A FC official was killed and
three others injured after their vehicle was bombed at the Harnae
Phatak close to Police Line in Sibi town of same District in
Balochistan in the morning. According to police officials, unidentified
militants attached an IED to a tree near a graveyard close to
Police Line. The militants detonated the IED by a remote device
when FC vehicle passed by the area. As a result of the explosion,
FC solider Mohammed Luqman died on the spot while three other
personnel sustained wounds.
A suspected TTP militant, involved
in the attack on a Levies Thana in Zhob District, was killed
in an exchange of fire with Security Forces. Official sources
said that a group of armed militants attacked the Levies Thana
in Murgha Kibzai area of Zhob District and ransacked it before
setting it on fire. The attackers were fleeing when FC troops
reached there and opened fire on them. In the heavy exchange
of fire, one attacker died.
FC personnel arrested a militant
‘commander’ and recovered arms and ammunition from his possession
from Barkhan District.
The Sindh Rangers arrested 11
suspected persons during raids in Mianwali Colony, Jam Goth
and Lyari areas of the provincial capital Karachi. According
to a spokesman of Sindh Rangers, the members of banned outfits
were also among the detainees. Four alleged gangster were arrested
in Gulistan Colony area of Lyari. Arms were also recovered from
their possession.
A local court sent LeT ‘commander’
Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of Mumbai attacks,
on a 14-day judicial remand in a six-year-old ‘kidnapping’ case.
The order came as Lakhvi’s two-day physical remand in the kidnapping
case expired January 2.
Earlier in the morning, the
Federal Government challenged the suspension of the detention
order for Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in Supreme Court. Government
pleaded the Supreme Court of Pakistan to set aside the Islamabad
High Court (IHC) order.
Three special courts were formed
in accordance with the Protection of Pakistan Act (PPA) to preside
over cases relating to terrorism. Five special courts are to
be formed in total. The three courts have been formed in Peshawar
(Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Lahore (Punjab) and Quetta (Balochistan)
in accordance with the PPA passed by parliament in order to
curb rising militancy in the country. Judge Mukarrab Khan will
head the special court in Lahore, Judge Zafar Khosa in Quetta
and judge Anwar Ali Khan will preside over the court in Peshawar.
As many as five special courts are to be formed whereas the
next phase will focus on establishing special courts in Islamabad
and Sindh.
PM Nawaz Sharif ordered the
suspension of Senior Superintendent of Islamabad Police Asmatullah
Junejo and another officer for showing leniency to the activists
of ASWJ arrested on charges of displaying weapons. SSP Islamabad
and Acting SHO of Shahzad Town Police Station, Anees Akbar,
were suspended for not booking a leader of ASWJ Mufti Tanvir
Alam and his eight accomplices for displaying weapons in violation
of Section 144 imposed in the federal capital, Islamabad. Instead
of booking all of the arrested persons for violating Section
144, the Police authorities booked them under Sections 13, 20
and 65 separately, showing leniency toward the activists of
the religious outfit.
DIG, Operations, Dr Haider Ashraf
awarded punishment including dismissal from service, suspension,
demotion and censure to 39 officials including six SHOs and
two ASIs during Orderly Room. The DIG dismissed two ASIs and
one constable, suspended six SHOs, one constable and one clerk,
censured six SHOs, two ASIs and one clerk, demoted an inspector
and one sub-inspector, stopped increment of four SHOs, three
ASIs, two constables, one clerk and one junior-clerk and fined
two sub-inspectors, one TASI and one junior-clerk for corruption,
misuse of their authority, misbehavior with citizens and indiscipline.
The CoAS, General Raheel Sharif,
said the political consensus against terrorism should not be
lost to petty differences. He said the entire nation was looking
towards the political and military leadership of the country
to take bold and meaningful decisions leading to stern action
against the terrorists and their sympathisers. He was addressing
the 178th Corps Commanders Conference at the General
Headquarters.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that the
entire national political class and military is united in the
war against terrorism and extremism, and will achieve success
by taking effective measures at the right time. The political
leadership and military command once again came together for
the speedy implementation of National Action Plan (NAP) for
the eradication of terrorism.
PM said nobody could remain
neutral in the war against terrorism and the NAP will eliminate
terrorists for all times. Nawaz said the hideouts of hardcore
terrorists would be completely smashed and they would be chased
with courage and determination and eliminated while civilians
would be protected by every means.
ANP Central General Secretary
Mian Iftikhar Hussain declared Punjab a training centre for
terrorists and their masterminds and demanded that the Government
begin a decisive action against terrorist outfits in the province.
He was speaking at the ‘Shuhada Amn Qaumi Conference’ here at
Nishtar Hall in Peshawar.
He said there should be no distinction
between good Taliban and bad Taliban and that state institutions
should take an across-the-board action against terrorists.
Defending the role of madrassas
and resenting the Prime Minister’s mention of religious schools
in the context of terrorism, Qari Muhammad Hanif Jalandhari,
general secretary of the Ittehad-i-Tanzeemat-i-Madaris-i-Deenia
— an umbrella organisation of five main bodies representing
seminaries from as many different schools of thought - demanded
that the Government expose elements and organisations behind
the Peshawar school carnage, saying that it was the worst incident
of its kind in the world. He, however, alleged that under the
cover of the tragedy a propaganda campaign sponsored by the
west had been unleashed against the madrassas and Islam.
At least 824 people were killed
and 2,339 others injured in 372 bomb attacks, including 26 suicide
bombings that occurred across Pakistan during 2014, according
to official statistics. According to the data, the suicide attacks
killed 249 people and left 582 wounded in different areas of
the country last year. In 2014, the number of suicide attacks
dropped by 34 percent from the year of 2013 when 39 suicide
blasts took place. Terrorists staged 21 suicide attacks during
the first six months of the year, seven in January, six in February,
one each in March and April, two in May and four in June, which
killed 163 people and injured 348 others. But the number of
suicide attacks dropped in the second part of the year after
the launch of the military operation “Zarb-e-Azb” against militants
in the country’s northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
During the second half of the
year, terrorists carried out only five suicide attacks that
killed 86 people and left 234 wounded. As the country’s military
and law enforcement agencies started actions against terrorists,
the number of total casualties in 2014 dopped by around 46 percent
from the previous year, when 1,532 persons were killed in 324
bomb attacks. In terms of the number of deaths, January of 2014
was the deadliest month when 168 people lost their lives and
401 others sustained injuries in 42 bomb attacks. The month
of August was second most deadliest, when 103 people were killed
and 309 others injured in 53 attacks. The worst attack of the
year occurred on November 2, when a suicide bomber exploded
his jacket amid a crowd of over 200 people who were returning
after attending a “lowering of the flags” ceremony and Rangers
parade at the Wagah border crossing between Pakistan and India.
The attack killed at least 62 people and left over 150 others
injured.
January 2
The FC claimed to have killed
four suspected militants in the Naal area of Khuzdar District.
One FC trooper was also killed during an exchange of fire with
suspected militants. FC’s spokesman (Balochistan) said several
suspected militants were also arrested during the operation.
The forces also seized weapons and arms from the possession
of militants during the action.
The Ghizer Police defused an
eight kilogram bomb planted on a road leading to the home of
the Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Peer Karam Ali Shah. The bomb
was planted on the Ghizer-Ashkoman road. A Police source said
that Governor Peer Karam Shah usually used the road to go his
home situated at Chatorgan in Ghizer District. The Police official
said that the Ghizer District was a peaceful place and that
the incident was first of its kind in the area.
PM Nawaz Sharif wrote a letter
to President Mamnoon Hussain, urging him to reject the mercy
petitions of five condemned prisoners who were convicted for
their involvement in terrorism cases. The convicts include:
Muhammad Ikramul Haq alias Lahori alias Farooq Haider (son of
Bashir Ahmed), Ahmed Ali alias Asif alias Shish Naag (son of
Ghulam Abbas), Mohammad Tayyab alias Sajjad (son of Nabi Ahmed),
Ghulam Shabbir alias Doctor alias Nasir alias Zeeshan alias
Sohail (son of Bashir Ahmed), and Zulfiqar Ali (son of Abdul
Hameed). The five prisoners hailing from Karachi and convicted
for target killings had been arrested in different instances.
On December 17, PM Nawaz Sharif
had approved the removal of moratorium on the death penalty
after the attack on Peshawar's Army Public School. In the wake
of the removal of the moratorium on the death penalty, seven
executions have been carried out. The moratorium on the death
penalty was imposed by former President Asif Ali Zardari during
the tenure of the Pakistan People’s Party government in 2008.
The APC convened by PM Nawaz
Sharif decided to amend the Constitution to provide for trial
of terror suspects by military courts for a period of two years.
The amendment endorsed by the APC will be known as the 22nd
Amendment. It will be tabled in the National Assembly on January
3 (today) and in Senate on (January 6). The proposed amendment
bill calls for amending Article 175 of the Constitution (Establishment
and Jurisdiction of Courts) and the First Schedule of the Constitution,
which contains laws exempted from operation of Article 8 (1)
and (2) – the clauses pertaining to fundamental rights.
January 3
Pakistani Rangers, in an operation,
killed four criminals, identified as Sanaullah (25), Ameer (35),
Hassan (28) and Liaqat (30), near Jumman Shah Road of Lyari
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. “The criminals
were involved in many cases of murder and extortion,” the Pakistan
Rangers spokesperson said. Weapons were also recovered from
their possession.
Unidentified gunman shot dead
a man, identified as Ghulam Ali (25), near Gareeb Shah Shrine
in Lyari Town in Karachi.
The polio worker's house was
set ablaze by militants in Khattakmela area of Kurram Agency.
Official sources said that unidentified militants burned down
the house of polio worker Muhammad Wazir, who performs duties
as a polio worker.
Law Enforcement Agencies, including
Police, FC, Balochistan Levies and Intelligence Agencies in
a joint raid launched a crackdown against stores openly selling
hate literature and materials allegedly promoting militancy
in Kuchlak area of Quetta. At least 40 shopkeepers were detained
in Quetta for interrogation, while dozens were arrested from
other parts of the Province during the raids.
The Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that action had been launched against
the TTP, its supporters and sympathisers. Speaking at a press
conference, he said it had been decided in the National Action
Plan (NAP) that TTP operatives, their supporters, masterminds
and financiers would be identified across the country. The Federal
intelligence agencies would cooperate with provinces to accomplish
the task, he added.
Chaudhry Nisar said there were
around 60 banned outfits, but all were not involved in terrorism.
Some were operating under new names and some quietly operating
with the same old names, he added. The minister said funds of
banned organisations would be blocked and legal action would
be initiated against them. If they remain adamant, their cases
would also be referred to military courts.
Expressing confidence that Pakistan
is capable of replying to any aggression, Defence Minister Khawaja
Mohammad Asif said that India wants to engage Pakistan in a
“low-intensity war”. “It seems that India does not understand
the language of love and peace,” the Defence Minister said outside
the Parliament House after conclusion of the National Assembly
session.
He said that the Prime Minister
had expressed the desire for having peace with India and all
other neighbouring countries with sincerity, but India had not
reciprocated Islamabad’s goodwill gesture. “India wants to keep
us busy in a low-intensity war or low-intensity engagement on
our eastern border. They are pursuing the same tactics of keeping
our forces busy on all fronts and the anti-Pakistan mentality
of the Indian leadership is now fully exposed,” he added.
January 4
At least 31 militants have been
killed and scores of others injured as jet fighters targeted
militants hideouts in Koki Khel area of Tirah Valley in Khyber
Agency of FATA. According to an ISPR statement, “Four terrorist
hideouts and a suicide bomber training centre were destroyed.
31 terrorists including some suicide bombers were killed”.
A US drone strike at Wacha Basti
village near Alwara Mandi in Dattakhel of NWA killed eight militants
and injured two others. Sources said that the drone targeted
a compound belonging to an Uzbek ‘commander’ of the Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan's Hafiz Gul Bahadur group.
A bomb targeting Shias at a
volleyball match killed at least four persons and injured eight
at the Hussaini ground in the Kalaya area of Orakzai Agency.
The Hussaini ground is owned by the local Shia community.
FC and paramilitary force foiled
a major terror bid in Sibi District by defusing an IED planted
in a motorcycle parked on the road where a procession in connection
with Eid Milad-un-Nabi (Prophet's birth anniversary)
was scheduled to pass. According to sources in FC, militants
had planted four kilogram of explosives in the motorcycle to
target the procession. “Major terror bid was foiled prior to
the arrival of procession,” they said.
One FC soldier was injured during
an exchange of fire with the militants in Ziarat District. Later,
the SFs arrested two TTP militants and recovered a huge cache
of arms and ammunition from their possession. “The arrested
militants belong to TTP,” sources claimed.
An ATC-III issued black warrants
for the execution of seven prisoners, including four LeJ militants,
identified as Mohammad Shahid Hanif alias Mufti Shahid, Mohammad
Talha Hussain alias Noman, Khalil Ahmed alias Hassan Jan and
Mohammad Saeed. They have been involved in two sectarian killing
cases in July 2001 and April 2002.
The black warrants were also
issued for al Qaeda’s Zulfikar Ali for killing two Policemen
near the US Consulate General in Karachi in March 2004. Another
accused, Behram Khan, for murdering a lawyer in a courtroom
of the Sindh High Court in April 2003, and Shafqat Hussain for
killing a minor boy after kidnapping him for ransom in Karachi
in April 2004.
The court asked the jail authorities
to hang Shahid, Talha, Khalil, Behram and Zulfiqar on January
13, 2014, Shafqat on January 14, 2015 and Saeed on January 15,
2015. Judge Saleem Raza Baloch of the ATC-III issued the black
warrants directing the authorities to carry out the hanging
under the supervision of the area magistrates after fulfilling
legal formalities.
A report titled ‘Activities
of Maulana Abdul Aziz’, forwarded to the Federal Ministry of
Interior by the Security Agencies warned the Government that
due to his links with militant outfits and his anti-government
rhetoric the resurgence of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Aziz poses
security threat to the law and order situation in Islamabad.
The report also highlighted
the links between the TTP and the Lal Masjid cleric, stressing
the importance of the TTP choosing Maulana Abdul Aziz as a representative
on the committee formed to negotiate with the Government on
their behalf.
It also stressed the need for
a check on the growing number of madras's in Rawalpindi and
Islamabad who also have overt and covert links with militant
groups. The report names “notorious land grabber” Taji Khokhar
as someone who has been arranging land for the construction
of seminaries, funded by the Lal Masjid administration, and
also assists them with their court cases. The report also names
property tycoon Malik Riaz and former MNA Shah Abdul Aziz of
Karak as the controversial cleric’s “sympathizers”.
Ehsanullah Ehsan, TTP-JuA ‘spokesperson’,
has been found using social networking site LinkedIn, listing
his skills as "jihad and journalism". Ehsanullah Ehsan
has 69 connections on LinkedIn, indicating a sizable network.
Ehsan does not hide his associations and openly promotes himself
on LinkedIn as 'spokesman' for TTP-JuA. He describes himself
as "self-employed" and says he has been a spokesman
since January 2010. Ehsan even lists his skills as "jihad
and journalism" and provides details of his school, employment
history and language skills. The account also includes his photograph.
After being approached by The
Telegraph, LinkedIn took down Ehsan's account on
the night of January 2, 2015. A spokesman of the company said
that the company's security team had decided to "restrict
it"; meaning it was no longer in operation. But she said
it was not clear if the account belonged to Ehsan or was a fake
account, established by another party. She said the IP address
of the account, indicating where in the world it was set up,
suggested it was fake. She said the "lack of Taliban recruiting
messages" was another clue.
The spokesman said, "(I)
Can't say for certain that it is someone else...But I can say
that our security team has a high degree of confidence that
it is a fake account, which is reason enough to restrict it.
(I) Also can't say for certain who might have set it up if it
is fake."
January 5
ANP’s District West President,
identified as Haji Saifullah Afridi, was killed in a targeted
attack while he was on his way home from the mosque in Ittehad
Town of Baldia Town in provincial capital Karachi. The law enforcers
believed that the militants from TTP-Swat Chapter, who were
also involved in previous attacks and killings on the ANP leaders
and workers in Karachi, were behind Afridi’s killing. DSP Javed
Hussain Shah said that TTP militants were behind the incident.
A man, identified as Nazeer
(30), alias Siraiki was shot dead in Mawach Goth within the
jurisdiction of Mochko Police Station in Baldia Town. According
to Police, three gangsters, identified as Imran, Yasir and Arafat,
affiliated with Kamu group of Uzair Baloch group, called the
victim outside his home, shot him multiple times and escaped
from the scene.
An unidentified man was shot
dead in Baghdadi area of Lyari Town.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found dead from Bhains Colony area in Lyari Town.
Police officials said the victim was tortured to death after
kidnapping.
A Policeman, identified as Naqeebullah
(42), was shot dead in Mawach Goth area within the jurisdictions
of Mochko Police Station in Baldia Town.
The senators belonging to the
MQM and the ANP demanded a military operation against terrorists
in Karachi. The demand came when ANP’s Shahi Syed drew the Senate’s
attention to what he called the continued targeted killing of
his party’s workers as well as Pakhtuns in the city. Supporting
the ANP’s call for the military action, Nasreen Jalil of the
MQM said it was her party which had been demanding an army operation
against terrorists in Karachi where Taliban were strengthening
their presence.
Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) warned
all the mobile phone companies that their respective executives
will be booked for terrorism if a phone connection sold in violation
of set rules is found to have been used in any terror activity.
In a letter sent to the regional headquarters of Mobilink, Ufone,
Telenor, Warid and Zong, the Sindh Chief Minister and Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority, the Rangers came up with the strong
measures to counter the flaws which they said were causing ‘deterioration
of law and order situation’.
With a conviction rate of nearly
32 per cent, the ATCs in Sindh have disposed of 798 cases between
September 2013 and November 2014 while around 2,700 cases are
still pending. The statistics of 33 ATCs in the Province showed
that of the 798 disposed of cases, accused were acquitted in
543 cases and convicted in 255 cases. Eight of the total ATCs
had a cent per cent acquittal rate in the 15-month period. The
ATCs were established under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, for
speedy trial of cases pertaining to terrorism, sectarian killing,
extortion and kidnapping for ransom.
An unidentified man was killed
in a bomb blast in Musa Colony on Sariab Road in Quetta. Imran
Qureshi, the SP Sariab said, "The blast has severely damaged
the dead person’s face."
TTP militants abducted nine
people, including four Government Officials, in two separate
incidents from Zhob District. In the first incident, militants
intercepted a Zhob-bound passenger bus coming from Quetta and
took away five people with them. Sources said the kidnappers
checked national identity cards of the passengers and separated
five people, including four Government Officials and a student
of Bolan Medical College, from the others. In the second incident
of kidnapping, the militants abducted four other people, who
were travelling to Quetta from Islamabad.
Balochistan Home Minister Mir
Sarfaraz Bugti said that eight militants, including a 'commander'
of a banned outfit, were killed and 15 others were detained
while two camps were busted in week-long operations launched
in Panjgur and Kalat Districts of the province. Search is also
in progress in Zhob and its adjoining areas to trace nine people
who were kidnapped by unidentified armed assailants in Zhob
District. “There is zero-tolerance towards terrorism, and stern
action would be taken against all R&AW and NDS funded armed
Lashkars,” said Mir Sarfaraz Bugti.
A polio worker, identified as
Sanab Gul, was injured in a remote-controlled IED blast in Chamarkand
area of Safi tehsil in Mohmand Agency of FATA.
A BDS was injured while defusing
a bomb in Soran area of Bezai tehsil in Mohmand Agency.
SFs launched a search operation
in Shah Kas area of Khyber Agency after receiving reports regarding
the presence of elements involved in terror activities. Local
administration and SFs cordoned off the area and imposed a curfew
during the operation.
Police claimed to have arrested
three suspects, including two women, from Badbher area of Peshawar,
who were smuggling arms and ammunition from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
to Punjab. SP (Rural) Shakir Bangash said that 25 pistols, 2
G3 rifles, 5 Kalashnikov/AK-47 rifles and 7,200 rounds were
recovered from a vehicle. He added that the arrested suspects
were part of a gun running ring.
Two convicted terrorists, identified
as Ahmed Ali and Ghulam Shabir alias Fauji alias doctor, will
be hanged at the New Central Jail in Multan District. Prison
officials have received the death warrants issued by ATCs after
mercy petitions of the two had been rejected by the President.
The convicts belong to banned organisations.
The Lahore High Court's Rawalpindi
Bench acquitted four death row convicts who were earlier handed
the death penalty for their involvement in the suicide attack
at Shah-e-Najaf Imambargah in Rawalpindi in 2002, which left
19 people dead and 35 others injured. The four convicts, identified
as, Fazal Mohammad, Tahir Mehmood, Hafiz Naseer and Habibullah,
were sentenced to death by an ATC in Rawalpindi in 2004, following
which they had filed an intra-court appeal.
The military courts being set-up
under 21st Constitutional Amendment would not try terror groups
involved in ethnic killing of citizens in Karachi or insurgents
attacking state installations in Balochistan as legislation
moved in the NA specifically mentions religion and sect based
terrorism as the intended targets of the amendments. The drafts
of both the 21st constitutional amendment and Pakistan Army
(Amendment) Act 1952 specify that the changes will be applicable
on people belonging to terrorist groups using the name of religion
or sect.
The legal experts believe that
the words of the two amendments means that if a terrorist kills
Pakistani people or attacks state institutions and installation
but he does not belong to any religious or sectarian group,
he would not be tried in the military courts. “Any person who
is or claims or is known to belong to any terrorist group or
organization using the name of religion or a sect and raises
arms or wages against Pakistan and law enforcement agencies
or attacks any civilian or military installations in Pakistan
or kidnap any person for ransom or causes death of any person
or injury …...shall be punished under this Act” says the Amendment
in Section 2 of the Pakistan Army Act 1952.
Similarly, according to draft
of 21st Constitutional Amendment, Article 175 will have “no
application on acts mentioned at serial no 6, 7, 8 and 9 or
part I(III) of the First Schedule, who claims, or is known to
belong to any terrorist group or organization using the name
of religion or sect.” Also, a special explanation is included
in the bill to amend Army Act 1952 which states. “In this Act,
the expression ‘sect’ means a sect of religion and does not
include any political party registered under any law for the
time being in force.” The National Assembly is likely to conduct
voting on these amendments on January 6, 2014.
The US said that no funds have
been issued to Pakistan from the Kerry-Lugar-Berman provision
since 2013. Earlier on December 29, 2014, the Ministry of Finance
had announced in Islamabad that the US Congress had cleared
an installment of USD 532 million of civilian aid to Pakistan
from the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill. “Congress has not been notified
of a request, Congress has not approved a request,” said spokesperson
for the United States Department of State Jen Psaki. She noted
that some media reports had also suggested that an approval
has been made in the past, which was incorrect, as no approval
has been made from the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill since 2013.
The Indian media reported that
Secretary of State John Kerry recently sent a certification
to Congress, saying that Pakistan has “prevented al Qaeda, Taliban
and associated terror groups such as LeT and JeM from operating”
from its territory. The certification is a condition for the
US to disburse aid to Pakistan under the Kerry-Lugar Bill for
civilian assistance. The report claimed that the certification
allowed the Obama administration to release USD 532 million
dollars in aid to Pakistan.
Later, the spokesman for the
Indian Ministry for External Affairs Syed Akbaruddin said, “How
the Government of the United States of America decides to spend
US Tax payers money is entirely its prerogative,” adding, “India
does not believe that Pakistan is showing ‘sustained commitment’
or making ‘significant effort’ or ‘ceasing support’ or dismantling
‘bases of operations’ of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad,
the Haqqani Network and quite possibly the al Qaeda.”
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government
announced a PKR 10 million reward for information leading to
the arrest or death of the TTP 'chief' Mullah Fazlullah and
LI 'chief' Mangal Bagh Afridi. The Provincial Government has
prepared a list of 615 high-profile militants and proclaimed
offenders and is offering a combined bounty of PKR 760 million,
according to highly credible sources. The names of Fazlullah
and Mangal Bagh feature on the list that includes high-profile
militants and proclaimed offenders from 22 Districts of the
Province and adjoining FATA.
According to official documents,
at least 213 militants and proclaimed offenders wanted by the
Police in various crimes belong to Peshawar District followed
by 59 from Swat, 46 each from Kohat and DI Khan and 31 from
Dir Upper District. Similarly, 26 militants hail from Mardan
District, 25 from Charsadda, 20 each from Nowshera and Buner,
18 from Bannu, 15 each from Lakki Marwat, Hangu and Dir Lower,
eight from Mansehra, seven from Kohistan, five from Haripur,
four from Batagram, three from Abbottabad and two each from
Shangla and Chitral Districts. The bounties for these militants
and proclaimed offenders range between PKR 0.5 million and PKR
10 million, officials said.
January 6
Three bullet riddled bodies
were found at a graveyard in Qandhari area of Safi tehsil in
Mohmand Agency of FATA. The political administration shifted
the bodies, which were yet to be identified, to Ghalanai Headquarters.
Two TI members were killed during
a clash between LI and TI in Tirah valley area of Khyber Agency.
SFs razed the houses of suspected
militants and their supporters in Damadaola area of Bajaur Agency.
Sources say that during the pre-dawn operation was initiated
by SFs after imposing a limited curfew in Damadola area. The
sources further said that the miscreants who once had sheltered
or been supporting local and al Qaeda-led militants are being
targeted and added that the search operation was still underway.
Three suspected militants, identified
as Gul Pir Khan, Noor Alam and Ameer Mohammad, were killed in
a Police encounter led by CID’s Counter-Terrorism Unit on Northern
Bypass, on the outskirts of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. The militants are suspected to be affiliated with
the TTP. CID further claims to have recovered three pistols,
two grenades and Improvised Explosive Devices from their possession.
Two Rangers personnel were killed
and a civilian was injured when unidentified militants opened
fire at the Rangers' raiding team and also hurled a hand grenade
during the encounter in Khurramabad area of Landhi Town.
Sindh Government directed all
private schools to finalise their security arrangements before
the end of the winter vacation as the Government is not in a
position to ensure Police deployment. Home Secretary Dr Niaz
Ali Abbasi said that the Government would ensure effective patrolling
around the schools under threat.
Two convicted men, Ahmed Ali
alias Sheshnag and Ghulam Shabbir alias Fauji alias doctor,
were hanged till death at the New Central Jail in Multan District.
The latest executions have brought the number of those hanged
until death to nine. Prison officials had already received the
death warrants for the two men a couple of days ago. The warrants
were issued by Anti-Terrorism Courts as mercy petitions of the
convicts had been rejected by the President. Ali and Shabbir
belonged to a banned organisation.
Ahmed Ali was handed capital
punishment for killing three men, Altaf Hussain, Mohammad Nasir
and Mohammad Fiaz, and injuring Mohammad Pervez and Mohammad
Siddique, on the Railway Road in 1998. Ghulam Shabbir had killed
DSP Anwar Khan and his driver Ghulam Murtaza on the Bohar Gate
Road on August 4, 2000.
Punjab Government is amending
a set of laws through ordinances to tie up loose ends that are
allowing or can facilitate terrorist activities in the Province.
According to reliable sources, the Government had earlier decided
to introduce bills in the Punjab Assembly to amend the laws.
But it dropped the idea and was now going to amend these laws
through ordinances in the next few days because of the prorogation
of the Assembly Session, the sources said. The first law to
be amended through an ordinance is the Punjab Arms Ordinance
1965. The government is going to enhance punishments for possessing,
using, storing or displaying unlicensed or prohibited weapons
and ammunition.
Supreme Court restrained a local
magistrate from proceeding on the bail application of LeT 'chief'
and mastermind of Mumbai 2008 attack (also known as 26/11) Zakiur
Rehman Lakhvi until January 7,2014, when the apex court will
take up the Government’s appeal against the suspension of his
detention. Also, the Islamabad High Court issued notices to
Lakhvi on the appeal filed by the FIA, seeking cancellation
of bail granted to him by the ATC in the Mumbai attacks case.
A magistrate in Islamabad had
to give a decision on the bail application, but a two-judge
Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, stopped
the judicial officer from passing any order until January 7.
The court also issued notices to Lakhvi to answer the contention
in the Government’s appeal, to be served upon him through the
Adiala Jail superintendent, where the accused is currently detained.
The court issued the notice with the observation that since
there was also an IHC order in favour of Lakhvi, the court was
also cognizant of the requirements of the fundamental rights
of its citizens. “We will be lost if we deviate from the constitution,”
Justice Khawaja observed.
In a joint appeal, the Secretary
Interior on behalf of the Federal Government, District Magistrate
Islamabad Capital Territory and Islamabad SSP, had sought the
annulment of the December 29, 2014 Islamabad High Court order,
suspending Lakhvi’s detention orders. The Attorney General Salman
Aslam Butt argued that High Court order was not sustainable
in the light of earlier Supreme Court judgments and pointed
out that Lakhvi was a member of the proscribed outfit LeT who
was arrested in a terrorism case.
But the court observed that
the allegations against Lakhvi regarding his involvement in
the Mumbai attacks was not relevant to the present appeal, since
the court was only concerned with the West Pakistan Maintenance
of Public Order (MPO) 1960, under which Lakhvi was currently
detained.
According to the HRCP’s Annual
Report for 2014, around 592 people were killed in alleged encounters
with the Police and Rangers. In 2013, which the HRCP termed
to be Karachi’s deadliest year with 3,251 deaths, around 184
were killed in encounters. The breakdown shows that nearly 457
people were shot dead in alleged encounters with the Police
while roughly 135 were shot dead by the Rangers and two others
died as a result of torture by law enforcers.
The report claims that around
2,914 people, including children, were killed in 2014 which
is almost 300 less than the year before. HRCP’s chairperson
Zohra Yusuf claimed that deaths in these Police encounters were
a human rights violation. She said that anyone killed extra
judicially, be it the Taliban, was illegal. Yusuf said that
in most of these encounters, the Police were not harmed while
they claimed that they had to open fire in response to the criminals
firing at them. She added that the Policemen who died last year
were killed in grenade or targeted attacks, not encounters.
“The Police do not trust the judicial system,” she said, adding,
“They believe that courts will let the prisoner off and so they
indulge in ‘police encounters’, however, this is no way to justify
them.”
The report further stated, In
2014, there was also an increase in sectarian attacks. The death
toll went up to 120 as compared to 108 in 2013. The number of
dead bodies found in 2014 was also slightly higher than the
year before with 340.
Over 8,000 seminaries have neither
been registered with the ITMP, an umbrella of five schools of
thought, nor with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, raising
a serious question over their curriculum’s legitimacy and their
source of funding. Following NAP committee’s recommendations,
officials associated with provinces’ Auqaf departments are gathering
data about madaris/makatib which have never been registered
with the ITMP, Ministry Of Religious Affairs or with the Provincial
Auqaf Departments.
Around 8,249 seminaries which
have enrolled 0.3 million students are not registered across
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, revealed
officials, who will brief Federal Ministry of Interior next
week. “This non-registered madaris/makatib did not fulfil the
basic criteria set by the ministry of religious affairs,” a
senior official said. Around 4,135 madaris or makatib are operating
without getting proper registration from the designated authorities
in KP, the official said, adding that some 2,411 seminaries
are unregistered in Punjab, 1,406 in Sindh and 266 in Balochistan,
he explained. At least 31 madaris are not registered in Islamabad
where all seminaries are built on encroached land, he revealed
and went on to say that even Jamia Hafsa, adjacent to Lal Mosque,
also failed to fulfill basic requirements of registration. The
official claimed that “Madaris operating in KP did not cooperate
with us.”
The ITMP officials also confirmed
that some members of seminary boards – Barelvi, Ahle Hadith,
Shia and Jamaat-e-Islami – affiliated with the Ittehad Tanzimat
Madaris-e-Deeniya – had also refused to comply when it came
to regulating their syllabus in the Pervez Musharraf era. The
problem exists in non-registered seminaries where there is no
check on literature being taught there, a cleric said on condition
of anonymity. The Ministry of Religious Affairs registered 26,131
madaris by September 2014, according to official figures obtained
by The Express Tribune. Around 14,768 seminaries are registered
in Punjab, 7,118 in Sindh, 2,704 in Balochistan, 1,354 in KP
and 187 in the Islamabad.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that around 605 students were studying
in the Islamabad’s unregistered seminaries. The 27 madaris belong
to the Deobandi school of thought, two to Barelvi school of
thought and one is managed by the Ahle Hadith, he said. Seminaries,
whose curriculum is provided by Waqaful Madaris, are registered
with Islamabad Auqaf Department.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar
Ali Khan in a written reply to a question asked by Pakistan
People’s Party’s Sughra Imam in the Senate that “Some madrassah
are receiving financial support from Muslim countries. However,
it is often difficult to trace the transaction of such money”,
reports Dawn.
The Senate approved the Pakistan
Army (Amendment) Bill 2015 as well as the 21st Constitutional
Amendment. The National Assembly had passed both the bills unopposed
as 247 members voted in favour of the laws which would provide
constitutional cover to special courts for the trial of terrorism
suspects. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a speech at the start
of the Senate session thanked the Leader of Opposition in Senate
Aitzaz Ahsan as well as all political parties and their leaders
who were present in Senate as well as the National Assembly
session in the morning. The PM congratulated all members of
parliament who voted in favour of both the bills in NA and passed
it unanimously.
The chief of JUI-F Maulana Fazlur
Rehman accused that the Government of “trying to link religion
with terrorism” in reference to an amendment for madrassah reforms.
“Terrorism does not differentiate between religion and secularism,”
the JUI-F chief said, while addressing the media shortly after
the approval of the 21st Constitutional Amendment Bill and Pakistan
Army Act 1952 (Amendment) Bill 2015 in the National Assembly
today.
January 7
Twelve militants were killed
in shelling by gunship helicopters of the Army while four terrorist
hideouts were also destroyed in Mama Ziarat and Khadarkhel areas
of Datta Khel tehsil in NWA in FATA. Seven vehicles of militants
were also destroyed in the action.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead four labourers while leaving another injured on the Qambarani
Road in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. Several
people including Afghan nationals were arrested in a search
operation by law enforcing agencies in Quetta.
Two Levies personnel were killed
and five others sustained injuries when unidentified assailants
attack the paramilitary force vehicle in Jhao tehsil in Awaran
District.
The bullet-riddled body of an
officer of Pakistan Air Force, Liaquat Ali Khan, was found near
a village in Qila Saifullah District. The officer was kidnapped
along with four other people on January 4 from an area between
Quetta and Zhob when they were coming from Islamabad in a rented
car. The body with bullet wounds in the head was thrown on a
road. The PAF officer Liaquat Ali Khan belongs to Talagang area
in Punjab. The TTP claimed responsibility for killing the officer
and kidnapping nine people in Qila Saifullah District.
Abdul Latif (30), the brother
of the ASWJ District Central president, Abdul Rauf, was shot
dead while another was injured when unidentified motorcyclists
opened fire at a general store near Pahar Ganj within the limits
of the Sharae Noor Jahan Police Station in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
A factory worker was gunned
down near his house in Qaimkhani Colony within the jurisdiction
of the Ittehad Town Police Station. The deceased was identified
as 50-year-old Zameen Gul, son of Abdul Hameed. He was on his
way to work in Sher Shah when unidentified men shot him.
A man identified as Syed Shah
(24), was shot dead near 4-K Chowrangi within the limits of
the Surjani Police Station. The Police said that the deceased
was a resident of Qasba Colony, Orangi Town and was on his way
to do some errands in Surjani when he was killed.
A factory supervisor was killed
inside his office located on the second floor of a clothing
factory in Godhra Colony within the limits of the Gabol Town
Police Station. Police officials said that the deceased was
sitting in his office when unidentified men walked in and shot
him in the head.
The body of a woman identified
as 45-year-old Feroza was found in her house in Orangi Town
within the limits of the Pakistan Bazaar Police Station. Police
officials said that deceased was strangled to death while her
husband was not at home.
An unidentified woman was found
dead in the bushes near New Port Qasim within the limits of
Shah Latif Police Station.
Two convicted cadres of SSP
were hanged at the central jail in Multan, the latest in a string
of executions after the Government lifted a moratorium on the
death penalty. “The two terrorists, Ahmed Ali and Ghulam Shabbir,
were executed early this morning. Both were involved in murder
cases and both belonged to Sipah-e-Sahaba,” said Saeedullah
Gondal, an official at the central jail in Multan. He said Ali
had been in jail for killing three people in a religious dispute
in 1998, while Shabbir had been convicted of killing a Police
officer and his driver in the same year.
A blasphemy accused identified
as 52-year-old Aabid Mehmood alias Aabid Kazzab, freed a few
days ago, was shot dead in Ahatta area Taxila in Rawalpindi
District of Punjab. Unidentified assailants took him from his
house in Ahatta area on January 6 and his bullet-riddled body
was found in deserted area near Usman Khattar Railway Station.
He had been shot in the chest and head from a close range. Police
said it appeared to be a case of target killing. Aabid Mehmood
owned a hotel and lived in Kamra village. He reportedly had
claimed ‘prophethood’ in October 2011 and a case was registered
against him under Section 295-C of CrPC on a complaint lodged
by his son-in-law Sadaqat Ali. Aabid was sent to jail after
his mental condition had been examined by a board of doctors
at the Rawalpindi District Headquarters Hospital. He was released
from Adiyala jail after about two years because of his mental
and physical condition.
The Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the threat of war was hovering
around persistently; however, the hangings of convicted terrorists
would be carried out on fast-track basis without succumbing
to any pressure whatsoever. He said that every individual should
play his role in eliminating terrorism from the country. He
said this while chairing a review meeting of the NAP convened
at the Committee Room of the Interior Ministry. Interior Secretary
Shahid Khan, NACTA national coordinator and other senior officials
attended the meeting which was called to review the progress
on the implementation of the 20-point NAP approved by the Prime
Minister a few days ago.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that fighting
terrorism was the Government’s top priority and the country
remained committed to combating terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations. The PM expressed these remarks during delegation-level
talks with Bahrain Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman
Al-Khalifa at the Gudabiya Palace. He said Pakistan was keen
to work with Bahrain to further improve mutual economic relations
that reflect the warmth existing in bilateral relations between
the two countries.
The Supreme Court set aside
the order of Islamabad High Court that suspended the detention
order of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the LeT ‘commander’ and alleged
mastermind of Mumbai attacks. A two-member bench of the Supreme
Court headed by Justice Jawwad S Khwaja heard the Federal Government’s
appeal against the order of the Islamabad High Court suspending
the detention order of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. During the hearing,
Justice Jawwad S Khwaja remarked that prima facie, the Islamabad
High Court passed the order in haste and without proper considerations.
Attorney General Salman Butt informed the court that Lakhvi
after the dismissal of his representation by the interior secretary
filed the writ petition in the Islamabad High Court on December
25, 2014. The next day, which was January 9, he said, the Islamabad
High Court fixed the petition and issued notices to the Federal
Government and Senior Superintendent of Police, Islamabad.
The Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that a clean-up operation has been
launched against those banned outfits that have started operating
under new names, and all such groups are under strict watch
of security agencies. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that media
should completely blackout coverage of terrorists, saying that
they would “die their natural deaths” if not given any publicity.
“The fight against terrorism is in the final round and all decisions
would be taken in national interest,” he said while talking
to media persons after chairing a high-level meeting at the
Interior Ministry, which reviewed the implementation of the
NAP.
Minister for Interior Chaudhry
Nisar Ali Khan said that the Federal Government, the provincial
Governments, the Ministry of Defence and other relevant departments
were establishing a strong mechanism of coordination for enforcement
of the plan. He said that the apex committees have been establishment
in all the four provinces, and three of them have already held
meetings for building coordination.
Pakistan remained the world’s
top host nation in 2014 with 1.6 million refugees, nearly all
from Afghanistan, a report released by the UNHCR said. The data
released by the UNHCR showed that Syrians, for the first time,
have become the largest refugee population, overtaking the Afghans,
who had held that position for more than three decades. At more
than three million as of June 2014, the Syrian refugees now
account for 23 percent of all refugees being helped by the UNHCR
worldwide. Despite dropping to the second place, the 2.7 million
Afghan refugees worldwide remain the largest protracted refugee
largest protracted refugee population under the UNHCR care with
the majority hosted by Pakistan. Thus, Pakistan is the largest
protracted refugee situation globally, UNHCR reported.
The US supports efforts of Pakistan
to counter terrorism and bring perpetrators to justice, the
spokesperson of the US State Department, Jen Psaki said. Jen
Psaki said that “We support efforts to counter terrorism and
bring perpetrators to justice, believe – but we believe it’s
important efforts be consistent with principles of due process.”
The Madaris (madrassah or religious
seminaries) receive funding from different sources - overseas,
regular contributions from their graduates working in big cities
and local influential figures, a study said. A reading of the
valuable study conducted by an officer of the district management
group in a particular area of the southern Punjab some two decades
ago shows its absolute relevance even in today’s scenario when
the seminaries have grown manifold.
The study said that 71% such
institutions were established after 1976. According to it, the
real hard-core activists of different organisations are the
ones, who graduate from these schools as residential students.
Some 43 % students were residential. The study said that the
seminaries belonging to two sects invariably indulged in sectarianism.
They were in the control of the now banned outfits. Most of
the managers of large and well-established schools said that
some of their ‘outstanding’ former students have gone to a Muslim
country and regularly finance their alma mater out of their
personal income.
The study said that many institutions,
as told by their managements, get regular subscriptions from
the former students, who have settled in Karachi, Lahore and
other big cities, and are working there as Imam Masjid (prayers
leaders) or have their own seminaries over there. It said that
local influential people also generously contribute to these
schools. Many local landlords and businessmen regularly provide
funding in order to lobby this strong and large group and do
it for political and business purposes. By patronising these
seminaries, they also try to create a clout for influencing
the local administration and community.
President Mamnoon Hussain signed
into law the 21st Constitutional Amendment Bill of 2015 as well
as the Pakistan Army Act 1952 Amendment. President signed into
law the 21st Constitutional Amendment, making it applicable
with immediate effect. The 21st Amendment to the constitution
would provide constitutional cover to trial of offences relating
to terrorism by military courts. The Senate on January 6 had
approved the 21st Constitutional Amendment as well as the Pakistan
Army (Amendment) Bill 2015. Earlier on the same day, the National
Assembly had passed both the bills unopposed as 247 members
voted in favour of the laws.
Minister for Information, Broadcasting
and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid said the military
courts would start functioning within days. In an interview
to a TV channel, he said the cases of terrorism were lingered
on due to some legal complications but now speedy justice would
be provided. The Minister said these courts would remain intact
for a period of two years. He said the Government was standing
besides Army against this menace, adding, whenever Army had
taken a step while remaining within the constitution and system
it had emerged victorious with the nation’s support.
As the Government reviews security
measures following winter vacations, owners of private schools
said the costs associated with the arrangements could result
in a large number of the institutes winding up for good. Security
arrangements at around 915 private and 1,600 Government schools
were declared satisfactory by authorities led by District Commissioner
Peshawar. Government officials visiting the schools in various
districts checked the new arrangements, including increasing
the height of boundary walls, installation of CCTV cameras,
arrangement of walk-through gates and deployment of security
guards at entry points. According to All Pakistan Private Schools
Association, the total number of private schools in Peshawar
is 2,027 of which 915 were checked and their security arrangements
were declared satisfactory.
January 8
Four Al-Qaeda terrorists, including
a ‘commander’, were killed in alleged encounter with Police
in Qayyumabad area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
CID In-charge Raja Umer Khattab said the shootout with terrorists
took place in sector D area of Qayyumabad. Police also recovered
suicide jackets and weapons from the custody of terrorists.
He said Al-Qaeda ‘commander’, identified as Sajjad, was among
the dead.
Unidentified armed men shot
and injured two Policemen in Nazimabad 3 area. Both the Policemen
were rushed to a nearby hospital but they succumbed to their
wounds on the way. The deceased Policemen were identified as
Bughio Khan and Abdul Bari.
A man named Suleman Rizvi was
killed when armed assailants opened fire on a mechanic shop
in Paposh Nagar area.
Police claimed that the accused
opened firing on patrolling Policeman in Jhatpat market, Kalakot
and in retaliatory fire gang war accused identified as Ramzan
was killed. Police said Ramzan belongs to Baba Ladla group and
was involved in several cases.
In an exchange of fire, gang
war accused Abid alias Abba was killed in Saifee Lane area within
the limits of Baghdadi Police Station. Police said Abid was
involved in more than 10 cases of murder. Five personnel of
Baghdadi Police sustained injuries in exchange of fire with
gang war accused.
One MQM activist was shot dead
and two sympathizers were injured in a firing incident in Orangi
town. Rescue sources said unknown gunmen opened fire at shop
in Orangi town near Rehmat Chowk as a result MQM 119 unit worker,
identified as Muhammad Nadeem was killed and two others sustained
injuries.
Four SF personnel were killed
and two others injured in an IED explosion apparently targeting
the vehicle of SFs in Lower Kurram Agency of FATA. According
to security officials, three FC personnel and one Levies Force
personal lost their lives in the blast. The vehicle of the SFs
struck the IED planted alongside a road in Shabak area of Lower
Kurram Agency.
Akram Lahori, the Saalar-e-Aala
(commander-in-chief) of the LeJ, executed at the Kot Lakhpat
Jail. The jail has received death warrant of Lahori who was
involved in the killing of an Iranian diplomat.
January 9
At least seven LI militants
were killed and several others injured in explosions at a terrorist
centre in the Sipah area of Khyber Agency in FATA. According
to sources, a landmine detonated inside the militant camp in
Sipah area, killing four suspected terrorists. As the insurgents
were trying to move the bodies, security forces fired mortar
shells at the building, killing another three militants.
Six militants were killed in
an exchange of fire with SFs in Dattakhel tehsil of NWA. Official
sources said that the clash took place in Dattakhel where militants
offered resistance during operation of the security forces.
In cross-firing, which continued for more than an hour, six
extremists were killed while others fled away.
Four soldiers were killed and
two others sustained injuries in a roadside blast when the soldiers
were on a routine patrol in the Bashak area Orakzai Agency.
One soldier was killed and five
others injured in a rocket attack on a mosque of military centre
in Kalaya area of Orakzai Agency. The militants fired two rockets
at mosque in the Military Headquarters when Friday prayer was
underway. Rockets were fired from mountains of Akkakhel side.
The slain Orakzai Scouts soldier was identified as Munawar Shah
and those injured as Naib Subedars Mehmood Khan, Azizur Rehman,
Hawaldar Zawan Shah, sepoys Kashif Ahmed and Farmanullah sustained
wounds.
Eight persons were killed and
25 others wounded in a bomb blast on Imambargah Aun Muhammad
Rizvi at Chittian Hattian locality of Rawalpindi city of Punjab.
The blast occurred at a time when a Mehfil-e-Milad to celebrate
the birth of the holy Prophet was in progress at the Imambargah.
The Police earlier claimed it was a suicide attack but later
the CCPO Rawalpindi Akhtar Laleka said that blast was not a
suicide attack. Around 4-5 kilo explosive were planted in a
Nullah outside the Imambargah.
At least three soldiers of FC
were killed and five others sustained injuries when their convoy
came under gun and rocket attack in a remote hilly area of Santsar
in Gwadar District of Balochistan. A security convoy was on
its routine patrolling in Santsar area when unidentified militants,
armed with rockets and sophisticated weapons, attacked the military
vehicles.
Unidentified militants blew
up railway track with explosive material in Jaffarabad town
of same District, suspending the train services. According to
FC sources, some unidentified militants planted explosive device
at railway track which went off with big bang, due to which
a deep crater was developed by destroying the tracked.
A former PAF chief technician
Khalid Mehmood, convicted in the former President General Pervez
Musharraf attack case, has been executed in the Central Jail
Adiala in the night. Khalid Mehmood, along with four others,
was awarded the death sentence on October 3, 2005 by the Field
General Court Martial under the Army Act for his involvement
in an assassination attempt on Pervez Musharraf on December
14, 2003 in Rawalpindi. He belonged to Chak No 372 Police Station
of Dunyapur in the Lodhran District with the present address
of Lava, near high school Talagang, Chakwal. Mehmood was shifted
to Adiala Jail on October 27, 2010.
The Police claimed to have arrested
two members of a banned religious outfit in Nankana Sahib town
of same District. DPO Kamran Yousaf said that they got formation
that suspicious people visited some houses at Chak 18. He said
that a team headed by Sadar SHO Zulfiqar Ahmad Virk raided the
houses and arrested Naeem and Zahid, while their three accomplices
managed to escape. The DPO said that they had also recovered
a huge quantity of weapons with hundreds of live bullets. He
said that they had also seized Jehadi literature.
The anti-terrorism court No
2 has issued black warrants for Zahid Hussain alias Zahido of
the LeJ. He will be hanged in Lahore Central Jail on January
15. Zahid Hussain had killed ASI Ghulam Rasool and injured constables
Yousaf and Majid in Sital Marri on August 13, 2000.
A constitutional petition was
filed in the Supreme Court praying for declaring the 21st Constitutional
Amendment and the creation of military courts as ultra vires
and against the basic structure of the Constitution. The petition
was filed by Chairman Pakistan Justice Party Muhammad Munsif
Malik through Muhammad Ikram Chaudhry under Article 184(3) of
the Constitution, making the Federation through secretary law,
secretary defence, speaker National Assembly and chairman Senate
as respondents. The petitioner prayed the 21st Constitutional
Amendment and creation of military courts on the touchstone
of Article 8 of the Constitution denied the people their fundamental
rights of fair trial and due process through independent and
impartial courts. He said the amendment also affects the rights
guaranteed to citizens under Article 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 10-A and
25 of the Constitution.
Pakistan Army announced establishment
of nine military courts in all the four provinces, initially.
Three military courts each would be set up in Punjab and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, two in Sindh and one in Balochistan, ISPR said
in a statement. These courts would start functioning soon, the
statement added. The Army’s statement on setting up the military
courts follows parliament’s nod earlier this week.
The Minister for Information,
Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rasheed called
for greater mobilisation among the countrymen to flush menace
of terrorism and extremism from Pakistan. A seminar organised
by SAFMA entitled “will Pakistan change”, saw the participation
of Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid as the chief guest and
other lawmakers including Senator Farhatullah Babar, Senator
Hasil Bazinjo and members of civil society. The seminar stressed
the need to draw lessons from Peshawar tragedy and create national
unity against all forms of the terrorism.
The Ulema and religious scholars
from different schools of thought underlined the need for public
execution of convicted militants so that no one could dare to
take lives of innocent people by carrying out subversive activities.
They extended their complete support to the government initiatives
taken to uproot extremism and terrorism from the country, saying
that all religious sects were united against terrorism.
Pakistan faced a range of internal
security issues in 2014, resulting in a wide range of violence,
including terrorism, militant attacks, sectarian violence, crimes,
target killings, security operations and drone strikes. Compared
to 5,687 deaths in 2013, a total of 7,655 people died in 2014
as a direct result of violence, which is an average increase
of about 35%, revealed a survey conducted by CRSS. The most
significant increase in violence was in observed in the FATA,
where fatalities more than doubled from 1,457 in 2013 to 3,399
in 2014. A big reason for this marked increase is the military-led
operation Zarb-e-Azb in the North Waziristan Agency of the FATA
region. The second largest increase was in Punjab, where death
from violence rose from 120 in 2013 to 309 in 2014, a drastic
increase of 158%.
Part of this increase in figures
may be attributed to the November 2014 bombing of the Wagah
border-closing ceremony, which left 60 dead. KP saw a decrease
in violence-related deaths, with 945 deaths in 2014, as compared
to the 1,031 deaths in 2013. Gilgit-Baltistan saw the largest
decrease in violence-related casualties, at 3 in 2014, from
20 in 2013. The sudden spike from June 2014 onwards is clearly
attributable to the start of Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Deaths from
violence accelerated towards the end of the year, pulling significantly
ahead of the same month figures from 2013. The last three months
in 2014 were especially bloody, with an alarming 258% increase
from the same period in 2013.
January 10
The Jamaat al-Ahrar, faction
of the TTP claimed responsibility for the bomb blast on Imambargah
(Shia place of worship) Aun Muhammad Rizvi at Chittian Hattian
locality of Rawalpindi city of Punjab on January 9, which killed
eight persons and injured 25 others. “We claim responsibility
of the attack on the Imambargah and vow to continue such attacks,”
spokesman of Jamaat al-Ahrar, Ehsanullah Ehsan, said in an email.
The Pentagon said that the “sanctuary”
that some of the militant groups enjoy in Pakistan has long
been an issue of concern. Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral
John Kirby said that it was for Pakistan to continue the fight
against terrorism in its own interest, and noted that like the
Paris victims, Pakistanis have been victims of terror. “It’s
not about us putting pressure on the Pakistani government. It’s
about the Pakistani government continuing to address this threat
in keeping with their best interests and the interests of their
people,” Kirby replied, when a journalist suggested that Washington
pressurise Pakistan into doing more.
January 11
Dr Akbar Ali was shot dead when
he was seeing patients in his Al-Syed Clinic of Paposh Nagar
in Nazimabad town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Ten minutes after the killing
of Dr Akbar Ali, a homoeopath Doctor, Yawar Hussain, was shot
dead by unidentified assailants when he was pulling down the
shutter of his clinic near Khilafat Chowk in Nazimabad town.
One Abdul Rauf was shot dead
while he was busy in his shop in Gulberg town.
A group of Pakistani and Afghan
militants have beheaded a Pakistani soldier after pledging allegiance
to Islamic State, a new video released online, copying execution
tactics used by the Middle East militant group. It remains unclear
whether IS-inspired militants allegedly hiding on the Pakistani-Afghan
border are acting on their own or on direct orders from the
IS leadership in the Middle East. In the latest Arabic-language
video, whose authenticity could not immediately be confirmed,
a large group of turbaned militants, many on horseback and holding
rifles and black IS flags, are seen gathered in an undisclosed
forested area.
A militant identified by the
SITE intelligence group as former TTP ‘spokesman’ Shahidullah
Shahid is then seen addressing the crowd to announce pledges
of allegiance to IS from leaders of various groups in Afghanistan
and Pakistan. “We want to inform you that we have brought together
the emirs of 10 groups who want to pledge their allegiance to
the Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,” he said, referring to the
IS leader. At the end of the 16-minute video a man wearing a
helmet, a T-shirt and combat trousers, identified as a Pakistani
soldier, is seen being beheaded with a machete.
An employee of the FWO was injured
in a blast in Tajaban area of Kech District in Balochistan.
Security officials said the blast occurred near a vehicle of
FWO personnel when they were working on the under-construction
Gwadar-Turbat-Reto-Dero national highway.
One person sustained injuries
in a landmine blast in Jori area of Dera Bugti District. As
per details, the blast took place when one farmer, who was watering
the fields, put unconsciously his foot on the landmine injuring
him.
A remote-controlled bomb was
planted to target a police mobile at Mustang Road in Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. However, no human loss
was reported as a result of the explosion.
Unidentified assailants abducted
two trader brothers in Guldar Baghicha near Chaman area of Killa
Saifullah District. According to Levies force, the victims were
on way to their shop from house in a vehicle when some armed
men intercepted them. They took away them along with their vehicle
to an unidentified destination on gunpoint.
SFs detained at least nine suspects
including one suicide attacker and three members of TTP Swat
group in Quetta. According to the sources, SFs on a tip off,
raided three different areas of Quetta and taken as many as
nine suspects into custody.
Former President and PPP Co-Chairman
Asif Ali Zardari said that the military courts would save the
future of the coming generations from terrorism. Zardari said
that the situation prevailing in the country demands political
wisdom from all political parties of the country. Addressing
a meeting with PPP’s divisional coordinators and district presidents
at the Bilawal House, Zardari said the current situation demands
that “we act within our senses rather than losing our tempers”.
Former Federal Minister of Interior
Rehman Malik said that ISIS is conspiring to spark violence
between Shia and Sunni communities and emphasised that the Government
and the law enforcement agencies would have to take coordinated
and serious steps to foil this conspiracy. Rehman Malik said
that military courts are necessary to punish the terrorists
and these courts could not be termed as extra-constitutional.
