly inscribed
with blasphemous remarks and proclaiming herself ‘prophet’.
Jail authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan
said that extraordinary security measures have been put in place
to avoid any untoward incident as eight prisoners were shifted
from Gilgit prison to Ghizer jail. Inspector General (Prisons)
Wasil Khan said that law-enforcement agencies deployed around
the jail and Policemen have also been placed at the disposal
of jail authorities to ensure that the inmates live in a peaceful
atmosphere.
Pakistan said it was committed
to the objectives of disarmament and non-proliferation. Commenting
on a story published in The Washington Post, Foreign Office
spokesman Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said as a nuclear weapons state,
Pakistan's policy was characterized by restraint and responsibility.
A CPLC official said that the
CPLC received 1,024 extortion complaints from traders in the
first eight months of 2013 in comparison with 590 last year
– almost double in number. He said, “There was a 100 percent
increase in extortion complaints this year,” adding, “These
figures are alarming considering that many traders and other
citizens don’t lodge their complaints.”
The AIGP Ghulam Qadir Thebo
during a meeting of senior Police Officers to review the law
and order situation of Karachi held at Central Police Office
was briefed by officials about the eight month Police performance
report in detail. The report said total 25,500 accused have
been arrested since January 2013 in 15,748 raids conducted in
different areas of the city. In 915 Police encounters three
bandits, four terrorists, 22 kidnapers, one extortionist were
among 98 accused killed, while 530 criminals were arrested red-handed.
The report said 608 gangs were also busted by Police in the
eight month.
The AIG Ghulam Qadir further
said that at least 119 Police Officers and personnel have become
victims of targeted attacks in Karachi this year alone. He stated
that a number of people in Karachi were using weapons for illegal
activities, adding that the Police was continually carrying
out raids across the District without any regard for political
affiliations of suspected individuals.
Former Federal Minister for
Interior Rehman Malik while addressing the media in Karachi
said, “I invented the term ‘targeted’ operation,” said Malik,
adding that an “operation needs to be carried out in south Punjab
and Quetta.”
He said that militant groups
like LeJ needed to be targeted at their “roots” and if the Federal
Government wants to make any efforts towards curbing terrorism,
they should consider its basic parameters.
A Federal Cabinet Member said
that the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has “decided in principle”
to launch a targeted operation against criminals, target killers
and extortionists in Karachi this month. It is a Hobson’s choice,
which is a ‘choice’ with only one option, he said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
will take all political parties into confidence by the end of
this week, he said. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan,
after meeting the heads of all civilian Intelligence Agencies,
also requested the Prime Minister to give his final nod to Law-Enforcement
Agencies for launching an operation in Karachi, a senior official
of the Interior Ministry said.
“The premier will announce the
proposed plan for the targeted operation in Karachi today (Wednesday)”,
he said. According to the proposed plan prepared by Sindh Home
Department, the operation will most probably be launched in
Lyari Town and Sohrab Goth area of Gadap Town– the most sensitive
areas declared by the Agencies, said the official. Then it will
be expanded to Manghopir area of Gadap Town, Orangi Town, Korangi
Town, Landhi Town, Ranchore Lines in Saddar Town and Ittehad
Town in Baldia Town.
The NCMC, a subsidiary department
of the Interior Ministry, in its report recommended both the
Federal as well as the Provincial Government to cleanse the
city. The report further revealed that several TTP factions
and al Qaeda elements have moved to Karachi. Such factions are
penetrating deeper into the city every passing day, it claims.
Al Qaeda’s leaders have set
up cells of engineers to try to shoot down, disable or hijack
US drones. The al Qaeda leadership is “hoping to exploit the
technological vulnerabilities of a weapons system that has inflicted
huge losses against the terrorist network,” The Washington
Post said online.
September 4
As many as 14 people, including
a naval officer and one Rangers personnel, were killed in Karachi
District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Navy officer, Captain Muhammad
Nadeem (45), was shot dead and his wife wounded near National
Stadium within the jurisdiction of Shahrah-e-Faisal Police Station
in Saddar Town.
Four persons, including one
Rangers personnel, were killed in firing at Shah Baig Lane in
the remit of Baghdadi Police Station in Lyari Town. The official
was identified as Sohil (23).
A 22-years-old Ayaz, was shot
dead by unidentified assailants at Chanesar Goth in the Mehmoodabad
area of Jamsheed Town. He was associated with a religious party.
A 26-years-old man, Imran, was
shot dead in firing by unidentified armed assailants in the
Shah Faisal Colony No 3 within the precincts of Shah Faisal
Colony Police Station.
A 45-years-old man, Ejaz, was
shot dead by unidentified assailants near Frontier Colony Mor
(roundabout) within the remit of Mominabad Police Station in
Orangi Town. A Police Constable deputed at the Governor’s House
was also gunned down in the same locality late night.
A political activist was shot
dead in Orangi Town, within the jurisdiction of Iqbal Market
Police Station. The victim was identified as Sheikh Babar alias
Shakil Mota (40).
Four other people lost their
lives in different parts of Karachi.
Police recovered body of man,
identified as Muhammad Ramzan, from Baghbana area of Khuzdar
District in the night. According to Police, unidentified assailants
had abducted Ramzan from Anjeera area of Khuzdar a month ago.
Three persons, including two
children, were injured in a grenade attack at Bilal Madrassah
located at Mir Gahi Khan Chowk in Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan.
CIA neutralised a group of extortionists,
which identified itself as Baloch Killer Group, from the Killi
Mubarak area of Quetta, said DIG (Investigation) Syed Mubin.
Mubin said the Baloch Killer Group was collecting extortion
by threatening people on the phone.
Citizens opened fire on six
terrorists and killed one of them while they caught another
and handed him over to Police in the Haji Anwar Khel area of
Bannu Town (Bannu District) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According
to Police, the watchful residents of Haji Anwar Khel area signalled
six suspected men to stop.
The Federal Cabinet gave approval
for an operation by Rangers against criminal elements in Karachi
(provincial capital of Sindh). The operation will be led by
the Rangers, while Police will assist the paramilitary force.
This was decided at a special meeting of the Federal Cabinet
at the Governor’s House under the chairmanship of PM Nawaz Sharif.
During the briefing to PM on
prevailing law and order situation in Karachi, Director General
of Sindh Rangers, Major General Rizwan Akhtar came hard on Police
saying the law enforcement force cannot be trusted with intelligence
sharing. The DG Rangers also apprised the PM about ‘indirect
political pressures’ on the paramilitary force preventing it
from realising their responsibilities fully. He also indicated
presence of criminal elements among the political parties’ ranks
in the port city.
PM Nawaz Sharif pointed out
that some 450 accused who were involved in heinous crimes, were
moving freely and action would be taken against them. He said
that a team was working as to what amendments in laws could
be introduced for the provision of speedy justice, and for this,
the input of the judiciary would also be sought.
Army cleared Tirah Valley in
Khyber Agency of FATA of the TTP militants and restored the
Government’s writ after a successful operation that killed 104
militants and injured 64 others. At least eight soldiers, including
an officer, were lost during the operation. Operational Commander
Major General Humayun Aziz said the militants have fled to Afghanistan
to avoid arrest or being killed by the forces. Foreign militants
of Uzbek origin have also been killed in the operation that
continued for 22 days, starting on May 28 and culminating on
June 20, he added. The operation was conducted in 99 villages
of Maidan and Bagh. The militants have burnt 90 percent of houses
in both the areas, he said, adding that initially Army had reports
of the presence of 1,000 to 1,500 militants in these areas but
during the course of fighting they were found to be no more
than 500.
Major General Humayun Aziz further
said that TTP militants associated with different outfits from
Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Bajaur, Mohmand and
Orakzai agencies of FATA had taken shelter in these areas. The
militants had occupied hilltops in the area and continued to
fire at the forces from their positions which have now been
captured. General Aziz said that 40,000 persons were dislocated
due to operation in Tirah valley.
All public and private schools
at Miranshah in North Waziristan Agency of FATA have reopened
after successful negotiations between the TTP and local administration.
As per media reports, students have started going to school
again after a gap of four months and 20 days. Local TTP had
imposed the ban on children going to school after a blast occurred
on a checkpost in Miranshah on May 12, 2013.
Overland oil shipments to NATO
troops in Afghanistan resumed through Pakistan under tighter
security after a five-month suspension due to attacks. Pakistani
contractors had stopped driving oil supplies from the port of
Karachi (Sindh) on the Arabian Sea to the Torkham crossing on
the Afghan border due to frequent attacks on their vehicles.
Four oil tankers crossed the
border into Afghanistan, a senior Pakistani official said. He
said it was the first delivery since March. Paramilitary Frontier
Corps troops also escorted the tankers to the border, Afridi
said.
The Adviser to Prime Minister
on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz assured
the international community that Pakistan was committed to working
with Afghanistan and regional and international partners to
promote the common goals of peace, stability and prosperity
in the region and beyond.
Army’s counter-militancy operations
in restive tribal areas would remain unaffected by the talk
of Government’s impending dialogue with the TTP and its affiliated
militant groups. The Army top brass met at the General Headquarters
and discussed, among other issues, the Government’s planned
dialogue with militants, upcoming crackdown on criminal elements
in Karachi (provincial capital of Sindh), situation on the Line
of Control and recent media disclosure that the US had intensified
spying on the country’s nuclear programme.
The Supreme Court dismissed
an appeal against the drone attacks in the tribal areas saying
that judicial involvement in the matters relating to the drone
hits might contravene the Constitution. A two-member bench of
the apex court comprising Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani and
Justice Amir Hani Muslim dismissed the appeal and ruled that
the issues, raised in the petition filed by Wukala Mahaz Barai
Tahafuz Dastoor, were neither justiciable nor they fell within
the judicial domain for interference under Article 199 of the
Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
In its Intra Court Appeal against
the decision of the Lahore High Court, the Wukala Mahaz had
prayed that the respondent Federation be directed to command
the Armed Forces of Pakistan to defend Pakistan against the
external aggression currently carried out by the American forces,
which are in occupation of Afghanistan, under the NATO cover.
The TTP again denied initiating
any kind of talks with the Government. The TTP ‘spokesman’,
Shahidullah Shahid, told a private news channel from an undisclosed
location that the TTP also supported reconciliation and some
Ulema had also contacted the TTP for peace talks.
The Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif
said that extortionists should be dealt with an iron hand and
an effective strategy should also be evolved for elimination
of street crimes. He said that modern technology should be benefitted
for curbing crimes and the process of computerising all police
stations should be completed at the earliest.
The US State Department said
that Pakistan has a professional and dedicated Security Force
that fully understands the importance of nuclear security. In
a statement issued, the Department’s spokesperson Jen Psaki
also welcomed Pakistan’s reiteration of its commitment to disarmament
and non-proliferation. “We welcome Pakistan’s statement yesterday
that it is fully committed to the objectives of disarmament
and non-proliferation,” Ms Psaki said.
September 5
Three TTP militants were killed
during an exchange of fire with personnel from the CID in the
Mauripur area of Kiamari Town in Karachi District, the provincial
capital of Sindh
An activist of MQM, Unit 169,
identified as Sohail Arshad, was shot dead on Nishtar Road in
Jamshed Town. He was abducted from the Gujjar Nullah locality
of Liaquatabad Town on September 4.
A cadre of a criminal gang,
identified as Hafeezullah Muhammad, who was out on bail, was
killed outside his house in the Shah Faisal Colony of Shah Faisal
Town.
An explosion occurred near a
religious building in the Rizvia area of North Nazimabad Town.
Police conducted at least 94
raids in various localities of Karachi and arrested about 130
suspects during 24 hours. The officials also claimed to have
recovered huge caches of weapons, ammunition, drugs, and six
tennis ball bombs from the possession of suspects.
According to Levies sources,
an unidentified man was killed in a landmine blast in Jaffarabad
District. Levies sources said that unidentified militants had
planted a landmine that exploded when a passer-by stepped on
it.
Eleven persons, including seven
primary schoolgirls, were injured in bomb blast outside a girls'
school in the Bannu town of Bannu District in KP. The bomb went
off when the children walked into a street lined with fabric
shops after the closure of the school.
Two persons sustained injuries
when unidentified assailants on a motorbike fired at a NATO
supply truck near Karkhano market in Peshawar, the provincial
capital of KP.
Two successive hand grenade
attacks on Police were reported in the Kutchery area of Dera
Ismail Khan. The first grenade was lobbed near the residence
of SSP Investigations, while the second grenade was hurled at
his office. No casualty was reported in the first attack, while
the second grenade failed to explode.
The BDS also defused a 12-kilogram
explosive device, connected to a cell phone, at Kutchery Chowk,
which is at a short distance from the DPO’s office.
At least seven alleged terrorists
were arrested during a raid by Intelligence Agencies at residential
apartments in the Liaquatabad area of Lahore District. They
also seized huge cache of explosives and four suicide jackets
from their possession.
Police arrested alleged ‘mastermind’
of the June 23, 2013, Nanga Parbat massacre, identified as Qaribullah
alias Hassan, and his accomplice, identified as Mohammad
Nabi alias Qari Hasnain, from a house in Thak valley of Chilas
town in Diamer District. Chilas SP Jahangir Khan led a team
that arrested both the accused. “It was a sudden raid and hence,
there was no resistance, no exchange of fire as the men were
unarmed,” he said. “Qaribullah is a member of the TTP,” confirmed
Mohammad Naveed, a Senior Police Official in Diamer.
September 6
Unidentified militants shot
dead seven people and injured two others in the Jasoki area
of Gujrat District.
BDS defused five anti-tank landmines
which were recovered by Police during a special search operation
in Bajwat villages of Sialkot District. According to Police
officials, the anti-tank landmines were Indian made and they
reached here with recent floodwater from India.
At least six suspected militants
were killed in a US drone attack in the Ghulam Khan tehsil
of North Waziristan Agency in FATA in the wee hours. According
to sources, the US drone targeting a house located in the area
fired two missiles.
At least six people were killed
and one more was injured after unidentified militants opened
fire on a car near Gulzar Chowk in Matani area of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of KP.
Five persons, including three
Policemen and two civilians, were injured in a blast targeting
Hashtnagri Police Station in Peshawar. According to SP Ismail
Karak, the explosive device was planted on a motorcycle parked
right next to the Police Station building.
City Police thwarted an attempt
of terrorism by arresting a suspect and seizing explosive devices
and arms from a flying coach within the limit of Badabar Police
Station in Peshawar. According to details, on a tip off about
smuggling of explosive devices from tribal areas to Peshawar
for subversive activities, the Badabar Police Station made blockade
at Sefan security check post and spotted a suspected flying
coach.
A leader of the ANP Syed Lal
Dervesh (40) was shot dead by extortionists belonging to TTP
in Sector 4-E of Orangi Town in Karachi District, the provincial
capital of Sindh. “Lal Dervesh was the owner of a car showroom,
Al-Dervesh Motors, located near Banaras Chowk,” Peerabad SHO
Abdul Moeed said.
An ANP official said that TTP
militants who were operating in the area were trying to extort
money from Lal Dervesh, who was the former President of the
ANP Frontier Colony Ward. Another ANP official claimed that
the TTP were demanding PKR 15 million from Lal Dervesh and he
was negotiating with them.
A Police constable, identified
as Rehan Azeem (30), was shot dead outside the Madadgar-15 Hyderi
office, near Hyderi Market in North Nazimabad Town.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found near Machar Colony railway crossing in Keamari
Town.
BDS experts detonated a hand
grenade found in the Kharadar area of Saddar Town. It was a
misfired Russian-made hand grenade and could have exploded any
moment.”
Journalist Ali K. Chishti, a
correspondent of Friday Times accused Police of picking
him up and thrashing him on August 30, 2013 in the PECHS area
of Jamshed Town. He said he was intercepted by some half a dozen
Policemen minutes after he had left his office with driver.
He said he ‘suspected some people’ of being behind the incident.
However, he did not mention any name.
Chishti said the people in civvies
threatened him and asked him to leave the city within 24 hours
and refrain from reporting the matter to anyone. They also abused
Friday Times editor Najam Sethi, he added.
The Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had a follow-up discussion with Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif on the fluid security situation in Karachi
where the paramilitary Rangers is poised to launch a surgical
operation against extortionists, target-killers and other criminals.
The second-in-command of the
Haqqani Network, Mullah Sangeen Zadran (45), was among those
killed in the September 6, 2013 US drone attack in North Waziristan
Agency of FATA. While talking to the media, a local security
official confirmed Zadran was killed in the drone strike along
with five other suspected militants. Seven others, he added,
were injured in the attack.
Zadran, hailed from the Zadran
tribe in Paktika province of Afghanistan. He was a popular leader
among militants and played an influential role in bringing different
banned outfits, including the TTP, al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban,
together. In August 2011, the US State Department added Zadran
to its list of designated global terrorists.
Unidentified militants fired
more than two-dozen rockets on a Pakistan Army cantonment in
Sui and nearby check posts in Dera Bugti District when the Army
Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Balochistan Chief Minister Dr
Abdul Malik Baloch visited the area. According to local sources,
several blasts took place inside the cantonment during the attack.
FCB defused a 5 kilogram of
explosive material found in a suspicious bag placed alongside
the road on the spot of Tili, which 10-kilometer away from Dera
Bugti District. While taking immediate action, FC recovered
the explosive material and defused it.
FC personnel raided a place
in Jungle Piralizai area of Qilla Abdullah District and seized
a huge quantity of explosive material and ammunition. The weapons
seized included five tones of explosives, two tones of potassium
chloride, six bundles of prama-cards, 200 detonators, 10 bundles
of wire, 10 kilogram of prepared explosives, anti-personnel
mines, one AK-47 rifle and its rounds. The sources said that
the weapons had been kept there for carrying out sabotage activities.
FC personnel detained an unspecified
number of suspects and seized arms, ammunition and some documents
from his possession during a raid against extortionists in Killi
Goharabad area of Quetta. The seized items included fake national
identity cards, fake passports and some other important documents.
LeT founder and JuD Chief Hafiz
Muhammad Saeed, who has USD 10 million US bounty on his head,
appeared openly at a rally in Islamabad on September 6, denouncing
India as a ‘terrorist state’ as more than 10,000 of his supporters
chanted for “holy war” against India.
Hamid Gul, a former chief of
the ISI told the crowd, “They should know there are a lot of
people here who are waiting for the conquest of India. It will
be our privilege to take part in this war.”
Anti-Shia and anti-Government
rally was held by ASWJ cadres in Lahore District. Thousands
of ASWJ cadres joined a procession at the Lower Mall in Lahore
District and held a conference on the road after several activists
were arrested from Nasser Bagh, the scheduled venue for the
conference. The party had scheduled a Difa-e-Sahaba and Difa-e-Pakistan
Conference at Nasser Bagh. However, a Police contingent had
been deployed outside the venue to stop them from entering.
The Police arrested nearly 200
activists at Istanbul Chowk. Policemen in civilian clothes and
uniforms stopped many bearded men and asked them if they were
ASWJ members. The ASWJ then took out a procession from Out Fall
Road and Ravi Road to the Lower Mall near Government College
University.
Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez
Kayani denied the perception that a military operation is underway
in Balochistan. He said that the troops are in barracks and
not a single soldier is engaged in army operation in the province.
Kayani said that Pakistan’s defence lies in the strong and prosperous
Balochistan.
The Army Chief noted that Balochistan
is rich in natural resources and the only need is to utilise
these for the people’s welfare. Pakistan Army, he affirmed,
is fully committed to extend all possible assistance to the
Provincial Government to eradicate poverty and control lawlessness.
Balochistan Chief Minister Dr
Abdul Malik Baloch said that although Balochistan was passing
through a critical juncture, it was the Government’s resolve
to steer the province out of the crisis. “I appeal to all warring
tribes and disgruntled Baloch who left Dera Bugti to set aside
their differences and play their role in the province’s development,”
Chief Minister said.
Pakistan assured the IMF to
grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India and move towards
eliminating the negative list on trade with the neighbour as
part of its overall trade policy.
Earlier on August 12, 2013,
Finance Minister Dar said in a television talk show on that
the MFN status for India was not under consideration. “There
is no immediate consideration to grant MFN status to India.
There is need to normalise relations on a number of issues,”
he said.
September 7
Unidentified assailants on motorbikes
killed a person identified as Zeeshan, (30), was shot dead near
Rabia City, Gulistan-e-Jauhar in Karachi District, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Unidentified armed riders opened
fire and killed a vegetable vender Sher Khan (18), in Qasba
Colony in Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two alleged Lyari gangsters
were killed during an armed clash between rival groups in Lyari
in Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh. The clash
between two rival groups resulted in killing of two Lyari gangsters
Abdul Sattar alias Pera and Siraj alias Ali alias Jalil Commando.
Police foiled a terror bid in
Islamabad by defusing explosives and arresting five accused,
including two women, and recovering a huge amount of explosive
material from their possession from a house located in Khayaban-e
Kashmir-area of Islamabad.
Pakistan freed a group of seven
Afghan Taliban militants in an attempt to improve its relations
with the South Asian neighbour, but risked angering Afghanistan
by not handing them over directly to the Kabul authorities.
According to reports both Karzai and the US want Pakistan to
hand the insurgents directly to the Afghan authorities, but
a group of seven Taliban was simply allowed to walk out of their
cells into Pakistan.
“In order to further facilitate
the Afghan reconciliation process, Pakistan is releasing seven
Taliban detainees,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
A Ministry spokesman separately said all seven, including a
senior commander called Mansoor Dadullah, were freed. Asked
if they had been handed over to the Afghan authorities or were
just released in Pakistan, the spokesman said, “Just released.”
Information and Broadcasting
Minister Pervaiz Rashid while talking to media rejected the
impression that the army opposes dialogue with the TTP and added
all the institutions would be duty bound to implement whatever
the policy and decisions were taken by the Government. He said
that there was no difference of opinion between the Government
and Army as far as dialogue with the TTP was concerned.
The Islamabad Police conducted
a raid in the Khayabaan-e-Kashmir area of Islamabad and arrested
three nephews of the Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DEM) founder-chairperson
Syed Asiya Andrabi for terror links. Andrabi confirmed the raids
by the Pakistan Police and told The Hindu that Dr Syed Mujahid
Gilani, Syed Irtiyaz-un-Nabi Gilani (sons of her sister Syed
Rehana Andrabi and Dr Syed Mushtaq Gilani) and Syed Mohammad
Shoaib Andrabi [son of her brother Syed Zial-ul-Haq Andrabi]
had been arrested after police raided her sister’s house Islamabad.
An official at the Tarnol Police
Station in the Islamabad Capital Territory said that Shoaib
was caught with a cache of arms and ammunition but did not confirm
the presence of “remote controlled spy planes”. The youth has
been remanded in Police custody till September 11, 2013 (today)
when he will be produced in a civil court.
September 8
Clashes between the peace committee
and militants in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency in FATA killed
five committee members while militants have abducted several
others.
A militant was killed and two
security officials injured in a fire fight and bomb blast in
Kalingar SFs check post in Miranshah, headquarters of the North
Waziristan Agency. More than six militants attacked Kalingar
security forces check post. One militant was killed while his
accomplices escaped, a security forces official said.
SFs spotted a bomb planted on
Miranshah-Ghulam Khan Road and called the BDS to defuse it.
During defusing process, the bomb detonated and severely injured
two security personnel.
After the explosion, SFs backed
by gunship helicopters launched a search operation on the outskirts
of Miranshah however, no one was arrested. During their patrol
on Datta Khel-Miranshah Road, SFs discovered another IED near
Amin check post which was successfully defused.
Five tribesmen were abducted
by unidentified militants in Para Chamkani of Kurram Agency.
The tribesmen were chopping trees when the incident is said
to have taken place. Central Kurram APA Naeem Khan said the
five men had gone to the mountainous area to cut wood September
6 evening and were abducted by militants on the way back.
Two people were killed and eight
injured in an explosion that took place near a grid station
on Sariab Road in Quetta.
Four persons, including two
children, were injured in a landmine blast at RD 298 in Pat
Feeder area of Dera Murad Jamali in Naseerabad District. Local
Levies sources said the injured had been identified as Abid,
Amir, Abdul Rahim and Marian.
A man, identified as Abdul Salam
(25), was shot dead was sitting outside his house in Jehanabad
area of SITE Town in Karachi District, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
At least 150 suspects were arrested
during the ongoing-targeted operation in various parts of Karachi.
According to Sindh Police spokesman, around 99 raids were conducted
in parts of the city and the Police arrested 143 criminals including
27 absconders, 38 under arms ordinance, 13 under narcotics ordinance
and remaining others in various other criminal activities. Moreover,
38 illicit arms and weapons were also recovered from their possession.
The Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the decision to approve a
Rangers-led operation in Karachi has started to bear fruits.
Commenting on the situation in Karachi, Nisar said several extortionists
and target killers had been arrested during targeted operations
in the city.
Police foiled a major terrorism
bid at a park adjacent to Lahore Railway Station as it recovered
and defused bomb weighing 3 kilogram.
Law Enforcement Agencies arrested
four alleged terrorists and recovered explosive material from
Model Town and Liaquatabad areas of Lahore District. The alleged
terrorists were arrested on information of the earlier arrested
seven terrorists.
All major political parties
will meet in Islamabad on September 9 to evolve a consensus
on how to tackle the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism
in the country. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to make
a ‘big announcement’ on talks with homegrown Taliban at the
APC.
According to him, the Government
has decided to model the NACTA after the US Department of Homeland
Security – which was created in response to the 9/11 (September
11, 2001) terrorist attacks. “From now on, NACTA’s primary responsibility
will be to devise policies to safeguard the country’s territory
and respond to militant and terrorist activities [within its
borders],” he added.
A US magazine Foreign Policy
has termed Karachi “the most dangerous megacity” in the world.
In a piece on Karachi’s role in the global trade of methamphetamine
— an illegal psychostimulant – Foreign Policy cited a murder
rate of 12.3 per 100, 000 residents, “some 25 percent higher
than any other major city”. Commenting on the recent pace of
change in Karachi, the report stated, “From 2000 to 2010, Karachi’s
population grew more than 80 percent.
September 9
Militants beheaded three members
of a peace committee and abducted four other members in the
Landi Kotal area of Khyber Agency in FATA. “Late at night, many
militants stormed the office of a peace committee while its
members were asleep. The peace committee members could not even
retaliate,” said an official of the political administration.
Two of the beheaded bodies were found after the incident in
Qamberabad Shalobar. Those who were killed were identified as
Zakaria, Najmi, and Shahid.
A leader of the Bara Aman Lashkar
was killed from the Jalozai Camp by unidentified militants.
The leader, Mirza, was returning to Jalozai internally displaced
peoples’ camp from market when unidentified motorcyclists opened
fire at him.
SFs killed two would-be suicide
bombers as TTP militants attacked the office of DPO, judicial
lock ups and lower courts in Kohat town (Kohat District) of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A Policeman was also killed while 13 other
persons, including three security officials, were injured in
the attack inside the military cantonment area.
Two persons were killed and
as many injured when unidentified assailants broke into a house
and opened fire in the Shabqadar area of Charsadda town (Charsadda
District).
Unidentified militants blew
up a mobile shop with explosive materials in the Sardheri area
of Charsadda. The shop, owned by one Azizur Rehman, was damaged
in the explosion.
Due to fear of militants’ attack
and lack of security, lawyers of Dr Shakil Afridi submitted
an application in the court of the political agent of Khyber
Agency requesting him to conduct his trial at the Central Prison
Peshawar.
Rangers arrested four Lyari
Gang extortionists during operations at Safoora Goth and Lashari
Goth in the Malir Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital
of Sindh. The rangers confiscated uniforms of the Police and
Rangers, bullet proof vests, explosives and other weapons during
the operation.
Rangers and Police continued
targeted operation and arrested 16 suspects during raid in the
Ancholi area of Gulberg Town.
Police arrested nine suspects,
involved in street crime and extortion, from Shah Latif Town
in Bin Qasim Town.
Two accused, involved in the
murder of Police personnel, were arrested from Zaman Town area
in Korangi Town.
Ghotki Police has failed to
recover two abducted Hindu boys, identified as Nishal and Haresh,
who were kidnapped while they were returning from school near
Qadirpur area of Ghotki District on September 2, 2013.
During a debate on the law and
order situation in Karachi at a Sindh Assembly Session, the
lawmakers suggested that more powers should be given to Rangers
to curb the deteriorating law and order situation, at the same
time, the Police force should not be demoralised as it could
work better than the Paramilitary Force if depoliticised.
An APC chaired by Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif and attended by the Army and intelligence chiefs
as well as leaders of all major political parties on how to
tackle growing terrorism, agreed on initiating peace talks with
“all stakeholders”. The APC concluded after adopting a consensus
resolution to overcome the ‘national security crisis’ besetting
Pakistan.
TTP spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid,
said, “We welcome the unanimous resolution passed by the APC
and will be positive in our response. We consider it is a good
omen”. “Unanimous stance of all the stakeholders in today’s
APC Statement is a positive sign but the Government will have
to take more sincere steps,” the TTP ‘Political Commission’
member, Ehsanullah Ehsan said.
The central leadership of the
TTP claimed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has sent a letter
to the TTP about a possible peace dialogue and the TTP has replied
to it. Whereas the correspondence has been confirmed, the contents
of both the letters are yet to be known.
September 10
Two people belonging to Bohra
community, identified as Mustansar Al (38) and his son Mustunisa
(8), were shot dead in a targeted sectarian attack near Tayyaba
Bakery at UP Morr in New Karachi Town of Karachi District, the
provincial capital of Sindh.
Two Police Constables, identified
as Mohammad Ali and Arif, were killed when unidentified assailants
opened fire on a Police van near Landikotal Chowrangi in North
Nazimabad Town.
A Shia scholar, identified as
Syed Raza Rizvi (45), was shot dead in a sectarian attack outside
his house in Gol Market area of Nazimabad Town. SSP Central
Amir Farooqi said that Rizvi was the Chairman of the Noorul
Imaan Masjid in Nazimabad.
An ex-unit in-charge of the
MQM, identified as Rasheed alias Negro (40), was shot dead at
Ali Ahmed Hotel in Orangi Town.
A man, identified as Baksh Ali,
succumbed to his injuries caused during a landmine explosion
in Sohbatpur District.
A trader, identified as Haji
Rah Muhammad Achakzai, was abducted by unidentified militants
from National Highway in Killa Saifullah District.
FC personnel detained 11 Afghan
nationals in Quetta (Quetta District). During the routine checking
in Old Mian Gundi area of the city, 11 Afghans travelling in
Dalbandin-bound passenger coach were arrested.
FC started checking a coach
that was heading to Pishin District from Hazar Gunji area in
Quetta and arrested 14 Afghan national who were trying to illegally
enter without possessing any document in Pakistan territory.
An ATC sentenced two people,
Azhar Hussain and Shaukat Hussain alias Major, to death on September
10 on charges of assassinating DSP Muhammad Ibrahim in Gilgit
on January 4, 2012. The ATC Judge Raja Shahbaz Khan also handed
down a 10-year imprisonment sentence to the offenders, residents
of Barmas and Khomer respectively.
DSP Ibrahim, a resident of Astore
valley, was killed in front of his house in the Nagral area
while returning home from office late night. He had been posted
in the investigative wing of the Gilgit Baltistan Police and
was working on cases involving sectarian killings.
Pakistan decided to release
Afghan Taliban’s former ‘second-in-command’ Mullah Abdul Ghani
Baradar to help kick-start the stalled peace and reconciliation
process in neighbouring Afghanistan. “In principle, we have
agreed to release him. The timing is being discussed. It should
be very soon …I think within this month,” Sartaj Aziz, the PM’s
Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs, told Reuters
in an interview.
A senior Pakistani official
said that Mullah Baradar’s possible release was the result of
months of painstaking discussions among Pakistan, Afghanistan
and the US. Although in principle the decision has been taken
to free Mullah Baradar, modalities were being worked out.
PPP leader Syed Khurshid Ahmed
Shah said the Government should hold result-oriented dialogue
with the TTP to curb terrorism and restore peace in the country.
He said, “There are two types of Taliban: Afghan and Pakistani.
It is easy to negotiate with the Afghan Taliban as compared
to the Pakistani, because there are around 59 groups operating
in the country”.
Shah, the leader of opposition
in the National Assembly, said the PPP Government had brought
Sufi Muhammad to the negotiating table for 13 times, but all
efforts went in vain as many agreements reached in the talks
were not even adhered to by the Taliban themselves.
Former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf filed a petition before the ATC in Quetta (Quetta
District, Balochistan) seeking exemption from personal appearance
in connection with the August 26, 2006, Akbar Bugti murder case.
The court has adjourned the hearing till September 30, 2013.
September 11
Two watchmen of Classis Apartment,
identified as Jamshed (27) and Gul Khan (32), were shot dead
within the remits of Shahrah-e-Faisal police station in Gulistan-e-Jauhar
area of Gulshan Town. As per police officials, the victims hailed
from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, and were targeted by unidentified
armed assailants.
Former MQM MPA Nadeem Hashmi
was arrested during a raid at his residence. According to the
reports, Hashmi was arrested during a raid at his residence.
Police arrested four extortionists
after an exchange of fire took place while arms and ammunition
were also seized from their possession from the vicinity of
Mochko Police Station in Baldia Town. The extortionists were
identified as Siraj Billa, Zakir Murad, Abdul Hameed and Salman.
Police along with intelligence
officials arrested three suspects and recovered four imported
launchers along with rockets during a raid conducted at arms
shop, namely ‘Guns & Accessories’ in Zamzama locality of
Clifton in Saddar Town.
Police detained over 176 criminals
after separate targeted raids and operations across the city.
Karachi Police claim to have apprehended 156 alleged criminals
in targeted raids across the city including Mochko, Jahangir
Road, Sukhan, Baghdadi, Sharafi Goth, Kalakot and other parts
of the metropolis.
Rangers officials detained over
20 criminals from targeted search from Federal B Area Block-14,
Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, Korangi, PNT Colony, North Karachi,
Saddar Town, Risala Compound, Al-Karam Square, Liaquatabad,
and Rabia City. Weapons were recovered from the custody of detainees.
Rangers conducted a raid at
the office of political party at Nasir Colony, and arrested
four party workers.
At least 20 alleged target killers
were arrested from Apsara Apartments in Liaquatabad Town.
A joint team of Law Enforcement
Agencies, including Police and FC, defused a bomb that weighed
2 kilogrammes and was planted near a private bank in Archer
Road area in Quetta.
Police recovered and defused
a landmine weighing about 10 kilogrammes near the Police Station
in Goth Nibi Dost Kanrani area of Sohbatpur District.
Police claimed to have averted
a terrorism bid by defusing a bomb planted in Government Middle
School in Katlang area of Mardan District in KP. The BDS recovered
a bomb, two detonators and a safety fuse from the bag. The bomb
was later defused by BDS.
Police recovered a huge cache
of weapons being transported from the FATA to in Phandou area
of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital of KP
and arrested the offender. Police intercepted a suspected vehicle
near a checkpost in Phandou area and recovered 23 pistols and
thousands of cartridges from its secret cavities.
SFs arrested two suspected terrorists
during a crackdown Kohat Tunnel area of Kohat Town (Kohat District)
and recovered weapons, detonators and explosive material from
their possession.
Police repulsed a militant attack
on a security check-post at Saro Kallay village in Charsadda
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the Police, militants,
equipped with automatic weapons and rocket launchers, attacked
the Saro Kallay checkpost manned by the Police at about 11:45pm.
KP Assembly passed a bill to
regulate explosives in the province. According to the new law,
the Government would establish an inspectorate of explosives
under the Chief Inspector and issue licenses. Those found guilty
of illegally manufacturing explosives would be fined up to INR
15 million (USD 143,000) while those transporting illegal explosive
would face an INR 1.25 million (USD 12,000) penalty. Illegally
selling explosives carries an INR one million (USD 9,500) fine.
The sale of explosives to buyers younger than 18 is banned.
An Intelligence Agency detained
seven al Qaeda militants from Punjab University Campus in Lahore
District. The militants include al Qaeda’s suicide squad, their
local handler and two of their technical collaborators. Out
of seven al Qaeda members, four have taken special Jihadi training
in Miranshah, headquarters of North Waziristan Agency in FATA,
while the other three are also experts in different fields with
five having expertise in information technology/communication,
IED, diploma associate engineer in automobile technology and
media coordination.
A senior serving Intelligence
Agency officer, who also led operations in which wanted al Qaeda
figures Ahmad Khalfan Ghalani and Naeem Noor Khan alias Abu
Talha were arrested, said that JeI has been directly and indirectly
involved in providing accommodation to al Qaeda operatives in
Pakistan.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, supposedly
No 3 in the al-Qaeda hierarchy was arrested in March 2004, from
the house of a women’s wing leader of the JeI in Rawalpindi
District, while another al Qaeda leader Abu Zubaida was arrested
in the same year from Faisalabad District, and was given shelter
by JuD and LeT.
SFs and the TTP swapped prisoners
in SWA of FATA as a ‘confidence-building measure’ ahead of formal
peace negotiations. According to sources, six TTP prisoners
were handed over in exchange for two security personnel in Shoyee
Khel area of Shawal in SWA. The sources identified the released
militants as Ismail of Momi Karama, Suhail of Karama, Pirzada
of Barond Moli Khan Srai and Ayaz and Farmanullah of Delai area.
ISPR denied the report. An official
said no swap of prisoners had taken place and the report in
this regard was just a rumour.
Unidentified persons killed
a school watchman in Halimzai tehsil of Mohmand Agency in the
night. The sources said watchman Usman Khan, brother of local
journalist Noor Muhammad Mohmand, was on duty at the Government
Primary School in Malik Ajan Killay when unidentified persons
forced their entry into the school at night and shot him dead.
Additional Attorney General
Tariq Khokhar told a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court
headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry that missing
person Masood Janjua and one Faisal Faraz were killed in an
attack by al Qaeda in South Waziristan Agency of FATA. The court
was further informed that there were evidences that the deceased
He said that a former Inter
Services Intelligence top officer had, in his statement before
the inquiry commission probing the missing persons’ case, said
that Masood Janjua had links with al Qaeda and had been killed
in an attack in Waziristan. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry directed the AAG to present credible evidences to prove
this claim.
Khokhar told the three-member
bench that according to a statement of former Deputy ISI DG
Major General (retired) Nusrat Naeem, which he gave on 30 June,
2011, Masood Janjua and Faisal Faraz were in contact with a
Pakistani named Tariq, who was working with the US as an agent
of CIA.
Amina Janjua, who is also chairperson
of the Defence of Human Rights, rejected General Naeem’s statement.
PM Nawaz Sharif and COAS General
Ashfaq Parvez Kayani held a meeting to discuss the post-APC
situation wherein they discussed implementation of the APC resolution
and deliberated upon national security matters with special
focus on talks with TTP, the Prime Minister’s media office said.
It was the Prime Minister’s
note that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman could be taken
aboard as a facilitator to begin the talks. The Army Chief,
however, noted that all prominent religious leaders should be
consulted, particularly those having close contacts with Taliban
leadership, adding that the Intelligence Agencies were ready
to facilitate in this regard.
Punjab University Vice-Chancellor
Professor Doctor Mujahid Kamran has claimed in his book, titled,
‘9/11 and The New World Order’ that the families of al Qaeda
leaders, including Ayman-al-Zawahiri and some members of slain
leader Osama Bin Laden family, were shifted to Central Asia
through NATO airplanes to destabilise the region.
The PU VC said that American
researchers had proved that al Qaeda was an asset to CIA. He
said that America’s Centre for Public Integrity had revealed
that the US rulers, including George Bush, Condoleezza Rice
and Dick Cheney, made up 1,000 lies just to impose war on Iraq.
The Home and Tribal Affairs
Department of Balochistan revealed that 592 mutilated dead bodies
have been found in the last three years from different parts
of the province. According to documents obtained by Dawn,
Police and other law enforcers have found 592 bullet-riddled
bodies since 2010 to September 2013.
Besides mutilated dead bodies,
the document revealed that 132 cases of missing persons were
pending before the Supreme Court and the CIED, headed by Justice
(retd) Javed Iqbal. Eight new cases of missing persons have
been registered with the provincial home and tribal affairs
department.
September 12
Unidentified assailants abducted
and killed three labourers who hailed from Punjab at a stone-crushing
plant at Santsar, around 70 kilometres north of the Gwadar port,
in Gwadar District of Balochistan.
Unidentified assailants killed
two persons in Panjgur District. According to Police, Hafiz
Abdul Tahir and Hafiz Abdul Zahir were on their way to a shop
in a car in Panjgur when assailants opened indiscriminate fire
on them. Both the deceased were Hafizul Quran and their father
belonged to a religious party.
Unidentified assailants killed
a man and injured his son in Musa Colony on Sariab Road of Quetta
(Quetta), the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Where the PML-N Government prepares
to initiate a dialogue with the TTP, the Balochistan Government
is also doing the spadework to start talks with the estranged
Baloch elements. The ruling party, headed by Chief Minister
Dr Abdul Malik, has had two-day deliberations early this week
one full day was devoted to a discussion on how to proceed with
the talk option with the angry Baloch elements.
In an ongoing wave of targeted
killings, two more persons were killed in separate incidents
across the Provincial capital of Sindh, Karachi (Karachi District).
A man, identified as Syed Shahid Ali Zaidi (42), was shot dead
in Orangi Town within the remits of Iqbal Market Police Station.
An unidentified young man was
gunned down in Gutter Baghicha within the jurisdiction of Pak
Colony Police Station. Police said unidentified assailants riding
a motorbike took the victim at the Said place and later shot
him dead.
ATC sent MQM sector in charge
and former Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Nadeem Hashmi
on a seven-day physical remand. Hashmi was arrested late on
September 10 over his suspected involvement in the murder of
two Policemen – Muhammad Ali and Arif – in Hyderi locality.
CID Police claimed to have held
a target killer, while LEAs apprehended around 198 suspects
during separate targeted raids and operations across Karachi.
Police team of CID investigation Civil Lines raided Ghani Chowrangi
area of SITE-B, from where they arrested political worker namely
Ejaz Gorchani and recovered a Kalashnikov, two hand grenades
and a TT pistol from his possession.
Police after separate raids
and operations claimed to have detained at least 154 suspects
involved in targeted killing, extortion and other heinous crimes.
The officials also recovered 49 weapons of different calibers
and 5 hand grenades from their possession.
Rangers officials nabbed around
43 suspects during separate raids and across the city, and shifted
them to an undisclosed location for further questioning. The
officials claimed that the accused persons were involved in
target killing and extortion. Gang war criminals and political
workers were also among the detainees.
Rejecting political pressure,
the Federal and Sindh Governments have decided to continue the
targeted operation against target killers, extortionists and
other criminals in Karachi.
Unidentified militants destroyed
a NATO vehicle in the Sado Khel area of Landi Kotal in Khyber
Agency of FATA. However, no causalities were reported. Sources
from the political administration said unidentified militants
attacked a truck carrying the NATO military vehicle.
BDS defused a 12-kilogramme
bomb planted on the roadside near Dandar area in the Khurram
Agency.
The intelligence agency and
Police jointly raided in Johar Town and Sabzazar Police Station
area in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab and arrested
four more suspected terrorists, with one hardened criminal disguised
as a beggar.
Police arrested the suspected
mastermind responsible for the killing of three security officials,
a Police officer and two military personnel, at Chilas in Gilgit
Baltistan on August 6, 2013, from Kohistan area in KP. The three
security officials, were investigating the killings of nine
tourists and their guide in the Nanga Parbat area of Gilgit
Baltistan on June 22, 2013.
TTP spokesman’ Shahidullah Shahid
said that the TTP is going to respond to Government’s offer
to talk soon. “We are discussing the overall situation and the
Government’s offer. We will soon inform the media about our
decisions,” Shahid said.
Leaders of the TTP are expected
to continue consultations for several days at an undisclosed
location in the tribal areas along the Afghan border. TTP ‘chief’
Hakimullah Mehsud, who was previously against holding talks
with the authorities, is chairing the consultations, two Taliban
‘commanders’ said.
Pakistan said preparations are
underway to raise the issue of drone attacks at the United Nations
in accordance with the recommendation of the resolution adopted
in the All-Parties Conference hosted by the Government. Foreign
Office Spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said necessary directives
have been issued to the country’s missions in New York and Geneva
in this regard.
September 13
Unidentified militants attacked
a convoy of NATO oil tankers in Sorab Town of Kalat District
in Balochistan, killing a driver and torching nine vehicles.
The attackers fired rockets and bullets at the convoy of 15
oil tankers travelling from Karachi to Afghanistan.
One person was killed and another
injured on Mission Road near Haidri Market in Quetta (Quetta
District), the provincial capital of Balochistan. “FC personnel
stopped two persons for checking at picket on Mission Road near
Haidri Market”, Police official said adding the suspects tried
to snatch weapon from soldier. In retaliation, the FC personnel
opened fire at them. As a result, one Saleem Mustafa was killed
and Deen Mohammad sustained injuries.
At least four suspects were
held in search operation in Satellite Town and Sariab Road areas
of Quetta.
SFs arrested at least 85 Afghan
citizens who were illegally travelling to Karachi from Quetta.
According to security sources, the security personnel, on a
tip off, stopped a Karachi bound passenger bus and arrested
at least 85 Afghan nationals under Foreign Act. The security
sources said the arrested afghan citizens were travelling without
documents.
A low-intensity explosion occurred
in the Gulshan-e-Bunair area under Quaidabad Police Station
in Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh,
in the night. However no causality was reported.
Police claimed to have arrested
a cadre of the TTP from Garden Masjid under Garden Police Station
and recovered weapons from his possession. Police claimed to
have recovering two SMG from his possession.
An IED was neutralised in Kotka
Mulagan area under Saddar Police Station in Bannu Town (Bannu
District) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Adviser to Prime Minister on
Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that he had very useful meeting
with Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khursheed and they
agreed that both India and Pakistan should respect 2003 LoC
ceasefire agreement.
The TTP handed a list of 4,752
prisoners to the Government who they want released. A TTP leader
said that two of their ‘commanders’ met with Pakistani officials
in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan Agency in FATA, and
handed over the list in the initial step towards “negotiations
and peace”.
In order to control terrorism
in the province, the Punjab Police have demanded PKR 100 million
for the purchase of 46 vehicles for the Counter Terrorism Department.
The summary stated that the officers and officials of the Counter
Terrorism Department were facing difficulties while performing
their duties due to shortage of vehicles, therefore, it has
been requested that the required funds should be released on
priority basis.
PKR 70.551 billion has been
allocated for the Punjab Police during the fiscal year 2013-14,
which is almost PKR nine billion more than the budget of previous
fiscal year. The Provincial Government had allocated PKR 61.588
billion for the Punjab Police during the fiscal year 2012-13.
However, Police spent PKR 64.955 billion which is almost PKR
3.45 billion more than the allocated amount.
September 14
A bomb explosion killed two
members of a pro-government militia and wounded four others
during an archaeological dig on the Afghanistan border in Darra
area, 30 kilometers northeast of Khar, the main town of Bajaur
Agency in FATA.
Eight officials of Gomal Zam
Dam Project in South Waziristan Agency, who were abducted two
years ago, were released unconditionally by their abductors.
The eight men were handed over to the local administration on
the border of South and North Waziristan. The officials were
kidnapped on August 15, 2012, while they were travelling to
Tank from the dam site.
The KP Chief Minister Pervez
Khattak approved withdrawal of Army from Malakand Division,
as the process of pulling out troops from Shangla and Buner
Districts would start next month. In the second phase, troops
would be pulled out from Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir Districts
and other parts of Malakand Division, the chief minister told
reporters in his home town of Nowshera. Malakand Division consists
of seven Districts.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
called for early formation of anti-terrorism force. Presiding
over a meeting, the Prime Minister said that delay in establishment
of this force was unacceptable. He directed the authorities
concerned to keep him informed about the progress being made
for the establishment of the force.
The ongoing-targeted operation
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, is going on effectively,
and will be followed with a proper strategy to maintain peace
and tranquility in the city on permanent basis, said Sindh Chief
Minister Qaim Ali Shah. He was talking to the delegation of
MPA from Punjab Assembly. Shah said the Government is serious
to make Karachi a peaceful city, which is the economic hub of
Pakistan.
September 15
Major General, Sanaullah Khan,
and, lieutenant colonel, Tauseef, were killed along with a soldier,
Irfan Sattar, in an IED explosion in the Upper Dir District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near Pak-Afghan Border. Major General
Sanaullah was the general officer commanding Swat Division.
TTP ‘spokesman’ Shahidullah Shahid claimed responsibility for
the attack.
TTP militants ambushed a convoy
of Khasadar (tribal police) force in Bannu town (Bannu District),
killing two of them and wounding four others.
Four persons, including two
women, sustained injuries in an IED explosion in the Habib Colony
in the limits of the Cantonment Police Station in Dera Ismail
Khan Town (Dera Ismail Khan District). Two explosive devices
planted by militants went off early in the day, leaving Muhammad
Asif, Ashfaq Ahmad, Saba Gul Bibi and Urooj Bibi injured.
A senior doctor and an Afghan
trader were abducted from Hayatabad area of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of KP. Police said a senior doctor and agency surgeon,
Dr Mujahid Hussain, was abducted by unidentified persons from
the limits of the Hayatabad Police Station. The vehicle of the
doctor was recovered from the Achini Khwar. A source said another
person Shoaib Nabi was also abducted from the limits of Hayatabad
Police Station.
An Afghan trader Ima Khan was
abducted from the limits of the same Police Station which lodged
the FIRs in both the incidents.
Two soldiers were killed and
three others sustained injuries in an explosion in the Miranshah
town of North Waziristan Agency in FATA.
A Government-run school was
partially damaged when a rocket fired by suspected militants
hit the school at Janikhel in the FR Bannu. No casualty was
reported in the incident.
The political administration
distributed compensation amount among the victims of the suicide
blast in the Parachinar town of Kurram Agency. Political Agent
Riaz Mehsud distributed cheques worth PKR 0.3 million among
the families of the 44 persons who were killed in a blast in
Parachinar town on July 26. Cheques for PKR 0.1 million were
also distributed among 105 persons who were injured in the blast.
The official said the injured were provided free treatment at
the public sector hospitals in Peshawar.
A man belonging to the Shia
community, identified as Badar Ali, was shot dead at Supper
Highway within the precincts of Sacchal Police Station in Karachi
(Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh. Badar Ali
was on his way in a car when unidentified assailants intercepted
the vehicle, and resorted to indiscriminate firing.
Rangers and Police arrested
28 suspects in separate targeted raids and operations in different
parts of Karachi. As per details, Rangers officials conducted
targeted operation in areas including Yousuf Goth, Mehmoodabad,
Jauhar Mor, and 100 Quarters in Korangi, Hassan Mujtaba Town,
Gulshan-e-Maymar, Surjani Town, Sindhi Hotel in New Karachi,
Baloch Colony and Bhains Colony.
Unidentified assailants killed
a man at Mini Market near the Satellite Town area of Quetta
(Quetta District), the provincial capital Balochistan. According
to the Police, the victim was on his way home when the armed
assailants opened fire at him and fled.
At least twenty oil tankers
were gutted in a rocket attack in the Sohrab area of Kalat District.
According to the Police, the oil tankers carrying fuel for NATO
forces were heading to Afghanistan from Karachi when armed men
intercepted them and set them on fire before fleeing. The oil
tankers were incinerated; however, there was no loss of life.
The TTP set preconditions for
peace talks. Shahidullah Shahid, ‘spokesman’ for the TTP, said,
“First of all, troops in the entire tribal area should go back
to barracks and then our prisoners should be released,” Shahid
said. “The Pakistan government must take steps which can develop
an atmosphere of trust and can remove the doubts and suspicion.
We cannot move forward unless the Government accepts these two
demands.” He was speaking after the TTP’s Shura held three days
of talks about the Government offer of dialogue.
At least 21 foreign students
staying without valid documents were arrested by Police during
a raid in the early morning on two madrassas in Gujranwala town
of Punjab. The madrassas reportedly belonged to Qazi Hamidullah
Khan - a teacher of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar. Officials
from 30 Police Stations headed by the Superintendent of Police
raided the seminaries.
September 16
A former Union Council nazim
and activist of the MQM, identified as Iqbal (30), was shot
dead in within the limits of Mominabad Police Station in Orangi
Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A Police constable, identified
as Mushtaq (35), was shot dead in front of the Mominabad Police
Station in Orangi Town.
Surjani Town Police found a
dead body of a man, identified as that of Asif, at Khuda ki
Basti in Gadap Town.
CCPO and AIG Shahid Hayat Khan
claimed to have arrested at least 56 suspects, including LeJ
militants, Lyari gangsters and political workers during targeted
actions in several areas of Karachi. The names of political
parties have been kept secret. The four LeJ militants were identified
as identified as Asghar Khan, Abu Qasim, Siddiq Akbar and Anees.
He said that the Police have
also arrested three alleged target killers affiliated with political
parties, identified as Saqib Ghani, M Iqbal and Babar during
raids in Joharabad area in Malir Town and Azizbad area of Gulberg
Town.
The officer said that two cadres
belonging to People’s Amn Committee (PAC) and close associates
of Baba Ladla, identified as Tariq and Abdul Hamid, were arrested
during a targeted raid at Lyari gangster hideouts in Maripur
area of Lyari Town. The Police also recovered weapons from their
possession.
The Police detained 13 Afghan
nationals under the Foreign Act from Mall Road in Chaman town
of Qilla Abdullah District. They were detained because they
had entered the country without valid travelling documents,
Police said. They were handed over to the FIA for further interrogations.
The Supreme Court said that
peace in Balochistan could not be restored unless the borders
are protected and fenced. “Our neighbouring countries have been
working to fence their side of border, but we have left our
porous borders (open) for the smuggling of weapons which is
the main cause of grim law and order situation in Balochistan,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi,” the Chief Justice Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhry remarked while hearing the law and order case
in Quetta Registry of Supreme Court.
The law enforcing and Intelligence
Agencies in a joint action arrested an alleged militants belonging
to al Qaeda from Lahore District in the night. According to
sources the accused was a student in Science College Lahore.
After receiving threats of a
Dera-Ismail-Khan-jailbreak like attack, the security has been
fortified at Central Jail Lahore also known as Kot Lakpat jail.
The prison authorities said that unidentified callers claiming
to be representatives of Taliban and al Qaeda threatened to
attack the prison. According to the sources, hundreds of additional
Police and Elite Force Commandoes are deployed inside and around
the prison facility.
After the Sindh Government decided
to create more Districts in the province by bifurcating Karachi
and Thatta Districts in first phase of the procedure, the PPP
Karachi Chapter President Abdul Qadir Patel told journalists
that the meeting decided to create two more Districts in Karachi,
Lyari and Maripur. Local PPP leaders suggested creation of these
two Districts. However, a consensus was reached for Lyari only.
Karachi had four Districts,
namely, South, West, East and Central and Malir was added to
the list during the second term of PPP when Abdullah Shah was
the Chief Minister of Sindh. The total shall reach six if another
District is created in the metropolis.
The authorities suspended repatriation
of displaced Bar Qambarkhel tribal people to Tirah valley in
Khyber Agency of FATA after rival factions of the tribe failed
to agree on formation of an impartial peace body. Assistant
Political Agent Mohammad Nasir said that he had held a jirga
with elders of three sub-tribes of Bar Qambarkhel at Kalaya
in Orakzai Agency a day before Fata Disaster Management Authority
announced return plan for all internally displaced families
of Tirah valley.
Pakistan is set to release this
week Abdul Ghani Baradar, a former Taliban commander often described
as the insurgents’ ex-second-in-command, said Sartaj Aziz advisor
to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on National Security and Foreign
Affairs. Sartaj Aziz said that Baradar “will be released this
week, possibly in a day or two”. The Afghanistan Government
has long demanded that Islamabad free Baradar, whose arrest
in January 2010 saw Pakistan accused of sabotaging initiatives
to bring peace in war-torn Afghanistan. His release would bring
to 34 the number of Taliban detainees that Pakistan has released
since last year, in what Afghan officials hope will encourage
peace talks with the insurgents.
The COAS General Ashfaq Parvez
Kayani declared that terrorists will not be allowed to coerce
us into accepting their terms. General Kayani reiterated Pakistan
Army’s resolve and unflinching commitment to fighting the menace
of terrorism, in accordance with the will of the nation and
at any cost. He vowed to spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators
of cowardly acts of terrorism to justice.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief
Minister Pervez Khattak said negotiations were the best option
to find a permanent solution to the scourge of militancy and
terrorism. Addressing a press conference after visiting District
Headquterer Hospital Dera Ismail Khan, he said that his Government
wanted peace, interfaith harmony and tolerance in society and
would play a positive role during negotiations with the stakeholders
concerned.
September 17
Four workers of the MQM, identified
as Pervez Alam, Jabbar, Nadeem, and Riaz Ahmed, were shot dead
unidentified militants while they were sitting at a puncture
shop in Ghazi Nagar near Mohajir Chowk in Orangi Town of Karachi
District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two cadres of ASWJ, identified
as Zeeshan alias Faizan Chohto and Mustaqeem were killed in
an alleged police encounter on Mauripur Road in Lyari Town.
Zeeshan was the chief of unit-188 of the ASWJ, while Mustaqeem
is a supporter of the ASWJ and is reportedly also associated
with the MQM.
An unidentified dead body of
a young man packed in a gunny bag was found from Maripur area
of Keamari Town. Police officials said the victim was tortured
to death after being kidnapped.
In a joint operation by the
CID of Karachi Police, Rangers, and Intelligence Agencies an
alleged terrorist was killed in a shootout in Manghopir area
of Gadap Town.
Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC)
Police rescued a grade-III student of Karachi Grammar School
and arrested five kidnappers in a covert raid in a house at
Khyaban-e-Sehar in Defence area of Clifton in Saddar Town. The
arrested suspects are identified as Ramzan, Hamidullah Ehsanullah,
Shah Niaz and Inamullah. The abducted boy is the son of a businessman
Najam Mehmood and was abducted by his driver while being taken
to the school on September 16, 2013, said AVCC’s Inspector Sajjad.
The Law enforcers arrested 176
suspected criminals in targeted operations across Karachi. The
suspects included an alleged sectarian target killer, robbers,
extortionists and drug peddlers. In Shah Faisal Colony, Chanesar
Goth, Taisar Town, Green Town, North Nazimabad, Quaidabad and
Rasheedabad, Rangers detained 19 suspects and seized weapons,
drugs and looted valuables from them.
The Karachi Police also claimed
to have arrested 157 suspects, including some foreigners. An
alleged sectarian target killer associated with a political
group, Muhammad Javed who confessed his involvement in killings
of ST workers, was arrested by the New Karachi Industrial Area
Police.
In 24 hours, the city Police
arrested around 119 criminals in 95 raids during which 52 weapons
and two hand grenades were also seized. Shershah Police arrested
two suspects, identified as Imran and Irfan, and recovered two
.30 pistols and two hand grenades. They were said to be wanted
in a number of cases.
While addressing a gathering
of MQM supporters and media in Karachi the MQM Chief Altaf Hussain
said that the Government should not bow down in front of the
militants in order to make peace talks a reality. He said that
if the Government caves in to the demands of the militants,
conditions in the country would become “worse than those in
Somalia”. Altaf said that if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted
to call another APC to decide how to proceed with peace talks
with the militants, he should do so. “Go ahead with peace talks
but maintain your dignity,” he said, adding that the state’s
writ needed to be protected.
At least five Pakistanis were
killed and three others, including a Levies Force official,
were injured in cross border firing by Afghan SFs in the Qamaruddin
Karez area of Zhob District late in the night. The dead identified
as Noorullah, Fatehullah, Muhammad Haleem, Zahir Shah, Mir Dad
and Molvi Faqir belonged to “Loion” tribe. “After the incident
Afghan forces swiftly escaped from the area,” an official of
the local administration in Zhob added.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead a man, identified as Muhammad Khan on Quetta-Ziarat
Highway in Kuchlak town of Quetta.
Two people, identified as Qadir
Bakhsh and Ali Bakhsh, were shot dead by unidentified assailants
in Sui Colony of Dera Bugti District.
A man identified as Muhammad
Naseem, was shot dead in Parum area of Panjgur District.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a man, identified as Muhammad Hafiz, in Zehri tehsil of
Khuzdar District.
The SP Basheer Ahmed Barohi's
narrowly escaped an armed attack on his vehicle in Mian Ghundi
area of Quetta in the night. The attack injured one of his security
guards before cops shot and injured two of the attackers in
retaliatory fire. Later, the Police arrested the injured attackers
Unidentified militants torched
a NATO container that was on its way from Chaman town in Qilla
Abdullah District to Karachi (Sindh) after snatching PKR 100,000
from the truck owner, identified as Saifullah, in Killi Rahimabad
area of Mastung District.
Law Enforcement Agency personnel
acting on a tip-off conducted a raid at a house and arrested
a suspect along with weapons in Zhob District.
The three-judge Supreme Court
bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry while
hearing the Balochistan law and order case at Quetta Supreme
Court Registry ordered to present missing persons from Balochistan
by September 18, 2013. The Chief Justice said the issue of missing
persons had great importance for Balochistan and the missing
persons’ families, who stood outside the court.
The Capital Police found a dead
body of a militant, identified as Haris Khan, one of the four
accused in the May 3, 2013 assassination of Chaudhry Zulfikar
Ali, the FIA prosecutor handling the 26/11 Mumbai attack case
and the Benazir Bhutto murder case from Islamabad.
During the May 3 attack Constable
Farman Ali, the prosecutor’s guard belonging to the Frontier
Corps, also fired at the attackers. As a result, an attacker’s
cell phone and pistol fell on the road, but all four managed
to escape. During the ambush, Abdullah Omar Abbasi and Haris
Khan were injured when the prosecutor’s guard retaliated, but
they managed to escape.
The Police, accompanied by an
Assistant Commissioner, a magistrate and a medico-legal officer,
went to Adil’s house and dug out the body. The remains were
then taken to a hospital for legal process, including autopsy
and DNA test, to establish identification. Currently, all four
people involved in the assassination have been identified namely
Omar Abbasi, Haris Khan, Adil and Tanveer (the mastermind).
Political administration’s officials
recovered 35 shells of artillery from a vehicle near Pak-Afghan
border in Kurram Agency of FATA and arrested two accused. Kurram
Agency Political Agent Riaz Khan Mehsud told the media that
35 shells of artillery were seized from a vehicle near Pak-Afghan
border that was being smuggled to Kurram Agency for subversive
activities, adding that two accused riding the vehicle were
arrested.
The TTP insisted they were still
at war with Government troops because peace talks had yet to
start and the Army was still launching multiple offensives against
them. The announcement came two days after senior Army officers
were killed by a TTP bomb in the Upper Dir District of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
The Peshawar High Court stopped
the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government from withdrawing Army from
Malakand, Swat and Dir divisions. PHC’s Chief Justice Dost Muhammad
Khan noted that Army has been deployed in these areas for many
years to restore peace, and its withdrawal would create a vacuum
there.
ATC reserved its judgment in
the December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto murder case as attorneys
for defence and prosecution completed their arguments. When
the hearing started, the former military ruler and President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf’s lawyer Ilyas Siddiqi urged
the court to re-record the statements of the witnesses.
Malik Muhammad Rafiq, the lawyer
representing former DIG Saud Aziz and SP Khurram Shehzad, objected
to it, saying that it would further delay the case. Barrister
Rafiq said the case had already been pending for the last five
years.
FIA special prosecutor Chaudhary
Azhar Ai told the Court that the former FIA public prosecutor
in the case Chaudhary Zulfiqar Ali had already been killed and
witnesses had been convinced with much difficulty.
IJT, the student wing of JeI,
is harbouring militants in the Punjab University hostels, said
Doctor Mujahid Kamran, the University’s Vice Chancellor. “Illegal
occupants were living in Punjab University hostels,” Dr Kamran
said, accepting his failure to keep the hostels free of elements
involved in militant activities.
IJT refuted the claim. IJT Punjab
southern nazim Rai Haq Nawaz and IJT nazim of Punjab
University Abdul Muqeet accused the Vice Chancellor of “trying
to defame Jama’at” to hide his own inefficiency. “IJT has no
connection with any banned organisation. The university administration
is shifting the blame on the IJT to save its own skin,” Haq
Nawaz said.
September 18
Two people, identified as Bunir
Ali, a resident of Hazara Town in Quetta District, and Muhammad
Hayat of Bannu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were shot dead
at a CNG station on Zarghoon Road in Quetta. Sources within
the Police department said that it was a sectarian attack.
LEA arrested two suspected militants
and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from their possession
during a search operation in the Golimar Chowk area of Quetta.
Three alleged gangsters, identified
as Imran Chohan, Noman alias Nomi Patni and Abdul Ghafoor Katchi
alias Chotoo, were killed in a shoot-out with Police and Rangers
in the Shah Baig Lane of Lyari Town in Karachi District, the
provincial capital of Sindh. Two of the gangsters belonged to
the Abdul Jabbar Jhengu gang while the third was a member of
the Sheraz Comrade gang.
Elected representatives of PPP
in Lyari and leaders of the PAC claimed that no encounter took
place and the three men were victims of extra-judicial killings.
Two PAC cadres, including the
‘spokesperson’ Zafar Baloch, and another activist, Muhammad
Ali, were killed while two others from PAC were injured in a
targeted attack by four unidentified armed assailants at Bizenjo
Chowk in Lyari Town. Bizenjo Chowk is the stronghold of PAC.
An IED, weighing around 400
grams, was found outside the residence of ANP leader, Abdul
Razzak Buneri, in the Saeedabad area of Baldia Town.
Police claimed to have arrested
around 173 suspects during separate targeted raids and operations
across Karachi. The raids began soon after the killing of four
workers of the MQM on September 17, 2013. Police launched a
targeted operation in Pakistan Bazaar area of Orangi Town and
detained at least 20 suspects. However, most of them were released
later after being found innocent in initial interrogation.
Two suspected terrorists, Amjad
and Mir Jan, were arrested from Gulshan-e-Bunair area of Quaidabad
in Bin Qasim Town. Two hand grenades and pistols were also recovered
from their possession. Similarly, Police arrested three suspected
criminals -Farooq, Ayaz and Tahir from Orangi Town, over alleged
involvement in attacking the house of a JeI leader.
Other parts of the metropolis
were also raided, and almost 148 criminals were nabbed including
21 absconders, 26 under Arms Ordinance, and 19 under Narcotics
Act, eight robbers, seven murderers, and one under Terrorism
Act. Three bombs, 40 weapons along with narcotics were also
seized.
The Sindh Government informed
the SC that the Police arrested 1,357 alleged criminals during
targeted operations that began on September 5, 2013. Among those
arrested, 19 were involved in murders and target killings, six
in terrorism activities, 14 in taking extortion money, three
in kidnappings for ransom, 97 in robberies, 283 in possessing
illegal weapons, 259 in possessing narcotics and 608 in other
crimes. These statistics are part of a report submitted to the
Karachi Registry of the apex court by Chief Secretary Mohammad
Ejaz Chaudhry.
The report, prepared by the
Home Department and presented to the apex court in connection
with Karachi’s law and order suo moto implementation case, says
that 1,225 raids were conducted and 59 encounters with criminals
occurred in different parts of the city between September 5,
2013 and September 16, 2013. Police also claimed the recovery
of over 350 illegal weapons and explosive substance during the
raids.
An alleged target killer of
Karachi, identified as Amin Buledi of Lyari gang war, was arrested
along with 13 others in a targeted operation on Mall Road in
Murree tehsil of Rawalpindi District and handed over
to Karachi Police. The operation was carried out by the Punjab
Police and Elite Forces. These targeted killers reportedly originate
from Karachi and had taken refuge in Murree from the targeted
operations that were being carried out in the city since September
5, 2013.
An ATC acquitted Rana Mohammad
Faqir of the charge of attacking a convoy of former President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf in 2003. Despite the acquittal,
Faqir refused to leave the jail fearing that he would be abducted
by Security Agencies, but he was persuaded by his family to
come home.
The Supreme Court issued notices
to the Federal and Balochistan Governments on an appeal moved
by former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf against
the Balochistan High Court’s rejection of his bail application
in the August 26, 2006, Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case.
Advocate Ibrahim Satti representing
Musharraf had challenged the July 30, 2013 order of the BHC,
which had rejected the bail plea with a ruling that the applicant
had not been produced before the trial court or in the territorial
jurisdiction of the trial court in Balochistan.
Advocate Satti explained before
the Supreme Court that his client could not appear before the
BHC for security reason and, therefore, his bail had been rejected
by the High Court. He said that Musharraf had been detained
for the last three months, and requested the bench to grant
him bail. The Supreme Court ordered the Federal and the Balochistan
Governments to furnish their replies in 10 days.
The PHC was informed three previously
‘missing’ persons have been identified and shifted to internment
centres, while seven others have been released. Major Ali from
the Ministry of Defence, Major Muhammad Ayaz of the Frontier
Constabulary, Additional Advocate General Waqar Ahmad Khan and
Farooq Shah represented the Government in front of a two-member
bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice
Nisar Hussain.
The PHC issued notices to a
brigadier, two majors and a retired colonel of the Pakistan
Army’s Abbottabad Medical Record Wing (MRW) over the arrest
of a Lance Naik in the same department. A PHC divisional bench
comprising Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Nisar
Hussain were informed by petitioner Maimona Javed’s counsel
Advocate Ghulam Nabi that Maimona’s husband Muhammad Javed had
been kept in quarter guard since August 5, 2011. A quarter guard
is a small lock up where soldiers charged with minor crimes
are held.
The Interior Ministry sent a
‘threat alert’ to the Gilgit Baltistan Government, asking it
to beef up security along the main road linking Gilgit with
Ghizer Valley. “Terrorists can attack passenger vehicles on
the road,” read a letter received by the Gilgit Baltistan Government.
The three-member bench of the
Supreme Court Quetta Registry while hearing the Balochistan
law and order case ordered the CID Police to investigate three
FC officers regarding the missing persons’ case and submit a
report in 10 days. The bench also issued notices to the Defence
Secretary, the IGP and FC on failing to cooperate with the court
on previous orders.
The court asked the authorities
concerned to compile new lists of the missing persons. The list
of missing persons should be re-checked and cases that do not
have concrete evidence should be named in the ‘suspicious list
of cases’, ordered the Chief Justice. The cases in which allegations
are made against the Police and the FC should be handed over
to the Additional Attorney General, he added.
Being the first assembly to
make such a law in the country, the Sindh assembly unanimously
passed the Sindh Witness Protection Bill 2013. The bill provides
protection to witnesses and their families, enabling them to
provide evidence in criminal proceedings without any fear. It
will allow witnesses to conceal their identities by wearing
a mask, changing their voice and appearance as well as any other
form of segregation during investigation or trial. Video conferencing
will also be allowed in order to secure witnesses.
September 19
Three Shia people were killed
and 12 others were injured when unidentified militants hurled
hand grenades at an Imambargah (Shia place of congregation)
in Majeed Colony of Landhi Town in Karachi District, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A cadre of MQM-H, identified
as Saleem Nabi, was shot dead in a targeted attack by unidentified
assailants near RCD ground within the remits of Saudabad Police
Station in Malir Town.
The Rangers and Police arrested
at least 33 alleged suspects from Karachi District. Police arrested
13 suspects from Ittehad Town in Baldia Town 10 others from
Shah Rasool Colony in Clifton area of Saddar Town.
Three persons were killed and
20 others injured in the night in a hand grenade attack near
a mosque in the Sarband area of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. SHO Badbher Rehmatullah Khan said that
militants attacked a security checkpost on the outskirts of
Sarband.
Police foiled a terror plan
when they neutralised a five kilograms bomb near the Sulemankhel
Chawki in Badbher area of Peshawar.
Police arrested two militants
during a raid at Khegai village in the limits of the Matani
Police Station in Peshawar. The Police on a tip about the presence
of militants in a house at Khegai village conducted the raid
and arrested two militants. Police claimed recovered arms and
ammunition from their hideout.
KP Government is set to cancel
licenses of 400 arms manufacturers and dealers in the province
because they failed to register their businesses. On April 16,
KP Home and Tribal Affairs Department issued a notification
asking arms dealers and manufacturers to submit details of their
businesses by April 29. Otherwise, their licences would be cancelled.
Random amendments in laws can
be very dangerous for the country, said PHC Chief Justice Dost
Muhammad Khan in light of the Government’s plans to make changes
in the anti-terrorism act. The CJ went on to point out the Government
should not make any amendments which can end up providing cover
to terrorists as terrorism had taken up deep roots in the country,
causing three generations to suffer.
At least 10 people, including
a Levies man, a child and a woman, were injured in a hand grenade
attack on the Balochistan Constabulary Line in Sariab area of
the provincial capital Quetta.
Unidentified armed assailants
torched a passenger coach that was on its way from Quetta to
Dalbandin in Chagai District, after disembarking the passengers
in Daringarh area of Mastung District. “They asked all passengers
to get out of the coach and then torched it after pouring oil
on it,” said the security officials.
At least 12 suspects, including
10 Lyari gang war criminals, suspected to be involved in September
15, 2013, attacks on NATO trucks were arrested up by FC and
Police personnel in the Hub area of Quetta. Law enforcement
personnel recovered a huge cache of weapons and explosive material
from their custody.
Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad
sent suspected terrorists Hammad Adil and Shaukat Zaman on a
14-day judicial remand. Adil was arrested on September 16, 2013,
during a raid in the Sabzi Mandi area. The police believe Adil
was plotting a car bombing in Islamabad. It was revealed that
Adil’s next target was former President General (retired) Pervez
Musharraf’s farmhouse in Chak Shahzad.
Federal Board of Revenue FBR
chairman also appeared before the court and presented a report
on smuggling of weapons and vehicles across the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border at Chaman town in Qilla Abdullah District.
The Federal Government prepared
a new list of 52 proscribed outfits involved in militancy and
extremism, according to a BBC Urdu report quoting sources in
the Interior Ministry. A previous list, prepared by the Interior
Ministry under former ruling PPP, had 23 such outfits. According
to the sources, al Qaeda tops the new list. In the previous
list, the LeJ had secured the first place with the TTP on the
second spot.
TTP denied claims that their
‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud contacted a former Member of the MNA
Javed Ibrahim Paracha demanding release of 50 militants detained
in various prisons across the country. According to a reports
aired on Dawn, Paracha had claimed that the ‘chief’ of
TTP telephoned him and named 50 TTP prisoners for their release.
Paracha, who later visited Adiala Jail and met Taliban prisoners,
had informed the media that a procedure for the militants’ release
was under consideration. Inmates belonging to banned LeJ, SSP
and the TTP were included in the list.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar
Ali Khan, along with an anonymous ISI representative, had reportedly
met with Paracha also. Sources said that both the Government
and the TTP were currently engaged in expediting the potential
peace negotiations.
Referring to the ongoing targeted
operation in Karachi, Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry
Nisar Ali Khan told the National Assembly that so far only 10
percent of the work has been completed. “We believe that so
far only 10 percent of the work has been completed. There is
a lot more left to do. We are in a continuous process of consultation
and are in close contact with all parties, including the MQM.
In another context he said,
the Mohajir Republican Army (MRA) had claimed responsibility
for several terrorist acts through SMSs and other means. “We
do not know who they are or where they operate from, but the
MRA is not linked to the MQM,” he clarified. “The Rangers have
conducted 400 targeted operations and over 1,000 actions were
done by the Police,” the Interior Minister informed.
Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the National Assembly that a move
for a peace dialogue with the TTP had “come to a standstill”
with a “serious blow” from September 15, 2013 attack in Upper
Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that killed an Major General
Sanaullah and that the military and opposition would be consulted
in reviewing the process.
“This incident has dealt a serious
blow (to the peace move),” Chaudhry Nisar said referring to
the September 15 attack on an army convoy. “We have come to
a standstill,” the Minister said in the first clear statement
from the Government, indicating that the process stood frozen
after the TTP not only claimed responsibility for the Upper
Dir bombing as well as three other attacks on Security Forces
on the same day but also put forth hard demands such as release
of TTP militants from the Government custody, a general amnesty
for TTP fighters and return of troops to the barracks in FATA
as preconditions for the proposed talks.
September 20
At least seven Army personnel
were killed and four others were injured in a remote-controlled
explosion in Bolan. The BRA on Twitter claimed responsibility
for the attack. One of their vehicles was completely destroyed
in the attack, the outfit claimed.
Three SF personnel sustained
injuries in an explosion while they were on routine patrolling
in Bibi Nani area of Mach.
BRP Media Cell’s sources reported
that the Pakistan Army has started a massive military operation
in the areas of Mach (in Bolan District) after an attack on
their convoy that killed seven personnel. The army laid siege
around the entire area and set ablaze dozens of houses of Baloch
villagers after looting their hardly earned valuables from their
houses during the operation.
PTI president for Jalozai camp,
Haji Mula Khel, was killed and four other party activists were
injured after unidentified militants opened fire at them at
the PTI office on the Jalozai camp premises in Nowshehra District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A tribal elder of Qamber Khel said that
Haji was also PTI’s secretary for Bara welfare. He belonged
to Bara (Khyber Agency, FATA) himself and was living at Jalozai
camp for IDPs.
A suspected teenage suicide
bomber was killed after his explosive vest accidently went off
in Ponyal area of Chakesar in Shangla District. Shangla SP Gulzar
Ali said the incident occurred at around 1:20pm, adding the
bomber was identified as Muhammad Afzal, a resident of Ponyal
Dheri.
A social worker, identified
as Sahiba Mirani, who worked at Takhleeq Foundation for financial
empowerment of the widows, was abducted on her way home after
completing her field work and killed in Dingro Wah area of Ghotki
District in Sindh. The programme manager of the Foundation,
Mohsin Solangi, said that the NGO works for women empowerment.
Rangers and Police in the ongoing
targeted operation in Karachi arrested at least 24 more suspects
from different parts of the city. According to details, 24 suspects
were arrested during targeted raids in Saddar Town areas of
Clifton, Shah Rasool Colony and Neelam Colony. Rangers arrested
at least eight suspects including activists of a banned outfit,
in an operation in Title Colony of North Nazimabad Town. Different
types of latest weapons, CCTV cameras and dozens of bullets
were recovered from their possession.
In the past 24 hours, Police
claims to have arrested a total of 104 criminals in 84 raids
and recovered 27 arms of different calibres. A Police report
said 43 offenders/proclaimed absconders were also among 104
detainees. It said six Police encounters took place in various
areas of the city in the jurisdictions of different Police Stations.
Ameen Buledi, a suspected Lyari
gang war gangster who was arrested from Lahore District of Punjab
on September 18, 2013, was remanded in Police custody for three
days. Buledi was wanted in several target killing, kidnapping-for-ransom
and illegal weapons cases. The court allowed the physical remand
of Buledi till September 23, 2013.
MQM leader Nabil Gabol was named
in the September 18, 2013 murder case of proscribed PAC ‘spokesperson’
Zafar Baloch, drawing severe criticism from MQM. City division
SSP Faisal Bashir Memon said that a FIR was lodged against Gabol
on a complaint of Mohammad Ali Baloch, the father of the slain
leader.
MQM’s Rabita Committee while
condemning the claim has demanded the Federal Government to
take notice of the ‘fake’ case against the MQM lawmaker and
withdraw the FIR forthwith. “Falsely involving Nabil Gabol in
the murder case of Zafar Baloch is continuation of political
victimization,” said a statement.
The chief of the PAC, Uzair
Baloch who was believed to have been out of the country, has
returned to Lyari. Uzair, who came back on the night of September
19, 2013, is expected to fill in the gap in leadership left
behind by Zafar Baloch, who was killed in a targeted attack
allegedly due to some internal rifts in the party.
According to sources privy to
the matter told media that Uzair is likely to surrender before
the Rangers soon. “To surrender is a not big deal but the main
issue is that his life is at risk,” said one Naz. She said his
surrender is on the table but only if the Government and Law
Enforcement Agencies guarantee protection for his life. However,
Police officials refused to confirm if Uzair was present in
Lyari.
Officials of a secret agency
arrested three terror suspects during a raid at the office of
property dealer Mohammad Anwar in Imamia Colony in Shahdara
of Lahore.
Pindi Bhattian Police seized
more than 25 kilogram of explosives in a Sargodha-bound van
near the bypass in Hafizabad District. The Police have arrested
the driver, the conductor and impounded the van.
In a significant development
that may help break the impasse in the Afghan reconciliation
process, Pakistan is set to free a former top aide of the elusive
Taliban spiritual leader, Mullah Omar, on September 21. “In
order to further facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process,
the detained Taliban leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, will
be released on September 21,” reads a terse statement issued
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 20.
In Kabul, the Afghanistan Government
welcomed the announcement, saying Mullah Baradar’s release would
help peace efforts after 12 years of war. “We welcome that this
step is being taken,” Aimal Faizi, spokesman for Afghan President
Hamid Karzai said.
Federal Cabinet approved a draft
of amendments to anti-terrorism laws in an effort to further
empowering law enforcement agencies for better handling of terror-related
cases. Federal Minister Zahid Hamid presented the draft amendments
in the session of Federal Cabinet which was chaired by Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif.
As the Government’s plans for
holding talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have come to a
standstill after the September 15, 2013 Upper Dir attack in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Pakistani Army, a former Member of the
MNA Javaid Ibrahim Paracha is reported to have met two prisoners
Omer Adeel and Hafiz Mohammad Naseer who belong to SSP in the
Central Jail in Rawalpindi District, on behalf of TTP. Both
the prisoners had been awarded capital punishment for carrying
out terror attacks.
Leader of Opposition in the
National Assembly, Khursheed Shah, told reporters on that he
had been informed by the Prime Minister that the Government
had not given any task to Paracha to hold talks with TTP.
The Supreme Court during hearing
of the suo motu case on the deteriorating law and order situation
in Karachi headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
ordered the Police and Rangers to arrest 1,500 suspected terrorists
and 33,000 absconding criminals still at large in Karachi.
Sindh Advocate General Khalid
Javed Khan filed a report on behalf of the Police IG, showing
a comparative data of crimes since the targeted operation was
launched. The bench asked Khan and the Police IG to ensure this
action against the criminals is carried out efficaciously so
that this effort does not fail like previous ones.
Prosecutor-general Shahadat
Awan disclosed that there are 110,549 absconders and proclaimed
offenders across the province, including 33,665 in Karachi alone.
They’ve absconded during the last five years, that is, the tenure
of PPP-led Government, he submitted. Moreover, there are 1,500
suspected terrorists who are also on the run, he added.
The Supreme Court took exception
to Sindh Home Secretary’s failure to inform the bench about
the number of arms licenses issued in Karachi. The Secretary
said exact number of arms licenses were not known as the administration
was still collecting data in this regard.
The Federal Cabinet approved
extraordinary powers for the Paramilitary Rangers in an effort
to stamp out crimes from Karachi. The Paramilitary Force has
already been mandated to carry out surgical operations against
criminal gangs in the city. The cabinet approved the Anti-Terrorism
(Third Amendment) Bill, 2013 which will now be tabled in Parliament
for approval.
According to the draft Bill,
“[the] Rangers after prior warning as considered necessary against
persons committing a terrorist or scheduled offence will be
authorised to shoot or order to shoot before they are fired
upon as provided under the existing law.”
This means from now on, extortion,
kidnapping-for-ransom and target killing – the three crimes
which have shaken Karachi the most – will be tried under the
Anti-Terrorism law. For the protection of judges and witnesses,
the bill proposes a slew of measures which include using screens
to shield witnesses, judges and prosecutors from public view
conducting trials on jail premises or through video-link investigation
and trial in another province. The bill also proposes measures
for expeditious disposal of cases by the courts.
Balochistan Chief Minister Doctor
Abdul Malik Baloch said that his party had no interest other
than resolving the issue of missing persons’ and stated that
Baloch insurgents and all the other stakeholders are to be invited
to the negotiation table to bring peace in the troubled province.
While talking to the journalist
Baloch said, “I am confident that people of Balochistan believe
we don’t have any other interest except to see militants at
the table to restore peace and currently we’re making efforts
to restore their trust”. Though, he is interested in restoring
peace in the region but not getting any assistance and support
from the Federal Government.
September 21
At least 12 militants were killed
and two soldiers were injured in a shootout near the Pak-Afghan
border in Lower Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At least two persons, identified
as Manzoor and Hazoor Bakhsh, were killed by unidentified assailants
in Bhag Nari area of Kachhi (Bolan) District.
FC and Balochistan Police arrested
16 suspected militants during a search operation in Gwadar District
and recovered three vehicles and five motorbikes from their
possession.
TTP released three doctors who
had been abducted from Zhob town of Zhob District in June 21,
2013.
A fruit vendor, identified as
Ghulam Ali (40), was shot dead in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of
Gulshan Town in Karachi in the night. Investigators said the
victim hailed from Muzaffargarh District in Punjab and was a
resident of a squatter settlement in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
BDS detonated hand grenades
found in a bag lying near the residential society of the Aga
Khani community in Metroville area of SITE Town.
The three doctors, who were
released by TTP, were reportedly released in North Waziristan
Agency of FATA. The doctors were identified as Nasrullah Ghilzai,
Muhammad Anwer Shabozai and Ayaz Ahmed. According to details,
they had been kidnapped from the Loralai District of Balochistan
and taken to North Waziristan Agency.
Over PKR 35 million was paid
to TTP militants for their release. The Government officials
had claimed that the doctors were freed without payment of ransom
to the kidnappers. “There is no truth in the officials’ claim
that the doctors have been freed after successful negotiations
between local tribal elders and the militants and that no ransom
amount was paid to the kidnappers,” the sources said, adding
that the ransom amount of over PKR 35 million had been arranged
by the doctors’ relatives and friends.
Police demolished minarets at
an Ahmadi place of worship Kabutranwali Ibadatgah in Sialkot
District of Punjab, after a group of protesters threatened to
do so themselves. The Police approached the community on September
20, 2013 after a local cleric Abdul Hameed Chishti belonging
to Jama’at Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan (JAS) complained that three
worship places for Ahmadis had features that resembled mosques,
namely minarets and verses from the Quran written on the walls.
The cleric whose complaint led
to the action said that he had approached the Police after he
attended a Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Conference on September 7, 2013
marking the anniversary of the passage of anti-Ahmadi laws,
where a speaker said that Ahmadis were not allowed to build
minarets or use verses from the Quran at their places of worship.
Sections 298-B and 298-C of the Pakistan Penal Code outlaw Ahmadis
from calling their place of worship a masjid, claiming to be
Muslims or preaching their faith to others.
Pakistani Police busted a gang
that uses a female member to lure youngsters through Facebook
and telephone calls and then kidnapping them for ransom. The
gang, which included a lawyer, his wife, the son of a Policeman
and four others, was active in the industrial town of Gujranwala
in Gujranwala District and was traced by tracking phone calls.
September 22
As many as 81 persons were killed
and 145 others injured when two suicide attackers blew themselves
up at the end of a service at All Saints Church near Qissa Khawani
bazaar in Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The service had just ended and at least
400 worshippers were greeting each other when there was a huge
explosion. "There are 34 women and seven children among
the dead," Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar
Ali Khan, adding that the Federal Government had announced a
three-day period of national mourning. Janood-e-Hafsa (JeH,
Army of the Lioness), an umbrella group of TTP, claimed responsibility.
"We carried out the suicide bombings at Peshawar church
and will continue to strike foreigners and non-Muslims until
drone attacks stop," Ahmad Marwat, a ‘spokesman’ for the
group, said.
ANP local leader Anwar Khan
was killed in a firing incident in Buner town (Buner District).
At least six suspected militants
were killed and three others were injured in a US drone strike
on a militant compound in Shawal area of North Waziristan Agency
in FATA. “US drones fired four missiles into a militant compound.
At least six militants were killed and three others were wounded,”
an unnamed security official said. The officials said the identities
of those killed were not yet clear.
Three militant commanders, including
a spokesperson for LI, were killed when the IED they were making
exploded in LI Markaz in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency. LI ‘spokesperson’
Younas and commanders Ghufran and Abu Darda of Tariq Afridi
faction of TTP were killed in the explosion.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found in a gunny bag near Farzana Dawakhana in Dastagir
area of Karachi. Sharah-e-Faisal Police said the victim appeared
to be of Baloch origin and was kidnapped, tortured and then
killed.
Unidentified assailants hurled
a homemade cracker bomb at the Unit Office of the MQM at Gulshan-e-Bihar
in Orangi Town. No casualty was reported.
Law enforcers claimed to have
arrested at least 187 suspects during separate raids and operations
across Karachi. Rangers detained around 27 suspects during targeted
raids in Orangi Town, Joria Bazaar, Green Town, FC Area, Landhi,
Ramswami, Abul Hassan Asphani Road, Habib Bank Chowrangi areas
Aansu Goth and Jumma Goth. Rangers’ spokesperson said weapons
were also recovered from the possession of few suspects.
Boat Basin Police conducted
a targeted raid in a residential apartment in Clifton area of
Saddar Town, and arrested a suspected criminal, identified as
Ghulam Rasool. The Police also arrested around 134 suspected
criminals during 84 targeted raids across the city. The arrested
persons included 55 absconders, 24 under Arms Ordinance, 16
under Narcotics Ordinance, 11 robbers, three kidnappers and
one extortionist. Sindh police’s spokesman said 44 weapons,
five grenades, and narcotics were also recovered.
Around 18 suspects were detained
after search operations in Sohrab Goth, Bismillah Market and
Janjal Goth areas. Weapons were also found from their custody.
The police took seven more suspects into detention from Gulshan-e-Iqbal,
Ayub Goth, Rajput Colony, and Baksh Ali Goth. According to details,
five motorcycles and narcotics were seized.
At least 21 persons were injured
in a remote-controlled bomb blast at Tareen Chowk on Nishtar
Road in Sibi District. According to the Police, unidentified
militants had rigged a bomb to a motorcycle which was parked
by the roadside. No group has claimed responsibility for the
attack.
Sandal Bar Police registered
cases against 190 cadres of ST including 20 nominated persons
for attacking a Police Station and creating a law and order
situation in Faisalabad District of Punjab. Police said cases
were also registered against 10 women who had joined the protestors
to press their demand for the release of 25 ST cadres.
Pakistan reiterated its commitment
to live in peace with its neighbours and resolve all the disputes
and conflicts through negotiations. “Peaceful resolution of
conflicts and disputes among all neighbouring countries will
bring peace to the whole region,” National Assembly Deputy Speaker
Murtaza Javed Abbasi told a high-level dialogue on “Converging
Wisdom and Consensus: Promoting the New Development of China-South
Asia Relationship” at the Yunnan Haigeng Convention Centre in
Kunming city.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar,
a former Afghan Taliban ‘second-in-command’ released in Pakistan,
is being kept in a safe house in Karachi. Afghanistan sees Baradar
as a respected figure who could use his influence among the
Afghan Taliban to help coax moderate commanders to the negotiating
table and convince warring parties to stop fighting after more
than a decade of war.
A Government source with knowledge
of the situation said separately: “He will not be sent to Afghanistan.
He is in a safe house in Karachi. … Everything will be decided
between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States.” The source
said Pakistan decided to announce his release to coincide with
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to New York this week where
he is expected to meet US President Barack Obama on the sidelines
of the United Nations General Assembly.
September 23
The death toll in September
22 twin suicide attack on All Saints Church near Qissa Khawani
bazaar in Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital
of KP, climbed to 83. Earlier, it was reported that 81 persons
were killed and 145 others sustain injuries.
In Islamabad, more than 600
protesters blocked a major city highway for several hours during
the Monday morning rush hour, causing long tailbacks. In Peshawar
itself, demonstrators took to the streets, smashing windows
at the Lady Reading Hospital, where many of the victims were
still being treated.
In a key reshuffle, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
IGP Ahsan Ghani was replaced by Nasir Khan Durrani. "The decision
was taken at the highest level," said an unnamed official. The
appointment of the IGP is at the Prime Minister's discretion.
Secretary Establishment Division Shahid Rashid also confirmed
the appointment, "We issued the notification on Monday." Durrani
was working as Punjab Counter Terrorism Department Additional
Inspector General Police.
Unidentified militants targeted
a Police mobile van with an IED at Wazirbagh area of Peshawar.
According to a District Police spokesman, the incident occurred
at Wazirbagh where a roadside bomb was detonated with a remote
control when the Police mobile van was passing through the area.
Policemen Rehmanullah Khan and Ejaz sustained injuries.
At least five persons, including
three Policemen and two civilians were killed while five others
injured in a bomb attack targeting Police in Pishin District.
"The bomb was planted underneath the Police van, which exploded
while the officials were performing routine checks, killing
five people including three Policemen and two civilians," said
District Police Chief Mehboob Rasheed.
TTP claimed responsibility for
the attack. "We attacked the Police in Balochistan today to
avenge killing of our men by the army in a recent staged encounter,"
in the country's northwest, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid
told media over telephone from an undisclosed location.
Balochistan Frontier Corps detained
48 illegal Afghan immigrants from a passenger bus in Hazaraganji
area of Quetta. A spokesman for the FC said that the Afghans
had been arrested for not having legal documents to enter Pakistan.
The bus driver was also arrested. The arrested Afghans had been
handed over to FIA which registered a case against them under
the Foreign Act.
A Policeman was killed and eight
others, including two Policemen were wounded in Aansu Goth area
of Malir Town in Karachi District, the provincial capital of
Sindh. According to details, an alleged gangster, Naveed Baloch
(27), died under mysterious circumstances in police custody.
The deceased was arrested along with two of his accomplices
on September 22, 2013 from Malir City police remit.
The protesters turned violent
and pelted stones at the Police Station. An extra contingent
of law enforcers was quick to reach the Police Station and resorted
to aerial firing in order to disperse the protesters. As a reaction
to Police action, unidentified armed assailants lobbed a hand
grenade on a Police mobile which wounded at least eight people,
including two Policemen. Later, armed assailants kidnapped Constable
Farman, shot him dead, and threw his dead body outside the Police
Station. Law enforcers launched an operation in Aansu Goth and
adjoining areas and later claimed to have arrested 30 suspects
and seized their weapons which included G-3 rifles and sub machineguns
(SMGs).
Rangers and Police claimed to
have arrested around 200 suspects during separate targeted raids
across the city. Rangers' spokesman said they raided the hideout
of the PAC's Darvesh near Old Sabzi Mandi area in Gulshan Town,
and recovered a truck loaded with a huge cache of automatic
weapons as well as a large quantity of narcotics in apple crates.
The arrested suspects were shifted to an undisclosed location
for further questioning.
Rangers arrested around 48 suspects
during targeted operations in Korangi Industrial Area's Mehran
Town, Baloch Colony, Haji Mureed Goth, Karnal Basti, Quaidabad,
Gabol Park, Taiser Town and other areas.
Police also arrested around
144 suspects along with weapons during the last 24 hours from
areas including North Nazimabad Town, Darakhshan in Malir Town
and Korangi Town.
Maulana Abdul Aziz, the chief
cleric of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque), was acquitted from his last
case by a judicial magistrate of Islamabad, Mohammad Naveed
Khan. Since 2001, 27 different cases had been registered against
Maulana Aziz, and the last one was registered on April 1, 2007
by the Kohsar Police because he had threatened shopkeepers of
Aabpara and Jinnah Super Market for selling movies containing
indecent content. The first of the 27 cases against Maulana
Abdul Aziz and his associates was registered on September 28,
2001, for delivering fiery speeches.
Between 2001 and 2005, the Police
registered 10 cases of which five were registered under different
sections of the Anti Terrorism Act 1997. The remaining five
were withdrawn before 2007. However, 22 cases were later registered
against the cleric between January and July, 2007. In this regard,
the prosecution produced 60 witnesses against Maulana Aziz.
However, when the relevant witnesses, including the shopkeepers,
were produced before the court, they disowned the prosecution's
story and claimed that Maulana Aziz had never threatened them
or visited their shops.
Maulana Wajihullah advocate,
counsel of Maulana Aziz, after the cleric's acquittal told Dawn
that former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf had
forced the Police to register fake cases against the cleric
and his family members. He said Maulana Aziz and his family
members had now been acquitted from all fake cases but General
Musharraf himself was still facing trials.
A resolution adopted by the
Sunni Ittehad Council at its National Peace Convention at Aiwan-i-Iqbal
rejected the idea of holding peace talks with the TTP, saying
that the offer of dialogue exposes the Government's weakness.
The Taliban should be dealt with force, stated the resolution.
The SIC resolution said that while the Government was making
peace overtures, the Taliban continued their "terrorist activities",
most recently with the bombing of a Peshawar church. The Government
had, without receiving any assurances from the Taliban, released
several "terrorists", it said. Talking to militants who had
killed hundreds of Pakistanis was to rub salt in the wounds
of the bereaved.
SIC Chairman Hamid Raza Rizvi
said the organisation would continue to oppose talks with "rebels".
The SIC condemned all acts of terrorism and would continue to
do so, he added. The Government, by offering talks, had ignored
the sacrifices of groups like the SIC, which had lost several
leaders including Doctor Sarfaraz Naeemi to Taliban attacks.
Lawmakers in Sindh Assembly
unanimously condemned the suicide attack on Peshawar Church
and demanded Federal Government for reconsidering its policy
of dialogue with the TTP militants. The condemnation of the
incident was made through passing a joint resolution. PPP's
Doctor Mahesh Kumar Malani, MQM's Arif Masih Bhatti, PML-Functional's
Nusrat Saher Abbasi and PTI's Doctor Seema Zia had brought the
resolution jointly.
The tribal elders from the FATA
asked the Government to take them into confidence on dialogue
process with the TTP. Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar,
patron-in-chief of the FATA Grand Alliance Malik Khan Marjan
said the Government should consult the tribal elders before
initiating talks with the TTP if it wanted to make the peace
process meaningful.
At least 49 prisoners allegedly
involved in high profile terrorism cases, including five American
nationals, have been shifted from the Central Adiala Jail in
Rawalpindi District to the high security prison of Central Jail
in Faisalabad District. According to a prison official, more
than 60 prisoners involved in terrorism cases are still languishing
in the Central Jail Adiala amid tight security.
Doctor Usman, an alleged terrorist,
was also shifted to Faisalabad. He had been convicted in a deadly
attack on the Army Headquarters Rawalpindi in October 2009.
Also, five American nationals, who were allegedly involved in
the Sargodha Airbase attack, were also shifted.
The prison official said the
49 prisoners were kept in a high security barrack in the Central
Jail Faisalabad after they were shifted. When contacted, a senior
official of the prison department confirmed that all 49 high
profile prisoners had been shifted first to Mianwali Jail and
then to Faisalabad.
Federal Minister for Borders
and Northern areas Lieutenant General (Retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch
said that the Afghan refugees would voluntarily return to their
country by 2015. Talking to media at Quetta Baloch said the
repatriation of Afghan refugees depends on the situation in
Afghanistan and that they would happily return to their country
if the situation improves.
September 24
Mortar shells fired from Afghanistan
hit a border Bange Dar village in North Waziristan Agency of
FATA, killing two civilians. Two unnamed officials said that
six mortar shells fired from the eastern Afghan province of
Khost landed in Bange Dar village. All the victims were from
same family.
The BDU along with District
Police raided a warehouse in the jurisdiction of Yakkatoot Police
Station in Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and recovered a huge quantity of explosive
material with detonators.
Peshawar High Court declared
that cell phone companies would have to pay compensation equal
to the Diyat (compensation paid to the heirs of a victim) amount
to those killed in bomb blasts if their unregistered SIMs were
used in the blasts. During hearing into a suo moto notice on
the use of unregistered SIMs, a division bench comprising Chief
Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan declared
that cell phone companies would pay compensation equal to the
amount of Arsh (Pre-specified Compensation) and Damaan (Compensation
determined by court to be paid by the offender to the victim
for causing hurt not liable to Arsh) to the injured persons
of bomb blasts in which their unregistered SIMs were used. The
bench directed the Federal Government to draft a bill on strict
laws against the illegal sale of SIMs in the country and propose
stringent laws against the violators to end the sale of unregistered
and illegal SIMs.
The Police claimed to have arrested
21 target killers and recovered weapons and foreign currency
from Shaheed Benazir Abad District of Sindh. Police sources
said that the Police during an operation in Santa Singh village
had arrested three people, and on the information given by those
arrested Police raided village Parial Shah near Sakrand town
where 18 alleged target killers had been hiding in the houses
of the Chandio community.
The security personnel arrested
a prime accused of Karachi Lyari gang war named Sheraz Comrade
and his two accomplices when they were trying to escape to Dubai
from the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore (Lahore
District), the provincial capital of Punjab. The other two accomplices
of comrade were identified as Zakir Mogheeri and Awais Tipu.
The TTP, denied that its sister
organisation Jandul Hafsa was involved in September 22's twin
suicide attack on a church in Peshawar that left more than 83
persons dead and over 145 injured. The spokesman of TTP, Shahidullah
Shahid, phoned media organisations in Peshawar and clarified
that Jandul Hafsa, the group which claimed responsibility of
the attack, had no links with his organisation.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that Peshawar church attacks and
recent killing of army officers were condemnable incidents but
the decision to hold talks with the TTP was made with a consensus
and it would be pursued. Addressing a joint press conference
along with his British counterpart Theresa May, Nisar reiterated
commitment of the Pakistani Government to work with all countries
to curb the menaces of terrorism, narcotics and other crimes.
September 25
The Security Forces killed five
militants in a retaliatory fire after the militants attacked
their camp with rockets in the Janni Khel area of Bannu District
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. One trooper was injured in the incident.
Three persons were killed and
seven others were injured in a militant attack on Gandau dam
in the Halimzai area of Mohmand Agency in FATA. The dam also
got damaged during the attack. The 'spokesman' for TTP Mohmand
Agency, Umar Khalid Khurasani, in a statement claimed to have
killed three persons, including two engineers and the contractor,
and abducted two other persons.
Two people, identified as Ramzan
and a woman, were killed in a firing incident in the Dasht area
of Mastung District.
Unidentified armed assailants
abducted a man, identified as Muhammad Afzal, on gunpoint from
the Gharibabad area of Panjgur District.
The Balochistan Frontier Corps
recovered arms, narcotics and fake Pakistani currency worth
PKR 200,000 and 99,500,000 Iranian Rial from a house in the
Sariab area of Quetta (Quetta District), the provincial capital
of Balochistan Province.
Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch
in London said that responsibility of crisis in Balochistan
lies on establishment. He was of the view that Pakistani establishment
was responsible for deteriorating situation in Balochistan and
for pursuing flawed policies. The Chief Minister said that majority
of Baloch people want their rights living under the federation
of Pakistan.
A Policeman sustained injuries
during a raid in the Lyari Town of Karachi District. A suspect,
who was a close aide of Lyari gangster Shiraz Comrade, was also
arrested during the raid. The Police said that the accused had
confessed his involvement in the killing of 15 people.
Armed assailants opened fire
outside the shop of President Mamnoon Hussain's nephew in the
Light House area of Saddar Town after he refused to pay extortion
money. The militants had reportedly sent a chit to the shop,
demanding money. Earlier, Hussain's nephew had paid an extortion
money of PKR 0.5 million during Ramazan (holy month of fasting).
This time he refused to pay the money. Police said the extortionists
have been identified.
Robbers made off with PKR four
million from branches of two private banks in separate bank
robberies. Police said at least five armed assailants barged
into a private bank branch situated in Landhi Town and snatched
weapons of security guards. Later they fled from the bank after
looting PKR 3.9 million. In another incident, another private
bank was looted by armed assailants near Noorani Chowrangi within
the limits of Ferozabad Police Station in Jamshed Town. They
looted PKR 0.89 million from cash counter. In both the incidents,
robbers took along the CCTV footage with them.
The Sindh Government issued
a notification under which five Police Stations in Karachi District
would be under the control of Rangers' forces. At least 151
suspects were arrested in District during targeted operations
carried out by Paramilitary Forces and Police personnel. Earlier,
the Provincial Government had decided that five Police Stations
would be under the joint control of Rangers and police to deal
with four types of heinous crimes.
Two Lyari gang war criminals,
identified as Owais Tipu and Amin, were arrested at Allama Iqbal
International Airport in Lahore. Sources in Intelligence Agencies
said that they were allegedly involved in the armed gang-wars
in Lyari Town of Karachi District in Sindh.
The Gilgit Baltistan Government
decided to set up 17 more check posts along the strategic Karakoram
Highway, which links the region to the rest of the country along
with China, for safe passage. "The purpose of erecting more
check posts on the highway is to ensure a safe journey for commuters,"
spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Secretariat, Sajjadul
Haq.
The PTI chairman Imran Khan
said that the TTP should be allowed to open their office so
that peace talks can progress. He argued that if the US could
open offices for the Afghan Taliban in Qatar, why Pakistan shouldn't
do the same. The PTI Chairman also said nine years ago there
was only one group of Taliban, but now there are around 35 such
groups.
While strongly condemning the
attack on the Christian community in Peshawar on September 22,
20313, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, also known as the father of the
Taliban, said that peace is unlikely without talks with the
Taliban. He called the All Parties Conference a 'waste of time'.
"Our politics is based on defending the nation and enforcing
Shariah. If drone attacks are carried out on people, then they
were will be forced to carry out suicide attacks," he added.
Chairperson of HRCP Zohra Yousuf
during a conference said that the rise of extremism in Pakistan
and the state's policy of appeasement with non-state actors
is a threat not only to the future of democracy but also to
the very existence of this country.
September 26
The dead bodies of two alleged
Lyari gangsters were found from Northern Bypass within the remits
of Mochko Police Station in Baldia Town of Karachi District,
the provincial capital of Sindh. The bodies are suspected to
be that of Ghaffar Zikri, the successor of Arshad Pappu gang,
who had been underground since 2009 and reportedly hiding in
Balochistan, and his old companion Raja Pathan.
A senior advocate affiliated
with PML-N, identified as Naimat Ali Randhava, was killed and
his son, Tauqir Ali, was wounded near Matric Board Office at
Nazimabad No 7 within the remits of Nazimabad Police Station
in North Nazimabad Town. Randhava was recently engaged in the
famous Wali Khan Babar case as a private lawyer. He was a public
prosecutor in Justice Nizam case and Musharraf attack case.
A Shia man, identified as Haider
Raza, was shot dead within the jurisdiction of Mominabad Police
Station in the Metroville area of Orangi Town.
A Shia man, identified as Haider
Raza, was shot dead within the jurisdiction of Mominabad Police
Station in the Metroville area of Orangi Town.
CID conducted a raid on a tip-off
and arrested a Lyari gangster, identified as Shahid Malik alias
Bikik, from Super Highway. The raid was conducted while the
suspect was trying to flee from Karachi to Shaheed Benazir Abad
District (previously known as Nawabshah District), due to the
ongoing operations. Bikik has been involved in attacking former
President Asif Ali Zardari's chief security guard Bilal Sheikh.
A local leader of PML-N, identified
as Mir Habibullah Zehri, was shot dead by unidentified militants
in Zehri tehsil of Khuzdar District.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a man, identified as Bashir Ahmad, at Kerani Colony near
Killi Ferozabad in Sariab area of provincial capital Quetta.
At least four people were injured
in a landmine explosion near Talkat area of Sui in Dera Bugti
District. Law-enforcement Agencies and the Levies Force have
cordoned off the entire area.
The Chairman of NDMA, Major
General Mohammad Saeed Aleem escaped a rocket attack targeting
the helicopter that was carrying him in Mashkay tehsil Awaran
District. A security official, on condition of anonymity, said
that militants fired two rockets at the helicopter of NDMA Chairman
in the earthquake affected Awaran District. "The NDMA chairman
is safe", the official added.
No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack. However, SFs blame Baloch guerrilla 'commander'
Doctor Allah Nazar Baloch for carrying out the attacks. Balochistan
Chief Minister Doctor Malik Baloch made an appeal to Allah Nazar
to cooperate with aid agencies to support earthquake survivors.
Intelligence officials said
that unidentified militants attacked a convoy of paramilitary
troops. The official, on condition of anonymity said that that
armed assailants opened fire at a convoy of FC near Awaran town
of the District. He said the FC personnel were engaged in relief
work when attacked by militants.
Intelligence officials said
that unidentified militants attacked a convoy of paramilitary
troops. The official, on condition of anonymity said that that
armed assailants opened fire at a convoy of FC near Awaran town
of the District. He said the FC personnel were engaged in relief
work when attacked by militants.
Jan Muhammad Buledi, the spokesman
for the Government of Balochistan made an appeal to all Baloch
separatist groups to bring a halt to attacks in earthquake-affected
areas of the province. The death toll from a massive earthquake
that jolted southwest Pakistan on September 24, 2013 has risen
to 356, with officials saying that thousands have been left
homeless and about 300,000 people had been affected in remote
parts of the province
The Supreme Court's Karachi
registry directed the IGP in Sindh that all "no go" areas in
the city be made accessible to all citizens. The Supreme Court
observed that the operation initiated against the criminals
in Karachi is only the beginning of what could be a long process
to restore peace. The court directed the IGP in Sindh to submit
a compliance report on the clearance of "no go" areas by the
next hearing.
The bench also noted that the
Provincial Government is required to issue a notification in
terms of Section 2 of the Surrender of Illicit Arms Act, 1991
(Act of 1991) to allow 15 days time to the people who possess
illicit fire arms to surrender them.
The alleged Somali mastermind
of the attack on a Kenyan mall connected with jihadists while
studying in Pakistan and later fought in Afghanistan and Kashmir,.
Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, known as Godane, earned a scholarship in
the 1990s to study in Pakistan, where he "connected with jihadist
circles", analysts were quoted as saying by The Washington Post.
Godane then travelled to "Afghanistan to train and fight, as
well as to Kashmir", the report said.
The militant commander, thought
to be in his mid-30s, returned to Somalia in 2002 and joined
the Islamic Courts Union, an Islamist group that controlled
large swaths in the southern part of the country. He held senior
positions until late 2006, when the transitional Government
drove the Islamists out. Hardliners from the group then formed
al-Shabaab, which claimed responsibility for the attack on the
Westgate mall in Nairobi that killed 67 people, including three
Indian nationals. The report described Godane as "a man of contradictions".
He is "bookish, eloquent in both Arabic and Somali, recites
poetry and is known to quote from obscure academic journals".
However, he also ruthlessly killed most of his rivals to seize
control of al-Shabaab, the Somali militia linked to al Qaida.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that TTP
would have to accept if his Government proceeded with a peace
deal with the group, demanding that they lay down arms and recognize
Pakistan's constitution. PM further said that Pakistan will
proceed with a plan to build a gas pipeline from Iran, despite
objections from the United States, and that he plans to raise
the issue of American drone strikes in his speech to the United
Nations General Assembly. In an interview in New York with The
Wall Street Journal, Nawaz Sharif also spelled out the conditions
that TTP would have to accept if his Government proceeded with
a peace deal with the militant group, demanding that they lay
down arms and recognize Pakistan's constitution. At the same
time, he voiced fears that continued US drone attacks would
wreck his policy to negotiate with the TTP.
PM Nawaz Sharif called on the
international community to renew the global consensus on nuclear
disarmament, non-proliferation and promotion of cooperation
in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Speaking at a high-level
UN General Assembly meeting on nuclear disarmament, the prime
minister said, "Thirty-five years ago, this august Assembly
reached a consensus on the mandate and machinery to pursue the
disarmament agenda. With the passage of time, regrettably, this
consensus has eroded and the goals set have become elusive."
September 27
At least 19 persons were killed
and 42 others injured when a bomb exploded on a bus carrying
Government employees at Gulbela area on Charsadda Road of Peshawar
(Peshawar District), the provincial capital of KP. Peshawar
Senior SSP (operations) Najeeb-ur-Rehman said the bomb planted
in the rear portion of the bus went off when it reached Gulbela
area. The blast damaged a number of nearby shops and doors and
windows of several buildings.
An Assistant Director of Karachi
Development Authority, identified as Abdul Jabbar Mangi (55),
was shot dead and his driver, Naeem Fazal (30), was wounded
when unidentified militants on motorcycles resorted to indiscriminate
firing at his vehicle in Korangi area within the jurisdiction
of Zaman Town Police Station in Korangi Town.
Abdul Haq, and close ally of
Sheraz Comrade, was killed during a Police encounter at Baghdadi
area of Lyari Town. SHO Baghdadi Munir Chandio said that Haq
was wanted in a number of criminal cases, including target killings,
kidnappings, extortion and Police encounters. Following the
encounter, Lyari gangsters attacked Baghdadi Police Station
with fire-rockets, hand grenades and RPGs. The police responded
to the attack by firing back, but no casualties. Separately,
an alleged Lyari gangster, identified as were reported.
A local leader of TTP, identified
as Hakim Khan Mehsud, was killed and four others were wounded
during an armed clashed between two rival groups in Gulshan-e-Buner
area of Landhi Town. Hakim khan was affiliated with Baitullah
Mehsud group. Later, the law enforcers raided Gulshan-e-Buner
and arrested about a dozen suspects and recovered arms, pressure
cooker bomb and a motorcycle from their possession.
Rangers claimed to have arrested
around half a dozen alleged gangsters during the targeted raid
in Lyari Town. Rangers also claimed to have recovered grenade
launchers, sub-machineguns, repeaters, high explosive grenades
with firing mechanism, ball-bombs, 40mm rocket, and other kinds
of weapons and ammunitions in large quantity.
Unidentified militants fired
at helicopter carrying relief goods to Mashkay area in Awaran
District. A senior FC officer had said that most of the stricken
places in Awaran are highly risky areas for relief workers and
provincial functionaries as it is a hub of Baloch nationalist
militants.
Fearing the presence of Army
in the earthquake hit area as a measure of covert operation
against the militants, the 'chief' of BLF Doctor Allah Nazar
said that the workers of private, NGOs or international bodies,
such as the UN, would be welcomed by the rebels. They have nothing
to fear from the side of the rebels, he assured, adding that
there will be no attacks on civilian convoys. A military official
in Awaran also confirmed that the rebels are only attacking
SFs and not civilians.
Another military source said
that up to 1,500 troops have been deployed to the area for relief
work. But Dr Nazar, who has been underground for the past seven
years, held that the huge aerial and ground deployment by the
army was to crack down on rebel elements under the garb of relief
efforts.
Referring to the attack on military
helicopters, Dr Nazar claimed that the choppers were engaged
because they were launching an offensive on the bases of rebel
elements along with ground troops. The helicopters, he said,
were also surveying areas that were known to be sympathetic
to the rebels instead of hovering above the devastated areas.
As proof of his claims of the
army's hidden agenda, he questioned why no private aid or workers
were being allowed through, or facilitated, and pointed out
that, if they were allowed through, they were restricted and
warned against travelling to areas other than the ones chosen
by the SFs.
A senior TTP leader, Omar Khalid
Khurasani, has criticised the Government and said it had taken
no serious initiative so far for holding talks with his group.