The ISI chief Lieutenant General
Rizwan Akhtar met Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in
Kabul and discussed ways to boost anti-terror cooperation. It
was Akhtar’s third visit to Afghanistan since he assumed office
in November 2014. “The President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf
Ghani received Pakistan intelligence ISI chief Lt General Rizwan
Akhtar in his office on Sunday,” the Presidential Palace said.
“In the meeting both sides discussed ways to further strengthen
joint efforts against terrorism and extremism,” the statement
added. They also talked about peace and security in Afghanistan,
Pakistan and the region, among other matters.
January 12
Seven personnel of the FC were
killed and one injured when militants attacked a checkpost of
the SFs in the Mekhtar area of Loralai District in Balochistan.
The FC officials said that around 40 militants armed with automatic
weapons attacked the FC checkpost. As a result, all the eight
personnel of the force sustained multiple bullet injuries and
seven of them died on the spot. The FC personnel launched a
counter attack, killing one attacker and injuring many others.
SFs destroyed the house of an
absconder terrorist in Malokabad area of Mingora town in Swat
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The house was demolished by
the forces with explosive materials. According to police sources,
the accused was required to the security forces in a number
of terror acts and was absconding since then.
The Supreme Court directed the
Federal Government to come up with details in 10 days about
the number of missing persons in the country. The directive
was issued by a two-judge bench headed by Justice Jawwad S.
Khawaja which had taken up an application of Nasrullah Baloch,
Chairman of the Voice of Baloch Missing Persons, seeking an
order for his protection. During the hearing, Mr Baloch alleged
that the mutilated bodies found in different areas of Balochistan
were buried within two or three days instead of handing them
over to the families. The identity of these defaced bodies,
he said, remained a mystery and even their relatives would not
recognise them if handed over.
He regretted that there was
no mortuary to preserve such bodies and said that earlier the
Bolan Medical Complex in Quetta had such a facility but it had
been closed down. The court asked the advocate general of Balochistan
to submit a report on the procedure of handing over such bodies
to the families and the number of hospitals and mortuaries functioning
in the province. The other three provinces have also been directed
to submit similar reports. Describing the enforced disappearances
as a national issue, Justice Khawaja said the matter must be
addressed amicably. The court directed Attorney General Salman
Aslam Butt to submit comprehensive data about the number of
missing persons in the country.
According to media reports,
the CIED was seized with 1,265 cases as of Dec 31. But the Defence
of Human Rights claims that the total number of cases of missing
persons is 5,149 and 252 of them surfaced in 2014 alone.
Five more convicted terrorists
would be executed in Sukkur and Faisalabad jails on January
13. Three terrorists belonging to banned outfits and lodged
in central jail Sukkur in Sindh province and two convicts in
District jail Faisalabad in Punjab province will be hanged.
The three terrorists in Sukkur jail - Muhammad Shahid Haneef,
Muhammad Talha and Khalil Ahmed - were involved in the murder
of Defence Ministry Director Zafar Hussain Shah in the vicinity
of Gulbahar jail in Karachi in 2001. All the three would be
hanged at 6.30 am on January 13, said jail authorities. The
two other terrorists - Nawazish Ali and Mushtaq Ahmed - convicted
of orchestrating the murder attempt on former president general
Pervez Musharraf will also be hanged at Faisalabad District
Jail on January 13-morning.
To counter terrorism and improve
security of the people and public property, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Government has enacted three special laws within a short time.
Under the new laws, people are being arrested during search
and strike operations. Some political leaders have criticised
the PTI-led provincial Government for introducing a law to absolve
itself of the responsibility to protect the people. The passage
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Restriction of Rented Buildings Act 2014,
KP Restriction of Hotel Businesses Act 2014 and KP Security
of Sensitive and Vulnerable Establishments and Places Act 2014
took a long time. The opposition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
gave a tough time to the Government to pass the KP Security
of Sensitive and Vulnerable Establishments and Places Act 2014.
The US Secretary of State, John
Kerry, said that terrorists were the common enemies of Pakistan
and the United States. The visiting US Secretary of State met
PM Nawaz Sharif here at the PM House and assured him that Washington
would continue its support in the battle against terrorists.
The PM conveyed Pakistan’s concern to the US about the unprovoked
Indian aggression across the LoC and the Working Boundary in
the recent months as aggressive Indian posturing could undermine
Pakistan’s struggle to wipe out terrorism.
Building on recent accusatory
statements by Government representatives, Federal Defence Minister
Khawaja Asif claimed that India was helping terrorist groups
in Pakistan to carry out "heinous acts". In an interview
on Dawn’s programme News Eye, the Minister alleged that India
"has designs on Pakistan". “The Taliban have links
with India. Also, India’s involvement in the insurgency in Balochistan
cannot be ignored,” he said. When asked to provide evidence
for his claim, the Minister dodged the question and proceeded
to claim that a low intensity war was underway. He stated that
his allegations were based as much on conviction as on experience.
The United States military command
assured Pakistan’s security establishment that TTP ‘chief’ Fazlullah
would not be ‘spared’ and efforts are underway to track him
down. The reported development surfaced during the meeting of
top military commanders from Pakistan and the US on Monday which
reviewed the ongoing coordinated drive against TTP and its allied
offshoots, with the commitment to continue the scaled-up counterterrorism
drive at the respective sides of the Western border. General
Lloyd J. Austin CENTCOM and Pakistan’s COAS General Raheel Sharif
met at the General Headquarters.
In a disturbing development
for Islamabad, a former commander of the TTP, Hafiz Saeed Khan,
has replaced an Afghan national, Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost, as
the Ameer of the Khorasan chapter (which includes Pakistan)
of Daish or the IS, led by Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi. The previous
Daish Ameer for the Khorasan chapter, Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost,
was a former Guantanamo prisoner, who had earlier spent several
years in a Pakistani prison after being freed by the Americans.
He had been appointed for an interim period to organise the
Khorasan chapter of the IS which includes Pakistani, India,
Afghanistan, Iran and some Central Asian territories. Rahim
was operating from the Zamindawar District of Afghanistan which
is situated on the right bank of the Helmand River to the northwest
of Kandahar. However, Maulvi Saeed Khan, the new Ameer of the
Khorasan chapter of Daish, comes from the FATA of Pakistan and
belongs to the Mamozai area of Orakzai Agency. Before discarding
the TTP umbrella in mid-October 2014, Saeed was the Ameer of
the Orakzai Agency chapter of the TTP.
January 13
SSP Malir Rao Anwar claimed
to have killed five alleged terrorists in an encounter at Gulshan-e-Bunair
area of Karachi, the Provincial capital of Sindh. SSP raided
the area of Quaidabad along with 500 Policemen on secret information
about the presence of terrorists of the plotters of Karachi
jailbreak attempt. When Police reached the scene terrorists
opened fire on them, as a result a Police mobile was damaged.
However, in retaliatory fire five alleged terrorists belonging
to a banned outfit were killed. Police recovered weapons and
explosive material from the possession of dead criminals. Later,
two killed terrorists were identified as Sajid and Mateen. Police
sources said that Sajid was the mastermind of Karachi jailbreak
foiled bid.
Two MQM workers, identified
as Mohammad Ashraf alias Guddu and Mohammad Abdul Rehman, were
shot dead while they were sitting along the road outside their
homes near Taqva mosque in Rizvia Society of Liaquatabad Town
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead the joint in-charge of the MQM Balochistan Committee,
identified as Ashraf Khan (35) in Farid Colony of Orangi Town.
Seven terrorists were executed
in different jails of Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Karachi and Sukkur.
Three militants of LeJ Shahid
Hanif alias Mufti Shahid, Muhammad Talha and Khalil Ahmed alias
Hassan Jan were executed in Central Prisons in Sukkur. They
were condemned to death by an anti-terrorism court after they
were found guilty of killing Syed Zafar Hussain Zaidi, director
laboratories of MoD in Karachi in July 2001.
Two terrorists involved in former
President General (Retired) Pervez Musharraf assassination bid
case were executed at District Jail Faisalabad. The terrorists
were identified as ex-employee of Pakistan Air Force Nawazish
Ali and Mushtaq.
Zulfikar Ali was executed at
the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. He was associated with Al-Qaeda.
He was convicted for killing two Policemen near the US Consulate
General in Karachi. He was convicted by Anti-terrorism Court
in Karachi after being booked in 2003 in FIR no 35/03 registered
in Karachi under Sections 353, 302, 324, 397 and 7-ATA.
Behram Khan, the killer of a
lawyer, was hanged at Karachi Central Jail in the presence of
judicial magistrate. Behram Khan, along with Police SI Pir Bux,
had killed Advocate Ashraf in the courtroom of Sindh High Court
in 2003 and they were arrested while trying to escape. Anti-terrorism
Court in Karachi had sentenced Behram to death while SI Pir
Bux was sentenced to life in prison for abetting the crime.
Two security personnel were
killed and three others injured when the SFs vehicle hit a roadside
land mine near the Nawab Shaheed check-post in Kurram Agency
of FATA.
The anti-terrorism court Number
1 awarded death on 22 counts to four militants of LeJ for attacking
the Multan ISI headquarters. Abdur Rahim, Hafiz Salman, Sajjad
and Muhammad Afzal have been awarded death on 11 counts under
section 302 of the PPC and the same sentence under section 7
of the ATA. The court also awarded life imprisonment twice to
their accomplice Ijaz Ahmed. The convicts had rammed a mini-truck
into the ISI Headquarters in December 2009, killing 11 people
and injuring 76 others. Several houses and residential quarters
were also collapsed in the attack.
Asking Pakistan to target all
militant groups, US Secretary of State John Kerry said terror
outfits like LeT, Taliban and the Haqqani Network pose a threat
to regional countries like India and the world. Addressing a
joint press conference with Pakistan Prime Minister’s adviser
on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Kerry said the terror groups
like the “Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network,
Lashkar-e-Toiba and other groups continue to pose a threat to
Pakistan, to its neighbours and to the US.” “We all have a responsibility
to ensure that these extremists are no longer able to secure
a foothold in this country or elsewhere. Make no mistake. The
task is a difficult one and it is not done.”
January 14
Unidentified assailants shot
dead one ASI and his two brothers and a passer-by in Mohallah
Hayatkhel in the limits of City Police Station in Dera Ismail
Khan town of same District in KP. The sources said that two
assailants riding a motorcycle arrived at Mohallah Hayatkhel
in the evening and opened fire and killed ASI Qaiser Jehan and
his brothers Khurram Jehan and Ansar Jehan. A passer-by Alqab
was also killed in the attack. It was learnt that the slain
cop was posted as the in-charge of a Counter-Terrorism Unit
in Peshawar and had come home on leave.
KP Government granted male teachers
permission to carry licensed weapons in school. Acknowledging
the Government's inability to station Police at all of KP's
more than 30,000 schools, KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak asked
the schools to make some security arrangements on their own.
The Intelligence Agencies arrested
nine suspected militants, including a couple linked with al
Qaeda, during crackdowns in different areas of Faisalabad District.
According to sources the al Qaeda-linked couple, identified
as Rizwan and Maria, was involved in a hand grenade attack on
a shrine in Gujranwala District on an unspecified date.
Afghan SFs arrested five men
suspected of responsibility for the December 16 massacre at
the Army Public School in Peshawar. TTP suspects are key commanders,
who allegedly coordinated the attack.
Quetta ATC, headed by judge
Aftab Ahmed Lone, indicted former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf and two other nominated accused in the Nawab
Akbar Bugti murder case of August 26, 2006. The other two indicted
by the Court include former Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan
Sherpao and Home Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani.
Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Shoaib
Nosherwani were present in the court during the hearing while
counsel for Pervez Musharraf presented an application for his
exemption from appearance on health grounds. The judge remarked
that the exemption from appearance before the court could only
be granted after examination of the former president by a medical
board. The court expressed resentment over the non-constitution
of the medical board and summoned the Director General, health,
Balochistan, at the next hearing of the case on February 4,
2015.
Pakistan has decided to ban
the Haqqani Network, JuD and 10 more outfits. Confirming the
development, senior officials said that a formal announcement
to this effect would be made in ‘coming days’. The decision
came a day after the US State Department declared the fugitive
chief of the TTP Mullah Fazlullah as a ‘Specially Designated
Global Terrorist’. Mullah Fazlullah had claimed responsibility
for the December 16 massacre of schoolchildren in Peshawar.
“It’s our first step towards execution of the National Action
Plan. The nation will see more positive steps towards dismantling
militant groups. Both civilian and military leadership decided
to ban the Haqqani Network and Jamaat-ud-Dawa,” an unnamed senior
intelligence official confirmed to The Express Tribune.
The Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the number of proscribed organisations
actively engaged in terrorism and extremism in Punjab alone
had reached 95. During the briefing on the status of implementation
of the National Action Plan to counter terrorism and extremism,
Chaudhry Nisar said that law-enforcement agencies were proactively
monitoring madrassah to check the spread of terrorist ideology
in the country.
January 15
At least seven militants were
killed while four others were injured in a US drone strike near
the Pak-Afghan border in Wacha Dara area of Ladha tehsil
in South Waziristan Agency of FATA. Two of the dead militants
are reported to be of Uzbek origin. Intelligence sources say
that the US drone fired two missiles on a compound in Wacha
Dara area located near the Pak-Afghan border between Makeen
and Shawal.
An unidentified man was shot
dead near Haider Chowk in Orangi Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
Law Enforcement Agencies arrested
two target killers affiliated with a political party, who were
involved in several cases of target killing and other crimes,
from an undisclosed area of Karachi. Weapons were also recovered
from their possession.
An ATC declared the TTP 'chief'
Mullah Fazlullah, his former spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid
and six others as proclaimed offenders in the June 8, 2014,
Karachi Airport attack case. Six others were identified as Malik
Mumtaz Awan, Asim Sharif, Abdur Rasheed, Akhtar alias Plumber,
Iqbal alias Thekedar and Abdullah Baloch. The Police submitted
that Fazlullah and Shahid had addresses of Sohrab Goth area
of Gadap Town but they could not be traced. The court declared
the suspects as proclaimed offenders, ordering confiscation
of their properties. The hearing of the case was adjourned till
January 26, 2015.
Sindh High Court directed the
Provincial authorities to apprise it about what measures they
have taken to secure the public and private educational institutions
across the Province, excluding the government’s advisory regarding
security arrangements in wake of December 16, 2014 attack on
an Army Public School in Peshawar. A Division Bench headed by
Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar issued notice to Sindh Chief Secretary,
Education and Literacy Department Secretary, Home Secretary
to submit their response to the petition by January 21, 2015.
The CoAS General Raheel Sharif
said the military courts had been established with the consent
of the people of Pakistan. The General said Pakistan was in
a state of war, and the government and the armed forces were
determined to wipe out the terrorists as the recent [APS] incident
had shown the extent to which they (the terrorists) could go.
General Raheel was confident that Pakistan would overcome its
problems soon.
The ISPR Director General Major
General Asim Bajwa said that the justice system has not come
under military domain, explaining that military courts are a
stop gap arrangement due to the existing capacity issue of Pakistan’s
judicial system. Bajwa addressed the Royal United Services Institute
(RUSI), a leading think tank in London.
Chief of BNP-M, Sardar Akhtar
Mengal said that extremism was being promoted in Baloch society
to weaken Baloch nationalists. "Extremists are penetrating
in a tolerant Baloch society," Mengal said. He said new
shadowy extremist organisations were surfacing in the Province
to undermine the Baloch political and democratic movement.
A Government school in Rajgarh
area of Lahore District received a threat note pasted on its
main entrance, creating panic among teachers, students and their
parents. According to details, unidentified persons pasted a
threat note on the main gate of Government Junior Model Girls
School Rajgarh. Parents who were visiting school for dropping
their children read the note and informed the school administration.
Officials of District Administration and police reached the
spot immediately. Police sent the letter to the forensic laboratory
for further investigation. However, the classes began normally
after the school was cleared.
Police traced the terrorist
network involved in January 9, 2015, bomb attack on Chittian
Hattian Imambargah in Rawalpindi District and arrested four
suspects. Police sources said two of the suspects arrested were
convicted of murdering PTV producer Aun Mohammad Rizvi in 1999
and were acquitted by the Supreme Court in October 2011. But
the sources declined to disclose their names. Police investigators,
the Counterterrorism Department and Intelligence Agencies are
now scouring for the suspects’ links to Hafiz Muhammad Nawaz
facing death penalty for killing Rizvi.
In a major development linked
to the trial of hardcore terrorists in military courts, Islamabad
Police referred the murder case of former Minority Affairs Minister
Dr Shahbaz Bhatti to a military court. Bhatti was killed outside
his residence in Islamabad on March 3, 2011. Earlier, the All
Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) had pointed out that the
threats from extremists were adversely affecting the proceedings
of the trial of Dr Shahbaz Bhatti murder trial. Threatening
pamphlets claiming to be from TTP-Punjab Chapter (also known
as Punjabi Taliban) had been found in the office of a key witness
in the case.
Lahore High Court Division Bench
dismissed a withdrawn petition of a condemned prisoner, Ikramul
Haq, alias Lahori, challenging his death warrants. A Faisalabad
ATC had reissued the warrants after the convict failed to prove
reconciliation with the complainant party. The convict’s counsel
pleaded in the petition that the complainant party wanted to
record statement in the High Court. However, he said, the trial
court reissued the death warrants of the convict and execution
was fixed for January 17, 2015.
A meeting of the Senate Standing
Committee on Finance and Revenue presided over by Senator Nasrin
Jalil of the MQM was informed by the Ministry of Finance and
the State Bank that the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 needed
to be amended to ward off international isolation and ease operational
difficulties being faced by local Law-Enforcement Agencies.
The meeting was.
Finance Secretary Dr Waqar Masood
Khan said the definition of financing of terrorism for the purpose
of starting investigation into Suspicious Transactions Reports
would be amended to include “financing of terrorism including
funds collected, provided, use or meant for, or otherwise linked
or related to terrorism, terrorist act or organisations and
individuals concerned with terrorism”.
An official explained that unless
Pakistan met international standards in its laws and efforts
to curb terror financing, the international community under
the banner of Financial Action Task Force on Anti-Money Laundering
and Counter-Terrorism Financing could declare it a high-risk
and non-cooperative country, leading to international sanctions.
The finance secretary said the amendment would ensure domestic
and international cooperation among agencies for investigation
into terror financing. The new law proposes due diligence of
customers and the requirement of regulatory agencies like the
Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and the SBP to
maintain record of transactions that was not covered in the
previous law.
The UNHCR country representative,
Maya Ameratunga said that her organisation would not support
Afghan refugees found involved in terror activities in Pakistan.
She said that the UN Refugee Agency was aware of security challenges
in Pakistan and supported measures being taking by the Government
to improve law and order. She said some Afghan refugees, both
registered and illegal, had been taken into custody by Pakistan’s
law-enforcement agencies for their alleged involvement in terror
activities. The UNHCR, she added, would provide legal assistance
only to registered Afghan refugees. She said the UN Refugee
Agency has been providing assistance to Afghan refugees for
their voluntary repatriation to their home country.
She called upon the Pakistan
Government not to use force for the repatriation of Afghans.
The forced evacuation of refugees would affect a large number
of Afghan families as security situation in Afghanistan was
still not conducive, she added. She said efforts to improve
security situation in Afghanistan were continued so that repatriation
process of Afghan refugees from neighbouring countries could
be carried out in a smooth way. She said the UNHCR kept a continuous
vigil at the activities of Afghan refugees and would inform
Pakistani authorities if anyone of them is found involved in
suspicious activities.
January 16
Police rescued five abducted
foreigners and arrested two kidnappers during search operations
in Satellite Town and overseas colony area of Turbat District.
Imran Qureshi, the DPO said that the foreigners include three
Yemenis and two Tanzanian nationals. He further stated that
weapons were also recovered from the possession of the kidnappers.
The Police and SFs in a joint
search and strike operation arrested 434 suspects and 115 unregistered
Afghan nationals from different parts of the Province, especially
Peshawar. The SFs also seized a large quantity of arms and ammunition
from their possession. A Police official of Tehkal Police Station
said the operation was carried out by the Police and SFs around
the Bacha Khan Airport and that all Police Stations of the city
were told to carry such operations in their respective areas.
He said the operation lasted several hours during which the
Police and SFs cordoned off the areas and closed roads and pathways
at their entry and exit points. According to spokesman for the
Police Riaz Ahmad, a total of 434 suspicious people were arrested
in the Province during the last two days. He added that 189
weapons, 5,516 rounds, and a large quantity of ammunition was
also recovered.
Police and SFs also forcibly
shut down several private hostels in different areas of Peshawar.
The action led the students living there blocked the University
Road and thus, causing traffic jam for around an hour. Shouting
slogans against the Government, the protesters said they didn’t
know why their hostels had been closed and that evicting them
without prior notice was an injustice. They said they were members
of poor families by and large and couldn’t afford to stay in
expensive hotels.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad
Khan said that there has been 60 to 70 percent reduction in
extortion and kidnapping-for-ransom cases and target killing
incidents have reduced in Karachi. Khan said that after the
Abbas Town blast in March 2, 2013, we focused on elimination
of four heinous crimes with all available resources which include
terrorism, extortions, target killings and kidnapping-for-ransom
and we got success and today there is clear reduction in these
crimes in the city.
Pakistan cannot ban the JuD
led by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed because it is a charitable and not
terrorist organisation, said Pakistan’s Minister for Defence
Production Rana Tanveer Hussain. Hussain’s comments came a
day after some media channels quoted unnamed Pakistani Interior
Ministry sources as saying the Government was likely to outlaw
several terrorist groups, including the JuD and the Haqqani
Network.
“We are looking to ban terror
organisations but the JuD is a charitable organisation and the
Government of Pakistan has no evidence against Hafiz Saeed or
the JuD,” Hussain said. Hussain drew a distinction between the
LeT – banned as a terrorist organisation by Pakistan, India
and the United States among other countries – and the JuD. Both
India and the US say the LeT resurfaced as JuD after the ban.
“Lashkar is banned in Pakistan and we have not found any linkages
between JuD and LeT,’’ Hussain said, adding Saeed had the right
to address rallies as he was “not involved in any terrorist
activity”.
He further said, “India or the
US should give us evidence and we will consider it. The JuD
does not have a military wing and they are only involved in
preaching Islam and working in the education field.” Hussain
said he also supported the JuD chief’s call for liberating Kashmir.
“Even I refer to Kashmir as our atoot ang (inalienable
part). Tomorrow you will ask for a ban against me and against
all Pakistanis who support the freedom struggle in Kashmir,”
the Minister said.
CoAS, General Raheel Sharif
while speaking at the International Institute of Strategic Studies
in London said that National Action Plan was a comprehensive
long term strategy to address extremism, terrorism in the country
with the Government doing best for its implementation, adding
that the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb against terrorists
in North Waziristan Agency of FATA was making good progress
and there were no favourites among terrorists as all terrorists
of any kind were being hit in the operation.
General Sharif further said
that the relations with Afghanistan were improving, adding,
“We are working for stability in the region”. He said that longstanding
Kashmir issue has to be resolved for long term peace, stability
in South Asia, Pakistan wants peace, but with dignity and honour.
He urged that negotiations between the two countries over Kashmir
must be made on an equal basis. He said that the World needs
to understand our environment. Our cooperation with UK in security,
social sector is growing. About return of TDPs from NWA, he
said the world should help in dignified resettlement of TDPs.
DG ISPR Major General Asim Saleem
Bajwa while addressing a think-tank of the Royal United Services
Institute (USI) in UK said that Security Forces have killed
2,000 militants in North Waziristan Agency of FATA in the ongoing
Operation Zarb-e-Azb. He also said that 200 soldiers had been
killed during the operation, and 800 others had sustained injuries.
He reiterated the army’s resolve to ensure writ of the state
in Bajaur and North Waziristan Agencies at all costs by wiping
out militants. The DG ISPR said that effective military operations
are under way to purge the areas of terrorists.
Referring to Islamabad and Afghan
Security Forces' expected launch of coordinated operation against
terrorists in their respective border regions, QWP chief Aftab
Ahmed Khan Sherpao said, “The Afghan Government has given its
consent for launching a coordinated operation against terrorists”.
Sherpao said the new Afghan Government was not only willing
to cooperate in the war against terrorism but was also ready
to enhance bilateral cooperation in other fields. The QWP chief
also said that the new Afghan leadership desired close security
cooperation with Pakistan in order to expedite action against
terrorists and launch a coordinated offensive to wipe out terrorism
from the region.
“Apart from a detailed meeting
with President Ghani, we also met Chief Executive Dr Abdullah
Abdullah and other Afghan leaders. Our discussions were focused
on how to enhance bilateral cooperation between our two countries,”
said Sherpao. Since Pakistan has assured Kabul that it would
not allow anyone to use its soil against Afghanistan, Sherpao
said the Afghan leadership also expressed its desire to resolve
all issues with Pakistan through mutual understanding. They
want to normalise relations bedeviled by distrust and embark
on a new journey of mutual friendship, he added.
JI Chief Sirajul Haq while addressing
a rally on Multan Road warned that the anti-Islam policies of
the west could plunge the world into the third world war. He
said that the respect of the Holy Prophet was an essential part
of a Muslim’s faith. Thousand of faithful across the country
came on roads to express their anguish over the fresh publication
of blasphemous caricatures by a French Weekly and vowed to render
every sacrifice to safeguard the sanctity of the Holy Prophet.
The call for the protest had been given by Haq.
He announced million marches
in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi on January 23, 205, in continuation
of the protest. He also stressed upon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
to call for an emergency meeting of the Muslim rulers to lodge
protest with the French Government on this score and to stress
upon the United Nations to frame laws ensuring respect for all
the Prophets of Allah and all the revealed books.
Pakistan has outlawed the Haqqani
Network, officials said, days after US Secretary of State John
Kerry urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Government to fight
groups that threaten Afghan, Indian and US interests.
Senior Pakistani Government
officials said that a formal announcement of the ban would be
made “within weeks”. “We have decided to ban the Haqqani Network
as a step in implementing the National Action Plan devised after
the (Peshawar) school attack,” said a Cabinet Member.
The US said that Pakistan’s
decision to ban the Haqqani Network and some other militant
groups is an important step towards eliminating terrorism. “We
welcome (the decision) to outlaw the Haqqani Network, Jama'at-ud-Dawa,
and I think about 10 other organisations linked to violent extremism,”
State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said at a news
briefing in Washington. “It is an important step, certainly,
towards eliminating terrorist activity in Pakistan,” she said.
The Government has put more
than 5,400 suspected militants on a new terror watch list, in
a fresh move to swiftly execute a crackdown against sympathisers,
financiers and facilitators of banned outfits across the country.
As part of implementation on the National Action Plan against
terrorism, these suspected terrorists were included in the list
under the Fourth Schedule of the ATA 1997, a legal tool that
allows the Government to catalogue all those involved in terrorism.
“The fresh crackdown is being conducted by civilian forces with
cooperation of intelligence operatives,” an unnamed official
monitoring progress on the NAP said on January 16.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home
Department has put some 2,572 suspects on the list — most of
them linked with banned organisations, he revealed, adding that
more than 1,896 suspected terrorists have been placed on the
list by the Punjab Home Department. The Sindh Home Department
placed the names of 479 suspects on the terror watch list. Similarly,
the Balochistan Government has identified 400 suspects, Islamabad
police 50, and the Gilgit-Baltistan Government has named 23
militants, the official added.
The Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan directed all relevant departments to
block bank accounts/financial transactions and all kinds of
funding of proscribed organisations/NGOs or any other individuals
or organisations having connection with militants or terrorist
activities. A databank and monitoring network is being established
for all the proscribed organisations so that all such organisations
re-emerging secretly or under new names should be shut down,
he said.
He also directed Ministry of
Information Technology to work in close coordination with Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority, the Intelligence Agencies and international
monitors to close down all terrorism related websites/web based
messaging services and other terrorism-related material on the
internet and social media.
Pakistan’s military command
has shared with the British authorities a list of more than
50 suspicious organisations that are headquartered in the UK
and are operating in Pakistan, for strict scrutiny and surveillance
over their finances and operations. These organisations not
only include banned outfits but also include dozens of Islamic
charities registered in the UK as social welfare and humanitarian
organisations on the pretext of communities’ services.
The British authorities, in
response, are said to have assured their complete support to
Pakistan in its ongoing counterterrorism drive. According to
informed security sources, the CoAS General Raheel Sharif conveyed
to UK Government functionaries and security officials that majority
of the organisations marked as suspicious by Pakistan’s security
agencies (but were not banned here) were operating as charity
organisations. These organisations are mainly registered in
UK and some other Western countries including Canada, France
and the United States. “The financial controls on dozens of
50 plus Islamic charities and other outfits are loose and they
are freely moving millions of pounds from the UK to Pakistan
each year,” an informed unnamed intelligence insider said, adding,
“What do they do of this big amount of money is highly suspicious
since social and humanitarian work they originally get the money
for, is nowhere to be seen.”
Three Shia men, identified as
lawyer Fayyaz Hussain Shah (40), and his two nephews Mir Ghazi
Shah (20) and Mir Hamza Shah (22) were shot dead while they
were returning home from a religious gathering in Rawalpindi
District. TTP 'spokesperson' Muhammad Khorasani claimed responsibility
for the attack. He said that Shah was active in his Shia community
and was also a local leader of PTI.
January 17
Ikramul Haq, a convicted terrorist
belonging to SSP, was hanged till death at Kot Lakhpat Central
Jail in provincial capital Lahore. He was accused of killing
a Shia man, identified as Nayyar Abbas, at an Imambargah in
Shorkot area of Jhang District in 2001. Haq was scheduled to
be hung earlier on January 8, 2014 but the execution was delayed
at the eleventh hour after an agreement between the plaintiff
and the defendant was produced before the magistrate. Later,
the condemned prisoner and the plaintiff parties were asked
to approach the Anti-Terrorism Court for confirmation of the
agreement, pardoning Haq. Out of eight family members of the
deceased Abbas, only his two brothers and a sister appeared
before the judge, hence the court refused to accept the agreement
and upheld its decision of death sentence to the convict.
So far, a total of 19 terrorists
have been hanged. These include, a total of seven in the year
2014 (two on December 19, four on December 21, one on December
30). At least 12 terrorists have been hanged so far in 2015
(two on January 7, seven on January 13, two on January 15 and
one on January 17).
January 18
Two officials of the Karachi
Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), identified as Sohail Yusuf Bhatti
(47), and Yusuf Talat Khan (56), were shot dead in a targeted
attack near the Federal Urdu University on the main University
Road in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. Yusuf was the Deputy Director of Lyari Development
Authority and Bhatti was the Detector Land LDA.
Two Policemen, identified as
Abdul Ghafoor (50), and Muhammad Farooq, were shot dead in North
Nazimabad Town.
A doctor, identified as Dr Farooq
Ahmed Shaikh (55), was shot dead in a targeted attack in Federal
B area of Gulberg Town. On his way home after work around 1:45am
when he was shot dead in a target attack in Federal B Area.
A man, identified as Rehan (50),
was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants near Chhota Maidan
area within the limits of Paposh Police Station in North Nazimabad
Town.
Muttahida Qaumi Chief Altaf
Hussain demanded the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to impose martial
law in Sindh for the safety of life and property of people.
He said the Sindh Government has failed in maintaining peace
in the city as killing of innocent people in Karachi was on
the rise. He demanded the Prime Minister to issue arm licenses
to citizens if martial law couldn’t be enforced.
Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali
of the Supreme Court, who is also the monitoring judge of the
ATCs in Sindh, chaired a meeting that was informed of bifurcation
of cases into “militancy-related” and “others” by the ATCs.
Of the over 2,700 cases pending disposal before the 19 ATC across
the Province, 192 cases of bomb blasts and militant attacks
by militant organisations have been prioritized for hearing
on a day-to-day basis as provided under the ATA of 1997.
SFs arrested two militants,
identified as Maulavi Shah Wali and Hafiz Naimatullah, during
a raid in Jangle Pir Alizai area in Qilla Abdullah District.
SFs arrested two suspected militants
from Killi Tekhdar area of Chaman town and recovered weapons
from their possession.
Police detained 31 suspects
during various raids in Quetta. Police said hate materials and
CDs were recovered from their possession.
Balochistan Chief Secretary
Saifullah Chathha while presiding over a meeting in Quetta asked
officials to ensure construction of boundary walls and foolproof
security at all schools in the Province as part of the National
Action Plan against terrorists. He ordered officials of Law-Enforcement
Agencies and educational institutions to jointly evolve a security
plan for safety and protection of schools, colleges and universities.
The meeting decided that boundary walls would be built and protective
wires installed at all schools, besides deploying security guards
at every educational institution.
Five suspected militants belonging
to Pakistan were arrested last week in Afghanistan, said officials
from both the countries. The five were detained last week after
Pakistan sent a list of suspects to security services in Afghanistan,
said an unnamed official. “We are investigating whether the
five detained are the ones wanted by Pakistan,” one of the Afghan
officials said. A Pakistani official said that talks were underway
with the Government for the transfer of the five prisoners in
Afghanistan to Pakistan.
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the Chief
of JuD, and the founder of LeT, during a rally in Lahore while
urging Muslims across the world to boycott French commodities
in protest against the publication of sacrilegious caricatures
by French magazine Charlie Hebdo said that the UN should declare
blasphemy as terrorism and pass an international law against
it. “If it fails to do so, Muslim countries should sever ties
with it and form a Muslim Union.” “Blasphemy is the worst form
of terrorism in the world. It is terrorism against 1.5 billion
Muslims. There will be no peace if international laws are not
made against blasphemy,” threatened Saeed.
The commander of The Resolute
Support, the new mission of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan,
General John Campbell warned that the IS is making recruitment
in Afghanistan and Pakistan. “We are seeing reports of some
recruiting,” said General Campbell, adding, “There have been
some night letter drops, there have been reports of people trying
to recruit both in Afghanistan and Pakistan, quite frankly.”
General Campbell said the IS
group, which had a “hard message to sell” in Afghanistan, but
there were concerns that the group had the potential to spread
its message in the country and in neighbouring Pakistan. “The
Taliban have their allegiance to Mullah Omar and a different
philosophy and ideology than ISIS, but, potentially, there are
people who are disgruntled with the Taliban, they haven’t seen
[Taliban 'commander'] Mullah Omar in years, or they want to
go a different way,” he said.
Those disgruntled with the Taliban
leadership could be “vulnerable to the ISIS message, and so
we’re looking at it very hard”, he said, adding that the US
and Afghan authorities had so far seen “only bits and pieces”
of this group in Afghanistan. “We’re doing deep dives into it
to make sure we’re seeing everything. I’ve made it a priority
intelligence requirement for my staff, but I have not seen a
whole bunch of it yet, to tell you the truth,” Campbell added.
January 19
At least seven militants and
three soldiers were killed during a clash in Banda area of Salarzai
town in Bajaur Agency of FATA. Security sources said heavy exchange
of fire took place during an operation to clear suspected militants
from the mountainous Banda area along the Afghan border.
The TTP 'spokesperson' Muhammad
Khorasani claimed responsibility for attack. Khorasani said
the TTP fighters “killed six soldiers including a captain,”
adding, “We lost only one fighter.” “The fighting continued
since morning until afternoon.” he added.
At least five militants were
killed when a US drone fired two missiles at a compound in Shahi
Khel neighbourhood of Shawal in North Waziristan Agency.
An ASI, identified as Tabassum
Ali, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants while he
was providing security to polio team in Banaras area of Orangi
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Later, the
anti-polio drive was suspended in Orangi Town and SITE Town.
An unidentified alleged target
killer was killed in a retaliatory firing by the Police near
Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) in Paposh Nagar of North Nazimabad
Town.
As part of the National Action
Plan (NAP) against terrorism, hate material seized by Rawalpindi
District Police reveals that various schools of thought promote
hatred against one another and stand divided over many issues.
According to Police sources, in the seized books, sects attack
one another and also disagree over the celebration of the birth
anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
while addressing the inaugural session of Balochistan Development
Forum organised by the Balochistan Chief Minister’s Policy Reform
Unit (CMPRU) in Islamabad said that the Government will cleanse
Balochistan, KP and FATA of terrorists.
He said owing to neglect in
the past, Balochistan lagged behind in socioeconomic development
and stressed that both Federal and Provincial Governments were
now taking measures to ensure growth and peaceful environment
in the Province. He said that the development of Balochistan
was close to his heart, and despite constraints, the Federal
Government provided substantial resources to supplement the
efforts of the Provincial Government to address the needs of
its people.
The political leaders and experts
at the forum were unanimous in seeking autonomy for Balochistan
and ownership over resources of the Province. Speaker Balochistan
Assembly Jan Jamali urged Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik
Baloch to assert Provincial autonomy under the 18th Amendment
to push the agenda for inclusive development of the Province
and its inhabitant.
The Peshawar District administration
has started issuing licences of non-prohibited bore weapons
to the educational institutions. “The process of getting licence
of non-prohibited bore weapons can be completed easily,” Deputy
Commissioner Zahirul Islam said. When asked how many licences
could be issued to a school, he said that he would issue even
10 licences to the administration of a school if it required
the same number of licences for its security guards.
January 20
An activist of the MQM Unit-6,
identified as Danish (30), was shot dead and another man, identified
as Touseef (26), was shot at and injured in Malir Town of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
An unidentified man was shot
dead and another unidentified man was injured near Kharadar
in Lyari Town.
An unidentified dead body of
a man was found near Hijrat Colony area of Lyari Town.
Police claimed to have killed
a criminal in an encounter in Manghopir area of Gadap Town.
However, the identity of the suspect could not be ascertained.
At least 10 people, including
one woman and two children, were injured in a hand grenade attack
carried out by Lyari gangsters in Bhimpura area of Saddar Town.
A man, identified as Wali Ahmed,
was shot at and injured by unidentified armed assailants in
Bhains Colony area of Lyari Town.
In an incident of firing, one
Fahad (18) was injured near Usmanabad in Lyari Town.
One Shahid (30) was shot and
injured by unidentified armed assailants near Mominabad in Orangi
Town.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim
Ali Shah while presiding over a meeting on law and order directed
the Law Enforcement Agencies to intensify and strengthen vigilance
at entry and exit points of the Province. He added that the
ongoing targeted operation had started producing encouraging
results, but he wanted the law enforcers to intensify the operation
to purge the Province of terrorist elements.
The IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali
briefed the Chief Minister on the targeted operation. He said
the operation gave positive results. “If the 496 days of the
targeted operation are compared with the corresponding 496 days
[of the previous years], 337 per cent more criminals have been
killed in encounters while 16 per cent more targeted killers
arrested, 285 per cent more terrorists and 96 per cent more
extortionists apprehended,” he said. A total of 766 criminals
had been killed during the 496 days of the operation, while
175 criminals had been killed in encounters during the corresponding
period, he said. Similarly, 1,399 criminals involved in targeted
killings had been arrested, while 1,200 had been arrested earlier,
he said. The number of militants and extortionists arrested
increased from 124 to 478 and from 236 to 463, respectively,
he said.
A Police constable, identified
as Shahid, was injured when a terror bid was foiled by intercepting
a suspected suicide bomber travelling in a bus on Main G.T.
Road near Rawalpindi District. The bus that was en route to
Rawalpindi from Peshawar was stopped and one of the bus passengers
was taken into custody by Police on suspicion. Upon trying to
escape, the suspect was fired at by Police in response to which
he hurled a hand-grenade, injuring the Police. However, earlier
reports said the suspect blew himself up after being intercepted
at the Sardar checkpost in Wah Garden.
The CIA Police arrested a veiled
woman, identified as Maria Sultan, from outside Kotwali CIA
office in Lahore for her alleged links with al Qaeda. Police
sources claimed the woman was a proclaimed offender and was
involved in a suicide attack at Gujranwala Police Office.
Punjab Government promulgated
an Ordinance which bans glorification of terrorists and their
outfits at any forum and in the media. It regulates manufacture
or sale of uniforms of law-enforcement agencies. The Punjab
Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015, which
amends the identical law of 1960, is part of the legal reform
measures the Government is taking to curb terrorism.
Pakistan denied reports that
the UK and Washington had asked it to handover LeT 'operations
commander' and 2008 Mumbai terror attack (also known as 26/11)
accused Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi to India or to them for his "independent
trial" to help improve ties with New Delhi. "No one
has asked or sent any formal request to the (Pakistan) Government
to handover the person (Lakhvi) to India or any other country,"
Pakistan's foreign office spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said. Federal
Investigation Agency's prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar had
informed the Islamabad High Court on that two countries, whose
citizens were killed in the Mumbai attacks, had asked Pakistan
to hand over Lakhvi.
The teachers refused to keep
arms at schools during duty hours, saying it is the responsibility
of the state to provide security to teaching staff and students.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the all primary schools
teachers association held at the Government High School, Swari,
on January 20, 2014. The meeting was told that the teaching
community was not ready to accept the fresh security policy
at the schools, adding that a teacher’s duty was to teach students
and not to guard school. They said that provision of security
to students and teachers was the prime responsibility of the
Law Enforcement Agencies.
Earlier on January 19, the District
Administration started issuing licences of non-prohibited bore
weapons to the educational institutions.
January 21
A man, identified as Shoaib
(30), was killed by unidentified armed assailants near Madni
Masjid in Azizabad area of Gulberg Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
One Muhammad Ali was shot dead
and another man, identified as Abdul Rasheed (35), was injured
near Jhat Patt Market on Muhammad Ali Road in Lyari Town.
Unidentified militants shot
dead an official of the Levies Force, Khaliq Jan, in Mamond
tehsil of Bajaur Agency in FATA. Sources said that Khaliq
Jan was on his way home in Sarki Joharh when unidentified militants
opened fire on him, leaving him dead on the spot. The assailants
managed to escape from the scene.
Operation Commander Hangu and
Orakzai Agency Brigadier Muhammad Jilani said that the SFs had
cleared 50 percent area of Orakzai Agency from militants. Brigadier
Muhammad Jilani said the return process of the IDPs to their
native areas would be started once the area was cleared of militants.
The Minister for State and Frontier
Regions Lieutenant General (retired) Abdul Qadir Baloch said
a strategy was being formulated by the Government to create
job opportunities for IDPs in North and South Waziristan agencies
because until a few years ago most people there knew only about
weapons’ manufacturing and related business activities.
The JI Amir Sirajul Haq
has demanded of the Government to declare the FATA as a separate
province so that its people could get their due rights. The
JI chief said that nearly 10 million tribal Pakhtuns had still
been living without basic facilities. He demanded of the Government
to declare FATA as a separate province and Peshawar as a brave
city, and elevate the status of Army Public School, Peshawar,
to the university level.
A militant was killed and another
two were arrested in a clash with the Police during a search
operation in Malikabad area under Topi Police Station in Swabi
District of KP. The slain militant was identified as Abu Saeed,
a resident of Malikabad. He was wanted by the Police in a number
of terrorism-related cases.
KP Government backtracked on
its stand that teacher could carry small weapons into schools
for own security after a representative body of primary schoolteachers
rejected it. Minister for elementary and secondary education
Atif Khan insisted his Department had never issued such instructions
and that the Government would not encourage teachers or students
to take firearms to classrooms.
A suicide bomber, identified
as Mohammad Asif, denoted his vest when SFs arrested him while
he was travelling in a bus on Main GT Road near Rawalpindi District.
Earlier it was reported that a Police constable, identified
as Shahid, was injured while foiling the terror bid. Officials
of Law Enforcement Agencies and Police were trying to unscramble
a code which was found scribbled on a piece of paper recovered
from the pocket of the suicide bomber. The man got off a bus
and blew himself up with a hand grenade when the bus was stopped
at a Police picket on GT Road near Mughal Garden in Wah. The
piece of paper with the number 21110 written on it was recovered
from him along with PKR 7,000 in cash, a pair of sunglasses
and two pieces of clothing.
A Police investigator said that
officials from different agencies have joined hands with police
to crack this code. They believe that this number could be a
code for a possible target - a place or a person. The investigator
said that the officials are trying to solve the mystery with
the help of information which has already been gathered from
terrorists in Police custody. Asif hailed from Fatehjang tehsil
(revenue unit) of Attock District. Police sources said some
of his family members had been picked up and shifted to an undisclosed
location for interrogation. Police are also interrogating the
bus driver, a resident of Charsadda District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
and his Afghan assistant.
According to Intelligence sources,
the SFs arrested a local 'commander' of the IS, identified as
Yousuf al-Salafi, as well as his two accomplices involved in
recruiting and sending fighters to Syria from provincial capital
Lahore. Three unnamed intelligence sources said the man, Yousaf
al-Salafi, was arrested in the eastern city of Lahore and confessed
during interrogation that he represented IS in Pakistan.
“Al-Salafi is a Pakistani Syrian
who reached Pakistan through Turkey five months ago,” said one
source. “He crossed into Turkey from Syria and was caught there.
Somehow he managed to escape and reached Pakistan to establish
IS.” The source said one of his accomplices, Hafiz Tayyab, was
a prayer leader in Lahore and was involved in recruiting Pakistanis
and sending them to fight alongside Islamic State in Syria,
charging IS about USD 600 per person.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
while chairing a meeting on reviewing progress of NAP said that
the nation has to succeed in the war of terror at any cost,
as there is no margin of error. He directed the Law Enforcement
Agencies’ chiefs to improve mutual coordination in their ongoing
counterterrorism drive in line with the NAP. The PM has also
observed that steps are being taken for the effective implementation
of NAP for complete elimination of terrorism.
He said implementation of NAP
was the key to eradicate terrorism from the country. “We will
do everything to achieve this objective even if this involves
special allocation of funds,” he said.
Advisor to Prime Minister on
Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that by cancelling dialogues,
India has given rise to uncertainty and the threats from the
Indian leadership points to a dangerous desire for war. He said
that firing and shelling from across the LoC and the Working
Boundary without provocation and efforts made by India to change
the status of Kashmir all by themselves would further complicate
an already volatile situation.
He said that Pakistan was willing
to continue enduring, unconditional and fruitful negotiations
with India but they were the ones to cancel the secretary level
talks and now they will have to make the first move to revive
the dialogue.
January 22
Two bullet-riddled bodies were
found from Gulshan Rehman Colony on Kohat Road in Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to police
sources, the bodies belonged to Badhaber and Kamal Deen Gharri
areas.
The Peshawar Police detained
at least 150 suspects during a search operation carried out
in the areas around the university campus. According to reports,
the Police and SFs conducted a joint search operation in the
adjoining areas of Regi Lalma, Malagori and university campus
and sealed these areas. Identification of the citizens was carried
out during home-to-home search. Police arrested more than 150
suspects including Afghanis who were living illegally in the
country.
The Supreme Court directed the
Federal Government to upload the details pertaining to terrorist
outfits banned by the Government on websites, adding that there
was no such record and friendly countries should also be informed
in this regard. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed
by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, heard the suo moto case on the
errors in legal books and journals. During the hearing, the
court asked its staff to check the websites of the NACTA, the
Ministry of Law and Ministry of Interior. However, after checking
these websites, nothing was found pertaining to details of banned
terrorist outfits. “How can we fight against terrorism when
we don’t know about the amendments made in our laws?” Justice
Jawwad remarked, adding that people don’t even know as to whether
they are giving donations to organisations the Government has
banned or not.
Justice Jawwad further observed
that the Government was fighting against extremism so it should
provide information so that the public could know about such
terrorist outfits that were banned. “How we can we eliminate
terrorism and extremism when we don’t know as to which organisations
have been banned by the government?” Justice Khawaja remarked,
adding that the people don’t know about these organisations
and its figures. He observed that all the notifications were
moved by the Law Ministry hence it should upload them on its
website. He further said that the list of banned outfits should
be uploaded in all languages so that the people in the country
as well as abroad should know as to which outfits were banned.
The White House described the
US-Pakistan relationship as “incredibly important” to shared
security and emphasized that United States’ relations with Pakistan
and India are not at expense of the other. “We don’t view these
relationships as taking place at the expense of the other, that
we can have a good relationship with India and we can have a
good relationship with Pakistan,” Ben Rhodes, Deputy National
Security Advisor said.
The Government banned the JuD
and the Haqqani Network and also froze the JUD’s bank accounts.
It also placed foreign travel restrictions on Hafiz Saeed who
heads the JuD. “Pakistan is taking these steps for its own sake,
for the protection of its own people and to eradicate terrorism
from the country once and for all. The JuD and some other organisations
are listed (as terrorists) by the United Nations. Pakistan,
as a member of the United Nations, is under obligation to proscribe
the entities and individuals that are listed,” the Foreign Office
spokesperson announced at a media briefing.
Immediately afterwards, the
JuD announced that it would approach the Supreme Court to challenge
the ban as it claims it is a charity. The ban comes just days
before President Barrack Obama’s visit to New Delhi. For quite
some time, both the US and India have asked Pakistan to ban
the JuD and the Haqqani Network. In fact, Hafiz Saeed has been
accused by both the countries of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai
attacks.
However, the FO spokesperson
rejected the notion that Pakistan had taken these steps on the
request of US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in Islamabad
recently and who publicly criticised both these militant organisations.
She said that the National Action Plan had been under discussion,
and it had nothing to do with the visit by the US secretary
of state.
“We take our obligations very
seriously and try to meet these obligations scrupulously. Once
any individuals and organisations are proscribed by the UN,
we are required to freeze their assets and enforce travel restrictions.
We take that action. Bank accounts of such entities and individuals
are frozen after an SRO is issued,” she explained. While the
Haqqani Network has also been banned, the organisation does
not have bank accounts in Pakistan.
January 23
An unidentified man was shot
dead in Manghopir area of Gadap Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
The CID Police claimed to have
arrested three Lyari gangsters, identified as Sheeraz Faisal,
Muhammad Zubair and Abdul Rehman, during a raid in Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Town. SSP CID Usman Bajwa said that three Lyari gangsters belonged
to Sohail Ladla group and were involved in the killing of 14
Policemen and several other people. Police recovered massive
weapons and hand grenades from their possession.
The CID Police also arrested
a suspect, identified as Abdul Ghani alias Akram, and recovered
proscribed electronic devices from his custody. These devices
included mobile phone trackers, FM frequency tracker, hacking
and transmitters and the instruments used in terrorism.
Unidentified miscreants blew
up an 18-inch gas pipeline near Dera Murad Jamali in Naseerabad
District. The explosion caused suspension of gas supply from
Sui to Uch Power Plant.
Unidentified militants blew
up a 6-inch gas pipeline in Sohbatpur area of Jaffarabad District
suspending gas supply to different villages. No outfit claimed
responsibility for the attacks.
Rawalpindi-bound Jaffar Express
escaped a bomb blast in the 13 Mile area of provincial capital
Quetta. However, no casualties were reported.
Kidnappers freed four people
in Zarmilan area of South Waziristan Agency in FATA who were
abducted along with 10 others from Killa Saifullah District
of Balochistan on January 4. The captors had killed an official
of the Pakistan Air Force who was among the kidnapped and had
freed two hostages. Three people were still in the kidnappers'
custody.
Three TTP militants were arrested
from the Baghat area of Hangu District in KP. Official sources
said Police carried out an operation in Baghat area and arrested
three suspected Taliban militants. Four army uniforms, eight
hand grenades, four Kalashnikovs, two bombs, detonators, explosives
and hundreds of bullet rounds were also seized from the suspects'
possession.
Official documents said that
Law-enforcement agencies in KP have rounded up more than 8,000
suspects in a fresh crackdown against militants. According to
the documents – which the KP Government submitted to the Prime
Minister’s Office on January 22 – some 8,281 suspects have been
arrested in 2,861 fresh operations. These include 22 clerics
accused of delivering hateful speeches. The KP Government has
also charged the representatives of some 222 seminaries with
violating loudspeaker laws. In comparison, the Punjab Government
has added the names of more than 2,000 suspects to the new list
of terrorists, informed officials. They added the Sindh Government
has placed the names of 500 suspects on the list, the Balochistan
Government has identified 410 suspects, authorities in Islamabad
have named 150 suspects and Gilgit-Baltistan has named 50 suspects.
Pakistan High Commissioner to
India Abdul Basit said that there is no ban on JuD but its accounts
have been frozen and movement of its members restricted as per
the UN resolution. “We are proceeding strictly in accordance
with UN resolution and Jama'at’s bank accounts have been frozen,
there is a ban on travel abroad of its leadership. We are moving
in accordance with whatever is required under the UN resolution.
I do not see much else needs to be done,’’ Basit said. He also
stated that the facilities of JuD have been taken over by the
Government of Pakistan.
“I will remind the audience
that the resolution (UN) does not state that member states lock
up such individuals,” Basit said, adding, "Pakistan is
now moving ahead without any distinction when it comes to terrorism.
We are moving against firmly on all organisations that come
under the purview.”
The US Government said that
it did not have confirmation on Pakistan banning the Haqqani
Network or the JuD. “We recognise that Pakistan is working through
the process of implementing measures to thwart violent extremism,
including the National Action Plan. We don’t have any confirmation
of specific steps,” said State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki.
“The Pakistani Government has
made clear in both private conversations and public statements
that it is in Pakistan’s own interest to take steps against
all militant groups in Pakistan, and explicitly to not differentiate
between such group,” Psaki said, adding, “We support this commitment
and believe that it is fundamental to addressing terrorism and
ensuring attacks such as the horrific one that happened just
weeks ago that impacted the Peshawar school children never occur
again.”
The Foreign Office spokesperson
Tasnim Aslam said the country had taken the decision under the
UN obligation as opposed to being under pressure from elsewhere.
“Pakistan took this decision under the UN obligation and not
under pressure from any other quarter including John Kerry (US
Secretary of State),” Aslam clarified.
Islamabad Police is likely to
detain LeT 'operation commander' and mastermind of Mumbai 2008
attacks (also known as 26/11) Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in another
case. Lakhvi is scheduled to appear in the District and Sessions
Court on February 24, 2015 in connection with the bail granted
to him in a kidnapping case on December 29, 2014, Police officials
said. Similarly, hearing of the new case is also scheduled in
the same court. The case was registered with the Tarnol police
on November 21, 2014, in response to a complaint filed by Noorul
Rehman on November 10, 2014.
The complainant stated that
on November 10 about two dozen people riding double-cabins raided
his house. “I scaled the wall of the house and escaped and informed
Rescue 15 at 5pm.” He said the raiders introduced themselves
as Taliban and threatened his sister and mother with dire consequences.
The attackers also asked his family to withdraw cases he had
lodged against his rivals Farman and Farhat Nigar. He alleged
that the attackers were sent by his rivals to kill him and his
family. “They should be held responsible if anything happens
to me or my family.” An unnamed senior Police Officer said that
the investigation of the case had been transferred to the CID
and was being supervised by AIG-Operations Dr Sultan Azam Temuri.
He said the investigators had arrested two people in connection
with the case filed by Noorul Rehman whose links were established
with Lakhvi.
According to details of Lakhvi
current status, he was arrested in 2009 in connection with the
Mumbai attack case. He was granted bail by one Anti-Terrorism
Court on December 18, 2014. However, shortly afterwards he was
detained on the directives of the capital administration under
the MPO which was suspended by the Islamabad High Court on December
26, 2014. Later, a kidnapping case was registered against Lakhvi
at the Tarnol Police Station on December 29, 2014, and on December
30, 2014, the Police arrested him. Afterwards he was taken into
custody on physical remand and sent to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi
District. Again, on January 8, 2014, the lower court of Islamabad
granted him bail in connection with the kidnapping case against
a surety bond of PKR 200,000. But he was again detained under
the MPO for a month which would end on February 18, 2015.
JuD 'chief' Hafiz Muhammad Saeed
led Friday prayers and delivered a fiery sermon followed by
a protest by hundreds of his supporters on Lake Road near Chauburji
Chowk in provincial capita Lahore. Saeed delivered a speech
against India, America, Israel and France. He also condemned
the Government of Pakistan for freezing his bank account and
for banning the JuD and the FIF. Instead of taking action against
the protesters, the Police provided them security.