Omar Khalid Khurasani is the 'chief' of TTP's Mohmand Agency
chapter. In a message uploaded on social media networks, Khurasani
said: "We want to clarify that we are not begging for peace
talks, but we took the initiative of offering talks for the
wellbeing of the countrymen and for saving Pakistan from more
losses." "This does not mean that we are weak. We are still
organised and strong. We (Taliban) are still loyal to our 'chief'
Hakimullah Mehsud," the message said.
Umer Khalid Khurasani has opposed
peace talks with the Government. Khurasani said peace negotiations
with the Government would never be successful as the TTP demand
enforcement of 'Shariah' while the Government talks about the
constitution. Khalid Khurasani said TTP wanted to replace the
constitution and they would never backtrack even a single inch
from their demand.
The JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur
Rehman said that his party won't become a part of peace talks
with TTP militants if tribal Jirga was not given role. He said
that Imran Khan and other political parties had also sought
Jirga's role in holding talks with TTP. The Maulana said that
the nation had given mandate to new Government for holding talks
with TTP.
Terming Imran Khan's suggestion
to allow the TTP to open an office for peace talks a 'dangerous
idea', MQM chief Altaf Hussain on September 27 questioned the
significance of talks with the outlawed outfit if the TTP are
not a unified group. In a statement sent to Dawn, Mr Hussain,
without naming anyone, said: "There are some politicians in
the country who maintain that the issue can be resolved by holding
dialogue and some even suggest that the militants should be
allowed to open an office for this purpose, thereby recognising
them as a legitimate stakeholder."
A Supreme Court bench headed
by Justice Nasirul Mulk rejected former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf's verbal request for release in the August
26, 2006 murder case of Balochistan leader Nawab Akbar Bugti.
The bench said that he must be present in person before the
court for its judgment.
The adviser to the Prime Minister
on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said at
the UN that drone strikes needed to be halted immediately, stated
a Ministry of Foreign Affairs release. Speaking at the high
level meeting of the UN Security Council, Aziz said that the
strikes violated international law, including international
humanitarian law and were counter-productive to Pakistan's efforts
of fighting terrorism.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
in a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, acknowledged
that the issue of cross-border terrorism poses a challenge to
his country as well as Afghanistan. Sharif's acknowledgement
on this issue came during his meeting with Kerry in New York
on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, wherein
the two leaders discussed bilateral relationship, the peace
process in Afghanistan and Sharif's upcoming Washington trip
to meet President Barack Obama.
Responding to questions, the
official said Sharif "acknowledged" the problem of cross-border
militancy was a threat to both societies. "They are in a process
at this point of seeking negotiations with the leading militant
group that is targeting Pakistan, but they also are looking
at alternatives, including more vigorous police and military
action, should those negotiations fail," the official said.
September 28
As many as nine people including
five militants and four personnel of the FC were killed in a
fierce exchange of fire in Prome area of Panjgur District. FC
spokesman confirmed the incident in a statement and said that
the security personnel were patrolling the area when unidentified
militants attacked their convoy.
Two Police commandos of the
RRF of Sindh Police were killed while another wounded in an
attack in Korangi locality. The incident took place when four
armed riders hurled a cracker at a Police mobile of the RRF,
positioned near Bilal Chowrangi in Korangi for snap checking.
They resorted to indiscriminate firing and later escaped. Resultantly,
three RRF personnel got injured and were rushed to JPMC. Two
of them succumbed to their injuries, whereas one was admitted.
The deceased RRF personnel were identified as Bashir and Jumma
Khan, and the injured as Alamdar.
A RRF man was killed in SITE
area. Shahzad (35) was on duty at the Baba-e-Khyber Market in
SITE area, when unidentified men targeted him. He died on the
spot.
A Policeman was gunned down
in SITE area. Rajab Ali (45) was on duty in Metroville area
when two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire. He was shot
multiple times and breathed his last at the very moment.
September 29
A car bomb blast killed at least
42 persons and injured 100 others in Kissa Khawani Bazaar of
Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial capital of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. The blast caused major destruction, toppling a
two-storey building and gutting several shops. Thick grey clouds
engulfed the entire area after several shops caught fire. At
least 50 shops were either damaged or completely destroyed.
"It looks like the market was the target," said Bomb Disposal
Squad chief Shafqat Malik. A splinter group of the TTP claimed
responsibility for the bombing, saying the attack was in response
to US drone strikes in tribal areas however, TTP 'spokesman'
Shahidullah Shahid condemned the attack.
The Swat chapter of TTP claimed
responsibility for the killing on September 15 of Major General,
Sanaullah Khan, Lieutenant colonel, Tauseef, and an Army soldier.
The two officers and the soldier lost their lives when their
vehicle was struck by an IED in Upper Dir. The claim was made
in a 20-minute video, which is exclusively available with Dawn.
It purports to show a military jeep driving up a mountainous
track while a TTP cameraman tracks the shot. Suspected militants
can be heard in the background praying for "success".
The video also shows an interview
with Mullah Fazlullah, the reclusive leader of the TTP's Swat
chapter, in which he says that he would abide by the orders
of his outfit's supremo, Hakimullah Mehsud, and those of the
Shura, over negotiations with the Government.
The video also shows an interview
with Mullah Fazlullah, the reclusive leader of the TTP's Swat
chapter, in which he says that he would abide by the orders
of his outfit's supremo, Hakimullah Mehsud, and those of the
Shura, over negotiations with the Government.
Police and Rangers in a joint
operation arrested a former SHO of Baghdadi Police Station Javed
Baloch along with nine other suspects from Lyari Town in Karachi
District, the provincial capital of Sindh for their alleged
involvement in the March 17, 2013, murder case of Lyari gangster
Arshad Pappu.
DSP CID, Tofail Baloch while
talking to media in Islamabad said that the Police arrested
three suspects belonging to a banned outfit who were allegedly
involved in target killing and extortion in Karachi from a nearby
village in Garhi Afghanan within the jurisdiction of Saddar
Police Station at Wah Cantt in Islamabad.
Following a series of attacks
in Peshawar, the KP Government devised a counter-terror strategy
to ward off threats in the city. Secretary Interior Akthar Ali
Shah, while briefing the media, after a high-level security
meeting, said that two special task forces would be set up for
the city to maintain peace and counter militant threats. One
of the committee's will be headed by the Commissioner and the
other will be under the IG Police.
Akhtar Ali Shah said that Peshawar
would be divided into four zones and targeted operations would
be carried out in sensitive areas. The emphasis of these targeted
operations will be on bus stands, hotels and private inns which
will be thoroughly searched. He said that a ready to move quick
response force would be present in each zone along with the
Police.
The TTP militants accused Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif for changing his mind and giving preconditions
of weapon lay down for the APC-backed peace talks with them.
Nawaz Sharif during an interview with the Wall Street Journal
in New York had said that militants must lay down their arms
and follow the constitution.
A spokesman for the TTP, while
criticizing Prime Minister Sharif in an interview to a local
news magazine, said his Government was not serious about holding
peace talks. "By telling us that we will have to lay down arms
and respect the constitution, the Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif,
showed that he is following the policy of America and its allies,"
the 'spokesman' said.
"We will hold talks with (the
Government) only when it gets the authority to take decisions."
Replying to a query about proof of Sharif's 'authority,' he
said there were three steps required for confidence-building
pull out the Army from FATA, release of Taliban prisoners, and
end to US drone attacks in Pakistan.
Answering a question regarding
repercussions of a full-scale military operation against the
militants, he said, "The operation against us has been going
on for the last 10 years already. We have become used to it.
We even welcome it."
September 30
Three people, including a man,
identified as Abdul Shakoor (55), and his two sons Zahir Shakoor
(30) and Abid Shakoor (24), were shot dead at Jhat Pat Market
in the Lyari Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital
of Sindh. At least six armed assailants were involved in the
attack.
Two people, including a Shia
property deader, identified as Hassan Ali, and his driver Majeed
Rehman, were shot dead in a sectarian attack near Power House
Chowrangi in New Karachi Town.
A factory worker, identified
as Saleem Rahat, was shot dead near the University of Karachi
in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town of Gulshan Town.
Three unidentified dead bodies
were found from inside a car in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Gulshan
Town. Police said that the victims were abducted, severely tortured
and then killed.
A target killer, identified
as Fahad Hussain (28), in an interview with The Express Tribune
explained how he became an ‘expert’ by practicing headshots
on dogs. Fahad, who is affiliated with a political party, confessed
to two murders. One of his victims was a Police constable, while
the other was Aftab Sheikh, a politically influential man in
Karachi.
An eyewitness, in a Karachi
court identified Lyari gangster, Ameen Buledi, during the witness
parade. The witness recognised the Lyari kingpin among 10 people
who were presented at the parade. Ameen Buledi was handed over
to the Police on a 10-day physical remand by a District and
Sessions Court on September 20, 2013.
Three unidentified dead bodies
were found near Zor Barawal (old Barawal) area in Dir District
near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The SFs took the three
bodies into custody.
SHO Muhammad Fida was injured
and two suspected militants were arrested during a raid in the
Dhamtor area of Abbottabad District.
The IGP, KP, Nasir Durrani said
a targeted operation will be conducted in Peshawar very soon.
Marketplaces and other public areas of the provincial capital
would first be cleared by sniffer dogs and Bomb Disposal Units
before being opened for the general public, he said, adding
that approval for the measure had already been given by the
KP Government. The IGP fears more attacks by the militants
in the province.
The video released by TTP claiming
to have recorded the attack on Major General Sanaullah Niazi
on September 15, 2013, is reported to be fake. The video shows
the blast on a road that is straight while the General Officer
Commanding (GOC) was attacked at Gad Koto in Sunai Darra on
a road that climbs up the mountain and has a curve.
A source said the TTP-Swat Chapter
that is now headquartered in Kunar Province of Afghanistan was
surprised when they came to know about the attack. Hover, they
claimed responsibility for the attack later.
US drones fired missiles at
a residential compound in Char Khel area of Boya in NWA near
Afghan border, killing at least three suspected militants and
injuring another one. Sources said that four drones were still
hovering over the area. Identities of the deceased were not
known.
A Levies official, escorting
an anti-polio team in the Mamond area of Bajaur Agency in FATA,
sustained injures in an IED explosion.
The convoy of Chief Minister
Abdul Malik Baloch escaped a rocket attack while he was on his
way to a camp office in Awaran District. No casualty was reported
in the incident.
A local tribal and religious
leader Syed Hafiz Shah, who was abducted from the Sorab area
of Kech District, was recovered from Bela in Lasbela District.
Former SHO of Baghdadi Police
Station Javed Baloch, who was arrested by Rangers personnel
on September 29, 2013, during a targeted operation in Lyari
Town of Karachi District, disclosed the details of the murder
of Lyari gangster Arshad Pappu on March 17, 2013. According
to his statement, Pappu, his brother Yasir and their confidante
Shera Pathan were all picked up from the home of SI Zakir in
Karachi's Defence area.
October 1
The FC and Police arrested 10
militants from different areas of the Quetta (Quetta District),
the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Lahore High Court Chief Justice
Umar Ata Bandial constituted a division bench to hear an appeal
of Punjab Prosecution Department seeking cancellation of bail
granted to Zubair alias Nek Muhammad, an accused of attack on
Sri Lankan cricket team in March 2009. The bench consists of
Justice Shahid Hameed Dar and Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali.
The Prosecution Department had
filed the appeal, submitting that a trail court granted the
bail to the accused despite presence of evidence and witnesses
against him. The prosecution submitted that the trail court
had overlooked the facts and evidence and ordered to release
the accused.
A LHC review board also turned
down the Punjab Government’s request to extend detention of
Zubair. A representative of the Home Department, Prosecution
Department and Inspector General of Punjab Police appeared before
the board and requested it to extend detention of the accused.
Rejecting pleas of the FIA and
PPP, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC-I) ordered retrial of former
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s murder case following the indictment
of main accused, former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf.
Musharraf, who was arrested by FIA on April 26, 2013 is on bail
against two surety bonds of PKR 1 million each in the murder
case of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and has exemption from
court attendance due to security concerns.
Announcing the judgment, which
was reserved on September 17, after hearing arguments of all
the concerned parties, ATC Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman ordered
FIA to reproduce prosecution witnesses before the court for
recording their statements on October 8, 2103 and adjourned
the hearing.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
unanimously passed a resolution pushing the Federal Government
to begin dialogue with the TTP for peace without delay in light
of the guidelines of the recent All Parties Conference. Also,
the House expressed solidarity with the families, who lost members
during the recent suicide bombing of All Saints’ Church in Peshawar,
besides condemning terrorist attacks in the Qissa Khwani Bazaar
and against the bus of the Civil Secretariat employees.
October 2
At least 15 militants were killed
and several others were injured when a suicide bomber ran a
vehicle full of explosives into the headquarters of Mullah Nabi
Hanfi group of the TTP in the Spin Tall area of Hangu District
in KP. The headquarters building collapsed due to the explosion
and the compound was badly destroyed. Mullah Nabi Hanfi was
a ‘commander’ of the Hangu chapter of the TTP before switching
sides and joining the Government’s counter-insurgency efforts.
Nabi had said earlier that his group was on TTP’s hit list since
the latter wanted to seize control of Hangu, Kohat, Orakzai
and parts of the Kurram Agency in FATA.
The KP Government decided to
engage the Army to protect polio workers in five union councils
of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP, during the vaccination
campaign beginning on October 5. It is the first time that the
Army’s support is being sought in the restive areas of Peshawar.
The vaccination campaigns were
not delivering the goods in Achini Bala, Sheikhan, Matani, Sherikera
and Jugani union councils adjacent to Khyber Agency or Mohammad
Agency (FATA) for being inaccessible to polio workers and Police.
Local said the poor or no vaccination
had left around 800 local children under the age of five years
at the high risk of physical disability. The officials said
the engagement of the Army men for the vaccinators’ protection
would cost PKR 14.4 million. They said unlike other parts of
the province, where three-day campaign targeting 5.1 million
was already underway, a separate, one-week campaign had been
planned for the provincial capital to target 754,000 children
under the age of five years with the help of 3,600 vaccinators.
A suicide bomber killed eight
people and wounded 16 others at the Chaman border crossing between
Afghanistan and Pakistan in Qilla Abdullah District. “It was
a suicide bombing. We have found the severed head on the blast
site,” local border force commander Colonel Haider Ali said.
The senior security official said at least one FC paramilitary
soldier was among the dead.
Two Army soldiers were killed
and two others sustained injuries in a landmine explosion while
they were carrying out relief work in Mashkay area of Awaran
District.
Police recovered and defused
a 30 kilogram pack of explosives attached with a bicycle at
Qasim Baloch Stadium in Kechi Baig area of Sariab in Quetta.
The head of the BLF Allah Nazar
threatened to step up attacks on Security Forces. “They (army)
are directly involved in the large-scale killings of Baloch
men,” Allah Nazar, told Reuters over telephone from a secret
location in Balochistan. “They want to crush us and make money
from the disaster relief,” he added.
Chief Minister Balochistan Doctor
Abdul Malik Baloch announced to convene an All Parties Conference
to initiate formal dialogue with the militant groups in the
province. “We do not want any bloodshed, rather we stand for
peace and development,” he said.
He said a jirga comprising
tribal elders and key political leaders would be sent to all
Baloch separatists groups and sectarian militant organisations
to hold a dialogue regarding the situation in Balochistan through
political means. He further informed that the APC will comprise
all political groups and tribal elites of Balochistan province.
At least four militants were
killed in an encounter with Police on Hub River Road in Baldia
Town of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of
Sindh while huge cache of firearms and explosives were also
recovered from their possession.
Two people, including a local
leader of the ANP Mashwar Bangash and his companion, identified
as Waheed Khan, were shot dead at Cantt Bazaar area in Shah
Faisal Town of Karachi.
A Police constable, identified
as Ghulam Abbas (43), was shot dead in SITE Town. According
to official details, Abbas was posted to SITE B Section Police
Station, and left for some work when two armed unidentified
armed assailants opened fire at him.
A cadre of the MQM-H, identified
as Adil (30), was shot dead inside his house in Lines Area,
within the precincts of Brigade Police Station in Jamshed Town.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found dead from Mewa Shah Graveyard in SITE Town.
According to Police, the victim was killed after kidnapping
and torture.
Two alleged TTP militants were
killed during a targeted raid carried out on a hideout of one
of TTP’s splinter groups with the Rangers and the Police in
Manghopir area of Gadap Town. Weapons including sub-machine
guns, pistols and grenades were seized from them.
Four Policemen were injured
during a raid by the Police at the hideout of TTP militants
in Maymar Complex area of Sohrab Goth in Gadap Town. However,
the terrorists managed to escape. Following the attack, an
extra contingent of law enforcers including the Rapid Response
Force reached the site and conducted a door-to-door search operation.
A bomb targeting a private clinic
located in Gulistan-e-Johar area of Gulshan Town exploded. However,
the no casualties were reported. The Police further said that
the owner had received ransom demand and the failure to fulfill
the demand led to the attack at his healthcare facility.
An abducted boy was rescued
by the Police and Rangers in a joint operation in Gadap Town.
The boy was abducted from Sultanabad area of the Town. No other
details were mentioned about the abducted boy. LEAs also claimed
to have arrested around 260 suspected criminals during separate
targeted operation across the city.
The six militants reported to
be killed in an encounter carried out on a tip-off, by the CID
belonged to Mohmand group of TTP. Earlier, the affiliation of
the killed militants was not specified. According to Anti-Extremist
Cell in-charge, DSP Chaudhry Aslam Khan, “We had information
that terrorists were smuggling explosives from Balochistan.
Law-enforcement agencies intercepted a car near Lucky Pahari
on Hub River Road. When we tried to stop them, they attacked
with heavy weaponry.”
TTP ‘spokesperson’ Shahidullah
Shahid asked religious clerics and scholars to condemn the killing
of four TTP members in Karachi and take notice of the issue.
He further added that none of the Government officials have
contacted the TTP for negotiations.
Police arrested at least nine
alleged target killers and extortionists belonging to the MQM
and Lyari gang war in separate raids. Two of the suspects, identified
as Fida Hussain and Mehboob Ali, are affiliated with the MQM.
Three alleged members of a Lyari gang were also arrested in
a separate raid, DIG Odho informed the media.
Karachi Police’s SIU claimed
to have arrested three suspects belonging to Lyari’s Shahid
Bikkik gang. SIU chief SP Naveed Khawaja told a press conference
that the arrested suspects were involved in more than 45 cases
of extortion, adding that they had recently attacked the ice-cream
parlour owned by President Mamnoon Hussain’s nephew.
The Karachi Police during last
month conducted 2845 raids in limits of different Police Stations
and arrested 3976 accused, reported. In 184 Police encounters
36 extortionists, 27 kidnappers, 18 terrorists, 301 dacoits
and 1248 absconders and 114 proclaimed offenders were arrested
and arms recovered from them.
The SSP Cantonment Omar Tufail
said that the Police in collaboration with the Rangers launched
a crackdown on criminals and arrested at least 38 Afghan nationals
during raids in Hala Naka and other adjoining slum areas of
Hyderabad District.
The Pakistan Rangers, Sindh,
accused the MQM for possessing Indian-made illegal weapons and
one of its members for the killing of a public prosecutor. On
October 1, 2013 the Paramilitary Force raided the MQM Landhi
Town office and seized an Indian-made LMG, SMGs and rifles,
said the Rangers spokesperson.
Diamer Police arrested a suspect,
Amir Hamza, allegedly involved in the March 2013 murder of DSP
Attaullah along with two other “high profile accused”, identified
as Shafaur Rehman and Bashir Ahmed, from remote Darel Valley
in Diamer District.
The Anti-Terrorism Court sent
MQM activist Syed Kazim Abbas Rizwi on 14-day physical remand.
He was charged with the targeted killings of former Anti-Terrorism
Court public prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa and seven others.
Earlier on October 1, 2013 he
had said, “We have arrested an MQM activist, Syed Kazim Abbas
Rizvi, along with three others who killed Randhawa because he
was going to take up the case of slain television reporter Wali
Babar Khan.” Randhwa’s murder was not sectarian in nature, he
had added. Randhawa was shot dead on September 26, 2013 while
he was on his way home. His son, Tauqeer Ali Randhawa, was also
injured in the attack by armed motorcyclists.
During the initial interrogation,
Rizvi had confessed to his involvement in the killing. Wali
Babar was shot dead in the Liaquatabad area of Karachi on January
13, 2011 while he was on his way home from work. All six key
witnesses in his murder case had been assassinated.
The TTP insisted that the US
drone strikes must stop before they consider peace talks with
the Government. TTP ‘spokesperson’ Shahidullah Shahid said that
any ceasefire must include an end to US drone attacks in the
tribal areas, which have been targeting suspected Taliban and
al Qaeda militants since 2004.
A group of top clerics from
the Deobandi school of thought hinted that they could mediate
peace between the Government and homegrown militants, if formally
requested. The clerics from Wafaqul Madaris – a conglomerate
of mainly Deobandi madrassas of the country – had appealed to
the Government and the TTP to engage in a dialogue to avoid
further bloodshed in the country.
The TTP welcomed the appeal
and said if the Government announced a ceasefire the group would
follow suit. “The Government has not asked us for mediation.
If requested, we will play our role,” Wafaqul Madaris General
Secretary Qari Muhammad Hanif Jalandhri said. The Deobandi
clerics have welcomed the ‘positive response’ to their appeal
from the militants.
The TTP announced that they
would reconsider their stance if the Government was ready for
a break in fighting.
The TTP ‘spokesman’ Shahidullah
Shahid said the TTP welcomes Ulemas’ suggestion for a ceasefire.
He, however, claimed it was the government which is launching
the offensive against them, saying if it can take the lead in
stopping the war, then they were also ready to follow it.
Awais Sheikh, the counsel for
Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh who was murdered in Lahore's
Kot Lakhpat jail in May 2013, has taken permanent refuge in
Sweden. Sheikh took refuge in the Scandinavian country following
his alleged abduction bid near Lahore a day before Singh’s death.
Singh, who was sentenced to death 16 years ago on espionage
charges, died at Lahore’s Jinnah hospital after lying in a comatose
state for five days following an assault on him in Kot Lakhpat
jail.
October 3
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead a Policeman, identified as Mohammad Rashid, in Metroville
area of SITE Town in Karachi District, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
An unidentified dead body was
found in a briefcase near Railway Line within the remits of
Model Colony Police Station in Malir Town. As per initial investigations,
the victim was brutally tortured and before being killed.
Police arrested four accused
during raids in Gulberg Town and Clifton area of Saddar Town.
According to Police, the accused were involved in street crimes
and kidnapping-for-ransom cases. Police raided Gizri area of
Clifton and arrested one accused and seized weapons from his
possession.
The Rangers arrested four alleged
target killers during a targeted operation carried out in Quaidabad
area of Bin Qasim Town. According to the Ranger’s spokesman,
the accused are affiliated with ANP and were involved in various
incidents of target killings and extortions.
The former President and co-chairman
of PPP Asif Ali Zardari was granted permission to strengthen
his already tight personal security due to threats to his life.
A judge in Sindh High Court approved Zardari’s application for
100 extra licences for his bodyguards to carry weapons, on top
of the official security he is entitled to as former head of
state.
In an effort to cripple the
capability of terrorists to easily plan and coordinate criminal
activities, the Sindh Provincial Government decided to block
access to popular internet telephone services and Voice Over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications, which they say militants
use for communication.
The services affected by the
three-month suspension may include Skype, WhatsApp, and Viber,
among other applications. “Criminal elements and terrorists
have smartly switched to these networks. Previously, they communicated
through their cellular phones. Now they have switched to networks
to which we do not have access,” Provincial Information Minister
Sharjeel Memon said.
A dead body, identified as that
of Yayha, was found dumped on a roadside in Kech District (also
known as Turbat District). Police said that the victim was abducted
a few days ago.
Unidentified armed assailants
abducted a man, identified as Rehm Ali, on gunpoint while he
was on way to some place from Bhag area of Kachhi District (also
known as Bolan District).
The FC and Levies Forces arrested
two suspects and seized a huge cache of weapons during an operation
in Qilla Abdullah District. According to sources, the explosives
and ammunition recovered from the suspects included 224 anti-personnel
mines, 30 kilogrammes of explosive devices, 2 hand grenades,
several suicide jackets, time device, 11 prime card switches
and 15 IEDs.
The death toll in the suicide
attack on the headquarters of Mullah Nabi Hanfi group of the
TTP in the Spin Tall area of Hangu District in KP on October
2, climbed to 17. Earlier, it was reported 15 fatalities.
The sketches of the suspects
who had gotten off the Peshawar bus right before it exploded
have been released. 19 persons were killed and 42 others injured
when a bomb exploded on a bus carrying Government employees
at Gulbela area on Charsadda Road of Peshawar (Peshawar District),
the provincial capital of KP.
The KP Government promised not
to interfere in the Police’s operation against terrorists in
the province. “We’ve given police a freehand to target terrorists
in the province and will ensure that there is no political interference
in it for the best possible results,” Sheraz Paracha, spokesman
for the CM, told reporters at Peshawar Press Club.
The Peshawar High Court directed
the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to end the roaming
service provided to Afghan cellphone companies in the country
within a fortnight, observing that SIM (subscriber identity
module) cards of Afghan companies had been used in the most
cases of terrorism and kidnapping for ransom.
Sindh High Court directed that
a report be submitted before it regarding the action the FIA
took against former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf
for abrogating the Constitution. Agha Syed Attaullah Shah, the
Chairman of the Rah-e-Raast Trust (RRT), had gone to the court
against the FIA for allegedly not registering case against Pervez
Musharraf despite an undertaking submitted by the Federal Government
to the Court. The petitioner said the former President had abrogated
and subverted the Constitution on November 3, 2007 by declaring
emergency.
Musharraf being the then COAS
put many judges of the superior courts in wrongful confinement,”
the petitioner stated in his plea, filed in 2011. The petitioner
argued that the Supreme Court’s full bench had later declared
the imposition of the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO)
and emergency as unconstitutional through an order passed on
July 31, 2009 and the trustees of the RRT had authorised the
petitioner to approach the FIA and file a petition in the high
court for initiating legal action under Sections 2 and 3 of
the High Treason (Punishment) Act against Musharraf.
According to the petitioner,
he approached the FIA authorities for registration of his complaint,
but no action had been initiated. The petitioner told the two-judge
bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar that the high court had
disposed of his petition on March 9, 2011 in view of the undertaking
given by a Deputy Attorney General that the FIA would take action.
The Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
asked his legal team to review the Anti-Terrorism (Third Amendment)
Bill 2013 to make it an effective piece of legislation against
terrorists. He said the law shouldn’t be misused by law-enforcement
agencies. The Federal Cabinet had approved the bill on September
20 and the Government is fine-tuning it before its presentation
in parliament for approval.
The Government will press ahead
with its plans to engage militants in peace negotiations, despite
the wave of terrorist attacks in Peshawar, the National Security
and Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz said. “Despite these
incidents, the dialogue option should be pursued because the
TTP are divided in several groups and many of them have said
they do want to pursue dialogue,” Aziz said at a joint news
conference with British Senior Foreign Office Minister Baroness
Sayeeda Warsi.
PTI chief Imran Khan said that
Federal and Provincial authorities would know by the end of
November whether the push for peace talks with TTP will be successful
or not. “By the middle or end of November we will know if this
isn’t going to work,” he told the Guardian in an interview.
Interior Ministry spokesperson
Omar Hameed Khan said that the Federal Government will retain
the moratorium on capital punishment for at least a few more
weeks until the President and Prime Minister hold a meeting
to review the measure. Khan said, “No new development so far.
The moratorium on capital punishment will continue – until the
President and the Prime Minister meet to take a final decision
on the matter.”
Since 2008, Pakistani authorities
have executed only a couple of death row prisoners following
a moratorium on capital punishment. There are around 8,000 prisoners
on death row in more than five dozen jails of the country. Former
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had advised then President
Asif Ali Zardari to impose a five-year moratorium on capital
punishment which expired on June 30, 2013.
In August this year, the EU
cautioned Pakistan that lifting the moratorium will be viewed
as a major setback in the 28-member bloc and possibly affect
Islamabad’s quest for duty-free access to European markets.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had directed the Interior Ministry
to halt executions till further orders.
Mullah Baradar, the former Afghan
Taliban ‘second-in-command’ recently released by Pakistan, has
been shifted to a safe house in Peshawar near the Afghan border,
a step closer to starting peace talks with the Afghan Taliban,
security sources said. Afghanistan and the United States believe
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar holds the key to stopping the war
in Afghanistan because he is influential enough to persuade
his former comrades to stop fighting.
Afghan Taliban leaders said
that they would not meet their former commander Mullah Baradar
in Peshawar as they believe he is still not a free man and is
escorted by intelligence officials. Despite announcements of
Baradar being released, he is still believed to be in custody
and watched closely by intelligence agents, an arrangement which
is likely to undermine his role as a peacemaker. “Following
his release, he spent some time in Karachi and now arrived in
Peshawar to hold meetings,” a source told Reuters.
October 4
Unidentified militants opened
fire at a Police car, killing a constable in Khwaja Gunj Bazaar
area of Mardan town (Mardan District) in KP at 10:20am. Swabi
Circle Investigation Officer Niaz Muhammad told the Police he
had come to Mardan to appear before Anti-Terrorism Court as
a witness along with two Police officials.
A constable, Sajad Ahmad, was
shot dead by an unidentified motorcyclist at Mardan Road area
of Charsadda town (Charsadda District) at around 7:30am. Sajad
was employed as a security officer in the District Police office
and was commuting to work on his motorcycle when the assailants
attacked him. A passer-by identified as Shaheen, a minor, was
also shot at in the incident.
SI of Pishtakhara Police was
injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast on Ring Road in Peshawar
(Peshawar District), the provincial capital of KP. A police
mobile was on routine patrol at around 9:45am when the bomb
went off. SI Namadar Khan sustained injuries and the vehicle
was also damaged in the explosion.
Two suspected militants were
arrested and a large cache of weapons was recovered from their
possession in Darra Adam Khel town of Kohat District. A security
official said both suspects were arrested at around 12:30pm
when a car was stopped at Akhurwal check post for a routine
check.
SFs arrested three local militant
‘commanders’ during an operation in the Hassan Khel area of
Peshawar. The arrested commanders were identified as Mullah
Younas, Meena Gul and Dr Sarkha Gul.
The IGP Nasir Durrani directed
all DPOs to conduct operations against terrorists in their respective
areas on the basis of intelligence reports. Presiding over a
meeting of additional IGPs of Operations, Special Branch, Investigation
and Frontier Reserve Police, DIG Headquarters and DIG Operations,
Durrani said all operations should be planned properly and carried
out on the basis of intelligence reports to make them effective.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found from Kalakot area of Lee Market in Lyari Town
of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Three armed assailants in the
third consecutive incident on varsity buses intercepted a bus
of NED University students near Nadria Chowk in Nazimabad No.1
area of North Nazimabad Town and robbed 65 students. Holding
the students hostage at gunpoint, the armed robbers looted them
and then fled the scene.
On September 28, 2013, Jinnah
University for Women students were looted on their varsity bus
on Main University Road. Similarly, on September 3, 2013 students
of University of Karachi were deprived of their valuables when
armed assailants stormed into their bus on Banaras Flyover.
The Police carried out targeted
operation in Defence, Mehmoodabad and Baloch Colony and arrested
18 accused including 12 absconders along with arms.
A coordination meeting of senior
Police and Rangers Officials was held to review the joint operational
strategy and to further strengthen the intelligence sharing
network between the departments. The meeting was jointly presided
over by Sindh IGP and Rangers DG.
After the review of the news
reported throughout September 2013 revealed that that the death
toll in Karachi during September 2013 was 155, despite regular
raids and targeted operations by Rangers and Police, in which
Police claimed to have arrested a total of 3,976 alleged criminals
and terrorists.
A school student, identified
as Muhammad Jan, was shot dead by unidentified militants in
Killi Mehmoodabad area of Nawa Killi in Quetta, the provincial
capital of Balochistan.
Unidentified militants abducted
the Director of NGO, identified as Director Moor Muhammad’s,
from Railway Colony in Quetta.
Some 18 Bugti cadres turned
themselves in to the IG FC in the presence of tribal elders
at Dera Bugti District. The rebels, who were watched by their
families, resolved to live as a peaceful citizen in future,
according to a statement released by the FC spokesperson. They
expressed satisfaction about the amnesty and the package of
facilities offered by the Provincial Government.
The DG ISPR Major General Asim
Bajwa said that SFs will continue with their relief work in
the earthquake affected areas, despite facing security hazards
and unabated attacks from militants. Major General Bajwa claimed
that militants had fired twice on troops in the Dandar area
of Kech District on October 4 and at least five times the day
before in Mashkay area of Awaran District, which is worst hit
by the September 24 earthquake.
Unidentified militants ambushed
the vehicle of Orakzai Agency Political Agent Mehmood Aslam,
injuring a levies official in Feroz Khel area of Orakzai Agency
in FATA. The PA said that he came out of his office around 10:30am
and was on his way to Feroz Khel from Utman Khel when unidentified
militants sprayed his vehicle with bullets. Farman Khan, a levies
official working as a guard for the PA, was injured in the attack.
The journalist, Lal Wazir, who
was abducted by unidentified militants from Azam Warsak town
of South Waziristan Agency on October 3, was released by his
captors. Lal Wazir (38), who works for a local newspaper Azam
Warsak, was taken from a shop by six masked militants. Lal Wazir
also works for an Islamabad-based think tank specialising in
tribal affairs, the FATA Research Centre.
During a visit to the NCC Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif renewed his Government’s commitment to
maintain credible minimum deterrence. The Prime Minister, who
recently spoke at a high-level meeting on nuclear disarmament
on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York,
made a rare visit to an unnamed “technical site” and a “weapons
storage site”.
The COAS General Ashfaq Pervez
Kayani, is likely to stay head of the military with a new title
when he steps down as Army Chief in November 2013, quoting Government
and security sources. The sources and aides close to General
Kayani said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted to make
him head of a revamped and more powerful Joint Chiefs of Staff
Committee.
The Government's spokesman said
he also could not comment until an official announcement on
October7, 2013 when the current JCSC chief is due to step down.
The TTP once again denied involvement
in the September 22 twin suicide bombings at All Saints Church
in Peshawar – but the group says it condones the attack. “We
didn’t carry out the church attack. However, we believe it’s
according to the Sharia,” TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid
told the BBC Urdu in a telephone interview from an undisclosed
location. Asked who issues orders for any attack, he said the
TTP central leadership did not necessarily take such decisions.
The religious parties including
JUI-S demanded that the Government immediately initiate peace
talks with TTP as per the mandate of the APC. JUI-S chief Maulana
Samiul Haq accused the Government of not being sincere in pursuing
peace talks. “It seems the peace talks’ offer is meant only
to buy time before the military can launch an operation against
the Taliban,” alleged Sami.
The Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan termed the process of peace talks with
the TTP “very crucial”, however, he said the things are moving
in the right direction. When asked about the pre-condition set
by TTP to stop drone attack, the Minister replied that he would
issue formal statement on the said issue on October 5.
October 5
One ATF operative and two abductors
were killed during a raid for the recovery of an abducted heart
specialist Doctor Munaaf Tareen in Qilla Abdullah District.
“Three kidnappers have been arrested. However, Dr Tareen couldn’t
be recovered yet,” Police sources said. According to Police,
the ATF and other law enforcement agencies conducted a raid
on a house at Kili Karez area of Gulistan for the recovery of
abducted heart specialist Dr Tareen, when unidentified armed
abductors opened fire on them.
A local leader of the JWP, identified
as Daad Ali Bugti, was seriously wounded during a firing by
incident by unidentified armed assailants on the National Highway
near Khuzdar District. He later succumbed to his injuries.
Three persons were injured in
two separate blasts in Kurram Agency of FATA. The sources said
one blast took place in Boshera Killay area where unidentified
militants had placed explosives outside the house of one Rehman
Ali, whose son Hidayat Ali suffered wounds in the blast. Another
blast occurred in Boshera Jauzak village, where too explosives
had been planted next to the wall of a house. Two persons identified
as Suleman and Zaman sustained injuries in the explosion.
A power pylon was blown up in
Khazana area of Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial
capital of KP, while three other bombs planted with the electricity
tower were defused in the night. Police said four timed IEDs
were planted with an electric pylon in the jurisdiction of Khazana
Police Station. One of the IEDs went off, damaging the tower.
The remaining three IEDs could not explode and were defused
by the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU).
SFs recovered a cache of weapons
and arrested five alleged gun runners near Kohat Tunnel in Kohat
District in the evening. The sources said that five persons,
whose identity could not be ascertained, were smuggling heavy
and small arms, including SMGs, Kalashnikov rifles, pistols
and thousands of cartridges from Darra Adamkhel to Karachi in
two vehicles.
CPLC with the collaboration
of AVCC recovered an abducted banker, identified as Faizan Farooqui
(28), from Keamari Town. However the kidnappers managed to escape.
Farooqui was abducted on September 29, 2013 from Maripur area
of the Town when he was returning from French beach.
The death toll in Karachi during
September, 2013 was 155, despite regular raids and targeted
operations by Rangers and Police, in which Police claimed to
have arrested a total 3,976 alleged criminals and terrorists.
Unidentified men killed at least one Pakistan Navy, one Rangers
personnel and 17 Policemen in targeted ambush in September,
2013.
The Afghan Taliban is financially
supporting the Pakistani militants and providing sanctuary to
them in Afghanistan, the ‘spokesman’ for the TTP Shahidullah
Shahid has. The disclosure, which the spokesman made in an interview
with a small group of reporters, is meaningful because Pakistan
has long been accused of pursuing a policy of differentiating
between the Afghan and Pakistan Taliban as so-called ‘good’
and ‘bad’ militants --- even though Islamabad denies this. “The
Afghan Taliban is our jihadi brothers,” said Shahidullah Shahid.
“In the beginning, we were helping them, but now they are strong
enough and they don’t need our help, but they are now supporting
us financially.” The Afghan Taliban was also providing sanctuary
for a prominent TTP ‘commander’, Mullah Fazlullah, in eastern
Afghanistan’s Kunar province, said Shahid.
The TTTP ‘spokesman’ Shahidullah
Shahid said that the peace talks cannot be successful until
the withdrawal of Army troops from the tribal areas and the
release of prisoners.
October 6
At least two gangsters, identified
as Shahzad and Shakir, belonging to the Waseeullah alias Lakhoo
group, were shot dead during a Police encounter in Kalri area
of Lyari Town in Karachi District, the provincial capital of
Sindh. Kalri SHO Mir Mohammed Lashari said that the Police was
informed about the presence of notorious criminals of Lyari
gang war in the Daryabad area.
Police shot dead an alleged
target killer, identified as Adnan, in an encounter near Zia
Morr in SITE Town. According to SITE SP, the Police had been
informed about the presence of a notorious group of criminals
in the Zia Morr area, but when the law enforcers launched a
raid, the suspects opened fire at them.
An activist of the MQM, identified
as Adeel Murad (22), was shot dead near Sheesha Gali in Malir
Town.
A prayer leader, identified
as Maulana Gul Nawaz (50), and his two children were injured
in an IED explosion near G-7 bus stop in Gulshan-e-Ghazi area
of Ittehad Town in Baldia Town.
Police arrested at least 10
suspects, including five women, of the Lyari-based gangs and
seized a cache of weapons in Haji Mureed Goth area of Gulbahar
in Liaquatabad Town. The Police were tipped off about the presence
of gangster Saleem Bikik alias Chocolatee, said SSP Central
Amir Farooqi.
After a brief encounter, 10
suspects, including five women, were arrested, who were identified
as Rehan, Narayan, Ehtisham, Owais, Prem, Sana Sheikh, Saibah,
Soniya, Mehreen and Saima. The police also seized two repeater
rifles, one 8mm rifle, four 9mm pistols and two walkie-talkie
sets.
The Rangers, in the ongoing
targeted operations, detained 47 suspects, including alleged
gangsters and political and religious activists, and seized
a number of weapons from them.
In Pathan Colony of Orangi Town,
at least 12 suspects, including cadres of banned religious outfits,
were arrested in a raid and 38 guns, including submachine guns,
were seized. The suspects were said to be involved in many
terrorist activities.
In Gulshan-e-Buner area of Quaidabad
in Baldia Town, Rangers detained 13 suspects and seized pistols
during the raid. The arrested criminals were wanted for their
involvement in several cases of sectarian killing.
A roadside bomb killed three
soldiers and injured at least seven others when their vehicle
was struck with an IED alongside Bannu-Miranshah road in the
Bannu District of KP. The military vehicle was on a routine
patrol when it hit the IED. A curfew was imposed in the area
following the blast. A little known militant organisation, Ansarul
Islam Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Two members of peace committee
were shot dead in Charbagh tehsil in Swat District. The
sources said members of the pro-government Village Defence Committee,
Qalandar Khan and Shah-e-Room, were going home when unidentified
militants opened fire on them. Both died on the spot.
TTP is planning huge attacks
within the next 24 hours in Peshawar. The attacks will be majorly
aimed at law enforcement agencies. According to well-placed
sources, the TTP has planned attacks on the FC and Police checkposts
throughout the Peshawar. Security measures have been strengthened
around the city, along with at important security check posts.
Police detained seven suspects
during a search operation in various areas of Sariab in Quetta.
Police also claimed to have recovered weapons from the possession
of detainees.
Terrorist attacks on relief
convoys and threats to the security of personnel involved in
the relief process have made concerned authorities to change
their plan for formal damage assessment in Balochistan’s earthquake
affected areas. Deterred by security threats, very few NGOs
and relief activists were available for carrying out the damage
assessment program. But NDMA and other authorities concerned
have devised an alternative plan.
The Lahore High Court orders
the release of Nek Muhammad, who is accused of involvement in
the March 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. The Government
had issued another Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance notification
for Nek Muhammad’s detention for one month. However, the Government
could not justify his detention before a review board of the
Lahore High Court on October 1, 2013.
Nek Muhammad was arrested in
June 2009. The Government detained him under Section 3 of the
MPO law for three months. On completion of his 90-day detention,
the Government approached the review board which allowed a 30-day
extension. The review board did not grant another extension
when it met with the prosecution on October 1 and ordered his
release.
SFs temporarily called off the
targeted operation in Chilas town after it failed to achieve
the ‘desired results’. An operation was launched on October
4-5, 2013 in Shaheen Koat and Takia in Chilas town after intelligence
reports suggested the presence of at least two suspects involved
in the June 23, 2013 Nanga Parbat attack.
“Although 16 people were taken
into custody, none of them were behind the attack,” a police
official said regarding the results of the operation. SP Jahangir
Khan speculated the calls, which were intercepted by agencies,
might have been made from cell phones belonging to the wanted
men but by their relatives or accomplices.
COAS General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani
took the unusual step of ruling out any change in his scheduled
retirement next month, quashing months of speculation that he
would accept an extension of service. “My tenure ends on November
29, 2013. On that day I will retire,” General Kayani said in
an unprecedented statement issued by ISPR.
Speculations were rife in the
local and international media that General Kayani might not
relinquish his office in November on the pretext that it would
somehow derail the military’s anti-terror campaign. Some reports
even suggested that Kayani would be made chairman of a revamped
Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
“For quite some time, my current
responsibilities and likely future plans have been debated in
the media with all sorts of rumours and speculations doing the
rounds. The subject of being entrusted with new duties has also
come up in several reports. I’m grateful to the political leadership
and the nation for reposing their trust in me and Pakistan Army
at this important juncture of our national history,” he was
quoted as saying by the ISPR.
A senior army official said
that General Kayani had made up his mind long time ago that
he would not seek any extension in his tenure. “He wants an
honorable exit. He was very clear in his mind that others should
also get a chance to reach the top position,” the official said
while requesting anonymity. However, it is not clear whether
General Kayani will accept any other position after his retirement.
There were speculations that he might be made national security
adviser or Pakistan’s ambassador to the US.
The Wall Street Journal quoting
unnamed military and civilian officials reported that General
Kayani is lobbying to keep a key defence role and Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif is considering the request. He has reportedly asked
for a further one or two years on the job, according to serving
and retired military officials.
According to the WSJ
report, Kayani is prepared to “accept a revamped Chairman Joint
Chiefs of Staff Committee job, currently a largely ceremonial
post that would be given more authority, or to become defence
Adviser to the Government.” The report further cited officials
saying that he could also be made ambassador to the US.
The Government said that the
dialogue with the TTP was progressing and expressed the hope
it would be helpful in restoring peace and tranquility in the
country. Federal Minister of Information Pervez Rashid, in an
interview, said the Government is pursuing the option of talks
with the TTP as proposed and endorsed by the All-Parties Conference.
Official statistic said that
there have been more kidnapping-for-ransom cases in Karachi
this year - 148 - than any other in the last two decades. According
to data compiled by the CPLC, 129 of these cases have been solved.
The kidnapping cases in the city have risen sharply in the last
few weeks – the abductees mostly businessmen and children.
The most disturbing aspect of
the CPLC report is that some dismissed police officials are
also involved in a few cases. The CPLC chief says that there
are five major groups responsible for the majority of the kidnapping
for ransom cases. “The kidnappings usually occur in the city’s
suburbs or the Old City areas,” explains Ahmed Chinoy.
“These groups target the bankers,
estate agents and traders and their children. They demand somewhere
between PKR 0.1 and PKR0.3 million and if the families don’t
pay, they kill the victims and dump their bodies in the area
near the Northern Bypass that lies within the jurisdictions
of the Surjani and Manghopir Police Station or other places
that fall within the remit of the Sohrab Goth, Sachal, Bin Qasim,
Quaidabad Police Stations.”
October 7
At least seven persons including
four Policemen were killed and eight others injured as a bomb
ripped through a function called to distribute anti polio material
among the anti polio teams in Suleman Khel area of Union Council
Bazidkhel of Badhaber area of Peshawar (Peshawar District),
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the morning.
The blast occurred at the function of the District Health Department
ahead of starting the oral vaccination in the area.
Unidentified militants abducted
10 persons from Matani area of Peshawar. Police said unidentified
militants stopped three Kohat-bound vehicles in Matani and whisk
away 10 persons. They let go three women. Police said the abductees
hail from Bili Tang area of Kohat.
The medico-legal officer of
the Qatar Hospital, identified as Dr Irfanuddin Qureshi (54),
was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants while he was
seeing patients at his private clinic, Nizam Medical Centre
near Kali Pahari area of Orangi Town in Karachi District, the
provincial capital of Sindh.
A cleric of Misbahul Uloom seminary,
identified as Maulana Ghulam Nabi, was shot dead while his colleague
Maulana Abdul Wudood was injured when unidentified armed assailants
opened fire at them in Orangi Town.
A Police informer, identified
as Islam (52), was shot dead near Peela School at North Karachi
in North Nazimabad Town. Police said the victim had been receiving
threats from a group, which had claimed that he was informing
law enforcers about them.
A gangster, identified as Muhammad
Ayaz (25), was shot dead in front of the Masoomin Hospital in
Moosa Lane of Lyari Town.
The Karachi Police and CID in
a joint venture conducted 3,206 raids in different areas of
Karachi and arrested 4,364 suspects and recovered 1,160 arms
from them. This information was given to IGP Sindh, Shahid Nadeem
Baloch regarding the performance of Karachi Police from September
5-October 4, 2013.
At least 30 alleged target killers
and extortionists were arrested in surgical raids conducted
in several parts of Karachi, the Law Enforcement Agencies said.
DIG East Munir Sheikh said a Gulshan-e-Iqbal Police team under
the supervision of SSP Syed Peer Mohammed Shah conducted a raid
in Abbas Town (Gulshan Town) and after a shoot-out arrested
one accused Farhat Abbas Zaidi. The arrested man confessed during
interrogation that he and his associates had been involved in
a number of killings.
The Gulistan-e-Jauhar Police
arrested one accused, identified as Mohammad Tanveer Ali, for
murdering a security guard, Allah Bachaya, and snatching his
pistol.
SSP Central Amir Farooqi during
a press conference said that the Super Market Police raided
a hideout in Liaquatabad Town and after an encounter arrested
three suspects, identified as Zaid Ghauri, Haseeb Shah and Junaid
Aslam. They confessed to extorting money from traders in Sarafa
Karyana Market, Liaquatabad, Peetal Gali, Rizvia and other areas
of District Central.
The Samanabad Police arrested
two activists, Mohammad Bilal and Waqas Ahmed Khan, belonging
to a banned religious outfit near Ameer Maviya Ground in Federal
B Area of Gulberg Town. The SSP said were involved in a number
of sectarian killings.
A cadre of ST, believed to be
involved in target killings, was arrested in Bilal Colony of
Korangi Town. The SSP said Mohammed Saqib was wanted in many
target killing cases.
Police beefed up security at
the Karachi's central jail to prevent a terrorist attack. "Around
50 CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the activities
around the jail," IGP Prisons Nusrat Mangan said, "We have also
set up 12 new pickets to guard the prison. We have 150 high-profile
activists of banned outfits locked up at the central jail."
Mangan added that 100 Policemen would be added to the existing
force guarding the prison. "We have requested the higher authorities
to provide us with 50 Kalashnikovs, 15 G-3 rifles and four LMGs,
as the existing force guarding the prison is ill-equipped to
tackle a terrorist threat," he added. The jail authorities have
received intelligence reports that terrorists might attack the
central prison to free their associates.
An unannounced strike was observed
in Lyari following the killings of two alleged gangsters, Shahzad
alias She, and Shakir Ali alias Shakir Dada, during an
encounter in Lyari Town on October 6, 2103. Announcements for
the strike were made over loud speakers at the mosques.
The DG Sindh Rangers Major General
Rizwan Akhtar while speaking at the The News programme
'Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Sath' said that it was essential to take
action against the leaders of criminal elements in Karachi.
DG Rangers said they did not have pressure from any side and
that the operation against outlaws would continue. He said there
was gradual decline in the extortion complaints in Karachi.
The TTP said schoolgirl campaigner
Malala Yousafzai had "no courage" and vowed to attack her again
if they got the chance. TTP tried to kill Malala on her school
bus on October 9, 2012. She amazingly survived being shot in
the head and has become a global ambassador for the right of
all children, girls as well as boys, to go to school.
In an interview with the BBC,
Malala dismissed the threats against her life and repeated her
desire to return to Pakistan from Britain, where she was flown
for treatment after the attack and where she now goes to school.
Malala said that dialogue is
the best way to fight militancy in Pakistan. "The best way to
solve problem and to fight against war is through dialogue,
and is through peaceful way," she added. "But for me the best
way to fight against terrorism and extremism is a simple thing
- educate the next generation."
The Supreme Court rejected a
petition filed by former President General (retired) Pervez
Musharraf to move the hearing of the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder
case (August 26, 2006) from Quetta to Islamabad. A three-judge
bench of the apex court headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk heard
the request filed by the former President. Advocate Qamar Afzal
was representing Musharraf in the court and the request was
filed on grounds of threats to the former President's security.
The Supreme Court rejected a
petition filed by former President General (retired) Pervez
Musharraf to move the hearing of the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder
case (August 26, 2006) from Quetta to Islamabad. A three-judge
bench of the apex court headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk heard
the request filed by the former President. Advocate Qamar Afzal
was representing Musharraf in the court and the request was
filed on grounds of threats to the former President's security.
Gujjar said that the Mukhtiarkar
(revenue administrative officer) had told him that the suspected
criminals had no property registered in their names. The IO
said that all other formalities, including the proclamation
of the suspects, have been completed. Following the submission
of the report, the court confirmed the suspects as absconders.
The case will be reopened whenever they are arrested, said court
officials.
Gujjar said that the Mukhtiarkar
(revenue administrative officer) had told him that the suspected
criminals had no property registered in their names. The IO
said that all other formalities, including the proclamation
of the suspects, have been completed. Following the submission
of the report, the court confirmed the suspects as absconders.
The case will be reopened whenever they are arrested, said court
officials.
MSF's spokesperson in Pakistan
said, as of today there was no headway in negotiations between
the Government and MSF officials. She said: "Our teams of doctors
are ready to go to the affected areas, but we are yet to get
a formal authorisation from the Government." The NDMA spokesman
Adrees Mehsud said no such assistance was required because the
NDMA had already provided food, shelter, medical care and other
goods to the entire population of 125,000 in the area.
Mehsud said an international
call by the host Government was mandatory to let foreign NGOs
in the disaster-hit areas. He said the Government also did not
want to have foreigners doing relief work as the law and order
situation was bad in the area. MSF claimed that still there
are areas where the government aid has not reached.
A nationalist Baloch leader,
who didn't want to come on record, said there was a tacit agreement
between the Government and Baloch insurgents that foreigners
should not be allowed to operate in the area. "Baloch militants
don't want foreigners reaching their hideouts in the garb of
humanitarian aid workers," he said.
October 8
Three unidentified dead bodies
were found near Rangers Headquarters on Super Highway within
the limits of Gadap City Police Station in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town
of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
An alleged extortionist, identified
as Himesh Khan, was killed and two others, identified as Badshah
Khan and Jafar, were wounded in a firing incident near New Sabzi
Mandi on Super Highway within the limits of Sohrab Goth Police
Station in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. SHO Mohammad Shoaib said that
all three of them belonged to an extortionist group and they
had a dispute with the rival group over collection of extortion
from New Sabzi Mandi. He added that their rival group members
were behind the killing.
A man was killed in a sectarian
target killing at Ath Chowk in Lyari Town. According to Police,
the killing was of a sectarian nature.
A school van was looted at Nazimabad
No.7 in North Nazimabad Town. The students shocked by the sudden
attack readily handed over whatever they had with them including
the cellular phones and watches. Earlier, three university buses
have also been looted.
The Rangers personnel arrested
23 suspects during targeted operations in different parts of
Karachi whereas Police claim to have arrested 97 suspects. Operations
were conducted in Usmanabad and Bihar Colony areas of Lyari
Town, Purana Haji Camp in Saddar Town, Jamshed Road, Liaquatabad
Town, Pak Colony in SITE Town, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town, North Nazimabad
Town and other areas.
Police personnel captured two
suspects near the Super Highway's wholesale vegetable market,
and also recovered a stolen car from their possession. Police
moreover claimed arresting 97 other suspects during targeted
operations in different parts of the city. Some of the suspects
included wanted criminals.
A pro-Government tribal elder
Malik Haji Sadat Sher from Gandao in Mohmand Agency (FATA) was
travelling in a taxi en route to Peshawar when motorcyclists
ambushed the vehicle on Charsadda Road near Budni Pull under
Khazana Police Station in Peshawar, the provincial capital of
KP. While Malik Haji Sadat Sher was killed, his driver sustained
injuries.
A Police official was killed
and his companion injured when unidentified militants opened
fire at them in Mandani area of Charsadda town (Charsadda District).
ASI Younas Khan was on his way from Ghunda Khel Zayam with a
friend, Muslim, on his motorcycle when assailants on another
motorbike intercepted them near Technical College, Tangi in
the jurisdiction of Kinawar Police Station. Younas was killed
on the spot, while Muslim was injured.
Police recovered a 7th grade
school student who was abducted for PKR 20 million ransom from
Sharifabad in the limits of Yakatoot Police Station in Peshawar.
A Police official said Waqar (12), son of a local exporter,
was abducted from Sharifabad in the month of September. A video
was also sent to the family showing the abductors spraying petrol
on the body of Waqar. The family was told that he would be set
on fire if the amount was not paid. Police said one of the abductors
also claimed to be from an intelligence agency.
Three Pakistani nationals hailing
from the Khyber Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas
were among those killed in the NATO airstrike in Pikha area
in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. The sources said that
five others persons belonging to Khyber Agency sustained injuries
the attack. The victim family had migrated from Ghundi area
in the Jamrud tehsil of the Khyber Agency and had settled in
Pikha.
The Balochistan Government made
a formal request to the Federal Government for allowing foreign
aid agencies to support earthquake victims in Awaran District.
Chief Minister Balochistan Doctor Abdul Malik Baloch said that
his Government has written a letter to the Federal Government
in Islamabad in this regard. "We cannot completely rehabilitate
the quake affectees without the support of international donor
organisations," he said Earlier, on October 7, 2013, the France-based
Doctors without Borders issued a statement on its website that
it was not being allowed by the authorities to enter in the
earthquake affected areas.
He said that the Army would
continue to work to bring relief to the quake survivors - but
added that work remained to be done over and beyond recovering
from the natural disaster. The region, which is a hotbed of
rebel activity, is amongst the poorest and most backward in
Pakistan - and all stakeholders needed to brush aside differences
and work to help the people there, he said. When approached
by The Express Tribune to clarify if he meant that everyone
"joining hands" in the effort was also a reference to the insurgents,
he replied in the affirmative. "I mean everyone," he emphasised.
He did, however, add that the Army would continue their relief
effort despite the clashes.
A Frenchman held in Pakistan
for months on suspicion of training militants was detained for
questioning by French Police on his return home, an official
at the Paris prosecutor's office said. Naamen Meziche was arrested
on a bus along with three other French nationals in south-western
Pakistan in May, 2012, on suspicion of training militant networks
and preparing terrorist attacks, the official said. Pakistan
deported them all to France in April, except Meziche, who was
deported on October 7-evening.
The Political Agent of Khyber
Agency (FATA) refused to conduct fresh trial into the case of
Dr Shakil Afridi accused of colluding with LI and its chief
Mangal Bagh. Samiullah Afridi and Qamar Nadeem Afridi, counsels
for Dr Shakil Afridi, said that Political Agent of the Khyber
Agency Mutahir Zeb had informed them that he was not going to
conduct fresh trial into the case of Dr Afridi.
An inquiry report confirmed
that 'bhatta mafia' (extortionists) were active in Sabzi Mandi
area of Islamabad indicating that they collected extortion under
the protection of Police and the relevant section of the CDA,
while the CDA officials were also found depriving the vendors
of fresh fruit and vegetables to provide them to their high-ups
to please them.
The reports said that on the
basis of documentary evidence available in shapes of FIRs and
in the light of statements recorded by the team, it appears
that there are two groups - Nasir Khan Group (consisting of
Marshal, Qari and others, allegedly patronised by Safdar Siddique)
and Amanuallah alias Shino Group (consisting of Mir Vais, Riaz
and others) - involved in collecting extortion from Sabzi Mandi.
In order to probe the issue
at least five teams headed by upper subordinates were constituted,
with the direction to visit the Sabzi Mandi and record statements
of vendors, transporters, workers, fruit sellers, with a view
to ascertain the presence and modus operandi of extortionists
if any. The teams including ASP and SDPO Industrial Area visited
Sabzi Mandi in uniform as well as in civil clothes in order
to know the factual position of the issue.
The report revealed that during the inquiry it
was also stated by the concerned persons that Inspector Aurangzeb
Satti, in connivance with other CDA officials was involved in
taking illegal gratification from fruit sellers. He used to confiscate
fruit and vegetable stall arbitrarily.
October 9
Two activists of the MQM, identified
as Kamran Raja and Saeed Bangash, were killed and another, Ayub
Mumta, was injured in a gun attack on a party's unit office
in Korangi Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital
of Sindh. Police said the MQM activists were members of party's
Hazara Organising Committee.
Two Police officials were killed
in a drive-by shooting by unidentified armed assailants near
Habib Masjid in Anda Morr of North Karachi locality in North
Nazimabad Town. SHO of the Sir Syed Police Station, Syed Irfan
Haider and SIO of the New Karachi Police Station and SI Shahbaz
Ali were targeted in North Karachi locality. According to details,
Haider belonged to the Shia community
A watchman at a government school,
identified as Nisar Ahmed (43), was shot dead on Mewa Shah Road
near new Kumharnwala in Lyari Town.
A factory worker, identified
as Janan Khan (22), was shot dead near Hospital Chowrangi in
Gulshan-e-Buner area of Quaidabadarea in Baldia Town.
Three unidentified dead bodies
of blindfolded men were found on a river bed near Haji Abdul
Karim Goth area in Gadap Town. Gadap City SHO Imtiaz Niazi said,
"The victims appear to be Kutchis or Urdu-speakers."
Rangers found weapons in the
trunk and backseat of MPA for Kutchi Abadis and Spatial Development
Jawaid Nagori's car during a raid in Lyari Town. The Rangers
had carried out the raid on a tip-off, seizing armaments which
included Kalashnikovs and bullets.
The alleged Lyari gangster Ameen
Buledi who was facing charges of murder and other crimes was
sent to prison in judicial custody by an ATC. The investigation
officer told the ATC-III that Buledi was involved in many heinous
crimes, including the March 17, 2013 murder of Lyari gangster
Arshad Pappu and some Policemen, and that several witnesses
had identified him as the killer. The court ordered that he
be sent to the central prison and brought back for an appearance
on October 19, 2013.
While continuing their crackdown
on criminals in Karachi, Rangers arrested at least 15 suspected
target killers and extortionists in several raids. The spokesperson
for the paramilitary force said these men were arrested during
targeted operations in Taiser Town, Allah Dad Goth, Musharraf
Colony, Agra Taj Colony, Frontier Colony, Civic Centre, Hingorabad,
Rabia City, Surjani, Janjal Goth, Gulzar Colony, Bilal Colony,
Mehran Town and Landhi and snap checking in Lea Market.
JUI leader, identified as Maulvi
Fateh Muhammad, was shot dead when unidentified armed assailants
opened indiscriminate fire in Sanjavi area of Ziarat District.
Unidentified armed assailants
barged into a house and shot dead a man, identified as Muhammad
Hayat in Kohlu District. The assailants escaped from the scene
after the killing him.
Three people, identified as
Nazeer Ahmed, and his two companions, were wounded when militants
opened fire on a vehicle on National Highway in Khuzdar District.
Baloch militants attacked SFs
and Government officials engaged in relief operation in earthquake-stricken
areas of Awaran and Kech Districts. Official sources said that
Army and Levies personnel were attacked by militants in Mashkay
area of Awaran District. The militants intercepted the vehicle
in Jhaljaho area of Mashkay area, beat up Levies personnel after
snatching their weapons and then escaped.
Militants fired rockets and
bullets on army personnel distributing relief goods among earthquake-hit
people in Mashkay. Balochistan Assembly Deputy Speaker Mir Abdul
Qudoos Bizenjo said that militants fired two rockets at an Army
relief camp in Mashkay, but one of the rockets exploded in a
house. As a result of the rocket explosion, one man was killed
and two others were seriously injured.
Another rocket exploded away
from the camp. However, no casualty was reported.
Militants set relief goods,
including tents and food items, on fire.
Militants set relief goods,
including tents and food items, on fire.
As part of the relief efforts,
Major General Bajwa said that four forward bases had been set
up to provide aid items to affected people through helicopters
and air drops. The helicopter fleet servicing the affected zones
has also been boosted by the military (15) and civil administration
to 16 in the area from the two that were involved in the days
immediately after the earthquake.
The Chief Minister Doctor Malik
Baloch said that the relief and rescue operations are almost
over but, according to the doctors in Awaran, there outbreak
of fatal diseases is apprehended. Balochistan Chief Minister
said that he had sent a letter to Federal Government seeking
permission to issue NOC to International aid organisations and
UN agencies to carry out relief and rehabilitation work in earthquake
affected areas.
"I hope Islamabad will soon
allow international aid agencies from such friendly countries
as Turkey, Muscat, Oman and Germany who have already offered
assistance to carry out rehabilitation in Balochistan," Malik
Baloch said.
Three kidnappers were killed
in an encounter in Ashrafabad area of Mardan District in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. On a tip-off about the presence of the kidnappers
wanted for kidnapping Muhammad Hussain for ransom, Police conducted
a raid on a compound.
The al Qaeda terrorist, who
was arrested from the hostel of Punjab University Campus in
Lahore District on September 11, 2013, revealed that he was
the mastermind of suicide attack on Denmark embassy in Islamabad
on June 2, 2008.
Sources said, on the basis of
information gathered from this fighter, 17 others have been
arrested and the network of this group has been busted.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme
Court headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk granted former President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf bail in Nawab Akbar Bugti
murder case too. He has also been granted bail in two other
cases, December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto murder case and the
case pertaining to the judges' detention during the emergency
that he imposed in 2007.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme
Court headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk granted former President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf bail in Nawab Akbar Bugti
murder case too. He has also been granted bail in two other
cases, December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto murder case and the
case pertaining to the judges' detention during the emergency
that he imposed in 2007.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme
Court headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk granted former President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf bail in Nawab Akbar Bugti
murder case too. He has also been granted bail in two other
cases, December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto murder case and the
case pertaining to the judges' detention during the emergency
that he imposed in 2007.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme
Court headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk granted former President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf bail in Nawab Akbar Bugti
murder case too. He has also been granted bail in two other
cases, December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto murder case and the
case pertaining to the judges' detention during the emergency
that he imposed in 2007.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme
Court headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk granted former President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf bail in Nawab Akbar Bugti
murder case too. He has also been granted bail in two other
cases, December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto murder case and the
case pertaining to the judges' detention during the emergency
that he imposed in 2007.
The 'spokesman' Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Chief Minister, Shiraz Paracha said that peace talks between
the Ulema (religious scholars) and TTP were underway and would
be supported by the Provincial Government. Spokesman Shiraz
Paracha said talks between Ulema and Taliban were a positive
step and would be supported at every stage. Paracha said that
talks were a sensitive matter as he refrained from revealing
the names of the Ulema who were involved in the process. He
did not give any timeframe for the talks nor did he mention
a point by which peace would be restored.
The renowned wrestler and Japanese
parliamentarian Muhammad Hussain Anoki said he was hurt to see
Muslims fighting each other and added that he has come to Pakistan
to facilitate talks between the Government and the TTP to restore
peace and stop killings.
October 10
At least seven people, including
children, were killed and 35 others were injured in a blast
in Liaquat Bazaar area of Quetta.
Governor Mohammad Khan Achakzai
said that the Provincial Cabinet of Balochistan will be sworn
in on October 14, 2013. While talking to journalists, he said
the cabinet could not be formed earlier because partners in
the Provincial Government wanted to induct clean people. He
said the only thing the Baloch people wanted was their rights
and advised the media not to describe the situation in Balochistan
as insurgency.
Three alleged terrorists were
killed while planting explosive material on Manghopir Road in
Orangi Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Police said that the two of the militants were identified as
Rafiullah and Asmatullah, who belonged to Qilla Abdullah District
of Balochistan.
Ranger arrested at least 36
suspects in targeted operations in different parts of Karachi.
The operations were conducted in Lyari Town, Bin Qasim Town,
Landhi Town, Machar Colony in Keamari Town, North Karachi in
North Nazimabad Town, FC Area in Liaquatabad Town, Surjani Town
area in Gadap Town, Baldia Town and Malir Town. The suspects
were also in possession of SMG rifles, along with other weapons.
The South Zone Police claimed
to have arrested 33 suspects and confiscated weapons from those
arrested. The arrested suspects include those involved in gang
wars and various other crimes.
The South Zone Police claimed
to have arrested 33 suspects and confiscated weapons from those
arrested. The arrested suspects include those involved in gang
wars and various other crimes.
The MQM MNA Nabeel Gabol was
nominated in the murder of the PAC leader Zafar Baloch however
investigators have yet to prove his involvement in the crime.
JIT comprising representatives of Police, Rangers and Intelligence
Agencies did not find any evidence against Gabol. The JIT findings
suggest that Zafar was killed by notorious Lyari gangsters Sikander
alias Sikku and Ismail Afshani on Baba Ladla's orders.
A second eyewitness identified
Kazim Abbas Rizvi as the killer of senior lawyer, Naimat Ali
Randhawa in the ATC. The name of the witness has not been disclosed
due to security reasons. AIG of Sindh Police Shahid Hayat had
earlier stated, "The suspect is affiliated with MQM's unit-178
and has been identified as Kazim Abbas Rizvi, son of Syed Muhammad
Abbas Rizvi."
Three TTP 'commanders' were
killed in a clash between TTP and Afghani Taliban in Kunar province
of Afghanistan adjacent to the Pakistan border. Afghan Taliban
had attacked TTP militant bases two days ago. Three TTP 'commanders'
were killed while others were injured.
At least one person was killed
and injured 14 others were injured in a bomb explosion outside
a restaurant in the Old Anarkali area of Lahore District. Police
said the time device with one kilogram of explosives was planted
at the counter of the restaurant and an investigation had been
initiated. The son of the restaurant's owner was killed in the
blast. The owner of the restaurant said that they had never
received any threats.
Three khasadar officials of
Khyber Agency (FATA) sustained injuries when a roadside bomb
targeted their vehicle on Ring Road near Achini under Pishtakhara
Police Station in Peshawar (Peshawar District), the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the evening. Pishtakhara Police
said around 18 khasadar officials were in the vehicle en route
from Akkakhel of Khyber Agency where they were providing security
to polio vaccinators.
Sindh Police spokesperson Dr
Moizuddin Pirzada said that at least 138 Police officers and
constables have lost their lives in Karachi in an ongoing operation
against criminals that began on September 7, 2013. Those who
lost lives in the line of duty include, two DSP, three Inspectors,
13 SI, 16 ASI, 26 head constables and 78 constables. More than
162 Policemen have sustained injuries during numerous attacks
on the force.
Dr Pirzada, stated that most
of the officers were killed in the city's West District, which
is home to one of the most sensitive areas of Keamari Town,
SITE Town, Baldia Town and Orangi Town. He added that the reaction
to the operation was not limited to Karachi only as around 16
officers and constables have lost lives in other parts of the
province, while at least 31 had sustained injuries.
Former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf was rearrested in Lal Masjid killing case hours
after submitting surety bonds in the Supreme Court. The apex
court had asked Musharraf to submit two surety bonds of PKR
1 million each to the Supreme Court Registrar. The re-arrest
came after he had been granted bail in three other cases and
his lawyer said on October 9, 2013 that he was cleared to leave
the country. Assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto (December 27, 2007), death of Baloch nationalist leader
Nawab Akbar Bugti (August 26, 2006) and detention of deposed
Supreme Court judges (2007) were the other three major cases
registered against the former military strongman.
"We have put General Musharraf
under house arrest in a case involving a military operation
on an Islamabad mosque," Muhammad Rizwan, a senior official
of the Islamabad Police said, adding, "We will present him before
a court on Friday (October 12, 2013)".
A spokesman of Musharraf's APML
party confirmed the arrest saying they will now apply for bail
in the latest case. "Yes, Police have officially arrested General
Musharraf and put him under house arrest. We will file his bail
application soon," Muhammad Amjad, Secretary General of the
APML said.
Pakistan toughened its anti-terrorism
laws by introducing as many as a dozen amendments into the legislation
which proposes longer detention for suspects and accepts electronic
evidence as well as trials via video link. Suspects can now
be held for up to three months, eight weeks longer than envisaged
under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. Through another amendment,
robust new measures will be adopted for the protection of witnesses,
judges and prosecutors.
Since the National Assembly
and Senate are not currently in session a Presidential ordinance
made over a dozen changes in the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 (XXVII
of 1997). The ordinance will be called the Anti-terrorism (Amendment)
Ordinance 2013, and shall come into force at once. According
to the amendment, text messages, telephone calls, emails, can
be used as evidence against suspected terrorists and in criminal
cases, such as extortion, targeted killing and kidnappings for
ransom.
Provincial Governments have
been asked "to take necessary steps to ensure that prisoners
in jails do not have access to mobile phones."
PM Nawaz Sharif said his Government
was sincere about holding peace talks with the TTP, after TTP
'chief' Hakimullah Mehsud complained no serious steps had been
taken to open a dialogue. Speaking after a security meeting
in Peshawar, Sharif said progress was being made on the issue
of opening negotiations. The PM was accompanied by Federal Minister
of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Federal Minister of Information
Pervez Rashid and his Advisor on National Security and Foreign
Affairs Sartaj Aziz on the occasion.
PM Nawaz Sharif has said a special
law was being enacted to deal with cases related to terrorism
and asked the provinces to take strict and effective measures
to eliminate this menace. Talking to members of families affected
by the recent Qissa Khwani Bazaar bomb explosion and later in
his talk with reporters at the Governor House in Peshawar, he
said the proposed law, which would effectively tackle cases
of terrorism in the court of law, was ready. The culprits involved
in terrorism would not escape the clutches of law, he added.
October 11
A suicide bomber drove a car
filled with explosives into a military convoy, killing at least
two soldiers in the Wana town of South Waziristan Agency in
FATA. The bomber crashed his white Toyota Corolla into a vehicle
travelling in a military convoy in Wana.
A former councilor of MQM was
shot dead in Banaras area of Orangi Town in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh. Police said that
deceased Waqar Ahmed Siddiqui (52), son of Mukhtar, was on the
way on his motorcycle when unidentified armed riders intercepted
and killed him on the spot.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a local journalist Ayub Khan Khattak in his native Warana
village in Takht-e-Nusrati tehsil of Karak District of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. Police sources said unidentified assailants opened
fire on Ayub Khattak and he died on the spot.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a local journalist Ayub Khan Khattak in his native Warana
village in Takht-e-Nusrati tehsil of Karak District of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. Police sources said unidentified assailants opened
fire on Ayub Khattak and he died on the spot.
Gilani managed to dodge the
raiding team and is still at large, intelligence agency sources
said, while some other sources claimed that he had been held
and shifted to an unknown place for thorough investigation.
Police investigators have recovered evidence of his links with
al Qaeda. Evidence also suggested that Tanveer, a most wanted
terrorist of al Qaeda, had been staying at Gilani's place since
January 2013 till the recovery of VBIED from Bhara Kahu.
American troops have reportedly
captured a senior leader of the TTP in a military operation
in Afghanistan, a US official said. "I can confirm that US forces
did capture… terrorist leader Latif Mehsud in a military operation,"
State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf said, describing
the captive as a senior commander in the TTP. "Mehsud is a senior
commander in TTP and served as a trusted confidante of the group's
'Chief' Hakimullah Mehsud," Harf said.
The TTP said that they were
"delighted" Malala Yousafzai, the teenage education activist
they tried to kill, missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize. TTP
shot Malala in the head on her school bus on October 9, 2012,
for speaking out against them. After the shooting she was flown
to Britain for specialist care and made a remarkable recovery,
going on to become a global ambassador for children's rights.
October 12
Two children were severely injured
in two separate landmine explosions in Kurram Agency located
in the FATA of Pakistan.
The first incident took place
in the Tri-Mangal area at 9 am where a child lost a leg when
he stepped on a landmine.
Around half an hour later, another
child became a victim of another landmine in the Gobazna Road
area.
A man, identified as Ali Muhammad
(48), was shot dead when unidentified armed assailants opened
fire on him in the Soomar Goth area within the remit of Steel
Town Police Station in Bin Qasim Town.
The first incident took place
in the Tri-Mangal area at 9 am where a child lost a leg when
he stepped on a landmine.
One Hanif (30), was shot at
and injured by unidentified armed assailants within the remit
of Site B Police Station in Baldia Town.
A labourer was killed and another
injured after explosives went off in Kot Khaddak village in
Tank District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police sources said two
labourers Umar Khan and Yousaf, hailing from Afghanistan, were
lifting a bundle of wood in a bricks factory near Chairman Adda
in Kot Khaddak Village when the explosive material, hidden in
the wood bundle, went off. Resultantly, Umar Khan was killed
on the spot and Yousaf sustained serious injuries.
A Police official was shot dead
by unidentified assailants in Tangi area of Charsadda town in
same District in the night. According to Tangi Police Station
official Abdul Rasheed Khan, Head Constable Sher Ali was heading
to work on his motorcycle when unidentified assailants opened
fire at him in Tangi, killing him on the spot.
The September 22 suicide bombers
of the All Saints Church in Qissa Khwani market of Peshawar
have revealed that both the attackers were foreigners. The Police
have received the DNA report which states that the attackers
were not Pakistanis and that one of them was Uzbek.
October 13
A trader belonging to the Bohra
community, identified as Uzeefa (30), was shot dead and his
nephew, Muhammad Dani (12), was injured in a sectarian attack
at a shop in the Chaba Gali area of Jodia Bazaar in Saddar Town
of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
An unidentified woman was killed
and three people were injured in an explosion near Zain Medical
Centre in the Muzaffarabad Colony of Landhi Town. Police officials
said that the explosion was a caused by a cracker blast and
was a result of an extortion case. People at the medical centre
said they were receiving threats from extortionists.
The Karachi City Police recovered
two hand grenades from a car parked on Super Highway near the
main cattle market. Some unidentified militants smashed the
window-glasses of a car parked near Maweshi Mandi (cattle market)
on Super Highway and hurled two hand grenades inside. The grenades
failed to explode and were recovered later.
Police and Rangers arrested
at least 140 more alleged criminals associated with Lyari-based
gangs, political parties and banned militant outfits in the
ongoing targeted operations across Karachi. At least 18 suspected
criminals were arrested by paramilitary soldiers and a number
of weapons were seized from them. Rangers launched raids in
Khadda Market of Lyari Town, Medina Town in Landhi, Safoora
Chowrangi, Mehran Town in Korangi Town and Gulshan-e-Iqbal areas.
The Police claimed to have arrested
122 suspects with weapons. The Karachi Police arrested 50 absconders,
13 for keeping illegal guns, nine for keeping narcotics, one
terrorist, eight robbers, one murderer and 40 more for involvement
in other crimes. The Police carried out 92 raids and five encounters
and seized 28 unlicensed weapons also.
Police claimed to have arrested
five alleged target killers during two separate raids in Khadda
market area of Lyari Town. Police also recovered two Kalashnikovs,
three pistols, three hand grenades and narcotics from their
custody.
Although the scourge of militancy
has resulted in the destruction of 58,312 houses in three tribal
Agencies of FATA, yet the question about compensation to the
affected families is still unanswered. A baseline survey conducted
by FDMA in South Waziristan, Orakzai and Kurram Agencies shows
that reconstruction of the damaged private houses requires approximately
PKR 17 billion. The FDMA has conducted door-to-door survey to
assess damage in the militancy-stricken areas of the three agencies.
The Federal Government, USAID
and other foreign donor agencies had paid compensation for the
damaged houses in Swat, Bajaur Agency and parts of Mohmand Agency
at the rate of PKR 400,000 for fully damaged and PKR 160,000
for partially damaged house. "Like Swat, Bajaur and Mohmand,
the government is bound to pay housing compensation to the people
in these three agencies," said another senior official. He added
that internally displaced persons had made makeshift arrangements
for shelter after returning to their areas.
Afghan Taliban leader Mullah
Muhammad Omar rejected the proposed US-Afghan security pact
and said Afghans will not accept it. "The invaders and their
allies should understand that the strategic agreement will be
accompanied by grave consequences for them," said Omar in a
message received by The Express Tribune. On October 12,
President Hamid Karzai and US Secretary of State John Kerry
agreed on some parts of the Bilateral Security Agreement. The
agreement, however, left the issue of providing immunity to
the US soldiers unresolved.
According to a fact finding
report submitted by HRCP the pattern of terrorist attacks in
Balochistan during the recent past indicate some operational
coordination between sectarian militant groups and Baloch insurgents.
The HRCP was not in a position to verify the claim but demanded
that such allegations must be taken seriously and investigated
fully and, if any evidence of such collaboration was found,
it must be made public.
According to a fact finding
report submitted by HRCP the pattern of terrorist attacks in
Balochistan during the recent past indicate some operational
coordination between sectarian militant groups and Baloch insurgents.
The HRCP was not in a position to verify the claim but demanded
that such allegations must be taken seriously and investigated
fully and, if any evidence of such collaboration was found,
it must be made public.
Pakistan Army Chief General
Ashfaq Pervez Kayani said that military fully backs the Government's
move to hold peace talks with banned militant groups but these
parleys must be held within constitutional parameters. "...
To deal with it, the national leadership chose the option of
giving talks a chance. The Pakistan Army supports this move.
He criticised the Indian military
leadership, saying their remarks about the Pakistani military
and ISI's support to terrorism were "unfortunate, unfounded
and provocative". Reacting to these allegations, Kayani reiterated
Pakistan's stance that incidents on the LoC should be investigated
by the UN.
AMPL General Secretary Dr Muhammad
Amjad said that "General (retired) Pervez Musharraf has boldly
faced all the cases against and will never flee from the country".
"Our leader has manfully faced all charges without putting blames
on others so why would he leave the country now that he has
got bails in most of the cases?" said Amjad, adding that Musharraf
had himself taken the difficult path to return to the country
and face the cases.
October 13
The shrine of Sheikh Modula
Babaji in Sheikhan village of Peshawar (Peshawar District),
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was blown up.
This is the second attack on the site. The grave was destroyed
by a two-kilogramme homemade explosive device planted near it
by unidentified militants. Fortunately, there was no loss of
life.
October 14
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead a SHO, identified as Nisar Ahmed Mengal, while he
was on his way to the Police Station in Khuzdar District. Police
said SHO was on way to the Police Station when armed motorcyclists
opened fire at him on the District’s Hospital Road.
After a five-month impasse,
11 ministers were sworn in, finally completing the Balochistan
cabinet. However, the three coalition partners forming the Provincial
Government did not include a woman or a minority lawmaker in
the cabinet. Balochistan Governor Mohammed Khan Achakzai administered
the oath in a ceremony held at the Governor House. The portfolios
of the ministers have not been allotted so far.
PML-N provincial ministers who
took oath on Monday include Nawabzada Jangez Marri, Izhar Hussain
Khosa, Sardar Sarfraz Domki and Mir Sarfraz Bugti. PML-N got
five ministries, one of which they gave to PML-Q therefore,
the latter’s Jaffar Khan Mandokhail was also made minister.
NP’s Sardar Aslam Bizenjo, Rehmat Saleh Baloch and Mujeeb ul
Rehman Mohammed Hassani were sworn in. PkMAP’s Dr Hamid Khan
Achakzai, Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai and Sardar Mustafa Khan Tareen
also took oath.
Most of the sworn-in ministers
are either Nawabs or landlords. None of the three coalition
partners – NP, PML-N and PkMAP – have included a single woman
or a member of the minority community in the cabinet. “We believe
that there should have been at least one woman minister. I do
not know why they totally ignored the women when they were finalising
the cabinet,” said NP MPA Yasmin Lehri.
Pishtakhara Police arrested
two alleged extortionists – Dad Muhammad and Mughal Khan, residents
of Mulazai village. The men were allegedly demanding PKR 0.2
million in extortion from a banker, Liaqat Ali, threatening
to kidnap and kill his children if he refused to pay up. Police
arrested both the accused in a raid and caught them red-handed
as they were receiving money from Liaqat. According to the Police,
the accused men were collecting extortion under the guise of
TTP militants and were also involved in murder and attempted
murder cases.
Peshawar High Court Chief Justice
Dost Muhammad Khan said many criminal gangs were involved in
extortion and were using the name of TTP for cover. During the
hearing of a bail application of a man accused of extorting
money from a doctor, Justice Khan said the gangs were sending
letters to people using Taliban’s name and collecting millions
of rupees as a result.
Around 53 people were arrested
by Badhaber Police in a large-scale search operation in Mashokhel,
Faqirabad and Surizai villages. The search operation started
early morning in Faqirabad, near the border of Akkakhel in Khyber
Agency (FATA) and was expanded to Mashokhel and other parts.
Another contingent of Police, meanwhile, carried out a separate
search operation in Surizai village.
The authorities laid a thick
security blanket after intelligence warnings of possible terrorist
attacks over Central Jail Karachi. According to the sources,
dozens of additional Police and elite force commandoes were
being deployed inside and around the prison facility which is
said to remain on high-alert until further orders.
Karachi Police during the on-going
drive against criminals arrested 161 accused. A Police statement
said that those arrested included 75 absconders and proclaimed
offenders besides alleged dacoits, killers, robbers and those
involved in other crimes. As many as 40 weapons of various calibres
were also recovered from their possession.
Law enforcers submitted a supplementary
charge sheet revealing several new facts in the March 16, 2013
murder of Lyari gangster Arshad Pappu before an ATC. The investigating
officer of the case, Muhammad Yamin Gujjar, submitted the charge
sheet before the ATC-II. In the supplementary charge sheet,
the Police determined the roles of inspectors Javed Baloch and
Yousuf Baloch.
The charge sheet further states
that it is confirmed that a Kalri Station Police mobile arrived
at the scene. SHO Chand Khan Niazi, Inspector Javed and Inspector
Yousuf were present in the mobile when the victims were picked
up from Defence on March 16, 2013. The officials then travelled
with the victims to Lyari and handed them over to suspected
criminals. Inspector Javed had reportedly confessed to his involvement
in the abduction and murder of Pappu and had given the CD to
the Police after his arrest.
The Police have arrested six
suspects, including PPP Member of MNA Shahjehan Baloch, Inspector
Yousuf, Inspector Javed, Zubair Jan, Zakir Dada and Abdur Rahman
in the case so far. The court while accepting the charge sheet
directed the police to produce the suspects on October 19, 2013.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel
Iman Memon said the targeted operation in Karachi would continue
till the city was purged of all the criminal elements. “At this
moment we cannot give you when it will end. We will continue
this operation till its logical end whether it takes four months
or four years,” he said while addressing a press conference
after the law and order meeting at Chief Minister’s House.
He further said that the Provincial
Government was aware that the people would not voluntarily surrender
their illegal arms. “But Government kicked off the operation
to comply with Supreme Court’s orders under which the option
to impose curfew and recover the arms is still available.” “We
have not yet decided to impose curfew, but this option is available,”
he said.
A Police team comprising of
DG Headquarters Khalid Khattak, SSP Sajid Kayani and SP Jameel
Hashmi interrogated former President General (retired) Pervez
Musharraf and recorded his statement in a case related to Lal
Masjid operation and subsequent killing of Abdul Rasheed Ghazi.
Musharraf again denied having
ordered the Lal Masjid operation and said it was carried out
on the directive of the capital administration at that time.
He told the Joint Investigation Team that the operation had
been ordered by the then elected Government and he had nothing
to do with it. The sources quoted him as saying: “I was wrongly
implicated. I did not issue any written order regarding the
operation.” He said the then capital administration had called
the army for help which led to the operation.
According to details, Musharraf
was interrogated in connection with a double-murder case registered
by Aabpara Police on a complaint of Haroon Rasheed, son of Abdul
Rasheed Ghazi, deputy Khateeb of Lal Masjid, who was killed
in the 2007 operation at the mosque. Haroon has alleged that
Musharraf issued the order for the operation in which his father
and grandmother Sabiha Khatoon were killed.
PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat
Hussain and Ejazul Haq signalled their willingness to testify
against Pervez Musharraf. According to sources, both Shujaat
and Ejaz have promised Ghazi’s son Haroonur Rashid and the Shohda
Foundation of Pakistan that they were ready to record their
statements against Musharraf with the Police and the court.
Peace was restored in Bajaur
Agency but militants could still pose a threat in the border
areas, said Political Agent Abdul Jabar Shah at Khar, the headquterer
of Bajaur Agency in FATA. Addressing a jirga of Mandal
tribe, he said that normalcy returned to the region after elimination
of terrorists, however, durable peace would need some time.
The tribal elders, members of peace committees and senior officials
attended the jirga.
JuD, the front organisation
of LeT, ‘chief’’ Hafiz Mohammad Saeed on October 14 accused
the US and India of trying to hamper efforts to help victims
of Balochistan’s earthquake. Saeed, who has a USD 10 million
US Government bounty on his head, said joint US-Indian efforts
to block funds for organisation were aimed at stopping its relief
work.
British Police were questioning
four persons, including a Pakistani, on suspicion of terrorism
after a string of arrests that included armed officers shooting
out the tyres of a car near the Tower of London. Reports in
British media said the men had been arrested in coordinated
raids across London in the night of October 13 that was aimed
at preventing an alleged terror plot involving the use of guns.
Later, a British security official said the men were planning
a shooting spree akin to the Westgate attack in Nairobi, in
which at least 67 people died.
Pakistan and the United States
have agreed to speed up efforts to facilitate a peace deal in
Afghanistan by next year before hundreds of thousands of foreign
troops pull out from the war-ravaged country. The agreement
came about during meetings between President Barack Obama’s
point-man for Pakistan and Afghanistan James Dobbins and Pakistan’s
senior civil and military authorities, officials said.
October 15
A local leader of ASWJ, the
front organisation of SSP, was shot dead in Gulberg area of
Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital of Sindh.
Police said that deceased, Abdul Hameed (42), son of Fajruddin
was sitting at his milk shop in Gulberg Block-5, where armed
riders shot him dead.
An unidentified dead body of
a young man was found near Crown Cinema within the jurisdiction
of Kalri Police Station. As per the Police, the torture-marked
body was in a gunny bag. Initial inquiry also revealed that
the man was shot.
A bullet-riddled body was found
from an isolated area of Khudabadan in Panjgur District of Balochistan.
Police said that on a tip-off they recovered the body dumped
near a water tank. The deceased was later identified a Shakir
Ali.
As many as 19 persons, including
three personnel of Balochistan Constabulary, sustained injuries
when unidentified assailants attacked the Security Force’s truck
with a hand grenade on Mastung Road on the outskirts of Quetta
(Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan. Two
children were also there among the injured.
Balochistan Frontier Corps apprehended
three alleged militants with arms and ammunition during a search
operation in Muhalla Junako of Dera Bugti District. An FC spokesman
said that the search operation was carried out on a tip-off
regarding presence of some militants in the area. The seizure
included three pistols, a sub-machine gun along with 75 rounds,
two motorcycles and a mobile phone.
Balochistan Government has given
Police power for one month to FC. Sources said the Police power
has been granted to FC owing to deteriorating law and order
in the province. According to the notification issued here,
the FC will enjoy Police power till November 16.
Militants blew up a private
school at Chari Narmikhel in the limits of Bakkakhel Police
Station in Bannu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The sources
said that unidentified militants had planted an explosive device
at various points in the All Amir Middle Public School which
went off at midnight. The boundary wall of the school was destroyed
while the explosives inside the building didn’t explode.
The Secret Fund of the Federal
Ministry of Interior has been placed at the disposal of the
subordinate NDMC and it has been decided to entrust the audit
of expenditure of PKR 425 million Secret Fund to the Auditor
General. The policy has been changed on the instructions of
Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to enable
the Ministry to provide the entire details of spending of the
Secret Fund.
The NDMC had refused to furnish
the necessary information about the spending of the fund to
the Auditor General. In this respect, Director General Audit
addressed a letter to secretary Interior Ministry on October
11 this year quoting the July 8, 2013 the Supreme Court’s order
calling for the audit of the secret fund of the NDMC.
The civil and military leadership
of the country held detailed deliberations on the overall Security
situation with particular reference to the dialogue process
with the TTP. PM Muhammad Nawaz Sharif chaired the meeting on
national security at the Prime Minister’s House. Federal Minister
of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Adviser to the PM on National
Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, COAS General Ashfaq
Parvez Kayani and DG ISI Lieutenant General Muhammad Zaheer
ul Islam attended the meeting.
The leaders at the meeting said
that any foreign intervention in Pakistan’s affairs would not
be tolerated. The leadership was unanimous in their view that
any foreign intervention in Pakistan’s affairs would not be
tolerated. The political and military leadership expressed its
resentment over the allegations by India and Afghanistan involving
Pakistan in terrorism, Indian and Afghan intervention in Pakistan
and violations of ceasefire at the LoC.
On the request of the Islamabad
Police, the city administration ordered the jail trial of former
President General Pervez Musharraf in the murder case of a Lal
Masjid cleric and his mother during the 2007 operation. The
case was registered with the Aabpara Police on September 2,
2013, sources in the Police and administration said.
Sources in the Police claimed
that the Aabpara Police refused to collect evidence and record
the statements of witnesses against the Former President in
connection with the killing of the Lal Masjid cleric and his
mother. After the refusal of the Aabpara police, the Lal Masjid
Shuhada Foundation and Haroon Rasheed, the complainant in the
case, sent a letter to the Inspector General of the Police.
October 16
At least 10 people, including
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister Israrullah Gandapur, were killed
and over 30 others were injured when a suicide bomber struck
a festive gathering at the residence of Gandapur in the Kolachi
area of Dera Ismail Khan District. Israrullah Gandapur was
elected from PK-67 (DI Khan IV) as an independent candidate
during the 2013 General Elections and later joined the PTI.
Rangers claimed to have arrested
16 alleged criminals in targeted operations conducted in separate
raids in Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
According to details, the paramilitary personnel carried out
raids in Bilal Colony in Korangi Town, Landhi Town, Liaquatabad
Town, Jackson in Keamari Town, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town, Clifton
area in Saddar Town and other areas during the first day of
Eid-ul-Azha.
According to reports, Police
in the south zone had also arrested 41 suspected criminals,
including 14 escaped convicts, in raids carried out during the
past 24 hours. Police claim to have also recovered five pistols,
two rifles and three hand grenades as well as narcotics from
the arrested suspects.
LeB claimed responsibility for
October 15, 2013 Quetta attack that had injured 19 persons,
including three personnel of Balochistan Constabulary.
The Punjab Government is committed
to uprooting terrorism by any means, either through dialogue
or military action, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said.
Talks with militants are a peaceful solution, but if dialogue
fails, "we will launch operations against terrorists to
restore peace in the country," he said.
The Balochistan CM Abdul Malik
Baloch said that he had no evidence of Indian involvement in
Balochistan. However, he added that the Federal Government and
Federal Agencies have such evidence. He said that the law and
order situation had improved in Quetta, therefore 50 per cent
of checkposts set by FC had been removed. The CM expressed these
views while talking to media persons after provincial ministers,
tribal elders and people hailing from various walks of life
called on him on Eid day at the CM Secretariat in Quetta.
The Czech Government is negotiating
the release of two Czech women abducted in Balochistan in March,
Czech President Milos Zeman said. Zeman said the two women were
alive and officials were negotiating in hope of getting them
released. Antonie Chrástecká and Hana Humpálová, who are both
24, were on the road from Iran to Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan province, when they were abducted on March 13.
October 17
The Bomb Disposal Squad defused
a bomb in Sector F-5 of Hayatabad area in Peshawar (Peshawar
District), the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. SHO
of Hayatabad Police Station, Abdul Majeed Khan, said that BDS
personnel defused a roadside-planted bomb after receiving information
of a suspicious package lying on the roadside. At least three
kilograms of explosives were used in the making of the bomb
which was also fitted with a remote-controlled detonator.
Lahore Police stopped various
members of the Ahmadi community in Lahore from slaughtering
animals as part of ‘Qurbani’ ritual on Eidul Azha, proclaiming
that the ritual of animal sacrifice was an Islamic injunction
whereas Ahmadis were not Muslims. Police from the Islampura
Police Station directed Tahir in Sanat Nagar not to sacrifice
his bull, which he had bought and tied in front of his house
a day before Eid.
Following the death of KP Law
Minister Israrullah Gandapur in a suicide attack, the KP cabinet
in a special meeting approved tough decisions to control the
law and order situation in the province. A special meeting of
the KP cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, approved
the establishment of an anti-terrorism task force which will
be led by the IGP and comprise members of all law enforcement
and intelligence agencies including Army, Frontier Corps and
Frontier Constabulary. The cabinet has also demanded of the
federal Government to return the Frontier Constabulary's platoons
back to the province so that they can be deployed at sensitive
places for controlling law and order and fighting terrorism.
Pakistan Government will take
"bold" decisions to tackle terrorism and restore law
and order in major Pakistani cities, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said. Addressing PML-N parliamentarians and party workers after
Eid-ul-Azha prayers at his ancestral home in Raiwind, Sharif
said, "We are going to take bold decisions for the sake
of restoring peace and maintaining law and order in Karachi
and everywhere in the country."
October 18
Two persons, Aqal Jehan and
his nephew Sher Bahadar, residents of Sherabad area, were killed
after unidentified assailants targeted their car in Mian Sheikh
Baba area of Mingora Town in Swat District of KP by exploding
a roadside bomb by remote control. Deputy Inspector General
of Police, Malakand division Abdullah Khan said 10 kilogrammes
explosive was used in the blast.
The BDS officials neutralised
a three-kilogramme bomb packed in a ghee tin, in Phase-6 area
of Hayatabad Residential Society under Tatara Police Station
in Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. The bomb was planted
in the Goal Chowk and on a tip-off from a local boy, the BDS
squad was called by Police and it defused the time device successfully.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead two persons in Barkhan District of Balochistan. Local Police
sources said the deceased were on their way home after offering
Eidul Azha prayers when they were shot dead by the assailants.
One of them, however, is said to be the reader of assistant
commissioner of Baghao tehsil of the District.
A convoy of the Balochistan
FC escaped a bomb attack after two IEDs were defused in Depal
area of Dera Bugti District. An FC spokesman said that the IEDs
had been planted on both sides of the road from where the FC
and local Aman Lashkar convoys had to pass. They were detected
and defused during routine scanning of the road before the troops’
movement.
Balochistan FCs arrested a suspected
militant and recovered a cache of explosives, from the Western
Bypass area, on the outskirts of the provincial capital Quetta.
A Frontier Corps press release said the accused had been arrested
during a search operation and around 30 kilogrammes of explosive
was recovered from the site.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that there
should be zero tolerance against the enemies of the State and
they should be dealt sternly. PM Nawaz Friday said that the
state has the right to take pre-emptive steps for protection
of its citizens and a special counter-terrorism force (SCTF)
would be formed soon in Punjab. He said this while chairing
a meeting in which he was given a presentation on SCTF in Punjab.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab IG Khan Baig and
officials of various law enforcement agencies also attended
the meeting.
The HRCP called upon the Government
to hold immediate talks with Baloch insurgents, both within
and outside the country, without any impunity to individuals
among them causing grave human rights violations. Launching
a report of its fact-finding mission to Balochistan at Lahore,
the commission also urged the insurgents to respect the wishes
of people supporting restoration of normalcy and political stability,
stop attacks on innocent civilians and give peace a chance.
The Shura Ulema Mujahideen of
TTP issued a fatwa against what it declared as propaganda
by many foreign and some Pakistani media outlets. It said instead
of narrating facts, this media because of making propaganda
has assumed the status of an agent of imperialist powers.
The Government of Pakistan has
confirmed that of some 2,200 people killed by drone strikes
in the past decade, at least 400 were civilians and an additional
200 victims were deemed "probable non-combatants,"
an UN human rights investigator said. Ben Emmerson, U.N. special
rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, also urged
the United States to release its own data on the number of civilian
casualties caused by its drone strikes.
In an interim report to U.N.
General Assembly released, Emmerson said Pakistani Government
records showed that drone strikes had killed at least 2,200
people and seriously wounded at least 600 since 2004. He said
Pakistan had confirmed that "at least 400 civilians had
been killed as a result of remotely piloted aircraft strikes
and a further 200 individuals were regarded as probable non-combatants."
"Officials indicated that, owing to underreporting and
obstacles to effective investigation, those figures were likely
to be an underestimate" of civilian deaths, Emmerson said.
October 19
A Police constable was killed
while another head constable was injured during an encounter
with militants in Sharafi Goth area of Karachi District. SHO
Ikhlaq Ahmed said the encounter took place when Police constable,
Bagh Ali and head constable Munawar Ali were on a routine patrol
near Sharafi Goth graveyard.
One person was injured in a
hand grenade attack in Zhob District. According to Police, unidentified
men hurled three hand grenades at an under-construction house
in the Apozai Town of Zhob District. The grenades landed inside
the house and exploded. Resultantly, an occupant identified
as Amir Khan sustained injuries. The attackers escaped from
the scene after the incident.
Militants fired eight rockets
at the Basima Town of Washuk District. The rockets fired from
the mountains landed in desolated areas. However, no loss of
life and damage to property was reported in the attack.
FC arrested an accused from
Sariab locality of Quetta for his alleged involvement in the
City Police Station bomb blast that occurred on October 10 and
claimed six lives. Sources said the security personnel also
recovered arms from the accused who was being interrogated.
FIA launched a probe into former
President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf's move to impose
emergency in 2007. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
had asked the FIA to expedite high treason case against the
ex-President for subverting the country's constitution by imposing
emergency in November 2007 and directed it to conclude the investigation
within six weeks.
Musharraf moved court seeking
bail in a case related to the killing of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul
Rasheed Ghazi and his mother Sabiha Khatoon during a military
operation in Islamabad. However, on the request of his opponent
Haroon Rasheed’s lawyer, the court adjourned the matter until
October 23, 2013.
October 20
Four Police officials were killed
in a drive-by shooting on a checkpoint on Ring Road located
under the jurisdiction of Paharipura Police Station in Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the evening.
Four gunmen riding on two motorcycles opened fire on police
officials manning the checkpoint. Four slain Police officials
were Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Amin Jan, ASI Fazal-e-Wahab,
Constable Liaquat and Constable Ayub Shah – were fatally injured
in the attack.
Police arrested two accused
involved in target killing and other crimes in Karachi during
a raid in Shakargarh area of Matta tehsil in Swat District.
According to DPO, Swat, Sher Akbar Khan, the Police on a tip-off
launched crackdown in Shakargarh. During the raid, two accused
involved in Karachi target killing, attacks on security forces,
other terrorist and criminal activities were arrested besides
recovering arms from their possession.
Police during a raid at a house
in Augadu Takhtaband area of Mingora town in Swat District recovered
six hand grenades, a pistol and arrested one accused.
AN activist of the MQM and the
employee of the KWSB, identified as Nadeem alias Nadeem Lamba
(45) was shot dead in Pak Colony area of SITE Town in Karachi
District, the provincial capital of Sindh. Investigators termed
the murder of Nadeem a part of the ongoing target killings of
political activists. The victim was also a former member of
the Afaq Ahmed-led MQM-H and a few months ago, had joined MQM.
Law enforcers claimed to have
arrested around 152 suspects including alleged target killers
belonging to political parties and Lyari gangsters during separate
targeted raids across the city. In the first episode, Rangers
claimed to have arrested around nine criminals during various
targeted raids in different parts of Karachi, including Quaidabad,
Green Town, Nazimabad, Nishtar Road, New Karachi, Orangi Town,
Shah Faisal Colony, Abidabad in Baldia, Gulberg, Gulshan-e-Iqbal
and Manzur Colony areas. The officials recovered weapons from
the possession of suspects.
Two political workers were arrested
during a targeted raid conducted by Rangers in Abul Hassan Ispahani
locality in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. The law-enforcing agency did
not disclose the identity of the detainees, or their political
affiliation. The arrested persons have been shifted to an undisclosed
location for further questioning.
A target killer, belonging to
PAC, identified as Mansoor Baloch alias Bublee was arrested
during a targeted raid conducted by Rangers on Nishtar Road
in Jamshed Town.
Karachi Police claimed to have
arrested 73 alleged criminals including 42 absconders, 11 under
arms ordinance, five under narcotics ordinance, 10 robbers and
two murderers. According to Sindh Police spokesperson, 18 weapons
and narcotics were also recovered.
In a separate raid, as many
as 48 alleged criminals, including 36 absconders were taken
into custody by District West Police. Police also claimed to
have recovered weapons, including one repeater, six pistols,
one dagger, four motorcycles and narcotics from the possession
of suspects.
District East Police arrested
16 alleged criminals including two absconders during targeted
raids and snap checking and also claimed to have recovered nine
pistols, four cell phones and two motorcycles.
Police arrested an alleged suspect
Bakhtiar during an exchange of fire in Sultanabad area, however
his three accomplices managed to escape under the cover of firing.
Police officials said that the accused was wanted for attacking
and injuring a police constable, Shafiq.
Army denied that it was involved
in any military operation against Baloch insurgents in the areas
devastated by September 24, 2013 earthquake. “Security Forces
are in Awaran and Mashkey only for relief operations,” said
Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa, the Director General of the
ISPR, in a statement.
Dismissing certain media reports,
Major General Bajwa said that army troops were not carrying
out any operation in the region. “There is no military operation
in Awaran and Mashkey as is being propagated by miscreants,”
he added, inviting media persons to visit Awaran and Mashkey
to witness the situation on ground.
The leader of the Punjabi Taliban
and Janood-e-Hafsa, Asmatullah Muawiya in his new message to
the media said talks are possible with the Government on the
basis of principles. Muawiya said talks could be held if the
Government resolves all those problems which are the cause of
conflict.
Muawiya claimed that his outfit
has deep roots in all parts of the country and the main purpose
of the group is to serve the country’s people and Islam. He
said the Punjabi Taliban is active for the implementation of
Sharia’h for which this country was achieved. The Punjabi Taliban
leader said talks could not be held through the media or talk
shows.
President Mamnoon Hussain promulgated
the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance, which maintains that the
writ of the state would be established at all costs. The ordinance
states that the security and Law Enforcement Agencies would
jointly investigate the incidents of terrorism, and the elements
creating terror and fear would be considered as enemies of the
state. The draft of the ordinance states that Pakistan and its
people had been exposed to undeclared and thankless wars that
proliferated from the country’s neighbourhood since 1979.
October 21
At least seven persons, including
two women, were killed and 16 others were injured when a Jaffar
Express was struck by a bomb explosion in Notal area of Naseerabad
District. Asad Gilani, the Home Secretary Balochistan said that
militants targeted the passenger train using IEDs.
BRA claimed responsibility for
the attack. The group’s spokesperson told Quetta-based reporters
over satellite phone that the train was carrying security personnel
who were returning to Balochistan after spending Eidul Azha
in Punjab. One of the women was a Police constable, identified
as Sharifa Bibi.
Over two dozen unidentified
militants carrying automatic weapons set fire to a station of
Balochistan Levies and took the staff hostage at gunpoint in
Dasht Kuddan area of Kech (also known as Turbat) District. “They
set fire to the station after looting official weapons from
it,” a Levies official said.
The Chairman of the Core Committee
of Pakistan Medical Association, Balochistan Chapter, Doctor
Haqdad Tareen, said that 84 doctors had moved to other cities
from the Province because of threats to their lives and property
and threatened that doctors serving in various hospitals would
resign en masse if protection was not provided to them.
The Balochistan Government has
asked the disgruntled Baloch to refrain from attacking innocent
people and asked them to hold dialogue with the Government for
an amicable solution to the issue of Balochistan. “Targeting
women and children is against the norms and traditions of the
Baloch, and those involved in such acts are not serving any
cause,” said Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti while
addressing a press conference at the Civil Secretariat.
Law enforcers arrested 64 suspects
in the ongoing targeted operation against militants in Karachi.
At first, Police, on complaint from a citizen, arrested personnel
of the ANF, Azhar Hussain, along with his companion, Sajid Hussain,
from Tipu Sultan Road in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. They were reportedly
involved in looting the citizens in the area.
Garden Police claimed to have
arrested three suspects, identified as Faizan Ali alias Langra,
Mohammad Saeed and Mohammad Faisal, after an encounter with
militants. Police said the suspects were involved in various
cases of target killings however, their political affiliations
were not disclosed.
Police arrested an alleged extortionist,
Kashif Ali Siddiqui, when he arrived to collect extortion money
from a local businessman in Surjani Town area of Gadap Town.
Two more suspects, Shakeel alias
Hukla and Mohammad Tayyab, were arrested by New Karachi Police.
Police in many cases of crime wanted the suspects.
Two more suspects, identified
as Ghafoor Hayat Mirani and Jumma Gul, allegedly involved in
street crimes were arrested by Korangi Industrial Area Police
Station in Landhi Town. Weapons were also recovered from their
possession.
Police arrested two street criminals
while they were looting valuables from passers-by in Baloch
Colony area of Orangi Town. Police arrived on routine patrol
and arrested the criminals. Looted cash, mobile phones and other
valuables were recovered.
Rangers claimed to have arrested
16 alleged criminals and recovered weapons from their possession
during search operations in Korangi Town, Mira Naka area of
Lyari Town, Akbar Road, Baloch Goth, North Nazimabad Town, Golimar
area in SITE Town, Rabia City, Saba Avenue-DHA, Steel Town,
Gulbahar, Shah Faisal Colony, Saudabad, Chanesar Goth and Bagh-e-Rizwan
areas.
District South Police also arrested
16 criminals including 11 absconders and recovered a pistol,
two motorcycles and nine bottles of liquor from them.
District East Police claimed
to have arrested 20 alleged criminals including five absconders
during various Police raids and recovered five pistols, one
rifle, two motorcycles and narcotics.
Police arrested three suspected
terrorists, identified as Jafar Khan (23), Ameer Baqi (26) and
Saleh Baloch (29), from Jail Road in Lahore District for their
alleged involvement in the October 10, 2013 blast in the Old
Anarkali area of Lahore. According to sources, the suspects
have connections with the BLA.
The ATC-I will begin the retrial
of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto murder case by recording
statements of four doctors on October 22. The doctors, working
at the Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital,
had treated the injured and conducted the post-mortem of the
victims brought to the hospitals on December 27, 2007 following
the attack on PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto at Liaquat Bagh
area of Rawalpindi District.
The Supreme Court rejected an
application filed by Shahrukh Jatoi, the main person convicted
in the Shahzeb Khan murder case, seeking transfer of the case
from an ATC to a District and Sessions court. Jatoi’s family
members had filed an application at the Supreme Court’s Karachi
Registry on June 4, 2013.
Shahzeb Khan was shot dead on
the night of December 24, 2012 when he was returning home along
with his sister after attending a wedding. Shahzeb was murdered
reportedly after he had an altercation with one of the convicts’
servant who had given verbal threats to the victim’s sister.
Jatoi, Siraj Talpur, his younger
brother Sajjad Talpur and their house servant Ghulam Murtaza
Lashari were found guilty of killing Shahzeb in Karachi's Defence
Housing Authority. An ATC in Karachi sentenced Jatoi to death
in its verdict on June 8, 2013. Moreover, another suspect, Siraj
Talpur, was also awarded capital punishment for his role in
the crime. Two other suspects in the case, Sajjad Ali Talpur
and Ghulam Murtaza Lashari were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The US refused to endorse Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif’s call for internationalising the Kashmir
dispute and urged him to stay engaged with India for resolving
this issue. “On Kashmir, our policy has not changed an iota,”
said one of the senior administration officials. Reiterating
America’s traditional position on Kashmir, the official said
it was for India and Pakistan to determine the “pace, scope
and character of their dialogue on Kashmir”.
The official said the Obama-Sharif
meeting would focus on bilateral relationship, including energy,
economy and extremism, Pakistan’s relations with India and Afghanistan
would also figure in the talks. “We would continue to support
a strong sovereign Afghanistan. There will be discussion how
Pakistan sees the post-2014 Afghanistan,” the official said.
October 22
One Levies man was killed when
the convoy of an Arab prince was attacked in Buleda area of
Kech District. According to sources, the Arab prince and his
convoy were on a hunting trip, under security provided by Levies
forces. The attackers set one vehicle on fire and also stole
the weapons which were being carried by Levies forces and other
ammunition in the prince's convoy before escaping. However,
no Arabs were hurt in the attack.
Three rockets fired from Afghanistan
into the Sarakai checkpost under Mamond tehsil in Bajaur Agency
of FATA injured two FC personnel.
A private secondary school,
Prince School, was attacked for allegedly not paying extortion
money in Gulshan-e-Bahar area of Orangi Town in Karachi District,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
Police arrested several persons
including a target killer from different areas of Karachi. According
to police, three accused who were involved in the killing of
50 persons including Policemen were arrested from Maripur area
in Keamari Town.
Four other suspects were arrested
from Baloch Colony area in Orangi Town. The accused were involved
in various street crimes. In addition, Ferozabad Police arrested
two accused involved in the targeted killings in Punjab and
Karachi, while arms and drugs were also recovered from their
possession.
Police arrested two suspects
from Future Colony in Landhi Town. The accused were involved
in attacking Policemen.
A report submitted by the former
Sindh Prosecutor General Shahdat Awan to the Supreme Court,
reported that more than 5,000 cases registered under the arms
and explosives acts are pending trial. According to official
statistics, these cases — estimated at 5,566 — form a large
chunk of the cases gathering dust in the subordinate courts
in the city.
Of the 20 directives given in
the landmark judgment in the Karachi violence case, which in
opinion of many jurists is the recipe for healing the city’s
wounds, only one has been implemented so far – amendments to
the Arms Law.
An ATC in Quetta reissued arrest
warrants against former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, former
Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and former DCO for Dera
Bugti Abdul Samad Lasi in a case pertaining to the August 26,
2006, murder of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and ordered authorities
to produce the accused persons at its next hearing on November
26, 2013. Former Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao
and former Provincial Home Minister Shoaib Nowsherwani appeared
in the court during October 22 hearing.
Former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf, the main accused in the case, did not appear
before the court. According to his counsel, Musharraf could
not be produced in view of security threats to his life.
After the two jailbreaks in
Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan and due to similar threats in future,
the KP Government decided to raise the “Prisons Security Force”
to protect vulnerable jails. The force will be provided heavy
weapons, bullet-proof jackets and other facilities to counter
any major attack. It will be provided special training for which
a training school will soon be established. The KP Home and
Tribal Affairs Department has constituted a special committee
for the formation of the special jail force.
The committee will also take
decisions about the purchase of explosive and metal detectors,
mine detectors, mobile phone detectors, sniffer dogs and its
handlers, pop-up barricades, gas and teargas guns, anti-terror
suits, bullet-proof jackets and helmets for the special jail
security force. A high security jail is under construction in
Mardan where high-profile militants will be shifted from all
over the province.
Peshawar Police is considering
a proposal to establish a new urban circle and placing Mattani,
Badhaber, Urmar and possibly Sarband Police Stations under one
SP. The creation of the proposed circle would increase the number
of circles in Peshawar to four: City, Cantt, Rural and Urban.
Mattani and Badhaber are considered the worst militancy-hit
areas of the District and currently fall under the jurisdiction
of SP Rural, he added.
PM Nawaz Sharif urged the US
to end drone attacks, saying that the unmanned strikes – which
penetrate militant havens deep in the tribal areas – represented
a “major irritant” in relations. PM Nawaz, who will meet President
Barack Obama on October 23, called for warmer ties with the
United States and offered Pakistan’s assistance in Afghanistan
as US forces prepare to withdraw next year.
US denied its drone strikes
in Yemen and Pakistan and elsewhere infringed international
law and said it did all it could to avoid civilian casualties.
The comments followed the publication of reports on the US drone
war by two human rights groups, and came a day before Pakistan
PM Nawaz Sharif is expected to bring up concerns about the US
tactic at White House talks with President Barrack Obama.
The Human rights groups accused
the US of breaking international law and perhaps committing
war crimes by killing civilians in missile and drone strikes
that were intended to hit militants in Pakistan and Yemen. Amnesty
International and Human Rights Watch released separate reports
detailing the deaths of dozens of civilians in the two countries.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
during his visit to Washington vowed to go the "extra mile"
to make peace with India, saying the historic rivals can resolve
all issues including Kashmir through dialogue. He regretted
that periodic incidents such as violence on the disputed border
in Kashmir had set back peace attempts.