LEA arrested two terror suspects
from the Manga Mandi area in Lahore District on the information
of an arrested terror suspect Yousuf al-Salafi, who is directly
linked with the Islamic State (Daish), and shifted them to an
unidentified location for interrogation. One of the agencies
engaged in the operation showed that the officials, who had
taken IS 'commander' Yousuf into custody from the Shahdara area
on January 21, 2015, along with his accomplices, Qari Tayyab
and Dr Fahad, arrested his two more accomplices following information
provided by him. The raids were conducted by the ISI, the IB
and CIA Police to track down the suspects associated with Daish.
A Police source said that hate literature, CDs and other material
had been seized from their possessions.
The preliminary investigation
revealed that Kosar Ali, the suicide bomber who blew himself
up at a Police picket on Main GT Road near Rawalpindi District
on January 20, 2014, had been a student at the Lal Masjid seminary.
Police and other LEA's detained seven suspects, including the
two brothers of the suicide bomber, on January 22, 2015 in connection
with the incident. The detained suspects were taken to an undisclosed
location for further investigation.
January 24
One person was killed and two
others were injured in separate incidents of violence in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. Unidentified men gunned down
an unknown person aged about 30 near Rangers check post in Mehmoodabad
2.
One person aged about 30 was
shot and injured by unidentified armed men near Shah Latif town
in Bhens Colony Landhi.
Arif Abbas (45) was shot and
injured by unidentified gunmen in his house near Total Petrol
Pump in Korangi.
Law enforcement agencies arrested
seven TTP militants, including a ‘commander’, from different
places. On a tip-off the SFs raided a house located in Bagatoo
area of Hangu District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province arresting
four terrorists of the banned TTP. Heavy weapons including eight
hand grenades, four Kalashnikovs, two remote-controlled bombs,
eight detonators, two batteries and hundreds of bullets were
recovered from the possession of the arrested militants.
On intelligence report about
the presence of TTP militants in the area the SFs conducted
a raid in Harnai District of Balochistan and arrested three
TTP militants, including a ‘commander’. SFs also recovered arms
and ammunition from the possession of militants.
January 25
At least 35 suspected militants,
an unspecified number of foreigners among them, were killed
when military planes shelled their hideouts in North Waziristan
Agency. According to the ISPR, the air strikes were conducted
in Dattakhel tehsil. Officials said that over 1,200 suspected
militants had been killed since the Army launched Operation
Zarb-i-Azb in North Waziristan in June 2014. The administration
had lifted curfew from the area after 20 days on January 23.
January 26
Eight suspected militants, including
key commanders of various outfits, were killed and several others
sustained injuries when jet fighters of PAF blitzed their positions
in various areas including Speen Drand, Tor Darra, Tarkhu Kas
in Kukikhel, Nakai and other areas in Tirah Valley of Khyber
Agency in FATA. Several hideouts of militants were also destroyed
in the operation.
Five persons, including a retired
Police SI Muhammad Salleh Shah, were killed and one sustained
injuries when in a Chithar-bound pickup that was coming from
Dera Murad Jamali stumbled over a landmine in the Soonwah area
of Naseerabad District.
Quetta Police recovered 50,000
rounds of different caliber weapons, which had been stolen from
the arsenal depot of Balochistan Constabulary, during raids
in Shaldara and Pashtunabad areas of the provincial capital.
Balochistan Government during
a high-level meeting of security officials finalised 54 terrorism
cases for trial by military courts that have been set up under
the 21st Constitution Amendment. Home Secretary Akbar Hussain
Durrani said that of the 54 cases selected, 19 related to the
banned TTP, 18 to LeJ and 17 to Sipah-e-Muhammad. The Provincial
apex committee, which is responsible for implementation of the
NAP against terrorism, will forward the cases to the Federal
Government for a final decision. Balochistan IG Mohammad Amlish
Khan said that 168 accused had been nominated in the 54 cases
88 of them were under arrest and 80 absconding.
One militant was killed and
three others were arrested by the SFs during a search operation
in Katlang tehsil and its adjoining villages in Mardan
District in KP. A soldier was also injured in the exchange of
with the militants in Matta village in Katlang.
KP Police, in the ongoing search
and strike operation throughout the province against criminals
and anti-social elements, have rounded 246 suspects and recovered
huge quantity of arms and ammunition. The number of arrests
and recovery of weapons were made during the last two days of
the operation, according to a statement from Police spokesman.
“Around 79 arms and ammunition of different kind and 1,132 rounds
of different bore were recovered during the search operation,”
the statement added.
The statement further said that
during the operation 873 houses and 499 hotels were checked
and 38 cases were registered against the violators. During the
snap checking on 275 checkpoints, 285 suspects were held and
10 arms of different kind and 130 cartridges of different bore
were recovered. During action against “illegal” Afghans a total
of 192 persons were detained and 66 cases were registered against
them.
An unidentified man was killed
while nine others were injured in a bomb explosion in Dawood
Goth area of Malir city in Malir Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. During investigation, it was found that armed
gangsters riding a motorcycle had lobbed an RGD-1 grenade at
a cattle pen of one Jawed alias Chotu. Initial investigations
reveal that the criminals belonged to the Akber Maleri gang
of Uzair Baloch group.
The FIF, the charity wing of
JuD, launched a free ambulance service at the Markaz-e-Taqwa
in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. “This [welfare work] is our key area
for which we are known across Pakistan,” JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad
Saeed said at the launching ceremony. “After launching several
such projects in rural and disaster-hit areas of the country,
we now plan to expand to facilitate the maximum number of people,”
he said, adding, “We are neither a political party nor do we
have an electoral agenda. So we are stick to our social welfare
projects.”
He said that in the first phase,
the FIF would operate a fleet of 15 ambulances in all city districts
and the number of vehicles would be increased gradually. “We
are operating an ambulance service in 118 cities across the
country. From Tharparkar in Sindh to Turbat in Balochistan and
from Sadiqabad in Punjab to Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
you would find footprints of our welfare projects in every corner
of the country,” he said.
Military courts will start functioning
shortly as the Prime Minister’s Office has given final go-ahead
to the Federal Ministry of Interior to start referring terror
cases to these special courts for trial. A PMO source said that
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a recent meeting, attended by
civil and military officials, finalised the mechanism for selecting
and referring the cases to military courts for trial.
It is said that nine military
courts have been constituted in all the four Provinces, which
are expected to start functioning in the next few days. Although,
under the 21st Constitutional Amendment, the military courts
have been given the power to try suspected civilian terrorists
of a specified category, it would be the discretion of the Federal
Government to decide which cases should be referred to these
courts.
The Senate Standing Committee
on Defence was informed that the US had assured Pakistan of
killing the top TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah or arresting him
alive. The Defence Secretary Lieutenant General (retd) Alam
Khattak told the Senate committee that the US has assured Pakistan
of full cooperation to arrest or kill Mullah Fazlullah.
January 27
At least 53 militants, including
12 foreigners, were killed when jet fighters of PAF conducted
aerial strike on militants’ hideout in Kharh Tangi area of Dattakhel
tehsil in North Waziristan Agency of FATA. Six hideouts,
an ammunition dump and seven explosives-laden vehicles were
destroyed,” said an ISPR statement. Most of the foreigners killed
were Uzbeks, military sources said.
In another strike in the same
area later, 23 militants were killed, the ISPR claimed. Since
the area is off-limits to journalists, it is difficult to independently
verify the number and identity of the dead. The jets continued
shelling for about one hour, inflicting heavy losses on the
militants, sources said.
16 militants were killed and
12 others injured when PAF planes pounded their hideouts in
Therkho Kas, Wacha Wana, Sra Vella and Nakai areas of Tirah
valley in Khyber Agency. The officials claimed that those killed
belonged to the outlawed TTP and LI. Six militant hideouts were
destroyed in the strikes.
KP Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad
Khan said the repatriation of the people displaced from Bara
of Khyber Agency would begin after February 15 as most parts
of the tehsil had been cleared from militants. He also said
PKR 850 million had been released for the restoration of electric
supply and rehabilitation of schools, health units, roads and
streets in Shalobar area ahead of the return of local displaced
tribesmen.
Earlier, the IDPs of Khyber
Agency on January 26 staged a sit-in outside the Governor’s
House on Sher Shah Soori Road in Peshawar to demand end to military
operation in their area, a comprehensive financial package,
early repatriation, and the opening of Bara Bazaar. They warned
they won’t return to their homes until security was provided
to them, their destroyed houses were rebuilt, and local schools,
hospitals, Government offices and Bara Bazaar were reopened.
At least six militants were
killed and a security official was injured in an operation conducted
by SFs in Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan District in KP. Three
of those killed were suicide bombers and blew themselves when
cordoned off by the SFs, official sources said. During the operation,
10 militants have been arrested following fire exchange between
militants and the forces in Zar Kani, Gara Manda, Kot Sultan
and Daraban area.
Hundreds of students protesting
against a French magazine Charlie Hebdo for publishing cartoons
of PBUH stormed a Christian boys’ school in Bannu town of Same
District demanding it close. Four students were slightly hurt
in the incident which happened as students from local colleges
and schools demonstrated against the cartoons. “A group of some
200 to 300 protesting students entered Panel High School after
jumping its outer walls and forcibly opened the gates,” school
principal Fredrick Farhan Das said. He said the students who
wanted the school to be shut damaged the property and smashed
windows.
In an attempt to avert attacks
like the one on APS on December 16, which left 154 people—mostly
children—dead, the Police in the provincial capital are training
teachers how to use weapons. Aside from offering to train male
teachers, the KP Police have for the first time taken the task
to train women teachers in how to wield a weapon. Lecturers
from Frontier College for Women stepped into Malik Saad Shaheed
Police Lines for a purely voluntary training which will be undertaken
over the period of a week.
Under the Provincial Government’s
revised guidelines, only watchmen and security guards will be
allowed to carry weapons in schools. After the carnage at APS,
the Government had allowed schoolteachers and administration
officials to keep licensed weapons in schools and had also decided
to issue them permits. However, severe criticism from various
quarters led the Government to rethink its stance. “Now, school
administrations have been told only watchmen and guards will
be allowed to have weapons,” the official added.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a Policeman, identified as Shahmir Jhandir (22), deputed
for the security of anti-polio volunteers near a bakery in Nazimabad
No 3 area of North Nazimabad Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. No outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.
Authorities, however, termed the incident a targeted attack
on Police and not on the polio team.
Principal of Iqra Rozatul Atfal
School, identified as Fazl Urrhman (45), was shot dead by unidentified
militants near Bhetak Hotel, Munawar Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Johar
area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead a man, identified as Israr (30), in Defense Housing
Authority in Gadap Town.
An unidentified man was shot
dead by unidentified armed assailants near Hawkesbay Scheme
42 in Hawke's Bay Town locality of Kiamari Town.
One Abdul Khair (28) was shot
at and injured near Usmania Chowk in Garden area of Saddar Town.
The Sindh High Court directed
the Home Secretary, Provincial Police Chief, Rangers Director
General and others to submit their respective replies in the
petitions against alleged detention of seven workers of the
MQM by Law Enforcement Agencies. A division bench comprising
Justices Ahmed Ali M. Sheikh and Syed Muhammad Farooq Shah also
issued notices to the Federal and Provincial law officers to
ensure the filing of comments on behalf of the official respondents.
The hearing was adjourned till January 15, 2015.
According to details, on January
15, 2015, Shahzad Khan, a worker of the Karachi Water and Sewerage
Board, was held in Orangi Town and on January 16, 2015, MQM
worker Syed Tahir Ali, an employee of the education department,
was arrested Later, on January 20, 2015 the paramilitary troops
arrested Abrar, owner of a roadside tea stall, in Orangi Town
within the jurisdiction of the Mominabad Police Station. He
said that on the same day another worker of MQM, Umair Sharafat,
an employee of Honda Atlas, was arrested from Sector 10 in Orangi
Town. Also, the LEA personnel and Police raided the house of
Naseer, an employee of a hospital, in Orangi Town and took away
the victim. On January 21, 2015, he said, another worker of
MQM, Bilal, was taken into custody in Hingorabad area of Lyari
Town. The same day, Suleman, a factory worker, was also picked
up by the Rangers and Police within the jurisdiction of the
Kalri Police Station.
An Antiterrorism Court declared
the 'chief' of the TTP, Mullah Fazlullah, its former 'spokesman'
Shahidullah Shahid and six others as proclaimed offenders in
the Karachi airport attack case of June 8, 2014. Earlier in
October 2014, three suspects, identified as Sarmad Siddiqui,
Asif Zaheer and Nadeem alias Burger alias Mullah, were arrested
for providing logistic support, funds and weapons to the militants.
Unidentified militants abducted
five Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation coal miners from
Sorenge area in Quetta. According to Police sources, militants
kidnapped seven miners belonging to the PMDC in Quetta's Sorenge
area. The abductors later freed two coal miners and took the
other abductees to nearby mountains. "Five coal miners
are still with kidnappers," Police said. No outfit claimed
responsibility for the kidnapping.
Lahore Police have so far arrested
329 suspects for violating three recently promulgated ordinances
by the Punjab Government in January 2015 and booked 673 others
for violating the Foreigners Act 1946 and Code of Criminal Procedures
1898 to implement the NAP against terrorism. The Police are
facing difficulties in judicial trials and conviction processes
as people, arrested and booked in connection with Punjab Information
of Temporary Residence Ordinance, Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation)
Ordinance and Arms Ordinance (amendment) Ordinance, have secured
their bails from local courts.
A two-member bench of the Islamabad
High Court, comprising of Justice Noor ul Haq Qureshi and Justice
Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, granted one-week time to the prosecutors
for arguments against Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of former Punjab
Governor Salmaan Taseer, and adjourned the hearing till next
week. The Bench heard the appeal petition filed by Mumtaz Qadri’s
counsel, Khawaja Sharif.
A highly influential convicted
terrorist has made the Federal Government surrender its policy
of executing convicted terrorists without discrimination. In
a case of discrimination and violation of law and policy, the
Nawaz Sharif Government has succumbed to pressure to block the
execution of this unnamed highly influential convicted terrorist
despite President Mamnoon Hussain’s final rejection of the condemned
terrorist’s mercy appeal.
The Home Secretary was also
told that the convicted terrorist should be imitated of the
President’s decision. But just two days later on January 2,
2015, the Federal Ministry of Interior sent an “immediate” letter
to the Home Secretary, directing the Province to “stay” the
execution of the terrorist till further orders. The Home Secretary
was also told that the Provincial Government should re-examine
the case to ascertain if it fell within the parameters set by
the Government. Sources said the Provincial Government, within
a few days time, informed the Federal Government that the case
fell within the Government’s policy. However, the Federal Government
is yet to get the terrorist executed.
The advisor to Prime Minister
on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that a new nuclear deal
signed between the US and India during President Barak Obama’s
recent trip to New Delhi will be detrimental to stability in
South Asia. "The operationalisation of Indo-US nuclear
deal for political and economic expediencies would have a detrimental
impact on deterrence stability in South Asia," Sartaj Aziz
said. Aziz described the new deal with India as “another country-specific
exemption from Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) rules” that would
undermine the credibility of the watchdog, weaken the non-proliferation
regime and "further compound the already fragile strategic
stability environment in South Asia". "Pakistan remains
opposed to policies of selectivity and discrimination,"
he added.
Appreciating the tribal people
for playing a significant role in expelling terrorists from
their area, COAS General Raheel Sharif reiterated that Pakistan
Army would not abandon the tribal areas without restoring functional
normalcy. Speaking to officers and men during his visit to Mohmand
Agency, the COAS appreciated their professionalism, dedication
and sacrifices in fighting terrorism and bringing stability
in Mohmand Agency. General Raheel emphasized on the need to
follow a comprehensive and uniform reconstruction and rehabilitation
policy across FATA after areas had been cleared of terrorists.
He expressed the hope that such projects would help root out
terrorism on long term basis by providing education and economic
opportunities to the youth, according to an ISPR press release.
Asia Coordinator of the CPJ,
Bob Dietz, while addressing the second International Conference
on Combating Impunity and Securing Safety of Media Workers and
Journalists in Pakistan, said that Pakistan ranks worryingly
high when it comes to the number of attacks on journalists in
democratic countries. He deplored that the authorities in Pakistan
had failed to move forward in this regard and had not been able
to provide an environment conducive for journalists so far.
“Why can’t we make the situation better,” he asked, earnestly,
adding that far too many journalists were getting caught in
the crossfire between militants and the authorities.
“A hit-list of journalists
in Balochistan was floated by pro-establishment militants and
this list was published in a report by the Pakistan Federal
Union of Journalists (PFUJ), but even then, five of the people
on the list ended up dead,” said senior anchor Hamid Mir. He
said that it was time the government passed a law for the protection
of the media. “I do not say it will end the trouble, but it
will be a first step towards a solution,” he added.
The local 'commander' of Islamic
State, Yousuf al-Salafi, confessed during investigations that
he has been receiving funds through the US. Law Enforcing Agencies
had claimed on January 22, 2015, that they arrested al-Salafi,
along with his two companions, during a joint raid in Lahore
District. However, sources revealed that al-Salafi was arrested
sometimes in December 2014 and it was only disclosed on January
22, 2015. “During the investigations, al-Salafi revealed that
he was getting funding, routed through America, to run the organisation
in Pakistan and recruit young people to fight in Syria,” said
a source privy to the investigations. Al-Salafi also confessed
that he along with a Pakistani accomplice, reportedly imam of
a mosque, was recruiting people to send them to Syria and was
getting around USD 600 per person from Syria.
“The US has been condemning
the IS activities but unfortunately has not been able to stop
funding of these organisations, which is being routed through
the US,” a source said, adding, “The US had to dispel the impression
that it is financing the group for its own interests and that
is why it launched offensive against the organisation in Iraq
but not in Syria.”
January 28
SSP Malir Rao Anwar Ahmed claimed
to have killed five militants in Nawab Goth area within the
limits of Steel Town Police Station in Bin Qasim Town of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. The Police recovered weapons,
explosives material and suicide vests from their possession.
SSP Malir raided in Nawab Goth on spy information of the presence
of terrorists and killed five alleged terrorists during the
encounter. According to SSP Rao the militants belonged to TTP
were planning to attack the Razzakabad Police Training Centre.
An activist of MQM, identified
as Sohial Ahmed (46), was found dead near Machko in Mawach Goth
area of Baldia Town. Ahmed was the MQM unit-64 in-charge. According
to details, on December 15, 2014, PPP held an open house in
Bahadurabad area of Gulshan Town. During the open house, Ahmed
raised various questions regarding Sindh Government's performance
where PPP activists and Police officials were also present.
In the same open house, Suhail was threatened by PPP’s Saeed
Chawla. The same night, Ahmed was arrested by the Police and
on January 28, he was found death in Mawach Goth.
An unidentified man was shot
dead near Yousuf General Store in Kamela Stop area of Lyari
Town.
A man, identified as Sajjad
Maqsood (30), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants
near Chungi Naka on Surjani Road in Korangi Town.
A man, identified as Anwar Bux
(25), was shot at and injured near Godown Chowrangi at Ding
Dong Factory in Korangi Town.
AIG Sindh Police Ghulam Qadir
Thebo said that Police had arrested one of the five suspects,
identified as Mohammad Mansoor, involved in the murder of Karachi
University Dean Islamic Studies Faculty Dr Shakeel Auj. In September
2014, Dr Shakeel Auj was shot dead in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
At least seven militants were
killed and one other was injured in a US drone strike in the
Shawal area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. Intelligence
sources said the US drone fired two missiles on a compound and
a vehicle on the border of North and South Waziristan Agency
in Shawal valley. The identity of the militants is yet to be
ascertained.
A senior official of the Balochistan
Levies said that a group of 25-30 militants stormed a check
post of the Levies force in Qila Saifullah District and fled
with five official rifles, three motorbikes, five bulletproof
jackets and a walkie-talkie.
A death row prisoner, identified
as Rameez Raja, who had escaped during the Bannu jailbreak on
April 15, 2012, was re-arrested during a raid by Hub Police
in Lasbela District. Raja, originally a resident of Kohat District
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, was awarded death penalty in
July 2012, for murdering his relative.
Five abducted coalminers, who
had been kidnapped on January 27, 2015, from Sorenge area in
Quetta, were rescued. The five abducted coalminers were identified
as Lal Muhammad, Noor Muhammad, Sale Muhammad, Rahman Gul and
Sanaullah.
The Islamabad High Court asked
the Interior Secretary to submit details of all cases against
the LeT 'operational commander' and mastermind of Mumbai 2008
attack (also known as 26/11) Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. According
to details, when Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi resumed the hearing
on January 28, Lakhvi's counsel Rizwan Abbasi said that the
report submitted by the Inspector General of Police is not enough
and requested complete details of cases from all Provinces.
The judge adjourned the case.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
while speaking to Islamabad's High Commissioner to India Abdul
Basit said that the country would like to have normal relations
with India on basis of mutual respect and sovereign equality
as “India is an important neighbour for us”. He said that it
is important for both Pakistan and India to resolve all their
outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute in order to
ensure peace and stability in the region.
The Government admitted that
close to 80 seminaries operating in Pakistan received financial
support to the tune of PKR 300 million from a dozen countries
during 2013-14. The Federal Ministry of Interior revealed that
in Islamabad the Embassy of Netherlands donated PKR 2.5 million
to Helping Hands Welfare Association Baltistan (HHWAB) for students
of local seminaries and schools. The Australian High Commission
provided PKR 3 million to Malik Welfare Association Baltistan
in order to support seminaries in the northern areas of the
country. A US-based organisation, Kashmir Family Aid, contributed
PKR 0.7 million in 2014 to the HHWAB for local seminaries and
schools.
“Financial assistance for religious
or sectarian purposes is discouraged as this potentially threatens
to violate law and order and sectarian harmony in the country,”
stated the Federal Ministry of Interior, responding to a question
by PPP Senator Sughra Imam. Senator Tahir Mashhadi said that
almost all seminaries are being financed in one way or the other
by someone. “Foreign funding to seminaries is very dangerous.
It has triggered sectarian war in Pakistan. It [foreign funding]
must be blocked on a now or never basis,” he said.
While the Punjab Home Department
claimed that not a single madrassa in the Province received
foreign funding, documents belonging to the Interior Ministry
revealed that Madrassah Jama'at-ul-Islam Sargodha was the recipient
of PKR 13.3 million from the Sheikh Eid Charitable Association
the money was funneled through Qatar Islamic Bank and National
Bank of Pakistan. The Jamiat-ul-Islam Sargodha also received
PKR25.3 million through the same banks.
The Madrassa Aisha Siddiqa Trust
of Gulistan-e-Jauhar Karachi received PKR 35,000 from an unknown
source, the Sindh Home Department stated. Saudi Arabia is funding
some madrassas in the Province, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home
Department revealed. Also, Saudi Arabia is funding madrassas
in Balochistan, according to official sources. Madrassa Dar-ul-Uloom
Baltistan received PKR12 million from Kuwait, Masjid Gulzar
Ghoi was given PKR 2000 by Saudi Arabia and Jamia Khair Ul Madaris
received PKR100,000 from Hong Kong.
A special force will be formed
to guard educational institutes in KP and the rest of the country,
a senior official of the Home Department said. “We have 64,000
educational institutions and the total number of policemen is
just 75, 000,” he said. “If we deploy a single member of the
force at every institution, Police Stations will be empty,”
official added, stressing on the need for an additional force
to guard schools.
The force will be managed on
a federal level by a retired Major General. The country head
will form teams for all the four provinces and a retired brigadier
will lead each of them. Meanwhile, District-level teams are
to be led by retired colonels. Each colonel would assess the
situation in his respective district and recruit personnel according
to security needs, size of area and population. The men who
will take charge as the chief of the provincial and federal
forces are yet to be decided as the plan is still under discussion.
January 29
Three unidentified bodies were
found in Shero checkpoint area of Dera Ismail Khan City in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. Witnesses reported that three bodies of persons
shot to death were found along with Kalashnikov bullets near
the bodies.
A considerable portion of the
railway tracks were destroyed when a huge explosion took place
near Thull, in Jacobabad District of Sindh. More than three
feet of the tracks were blown off. The bomb went off as soon
as Peshawar-bound Khushal Khan Khatak Express passed from the
spot of the blast.
January 30
At least 61 Shias were killed
and 50 others were injured in a bomb explosion at Karbala Maula
Imambargah in Lakhi Dar area of Shikarpur District. Jundullah,
a splinter group of TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Our target was the Shia community (mosque)… They are our enemies,”
said Fahad Marwat, Jundullah 'spokesperson'.
An alleged suicide bomber was
killed during an exchange of fire with SFs in Maikhtar area
of Loralai District. According to sources, SFs conducted an
operation in the area. The militants resisted the SFs and one
alleged suicide bomber blew himself up during a shoot out that
lasted for an hour. Another militant fled from the spot.
SFs foiled a major terror bid
by seizing an explosive-laden vehicle in Panjpai area of Quetta.
The SFs also apprehended an alleged suicide bomber along with
the explosive-laden vehicle. He said 200 bombs were recovered
from the explosive-laden vehicle during the raid.
Intelligence Agencies and Anti-Terrorist
Forces personnel arrested a TTP 'commander' from Pishin District.
The SFs recovered weapons from their possession.
FC personnel recovered arms
and ammunition from an Alto car in Gulistan area of Killa Abdullah
District.
The Police arrested an Afghan
prayer leader for delivering hate speech during Friday sermon
at Pabbi town of Nowshera District in KP. Pabbi Police arrested
Afghan cleric, Maulvi Noorullah, after complaint by local people
that he delivered a provocative speech during the Friday sermon.
Maulvi Noorullah is prayer leader at the Jamia Masjid Tahirzai
No 1, Pabbi main bazaar. Soon after receiving the information
about hate speech, a Police party led by SHO Pabbi Shad Ali
Khan reached the mosque and arrested the cleric under MPO 16.
On the directives of the Commission
of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, the Mardan City Police
Station has registered four separate kidnapping cases against
unidentified people.
An anti-terrorism court in Lahore
awarded death sentence on 47 counts to three terrorists involved
in attacking buildings of the Police Emergency Service (15)
and an intelligence agency. The court also awarded life imprisonment
to each convict and imposed a collective fine of PKR 25.35 million.
The Civil Lines police had registered a case against Abid Akram,
Sarfraz and Shabbir for attacking the offices of the Police
and intelligence agency on May 27, 2009. At least 26 personnel
were killed and 337 injured in the attack.
Authorities in KP referred a
list of terror suspects to the Federal Government for trial
by military courts. The 45-page report contains 423 cases of
terror suspects for trial by military courts, which also includes
the name of TTP ‘Chief’ Mullah Fazlullah. Peshawar has the highest
number of cases — 116 — to be tried by military courts, whereas
the remaining 307 cases are from other areas of the province.
Most of the terror suspects were charged for attacks on Security
Forces, Government buildings, State installations and killing
of civilians. TNSM chief Sufi Mohammad and Maulvi Faqeer are
among other high profile suspects on the list. A few of the
terror suspects are awaiting trial in jail, while many of them
are absconders in Afghanistan.
The Government has quietly reversed
its decision of setting up military courts in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
“We were today informed that the Government has no intention
of extending 21st Amendment in the Constitution to AJK and GB,”
said Chairman of National Assembly’s Special Committee on Kashmir
Maulana Fazlur Rehman on January 30 after chairing an in-camera
session of the committee. “Media reports about the planned move
to establish military courts in AJK and GB had created concerns,”
said Mr Rehman who initially agreed to support military courts
in the country at the All Parties Conference, but later reneged
on his decision.
The PM Muhammad Nawaz Sharif
said that cases of target killings in Karachi could be sent
to the proposed military trial courts for speedy disposal. The
PM stated this at the Sindh Governor House where he chaired
a high-level meeting to review the law and order situation after
reaching Karachi just one day after the city observed a strike
called by the MQM against the extrajudicial killing of a party
activist. The PM expressed the resolve at a meeting to eliminate
the terrorists who had been responsible for causing lawlessness
in the city while dubbing such criminals as enemies of the country.
Pakistan’s Government should
ensure the security of the country’s religious minorities from
judicial injustice and attacks by militants HRW has said in
its World Report 2015. The HRW said violent attacks on religious
minorities rose significantly in 2014 as Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif’s Government failed to ensure religious freedoms. The
25th edition of the report reviews human rights practices in
more than 90 countries. “Pakistan’s Government did little in
2014 to stop the rising toll of killings and repression by extremist
groups that target religious minorities,” said Phelim Kine,
Deputy Asia Director at HRW.
The US has strong relationships
with both Pakistan and India and going forward Washington would
continue to have a close strategic partnership with Islamabad,
the State Department said. “We have assured both countries that
the United States relationship with India and United States
relationship with Pakistan, those relationships are strong,
they are vital for our strategic interest, and they stand on
their own,” Spokesperson Jen Psaki said replying to a question
at the daily briefing. “We work with Pakistan on a range of
issues. We work with India on a range of issues,” she added,
when asked about Washington’s ties in South Asia in the wake
of President Barak Obama’s visit to New Delhi.
The Minister for States and
Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Abdul Qadir Baloch said that some
elders are unwilling to accept lungies, or traditional souvenirs,
from the Government due to threats from militants since the
launch of the ongoing military operations in the tribal regions.
Replying to a question in the Senate, Baloch said the Federal
Government has conferred some 8,000 ‘lungies’ on tribal elders
over the past five years in recognition of their services for
maintaining peace in their respective tribal agencies.
The traditional souvenirs have
come at a price for its recipients as according to FATA Senator
Saleh Shah, about 1,400 such ‘mashran’ (elders) have been gunned
down by the Taliban. “The government must recognise their sacrifices
as well,” he said. Baloch said the government has all respect
for those who rendered sacrifices for the country. He added
that the recipients of ‘lungies’ were ed on the recommendations
of the political agents, or top administrators in tribal agencies.
Senator Hidayat Ullah objected
that the Government has increased the price of ‘lungies’ and
tribal elders were reluctant to purchase these souvenirs. But
Baloch argued that the Government has increased the price from
PKR 25 to PKR 50 in 2014 which is a nominal increase. The Government
had granted 750 lungies between 2009 and 2010 3,200 in 2012,
375 in 2013 and 2,100 in 2014. These lungies had been distributed
in 13 regions, including Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai,
North and South Waziristan agencies and Frontier Regions Peshawar,
Kohat, Bannu, Tank, Lakki and Dera Ismail Khan.
January 31
Two Police personnel were killed
and another was injured when a convoy of DPO Khuzdar came under
gun and rocket attack by militants in Pasni area of Gwadar District.
However, DPO Khuzdar Asghar Ali Yusufzai, who was traveling
with his family, escaped unhurt in the attack and was safe.
As part of an ongoing crackdown
against militants from banned organisations in Balochistan,
Police and ATC personnel have arrested 260 suspects from different
parts of Quetta. Police sources told that raids were conducted
in Sariab Road, Brewery Road, Satellite Town and other parts
of Quetta. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the
possession of the suspects who have been shifted to different
Police Stations in Quetta for interrogation.
February 1
Rangers claimed to have killed
five gangsters in an encounter in Salar Goth area of Malir Town
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. They were identified
as Akber Maliri, Khalid Lashari, Sheraz Ibrahim alias Comrade
of Malir, Gulab Hasan alias Peero, and Yousuf Pathan. Akbar
Maliri, was stated to be the main character in the gang warfare
in parts of Malir and belonged to the Uzair Baloch group.
CID of Sindh Police claimed
to have killed four TTP militants in a shootout in Manghopir
area of Gadap Town and recovered weapons and explosive material
from their possession. The names of the killed terrorists were
not released to the media yet. ATC In-charge Ali Raza said the
action was conducted on secret information about the presence
of terrorists in the area.
Two carders of the ASWJ, identified
as Naseem Khan (28) and Mohammed Asif (24), were killed in a
sectarian attack on the main National Highway near Malir Halt
in Malir Town. The victims were office-bearers of the ASWJ in
District Central, said a spokesperson for the ASWJ.
A shopkeeper and a cadre of
ASWJ, identified as Akhtar Hussain (55), was shot dead while
his son, Athar Hussain (26), was injured when unidentified militants
opened fire at them at Islam Chowk near the Farooq-i-Azam mosque
in Pakistan Bazaar area of Orangi Town. The victim was a worker
of the ASWJ, said the party spokesperson.
A customs official, identified
as Mohammed Salahuddin Khan (56), who was shot at and injured
in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town on January 29, 2015, succumbed to his
wounds. Salahuddin was parking his car near his house in Block
13-C when unidentified armed assailants attacked him and fled.
An extortionist was shot dead
in the Kalakot area of Lyari Town. His identity could not be
ascertained immediately. Initial report state that he had gone
there to collect ‘protection money’ when he was attacked, claimed
SHO Safdar Mashwani.
A landmine explosion killed
a military officer and injured two personnel in Chathar area
of Naseerabad District in Balochistan. Police sources said the
military officer who was killed in the blast was identified
as a FC captain. Police sources said FC personnel were on routine
patrol when their vehicle hit by a landmine.
The bullet-riddled body of a
missing man was found in the Sonari Mat area of Dera Bugti District.
An official of Dera Bugti Levies said the body was dumped in
a desolated place. The body was identified as Barfi, son of
Noor Khan. “The victim had been missing for one-and-a-half years
from Sui,” the Levies official said.
A 24-inch gas pipeline was blown
up in the Dera Bugti District, disrupting gas supply to the
Sui compressor plant from the Pir Koh purification plant. According
to Levies official in Dera Bugti, militants placed explosive
materials along the gas pipeline.
A dozen militants belonging
to the Marri tribe laid down their arms and surrendered before
Security Forces in Kohlu District. “Twelve militants laid down
their arms in the presence of Provincial Minister for Energy
and Irrigation Jangayz Marri and Commandant Mewand Rifles Masroorur
Rehman,” a statement issued by FC Balochistan said. It added
that all 12 of them had been involved in anti-state activities.
According to the FC Balochistan spokesman, the militants, while
laying down their arms, promised not to support any anti-state
elements and vowed to live a peaceful life as law-abiding citizens
of Pakistan.
The wife and children of Dr
Shakil Afridi were seeking immediate evacuation from Pakistan.
Dr Afridi, who helped the United States locate al Qaeda chief
Osama bin Laden, has been jailed in Peshawar for his alleged
links to various terrorist groups. In a report based on interviews
with friends and relatives of Dr Afridi, the FOX news channel
claimed that his wife and children were “in increasing fear
for their lives and should be evacuated from Pakistan immediately.”
The report claimed that Dr Afridi
was still in isolation in a Pakistani jail and his bid for a
review of his 2012 conviction for “terrorism links” has been
stalled since last March. Dr Afridi’s wife and his two sons
and a daughter had left their native province and were now hiding
in Punjab. They feared for their lives because the Taliban and
other terrorist groups had vowed to avenge Bin Laden’s killing,
the report said. “I am sorry to say that (the) US government
is doing nothing for him,” Qamar Nadeem Afridi, the doctor’s
lawyer and also a cousin, told Fox News.
The PM Nawaz Sharif has said
that the Nation, Government and the Army are on the same page
to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the country. He vowed
to defeat the terrorists and make the country peaceful. He strongly
condemned the Shikarpur incident where innocent people were
made targets.
The CM Shahbaz Sharif said that
the nation would emerge victorious in the war against terrorism.
He was speaking to a delegation of PML-N activists. Sharif said
victory was the only option in the war against terrorism. He
said the nation agreed on the need to eradicate terrorism, religious
extremism and sectarianism. Sharif said the nation would be
rid of intolerance and religious extremism.
The Minister for Information
and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid said that a resolution of the
Kashmir issue is imperative for long-lasting peace in South
Asia. Addressing a function on Kashmir Solidarity Day, Pervaiz
Rashid said the resolution would bring prosperity in the region,
pulling people out of illiteracy and poverty. He reiterated
that Pakistan would continue to extend moral, political and
diplomatic support to Kashmiris in their just struggle for the
right to self-determination.
The Chairman of Kashmir Committee
and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that peace in South
Asia is linked to good Pakistan-India ties, which is not possible
without resolution of the Kashmir dispute. He said this at a
seminar oraganised in connection with the Kashmir Day, which
is held every year on February 5 to support the cause of resolving
the Kashmir dispute. “If referendum can be held in Scotland
then why a similar plebiscite can’t be held in Kashmir?” he
questioned. He said that Kashmiris were sacrificing for their
right of self determination, adding that Pakistan stands united
with the people of Kashmir. He also criticized the international
community for their discriminatory attitude towards the Kashmir
dispute.
February 2
At least three peace volunteers were killed
while two others were injured in a bomb blast in Nari Baba area
of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA. Official sources say
that the blast occurred in one of the pickets of the Tauheedul
Islam Peace Committee members. The sources say that the casualties
occurred in what is believed to have been a remote-controlled
blast.
A man, identified as Sultan (26), was shot dead
by unidentified armed assailants near Chanesar Goth in Mehmoodabad
area of Jamshed Town in the provincial capital Karachi.
One Iftikhar (35) was shot dead near Teen Hatti
in Liaquatabad Town.
Two people identified as, Muhammad Farooq (19)
and Ibrahim (18), were shot at and injured by unidentified armed
assailants near Raheem Shah Colony in Orangi Town.
A man, identified as Yousuf Masih (21), was
injured near Double Road in Surjani Town of Gadap Town.
A man, identified as Imran Khan (30), was shot
at and injured in Ranchor Line.
A man, identified as Shair Muhammad (40), was
shot at and injured by unidentified armed assailants in Old
Sabzi Mandi area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
The LeJ militants hurled a grenade near a private
school in Block-7 area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. However, no
casualties were reported. The militants also left a threat letter
before escaping from the scene.
The Sindh Government decided to set up a 1,000-strong
Police force - ATF to be trained by the Army - and approved
the creation of a Counterterrorism Department and three zonal
committees each having top officials of military, Rangers and
Police to execute a Provincial Action Plan. The committee meeting,
which was jointly chaired by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad
and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah also decided to forward
57 terrorism cases to the newly-established military courts
in the first phase.
"Brigadier Ahsan Gulrez of V Corps said that
in order to ensure execution of the PAP across the Province,
three zonal committees - Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur - would
be constituted." The statement read, "The directives of the
provincial action plan are action against proscribed organisations,
dealing firmly with sectarian terrorists, action against armed
militias, Karachi targeted operation, choking of financing for
terrorists and their organisations and establishment and deployment
of a dedicated counterterrorism force."
Two Policemen including an Additional SHO were
killed in an explosion near Lorry Adda area of Mansehra District
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to DPO Mansehra Ijaz Khan,
the explosion took place when a Police van escorting a convoy
of vehicles set off for Gilgit Baltistan. He said Additional
SHO of City Police Station Fareed Khan was killed while three
others injured. Another one succumbed to his injures at hospital.
An employee of the QESCO grid station was killed
when unidentified opened fire at the grid station in Gwadar
bazaar of Gwadar District.
Unidentified militants abducted five employees
of irrigation department, including the sub-engineer, from Shadi
Core area of Makran Division. Police said the employees were
engaged in the construction of the dam when they were kidnapped
by the militants. BRA 'spokesman' Sarbaz Baloch claimed responsibility
for the kidnapping.
A Hindu doctor, Dr Manoj Kumar, was released
on February 2 by abductors in Hazar Ganji area of Quetta after
the payment of PKR 14 million as ransom on February 1, 2015.
Dr Kumar had been abducted from Industrial Police Station area
of Quetta on December 2, 2014.
The Federal Government assured Provinces in
the National Assembly that they would get aid to fight terrorism
"beyond their expectations" after both its opponents and some
allies accused it of indifference over January 30, 2015, attack
on an Imambargah in Shikarpur District of Sindh. The Minister
for States and Frontier Regions, Abdul Qadir Baloch, said that
the Provinces would face no deficiency of resources in fighting
terrorism, which he called "Pakistan's number one problem".
The US budget for the next fiscal year, released,
includes assurance that Washington will continue to assist Pakistan's
efforts for countering terrorism. "For Pakistan, the budget
demonstrates our commitment to fostering stability and prosperity,
and provides security assistance that promotes counter-terrorism
and counter-insurgency capabilities," said a statement issued
with the budget.
February 3
At least four soldiers were killed in an explosion
targeting a convoy of Security Forces in Warmagai area of Kurram
Agency in FATA. Following the blast, SF and militants also clashed
in Warmagai area, killing two TTP militants, including one key
'commander', Gul, and his accomplice.
Five TI activists were killed in an IED in Naray
Baba area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency. LI claimed responsibility
for the attack.
Unidentified militants shot dead five customs
officials patrolling overnight in Kohat District. District Police
Chief Kohat, Sohaib Ashraf said. "We are unaware of the identity
of the attackers but it's an act of terrorism." A Customs Department
Official said "all five members of the team were killed in this
attack. They hailed from local areas of Kohat and Karak Districts."
A man, identified as Adil (30), was shot dead
and another identified as Ayaz (27), was injured by unidentified
armed assailants near Nadeem Clinic on Jamshed Road in Korangi
Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
One Bilal (20) was shot dead by unidentified
armed assailants near Madrasa Arabia in Mehfooz Road area of
Malir Town.
An unidentified criminal was killed while tow
of his accomplices managed to escape during a Police encounter
near Ganna Mandi in Sohrab Goth area of Gadap Town. Police also
recovered one TT pistol from his possession.
A man, identified as, Sadam Hussain (22), was
shot at and injured by unidentified militants near Mochko in
Baldia Town.
Two convicted terrorists affiliated with LeJ,
identified as Attaullah alias Qasim and Mohammad Azam alias
Sharif, were hanged till death in Karachi Central prison. Qasim
and Sharif were sentenced to death for killing Dr Ali Raza Peerani
in June 2001 in Soldier Bazaar area of Jamshed Town. An ATC
had declared both of them guilty of the murder in July 2004.
The convicts' appeals against capital punishment had been turned
down by the Sindh High Court and later the Supreme Court. Black
warrants for the execution of the two condemned prisoners were
issued on January 24, 2015 on a request of jail authorities.
Unidentified militants killed the BNP-M member
and newly elected Chairman of a Union Council, Nasir Hassan,
in Gwadar District.
Police claimed to have seized 205 kilograms
of explosive material and said that a major terror attack was
prevented.
Unknown assailants set Ghausia Alia shrine on
fire in Mach area of Bolan District. According to Police, two
rooms of the shrine were destroyed and all religious books turned
to ashes. The shrine was built in 1948 in memory of Pir Tahir
Al Gilani al-Baghdadi, who migrated from Baghdad (Iraq) and
settled in Mach.
The JASP condemned the incident and held demonstrations
in Quetta and Mach. While addressing the protesters in Quetta,
JASP leaders Mufti Mohammad Sajid Qadri, Qari Noor Mohammad
and Allama Ghazi Kamal called for extending the Zarb-e-Azb military
operation to entire country.
A Division Bench of the Lahore High Court, Multan
Bench, rejected the appeals of two TTP convicts, identified
as Behram Khan alias Sufi Baba and Omar Fidai, who were involved
in the bomb blast at Darbar Hazrat Sakhi Sarwar in Dera Ghazi
Khan District on April 3, 2011. The appellants had filed separate
appeals against the ATC's decision to award death sentence on
105 counts to Behram Khan besides life imprisonment on three
counts and 10-year jail on 73 counts. The court had also fined
him PKR 129.6 million. Omar Fidai had been awarded life imprisonment
on 106 counts and fined PR 129.6 million.
The ATC No-I, Rawalpindi, Judge Pervez Ismail
Joya while addressing Benazir Bhutto murder case ordered FIA
to produce Muhammad Ismail, an ISI official in court who recorded
all telephonic conversations of the then TTP leader Baitullah
Mehsud and terrorists on December 27, 2007. The court has summoned
Muhammad Ismail and four other witnesses and directed the FIA
to present them at any cost on February 4, 2015.
Hearing an appeal against the conviction of
slain Punjab Governor Salman Taseer's killer Mumtaz Qadri, a
Division Bench of the Islamabad High Court observed that the
case could not be shifted to a military court, as it was an
appeal and not trial. Qadri had assassinated Taseer on January
4, 2011 in the Kohsar Market, Islamabad, for opposing the blasphemy
laws. The legal counsel for Mumtaz Qadri, Khawaja Mohammad Sharif,
requested the Court for an early disposal of the case, saying
that there were some media reports that the case could be shifted
to a military court. "We are the appellate forum, and as per
the constitutional amendment, cases can only be transferred
from the trial courts," said Justice Siddiqui.
While the National Action Plan (NAP) is being
implemented across the country since December 17, 2014, Islamabad
Police, in association with Law Enforcement agencies, have so
far arrested 1,999 people and booked them in 1,610 cases in
connection with four recently promulgated ordinances in provincial
capital Lahore. However, 1,163 cases in four categories are
pending with the courts.
According to details, Police conducted 744 joint
search (combing) operations in 1,050 localities, registered
cases against 91 people and quizzed 93,421 others from December
17, 2014 to February 2, 2015. 52 cases have been registered
under Foreign Act, Arms Act and Control of Narcotic Substance
Act during the period. Official statistics further show Police
arrested 688 people and registered 555 cases against them under
the Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) Ordinance 2015 with 458
cases pending with courts held 865 people in 601 cases under
the Punjab Information of Temporary Resident Ordinance 2015
with 471 cases pending with courts and apprehended 446 people
in 449 cases under the Punjab Arms (Amendments) Ordinance 2015
from January 9, 2015 to February 2, 2015 with 244 cases pending
with courts.
February 4
At least 25 militants were killed in air strikes
in the Sanzila area of South Waziristan Agency in FATA as part
of a major offensive against the TTP and other insurgents. "In
precise aerial strikes, 25 terrorists were killed and seven
hideouts were destroyed", the ISPR said in a statement.
At least four militants were killed and one
was injured in a clash between SFs and militants in Jani Khel
area of Bannu District in KP.
The Peshawar High Court was told that the oversight
board has declared six more missing persons as 'black' or hardcore
militants. AAG Mujahid Ali Khan submitted the oversight board
report in the division bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar
Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan. The report was
about five missing persons who had been shifted to the internment
centre in Ghallanai, headquarters of Mohmand Agency, of FATA.
The oversight board headed by the FCR commissioner had declared
four missing brothers - Zar Shah, Akbar Shah, Amir Shah and
Zahir Shah - as hardcore militants. All the four missing brothers
were active members of the Mohmand Agency chapter of TTP.
A Policeman, identified as Zaiullah, guarding
polio volunteers was killed and one child was injured when unidentified
militants opened fire at the polio team on Sirki Road in Quetta.
An ATC in Quetta accepted the application of
former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf with regards
to exemption from appearance in court in a case pertaining to
the August 26, 2006, murder of former Baloch nationalist leader
Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. The court, however, expressed anger
over the performance of Director General Balochistan Naseer
Baloch with regards to his slow progress on submitting Musharraf's
medical report. It subsequently adjourned the hearing of the
case to February 25, 2015.
Advocate Sohail Rajput, counsel of Nawabzada
Jamil Akbar Bugti, confronted Musharraf's lawyer Akhtar Shah
outside the court and said that the latter was ready to fly
to Saudi Arabia which required travelling for four hours, but
he was reluctant to travel for one hour to arrive in Quetta.
"Musharraf is deliberately not appearing in the court," Rajput
said.
Two members of a polio team, Saifullah Jamali
and Sikandar Jamali, were injured when unidentified assailants
armed with hatchets and clubs attacked them in Bahadurpur village
near Thull town in Jacobabad District of Sindh. Residents of
Bahadurpur village said the polio workers were without any police
escort.
Police still have no clues as to the whereabouts
of two college students, Niaz Ali and Muhammad Habib, who disappeared
on January 22, 2014, from a village of Skardu District. "My
son had gone to a nearby mosque to offer prayers after having
his lunch that day," Mohsin Ali, Niaz Ali's father said. "He
was accompanied by his friend, Muhammad Habib, who also lives
in our neighbourhood." "We have been searching for the boys
for 12 days now," Ali said. "A police complaint has been registered
and notices have been pasted on walls across the village. But
there is still no trace of my son and his friend. We are deeply
worried."
"We are still trying to examine the finer details
of the matter and determine the whereabouts of the college students,"
an investigating officer said.
The only French al Qaeda plotter, Zacarias Moussaoui,
convicted over the September11, 2001 (also known as 9/11) attacks
told American lawyers that members of the Saudi royal family
had donated millions to the terror group in the 1990s. Moussaoui,
dubbed as the "20th hijacker," made the revelations in court
papers filed in a New York Federal Court by lawyers for victims
of the attacks who accuse Saudi Arabia of supporting al Qaeda.
He said he created a digital database of al
Qaeda donors, including members of the royal family such as
former intelligence chief Prince Turki al Faisal and Prince
Bandar bin Sultan, who was Saudi ambassador to United States
for 22 years until 2005. Moussaoui said he met in Afghanistan
an official from the Saudi Embassy in Washington DC to discuss
al Qaeda's plots to attack the United States, and that he was
supposed to meet the same man again in Washington for help on
a plot to shoot down Air Force One. He also claimed there were
direct dealings between senior Saudi officials and slain al
Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, saying he traveled to Saudi Arabia
twice to deliver handwritten letters between the al Qaeda mastermind
and senior Saudis, including Prince Turki.
However, the Saudi Embassy in Washington DC
denied the allegations. "The September 11 attack has been the
most intensely investigated crime in history and the findings
show no involvement by the Saudi government or Saudi officials,"
it said in a statement. The embassy called Moussaoui "a deranged
criminal whose own lawyers presented evidence that he was mentally
incompetent," and said his words had no credibility.
The US Defence Intelligence Agency has informed
Congress that Pakistani military and paramilitary forces have
succeeded in driving militants out of most population centres
in North Waziristan Agency of FATA. In his annual report to
the House Armed Services Committee, Director Defence Intelligence
Agency, Lieutenant General Vincent R. Stewart, also said "Army
ground operations in North Waziristan Agency have cleared anti-state
militants from most population centres, and we expect the military
will continue targeting remaining militant strongholds in 2015".
Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security
and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz informed the National Assembly
that Pakistan desired a meaningful and resulted oriented dialogue
with India, however, the dialogue process minus the Kashmir
issue would not be acceptable. The Advisor said that as per
reports, US President Barack Obama during his recent visit to
India stressed the need to resume the stalled dialogue process
with Pakistan, however, he said that Pakistan had not yet received
any positive indication in this regard.
The Upper House of the Parliament unanimously
passed a resolution calling upon the UN and the international
community to play its role for the resolution of Kashmir dispute
in accordance with the resolutions of the UNSC and aspirations
of the Kashmiri people.
February 5
A man, identified as Faisal (30), was shot dead
by unidentified armed assailants in Soldier Bazaar area of Jamshed
Town in provincial capital Karachi.
One Manzoor (40) and Altaf (50) were shot at
and injured near 5-L Chingchi stop in North Karachi Town of
Karachi District.
A man, identified as Muhammad Iqbal (40), was
shot and injured near Native Jetty Bridge in Kiamari Town.
Unidentified armed assailants shot dead a man,
identified as Paomir Khan Miani, in Kot Murtaza area of Tank
District while he was returning home from market.
The BDU defused a mortar shell found in fields
in Pishtakhara area of provincial capital Peshawar.
While addressing the PoK Legislative Assembly
and Kashmir Council's joint session in Muzaffarabad District,
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made it clear that Kashmir cannot
be separated from Pakistan and expressed the resolve that Pakistan
stands by Kashmiris in their struggle for independence from
India. He said that no solution to the Kashmir issue exists
but a plebiscite under the auspices of the UN as no agenda of
dialogue with India would be complete excluding the Kashmiris.
"Our hearts beat with those of the Kashmiris," he remarked.
"Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan. Historically as well
as geographically, both Kashmir and Pakistan are naturally like
one soul and two hearts. We have been together for centuries
and cannot be separated. We share our joys, sorrows, culture
and festivals, which we celebrate together," he added.
LeT founder and JuD 'chief' Muhammad Hafiz Saeed
while addressing a public meeting outside the Lahore High Court
on the occasion of the Kashmir Solidarity Day demanded PM Nawaz
Sharif to immediately call a meeting of the OIC in Islamabad
to chalk out a unanimous strategy of the Muslim world for resolving
the Kashmir issue. "We are Kashmiris and Kashmir is ours our
religion binds us as one nation and we will always continue
our moral support to our brothers oppressed by the brutality
of Indian armed forces in Kashmir," he said.
Saeed demanded Nawaz Sharif to summon a conference
of Islamic countries' heads in Islamabad on the issue of Kashmir.
He suggested that Muslim countries should make their own Muslim
United Nations and develop their joint army. America, India
and Israel - they all are enemies of Islam and making conspiracies
against Pakistan because they see its nuclear power as the "atom
bomb of Islam".
Sindh Police reached Dubai to take into custody
Lyari gangster and the chief of PAC Uzair Jan Baloch alias Sardar
Uzair. Uzair Baloch was arrested on December 29, 2014 by the
Interpol in Dubai, when he was attempting to cross into the
UAE from Oman. According to sources, Baloch was travelling on
a fake Iranian passport with his name listed as Abdul Ghani
Khuda Bukhsh. "We are in constant contact with the Interpol
for the extradition of Uzair Jan Baloch," said SSP Naveed Khawaja,
who is heading the Police team.
Interpol had issued red warrants for two key
figures of the Lyari gang-wars, Uzair Baloch and Noor Mohammad
alias Baba Ladla, on June 11, 2014.
February 6
Rangers and Police killed a terrorist, identified
as Aziz Afghani, during a joint raid in Sohrab Goth area of
Gadap Town. A spokesman for the paramilitary force said that
Afghani was involved in various crimes, including kidnapping-for-ransom.
Police killed a suspect, identified as Ubaidur
Rehman, in Altaf Nagar area of Orangi Town when he tried to
escape from custody after snatching a gun from a constable.
The Police said that a constable was also injured in the exchange
of fire. Rehman was involved in the killing of 22 people including
four doctors and eight Policemen.
Unidentified militants blew up two power pylons
of 220 KVA transmission lines in Chatter area of Dera Murad
Jamali in Naseerabad District. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack.
Militants abducted six officials of PTCL from
Gawal area of Killa Saifullah District. They abductees were
identified as Engineer Haji Asad, SDO Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad
Nabi, Sajjad Beg and two others.
Five employees of a private company working
on the reconstruction of Shadi Kour dam near Pasni in Gwadar
District were released in Blangur area of the District. They
were abducted on February 2, 2015. BRA had claimed responsibility
for the kidnapping.
February 7
At least seven militants were killed in a clash
with SFs in Mohmand Agency in the FATA. According to a statement
by the ISPR, seven militants were killed by SFs in a clash that
erupted after the militants were intercepted by the forces.
The bodies were handed over to the administration for further
investigation.
Six unidentified bodies were recovered from
Yaka Ghund area in Mohmand Agency. According to tribal sources,
the bodies were found in the Umar Banda area. Officials believe
that the bodies might be of militants killed in clashes with
SFs.
Unidentified militants blew up a railway track
in the Bakhtiarabad area of Sibi District. Levies' sources said
that a two-feet track was damaged when an IED was detonated,
suspending train services between Balochistan and other parts
of the country.
February 8
Three members of the pro-government peace committee,
TI, were killed and five others sustained injuries in an explosion
in Nari Baba area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA.
The LI militants had planted an explosive device in one of the
abandoned houses and the explosion occurred in one of the rooms.
The LI claimed responsibility for the blast.
Unidentified militants blew up Government Girls
Middle School in Bezot area of Orakzai Agency. "Two rooms and
verandah of the school were destroyed and the boundary wall
was damaged in the explosion which took place at 6am," an official
of the political administration said. Agency Education Officer
Habibullah confirmed that the primary section of the school
was destroyed by two remote-controlled blasts. Habibullah added
that 141 schools had been destroyed in Orakzai Agency out of
which 38 schools had been reconstructed while 106 needed reconstruction
on emergency basis.
The JuA Chief Omar Khalid Khorasani has been
injured in a joint operation by the Afghan and NATO forces on
the Afghanistan side of the border, Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesman
of JuA confirmed. "Omar Khalid Khorasani was injured in a joint
operation by the Afghan and Nato forces in Afghanistan's eastern
Nangarhar province," spokesman for the group, Ehsanullah Ehsan
said. "Khorasani has now been taken to a safe place and is improving,"
Ehsan added.