"Kashmir, of course, is
a very difficult issue and very difficult to resolve but I think,
by sitting and talking, we will be able to find some way of
resolving that, too," he said, adding, "Because that
is a flashpoint not only in the region, but the whole world".
Chairman of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, called on Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif and discussed with him wide range of issues including
release of Doctor Shakil Afridi. Shakil Afridi is accused of
helping the CIA track down former al Qaeda leader Osama bin
Laden.
Pakistan's Foreign Secretary
Jalil Abbas Jilani Pakistan on October 22 told the US that Shakil
Afridi was no hero and his fate would be decided by the court.
The foreign secretary said that during the meeting the US was
told that the LeT had already been banned in Pakistan and that
action could be taken against Hafiz Saeed only if substantial
evidence was made available.
On the eve of talks between
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Barack Obama, the
White House described the Pakistan-US relationship as "enormously
valuable", saying despite some differences Washington wants
the ties to proceed on positive trajectory.
The White House press secretary
said that ahead of the leaders’ summit, the Pakistani leader
is meeting the senior Obama Administration officials at the
State Department, the Department of Defense, Department of Energy,
Department of Treasury, and the U.S. Trade Representative.
"We want to advance our
shared interest of a stable, secure, and prosperous Pakistan
that is contributing to regional and international security
and prosperity", he said. "We want to find ways for
our countries to cooperate, even as we have differences on some
issues, and we want to make sure that the trajectory of this
relationship is a positive one,” the press secretary remarked.
A member of the Lahore High
Court Bar Association filed a petition asking the LHC to direct
the Federal Government to hold talks with the TTP and let them
open an office. The petitioner, Advocate Kashif Mehmood Solomani,
named the Federation of Pakistan, the Interior Ministry, the
Defence Ministry and the Finance Ministry as respondents.
He said that since becoming
a major US ally in the ‘war against terror’ following the attacks
of September 11, 2001, Pakistan had suffered a loss of USD100
billion (PKR10.63 trillion) to the economy. Economic growth,
tax collection and foreign investment had declined. Western
governments had advised their citizens against travelling to
Pakistan, affecting foreign investment further.
The petitioner said that allowing
the TTP to open an office would facilitate the dialogue process.
He noted that the UN charter stated that no sanctions could
be imposed on Pakistan for holding talks with the militants.
Anti-Terrorism Court reserved
judgment on a request for exempting former President General
(retired) Pervez Musharraf from attending hearings in Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. Earlier, the counsel
for Musharraf submitted a request that the former President
could not attend the hearings in Quetta due to security risks.
Rajput argued that given the
lack of efforts by the Crime Branch, investigations in the case
were biased. A Crime Branch investigator, however, said a letter
had been sent to the Federal Government seeking arrest warrants
of the former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, former Balochistan
Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and former District Coordination
Officer for Dera Bugti Abdul Samad Lasi.
October 23
Two Policemen and an assailant
were killed in a firing incident in SITE Town of Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. SSP Irfan Baloch said an assailant
was also killed as the Police returned fire.
A Lyari gangster, identified
as Mohammad Younus (35), was shot dead within the precincts
of Malir City Police Station in Mohabbat Nagar area of Malir
Town.
A dead body of a Baloch man,
identified as Shakir (23), was found in Ahsanabad area of Gadap
Town. Police said the victim was abducted when he left home
for some work on the evening of October 22, 2013.
The city Police arrested three
accused, identified as Abdul Sattar, Kamran and Saeed, from
Landhi Town in connection with the October 20, 2013 firing on
the convoy of Sindh Local Bodies Minister Owais Muzaffar in
Sharafi Goth area of Landhi Town.
Special prosecutors cited lack
of security as the reason and refused to plead cases against
hundreds of suspects caught in targeted raids in Karachi. According
to sources, the law department had, upon the Rangers’ recommendation,
appointed six lawyers as special prosecutors to plead cases
against suspects arrested during the targeted operation in Karachi
– which has been in full swing since September 4, 2013.
Rangers and Police officials
claim to have arrested hundreds of hardened criminals since,
but effective prosecution, the sources said, still remains elusive.
“Six prosecutors supposed to represent the Rangers in trial
courts have refused to plead their cases,” a prosecutor said,
adding, “Some of them even excused themselves in writing during
a recently held meeting with the Rangers high-ups.” The unwilling
prosecutors have cited the lack of security for them and their
families as the reason for their refusal.
Unidentified militants kidnapped
former President of ANP Balochistan Chapter Arbab Zahir Kasi
from Patel Road in Quetta. According to Quetta Police, Kasi
was on his way to visit his relatives in downtown of Quetta
when a group of armed men intercepted his vehicle near the intersection
on Patel Road.
PPP rejected the new ordinance,
Pakistan Protection Ordinance 2013 that was promulgated on October
20, 2013, and gave extraordinary powers to Law-Enforcement Agencies
to curb terrorism, terming it as “an assault on the fundamental
rights” of citizens.
“The law is a direct assault
on the fundamental rights of the citizens as enshrined in the
constitution,” said PPP’s Parliamentary Leader in the Senate
Raza Rabbani, questioning the logic behind the Government’s
act of doing legislation through ordinances in presence of an
elected Parliament. “This is a very important law and it should
have been brought through the Parliament.”
“The ordinance in its present
form is not acceptable,” he said. Answering a question, Rabbani,
however, said the PPP had no plan to challenge the ordinance
in a court of law. He said the party would oppose it when the
Government brings it to the Parliament in the form of a bill.
He explained that any matter that could be settled politically
and in Parliament should not be challenged in the court.
The KP Police have set up a
counter-kidnapping cell to pre-empt and prevent kidnapping for
ransom incidents well in time, an official communiqué said.
Kidnapping-for-ransom cases have significantly increased in
Peshawar following a huge amount was paid to ensure the release
of well-off persons, mainly traders, doctors and Government
officials.
Over 40,000 cellphone SIM cards
of Afghan telecom companies are operational in Pakistan and
most of them are used in acts of terrorism, kidnapping for ransom
and extortion. The information was placed before a Peshawar
High Court bench by National Accountability Bureau, KP during
the hearing into a case about unregistered SIM cards.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that he
urged US President Barack Obama to end drone strikes in Pakistan,
touching on a thorny subject in relations between the two countries.
Prime Minister Sharif and President Obama were speaking after
a 90-minute long one-on-one meeting at the White House’s Oval
Office.
Citing secret documents, reported
on October 23 that Pakistan for years secretly approved of US
drone attacks on its territory despite public denunciations.
The purported evidence of Islamabad's involvement came as Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif visited the White House and urged an end
to the attacks, which are widely unpopular with the Pakistani
public. Pakistani support for drone attacks has long been widely
suspected, although strikes reported by the Post involved several
years up to 2011 — before a slowdown in strikes and Sharif's
election in May.
October 24
Three people were killed and
five others were wounded when two gangster groups in Market
area of Gulshan-e-Bihar area in Lyari Town fought each other.
According to the Police and residents, the fight broke out between
Baba Ladla gang, and the criminals from PAC.
The victims were identified
as one Abdul Ghani (40), Waseem Khalid (22) and Shahbaz Imtiaz
(23), while the injured were identified as Dilbaz Iqbal (23),
Asif Fayyaz (25), Manzur Karam Din (60), Nasir and Zeeshan.
Lyari DSP Shakeel Ahmed said that none of people killed and
injured belonged to either of the groups.
A child was killed and two others
were injured in a hand grenade explosion in the Timber Market
within limits of the Napier Police Station in Lyari Town. The
blast also destroyed the gates and shutter of a warehouse.
An unidentified man was shot
dead near Abdullah Mor within the vicinity of Surjani Town Police
Station in Gadap Town.
A man, identified as Siddique
(35), was killed and another, identified as Hussain (18), was
injured when unidentified armed assailants opened indiscriminate
fire on Manghopir Road within the limits of Orangi Town Police
Station in Orangi Town.
A Shia man, identified as Ali
Raza (32), succumbed to his injuries during medical treatment.
Raza was injured in a firing incident in Ittehad Town area of
Baldia Town on October 21, 2013.
Two Policemen who were killed
in SITE Town on October 23, 2013 were identified as head constable
Qazi Alam and Police constable Javed. The assailant who was
killed in retaliatory firing was identified as Adnan and his
injured accomplice was identified as Sajid. According to Police
sources, the militants belonged to TTP.
Police and Rangers conducted
a raid at gangster Baba Ladla’s residence during an operation
in Lyari. Weapons, including, bullets, five Kalashnikovs, two
pistols and two hand grenades were also seized during the raid.
However, Ladla managed to get away and was not arrested.
Rangers and Police personnel
arrested more than 50 suspects during targeted operations in
different areas of Karachi. Rangers’ personnel conducted operations
in Sango Lane, Liaquatabad, Jut Line, Burns Road, Orangi, Landhi,
Korangi and Rafah-i-Aam Society of Lyari area and arrested 29
suspects. According to a Rangers’ spokesman, the accused included
Lyari gang-war suspects and some were said to have links with
political parties.
Police personnel conducted an
operation at the Fancy View Apartments near Sohrab Goth on Karachi’s
Super Highway and arrested more than 20 suspects. According
to SSP Malir Nasir Aftab, suspects involved in the targeted
killing of Policemen were amongst the arrested men. Arms were
also seized during the raid.
City’s East Zone Police arrested
33 suspects, including two proclaimed offenders and 10 fugitives
during targeted operations in the past 24 hours, along with
recovering arms and weapons from the accused men.
An Afghan citizen, identified
as Rasool Zaman, was killed and a Police Station partially destroyed
when over a dozen heavily-armed militants attacked Howaid Police
Station in Bannu District. The victim lived close to the Police
Station and got caught in the crossfire. Bannu Headquarters
DSP Sanaullah Khan Marwat said that over a dozen militants attacked
the Police Station from three sides at midnight.
The DSP added Police officials
inside the station requested assistance, following which the
FC arrived and open retaliatory fire, forcing the assailants
to flee. “Zaman got caught in the crossfire and was severely
injured. He succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital,”
DSP Marwat informed reporters.
The City Police released the
sketches of two terrorists involved in the killing of four Policemen
on Ring Road at Paharipura area of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on October 20 and sent it to
all Political Stations for necessary action.
While any mention of the drone
issue was conspicuously missing in their joint statement, the
US President Barack Obama has privately assured PM Nawaz Sharif
that the controversial programme will end soon, a senior Pakistani
official said. The official, who was accompanying the PM on
his just-concluded visit to Washington, said that ‘significant
progress’ has been made on the drone issue.
The US President Barack Obama
has asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif why Pakistan had not yet
started the trial of suspected Mumbai attackers. The PM revealed
this while talking to the media before leaving Washington after
a four-day visit to the US. PM Sharif had a two-hour long meeting
with Mr Obama, which covered all issues of mutual concern.
For the second time this month,
the ATC hearing the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks case has
postponed the matter as the record of proceedings of the Pakistan
Judicial Commission’s visit to India was not yet received by
the Foreign Office. The case was to be heard on October 24.
The matter will come up on November 6, according to Special
Public Prosecutor of the case Chaudhary Mohammed Azhar.
The Officials and former PM
Yousaf Raza Gilani denied a report that they had approved US
drone strikes on the country’s soil. Gilani, PM from 2008 until
June last year, vehemently denied giving any approval for drone
strikes. “We have never allowed Americans to carry out drone
attacks in the tribal areas,” Gilani said. “From the very beginning
we are against drone strikes and we have conveyed it to Americans
at all forums.” A diplomatic cable from then-US ambassador Anne
Patterson dated August 2008 and released by WikiLeaks, indicated
Gilani had agreed to the strikes in private.
There will be no change in US
drone policies, senior American officials said while acknowledging
that PM Nawaz Sharif had raised the issue at both private and
public meetings during his four-day stay in Washington. The
officials said that the PM also mentioned Dr Aafia Siddiqui,
a Pakistani-American imprisoned in the US for allegedly attacking
American soldiers in Afghanistan, in one of the meetings.
Hafiz Saeed, the ‘chief’ of
JuD, the frontal organisation of LeT said that it is a thing
of regret that US President Obama without making his investigation
into the Indian propaganda went ahead and ‘issued a statement
against us’. Hafiz Saeed said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan
in its judgment had already declared that no charge was proved
against JuD.
The Prime Minister's Special
Cell on polio, militant attacks on Pakistan’s polio workers
have killed 27 vaccinators and Police guards during the past
year and a half. The report, released in connection with World
Polio Day (October 24, 2013), said 16 of those killed were from
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Government decided to include
polio vaccination on the agenda of dialogue with the TTP as
90 per cent of the cases during the current year have been reported
from FATA where the militants have banned anti-polio campaigns.
Minister of State for Health Regulations Saira Afzal Tarar said
that Taliban should understand the fact that children were suffering
because of their ban on the polio drives.
She added that 260,000 children
in North and South Waziristan Agencies had not been vaccinated
against polio since July 2012. It may be noted that since July
2012, 24 health workers and Policemen protecting them have been
killed and 14 others injured in 24 targeted attacks on vaccinators
in different parts of the country.
October 25
A Lyari gangster, identified
as Jabbar alias Langra, who is considered a close aide of PAC
leader Uzair Baloch, was killed in a shootout with Rangers in
Singho Lane of Lyari Town in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. Langra is reported to have controlled a large area
of Lyari.
In Lyari, two cadres of PAC,
identified as Afzal alias Shahjee and Abdul Qadir Patni, were
shot dead on Mir Mohammed Baloch Road in Lyari Town. Investigators
termed the twin murder a part of the target killings as they
were associated with the PAC.
An ex-nazim of a union council,
identified as Ikram Siddiqi (38), associated with the MQM was
shot dead near Mohajir Chowk in Ghaziabad area of Orangi Town.
Investigators have termed the murder a part of the ongoing target
killings of political activists.
Another MQM member, identified
as Khurshid Abdul Majeed (45) was shot dead at Bengali Camp
Korangi Town. Majeed was associated with the MQM’s MOC.
An unidentified dead body of
a Baloch man was found in front of a petrol pump on Chakiwara
Road in Lyari Town.
Law-enforcement agencies detained
a suspected al Qaeda-linked terrorist from Baloch Colony in
Orangi Town for plotting an attack on the ISI office in Sukkur
on July 24, 2013, unnamed officials said. According to the Police,
the suspect, Sheikh Adil Azeem, belongs to the Ahmad Farooq
group – a militant faction linked with al Qaeda.
During interrogation, the accused
confessed that he was a part of the team that planned the attack
on the ISI office for releasing two associates detained by the
Agency, sources said. He also revealed that two other members
of his group, Talat and Zafar, had abetted the plot.
Two people, identified as PML-N
leader Rasool Bakhsh Khetran and his companion, were killed
when unidentified armed assailants opened fire at a hotel on
Masjid Road in Quetta. Commissioner Quetta, Usman Gul said that
the victims belonged to Khetran tribe.
Levies found two unidentified
mutilated dead bodies in Chakal area of Panjgur District. A
levies official who requested anonymity said, "It seems
to be targeted killing."
Two vehicles were destroyed
in a rocket attack that landed at TB Sanatorium on Brewery Road
in Quetta. However, there was no loss of life.
Balochistan Cabinet headed by
Chief Minister Doctor Abdul Malik Baloch formed a committee
to hold an APC on law and order situation in the province by
December 2013. The panel is made up of Parliamentary leaders.
The Provincial Cabinet also decided to hold local body elections,
in compliance with the Supreme Court’s orders and constituted
separate committees for bringing qualitative changes in Provincial
Departments such as fisheries, livestock, education, health
and agriculture.
The Chief Minister constituted
a four-member Committee to improve coordination among law enforcement
agencies after the Balochistan Police Chief informed the Cabinet
about the need to overhaul the Police along modern lines.
Unidentified militants burned
down a Government girl’s primary school in Shalpin village in
Khwazakhela tehsil Swat District.
The personnel of LEAs arrested
eight Afghan suspects during an operation in Wari area of Upper
Dir District. The arrested Afghan nationals failed to prove
their identity.
Former MNA belonging to the
PML-N Anjum Aqeel Khan, escaped a terror attack, when an explosive
device planted by some terrorists at the main entrance of his
house at E-11 Golra village in Islamabad was recovered and defused.
Khan termed the attempt as an act of terrorism, and said that
he was target of the terrorists as he had no personal or political
rivalry with anybody.
The security guard of the house
noticed the explosive at about 7 a.m. and reported to Anjum
Aqeel’s younger brother about the suspicious material who informed
the area police.
Media advocacy groups condemned
the renewal of a year-old fatwa (religious edict) naming certain
Pakistani media and journalists as “enemies of the Mujahideen”.
The fatwa was re-issued on October 19, 2013 in the form of a
post on social networking site Twitter.
The fatwa designated Dewa Radio,
Mishal Radio, Azadi Radio, Radio Aap ki Dunya, and the BBC as
targets and included the photos of two nationally-known journalists,
Hamid Mir and Hasan Nisar. “Showing pictures of Hamid Mir and
Hasan Nisar may encourage the banned TTP’s followers and sympathisers
to physically attack the two journalists,” one of their colleagues
said.
The same fatwa was issued a
year ago, shortly after the militants attacked Malala Yusufzai.
A group that supports the outlawed coalition TTP has claimed
responsibility for reissuing it. The TTP itself has denied any
role but did not dispute its message.
Lawmakers in the KP Assembly
expressed much frustration over the Federal Government’s silence
on talks with the TTP and said the province may have to go ahead
with negotiations itself. “We cannot let the issue of law and
order linger this way and will make our own line of action if
we are not satisfied with the Federal Government’s initiative,”
said Information Minister Shah Farman.
“We request the federal government
to expedite the peace process,” said Health Minister Shaukat
Yusufzai. He added KP is a major stakeholder in the peace process
and is on the receiving end of law and order problems. “The
Federal Government has not shared any information about what
they are actually doing in this regard.”
The dialogue with TTP militants
may start in the next few days, said Prime Minister’s Adviser
on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. In an interview to Dawn,
Aziz also said that while the US might not make a formal announcement
for stopping the drone strikes, “we hope that the attacks will
taper off”. “We are developing a comprehensive anti-terrorism
policy and holding talks with TTP is part of that strategy,”
he said, adding, “We are developing a national consensus on
this and that’s why we held the all-party conference in Islamabad
recently.”
Senior US officials acknowledged
that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had shared with them his plan
to engage the Taliban. “And we told them we have no objection
to it as long as the Taliban agree to recognise the Pakistani
constitution and respect the rule of law,” said one US official.
Minister for State and Frontier
Regions Lieutenant-General (retired) Abdul Qadir Baloch said
that Pakistan would not allow entry of Afghan refugees if the
situation in their country deteriorated after the withdrawal
of NATO forces in 2014.
After meeting officials of the
Afghan Commissionerates and UNHCR, in Peshawar the Minister
told a news conference that Pakistan would utilise all options
to stop Afghan refugees from crossing over the border although
there was a possibility that a small number of the people from
Afghanistan made their way into Pakistan.
He further stated that Pakistan
cannot afford to host Afghan refugees any longer as it has spent
more than USD 200 billion in the last 30 years on them. Baloch
said international humanitarian organisations should assist
in providing protection and ensure the timely and safe return
of refugees to their home country.
Pakistan renewed demands for
an end to US drone strikes on its territory as two UN experts
called for greater transparency in the use of the weapons. “In
Pakistan, all drone strikes are a chilling reminder that reprisal
strikes by terrorists are around the corner,” Pakistan’s UN
Ambassador Masood Khan said during a UN General Assembly rights
committee debate.
Khan, following up a call made
by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to US President Barack
Obama on October 23, 2013, said civilians had suffered “inhumane”
deaths and the strikes had “radicalised” public opinion in Pakistan.
Two U.N. human rights investigators
said that U.S. secrecy about its drone strikes is the biggest
obstacle to determining the impact on civilians. Ben Emmerson
and Christof Heyns are also calling on other countries to speak
up about when they believe deadly drone strikes are acceptable.
They say a lack of consensus risks creating anarchy as more
countries acquire the technology.
Emmerson said the U.S. has justified
drone strikes against terrorist targets in other countries by
arguing that it is engaged in an armed conflict against al Qaeda
with no boundaries. He said few other countries have spelled
out their own positions.
October 26
At least 14 persons were killed
in the ongoing gang-war in Lyari Town of Karachi District, the
provincial capital of Sindh. Bodies of nine people reached the
Civil Hospital, where a state of emergency was declared to cope
with the backlash of the violence in Lyari.
Four suspected criminals were
also among the dead. The IG of Sindh, Shahid Nadim Baloch, called
the latest episode the result of a dispute between two groups
after the September 18, 2013 killing of PAC leader Zafar Baloch,
a leader of Lyari and the former area President of PPP.
Rangers, Police, and other agencies
during a joint operation arrested 14 suspects. All the entry
and exit points in Lyari were sealed and raids were conducted
in search of gangsters of Lyari gang-war. Director General Sindh
Rangers and Karachi Police chief Shahid Hayat visited the affected
areas to monitor the situation.
A high level meeting of the
Police and Sindh Rangers was held, said a statement issued by
the Paramilitary force. According to the statement, the meeting
held at the Rangers Headquarters reviewed law and order situation
in Lyari and decided to continue operation in the troubled neighbourhood
till the arrest of all the criminals.
At least two soldiers were killed
when car bomb hit a FC van escorting a bus of Shia pilgrims
in Dringarh area on the main Quetta-Taftan Highway of Mastung
District.
All the pilgrims on the bus,
who were on their way to Iran, were safe but several security
personnel were wounded by the remotely triggered bomb, Syed
Mehrab Shah, a Senior Government Official in Mastung said. There
was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.
At least two Pakistani nationals,
identified as Muhammad Ibrahim and Muhammad Saleem, were killed
and three others, identified as Obaidullah, Shamsul Haq and
Badaruddin, were wounded when Iranian Security Forces opened
fire in the Chaghai District.
A peace committee member was
shot dead by unidentified assailants in Ser village of Malam
Jabba area in Swat District of KP. According to the Telgram
Police Station, Javed Hussain, a peace committee member from
Parkhey Telgram, was shot dead by unidentified persons in Ser
village when he was out for some work.
A Government girl’s high school
was partially destroyed when a bomb planted along its boundary
wall exploded in Howaid area of Bannu District. According to
Howaid Police official Gul Rauf Khan, the incident occurred
at around 2am.
Unidentified motorcyclists abducted
an 11-year-old son of ANP activist and former nazim of Ismaila
union council Fareed Khan advocate from his school van at gunpoint
when he was on his way to school in Ismaila town of Mardan District.
Around 47 persons were arrested
in a search operation conducted in Badhaber area on the outskirts
of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. The operation was
jointly conducted by Security Forces and Police in Bazid Khel,
Kagawala, Ahmad Khel and Masho Khel villages
In similar operations carried
out in Pishtakhara, Yakatoot and Chamkani, as many as 224 people
were arrested.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
wrote a letter to the heads of all political parties, seeking
their support for passage of “Protection of Pakistan Ordinance
2013” from the Parliament. In the new ordinance, the minimum
punishment for terrorists involved in various crimes has been
set at 10-year imprisonment. The ordinance is aimed at strengthening
the hands of law enforcement agencies against terrorists and
ensuring speedy disposal of cases by the courts.
A lawyer had challenged the
newly-promulgated ordinance in the Islamabad High Court on October
24, 2013, saying some of its sections are against the fundamental
rights of the citizens as enshrined in the constitution. The
main opposition PPP had also rejected the new ordinance a day
earlier on October 23, 2013 terming it “an assault on the fundamental
rights” of citizens.
The Prime Minister also directed
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to take all parties
into confidence on peace talks with TTP. Nawaz Sharif said that
all political parties of the country had given the PML-N Government
the mandate to hold talks with the TTP at the September 9, 2013
APC meeting.
In reference to US drone strikes,
the PTI led KP Government said that their patience was wearing
thin and that they may take a unilateral step and “we will consider
the option of stopping NATO supplies”.
KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak
said that they were tired of picking up bodies, whether they
are of victims of terror or of drone strikes and that if the
Government does not take decisive steps to stop both they may
take unilateral steps, including stopping the NATO supply through
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Afghanistan will demand an explanation
from Pakistan on the whereabouts of a former Taliban ‘second-in-command’
when the leaders of both countries meet next week to discuss
how to end years of insurgency, an Afghan official said. The
whereabouts of Mullah Baradar has been the source of intense
speculation since Pakistan announced his release on September
20.
October 27
One soldier was killed and three
others were injured in a blast near the Afghan border of Miranshah,
the head quarter of North Waziristan Agency in FATA.
Law enforcers claimed to have
killed an alleged member of the TTP, while arrested around 103
suspects including Lyari gangsters, targeted killers and political
workers across the Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh.
October 28
At least three persons were
killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh. A worker associated with the
MQM, identified as Asif (30), was shot dead by unidentified
assailants in Orangi Town.
A volunteer of an NGO, Seraiki
Health Association, identified as Nazeer Hussain (45), was
shot dead at his office in Ahsanabad, within the precincts of
Sohrab Goth Police Station.
The body of a young man was
found in a gunny bag in Pir Baksh Goth, within the jurisdiction
of Gulshan-e-Maymar Police Station.
Unidentified militants bombed
a transporter’s office in situated in E-Market of PECHS within
the limits of Tipu Sultan Police Station in Jamshed Town. However,
no casualty was reported. The bomb was thrown on the truck parked
outside the office, said the Police. The transporter was identified
as Anwar and he informed that he was frequently receiving extortion
threats.
A private school, Al Mehran
School, was attacked for refusing to pay extortion in Ghaziabad
area of Orangi Town. The school administration explained that
they received demands to pay money to a group a while back but
they admitted that they weren’t expecting an attack.
Law enforcers claimed to have
arrested 43 more suspects including a political worker during
separate targeted raids and operations across the city.
A Lahore High Court division
bench comprising of Justice Anwarul Haq and Justice Abdul Sattar
Asghar dismissed the bail application of Zubair alias Nek Muhammad,
who has been accused of attacking the Sri Lankan cricket team
on March 3, 2009. He had been granted bail earlier by Anti-Terrorism
Court.
Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa
of the LHC refused to hear the bail plea of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
leader Malik Ishaq and referred the matter to the Chief Justice
with the recommendation that a division bench be set up to hear
the matter. The judge observed that the plea should be heard
by a two-member bench since the FIRs registered against the
petitioner contained sections of the Anti Terrorism Act.
The LHC sought a reply from
the Federal Government to an appeal by two men convicted of
spying for India for their prison term to be reduced for the
time they had been detained before being sentenced, as per Section
382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure. A military court had
convicted Muhammad Afzal and Muhammad Islam of spying for India
and sentenced them to four years in prison each.
Justice Ayesha A Malik directed
a Deputy Attorney General to submit the Government’s reply by
the second week of November, when the hearing will resume.
The United States has caught
the Afghanistan Government secretly conniving with the TTP in
an attempt to acquire a stronger position in a regional power
game. According to the report, the “disrupted plan involved
Afghan intelligence trying to work with the Pakistan Taliban,
allies of al Qaeda, in order to find a trump card in a baroque
regional power game that is likely to intensify after the American
withdrawal next year, the officials said. And what started the
hard feelings was that the Americans caught them red-handed.”
Tipped off to the plan, United
States Special Forces “raided an Afghan convoy that was ushering
a senior TTP militant, Latif Mehsud, to Kabul for secret talks
last month, and now have Mehsud in custody. “Publicly, the Afghan
Government has described Mehsud as an insurgent peace emissary.
But according to Afghan officials, the ultimate plan was to
take revenge on the Pakistani military.”
October 29
Unidentified armed militants
killed nine persons, including three women and two children,
in an attack at the residence of a local tribal leader in Loti
Zain area of Dera Bugti District. A levies official, who requested
not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said
that the house belonged to a pro-government tribesman.
A trader, identified as Ejaz
and his friend Shahid Ahmed, were shot dead near Islam Chowk
in Orangi Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital of
Sindh.
A Police informer, identified
as Kashif Khan (40), was shot dead near Bashir Chowk on MPR
Road in Qasba Colony of Orangi Town. Orangi Town SP Chaudhry
Asad said that Khan was a Police informer.
A former area representative
of the ANP, identified as Qamar Shah (38), was shot dead in
Mehmoodabad area of Jamshed Town. Shah had formerly been associated
with the ANP but later joined the PML-N. Currently, he was not
associated with any political party.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a man, identified as Allahdad Magsi (40), in Quaidabad
area of Bin Qasim Town.
A man, identified as Muhammad
Yaseen (60), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants
in Ghazi Town area within the limits of Malir City Police Station
in Malir Town.
An unidentified man was shot
dead by unidentified assailants near garbage dumping point of
Lyari General Hospital in Lyari Town.
A gangster, identified as Sultan
Umair, was killed and another, identified as Chohta Jhengu,
was injured during an exchange of fire in Baghdadi area of Lyari
Town. According to sources, armed gangsters opened fire on the
paramilitary force. During the exchange of fire, an alleged
gangster was killed and another wounded. Moreover, around half
a dozen suspects were arrested and a huge cache of weapons were
also recovered.
Rangers claimed to have arrested
28 alleged criminals, including gang war elements and criminals
affiliated with political groups, during targeted raids in Zia
Colony of Korangi Town, Nusrat Bhutto Colony, Taiser Town, Surjani
Town, Frontier Colony, Metroville, Model Colony and parts of
Lyari.
An explosion, described as a
cracker blast, killed one person at Hyder square in Hyderabad
District as another cracker targeted a Police picket near Ali
Palace in Qasimabad.
Unidentified assailants fired
near Tower Market in Hyderabad District, killing a person identified
as Muhammad Tufail.
A blast also occurred at Liberty
Chowk area of Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh.
However, no casualties were reported from there.
Similar explosions occurred
in Nawabshah and Kotri Districts. In Kotri, unidentified assailants
set a mini-truck and a bus on fire on the Indus Highway.
In Dadu District, unidentified
assailants hurled hand grenades on Jail Road, at a bus stop
and at Cinema Chowk.
In Larkana District, Brohi Chowk
in Karachi and Station Road in Mirpurkhas District were attacked
with cracker bombs.
A Police official said that
a nationalist party in Sindh had announced a shutter-down strike
on October 30, 2013 against the Pakistan Protection Ordinance
promulgated by the President.
Four militants were arrested
during a search operation in Matani area of Peshawar on, the
provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The identity of the
suspects could not be immediately ascertained.
Police arrested the group responsible
for the Qissa Khwani bomb blast, with clues that they have links
to foreign intelligence agencies. Addressing a press conference
at Malik Saad Police Lines, SSP Najeebur Rehman said they arrested
four people in a raid on a house in Sara Dargai, Mattani and
recovered 840 kilogrammes of high-quality explosives.
Federal Minister for Gilgit
Baltistan and PoK Birjis Tahir said that all key suspects involved
in the attack on foreign trekkers in Gilgit-Baltistan on June
23, 2012, have been arrested.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that his
Government wants peace not only in Pakistan but the region,
and asked the TTP to join the peace process and become part
of the political process. In an interview with a private TV
channel in London, the PM said that his Government is serious
in negotiations with the TTP.
The Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on October 29 that the process
of dialogue with TTP was likely to begin in near future. In
this regard, the preliminary work had been completed in consultation
with the stakeholders, he said while addressing participants
of the 99th National Management Course for senior officers in
Islamabad.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and British Prime Minister
David Cameron reaffirmed their continuing commitment for the
Afghan peace process. The three leaders during their trilateral
meeting held at the Downing Street discussed economic co-operation
and the Afghan-led peace process to which they all reaffirmed
their continuing commitment.
Chief Minister Doctor Abdul
Malik Baloch said, “It is up to them [Baloch militants] to come
to the negotiating table,”. “I’m not sure whether the dialogue
will be successful or not, but it is my desire that they be
successful … all I can do is try my best to improve the situation
in Balochistan,” he added. “My first objective is to bring political
and economic stability to the province. I want to provide both
security and basic amenities to my people.”
According to the chief minister,
the APC would focus on finding a solution to militancy and sectarian
violence in the violence-wrecked province. “The main issue in
Balochistan is political. As such, I want to take all political
parties on board to find a solution,” he said, adding, “The
APC are an attempt to bring all the issues [Balochistan currently
faces] in the limelight and formulate a strategy to address
them.” “The parties [attending the APC] will be asked to develop
a mechanism for steering the province out of the quicksand of
militancy and religious extremism,” he added.
“Maybe they [the parties] will
authorise me to hold talks with militants, or maybe another
committee,” he added. Asked whether any militant group would
be invited to the APC, Dr Malik said, “We need to develop a
mechanism to approach them first … therefore, they will not
be invited to attend the conference.”
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said that if the flow of smuggled
arms and narcotics is restricted throughout Karachi, situation
in the city would be normalised. He appreciated Police and Rangers
for making efforts to arrest criminals during operation in the
city and remarked that both Law Enforcement Agencies had begun
to realize their responsibility. Other members of the bench
were Justice Jawad S. Khuwaja and Justice Gulzar Ahmed.
After flipping through the reports
submitted by Rangers and Police regarding clampdown against
outlaws, one member of the bench asked counsel appearing on
behalf of Rangers whether arrested criminals were being put
on trial in the courts.
To a question regarding results
of operation being conducted in the city, Advocate General Sindh
Khalid Javeed Khan said that operation was yielding results
and law and order situation in the city had improved tremendously.
The chief justice questioned advocate general about the situation
prevailing in Lyari and also asked whether Lyari was still no-go
area and citizens were enjoying rights under Article 9 of the
Constitution, which guaranteed security to every citizen.
The Supreme Court also issued
notices to Sindh Chief Secretary, IGP and DG Rangers over 51
identical petitions pertaining to no-go areas in Karachi. The
petitions were filed by citizens in the apex court.
Chakwal DCO Ahmed Aziz Tarar
during a meeting said that Chakwal was one of the most sensitive
Districts of the country and army troops and Rangers, along
with Police, will be deployed on procession routes and others
sensitive places to avoid any untoward incident during Muharram.
The Sindh Government decided
to transfer the murder trial of Geo News reporter Wali Khan
Babar from an ATC in Karachi to another city due to security
concerns. “The formal request for the transfer of the trial
will be made to the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court so
that the remaining proceedings of the trial can be concluded,”
Sindh Advocate General Khalid Javed Khan told a three-member
Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry. Babar was killed on January 11, 2011.
The Advocate General said that
the Government was also mulling over transferring other cases,
including that of former special public prosecutor Naimat Ali
Randhawa’s murder, from Karachi’s ATC to some other city of
the province over security concerns. Earlier in the day, the
murder trial was put off without making any progress after the
defence counsel failed to appear at the Anti-Terrorism Court-III.
Judge Saleem Raza Baloch accepted his request and fixed November
12, 2013 for the next hearing. Randhawa was killed on September
26, 2013.
US House of Representatives
Foreign Affairs Committee member Congressman Alan Grayson speaking
with the BBC has said that drone strikes in Pakistan could end
tomorrow if the country wanted to and that no such attacks take
place without the approval of Pakistan.
October 30
A bomb killed five Pakistani
soldiers in a village near the Afghan border in the South Waziristan
Agency of FATA. “Number of martyred soldiers due to IED explosion
in South Waziristan has risen up to five,” a senior security
official said.
A drone fired missiles at a
room and vehicle in the Miranshah Bazaar of North Waziristan
Agency, killing at least three persons.
A private school teacher was
shot dead in Ghundi area of Jamrud in Khyber Agency. The bullet-riddled
body of Qasim Khan was found dumped.
At least five people were killed
and 17 others were injured in a bomb explosion at a crowded
car repair market on Double Road near Zarghoon Road in Quetta.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead Waqar Naseer Baloch, the son of BRP leader, after
pulling him down from a passenger bus in Wadh area of Khuzdar
District. The party alleged that the Security Forces were behind
the murder and announced a shutter down strike.
Unidentified militants killed
a tribal leader, identified as Abdul Ghayas Muhammad Hassani,
near Koshk area of Khuzdar District.
Unidentified militants attacked
a house where rescue teams were stationed located in Awaran
District. According to military sources, two rockets were fired
at a house located three kilometers away from Awaran. However,
no casualty was reported.
Police recovered an infant during
a raid at a house in Satellite Town of Quetta. Police arrested
a man and also recovered a Kalashnikov from his custody. The
child was abducted from the city’s Civil Hospital on October
7, 2013.
The Anti-Terrorist Wing of CID
arrested two suspects, identified as Altaf Baloch and Zubair
Baloch, belonging to a new outfit, Amarat-e-Islamia Afghanistan
(Emirates of Islamic Afghanistan), from Ghani Chowrangi area
in SITE Town. Raja Umer Khatab said that these suspects were
trained for bomb making and terrorist activities in Qilla Abdullah
District of Balochistan.
Two members of Lyari gangs,
identified as Abdul Rehman alias Sain and Kamran alias Baba
were taken into custody from Old Sabzi Mandi area along with
weapons. The accused are said to be involved in 17 acts of target
killing and extortion.
Police arrested 59 criminals,
including target killers, in their ongoing crackdown against
criminals in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. SSP East
Pir Mohammad Shah said that the PIB Colony Police arrested an
absconder, Hassan Zada alias Topi after an encounter near Sabzi
Mandi area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
Korangi Police arrested Ilyas
alias Chippa, Furqan and Hameed in a raid on Link Road near
Pulia in Korangi Town and seized two TT pistols. The spokesperson
for the East Range Police they had arrested 52 criminals, including
a proclaimed offender, and three absconders.
The Police team investigating
the murder case of Abdul Rashid Ghazi declared former President,
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf, innocent according to the
challan obtained by The News. The challan states that
the petitioner could not present any evidence or eyewitness
against Musharraf and thus the former President could not be
held responsible.
A local court reserved its verdict
in the case and will announce it on November 1, 2013. During
proceedings of the case, Musharraf's lawyer argued that his
client had not issued any orders for the 2007 Lal Masjid (Red
Mosque) operation.
A FATA tribunal, hearing a review
petition seeking Doctor Shakil Afridi’s release on bail and
a fresh trial to enable him to defend himself against the charge
of supporting a banned organisation, sought record of the case.
The petition filed by Dr Afridi challenges an order of the FCR
commissioner setting aside his earlier conviction by an assistant
political agent and remanding the case back to Khyber Agency’s
political agent to assess again arguments of prosecution and
defence under law and Rewaj (local custom).
Relatives of two abducted Czech
women, identified as Hana Humpalova and Antonie Chrastecka,
released a new video showing them looking exhausted, speaking
of death and begging Czech authorities to take action to free
them. The video was made in late August 2013 and had been delivered
to the Czech embassy in Islamabad, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
Johana Grohova said.
Humpalova is heard saying that
she is "concerned about my friend who was with me as I
am not sure if she is dead or alive," breaking into sobs
and complaining about her poor health. "In case of my death
I would like to be buried and put down in the grave of my father's
family," she said. "I don't know how much time I have
left because when these guys take their final action you will
not hear from me again," said Humpalova, who wore a black
headscarf.
Chrastecka begs the Czech Government
to "make the biggest pressure to the Pakistani Government
to cooperate with my kidnappers. Please give them what they
want. Please help me to go home soon."
As part of its delimitation
plans for Sindh, the Provincial Government decided to create
a new District in Karachi to give the metropolis six Districts
in all. Currently, Karachi has five Districts, but the Government
is considering reworking their boundaries to include Korangi
Town, Landhi Town and Bin Qasim Town in a new District. Earlier,
Sindh Government had announced the decision to divide Thatta
into two, turning Sujawal into a separate District.
The MQM had previously voiced
strong opposition to the idea of delimitation of constituencies
in Karachi. In May 2013, the MQM appealed against it in the
Sindh High Court, but the Sindh High Court dismissed their appeal.
The Law Enforcement Agencies
will start a door-to-door drive for recovery of illegal arms
since the deadline for surrendering such weapons had expired
and only 19 guns were collected, Sindh Advocate General Khalid
Javed Khan told the Supreme Court. During the 14-day deadline,
from September 27, 2013 to October 12, 2013 only 19 guns were
deposited with the authorities.
The Surrender of Illicit Arms
Act 1991 empowers law enforcers to get publicised notices, asking
the citizens to deposit the weapons they possess unlawfully
to avoid legal action. Once the deadline of a certain period
expires, the law enforcers can forcibly recover the illegal
weapons from citizens.
The Supreme Court also directed
the Chief Collector Customs Prevention Nasir Masroor to submit
a detailed report regarding the large number of smuggled arms
and ammunitions that have been lying at the port premises since
1994. The commission, appointed by the Supreme Court to investigate
the Director General Rangers allegations regarding a missing
shipload of arms and ammunitions, had conducted inquiry to see
whether the weapons were smuggled through the sea and the role
of customs authorities in the scam.
According to the commission’s
report, a large number of weapon consignments smuggled into
the country back in 1994 were confiscated by the authorities.
“The cache of arms is still lying on the port premises in the
custody of the Karachi Port Trust,” the chief collector confirmed
the commission’s report. “We are sitting on a volcano,” remarked
the bench, citing that the whole city was full of these illicit
arms and ammunitions and drugs.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry grilled the Chief of the FBR for not clarifying facts
pertaining to the allegedly missing 19,000 NATO containers before
the US Ambassador to Pakistan. During a hearing of the Karachi
law and order case at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry,
the bench led by the Chief Justice himself directed FBR Chairman
Tariq Bajwa to submit the details of the letter sent to his
office by the American envoy, who had denied reports that any
containers carrying supplies for NATO and US forces in Afghanistan
had gone missing in Pakistan.
While giving the directions,
the bench members noted that the inquiry of the commission led
by Shoaib Suddle had determined 19,000 containers did go missing
and asked the FBR chief as to why this information was not shared
with the US envoy.
The Chief Justice also noted
that black money was circulating openly in Karachi and, along
with smuggled weapons and contraband, was fuelling violence
in the metropolis. He said violence in the city was not ethnically
motivated and was instead a turf-war between various mafias.
The PM Muhammad Nawaz Sharif
said that anything which hurts Pakistan’s sovereignty will not
be accepted. Talking to media persons, he said that his current
visit to the United Kingdom was bearing fruit due to the growing
stronger bilateral ties. He said Pak-UK ties were on the high
wave, growing stronger with each passing day. The UK accorded
high importance to its ties with Pakistan, he added.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that a
tit-for-tat policy between Pakistan and India must end now so
that the condition of the people of the two countries could
be ameliorated. Talking to newsmen, Nawaz said he had discussed
the issue of Line of Control during his US and UK visits. He
said India should have no objection to third party mediation
on the Kashmir issue in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri
people.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan
wanted peace in Afghanistan and was ready to offer all possible
support in this regard. Talking to British Foreign Secretary
William Hague, who paid a courtesy call on him, he stressed
the need for introducing an effective border management system
between Pakistan and Afghanistan to address the issue of cross-border
infiltration.
October 31
At least nine persons were killed
in separate incidents of violence across Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A man was killed near Qayyumabad,
within the jurisdiction of Baloch Colony Police Station. Police
said that Syed Zarrar Jaffar, a retired Rangers officer, along
with his wife and a friend Nizam Shah, was on his way to home
in a car when unidentified armed riders resorted to indiscriminate
firing before escaping. All three sustained bullet injuries.
Nizam Shah succumbed to his injuries later.
A mother and her daughter were
strangulated to death in Nusrat Bhutto Colony, within the precincts
of Shahrah-e-Noorjahan Police Station. Police said the victims
were identified as Zulekha Abbas (30), and her two-year-old
daughter Areeba Abbas.
Three including bandits were
killed during a robbing bid in Gulshan-e-Latif, within the remits
of Awami Colony Police Station.
A woman Allah Wassiya, wife
of Allah Ditta, was shot dead by unidentified bandits in Noor
Khan Goth.
One Rafi Ullah was shot dead
at Haji Camp, within the vicinity of Docks Police Station. According
to the Police, Rafi Ullah, resident of Haji Camp, was sleeping
at his home, when unidentified assailants barged into his house
and shot him twice before fleeing.
A slaughtered body of a man
was found within the jurisdiction of Darakhshan Police Station.
Muhammad Ali, resident of Lines Area, was abducted and later
his throat was slit before dumping his body.
Three persons sustained injuries
when an explosive device went off in a bargain centre of vehicles
in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur Agency in FATA. The sources said
unidentified persons had placed an explosive device on the rooftop
of the bargain centre of tribal elder Malik Taj and triggered
the explosion with a remote-control. Three persons Siraj, Fazle
Rehman and Tariq sustained injuries in the blast.
The authorities claimed to have
arrested a most-wanted kidnaper belonging to Afghanistan at
Torkham border of Khyber Agency. The Khasadar Force personnel
raided a general store at Torkham border’s bazaar and arrested
an Afghan national Abdul Malik (42), official of the political
administration, Miraj, said.
Judge Mohammad Nawaz Khan Barakzai
of the ATC in Sibi awarded double life imprisonment to two accused,
identified as Mehrab Khan and Amir Rakshahni, in two bomb blast
cases in Sibi District. According to the prosecution, the convicts
had planted an explosive device in the City Police Station Sibi
on October 24, 2011, and a bomb in the stadium during the Sibi
festival in February 2012.
CCPO Quetta Abdul Razzaq Cheema
told the Balochistan High Court that Police had obtained the
footage of the abduction of ANP leader, Arbab Zahir Kasi, and
that they were conducting an investigation in light of it. Kasi,
a former provincial President of the ANP was abducted in Quetta
on Oct 23, 2013.
Police said that they have arrested
18 suspects over the killing of 10 foreign climbers in the Himalayas
in June 22, but warned that others remain at large. Police in
the northern Districts of Gilgit and Diamer in the Gilgit-Baltistan
region said they have arrested 18 suspects on suspicion of planning
and carrying out the attack.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said that dialogue with TTP has started and hoped that it will
progress within the constitutional framework. He was talking
to British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who called on him.
They discussed issues of mutual interest. The prime minister
apprised Clegg on the dialogue with Taliban, relations with
India, energy situation and economic reforms agenda of his government,
a press release from the Pakistan’s High Commission said.
The Supreme Court observed that
Karachi can be saved only if the drugs and arms’ menace that
plagues the city is reined in. While hearing the Karachi law
and order case, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed
by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry sought a detailed
report by today (November 1) from Customs officials about import
of arms through sea ports during the last three years.
Pakistan’s former ambassador
to the United States Husain Haqqani, once derided at home as
Washington’s ambassador to Pakistan for his pro-Western views,
has taken a step further, accusing the Government of directly
supporting militant groups in his latest book “Magnificent Delusions”.
Now a professor of international relations at Boston University,
he was ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011, a
turbulent time in US-Pakistan relations that culminated in a
raid by US special forces in May 2011 that killed al Qaeda leader
Osama bin Laden.
The Government claimed that
more than two thousand suspected terrorists have been killed
in 317 drone strikes in the past five years while only 67 innocent
civilians have died in these attacks. The Ministry of Defence
furnished a written reply in the Senate detailing the number
of US drone strikes in the past five years. Surprisingly the
Ministry of Defence data also claims that no innocent civilian
was struck by the drone strikes since January 2012 while more
than three hundred terrorists were targeted in the strikes.
The official data negates the
claims by local political and religious parties that US drone
strikes in Pakistan have mostly killed innocent civilians, including
women and children. According to the official data, this year
has witnessed the lowest number of drone strikes which are 14
as compared to 2010 when the US hit Pakistan’s FATA 115 times
through drone attacks.
Only three percent of 2,227
people killed in US drone strikes since 2008 were civilians,
a surprisingly low figure that sparked criticism from groups
that have investigated deaths from the attacks. The number is
much lower than past Government calculations and estimates by
independent organizations that have gone as high as 300. The
Ministry said 317 drone strikes have killed 2,160 Islamic militants
and 67 civilians since 2008.
Foreign Office said that the
Government was convinced that drone attacks were counter-productive
and it (FO) had sought details from the Ministry of Defence
about the low non-combatant casualty figure reported in Senate.
Federal Defence Production Minister
Rana Tanvir Hussain thinks it will not be prudent to shoot down
drones though the country has the capability to do so. “Pakistan
has the capability to shoot down US drones but such decisions
need thorough deliberation and it is not prudent to take the
action (downing drones) right now,” he told the media after
visiting a wireless communication equipment production unit
in Lahore.
The PTI Chairman Imran Khan
issued a warning that his party will block the NATO supply line
if the US made any drone strike to disrupt the talk’s process
with the TTP. “The KP Government will hold direct talks with
the TTP if the Federal Government fails to hold a result-oriented
dialogue,” he said while addressing a press conference at the
Punjab Assembly.
The CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif
said that load shedding and militancy are two of the biggest
challenges confronting Pakistan today and both need to be tackled
on a war footing. Speaking at a side event at the World Islamic
Economic Forum to appeal for investment in Punjab and rest of
the country, the Punjab chief minister said that it is responsibility
of the global community to help Pakistan deal with these challenges
because Pakistan has suffered for the world in the ‘war on terrorism’.
November 1
Hakimullah Mehsud, the ‘chief’
of the TTP, was killed in a US drone strike in Dandy Darpakhel
area, five kilometers (three miles) north of Miranshah, the
main town of NWA in FATA. Intelligence officials said Hakimullah
was leaving from a meeting at a mosque in Dandy Darpakhel area
when the drone targeted their vehicle. Five militants, including
Abdullah Bahar Mehsud and Tariq Mehsud, both key militant commanders
and close aides of the TTP chief, were also killed with two
others injured in the drone strike, multiple sources confirmed.
Hakimullah Mehsud along with
other militants killed in the drone strike, was buried in NWA.
Sources said that besides Hakimullah Mehsud, his uncle, driver
and other aides buried at different places NWA.
The Government has not yet confirmed
the death of Hakimullah, reports The News. However, it has stopped
the delegation from visiting NWA to hold peace talks following
the reports of TTP chief’s death. Strongly condemning the US
drone attack in North Waziristan, Pakistan Government reiterated
that these strikes are a violation of sovereignty and territorial
integrity of the country. Foreign Office Spokesman Aizaz Ahmed
Chaudhry in a statement said that there was an across the board
consensus in Pakistan that these drone strikes must end.
According to the sources, TTP’s
Markazi majlis-e-Shoora would appoint their new chief. The South
Waziristan TTP chief, Khan Said Sajna alias Khalid is likely
to succeed Hakimullah Mehsud as TTP chief. Chief of Mohmand
Agency Umar Khalid Khurasani is also a strong contestant for
the slot as he is the only surviving senior Taliban commander
who had directly commanded operations under Hakimullah. Mullah
Fazlullah, the chief of the Swat Taliban, is another senior
TTP commander but unlikely to replace the assassinated TTP chief
for not belonging to Mehsud clan.
Jen Psaki, the spokesperson
for the US State Department said that “We have seen those reports
but we don’t have anything for you on that. The reports just
came out. We have a close cooperative relationship with Pakistan
on various issues, including counter-terrorism but I do not
have anything specific for you on Pakistan on this report.”
Reacting to US drone strike,
PTI chairman Imran Khan demanded the Government to block NATO
supplies going through the country. Imran Khan further said
that the US drone attack was as a conspiracy to sabotage talk’s
effort. Earlier on October 31, Imran Khan issued a warning that
his party will block the NATO supply line if the US made any
drone strike to disrupt the talk’s process with the TTP. His
party is set to table resolutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)
Assembly and National Assembly on November 4 in this regard.
The TTP said that they have
had “no contact” with the Government, a day after Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif said a process to initiate peace talks had been
started. The TTP ‘spokesperson’ Shahidullah Shahid said that
there had been no overtures. “No one has yet contacted us. The
Government is making announcements only by media, no peace talks
have yet been started,” Shahid said. “The beginning of peace
talks means sitting at a table and discussing issues, no such
thing has yet happened.”
US was closely following reported
talks between the Pakistan Government and the TTP but would
let Islamabad define those negotiations, the State Department
said. “We are, of course, following it closely as you would
expect … but this is an internal matter for Pakistan,” the department’s
spokesperson Jen Psaki told a briefing in Washington.
Unidentified militants shot
dead at least six Hazara Shia coal miners and injured another
in a sectarian attack in Mach town of Bolan District. Waheed
Shah, Deputy Commissioner in Kach, said that the seven men were
on their way back from Mach bazaar when they were attacked by
unidentified assailants on a motorcycle. “The victims were Hazara
labourers and Shia Muslims,” confirmed Shah.
A man belonging to the Ahmadi
community, identified as Bashir Ahmed (50), was killed while
four others were injured in a sectarian attack within the jurisdiction
of Mominabad Police Station in Orangi Town of Karachi District,
the provincial capital of Sindh. The injured were identified
as Mohammad Ahmed, Asad Fazal, Wajid and Ovais.
Two people were killed and two
others were injured when unidentified armed assailants entered
a cafe and opened indiscriminate fire in Quaidabad area of Landhi
Town. Police said that one of the victims was identified as
Waqar Ishaq (17), and another is yet to be recognised. The injured
men were identified as, Imran and Tayyab.
A Policeman, identified as Shehzada
Khan (53), posted to the Crime Branch was shot dead at Napier
Road.
Police carried out targeted
operation in Dhobi Ghath area of Lyari Town and arrested five
accused affiliated with Asif Lyari group.
Over PKR 4.7 million were robbed
in two separate bank heists. The first robbery took place in
Paposh Nagar of Nazimabad Town, when a group of men entered
the bank at around 10 in the morning and managed to loot PKR
3.2 million. Another robbery occurred in a private bank in
Bufferzone area within the limits of Taimuria Police Station
in North Nazimabad Town and the robbers looted PKR 1.5 million.
A senior officer said, “The
deployment of security guards of private security companies
have also become the main reason behind the increased incidents
of bank robberies. Most of the security guards involved in the
robberies belong to the tribal areas, and have links to the
outlawed organisations including Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.”
Unidentified militants launched
three rocket attacks at a camp of SFs in Miranshah, the main
town of NWA in FATA. According to military sources, the rocket
attacks were carried out at 1 am in the morning. However, no
loss of life or damage was reported.
While the Government is preparing
a roadmap for peace talks with militants, a faction of TTP asked
people living near Miranshah to move their families to safe
areas by November 1. The Shura Mujahideen North Waziristan,
led by Commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, also directed shopkeepers
in Miranshah town to shift their expensive goods to other areas.
The warning was issued in the wake of recent shelling by SFs
of civilian targets in the area.
Two shops were damaged in an
IED explosion at a market in the limits of the Maidan Lala Qila
Police Station in Lower Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The bomb was planted near the shop owned by Hussain Amjad exploded
at about 2am.
The Supreme Court ordered customs
authorities to re-investigate whether arms and ammunition were
smuggled into the country, either in the shape of NATO/ ISAF
supplies or under Afghan Transit Trade, when 19,000 containers
went missing before reaching their destination in Afghanistan.
Hearing the Karachi law and order case at the apex court’s Karachi
registry, the bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
directed officials of the concerned department to inform the
court how many of the weapons imported over the last three years
were put up for sale in Karachi.
During the proceedings, Director
General Transit Trade Khawar Farid claimed that none of the
19,000 containers that went missing in Pakistan, as mentioned
in the Suddle Commission’s report, contained arms or ammunition.
But a former legal adviser for the Federal Board of Revenue,
Raja Muhammad Irshad, making a reference to two reports prepared
for this case, stated that the missing containers were never
examined by customs officers.
November 2
Two NATO containers carrying
relief goods for Allied forces stationed in Afghanistan were
torched in Dasht area of Mastung District. No group has claimed
responsibility for the attack.
Security has been beefed up
in the provincial capital Quetta and other restive parts of
Balochistan in the aftermath of TTP ‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud’s
killing. An intelligence official, who requested not to be named
since he was not authorised to speak to the media, said that
SFs were placed on a high alert to avoid occurrence of any untoward
incident.
Apart from Police and Balochistan
Constabulary, personnel of Frontier Corps were also deployed
at all sensitive parts of Quetta, he said. Security was tightened
at all entry and exit points of the city and patrolling was
also increased to avoid occurrence of any terrorist attack.
“We are taking pre-emptive measures to ensure peace,” he explained.
Security in KP was tightened
and the province was put on high-alert after intelligence reports
speculated a spike in terrorist activities following the killing
of TTP ‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike in North
Waziristan on November 1-evening. A high-ranking Police official
said under the condition of anonymity that whenever an al Qaeda
or TTP leader was killed in the past, the group retaliated by
attacking targets inside KP.
November 3
At least two people were injured
in an explosion inside a seminary in Eastern Bypass area of
Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. The blast left
two people injured and destroyed five mud-walled rooms inside
the madrassa. SP Sariab, Bashir Ahmed Brahvi said that the
seminary was being used by terrorists to carry out subversive
activities in the city, already plagued by attacks of Baloch
separatists and violent sectarian attacks.
Another Police official who
requested anonymity said that the blast has caused casualties.
“The terrorists managed to shift the dead bodies and injured
before the arrival of Police,” he said. “You can see blood and
destruction everywhere,” he added.
Unidentified militants hurled
a hand-held bomb at a house partially damaging a house in Hazara
Town area of Quetta. However, no casualties were reported.
The SFs foiled a terror bid
by recovering and defusing five kilogram of explosives along
a roadside in Dera Bugti District.
As gang war intensified in Lyari
Town, many locals started to move out of the violence-ridden
area of Karachi. As many as 2,500 families are reportedly in
the process of moving their valuables out of the area. Most
of the locals – who are shifting to escape violence – don’t
have a definite re-location point, however, are desperate to
leave Lyari as they fear situation will only get worse.