The Security Forces arrested three militants,
including a foreign national, during a massive search operation
launched in the Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The
sources said that the search operation was launched early in
the day against the militants who had fled military actions
in Khyber Agency, North Waziristan and Frontier Region Peshawar
and hiding in Nowshera District.
Rangers arrested a target killer, Abdul Rafique
alias Kaein, during a raid in the Mehmoodabad area of Jamshed
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Kaein is Mehmoodabad
sector in-charge of the MQM. During the initial interrogation
he confessed to his involvement in the May 12, 2007 massacre.
Rafique disclosed to the interrogators that a team of target
killers, headed by Amir alias Dawani of Manzoor Colony, used
to take orders from him. He has also confessed to numerous killings
and gun battles with Ashok and Kobra group in Chanesar Goth
area of Jamshed Town.
An intense scrutiny of cases against terrorists,
which were received from the Provincial Apex Committees, is
being done at the Federal Ministry of Interior before referring
them to the military courts. "Had such examination not been
elaborate and severe, the Ministry would have inundated the
Special Courts with hundreds of cases by now," said a senior
unnamed official. He said that it was not necessary and mandatory
for the Interior Ministry to forward each and every case, communicated
to it by any Apex Committee, to the military courts. "We have
developed a foolproof mechanism to closely study the cases to
reach a conclusion," he said.
The official said that the Interior Ministry
would keep handing over the cases to the Special Courts that
it would find fit for trial. Thus far, more than 1,000 cases
against alleged hardcore terrorists have been received by the
Interior Ministry from the apex committees. The official said
that these bodies have also been intimating to the Ministry
the available evidence and proofs against the accused and their
profiles. The Apex Committees consist of senior officials of
the military and civil administration, including top officers
of Police and other Law Enforcement Agencies.
"Even in the prevailing alarming situation,
our utmost effort will be to meet the requirements of justice
to the maximum possible extent so that complaints about miscarriage
of justice don't arise," he added.
The Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said
that lack of economic opportunities breeds extremism and provides
manpower to perpetrators of terrorist acts. He was addressing
a seminar "Prosperous Pakistan - Strategies 2030" organized
by a German Economic Forum on the sidelines of 51st Munich Security
Conference in Munich. The Minister said for this reason, Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif was focusing much attention to improve
the country's economy and create maximum job opportunities.
Khawaja Asif said that despite security challenges, the Government
had made remarkable progress on economic front, which had also
been acknowledged by international organisations like IMF and
World Bank.
According to joint surveillance carried out
by civilian and military Intelligence Agencies over the past
few weeks, South Punjab and parts of interior Sindh have been
identified as the strongholds of groups and individuals supporting
several militant outfits. In southern Punjab, both material
and manpower support comes mainly from Rahim Yar Khan, Jhang,
Chiniot, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur Districts, whereas in
Sindh, Khairpur, Hyderabad, Shikarpur, Nawabshah and Larkana
are the Districts from where militant outfits draw much of their
support.
An unnamed security official said that both
civilian and military intelligence outfits have identified individuals
as well as groups that have been supporting militants. The official
disclosed that supporters and abettors of terrorists, including
banned outfits, had been under surveillance following the approval
of the National Action Plan to deal with the growing threat
of militancy. Security Agencies have launched a targeted operation
against the 'supporters and abettors' of terror outfits in southern
Punjab and interior of Sindh as part of the new counter-terrorism
strategy.
February 9
At least 13 suspected militants
were killed and their seven hideouts destroyed when the PAF
fighter jets pounded Tor Darra, Sur Kas, Wachy Wanay, Dua Toey,
Sra Khawra and Sra Wela areas of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency
of FATA.
Four peace body members sustained
injuries in a roadside blast in Shandara area of Baizai subdivision
in Mohmand Agency. The sources said that militants had planted
an IED at a roadside in Shandara area and triggered the explosion
when the pro-government peace committee members were patrolling
the area. “The militant triggered the explosion when a local
peace body head Malik Sanobar Essakhel along with his brother
and two volunteers were patrolling the area,” official sources
said.
As part of the implementation
of the NAP, the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan during a meeting
chaired by interim Chief Minister Sher Jehan Mir decided to
scrutinise both registered and unregistered madrassas operating
in the region. According to a Government official, “Scrutinising
madrassas was one of many decisions taken in the moot."
He added clerics from outside G-B have been barred from entering
the region for an indefinite period as intelligence reports
have suggested their presence could incite hatred and lead to
sectarian violence which has plagued the region in the recent
past.
According to a statement issued
from the Chief Minister’s office regarding the meeting, the
regional Government will take steps to set up military courts
soon to formally implement the NAP. The statement added collection
of donations by any groups or parties has been banned, officials
have been directed to ensure tinted glasses are removed from
private and official vehicles and police have been directed
to launch a crackdown against proclaimed offenders.
February 10
At least 15 BLF militants and
a FC official were killed in a gun battle in Basima area of
Kharan District. According to details SFs had launched a search
operation in Khori village of Basima area when a group of militants
hiding inside a bunker suddenly started firing at them.
Three unidentified militants
were killed when the FC opened fire during an operation in Shadikor
area of Gwadar District.
FC personnel arrested four suspects
accused of having links with a banned organisation during search
operations for the recovery of kidnapped employees of PTCL in
Killi Sharna, Killi Ghat and Gawal Ismailzai areas of Zhob District.
SFs recovered 24 rifles with bullets, an SMG with ammunition
and other weapons from their possession.
Balochistan Interior Secretary
said that 54 cases have been forwarded to Federal Ministry of
Interior for hearing in the military courts. According to a
statement issued here, Interior Secretary Balochistan Akbar
Hussain Durrani said the Interior Ministry will forward the
cases to military courts for hearing after carrying out scrutiny.
A man, identified as Anees Memon
(50), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants near Hollywood
Bakri in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
An unidentified man was shot
dead near Munawar Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Town.
One Nasir (27) was shot at and
injured by unidentified armed assailants near Mirza Adam Khan
Road in Lyari Town.
A government-run community health
centre was blown up in the Shal Kor area of Yakaghund tehsil
in Mohmand Agency of FATA. Agency Surgeon Dr Niaz Afridi confirmed
the incident and said that total 17 health centres had been
blown up by militants in Mohmand tribal region.
The two-judge bench of SC headed
by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja during a hearing was told that 4,557
dead bodies were recovered from all over the country in the
last five years and 266 of them were unidentified. After learning
this the SC directed the Federal and Provincial Governments
to launch coordinated efforts for the recovery of missing persons
as well as addressing the issue of unidentified dead bodies
found dumped in different parts of the country. “There should
be an effective mechanism so that whenever a dead body is found,
the relatives of the missing persons should be contacted to
identify it,” observed SC's Bench.
The Bench had resumed hearing
of the application filed by VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch,
who is pursuing cases of enforced disappearances in SC for many
years. He also sought protection for self as he claimed that
he too was receiving death threats. The petitioner requested
the court to direct provincial government to allocate a site
for burial of unclaimed bodies and also assign a number to each
grave to facilitate recognition of the unidentified dead.
The applicant told the Bench
that Balochistan’s Chief Minister had confessed before them
that he was helpless in resolving the missing persons’ issue.
“If they [civilian government] are helpless [in resolving this
issue] then they should go home,” Justice Khawaja observed,
adding, “We are creating difficulties for ourselves by not addressing
such an important issue the Federal Government should take the
lead in missing persons’ case.”
According to Province-wise details,
Balochistan’s Assistant Advocate General Fareed Dogar told the
Court that 153 dead bodies were recovered from seven Districts
of the Province and 46 of them were unidentified. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s
Additional Advocate General Waqar Ahmad Khan said 2,600 dead
bodies were recovered in the Province and 43 bodies went unidentified.
Punjab’s Additional AG Razaq A Mirza revealed that 1,299 dead
bodies were recovered from the Province in the last two years.
“Fifty-one of these dead bodies are unidentified,” he added.
Sindh’s AG Adnan Karim informed the court that 437 dead bodies
were recovered from the province. “Of these 398 were found in
Karachi,” he said, adding that 304 bodies were handed over to
the legal heirs while 94 of them were unidentified.
An ATC convicted an Afghan national,
identified as Khalilullah, for possessing explosives and attacking
a Police party on March 16, 2014, and sentenced him to 14 years
rigorous imprisonment along with confiscation of his properties
in Peshawar. The judge Salem Jan Khan observed that the prosecution
had proved its case against him, and the evidence on record
connected him with the commission of offence.
Police arrested 50 suspects
during a search operation after threats were hurled by a banned
militant outfit at the Police Training College in Hangu District.
DPO Anwar Saeed Kundi said that a militant organisation had
threatened to target the Police Training College, adding that
a search operation was launched in Guli Bagh, Lakhti Bandai,
Qazi Pump, Umarabad, Kurramy Walo Killay, Ibrahimzai and Shahu
area in the District. During the search, 50 suspects were arrested
and arms and ammunition was recovered from their possession.
There has been a 32 per cent
rise in the number of people killed by LEAs in a single month
of January in 2015 as compared to the number of people killed
by the LEAs during the same month in 2014, though the overall
number of people killed during both the corresponding periods
decreased by 29 per cent in Karachi, stated HRCP report released.
The report states that the number
of people killed by the LEAs in January 2015 was 52 in the city
as compared to the 36 killings carried out by the LEAs during
January 2014. The report further says that the total number
of people killed in January 2014 was 273 as compared to 194
killings during January 2015.
Giving the breakdown of killings
in January 2015, the report notes that 114 men were killed in
January 2015. These included 33 targeted killing of non-political
persons, political activists killed (11), sectarian killings
(eight), abducted and killed (eight), dead bodies found (16),
killed in bomb blasts (one), killed in Lyari gang warfare (seven)
and killed by banned outfits (11).
Following the Federal Minister
of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan's directives, Islamabad
Police have begun equipping key installations and important
buildings – including media houses – with a panic button which
can be activated in the case of any emergency to summon a quick
response from rescue and law enforcement personnel. He met with
representatives of media houses in Islamabad and said that there
were threats to media personnel. Representatives from about
30 media houses participated in the consultation and were asked
to follow the Government-developed SOPs for their security,
including installation of panic button. So far, 10 media houses
have been were provided the facility, officials said, adding
that two representatives of each media house were provided the
panic button facility.
A total of 78 important installations
in the capital are considered possible targets for terrorists.
These include educational institutions – schools, colleges and
universities – which were provided the panic button system as
part of the fresh security SOPs. So far, Police have successfully
introduced the panic button facility at 422 Government and over
1,200 private educational institutions in the city.
During an important briefing
by the NACTA and NCMC to Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry
Nisar Ali Khan on the progress of NAP, the Federal Ministry
of Interior directed the Interior Secretary Shahid Khan to coordinate
with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and reconcile the national
list of proscribed organisations under the recommendations set
by the UNSC.
The Government arrested more
than 2,065 clerics for misusing loudspeakers during the recent
crackdown across the country as part of the NAP. During the
meeting, Nisar was informed that 3,265 cases of misuse of loudspeakers
have been registered and equipment seized in 1,281 instances.
He was further told that 547 cases had been registered for hate
speech. In total, as many as 218,220 suspects had been picked
up in 16,344 operations by law enforcers. Of these, 12,462 people
had been arrested. Despite the haul, officials found that only
140 of them had links with terrorists.
Nisar directed the Ministry
of Interior to further fine-tune the procedure of proscription
and ensure that any proscribed organisations must not be able
re-emerge with new name and nomenclature. The NAP meeting was
also told that a bill has been tabled in the National Assembly
which, if passed, would make possession of illegal mobile phone
SIMs a cognizable offence.
February 11
Nine militants involved in planning
the attack on the APS in Peshawar in Pakistan (December 16,
2014) were killed and scores of others injured in a drone strike
in the Nazyan area of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. Official
sources said that the drone fired two missiles on a compound
in the Nazyan area near the Pak-Afghan border. According to
security officials, militants based in the Nazyan had planned
the attack on the Army Public School, Peshawar.
Two extortionists, affiliated
with Lyari gang war group, were arrested after they were injured
in exchange of fire with Police in Kalri area of Lyari Town
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. SSP Fida Hussain
said the Police recovered arms and two hand grenades from their
possession.
Police arrested 13 clerics of
various defunct religious organisations, including SSP, LeJ,
ST and MWM for fanning sectarianism in the Province.
Security Forces arrested some
suspected militants and destroyed five of their sanctuaries
during a search and strike operation in Janikhel area of Bannu
District in KP. The sources said the SFs launched an operation
in various areas in Janikhel and arrested some suspected militants
and destroyed five of their sanctuaries, besides seizing heavy
arms from their possession.
The CTD arrested two alleged
terrorists from the Ring Road-Kohat Road bridge of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of KP. A press release stated that the
commandos of the CTD arrested Ramzan and Rasmal on a tip-off
and recovered four hand-grenades and two pistols from them.
The officials said the held militants were affiliated to the
TTP, Tariq group, who were tasked by Commander Hazrat Ali to
collect funds for the group through extortion.
The Police foiled a major bid
to smuggle arms and ammunition to other parts of the country
and arrested one alleged gunrunner in Badaber area of Peshawar.
SSP Operations Mian Saeed Ahmad said “We have seized 50 Kalashnikovs,
600 rifles and 20,000 rounds of various bores from the secret
cavities of the truck”. He added that an accused Abdul Amin
belonging to Lakki Marwat District had been arrested.
A Pakistan-born man, Abid Naseer
(28), went on trial on February 11 for allegedly taking part
in an alleged al Qaeda plot to bomb targets in the US and Europe
between 2008 and 2009. Jury selection began in Federal Court
in Brooklyn, New York, for the trial Naseer, who was extradited
in 2013 from Britain to face US charges that he was involved
in one of three al Qaeda cells planning attacks in England,
Norway and the US. He was initially arrested in Britain in 2009
along with a dozen men, mostly students from Pakistan, on suspicion
of plotting an attack in Manchester. Naseer was re-arrested
by British authorities in 2010 after the US indicted him. He
fought extradition, but his appeal was rejected in 2012 by the
European Court of Human Rights and he was extradited in January
2013.
According to details, one of
the cells that Naseer did not belong to, but was part of the
conspiracy, had plotted to bomb the New York City subway system,
prosecutors said. Two men, Najibullah Zazi and Zarein Ahmedzay,
have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the New York plot,
and a third, Adis Medunjanin, was convicted at trial and sentenced
in 2012 to life in prison. Prosecutors said Naseer and Zazi
coordinated their plans through emails to the same Pakistan-based
al Qaeda facilitator, “Ahmad,” using similar code words to discuss
explosives and the timing of their respective plots.
Naseer has pleaded not guilty
to the charges of providing and conspiring to provide material
support to al Qaeda and conspiring to use a destructive device
in a bombing plot in Manchester, England. He is representing
himself at trial and faces life in prison if convicted.
The Government extended the
purview of the recently amended Pakistan Army Act to the FATA
for the setting up of military courts there. President Mamnoon
Hussain approved a summary permitting the Government to establish
military courts in FATA. An official statement issued by the
Presidency said: “On a summary initiated by States and Frontier
Regions Division, the president has approved the prime minister’s
advice for extension of Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2015
(Act No-II of 2015) to FATA in terms of Article 247 of the Constitution
of Pakistan.”
While briefing the National
Assembly on the execution of the National Action Plan against
terrorism Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
clarified that the Government has not outlawed any group after
the December 16, 2014, APS Peshawar attack, and would not take
such action under United States or Indian pressure. “Yes we
are a signatory to the UN Charter and we will devise a policy
on this topic [But] so far, we have only added 10 organisations
– proscribed by the UN – to our watch list,” he said.
Nisar said there were 60 banned
groups in Pakistan while the number of organisations proscribed
by the UN is 177. “However, we will not declare any organisation
unlawful under pressure from the US or India,” he added. Nisar,
however, acknowledged that there was some confusion on the issue
which would be removed in the coming days. “A cell is working
on this issue in the Interior Ministry. We will bring all proscribed
organisations in our schedule,” he added.
He further said that complete
peace could, however, only be restored in the country once we
eliminated the terrorist leadership. “These terrorist leaders
have managed to escape from Pakistan’s border area adjacent
to Afghanistan,” he said.
Lieutenant General (retired)
Asad Durrani, who served as the ISI as Director-General from
1990-1992, in an interview with Al Jazeera on February 11 said
that Pakistan probably knew about slain al Qaeda chief Osama
Bin Laden’s whereabouts leading up to his capture in Abbottabad
on May 1-2, 2011. “I cannot say exactly what happened but my
assessment […] was it is quite possible that they [the ISI]
did not know but it was more probable that they did. And the
idea was that at the right time, his location would be revealed,”
Durrani said, implying that Pakistan would have only exchanged
knowledge of his location in a quid pro quo deal. “The right
time would have been, when you can get the necessary quid pro
quo – if you have someone like Osama bin Laden, you are not
going to simply hand him over to the United States,” he added.
The Abbottabad Commission set
up by the Government to investigate the raid, charged the military
and the government with “gross incompetence” leading to “collective
failures” that allowed Bin Laden to reside in Pakistan unnoticed.
“The admission of incompetence was probably done on political
reasons… As far as the people of Pakistan were concerned, it
was going to be very uncomfortable for them that their Government,
you know, is in cahoots now with the United States and gets
hold of Osama bin Laden,” he stated.
February 12
Seven suspected militants were
killed and 15 others were injured in PAF air strikes on militant
hideouts in Dwa Thoe, Sarrai, Sheikh Kot, Tor Darra, Nangrosa
and Speen Drand areas of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency of FATA.
At least two children, identified
as Muhammad Moheed and Shabana Bibi, were killed while two others
were injured when a toy bomb exploded at Kharal Maldialan near
Bagh in Muzaffarabad District of PoK.
Two foreign gangsters, involved
in kidnapping-for-ransom cases, were killed in an exchange of
fire with Police during an encounter near Indus Plaza in Sohrab
Goth area of Gadap Town in provincial capital Karachi. SSP Malir
Rao Anwaar said that the gangsters after opening fire at Police
party in the area tried to flee. The Police retaliated and two
of them were killed on the spot.
At least 25 people were wounded
after a remote controlled explosion on railway track derailed
Khushhal Khan Khattak Express near the Dilmurad Railway Station
in Jacobabad District. The train was heading towards Peshawar
(KP) from Karachi.
Police claimed to have arrested
two target killers, identified as Iqbal alias Shahzad and Ayaz,
involved sectarian killings during a raid conducted in Korangi
Town. SSP Korangi Junaid Shaikh that the accused were involved
in sectarian killings and murders of doctors. He added that
the targeted killers had killed 15 people in Landhi, Korangi
and other areas, saying they were also involved in the multiple
acts of extortion.
Intelligence Agencies and officials
investigating the January 30, 2015 Shikarpur Imambargah attack
during an apex committee meeting jointly chaired by Sindh Governor
Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah
identified a militant group operating in Sindh and Balochistan
border areas. “The meeting discussed the progress made so far
on the Shikarpur probe,” said the source, adding, “It was stated
that the Imambargah was bombed by the TTP group operating in
the Balochistan-Sindh border areas. The mastermind of the bombing
is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the facilitators were in Shikarpur.
The investigators picked up five suspects during the course
of probe but later released two of them. Twelve people are under
investigation.”
PM Nawaz Sharif has told US
President Barack Obama that India doesn’t deserve to be a member
of the UNSC since it has been violating the UN resolutions on
Kashmir. These views were expressed by the PM when Obama called
him. The two leaders discussed various issues for more than
half an hour. Nawaz asked the US president to impress upon the
Indian leaders to have a dialogue with Pakistan for the resolution
of outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute, as per
Indian Prime Minister Modi’s commitment made on May 2014. The
PM reminded Obama of the need for maintaining strategic balance
in South Asia.
Pakistan PML-Q leader and former
Chief Minister of Punjab Pervez Elahi claimed that former chief
of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, who was then
the head of the ISI, had asked his party to attack the-then
Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s convoy.
He said that he had received a letter from General Kayani to
stop the convoy of Iftikhar Chaudhry near Jhelum District and
ask the PML-Q activists to attack it at Kharian if it moved
ahead. He said they refused to do so. He further said that he
still had that letter with him.
Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin and
Justice Chaudhry Mushtaq of two-member bench of the Lahore High
Court upheld orders of the Anti-Terrorism Court which handed
down death sentence to four militants for attacking the ISI’s
Multan Office in 2009. The four militants were identified as
Abdul Raheem, Hafiz Suleman, Sajjad and Muhammad Afzal on 11
counts each, and 25-year imprisonment to their fifth accomplice
Ijaz.
Trial proceedings in 12 terrorism
cases referred to military courts have started, a military spokesman
said. The Government had handed over 39 cases for trial to military
authorities last week, out of which 12 were transferred to military
courts. This is the first batch of cases placed before the newly
established courts for which the Government has amended the
Constitution and the Army Act. The 12 cases being tried by military
courts include six from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, five from Punjab
and one from Sindh, the spokesman said, adding that trial proceedings
were being held in camera.
The ISPR DG Asim Bajwa said
that most of the 27 militants who planned the attack on Army
school in Peshawar on December 16, 2014, were Pakistani. Revealing
details about the attack, DG ISPR said that nine militants were
killed, while 12 were arrested. Six of the 12 were arrested
from Afghanistan. The remaining six militants are on the loose.
While addressing a press briefing
in Islamabad, Bajwa said 176 ‘hardcore’ terrorists have been
killed since December 16. According to him, 1,942 intelligence-based
operations were carried out across the country, killing 176
hardcore terrorists. More than 5,000 of them were also apprehended.
Bajwa also said the attack was planned across the border in
Afghanistan. The planning was done by Mullah Fazlullah and Aurangzeb
alias Omar Amin,” he said. “Both are hiding in Afghanistan.
Asif and Haji Kamran were later given the charge of the entire
operation later, and went on to form two separate groups to
ute the attack, added Bajwa.
Responding to a question, DG
IPSR said that there should be no hesitation in saying that
there has been Indian involvement in Pakistan’s affairs, be
it LoC violations, or support to the TTP in FATA or elements
in Balochistan. It is time for the world to do more for Pakistan,
he said, adding that external support to the militants should
end. “Pakistani forces are determined to eliminate terrorism.”
Commenting on an interview of
former ISI chief General (retd) Asad Durrani, during which he
said Pakistan probably knew the whereabouts of al Qaeda chief
Osama Bin Laden, Bajwa said it has been established beyond doubt
that Pakistan did not have any role in harbouring the Osama
Bin Laden. “He (Asad Durrani) retired 30 years ago, and does
not represent the agency… he does not have any intelligence
or information,” Bajwa said.
February 13
At least 22 Shia persons were
killed and another 50 were injured during a gun and bomb attack
at an Imambargah in Phase-5 locality of Hayatabad area
in Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP when suicide attackers
and gunmen —dressed in police uniform — attacked worshippers
offering Friday prayers. Sources said that around 800 worshippers
were present inside the Imambargah at the time of attack. The
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP, Operations) Dr. Mian Saeed
said at least three suicide bombers attacked the Imambargah.
He confirmed that one suicide bomber detonated his device, while
another was shot dead. The third was arrested in an injured
condition. The Police have launched a search operation for the
third attacker. KP Police chief IG Nasir Khan Durrani said the
entrance of the Imambargah is highly guarded and the attackers
entered from the other side of the mosque. The attackers climbed
a high wall and cut barbed wires in order to enter the Imambargah.
They arrived in a car which they burnt. The BDU chief Shafqat
Malik said the attackers looked like Uzbeks. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani called for the deployment
of Frontier Corps personnel, saying the Imambargah is very close
to tribal areas which allow easy access for terrorists. The
TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.
A militant was killed while
a soldier sustained injuries in a clash in Domanza village in
the limits of Township Police Station in Bannu District. The
source said that Security Forces were carrying out search and
strike operation in the Domanza village when a militant identified
as Noor Zaman opened fire on them. The forces returned the fire
that continued for sometime during which the militant was killed
while a soldier Abdul Khaliq sustained injuries.
SF demolished the houses of
four militants, including Ghaniullah, Nazeerullah, Waliullah
and Rab Nawaz, in Janikhel area.
A man, identified as Guddu (20),
was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants near Muhajir
Chowk in Orangi Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
An unidentified man was shot
dead near Mianwali Colony in Manghopir area of Gadap Town.
One Asif Ahmed (24) was shot
at and injured in Orangi Town.
Two death row prisoners, identified
as Muhammad Fayaz and Muhammad Riaz, were hanged till death
in Central Jail of Mirpur District in PoK. They were convicted
for the murder of Raja Moaaz Rabbani (22), the son of former
President of Supreme Court Bar Association Raja Fazal Hussain
Rabbani Advocate in 2004 during a robbery attempt at his residence.
According to jail sources, Fayaz and Riaz, were residents of
Saray-e-Alamgeer in Gujrat District of Punjab Province and were
awarded capital punishment by the PoK Shariat Court in 2005.
Three polio workers and two
Levies officials were abducted from Murgha Kibzai area in Zhob
District. "The families lost contact with the polio workers
since this morning," a levies official who requested anonymity
said. It is feared that the missing persons were picked up by
militants, he added.
An ATC rejected the bail plea
of 2008 Mumbai terror attack (also known as 26/11) mastermind
and LeT 'commander' Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, in a kidnapping case.
Civil Judicial Magistrate Naveed Khan heard the case and dismissed
the petition of his acquittal. The court made its decision after
hearing the arguments of Lakhvi’s counsel Rizwan Abbasi and
prosecutor Aamir Nadeem. Abbasi maintained that the case registered
against Lakhvi was false.
While addressing a press conference
at the Punjab Assembly the Provincial Home Minister Colonel
(retired) Shuja Khanzada said that of the estimated 12,000 madrassas
in Punjab, nearly half of them are unregistered. He said that
over 170 teams were working to document unregistered seminaries,
in collaboration between the Counter-Terrorism Department and
the Punjab Information Technology Board. The government initiates
a registration campaign along with biometric registration of
Afghans in the Province. “About 2,000 madrassas were registered
in the Province over the past few days,” he added. He said that
“1, 000 systems will be commissioned in the next few days, and
data will be directly transferred to the national database.”
The government is working on bringing changes in the curriculum
as well, Khanzada added.
Out of the 1,400 foreign students
present in Punjab, the Home Minister said visas of 498 students
had expired, and their cases will be taken up with the Federal
Ministry of Interior and the Foreign Office, and that these
students may be deported soon.
Further on the question of military
courts he said that as many as 40 high profile cases have been
referred to military courts by the Punjab Government, which
are due to become functional within a month’s time. “Military
courts would become operational soon,” he said, adding that
he expected they will be functional within this month.
Pervez Musharraf in an interview
published in The Guardian had said that the ISI had given
birth to the Taliban after 2001 because the then Afghan Government
led by ex-President Hamid Karzai had an overwhelming number
of non-Pashtuns and officials who were said to favour India.
"Obviously, we were looking for some groups to counter
this Indian action against Pakistan. That is where the intelligence
work comes in. Intelligence being in contact with Taliban groups.
Definitely they were in contact, and they should be," he
asserted.
He said that under his regime,
Pakistan had tried to undermine the Karzai Government for helping
"India stab Pakistan in the back." "In President
Karzai's times, yes, indeed, he was damaging Pakistan and, therefore,
we were working against his interest. Obviously, we had to protect
our own interest," he said. Karzai infuriated both Musharraf
and his successor Ashfaq Kayani by spurning offers to help train
Afghanistan's embryonic army. Instead, Karzai sent cadets to
India, where Musharraf believes they were "indoctrinated"
against Pakistan.
"Pakistan had its own proxies,
India had its proxies, which is unhealthy. I do admit this,
it is most unhealthy. It is not in favour of Afghanistan, or
Pakistan or India. It must stop. The R&AW of India, the
ISI of Pakistan have always been fighting against each other
since our independence. That is how it continued, it continues
now also. It must stop, but it can only stop when leaderships
on both sides show the will to resolve disputes and stop confrontation
in favour of compromise and accommodation," he said.
February 14
15 militants were killed and
a soldier sustained injuries in a clash near the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border in the Kurram Agency of FATA. Afghan militants equipped
with heavy weapons intruded into Pakistani territory close to
the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and stormed the security post
near the border in Kurram Agency. A soldier, whose identity
could not be ascertained, sustained injuries in the attack,
while 15 militants were killed in the retaliatory fire.
As many as 17 Districts of the
Province, including parts of Quetta, plunged into darkness after
militants blew up two pylons of a power transmission line in
Chatter area of Naseerabad District. Sarbaz Baloch, a 'spokesman'
for BRA claimed responsibility for the attack.
The death toll from February
13’s gun and suicide attack at the Imambargah in the Phase-5
locality of the Hayatabad area in Peshawar, the provincial capital
of KP, rose to 22. Police officials said the same TTP group
which masterminded the December 16, 2014, Army Public School
carnage carried out the mosque bombing.
A senior official from the CTD,
which is investigating the case, said the three suicide bombers
who drove to the upscale neighbourhood in a Toyota Corolla car
had entered Peshawar through an unfrequented route. “Once you
are inside Hayatabad and wearing paramilitary uniform, it is
unlikely that anyone would stop you because the posh town is
home to the headquarters of two paramilitary forces,” the official
said. The Umar Mansoor group of the TTP claimed credit for the
deadly bombing and released the purported pictures and names
of the bombers. “The same Umar Mansoor group had also carried
out the massacre at the Army Public School in Peshawar. Both
attacks are near identical,” the official said, adding that
the group’s lynchpin, Aurangzeb alias Umar alias Naray, has
been nominated in the FIR.
The Central President of ASWJ,
Aurangzeb Farooqi, escaped an attack near Quaidabad bridge in
Bin Qasim Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
However, three of his bodyguards sustained injuries in the attack.
February 15
At least two people were killed
when unidentified armed assailants opened fire at a hotel on
Mastung Road in Quetta. According to local Police, one of the
victims has been identified as Ghulam Sarwar, while the identity
of the other one is yet to be ascertained.
Two suspected militants blew
themselves up during a search operation for the recovery of
kidnapped polio workers and levies personnel in Margha Kibzai
area of Zhob District. Three polio workers and two levies men
went missing on February 13, 2015 from Zhob District.
A key 'commander' of LeJ, identified
as Usman Saifullah Kurd, and his companion were killed while
two FC personnel were injured in a raid conducted by FC in Sariab
area of Quetta. A third of their accomplice was arrested unhurt.
Kurd had been convicted by an Anti-Terror Court in 2003 for
masterminding two sectarian attacks in Quetta. He had escaped
from the high security Quetta cantonment jail in 2008, following
which the Government imposed a bounty of PKR 2.5 million on
him. According to security sources, Kurd was believed to be
the mastermind of the January 31, 2015, Shikarpur Imambargah
attack in Sindh. Intelligence sources also said that he had
close contacts to both al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban.
Chief Justice of the Balochistan
High Court Justice Muhammad Noor Meskanzai escaped an IED attack
in Reko Sultan Golai area of Nushki District. “No one was hurt
in the explosion nor was any damage reported,” said Nushki Deputy
Commissioner Qudos Mengal. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack.
A senior PIMS doctor, Dr Shahid
Nawaz, succumbed to his injuries after being shot in the head
outside the VIP ward of the Institute in Islamabad. He was the
head of the hospital’s cardiology unit. The two attackers escaped
from the hospital unhindered. It was the second targeted attack
at the hospital in three weeks. Earlier on January 23, 2015,
a nursing student was shot on the premises.
A local leader and 'spokesperson'
of ASWJ Rawalpindi Chapter, Maulana Mazhar Siddiqui, was killed
in a targeted sectarian attack near Pirwadhai More within the
precincts of the Rawalpindi's Golra Police Station in Rawalpindi
District.
A woman was killed and 14 others,
including children, were injured in a blast in Gula Jan area
of Pir Qayyum village in Kurram Agency of FATA. Official sources
said that the blast occurred when a toy-like bomb exploded in
the house.
Unidentified militants opened
fire at a vehicle carrying a team of polio workers in Lowi Shalman
area of Landi Kotal tehsil Khyber Agency, killing the
driver and leaving one polio volunteer injured. According to
security officials, the polio workers were being driven to a
session in the morning when they came under attack. Subsequently,
the driver of the vehicle Ziarat Gul was killed and a polio
worker was injured.
SFs have started preparations
to launch a crackdown against militants in Akakhel and Qalanaga
areas of Bara tehsil. The administration has ordered
locals to vacate the area by 6 pm today (February 16). Action
will be taken against those violating the orders.
Police arrested 34 suspected
persons, including six proclaimed offenders, during search in
Afghan Refugees’ camp and adjacent areas of Kohat Town of same
District. Official sources said that the police launched search
operation in Afghan Refugees’ camp and Sher Ali Banda and Muslimabad
localities and arrested six proclaimed offenders identified
as Tariq Mehmood, Tanveer Ahmad, Naeem, Ashraf and Anwarul Haq.
Six rifles and several cartridges were also seized from them,
an official said, adding that they were wanted by the law-enforcement
agencies in cases of heinous nature.
Police arrested several suspects
allegedly involved in graffiti favouring the Islamic State in
different parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. The first wall-chalking
in the region, welcoming the self-proclaimed caliphate, was
spotted in Gilgit back in November, 2014. Almost three months
later, similar graffiti was seen on walls in Skardu District,
stirring fear among locals and signaling the possible presence
of the group in G-B.
“Skardu city Police arrested
Zakaria, a resident of Shigar Valley, for spraying slogans in
favour of the terror group,” read a statement issued by G-B’s
Central Police Office. According to the statement, Zakaria was
caught red-handed in Skardu. Moreover, Shamsuddin, Awais, Zahid
Mir and Muhammad Yasin were also arrested in connection to the
incident.
Four-member law enforcement
team, comprising senior Police and Rangers officers and led
by SSP Naveed Khwaja, that left for Dubai on February 5, 2015,
to take custody of PAC leader Uzair Jan Baloch is waiting for
the Federal Investigation Authority’s representative to hold
talks with the authorities in Dubai since the latter has refused
to entertain the team without an FIA representative. According
to official requirements, the FIA official was supposed to leave
for Dubai in a day or two after the law enforcement team’s departure.
As of now, this has not happened.
“As the process was initiated
by the ministry of interior, it is their responsibility to send
a representative to Dubai who can deal with further investigation.
Police are a provincial authority, they are not authorised to
deal with international authorities. The FIA needs to be there
to take up the process with the Interpol as they won’t speak
to us,” said additional inspector general Ghulam Qadir Thebo.
On February 13, 2015, Thebo wrote to the Ministries of Interior
and Foreign Affairs to extend the deadline for bringing back
Uzair by at least a month so that the FIA official could reach
Dubai and continue the documentation process.
An FIA officer explained that
in such cases an FIA representative was sent from the Pakistan
embassy’s link office in Muscat if an FIA official was not sent
from Pakistan. “The process can work both ways, that is, an
officer can be sent from Pakistan and extra help can also be
taken from the Pakistan embassy’s link office in Muscat,” the
officer added.
The Minister for SAFRON and
Frontier Regions Lieutenant-General (retired) Abdul Qadir Baloch
said that the Government believes that the operation Zarb-e-Azb
operation will be completed by the end of the year and after
that a ‘mini-Marshall plan’ will be launched for socio-economic
progress of the people of the FATA. “The era of the Taliban
or terrorists will end in Fata and there will be complete peace
in the entire tribal areas by the end of this year,” Abdul Qadir
Baloch said. Baloch said he could say this only about cleansing
FATA of terrorists and not about other parts of the country.
Amid escalating pressure from opposition parties
for speeding up action against proscribed religious groups,
Government officials revealed that over 600 hardcore terrorists
have been arrested since the approval of the NAP against terrorism.
These terrorists were arrested in an ongoing countrywide crackdown
over the past seven weeks, officials monitoring the NAP execution
said. They have been categorised by military and civilian agencies
as 'jet-black terrorists' and their cases are to be sent to
the Federal Ministry of Interior with a recommendation for trials
in military courts, the officials added.
Officials added that supporters and abettors
of terrorists, including banned outfits, had been under surveillance
in South Punjab and parts of interior Sindh which have been
identified as the strongholds of groups and individuals supporting
several militant outfits. Of these 600-plus terrorists, 320
belong to TTP, while 311 have links with LeT, JeM and HuT. "Cases
of these terrorists who carry an aggregate bounty of PKR 271
million would be sent to the military courts," a senior official
of the NACTA said.
However, he added that next week the Federal
Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan will give the final
word on whether the cases of these 600-plus terrorists would
be sent to the military courts or to anti-terrorism courts set
up under the Pakistan Protection Act. The NACTA official conceded
that most of the special committees tasked to ensure swift execution
of NAP have failed to meet the targets set for them.
February 16
A 24-inch diameter gas pipeline was blown up
by unidentified militants in Peshbogi area of Dera Bugti District
in Balochistan.
An IED was defused near a school in Wah cantonment
of Taxila in Rawalpindi District. Students spotted a bag placed
at a bus stop near their school. They informed their teacher
who contacted local administration and Police. Later, the Bomb
Disposal Squad reached the scene and defused the bomb.
The patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council,
Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, brought to the Supreme Court's notice
repeated incidents of desecration of Hindu temples in the country.
At the last hearing on February 11, 2015, a three-judge bench
headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk had asked Mr Vankwani to
submit in writing alleged excesses aimed at defiling the places
of worship of Hindus. The court had taken up a matter relating
to implementation of a set of guidelines handed down in a June
19, 2014 judgment on minority rights.
Dr Vankwani, a PML-N Member of National Assembly
(MNA) from Tharparkar, submitted two applications, one requesting
the court to take notice of desecration of temples and the other
seeking an order for the Government to submit details about
measures being taken to protect the premises sacred to the minority
communities. In his application, he said that between January
and February a number of incidents of desecration took place
in Sindh. He said that authorities were reluctant to arrest
those involved in attacking temples in Sindh.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while chairing a
meeting of the Sindh Apex Committee held at Governor House in
Karachi to review the progress on the implementation of NAP
and discuss matters related to overall law and order situation
in the Province said that the Government had no option but to
win the war against terrorism and scourge would be eliminated
from every nook and cranny of the country. He said following
the December 16, 2014, Peshawar tragedy, the NAP was approved
by the entire political leadership and the ultimate decision
of the state was to eliminate terrorism from the country.
He said two of the 20 points of NAP were implemented
immediately while rest of the measures had been left up to the
Apex Committees formed in all Provinces. Sharif said under NAP,
the 21st constitutional amendment was passed and Army Act was
also amended adding the country's future and security were linked
to NAP's implementation. The whole nation is eyeing the tangible
results of NAP, he added. Nawaz Sharif reiterated that terrorism
would be eliminated from every nook and corner of the country
besides tribal areas.
The CoAS General Raheel Sharif during a meeting
of the Sindh Apex Committee chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif stressed the need to depoliticize the Police force in
Karachi for permanent peace and said that action should be taken
against all criminals without any distinctions based on political,
religious or sectarian lines. He said that it was critical to
depoliticize the Police force in Karachi, and that there should
be no political interference in postings and transfers of Police
officers. He also stressed that action should be taken against
criminals above all kinds of political, religious and sectarian
lines.
Acknowledging that Karachi plays an important
role in the country's overall economy, he said that peace in
Karachi means peace in the entire country, for which effective
measures need to be taken. The Army chief said an atmosphere
of peace was created because of the Rangers-led operation, and
that political forces need to also play their role for permanent
peace in Karachi. The consensus of all stakeholders is critical
for peace, he said. He also stressed on the need for improved
coordination between intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
The Government of Sindh, Home Department modified
the nomenclature of CID of Sindh Police to "Counter Terrorism
Department" (CID), with immediate effect.
Punjab Police during the meeting of the Committee
on Rules of Procedures and Privileges, chaired by Senator Colonel
(retired) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi disclosed that certain religious
seminaries are receiving foreign funding in the Province but
admitted its inability to collect the concrete evidence. A list
of suspicious religious seminaries in the Province which receive
foreign funding is with the department. The list is confidential,
said Police officials.
February 17
At least eight persons, including two Policemen,
were killed and 23 others were injured in a suicide attack on
Police headquarters near the main gate of Police Lines in Qila
Gujjar Singh area of Lahore. Tehreek-e-Taliban TTP-JuA 'spokesperson'
Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for the attack. IG Punjab
Police Mushtaq Sukhera said that the target of the attack was
Police Lines. He added, "Ever since operation Zarb-e-Azb began
the army has been taking action against militants... and this
was perhaps in reaction to that."
A polio team member, identified as Naseem Abbas,
was injured in a knife attack by a resident of Imamia Colony
within the jurisdiction of Ferozewala Police Station in Sheikhupura
District. According to details, the polio vaccination members,
including a lady health visitor Razia Batool and vaccinator
Naseem Abbas, knocked at the door of one Ubaid to administer
anti-polio drops to his children. Police said Ubaid first dubbed
the polio drive against Islamic values and later lobbed a knife
on Naseem who suffered injuries.
Police registered a case of suicide blast outside
Qila Gujjar Singh Police Lines against three terrorists, including
a suicide bomber. Police executed sections 302 and 324 of Pakistan
Penal Code, ¾ of Explosive Act and 7 of Anti Terrorism Act (ATA)
against the bomber and his two accomplices who allegedly dropped
him at the site. Also, Police teams launched search operations
in different areas of the city, including Qila Gujjar Singh,
Lunda Bazaar, Shahdara, Misri Shah and Lorry Adda.
Four dead bodies, including that of two missing
Levies personnel, were found in Zhob District. According to
Levies sources, two bodies were identified as that of Levies
officials and one was identified as the driver of the polio
team. One dead body is yet to be identified, the sources added.
Three polio workers and two Levies personnel were kidnapped
on February 13, 2015, from Murgha Kibzai area of Zhob District.
Balochistan Government postponed the anti-polio
campaign in Quetta, Zhob, Sherani and Sibi Districts of the
Province due to looming security threats, according to an unnamed
Health Department Officer.
A man, identified as Babu (24) was killed and
a passer-by Navid (20) was injured in a firing incident near
Lal Masjid in Paposh Nagar area of North Nazimabad Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
One Abdul Qadir (30) was shot dead near Janjal
Goth in Gulshan-e-Maymar of Gadap Town.
A man, identified as Mohammad Sharif (25), was
shot dead by unidentified armed assailants near Azeem Plaza
in Garden area of Saddar Town.
A militant 'commander', Bakhti Raj of Koz Shamnal
Chagharzai, was killed in a clash with the SFs during a search
operation in the Gagra tehsil of the Buner District
in KP. One woman had also sustained bullet injuries in the incident.
Sources said that Bakhti Raj was wanted by SF in militancy-related
incidents.
The Lakki Marwat interment centre oversight
board has found Shahid Khan, an eight-grader, a collaborator
of militants and listed him in the black category (proven militant).
The information was shared by Additional Advocate General Qaiser
Ali Shah on behalf of the KP Home and Tribal Affairs Department
during the hearing of 10 petitions on enforced disappearances
on February 17. A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice
Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan heard the
petitions.
Upon hearing the oversight board's findings,
Shahid's father Sarbuland Khan erupted in rage and asked the
court how a secondary school student could possibly be a collaborator
of militants. "How can a schoolboy be involved in anti-state
activities? I want to know the exact charges against my son,"
he said, adding he had taken Shahid to the police station on
the request of police officials. "Is there a limit to injustice?
You lock me up in a room and even I will confess to whatever
you wish," the perturbed father yelled, adding he met his son
twice and has not seen him for a long time. The court said the
purpose of the hearing was to trace the whereabouts of his son
and the case cannot be pursued further since he has been listed
in the black category.
The oversight board found Asif Khan involved
in anti-state activities and placed him in the black category
while his counsel claimed the KP government issued an advertisement
in newspapers on February 13, declaring Khan a proclaimed offender
and offering Rs1 million as head money. Khan's mother Nazakat
Bibi said he used to work at Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan
as an office boy, from where SF picked him up four years ago.
The family was allowed to see him at Lakki Marwat internment
centre six months back. The court directed the Provincial Government
to submit a detailed report regarding the detainee at the next
date of hearing.
The KP ruling party PTI renewed its demand for
redeploying paramilitary FC troops in the province and reassigning
to KP soldiers serving in other parts of the country. "The FC's
job is to guard the border between FATA and KP but this force
is spread out across the country," said PTI chief Imran Khan
in a statement. According to the PTI chairman, K-P has suffered
the most at the hands of terrorists. "Therefore, the federal
government should return the FC to the province that it belongs
to," the statement said.
During his visit to Kabul, the CoAS General
Raheel Sharif was informed by Afghan authorities that "they
are tightening the noose around Fazlullah" the fugitive 'chief'
of TTP. According to security sources, the visit took place
following Intelligence reports that Fazlullah directly masterminded
the February 13, 2015, Imambargah attack in Peshawar reportedly
from Afghanistan's Kunar Province or its adjoining belt. "There
was credible intel (intelligence) information that it was cross-border
activity," said the unnamed sources.
A source disclosed that the Army Chief reiterated
Pakistan's demand for action against the TTP chief. "They [Afghanistan]
are after him [Fazlullah] and may be quite close," the source
claimed. General Raheel told the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani,
"The enemies of Afghanistan are the enemies of Pakistan. We
stand shoulder to shoulder with Afghanistan in the fight against
terrorism." He assured Kabul that Pakistan would not allow its
territory to be used against the neighbouring country.
The United States said that it will allow for
the first time the widespread export of armed drones to some
allied countries as part of its global counterterrorism fight.
Armed drones are a cornerstone of Washington´s battle against
extremists in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Iraq and
Yemen, although they remain hugely controversial and opponents
say they frequently kill or maim civilians.
February 18
At least four Shias were killed and six others
were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up during evening
prayers at the mosque in Qasr-e-Sakina Imambargah located
on Kurri Road in New Shakrial area of Rawalpindi District. The
suicide attack was followed by gun and grenade attack. The blast
occurred when suicide bomber blew himself up after security
officials stopped him from entering the Imambargah.
Jundullah, a splinter group of TTP, claimed
responsibility for the attack. Speaking from an unknown location,
the 'spokesman' of the group Fagad said that the blast was a
reaction to operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan Agency.
The MWM leader Asghar Askari criticised the
Government and alleged that it was colluding with militants.
"This is the fourth attack [on the Shia community] this Government
is a murderous and terrorist Government. We have been lifting
bodies due to them," he said, adding that the Punjab Government
has given support to these terrorists. In an appeal to Army
chief General Raheel Sharif he said, "Zarb-e-Azb should be spread
to the whole of Punjab."
The initial investigative report of the February
17, 2015 Police Line blast in Lahore District submitted by IG
Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera and Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada
to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, revealed that "the
bomber intended to attack a police van or a top police official".
As per the investigative report, the bomber and his accomplices
inspected the site of the blast hours before the explosion.
The Provincial Police Chief confirmed the Police Lines was the
intended target. "The bomber wanted to enter the Police Lines
but exploded prematurely," IG Mushtaq said.
Two people, including an Ismaili Shia, identified
as Karim Hashwani, and his driver, Nawaz (45), were shot dead
in a sectarian attack at Ali Garden in North Nazimabad Town
of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. The militants belonged
to SSP. Police arrested one of the militants, identified as
Hashmi Ishaq, after an exchange of fire while his accomplice,
identified as Khalid, managed to escape under the cover of fire.
At least two people, including a worker of MQM,
identified as Amir (28), were killed when an unidentified target
killer opened gunfire at him and his friend Naveed in North
Nazimabad Town.
Police, in coordination with the District Intelligence
Agency, arrested more than 50 Afghan nationals in Sukkur District
under a security plan chalked out to implement the NAP. According
a survey conducted recently, around 9,900 students were enrolled
at 226 religious seminaries in the District, said District Intelligence
bureau Manzoor Jamali, adding that 98 of them were unregistered
institutions. Sukkur SSP Tanveer Tunio said that flags of banned
outfits were being removed and graffiti likely to foment sectarian
strife was being erased across the District.
Hyderabad Deputy Inspector-General of Police
Dr Sanaullah Abbasi while speaking to journalists at the local
press club in the District warned all banned outfits against
organising any procession, saying that participants in such
events would be apprehended. He said the Rangers and Army were
partners of Police, who were in the front line. The DIG said
that about 50,000 students were studying in religious seminaries
functioning within the Hyderabad Police range.
According to a report, at least 116 accused
were killed in 464 Police encounters and 330 accused were arrested
read-handed during these encounters from January 1 to February
18, 2015. Sindh Police of Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas
and Shaheed Benazirabad Division arrested 5,428 accused in raids
and encounters and recovered arms from their possessions. In
addition 175 criminal gangs busted and 15 patharidars were arrested.
Those arrested included 2,983 absconders, 450 proclaimed offenders,
11 extortionists, five kidnapers, 15 terrorists, three target
killers, 1,609 other accused and robbers, including seven dacoits
with head money. Police recovered one G3 rifle, three MP5, seven
SMGs, 117 shotguns, 36 rifles, 5,556 rounds, three suicide jackets,
two bombs, one rocket launcher, 67 hand grenades, and two detonators
from the accused.
Three terrorists and one FC soldier were killed
in an exchange of fire during an encounter in Panjgur District.
One FC soldier was wounded.
Unidentified militants blew up a water pipeline
in Toba Nokahai area of Zahein Loti in Dera Bugti District,
suspending water supply to many areas.
SFs arrested 21 suspects from various areas
of the Province.
LEAs recovered five PTCL employees during a
search operation in Kanu area of Zhob District. Local LEA sources
said that the recovered PTCL employees had been kidnapped a
week ago from Murgha Kibzai area of Zhob district by unidentified
armed militants. They were identified as Sajjad Baig, Muhammad
Tahir, Muhammad Nabi, Asad Khan and Muhammad Abbas.
The SFs thwarted a terrorist attack and defused
a 15 kilogram explosive device planted by unidentified militant
along the main highway on Tank-Tatoor Road in Tank Town of same
District.
The Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that the
time had come to eliminate the menace of terrorism from Pakistan
once and for all. "It is time to end this menace, and this is
why we announced an all-out war against terrorism. We have formed
a 20-point agenda to end this menace. Inshallah, we will not
rest until terrorism is completely eliminated," he said. The
PM strongly condemned the terrorist attack at the Qasr-e-Sakina
Imambargah in Islamabad, and extended his condolences to the
families of those who lost their lives. Referring to recent
terrorist attacks in the country, Sharif said that this was
a sign that the terrorists were losing strength. "This is a
signal that they (the terrorists) are trying to mount a final
attack, but we know how much force they have left in them,"
he said.
A US Congressional delegation was assured that
Pakistan had no favourites and the Operation Zarb-e-Azb was
against all the militant groups in the NWA of FATA. Talking
to a visiting US Congressional delegation led by Senator Jack
Reed - a ranking member of the Senate's Armed Services Committee
- at the GHQ, CoAS General Raheel Sharif said that TTP's network
and other militant groups had completely been dismantled in
NWA and a large area had been cleared off the militants. During
the meeting, security situation along the Pak-Afghan border
also came under discussion and US delegation was told that Pak-Afghan
forces were conducting coordinated operations against the militant
hide-outs and significant progress had been made in such operations.
The ISPR Major General Asim Bajwa said that
the recent spate of terrorist attacks across the country was
an attempt to divide the nation. "The recent spates of terrorist
attacks are highly condemnable. Our heart goes out to aggrieved
brothers and sisters, we stand with them at time of grief,"
Asim Bajwa said in messages on Twitter. Bajwa's messages came
hours after a suicide bomber attacked the Qasr-e-Sakina Imambargah
in Islamabad, killing three people and wounding two others.
The attacks are "an attempt to create divisiveness amongst nation,
which only serves the interest of detractors of Islamic Republic
of Pakistan", he said.
February 19
Four TTP militants were shot dead in a Police
encounter near a graveyard in Sohrab Goth area of Gadap Town
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Malir SSP Rao Anwar
said that the SHO of Bin Qasim Town Police Station Azhar Iqbal
had received secret information that chief of TTP- Sohrab Goth
Chapter, Qari Alamgir, was staying in a house there along with
his accomplices. "Qari Alamgir was wanted in kidnapping for
ransom and other criminal cases," said SSP Anwar. The Police
claimed to have seized explosive material, arms and ammunition
from their possession. "Eight to 10 bags containing explosive
material, a suicide jacket, pistols, submachine guns and hand
grenades were seized," claimed SHO Iqbal.
MQM worker, identified as Danish Kaleem (24),
was killed while he was sitting at a milk shop in Orangi Town.
Iqbal Market Police said that the victim was the member of MQM's
medico-legal aid committee. Meanwhile, condemning the killing
of MQM worker Kalim in Orangi Town, party chief Altaf Hussain
on February 19 said that the neighbourhood has become a hub
of al Qaeda and IS terrorist activities, reports The News. In
a statement issued in Karachi, Hussain said that thousands of
MQM workers have been killed in Orangi Town area. "Orangi Town,
Pakistan Bazaar and Chishti Nagar have become hubs of al Qaeda
and Daish (IS)," he said.
A gangster, identified as Talha alias Gwadari
(24), involved in the killing of three PPP workers, was shot
dead in an encounter near Gabol Park in Lyari Town. Gwadari
hailed from Gwadar District in Balochistan and was one of the
key members of Uzair Baloch gang.
Unidentified gangsters shot dead a man, identified
as Naseer Baloch, at Benazir University Road within Kalakot
Police precincts in Lyari Town.
Three dead bodies of militants were found in
Saran area under the jurisdiction of Mattani Police in Peshawar,
the provincial capital of KP.
Unidentified militants shot dead Jama'at Ahl-e-Sunnat
(JAS) tehsil President, Maulana Mehmood Shah, in Oghi area of
Mansehra District in a sectarian attack while he was on his
way home after leading evening prayer at Masjid Rizwia.
A landmine explosion killed two people and injured
two others in Chahtar area of Naseerabad District.
SFs conducted a raid and arrested eight suspected
militants in Sibi District. According to FC spokesman, SFs recovered
24kgs explosives and other weapons from their possession.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced PKR 5
billion development package for Quetta and said that funds should
be spent on building roads, improving sanitary system and cleaning
the city. Funds to the tune PKR 30 billion would be given for
the purpose and international donors would be asked for assistance,
he added.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while addressing
the passing-out parade of first Special Combat Unit in Quetta
said that the entire nation was united against terrorism and
will definitely win this war as it was a matter of survival
for Pakistan's future generations. He said that Pakistan was
currently facing serious challenge of terrorism that need to
be countered with patience, tolerance, courage and a high state
of vigilance.
At least 234 madrassas in Balochistan are being
funded by 'brotherly' Muslim countries, said Home Department
officials tasked with investigating religious seminaries in
Province. "We have collected enough evidence against 234 madrassas
accused of receiving financial assistance from foreign countries,"
an unnamed senior official said, adding, "The list (of these
seminaries) has been shared with relevant agencies and departments
(the Federal Investigative Agency and State Bank of Pakistan)
so that their accounts can be scrutinized and the sources of
their funding traced." "But the list will go on," he added.
When contacted, Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar
Khan Durrani confirmed that various cases have been forwarded
to agencies concerned for further investigation, but did not
specify the number of madrassas against whom evidence of foreign
funding has been collected. However, he revealed that more than
3,000 of the Province's 5,441 madrassas are not registered.
"Some 5,330 of the 129, 997students that study in seminaries
in Balochistan are foreigners, mostly of Afghan descent," said
Durrani.
A member of the team conducting the surveillance
of madrassas in Balochistan revealed the names of seminaries
in Quetta and Nushki Districts which were receiving financial
assistance from Saudi Arabia, Behrain and Iran. These, he said,
include Mataul Uloom, Arbia Maftaul Uloom, Anwar-e-Sahaba, Gold
Masjid, Dunya Arbia, Jamia Uloom and many others.
February 20
At least five militants and an Army Officer
were killed and a soldier was injured when fighting erupted
during a cordon-and-search operation in Dattakhel area in North
Waziristan Agency of FATA. According to a statement by the ISPR
two of the dead militants were foreigners.
Three militants were killed in a clash with
Security Forces in Patala area of Kurram Agency.
A man, identified as Mohammad Qamar (30), was
shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Quaid-e-Azam Colony
of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town in provincial capital Karachi.
An unidentified man was shot dead and a another
man, identified as Raja Naeem (25), was injured by near Tipu
Sultan signal within the limits of Bahadurabad Police Station
in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
One Iqra University student, identified as Javed
Haris, sustained injuries after he was set on fire by unidentified
assailants in Akhtar Colony area of Jamshed Town. According
to Police sources, Javed had been abducted four days ago from
Baloch Colony in Orangi Town, but details surrounding his abduction
are not yet known. A threatening letter was also recovered from
his pocket, warning of similar actions if the military operation
did not end.
A bomb weighing 1 kilogramme found outside the
residence of local ANP leader, Gul Muhammad Khan, in Bhains
Colony of Bin Qasim Town was successfully diffused by Bomb Disposal
Squad. ANP Sindh's spokesperson said that Gul Muhammad Khan
has been receiving continuous threats from militant outfits.
Shahbaz Rangers claimed to have arrested two
TTP militants in a raid on a Karachi-bound coach coming from
Peshawar (KP). Sindh Rangers Commander Colonel Abdul Ghaffar
said in press briefing at the Shahbaz Rangers headquarters that
the 60-Wing personnel on a tip-off carried out a raid on the
coach while it was passing through an area near Mirpur Mathelo
town of Ghotki District. They picked up two suspected passengers
and during the subsequent interrogation it emerged that they
belonged to the TTP, said Colonel Ghaffar. The Rangers commander
said that they were fleeing to Karachi to escape death in the
ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb and intended to fly to
a foreign country, probably the UAE. Col Ghaffar spoke of some
startling disclosures by the suspects during the interrogation
but declined to share them with the media at this juncture.
He further said that another TTP suspect was
arrested in a separate raid and interrogation with him was under
way. "At the moment, we can share the only information with
the media that this man was tasked with opening a TTP unit in
Shikarpur District to coordinate with the network of international
terrorism," the Rangers commander said.
Cantonment Police claimed to have arrested a
militant at Shaheen check post in Kohat District and recovered
explosives and grenades from his possession. According to a
Police official, they were checking vehicles passing through
in Cantonment and signalled a van to stop. He added during the
search, the militant lobbed a grenade at them and fled. There
were no casualties because the grenade failed to explode. Policeman
further said they chased and managed to arrest him.
Provincial Home Minister Colonel (retired) Shuja
Khanzada said that the kidnapped sons of former Prime Minister
Yousuf Raza Gilani and slain Punjab Governor Salman Taseer were
being held in Afghanistan. Ali Gilani was abducted on May 2,
2013 during an election rally in Multan District. Shahbaz Taseer
was abducted on August 26, 2011 from Lahore District.
Khanzada said the Government was doing its best
to secure the safe release of both Gilani and Taseer. He informed
the House that 95 per cent of cases of abduction for ransom
were being conducted by suspects from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam
said that Pakistan was prepared for mediation between the Afghan
Government and Taliban for peace in the region. The Foreign
Office spokesperson said peace and stability in Afghanistan
were of great importance. "We believe it is for the Afghan government
to lead the efforts for reconciliation in Afghanistan. Any reconciliation
process has to be Afghan led and Afghan owned. Pakistan, as
a neighbour and as a country that has vital stakes in peace
and stability in Afghanistan, is ready to provide whatever assistance
we can. We are ready to facilitate the reconciliation process
to the extent possible," she said. However, the spokesperson
said the mechanisms available would not be made public through
the media.
February 21
An abductor was killed while a Sikh trader,
identified as Munish Singh, was recovered during a raid in Aamri
area of the Chagai District. Three of his accomplices were arrested.
Singh was kidnapped from Dalbandin area of Chagai District two
months ago.
A 10th grade student of Peshawar's APS succumbed
to his injuries at the Combined Military Hospital. The student,
Ishaq Ameen was shot in the head and face during the deadly
attack on the Peshawar school on December 16, and had been in
critical condition since. The death toll of the carnage now
stands at 144, with 132 students among the dead, the Deputy
Commissioner's office said.
February 22
Two gangsters, affiliated with the Uzair Baloch
group, were killed during an encounter with the Police in the
mill area within the limits of the Kalakot Police Station in
Lyari Town of provincial capital Karachi.
Two Baba Ladla gangsters, identified as Sohail
alias Khoof and Shaheryar alias Sherry, were killed during another
encounter in Bihar Colony of Lyari Town.
Uzair Baloch gangster, identified as Arsalan
Baloch, was killed in Daryabad area of Kalri in Lyari Town.
Eight people were injured when two unidentified
militants hurled a hand grenade near Tanga stand in Behar colony
of Lyari Town.
Rangers claimed to have arrested a TTP Swat
Chapter militants during a targeted raid conducted at the militants'
hideout in Metroville area of SITE Town.
In an attempt to move forward to implement the
National Action Plan at the Provincial level, the Sindh Government
during a meeting chaired by Sindh Home Secretary Abdul Kabir
Kazi on February 21 decided to ban establishment of new madrassas
and mosques without a prior permission of the Home Department.
The Government also decided to build a 'high-security prison'
in Jamshoro District within a week for high-profile terror suspects.
Other key decisions included repatriation of all Afghan refugees
by the year end, proposing legislation for the regulation of
mosques and seminaries, recruitment in the newly-established
CTD of Police and expediting process of forensic lab facilities
in major cities to improve investigation and prosecution.
A child was killed and nine others were injured
in a bomb explosion on at Rush Bazaar located on Taj Road in
Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District. DPO Chaman Asad Khan
said that a remote controlled bomb fixed to a vehicle parked
near a temple exploded.
An eight-inch diameter gas pipeline was blown
up by unidentified militants near the Pir Koh area of Dera Bugti
District. According to Police, the terrorists had planted an
IED near the gas pipeline which exploded, suspending the gas
supply to the area.
A four-inch diameter water supply pipeline was
also blown up in the Nokani area of Dera Bugti District.
The Nawab Bugti Express narrowly escaped a bomb
blast targeting a railway track in Jaffarabad District.
Law Enforcement Agencies recovered arms, including
three SMG, two Kalashnikovs, four pistols, two short guns and
250 magazines from Bonistan area of Panjgur District.
One militant was killed while three others were
arrested during a clash with SFs near a gas station on the Bannu-Kohat
Road in Bannu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The sources said
the personnel of SFs and intelligence agencies were patrolling
the area when four militants attacked them with a hand-grenade
near the gas station on the Kohat Road, but the soldiers escaped
unhurt in the attack. The sources said the soldiers returned
the fire in which one of the militants was killed on the spot.
Following the attack, the SFs personnel arrested the three other
militants during a search operation carried out in the locality.
The KP Police in the ongoing search and strike
operation throughout the province against criminals and anti-social
elements have rounded up 268 suspects and recovered huge quantity
of arms and ammunition.
Two Khassadar personnel were injured when a
bomb went off near a checkpost in the Jamrud tehsil
of the Khyber Agency in FATA. Those injured were identified
Shoaib and Abrar.
Sources in the security establishment said that
around four dozen major intelligence-led anti-terror operations
are in the pipeline across the country to take out or neutralise
enemies of the state, and that these Special Units would lead
these operations with the backup of civilian Anti-Terror Task
Forces. They informed that normally the secret services provide
only information to the law enforcing agencies and paramilitary
forces to launch action against the terrorists but their Special
Units lead or directly supervise anti-terror operations when
high profile targets are involved.
When asked about the target areas of the major
anti-terror operations, they declining to share the entire details
informed that actions would be launched in parts of Punjab,
Karachi, settled areas of KP, PATA of Khyber Agency and parts
of Balochistan. They informed that security services have information
concerning the movements of high profile targets in KP, Karachi
and some of their high value facilitators in Punjab, besides
some areas of Balochistan.
A 'spokesperson' for JuD told the media that
JuD 'chief' Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's counsel pleading innocence
and claiming that the JuD has no link with al Qaeda, Taliban
or the Mumbai 26/11 attacks requested the UN chief Ban Ki-moon
for lifting of the sanctions. He said attention of the UN was
also sought towards some corrective measures which have been
taken in light of the UN instructions. "We have also shown willingness
for audit of our organisational activities," he added.
While referring to its relief activities across
the country, the appeal reiterated that the JuD has no organisational
or legal link with LeT, and it is a legal Pakistan-based charitable
NGO and all of its institutes and projects are registered in
the country. A letter, dispatched by the JuD chief, had already
been pending with the office of Ban Ki-moon. The appeal was
made through the letter in 2009 to the UN that it had taken
a hasty decision in proscribing the JuD, its chief Hafiz Saeed
and other members and termed the UN decision detrimental to
the interests of Pakistan.
The purpose behind our fresh move is to win
clearance or a no objection certificate from the UN while contesting
the case on merit, the 'spokesperson' said.
The HRW demanded that the Pakistan Government
should immediately order local authorities to stop pressuring
registered refugees to return to Afghanistan. "The Pakistan
government has an obligation to protect all Afghans in the country,
including those not registered as refugees, from harassment
and other abuses," HRW said. A recent increase in Afghans repatriating
from Pakistan appears related to coercive pressure from local
Governments on Afghans to return to their country since the
December 16, 2014 Peshawar's APS attack. "Pakistani officials
should not be scapegoating Afghans because of the Taliban's
atrocities in Peshawar," said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director
at Human Rights Watch. "It is inhumane, not to mention unlawful,
to return Afghans to places they may face harm and not protect
them from harassment and abuse."
Nine times as many Afghan refugees were repatriated
from Pakistan in January 2015 as in December 2014, according
to the UNHCR. UNHCR analysis of the returns indicated that a
significant percentage of these 3,829 returns were coercive.
Nearly all of the refugees returned from three Pakistani provinces
- KP, Azad Kashmir, and Punjab - where an increase in arrests,
detentions, and evictions of Afghans were reported during the
same period. Those registered as refugees possess PoR issued
by the Pakistani Government, with the support of UNHCR.
February 23
SFs claimed to have arrested a key perpetrator
of the December 16 Peshawar APS terrorist attack during an operation
in the Pawaki village under Pishtakhara Police Station in Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The ISPR confirmed
the arrest of 27-year-old Taj Mohammad from Pawaki. It said
that he was the commander of one of the two groups that carried
out the APS attack. The militant is said to be a resident of
the neighbouring Khyber Agency in FATA. He was living as an
internally displaced person in Pawaki. Officials said the militant
had confessed to his involvement in a number of terror attacks.
Military courts have been established in Sindh
to hear the cases pertaining to terrorism. Two colonel rank
officers have been nominated as head of the courts. It has been
said that an officer of major's rank will be appointed as the
prosecutor. After the process of appointment of officers is
completed, the courts of Sindh will begin hearing cases. The
Sindh Government and Police officials said that more than 65
cases of hardened criminals and those involved in terrorist
activities would be sent to the military courts for trial.
Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif
said that operation Zarb- Azb was launched to flush out terrorists
and maintain peace in the country. "Foreign elements are involved
in spreading terrorism. Temperature on eastern border and working
boundary had been increased with pre-plan mission. "We are raising
voice at international forum about incidents of terrorism and
involvement of a neighboring country in such activities", Khawaja
Muhammad Asif said. Pakistan is fully capable to eliminate the
menace of terrorism from this area, he added. "We cannot rule
out India's involvement or support to Taliban who are spreading
terrorism and disturbing peace of Pakistan", he added further.
Pakistan reiterated to show 'zero tolerance'
towards terrorist organisations including the ISIS, saying Islamabad
was fully cognisant of this looming terror threat. "The ISIS
is a globally threatening phenomenon and we are fully cognisant
of the situation," Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry told
a National Assembly panel. "We would be unsparing if we find
a shred of clue about the IS presence in Pakistan," Chaudhry
briefed the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs that met
under the chair of outgoing Senator Haji Adeel. Likewise, the
secretary said the supporters, facilitators and abettors of
the ISIS or Daish would be dealt with an iron hand.
The PM Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting on the
implementation of NAP at the PM House. The PM appreciated the
Punjab Government for taking lead in implementing the plan for
targeting terrorism and extremism in the country. He asked the
other provinces to speed up implementation of this important
initiative that has the backing of the entire political spectrum
of the country. He said that terrorists were enemies of stability
and harmony and every possible step would be taken for ensuring
their complete elimination.
The US Secretary of State John Kerry told Congress
Committee on Foreign Affairs that Pakistan is determined to
end terrorism following Peshawar tragedy while Washington is
also cooperating with Islamabad in its efforts against militancy.
He said that Washington was assisting Pakistan in different
sectors, including development, energy, health and education.
He said US intends to provide 3.40 billion USD aid to Afghanistan
and Pakistan.
February 24
The District President of ASWJ Molana Sahbir
Ahmed Haidri was shot dead in Korangi Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
One Waseem (33) was shot dead near Bihar Colony
in Lyari Town.
A man, identified as Faizal (40), was shot dead
by unidentified armed assailants near Yousuf Plaza in Sohrab
Goth area of Gadap Town
A man, identified as Shahabuddin (20), was shot
at and injured near Azmeen Plaza at Shoe Market in Garden area
of Saddar Town.
At least one person was killed and seven others
injured in an explosion on the Mall Road in Chaman town of Qilla
Abdullah District. No outfit claimed responsibility for the
attack.
Bodies of three persons recovered were identified
as that of the perpetrators involved in the attack on Peshawar's
Bacha Khan International Airport on December 15, 2012. According
to sources, all three men belonged to a militant organisation
of Khyber Agency in FATA and were among the militants who fired
rockets at the Pakistan Air Force base inside Bacha Khan Airport.
The bodies, which were found at a nullah in Peshawar's Mattani
area, were recognised as that of 'commander' Noor Mohammad,
'commander' Kemya Gul and 'commander' Sher Muhammad - all of
whom were wanted for being the masterminds of the fatal attack.
The sources also added that the three men were also suspected
to be involved in the rocket attacks on the Sheikh Muhammadi
grid station near Peshawar which left seven people dead on April
2, 2013.
As Afghanistan moved closer to holding direct
peace talks with Afghan Taliban, the US State Department acknowledged
that Pakistan too has a stake in the outcome. "In terms of the
role of Pakistan, we have long encouraged Pakistan to support
(Afghan) President (Ashraf) Ghani's reconciliation efforts,"
said the Department's spokesperson Jen Psaki, adding "We, of
course, remain in support and in contact with President Ghani
on these matters as well as certainly countries like Pakistan
who have a stake in the outcome."
She said the US continued to support "an Afghan-led
and Afghan-owned reconciliation process" whereby the Taliban
and the Afghans engaged in talks towards a settlement to resolve
the conflict. Asked if the US found Pakistan's role in these
talks encouraging, she noted that the Afghan President also
had acknowledged this role in his recent statements and in his
inaugural address. The United States too had "long encouraged"
Pakistan to support a reconciliation process, said the US official,
adding that both Afghanistan and Pakistan had "shown a commitment
to try to move forward". She however, rejected the notion that
the United States too was talking to the Taliban. "There are
no direct or indirect talks," she added.
Afghanistan's chief executive Abdullah Abdullah
on February 23, 2015 had said that peace talks with the Taliban
would begin in the "near future".
The US State Department warned US citizens to
defer non-essential travel to Pakistan due to dangers posed
by foreign and local militants throughout the country. "The
US Embassy in Islamabad and the US Consulate General in Karachi
continue to provide consular services for all US citizens in
Pakistan. The U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar no longer offers
consular services and the US Consulate General in Lahore remains
temporarily closed for public services," said a statement.
The Commandant of the Khyber Rifles, Colonel
Tariq Hafeez, said that Khyber-2 operation against TTP and other
terrorist groups hiding in different parts of the Tirah valley
of Khyber Agency in FATA would begin next month. Colonel Tariq
Hafeez pledged that SFs would now reclaim all areas at present
under the control of several outlawed militant groups in Khyber
Agency and FATA. "We will not spare anyone and will go after
them no matter where they are hiding and will smash their operational
structure to reduce their striking capability," he said.
Col Hafeez said that with the arrest of 25 hardcore
terrorists, SFs had achieved much of the objectives of the Khyber-1
operation. He said that SFs were now determined to annihilate
all anti-state elements operating on Pakistan's soil. Referring
to escape of some leaders of Bara-based outlawed groups to Afghanistan,
he said that those who were not sincere to their own motherland
could not be sincere to anyone.
The United States Embassy in Islamabad denied
some media reports that US consulate offices in Peshawar (KP)
and Lahore (Punjab) had been closed after a travel advisory
was issued by the US State Department. "There have been inaccurate
statements in the media characterising the operating status
of the Consulates General of the United States in Lahore and
Peshawar," said a press statement, adding, "For clarification,
US Consulates General Lahore and Peshawar are open but have
a limited operational status, which does not include provision
of consular services, as has been the case for some time." The
statement read, "US Consulate General Karachi continues to provide
full consular services, as does the US embassy in Islamabad."
February 25
Anti-Terrorism Court sentenced four TTP militants
to death for killing 10 prison staff during an attack on the
residential quarters for prison staff in Ichra locality of Lahore
District in July 2012. "The court has awarded death sentence
to four militants for the 2012 attack on jail staff," special
prosecutor Shaikh Saeed said. A court official confirmed the
sentences. He added that the convicts were fined Rs1.8 million
each.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that
400 foreign students studying in different madrassas across
Punjab without local documentation will be deported soon. He
added that a list of these students has been sent to the Federal
Government. "It's a high-time to end terrorism. It's now or
never. All those Afghan immigrants who don't have a permit will
also be sent back," he said, adding, "We are importing 1,000
biometric machines which would be linked to the NADRA database
and can verify if a person is a Pakistani citizen or not."
The Federal Ministry of Interior said that LeJ
was carrying out terrorist activities across the country to
get the hangings of its leaders and workers stopped and to secure
their release or help them escape. According to the NCMC threat
alert issued to the Provinces, militant groups like the LeJ
and TTP may jointly carry out terrorist activities. According
to a private television channel, the cell has dispatched a letter
(threat alert) to the home secretaries of Sindh, Punjab, KP,
Balochistan, Provincial Police Chiefs, the IG FC of KP and Balochistan
and authorities in PoK and the Gilgit Baltistan region.
"The LeJ is infuriated over crackdown on its
activists. LeJ had approached al Qaeda for help but it expressed
its inability to do so citing its preoccupation in other areas
like Syria and Iraq. LeJ then contacted TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah
who not only provided finance to LeJ but also promised to extend
further assistance. Now LeJ-Fazlullah nexus is at work in unleashing
the wave of terrorism in the country," the letter read. In the
letter, the cell claims that terrorists are planning to conduct
terrorist activities in the Punjab, most likely in Lahore.
Former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf
in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published
said that Kabul must share power with the extremist group Taliban
and block Indian influence if it wants peace in the country.
He said that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's September inauguration
presented a new opportunity for reconciliation between the Government
and Taliban and related insurgent groups. "Ashraf Ghani is a
balanced man," he said, adding, "I think he's a great hope."
Pakistan and India must stay away and avoid engaging in proxy
war, he said. He further said that India had provided weapons,
training and equipment to ethnic Baloch separatists inside Afghanistan.
He said that US and its allies had consistently failed to consider
Pakistan's concerns, forcing Islamabad to rely on other militant
groups inside Afghanistan to prop up its interests.
He acknowledged that India and Pakistan had
been engaged in a long-running proxy war on Afghan soil that
fed the conflict. But, he said, his and Islamabad's role in
nurturing the Taliban and allied militant groups operating in
Afghanistan were a legitimate counterweight against its rival
India there. "There are enemies of Pakistan that have to be
countered," he said, adding, "Certainly if there's an enemy
of mine, I will use somebody to counter him." "The world must
realise that we may not like the face of Mullah Omar…but that
is how life is, that is what Afghanistan is," said Musharraf.
But he said those groups were an instrument to counter India's
influence on the ground in Afghanistan and insisted that former
US President George W. Bush "knew that I am not playing a double
game" with Washington.
Sindh Police received a note from Intelligence
Agencies warning a probable terror attack in Karachi. It stated
that the terrorists might be in uniform. The number plates of
two suspected trucks have also been mentioned. Police have started
checking on check-posts.
Sindh Police Chief Ghulam Haider Jamali said
that the leader of PAC Uzair Jan Baloch has not yet been produced
in court in Dubai, while rejecting reports that he would be
extradited to Pakistan within a day or two. "The Police team
and a Rangers official have submitted the documents in court
which include FIR against him and details of around 55 cases
pending in Pakistani courts against him," he said. He added,
"We are close to getting the custody of Uzair Baloch."
According to details, Uzair Baloch had fled
Pakistan soon after the launch of the Rangers operation in Karachi
in September 2013. The Sindh government had sent documents to
the federal authorities in May 2014, seeking the issuance of
red warrants against both Lyari gangsters Uzair Baloch and Baba
Ladla who were said to have fled to Iran, Oman, the UAE or South
Africa. The warrants were eventually issued against both Uzair
and Baba on June 11 and 12, 2014, respectively. In December
2014, the Interpol arrested him in Muscat and brought him to
Dubai. On February 5, 2015, the four-member law-enforcement
team left for Dubai after the Federal Ministry of interior ministry
directed the Provincial and Federal authorities to complete
the PAC leader's extradition within a week.
The Home and Tribal Affairs Department of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa ordered all commissioners and DIG's to expel Afghan
clerics from the Province and submit a report over the implementation
within seven days. A Home Department source said that there
were 294 Afghan Peshimam (prayer leaders) in the Province and
their documentation had been sent to relevant commissioners
as part of the NAP. Currently, Pakistan hosts 1.6 million Afghan
refugees, whom the Government has issued the Proof of Registration
cards through the NADRA and thus, legalising their stay in the
country until December 2015. The number of unregistered Afghan
nationals is said to be between two and three million.
However, the HRW has spoken against the forceful
return of Afghanistan refugees from Pakistan, reminding the
government of their obligation to protect all Afghans in the
country, including those not registered as refugees.
February 26
Two persons were killed and two others were
injured in separate incidents of violence in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Bashir (40), a resident of Manghopir was shot
dead by unidentified armed men near German School in Orangi
Town. Separately, the body of Umer Gul (35) was found dead near
Gulzar Masjid. The motive behind killing could not be ascertained.
In another incident, Dawood (25) and Zakir (28) of Ghulam Rasool
were shot and injured by unknown armed men near Sajjan Goth
in Baldia Town.
Police said that 30 kg of explosive material
was recovered in Ittehad Town. The Bomb Disposal Squad officials
told that 160 rods of 50 gram each were also attached with the
explosives.
One prisoner was killed and another was injured
in an attempt to escape from Gilgit's District Jail. Police
said that the two inmates were involved in 2013 deadly attack
that killed 12 tourists at a mountain camp near Nanga Parbat.
The dead and injured inmates were identified as Bilal and Dilbar
respectively. Police launched an operation in search of two
inmates who managed to escape from the detention the facility.
Gilgit-Baltistan Home Secretary Sibtain Ahmed has offered cash
reward of PKR two million for arrest of the prisoners.
Pakistan's provision of safe havens to LeT will
continue to be a key irritant in relations with India, Director
of US National Intelligence James Clapper claimed in his testimony
on "World Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community"
while presenting the report in a hearing of the United States
Senate Armed Services Committee. Clapper said in 2015, the Pakistani
government will probably focus on diminishing the capabilities
of the TTP, which claimed the Peshawar's Army Public School
attack on a December 16, 2014.
On relations with Afghanistan, the testimony
said, "We judge that Pakistan will aim to establish positive
rapport with the new Afghan Government, but longstanding distrust
and unresolved disputes between the countries will prevent substantial
progress."
A jirga of Sipah tribe of Bara tehsil
in Khyber Agency of FATA handed over 15 wanted tribesmen to
political administration under the policy of the Government
to clear the area of militants and restore lasting peace there.
A similar number of wanted men out of the total 102 had surrendered
to the administration few days ago. So far, 30 wanted men have
surrendered to the administration. The Khasadar Force took the
surrendered men into their custody and shifted them to an unspecified
location for interrogation. The jirga was held at Khyber House.
Some participants of the jirga said that almost
all the 15 persons, who offered voluntary arrest, were innocent
and had no association with either LI or any other militant
group. They said that the administration assured them of 'fair
treatment' of the arrested suspects during the interrogation
and said that they would be set free if charges against them
were not proved.
February 27
Two Shia men, identified as the employees of
Qatar Hospital, Saleem Akbar and Ali Haider Rizvi, were shot
dead at Ghausia Chowk in Orangi Town of provincial capital Karachi,
while they were returning home from their duties.
A leader of ASWJ and a Peshimam (prayer leader)
of a mosque, identified as Yaseen, was killed in a sectarian
attack at Safoora Chowk next to Johar Complex in Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Town.
The Shikarpur Police claimed to have arrested
two alleged terrorists, Ghulam Rasool and Khalil Ahmed Brohi,
who had given refuge to one of the suicide bombers who had blown
himself up at a mosque in an Imambargah (Shia place of commemoration)
of Shikarpur District on January 30, 2015. The police also claimed
that the two suspects had also planned to attack a protest rally
taken out against the mosque bombing incident in Shikarpur.
The SSP of Shikarpur, Saqib Ismail Memon, said that Police also
recovered a suicide jacket, explosive material and other things
from their possession. He said that the suspects belonged to
Dera Murad Jamali area of Naseerabad District in Balochistan
and were affiliated with a banned religious organization.
A Shia man, identified as Qaisar Hussain, who
was working at a pharmaceutical unit in Hayatabad Industrial
Estate was shot dead in a targeted sectarian attack in Hayatabad
area of Provincial capital Peshawar. A Police official said
that Hussain hailed from Asterzai in Kohat District but was
residing in Musharraf Labour Colony.
Police foiled separate attempts to smuggle weapons
and recovered small arms from two vehicles in Chamkani and Mattani
area of Peshawar. Officers tried to intercept a car on the service
road near the motorway but the driver sped away, after which
police chased it and found the vehicle abandoned by the roadside.
One hundred and fifty repeaters and 12 rifles were found hidden
inside the car. Police said the fire arms were being smuggled
to Punjab.
According to Intelligence sources, of the total
294 Afghan prayer leaders, who are to be expelled from all over
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within a week, up to 153 alone have been
identified in Peshawar. Intelligence agencies identified the
Afghan prayer leaders last month. Their names have been sent
to the commissioners and RPOs concerned to expel them within
a week. The report also identified those who have acquired Pakistani
CNICs.
According to the list, 16 Afghan prayer leaders
have been identified in Peshawar city, 40 each in town and rural,
31 in cantonment and 26 on Warsak Road. The areas that were
reported clear in the provincial capital included Civil Secretariat,
University campus and Hayatabad, where not a single Afghan prayer
leader is staying. Among the other Districts, 17 were identified
in Charsadda city and 32 in Shabqadar town of the Charsadda
District. There were 46 prayer leaders identified in Mardan,
13 in Swabi and five in Nowshera, who are non-locals. Besides,
there were eight Afghan prayer leaders identified in Lower Dir
two in Malakand district, one in Abbottabad, two in Mansehra,
nine in Kohat, two in Hangu and four in Bannu.
Some 53 suspects, among them 43 Afghan nationals,
were arrested during a search operation carried out jointly
by Police and Frontier Corps personnel in Killi Kheezi and Darwashabad
areas of Quetta. Official sources said the FC and Police personnel
raided various places on the outskirts of Quetta and rounded
up 53 suspects. Afghan nationals were living without legal documents,
police said.
February 28
The BDS defused two bombs planted near a girls'
college in Yakatoot area of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of KP. A Bomb Disposal Squad official said the bombs weighed
two kilograms each.
BDU defused a one-kg bomb concealed in cloth
in Ganda Nallah of Yakatoot area.
Three terrorists were arrested after exchange
of fire with Police in Badhaber area of Peshawar. Arms and hand
grenades were seized from their possession. SSP Operations Mian
Saeed said that Police launched search operation in Badhaber
area. During action, the terrorists taking shelter in the area
started firing at Police and tried to flee. Police after a brief
exchange of fire arrested all three terrorists, stated to be
affiliated with a defunct organisation.
Two TTP militants were arrested in a search
operation in Kohat town of same District.
The FC recovered and diffused a 7- kg bomb installed
near a gas pipeline in Peer Sehwari area of Dera Bugti District.
According to the FC officials, SFs patrolling the area recovered
bomb planted near an 8-inch gas pipeline and foiled a terror
bid.
SFs arrested a key Jundullah militant, Abdul
Salam Regi, from Lak Pass area of Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan, on the morning. Security sources said Regi was
planning to launch suicide attacks in Balochistan and Iran.
March 1
Two Afghan Police personnel were killed in a
militant attack in Chaman area of Qilla Abdullah District in
Balochistan. A senior administration officer in Chaman, who
declined to be named, said that six militants on three motorcycles
opened fire at the vehicle of Afghan Policemen in Chaman's Bypass
area. The assailants sped away on their motorcycles after the
strike. The Afghan cops, who belonged to Helmand province of
Afghanistan, were en route to Quetta for medical treatment when
the attack took place.
Two militants were killed during an exchange
of fire with SFs in the Lehri tehsil near Sibi town
of Same District. According to a FC spokesman, militants opened
fire at the patrolling party of SFs, wounding four personnel.
SFs resorted to retaliatory firing in which two militants were
killed. Weapons were recovered from the possession of militants.
Unidentified militants blew up two gas pipelines
in Pir Koh and Loti area of Dera Bugti District. Explosives
placed under a pipeline supplying gas to a purification plant
from well number 10 of Pir Koh gas field were detonated by remote
control. A separate pipeline supplying gas to the Loti purification
plant from well No 12 was also blown up by saboteurs.
The wall of a government-run girls' school and
two vehicles were damaged in a bomb blast at Gul Mohammad Kalmati
Goth near Murtaza Chowrangi area of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Sources said that an explosive device weighing
about half a kg was placed near the boundary wall of the School.
Two cars parked near the school-building were also damaged when
the device containing ball bearings exploded. The school was
closed for the weekly holiday. No one was injured.
The KP Police, during the ongoing search and
strike operation throughout the province, arrested 257 suspects.
Police also recovered 58 weapons of different kind. During snap
checking on 134 checkpoints, 200 suspects were held while a
total of 46 unregistered Afghan nationals were also detained
and 20 cases registered against them. Security inspections of
788 educational institutions were also carried out and various
institutions were advised to beef up security arrangements further.
Police in the Federal Capital Islamabad foiled
a terrorist attack that aimed to the strike Pakistan Day parade
on 23 March. Police sources said that two suspected terrorists
were arrested during recent raids and confessed to planning
an attack. The terrorists were arrested from Ghouri Town in
connection with the attack on the Qasar-e-Sakina Imambargah
which occurred on February 19. Sources said the arrested terrorists
confessed to planning an attack during their interrogation.
A large cache of weapons was also seized from their possession.
Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs
and National Security Sartaj Aziz said that the normalisation
of Indo-Pakistan relations is urgently needed to reduce tension
on the LoC. "It is premature to predict the outcome of foreign
secretary level talks between Pakistan and India scheduled for
next week but chances of a decision to resume a composite dialogue
are likely either in the upcoming or the follow-up meetings,"
Mr Aziz said. Mr Aziz said all outstanding issues, including
the Kashmir dispute, had been part of agenda for talks with
India.
About the recent eight per cent increase in
India's defence allocation, the PM's adviser said Pakistan had
never been involved in arms race. However, he said, Pakistan
would never compromise on availability of conventional weapons
for its armed forces. Answering a question that foreign policy
was being controlled by the army chief, the PM's adviser said:
"Harmony between political and military leadership is essential
for national security which is an integral part of country's
foreign policy. It is not possible to implement the priorities
on security issues without coordination with the armed forces."
Mr Aziz said the time of blame game between Afghanistan and
Pakistan was over.
At least six criminals were injured during a
clash between Lyari-based gangsters associated with Sheraz Comrade
group and the Jabbar Jhengu group at Aath Chowk in Lyari Town
of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
March 2
A child, identified as Rasheeda
(2), was killed and seven others were injured in a hand grenade
attack on Mirza Adamkhail Road in Lyari Town of Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
during a meeting with Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan
Janan Mosazai in Islaambad said that relations with Afghanistan
had undergone qualitative transformation since the Government
took over in 2014. He said Pakistan hopes that the process of
peace talks within Afghanistan would speed up and reach a successful
conclusion soon. He expressed satisfaction over the increased
security cooperation between the two countries and said the
recent visit of CoAS General Raheel Sharif proved quite helpful
in streamlining important matters. He was also pleased over
the first meeting of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Business
Council that would be taking place in the next few weeks to
attract international investors to both countries.
PM Nawaz approved of the appointment
of a focal person for following up implementation on the decisions
taken during inter-ministerial meetings with Afghanistan on
daily basis. A similar focal person would be appointed from
the Afghan side as well, a PM Office statement said.
Pakistan has deported around
2,000 unregistered Afghans after the attack on Army Public School
in Peshawar on December 16, 2014, said an unnamed security official.
According to the sources, “Pakistani authorities have clearly
conveyed to the Afghan Government that around three million
refugees are posing grave security risk and it is now working
to send back non-registered Afghan refugees at the earliest
to minimise these risks.” These sources said that after the
approval of the NAP the Provincial Governments have been directed
to arrest illegal Afghans and deport them immediately.
“It has been clearly conveyed
to Afghan authorities that around all the three million refugees
will be repatriated by December 2015, and meanwhile no action
will be taken against the registered refugees,” the sources
said, adding, “it has also been conveyed that action is only
being taken against those Afghan refugees who have not got themselves
registered properly.” The sources said that Intelligence Agencies
have proof which was handed over to the Afghan authorities that
there are unregistered Afghans who are involved in terrorist
activities and crimes, creating law and order problems in Pakistan
which cannot be tolerated anymore.
The UAE Department of Justice
issued three objections regarding the extradition of PAC leader
Uzair Jan Baloch to Pakistan. The Pakistan Embassy is currently
working on efforts to resolve the objections and progress with
the process of extradition as soon as possible. Baloch will
be presented in Dubai prosecution on March 5, 2015.
Pakistani officials were optimistic
that they would get custody of Baloch following a local court
decision, however, no decision was reached. Following the hearing,
Baloch was taken back to prison under high security. Uzair Baloch
was presented before the court under security of UAE Special
Forces. The defendant has secured one of UAE’s top lawyers to
argue his case and has reportedly paid AED 500,000 in fees.
A report compiled by the KP
Provincial Government, titled 'District-wise details of Madaris',
revealed that 145 madrassas in the Province fall in the 'highly
sensitive' category. It states that of the 3,010 seminaries
in the terror-hit province, 26 per cent are unregistered. It
also reveals that in the KP region, 57 per cent of the Category
B (highly sensitive) madrassas are in Tank District, which has
a total of 123 madrassas.
KP Information Minister Mushtaq
Ahmed Ghani said the Government will not tolerate unregistered
madrassas in the Province. Speaking of which, Ghani said that
KP Home Department has already been notified to take action
against such unregistered seminaries. The Provincial Information
Minister further informed that only those foreigner students,
whether Afghan or other nationals, will be allowed to study
who possess proper legal documents. “Action will be taken against
illegal foreign students,” he asserted.
The FATA FDMA decided to tentatively
send back families of the IDPs from 29 villages of NWA and Bara
tehsil of Khyber Agency by the end of this month. However,
officials associated with the repatriation program are still
skeptical about the dates announced. Moreover, the UN, one of
the main stakeholders, has not yet been given permission by
the UN Department of Safety and Security and has sought more
time to seek a NoC from its headquarters in New York, as North
Waziristan remains a “no-go area” for its staff.
The FDMA DG briefed officials
about the situation in North Waziristan and March 31, 2015,
was decided as a tentative date to send back people from 29
villages of Mir Ali subdivision of the Agency. Around 12,000
to 13,000 registered families from these villages will be sent
back in Phase 1 of the repatriation process from an embarkation
point set up at Mirzail check post in FR Bannu.
An unnamed senior official said,
“The task seems to be a tough one, based mostly on wishes and
prayers,” said the official, adding there will be difficulties
during the process, mostly security-related. “There is a plan,
but the situation is not entirely feasible for its implementation.”
According to the official, the FDMA will provide transport grants
of PKR 10,000 to each family through mobile SIMs as well as
repatriation cash grant of PKR 25,000 through ATM cards. Moreover,
UNICEF will hand out hygiene kits among the returning families
and the World Food Program will provide six months of ration.
However, what remains a major concern for the returning families
is the destroyed infrastructure.
March 3
Unidentified militants opened
indiscriminate fire at the DPO Sherani Muhammad Shakir's vehicle
in Spira Ragha area of Loralai District, killing three Policemen
and injuring the DPO. No outfit claimed responsibility for the
attack.
SF conducted a search operation
and arrested eight suspected militants from Uch area of Naseerabad
District. The SFs recovered arms and ammunition from their possession.
The spokesman for FC said that the militants were involved in
attacks on SFs and vital national installations in the area.
FC conducted a search operation
and arrested four suspects from Mughtian area of Pishin District.
SFs recovered four Kalashnikov’s from their possession.
SFs foiled a terror bid by defusing
a landmine in Kohlu District.
Three dead bodies of suspected
persons were found dumped on the road that linked Gulshan-e-Hadeed
with the Superhighway in the Dhair Sharif area near Quaid-i-Azam
Public School in Memon Goth area of Gadap Town in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. Memon Goth SHO Jan Mohammed Ahmdani
said, “Sporting long beards, the men looked like Pakhtuns or
Afghans.” “The killing appeared to be very recent as fresh blood
stains were found there,” said Sub-Inspector Wazir Ali Channa.
Security Forces arrested four
TTP militants, including 'commander' Lal Sher, during a raid
in the Chapri Naryab area of Hangu District. Weapons and bombs
were also recovered from their hideout.
The Police arrested 46 suspects
and seized weapons during search operation in Manglawar area
in Swat District.
The US CENTCOM Chief General
Lloyd Austin while testifying before the Congress’ House Armed
Services Committee on US CENTCOM’s posture said that tensions
between the two nuclear-tipped neighbours, India and Pakistan,
affects regional stability and directly impacts Pakistan’s strategy
in Afghanistan. General Austin said that “Tension between Pakistan
and India also continue to threaten regional stability and largely
drives Pakistan’s regional strategy, especially as it relates
to Afghanistan,” adding, “Our desired end-state is a stable
sub-region characterised by a low risk of conventional or nuclear
war, with regional states committed to non-interference with
respect to their neighbors’ internal affairs, the denial of
sanctuary for Violent Extremist Organistaions (VEOs), and the
non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).”
He said that they had made substantial
progress in efforts to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan
over the past year. “The US-Pakistan military-to-military relationship
continues to improve. Key contributing factors are our Foreign
Military Financing (FMF), international military education and
training, and the Coalition Support Fund.” “We also prioritised
our security cooperation at the Defense Consultative Group Conference
with the goal to help Pakistan to build additional capacity
in support of their counter-insurgency and CT operations and
other common objectives.”
Further, he said that while
militants were present in the border areas, Pakistan had been
taking action against them. “Violent extremist organisations,
to include the remnants of core al Qaeda, continue to operate
in Pakistan’s FATA and, to a lesser extent, parts of eastern
Afghanistan.” He added that these groups threaten regional stability,
plan attacks against the US and partner interests, and pursue
WMD with Taliban insurgency continuing to present a credible
threat to the Afghan Government.
“We are encouraged by (Pakistan)
leaderships’ commitment to counter-insurgency operations in
the FATA and openness to improve relations with Afghanistan,”
he said, adding, “The Pakistani military’s recent operations
to clear militant strongholds in North Waziristan and other
FATA regions and to prevent the militants’ return have achieved
near-term successes. However, Pakistan will likely continue
to face the threat of VEOs for the foreseeable future.”
During a roundtable organised
by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington, Pakistan’s Ambassador
to the US Jalil Abbas Jilani said that a formal announcement
on outlawing the Haqqani Network it still under consideration.
“These are the kind of issues that are in the works, I would
say,” Jilani said, when asked on a timeline for a formal announcement
on the subject. Earlier in January 2015 Pakistani officials
had said that Islamabad had decided to outlaw the militant group
and that a formal announcement would come “within weeks."
Jilani told reporters that as
US troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan’s eastern border,
they had seen increased militant activity, adding that a slower
drawdown “would be viewed very positively in Pakistan.” He
added that Pakistan has had to depute more soldiers on its Western
border, boosting numbers from 145,000 to nearly 177,000 in a
bid to control cross-border militancy. This has meant fewer
troops were available for carrying out an offensive in North
Waziristan Agency of FATA.
Former Federal Minister Lieutenant
General (retired) Abdul Majeed Malik has disclosed in his book
Ham Bhi Wahan Mojod Thay (I was also present there) that former
President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf kept former Army
Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in the dark while carrying
out the Kargil Operation in 1999.
He has written that at the time
of Kargil Operation, General Kayani was heading 12 Division
that was responsible to guard Kashmir. However, General Musharraf
did not keep Kayani in the loop, who later opposed the operation.
He said Musharraf was entirely responsible for the operation
and he did not even brief the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
about his plans. He has disclosed that General Musharraf called
his Chief of General Staff from China to seek details of the
briefing given to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Kargil Operation
– a briefing that was tapped by Indian intelligence agencies.
It was a grave breach of security to discuss such a sensitive
issue on telephone call, Malik wrote.
Pakistan’s military leadership
reviewed prevalent internal and external security situation
of the country including progress of ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb
at the 180th Corps Commanders' Conference, held at General Headquarters
in Rawalpindi and chaired by CoAS General Raheel Sharif. The
meeting dwelt at length on various professional matters. The
participants also under took a comprehensive review of operational
preparedness besides prevalent internal and external security
situation of the country including progress of ongoing operation
Zarb-e- Azb.
Pakistan and India agreed to
end the tension on the LoC and Working Boundary and narrow down
the differences in “a spirit of friendship and cooperation”.
Indian Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar called on Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif, Adviser to PM on National Security and
Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Special Assistant to PM on Foreign
Affairs Tariq Fatemi after one-on-one and delegation-level talks
with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry. This was
the first interaction between the two sides after 2012. The
Indian foreign secretary handed over a letter from Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to Nawaz Sharif. Nawaz welcomed the meeting
between the two foreign secretaries in Islamabad and hoped that
the process would continue. He underlined the importance of
enhanced cooperation among the SAARC member states.
Pakistan said when both the
countries were ready, future meetings could be planned by remaining
in contact. Bilateral and regional issues, including those of
common concern like Jammu and Kashmir, Sir Creek, Siachen Glacier,
water issues, tension at the LoC and Working Boundary and terrorism,
found place in the discussions held at the Foreign Office. “Both
sides raised concerns and this visit is an ice-breaking development,”
commented the spokesperson at the Foreign Office. Jaishankar
said that the talks were held in a constructive and positive
atmosphere, where he reiterated India’s concerns on cross border
terrorism, including on the Mumbai case and emphasised that
ensuring peace and tranquility on the border was vital.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that it
was important to establish good neighbourly and cooperative
relations between India and Pakistan. Nawaz said this was consistent
with his vision of a peaceful neighbourhood in South Asia. He
expressed confidence that the talks between the foreign secretaries
of the two countries would result in charting the way forward
in their bilateral relations. The PM said both the countries
needed to open a new chapter in their relationship by working
towards resolving their outstanding issues through dialogue,
said a press release issued by the PM Office.
March 4
Two persons, including the General
Secretary of ASWJ, identified as Dr Muhammad Fayaz, and his
driver, were killed when unidentified militants opened fire
at his vehicle near Paracha Chowk in Sher Shah locality of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
A senior Shia lawyer, who was
also a counsel for several activists of the MQM, identified
as Advocate Ali Hasnain Bukhari, was shot dead by two unidentified
militants in Korangi Town. A MQM spokesperson said that Bukhari
was a party worker and added that the killing was the fourth
incident of its kind during the past week. The MQM Rabita Committee
condemned the incident and said in a statement that the killing
of party workers had become routine.
Lyari Town traders protested
outside the Sindh Assembly against the deteriorating law and
order situation in their neighbourhood, including extortion
and threats from Lyari gangsters. Major markets and bazaars
in the area remained shut as traders and residents held the
protest. Shopkeepers from Jhat Pat Market, Gharib Shah Market,
Chakiwara Market, Kumbharwara, Green Timber Market and goods
transporters shut their business for the day to demonstrate
against extortion and threats.
A gas pipeline was blown up
in Zainkoh area of Loti in Dera Bugti District. According to
Levies sources, an explosive device was detonated under the
pipeline, suspending gas supply to a purification plant from
well No-7. “A several feet long portion of the 18-inch diameter
pipeline was destroyed,” the sources said.
The KP Police, during the ongoing
search and strike operation throughout the province, arrested
425 suspects. According to a press release, during snap checking
at 129 checkpoints, 314 suspects were held and 17 arms of different
kind and 209 cartridges of different bore were also recovered.
During action against unregistered Afghans, a total of 38 people
were detained and 31 cases registered against them. Similarly,
hate martial was also seized and one case registered against
the accused.
A Pakistani national, identified
as Abid Naseer (28), was convicted on US charges of conspiring
with al Qaeda to bomb targets in Europe and the US. Naseer was
found guilty by a Federal Jury in Brooklyn for providing material
support to al Qaeda and conspiring to use a destructive device.
Naseer remained expressionless as the jury returned the verdict
after less than two days of deliberations. He faces life in
prison.
US prosecutors said Naseer led
an al Qaeda cell plotting to bomb a shopping center in Manchester,
England, in April 2009. The proposed attack was one of three
plots affiliated al Qaeda cells were working on, along with
attacks against the New York City subway system and a Copenhagen
newspaper, prosecutors said.
Naseer was convicted nearly
six years after he was first arrested in a British anti-terrorism
operation. While British authorities never charged Naseer, he
was later indicted in the US and extradited in 2013. Naseer
represented himself at trial. Representing himself in the trial,
Naseer, a self-described semi-professional cricket player, denied
any affiliation with al Qaeda or any plot. His court-appointed
legal adviser said he would appeal.
Prosecutors said Naseer, who
wrote in coded emails, using women’s names for bomb ingredients
and describing the attack as a wedding. Prosecutors used never-before
publicised documents seized from the 2011 raid in Pakistan that
killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as part of their case
against Naseer and testimony from British MI5 officers who conducted
surveillance on him.
Security around the University
of Engineering and Technology (UET) in provincial capital Lahore
was put on high alert by Police after the University received
a threatening letter from the militant group Islamic State (IS
or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS). The letter threatened
to attack the University with a suicide attack or a series of
bombings, according to a Police Officer. UET public relations
officer Dr Tanvir Qasim confirmed the letter had been received
via posted mail from an unidentified source. However, he said
the contents of the letter were unknown to him. UET sources
claim the letter was received on March 4 from unknown sources
claiming to be from IS, threatening to attack hotels and the
university campus after which security within the UET campus
was put on high alert.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG)
Lahore Dr Haider Ashraf said security around the university
has been increased with increased patrolling and checkpoints.
However, he added that the letter could be a hoax, but this
can only be ascertained after an investigation. Ashraf said
till then, the threat would be taken seriously.
Four militants who escaped in
the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) jailbreak on February 26, 2015, had
brainwashed prison officials into helping them successfully
escape, BBC Urdu that spoke with the investigation team said.
During the jailbreak, one prisoner was shot dead while another
was injured, whereas two managed to escape successfully.
Following the incident, authorities
rounded up three head wardens, five wardens, one FC official,
one Police Official and a dispensary in-charge. A member of
the G-B jailbreak investigation team said that the prisoners
had developed close ties with jail officials posted outside
their barracks. They told them their reasons for taking arms
against institutions and individuals who opposed their ideological
viewpoint.
The officer said that the investigation
also showed that the prisoner’s aides were also in contact with
jail officials and “took care of their needs.” It was also learnt
that jail officials who were taken into custody were on duty
outside the prisoners’ barracks continuously for the past three
months. It was therefore established that security arrangements
were deliberately kept lax at the jail premises so that the
prisoners could escape easily.
The investigators said on March
1 that it was the fear of being sentenced to death by a military
court that spurred the four militants to risk a jailbreak. In
his statement to the police, an injured Dilbar, who was among
those attempting to escape from Gilgit District Jail, said he
and his accomplices were certain of a death sentence. “This
forced them to risk their lives,” said one of the unnamed investigators.
March 5
Foreign Office Spokesperson
Tasneem Aslam said in Islamabad that the terrorism is a menace
that any country alone cannot fight and required cooperation
of all countries. The Spokesperson said menace of terrorism
is a problem that affects everyone, particularly this region.
She said Pakistan has suffered the most and it has done more
than any other country to counter terrorism and we expect similar
role from other countries. She said there are reports and also
investigations about the number of incidents took place in India.
She also added that it is not a good approach to immediately
blame others, on terrorism incidents. First investigations
should be conducted.
March 6
Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz
Bugti while addressing a press conference at Frontier Corps
Madadgar Centre at Khoila Pathak said that SF foiled a bid to
sabotage the Pakistan Day celebrations and arrested three suspects,
recovering a huge cache of arms from their custody from Hazar
Ganji area of Provincial capital Quetta and from Chaman area
of Qilla Abdullah District. The Balochistan Home Minister said
that following a tip-off the forces launched a search operation
in the said areas and recovered the arms and explosive material.
“We arrested three militants from Chaman, possibly having links
with TTP, and some from Hazar Ganji area of the provincial capital,
having links with the banned religious and nationalist organisations,”
he said.
Bugti said militants are working
for other countries and involved in the killing of innocent
people. He said they were planning to execute an attack on March
23, 2015, but the SFs arrested them after successful operations.
Many militants, he claimed, have moved to the tribal areas of
Balochistan, especially the Pashtun belt after the operation
Zarb-e-Azab against militants’ hideouts in North Waziristan,
adding that however there would not be any place for them to
hide.
According to a statement issued
by the ISPR, one TTP militant, identified as Sargana Rasool
Khan, was arrested in an information-based operation (IBO) carried
out by SFs near Sarai Naurang in Bannu District. The ISPR statement
added that Rasool Khan was involved in terrorist activities
across the Province and the FATA. The SFs also recovered three
fake passports, 100 CNICs and a cache of arms from his possession.
The US State Department Spokesperson
Marie Harf said that US was encouraged by Indian Foreign Secretary
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan on March 3, 2015,
in a sign of thawing relations between the Islamabad and New
Delhi. She said that the US welcomed the visit. “We certainly
were encouraged that they (India and Pakistan) decided to resume
dialogue,” Harf stated, adding, “Both India and Pakistan stand
to benefit from practical cooperation and an improved relationship.”
She added that better ties would be “good for regional peace
and stability in South Asia” “In general, obviously, we (US)
think cooperation is a good thing.”
The team of four law enforcers
who have been in Dubai for the past one month for the extradition
of PAC leader Uzair Jan Baloch might have to return quickly
as their visas are about to expire, AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo said.
The team, led by SSP Naveed Khwaja, left for Dubai on February
5, 2015, after the Federal Ministry for Interior directed the
Federal and Provincial authorities to conclude Uzair Baloch’s
case within a week.
So far, the leader of the proscribed
group has not appeared before a judge in Dubai, though the authorities
sounded positive that the four-member team of law enforcers
could “very soon” get his custody from the UAE court. “We have
done everything on our part. And at the moment we fear that
the Police team’s visa might expire soon that might delay the
process,” the Karachi Police Chief said, adding that they were
“well equipped” to deal with the PAC leader’s case in Dubai
as they had submitted all the evidence and case details to the
authorities and were awaiting his appearance in the court and
a judgment.
The DIG Sanaullah Abbasi while
speaking to journalists at the CPLC office in Hyderabad District
of Sindh said that extrajudicial killings and other actions
cannot be justified officially but society has come to accept
this ‘modus operandi’ of Police to eradicate crimes and make
streets safer. “It is not necessary for an encounter to be seen
as genuine only if a Policeman loses his life in it. You can
see Police have restored peace and order in the city (through
this modus operandi)…,” he said.
Asked if ‘half fry and full
fry formula’ used by policemen to refer to a particular treatment
meted out to arrested suspects in proportion to severity of
their crimes, did not amount to extrajudicial actions, the DIG
said he could confidently say that society had come to accept
the ‘formula’. The terms ‘half fry’ and ‘full fry’ are commonly
used by police to mean if officers are convinced the arrested
suspects are involved in crimes they will be shot in the leg
to render them disabled before sending them to jail. It had
gained notoriety during the tenure of SSP Farid Jan Sarhandi.
SSP Irfan Baloch who was also
present at the briefing said that over the past three months,
73 suspects were arrested after they fell injured in encounters
with Police. “Remember, none of them [suspects] can obtain bail.
We have made a strong case to ensure they were denied any chance
of getting bail,” he said.
The Government of Pakistan lifted
an unannounced ban on executions in all cases other than terrorism
since that has already been implemented in the aftermath of
December 16, 2014, Peshawar school attack. The Federal Government
has informed PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan and all four Provincial Governments
in this regard. According to the order by the Federal Ministry
of Interior, over 1,000 convicts would be hanged across the
country.
March 7
Two TTP militants were killed
in a Police encounter in the area behind the new Sabzimandi
off the Superhighway in Sohrab Goth locality of Gadap Town.
Malir SSP Rao Anwar identified one of the deceased TTP militants
as Shahzad Ali. He had been arrested in Charsadda District of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in murder and other cases and sent to the
Dera Ismail Khan prison from where he had escaped along with
174 other inmates during July 30, 2013 jail break. The Police
claimed to have recovered two pistols from their possession.
The Chief of Pakistan Army staff
General Raheel Sharif visited the Corps Headquarters in Peshawar
where he was briefed on progress made in the ongoing Zarb-i-Azb
and Khyber-1 operations. The Army Chief was also briefed on
the security situation in KP and FATA.
March 8
Three TTP militants were shot
dead and one Policeman was injured in retaliatory firing in
Manghopir area of Gadap Town in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. According to details, Police party on its routine
patrol on Ijtimahgah road near Medina restaurant came under
attack by suspected militants. ASI Imran got wounded in the
attack, said Manghopir Police Station SHO Ghulam Hussain Korai.
The police returned fire and killed three militants, while their
three accomplices escaped. The Police claimed to have seized
a Kalashnikov and two pistols from their possession.
Three Lyari-based gangsters,
identified as Abdul Rehman, alias Lamba, alias Goinda Alishan,
alias Shan and Subhan, alias Grenade, were killed during a targeted
raid conducted by Police on a suspected hideout of gangsters
in Jatoi Para in Baghdadi area of Lyari Town. “They were involved
in 30 cases of killing, extortion and kidnapping,” said City
SSP Fida Hussain. The dead belonged to the gang of Kamran, alias
Kamo Laasi.
The paramilitary force killed
two alleged abductors, identified as Ziarat Gul and Amir, during
an intelligence-based targeted raid in Mussarat Colony of Liaquatabad
Town. The raid was conducted on information about the presence
of suspects allegedly involved in short-term kidnapping-for-ransom
cases.
At least 200 suspected persons,
including 40 Afghan nationals, were arrested in search and strike
operation in the Kohat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The sources
said the Police and other law-enforcement agencies launched
door-to-door search operation in Jangalkhel, Oblan, Cantonment,
Ghamkol, Refugees Camp and Rawalpindi Road. Arms, including
two hand-grenades, eight pistols, 12 guns and hundreds of cartridges,
were seized from them.
The FC Balochistan detained
three suspected militants and recovered weapons from their possession
during a search operation in parts of Dera Bugti District.
Adviser to the Prime Minister
on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz while addressing
the 6th Think Tanks Forum of Islamic Countries in Islamabad
said that all the issues between India and Pakistan need a comprehensive
dialogue process, as there is a lack of trust between the two
countries. The Adviser said Pakistan wants to resolve all the
issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, Siachin, Sir Creek and
other disputes with India through dialogue process.
He further stated that the Pakistan
Government and the Army are on the same page on ties with China,
India and Afghanistan, adds The News. He said the Muslim Ummah
(community) needs to join hands to face the challenges of extremism
and terrorism with a view to improve the perception of Islam
and to settle political disputes.