The TTP ruled out the possibility
of holding a dialogue with the Pakistan Government, saying talks
with the ‘US slaves’ were no longer possible. “The (Pakistan)
government has given us the present of Hakimullah Mehsud’s dead
body,” said Shahidullah Shahid, ‘spokesman’ of the TTP, in a
media statement which has come amid optimistic statements from
the Pakistan Government regarding the fate of the proposed peace
talks.
The Federal Interior Minister
Chaudhry Nisar said a group of religious scholars had been ready
to go and meet the TTP to initiate talks, which have been backed
by all major political parties, when the drone struck.
The US insisted it has a shared
interest with Pakistan in ending extremist violence after Islamabad
accused it of scuttling efforts towards peace talks by killing
TTP ‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone strike. “The United
States and Pakistan continue to have a vital, shared strategic
interest in ending extremist violence so as to build a more
prosperous, stable and peaceful region,” the official said.
A US Congressman Mike Rogers
defended the drone strike and said it would help keep American
troops safe. Rogers, whose committee oversees the intelligence
community, said the slain militant, Hakimullah Mehsud, was a
“bad guy” who was connected to attacks against Pakistani soldiers
and to the Taliban in Afghanistan, which has forced closures
of many schools for girls.
The Senate Standing Committee
on Human Rights recommended an effective role of Parliament
in monitoring the ISI Agency and putting it under civilian control.
A report unanimously adopted by the Committee was presented
in the house on October 30, 2013 but couldn’t be taken up for
discussion because of opposition’s boycott of the session.
A Parliamentary oversight of
the ISI will be possible if the committee’s recommendations
are included in a proposed Inter-Services Intelligence Agency
(Functions, Powers and Regulation) Bill and if approved by Parliament.
Although on paper the ISI operates under the administrative
control of the Prime Minister, civilian Governments have in
the past struggled to bring the Agency under their control,
but without success.
Keeping in view the ISI’s role
as a secret agency, the Senate committee has suggested that
the Prime Minister, in consultation with the committee, may
exclude from the report any matter prejudicial to national security.
The committee will not go into the intelligence sources of the
agency, but through policy decisions will guide it in carrying
out its work.
Going one step forward, the
committee has proposed the option of appointment of a retired
civil servant of BS22 or equivalent rank in the armed forces
by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
The ISI DG, according to the recommendations, will hold office
for four years, extendable by another year, unless he resigns
or is removed during his term on grounds of inefficiency, misconduct
or physical or mental disability. If approved by Parliament,
no DG would be able to get a full-term extension.
The Afghanistan President criticised
the timing of a US drone strike. Afghan President Hamid Karzai
added his voice to the criticism, telling a US Congress delegation
visiting Kabul that the drone strike “took place at an unsuitable
time”, his office said in a statement released.
November 4
Two people, including a tailor
from the Shia community, identified as Nadeem Raza, was shot
dead along with his friend, Shoaib, while three others were
injured in an attack in the FC Area of Liaquatabad Town of Karachi
District, the provincial capital of Sindh. The victims were
present inside Nadeem’s shop when at least four unidentified
armed militants opened fire on them and escaped.
A medical technician at the
Leprosy Hospital, identified as Sher Ali, was shot dead in a
sectarian attack in the Garam Chashma area of Manghopir in Gadap
Town. Initial investigation suggests it was a sectarian attack
and an outlawed organisation was behind the attack, said SHO
Ghulam Hussain Korai.
A Shia doctor, identified as
Doctor Naseem Abbas, was shot dead near Liberty Chowk on Tariq
Road in the Jamshed Town.
A Shia man, identified as Muhammad
Shan, was shot dead in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Gulshan Town.
The Provincial Deputy Secretary General of the Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen
Allama Sadiq Raza Taqvi said, “The frequent target killings
of innocent Shias before the Muharram is worrisome, adding,
“The killings are the result of the Government’s initiative
to talk to the Taliban. The Government instead should launch
an operation against the militants and say no to dialogue.”
A man, identified as Mansoor,
was shot dead near Dabba Mor in Orangi Town.
A bullet-riddled dead body of
a man, identified as Abdul Rasool Baloch, was found in Baldia
Town.
Pakistan’s Army Chief General
Ashfaq Pervez Kayani lauded the efforts of Rangers and Police
in bringing back peace in Karachi, said a statement issued by
Sindh Rangers. Targeted operations led by Rangers’ forces with
the support of Police are ongoing in the city under a directive
issued by the Federal Government against criminals already identified
by Federal, Military and Civilian Agencies.
Frontier Corps shot dead three
militants in retaliatory firing in the Bakhtiarabad area of
Sibi District. Earlier, the militants had set ablaze two NATO
oil tankers in Bolan District and also injured one of the drivers
of the vehicle. One of the accused was arrested.
A man, identified as Ali Jan,
was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in the Baloch
Colony area of Hub Town in Lasbela District.
A man, identified as Muhammad
Anwar, was shot dead near Bismillah Chowk of Panjgur Town in
Panjgur District.
An unidentified dead body was
recovered from Mand tehsil (revenue unit) in Kech (Turbat) District.
A child was killed and six persons
were injured when a powerful bomb went off in Khalid Bin Waleed
Town in the limits of Yakatoot Police Station in Peshawar, the
provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the evening. An
unnamed official said that suspected militants had planted the
explosive device beneath a power transformer.
A Policeman was killed in exchange
of fire with militants in the Elum Ghar area of Buner District.
A Police party was on routine patrol when it came under attack.
During exchange of fire, a constable identified as Inamur Rehman,
a resident of Chinglai village, was killed. The attackers managed
to escape after the incident.
Suspected militants blew up
the building of a telephone exchange at Milli Khel area under
Badbher Police Station of Peshawar. The building was blown up
by planting four bombs, each of the bombs weighing five kilograms.
The Faisalabad Police arrested
four high-profile TTP terrorists, who had planned the abduction
of PML-N MPA Malik Mohammad Nawaz and a businessman Shahnawaz
alias Shahnawaz Ferrari for swapping them with the TTP’s top
convicted terrorists housed in the Central Jail in Faisalabad
District.
According to details, it was
revealed that the said MPA was in contact with the TTP activists
in Miranshah. The Counter Terrorism Force picked up some important
names during the MPA’s conversation with the members of the
Qari Imran Group. Having these names with them, the Force started
zeroing in on these terrorists, operating in Faisalabad.
PM Nawaz Sharif warned peace
could not be achieved “by unleashing senseless force”, in his
first public speech since a US drone strike killed TTP ‘chief’
Hakimullah Mehsud. “My government is firmly resolved to bringing
the cycle of bloodshed and violence to an end. “But it cannot
be done overnight, nor can it be done by unleashing senseless
force against our citizens, without first making every effort
to bring the misguided and confused elements of society, back
to the mainstream,” he said in a speech after Army exercises
near Bahawalpur.
Calling the drone strike that
killed TTP ‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud “an attack on regional
peace by America,” Federal Minister of Interior Nisar Ali Khan
said every aspect of bilateral ties with the US will now be
reviewed. Speaking to a press conference after concluding a
high level meeting at the Federal Interior Ministry, he vowed
to raise the matter at international forums including the United
Nations.
Government told the National
Assembly that the dialogue process with the TTP has come to
a standstill and will remain so until the appointment of its
new chief. Federal Minister of Interior Nisar Ali Khan opened
the debate and announced that dialogue process could not be
initiated until the new chief of TTP takes over the charge of
the terrorist outfit.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
set November 20 deadline for the Federal Government to come
up with a decision on halting NATO supplies otherwise the provincial
Government would take its “own course of action”. Condemning
US drone strikes, the assembly demanded continuation of dialogue
with the TTP and asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to convene
a meeting of national leaders as part of confidence building
measures on taking practical steps after the killing of TTP
‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud.
The Senate condemned the US
drone attack and asked the Government to review its policy with
the US and the so-called war on terror, saying Washington does
not care about Pakistan’s interests. They said the US does not
want peace in Pakistan and the region, as on one hand it calls
Pakistan a close allay but on the other hand never allows peace
talks with TTP to start.
The US Secretary of State John
Kerry defended the drone strike but added that Washington was
sensitive to any Pakistani concerns, after Islamabad denounced
the attack as a blow to peace talks. Kerry said that while he
welcomed any discussions “we are sensitive to the concerns of
the country and we look forward to working very closely with
the government of Pakistan.” “We intend to continue to work
together with them (Pakistanis) through the strategic dialogue
that we have established in order to work through these kinds
of challenges.”
More than 50,000 IDPs have so
far returned to their homes in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency
in FATA as the first phase of the repatriation process is about
to complete. FDMA, which was tasked to supervise the return
of over 17,000 registered families to Tirah, said in a daily
report that 12,024 families comprising 53,951 individuals left
Durrani camp in Kurram Agency and Jarma transit point near Kohat
for their respective localities till November 4. FDMA had first
fixed October 15 as the final date for the completion of first
phase of the return process, started on September 15.
Fearing a reprisal following
the killing of TTP ‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone strike
on November 1, 2013, the local UN office has issued an alert
to its employees. Huge security threat of hostage situation
and mass killings,” the UN office’s alert says, according to
a circular of the Punjab IGP “Therefore, necessary actions be
taken with the cooperation of their management, to enhance the
security of important shopping malls, especially those being
run by or franchise of foreign store chains,” circular further
stated.
Another report issued by the
Punjab Home Department reveals that the TTP is planning to target
the US and other Western nationals “They are likely to hit top
political leaders, senior Government functionaries, key Government
installations and Army/Police establishments/envoys. Foolproof
security and precautionary measures are therefore warranted
to avoid any mishap,” reads another alert.
The UN Resident Coordinator
in Pakistan, Timo Pakkala, during a meeting assured the Balochistan
Government of its continued assistance for relief and rehabilitation
efforts in the areas affected by recent earthquakes in the province.
Pakkala, who is also the humanitarian
coordinator for the country team comprising representatives
of the UN Agencies, briefed the Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai
about the firm commitment of the United Nations to work with
the Provincial Government in line with the 18th amendment and
in the context of ‘UN One-Programme’. The delegation shared
an update on the main areas of intervention that United Nations
agencies planned to focus on in the next five years, including
Governance, food security, agriculture, health services and
education.
November 5
Four cadres and two supporters
of the ASWJ were shot dead in tit-for-tat killings a day after
four Shia community members were shot dead on November 4, 2013,
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Two cadres belonging
to ASWJ, identified as Mufti Tariq Shah (30), and Yar Muhammad
(34), were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Akhtar Colony
of Mehmoodabad.
Another activist of ASWJ, identified
as Muhammad Jan (24), was shot dead in a drive-by shooting in
Defence Phase 1 near Gold Mark Mall. The victim was a seminary
teacher and taught Quran at a mosque and at homes, said the
Defence Police.
A cadre of the ASWJ, identified
as Muhammad Riaz (32), and a party supporter, identified as
Muhammad Ramzan, were shot dead near the Driving License Branch
Korangi Town.
A supporter of ASWJ was shot
dead near Ali Mosque.
A van driver and an ASWJ cadre,
identified as Abdur Razzaq, in Korangi Town. A passerby, identified
as Noor Hashim, was also injured in the attack. ASWJ Karachi
chief Aurangzeb Farooqi said the ASWJ activists were killed
due to their affiliation with the religious party. He strongly
condemned the ongoing killings in Karachi and warned that the
violence could lead to a bigger security issue.
An activist of the MQM, Nadeem
Jameel alias Sunny (22), was shot dead while his friend, Farhan,
was injured in Peerabad area of Qasba Colony.
In Madina Colony, unidentified
armed assailants shot dead an electrician, identified as Mohammed
Faizan, at Al-Irfan electronics shop in 24 Market. Investigators
said that Faizan was a supporter of a religious group.
A student of Jamia Binoria seminary,
identified as Zia-ur-Rehman, was shot dead outside the Quaid
mausoleum near Numaish.
Another student of the Jamia
Binoria seminary, identified as Misbahullah (25), had been shot
and injured near Mazar-e-Quaid by two unidentified assailants.
In Orangi Town, an unidentified
tortured dead body was found near the MBR graveyard, Qasba Morr.
The body had been cut in three pieces and stuffed in a gunny
bag, said Orangi Town SHO Saleem Sheikh.
A man, identified as Sohail
Ali Hasan (40), who was wounded in the gun attack at a tailor
shop in Liaquatabad, succumbed to his injuries at the Abbasi
Shaheed Hospital. The victim had suffered bullet wounds after
three attackers had opened fire at the tailor shop near Zeenat
Square and killed three men.
Two gang-war accused, identified
as Sana Baloch and Yousuf Lasi, were killed in exchange of fire
with Police and Rangers in Lyari Town. Police said on the information
about the presence of outlaws in the area, the para-military
force and Police launched an action at Shah Alam Bukhari Road.
Taking notice of the spike in
target killings ahead of Muharram, the Sindh Police Chief sought
a detailed report from the Karachi AIG on case to case basis.
A Police statement stated that Shahid Nadeem Baloch had directed
the authorities to investigate every aspect of the murder cases.
Twin explosions blew up two
railway tracks in Hyderabad and Khairpur Districts. However,
no casualty was reported. A locally-made bomb damaged upcountry
track between Karachi and Hyderabad minutes before the arrival
of a Lahore-bound Business Express in Hyderabad District near
Hussainabad subway. The train was about to reach Hyderabad railway
station after leaving the Kotri Station when the track was damaged.
BDS officials arrived at the site to collect evidence. According
to BDS official Saleem Vistro, the locally-made bomb weighed
two to three pounds. “We only found a shopping bag in which
the miscreants had brought explosives that was fitted with a
fuse”, he said.
Another bomb exploded on the
track a kilometer from the Gambat Railway Station in the Khairpur
District. Police and eyewitnesses said that about two-foot-long
railway track was destroyed when the locally-made bomb exploded
some time after the departure of the Shalimar Express to Karachi
via Gambat Railway Station.
A train coming from Karachi
was halted at the Jacobabad Railways Station due to rumours
about a bomb in the train. Jacobabad SSP Zafar Iqbal Malik along
with heavy Police force and BDS reached the Railway Station.
After a three-hour-long search, the train and station was cleared
by the authorities.
A Police constable, identified
as Sher Nawaz Khan, was killed when a group of militants attacked
Suripull Police checkpost in Lakki Marwat District. However,
the attackers escaped from the scene by taking advantage of
darkness. Police rushed to the spot and started a search operation.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative
to the UN Ambassador Masood Khan in the UN General Assembly
said that “the struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot
be characterised as terrorism”. He also claimed that ‘epicenter
of terrorism’ cannot be wrongly located by India to Pakistan,
simply because it raises the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the
United Nations.
Pakistan's former envoy to the
US, Husain Haqqani’s book 'Magnificent Delusions', said that
soon after the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the
US had warned Pakistan of declaring it a state sponsor of terrorism
and making public the findings obtained from al Qaeda chief's
hideout in Abbottabad linking Islamabad with the terrorist networks.
November 6
Seven people were killed in
separate incidents of violence in Karachi District.
A brother-in-law of the Lyari
gangster Noor Mohammad alias Baba Ladla was found dead from
Tenary Road within the jurisdiction of Chakiwara Police Station
in Lyari Town. The deceased, identified as 32-year-old Gul Hassan,
was killed after allegedly been kidnapped by a gangster, Faisal
Pathan, associated with the Peoples Amn Committee chief Uzair
Baloch.
A close aide of Baba Ladla,
Basit alias Basit Mout, was found dead from Baghdadi
locality of Lyari Town. Police in an initial investigation said
the deceased was abducted by rival group and later they shot
him to death.
An elderly man belonging to
Shia community was killed in a firing incident in Malir locality
within the limits of Khokhrapar Police Station in Malir Town.
A hotel owner was shot dead
near Old Maripur Truck Stand within the limits of Kalri Police
Station in Lyari Town.
Police said unidentified armed
riders opened fire at a hotel, injuring an owner of the hotel,
Makiullah, 45, and one of his employees, Javed. Makiullah succumbed
to his injuries later. Lyari gangsters had demanded one million
rupees as extortion and reportedly after refusal, they killed
Makiullah.
An alleged member of the TTP
was shot dead in Hill area in Islamia Colony within the precincts
of Pirabad Police Station in Orangi Town. Police suspected that
he was killed apparently by his rival group members.
Law enforcers claimed to have
killed two alleged gangsters of Lyari during encounter while
arrested around 55 suspects in separate targeted raids and operation
across the city. An encounter took place when Rangers and Police
jointly conducted a targeted raid at Dubai Chowk area of Lyari
Town. As the law enforcers reached a criminal hideout, the gangsters
opened fired, and retaliation ensued.
Balochistan Home Secretary Asad
Gilani said that groups from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi
are involved in sectarian violence, bomb blasts, targeted killings
and other terrorist and criminal activities in Balochistan,
particularly Quetta. “Although some local groups were involved
in sabotage acts in Balochistan, we have intelligence information
that some gangs of miscreants groups have shifted to Quetta
from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi and they are also involved
in sectarian violence, bomb blasts and targeted killings here,”
said the Home Secretary.
The official said that the entry
of 69 firebrand religious scholars into Quetta has been banned
for Muharram. Both Sunni and Shia speakers were on the list,
he added, adding, that Quetta, Bolan, Jaffarabad and Khuzdar
Districts had been declared highly sensitive and Naseerabad,
Jhal Magsi, Zhob and Lasbela sensitive.
November 7
At least eight persons, including
six gangsters, were shot dead in Lyari Town. Gang war in Lyari
Town was intensified as seven people were shot dead on November
6, 2013 after an aide and brother-in-law of gangster Baba Ladla,
Gul Hassan, was found dead in Lyari Town.
In an act of avenging the killing
of Gul Hassan, at least three suspected gangsters, identified
as Shahrukh (15), Nazar Mohammad (28) and Farid (18), were shot
dead in Chakiwara area of Bihar Colony in Lyari Town by unidentified
assailants, who had first kidnapped the victims.
A gangster, identified as Nadir
Qadir (18), was shot dead outside his house in a drive-by shooting
in Bihar Colony of Chakiwara. Police said Qadir was targeted
by the Lyari gangsters.
Also in Chakiwara, an unidentified
suspect was shot dead near Tughlaq Road in Rangiwara.
These five men killed in Chakiwara
were all associated with the Faisal Pathan group, which works
for Uzair Baloch, Police claimed. All the victims were suspected
gangsters and were killed to avenge the assassination of Hassan.
Intelligence sources said that the number of people killed during
the past 15 days in Lyari had touched 38, and it was a consequence
of the fresh gang war between Baba Ladla and Uzair Baloch groups.
Another close aide of Baba Ladla,
Nasir Khan, was killed in Lyari. Khan is the third of Baba’s
aides killed since November 6, 2013. According to initial investigation
by the Police, they were killed as a result of the ongoing gang
war between Baba Ladla’s gang and the PAC, led by Uzair Baloch.
The recent differences between Uzair and Baba began over the
issue of Uzair’s escape from Lyari, according to a source who
is close to both of them. “Baba directed Uzair not to leave
his men as the entire neighbourhood considered him to be the
sardar [leader]. But Uzair left without taking Baba into confidence,”
the source said.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found near Mirza Adam Khan Road in Chakiwara. Police
said the killers had first kidnapped the victim and threw away
his body after killing him.
In Napier, the body of another
unidentified man was found near the union council office on
Jameela Street near the old Haji Camp. The Napier SHO said the
man appeared to be Baloch, who had been abducted and killed.
Law enforcers arrested 110 suspects
during targeted raids and operations conducted in various parts
of Karachi. As per details, Pakistan Rangers Sindh conducted
targeted raids in Landhi No 5, Tariq bin Ziyad Society - Malir,
Khuda Ki Basti, Landhi 51/C, Islam Chowk - Orangi, Old Sabzi
Mandi, Bangali Para, Zia Colony, Lines Area and Chanesar Goth.
While snap checking was also carried out in Latti Office - Quaidabad,
Sabeel Goth - Manghopir, Ahsanabad, Abul Hassan Ispahani Road
and Show Market. During these raids at least 28 criminals including
target killers and extortionists affiliated with a political
party were arrested. Weapons were also recovered from the possession
of the suspects.
Police arrested at least four
alleged suspects including two absconders from Mehmoodabad locality
of Jamshed Town. The officials also recovered four pistols,
snatched motorcycle and drugs from their possession. Karachi
Police arrested around 77 suspects including 23 absconders and
two target killers during 77 raids and seven encounters in various
parts of the District and also recovered explosive material,
hand grenades and weapons of 59 different calibres.
ATC-II in Karachi awarded 10
years imprisonment and a fine of PKR 100,000 to Abdul Razaq
alias Qari Umer for abducting six children and taking
them to tribal areas for training as suicide bombers. If the
accused failed to pay the fine, he would have to undergo an
additional six-month imprisonment.
An unidentified man was killed
and another injured when unidentified militants opened indiscriminate
fire at Pasni Bazaar in Gwadar District.
Another person was killed in
a firing incident at Panjgur bazaar in Panjgur District.
A division bench of the Balochistan
High Court comprising of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice
Muhammad Kamran Mulakhel directed the provincial Home Secretary
to submit a detailed report about the December 13, 2011 abduction
of four employees of the BRSP who were abducted from Barshor
area of Pishin District and released after payment of ransom.
The driver of a NATO supply
vehicle got injured when unidentified militants opened fire
on it at bypass road of Jamrud tehsil in Khyber Agency
of FATA. The sources said an Afghanistan-bound trailer bearing
registration no. GLT-4086 loaded with NATO supply assignments
was on its way to its destination in Afghanistan, as it was
intercepted by unidentified militants who opened indiscriminate
fire on it. Resultantly, the driver of the truck identified
as Wali Mohammad, resident of Landi Kotal got injured.
At least 98 suspects, including
five Afghan nationals, were detained during joint search operations
conducted by Police and Security Forces’ personnel in Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to Police,
operations were carried out in civilian areas of the city, namely
Gulberg and Nauthia.
An alleged al Qaeda suspect,
identified as Saifullah, who is nominated in the abduction of
US Citizen Warren Weinstein was re-arrested from Multan District.
Weinstein was abducted from his house in Lahore’s Model Town
on August 13, 2011. The arrested suspect Saifullah was nominated
in the case along with two others, Imran and Afzaal. The other
two suspects are still at large.
Saifullah was arrested soon
after the kidnapping and was interrogated by security officers
about his involvement in the case. The accused was release due
to lack of evidence. However, Police recently gathered new evidence
and Saifullah was again declared wanted. He was arrested today
on the basis of new evidence that points at his possible involvement
in the kidnapping.
Rawalpindi CPO Bilal Siddique
Kamyana on November 6 said that as many as 4,200 Policemen would
ensure security for Majalis and Muharram processions
in Rawalpindi. He said the security arrangements had been finalised
for Majalis and Muharram processions in the city.
The CPO said under the security
plan formulated for Muharram, leaves of all police personnel
had been cancelled between the first and 10th Muharram. It was
decided in the meeting that all departments concerned would
make concerted efforts for the safety of the mourners.
The entry of 157 ulema into
the Rawalpindi District has been banned while 92 religious scholars
of different sects were taken onboard to promote harmony. The
CPO said an additional force of Special Branch, Elite Force,
Punjab Constabulary, Lady Police and Rangers along with District
Police would be deployed to ensure security during Muharram.
According to a threat-alert
sent by the Federal Interior Ministry to the Gilgit-Baltistan
Government on November 5, at least three terrorists, identified
as Liaquat and his accomplices have made their way into the
region via the Karakoram Highway. The letter, addressed to the
Home Secretary, has called for strict security measures along
procession routes in the region to foil any terrorist attempts.
Former President General Pervez
Musharraf was formally released on November 6 from his sub-jail.
Pervez Musharraf was imprisoned in his Chak Shehzad farmhouse
near Islamabad which was declared a sub-jail. He was released
from the sub-jail after he submitted two surety bonds of Rs
100,000 two days after being granted bail in the murder case
of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rasheed Ghazi.
Though an additional session’s
judge on November 6 passed a written order approving bail for
former president Pervez Musharraf in the murder case of cleric
Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and his mother during the Lal Masjid operation
in 2007, his freedom is yet to come into effect.
The TTP ruled out the possibility
of peace talks with Pakistan as Mullah Fazlullah, the leader
of the Swat Taliban, was named the new chief. Fazlullah was
elected by the supreme Shura a week after Hakimullah
Mehsud was killed in a US drone strike on November 1. Sheikh
Khalid Haqqani was chosen as his deputy. The TTP leaders from
as far afield as Kurram Agency, Orakzai Agency, Bajaur Agency,
Tank and South Waziristan participated in the meeting. Fazlullah
is the first TTP chief who is not from Waziristan. His deputy,
Khalid Haqqani, hails from Swabi. It is for the first time that
the TTP leadership comprises men from urban areas and not from
FATA.
Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani,
who was appointed interim chief of the TTP, ruled out the possibility
of any peace talks, accusing the Pakistan Government of ‘wielding
no authority as it is under the US yoke’. Bhittani told journalists
that TTP would continue their struggle for implementation of
Shariah, adding that negotiations with the Government would
only be possible if it is freed of US slavery and has its own
authority. Bhittani said that TTP is not a political organisation.
The PPP leader Raza Rabbani
presented an 11-point plan to the PML-N Government for steering
the nation out of the current complicated situation relating
to talks with the TTP. He came up with the plan as opposition
continued their protest and held a parallel Senate session outside
the Parliament House. The session presided over by PPP Senator
Ahmed Hassan continued for more than 90 minutes despite rain.
Asking the government to end
the “state of flux hurting national security interests”, he
said that the TTP must be told to come up with a “formal yes
or no on the dialogue”. He said “judging from the TTP’s statement
they are not ready for dialogue, and the Government should check
through its contact, if any, all possibilities of the dialogue.”
He asked the Government to make
its position clear on pre-conditions set by the TTP for talks.
The pre-conditions, he said, included release of prisoners and
enforcement of Shariah in the country and withdrawal of troops
from FATA.
The PM Nawaz Sharif ruled out
reviewing all aspects of Pakistan’s relations with U.S. after
Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s outburst
on November 2 blaming the U.S. for sabotaging peace talks by
targeting TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud.
The Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the Senate that he stood by the
figures given by him on the terror-related deaths in the country
while the Opposition members continued with their parallel session
outside for the second day. In an unprecedented move, the Opposition
members led by Aitzaz Ahsan of the PPP decided to hold a parallel
session after boycotting the Senate for over a week due to Mr.
Khan’s Statement on terror-related deaths on October 30.
Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan informed the Senate that the first phase
of the targeted operation in Karachi had been completed during
which 9,000 criminals were arrested. In reply to a question,
the Minister said a time frame for the operation could not be
disclosed, adding that several objectives had been met and this
was evident with the decrease in target killings and extortion.
“The second phase of the operation
is underway and the third phase will be severe,” he added.
As many as 4,200 Policemen would
ensure security for Majalis and Muharram processions in Rawalpindi,
said Rawalpindi CPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana. He said the security
arrangements had been finalised for Majalis and Muharram processions
in the city. The security plan formulated for Muharram leaves
of all police personnel had been cancelled between the first
and 10th Muharram. The security plan for Muharram had been finalised
in a special meeting held Rawalpindi on November 7.
November 8
At least three armed militants
and one FC personnel were killed in a clash in Kech District.
Khan Wasey, the spokesman FC said that armed militants attacked
the FC convoy in Mand tehsil of Kech. He said one personnel
was killed in the attack.
Unidentified armed militants
opened indiscriminate fire on two people in Eastern Bypass area
of Quetta killing them on the spot.
Two people were killed in Chaman
town of Qilla Abdullah District. A levies official, who did
not want to be named, said that armed men opened fire and killed
the two people in Guldara, Baghicha area of Chaman.
A man was killed and another
was injured when militants opened fire at a shop in Khuzdar
Bazaar. Police official Muhammad Riaz said that armed motorcyclists
opened fire at the shop speeding away after the incident.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
appealed to Baloch separatists to renounce violence, join the
national mainstream and play their role in putting the country
on the road to peace and prosperity. “I appeal to the people
who opted for the wrong path, please leave this path. Lay down
your weapons because fighting leads to nowhere. Help the Government
eliminate terrorism and bring development and economic stability,”
he said referring to the Baloch separatists.
A man, identified as Riaz (35),
was shot dead when unidentified armed assailants opened fire
on him near Metro cinema within the jurisdiction of Orangi Town
Police Station in Orangi Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
An unidentified man was shot
dead by unidentified armed assailants in Yousuf Goth, Bhains
Colony within the remit of Shah Latif Police Station in Gadap
Town.
A child, identified as Yaseen
(7) was killed in a crossfire between two armed gagsters in
Koila Godown area within the limits of Chakiwara Police Station
in Lyari Town.
An alleged gangster, identified
as Mohammad Hussain (32), was killed and another was injured
during an encounter with law enforcers in Koila Godown area.
Three gangsters were arrested while others managed to escape
from the scene.
Law enforcers claimed to have
arrested around 136 suspects across Karachi. As per details,
Special Investigation Unit took three extortionists, including
a ringleader into custody. The officials said that they conducted
a raid on a tip-off at the hideout in Gulshan-e-Iqbal locality
of Gulshan Town.
Rangers conducted targeted raids
in Zaman Town, Marvi Goth, Moinabad, Landhi, Cattle Colony,
Malir City, Sikandar Goth, Pak Colony, Lyari, Sindhi Muslim
Society, Old Sabzi Mandi, Nazimabad, Fareed Colony, Frontier
Morr, Gulbahar, Azizabad, Khudadad Colony, Chanesor Goth, Azeem
plaza in City town, Shah Faisal Colony and Macchar Colony areas.
A suspected militant was apprehended
while trying to plant a bomb outside the house of a colonel
in Cantonment Colony of Bannu town in the same District of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. Police official Iftikhar Ahmad said the alleged
militant was held by FC personnel as he was trying to plant
the explosive device outside the gate of Colonel Abdullah’s
house at around 6am. Initial investigation revealed the alleged
militant hails from North Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA), but his identity was not disclosed due
to security reasons.
Rockets fired from an unknown
location by unidentified militants landed on Dera Ismail Khan-Bannu
Road at around 1am, said a police official. He added no loss
was reported in the incident. “If the rockets would have been
fired in the daytime, they would have caused havoc and destruction.”
Sindh High Court transferred
the murder case of TV reporter Wali Khan Babar from Karachi
to Anti-terrorism Court Kashmore-Kandhkot District. Babar was
killed on January 13, 2011. At the request of Provincial Government
to transfer the trial from Karachi in view of threats to the
lives of investigators, witnesses and prosecution lawyers, SHC
Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar ordered the transfer of case.
Suspected terrorist, Hammad
Adil, detained at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi District, admitted
to his involvement in various plots, including the June 2008
suicide attacks at the Danish Embassy and March 2008 attack
on a western restaurant, Luna Caprese, in Islamabad, during
questioning. In his confession he also revealed that he had
collaborated with a terrorist named Tanveer for the attack on
the Danish embassy and that they also ‘used’ Saudi citizen Abu
Ghraib in the plot.
The TTP announced that they
would orchestrate a wave of revenge attacks against the Government.
“We will target security forces, government installations, political
leaders and police,” said Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani, the interim
chief of the TTP. He said the TTP’s main target included army
and government installations in Punjab.
The Sunni Ittehad Council, a
conglomerate of organizations of Braveli school of thought,
came down hard on elements those who declared former TTP ‘chief’
Hakimullah Mehsud as a Shaheed. In a statement issued in Lahore,
it said that branding the killing of Mehsud as Shahadat was
against teachings of the Quran and an Sunnah. It noted that
the former TTP ‘amir’ was a murderer and a criminal.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said that the operation to purge Karachi of criminals will continue
‘indefinitely’. “We will neither call off the operation nor
reduce its intensity…the action will continue until the last
criminal is netted,” he said. He dispelled impressions that
the ongoing operation is aimed at any political party.
While crediting the improvement
to the targeted operation by law enforcers, the HRCP report
stated that criminal activities in Karachi in September dropped
by 40 per cent and in October by 34 per cent. The data has been
compiled in comparison with August when the operation hadn’t
been launched. The targeted operation was launched on September
5, 2013 when the Federal Cabinet gave the go-ahead to the Rangers
and Police to cleanse the city of the targeted killings, kidnappings,
extortion and other crimes.
In the ongoing year, figures
reveal that September and October have been the overall least
violent months for Karachi. Since January, 2,789 people have
lost their lives in violence-related incidents. In August alone,
334 people were killed. In comparison, 199 lives were lost in
September and 219 in October.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, a partner
of the ruling coalition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, staged a sit-in
on Ring Road in Peshawar, the provincial capital, against the
US drone strikes in tribal areas and threatened to block NATO
supplies in the province after November 20 over attacks by the
unmanned aircraft.
The PTI chief Imran Khan accused
the United States of deliberately destroying any chance of meaningful
peace talks with the TTP by killing its ‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud
in a drone strike. Imran told Reuters in an interview that the
United States had scuppered negotiations at a time when the
militants seemed to have become more open to them.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said that the Government wanted to resolve issues with the TTP
through talks. Speaking to traders at the Governor House, he
said a Government delegation was to hold talks with the TTP
but now there was a hurdle, an apparent reference to the killing
of TTP ‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike on November
1.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that action
would be taken against criminal elements in Karachi without
any discrimination. He said that the ongoing operation was not
politically motivated and Government would not be blackmailed
on this issue.
November 9
Four dead bodies of alleged
gangsters found separately in Lyari Town of Karachi, were identified
as, Nisar alias Captain Nisari, his brother Riaz Niazi, and
two of their aides, Abdullah alias Pathan and Waseem. According
to Police officials, the deceased gangsters were associated
with the Uzair Baloch group.
A sub-inspector was shot dead
in Orangi Town’s Faqir Colony within the jurisdiction of Mominabad
Police Station. Police said the deceased, Muhammad Ameen Baloch,
was posted to the Security Zone and lived in the same area.
Police said that Baloch was returning home after buying fruits
when at least two armed men, riding a motorcycle, opened fire
on him. Resultantly, the police officer died on the spot.
Two people were shot dead in
Tanga Stand, Mirza Adama Khan Road within the limits of Chakiwara
Police Station. Police said that unidentified armed men opened
indiscriminate fire, injuring the two people. They were rushed
to Civil Hospital where doctor pronounced them dead. The identity
of the victims could not to be ascertained.
An alleged gangster was shot
dead near Garam Chashma in Manghopir locality. Police said the
deceased was identified as Jahangir aka Baba, the son of Khan
Muhammad. Police said the deceased was associated with the Sheraz
Comrade group of Lyari gangsters, adding that he was recently
shifted to Manghopir locality from Lyari.
A man was shot dead in Islamia
Colony area of Pirabad. Police said that the deceased, 30-year-old
Raaz Muhammad was sitting near his home when armed men on a
motorcycle shot and killed him.
A young man was found dead from
Northern Bypass area, within the limits of Surjani Police Station.
Police said the deceased was killed after being abducted and
several marks of torture were also found on his body.
An elderly man was found dead
at his home in Baldia locality. Police said the deceased, Taj
Muhammad, was hit and killed by a “sharp weapon” in his head
by unidentified persons.
At least three people were killed
when gunmen opened fire on two Imambargahs in Gujranwala, sparking
protests from mourners and enraged members of the Shia community.
According to Police reports, the first incident took place close
to dawn when unidentified gunmen opened fire as Muhammad Yousuf,
the prayer leader of the Qasr-i-Abu Talib Imambargah in Mominpura
area, had just finished leading Fajr prayers. Yousuf and another
person present at the mosque died on the spot.
A short while later, gunmen
entered the Qasr-i-Zainabiya Imambargah in Shahrukh Colony located
a short distance from the first mosque and opened indiscriminate
firing, killing worshiper Syed Javed on the spot. According
to initial investigation reports by police, the attackers had
come on motorcycles and managed to escape. A police officer
said the attacks appeared to be sectarian in nature.
Unidentified militants opened
fire on two trucks carrying NATO vehicles in Jamrud area of
Khyber Agency near the Afghan border in FATA, wounding two drivers.
“The two trailers were on their way to Karachi when gunmen attacked
them at different locations in Jamrud and opened fire on them,
wounding their drivers,” a local intelligence official told
AFP.
The FC personnel arrested four
suspects and recovered Improvised Explosives Device concealed
in a car at Balili Checkpost on outskirts of Quetta, the provincial
capital of Balochistan.
The Police detained over 100
suspects during the search operation in Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to Police sources raids
were conducted in the limits of Paharipura and Faqirabad Police
Stations and over 100 suspects were taken into custody.
The security in Peshawar and
rest of the province has been increased as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
IGP Nasir Khan Durrani has hinted that there is threat of terrorist
attacks. Officials said security has been tightened all over
Peshawar, particularly in and around the Peshawar Central Prison.
November 10
Four people were killed as gun
battles between two gangster groups continued for the fourth
consecutive day despite continuous operations by the law enforcers
in Lyari Town of Karachi District, the provincial capital of
Sindh. According to details, one unidentified man was killed
and four others were injured in clashes between Faisal Pathan
and Baba Ladla gangs in Chakiwara area of Lyari Town.
In Bihar Colony, the law enforcers
killed two alleged gangsters associated with the Baba Ladla
and Faisal Pathan groups. Their identities could not be ascertained.
In Musharraf Colony, the Mochko
Police killed another suspected Lyari gangster. During the raid
in a hideout in 500 Quarters, Musharraf Colony the suspects
opened fire at the law enforcers. The police retaliated and
injured two gangsters who were later arrested while their accomplices
fled. Two pistols were seized from them.
Two people were in injured in
a grenade explosion in Gulshan Colony.
Rangers raided the hideouts
of Pathan in Gulistan Colony and Bihar Colony. After a brief
encounter with the gangsters, a man, identified as Nasruallah
who had been abducted on November 9, 2013 by unidentified suspects,
was rescued.
Rangers carried out another
raid at the hideout of Faisal Pathan in Koyla Godown, Chakiwara.
After a brief encounter, nine associates of Faisal Pathan were
arrested with weapons, including rockets and one 7mm rifle.
Two abducted people were also rescued in the operation.
Rangers arrested 18 more suspected
criminals and seized 27 weapons as the operations continued
across Karachi. The paramilitary force carried out raids in
Gulshan-e-Buner, Quaidabad, Cattle Colony, Natha Khan Goth,
Salman Farsi Colony, Millat Colony, Shah Nawaz Chowk, Model
Colony, Ahsanabad, Chanesar Goth and Kharadar.
In a targeted raid in Zia Colony,
seven suspects were detained, including members of banned outfits
and extortionists. The Rangers spokesman said that 18 alleged
criminals were arrested and weapons, including submachine guns
and pistols, and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered.
The unabated violence in Karachi’s
volatile Lyari neighbourhood has forced its entire Christian
community to move to safer areas. Threats, killings, interferences
in personal matters, drugs, extortion and rape of young girls
were some of the reasons that compelled the out-migration from
one of the oldest parts of Lyari, called Slaughter House.
The Slaughter House was primarily
a residential area for minorities, which included 90 per cent
Christians and 10 per cent Hindus. There are seven sacred worship
places – four churches and three temples. “It is almost empty
now,” disclosed an affected elder of the Christian family. “We
all are separated now. We won’t be reunited again,” he feared.
Police record said that 50 people
have lost their lives in Karachi in the first 10 days of violence
in November, calling it the Dark November. Members of political
and religious organisations as well as police officers are among
the people who died.
A potential terror bid was averted
with the arrest of three suspected militants, identified as
Zaman, Ali Haider and Shahzad Hussain, and seizure of a huge
quantity of explosives during a covert operation by law enforcers
in a house in Sector I10/2 of Islamabad in the night.
The TTP said that the release
of former Vice-Chancellor Islamia College University Peshawar,
Professor Ajmal Khan, was linked to the release of arrested
head of TNSM, Maulana Sufi Muhammad. Prof. Ajmal Khan is in
TTP captivity since September 7, 2010 when he was abducted along
with his driver at gunpoint from Professor Colony in University
of Peshawar. His driver was released two years later.
The TTP ‘spokesman’ Shahidullah
Shahid denied the report of demanding the release of TNSM ‘chief’
Sufi Muhammad against the release of Islamia College University
Vice Chancellor Professor Ajmal Khan. Talking to a private TV
channel, TTP ‘spokesman’ Shahidullah Shahid said the TTP have
never made any demand for the release of Sufi Muhammad, father-in-law
of new TTP ‘chief' Maulana Fazlullah.
The PTI Chairman Imran Khan
urged PM Nawaz Sharif to stay in the country and lead peace
talks with the TTP. “Pakistan is burning while Nawaz Sharif
is making foreign trips one after another,” he told the media,
adding, “Nawaz Sharif, tell us how much foreign investment came
to Pakistan due to your visits?” Imran criticised the United
States for sabotaging peace talks with the TTP when Washington
itself was seeking to engage the militants in talks in Afghanistan.
The leaders of different political
parties in FATA have demanded of the Government to give them
representation in talks with TTP for restoration of peace in
FATA. They also demanded provincial status for FATA, holding
of local bodies’ elections in tribal areas and scrapping of
Frontier Crimes Regulation.
A delegation of the High Peace
Council will soon visit Pakistan to meet Afghan Taliban leader
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. According to the Afghan Islamic
Press, the spokesman for the Afghan Foreign Ministry Janan Musazai
told a press conference in Kabul on Sundaythat Mullah Baradar,
the former Afghan Taliban-era Foreign Minister could play a
vital role to the peace process in Afghanistan.
Over 100 Muftis, Mashaikh and
Ulema associated with Sunni Ittehad Council issued a statement
in Lahore urging Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar to order
the TTP to stop their terrorist activities and woo them to accept
the Islamic Constitution of the Islamic state.
According to a SIC statement,
the Government of Pakistan and its people had recognized the
Taliban rule in Afghanistan in the past. Therefore, it is now
Mullah Omar’s duty to play his role towards bringing peace in
Pakistan, they added. They said that Mullah Omar should also
force the Pakistani Taliban to lay down arms, adopt a path to
peace and accept the government’s authority.
Malala Yusufzai’s book, I am
Malala, has been banned in Pakistan's private schools after
the teenage activist was accused of becoming a tool of the West
for writing "highly controversial" contents in her
memoir. The All Pakistan Private Schools Federation (APPSF)
issued a statement, saying it has been decided that Malala's
book, 'I am Malala', would never be made part of the libraries
or the curriculum in private schools.
President of APPSF Mirza Kashif
Ali said the federation represents all the private schools of
the country no matter how big or small and that the decision
to ban Malala's book was taken with consensus because the academics
know that Malala was playing in the hands of the West.
Over 100 clerics associated
with the Sunni Ittehad Council have sought Afghan Taliban supremo
Mullah Umar’s help to stop TTP’s terrorist activities in Pakistan.
“We appeal to Mullah Umar to use his influence and order Pakistani
Taliban to stop terrorism activities in the country besides
making them agree to accept the constitution of an Islamic state,”
the clerics said in a joint statement issued by the Council.
November 11
Two political workers of the
MQM were shot dead and another injured in an act of target killing
in Karachi District, the provincial capital of Sindh. Unidentified
armed riders intercepted and targeted them in the New Mianwali
Colony area of SITE Town.
Law enforcers claimed to have
arrested around 28 suspects during separate targeted raids and
operations across Karachi. Pakistan Rangers Sindh conducted
targeted raids in Mehran Town, Memon Goth, Dawood Goth, Model
Colony, Paposh Nagar, Liaquatabad and Landhi. Snap checking
was carried out at Bengali Morr, Abdullah Shah Ghazi Goth, Jammat
Khana-Kharadar and Toll Plaza. Rangers arrested 19 criminals,
including Lyari gangsters.
Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah
paid surprise visits to different parts of the city for beefing
up security measures to maintain the sanctity of Muhrram. He
warned police officers that no security lapse would be tolerated
at any cost.
The ‘chief fundraiser’ of the
Haqqani Network, Nasiruddin Haqqani, was shot dead by unidentified
militants in Islamabad, the Afghan Taliban said. “I can confirm
that Nasiruddin Haqqani, 36, was shot dead in Islamabad’s Bhara
Kahu area on Sunday night. At least four gunmen opened fire
on him,” an unnamed senior Afghan Taliban source from the Haqqani
Network said.
Shahidullah Shahid, the main
spokesman for the TTP, claimed, “Nasiruddin Haqqani has been
martyred by ISI. He was killed because he bravely supported
Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud.”
National Directorate of Security,
a spy agency of Afghanistan also confirmed Haqqani’s death but
blamed it on an “internal conflict”. It did not give further
details.
Nasiruddin Haqqani was the eldest
son of the founder of the Network, Jalaluddin Haqqani.
At least nine people, including
a Policeman, were injured in a grenade attack on the office
of a returning officer, who is an Assistant Commissioner of
Pasni, in Pasni area of Gwadar District. “The returning officer
remained unhurt,” Police sources said. The banned BLF claimed
responsibility for the attack.
Balochistan High Court expressed
concern over the non-recovery of ANP leader Arbab Zahir Kasi
and directed the Police and the FC to ensure his quick return.
The BHC hearing was presided over by Chief Justice Qazi Faez
Isa and Justice Muhammad Kamran Mulakhel. The court ordered
the Police to launch an investigation into vehicles with tinted
glasses, as well as unregistered vehicles. On October 23, 2013,
Kasi was abducted from Patel Road in Quetta.
Two men, identified as Sajidullah
and Inamullah Khan, were injured when SFs opened fire at them
while they were working in their fields in Mir Ali tehsil
of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. Authorities imposed a curfew
in order to provide protection to a military convoy. Helicopter
gunships kept flying over the convoy. In addition, an IED planted
along the road at Karamkot in Mir Ali tehsil was defused. A
large number of people were stranded in FR Bannu because of
curfew.
According to details given by
the locals, earlier, on the night of November 10 SFs had resorted
to heavy shelling following an attack by the militants on Amin
checkpost in Miranshah. Officials said SFs took the retaliatory
action after militants fired at checkpost. Heavy exchange of
fire continued for over an hour. However, no casualty was reported.
The TTP has transported ‘blue
bombs’ in different cities of Punjab to conduct terrorist activities
during Ashura, according to a report intelligence agencies
have sent to the Federal Government. The days chosen for the
terrorist activities are 9th and 10th of Muharram. The report,
which narrates in detail the ‘sabotage plan’ of the TTP, has
also been shared with the Punjab Government. It says that a
group of five terrorists has transported more than dozen small-sized
blue cylinders of explosive material to target different cities
of Punjab, particularly Lahore on or before the 10th of Muharram.
A red alert has been issued
for the federal capital, Islamabad, following reports of potential
terrorist attacks on Imambargahs during Muharram. Islamabad
SSP asked the police to prevent entry of irrelevant persons,
cars or motorbikes within the 200-yard radius of Muharram gatherings.
He also directed the Police to keep a vigilant eye on the movement
of 23 religious clerics of the federal capital who are listed
in Schedule 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The Government told the National
Assembly that the dialogue process with the TTP cannot move
forward if drones attacks continued unabatedly. Federal Minister
of Interior Nisar Ali Khan stated: “If drone attacks continue,
the talk of dialogue would merely be an illusion.” Nisar also
said that the dialogue can also not be pursued if the Government
works for it vigorously and the other side, an apparent reference
to TTP, keeps on refusing to it.
Addressing the National Assembly,
PTI chief Imran Khan invited all the political forces to join
him to block NATO supplies on November 20 as a mark of protest
against drone strikes. “We are not waging a war by blocking
the NATO supplies but only exercising our right as a mark of
protest against these strikes,” Imran said.
The TTP Mohmand Agency (FATA)
leader Umer Khalid Kharasani said that political parties and
Pakistan Army have “always deceived the Taliban” and latest
fiddle was in form of a drone attack which killed their chief
Hakimullah Mehsud. Holding political parties and Pakistan Army
responsible for the death of Hakimullah Mehsud he vowed to take
revenge for the killing. He also said the US and India are enemies
of Taliban but the “Pakistani government has always followed
the dictation of America and inflicted damages on TTP”.
Regarding peace talks issue,
he said that the formal standpoint of TTP would be issued after
meeting of its Majlis-e-Shura to be presided over by new TTP
chief Maulvi Fazalullah. Some of the political parties, including
PTI, JI and JUI-F, are in favour of restoration of peace through
talks but government was using various tactics aimed at not
letting their efforts to be fruitful, Kharasani added. To a
question regarding contour of the TTP Shura, he said it consisted
of 15 to 17 members from every tribal agency. He said that gorilla
action of Taliban was underway in Mohmand Agency (FATA), Swat
(Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Bajaur Agency (FATA) and other tribal
agencies.
While the Pakistani Government
routinely denounces US drone strikes, locals say that a sizeable
number of people in the country's tribal areas support them
but the threat of TTP reprisals makes them too terrified to
speak out. Pakistan's lawless tribal areas along the Afghan
border have borne the brunt of the US drone campaign since 2004,
with hundreds of missile strikes targeting suspected al Qaeda
and TTP militants.
Anyone who does speak out in
favour of the drones in the tribal areas runs the risk of being
kidnapped tortured and murdered by militants – their agonising
last moments captured on camera. "Anybody who supports
drone strikes, they will try to kill him. They will say that
person is pro-American, a friend of the Jews," Gul Wali
Wazir (name changed) from South Waziristan Agency of FATA said.
A survey by the New America
Foundation in 2010 found that a sizeable proportion of people,
that is, more than one in five in the tribal areas backed drone
strikes. Safdar Hayat Khan Dawar, former head of the Tribal
Union of Journalists, from North Waziristan Agency, the area
most affected by drone strikes, said the missiles were the preferred
solution to the problem of militancy.
A Pakistani native living in
the US, identified as Basit Javed Sheikh, alias Abdul Basit
(29), from Cary is facing federal charges that he sought to
join an al Qaeda-linked militant group fighting the regime of
Syrian President Bashar Assad. Sheikh is charged in a federal
criminal indictment with attempting to provide material support
to a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
For five months this year, Sheikh
posted messages and videos on Facebook expressing support for
jihadi militants fighting Assad's forces, said the affidavit
signed by FBI Special Agent Jason Maslow. In August 2013, Sheikh
began an online relationship with an FBI undercover employee
on a Facebook page promoting Islamic extremism, the affidavit
said.
If convicted, Sheikh could be
sentenced to up to 15 years in prison and fined USD 250,000.
November 12
Two extortionists and land grabbers,
identified as Niaz Gul and Pathan Khan, were shot dead in Muslim
Town area of New Karachi Town. Manghopir Sub-Divisional Police
Officer Shaukat Ali Shahani said a third person, Akhtar Khan
suffered injuries, adding, “They were wanted by the Gulshan-e-Maymar
Police in many extortion and land grabbing cases.” He said Taliban
could be responsible for the attack.
An alleged terror bid was foiled
when Police raided an empty house in Shah Faisal Colony area
of Shah Faisal Town and recovered huge cache of arms, including
four Kalashnikovs, four 9mm pistols, three TT pistols and hundreds
of bullets. SSP East Pir Muhammad Shah claimed that the accused
were planning to target a Muharram-ul-Haram procession in Shah
Faisal Colony.
The West Range Police arrested
two militants belonging to a splinter group of the Afghan Taliban,
alleged to be involved in the murders of 16 Policemen in Karachi
alone. West Range DIG Jawed Alam Odho said that the breakthrough
was made through one of the teams formed under his supervision
as a result of the large number of attacks on policemen in District
West this year. He said that an informant tipped the police
off late on the night of November 11, 2013 about the presence
of militants in Metroville, SITE.
Two alleged criminals, identified
as Mohammad Ali and Ahmed Ali, were arrested during a Police
encounter in Zaman Town area of Korangi Town. Police officials
said the arrested men had been involved in number of cases of
street crime.
The Rangers claimed to have
arrested 28 alleged criminals during the ongoing targeted operations
in different parts of Karachi.
SFs killed a militant and arrested
seven others in Barshore area of Pishin District. An intelligence
official, on condition of anonymity said that SFs conducted
the operation against the militants upon intelligence of their
presence in the area. He said a militant was killed during
exchange of fire that did not last for too long.
A Khasadar force official was
injured when a roadside bomb went off on the Pak-Afghan highway
in Landikotal area of Khyber Agency in FATA. Sources said that
unidentified militants had planted two remote-controlled explosive
devices on the highway to target NATO supply vehicles. One of
the planted bombs, the sources added, went off when the convoy
of NATO trucks passed by. As a result, a Khasadar man, who was
deployed to guard the highway, was seriously injured. The injured
official is identified as Hussain Ahmad.
A renowned doctor, identified
as Doctor Ehsanullah, who had come from North Waziristan Agency
of FATA for an interview for a vacant post of dermatologist,
was abducted from the premises of PIMS in Islamabad by unidentified
masked men, who were riding in two vehicles, in broad daylight.
The Police apprehended 45 suspected
persons in a search operation that was launched in the wake
of recent bomb explosions in Swabi Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This was stated by Swabi DPO Sajjad Khan while addressing a
meeting of Police officers. The suspects include Afghan refugees,
residents of Mohmand and Bajaur agencies, Buner, Peshawar, Charsadda
and Muzaffargarh.
Police would carry out targeted
operations against terrorists across the province and a counter
terrorism department would also be set up soon, said Inspector
General of Police Nasir Durrani at Mingora. Talking to journalists
at the Police lines in Kabal, he said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
in general and Peshawar and Malakand divisions in particular
were affected by terrorism. The province was a soft target for
terrorists, he added. DIG Abdullah Khan, DPO Sher Akbar Khan
and other Police high ups were also present on the occasion.
Former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf asked the Sindh High Court to let him leave
the country to visit his sick mother in Dubai. Musharraf is
facing four major criminal cases dating back to his 1999-2008
rule, including one related to the assassination of former Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007. Currently, he
is on bail in all four cases, though he remains under guard
at his Islamabad farmhouse because of threats from TTP militants.
He is unable to leave Pakistan as his name appears on the Government’s
Exit Control List.
Musharraf’s lawyer AQ Hallipota
filed an application with the SHC in Karachi to have his name
removed from the list, court sources said. “Since he has been
bailed in all the cases against him, keeping his name on the
Exit Control List is unjust,” Asiya Ishaq, spokesperson for
Musharraf’s political party, the APML said, adding, “This is
his legal right to travel anywhere as a free citizen of this
country. He also wants to see his ailing mother in Dubai.”
November 13
Three TTP militants and one
Rangers person were killed when a shootout occurred during a
targeted operation conducted by the paramilitary force in Gulshan-i-Buner
area of Landhi Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
The report quoted Rangers spokesperson as saying that the suspected
militants were plotting terrorist activities to be carried out
during Muharram and opened fire when the Rangers team arrived
in their vicinity to conduct a targeted operation.
An unidentified man was killed
and another was injured in gun firing incident in Kalapul area
of Saddar Town.
An unidentified man died of
gunshot wounds near Five Star Chowrangi in North Nazimabad Town.
An exchange of gunfire took
place between Police and militants in Roshan Bagh area of Al-Noor
Society near Federal B Area in Gulberg Town. Police sealed the
area while the suspects managed to escape under the cover of
gunfire.
A minor girl came under attack
during a cross fire between two groups of gangsters in Ali Mohammad
Mohalla within the jurisdiction of Baghdadi Police Station in
Lyari. Police said the victim identified as four-year-old Amna,
daughter of Naushad, was playing near her house when a bullet
hit her head, killing her instantly.
A man was killed and a Policeman
injured in a firing incident in Orangi Town. Police said the
deceased was identified as 24-year-old Umair and the wounded
Policeman as Amir. SHO Saleem Shaikh said both the victims were
friends, and were targeted by two unidentified assailants who
came on motorcycles, while sitting at a sweet shop near their
homes.
A young man was found dead from
a nullah in Liaquatabad. Police while quoting initial investigation
said unidentified culprits kidnapped the victim from somewhere
and later threw his body at the said place after shooting him
multiple times.
Three bomb and grenade attacks
near Imambargahs in North Nazimabad and North Karachi in the
night left about 20 people injured. The injured persons included
Policemen, Rangers personnel and media persons. Two men were
wounded when a small IED went off in Paharganj area and over
15 others suffered injuries in another blast not very far away.
A grenade was hurled at a Police
check-post near an Imambargah in North Karachi after a Majlis
had ended. According to SSP Central, Amir Farooqi, two men on
a motorcycle hurled a ‘cracker resembling a tennis ball’ at
the check-post, injuring Policemen Mushtaq and Yusuf.
Police killed three militants
after they attacked a Police post at the Shaikh Landak area
in Bannu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Militants fired at
least 12-15 rockets at the Shaikh Landak area Police post but
Police returned fire, killing one of the assailants, SP Muhammad
Iqbal said. Two Policemen were injured in the clash. Security
Forces killed two more suspected insurgents in a follow-up operation.
A roadside bombing killed two
Khasadar Force personnel on the Pak-Afghan Highway near the
Takhta Beg check-post in Jamrud tehsil (revenue unit) in Khyber
Agency.
In order to prevent any untoward
incident during Ashura days, Police have put security on high
alert in Peshawar, the provincial capital besides blocking most
roads leading to bazaars, cantonment areas, imambargahs, important
buildings and houses of VIPs. The main bazaars of Ashraf Road,
Qissa Khwani, Khyber Bazaar, Chowk Yadgaar, Hasht Nagri, Kohati,
Shoba Bazaar and other sensitive areas remained closed on Wednesday
amid tight security arrangements. Police have asked transporters
to avoid bringing passenger vehicles on roads for two days,
Thursday and Friday. All routes will remain closed during the
two days for security reasons.