The FDMA began registering about
3,000 displaced families to be sent back to parts of South Waziristan
Agency. The authority’s coordinator, Omar Mehsud, said the return
journeys of the families would begin on March 16 after completion
of the registration process. A facilitation desk has been set
up in the office of the political agent in Tank where those
wishing to return are being registered. He said the registration
process would continue for three days and families hailing from
Sarwakai and Sararogha tehsils, adjacent to Frontier Region
Tank, would be sent back to their homes.
The authority in collaboration
with political administration has identified six villages in
Sarwakai and 10 villages in Sararogha where these 3,000 families
of Mehsud tribe would be rehabilitated. Around 70,000 families
of Mehsud tribe were forced to leave their homes when Security
Forces launched Operation Rah-e-Nijat against the TTP
in June, 2009. However, a large part of the region dominated
by the Mehsud tribe is still considered as a conflict zone,
which is delaying the return of IDPs to those areas. Displaced
families have been residing in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank Districts
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but a large number of them have also moved
to Karachi and Hyderabad.
The Police arrested three Afghan
nationals for extortion in Abbottabad town of same District
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and recovered the money they had taken
from a local trader. Ejaz Ahmed, in-charge of Counterterrorism
Department of Abbottabad Police, said that Haji Sultan, a businessman,
informed Mir Pur police that he had been receiving telephone
calls from unknown miscreants demanding PKR 10 million as extortion
from him. The official said the Police in a raid on a restaurant
on Mansehra road arrested three Afghans identified as Shafiullah,
Ibrahim and Amanullah presently residing in Afghan refugee camp
in Haripur. PKR 300,000 extortion money and three pistols were
recovered from them.
Iran announced it will send
a delegation to Pakistan to seek the extradition of Jaish al-Nasr
'commander' Abdo-Sattar Rigi, who Tehran claims was arrested
by Pakistani Security Forces last week. However, the officials
in Islamabad said that it was Jaish al-Adl head Abdul Salam
Rigi and not Abdo-Sattar who was arrested while travelling on
Taftan-Quetta highway in Balochistan. “So far, a delegation
has not been sent to Pakistan to pursue the case,” Iran’s Deputy
Interior Minister Hossein Zolfaqari said. “[But] we have asked
the Foreign Ministry to make the necessary arrangements,” he
said. “If the Pakistani Government agrees, a delegation will
be sent to pursue the case of Abdo-Sattar Rigi,” the Minister
added.
Earlier on March 4, 2015, Iran’s
Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli announced Tehran was
carrying out legal procedures to extradite Abdo-Sattar. “Based
on laws, Pakistan should also cooperate with us in the extradition
[of Abdo-Sattar],” he said. The statement came after the chief
of the Interpol bureau in Iran, Brigadier General Massoud Rezvani,
announced that Abdo-Sattar Rigi had been arrested in Pakistan.
“Based on our information, he is [Abdolmalek] Rigi’s cousin,
and a red alert has been issued for him,” Rezvani said. But
officials in Islamabad said that the suspect arrested was Salam
Rigi, a cousin of Jundullah 'chief' Abdolmalek Rigi, confirming
reports circulated by Pakistan’s media. According to the reports,
Salam was arrested after security forces intercepted the bus
he was travelling in some 50 kilometers from Quetta. Iranian
officials, however, maintained that it was Abdo-Sattar Rigi
who was arrested. They claimed he was carrying Salam’s ID card
at the time.
March 9
Four TTP militants, including
'chief' and deputy chief', were killed and three SFs were injured
during an encounter conducted by Police and Rangers in Sector
10 of Surjani Town in Gadap Town of provincial capital Karachi.
The injured included two Rangers personnel and one Police constable,
identified as Usman. Police claimed to have seized a suicide
jacket, two grenades and four pistols from their possession.
According to officials, Tariq Khan alias Chota Abid, said to
be the 'chief' of the TTP's Khan Sajna group in Karachi, was
killed along with his 'deputy chief' Rehmanuddin alias Lala,
Amjad Khan and Sardar Rab Khan.
An unidentified man shot dead
near Madina Hotel in Manghopir area of Gadap Town.
One Mousa (50) was shot at and
injured near Madina Bakri in Nai Abadi area of Baldia Town.
A man, identified as Abdullah
(40) was shot and injured near Mezail Chowk in Ittehad Town
of Baldia Town.
The IGP Ghulam Haider Jamali
while speaking to journalists at a reception hosted by Shikarpur
SSP Saqib Ismail Memon said that the Sindh Police and other
Law Enforcement Agencies were making joint efforts to curb terrorism
and other criminal activities including kidnapping for ransom
and extortion across the province in general and Karachi in
particular. He said action was being taken against all terrorists
and criminals without considering their political or religious
affiliation. He claimed that a remarkable reduction in heinous
crimes was noted after launching of operations in Shikarpur,
Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro and other areas.
Sindh Police chief during a
press conference held in the office of the Sukkur DIG said that
the law and order situation in Karachi had registered a significant
improvement due to the Rangers-led operation, which would continued
until lasting peace was restored to that city.
Two Policemen, identified as
ASI Sultan Muhammad and constable Ejaz Ahmed, were killed by
unidentified militants while patrolling a neighourhood in Batao
area of Nushki District.
A woman, identified as Shahari
Sawali (70), was killed in IED explosion on main Oshab Road
in Turbat District. No outfit claimed responsibility for the
attack.
Diamer local Police arrested
31 Afghan nationals, including women and children, for staying
illegally in the District and sent them to Peshawar, the provincial
capital of KP. Diamer Superintendent of Police Rauf Qaiserani
said that the arrested Afghan nationals had been shifted to
a refugee camp in Peshawar. Earlier, Gilgit-Baltistan Government
had ordered all Afghan nationals living in Diamer District to
leave the region voluntarily, or they would be shifted to refugee
camps in KP.
He also said that Police accompanied
by Diamer Deputy Commissioner Usman Ahmad also conducted search
operation in Chilas District jail and recovered cell phones,
knives and other instruments from prisoners. He said that jail
officials had been directed to step up security at the jail.
The Islamabad High Court upheld
the death sentence of Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of former
Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, and struck down terrorism charges.
Qadri was a bodyguard of Taseer and was convicted of shooting
him dead in Islamabad on January 4, 2011. Anti-Terrorism Court
handed down double death sentences for murder and terrorism
to Qadri in late 2011. He appealed the sentences, but IHC upheld
the murder sentence - though it struck down the sentence for
terrorism. Judges Noorul Haq Qureshi and Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui
dismissed the appeal over the murder charge. But they also set
aside Qadri’s conviction on terrorism charges, which means it
is highly unlikely he will be sent to the gallows any time soon.
Qadri’s lawyer Mian Nazeer said
they had not yet decided about appealing the Supreme Court,
but were pleased with the ruling on the terrorism charges. “We
have got relief by this decision. Charges against Qadri under
provision seven of Anti-Terrorism Act have been dropped,” Nazeer
said.
Several religious parties staged
a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club in support of
Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of former Punjab Governor Salman
Taseer, whose death sentence was upheld by the Islamabad High
Court. Speaking to the protesters, ST leader Mohammed Shahid
Ghori said they would be compelled to take an extreme action
if the decree was implemented. He said that the support extended
by some lawyers to him showed that the killing of the former
Governor was correct. JUP leader Qazir Ahmed Noorani said that
those who had called Qadri a terrorist would be taken to task.
A senior Afghan lawmaker warned
President Ashraf Ghani about relying on Pakistan to help broker
peace talks with the Taliban, citing what he said was Islamabad’s
history of supporting the insurgents. “I am in support of peace
and stability in Afghanistan, but I don’t have much faith in
Pakistan’s honesty over peace talks,” said Speaker of the Upper
House of Parliament Fazil Hadi Muslimyar, adding, “President
Ashraf Ghani must have a guarantee from Pakistan that if the
Taliban enter into negotiations, Pakistan will not use other
militants as proxies [to fight against Afghanistan]."
A former National Security Adviser
in the last Government, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, said that he supported
the peace initiative, but also had concerns about Pakistan’s
role in the process. “Pakistan’s military and its intelligence
agency are the forces behind the Taliban, and that prevents
me from being hopeful,” Spanta said.
According to authorities, the
Islamic State (also known as Daish or Islamic State of Iraq
and Syria -ISIS/IS), has significant presence in Pakistan through
a website managed by terrorist group TTP. Amid confusion and
a struggle to remove a legal lacuna to deal with cyber crime-related
issues, relevant authorities have been reluctant to block the
terrorist groups’ propaganda website — which, according to security
analysts, is being used as a launching pad for expansion into
Pakistan by the Islamic State and al Qaeda.
At present, a cyber crime wing
in the FIA and a vigilance cell in the PTA exclusively deal
with such violations. However, officials in these wings are
not ready to block the website, citing judicial and administrative
hurdles. The website contains verses from the Holy Quran, jihadi
songs, statements in support of sectarianism and propaganda
material against the Security Forces. It also has pictures of
slain TTP 'chief' Hakimullah Mehsud and 'incumbent chief' Mullah
Fazlullah.
Referring to the controversy,
a senior official in the PTA, Abdul Samad, said that a NGO,
Bolo Bhi, which works for to protect rights of internet users,
took the authority to the Islamabad High Court, which restrained
the Inter-Ministerial Committee from functioning. The Committee
decides if a website should be accessed or blocked in Pakistan.
Bolo Bhi’s counsel Babar Sattar argued that the workings of
the Committee had been non-transparent and dubious. He maintained
that policy is not a law through which websites had been blocked.
State Minister for Information
Technology Anusha Rehman said that the cyber crimes bill 2015
(Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill) is being thoroughly reviewed
in order to make it consistent with the NAP. This is so that
it can cater to the growing needs of the drastically changing
and challenging scenario in the wake of an increase in terrorism
in the cyber space, said Rehman.
Islamic State (also known as
Daish or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria -ISIS/IS) supporters
have launched their own version of Facebook, named ‘Khelafabook’.
The homepage of the social networking site shows the map of
world with an IS logo over all continents. However, Khelafabook,
which resembles Facebook, is currently down. The message on
the site’s main page reads that the site has been temporarily
shut down to protect the identity and information of its members.
The site claimed that it is an independent organisation and
is not sponsored by the Islamic State. The purpose of launching
the website is to allow the group and its supporters to communicate
after numerous pro-IS accounts were suspended on social networking
sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, a message on the site read.
According to a study conducted
by the Brookings Institution, at least 46,000 Twitter accounts
are linked to supporters of the lS. The study found that even
though many accounts were suspended by the messaging platform,
the number remained high. “From September through December 2014,
the authors estimate that at least 46,000 Twitter accounts were
used by IS supporters, although not all of them were active
at the same time,” the report said.
In order to step up action against
hardcore criminals and militants, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police
have established three zones of the CTD with an immediate effect
to cover almost all areas of the province. The CTD was earlier
known as the DCT, which would only gather intelligence information
and pass it to the Districts and other units of Police force
for further action.
According to a Police Department
notification issued on March 8, the decision of establishment
of three zones was taken to harness the activities of CTD and
bring conformity in its action against outlaws in the province.
Each zone will be supervised by an officer of the rank of SSP/SP.
The zone-1, to be called northern zone, will consist of all
Districts of Hazara and Malakand regions, while central zone
(zone-II) will include the Peshawar and all Districts of Mardan
region. All Districts of Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan regions
will be part of the Southern Zone i.e zone-III.
It was stated that now coordinated
efforts would be made against the militants, kidnappers, extortionists
and target killers hiding in the far-off areas of the province.
The statement added that the CTD personnel arrested 93 alleged
hardcore criminals, which included 49 terrorists, eight kidnappers,
29 extortionists and seven target killers in operations conducted
during the last fortnight in different parts of the province.
It said that the terrorists also included a commander of an
outlawed outfit involved in different bomb blast attacks. The
CTD also recovered a big cache of arms and ammunition from the
arrested outlaws.
March 10
Four TTP militants and a Policeman,
identified as Constable Said Muhammad, were killed, while six
Policemen, including a DSP, sustained injuries in an exchange
of fire that continued for more than three hours in Shewa village
of Razaar tehsil in Swabi District. The militants used
hand-grenades in the clash. Heavy gunfire was also reported
in the clash. Two of the militants were identified as Salman
and Bilal belonging to Shewa village while the identity of others
was being confirmed. The Government had already fixed PKR 2
million head-money over 'commander' Salman.
Unidentified militants hurled
a hand grenade at the residence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Revenue
Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in Cantonment Police area of
Dera Ismail Khan District. Gandapur belongs to the PTI. However,
no casualties were reported. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack.
The CTD, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
officials said that they arrested two suspected militants, identified
as Subhanullah and Rafiullah, from Peshawar. The two were shifted
to an unknown place for an interrogation. He said that the militants
were involved in the attack on the office of a Government Department
at Torkham border and the other Rafiullah was the ringleader
of a kidnapper’s gang.
Judge Saleem Jan Khan of a local
ATC acquitted two suspected militants, Naeemullah Khan and Niaz
Mohammad, arrested by local Police for possessing explosives
and intending to carry out terrorist activities. He pronounced
the order observing that the prosecution didn’t prove charges
against Naeemullah Khan, a resident of Bajaur Agency of FATA
and Niaz Mohammad, a resident of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The prosecution alleged that
the accused were arrested by the police on November 6, 2014
in Achini area in the jurisdiction of Sarband Police Station,
Peshawar. It added that the Police recovered six hand grenades
during the body search of the two. An FIR was registered against
them by the CTD under Section 5 of Explosive Substance Act and
Section 7 of the ATA. Shabir Hussain Gigyani, lawyer for the
defence, said his clients were falsely implicated in the case
and that the two were taken into custody by an Intelligence
Agency few weeks before the registration of the case against
them.
At least two Policemen, identified
as ASI Riyasat Ali and head constable Saeed, were shot dead
and another constable, identified as Jahangir, was injured when
unidentified armed assailants opened fire at their van stationed
near Rimpa Plaza on M.A Jinnah Road in Saddar Town of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. The attackers shot both the
victims in head using 9mm pistols, said Raja Umer Qatab, the
head of the Anti-Terrorism Cell of the CID.
Head constable Shakeel was killed
and another Mujahid was injured when unidentified militants
opened fire on them near Pakistan Chowk in Aram Bagh area of
Saddar Town. Officials said that initial investigation revealed
that the suspected attacker waited for the Policemen to arrive
before he opened fire on them. "From the initial investigation,
it appears that both incidents were carried out by the same
group," said DIG South Abdul Khaliq Sheikh.
Two persons, identified as Nasir
Baloch and Saddam Sudeer Baloch, died in Police custody under
mysterious circumstances in Turbat District. According to a
senior official the suspects were arrested on the night of March
9, 2015 form Sangani Sar area of the District. They had been
locked up inside the guard room, not the legal or authorized
detention place. Nasir Baloch hailed from Panjgur District while
Saddam Sudeer Baloch hailed from Turbat District.
Unidentified armed militants
opened fire at an unidentified Levies official in Maizai Addah
area of Quilla Abdullah District, killing him on the spot.
A Levies Constable, identified
as Amanullah, was shot dead by unidentified militants in Sanjavi
area of Ziarat District. The attackers managed to escape unhurt
from the spot. No outfit claimed responsibility for the two
attacks.
A District And Sessions Court
in Islamabad issued a bailable arrest warrant for former President
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf in the 2007 murder case of
Lal Masjid cleric Ghazi Abdul Rasheed. Rejecting all four applications
of the suspect, Additional District and Sessions Judge Wajid
Ali Khan issued a warrant for him because he had failed to appear
in court for his hearing. Musharraf’s counsels have been trying
to avoid a court appearance citing ill health and security fears.
They had also challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the
matter, maintaining that the case was pending in the Supreme
Court and a hearing should not be conducted until the apex court’s
verdict.
In the first application the
counsels had said the Additional District and Sessions Judge
had no jurisdiction to hear the case and it should be sent back
to the judicial magistrate. In the second plea they had requested
the Court to defer the case until the apex court’s verdict in
the Lal Masjid case. The third application stated that the court
could not summon Musharraf because the Police had placed his
name in the second column of the charge sheet submitted in the
court. In the final plea the legal team had maintained that
Musharraf could not appear before the court because of security
threats and ill health.
Issuing the warrant, the Court
directed the Police not to arrest Musharraf if he assured through
surety bonds that he would appear in court for the next hearing
to take place on April 2, 2015.
According to a new interactive
infographic unveiled by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
that was founded in 1945 by University of Chicago scientists,
Pakistan had about 120 atomic weapons, 10 more than India, in
its nuclear arsenal in 2014. The Nuclear Notebook Interactive
Infographic provides a visual representation of the Bulletin’s
famed Nuclear Notebook, which since 1987 has tracked the number
and type of the world’s nuclear arsenals. Having reached a peak
of over 65,000 in the late 1980s, the number of nuclear warheads
has dropped significantly to a little over 10,000, but more
countries now possess them, it shows.
According to the infographic,
the US and Russia both have about 5,000 weapons each. France
has 300, China possesses 250, the UK, 225 and Israel 80. North
Korea has only conducted nuclear tests in the years 2006, 2009
and 2013. “I don’t think people truly understand just how many
of these weapons there are in the world,” said Rachel Bronson,
Executive Director of the Bulletin.“The Interactive is a way
to see, immediately, who has nuclear weapons and when they got
them, and how those numbers relate to each other. It is a startling
experience, looking at those comparisons.”
Files recovered from slain al
Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad (KP) reveal
that the Prime Minister’s brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif, sought to strike a peace deal with the TTP through al
Qaeda. The files were revealed in terror convict Abid Naseer’s
trial by a Brooklyn jury on March 4, 2015. One of the files
is a letter written by Atiyah Abd al-Rahman (Mahmud), who was
then the 'general manager' of al Qaeda, to Osama bin Laden (identified
as Sheikh Abu Abdallah) in July 2010. The letter reveals a complicated
nexus involving al Qaeda, TTP, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif, and the ISI.
According to one letter from
Rahman, one of bin Laden’s top deputies, dated July 2010, Bin
Laden was informed that Shahbaz Sharif wanted to cut a deal
with the TTP, whose leadership was close to Bin Laden. The Government
“was ready to reestablish normal relations as long as [the Pakistani
Taliban] do not conduct operations in Punjab.” Attacks elsewhere
in Pakistan were apparently acceptable under the terms of the
alleged proposal.
Rahman’s letter stated that
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif initiated negotiations
with the militant group. In the letter, Rahman informed TTP
commanders Hakeemullah Mehsud and Qari Husayn that Shahbaz Sharif
“sent them a message indicating they [the government] wanted
to negotiate with them, and they were ready to reestablish normal
relations as long as they do no conduct operations in Punjab.”
Rahman clarified that the deal was limited to the “governmental
jurisdiction” of Punjab and did not include Islamabad. “The
government said they were ready to pay any price…and so on,”
the letter states.
According to a report, based
on information available from December 24, 2014 to March 8,
2015, presented to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on March
10, the Government, since the launch of the NAP to rid the country
of extremism and terrorism, has so for executed 24 criminals,
while the Law Enforcement Agencies have arrested about 26,000
suspects on different charges across the country. The report
states that 14 people have been executed in Punjab, seven in
Sindh, one in KP and two in PoK.
The report states that the Security
Agencies conducted 24,844 combing operations all over the country.
Of these, 13,288 operations were conducted in Punjab, 4,252
in Sindh, 5,456 in KP, 66 in Balochistan, 393 in Islamabad,
1,252 in PoK, 54 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 83 in the FATA. The
report states that under the NAP, security agencies arrested
2,519 criminals from Punjab, 4,854 from Sindh 14,165 from KP,
3,427 from Balochistan, 728 from the Islamabad Capital Territory
and nine from PoK, 18 from GB and 176 from FATA and the remaining
from some other areas.
According to the data, around
6,408 Afghan refugees have been deported, including 4,887 from
KP, 798 from Balochistan, one from Islamabad, two from GB and
720 from FATA, whereas 328,034 have been registered.
March 11
SFs claimed to have killed seven
militants during a search operation in the Pir Koh area of Dera
Bugti District. FC spokesman said that seven militants involved
in blowing up gas pipelines and targeting SF were killed during
the operation. The SFs also recovered rocket launchers, IED,
bombs and other weapons were from their possession.
One MQM worker, identified as
Waqas Ali Shah, was killed during a Rangers led raid in at Nine-Zero,
the headquarters of MQM in provincial capital Karachi. He was
the member of the party's Central Information Committee. However,
Karachi Police Chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo refuted the claims and
said that Waqas was not killed by the Rangers. MQM leader Aminul
Haque claimed dozens of party workers had been picked up by
the Rangers. “Rangers opened fire killing one of our workers,
Waqas Ali Shah, and wounding a cameraman from a private news
channel,” he added.
Many towns in interior of Sindh
shut abruptly after enraged workers of the MQM took to the streets
in the wake of a predawn raid its headquarters. In Hyderabad,
angry youths burnt tyres on roads in units No-8 and 10 of Latifabad.
The party’s women workers also held a demonstration in unit-7
of Latifabad. A partial strike was observed in Sukkur against
the Rangers’ raid. A complete shutter-down strike was observed
in Mirpurkhas against the raid as all shops and shopping centers
remained closed.
Two unidentified dead bodies
were found from Link Road area near Super Highway in Bin Qasim
Town.
A man, identified as Abdul Majeed
(50), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants near Lyari
General Hospital in Lyari Town.
A man, identified as Mueenuddin
(40), was shot at and injured near Paracha Roundabout in Shershah
area of Kiamari Town.
One Saeed (42) was injured in
firing incident near Choona Depot in Liaquatabad Town.
A man, identified as Najeebullah
(25), was shot at and injured near Banaras Chowk on Manghopir
Road in SITE Town.
The CTD arrested two TTP militants
after an exchange of fire near Hub River View Road Paracha Chowk
in Kiamari Town. The terrorists are expert of laying landmines
and they have been shifted to undisclosed destination for interrogation.
Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the raid on MQM headquarters
was lawfully conducted by Rangers. In a statement, he said that
the raid was carried out on intelligence report, adding that
taking action within the ambit of law was the responsibility
of Police and Rangers. The Minister said that the MQM itself
demanded the ongoing targeted operation against criminals in
Karachi. He said that the prime minister had granted the permission
of carrying out the Karachi operation after the Cabinet’s approval.
Chaudhry Nisar said all political parties were taken into confidence
over the action, adding it was agreed upon that political affiliations
would not come in the way of the operation.
An ATC issued the black warrants
of death row prisoner Saulat Mirza. Mirza is an MQM activist
and is expected to place at 5:30am on March 19, 2015. Mirza
was sentenced to death by an ATC in May 1999 for murdering the
managing director of then named Karachi Electric Supply Corporation
Shahid Hamid, his driver Ashraf Brohi and guard Khan Akbar in
July 1997.
Two extortionists allegedly
demanding PKR1 million from a trader, identified as Muhammad
Ali, in Charsadda District were arrested form Majoki area of
the District. A security official is also said to be their accomplice.
Ali, who runs a medicine business, told Prang Police some extortionists
were calling him and demanding money. Ali also provided Police
with the number from which calls were being made. After receiving
the complaint, Police started investigating the case. Prang
SHO Imran Khan said they conducted a raid in Majoki area and
arrested two extortionists, Attaullah and Fahim. During initial
investigation, the accused disclosed the name of their accomplice,
Nadeem, who is a security official deputed in Mohmand Agency
of FATA.
The TTP extremists in FATA have
long exploited local grievances in order to sustain their activities,
said US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and
Human Rights Sarah Sewall during her presentation on the long-term
US strategy for combating terrorism at the School of Advanced
International Studies in Washington. She argued that weak and
unpopular Governments also create feelings that encourage terrorism.
She noted that over the past 13 years violent extremist movements
had diffused and proliferated, despite continued efforts to
eliminate them. “Increasingly, they have sprung from within
conflicts worldwide. And they have exploited grievances and
divided societies in order to further their own aims,” said
Ms Sewall. “Weak, illegitimate, and repressive governments inadvertently
created opportunities for terrorists to capitalise on popular
resentment.”
She argues that in a repressive
setup, extremists “make common cause” with local insurgents,
the discontented and criminal networks, and operate in poorly
governed territory. In the Pakistan-Afghanistan region, TTP
has long exploited local grievances in the tribal belt in order
to sustain itself, she said.
A Pakistani man, Jahanzeb Malik,
was accused in a deportation hearing in Ottawa of plotting to
bomb the United States consulate and financial buildings in
Toronto. Jahanzeb Malik, who came to Canada as a student in
2004 and was granted permanent residency five years later, was
arrested by a Federal Police Anti-Terror Squad on March 9, 2015.
Rather than file charges, authorities took him before an Immigration
and Refugee Board to seek his deportation to Pakistan, officials
said.
At the hearing, the CBSA alleged
that Malik planned “to build remote controlled bombs to blow
up the US Consulate and other buildings in the financial district
on Toronto.” He also was alleged to have hoped to make a video
of the attack “to encourage others to do the same,” according
to a summary of the case provided by the Immigration and Refugee
Board. The CBSA told the board Malik confessed the plot to an
undercover Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer and tried to
“radicalize” the officer who had befriended him “by showing
him videos apparently of ISIL beheadings.” He also allegedly
took weapons, combat and landmine training in Libya, and told
the officer he was “a personal friend of Anwar Al-Awlaki, the
slain al Qaeda leader in Yemen.” Public.
Police issued a list of 110
most wanted terrorists belonging to various banned outfits and
the top ten terrorists on the list were allegedly involved in
high-profile suicide attacks, besides sectarian violence. One
of the most wanted terrorists, Matiur Rehman, was involved in
the attacks on former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf,
former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and suicide bombing on Sheraton
Hotel, Karachi. He carried PKR 10 million head money.
Mansoor alias Choota Ibrahim
Hasan and Qari Ehsanul Haq alias Shahid were also involved in
the suicide attack on Pervez Musharraf on December 25, 2003,
in Rawalpindi District of Punjab. PKR five million rewards had
been announced for their arrest. The head money on Ikramullah,
who was associated with Baitullah Mehsood group and involved
in the suicide attack that killed former Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto in Rawalpindi, is PKR 2 million.
PKR five million rewards was
announced for providing information leading to arrest of Rana
Mohammad Afzal, who belonged to the Masood Azhar group of the
TTP. He had close links with al Qaeda’s Arab 'commanders'.
March 12
Six BRA terrorists were killed
and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered on
the second day of the operation carried out by the FC in Pir
Koh area of Dera Bugti District. Around 1,000 troops backed
by helicopters took part in the operation. “Security forces
have killed at least 13 militants who were hiding in the gas
field when they refused to surrender,” said a FC spokesman Manzoor
Ahmed. There was no loss on security forces side, he added.
Provincial Home Minister Sarfraz
Bugti said the militants were members of the BRA. “We have evidence
that they were members of the BRA and were terrorists,” he said,
adding, “We took this action for peace in the region and we
will act against the miscreants wherever we get information
about them.”
Two persons were killed and
eight others were injured during firing at a checkpoint jointly
manned by the Police and Army near Gora Qabristan on University
Road of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
in the morning. Cantonment SP Rana Umar Farooq said that an
attacker armed with a TT Pistol fired at a sentry manning the
post. “It was rush hour and the check post was crowded with
lots of vehicles so a passer-by was killed along with the attacker
while eight others sustained injuries.” The SP said the identity
of the deceased attacker was yet to be established as no ID
card or any other document to identify him was found. “He walked
to the check post and did not come in any vehicle,” Farooq informed.
A triple murder convict, Muhammad
Siddique, was hanged till death in District Jail Toba Tek Singh.
Siddique was convicted for killing three men who were hooting
at a theater dance performance in 2004. The convict was a security
guard at the theatre. It was the first ever hanging at the Toba
Tek Singh District Jail, functional since 2007. ATC, Faisalabad
had found him guilty of murders and awarded death sentence six
times to the convict on May 16, 2005. The convict had submitted
appeals before the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court of
Pakistan, which were rejected subsequently. President of Pakistan
Mamnoon Hussain had also rejected his mercy petition. Following
the rejection of mercy appeal, the ATC had issued his death
warrant.
The TTP splinter group JuA confirmed,
that two of its key ‘commanders’, Maulana Shakeel Ahmed Haqqani,
alias Qari Shakeel, and Dr Tariq Ali, alias Abu Obaidah al-Islamabadi,
had been killed along with two other men in Nangarhar Province
of Afghanistan. In a statement released, the group’s ‘spokesperson’
Ehsanullah Ehsan blames the ISI for their deaths and he warned
that the group will exact revenge. Maulana Haqqani was a key
commander of JuA who the authorities blamed for high-profile
attacks in Mohmand agency of FATA.
Islamabad High Court ordered
the release of LeT 'commander' and alleged mastermind of November
26, 2008 (26/11) Mumbai (Maharashtra) terror attacks, Zakiur
Rehman Lakhvi, declaring his detention illegal. The notification
which was issued by Islamabad’s District Administration was
termed as null and void by Justice Noorul Haq. Lakhvi’s lawyer
Rizwan Abbasi had put forth arguments pertaining to the case,
objecting that all of the statements related to the case were
in Hindi language.
The Islamabad Deputy Commissioner
had issued Lakhvi’s detention orders under the Maintenance of
Public Order on December 18, 2014 immediately after he was granted
post-arrest bail by an ATC). Since then it has been extended
thrice.
The PM Nawaz Sharif said that
the terrorism is the common enemy of Pakistan and Afghanistan,
requiring common endeavors to get it defeated. “Pakistan is
determined to eliminate terrorism at the earliest by exploiting
all available resources. Building stable and cooperative relations
with all the countries in the region, including Afghanistan,
is part of our vision of a peaceful neighborhood and region,”
he said while talking to Afghan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation
Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi, who called on him at the PM House.
Nawaz said with the change of
leadership in Afghanistan, the two countries had started a historic
new phase in their bilateral relations, agreeing to overcome
the past and building a forward-looking relationship based on
mutual trust. “Our focus is on enhanced political engagement,
security and counter-terrorism cooperation, trade and economic
partnership, and regional cooperation. Both the countries have
paid a very heavy price at the hands of terrorism and now we
have launched the Operation Zarb-e-Azb, which has broken the
backbone of terrorist network in the country,” he said. “We
have a commitment not to allow territories to be used against
each other,” he said, adding, “Pakistan is in favour of an Afghan-owned
and Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process.”
The COAS, General Raheel Sharif,
said fleeing terrorists will be chased and eliminated as there
was no place for them to hide now. The Army Chief reaffirmed
the commitment to eliminate all terrorists and rid Pakistan
of all types of terrorism. The COAS, who along with Chief of
the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, visited
the North Waziristan Agency in FATA and said that the ongoing
Operation Zarb-e-Azb would not stop till the job was finished.
They reviewed the progress of
the Operation Zarb-e-Azb and future operational plans besides
meeting troops, Director General ISPR Major General Asim Saleem
Bajwa tweeted on the social media. During the briefing, they
were informed that a new level of unity had been achieved during
the Operation Zarb-e-Azb while efficacy of air power with ground
operations was appreciated. Terrorists are being chased and
hit and there was no place for them to hide, they were told.
The COAS directed all the commanders and civil agencies to prepare
a plan for dignified return of IDPs. The return will commence
on March 17 from the SWA and on March 31 from the NWA.
Appreciating the Sindh Rangers
for their commitment to restore normality in Karachi, provincial
capital of Sindh a day after they raided the MQM headquarters
Nine-Zero, Corps Commander Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar
said that the ongoing targeted operation will continue till
the elimination of the last criminal and target killer, reports
The News. He said the operation should continue till the port
city was purged of terrorists and criminals.
In a detailed briefing, Deputy
General Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar informed the Corps
Commander that the operation was conducted on March 11, 2015,
after confirmed information about the presence of alleged criminals,
target killers and anti-social elements along with a heavy cache
of arms and ammunition. He said the Rangers, in compliance with
the Supreme Court’s orders, arrested the absconding criminals
sentenced to death for their involvement in targeted killings,
while prohibited weapons were recovered from the Khursheed Begum
Memorial Hall and surrounding offices and houses.
The statement further maintained
that those arrested, including the 26 alleged target killers
wanted for more than 50 killings, were presented before an ATC,
while 27 others were designated in various FIRs. “Preventive
detention as well as joint investigation of individuals is also
being procured. The arrested individuals as well as the seized
weapons would be handed over to the city police,” it said.
The LI led by Mangal Bagh has
merged itself into the TTP under a reorganization planned by
militants. According to a statement issued by JuA ‘spokesman’
Ehsanullah Ehsan, the reorganized TTP would consist of members
of his group, LI and the remaining of the TTP. The head of the
new set-up was yet to be named, he added. The TTP disintegrated
last year after a group led by Omar Khalid Khurasani based in
Mohmand Agency revolted against Mullah Fazlullah and formed
his own faction with the name of JuA.
Ehsanullah Ehsan congratulated
what he called “Mujahideen of Pakistan” on the unification of
militant groups. He said the decision was taken at a meeting
attended by Mullah Fazlullah, Omar Khalid Khurasani and Mangal
Bagh. Ehsan said an organising committee had been formed to
constitute a central supreme Shura and an organising
body. Militants announced the unification at a time when SFs
are making significant gains against them in military operations
in North Waziristan and Khyber Agency which were once considered
their strong bastions.
March 13
At least 48 TTP and LI militants
were killed and several others sustained injuries when PAF fighter
aircraft targeted their hideouts in Kukikhel area of Tirah Valley
in Khyber Agency of FATA. The sources said that Khajuri, Akakhel,
Shalobar, Malikdinkhel, Kamarkhel, Qambarkhel and Sepah areas
in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency had been cleared of militants.
At least three gangsters, linked
with Baba Ladla group and identified as Mohammad Hassam, Azhar
alias Buddha, and Waseem Ahmad, were killed in retaliatory fire
after the suspects opened fire on the Rangers in Rexer Lane
of Lyari Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. A
Rangers official was injured in the exchange of gunfire. They
were involved in 23 different cases of murder, extortion and
kidnapping-for-ransom. The criminals had been running their
network for over four years, said a Rangers spokesman.
Rangers arrested 17 suspects
as they carried out a search operation in residential apartments
located in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 18 of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
Several religious parties staged
a sit-in organized by Tanzeemat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, an alliance
of several parties representing the Barelvi School, at the Numaish
traffic intersection on M.A. Jinnah Road in Jamshed Town against
the Islamabad High Court decision to uphold the death sentence
of Malik Mumtaz Qadri in the then Punjab Governor Salman Taseer
murder case. The protesters demanded that the conviction of
the self-confessed killer be reviewed.
At least 58 suspects belonging
to the MQM arrested from Nine Zero on March 11, 2015, were presented
in an ATC, which granted remand of 32. Faisal alias Faisal Mota,
who was sentenced to death in the January 13, 2011, in the murder
case of journalist Wali Khan Babar was also among the 58. Also,
the ATC granted custody of Faisal Mota, Nadir Shah, Shabbir
Mullah, and Amir Ali to Paposh Police on remand till 25 March,
2015. Additionally, Police have requested the remand of 26 suspects
for 14 days.
Unnamed official sources stated
that the Rangers’ raid on MQM's Nine-Zero headquarter is said
to have seriously dented the alleged militant wing of the political
party as the initial interrogations reveal that those arrested
include head of the MQM's militant wing and a set of most dangerous
target killers associated with the party. According to sources
the ammunition seized from Nine-Zero include US and German weapon
together with a M4 rifle that is clearly embossed “Property
of the US government” and lots of bullets used by NATO. These
sources claim that the MQM leader Amir Khan, arrested during
the raid, faces serious charges and alleged to have strong connection
with the target killers and others, involved in heinous crimes,
but arrested during the raid.
MQM leader Wasay Jalil strongly
denied that the MQM ever had any militant wing. He spoke high
of Amir Khan and dubbed him as patriotic and law abiding citizen.
About the weapons recovered, Jalil said the party did own weapon
but all the arms and ammunitions were licensed.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim
Ali Shah while addressing the 87th passing-out parade of the
Sindh Police Saeedabad Police Training College in Baldia Town
said that the ongoing targeted operation was launched in consultation
with the MQM and it had yielded positive results with regard
to elimination of terrorism, targeted killing, kidnapping-for-ransom
and extortion. He said the country was passing through a crucial
period and routine life in Sindh, Karachi in particular, had
been virtually paralysed due to terrorism and lawlessness. He
said that targeted killing, kidnapping for ransom, extortion
and terrorism had emerged as a big challenge for the government.
He claimed that the result of the government’s effective strategy
and coordinated performance of the police and Rangers was evident
from the fact that now there was not a single case of kidnapping-for-ransom,
traders were not receiving any extortion slips and targeted
killing had become almost nonexistent.
Two more death row prisoners,
identified as Akhtar and Muhammad Sajid, were executed in Faisalabad
Central Jail. Akhtar and Sajid, had been found guilty in separate
offences of murder. ATC, Faisalabad had awarded death sentence
to Akhtar in 2001. He had intruded into a house on December
10, 1999 and attempted to rape a woman. The culprit also stabbed
to death the father-in-law of the victim named Manzoor, who
had offered resistance to the culprit. The appeals of the convict
had already been rejected by the Lahore High Court and the Supreme
Court. His mercy appeal was also turned down by the president.
The other death row convict,
Muhammad Sajid, had killed a woman Khursheed Bibi and wounded
her husband Azhar, on March 12, 2000, over a personal feud.
He was awarded death sentence by an ATC court in Faisalabad,
on March 30, 2001. Sajid's petitions were also turn downed by
the superior courts and his mercy appeal had also been rejected
by the President.
The Islamabad High Court cancelled
a detention order against LeT 'commander' and alleged mastermind
of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks (also known as 26/11) Zakiur Rehman
Lakhvi, paving the way for his release. Justice Noorul Haq N
Qureshi ordered that the petitioner be released immediately
if he was not required in any other case. According to details,
an ATC granted post-arrest bail to Lakhvi against PKR one million
sureties on December 18, 2014. Later, the Federal Government
detained him under the Section 3 of MPO, which was extended
on January 18 and February 18 to 30 days each. Lakhvi had challenged
his detention orders, making the Federation of Pakistan as respondent
through the Ministry of Interior and ICT administration. Justice
Qureshi noted that the respondent’s apprehensions about the
release of the petitioner were not substantive. “The allegations
leveled have neither been substantiated by any material as required
by the court nor the same have been appended to the reply submitted
by the respondents,” said Justice Qureshi in the judgment.
Soon after the court’s decision,
New Delhi summoned Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul
Basit to lodge a strong protest against the release orders.
Abdul Basit informed India that the trial of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi
was continuing and the judicial process should be allowed to
take its course. “He may have been granted bail but as you know
the trial continues we are all working to complete the trial.
Let the judicial process take its course,” Basit said.
On the other hand, Pakistan's
Foreign Office also summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner
to lodge protest for what it said unnecessarily highlighting
the issue of release of Lakhvi, reports The News. A Government
official said instead of creating hype and projecting the case
in the media out of proportion India should behave diplomatically
and express concern in diplomatic norms. The official while
giving details of two important incidents, 2008 Mumbai terror
attack and 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings, urged India to allow
the judicial process to be completed.
The US said that it was closely
monitoring developments in Pakistan related to the release orders
of Lakhvi. “We are monitoring reports that an IHC judge suspended
detention orders for the alleged Mumbai attack mastermind,”
US State Department spokesperson, Jen Psaki said, adding, “For
now he remains in prison.” She said that the US hoped Pakistan
would keep its commitment to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai
terrorist attacks to justice, but declined to speculate on the
outcome of the ongoing legal process. “The Government of Pakistan
has pledged its cooperation in bringing the perpetrators – financiers,
and sponsors of the Mumbai terrorist attacks to justice and
we urge Pakistan to follow through on that commitment,” said
Psaki. “Pakistan is a critical partner in a fight against terrorism.
We've certainly seen these reports (of a court granting bail
to Lakhvi), but we can't speculate on the outcome of an ongoing
legal process,” she added.
The authorities have decided
to shift 20 high profile prisoners from Central Jail Gilgit
to different prisons in Punjab in the wake of February 27, 2015,
jailbreak in Gilgit-Baltistan. Sources said that three prisoners
involved in June 22-23, 2013, Nanga Parbat massacre were also
among the 20 inmates, who would be shifted to Punjab jails.
An unnamed official said that
after the jailbreak incident Gilgit Police failed to arrest
the runaway prisoners. “At least 900 security personnel are
taking part in the search operation to trace the runaway prisoners,”
he added. Currently 100 prisoners, including 20 sentenced to
death by Anti-Terrorism Courts, are kept in the Gilgit jail.
He said that the administration feared another jailbreak incident.
“Despite security threats and challenges in the region, it is
difficult to shift under-trial cases of terrorism from Gilgit-Baltistan
to other areas of the country as appearance of witnesses in
the courts in these cases is not easy due to long distance and
security issues along Karakorum Highway,” he said.
An unnamed Police Official of
the investigation wing said that the Lahore Police has received
the geo-fencing information of the suicide bomb blast outside
Police headquarters at Qila Gujjar Singh in Lahore District
on February 17, 2015, which revealed that attackers were receiving
instructions from militants in Afghanistan. The official said
that after the bomb blast the Joint Investigation Team carried
out the geo-fencing of the crime scene which revealed that the
terrorists had been in the Qila Gujjar Singh area for two days
and were in contact with an outfit in Afghanistan from whom
they were taking directions. “The target of the terrorist was
the Police lines which they failed to target with perfection,”
he added. He added that 11 alleged terrorists are in police
detention and we are interrogating them.
The Provincial Police Chief
confirmed that Police Lines was the intended target. “The bomber
wanted to enter Police Lines but exploded prematurely,” IG Punjab
Mushtaq Ahmad Sukehra said. After failing to get into the Police
Lines, the bomber detonated the explosives strapped to his body
in front of a nearby multi-storey building that had offices
of travel agencies.
Almost 275 schools in KP are
non-functional due to a lack of staff, land disputes and security
issues, revealed a report compiled by Government and NGOs working
for education in the Province. According to the report, 15 schools
are closed or non-functional in KP’s Nowshera District, 17 schools
in Mardan District, seven in Swabi District, seven, including
five girls’ schools, in Peshawar, 40 in Mansehra, 37 in Swat
and 14 in Buner District. Likewise, 23 schools are closed in
Haripur, 20 in Upper and Lower Dir, eight in Bannu, four each
in Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Shangrila, Tank and Karak, eleven
in Hangu, two in Chitral, six in Battagram and three in Torghar.
According to the documents,
as compared to the 115 boy’s schools, more than 160 girl’s schools,
including primary, middle and high, are non-functional across
the province. According to the Education Department, more than
3,000 educational institutions were destroyed in earthquakes,
floods and acts of terrorism in the Province. It also said that
majority of these schools have no boundary walls.
March 14
One person was killed and four
others sustained injuries in an explosion in Orangi Town of
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Rescue sources said
the blast took place near Birohi Hotel, however, the nature
of the explosion was not ascertained yet.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor
Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Abbasi unveiled a programme for the return
of IDPs of three tribal agencies. The programme will be implemented
from March 16. Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Abbasi said in the
first phase 40,500 families would go back to SWA, Khyber Agency
and NWA. The Government would pay Rs 25,000 in cash and Rs 10,000
as transportation cost to each household. He said payment of
cash grant to over 300,000 displaced families and compensation
for damaged houses required PKR 80 billion, adding that some
foreign donors had shown willingness to contribute in this regard.
Sardar Mehtab termed the dislocation
of a large number of people from FATA “a great human tragedy.”
According to the breakdown, 2,500 families will return to Sarwakai
and Sararogha tehsils of SWA, 20,000 to Bara tehsil of
Khyber Agency and 18,000 to Mir Ali tehsil of NWA. Repatriation
to SWA will start on March 16, to Khyber on March 20 and to
NWA on March 31. Villages and tehsils, where displaced families
would return, have been identified. The Governor said 29 such
villages in Mir Ali and Akakhel tribe- dominated area in Bara
tehsil had been identified for the return process.
The NADRA has verified 310,729
IDP families from FATA. After the launch of the Operation Zarb-e-Azb,
101,788 families had left NWA and 86,107 had shifted from Khyber
Agency in 2014. As many as 66,978 families had moved from SWA
in 2009 and since then they are waiting for return to their
homes. In reply to a question, the Governor said around 125,000
people of NWA had taken refuge in Afghanistan but most of them
had returned to Pakistan via Kurram Agency. The authorities
are facilitating tribal people coming back from Afghanistan.
The Corps Commander Lieutenant
General Hidayat-ur-Rehman said that terrorist group Daish (also
self-styled as the Islamic State) poses no threat to Pakistan.
General Hidayat said that there was no need to fret about Daish
or its potential emergence in the country. General Hidayat rejected
the notion that the terrorist group was silently spreading across
the country, saying that the Army and Security Forces were in
control of the situation. “For us it’s just a change of name,
and there is no need for Pakistanis to worry. There are several
defections in the Taliban now, which are becoming part of Daish.
But we’re well aware of the situation and are able to tackle
them effectively,” he said.
March 15
At least 15 persons, including
13 Christians and two Policemen, were killed and more than 70
were injured when two suicide bombers attacked two churches
near Youhanabad neighbourhood in Lahore, sparking mob violence
in which two other militants were killed. Youhanabad is home
to more than 100,000 Christians, said officials. TTP-JuA claimed
responsibility for the attack.
Thirteen dead bodies of tribesmen
were found in the deserted mountains of the Shaktai area of
South Waziristan Agency in FATA. Sources said that the bodies
were found by local people in the past couple of days. Malak
Saeed Anwar Mahsud told Dawn by phone from Shaktai that the
deceased hailed from Mandaw village and belonged to Abdalai
and Jalalkhel clans of the Mahsud tribe. 17 tribesmen of Mandaw
village had been missing after a search operation conducted
by SFs from February 12-15 in the Shaktai area. Four of them
were still missing.
The Police recovered and defused
a home-made bomb, which was stuffed in a gunnysack and placed
on a roadside in Gomal area of Tank District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A heavy contingent of Security Forces and Police reached the
spot after the locals informed the Police about the gunnysack,
which had been placed on Tank-South Waziristan Road. They said
a home-made bomb, 7.5 kilogram, was recovered from the gunnysack,
which was defused by the officials of the bomb disposal unit.
At least five Rangers officials
were injured when 30 unidentified militants opened fire using
automatic and semi-automatic weapons on the Basari check post
on Karakoram Highway near Diamer-Bhasha Dam area on the border
of KP and Gilgit-Baltistan. Rangers retaliated with return fire
which forced the attackers to flee, an official of Kohistan
Police said. The injured officials were identified as Hawaldar
Liaquat, Lance Naik Abdul Razzaq, Lance Naik Muhammad Aslam,
Lance Naik Akhtar Hussain, residents of Punjab, and Sub-Inspector
Muhammad Mushtaq.
According to the official, the
Federal Government had recently sent a threat alert to all Provinces
as well as GB, stating militants might attack security forces
or government installations before or on March 23, 2015. The
Federal Government had deployed Punjab Rangers in the area in
order to put an end to the long-standing armed territorial conflict
between tribes of Diamer District of Gilgit and Kohistan District
of KP.
A Rangers spokesperson said
that ambulance services of certain welfare organisations, and
their officials, were involved in the illicit trade of illegal
weapons in the city. An official of the paramilitary force said
that during investigation of arrested suspects, it has been
uncovered that “officials and personnel of certain welfare services
are involved in smuggling and hiding of illegal weapons across
the city”. Through the statement, the paramilitary force warned
that “direct or indirect involvement in smuggling of arms is
a high level crime. All those involved in such illegal practices
will be brought to book under the Sindh Arms Act”. The paramilitary
force had claimed in a statement that one accused Umair Hassan
Siddiqui, allegedly involved in killing of 120 people, was a
key member of the target-killing racket and he became part of
a team when the MQM decided to carry out killings on ethnic
grounds in 2008.
Federal Minister for Information
and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid said that criminals belonging
to any group would not get any relaxation on political basis.
He said that the Law Enforcement Agencies, including Rangers,
had no role in politics and were taking actions according to
the unanimous decisions of the democratically elected Government.
If anybody had complaint regarding the operation in Karachi,
he could approach the independent judiciary, he said and added,
“We do politics of reconciliation and not that of expediency.”
He said if any criminal used the flag and office of any political
party, then it was obligation of that political party to surrender
the person to the law.
“Armed forces, security and
intelligence agencies and police are chasing the terrorists,”
he said, adding that the Government owned the operation in Karachi
and indiscriminate action would be taken to establish peace
in the city and arrest the criminals. “Nobody will be allowed
to indulge in crime on the pretext of religion and politics,”
he warned.
Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan ordered halt to implementation on the
agreements with other countries for exchange of convicted criminals.
An unnamed official of Interior Ministry said in a statement
that it was revealed in the investigations conducted on the
orders of the Interior Minister that in the last many years
Pakistanis involved in dangerous crimes abroad were brought
to Pakistan under these agreements. Then in connivance with
the officers of Interior Ministry and Provincial Governments
these convicts were released illegally. Before formulating any
transparent policy, the interior minister has stopped the Interior
Ministry and FIA from implementing the agreements.
The Minister ordered that the
inquiry regarding the convicts released in the last several
years should be completed in a week and strict action should
be taken against all those persons involved in the illegal activity
and they should be arrested.
March 16
Five alleged gang-war criminals
belonging to the ‘Shiraz Comrade’ group were killed during a
search operation by Police in the Lyari town area of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. Details reveal that around
200 Police officials were carrying out a targeted search operation
in Lyari when they were fired at by gang-war criminals belonging
to the ‘Shiraz Comrade’ group. Police’s retaliation left five
members of the group dead, while two Policemen also received
bullet wounds in the exchange of fire. According to SSP City
Fida Hussain, the slain gangsters were involved in target killing,
extortion, murdering police officials and kidnapping for ransom.
The Sindh Government banned
pillion-riding in the city from March 17 to March 23, keeping
in view the security situation during polio eradication campaign
in Karachi. Officials of the Home Department said the provincial
administration on the advice of the Karachi Police banned pillion-riding
which would be effective from March 17. The ban shall not be
applicable to women, children below the age of 12 years, senior
citizens, journalists, personnel of law-enforcement agencies
and security agencies in uniform and employees of the essential
services.
The founder and leader of the
MQM, Altaf Hussain, categorically declared that the party has
no militant wing and it never patronised criminal elements In
a statement issued from the party’s London Secretariat, the
MQM chief said that the party does not believe in confronting
the law enforcement agencies. He urged the party workers and
office-bearers to follow the MQM’s peaceful and non-violent
policy. He said that the MQM had hundreds of thousands of workers
and if any of them was involved in any criminal activity, he
did not do so as a party policy since the party had zero tolerance
against criminals and crime.
Two persons, a father and his
son, were shot dead by unidentified assailants on Kasi Road
of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. According
to Police, unidentified assailants barged into a home on Kasi
Road and fired a volley of bullets which left two persons dead
instantly. The deceased were identified as Muhammad Umar and
Muhammad Jameel. The assailants managed to flee after the incident.
At least five kilograms of explosives
were also recovered in Manglawar area of Swat by the SFs.
Peshawar Police arrested at
least 604 suspected persons and seized arms and ammunition from
them in search and strike operation continuing under the National
Action Plan, an official communiqué said. It added that 421
houses and 225 hotels were checked and 25 cases were registered
against the violators.
The Police arrested a terrorist
during an early morning search operation conducted in Ghor Ghashi
area of the Attock District in Punjab. According to officials,
the arrested terrorist belonged to a banned organisation and
wanted by police in various cases. The Police also claimed to
have recovered three suicide jackets and eight hand grenades
from his possession.
The Pakistan Army said that
the writ of the Government has been established in Bara area
of Khyber Agency in FATA and announced a successful conclusion
of the Operation Khyber-I. Brigadier Zahid Khan, in-charge of
the military operation in Bara, in a media briefing at the Bara
Training Centre announced a successful end of the operation.
He said that during the third phase of Operation Khyber-I, areas
of Akakhel Jhansi, Dojangi and Gandawa have been cleared of
militants. He said that over 100 militants were killed during
the operation, while around 450 terrorists have been arrested
for their involvement in anti-state activities.
The process of return of the
IDPs of SWA started with giving a send-off to 200 families on
the first day at Kor Qilla area of Tank District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The political administration and Army had made foolproof security
arrangements on the occasion where media was briefed with regard
to issues pertaining repatriation and rehabilitation of the
displaced populace of SWA. Besides the Army, the political administration
in collaboration with the FDMA is facilitating the TDPs on their
return.
March 17
At least three people including
two children were killed and two others wounded when a toy bomb
exploded in a house at Bashigram area of Madyan tehsil of Swat
District in KP. According to Police, the toy bomb killed Zor
Muhammad and his two kids while two children of the same family
were injured. The blast occurred when the child brought a ball-like
shell at home and started playing with it, which exploded.
Two female anti-polio campaign
workers and a Policeman were killed in the Danna area of the
Mansehra District. Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur, DIG, Hazara Range,
said that LHWs Sitara Gul and Kaneez Nargis and Policeman Muhammad
Mushtaq, who was guarding them, came under attack by unidentified
gunmen while administering oral anti-polio vaccine to the children
in Danna.
Senior lawyer Samiullah Afridi,
who represented the incarcerated Dr Shakil Afridi in court cases,
was shot dead in the Mathra area on the outskirts of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of KP. “We have recovered five empties
of 30-bore pistol from the spot. The attackers came on a motorbike,”
SSP, Operations, Dr Mian Saeed Ahmad said.
Militants hurled a grenade at
a mosque in Orangi Town of Karachi in Sindh.
Pakistan hanged 12 male convicts,
Federal Ministry of Interior spokesperson said, the largest
number of people executed on the same day since an unofficial
moratorium on capital punishment was lifted. Three convicts
were hanged in Jhang, two each in Multan, Mianwali, Karachi
and Rawalpindi and one in Dera Ghazi Khan. Twenty-seven people
have been hanged since then, most of them militants, but last
week it emerged that officials had quietly widened the policy
to include all prisoners on death row whose appeals had been
rejected. “They were not only terrorists, they included the
other crimes, some of them were murderers and some did other
heinous crimes,” the Federal Ministry of Interior spokesman
said of the 12 executed at various jails.
March 18
At least 44 militants were killed
and several others sustained injuries when PAF fighter aircraft
pounded their hideouts in Kukikhel, Kamarkhel and Sepah areas
of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA. Official sources
said that fighter aircraft targeted the hideouts of TTP and
LI militants.
A spokesman for the LI, Salahuddin
Ayubi, admitted that there was a heavy bombardment by the air
force in Tirah Valley. However, he maintained that the LI had
taken protective measures and none of its fighters was harmed
in the air strikes. He also claimed that the LI and its new
allies from the TTP and Jamaatul Ahrar had sent their men to
Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi and other cities to carry out suicide
bombings and other attacks to avenge the ongoing military operations
in Khyber Agency and North Waziristan Agency.
An anti-polio worker was killed
and another sustained injuries when gunmen opened fire on them
in Kamangara area of Nawagai tehsil in Bajaur Agency. The source
said that a worker identified as Roohullah was killed while
Arifullah sustained injuries. The TTP claimed responsibility
for the attack.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a District leader of the PML-N, Sardar Mohmand, in the
Yakatoot area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. “Sardar
Mohmand was on foot when armed men opened fire on him with a
9-mm pistol and escaped,” SSP Operations, Peshawar Dr Mian Saeed
Ahmad said. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack and
threatened to now target more members of the ruling party.
The Police arrested 11 militants
and recovered huge cache of arms during a search operation in
Buner District. District Police Officer, Buner, Syed Khalid
Mehmud Hamdani, said the Police launched a search operation
in the District after reports about the presence of militant’s
supporters in Gokand, Jowar, Pir Baba and Elam Mountains. Nine
Kalashnikov rifles, two RPG launchers, a sniper gun, 25 kilograms
explosives, binoculars and several foreign-made rifles and pistols
were recovered from the possession the arrested militants.
At least 11 more prisoners were
hanged till death in various prisons of Punjab, taking the number
of executions over the past two days to 23. Earlier it was reported
that nine prisoners were executed. The latest round in Punjab
executions brings the total number of convicts hanged since
the Government resumed capital punishment in December 2014 to
50.
According to details, two prisoners,
identified as Saeed Ahmad and Shafqat Ali were hanged at the
District Jail in Faisalabad. They had been awarded the death
penalty by a District Court over a double murder committed on
March 23, 1998 in Nankana Sahib District of the Province.
Two more death row prisoners
Ghulam Muhammad and Zakir Hussain, were executed at District
Jail Jhang. Ghulam Muhammad had killed his brother-in-law, Mustafa,
in 2000 over a family dispute, while Zakir Hussain killed Zulfiqar
over the custodianship of a shrine in 1998. In Rawalpindi District,
two death row inmates, identified as Shaukat and Muhammad Shabbir,
were hanged for murdering a person over enmity.
A murder convict, Tahir Bashir,
was also hanged till death at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore District.
He had shot dead Arshad Ali in Sabzazar over a minor dispute
in 2000. It was the first execution of a death row prisoner
in Lahore in a case not involving terrorism charges. In addition,
one Asad Khan, who shot dead three people including a woman
in Khushab District over a marriage dispute in 2002, was executed
in Attock District. Another killer, identified as Ahmed Nawaz
of Chakrala was executed at Mianwali’s Central Jail. He had
been sentenced to death for killing a person in 1998.
Execution of another convicted
person, Shafqat Hussain, set to be executed on March 19 at Karachi
jail, was delayed for an indefinite period after Federal Minister
for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali appealed to the President to
review the death penalty.
Four children were wounded in
a grenade explosion near while they were bathing in Naubahar
canal in Samijabad area of Multan District.
Unidentified militants hurled
a hand grenade at a school near KDA roundabout in North Nazimabad
Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. However, no
casualties were reported. The attackers also dropped a threat
letter in the school premises before escaping from the scene.
The Bomb Disposal Squad personnel present at the scene said
500 grams of explosive material was used in the making of the
bomb.
The FC Balochistan arrested
six terrorists during search operation carried out in Eastern
Bypass area of provincial capital Quetta. A spokesman for FC
said that the FC recovered weapons and explosives from Sakran
area. “Following a tip-off, FC conducted raid in Sakran area
and recovered weapons and explosives including 10 automatic
weapons, rifles and three kilogram of explosives,” he said.
He further said that FC defused
IED in Sui area of Dera Bugti District and Loralai District.
“Terrorists had planted IED weighing 12 kilogram in Sui and
two IEDs in Loralai to carryout sabotage act,” he said, adding
however, FC teams defused them.
Just hours before his execution,
MQM’s convicted worker Saulat Mirza alleged in a supposed televised
video confession shot in Mach Jail in Balochistan that he killed
former Director of KESC Shahid Hamid on the directives of party
chief Altaf Hussain on July 5, 1997, in Karachi. Mirza alleged
that he received the order for the ‘hit’ from Altaf at MQM leader
Babar Ghauri’s residence. Mirza revealed that orders were given
on telephone by the party chief himself. Usually, the party
chief would either give orders himself or through the likes
of Babar Ghauri. He further revealed that people whom the party
wanted to save from Police torture are provided protection in
Police stations through Governor Ishratul Ebad Khan.
The video shows Mirza claiming
that Altaf would not let anyone to rise in the party, adding
that the MQM chief ordered the murder of Azeem Tariq when he
started rising within the party ranks. Similarly, when former
Karachi Mayor Mustafa Kamal started getting popular among masses,
he was disgracefully thrown out of the party. Mirza in his video
message appealed to the co-party workers to take heed from his
fate, of how he was used and then later discarded like ‘used
tissue paper’.
Altaf Hussain refuted allegations
made by Saulat Mirza in his supposed confessional video, terming
them as lies. He further claimed that the confessional video
of Saulat Mirza had been released by ‘agencies’. “I have never
met Saulat Mirza and have never spoken to him,” said Altaf,
adding that it was the first time that he had seen a video of
a convicted death row inmate being released.
Just minutes after his ‘confessional’
video was broadcast, his execution was stayed for 72 hours.
The decision was reportedly taken by the President on the request
of Federal Minister of Interior. “It is likely that Mirza’s
execution is delayed for another 72 hours”, the said an official.
March 19
Twenty militants were killed
and five others sustained injuries when the Army helicopters
targeted their hideouts in Sandapal, Takhtakai and Nari Baba
areas of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA. The sources
said gunship helicopters targeted the hideouts of the TTP and
LI. The sources said SFs continued advancement to the Upper
Tirah Valley and occupied the main Markaz of the militants in
Shalobar and Zakhakhel areas. The sources added that SFs had
also taken the control of Kamarkhel and Kukikhel areas.
The TTP said a US drone strike
in eastern Afghanistan had killed a senior commander who was
a close associate of two of the group’s former chiefs. “Commander
Khawery Mehsud embraced martyrdom in a US drone strike, along
with two others, in Afghan territory” near the border with Kurram
Agency of Pakistan, said TTP ‘spokesman’ Muhammad Khurasani.
“Khawery Mehsud was the key battle commander of Baitullah Mehsud
and was a close associate and personal bodyguard of Hakimullah
Mehsud,” added the spokesman.
The Mansehra Police of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa claimed to have arrested the alleged killer of Naheed
Parveen Rehman, Director Orangi Pilot Project. DSP Zulfiqar
Khan Jadoon said that the Police took action on a tip-off about
the presence of Ahmad Ali alias Papu Shah Kashmiri at a house
in Kashmiri Bazaar. The target killer was wanted in many cases
in Karachi and he had been living in a rented building in Mansehra
for the last couple of years.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that operation
against terrorists and miscreants in Karachi was launched after
taking all political parties into confidence. He said peace
and stability of the country’s commercial hub was in the interest
of all. The situation in Karachi had considerably improved since
the start of the operation and incidents of kidnapping for ransom,
extortion of money and target killing had reduced, he said.
Talking to the PML-N MNAs from Faisalabad Division, the PM said
there was no space for terrorism in the country and criminals
convicted in heinous crimes would be brought to justice. He
said there was no justification for anyone in the country to
keep illegal weapons.
Minister of State for Water
and Power, Abid Sher Ali said that the ongoing Karachi operation
was against the elements involved in target killings, terrorism
and extortion. “It is not against any political party rather
it is to cleanse the city of target killers, terrorists, extortionists
as well as their collaborators and handlers,” he said. He said
that there was law and order situation in Karachi for last 12
years, which forced the Government to launch the operation in
consultation with political parties.
March 20
At least two Rangers personnel,
identified as Yar Mohammad and Qasim, and passerby woman, identified
as Saeeda, was killed and four others including two civilians
were injured in a suicide blast targeted with VBIED near Shadman
Town within the remits of the Sharae Noor Jehan Police Station
in North Nazimabad Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. Police officials said that a patrolling vehicle of Rangers
paramilitary force was the target of the attack. During the
search, they had gathered body parts that included the head
and a foot of the bomber.
Two Shia Bohras were killed
and several others were injured in a sectarian attack when an
IED fixed to a motorcycle exploded outside Shia-Bohra community's
Saleh Mosque in Saddar Town during the Friday prayer. The bomb
exploded when worshippers were coming out of the mosque after
the prayer,” said DIG South Abdul Khaliq Shaikh.
ASWJ militants killed two Shia
Bohras and injured four others in a sectarian attack in Bahadurabad
area of Gulshan Town. The militants left behind a handbill declaring
open war against Pakistan army, media, Shia Muslims, Sunni-Sufi
Muslims and Christians.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
during the Launch of the Civil Aviation Policy 2015 said that
the Government was trying to control the law and order problem
in Karachi, which is the business hub of the nation, adding
that it was his objective to make Karachi a crime-free city.
He said that the Government was taking active measures for multi-dimensional
development of the country. He further said that PIA will have
to make a distinction between its good and bad people if it
has to move forward.
Four militants were killed while
several others were injured in aerial operation by SFs in Singar
post near Tirah valley area of Khyber Agency in FATA.
An official of the paramilitary
forces was killed and 10 others sustained injuries in a remote
controlled bomb blast in the Mangrosa area of Tirah Valley in
Khyber Agency. The sources said that the incident took place
after suspected militants opened fire n a convoy of SFs heading
towards the mountainous sanctuaries of militants. The SFs entered
a house after firing wherein the already planted explosives
went off.
The SFs and political administration
demolished eight houses of militants and tribes people in Nawagai
tehsil of Bajaur Agency. The sources said the action
was taken under collective responsibility section of the FCR.
The repatriation of TDPs from
Bara tehsil has started on March 20 as 56 families returned
to their homes in the Akkakhel area of Khyber Agency. The decision
of returning of Bara’s displaced population has been taken after
better law and order situation in the area in the wake of ongoing
military operation Khyber-I in the Agency, said Khyber Agency
Political Agent Shahab Ali Shah. Shah said that about 86,000
affected families will be repatriated to their native lands
after Khyber-I military operation in Khyber Agency.
Two officials of Balochistan
Levies, identified as Athaur Rehman and Hazoor Baksh, were killed
and four others were wounded after a convoy of Abdul Razzaq
Dilwary, the Deputy Commissioner of Kharan, was attacked by
unidentified militants in Racheel area of Kharan District. One
of the militants was killed in retaliatory firing while others
fled from the scene. According to an official of Balochistan
Levies, Deputy Commissioner Abdul Razzaq Dilwary along his Levies
guards was on their way to raid a criminal hideout in the Racheel
area.
March 21
As many as 80 militants have
been killed and 100 others injured in on-going Khyber Operation,
said DG, ISPR, Major General Asim Bajwa. He said terrorists
are being rooted out as the army continues its campaign “Operation
Khyber-2” in Khyber Agency in FATA. ISPR DG Bajwa said seven
security officials also lost their lives during the operation
in which the forces are marching towards the areas located near
Afghan border. The Major General expressed the army’s resolve
to continue the operation until the terrorism is wiped out.
March 22
Twenty-four militants were killed
and five others sustained injuries when Pakistan Air Force fighter
aircraft pounded the TTP and LI hideouts in Dars Jumaat, Sandana,
Takhtakai and Khyber Sangar in Tirah Valley area of Khyber Agency
in FATA. The sources said that five hideouts of the militants
were destroyed in the bombardment.
Three persons of a family, including
a minor, were killed when a mortar shell fell on a house in
Malikdinkhel area of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency. Sources
said that the SFs and militants were exchanging heavy fire in
Tirah valley when a mortar shell fell on the house of Inzar
Gul in Malikdinkhel area. Three persons, including Inzar Gul’s
father, mother and his daughter, were killed on the spot.
At least three terrorists were
killed when a Police team led by SSP Rao Anwar conducted a raid
on a tip-off regarding presence of militants in Quetta Town
area of Sohrab Goth in Gadap Town. The terrorists opened indiscriminate
fire and heavy exchange of gunfire ensued. SSP Anwar said that
the criminals were using modern weapons against the Police.
“They fired rockets at the police party upon arrival in the
area,” he claimed. He confirmed that three terrorists had been
killed by the Police.
Acting on a tip-off, Police
conducted a raid at Pathan Colony in Orangi Town, killing three
suspects and arresting 15 others.
In a raid conducted by the CTD,
two suspects were killed while 10 suspects were arrested and
a large numbers of weapons were recovered from their possession
during a raid in Farid Colony of Orangi Town. He said an exchange
of fire also took place between the police and the armed men.
Police arrested four target
killers after an encounter in Preedy area of Saddar Town who
they claimed were affiliated with a political party, and reportedly
involved in the killing of political rivals. Several weapons
and ammunition were recovered from their possession.
Unidentified militants blew
up a 14-inch-diameter gas pipeline in Dera Allah Yar city of
Jaffarabad District.
Corps Commander Southern Command
Lieutenant General Nasir Khan Janjua while addressing a gathering
on the inauguration of Balochistan Sports Festival urged the
estranged Baloch youth to avoid taking up arms and adopt the
path of peace. He added that the Baloch are already independent
and asked which independence they were fighting for. He said
we should say goodbye to a fight that has taken birth from sectarianism,
and the menace of terrorism would be rooted out from Balochistan
and the country.
Law Enforcing Agencies on a
tip off raided the Rawalkot area of Poonch District in PoK and
arrested TTP 'commander' Kashif Haneef.
The COAS, General Raheel Sharif,
reiterated that military operations would continue at all costs
to clear all the urban centres and rural areas of terrorists
so as to ensure peace and prosperity in the country. The Army
chief expressed this resolve during his visit to the corps headquarters
where he was briefed on security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/FATA,
Operation Zarb-e-Azb and the ongoing military operation in the
Khyber Agency, which is making a steady progress, said Director
General ISPR Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa in his tweet. General
Raheel said the ongoing military operations will continue to
their logical conclusion and the terrorists squeezed in isolated
pockets would be targeted with precision.
Unidentified militants set on
fire five oil tankers in Kirdi Gap area of Mastung District
and also kidnapped four drivers before fleeing from the scene.
The sources added that the tankers were carrying fuel from Karachi
for the Saindak Project in Chagai District of the Province.
The tankers caught fire as the gunfire ignited the fuel payload,
following which the militants picked up four drivers and fled
to an undisclosed location in the mountainous region. No outfit
claimed responsibility for the attack.
March 23
Eleven militants were killed
as SFs claimed more gains in Tirah Valley areas of Khyber Agency
in FATA. Officials claimed that SFs took complete control of
the Mazatal area and advanced into Toor Dara, Sandana and Khyber
Sungar as fighting between militants and SFs continued. Sources
said that military planes and helicopter gunships pounded suspected
positions in the areas.
The Army took control of the
Mastol Pass that links the Khyber Agency to Afghanistan and
has been used by terrorists for movement to Afghanistan. The
Director General ISPR, Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa, said
that the Mastol Pass had been seized by the Pakistani forces
and now our forces were tightening the noose against the terrorists.
He said that significant effects were achieved by the air strikes
on Sunday night targeting the terrorists in an area close to
the Afghan border.
More than half of the nearly
6,000 suspected criminals arrested during the ongoing surgical
operation in Karachi are affiliated with political parties,
said an unnamed counterterrorism officials. “Civilian and Intelligence
Agencies have rounded up 5,882 suspected criminals since the
launch of the Karachi operation in September 2013. Of them,
55 per cent are associated with political parties,” a senior
official of Federal Ministry of Interior said. He complained
that lack of cooperation from major political players has long
been undermining effective operations against criminals in the
city. “We’ve sought cooperation from four political parties
to purge Karachi of criminals,” he added. The political parties
have, however, always denied existence of their militant wings
and disowned criminals arrested by law enforcers.
The official said criminal elements
in Karachi had been divided into three categories: anti-state
elements workers of banned outfits and their facilitators. The
Rangers in cooperation with IB and ISI have collected the data
of all criminals, enlisting 913 militants involved in anti-state
activities, he said, adding, “Their cases will be sent to the
military courts for sure. It’s time to catch the big fish in
Karachi.”
The official said around 1,700
suspected criminals were working for one political party while
another 1,563 were associated with three other major parties
of the city. “All of them are involved in murders, kidnapping,
extortion and other criminal activities,” he claimed. Around
365 militants are working for the Taliban and al Qaeda, he added,
and another 1,341 are working with other proscribed outfits.
The TTP rejected reports that
its ‘chief’ Mullah Fazlullah was killed in airstrikes and ground
raids in Tirah Valley area of Khyber Agency in FATA. “It is
a complete lie” TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khorasani said hours
after reports of TTP chief’s death arose in the media. “The
reports concerning death of our chief are totally baseless and
we reject all these claims,” Khorasani said in an email sent
to The Express Tribune. Khorasani added that only just three
members of the TTP were killed in the strikes. He also claimed
inflicting losses on the security forces.
The Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan, said there were no confirmed reports
of death of TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah in the ongoing operation
in Tirah Valley. “The factual position will emerge in a day
or two,” he said while interacting with media persons.
March 24
At least 15 militants were killed
and several others sustained injuries when PAF fighter aircraft
bombed the sanctuaries of the TTP and LI militants in Wacha
Wona, Surkas, Seekhkot and other areas in Tirah Valley of Khyber
Agency in FATA. Sources said that five foreigners, including
Uzbeks and Tajiks, were among the 15 militants who were killed
in the air strikes. The sources claimed several militants were
injured and five of their hideouts were destroyed in the attacks.
The FATA Secretariat began providing
compensation to the people whose houses have been in use by
the SFs for last several years. About 88 people of Khar tehsil
in Bajaur Agency, whose houses have been occupied by SFs since
2010, received cheques of over PKR 6.3 million. Bajaur Assistant
Political Agent Sohil Ahmed Khan distributed cheques among the
house owners. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the administration
was aware about the problems of the militancy affected people
and was committed to providing financial support to them.
Some 203 IDPs returned in a
convoy to their homes in Lower Madijan and Shin Warsak areas
of South Waziristan Agency. According to the political administration,
at least 1,300 families have so far resettled into their homes
in Sarakai tehsil since a new phase of repatriation began on
March 16, 2015.
A US drone strike in the Nasyan
area of the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, killed nine
militants linked to the TTP in an area near to the border with
the Pakistan’s Khyber Agency. Pakistani security officials said
the militants belonged to the LI, TTP and Abdullah Azzam Brigade
group. A NATO spokesman in Kabul confirmed the strike and said
it was carried out on March 23, but gave no details on the number
of causalities. “We can confirm there was a US precision strike
during an operation in Nasyan District, NANGARHAR province,
on March 23,” the spokesman said.
Six militants and one FC soldier
were killed while several others were injured in a an exchange
of fire that occurred during a search operation in Mashkay area
of Awaran District. FC spokesman said that the militants were
involved in attacking Security Forces civilians and also kidnapping-for-ransom.
He said that FC recovered arms and ammunition and communication
devices from their possession.
Eight BRA militants, including
their leader Shekh alias Chala Resh, surrendered in the presence
of Commandant of Mawand Rifles Colonel Masroor-ur Rehman and
tribal elders in Mawand area of Kohlu District.
A death row prisoner, Nasrullah,
convicted of murdering a man in 1994 was hanged till death at
the Multan Central Jail in Multan District.
A Division Bench of the Peshawar
High Court, comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and
Justice Abdul Latif Khan, disposed of cases of the eight missing
persons, who were shifted to various internment centres located
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, as they were declared to be
hardcore militants. The decision was taken after receiving the
reports about their alleged involvement in terror activities.
During hearing of 13 missing person’s cases, Additional Advocate
General Waqar Ahmad Khan submitted the oversight board’s reports
about the eight missing persons. The law officer informed the
bench that as per the reports, eight internees had been declared
black or hardcore militants as they were found involved in the
terrorist activities.
March 25
At least 30 militants were killed
and several others sustained injuries when PAF fighter aircraft
and helicopters pounded the bunkers of the TTP and LI militants
in Kukikhel, Sepah, Kamarkhel and Shalobar areas in Tirah Valley
of Khyber Agency in FATA. “Many hideouts of the militants and
two arms depots also came under bombardment,” said the ISPR.
According to some reports, the LI 'spokesman', Salahuddin Ayubi,
was also killed in the air strikes.
16 militants were killed in
military action after a soldier was killed in a roadside blast
in the Shabak area of Kurram Agency. The sources said that the
soldier, identified as Bilal Mohmand, was killed when a vehicle
of SFs was targeted with an IED in Shabak area. SFs cordoned
off the area after the incident and launched a massive search
operation along the border with Afghanistan. 16 militants were
killed in the artillery shelling on the hideouts of militants
in the area.
A US drone strike killed 11
TTP militants in Kunar Province of Afghanistan, including six
or seven senior 'commanders', intelligence officials said, hours
after a strike killed at least nine militants in the same area.
Earlier, a drone strike killed nine militants in the Nazyan
area of Nangarhar Province, to the south of Kunar.
Two unidentified men were shot
dead by unidentified armed assailants on Super Highway near
Gana Mandi in Sohrab Goth area of Gadap Town in provincial capital
Karachi.
Police killed two target killers
during a raid on a hideout in an unspecified location. According
to details, Police in a raid on a hideout along with an arrested
criminal Noorullah faced fire from criminals. SFs retaliated
killing two of the suspects, including Noorullah. SSP Malir
said that the suspect was involved in target killings of several
Police personnel and extortion.
A Policeman, identified as Muhammad
Sajid (35), was shot dead near Navy Dewar in Korangi Town.
An anti-corruption officer,
Iqbal Alam, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants at
Water Pump in Federal B Area of Gulberg Town.
Police arrested two criminals
in injured condition after exchange of fire in Korangi Industrial
area of Korangi Town.
Police arrested seven TTP militants
in an operation in Shah Lateef Town of Bin Qasim Town. The Police
seized two rifles, seven grenades and at least five pistols
from their possession.
Police arrested another criminal
in an operation in Baloch Colony of Orangi Town. At least two
accomplices escaped the raid and fled.
Sindh DIG Police (training)
Dr Jamil Ahmed while addressing the first passing-out parade
of 1,085 policemen at the Recruitment Training Centre (RTC)
in Hyderabad District said that the Sindh Police has chalked
out a plan under which army personnel will impart anti-terrorism
training to 350 Policemen of the Province. He said that the
Police training department had proposed to the Sindh Government
to allocate PKR150 per recruit for food in the mess of the centre
and after the approval, free food would be provided to recruits.
He said the Government was trying to impart quality training
to policemen and added that they would be given counterterrorism
training so that they could protect the life and property of
people.
At least five murder convicts
were hanged till death in different jails of Sindh and Punjab
Province. Also, two executions were halted in jails of Sahiwal
and Mianwali Districts of Punjab after they were pardoned by
the victims’ families.
In Punjab, one Shahbaz, convicted
of murdering another man in a land dispute in 1998, was taken
to the gallows at the Sahiwal Central Jail in Sahiwal District.
Another murder convict, Ghulam Yaseen, was hanged at the New
Central Jail in Bahawalpur. He was convicted of murdering a
woman in 2001. Sentenced for committing murder in 2000, convict
Mohammad Khan was hanged at the Mianwali Central Jail.
In Sindh, two death row prisoners
were hanged at the Central Jail in Sukkur. Convict Jalal Morejo
was sentenced to death for murdering his cousin in 1997, while
Abdul Razzaq Chauhan was convicted of committing murder in 2001.
Authorities in Pakistan have
frozen a number of accounts used to funnel PKR 10.2 billion
in cash to terror and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) suspects,
officials overseeing the NAP said. Law Enforcement Agencies
also recovered PKR 101.7 million either from clerics or workers
of banned organisations, they said. These actions, taken with
the assistance of the State Bank of Pakistan, are part of the
overall efforts to throttle the flow of foreign funding to terrorists
and proscribed organisations in the country. “To choke terror
funding [in all shapes] is our top priority, this is our strategy
to weaken foreign-funded militants,” said Hamid Ali Khan, National
Coordinator of the NACTA.
Another unnamed senior official
of the Federal Ministry of Interior said that UNSC Resolutions
1,267 and 1,373 bound member states not only to take measures
against terrorists but also establish a global sanctions regime
against designated individuals and entities associated with
notorious global terror networks. He revealed that civilian
and Intelligence Agencies have arrested 150 people, half of
them clerics, in violation of laws dealing with hawala, hundi,
suspicious transactions and AML by registering cases against
130 individuals who were getting money from foreign countries
including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Australia, US, UK, Hong
Kong, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait.
March 26
At least four Policemen, including
the SHO of Rara Sham Police Station, identified as Tahir Shah,
were killed when unidentified militants opened indiscriminate
fire and also hurled a hand grenade at a Police check post in
Mekhtar area of Loralai District. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack.
A member of the Levies force,
Jalil Ahmed, was kidnapped in Nasarabad area of Kech District.
Jalil was going home when unidentified militants took him away.
A Balochi poet, identified as
Ali Kamshan, who was abducted from Pasni area of Gwadar District
on March 3, 2015, returned home. It not clear yet whether Ali’s
family has paid ransom for his release.
A schoolteacher, identified
as Mohammad Shahdad, who was abducted on March 22, 2015, returned
home in Turbat District. Shahdad had been missing for four days
from Turbat.
A man, identified as Faiq (34),
was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants near Nazimabad
2 in North Nazimabad Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
One Asif (32) was shot at and
injured by unidentified armed assailants near Noorani Kabab
House in Shahrah-e-Qaideen area of Jamshed Town.
A man, identified as Akhtar
(40), was shot and injured near a graveyard in Mominabad area
of Orangi Town.
A convicted murderer, identified
as Muhammad Afzal, was hanged till death in the Central Jail
Faisalabad. Afzal, a resident of Sialkot, had been on death
row for around two decades. He was found guilty of shooting
a man, Muhammad Saleem, in 1995 over an old rivalry, and was
awarded the death sentence by District and Session courts on
May 25, 1995. The review petitions of the accused were turned
down by the higher and superior courts. President of Pakistan
had also rejected his mercy appeal.
The Lahore High Court ordered
the Punjab Government to make a decision regarding the detention
of LeT 'commander' and mastermind of Mumbai 2008 terror attack
(also known as 26/11) Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi within five days.
Lakhvi had submitted an application in the LHC with two pleas,
one which challenged his detention and the other regarding contempt
of court against the Federal and Provincial Governments. He
had adopted the stance that his detention was illegal and in
contempt of Islamabad High Court's ruling. The application also
said that the Punjab Home Secretary should be bound to end his
detention. The petition sought the court's direction for the
Punjab home secretary to decide the matter of Lakhvi's detention
in the light of an order, earlier passed by IHC.
The IHC on March 13, 2015, had
set aside third-time detention of Lakhvi and ordered the authorities
to release him immediately. However, before his release, the
Okara District Coordination Officer (DCO) on March 14, 2015,
had issued a fresh detention order against Lakhvi.
March 27
Two Policemen were killed and
14 others, including two civilians were injured when a bomb
exploded targeting a Police van of the Sindh Police's Special
Security Unit near Murghi Khana bus stop in Quaidabad area of
Bin Qasim Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
TTP 'spokesman' Muhammad Khorasani claimed responsibility for
the attack. Karachi Police Chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo said that
the officers belonged to the Special Service Unit, an elite
squad that guards VIPs, and were on their way to guard Bilawal
House, the residence of former President Asif Ali Zardari.
A man, identified as Irshad
(50), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Manzoor
Colony area near Akhtar Colony in Jamshed Town.
A man, identified as Danish
(26), was shot at and injured by unidentified armed assailants
near Federal Urdu University of Arts and Science and technology
(FUUAST) in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
One Akbar (25), was shot and
injured in Sherpao Colony of Landhi Town.
One Ghaffar (35) was shot and
injured by unidentified armed assailants near Patel Para on
Jahangir Road in Jamshed Town.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a known religious scholar and administrator of a seminary,
Maulana Amir Hamza, in Madina Colony of Nowshera Town of same
District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sources said that the assailants
opened fire on Maulana Amir Hamza when he was returning home
from the Madrassa Jamia Masjid Taqwa in a car after offering
the evening Maghrib prayer. He received several bullets in his
body and died on the spot. The assailants escaped after committing
the murder. Maulana Amir Hamza was a prominent religious scholar
and had special attachment with the Darul Uloom Deoband and
Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak.
The CTD arrested a member of
a terrorist group who provided shelter to a suicide bomber before
sending him off to attack former Senior Minister Bashir Bilour
in December 2012 in Peshawar. Addressing the media, DIG CTD
Salahuddin said that Fazal Muhammad played a key role in the
assassination of ANP leader Bashir Bilour as he housed the suicide
bomber, Farouq Afridi, for two days before the attack.
Police arrested a terror suspect,
identified as Saurat Khan Marri, accused of involving in several
terrorism incidents in Quetta, including the November 11, 2014,
bomb blast targeting the vehicle of an ATC judge Nazeer Ahmed
Langove, from Hazar Ganji area in Quetta. “He belongs to a banned
militant outfit,” said Quetta CCPO Razzaq Cheema. Police also
recovered two mortar shells, hand grenades, land mines and other
weapons from his possession.
According to sources in the
Federal Ministry of Interior, TTP with the collaboration of
some other banned outfits is planning to attack the country’s
water reservoirs, dams and barrages. After receiving information
regarding the probable attack by Taliban on the water reservoirs
of country, security has been tightened at all dams and barrages.
Following the threat, the Interior Ministry directed all the
Law Enforcing Agencies and all the Provincial Home Departments
for heightened security on water reservoirs.
The JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad
Saeed while addressing a large demonstration at the Chauburji
Chowk in Lahore announced to launch a countrywide movement for
countering western conspiracies against Saudi Arabia and Muslim
holy places, and said an all parties conference would be called
soon to chalk out a joint course of action with suggestions
of all political and religious parties, reports The News. He
urged upon the Iranian leadership to distance themselves from
the Zionist conspiracies against Saudi Arabia and join the Muslim
coalition for protecting Harmain Sharifain (Two Holy Mosques).
A jirga of tribal elders expressed
reservations over the draft of an agreement provided to them
by the political administration in NWA of FATA, proposing several
restrictions as well as responsibilities for them for maintaining
peace in the once militants-dominated tribal Agency. The administration
is seeking an undertaking from local tribes to ensure peace
in the area. Sources said that the elders were told in categorical
terms that return to their respective areas was condition to
signing of the deal and furnishing the undertakings by them.
The eight-page draft agreement handed over to all the tribes
in NWA describes the roles of the Government and the people
to put brake on resurgent of militancy in the region.
March 28
At least fifteen suspected militants
were killed and four soldiers injured in a clash in Tirah Valley
area in Khyber Agency of the FATA. According to the ISPR, approximately
30-35 militants attacked a SFs check post in Mastak area, but
attack was foiled through "effective retaliation".
Troops deployed at the post surrounded the attackers, in an
intense gun battle, 15 terrorists were killed and the attack
was repulsed, the ISPR said. It said the attackers left the
bodies of 10 of their companions which the army took into its
custody, along with their weapons.
March 29
SFs killed five militants and
injured six others in Mastung District in Balochistan in the
morning. Frontier Corps Spokesman Khan Wasey said that the terrorists
were involved in attacks on SFs and had recently torched five
oil tankers carrying fuel for the Saindak project in the Chaghai
District. The terrorists belonged to a banned separatist outfit,
he added.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a Lieutenant Colonel Tahir Azeem, in Hayatabad Phase-III
area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
when he came out of a mosque after offering the Zuhr
prayer. Tahir Azeem, hailing from the Kaga Wala village on the
outskirts of Peshawar, had come from Rawalpindi to attend the
wedding of his sister in Hayatabad. “As he came out of the mosque
in Hayatabad Phase-III after offering prayers, unidentified
attackers opened fire on him. He received four bullets, including
one in the head,” SSP Operations, Peshawar, Dr Mian Saeed Ahmad,
said. A source said the attackers had come on a motorbike and
escaped towards the Khyber Agency after the killing.
At least 60 shops were partially
damaged in an explosion in a double storeyed market in the Jandola
tehsil of Lower Dir District. The Station House Officer
Bakht Jamal said that unidentified persons had fixed an explosive
device weighing five kilograms in a double storeyed market that
went off at about 3am.
Police foiled an attempt to
blow up the main gas pipeline and shot at and injured two suspected
militants in Gablo village of Kandhkot tehsil in Kashmore
District of Sindh. According to details, the miscreants were
planting explosives in Gablo village when Police reached and
tried to stop them. The suspects, Karam Golu and Arz Muhammad
Golu, were also arrested after half an hour of gunfight. Police
also seized explosive material from their possession.
The Law enforcement agencies
issued a red book containing profiles of most dangerous terrorists
including two al Qaeda women militants. As per the red book,
the militants belonging to LeJ, TTP, al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Harassa
have been listed as the most dangerous terrorists. The agencies
have also clearly informed the administration regarding these
most wanted terrorists having a head money between PKR 500,000
and PKR 10 million.
At least 80,000 Pakistanis have
been killed in the US-led war on terror, a study conducted by
a group of international physicians’ organisations revealed.
A report titled “Body Count: Casualty Figures after 10 Years
of the ‘War on Terror” was released by the Nobel Prize-winning
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War,
along with Physicians for Social Responsibility and Physicians
for Global Survival. According to the study, at least 48,504
civilians were killed in Pakistan in the fight against terrorism
from 2004 until the end of 2013. The reports puts number of
journalists killed in the fight at 45, while number of civilians
killed by US drone strikes in the tribal areas stands between
416 to 951. The report says that Pakistan’s Security Forces
lost 5,498 personnel in these years of fighting while at least
26,862 militants were killed.
March 30
A tribal elder along with his
guard was shot dead while his two other gunmen sustained injuries
in a firing attack in the Kechi Baig area of Sariab in Quetta,
the provincial capital of Balochistan. According to SHO of Kechi
Baig, Ashiq Khattak, unidentified assailants riding on a motorbike
opened indiscriminate firing on a vehicle in Kechi Baig and
fled from the scene. “As result of the intense firing Mir Zahir
Rind and his Levis guard Abdul Malik Rind were killed on the
spot and his two other guards sustained serious bullet injuries,”
the SHO added.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead two persons, Muhammad Waleed and Wash Dil, in the Daramkol
Baidarg area of the Turbat District. According to police sources,
the victims were on their way when armed assailants riding a
motorbike opened fire on them and fled. Both of them died on
the spot.
A FC head clerk, Abdul Rasheed,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants in village Kotla in
Turbat District. According to the DSP, Sulman Khan, unidentified
assailants entered Abdul Rasheed’s house, shot him dead and
injured his son Faizan.
The Levies Force recovered the
body of a man from the Spain Tangi area of Harnai District.
According to Levies sources, on a tip off, a Levies force team
reached the site and took the body into custody which was dumped
after killing by unidentified men. The body was identified as
Wazir Khan, s/o Yaar Muhammad.
A suspect, identified as Bilal
alias Chingari, allegedly involved in over two dozen sectarian
killings was arrested the Bilal Colony Police in New Karachi
area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Bilal alias
Chingari had allegedly killed 26 people including doctors belonging
to the Shia community on sectarian grounds.
The Defence Minister Khawaja
Asif said the Karachi operation was a debt that the PML-N-led
Government had paid off. Addressing a seminar at the WAPDA House,
he said that the Government took major decisions like the Operation
Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan and also launched a targeted
operation in Karachi to eliminate terrorism and crime.
The IGP of Sindh Ghulam Haider
Jamali presided over a meeting on security at Central Police
Office in Karachi and said that the ongoing targeted operation
should also be made effective and successful besides bring criminals
to their logical end.
The meeting reviewed the performance
of Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Crime Branch Sindh
and National Action Plan. It was decided to smash drug and gambling
dens in the city through effective Police crackdown. In this
regard, IGP warned that if any drug and gambling den is seen
opened, the relevant area’s DSP and SHO will be dismissed from
their services. A report presented in the meeting said 81 drug
and gambling dens had been smashed in the city so far, while
lists of remaining dens had been handed over to DIGs Zonal Karachi
for further action
IGP Sindh reviewed the police
report about target killing cases and directed the Counter Terrorism
Department to arrest culprits in association with Karachi Police
as soon as possible. He also directed Additional IGP Karachi
to devise effective strategy to control target killing of Policemen.
The TTP claimed responsibility
for the killing of Lieutenant Colonel Tahir Azeem who was shot
dead on March 29 at Abaseen Market in Hayatabad Phase-III area
of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. TTP
‘spokesman’ Mohammad Khorasani issued a statement claiming the
responsibility.
March 31
Two Police constables were killed
when three armed assailants ambushed a check post within the
remit of Lea Market Police Station area of Lyari Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
In encounters with the Police
that began late in the night of March 30, four criminals, including
alleged gangsters and terrorists, were killed in different areas
of Karachi. Police shot dead an alleged criminal at Swati Mohalla
of Sherpao Colony in Quaidabad in Landhi Town when he refused
to stop after he was signaled by personnel conducting snap checking.
Also, the personnel of Kalakot and Napier Police raided a gangsters’
hideout near Kashti Chowk in Kalakot area of Lyari Town killing
two armed gangsters. Police also found several weapons, hand
grenades and ammunition from the hideout and a search was under
way for those who had escaped. In another incident, the Kharadar
Police killed an armed gangster in an ‘encounter’ in Katchi
Gali No 3 in Saddar Town.
The CTD of the Sindh Police
claimed to have killed two ‘militants’ affiliated with the Khan
Zaman Mehsud gang in an encounter near Toori Bangash Chowk of
Orangi Town. Police found heavy weapons, explosives, a motorcycle-borne
improvised explosive device and live ammunition from the militants’
hideout.
An unidentified armed assailant
who had been injured in a purported encounter with the Police
in Khuda Ki Basti area of Surjani Town succumbed to his injuries.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a leader of a peace committee in Tank area of Tank District
and injured two others. According to Police, peace committee
leader Sherpao Mehsud was on his way from Kot Azam to Tank when
the assailants attackers ambushed his vehicle in the limits
of Gomal Police Station, killing him on the spot. Two of his
associates also sustained injuries.
Four condemned prisoners were
hanged in jails in Attock, Mianwali, Sargodha and Rawalpindi
Districts. In Sargodha Central Jail prisoner Mohammad Riaz was
hanged. Riaz He was convicted of killing a man in 2000 during
a robbery. He was awarded death penalty by a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism
court. He had been sentenced under the Section 7 of the ATA.
Another death row prisoner,
identified as Akramul Haq, who was convicted for kidnapping
a three-year-old girl, was hanged till death in Attock Jail.
Separate cases of kidnapping for ransom and terrorism were registered
against Haq in Police Station of Fateh Jang tehsil (revenue
unit) headquarters of Attock District.
One Mohammad Ameen, who was
convicted for killing a person over personal enmity, was hanged
in Rawalpindi Central Jail, also known as Adiala Jail.
Another convict, Hubdar Shah,
was hanged till death in Mianwali Central Jail. He was awarded
death sentence for killing two persons in 2000.
In the opening day of the repatriation
process, some 219 IDPs, banded together in 62 families, returned
to their homes in NWA from various parts of Bannu. Carrying
ATM cards entitling them to PKR 10,000 for transportation and
PKR 25,000 for repatriation costs, the families boarded 40 buses
and trucks along with their belongings. All the IDPs belonged
to the Shameeri area of NWA. Brisk arrangements on the part
of civil and military administration were made for ensuring
safe repatriation. A medical camp was established with Dr Hamidur
Rahman as its chief whereas children below five years were given
polio drops and some tribesmen were provided other medicines.
The 12th phase of repatriation
of IDPs to SWA was completed. At least 630 families were sent
back home in the final leg. Between March 16 and March 31, a
total of 4,800 families were repatriated. The families have
returned to 14 villages of Sarwakai and Sararogha tehsil of
SWA. Kur Qila, the SFs check post where IDPs return from, was
under strict monitoring by the law enforcement agencies. Political
and military officials were also present on the occasion.
The JuD staged a rally, Harmain
Sharifain March, from Safari Park to the NIPA traffic intersection
in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town of Karachi to express solidarity with
Saudi Arabia and praised the Government as well as the armed
forces for pledging support for the brother Islamic country.
Speakers paid tribute to the Pakistan army and termed it the
“army of Islam”. The chief of the JuD’s Karachi Chapter, Dr
Muzammil Iqbal Hashmi, said on the occasion that Saudi Arabia
was the spiritual centre of the Muslim world and every Muslim
considered its protection his obligation. He said the uprising
in Yemen was a conspiracy against Harmain Sharifain (Two Holy
Mosques).
He recalled that Saudi Arabia
had always sided with Pakistan and now the entire Pakistani
nation was ready to sacrifice everything for their Islamic brethren.
He suggested Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif convene a summit of
Muslim rulers in Islamabad to chalk out a strategy to deal with
the situation. Other speakers observed that the present situation
in Yemen was the outcome of the conspiracies of anti-Islam forces.
Such forces were using Yemen to tighten the noose around Saudi
Arabia to harm the spiritual centre of the Muslim world, they
added.
April 1
Four bullet-riddled dead bodies
were found in Goorbrath area along the border of Nushki and
Kalat Districts. “The bodies bore multiple bullet injuries,”
the Assistant Commissioner of Nushki said. He said one of the
dead was identified as Amir Jamaldini of Gharibabad locality
near Nushki town. The other bodies could not be identified.
At least two SFs personnel were
killed when an IED went off in Narai Baba area of Tirah Valley
in Khyber Agency of FATA.
Jamshoro Police arrested three
TTP militants belonging to Shaharyar faction, identified as
Gul Zareen, Bahauddin and Shahuddin, during a raid conducted
in Sikandarabad area of Jamshoro District. Police claimed to
have recovered five hand grenades, two TT pistols, 10 kilogram
of explosives, 10 kilogram of chemicals and a bundle of detonating
cords from their possession.
SSP Jamshoro Tariq Wilayat said
that the raid was conducted in the area which is predominantly
inhabited by the Pakhtun community and the militants had been
living in the locality for the past two months. Gul Zareen was
facilitating the other two, who had arrived from South Waziristan
Agency in FATA, he disclosed. "Bahauddin and Shahuddin
belong to South Waziristan's Kot Kai area and both are associated
with TTP Shaharyar group," Wilayat said. He explained that
Shahuddin is the TTP's 'deputy commander' of Kot Kai while Bahauddin
has been allegedly involved in extortion activities as he used
to distribute extortion chits in Kati Pahari and Sohrab Goth
area of Karachi. “Shahuddin is also an expert in planting mines
and preparing IEDs,” the SSP claimed.
According to a press release
issued by the ISPR, the CoAS General Raheel Sharif said that
the Pakistan Army would not stop short of accomplishing its
mission to eliminate terrorism, irrespective of the cost. He
said that the military is fully prepared to deter and defeat
any form of aggression.
Though there was a decline in
militant attacks in the wake of the operations in Karachi and
North Waziristan Agency in March, 63 terror incidents were reported
in different parts of the country which left 100 people dead
and 162 injured. This was stated in a monthly report released
by the PICSS. “In March, there was over 23 per cent decline
in militant attacks, almost 12 per cent in deaths and more than
19 per cent in the number of injuries compared to February.”
The report added that militant attacks had been decreasing since
the start of the operations in FATA, particularly post-NAP after
the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on December
16, 2014. According to the report, security forces conducted
97 actions across the country in which 230 people (mostly suspected
militants) were killed, 43 others injured and 667 arrested.
Report says compared to February, there was over 23pc decline
in militant attacks and 12pc in deaths.
April 2
At least four unidentified bullet-ridden
dead bodies were recovered from the banks of the Lyari River
near the Lyari expressway behind Old Vegetable Market area in
Jamshed Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two unidentified dead bodies
bearing torture marks were found in Korangi Town.
Police claimed to have killed
two suspects, who attacked a Police van in Pirabad area of Qasba
Colony in SITE Town. Police sources said that the two suspects
were involved in sectarian killings.
Liaquatabad Division Police
claimed to have arrested 15 suspects, including five militants,
from Liaquatabad Town. Police sources added that grenades, weapons
and ammunition were recovered from their possession.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a cadre of a banned organisation near Sheikh Yusaf Zayarat
in Dera Ismail Khan District of KP. According to the Police,
38-year-old Ghulam Shabir hailed from Din Pur village of Dera
Ismail Khan and was affiliated with a banned organisation.
The Peshawar Police carried
out 72 search operations, rounded up 3,233 illegally staying
Afghans and lodged 32 cases for spreading hate material and
161 for misuse of loudspeakers since January 1. The statistics
show that the Police actions in Peshawar under the NAP are more
than any other District of KP, and probably even in the country.
The major reason is that the provincial capital of KP is more
vulnerable as it is surrounded from three sides by the volatile
tribal areas. According to the official statistics, 72 search
and strike operations were carried out in Peshawar, including
32 in rural division, 25 in Cantonment and 15 in city division.
During these operations, 146 small machineguns, 888 shotguns,
63 rifles and 851 pistols were recovered. The police authorities
said action against hate material and the misuse of loudspeakers
was also accelerated under the NAP. “We have lodged 161 cases
for misuse of loudspeakers and 32 for spreading hate material
under the NAP since January 1. As many as 33 accused were arrested
for selling uniforms of security forces that can be misused
in unlawful activities,” SSP Operations Mian Saeed Ahmad said.
The family of a 19-year-old
German boy, identified as Ali Mohammad Din, who had gone missing
on February 7, 2015, in Faisalabad District negotiating with
a group of militants based in Afghanistan to seek his return.
The militants, affiliated with Amarat Islami in Afghanistan,
conveyed to the family that Ali had joined them for jihad
and would join the Islamic State (IS/also known as ISIS) in
a couple of weeks. They said they had no affiliation with the
TTP. Ali was born in Libya and he had been living with his family
in Germany for 10 the last years. He came to Faisalabad on January
8, 2015, for the first time.
Some relatives of Ali said they
had talked to a representative of the militants who identified
himself as Qari Ibrahim a number of times with a request to
send Ali home. But Qari said they had no such tradition. “How
can we send Ali back if he wants to join IS,” the family quoted
Qari as saying. The family is not ready to believe that Ali,
who does not even know how to offer payers, can take such a
step. “Handlers of the militants abducted Ali for money. He
was carrying 500 Euros, PKR 20,000, a mobile phone and a visa
card when he was kidnapped on February 7,” a relative of Ali
said.
Director General ISPR Major
General Asim Saleem Bajwa said in a message on a micro-blogging
site that the CoAS, General Raheel Sharif, confirmed the death
sentence of the six hardcore terrorists. These terrorists were
involved in heinous acts of terrorism, manslaughter, suicide
bombings, loss of life and property. He said the convicted terrorists
had the right to appeal in a court of appeal. The six convicts
given death sentences were identified by a senior military official
as Noor Saeed, Haider Ali, Murad Khan, Inayatullah, Israruddin
and Qari Zahir. No further details were given on their individual
cases, or when and where the trials were held.
The PoK is set to expel some
11,000 illegal Afghan refugees under the National Action Plan
against terrorism, said senior Police official Faheem Abbasi
during a press conference in Muzaffarabad District.
Pakistan plans to register the
1.4 million Afghan refugees currently living in the country
illegally over the next four months, with a view to eventually
repatriating them. Abbasi said the home department was also
set to outlaw 64 militant outfits in Kashmir that are also banned
in the rest of Pakistan, and create a new anti-terror force
comprising 500 personnel.
April 3
Six militants were killed and
two SF personnel were injured in an exchange of fire which took
place during a search operation launched by SFs to rescue nine
abducted Government officials in Ziarat District. The dead included
two suicide bombers who blew themselves up when SFs surrounded
them, said Frontier Corps spokesman Khan Wasey.
A DSP and his friend were shot
dead by unidentified assailants near the Women and Children
Hospital in Dera Ismail Khan town of same District in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. DSP Headquarters, Bahawal Khan and his friend Haroon
Khan were on their way when unidentified motorcyclists opened
fire killing both of them on the spot.
A teenager girl died in an explosion
of a toy bomb in Shamshikhel area of Bannu town in same District.
Police said that 12-year-old girl while playing on the bank
of canal in Shamshikhel found a toy bomb. She took the bomb
to home where during playing it went off resulting in death
of the girl.
April 4
The Helicopter gunships conducted
several air sorties, as part of the ongoing Khyber-II operation,
killing at least five suspected LeI militants and destroying
hideouts in Nangrosa, Spin Drand and Thor Khel areas of Sipah
of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency in FATA in the morning. The
aerial attacks were aimed at flushing out militants from the
valley.
At least two Pakistani soldiers
were killed when an IED went off near a military vehicle in
Nanno area of South Waziristan. A local 'spokesman' for the
banned TTP, Azam Tariq Mahsud, claimed responsibility for the
attack.
April 5
At least 16 people including
12 militants and four soldiers were killed during fierce fighting
in Utmela area of the Orakzai Agency in FATA. Four SFs personnel
also sustained injuries in the fight. According to details,
a convoy of SFs was patrolling in Utmela area when clash erupted.
10 militants were killed and
several others injured when fighter jets bombed their hideouts
in Dwa Toi and Takhtakai areas of Kukikhel in Khyber Agency.
According to the spokesman for
FC Khan Wasey, SFs and Intelligence Agency personnel foiled
a terror bid by arresting seven terrorists, including four suicide
bombers, during a raid in Kuchlak area of provincial capital
Quetta. "The terrorists were planning a major terror strike
in Quetta," said Wasey adding that the arrested men belonged
a banned militant outfit. The suspects were shifted to an unknown
location for interrogation. Most of the terrorists belonged
to the volatile tribal belt, the FC spokesman said. He added
that four suicide jackets were also recovered from the possession
of the suspects.
SFs arrested four militants
from Kharotabad area and also recovered arms and ammunition
from their possession.
The BRP said that the four bullet-riddled
dead bodies found in Goorbrath area of Nushki District on April
1, 2015, were of missing persons allegedly killed by SFs. BRP
spokesman Sher Mohammad Bugti said in a statement that the four
had gone missing four months ago and the SFs after killing them
left their bodies in a deserted place.
April 6
Two TTP militants, including
commander Mullakhel, were killed in an inter-group clash with
unidentified militants in Tor Thoot area of Kurram Agency in
FATA. The attackers fled after killing the militants.
A Levies Official, identified
as Sultan Bakht, was killed in a targeted IED blast while he
was on his way to Government High School in Badan area of Mamond
in Bajaur Agency. Later, the political administration searched
the area and arrested nine suspects under the Frontier Crimes
Regulation. TTP claimed responsibility for the attack, revealing
that it had appointed a new head and 'deputy' head for its Bajaur
Chapter.
The Rangers claimed to have
killed an alleged 'financer' of target killers, identified as
Saleem alias Dollar, affiliated with the MQM, along with two
of his accomplices, identified as Nawaz alias Dada and Zubair
alias Muhajir, in a targeted raid at his hideout on Khayaban-e-Rahat
in DHA locality of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Saleem believed to be associated with a Lyari-based gang, was
killed with two of his aides during an alleged encounter with
the Rangers in an overnight. According to Rangers officials,
the suspects opened fire upon them, provoking retaliation. In
the resultant exchange of fire, Saleem and his two accomplices
were killed while a Rangers personnel was wounded.
While the Rangers officials
claimed that the suspects were connected to Lyari gangs, the
spokesperson for the paramilitary force said that Saleem was
also affiliated with MQM and had links with alleged target killer
Saeed Barham and Lyari gangster Rauf Nagori. “He used to finance
them to undertake criminal activities in the city and also ran
a team of target killers who were often hired as assassins to
carry out numerous high-profile murders,” claimed the spokesperson.
The Rangers also seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition
from the deceased, including 19 submachine guns, two light machine
guns, three MP-5s and three Awan grenades.
Authorities in Pakistan launched
on the FATA Sustainable Return and Rehabilitation Strategy amid
pledges of financial support. It was jointly launched by the
Federal Ministry for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) and
FATA development authority in Islamabad. The strategy that the
Government was launching refers to the PKR 75.4 billion that
are to be spent on helping people affected by the Government’s
war against the Taliban and other militants to return to their
homes in the tribal areas.
The participants insisted that
the government had developed a strategy that involved political,
constitutional and administrative reforms in FATA to help ensure
that the hard-fought peace is sustainable. However, they failed
to present any actual strategy that involved such measures.
“The state has to figure out a multi-pronged strategy for a
sustainable development in the tribal areas,” said Governor
Abbasi.
April 7
A ringleader of Lyari gangsters,
identified as Hanif alias DJ alias Dishu, was killed in a joint
encounter by the Police and Rangers in Singu Lane near Noorani
mosque in Chakiwara area of Lyari Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. SSP-City Fida Hussain said, “He was one of
the last remaining commanders of the Uzair Baloch gang.” Another
Police Officer, Safdar Mashwani said that the suspect was wanted
in 65 cases, including murders of Policemen. He said that the
encounter lasted for about 45 minutes.
A convicted murderer, Jafar
alias Kali, was hanged till death at Central Jail Sahiwal in
Sahiwal District. Jafar was convicted of a dual murder in 1997.
He had killed two siblings Khalil and Sadia over a land dispute.
He was declared guilty and was awarded death sentence by an
Additional Session Judge in 2000. His review petitions were
rejected by the higher and superior courts, while his mercy
appeal had also been turned down by the then President in May
2012.
Another convict, Tayyab Ghulam
Nabi, was executed at the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore District.
Tayyab was convicted by a District Court in a murder case in
Toba Tek Singh District in 2002. He had killed one Abrar during
a scuffle. The review petitions of the convict were rejected
by the higher judiciary and his mercy appeal had also been turned
down by the President.
The LHC directed the Punjab
Government to produce sensitive reports regarding LeT 'commander'
and mastermind of Mumbai 2008 terror attacks (also known as
26/11) Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. The court was hearing petition
of Lakhvi challenging his fourth one-month detention ordered
by the Okara DCO on March 14, 2015. Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi
argued that the petitioner, in light of court’s direction, had
filed a representation with the Home Secretary against his detention.
However, he said, the secretary dismissed the representation
and upheld the 30-day detention order issued by the Okara DCO.
The counsel pleaded that a person could not be detained beyond
90 days without obtaining an order from review board. A provincial
review board comprises judges of the high court.
He pointed out that the trial
court had released the petitioner on bail in December 2014,
however, the Islamabad District Magistrate issued detention
order against him. Later, he said, Islamabad High Court had
set aside the petitioner’s detention and ordered the Government
to release him. However, another detention order was issued
by the Okara DCO and the petitioner was not released, the counsel
added. He asked the court to strike down the impugned order
and order the government to release the petitioner. The court
directed the government’s counsel to submit record of secret
documents about activities of Lakhvi on April 9, 2015.
The UNSC slapped sanctions on
TTP 'chief' Mullah Fazlullah (40) for perpetrating and financing
terror acts. Fazlullah was added to the UNSC al Qaeda Sanctions
list and will now be subject to assets freeze, travel ban and
arms embargo. The Security Council Committee approved Fazlullah's
entry to its al Qaeda Sanctions List of individuals and entities
for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating,
preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities of Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan."
Earlier on January 14, 2015,
United States had designated Fazlullah as a global terrorist
and had slapped sanctions against him.
There was a considerable decrease
in the incidents of terrorism all over the province during the
first three months of 2015 as compared to 2014, revealed official
statistics. During the current year, 60 incidents occurred as
compared to 140 incidents in 2014. There has been a considerable
decrease in the casualties in the first quarter of this year
as 54 people were killed during the three months while 179 were
killed in 2014.
The analysis has shown that
only one incident of suicide bombing occurred as compared to
five such incidents during the same period of last year. Similarly,
nine attacks of rockets and hand grenades took place this year
while 23 such incidents had taken place last year. There was
a major decrease in the incidents of explosions through IED.
About 22 IED explosions occurred this year as compared to 74
incidents last year. The overall incidents of terrorism have
reduced by almost 60 per cent.
Calling Dr Aafia Siddiqui the
most important political prisoner of the present world, US lawyer
Stephen Downs during a press conference in Lahore said that
a new study titled, ‘Inventing Terrorists: The Lawfare of Preemptive
Prosecution’, carried out in the US and jointly released by
SALAM and the NCPCF, found that 94 per cent of those held in
connection with terrorism cases after September 11, 2001 (also
known as 9/11) attacks were unfairly prosecuted and Dr Aafia
Siddiqui was at no. 2 in the list. The study is the first to
directly examine and critique preemptive prosecution and its
abuses. The study’s authors are Albany attorneys Stephen Downs
and Kathy Manley.
Quoting from the study, Downs
said “...the war on terror has been largely a charade designed
to make the American public believe that a terrorist army is
loose in the US, when the truth is that most of the people convicted
of terrorism-related crimes posed no danger to the US and were
entrapped by a preventive strategy known as preemptive prosecution.”
He said Dr Aafia was the most well-known political prisoner
in the world and the injustice and maltreatment she had received
shocks the conscience. “We fail to understand why Pakistan has
not asked for her repatriation. No political considerations
could be strong enough to prolong her sufferings. We feel that
this is not a difficult task if the political will is there.
The world now knows that these preemptive prosecutions are actually
a shameful fact and need to be rectified and there is no better
place to start than with Dr Aafia.”