A rocket fired from unknown
destination was reportedly landed in Brewery area of Quetta
(Quetta District), the provincial capital of Balochistan, in
the night. However, no loss of life was reported. The police
rushed to the site and cordoned off the area. A search operation
was also launched to trace the suspects.
The Gujranwala District coordination
officer ordered detention of 14 suspects of militants’ outfits
SSP, LeJ and JeM. All the suspects were sent to jail for a period
of one month.
The cellular networks have blocked
in the vulnerable cities of Pakistan as a security measure during
Ashura. The services would remain suspended in at least 25 cities
from 06:00 AM till 10:00 PM. According to intelligence reports,
the Districts of Chakwal, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Jhang, Narowal,
Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi, Layyah, Rahim Yar Khan,
Sargodha, Bhakkar, Gujranwala, Lahore, and Multan were deemed
sensitive in this regard.
Other Districts where the services
would remain suspended include Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, and
Pakpattan. The sources disclosed that the security agencies
informed the Federal Interior Ministry that there was a potential
threat that terrorists could target processions on Ashura processions.
The Federal Government had decided to shut down cellular phone
services in 25 cities on November 14-15 to protect gatherings
and processions being held in connection with Yaum-e-Ashur.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had sent the list of
cities to mobile phone companies.
According to sources, mobile
phone service would also remain shut in Karachi, Hyderabad,
Khairpur, Sehwan, Nawabshah and Larkana for two days.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there
will be no mobile phone service in Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat,
Hangu, Lakki Marwat, Bannu and parts of Peshawar. In addition,
mobile phone firms have been asked to block services in Faisalabad,
Sargodha, Rahimyar Khan, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh,
Pakpattan, Multan, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Jhang and Attock.
Sindh and Balochistan had written
letters to the Federal Government, requesting to close mobile
phone services in Quetta and five cities of Sindh on Yaum-e-Ashur.
The Sindh regime had mailed requests for closure of mobile phone
service on 9th and 10th days of Muharram in Karachi, Hyderabad,
Larkana, Khairpur, and Sukkur.
Despite the appointment of Mullah
Fazlullah as the new ‘chief’ of the TTP, the deputy ‘chief’
of the TTP, Sheikh Khalid Haqqani, will lead the outfit as the
functional head in the latter’s absence from Pakistan. Well-informed
tribal circles have refuted rumours of Fazlullah’s return to
FATA after his appointment as the TTP ‘chief’.
November 14
Six LeJ militants were killed
during an exchange of fire with personnel from the CID of Police
in Mauripur area of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial
capital of Sindh. According to SSP Chaudhry Aslam, Police launched
a search operation near Lucky Pahari in Mauripur upon receiving
a tip-off on the suspects’ whereabouts, following which the
alleged militants opened fire. Police resorted to counter-firing.
During the exchange of fire between the two sides, three Policemen
sustained injuries where six alleged LeJ militants, including
two suicide bombers were killed.
The law enforcement agencies
have apprehended more than half a dozen suspects for their alleged
involvement in carrying out attacks outside imambargahs in the
North Nazimabad and North Karachi area of Karachi (Karachi District),
the provincial capital of Sindh.
At least three persons were
injured in an explosion in Shah Ghazai area of Awaran District
in Balochistan.
The hujra of a tribesman,
identified as Shah, was damaged in Ghundi area in the Jamrud
tehsil of Khyber Agency in FATA. The gate and portion
of the boundary-wall of the structure were damaged in the explosion.
However, no human loss was reported in the blast.
SFs arrested two alleged terrorists
and recovered arms and explosives from their possession in Khuna
Gandao area of Shahidano Dhand in Kurram Agency. 55 land-mines,
six hand-grenades, mortar shells, eight chemical masks, four
kilogram explosives, binocular, compass, cameras and thousands
of rounds were recovered from the possession of the arrested
terrorists. The identity of the arrested persons was not disclosed
to the media.
An Afghan man said to be on
a suicide mission was arrested after a brief encounter with
security personnel in Tarnol area, a suburbs of Islamabad. According
to sources, Matiullah had arrived from Afghanistan via Torkham
a few days ago and stayed at a house in Tarnol area. He was
reported to be wearing jacket stuffed with about five kilograms
of explosives and was planning to attack a 9th Muharram procession
near Asna Ashari Imambargah at G-6/2. The sources said the bomber
had been arrested on information provided by an alleged Afghan
agent detained by a team of security forces and capital police.
The NCMC alerted the Islamabad
Police to a plot by TTP to attack former President General (retd)
Pervez Musharraf. According to sources, the alert has been issued
in the light of intelligence reports that the TTP has planned
an attack on General Musharraf to avenge the operation against
Lal Masjid launched during his tenure as President.
November 15
At least eight persons were
killed and over 80 injured after sectarian clashes erupted at
a 10th of Muharram (the mourning period observed by the Shias,
commemorating the tragedy of Karbala) procession near Fawara
Chowk in Rawalpindi of Punjab. The tragedy occurred as mob turned
against the Police in the procession passing through Raja Bazaar.
A group of miscreants at 3:00pm reportedly snatched guns from
Police personnel installed in the area for security, and opened
fire. As panic spread, unknown people set a portion of the cloth
market in Raja Bazaar on fire. The situation soon got out of
hand and the Army was called in to control the situation. Authorities
have imposed a curfew for 24 hours in the limits of 19 Rawalpindi
Police Stations. The curfew will also extend to Rawal Town and
Potohar Town.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan ordered a probe into the killing of
the eldest son of Haqqani network ‘chief’ Jalaluddin Haqqani.
Nasiruddin Haqqani, the chief money man for one of the most
feared factions fighting US-led forces in Afghanistan, died
in a hail of bullets outside a bakery on the edge of Islamabad
on November 10. After his death it has emerged that he had been
living since 2010 in the suburb, Bhara Kahu, a respected local
figure known as "Doctor Sahib". According to sources,
Chaudhry Nisar has directed the Police to launch a comprehensive
investigation into Nasiruddin Haqqani's murder without leaving
any aspect un-probed and report in the least possible time.
November 16
At least five persons, including
a gangster and a Policeman, were killed in violent clashes in
Lyari town of Karachi (Karachi District), the provincial capital
of Sindh. An alleged gangster, identified as Karim Baloch, a
close aide of notorious gangster Baba Ladla, was killed while
another suspect, Jamshed Dada, was critically injured in an
armed clash near Dubai Chowk. Both the victims were taken away
by their accomplices.
On Ahmed Shah Bukhari Road,
two Policemen were injured when the gangsters attacked a patrol
mobile of the Baghdadi Police Station. The injured Police constables,
Essa (35) and Asad (40), were shifted to the civil hospital,
where Asad succumbed to his injuries.
A person, identified as Haji
Bashir Baloch, was killed as armed gangsters clashed behind
the Lyari Girls College in Chakiwara.
A passerby, identified as Abdul
Razzaq (32), was shot dead during a shootout between the criminal
gangs in Bihar Colony.
A person Identified as Ali Zaman
(70) was killed by a stray bullet during another clash among
gangsters in Chakiwara.
At least two persons including
a Policeman were killed and at least dozen persons were injured
in multiple bomb explosions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According
to Police officials, a Police van was hit by a blast in Mandi
area as it was travelling from Dera Ismail Khan to Hangu District.
At least one policeman was killed and two were injured from
what officials described as a roadside bomb explosion.
A suspected suicide bombing
wounded four paramilitary Frontier Corps personnel and two passersby
in Bannu District. Official sources said the suspected suicide-bomber
rammed his motorbike into a SFs vehicle, injuring the six men
and damaging the vehicle. Police also confirmed that the suicide
bomber was killed. Security personnel cordoned off the area
and started a search operation.
Three persons were injured in
another bomb blast in provincial capital Peshawar. BDS personnel
said approximately five kilograms of explosive material concealed
in a cylinder blew up near a Police van on Kohat road in Badhaber
area on Peshawar’s outskirts.
November 17
Two Policemen were killed when
two motorcycle bourne militants targeted the Darand Police checkpost
under Barmola Police Station in Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The militants also set the checkpost ablaze. The slain Policemen
were identified as Nadir and Sajjad.
A woman was killed and four
persons, including three women, sustained injuries in a hand
grenade attack at a house in Kashkol Banda area of Swabi District.
The death toll in the sectarian
clashes erupted at a 10th of Muharram (the mourning period observed
by the Shias, commemorating the tragedy of Karbala) procession
near Fawara Chowk in Rawalpindi of Punjab on November 15, climbed
to 10.
Government ordered an inquiry
into sectarian violence in Rawalpindi. Lahore High Court Chief
Justice Umar Ata Bandial constituted a one-member judicial commission
to probe the sectarian violence, as authorities lifted the curfew
that was imposed following the unrest.
Two soldiers were injured when
a SFs convoy came under a remote-controlled IED attack near
Karam Kot area in Mir Ali subdivision of North Waziristan Agency
in FATA.
The house of one Shehzad Khan
was blown up by unidentified militants in Ghundi area of Jamrud
tehsil in Khyber Agency. Sources said that the militants
had planted explosives to the house of the tribesman and triggered
the explosion at midnight. The empty house of Shehzad was destroyed
while another adjacent house was partially damaged in the explosion,
the sources said. However, no casualty was reported in the incident.
The Government announced that
it would put former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf
on trial for treason, punishable by death or life imprisonment,
for imposing emergency rule in 2007. “Following the judgement
of the Supreme Court and a report submitted by an inquiry committee,
it has been decided to start proceedings against General Pervez
Musharraf (for treason) under Article 6 of the Constitution,”
Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said.
The PTI postponed for three
days a scheduled blockade of NATO supply lines meant to protest
US drone strikes, citing recent sectarian clashes. PTI Chairman
Imran Khan called for a blockade of NATO convoys to Afghanistan
to force the US to abandon its drone programme. He had set a
November 20 deadline for the halting of drone strikes and threatened
to block supply trucks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, he announced
via Twitter on Sunday the protest would now be held on November
23.
November 18
Two persons, including a Policeman,
were killed when fire reported outside an Imambargah in Kohat
town of same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Authorities imposed
curfew in Kohat to keep situation under control while neighbouring
Hangu District was also reported tense after a brief curfew.
Police foiled a terror bid and
defused a bomb planted at Government Girls' Degree College on
the Bannu-Dera Ismail Khan Road in Bannu town of same District.
The BRA militants kidnapped
and killed three construction workers and dumped their bodies
in Josak area of Mekran in Turbat District of Balochistan. Another
man kidnapped along with them is still missing. A 'spokesman'
for the BRA claimed responsibility for kidnapping and killing
of the workers, who were identified as Mulazim Hussain, his
son Abdullah and Mustafa. The missing worker is named Mohammad
Hanif. All victims belonged to Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab
and were brought to Turbat by a local resident for construction
of his house in Josak area.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead the driver of one truck carrying NATO equipment out of
Afghanistan before setting the vehicle on fire near Naseerabad
town of same District.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a revenue officer, identified as Liaquat Jan, in Kharan
District.
Unidentified militants abducted
five security personnel and seized their vehicle and weapons
in the Gerdina area of Kharan District.
The ATC-II, Karachi remanded
two accused, Mohammad Asim and Azhar Mahmmood, to jail custody
till November 26, 2013 in the murder case of SHOSyed Irfan Haider.
Irfan Haider and SIO of New Karachi Police Station SI Shahbaz
Ali were targeted near Anda Morr in North Karachi area of North
Nazimabad Town.
The Punjab Chief Minister (CM)
Shahbaz Sharif while addressing participants of the Security
and War course at the National Defence University (NDU) said
that 'yesterday's jihadis have become today's terrorists'. He
vowed to take action against the elements responsible for the
Rawalpindi violence, adding that the incident was a 'stigma'.
November 19
Seven TTP militants, including
a local 'commander' Qari Saifuddin, were killed when a suicide
bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle carrying
TTP militants in the Mir Ali area of Miranshah, the main town
of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. There was no immediate claim
of responsibility and the motive of the attack was not clear.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a man, identified as Mohammad Qasim, on Sariab Road area
of Quetta in Balochistan.
Unidentified militants hurled
a hand grenade into a shop at the Jannat Bazaar in Gwadar District,
injuring five people, including two women and a child.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead two Policemen and injured another at a check-point in North
Nazimabad area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead two Policemen and injured another at a check-point in North
Nazimabad area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Another body of a young man,
identified as Mohammad Fahim, was found near Afghan Camp within
the vicinity of Gulshan-e-Maymar Police Station. Police said
that he had been kidnapped by unidentified persons.
The dead body of a man, identified
as Ahsan Raza, was found from Korangi coast guard's intercept
within the limits of Zaman Town Police Station.
The law enforcers claimed to
have arrested around 147 suspects including members of banned
LeJ and a target killer during separate raids and operations
in various parts of Karachi. As per details, the CID arrested
a terrorist affiliated with outlawed LeJ, who has been identified
as Amin alias Munna alias Chingari, from Orangi
Town. He belongs to Hafiz Qasim Rasheed group of LeJ.
Mobina Town Police arrested
an accused, identified as Ghulam Qasim alias Abba, along
with his two accomplices, Kallu Bengali and Adil Ali, during
a raid at their hideout at Abul Hassan Ispahani Road. The officer
also said that weapons were recovered from their possession.
Pakistan Rangers Sindh apprehended
around 20 suspects during separate targeted raids and operations
in various parts of the metropolis, including Model Colony,
Landhi No 5, Shah Faisal Colony, Pakhtunbabad, New Karachi,
Nazimabad No 2, Pak Colony, Islamia Colony and Lyari.
Karachi Police arrested around
123 suspects including, 15 absconders, 2 target killers, 4 kidnappers,
1 extortionist, 17 for illicit weapons, 5 drug peddlers, 7 street
criminals and 72 others involved in other heinous crimes. The
arrests were made during 75 raids and 8 encounters; the officials
also recovered weapons from the suspect's possession.
Suspected LeJ militants killed
a senior Shia university director, Syed Shabir Hussain Shah,
along with his driver in an apparent sectarian attack in Gujrat
town of same District in Punjab. "We found a note at the scene
of Shah's death which read: 'This is in retaliation for Rawalpindi',"
Deputy Superintendent of Police Manzoor Malik said, referring
to the clashes in Rawalpindi over the weekend in which eight
people were killed. "The note was signed, LeJ."
Unidentified militants shot
dead a Police constable Attaullah deployed at a church in Swati
Gate area of Umeedabad in Peshawar, the provincial capital of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The militants who killed 10
foreign mountaineers and a local helper in Diamer on June 22
belonged to TTP and had been trained in North Waziristan Agency's
town of Miranshah, said Dr Ata-ur-Rehman, the Home Secretary
of Gilgit Baltistan, to the Senate's Standing Committee on Foreign
Affairs. It disclosed that the militants who killed 11 foreign
tourists in Nanga Parbat wanted to kidnap them for ransom. Putting
forward an investigation report on the incident, Home Secretary
Gilgit Baltistan Dr Attaur Rehman said that the militants had
not planned to kill the tourists but, instead, wanted to kidnap
the group to demand ransom. However, one of the militants fired
at them, killing ten of them and their cook.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
approved a panel of three judges for the establishment of a
special court for the trial of former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf for high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution.
The criterion for selection of the three judges was strictly
based on merit and seniority. The special court will be headed
by Justice Faisal Arab from the SHC, while Justice Syeda Tahira
Safdar of the BHC and Justice Yawar Ali of the LHC will be its
members.
November 20
Four militants were killed by
Policemen at Natyan Police-post in Swabi District of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. Police chief Nasir Khan Durrani announced PKR 100,000
cash award and commendation certificates for the Police party
that repulsed the attack.
Unidentified assailants attacked
the office of ANP in Naurang town of Lakki Marwat District with
hand-grenade. However no casualties were reported.
One person, identified as Shah
Jehan, was killed and four others were injured in a blast in
a drain on Moti Ram Road area in Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan. Three persons were injured when militants hurled
a bomb at an official building on Sirki Road area. There has
been no claim of responsibility for the explosions.
At least three persons, including
a Policeman, were killed in separate incidents in Karachi (Karachi
District), the provincial capital of Sindh. A person, identified
as Javed Lal (35) was killed and another was injured by unidentified
assailants in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area within the jurisdiction of
Mobina Town Police Station.
A Police Constable, identified
as Hakim, was shot dead in DHA within the precincts of Darakhshan
Police Station.
A person, identified as Mohammad
Ashfaq (27) was shot dead at Jigar Murad Abadi Road within the
limits of Jamshed Quarters Police Station.
A dead body of a woman was found
from her house in Green Town area of Shah Faisal Colony.
Law enforcers rounded up over
135 suspects during the crackdown against criminal elements
across the Karachi. According to Rangers' spokesperson, a joint
operation with Police was also conducted in Nazimabad area,
adding that during the raids and snap checking, 64 hardened
criminals were arrested and weapons were also recovered from
their possession.
Law enforcers rounded up over
135 suspects during the crackdown against criminal elements
across the Karachi. According to Rangers' spokesperson, a joint
operation with Police was also conducted in Nazimabad area,
adding that during the raids and snap checking, 64 hardened
criminals were arrested and weapons were also recovered from
their possession.
At least two security personnel
were killed and seven others were injured in an attack on security
checkpoint by TTP militants at Shawa area of NWA in FATA. Abu
Baseer, a spokesman for a militant group called Ansarul Mujahideen,
claimed responsibility for the attack. He said it was carried
out in revenge for the death of former TTP leader Hakimullah
Mehsud in a U.S. drone strike on November 1, 2013.
Prime Minister's Adviser on
Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said the US has promised that it
will not carry out drone strikes in Pakistan during any peace
talks with the TTP militants in the future. Aziz said a team
of Government negotiators was prepared to hold talks with TTP
former chief Hakimullah Mehsud on November 2, 2013 the day after
he was killed in a US drone strike. He said Mehsud had been
sent a list of negotiators, and that the ex-TTP chief had himself
added the names of two clerics to the list. The foreign affairs
adviser said the US has now assured that no drone strikes would
be carried out during any peace talks.
November 21
At least eight suspected militants
were killed and five others were injured in US drone strike
at a seminary in Tal area of Hangu District. Haqqani Network's
spiritual leader, Maulana Ahmad Jan, was among eight persons
killed in the drone attack.
Two security guards, Noor Amin
and Ahmad Khanwere killed by unidentified assailants on Bara
Road in Peshawar.
Two dead bodies were found wrapped
in sacks in Regi area on the outskirt of Peshawar. According
to Police, the deceased were identified as Abdur Rahim and Abdul
Wahab and both hailed from a suburb area of Daudzai.
At least five persons were killed
and 23 others injured in a bomb blast on Sirki Road in Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. One Policeman and a scavenger
were among the dead.
At least three persons were
killed and 16 others were injured in a blast in Satellite Town
area of Quetta.
Armed bikers hurled a hand grenade
in Turbat town of Kech District, killing two men who were said
to be labourers hailing from Gilgit-Baltistan.
Three persons were wounded in
a bomb blast at Eidgah Chowk in Chaman town in Qilla Abdullah
District.
Two dead bodies of BNP activists
were recovered from Grog area in Nal tehsil of Khuzdar
District. According to a local levies official, two of the victims
were abducted by a group of armed assailants from Nal and their
bodies were found. The spokesperson of BNP said the victims
were their activists and had been targeted because of the party's
political views
Two dead bodies were recovered
from town of Panjgur District.
Three women were wounded in
a landmine blast in Dera Bugti town of same District.
Two dead bodies, identified
as that of Abdul Wahab and Abdul Rahim, were found in the Mulagori
area of Jamrud tehsil in Khyber Agency of FATA. They
hailed from the Daudzai area in Peshawar.
A bullet-riddled dead body of
a man, identified as Roohullah, was found in Wazir Dhand area
of the Jamrud.
The law enforcers claimed to
have held around 106 suspected criminals during ongoing-targeted
raids and operations across Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. As per details, Pakistan Rangers Sindh apprehended
around 27 criminals during different targeted raids across the
city. Karachi Police arrested around 79 suspected criminals
during 71 raids conducted in various parts of the city.
The Government has decided to
establish at least five new ATCs in Karachi any time to exclusively
try target killers, extortionists and kidnappers for ransom
arrested during the ongoing targeted operation against the criminals.
"We don't want to burden the present ATCs, working in Sindh,
with a fresh heavy load of cases, which have to be decided at
a fast track as provided in the law," a top official said."
Army and Rangers personnel would
be deployed in 13 sensitive Districts of Punjab including Rawalpindi
to maintain law and order situation while imposition of Section
144 would also be ensured across the province. According to
Punjab Government spokesman, indiscriminatory action would be
taken against provocative content, hatred speeches and writings.
He said that the speeches of preachers in sensitive Imambargahs
and mosques would be recorded.
The Punjab Government has separated
the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) - the only department
in the Punjab that deals with terrorism - from the Police, replacing
it with a new department. According to well-placed sources,
the new department has been put under the Home Department as
a result of bid by the Punjab bureaucrats to adjust a few men.
PTI chairman Imran Khan strongly
condemned the US drone attack in Hangu and said his party would
stage a huge protest demonstration in Peshawar on November 23,
2013 to block NATO supplies forever. Imran urged Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif to take a firm stand against US Predator attacks,
saying the time to play on "both sides of the wicket is over".
November 22
At least seven people were killed
and 40 others were injured in twin suicide blasts near a roadside
tea stall in Shia dominated Ancholi area of Gulberg Town in
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. The Associate Producer
of Geo News program "Geo FIR", Salik Ali Jaffery was also among
the victims.
Law Enforcement Agencies arrested
a criminal, identified as Dilshad alias Ejaz, wanted in numerous
cases of target killing and extortion, during a raid in Afshani
Gali of Lyari Town and recovered weapons and ammunition from
his possession.
Sindh Rangers and Police personnel
arrested 50 criminals alleged to be involved in extortion and
target killings during separate raids. The South Range Police
arrested up 36 criminals during separate targeted raids across
the city.
The protesting families of Balochistan's
missing men reached Karachi Press Club after an arduous march
of 756 kilometres spread over 25 days. The marchers stayed for
the night at Yusuf Goth in Gadap Town. Initially the long march,
which began from Quetta Press Club on October 27, 2013, comprised
only the families of the missing men. But on reaching Karachi,
a large number of Baloch men, women and children hailing from
Hub, Malir, Moach Goth and Lyari joined them at Lyari's Aath
Chowk, raising its strength to over 100 people.
A Shia man, identified as Razzaq
Ali, was shot dead by two unidentified armed assailants at a
grocery shop in front of Imambargah Qasr-e-Abbas near
Baraf Khana Chowk in Rawalpindi District of Punjab.
Doctor Shakeel Afridi, who helped
the CIA find al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been charged
with murder in a case related to a teenage boy who died after
the doctor performed surgery on him for appendicitis in 2006,
his lawyer said. The murder charge stems from a complaint filed
by the deceased teenage boy's mother, Nasib Gula, who said Afridi
was not authorized to operate on her son because he was a physician,
not a surgeon, said the doctor's lawyer, Samiullah Afridi.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said that his Government did not believe in double standards
on drone strikes and he had raised the issue with US President
Barack Obama and asked him to stop them. Speaking at a National
Consultation Conference on Pakistan 2025, he said that drone
attacks were totally unacceptable and counterproductive. He
said there must not be any bail for those who were involved
in cases of heinous crimes. He said that judges could wear masks
and hold trial of terrorists through video link.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar
Ali Khan hit out against the US once again and said that Pakistan
could not rely on any assurances from the US as the drone strikes
had proved that it was against peace talks. He also referred
to a reported statement in the media by the Prime Minister's
Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz
that the US had assured Pakistan that there would be no drone
strikes during peace talks.
Adviser Sartaj Aziz conveyed
the Pakistan Government's deep concern to the US Ambassador
in Islamabad after the drone strike in Hangu District on November
21, 2013, an official statement said. The concern was conveyed
on the same day adding that the Government had strongly condemned
the US drone strike that took place in Hangu District of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. The Advisor re-emphasized that the drone strikes
are not only a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial
integrity.
The announcement by PTI Chief
Imran Khan to block NATO supplies in protest against drone attacks
is an appreciable step, the TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid
said. "Imran Khan has taken a welcome step," TTP spokesperson
said while talking to reporters from an undisclosed location.
"No there is no question of ceasefire," he said responding to
a query regarding any chance of respite for peace.
"But one thing is clear we are
exacting revenge from Security Forces and not the public." Here
he specified that the public did not include the ANP, PPP and
MQM, the three leading secular parties of Pakistan that the
Taliban will never pardon. He said there was no question of
dialogue with the Government after the killing of Hakimullah
Mehsud. "However, peace dialogue is possible if the TTP Shura
and Mullah Fazullah decide."
November 23
Two escaped TTP militants, identified
as Abdullah and Wahabullah, were killed in an encounter in Baldia
Town of Karachi (Sindh). According to details, the militants
were arrested by Rangers a week ago and were handed over to
the Police. The encounter came about after the alleged terrorists,
detained in Mochko Police Station lockup managed to escape by
breaking the windows. The suspects, as per investigators had
killed at least 16 police officials and four police informers
in SITE and its adjoining areas.
A gangster affiliated to PAC,
Baba Golden, was killed and over a dozen others wounded in armed
clashes between two rival groups in Phool Patti Lane and Bihar
Colony of Lyari Town.
SIU of Karachi Police Department
and Citizen-Police Liason Committee in a joint action arrested
a TTP Karachi Chapter Chief, identified as Abdul Qadir, and
two of his henchmen from Gulshan Town. "The militants were arrested
during a raid in a house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Colony", said SSP,
Farooq Awaan said. Abdul Qadir, and his two comrades are Orakzai
tribesmen, the SSP added.
TTP claimed responsibility for
the twin suicide blasts in Karachi in on November 22, 2013 that
killed seven people. TTP 'spokesperson' Shahidullah Shahid said
that these attacks were in reaction to the November 25, 2013,
Ashura violence in Rawalpindi and the drone attack on November
21, 2013
TTP militants abducted 11 teachers,
involved in a polio vaccination campaign for schoolchildren,
from the private Hira Public School in the Bara tehsil of Khyber
Agency. Local official, Khyali Gul said the armed militants
took the teachers to an area controlled by militant leader Mangal
Bagh and his Taliban-affiliated Lashkar-e-Islam group.
A case has been registered against
a PTI leader in Bhakkar District for demanding protection money
at gunpoint, Police said. Police said the complainant, Deputy
Director Muhammad Khalid Hanif, an Audit Officer at the Bhakkar
Town Municipal Authority had told them that PTI leader Abu Bakar
Niazi had threatened him and demanded money at gun point.
Three suspected target killers
belonging to Mullah Group, identified as Nadeemullah, the leader
of the group, Tariq and Faheem, were handed over to the Karachi
CID, four days after they were detained by Military Intelligence
officials near Thokar Niaz Beg in Lahore District. According
to details, the militants had come to Lahore with Tablighi Jama'at
pilgrims heading for the Raiwind Ijtima, the source said.
Thousands of people protesting
US drone strikes blocked a road in Peshawar used to truck NATO
troop supplies and equipment in and out of Afghanistan. The
protest, Imran Khan, had more symbolic value than practical
impact as there is normally little NATO supply traffic on the
road. The blocked route in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province leads
to one of two border crossings used to send supplies overland
from Pakistan to neighbouring Afghanistan.
The PTI's decision to choke
NATO supply routes could deprive Pakistan of billions of dollars
it receives from the US in financial aid, according to experts
and Government officials. Under the Ground Lines of Communication
(GLOC) agreement with the US, Pakistan receives an estimated
USD 1,500-1,800 for every truck that carries supplies for NATO
forces through the country, Government officials said. The bill
amounts to roughly USD one million per day, they added.
"We want peace with India,"
said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while addressing the International
Literary and Cultural Conference in Lahore. Politics should
be treated separately from the economy and anti-terrorism efforts,
he emphasised. "Even politicians should not include politics
in these matters," he added. Nawaz also said that he believes
"visa restrictions between the two countries should be removed."
Conflicts along the LoC are
not beneficial for either country, he explained, adding that
Pakistan maintains good relations with other neighbouring countries
so there is no reason why this cannot be achieved with India
as well.
The FPCCI President Zubair Ahmed
Malik had said that Pakistan should grant MFN status to India.
While attending an event organised by the FICCI, he had emphasised
the need for the two countries to ease visa restrictions.
Prime Minister had also urged
his Indian counterpart to resume the stalled peace process in
order to resolve all outstanding issues including J&K.
November 24
At least three persons, including
two students, were killed and one other injured in two separate
explosions that took place in Kurram Agency of FATA. According
to the political administration of the area, a roadside bomb
was detonated near a car in the Shablan area of Upper Kurram
Agency. Subsequently, two people were killed whereas one person
sustained injuries. The second explosion occurred in the Dal
area of Upper Kurram Agency, killing one person.
Two soldiers were killed and
five others injured when a roadside bomb was detonated near
a SFs' convoy on the road near Karamkot in Mir Ali tehsil of
NWA in FATA. According to sources, a remote-controlled bomb,
planted along the road near Karamkot, was detonated when the
SFs' convoy was travelling from Miranshah to Mir Ali. Subsequently,
two soldiers were killed on the spot whereas five others were
injured.
Two soldiers were killed and
five others injured when a roadside bomb was detonated near
a SFs' convoy on the road near Karamkot in Mir Ali tehsil of
NWA in FATA. According to sources, a remote-controlled bomb,
planted along the road near Karamkot, was detonated when the
SFs' convoy was travelling from Miranshah to Mir Ali. Subsequently,
two soldiers were killed on the spot whereas five others were
injured.
Two gangsters affiliated with
Uzair Jan Group, identified as Ijaz and Dilshad, were killed
in an alleged encounter with the Rangers and the Police in Rangi
Wara area within the limits of Chakiwara Police Station in Lyari
Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two gangsters affiliated with
Uzair Jan Group, identified as Ijaz and Dilshad, were killed
in an alleged encounter with the Rangers and the Police in Rangi
Wara area within the limits of Chakiwara Police Station in Lyari
Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Traffic constable, Husnain Mubarak,
a resident of Dobyan, was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle
bourne assailants while he was on duty at Link Road in Swabi
Town of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Another police constable was
killed by unidentified militants while he was coming back home
from duty in Bandar Kalan of Bannu District. Township Police
Official Afsar Ali Khan was deployed at Khalifa Gul Nawaz Medical
Complex.
A Hazara Shia man, identified
as Arif Hussain, was shot dead in a targeted sectarian attack
on Kirani Road in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
A man identified as Abdul Ghafoor
was shot dead when unidentified armed assailants opened fire
at his shop in the Sariab Mill area in Quetta.
TTP warned the Pakistani media
to stop praising Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar who
retired on November 16, 2013 after a 24-year career. A spokesman
for the militants said Pakistanis should get behind their embattled
captain Misbahul Haq, even though he was a "substandard and
low-level player". Shahidullah Shahid, the main 'spokesman'
for the TTP said it was time for Pakistanis to shut up about
the "Little Master". "No matter that Misbahul Haq is a substandard
and low-level player, Pakistani media should praise him because
he is a Pakistani," Shahid said.
November 25
Two people, including a Shia
man, identified as Munir Hussain (43), and his wife, Razia Hussain
(40), were killed near Sanobar Cottage within the jurisdiction
of New Karachi Police Station in North Karachi area of North
Nazimabad Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
An unidentified bullet-riddled
dead body of a man was found from a graveyard in Kati Pahari
within the remits of Peerabad Police Station in Orangi Town.
A woman sustained injuries in
firing incident in 100 quarters area of Korangi Town.
Police and Rangers arrested
34 suspects during a targeted operation in Frontier Colony and
Peerabad areas of Orangi Town. In addition, 10 suspects were
arrested by the SITE Police.
A girl was killed and six people
were injured when a rocket fired by Iranian border forces hit
three houses in Tump town of Kech (also known as Turbat) District.
An official of Kech administration said that one of the houses
belonged to Mullah Omer, who is a 'commander' of an Iran-based
religious outfit, Jaish-ul-Adl.
Police registered a case against
BNP-M chief, Sardar Akhtar Mengal in Khuzdar Police Station.
Abdul Qadir Sheikh, a Police Officer in Khuzdar said that FIR
was registered on the application of Deputy Commissioner Khuzdar,
Muhammad Ayaz Mandokhail who has alleged in the application
that Sardar Mengal had threatened him on telephone. However,
sources close to Mengal strongly contradicted the claims of
DC.
A number of shops and government
offices were damaged in a blast inside Liaquat Market in Swabi
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
LI released all the abducted
teachers of a private school after questioning them for four
days regarding their involvement in polio vaccination. Hira
Public School Principal Mohammad Qasim, who was among the seven
abducted teachers said that he along with his colleagues was
set free by LI and they reached their homes.
A special court will start functioning
in the first week of December for the trial of former President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf on treason charges. The Federal
Government issued a notification regarding appointment of Akram
Sheikh as special prosecutor in the case but the lawyer could
not obtain a copy of the notification.
The Ministry of Law and Justice
sought PKR 3.1 million from the finance division as initial
expenses for the special court that is to be set up for the
trial of former President Pervez Musharraf for high treason.
The SHC referred an application
filed by Pervez Musharraf for removal of his name from the Exit
Control List to the SHC chief justice. Musharraf had filed a
petition for the removal of his name from the ECL, saying he
has to visit his ailing mother.
A contempt of court petition
has been moved against the incumbent defence secretary, COAS
General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and others for not complying with
the Supreme Court's order about the recovery of a missing person
who was allegedly abducted by an army officer. Abida Malik,
wife of missing person Tasif Ali, filed the petition under Article
204 of the constitution read with Contempt of Court Ordinance
2003.
Pakistan inducted the first
fleet of indigenously developed strategic unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs), namely Burraq and Shahpar, in the Pakistan Army and
Pakistan Air Force. The induction of UAVs, which are very effective
force multipliers to the inventory of armed forces, is a landmark
achievement.
PTI workers continued denying
access to heavy vehicles transporting supplies for foreign forces
in Afghanistan, while the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police registered
cases against 35 people for causing disturbances to public order.
KP Police chief Nasir Khan Durrani
ordered Police to file cases against all those who were disturbing
public order, after which 35 PTI workers were booked by Pishtakhara
Police Station in Peshawar.
KP Police chief Nasir Khan Durrani
ordered Police to file cases against all those who were disturbing
public order, after which 35 PTI workers were booked by Pishtakhara
Police Station in Peshawar.
A top police official in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa directed law enforcement personnel to initiate legal
action following the lodging of a FIR against the November 21,
2013, Hangu drone strike in which provincial authorities also
want the US and the CIA to be included.
Legislators led by KP Finance
Minister for Sirajul Haq, Information Minister Shah Farman and
Agriculture Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai presented to the US
Consulate a document on their demand to end drone strikes in
Pakistan.
The fact-finding committee constituted
to probe the November 15, 2013 Rawalpindi incident that killed
eight people in an attack on Ashura procession presented
its report to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif which held the Police
responsible for the tragedy. According to sources, the report
said the Police had failed to take necessary and timely action
which could have prevented the tragedy from occurring and that
coordination among institutions was almost non-existent.
Lawyers for seven Pakistanis
accused of involvement in the Mumbai 2008 attacks said the case
against them "lacks evidence". Pakistan charged seven men in
2009 over the attacks, but has insisted it needs to gather more
evidence in India before proceeding further, infuriating New
Delhi. "This case has many legal flaws and lacks evidence. It
is being delayed in Pakistan because India has failed to provide
required evidence against the accused," said Rizwan Abbasi,
a lawyer for the accused in a news conference.
November 26
Unidentified militants shot
dead four Policemen and injured three others, where they were
on mobile duty in Latifabad area Hyderabad District. SSP Hyderabad
Irfan Ali Bahadur said, "Yes, it was clearly a targeted killing
of Police".
Two Policemen of Sakhi Pir Police
Station were injured when unidentified armed assailants opened
fire at them near a bakery in Liaquat Colony of Hyderabad District.
Two Policemen of Sakhi Pir Police
Station were injured when unidentified armed assailants opened
fire at them near a bakery in Liaquat Colony of Hyderabad District.
Two alleged gangsters were killed
during an exchange of fire with law enforcers in Ali Mohammad
Mohalla of Lyari Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh.
Two alleged gangsters were killed
during an exchange of fire with law enforcers in Ali Mohammad
Mohalla of Lyari Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh.
A Police officer, identified
as Ali Ahmed (48), was also shot dead near Hassan Square in
Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
A man, identified as Rasheed
Naveed (28), was killed inside his photocopying shop in Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Town.
One Shahzan (40) was killed
in Macchar Colony of Kiamari Town.
A suspect, identified as Zulfiqar,
was killed and another, identified as Sher Ali, was injured
and arrested during an alleged encounter with the Police near
Maskan Chowrangi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Gulshan Town.
A large number of Lyari residents
staged a protest against the PAC and elected representatives
of the PPP from their locality in Dubai Chowk, a stronghold
of gangsters Noor Mohammad alias Baba Ladla and Ghaffar
Zikri.
Law enforcers claimed to have
arrested 29 suspects in separate raids in parts of the city.
Four suspects allegedly involved in cases of target killings
of Policemen and extortion were arrested in Maripur area of
Kiamari Town. Three suspects, identified as Yasir Maqsood, Chaman
and Aslam, were arrested during the first Police encounter in
Maripur. Fourth suspect, Mohammad Ali, was arrested in another
raid in Maripur.
Rangers claimed to have arrested
24 suspects during targeted raids and snap-checking in various
parts of the city.
Unidentified armed militants
opened fire at a local bus and shot dead two persons sitting
inside the bus, identified as Lakhmir and Abdul Hadi, on Sariab
Road near Gahi Khan Chowk in Balochistan's provincial capital
Quetta.
An ATC in Quetta rejected former
President General Pervez Musharraf's request to not appear in
court in the August 26, 2006 Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case.
With 20 Special Courts already
functioning in the city and five in the pipeline, the Home Department
has demanded the establishment of another five special courts
for expeditious trial of the 2,100 suspects arrested under the
Arms Act. The suspects were arrested for possessing illicit
arms during the ongoing targeted operations in Karachi.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
directed concerned authorities to immediately implement Protection
of Pakistan Ordinance to deal with heinous crimes and offenders
in the city. "The Karachi operation will continue till fulfilment
of its objectives. I stand by Police and Rangers and they should
treat criminals as criminals and must not care about the criminals'
affiliations."
A full bench of the Supreme
Court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice
Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Amir Hani Muslim ordered the Defence
Secretary to produce until November 28, 2013 the 35 people who
are now in custody but were earlier called as missing persons.
Hearing the case of one missing person Yasin Shah, the bench
ordered the Minister of Defence (a portfolio currently held
by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif) to appear in the court if the
defence secretary failed to produce the missing persons. The
court had earlier summoned the defence secretary but he did
not appear. The bench directed the law officer to take up the
matter with the Ministry and ensure production of the internees
from the custody of the Army.
The MI, one of the premier Intelligence
Agencies of the country, reiterated its stand before the Supreme
Court in the Tasif Ali missing person case that the military
personnel involved in any offence should be tried under the
Pakistan Army Act, 1952. The MI Directorate had pleaded before
the court on June 11, 2013 that an army official and a subject
of the Army Act should not be investigated or inquired into
by Police or even by the Supreme Court.
PTI sit-in against drone strikes
continued for the third day in Peshawar. The party had set up
camp near the Hayatabad Toll Plaza on November 24, 2013 to monitor
trucks passing through the city and prevent NATO containers
from entering Peshawar.
Supporters of PTI and JeI were
present at the protest camp and checking identification documents
to distinguish NATO trucks from regular cargo carriers. Coalition
partners in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had decided to block
NATO supply routes in protest against the US drone campaign
in Pakistan.
The Chief Minister KP Pervez
Khattak called for NATO supplies passing through the country
to be halted, till such a time the Federal Government can convene
a meeting to address the issue of drone strikes.
Pakistan has released three
more senior Afghan Taliban leaders, official sources said. "Yes
three more Afghan Taliban leaders have been released," an official
source said on condition of anonymity. "This is an ongoing process
as part of efforts to facilitate reconciliation," the source
added. Pakistan has also quietly freed ten other low-key Taliban
detainees over the past few weeks, the Afghan Taliban claimed.
The number of freed Afghan Taliban since November 2013 has now
crossed fifty.
November 27
Three unidentified dead bodies
bearing torture marks were found near a stream in the Bostan
Cross area in Pishin Districtof Balochistan.
A man was shot dead while his
brother sustained injuries after unidentified armed assailants
opened fire on them in Wadh area of Khuzdar District.
An oil tanker en route to Karachi
from Baghban in Khuzdar District was set on fire.
A man, identified as Ghulam
Hazrat, was abducted by unidentified militants in a car in Khuzdar
District.
A lawyer and human rights advocate
Haider K. B. was kidnapped by unidentified militants in Kech
District.
Over 40 suspects accused for
involvement in the November 21, 2013 Raja Bazaar incident that
took place on Ashura had been identified, while 12 suspects
had been arrested so far, according Rawalpindi CPO Akhtar Umar
Hayat Lalika.
A PTI worker was arrested for
allegedly damaging NATO containers during a protest against
drone strikes in Peshawar. Activists from PTI and JeI had set
up a protest camp on November 24, 2013 at Hayatabad Toll Plaza
to prevent NATO containers from entering the city. Since then
the protesters have stopped trucks passing through the route
for verification and returned those carrying goods for NATO
forces in Afghanistan.
The PTI named the CIA Director
John Brennan and a man it said was the Agency's Islamabad chief
in Pakistan as murder suspects over November 21, 2013 drone
strike, in Hangu District. The PTI official requested in the
letter that the Interior Ministry should be asked to put the
CIA official on the Exit Control List in order to prevent him
from leaving Pakistan.
CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
while presiding over a five-member bench of the SC for the hearing
of implementation of Supreme Court's decision in Karachi violence
case, at Karachi registry of the Court said that the Supreme
Court would be satisfied with the performance of authorities
concerned only when the culprits arrested during a security
operation in Karachi are put on trial. "Of the numerous people
that you've arrested, how many have been provided evidence against
and how many of them will be able to stand trial," CJ Chaudhry
questioned the Advocate General Khalid Javed Khan.
The Sindh Government, Rangers
and Police said in their report that 9,000 persons involved
in target killings, terrorism, extortion, kidnappings for ransom
and other crimes have been arrested so far during the operation
started on September 5, 2013. As many as 2,293 weapons, 115
hand grenades and 222 kilogrammes of explosive materials have
been recovered from the accused, the report added.
Due to a lawyers strike, the
FATA Tribunal adjourned the hearing of a review petition filed
by former Khyber Agency surgeon Doctor Shakil Afridi to December
9, 2013. After the last hearing on November 5, 2013 when the
tribunal ordered the Khyber Agency political agent to compile
a report on the accused and his case, lawyers confirmed Dr Shakil
Afridi's records have been submitted. Dr Afridi had filed a
review petition through his counsel - Advocates Abdul Latif
Afridi, Samiullah Afridi and Qamar Nadeem, seeking a fresh trial
and bail.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
appointed Lieutenant-General Raheel Sharif as COAS and Lieutenant-General
Rashad Mahmood as Chairman CJCSC.
President Mamnoon Hussain approved
the appointment of Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani as the country's
next chief justice. CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will retire
on December 11, 2013 following which the senior most judge of
the Supreme Court, Justice Jillani, will take up the office
on December 12, 2013. Currently, Justice Jillani also holds
the office of Chief Election Commissioner.
The TTP is likely to target
Government installations and public places in Nowshera District
and Khyber Agency of FATA to avenge the killing of its chief
Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in November 21, 2013 U.S drone
attack in Miranshah town of North Waziristan Agency. Quoting
a written letter titled 'Threat Alert 1123', official sources
said that a little known Tariq Geedar group in collaboration
with Tauheed-ul-Jihad would try to carry out terrorist acts
against unidentified targets in Nowshera and Bara tehsil
of Khyber Agency to avenge the killing of TTP chief Hakimullah
Mehsud.
Al Qaeda in message issued by
the general command of al Qaeda offered its condolences to the
TTP over the killing of Hakeemullah Mehsud, according to SITE
Intelligence Group. The message said the group "regarded Hakeemullah
as a martyr and valued his contributions for jihad". It referred
to an attempt to bomb New York's Times Square and said that
he (Hakeemullah) had terrorised the 'Crusaders'.
November 28
A cadre of ASWJ, identified
as Muhammad Shabbir (40), was shot dead in a drive-by shooting
in Mehmoodabad area of Jamshed Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A cadre of ASWJ, identified
as Muhammad Shabbir (40), was shot dead in a drive-by shooting
in Mehmoodabad area of Jamshed Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A man, identified as Rafiq (39),
was shot dead near Masoom Shah Colony in Mehmoodabad area of
Jamshed Town.
One Tariq Siddiqui (40), was
shot dead near the Board of Secondary Education Karachi office
in North Nazimabad Town.
One Tariq Siddiqui (40), was
shot dead near the Board of Secondary Education Karachi office
in North Nazimabad Town.
In Gadap, an unidentified dead
body of a man was found near Baqai Medical Centre in Gadap Town.
The man was shot dead after being tortured around 10 to 12 days
ago.
Another unidentified dead body
of a suspected Baloch was found from the M.M. Alam Road in Malir
Town. The Road links the Karachi-Hyderabad highway with the
National Highway.
An unidentified dead body was
found within Sohrab Goth Police Precincts near the link Road
in Bin Qasim Town. The victim had been abducted before being
thrown away.
An unidentified passerby was
injured during an exchange of fire between Rangers and Lyari
gang war accused in Sangholane area of Lyari Town. According
to details the Rangers raided the Sangholane area to arrest
the Lyari gang war criminals, but the armed assailants opened
fire on the security personnel. During the exchange of fire,
a passerby got injured with a bullet shot.
Army Sector Commander North
Brigadier Haider while speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate
a month-long cleaning drive in Khar town of Bajaur Agency said
that peace had been restored and writ of the government established
in the whole area after the successful operation by Security
Forces against militants in Bajaur Agency. He appreciated the
tribesmen and personnel of Bajaur levies forces for their outstanding
efforts in restoration of peace in the Agency.
Police foiled a major terrorism
bid after it recovered and defused two bombs that weighed 18
kilogrammes each in Sarband area of Peshawar. Police said that
if the bombs had exploded they would have resulted in a massive
loss of life and property. A heavy contingent of Police cordoned
off the area and, after the recovery of bombs, launched a search
operation.
The Supreme Court directed the
PTA chairman to submit a blueprint of measures to stop 'grey
trafficking' and use of unauthorised SIMs by criminals in Karachi.
While hearing the Karachi law and order implementation case
at the Karachi registry a five-judge bench, headed by Chief
Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed that mobile phone
SIM cards of different telecom companies were being sold in
open market in unauthorised way, which facilitated the accused
involved in heinous crimes including extortion and kidnapping-for-ransom.
The Chief Justice remarked that
if stringent laws regarding registration of SIMs were followed
and issued after verification by NADRA, the crime rate would
decline by 50 per cent. The bench also expressed its concern
over grey trafficking causing loss to the economy of the country.
The PTA chief told the judges that issue of grey trafficking
had increased due to duty being charged on international calls.
The SC summoned a FC officer
to explain why the Police are complaining about a lack of cooperation
on the issue of missing persons. While hearing a case seeking
recovery of two missing doctors Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry said, "The families of missing persons are compelled
to travel from Quetta (Balochistan) to Karachi (Sindh) by foot
to seek their rights," adding, "But the Government has not even
bothered to provide them with shelter or meals".
The SC summoned a FC officer
to explain why the Police are complaining about a lack of cooperation
on the issue of missing persons. While hearing a case seeking
recovery of two missing doctors Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry said, "The families of missing persons are compelled
to travel from Quetta (Balochistan) to Karachi (Sindh) by foot
to seek their rights," adding, "But the Government has not even
bothered to provide them with shelter or meals".
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman
asked the Government to explain its strategy on talks with the
TTP, which would thereby allow a jirga to initiate the peace
process. Talking to reporters following a JUI-F backed tribal
jirga at the JUI-F's provincial secretariat Rehman said that
the jirga regrets that the Government has still not outlined
its policy regarding the peace process. He added that the jirga
also recorded its protest over drone strikes and that drone
attacks were sabotaging the peace process.
November 29
At least three suspected militants
were reported killed and several others injured when two missiles
were fired by a US drone on a compound in Angar Kalli area near
Miranshah tehsil in North Waziristan Agency of FATA. The sources
said that drones had been hovering over the area for hours.
According to sources, two militants killed in the attack were
from Punjab and were fighting in Afghanistan.
At least three suspected militants
were reported killed and several others injured when two missiles
were fired by a US drone on a compound in Angar Kalli area near
Miranshah tehsil in North Waziristan Agency of FATA. The sources
said that drones had been hovering over the area for hours.
According to sources, two militants killed in the attack were
from Punjab and were fighting in Afghanistan.
Sindh Rangers arrested 18 criminals,
including Lyari gang war accused, in different raids carried
out in the city and also recovered weapons from their possession.
The FIA's cyber crime circle
arrested two employees of a cellular company for their involvement
in selling illegal SIMs. FIA sources said both of the accused
were arrested during a raid on a franchise, adding that 1100
unregistered SIMs and a SIM activator were recovered from them.
The Supreme Court ordered that
a task force comprising the PTA Chairman, representatives of
cellular companies and officials from Police and Intelligence
Agencies be set up to control the use of unauthorised SIM cards.
The Supreme Court ordered that
a task force comprising the PTA Chairman, representatives of
cellular companies and officials from Police and Intelligence
Agencies be set up to control the use of unauthorised SIM cards.
Three activists of PTI were
arrested for their alleged involvement in manhandling truck
drivers carrying NATO supplies to Afghanistan near Hayatabad
Toll Plaza in Peshawar (KP). A private TV channel reported that
PTI's District General Secretary Younas Zaheer confirmed the
arrest and said the workers were arrested after the party's
seventh sit-in in a row blocking NATO supplies in protest against
the US drone attacks.
The PTI MNA Sajid Nawaz said
that the nation will stand by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif if
he reaches a written agreement with the US stipulating the latter
will not disrupt peace talks in the future. Nawaz said the sit-ins
are meant to portray a strong message to global powers: do not
disrupt the possible peace deal with Taliban.
Difa-e-Pakistan Council demanded
the Pakistan Government put an end to drone attacks in the country
and halt the NATO supply once and for all, at a protest called
by them in Peshawar. The US wants to take revenge for its defeat
in Afghanistan by attacking Pakistani land, said Ghazi Inamullah
from the JuD at the rally. Inamullah demanded the expulsion
of the US ambassador from the country along with the return
of his counterpart.
All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners
Association's Vice-President Shams Shahwani threatened Imran
Khan that if the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government did not resume
NATO supplies to Afghanistan within 72 hours, the Association
would have no other option but to pursue legal action against
him. Shahwani said the ban on supplies was causing immense financial
losses to oil tanker owners.
Provincial Election Commissioner
Syed Sultan Bayazeed said that nine Districts of Kalat and Makran
divisions have been declared 'very sensitive' for local government
elections scheduled to be held on December 7, 2013. Ballot papers
to these districts would be dispatched by helicopters, he said,
adding that so far ballots had been dispatched to four Districts,
including Qila Saifullah, Barkhan, Chagai and Nushki.
19 personnel of a law-enforcement
agency who had allegedly taken away 35 detainees were directed
by the Supreme Court to appear before the Balochistan Police
authorities investigating their disappearance. A four-judge
bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry hearing
the cases of the missing persons at the Karachi registry of
the court expressed annoyance over the absence of the Inspector
General of Frontier Corps Balochistan who had been ordered to
appear before the court.
November 30
At least three security officials
were killed and two injured in a terrorist attack on a security
check post in Mohmand Agency of FATA. According to sources,
unidentified armed attackers opened fire on the check post in
Baizai area of Mohmand Agency near Afghan border.
Unidentified people opened fire
on a polio vaccination team in Bahadur Kallay area of Peshawar
city, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing a Policeman
and injuring another.
Unidentified people opened fire
on a polio vaccination team in Bahadur Kallay area of Peshawar
city, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing a Policeman
and injuring another.
A bomb exploded near the Landhi
Police Station in Landhi Town. However, co casualties were reported.
December 1
Two brothers belonging to the
Shia community, identified as Mudabar Raza (35) and Haider Raza
(33), were shot dead in a sectarian attack on the New M.A Jinnah
Road in Jamshed Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A Police constable, identified
as Tasawwur, was shot dead and another constable, identified
as Qurban Ali, was injured in a drive-by shooting in Khamisa
Goth in New Karachi Town. Both of them were stationed at Hyderi
Police Station and were deployed for intelligence on criminals
operating out of the New Karachi Industrial Area.
An unidentified man was shot
dead in Gul Mohammed Lane of Lyari Town.
Another unidentified man was
shot dead in Gulistan Colony of Lyari Town.
An unidentified dead body was
found in a gunny bag in Mauripur area of Kiamari Town. Docks
Police said that the victim had been kidnapped, tortured and
killed.
Doctor Munaf Tareen was recovered
from Uthal area of Lasbela District. Dr Tareen was abducted
on September 17, 2013 from Pishin Stop in Pishin District. Sources
said that Dr Tareen's recovery is a result of ransom payment
as the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of PKR 50million.
Despite the order of the Supreme
Court, the 19 FC officials who were summoned did not show up
before the CID Deputy Inspector General in Quetta. The court
was told by FC Law Officer Major Nadeem that the officials in
question were now in the Army. The CJ replied that the court
knew that; if they were Army officials, GHQ should be asked
to present them before the CID.
Police rescued two abductees,
identified as Ishaq and Anees, and arrested two abductors along
with a huge cache of arms during a raid in Tari Banda area of
Hangu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They were abducted from
Karak District 40 days ago.
Doctor Shakil Afridi, who helped
the CIA find slain al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, demanded
better conditions in prison and complained of being falsely
implicated in a treason case, said his lawyer Samiullah Afridi.
He was initially sentenced to 33 years in jail and given a fine,
but a court in Peshawar overturned his sentence in August, 2013
and ordered a retrial. "I am perhaps the first Pakistani who
has been denied access to his lawyer. What kind of justice is
this?" he asked in a letter.
The Federal Minister for Information
Pervaiz Rashid said on December 1 that the protest against NATO
supplies by PTI and its allies will create problems for Pakistan
on international level. "It is everyone's right to protest,
but blocking the supply line through street power would earn
a bad name for the nation," Rashid said.
LeT founder and JuD chief Hafiz
Muhammad Saeed while speaking at a protest rally on The Mall
in Lahore District said that the sectarian clashes and terrorism
in Balochistan were occurring because of India, the US and Israel.
He criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and said, "His pro-India
polices are not acceptable". "I appeal the Taliban to issue
a statement saying they would fight for Pakistan's defence if
drone attacks are not stopped," he said.
He accused that India wanted
to build a wall in Kashmir. He said it was to this end that
it had staged the "Bombay drama" and accused him of terrorism.
He said the Government should play its role to stop the construction
of the wall. Otherwise, he said, private citizens would go and
destroy it.
The DPC leaders said that the
Government should play its role in stopping drone strikes in
the country and stop the construction of a concrete wall along
the LoC in Kashmir. Speaking at the same protest rally JUI leader
Maulana Sami-ul-Haq said US presence in the country should end.
Federal Minister for Information
and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid dropped a hint that the homework
to resume dialogue with militants has been completed. "Yes,
we're [almost] at the conclusive stage to resume talks with
the TTP," said Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, adding,
"The Government has always had a firm belief in reopening peace
talks [with the Taliban]".
Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan discussed the resumption of dialogue
with the TTP with the outgoing Army chief General Ashfaq Pervez
Kayani. "The US does not want peace in Pakistan," Nisar had
said in the aftermath of the November 1, 2013 drone attack that
killed TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud. According to a senior Interior
Ministry official, Nisar is likely to announce the government's
new strategy regarding talks with the TTP by the end of this
month.
December 2
A worker of a
political party, identified as Muhamamd Amir (40), was killed
in Khuramabad area of Landhi Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A worker of ANP,
identified as Din Muhammad Wazir, was killed and three others
were injured in Janjal Goth near Super Highway in Gadap Town.
At least three
people, including a private guard, were injured in firing and
hand grenade attack by unidentified militants on the building
of Express Media Group in located near Qayyumabad flyover in
Korangi Town.
Intelligence authorities
arrested a "most wanted" terrorist, identified as Abbas Afridi,
during a raid at Jinnah Terminal. He was travelling under a
fictitious name, sources added. The sources further said that
Afridi is said to be a head of a group of terrorists in Katti
Pahari area of Orangi Town and the adjoining areas.
A FC official,
identified as Dilawar Khan, was killed when unidentified militants
opened fire at a security camp in Speen Wam tehsil of North
Waziristan Agency in FATA.
A roadside IED
exploded in Dirdoni, Ghulam tehsil of NWA. However, no
casualties were reported.
A roadside IED
exploded in Dirdoni, Ghulam tehsil of NWA. However, no casualties
were reported.
TTP Chief Mullah
Fazlullah along with 15 aides arrived in North Waziristan Agency.
Sources said there were reports that newly appointed TTP chief
has reached in North Waziristan Agency from Afghanistan along
with his 15 aides. They further said Mullah Fazlullah will preside
over the meeting of Taliban Shura in few days.
TTP Chief Mullah
Fazlullah along with 15 aides arrived in North Waziristan Agency.
Sources said there were reports that newly appointed TTP chief
has reached in North Waziristan Agency from Afghanistan along
with his 15 aides. They further said Mullah Fazlullah will preside
over the meeting of Taliban Shura in few days.
Cases were registered
against PTI and JeI workers for breaking the seal of a NATO
container bound for Afghanistan during the sit-in at Hayatabad
toll plaza in Peshawar. The driver of the NATO container protested
against the PTI and JeI workers breaking the seal and stated
that the Afghanistan bound container was carrying cooking oil.
A container, dispatched
for officials in Kabul Province of Afghanistan, was sent back
by protesters from Hayatabad Toll Plaza. The US Embassy in Islamabad
said they received the information and were looking into the
matter. The container was stopped before crossing the sit-in
camp near a terminal and documents were produced for the PTI,
JeI and AJIP activists at the toll plaza.
A container, dispatched
for officials in Kabul Province of Afghanistan, was sent back
by protesters from Hayatabad Toll Plaza. The US Embassy in Islamabad
said they received the information and were looking into the
matter. The container was stopped before crossing the sit-in
camp near a terminal and documents were produced for the PTI,
JeI and AJIP activists at the toll plaza.
The Acting Defence
Secretary, Major General (retired) Raja Arif Nazir, informed
the country's highest court about the death of two of the 35
detainees the court had ordered to be produced. He said that
Sardar Ali had died on December 29, 2012 and Nadir Khan on July
1, 2013 at the Lakki Marwat Internment Centre inside the Malakand
Garrison. They died of natural causes and the bodies had been
handed over to their families in accordance with the procedure,
he said, adding that the whereabouts of the other 33 were being
ascertained. But the court said the death of the two detainees
was evidence suggesting that the rest were also in the custody
of intelligence agencies.
The Supreme Court
said it was a "custodial killing" for which the Agencies concerned
would be held responsible. The internees, along with one Yasin
Shah, were to be produced before a three-judge bench comprising
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S.
Khawaja and Justice Amir Hani Muslim. It ordered Defence Minister
Khawaja Asif, who was present in the court, to ensure production
of the 33 persons on December 3, 2013 positively without any
excuse. Otherwise, it warned, the law would take its own course.
The Supreme Court
said it was a "custodial killing" for which the Agencies concerned
would be held responsible. The internees, along with one Yasin
Shah, were to be produced before a three-judge bench comprising
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S.
Khawaja and Justice Amir Hani Muslim. It ordered Defence Minister
Khawaja Asif, who was present in the court, to ensure production
of the 33 persons on December 3, 2013 positively without any
excuse. Otherwise, it warned, the law would take its own course.
The Supreme Court
said it was a "custodial killing" for which the Agencies concerned
would be held responsible. The internees, along with one Yasin
Shah, were to be produced before a three-judge bench comprising
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S.
Khawaja and Justice Amir Hani Muslim. It ordered Defence Minister
Khawaja Asif, who was present in the court, to ensure production
of the 33 persons on December 3, 2013 positively without any
excuse. Otherwise, it warned, the law would take its own course.
Pakistan has turned
down Afghan President Hamid Karzai's request to allow Afghan
Taliban to set up an office in the country, according to a media
report. "Our role (in the Afghan peace process) will remain
that of a facilitator and not a leader...allowing the Taliban
to open an office in Pakistan will be contrary to our principled
position," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was quoted as saying
by an unnamed aide.
Pakistan's outgoing
High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir announced that after
a series of violent clashes, peace has been restored at LoC.
Bashir, who is expected to be replaced by diplomat Syed Ibne
Abbas, expressed hope that Pakistan and India ties will further
improve in future and that he could see the "light at the end
of the tunnel" in diplomatic relations and predicted the improvement
would survive next year's Indian elections.
December 3
Two persons, including
a cadre of ASWJ identified as Mufti Ahmed and Dr Usman, were
shot dead when unidentified armed assailants opened fire on
a clinic in Federal B Area of Gulberg Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Four suspected
cadres of TTP were killed and another was injured by unidentified
assailants near Sarina Shopping Centre within the precincts
of Shahrah-e-Noorjahan Police Station.
A leader of the
MWM Maulana Deedar Ali Jalbani and his security guard Sarfaraz
Ali were shot dead in a targeted attack near NED University
within the jurisdiction of Mobina Town Police Station.
Three members
of the Tablighi Jama'at were shot dead and two others were injured
in a targeted attacked in North Nazimabad.
A scout of Payam-e-Wilayat,
identified as Syed Zakir Hussain, was shot dead near Singer
Chowrangi within the jurisdiction of Sharafi Goth Police Station.
A dead body, identified as Amjad
Khan, was found in an empty plot in Sector 7-A of Baldia Town.
Law enforcers
claimed to have recovered around 33 anti-aircraft shells and
arrested an alleged Afghan origin terrorist while 98 suspects
were taken into custody during targeted raids in the Karachi.
Two African citizens
escaped from the captivity of kidnappers resulting in a Police
raid on a house in Gwadar District of Balochistan and subsequent
rescue of three more abducted Africans and arrest of three abductors,
identified as Abdul Hameed, Naveed and Mohammad Anwar. Police
said the five African nationals who hailed from Ghana and Tanzania
were identified as Moffat Banda, Nicolas Olland, Amiri Abdu,
Saif Shaban and Kelvin and were kidnapped a few months ago.
The FC Balochistan came up with a clear statement that it does
not have the officials summoned by the Supreme Court to appear
before the CID DIG in the investigation of enforced disappearance
cases. The deadline given to FC was December 2, 2013 and not
a single FC official appeared before the Police. A spokesperson
for FC Balochistan stated that seven out of 19 FC personnel
who were summoned by court had never been the part of this force.
Unidentified militants
abducted a doctor, identified as Dr Amjad Taqween, at gun point
from Hayatabad Phase VII in Peshawar and took him to an unidentified
location. Dr Taqweem has a clinic in Karachi Market and is politically
affiliated with JeI.
The new head of
the TTP, Maulana Fazlullah alias Mullah Radio, has returned
to the country's tribal areas after several years based in Afghanistan,
TTP 'spokesman' Shahidullah Shahid. TTP spokesman Shahidullah
Shahid said Fazlullah was now "commanding the Taliban movement
at an unknown location in the tribal areas". "It is not true
that Maulana Fazlullah is in Waziristan, he is in the tribal
areas but at unknown location," Shahid said. Fazlullah has a
USD 500,000 Government bounty on his head.
MQM chief Altaf
Hussain linked JeI to Taliban and al Qaeda militants and claimed
several activists of the party have been killed in US drone
strikes. Altaf Hussain, in his fiery speech, also revealed that
a large number of Taliban and al Qaeda operatives have relocated
to upscale areas of Karachi.
Calling Hussain's
statements as unfounded and provocative, JeI Secretary General
Liaqat Baloch said the Jama'at was a peaceful religio-political
party.
PTI chief Imran Khan said his
party was considering blocking NATO supply routes in other provinces
as well. "PTI may block NATO supply routes in Punjab and Balochistan
as supply is being carried out via Chaman border," said Imran.
He clarified that the protest sit-ins to block the NATO supply
routes did not mean waging a war against the US. It was only
to give a message to the world that US was violating international
law.
The US military
has halted ground shipments of cargo leaving Afghanistan via
its key Pakistan supply route to ensure the safety of drivers
following protests in Pakistan over American drone strikes,
Pentagon spokesman Mark Wright said.
December 4
At least five
alleged Lyari gangsters, identified as Noor Mohammad Baloch,
Khalid Baloch and Wajid Baloch, associated with Uzair Baloch
group, and Saddam and Mushtaq Baloch, associated with Baba Ladla
group, were killed during two encounters with law enforcers
in Rangi Wara, Singu Lane and Ali Hotel areas of Lyari Town
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
TTP militant,
identified as Fazl-ur-Rehman, was shot dead while his two companions
managed to escape during an encounter with the Police near Musharraf
Mor in Mauripur area of Kiamari Town. Two Policemen, Ejaz and
Aqeel were injured.
Four FC officials,
identified as Rafiq, Zabitullah, Rasool Khan and Javaid, were
injured when an IED planted by unidentified militants along
a roadside in Malik Shagha exploded in Ghundai area of Jamrud
tehsil in Khyber Agency of FATA.
Iranian border
guards fired four mortar shells in Killi Saki Shah and Lab Dasht
areas of Mashkail town in Washuk District of Balochistan. However,
no casualties were reported.
Militants abducted
13 workers of Uch Power Plant from Mangoli area of Naseerabad
District. An official, who requested anonymity, said the workers
were travelling in their company vehicles from Sukkur District
in Sindh to Naseerabad when they were intercepted by the militants.
Two unopposed
elected councillors of the NP, identified as Zafarullah and
Abdul Rauf, were abducted by a group of armed militants from
a grocery shop in Dasht Kudan Bazaar in Kech District.
Dr Mujahid Bangash
and Dr Kamran Khan were kidnapped by unidentified men two months
ago. Dr Khan was released on November 29, 2013. He claimed the
government had failed to help and the family had contacted a
political agent to pay RPK11 million for his release.
IHC dismissed
a petition challenging the constitution of a special court for
treason trial of former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf
under Article 6 of the Constitution. Justice Noor-ul-Haq N Qureshi
was hearing the petition filed by a local lawyer Riaz Hanif
Rahi, who is a member of IHC Bar Association. The petitioner
had claimed that selection of judges for the special court -
comprising Justice Faisal Arab, Justice Tahira Safdar and Justice
Yawar Ali - was the prerogative of Prime Minister. However,
he contended, in the case of Musharraf the judges for the court
had been picked up by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
The treason trial
of Pervez Musharraf is likely to start next week. Senior lawyer
Sharifuddin Pirzada is going to defend Musharraf along with
his team comprising Dr Khalid Ranjha, Ilyas Siddiqui, Ahmed
Raza Kasuri and Ibrahim Satti. On the prosecution side, the
Government has appointed senior lawyer Akram Sheikh.
Deputy Spokesperson
of the US State Department Marie Harf said said the US favours
using Pakistani overland routes for retrograde movement of equipment
out of Afghanistan and voiced the hope that the current situation
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with regard to Torkham route, would not
have a long-term impact.
Kashmir is a flashpoint
that can trigger a fourth war between Pakistan and India anytime,
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, seeking an early settlement
of the issue. He also said he had a dream of seeing Indian Kashmir
free and hoped to see it happen during his lifetime. "Kashmir
is a flashpoint and can trigger a fourth war between the two
nuclear powers at anytime," he was quoted as saying in his brief
address to the budget session of the PoK Council.
December 5
At least five
militants and a SF were killed in an armed clash during a search
operation launched for the recovery of 13 kidnapped employees
of Uch Power Plant in Pat Feeder area of Naseerabad District
in Balochistan. One SF was injured in the clash.
A motorcycle bomb
exploded near a Police checkpost in Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah
District, killing one civilian and wounding 20 others.
Another blast
took place with a gap of 90 minutes that injured DSP Chaman
Gul Mohammed Awan, SHO Saleem Shahid and two constables.
A third bomb was
defused by the BDS. No group claimed responsibility for the
attack.
Baloch separatist
parties announced a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike on the
eve of the local government elections in Balochistan, scheduled
for December 7, 2013. In a joint statement, the BRP and BNM
announced the strike to be observed on December 6 and 7 throughout
the province.
The Balochistan
Provincial Government has decided to deploy 50,000 Frontier
Corps, Police, Levies and Balochistan Constabulary personnel
across the province to maintain law and order during the polls.
A Police informer,
identified as Abdul Rasool (40), was shot dead in Ahsanabad
within the remits of Sohrab Goth Police Station in Gadap Town
of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A man, identified
as Abdul Rehman (25), was shot dead and another wounded near
mini bus stop within the jurisdiction of Manghopir Police Station.
An unidentified
man was shot dead near Kanzul Imaan Masjid within the precincts
of Jamshed Quarter Police Station in Jamshed Town.
Two unidentified
torture marked dead bodies were found near Niazi Chowk within
the remits of Kalri Police Station in Lyari Town. As per details,
the victims were kidnapped, tortured them and then shot dead
before being dumped.
Another dead body
of a man was found from the bushes of Supper Highway within
the vicinity of Gadap City Police Station. According to initial
medical examination, the body seems to be four to five days
old.
A 10-day old unidentified
dead body of a man was found within the limits of Docks Police
Station in Kiamari Town.
City Police arrested
71 accused including 21 absconders and three terrorists from
different parts of Karachi during the past 24 hours, in the
on-going drive against criminals.
A Police constable,
identified as Constable Mumtaz Alam, was shot dead after unidentified
militants attacked the Mamash Khel Police check post in Bannu
District. Bannu DSP Sanaullah Khan said unidentified militants
attacked the check post with grenades and assault rifles at
around 1:00 in the night.
A levies official,
identified as Hawaldar Hayat Gul, was killed and two others,
identified as Amanullah and Ameer Nawab, were severely injured
when unidentified militants opened fire at their vehicle in
Sakhakot Bazaar of Malakand District.
Healthcare activists
promoting family planning in Pakistan are facing constant fatwas
from conservative forces, killing of volunteers and kidnapping
of the public health activists, apart from the lacklustre support
from the Government.
Senator Raza Rabbani
and Senator Zahid Khan have received threatening letters, suggestive
of serious consequences for demanding a treason trial against
former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf. PPP leader
Aitzaz Ahsan made this revelation and speculated that the letters
were written by a Musharraf supporter.
Even as the PTI
and its coalition allies sent back three containers suspected
to be carrying NATO supplies, at least eight vehicles supplying
goods for foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan crossed over
between November 27 and December 5.
On the 12th day
of the protest against drone strikes and NATO supply lines by
the PTI and its allies, activists sent three suspected NATO
containers back from Hayatabad Toll Plaza.
Also the PTI chairman
Imran Khan vowed to continue with demonstrations against drone
strikes as he led his party among other parliamentarians for
a protest outside the Parliament in Islamabad. "We will continue
our protest against drone strikes and…we will not allow NATO
supplies to pass through the (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) province,"
Imran Khan told the gathering.
After the US announced
to suspend NATO shipments to and from Afghanistan via Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, JeI's Peshawar District Chapter recommended to
the party's provincial leadership to announce the winding up
of the two weeks long sit-ins in the province. A participant
said that there was no need to continue with sit-ins as the
US Government had announced to suspend movement of NATO supply
trucks out of Afghanistan via Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
PTI provincial
spokesman and MPA Mohammad Ishtiaq said that the party's protest
would continue until the US ended drone attacks in Pakistan.
"Our main concern is drone attacks. Protest will continue until
the US stops drone strikes inside Pakistani territory," he said,
adding that such attacks caused collateral damage.
A Ministry of
Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in a press briefing that the
Government has continued to arrange the passage of NATO supplies
so that NATO forces may smoothly withdraw from Afghanistan."The
Government has continued the arrangement for passage of NATO
supplies in order to facilitate draw down of NATO forces from
Afghanistan, said a Foreign Office spokesperson."
"The Government
of Pakistan has consistently called for an end to drone strikes
and has taken up this matter at the highest level with the US
and has also taken it up at UN. The Government believes that
all aspects related to these issues need to be settled peacefully
and through talks."
Pakistani prosecutors
sought contempt proceedings against the lawyer of the seven
accused charged with involvement in the Mumbai 2008 terror attacks
for claiming that the evidence in the case was a 'sham'. The
new lawyer Raja Rizwan Abbasi of the seven accused, including
LeT 'commander' Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, told a news conference
in Islamabad that the evidence provided by India was a 'sham'.
"The dossiers provided by India are information and not evidence
as needed by the court. The evidence provided by India is sham,"
Raja Rizwan Abbasi said.
Responding to
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that in his
lifetime Pakistan cannot win a war against India, Foreign Office
spokesperson Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said Pakistan and India needed
to address the mistrust that existed between them. Pakistan
was committed to a meaningful dialogue as that was the best
way to resolve issues and misunderstandings and improve bilateral
relations, he said at the weekly media briefing.
Chaudhry said
that Nawaz Sharif was misquoted on the Kashmir statement. "Pakistan
has always extended moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri
people, and we would like to see a peaceful resolution of the
issue based on UNSC resolutions," he pointed out in response
to a question on Sharif's statement that he wants to see "India-held
Kashmir" free in his lifetime. "We have always urged the Indian
government to engage with us in meaningful and substantive talks
to resolve this long-standing dispute," he said.
Pakistan has again
lost the battle against polio this year with 72 cases reported
in the country so far, surpassing Nigeria which reported 50
cases and Afghanistan where only nine cases surfaced, according
to WHO report. Last week Pakistan reported six polio cases while
Afghanistan and Nigeria did not report any. Comparing the number
of polio cases reported last year in Pakistan which were 57
with this year's 72, it is clear that despite the tall claims
made by the Government, the battle is far from over.
December 6
At least three
ASWJ cadres, identified as two brothers Talib Ahmed and Kashif
Ahmed, and third identified as Shahid, were killed and one injured
when unidentified armed assailants opened fire at an eatery
near Maskan chowrangi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Gulshan Town
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A worker of the
MQM, identified as Aslam Ansari, was shot dead in an alleged
target killing near his residence in Landhi Town. The initial
investigation also suggested that he was a former cadre of the
MQM-H and later joined MQM.
A private construction
company's employee, identified as Muhammad Qasim (44), was shot
dead in Federal B Area near the Gulberg Police Station in Gulberg
Town.
The Custom Intelligence
took into custody four suspects accused of stealing goods from
NATO containers from Port Qasim, adjacent to Bin Qasim Town.
Sources said it was unclear whether there were weapons or not,
however, it was first incident in which NATO goods were seized
while they were being stolen.
The MQM former
Parliamentarian and town nazim, identified as Osama Qadri, who
was picked up on the night of December 5, 2013, was released
by the LEA's. He was picked up from outside Dolmen City Mall
in Clifton area of Saddar Town, where he had gone for the inauguration
of Johnny Rockets burger joint.
The provincial
head of ASWJ, identified as Maulana Shamsur Rehman Muawiya,
was shot dead in an incident of target killing on Ravi Road
in Lahore District. "As he [Muawiya] reached the Ring Road interchange,
the assailants, who arrived on a motorcycle, opened fire at
his Toyota Corolla," said his brother.
Unidentified armed
assailants shot dead a man on National Highway near Kadha Kocha
area of Mastung District in Balochistan while he was on his
way to Khuzdar in a passenger van.
Over 50,000 security
personnel have been deployed in Balochistan to maintain peace
during local government elections in the province scheduled
for December 7, 2013. Colonel Tariq of Southern Command headquarters
said a security plan had been finalised and the deployment of
personnel across the province had been completed. He said the
deployment process began on December 1, 2013.
Chief polio paramedic,
identified as Olas Khan, was abducted by unidentified armed
militants when he was at home, which also operated as a clinic
within the limits of Badhaber Police Station in Peshawar. He
was the in-charge of polio vaccination teams in Masho Khel and
Sheikhan areas of Peshawar and was posted at a basic health
unit in Sheikhan village.
Coalition partners
of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government decided to end the sit-in
against drone attacks and let NATO containers cross the Torkham
border to Afghanistan, said a person familiar with the matter
told. According to the source, the decision was taken following
Pentagon's statement on December 5, 2013 about suspending the
shipment of equipment out of Afghanistan via Torkham border
due to security concerns over the blockade organised by the
PTI.
The Metropolitan
Police arrested two people from West London in relation to a
money laundering case involving the MQM. The exact details of
those arrested are not known as yet, however, they are said
to be associated with MQM and one of them was reportedly handling
the party's financial matters.
A Pakistani immigrant,
Irfan Khan (40), said that he was held for more than 10 months
in solitary confinement after being falsely arrested on terrorism
charges and has now filed a lawsuit in Federal Court in Miami,
saying he was a victim of "overzealousness" in the US war on
terrorism. Irfan Khan immigrated to the US from Pakistan in
1994 and is a naturalised US citizen. The lawsuit, filed on
December 3, 2103 in US District Court, says Irfan Khan was arrested
in California in May 2011 on charges that included providing
material support for terrorism and the TTP.
Following Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to Gilgit, the Gilgit-Baltistan
Council adopted the controversial Pakistan Protection Bill for
speedy trial of the suspects involved in the June 23, 2013 gruesome
murder of nine foreigners and one Pakistani at the Nanga Parbat
base camp, among other criminal activities in Chilas.
Pakistan's former
Army Chief General (retired) Ashfaq Pervez Kayani still faces
threats from militants and hence was forced to abandon his retirement
house, said a media report published. Security threats have
forced Kayani to leave his newly built retirement home. While
he was still in service, Kayani planned to spend his retired
life in Islamabad's DHA.
The Upper House
of the Parliament was informed that over 32% of the education
institutions in the tribal areas of Pakistan have been destroyed
in militancy. Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron),
Lieutenant General (retired) Abdul Qadir Baloch informed the
National Assembly that over 1,029 educational institutions are
non-functional in the FATA. He added that majority of the schools
were destroyed in the military operation against militants.
Providing a breakdown,
the written reply informed the Parliament that as many as 944
schools were destroyed in military operations, while 31 in sectarian
violence, 16 in floods and eight schools were damaged in local
disputes.
December 7
A dead body of
an eight-year-old boy abducted four days ago was found lying
in a sugarcane field in Bahawalpur District of Punjab. The victim
had been kidnapped on December 2, 2013 on his way from school.
The Police said the boy's father, Ghulam Soomro, who worked
in Saudi Arabia, had returned home on the night of December
5, 2013 after being informed about the kidnapping. Soomro said
his family had received a call from an unidentified man who
had demanded that he be given PKR 5 million as ransom.
December 8
A Shia man, identified
as Syed Iftikhar Abbas Rizvi (42), was shot dead near Babulilm
Imambargah in Five Star Chowrangi within the remits of Hyderi
Police Station in North Nazimabad Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
An activist of
the ANP, identified as Haji Ali Irshad Khan (45), was shot dead
in Orangi Town.
A man of the Kutchhi
Rabita Committee (KRC), identified as Zubair Kutchhi (32), was
sitting outside his residence near Jhatpat Market in Lyari Town.
Two dead bodies,
one identified as that of Ashfaq Ahmed (35) and another unidentified,
were found from separate areas of Gulistan Colony and Rangi
Wara, within the precincts of Chakiwara Police Station in Lyari
Town. According to SHO Sajjad Mangi, both the victims were associated
with gangster Baba Ladla.
Several suspects
were arrested in raid across the city by Police and Rangers.
The law enforcement agencies say that many of these arrested
men are terrorist, target killers, extortionists, and kidnappers.
A performance
report of the city Police states that for the past three months
as many as 9, 944 alleged criminals were arrested with a staggering
15, 653 kilograms of explosive material recovered during raids
in Karachi. The arrested suspects include 269 wanted criminals,
3,056 absconders, 40 kidnappers, 61 extortionists and 102 terrorists.
Various types and amounts of ammunition were also recovered
by the Karachi Police.
Two drivers of
NATO containers were injured when armed militants torched two
tankers carrying fuel for US and NATO troops in Haji Shehar
area of Bolan District in Balochistan. Muhammad Ayub, a levies
official said four militants on two motorcycles opened fire
at tankers in Bolan District. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack.
The incident came
a day after the Chief Minister Balochistan Doctor Malik Baloch
announced program that his Government was committed to provide
security to NATO and US supplies passing through the province.
TTP Chief Mullah
Fazlullah moved from North Waziristan Agency in FATA to Dir
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to sources Mullah
Fazlullah has decided to use Dir District as the headquarters
of TTP instead of North Waziristan which has been declared insecure
by his aides due to the growing intensity of drone attacks.
TTP chief first went to Kunar in Afghanistan and then shifted
to an undisclosed location in Dir District of KP. However, the
TTP sources have not confirmed the movement of Mullah Fazlullah.
December 15
Coalition parties
in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government vowed to continue the sit-in
protest against NATO supplies till the drone strikes are permanently
stopped. The announcement was made by leaders of all the three
parties in the government during a rally at Ring Road in Hayatabad
area of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
December 16
A MQM activist,
identified as Mohammad Junaid (35), was killed on Chakiwara
Road, near Mohammadi Hotel in Lyari Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A former MQM activist,
identified as Azmatullah Niazi (32), was shot dead in the Musafirkhana
area of Eidgah in Lyari Town.
An unidentified
man was found dead in Hashmi Mohallah area of Iqbal Market in
Orangi Town.
Another unidentified
dead body of man was found at Afghan Basti in Gadap Town.
A girl, identified
as Humaira (3), was injured in an explosion in Mohammadi Colony,
within the precincts of Docks Police Station in Liaquatabad
Town. Police said that the assailants aimed to target a godown
of a fishery trader over unpaid extortion money; however, the
grenade hit an empty house, causing injury to the girl.
Sindh Rangers arrested
eight criminals, including Lyari gangsters, in different raids
conducted in Korangi Number-2, Pak Colony, Liaqatabad, Nazimabad,
Lyari, Ranchore Line, Landhi Number-4 and Saadi Town and recovered
weapons from their possession.
Four officials
of the BDS were killed in a remote-controlled blast near a BDS
vehicle in Badhabar area of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of Khyber Pakhtunhwa. A Badhabar Police Station official said
the BDS officials were on their way to defuse a bomb when the
bomb exploded.
A physician, identified
Dr Arshad Khan (57), was shot dead by unidentified militants
in Gulberg area of Peshawar.
An Additional District
and Sessions Judge dismissed the after-arrest bail petition
of Dr Masood Ahmed accused of preaching Ahmedi beliefs and distributing
books containing derogatory remarks against some prophets. Dr
Masood Ahmed said he had been implicated in a false case for
ulterior motives.
ATC released 13
IJT members from the Punjab University who had been accused
of setting a bus on fire. The students had been booked under
Section 7 of the ATA on several charges including attempted
murder, interfering in state business, and torturing and detaining
two professors.
The Pakistan army,
which is alleged to have huge business interests, must acquire
a TV channel to counter the growing penetration of Indian TV
and news channels in the country, a senior army officer Major
General Muhammad Azam Asif suggested. The unusual recommendation
has been made in one of the strategy papers written for the
prestigious 'Green Book' of the Pakistan army that provides
rare insights into its ongoing internal debates.
December 17
Four persons, including
a SI, were killed while 13 others were injured when a suicide
bomber blew himself up in a sectarian attack outside an Imambargah
in Gracy Line area near airport in Rawalpindi District of Punjab.
A landmine explosion
killed at least two tribesmen and wounded two others in Pewaar
area of Kurram Agency in FATA.
A Policeman was
injured when a roadside remote-controlled IED exploded on Kohat
Road in Peshawar. Police alleged that the mobile van was the
target.
In a crackdown
on illegal SIMs, Police recovered thousands of Afghan SIMs allegedly
from the possession of two Afghan refugees, identified as Bilal
and Abdullah, in Pishtakhara area of Peshawar. SSP Operation
Najeebur Rehman Baghvi claimed that Police had also recovered
17,895 SIMs from their possession. "Afghan SIMs sold by these
people are used in crimes including kidnapping-for-ransom and
extortion as well as other crimes," Baghvi said.
Militants torched
a tanker carrying fuel for US and NATO troops in Wadh tehsil
of Khuzdar District in Balochistan. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack.
Law enforcement
agency's personnel rescued two abducted persons and arrested
one kidnapper, identified as Rehmatullah, from Dhadar area of
Kachhi District.
One Fareed Khan
(45) frustrated with the Government's inability to help him
appealed to TTP warlords in Peshawar to rescue his son Furqan
Fareed (11) who was kidnapped on November 5, 2013 from Bannu
District. "I knocked on the door of each and every Government
official but no one gave me justice to recover my only son,"
said Fareed Khan, adding, "Now the Taliban are my last hope.
I believe they will recover my son. The Taliban are good Muslims
and good human beings. They don't demand bribes for the provision
of justice."
December 18
At least five soldiers
were killed and 34 others, including 28 soldiers and six FC
personnel, were wounded when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden
car into a military checkpoint in Mir Ali tehsil of Miranshah
in North Waziristan Agency of FATA.
Ansar-ul-Mujahideen,
a little-known militant group linked to the TTP faction claimed
the responsibility for the attack. Abu Baseer, the 'spokesman'
for the group, said they carried out the attack as an act of
revenge for the killing of former TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud.
Tribesman, Aqeel
Khan, carrying water for the levies force was injured in a bomb
blast in Charramang area of Bajaur Agency. He routinely provided
water to the levies post from a nearby place.
A tribal tribunal
on sent back the case of Dr Shakil Afridi, who was convicted
of aiding a militant group and helping the American CIA track
down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, to the FCR commissioner.
Chairman Shah Wali Khan and members Pir Fida Muhammad and Akbar
Khan of the three-member FATA Tribunal declared authorities'
decision "ambiguous and self-contradictory" directing the commissioner
to review the previous decision".
A woman, identified
Nasreen (45), was killed and her daughter-in-law, Azra, was
injured when a low-intensity explosion took place near Imambargah
on Khalid Bin Waleed Road in Ferozabad area of Jamshed Town
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Law enforcers claimed
to have arrested 25 suspects during the continuing drive against
criminal elements in the city. Rangers said they held about
19 hardened criminals including Lyari gangsters and target killers
affiliated with a political party, during targeted raids.
Participants of
the long march that began from Quetta for the recovery of missing
persons reached Thatta District. The long march is led by Voice
of Missing Person's chief Mama Qadeer while the participants
included relatives of the missing persons.
A Pakistani court
sentenced Jahangir Khan, the ex-husband of Pushtun singer Ghazala
Javed to death for killing her in a shootout that was initially
blamed on the TTP militants. Additional Sessions Judge Swat
(II) Mohammad Tariq Pervaiz Baloch awarded two death sentences
to Jahangir Khan for killing his former wife and her father.
On June 18, 2012, Javed, along with her father, was shot dead
in Peshawar by unidentified armed assailants on a motorcycle.
Chief Minister
Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch warned that his Government
would be the first to resist if Islamabad encroached into the
departments devolved under 18th amendment to the provinces.
He alleged that the Federal Government was trying to snatch
back the powers devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment
Bill.
The motorway Police
foiled a terror bid in Punjab by recovering a huge amount of
sophisticated weapons and arresting two accused, identified
as Ameen-ur-Rehman and Asim, near Burhan in Attock District.
A member of Police
Service of Pakistan Officers' Association met at capital CPO's
office to discuss their reservations on amendments to the Punjab
Police proposed cadre by the Home Department. The meeting came
in the wake of reports that the Home Department was set to take
direct control of Elite Force and the Special Branch.
Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif said said that Pakistan desired peaceful relations
with neighbouring countries, particularly India and Afghanistan.
"Pakistan's intentions towards its neighbours are positive and
expects similar reciprocity from them," he said. He welcomed
the upcoming meeting of the DGMOs of Pakistan and India on December
24, 2013.
India's angry response
to the arrest and humiliation of an Indian diplomat Devyani
Khobragade in the US should be a lesson for Pakistan, said diplomatic
editor, Mariana Baabar in her article. "Pakistanis are watching
with envy as India is reacting to the treatment meted out to
its deputy consul-general Devyani Khobragade by Washington,"
said the article. It shows "very clearly how proud nations fight
back in every possible manner." "But will Islamabad and Rawalpindi
learn any lesson on how to strike back when any of its citizens
is insulted in this manner?" Baabar asked.
Afghan negotiators
disputed remarks by Pakistan's Adviser to Prime Minister on
Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz that Afghan Taliban are unwilling
to talk to the Government-backed peace council. Sartaj Aziz
had said that despite Pakistan's efforts to facilitate talks
between the Afghan High Peace Council and the Afghan Taliban,
the latter are unwilling to enter into negotiation. However,
the Afghan High Peace Council claimed, "many Taliban leaders
are in contact with the Council." "His (Sartaj Aziz) remarks
are contrary to the ground realities," said spokesman for the
Peace Council, Maulvi Shehzada Shahid in Kabul.
The Afghan Taliban
spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, also denied claims by the Afghan
High Peace Council's leader and insisted that there is no change
in the Taliban policy of not talking to the regime in Kabul.
The peace council's spokesman, however, said Pakistan's deep
influence on the Afghan Taliban can make the peace process successful
as "Taliban leaders live in Pakistan and are in contact with
the Pakistani officials."
December 19
Troops mounted
helicopter and mortar attacks on militants in North Waziristan
Agency of FATA, where officials said that at least 33 militants
and three civilians have been killed. A senior military official
said 23 militants were killed overnight in fighting with Security
Forces in North Waziristan Agency. Later, 10 more militants
- most of them Uzbeks - were killed in a fresh search operation
in Mir Ali town, the military said.
A court Police
Constable, identified as Mohammad Siddique, was shot dead in
Banaras Colony within the jurisdiction of Pirabad Police Station
in SITE Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A medical dental
technician, identified as Zahirudin, was shot dead at his workshop
in the remits of Azizabad Police Station.
The dead body of
a doctor, identified as Sabir Saghir Baigh, was found from bushes
in New Karachi within the precincts of Bilal Colony Police Station
in New Karachi Town. Police said that doctor was abducted four
days ago when he was on his way home from his clinic. Later,
the family received a ransom call and PKR 0.3 million were paid
to the kidnappers, however, they increased the demand and asked
for an additional PKR 0.7 million. The family was busy collecting
the money when the Police found his dead body.
Law enforcers claimed
to have arrested 124 criminals during the continuing targeted
operation from different areas of Karachi. Counter terrorism
Wing of the CID arrested two LeJ militants, identified as Mohammad
Asif alias Abdullah and Shahadat Hussain, during a raid in Khuda
Ki Basti in Surjani Town.
CID arrested two
more suspects, Shadab Ahmed Khan and Adnan. Police said the
arrested were involved in target killing of four people and
were also involved in extortion, and also had an affiliation
with a political party.
The CID caught
two suspects associated with a political party. One of the arrested
was identified as Kamran alias Kammo, and had allegedly
killed at least six people.
CID claimed to
have arrested an alleged Lyari gangster, identified as Omair
alias Mali, who was affiliated with Wasiullah Lakho group during
a raid conducted in Singholane in Lyari Town. Mali is allegedly
involved in extortion and the killing of six persons including
FC personnel.
CID claimed to
have arrested an alleged Lyari gangster, identified as Omair
alias Mali, who was affiliated with Wasiullah Lakho group during
a raid conducted in Singholane in Lyari Town. Mali is allegedly
involved in extortion and the killing of six persons including
FC personnel.
At least three
people were injured in a hand grenade attack outside a mosque
in Peerano Kali area on Kohat Road in Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunhwa.
PTI Chairman Imran
Khan has been threatened by militants after criticising attacks
on polio vaccination teams, his party said. Imran on December
18, 2013 had declared polio workers as soldiers of Islam and
said those attacking them were not doing any justice to humanity,
Islam or Pakistanis. "Mr Khan received a threat from Ansarul
Mujahideen over his remarks over anti-polio campaign," Shireen
Mazari, a senior member of PTI said.
The IMF approved
the second tranche of USD 550 million to Pakistan under the
6.6 billion loan program. According to sources, the approval
for the issuance of second tranche of loan was granted by the
IMF Board of Directors. Pakistan will soon receive the second
installment of loan amounting to USD 550 million from the IMF,
said the sources at Ministry of Finance.
Pakistan appointed
diplomat Abdul Basit as its new High Commissioner to India.
Basit (55) was earlier tipped to take over as Foreign Secretary
but the Government recently made several changes in proposed
appointments.
The UNGA adopted
a unanimous resolution against the use of armed drones in foreign
territories in what Pakistan claimed to be a 'moral victory'
for the country. The 193 member body urged the US to comply
with international laws for its use of unmanned aerial vehicles
for taking out 'high value targets' in countries. This was the
first time that the issue of drones was raised in a UN resolution.
In its official
reaction, Pakistan immediately took credit for the unanimous
resolution against drone strikes. "Pakistan successfully coordinated
with like-minded states to include references to the use of
drones in the resolution," said a statement issued by the Foreign
Ministry.
December 20
Three passengers
were killed after SFs opened fire on a vehicle during curfew
hours near Khajori check post in North Waziristan Agency of
FATA. Troops resorted to retaliatory firing when miscreants
fired three rockets at a security forces' base near Mir Ali
town. Artillery and mortar shells rained on residential compounds
in Mirali, Mosaki and Epi village. Indeed, the entire chain
of events that has left the whole of North Waziristan under
a curfew for four days is shrouded in confusion. The residents
said that SFs encircled two hotels and that the dead were non-combatants.
Hundreds of tribesmen including women and children are stranded
for the last four days in Miranshah Bus Stand in FR Bannu and
different parts of North Waziristan Agency due to ongoing curfew.
At least two people
were killed and 25 others were injured in a suicide attack targeting
a Police officer's car that was parked outside his house in
Old Sabzi Mandi area of Jamshed Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. According to reports, Inspector Shafiq Tanoli,
SHO, Mochko Police Station Baldia Town, had just climbed down
from his pickup truck when the bomb struck. He sustained serious
injuries in the attack. Inspector Tanoli said that it was a
suicide attack. Inspector Tanoli was receiving death threats
since the day he had arrested a number of militants including
TTP commander in a raid on a Mauripur building in Kiamari Town.
Rangers arrested
three alleged target killers, who were affiliated with a political
party in Korangi Town. Weapons were also recovered from their
possession, while interrogation is underway.
The paramilitary
force arrested 14 criminals in targeted raids and snap checking
in different areas of the city.
Sindh Chief Minister
Syed Qaim Ali Shah claimed that crimes in Karachi had reduced
by over 30 percent, with special cooperation of the Federal
Government. Speaking in response to a statement of Opposition
Leader Faisal Sabzwari regarding law and order, he told the
Sindh Assembly that LEA had captured 13,500 to 14,000 criminals
by December 19, 2013, and maintained that a considerable strength
of them were proclaimed offenders.
The seat left empty
by the murder of the PAC leader, Zafar Baloch, will not be vacant
for long as the 'elders', fearing that the group might meet
the same fate as its late leader, have announced that Rauf Baloch
will take over the rein. Known as the political face of PAC,
Zafar was shot dead in September 2013 in Lyari Town by unidentified
assailants. Like Zafar, Rauf has also been a political activist
since his youth. While rearranging their internal set up, PAC
and its allies are also considering cutting off their old ties
with the PPP. "We are not bound to anyone. We have a right to
join any other party and we can."
At least three
people were injured when a blast occurred near a girls' college
in Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District in Balochistan.
Levies force arrested
three suspects and recovered one kalashnikov and two stolen
motorbikes from their possession in Duki area of Loralai District.
Unidentified militants
abducted four Custom Officials, including Deputy Superintendent
Chaudhry Iftikhar, near Motorway in Islamabad. The sources said
that the Custom authorities had seized a container of smuggled
items including clothes and electronic equipment a few days
ago.
The Police claimed
to have arrested three alleged terrorists during a raid on a
house in Harbans Pura in Lahore District. According to Police,
weapons, explosives, and remote controls were also recovered
from their possession.
The city Police
on December 20 finalised a security plan for the Chehlum
of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the urs of Hazrat Ali Hajveri Data Ganj
Bakhsh, Christmas and for the expected arrival of the Turkish
Prime Minister. The detailed plan includes installation of CCTV
cameras, walkthrough gates and deputation of more than 15,000
Police Officers and other Law Enforcers to avoid any untoward
incident in the provincial capital.
LHC restrained
Pakistan's federal film censor board from issuing certificates
for the exhibition of Indian films in the country. "According
to law, no movie can be exhibited in Pakistan if it has been
produced in India," members of the Pakistan Film Workers Association
said.
The Federal Government
leveled five charges against former President General Pervez
Musharraf, praying to the Special Court to award the military
ruler death penalty or life imprisonment in high treason case.
With a special
court set to begin his treason trial, Pervez Musharraf's legal
team will hold an important meeting on December 21, 2013 to
devise the final strategy for the case. One of the legal team's
members revealed that an important meeting of the former military
ruler's lawyers would be held in Islamabad to devise the final
plan about their client's appearance before the special court
on December 24, 2013.
Lawyers for Pervez
Musharraf said that a treason charge levied against him was
politically motivated and that he would face a "show trial",
urging the UN to intervene. The legal team also called on the
US, Britain and Saudi Arabia to denounce Musharraf's trial to
"repay their debt" for his support in the US-led "war on terror"
in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
The National Assembly,
without the opposition, unanimously adopted a resolution appreciating
the UNGA on the passage of a resolution against drone strikes.
The resolution stated, "This House appreciates the efforts of
the PML-N Government in the adoption of a resolution against
the use of drone strikes by the UN General Assembly."
The US Congress
passed a USD 552 billion Defense Authorisation Bill for 2014,
which also calls for stopping reimbursements to Pakistan if
ground supply routes to Afghanistan are interrupted. The bill
provides USD 80.7 billon for operations in Afghanistan and USD1.5
billion for reimbursements to Pakistan in 2014, when the US
plans to withdraw most of its combat troops from the region.
The bill is now at the White House for President Barack Obama
to sign it into law. The White House has already indicated that
the President will sign the bill.
December 21
Police and Rangers
in an alleged encounter killed a key Lyari gangster, identified
as Hafiz Dada, in his hideout in Sajjan Goth area of Saeedabad
area in Baldia Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two of his accomplices managed to escape under the cover of
aerial firing. SP Malik Muhammad Ehsan said that Dada was affiliated
with Uzair Baloch group, and was an expert in firing rockets.
Two people were
killed and three children, identified as Sagheer, (10), Milad
Raza (12), and Mohammad Omer (8), were injured as armed gangsters
affiliated with Baba Ladla's group continued aerial firing and
hurled rockets in Shah Baig Lane and Baghdadi areas of Lyari
Town.
At least six people
including three women were wounded in a firing and hand grenade
attack in Macchar Colony area within the jurisdiction of Docks
Police Station in Kiamari Town.
Rangers claimed
to have arrested at least 12 suspects, including a TTP militant,
during various targeted raids in Landhi Town, New Karachi Town,
Old Sabzimandi area in Jamshed Town, Mauripur area in Kiamari
Town and Gulistan-e-Jauhar area in Gulshan Town.
Two people were
injured when an artillery shell hit a house in Manan Kot area
near Mir Ali town of North Waziristan Agency of FATA. Locals
said that Security Forces, backed by artillery and helicopter
gunships, fired back after terrorists attacked a convoy in Manan
Kot.
DPC's national
jirga in a unanimously approved resolution demanded from
the Government an immediate halt of the military operation in
North Waziristan Agency, to allow Pakistan Air Force to shoot
down the US drone and get out of the US war on terror. The resolution
announced by JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haque further stressed
on resolving all issues through negotiations, asked the Government
to hold talks with the TTP, stop military operation immediately,
while those affected during FATA operation should be given compensations.
Polio vaccinators
backed out from the next immunisation drive in Khyber Agency
after his Galiab Khan's murder. Volunteers and EPI staff have
been gripped by fear after Ghilaf was targeted, said Dr Usman
Afridi, who is field supervisory medical officer for the EPI.
The Punjab Government
on decided to arrest the local leadership of various sects who
have been listed as potential trouble makers, and arrested 15
local clerics including those of ASWJ. The decision was taken
to avoid sectarian clash as the Government has already announced
that there would be no change in Chehlum route to be held on
December 24, 2013.
Imran Khan will
call for sit-ins to block NATO supply routes in Sindh and Balochistan
via the Chaman border next year, said PTI Central Information
Secretary Shireen Mazari. "He is scheduled to be in Karachi
in the first week of January 2014 and will also be visiting
Balochistan." She said the party wanted to wait until the local
bodies elections in Balochistan were held. Now that the polls
are over, the PTI is set to lead sit-ins against NATO supplies.
December 23
Police found three
torture-marked bullet-riddled unidentified dead bodies from
Super Highway within the precincts of Gadap City Police Station
in Karachi. Police while quoting the initial investigation said
that the victims were first kidnapped later dumped after being
tortured.
As many as 58 suspects
including political workers and target killers were arrested
by law enforcers during the ongoing targeted-operation.
Police arrested
three Lyari gangsters associated with Wasiullah Lakho group,
identified as Farhan alias Indian, Nadeem and Mohammad
Irfan, during an exchange of fire in Khajoor Bazaar within the
jurisdiction of Kharadaar Police Station in Lyari Town.
The LEAs beefed
up security for Hazrat Imam Hussain's Chehlum processions after
intelligence authorities warned them of possible law and order
problems. Among all the mourning processions planned for Karachi,
at least 14 have been declared as highly sensitive, while 150
as sensitive.
The SHC disposed
off an application seeking removal of the name of former President
General Pervez Musharraf from the ECL. A two-member bench of
the SHC, comprising Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Naimatullah
Phulpoto, heard the arguments of the parties in the case and
concluded that the matter did not fall under the legal jurisdiction
of the SHC because the High Court had only approved interim
bail for Musharraf.
December 24
Four IED blasts
killed four people including two teenagers and injured 23 others
on Chehlum and Orangi Town of Karachi. The first explosion took
place near Capri Cinema on MA Jinnah Road, a few moments before
the Chehlum procession of Imam Hussain passed by. No casualties
were reported from the first incidence. However, three back-to-back
explosions shook Azakhana-e-Kauser Imambargah and Qasba Colony
area of Orangi Town, claiming four lives, including two teenagers,
and wounding around 23 people.
December 25
An unidentified
bullet-riddled dead body was found from an empty plot within
the jurisdiction of Saeedabad Police Station in Baldia Town
of Karachi. Preliminary investigation said that unidentified
militants after kidnapping tortured the victim and shot him
before throwing his body.
Another unidentified
torture-marked dead body of a man was found from the graveyard
located in Paposh Nagar in North Nazimabad Town.
Another dead body
of a man, identified as that of Irfan (30), was found within
the limits of Khuwaja Ajmair Nagri Police Station in North Karachi
Town.
The CT and Financial
Crimes Unit of CID claimed to have arrested an eight-member
gang of bank robbers from SITE industrial area's Estate Avenue,
who confessed to have looted PKR 26.1 million from nine banks
in the city, all on Fridays. Karachi has so far witnessed some
29 bank robberies till December 25, 2013 and during these heists,
the armed robbers managed to take away over PKR 120 million
cash, besides snatching dozens of weapons from the bank guards
and killing some private security guards as well as police personnel
deployed at the bank branches for security.
The Police investigators
suspected TTP militants to be behind the series of Chehlum
bombings on December 24, 2013 in Orangi Town that killed
four people. Investigators are investigating the involvement
of Zohaib, an alleged terrorist of the TTP who was killed during
an exchange of fire with Rangers in Manghopir on the same day.
December 26
A local leader
of Pakistan PML-N, identified as Abdul Hamid, was shot dead
near Singer Chowrangi, within the jurisdiction of Awami Colony
Police Station in Korangi Town of Karachi.
A man, identified
as Imran Salman (25), was shot dead and two others, identified
as Sajjad and Salman, were wounded when unidentified armed assailants
opened indiscriminate fire near Sahara Fuel pump within the
precincts of Chakiwara Police Station in Lyari Town.
An unidentified
bullet-riddled dead body bearing torture marks was found from
Ghazi Goth within the limits of Manghopir Police Station in
Malir Town. Police while quoting the initial investigation said
that unidentified assailants had kidnapped the victim, shot
and tortured him and later dumped his body.
SSP-Central Amir
Farooqui, said that the New Karachi Industrial Police arrested
three suspected target killers, allegedly involved in the killings
of 12 people, including two Policemen, as well as 150 incidents
of street crimes. Police also recovered arms from their possession.
Also, Rangers arrested more than 15 suspects including members
of a political party during an operation in Liaquatabad Town.
ATC framed charges
against PPP MNA elected from Lyari Town, Shahjahan Baloch, and
five others for their alleged involvement in the March 16, 2013,
Lyari gangster Arshad Pappu murder case. The ATC indicted Shahjahan,
Zubair Baloch, Zakir Dada, Abdul Rehman, Inspector Yousuf Baloch
and Javed Baloch, after they were produced in the court. After
the suspects pleaded not guilty, the court issued notices to
the prosecution witnesses for January 11, 2014.
December 27
Six Lyari gangsters,
identified as Rizwan Baloch, Shahzad, Sajid alias Mithal, Amir
Baloch, Gulzar and Dilawar Pathan, were shot dead and their
bodies were discovered in Pak Colony area of Old Golimar near
Rexer Bridge in SITE Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. They belonged to Lyari's Uzair Baloch group. According
to Police, they were abducted on December 26, 2013 and then
shot dead.
A minor girl was
killed when unidentified militants lobbed a hand-grenade at
a house on Khalid Bin Waleed Road in Ferozabad area of Jamshed
Town. Police claimed that the attackers were extortionists and
wanted to extort money from the owner of the house.
An alleged suspect
in the December 20, 2013 attack on former SHO Shafiq Tanoli
succumbed to his wounds in a hospital.
Rangers arrested
25 suspects during operations in different areas, including
Sharafi Goth, Ibrahim Hyderi, Korangi, Landhi, Old Sabzi Mandi,
Baldia Town and Malir.
December 28
At least two people were killed and another
one was injured when unidentified militants opened fire at the
vehicle of MWM Shia leader Mirza Yousuf in Gulistan-e-Jauhar
area of Gulshan Town in Karachi. The killed included one of
his personal guards and a Policeman while the injured was an
aide of Yousuf.
December 29
Three Shia MWM
activists, identified as Safdar Abbas and Abdul Aleem, and Syed
Ali Shah, were shot dead, while a female companion, Sakeena,
sustained injuries when unidentified armed assailants opened
fire targeting their cab while they were returning after filing
their nomination papers at the ECO on Dalmia Road in Gulistan-e-Jauhar
area of Gulshan Town in Karachi.
A Policeman, identified
as Muhammad Saeed (50), was shot dead while he was on duty near
Oxford High School at Gulshan Chowrangi in Gulshan Town.
Four unidentified
dead bodies were found at a house in Musharraf Colony area of
Mauripur in Kiamari Town.
A dead body of
a fisherman, identified as that of Saifullah Bengali alias Munna,
was found lying in a hilly area of Gulshan-e-Ibrahim in Gulshan
Town.
An unidentified
dead body of a man was found at Ijtima Gah in Manghopir area
of Gadap Town.
Three people, including
a waiter at a hotel, identified as Akram, was shot at and injured
when two militants opened fire on him near Qazi Chowk in Ferozabad
area of Jamshed Town.
December 30
At least three people, including a woman and
two children, were killed and two others were injured when a
bomb planted outside a house exploded in Charsadda District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A Police mobile van was targeted by a remote-controlled
IED, when the vehicle was on its way to Kangra Adda in Shabqadar
bazaar of Charsadda District, Police Official Nasir Khan said.
Khan said the bomb exploded just as the Police van was passing
by, but fortunately no casualties were reported.
Two Police Officers were killed and another
injured in a firing incident outside an Imambargah in Race Course
area of Rawalpindi District of Punjab. The officers were deployed
for the security of the Imambargah.
Five packets of explosive material were found
near former President General Pervez Musharraf's Chak Shahzad
farm house in Islamabad. According to the Police, explosives
were recovered from the green belt on Park Road. Each packet
contained around 400-500 grams of explosive material.
A member of the Kutchhi community, identified
as Usman Kutchhi (35), was killed in a targeted attack while
he was passing through Dhobi Ghat in Lyari Town of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
An unidentified dead body of a man was found
near the Dhobi Ghat area of Lyari Town.
The Government resolved to disarm all armed
groups in Balochistan, as part of a 'smart and effective security
policy' outlined by Balochistan's Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik
Baloch and Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan. The policy was
devised as a counter-measure to the previous Government's move
to allow groups to arm themselves as a form of protection against
militants.
Former President General Pervez Musharraf said
that he leaves his treason trial issue to incumbent COAS General
Raheel Sharif. "I would say the whole army is upset. Certainly,
they wouldn't like anything happening to their ex-army chief,
he said. He also raised alarm about his security. "I fear for
my life from Mullah Fazlullah led TTP, BLA, Lal Masjid and al
Qaeda", he said.
Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly
Khurshid Shah urged the army to state its position on Pervez
Musharraf' claim as silence can be misconstrued as consent.
Speaking to media in the Parliament House Shah said that Pervez
Musharraf tried to act smart while claiming to have army's support
in the treason case. "If army is not with Musharraf, it should
rebuff his statement," he demanded.
The Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed
said that General Pervez Musharraf should express his views
in the court.
Chairman of PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said
that Pervez Musharraf's defence in the treason case is also
treason. In a micro-blogging website, Bilawal tweeted, "Musharraf's
defence in the treason case is also treason. Attempts to incite
armed forces to come to his aide is desperate & disgusting."
According to the National Intelligence Estimate
Report, the Taliban and other militant groups will have the
upper hand in Afghanistan by 2017 even if the US maintains a
small military presence in the country. The report includes
input from all 16 American Intelligence Agencies and is prepared
for US policymakers and lawmakers.
In another report also released this year, the
US intelligence community predicted that Pakistan-based LeT
would continue to be the most multifaceted and problematic of
the Pakistani militant groups. "The group has the long-term
potential to evolve into a permanent and even Hamas/Hezbollah-like
presence in Pakistan," it warned. The reports states that Pakistan
is "intently focused" on Afghanistan, anticipating ISAF drawdown.
December 31
At least three people were killed and four others
were injured in a bomb blast in Garhi Khan Sher area of Budbher
in Peshawar (KP). Police confirmed that the rickhsaw was carrying
an explosive device, indicating that the terrorists were transporting
the bomb to another place when it accidentally exploded.
ACC DSP at Garden Headquarters, identified as
Bahauddin Babar, was shot dead in a targeted attack near Metroville
in SITE Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. AEC
Senior SSP Mohammad Aslam Khan said, "I suspect that terrorist
groups might be involved in his killing, particularly the Taliban's
Swat Mustafa Jihadi group. The killers will soon be arrested."
Babar's killing has raised the number of casualties of Police
officials to 172 in 2013, making it the worst year in the history
of the Karachi Police.
A man, identified as Bakht Azeem (36), was shot
dead in Gharibabad area of Malir Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
An unidentified dead body was found in Gulistan
Colony of Lyari Town. The victim appeared to be of Baloch origin.
A vehicle carrying MQM MPA Dr Arshad Vohra was
attacked in SITE with a hand-grenade. Shots were also fired
targeting the MPA's vehicle. However, no casualties were reported.
At least 132 criminals
including TTP militants, Lyari gangsters and target killers
were arrested up by law enforcers. In the first raid, District
East Police claimed to have arrested a TTP militant, identified
as Noorullah alias Ameer Hamza, for his alleged involvement
in the attack on the anti-polio team in Sohrab Goth.
Karachi Police detained around 85 criminals,
including 28 absconders and six target killers. The officials
also recovered weapons and drugs from their possession.
Pakistan Rangers Sindh arrested 46 criminals
during targeted raids conducted in Green Town, Golden Town,
Bilal Colony, Bin Qasim, Gharibabad, Malir, Banaras, Qauidabad,
Usmanabad, Rashid Minhas and Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
The killings of 172 Policemen have broken all
records of the Karachi Police history. In 2011, a total of 53
Policemen lost their lives in the line of duty. Compared to
this number, in 2012, the killings of Policemen more than doubled
with a total of 122 killings. From January to November 2013,
as many as 150 Policemen have been shot dead.
An ATC in Gilgit-Baltistan accepted the bail
plea of five men accused of attacking buses and killing passengers
on the Karakoram Highway in June 2012. The decision was made
by Justice Raja Shahbaz Khan, paving the way for the temporary
release of the accused languishing in a jail in Chilas, headquarters
of Diamer Valley since 2012."The Court has granted bail to Maulana
Muzammil Shah, Qari Qayyum, Rizwan, Mohamad Yasir and Mahmoodul
Hassan," a lawyer said.
The TTP ruled out the possibility of talks with
the Government, sticking to its stance that it could not contemplate
the same until security officials stopped targeting its leaders,
said a senior leader of the outfit. Ehsanullah Ehsan, the group's
former 'spokesman' said that the TTP will issue a formal response
later. At the same time, Ehsan heaped scorn at the leaders of
JUI factions Maulana Samiul Haq and Maulana Fazlur Rehman and
accused them of pursuing their political agenda under the pretext
of the talks.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif delegated Maulana
Sami-ul-Haq, chief of his own faction of Jama'at Ulema-e-Islam
and chairman of the Pakistan Defence Council, the task to create
a feasible environment to initiate a dialogue with the TTP.
Haq met with the Prime Minister and the two discussed the strategy
to revive conditions to initiate peace talks with the Taliban,
sources said. Prime Minister Sharif expressed serious interest
in reviving the conditions for talks with the Taliban and requested
Haq to assist the Government in clearing the way for such dialogue
to take place.
Former President General Pervez Musharraf is
expected to be indicted on January 1, 2014 in the high treason
case for subverting the Constitution while imposing the proclamation
of emergency in the country on November 3, 2007. A three-member
bench of the Special Court headed by Justice Faisal Arab and
comprising Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar and Justice Yawar Ali
will conduct hearing into the complaint lodged by the Federation
for initiating high treason trial against Musharraf.
Pervez Musharraf filed a plea in the Special
Court hearing the treason case against him to exempt him from
appearing before it on account of concerns to his security.
His lawyers cited threats to his security as the reason to request
the exemption.
Musharraf's legal team also requested the court
to adjourn the case for a period of five weeks. It alleged that
the Federal Government had failed to put adequate security measures
in place for the former President.
Source:Compiled from news reports
and are provisional.