The US State Department approved
Pakistan’s request for a billion dollars worth of military hardware
and equipment, identifying Pakistan as a country of vital importance
for US foreign policy and national interests. The US DSCA delivered
the required certification notifying Congress of this possible
sale. “This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy
and national security of the United States by helping to improve
the security of a country vital to US foreign policy and national
security goals in South Asia,” the certification said, adding,
“This proposed sale of helicopters and weapon systems will provide
Pakistan with military capabilities in support of its counter-terrorism
and counter-insurgency operations in South Asia.”
The DSCA informed US lawmakers
that this proposed sale would provide Pakistan with “a precision
strike, enhanced survivability aircraft” that it can operate
at high-altitudes. “By acquiring this capability, Pakistan will
enhance its ability to conduct operations in North Waziristan,
FATA, and other remote and mountainous areas in all-weather,
day-and-night environments. Pakistan will have no difficulty
absorbing these helicopters into its armed forces,” the certification
added. The agency also assured US lawmakers that the proposed
sale “will not alter the basic military balance in the region”.
It informed Congress that the State Department had approved
this possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan for AH-1Z Viper
Attack Helicopters and AGM-114R Hellfire II Missiles and associated
equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated
cost of USD 952 million.
April 8
At least five TTP militants
of Ilyas Kahsmiri faction, including its Karachi 'chief', identified
as Umar alias Moon, were killed and two Rangers personnel were
injured in an encounter with Sindh Rangers in Tapo area of Kiamari
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Four other
accomplices killed were identified as Anas Ahmed alias Saqib,
Abdul Rauf alias Bilal, Javed Hassan alias Yaseen and Talha
Faisal alias Imran. According to Rangers, the group was responsible
for the 2014 suicide attack on Rangers' sector commander, target
killing and bank heists.
One Tariq was killed and his
wife was when unidentified armed assailants opened fire on their
car near Abdullah College in North Nazimabad Town.
Unidentified militants killed
an unidentified man near Afshani Street in Lyari Town.
One Nasarullah (40) was killed
and another man, identified as Akber (30), sustained injuries
near Noor-ul-Aman Imambargah in North Nazimabad Town.
One Ameen (55) was shot dead
by unidentified armed assailants in Metroville area of SITE
Town.
One Mehdi Hasan (30) was shot
at and injured near Khan Coach bus stop in Shireen Jinnah Colony
of Kiamari Town.
One Muhammad Owais (26) was
injured near Fatmia Hospital in Guru Mandir area of Saddar Town.
A TTP militant was killed in
an exchange of fire with Security Forces in Faridi area of FR
Peshawar in FATA.
A death row convict, Amir Hamza,
was hanged to death in Machh Jail of Bolan District, in the
first execution carried out in the province in seven years.
According to prison authorities, Amir murdered a person over
a trivial matter in 1995. An Additional Sessions Judge in Sibi
had issued the verdict of Hamza’z capital punishment in 2004.
President Mamnoon Hussain on March 30, 2015, dismissed his plea
for pardon.
Three hand grenade attacks were
reported within the span of eight hours from Charsadda town
of same District in KP. Although no casualties were reported,
the attacks triggered a wave of panic and uncertainty. Unidentified
militants lobbed hand grenades at the house of Dr Younas, a
well-known psychiatrist. In a separate incident, militants lobbed
a hand grenade at a CNG Station on Takht Bhai Road. Similarly,
Faheem Haider’s house in Kangra village was also attacked by
a hand grenade.
The CTD arrested a militant
who was trying to transport explosives on his motorcycle at
Custom Chowk in Pishtakhara area of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of KP. Acting on intelligence reports, CTD officials
arrested Shah Hussain. He was allegedly involved in the kidnapping
of Pashto actor Alamzeb Mujahid in 2009 and reportedly had a
hand in the Army Public School attack which took the lives of
over 150 people, most of them schoolchildren. According to CTD
officials, Hussain was taken into custody while his accomplice
Aziz Jamal managed to escape. CTD also recovered 1,250 grammes
of explosives and a detonator from his possession.
Police took in custody eight
seminary students, who were to be transported to Afghanistan
purportedly for military training, from Sherkot town in Sargodha
District. Nawankot Circle DSP Farhat Abbas and Sherakot SHO
Raza Hasan raided a house in Sherakot and found the children,
including a girl, aged between eight and 15 years, there. He
said the children were identified as Rafiullh, Ghulam Sakhi,
Muhammad Muslim, Sibghatullah, Abdul Majid, Muaz, Abdul Nazir
and Fauzia, who had been residing in the area for a month. The
spokesman said Muhammad Amin, who was to shift the children
to Afghanistan, was also arrested. The facilitator during interrogation
said he was taking the children to Afghanistan for military
training.
Five suspected militants were
arrested by FC personnel during a search operation in Karta
area of Bolan District.
Two suspects were arrested during
a search operation in Ghori area of Lehri District in Naseerabad
Division. A large number of weapons and ammunition were also
seized.
A spokesman for the FC, Balochistan,
claimed that seven BRA militants surrendered and handed over
their weapons to security personnel in Sui area of Dera Bugti
District. He said the militants who handed over themselves to
law enforcement agencies promised that they would not take up
arms anymore and would live peacefully. FC Inspector General
Major General Sher Afgun welcomed the decision of the militants
who surrendered and said the Government and FC would help all
those who would lay down their weapons.
In a series of tweets posted
on his official Twitter account, Director General of ISPR Major
General Asim Bajwa outlined Pakistan Army's successes in Operation
Zarb-i-Azb, revealing that 263 terrorists have been killed so
far in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency. The ISPR spokesman tweeted
that the information was given in a briefing to Chief of Army
Staff General Raheel Sharif during his visit to frontline troops
amidst the ongoing operation in Khyber Agency. He reviewed phenomenal
progress so far made in eliminating terrorists. Bajwa said terrorist
strongholds in the region have been reduced and no escapes have
been allowed in this operation. The Army Chief was also informed
that the area is infested with IEDs which are mostly foreign
made. He was also told that 392 IEDs have been neutralised by
special engineers, whereas 35 soldiers have embraced martyrdom
since the start of Operation Khyber-2.
April 9
At least 16 suspected militants
were killed and at least 10 others were injured when helicopter
gunships pounded militant hideouts in Kandaw and Kandu Ghaibi
areas of Kukikhel in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in FATA.
Seven TTP militants were killed
and two others were injured in other air strikes in Mehraban
Kalley, Thor Darra and Wochay Wany areas of Tirah Valley in
Khyber Agency. The air strikes destroyed four sanctuaries of
TTP militants, officials said.
Seven unidentified robbers allegedly
looted more than PKR 5 million from Summit Bank located at Furniture
Market in Baloch Colony of Orangi Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh at 9:00 am. The robbers also took the weapons
from the security guards and the bank’s digital video recording
system with them. They held the two security guards and the
staff hostage at gunpoint and took the money from the cash counter
before they fled. Bank officials told the Police that more than
PKR 5 million were robbed.
The CIA arrested a TTP militant
and 'commander' of HuM, identified as Hafiz Sanaullah alias
Qari Zarar, who is accused of abducting Colonel Imam, a retired
officer of the ISI and squadron leader (retired) Khalid Khawaja
in 2009 from Lorry area of provincial capital Lahore. An unnamed
Police Official said that during interrogation Sanaullah had
made startling revelations. He was allegedly involved in a number
of kidnapping-for-ransom cases in Lahore and Rawalpindi Districts,
adding that he often hurled hand grenades and other sophisticated
weapons to pursue his criminal activities. According to Police,
Sanaullah hails from Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Province and had received militant training from North Waziristan
Agency in FATA and Afghanistan.
The Lahore High Court dismissed
the detention orders of LeT 'commander' and mastermind of Mumbai
2008 terror (also known as 26/11) attacks Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi,
and ordered his release. The court was hearing a petition of
Lakhvi challenging his fourth one-month detention ordered by
the Okara DCO on March 14, 2015. The Punjab Government had previously
maintained the stance that Lakhvi has been detained based on
'sensitive information' provided by Intelligence Agencies. Justice
Anwarul Haq had directed the government's counsel to submit
records of the information to the court, which was also presented
in the IHC on which the IHC had ordered Lakhvi's bail.
The court upheld the stance
that if this sensitive information was reliable, the IHC would
not have accepted Lakhvi's bail. Therefore, the LHC ordered
Lakhvi's release based on the lack of reliability of the sensitive
information provided and directed the accused to pay PKR 20
lakhs in surety bonds to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi District.
The FO welcomed a proposed billion-dollar
arms deal with the United States and hoped that congressional
approval would come through soon. “Pakistan seeks to procure
US military equipment to meet critical gaps in its defence capabilities
the proposed equipment will also help our campaign against terrorism,”
said FO spokesperson Tasnim Aslam.
The State Department on April
7, 2015, had approved the sale of attack helicopters, missiles
and communications equipment worth USD 952 million and the Congress
has been notified about the proposed sale. “By notifying the
Congress of the proposed sale, the State Department is completing
the US internal process in such cases. We hope the final clearance
will come through soon. We welcome the notification by State
Department,” the spokesperson said, adding, “This is recognition
of Pakistan’s needs in counter-terrorism operation. The Congress
would have one month to ask any additional questions and queries
to the State Department. On the end of that the sale would be
confirmed.”
April 10
At least 20 labourers, including
16 from Punjab and four from Hyderabad District in Sindh, were
killed and three others were injured when unidentified militants
opened fire on a labour camp in Gagdan area of Turbat District.
Spokesperson for FC Khan Wasey
claimed that three BLA militants, including the alleged mastermind
behind the on June 15, 2013, attack on Quaid-e-Azam’s Ziarat
Residency in Ziarat District, identified as Mehmood alias Mama,
was killed in a targeted raid carried out by the FC personnel
in Mach area of Bolan District. The accused was also involved
in ethnic killing in the province, he added. FC also recovered
arms and ammunition from their possession.
The Quetta Police claimed to
have foiled a terrorism bid by seizing 100 kilogram of explosives
during a raid in Hazar Ganji area the provincial capital. "Terrorists
had dumped explosive material at an empty place," said
Razaq Cheema, the CCPO Quetta.
FC arrested a BLA militant with
hate material in Panjgur District.
FC Balochistan on April 10 arrested
a mastermind of weapon making and confiscated arms and ammunitions
from a compound in Dera Murad Jamali area of Naseerabad District.
“One Anti-Aircraft Gun, 22 SMGs, 2 G-3 rifles, 10 double barrel
rifles, one rocket launcher with 7 rockets and 2500 different
types of rounds have been seized,” said FC official.
Acting on a tip-off, FC raided
a compound at Mir Ali area of Zhob District and seized heavy
cache of arms and ammunitions. “During the raid 6 sophisticated
weapons with 459 rounds and three pistols were recovered from
inside the compound while no arrest was made during the raid,”
said FC spokesperson.
Unidentified militants ambushed
the election rally of JI at Al-Azam Square in Liaquatabad Town
of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. JeI spokesman alleged
that party’s NA-246 candidate Rashid Naseem was the prime target
in the attack, launched from MQM camp. He said several party
workers sustained injuries. However, Rashid remained unhurt
in the ambush.
The CTD arrested a militant,
Rashid Khan, carrying head money of PKR 500,000 million, during
an action in the Shah Qabool area of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the officials of
the CTD, Rashid Khan was said to be involved in attacks on power
pylons.
The Peshawar High Court refused
bail to six terror suspects belonging to the TTP charged with
attacks on Security Forces. A single bench of Justice Waqar
Ahmad Seth dismissed the writ petition of the six terror suspects.
Five of the accused were identified as Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad
Jaseem, Ishaq, Nosherawan and Umar Faraz. They hail from Hangu.
The Lahore University of Management
Sciences issued a statement lamenting over the cancellation
of Baloch human rights activist Mama Qadeer's talk, ‘Un-silencing
Balochistan’, scheduled for April 9 at LUMS, saying that the
talk was cancelled on orders from the Government. “…Under the
re-mapping justice series, an event scheduled at LUMS for the
April 9, 2015, had to be cancelled on orders from the Government,
which was most unfortunate indeed,” read the statement issued
by LUMS. The statement adds that LUMS is committed to working
with the Government to find a way to allow the university to
hold analytical talks on various topics that need to be debated
in an objective and unbiased manner. “We are proud that all
such discussions have taken place in an academic environment
that is collegial and respectful of all citizens, as well as
diverging points of view,” said the University statement.
LeT 'commander' and mastermind
of Mumbai 2008 terror (also known as 26/11) attacks, Zakiur
Rehman Lakhvi, was released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi District.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on April 9, 2015, suspended his
detention and ordered his immediate release. JuD supporters
were present outside the prison to receive Lakhvi.
Lakhvi’s counsel Raja Rizwan
Abbasi had said that the government was left with no other ‘legal
option’ but to release his client after the LHC suspended his
detention. “Neither the government nor the Adiala Jail authorities
can violate the court’s order this time,” he said. Sources
said that Lakhvi was released overnight without any announcements
from jail authorities or the JuD. Lakhvi was shifted to an unspecified
location after his release, the sources added.
The COAS, General Raheel Sharif,
called upon apprehending terrorists and their abettors from
the urban areas of the country. He expressed these views while
chairing the 181st Corps Commanders Conference held at the General
Headquarters. The conference deliberated at length on the gravity
of the situation in Yemen and stressed that continuation of
the conflict would have serious implications for regional security.
Addressing the forum, General
Raheel Sharif expressed his complete satisfaction with the major
gains recently achieved in the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb
in Khyber Agency. He directed the commanders to maintain focus
on achieving the end objective of total elimination of terrorism
from across the country by coordinating with law enforcement
and other Government agencies. “Intelligence based operations
must be further intensified to unearth terrorist sleeper cells
and apprehend the hiding terrorists and their abettors from
urban centers as well,” COAS said.
The Pakistan’s ambassador to
the US Jalil Abbas Jilani said on April 10 that Pakistan has
apprehended more than 18,000 people belonging to various extremist
organisations in just the last three months. “Zarb-e-Azb focused
on foreign militants, but to rid the country of the menace,
the government has targeted various home grown organizations
who were involved in extremism and violence,” the ambassador
said.
One thousand and forty-five
families of TDPs have returned to their native areas in Khyber
and North Waziristan Agencies during the last five days. FATA
Disaster Management Authority said all the families have been
provided with cash assistance of PKR 35,000 and six months ration.
According to the political administration, the rehabilitation
in Bara was going on without any problem. Children below the
age of five years were also administered anti-polio drops. The
repatriation of the TDPs was launched on March 16.
April 11
At least 20 JuA militants were
killed as SFs foiled their move to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan
side in the Shunkrai area of Mohmand Agency in FATA in the night.
According to sources, a group of terrorists tried to sneak into
the Pakistani territory at about 01:30am. The Pakistani troops
spotted the move and surrounded them. An intense exchange of
fire took place for about an hour during which 20 terrorists
were killed. The bodies of the killed terrorists are in the
custody of SFs. Meanwhile, Ehsanullah Ehsan, the ‘spokesman’
for the militant group JuA, denied that any clash had taken
place at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. “There was no such
clash. We believe our colleagues in the custody of the Government
were brought there and shot dead. It has happened in the past
also but we would avenge the killings,” he stressed.
April 12
A US drone strike killed at
least four TTP militants in Shawal valley of North Waziristan
Agency in FATA.
A suspected Baloch militant
was killed and another was injured in an exchange of fire with
FC in Uch area of Sui in Dera Bugti District. According to details,
militants attacked a convoy when it was passing through Uch
on its way to Sui. The FC troops returned fire and the shootout
continued for some time. “One militant of the banned Baloch
outfit was killed and another was injured,” an FC spokesman
said, adding that the injured militant fled. He said the attackers
were on a motorcycle which had been seized along with some automatic
weapons, including a rocket launcher.
Police registered a case against
the 'chief' of BLF, Dr Allah Nazar, and its 'spokesman' Gohram
Baloch for April 10, 2015, massacre of 20 construction workers
Turbat in District. Police said the FIR had been registered
against the BLF leaders on an application of a labourer, Allah
Dina, who was injured in the gun attack.
Under the NAP, the KP Police
have rounded up 659 suspects and recovered huge cache of arms
and ammunition in the ongoing search and strike operation being
conducted throughout the province. The Police have recovered
30 arms and ammunition of different kinds and 738 rounds of
different bore in different parts of the province. During the
operation, 531 houses and 266 hotels were also checked and 33
cases registered against the violators. During snap checking
at 147 checkpoints, 375 suspects were held and 14 arms of different
kind and 180 cartridges of different bore were also seized,
said an official communiqué. During action against unregistered
Afghans, a total of 26 people were detained and 14 cases registered
against them. Security inspections of 802 educational institutions
were also carried out and various institutions were advised
to beef up security.
United States warned Pakistan
that there may be consequences for freeing LeT 'commander' and
mastermind of Mumbai 2008 terror attacks (also known as 26/11),
Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. On April 11, 2015, the LHC set aside official
orders to keep Lakhvi in prison and set him free.
Foreign Office spokesperson
Tasnim Aslam blamed India for the release, saying that New Delhi’s
“inordinate delay” in providing evidence of Lakhvi’s involvement
in the attack “weakened the prosecution’s case”. At the State
Department, spokesperson Jeff Rathke indicated that such explanations
were not enough to satisfy the US administration. “We are gravely
concerned about the release on bail of alleged Mumbai attack
mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi,” he said, adding, “We have
communicated that concern to senior Pakistani officials over
the course of many months, and as recently as yesterday.” “We
urge Pakistan to follow through on that commitment to ensure
justice for the 166 innocent people, including six Americans,
who lost their lives,” he said.
Asked if the US could also take
steps, such as cancelling the billion-dollar arms deal announced
on April 7, 2015, to persuade Pakistan to re-arrest Lakhvi,
the official said: “I’m not going to speculate about consequences
or repercussions from the podium, but I think I’ve made clear
that we’re gravely concerned about this development.” The State
Department official, however, refused to say how soon the United
States would take measures, if any, to bring Lakhvi back in
the prison. “I’m not going to put a timeline on it. But certainly,
bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks to
justice is a key priority. And we stand by that. So we’ll continue
working in that direction,” he said.
The AQIS said that a series
of American drone strikes have killed nearly 50 of its members,
including two senior leaders, over the past few months. Deputy
head AQIS Ustad Ahmad Farooq and Qari Imran, the group’s central
council member and in charge of al Qaeda in Afghanistan, were
killed in separate US drone attacks in North Waziristan Agency
of FATA on January 5 and 15 respectively, AQIS ‘spokesperson’
Usama Mehmood said in an audio message. The audio was emailed
to the media on April 12. “Mujahideen al Qaeda had been the
main target of the drone strikes since the security forces have
launched military operation in North Waziristan in June last
year. Taliban also came under attack but the real target was
al Qaeda,” the AQIS spokesperson said. Mehmood said several
senior al Qaeda leaders and members were killed in the strikes,
adding the Americans specifically focused on the al Qaeda Subcontinent
and 10 out of 11 drones hit AQIS. He confirmed the drone attacks
have killed around 50 al Qaeda members and a similar number
of their local supporters.
April 13
At least 13 BLF militants, including
one key militant 'commander' Hayat, were killed in a joint raid
by FC personnel and Intelligence Agencies, in Gogdan area of
Turbat District. The dead militants were involved in April 10,
2015, massacre of 20 Punjabi and Sindhi construction workers.
Spokesperson FC Khan Wasey said that another key militant 'commander'
Zareef was arrested during the operations. Wasey said several
miscreants were injured in the operation. According to security
officials, Levies and Police personnel were also called over
in wake of the encounter.
At least 10 militants were killed
when military planes pounded their hideouts in Chappar Mushti,
Toorsimth, Daran Shiekhan, Ovt Mela and Zaffar Ghari of Orakzai
Agency in FATA. Five militant hideouts were destroyed.
Two soldiers lost their lives
in a roadside blast in Spinwam area of NWA. The sources said
that a convoy of soldiers was going from Spinwam to Mir Ali
when an IED went off near one of the vehicles. Two soldiers
received severe injuries and died on the spot.
A timely action by the political
administration foiled a terrorism attempt in Mandori area of
Kurram Agency. Sources said that two IEDs had been planted by
unidentified people to blow up a suspension bridge in the area.
After receiving information about the IEDs, officials of the
political administration called the personnel of bomb disposal
unit who defused the devices. According to the bomb disposal
personnel, the IEDs carried 10kg of explosives.
Five AQIS militants, including
its Karachi 'chief' and 'deputy chief’ were killed in an alleged
encounter in Khairabad area of Orangi Town. The officials claimed
to have unearthed a bomb-making factory and seized a huge quantity
of explosive material, including three suicide jackets, laptop
and some documents, during the raid. The Police said the suspects
were planning attacks on Security Agencies. The documents, laptop
and other material found at the hideout helped the Police in
identification of the suicide bomber. The deceased were identified
as Karachi AQIS head Noor-ul-Hasan alias Hashim alias Bhai Jan
alias Babu Bhai, his 'deputy' Usman alias Irfan alias Abdullah,
and Ibrahim alias Rafiq alias Awais. They had come from the
Helmand Province of Afghanistan just two months ago, according
to CTD official Raja Umer Khattab.
Three people, identified as
Dilawar, Noor Islam and Din Muhammad, were shot dead by unidentified
militants in Kashti Wali Building at Bengali Para in Korangi
Town.
The Deputy Director of KMC,
identified as Ashraf Abbas (50) alias Ashu, was shot dead and
his daughter who was accompanying him in his car was injured
in a targeted sectarian attack in Azizabad area of Gulberg Town.
Ashraf was a Shia and was the trustee of Azizabad Imambargah
Sakina. He was also the worker of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Unit
153 in Federal B. Area Sector
One Akber (45) was shot dead
by unidentified armed assailants in Korangi Town.
Another man, identified as Abid
Hussain, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in North
Nazimabad Town.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC)
ordered the ATC to conclude in two months a terrorism case against
LeT 'commander' and mastermind of Mumbai 2008 terror (also
known as 26/11) attacks, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. A Division Bench,
headed by Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi, also bound the defence
lawyers to ensure their presence in every hearing otherwise
the high court would be left with no choice but to accept the
federal government’s plea to cancel the bail granted to Lakhvi.
ATC judge Syed Kausar Abbas
Zaidi on December 18, 2014, granted post-arrest bail to Lakhvi.
Later, the federal government issued Lakhvi’s detention orders
that were further extended on January 18 and February 18 for
30 days each. Subsequently, the Government through the FIA challenged
the ATC decision in the high court and maintained that the trial
court had ignored the testimony available with it in the Mumbai
attacks case. Special prosecutor Azhar Chaudhry and Abu Zar
Pirzada appeared on behalf of the FIA and requested the high
court to cancel the bail, arguing that the trial against Lakhvi
would be concluded soon.
Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer
of former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, has appealed to the
Supreme Court against his death sentence, said lawyers. The
High Court in Islamabad had upheld the death sentence on Mumtaz
Qadri. Rao Abdul Rahim, a member of the legal team defending
Qadri, said they have appealed to the SC to have the sentence
commuted. “We have appealed that it was not an intentional murder
and was a sudden act after provocation, so the SC should acquit
him,” Rahim said.
April 14
Five militants were killed when
gunship helicopters pounded their hideouts in Kasha, Shakar
Tangi, Safial Darra and other areas of Orakzai Agency in FATA
on the second consecutive day. “Five militants were killed and
two of their hideouts destroyed on the second day of the offensive,”
an official source said.
In what is seen as an effort
to re-establish its writ, the Government is calling an end to
peace militias along the Pak-Afghan border area of Mohmand Agency.
Instead in a first, it will be deploying at least 200 levies
and khasadar officers in Baizai subdivision, an important border
area. A Grand Jirga of Khawazai and Baizai tribes was held on
April 14 at the newly-established Baizai sub-divisional headquarters.
Political Agent Waqar Ali Khan addressed the Jirga, which was
also attended by high-ranking military officials stationed in
the area as well as senior administration officials.
Two beheaded bodies, identified
as that of Jameel (80) and Shakeel (45), were recovered from
a house near Golden Bakery in Paposh Nagar of North Nazimabad
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A man, identified as Shakir
(22), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants near Shah
Baig Lane in Lyari Town.
One Bilal was injured with a
stray bullet in Machar Colony area in Mauripur area of Kiamari
Town.
One Zafar (38) was shot at and
injured near Owais Park in Korangi Town.
A man, identified as Shafiullah
(37) was shot and injured by near Star ground in Landhi Town.
Sindh Rangers declared that
53 out of 124 weapons, recovered from MQM office in Azizabad
area of Gulberg Town on March 11, 2015, were unlicensed. According
to Rangers Spokesman, 124 weapons were seized from MQM office.
Licenses of 107 were submitted. The spokesman said licenses
of 71 weapons were verified, however, 36 could not be verified
and licenses of 17 weapons were not received thus far.
Convicted murderer Faisal Mehmood
alias Faisal Mota, who was sentenced to death for murder of
journalist Wali Khan Babar on January 13, 2011, submitted an
appeal to challenge his death sentence in Sindh High Court (SHC).
An ATC sentenced Faisal Mota to death in absentia on March 1,
2014. The convict’s counsel Advocate Aamir Masoob Qureshi has
submitted an application in court and said since death sentence
was awarded in absentia, court should declare it illegal. Qureshi
said that according to Articles 21-L and 31-A of Anti Terrorism
Act 1997, a death sentence cannot be awarded in absentia.
A murder convict, Looney Khan,
was hanged till death at New Central Jail in Bahawalpur District.
Khan had killed his brother-in-law in 2000.
Police foiled a terrorist bid
by defusing a heavy IED, planted outside the residence of known
lawyer and leader of Awami National Party Abdul Lateef Afridi
in Hayatabad area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, in the night. An official of Hayatabad Police Station
said that the remote controlled device, packed in a shopping
bag, weighed about five kilograms.
A senior leader of JuD, Maulana
Ameer Hamza, was barred from travelling to Saudi Arabia by FIA
Immigration officials at Allama Iqbal Airport in Lahore as his
name was on the Exit Control List (ECL). Hamza was traveling
to the kingdom along with his wife Bushra for performing religious
obligations. The name of Ameer Hamza was put on the ECL by the
Federal Ministry of Interior on the request of Punjab Home Department.
Afterwards the JuD leader was
brought to FIA headquarters for necessary legal actions. Although
FIA officials have no clue when his name was put on the ECL
and for what reasons, sources in the FIA claimed that his name
was put on ECL sometime back. Sources said leaders of tier-I
and tier-II of different religious parties were put on the ECL
on the request of the Home Department Punjab and Ameer Hamza
could be one of them. The passport of Hamza had also been confiscated,
they maintained.
An unnamed Government official
said that the Punjab Government will challenge in Supreme Court
the release of LeT 'commander' and mastermind of Mumbai 2008
terror (also known as 26/11) attacks accused Zakiur Reham Lakhvi,
by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on April 9, 2015. On April 9,
a single judge of the LHC ordered Lakhvi’s release after suspending
his detention under the MPO issued by Okara’s top administrator
on March 12, 2015. Lakhvi had been in detention for over five
years for his involvement in 26/11 attacks.
An insider in the Punjab Advocate
General office said that the draft of the appeal has been prepared
and it will be filed in the SC within a couple of days. It states
that Lakhvi is the 'operational chief' of LeT. His release is
against the UN resolutions, argues the appeal to be filed on
behalf of the Punjab Home Secretary, Okara DCO and Adiala Jail
superintendent. The Government, it says, is responsible for
maintaining peace in the society and the courts have no authority
to intervene in this matter.
April 15
Four unidentified militants
abducted the MNCH Programme and Official Coordinator of the
Balochistan Health Department Dr Amir Baksh at gunpoint from
Sohrab Road in provincial capital Quetta while he was on his
way to the health office from his home on Brewery Road. The
doctor hails from Turbat District and had been working on child
and maternal health in Balochistan.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
met Army chief General Raheel Sharif to discuss national security
and the law and order situation of Quetta. Sources privy to
the development revealed that Operation Zarb-e-Azb might be
expanded to Balochistan to fight against Baloch insurgents as
well. The army launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb against militants
in North Waziristan Agency of FATA in June 2014.
Four armed robbers stormed Habib
Bank Limited in Korangi 6 area of Korangi Town in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh, looting PKR 1 million after overpowering
the two security guards posted there. Station House Officer
of Awami Colony Police Station Ghazanfar said that the robbers
snatched weapons from the two guards posted there and collected
PKR1 million from the cash counter at gunpoint.
The HRCP in its latest report
stated that killings in Karachi, in the last three months, have
witnessed a 33.5 per cent decline as compared to last year.
According to the HRCP report, from January to March 2015, around
532 people were killed or died in incidents of violence in the
city. This includes men, women and children who were killed
in sectarian attacks, personal enmities, robberies, police encounters
and karo-kari. Last year in 2014, between January and March,
nearly 800 people had been killed.
The HRCP’s vice-chairperson
in Sindh Asad Iqbal Butt said that there was a decline in killings
as compared to 2014 as Law Enforcement Agencies had become more
active. “Political activists who were involved in criminal activities
are being arrested by law enforcers,” he said, adding, “This
has brought down the total number of killings and murders in
the city.” He added that while numbers for targeted attacks
and killings had gone down in Karachi, street crimes such as
robberies had increased.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC)
was informed that 22 more missing persons shifted to internment
centre in Lakki Marwat were declared black or hardcore militants)
and five as grey (terror suspects). Additional Advocate General
(AAG), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mian Arshad Jan, submitted to a division
bench the list of 27 missing persons shifted to internment centre
in Lakki Marwat. The bench comprised of Chief Justice Mazhar
Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan. As per the list
issued by in-charge of the internment centre, Sabz Ali Khan,
22 missing persons shifted to internment centre had been declared
hardcore militants.
The black declared internees
were Akbar Ali, Mian Anwar, Abdullah, Mulazim Hussain, Muhammad
Asif, Imdad Hussain, Asghar Shah, Qadir Shah, Yousaf Shah, Rahmat
Zada, Idrees, Nisar Ali, Ashiquddin, Rasool Niaz, Rahmatullah,
Akhtar Ali, Daulat Khan, Zakirullah, Asghar Hussain, Muhammad
Ayub, Abdullah and Noor Muhammad. Five internees were also declared
grey. They included Inamullah, Asghar Khan, Muhammad Hayat,
Zamir Gul and Abdul Khaliq. It was stated in the report that
the internees had been picked up in the years 2009, 2010, 2011
and 2012. They were shifted to the internment centre after one
or two years under the special law called Action (in Aid of
Civil Power) Regulation, 2011 for FATA and PATA.
Former US ambassador to Pakistan
Cameron Munter claimed that “Pakistan probably didn’t know about
Osama bin Laden as there is no evidence to suggest there was
a link”. Giving a talk at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
on re-envisioning US-Pak relations, the former ambassador presented
a prologue to the year 2011 which he says was “a terrible year
if you happen to be an ambassador to Pakistan”. Mr Munter said
Pakistan probably didn’t know about OBL’s presence. “Because
everything was taken out during the raid and if there was a
link it is hard to imagine there would have been no trace of
that.” The raid and its implications made cooperation between
the two countries difficult, the former ambassador said.
Forty-one percent of the Afghan
refugees who returned to their homeland over the years cite
fear of arrest or harassment as the leading reason for their
return, UNHCR report said. This information was released by
the UNHCR in its March 2015 Afghan Refugees Repatriation Fact
Sheet for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the FATA. A total of 10,777
refugees have been repatriated between January and March of
this year, the majority of whom were from host communities.
After the APS attack in December
16, 2014, the repatriation of Afghan refugees has spiked. Around
3,000 to 4,000 refugees left for Afghanistan each month from
January to March this year during the same time period in 2014
(January to March), a total of 761 refugees had left Pakistan
for Afghanistan. There are currently 965,301 Afghan refugees
living in Pakistan─ 53pc of these live in host communities,
while 47pc live in 64 refugee villages. UNHCR says repatriation
of all refugees may not be possible by December 2015. The greatest
influx of refugees occurred during the late 1970s and the 1980s.
According to the UNHCR report,
a total of 2.3 million refugees have been repatriated since
2002, with the highest number ─ 811,299 ─ repatriated
in 2002, and the lowest ─ 6,394 ─ in 2014. The most
popular province of asylum for refugees is KP, with 52pc of
refugees settling in both urban and rural areas of the province.
AJK is the next popular option, followed by Punjab, with 25pc
and 23pc of refugees settling in these regions, respectively.
The Police Department cancelled
leaves of its staffers deputed at the Peshawar University campus
and asked them to remain on duty in view of security threats
to the campus. A high-level meeting attended by SSP-Operations
Mian Mohammad Saeed, campus Police commandant Mohammad Hussain
Khan and army officials took stock of the situation and decided
to further strengthen the security. “We can’t take chances.
We should be prepared to cope with any eventuality. We suffered
due to terrorism and have to take appropriate measures,” said
campus SHO Imran Khan. The sources said that there were fresh
threats to various departments due to which security at the
campus needed to be reinforced. They revealed that recently
some phone calls had been intercepted that showed any untoward
incident could happen at the campus.
Over 300 policemen deployed
at the campus – which houses the University of Peshawar, University
of Engineering and Technology, Agriculture University and Islamia
College University – have been asked to ensure presence on duty.
The administrations at almost all educational institutions have
raised boundary walls, installed barbed wire and increased the
number of security guards to cope with the security situation.
April 16
At least 10 terrorists were
killed and another six were arrested in a pre-dawn crackdown
in Sheikhan area of Orakzai Agency in FATA. At least 12 hideouts
of the militants were destroyed and a huge quantity of weapons
and ammunition was seized.
Islamic State (IS, also known
as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria / ISIS) ''commander-designate''
for Pakistan, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, was killed with two others
in a bomb explosion in the Toor Dara area of Tirah Valley in
Khyber Agency. Khyber Agency officials said the militants were
planting or manufacturing an IED when it exploded, killing the
all three of them on the spot. According to details, Saeed
hailed from the Orakzai Agency and was among five leading TTP
'commanders' who announced their disassociation from the outfit
in October 2014. Later, they swore allegiance to IS under the
leadership of Shahidullah Shahid. The IS high-command through
a message circulated by Shahid had declared Saeed as the IS
'chief' for Pakistan. However, Shahid is believed to be the
real chief with Saeed serving as his dummy.
A key leader of Haqqani Network,
identified as Farooq, was killed and nine militants were arrested
during a clash with SFs in Sra Kanda area of Birmal tehsil
near Wana in NWA. However, one suspect managed to escape. According
to Intelligence sources, 11 Haqqani Network militants were going
to Wana via Shawal in a pick-up. When the militants reached
near a security check-post in Sra Kanda, an exchange of fire
took place between them and security personnel, killing Farooq,
a key figure of the Haqqani Network and brother of senior militant
leaders Sangeen and Bilal Zadran. The arrested militants were
identified as Israr Ahmed, Rahim Gul, Abid, Mohsin, Gul Mohammad,
Amirullah, Azbullah and Khan Zali Khan. The sources said that
a huge cache of arms was recovered from their possession and
their pick-up was impounded.
SFs successfully repulsed a
militant attack on Ghakhi, a Pakistani border post, in Bajaur
Agency. An insider confirmed the attack, claiming that militants
from the Kunar Province Afghanistan attacked with heavy weapons.
The soldiers responded to the gunfire forcing the militants
to flee.
Three persons, including two
women, of the same family were killed when unidentified militants
opened indiscriminate fire at a vehicle Qamaruddin Karez area
of Zhob District.
A soldier, identified as Sepoy
Mohammad Yousuf, was killed and two others were injured in a
rocket attack on an under-construction check post of FC in the
Tasp area of Panjgur District. “Three rockets were fired from
an unknown location which landed and exploded near the check
post in Tasp,” FC spokesman Khan Wassy said. No outfit claimed
responsibility for the attack.
Acting on a tip-off, FC carried
out a search operation on the outskirts of Sibi District and
arrested 10 suspects and recovered six automatic weapons from
their possession. The detained persons were accused of blowing
up railway lines, planting IEDs and attacking security forces
and public transport.
In another search operation
in Harnai District, FC arrested four suspects involved in extortion
from coalmine contractors and truck drivers.
The leader of the VBMP Abdul
Qadeer Baloch, also known as Mama Qadeer, during a press conference
at the Karachi Press Club in Karachi claimed that five of the
13 suspected militants killed by SFs on April 13, 2015, and
accused of having been involved in the murder of 20 labourers
in Turbat District on April 10, 2015, had been missing for the
past few months. Mama Qadeer said it was not the first time
that SFs had come up with such a claim after killing people
in custody. “At least five of those 13 men killed were missing
for the past few months,” he said, adding, “They all were picked
up from different areas of Turbat District. Their families had
reasons to believe that they were in custody of agencies.”
He said the names of the five
young men were registered with his group as ‘missing Baloch
persons’ and that institutions concerned as well as some human
rights’ organisations were aware of their enforced disappearance.
He further said that for a couple of years security agencies
had been killing people in their custody after every attack
carried out by militant groups. He said the situation in Balochistan
was constantly deteriorating and both the Federal and Provincial
Governments were appeared helpless in resolving the issue of
missing persons.
Two death row prisoners, Ejaz
and Abdul Jabbar, were hanged till death in Central Jail Gujranwala
in Gujranwala District. Ejaz had killed a man in 1995 and Abdul
Jabbar in 2001.
Two more convicts, identified
as Qaiser and Majid, were hanged till death in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi.
Qaiser was accused of murdering a colleague and was awarded
sentence by a court. An anti terrorism court (ATC) had awarded
death sentence to convict Majid for killing six people in Wah
Cantt. Both convicts hailed from Rawalpindi Division.
Another condemned prisoner,
Zafar Iqbal, was hanged till death in Faisalabad Central Jail
in Faisalabad District. Zafar was convicted of killing a woman
over resistance during a robbery bid in 2005.
Hangings of two convicts, Nizam
Deen and Muhammad Hussain, were cancelled after their heirs
managed to produce agreements between the plaintiffs and defending
parties, before the jail authorities.
The Station House Officer of
Preedy Police Station, identified das Khawaja Ajaz Ali, was
killed by unidentified armed assailants on Korangi Road near
Defence Morr in Saddar Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
A woman, identified as Debra
Lobo, a US national and the Vice-Principal of the Jinnah Medical
and Dental College’s student affairs wing, was shot at and injured
on Shaheed-e-Millat Road in Jamshed Town. According to Police
sources, leaflets of Islamic State (IS, also known as Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria ISIS) were found at the scene claiming
responsibility for the attack. “Lobo was on her way to the college
when her car came under attack by two armed assailants riding
on a motorbike,” an unnamed Police Official said.
April 17
Eight militants were killed
when gunship helicopters shelled their hideouts in Kasha, Babo
Tang Killay, Drand Sheikhan and Ahat Mela area of Orakzai Agency
in FATA. “The gunship helicopters targeted three militant hideouts
in the central parts of the Orakzai Agency. Eight militants
were killed in the shelling,” an official source said. Security
Forces claimed that two commanders were among the dead. However,
they didn’t disclose the identities of the slain commanders.
Masood Hamid, Marketing Director
for Dawn and Pakistan Herald Publications Limited (PHPL), was
killed in his car in Phase-8 area of DHA in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. The unidentified militants also left the weapon
used in the murder in his car before fleeing the incident site.
The LeT founder and JuD 'chief'
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed held a rally in support of Kashmir separatist
leader Masarat Alam in Lahore. This rally came right after Alam
was arrested for raising pro-Pakistani slogans and waving Pakistani
flag in Srinagar on Syed Ali Shah Geelani's return from Delhi.
Despite the arrest, Alam remained defiant and said that the
scheduled rally in Tral against the death of a youth in an encounter
with Army will continue as planned. Separatist leader Syed Ali
Shah Geelani though remains under house arrest. Both the Hurriyat
hardliners were slated to hold a rally in Tral. The action comes
after the Bharatiya Janata Party, an ally in the Jammu and Kashmir
Government, threatened to skip the next Cabinet meeting if Masarat
was not arrested. Masarat Alam has been booked under the Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act.
The Director General of ISPR,
Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa, tweeted quoting COAS General
Raheel Sharif as saying that Pakistan and Afghanistan will continue
targeting terrorists on the their respective sides of the border,
ensuring total denial of space to terror elements. General Raheel
Sharif expressed these views during his meeting with the Afghan
National Army’s Chief of General Staff General Sher Mohammad
Karimi, who called on him at the General Headquarters here on
Friday, the ISPR press release said. During the meeting, the
matters related to peace and stability in the region, especially
in Afghanistan, Pak-Afghan border management and measures to
further enhance defence and training cooperation between both
the armies were discussed.
The HRCP issued its annual report
titled “State of Human Rights in 2014” revealed that 1,723 Pakistanis
lost their lives and 3,143 were injured during 2014 in 1,206
terrorist attacks, including 26 suicide hits. The report stated
that Pakistan in 2014 witnessed surge in sectarian violence,
attack on minorities, media censorship, and remained the worst
polio-affected country. The report stated that no laws were
made by the Federal Government to safeguard the interests of
religious minorities.
According to the report a total
of 144 incidents of sectarian violence were reported from across
the country, out of which 144 were sectarian-related terrorist
attacks and three sectarian clashes. On freedom of thought the
report stated that 11 Hindu temples and churches were attacked
in Sindh, two attacks were carried out against the Zikri sect
in Balochistan. The HRCP annual report said that Shia pilgrims’
buses passing through Balochistan and passenger buses and vans
plying between Gilgit-Baltistan and the rest of the country
had to travel in convoys under security escorts.
Pakistan was termed the most
dangerous country in the world for media, with 14 journalists
and media workers killed in 2014 alone. The country recorded
627,116 cases of crimes against people and property during 2014
as against 634,404 in 2013 – a nominal fall. Sindh Police registered
1,261 cases of kidnapping of women for forced marriages in 2014.
There were 114 cases of acid attacks in Pakistan, involving
159 victims, reports said. According to the report, 1,723 people
were killed and 3,143 were injured during 2014 in 1,206 terrorist
attacks – including 26 suicide hits. Sectarian violence killed
210 people, 45 members of polio teams — vaccinators and their
facilitators —were killed.
No laws were made by the Federal
Government to safeguard the interests of religious minorities
and only two bills related to minorities were passed at the
provincial level by KP, report said. According to the report
under ‘Law and law-making’ section, parliament made 10 laws,
less than half the previous year’s 22, nine presidential ordinances
were promulgated. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa passed the highest number
of provincial acts and ordinances followed by Sindh, Punjab
and Balochistan in 2014, the provincial legislation amounting
to 137, and provincial assemblies performance were better than
national assembly.
There were 3,392 encounters
in 2014 as against 2,616 in 2013 in Sindh. 925 suspects were
killed in shootouts and 160 personnel of Police and Rangers
fell in the line of duty in Karachi. KP Police killed 26 persons
in encounters. Punjab Police killed 276 suspected criminals
and arrested 322 while 27 Policemen died and 59 suspected criminals
and 73 Policemen got injured in 283 encounters in 2014. While,
231 persons were sentenced to death by the courts.
April 18
Six TTP militants were killed
in an encounter in the Afghan Basti near the Super Highway in
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Police said that they
conducted a raid acting on a tip-off regarding terrorists hiding
out in the Afghan settlement. Upon seeing the raiding party
the terrorists opened fire upon them. In the ensuing gunfight
six terrorists were killed belonging to TTP Maulvi Fazlullah
group. Police identified two out of the six terrorists as Ahmed
and Sarwat. Ahmed was a commander of the deceased former TTP
Chief Hakimullah Mehsud and has been injured in a drone strike
in Waziristan after which he relocated to Karachi to seek medical
treatment.
The LeT founder and JuD 'chief'
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed admitted that his organisation helps the
Pakistan Army in supporting Kashmiris. Speaking during an interview
with Pakistan's Channel 24, Saeed said, “There are lakhs of
people in Kashmir who are demanding freedom. If the Indian government
resorts to firing then we will also retaliate in a strong manner.”
“We support Pakistan, Pakistan government and Pakistan Army
in their effort to help the people of Kashmir who don't have
freedom. And we call it jihad,” he added. Saeed said further,
“Pakistan and its government have always maintained that people
of Kashmir should get their rights. Whatever the Pakistani government
does to achieve this is jihad for us and we support Pakistan,
Pakistani government and Pakistani forces.”
April 19
One of the top commanders of
the Haqqani Network was among six militants killed during clashes
with the SFs in the Beermal area of South Waziristan Agency
in FATA. The law enforcement personnel also arrested nine militants
while one managed to escape in the hills. The commander of the
Haqqani Network was identified as Farooq Zadran who was killed
in Beermal, the border area between North and South Waziristan
Agency.
At least five militants have
been killed and three security personnel injured during clashes
between SFs and militants in the area of Nangrosa Sipah of Tirah
Valley in Khyber Agency.
One person was killed while
five others were injured in a hand grenade explosion during
the cleansing of a canal in the Yasin Manjanwala locality of
Lakki Marwat District in KP. The incident took place in the
Yasin Manjanwala where the dwellers of the area were engaged
in cleansing of the canal on self-help basis. During the cleansing
work a hand grenade buried in the mud blasted, resulting in
the death of one person and injuring five others.
Under the NAP, KP Police have
rounded up 416 suspects and recovered huge cache of arms and
ammunition in the ongoing search and strike operation being
conducted throughout the province. The Police have recovered
45 arms and ammunition of different kinds and 555 round of different
bore in different parts of the province. Two kg explosive material
was also recovered. During the operation, 532 houses and 242
hotels were also checked and 7 cases registered against the
violators. During snap checking at 172 checkpoints, 234 suspects
were held and 28 arms of different kind and 229 cartridges of
different bore were also seized, said an official communiqué.
A local ATC cleared the chief
of the TNSM, Sufi Muhammad, in 16 more terrorism cases. Sufi
Muhammad was acquitted due to lack of evidence against him in
the cases, all of which were registered under the anti-terrorism
act. Judge Abdul Rauf of the ATC, who conducted proceedings
inside the Peshawar Central Jail, also issued orders to transfer
the remaining three cases against the TNSM chief to courts in
Swat. The trial of Sufi Mohammad in different terrorism cases
has been conducted inside the maximum-security Peshawar Central
Jail for security reasons.
KP Home Department has issued
around 161,441 prohibited bore licences during the past two
years. According to statistics issued by the provincial Home
Ministry, Bannu District has topped the list with around 66,000
licences issued in past two years. According to media reports,
the District administrations have issued the following number
of prohibited bore licences: 11,642 in Peshawar, 8,009 in Kohat
and 7,721 in Mardan. Chitral was last in the list with around
123 licenses. Other areas in the list comprised of Swabi, Sahab,
Karak, Lower Dir, Charsadda, Mansehra, Lakki Marwat, Abbottabad,
Malakand, Buner, DI Khan, Nowshera, Hangu, Batgram, Torghar,
Kohistan and Upper Dir. Deputy Commissioner Bannu Mohammad Ayaz
Khan expressed his dismay over the issuance of 66,000 licences
in the District and said that he would check the record in this
regard.
A convicted prisoner on death
row, identified as Manzoor Wasli was hanged in Vehari’s District
Jail. Wasli killed a Policeman during a robbery attempt in 2001.
A local ATC had convicted him and awarded him double death penalty.
Three people were injured when
two unidentified militants hurled a grenade in Bolton Market
on MA Jinnah Road in Lyari Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
April 20
Airport Security Force thwarted
terrorists attack on Air Traffic Control Radar of Pasni airport
in Gwadar District. ASF spokesman Abbas Memon said the terrorists
launched attack on the radar in organized manner, however, the
ASF personnel foiled the assault. He said, “All the installations
of the Pasni radar were safe.” He further said no loss of life
was reported. Deputy Commissioner Gwadar Abdul Hameed said terrorists
shot fire on the radar 8 kilometers far from the location and
managed to flee after exchange of fire with law enforcement
agencies.
Pakistan’s former Ambassador
to the US, Hussain Haqqani, strongly opposed the use of American
military aid to fight extremists in Pakistan and said instead
it will fuel conflict in South Asia. The Obama administration
on April 7, 2015, announced to sell almost USD 1 billion worth
of attack helicopters, missiles and other equipment to Pakistan.
Haqqani said, “Pakistan’s failure to tackle its jihadist challenge
is not the result of a lack of arms but reflects an absence
of will," adding, "With nuclear weapons, Pakistan
no longer has any reason to feel insecure about being overrun
by a larger Indian conventional force. For the US to continue
supplying a Pakistani military that is much larger than the
country can afford, will only invigorate Pakistani militancy
and militarism at the expense of its 200 million people, one-third
of whom continue to live at less than a dollar a day per household.”
The former ambassador said that
unless Pakistan changes its worldview, American weapons will
end up being used to fight or menace India and perceived domestic
enemies instead of being deployed against jihadists. “Competition
with India remains the overriding consideration in Pakistan’s
foreign and domestic policies. By aiding Pakistan over the years,
some USD 40 billion since 1950, according to the Congressional
Research Service, the US has fed Pakistan’s delusion of being
India’s regional military equal. Seeking security against a
much larger neighbour is a rational objective but seeking parity
with it on a constant basis is not. Instead of selling more
military equipment to Pakistan, US officials should convince
Pakistan that its ambitions of rivaling India are akin to Belgium
trying to rival France or Germany, he said.
April 21
A total of 17 condemned prisoners
were hanged in different jails across the country. Three condemned
prisoners each were executed in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Gujranwala,
two convicts each were hanged in Lahore and Sialkot, while one
condemned prisoner each faced the gallows in Gujrat, Sahiwal,
Multan and Machh. Another six will be taken to the gallows on
April 22, (Central Jail Lahore 2 Central Jail Sahiwal 3 and
one in Central Jail Bahawalpur) whereas two other will be hanged
on Thursday (one each in Central Jail Sahiwal and District Jail
Sargodha). In Lahore, Allah Rakha and Ghulam Nabi were sent
to the gallows in Kot Lakhpat Jail for committing murders in
1996 and 2003, respectively. Two death row prisoners were hanged
in Sialkot jail for killing a woman after sexually assaulting
her.
The Federal Government requested
the Supreme Court to revoke its interim order of halting the
executions of six terrorists who were awarded death sentences
by the military courts established under the 21st Constitutional
Amendment. The Federation contended that these six terrorists
had waged a war against the State of Pakistan hence the interim
order passed by the apex court had no basis. The Federation,
in its reply, filed through the attorney general’s office submitted
that the convicts and their organisations had declared and waged
a war against the State of Pakistan by slaughtering Army/Frontier
Corps personnel, preparing suicide bombers, attacking armed
forces/civilians and installations, which resulted in causing
deaths and injuries, abduction for ransom, possessing explosives
and collection of funds for terrorist organisations. On April
16, the full court had halted the execution of six terrorists,
Noor Saeed, Haider Ali, Murad Khan, Inayatullah, Israruddin
and Qari Zahir under the Pakistan Army Act 1952.
Six suspected militants and
two soldiers were killed in three clashes between Security Forces
and militants in different areas of Balochistan. Three suspects
were arrested and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was
seized by paramilitary troops.
Official sources said that a
security convoy was going from Mashkay to Jahoo area of Awaran
District when it came under fire. SFs fired back and the gun
battle, which lasted for several hours, left four militants
dead.
In a clash in Zarin Bug area
in Kech District, two SFs personnel and a suspected militant
were killed. A spokesman for the Frontier Corps said that troops
chased the perpetrators of April 19’s rocket attack on an air
traffic control station in the Pasni area of Gwadar and surrounded
them in Zarin Bug, 80km from Gwadar. In a heavy exchange of
fire between FC troops and militants in the mountainous area,
one militant and two soldiers were killed and two militants
were arrested, the FC spokesman said.
FC troops killed one militant
and arrested another in an encounter in the mountainous area
of Aghbarg in Ziarat District. “The troops launched a search
operation for militants belonging to a banned religious extremist
organisation who were involved in attacking the vehicle of the
district police officer of Sherani in Loralai area and killing
three policemen in March,” the spokesman said.
Four members of a family sustained
injuries when an explosive device planted near a well went off
in Bilyamina area of Bannu District in KP. Sources said that
unidentified persons had placed explosive device near a well
outside the house of Noor Saeed, a retired Subedar, in Bilyamina
area. The explosive went off when his family members gathered
near the well. The injured were identified as Zubair, Atif,
Ziaullah and Ajmeer, sons of Noor Saeed.
The KP Police has trained 10,727
guards to provide security to the various educational institutions
while 10,610 more are waiting for their turn to get training,
officials said. In the backdrop of attack on the Army Public
School and College in Peshawar in December 16, 2014, security
arrangements of educational institutions across the province
were reviewed. On the request of the administration of educational
institutions, the KP Police has imparted training to 10,727
guards across the province so far. Of them, 3,973 guards were
trained in Hazara Region, Bannu Region 2,192, Mardan Region
1,938, Malakand Region 1,306, Kohat 709, Dera Ismail Khan 516
and Peshawar 93. Those who received training included teachers,
security guards, watchmen and retired personnel of different
security forces.
A soldier sustained injuries
in a roadside blast in the Ghongat Jowar area of Safi tehsil
in Mohmand Agency of FATA. Sources said that militants had planted
an IED on a roadside in the Ghongat Jowar area. The militants
triggered the explosion when a patrolling vehicle of SFs was
passing through the area. A soldier Izharullah sustained injuries
in the blast.
A Khassadar Force official sustained
injuries in a roadside blast in Mandato Koty area of Jamrud
tehsil in Khyber Agency. Sources said that unidentified
persons had planted a bomb in Mandato Koty, which went off when
the Khassadar official, identified as Shakeel Khan, was on his
way to Sakhipul checkpost for duty.
SFs repulsed an attack on the
Nawa Pass security checkpost in Chamarkand tehsil of Bajaur
Agency. Sources said the militants based in Kunar province of
Afghanistan attacked the Nawa Pass security checkpost early
in the day. They said that the personnel of the SFs returned
the fire and forced the militants to escape. However, there
were no reports about any casualty in the attack.
The TTP claimed to have successfully
test fired its first ‘indigenously developed’ missile named
as ‘Omar-1’. To justify its claim, the TTP has issued a statement
and posted a video demonstrating the launch of missile.
In the video, different parts
of the missile were assembled before its launch. The TTP said
that special feature of ‘Omar-1’ is its design. "It can
easily be assembled and dissembled in accordance to the situation,"
said Muhammad Khorasani, the TTP ‘spokesman’. Khorasani said
the effectiveness of the specially-designed missile would certainly
surprise the targeted enemy. "With the grace of God, you'll
soon see our enemies on the run," he said. The spokesman
further said that engineering unit of the TTP has the capability
to develop modern lethal weapons. "We are training our
fighters to get maximum results from the use of technology,
including suicide vests, suicide vehicles, hand grenades, anti-jammer
devices and so on,” he added.
April 22
Twenty-seven militants were
killed in air strikes and a search operation in North and South
Waziristan Agencies of FATA. The ISPR said 22 militants were
killed and their sanctuaries destroyed when fighter aircraft
pounded their positions in Khar Tangi and Lowra Mandi areas
of Dattakhel area in NWA. In a cordon and search operation,
five terrorists were killed by SFs in the Shakto area of SWA.
The border authorities recovered
a huge cache of explosive material from a truck at Torkham border
in Khyber Agency. An official said that a trailer truck (12481-KBL)
was on the way to Afghanistan from Pakistan carrying cement
bags. He said the Khasadars during routine checking recovered
720 pieces of detonators, 110 kilograms potassium and hundreds
of metres of wire from the truck.
Four prisoners were executed
in jails of Punjab. Two were hanged till death in Central Jail,
Lahore, one in Central Jail, Sahiwal, and one in Central Jail,
Bahawalpur. Executions of four prisoners two in Central Jail,
Sahiwal, and two in Central Jail, Sialkot, have been postponed
due to stay orders. Moreover, four more prisoners would be executed
next week. Two prisoners one from Central Jail Sahiwal and one
from Central Jail Sargodha, will be hanged on April 23 and two
more, one from Central Jail, Lahore, and one from District Jail
Vehari would be executed on April 28.
A bomb of moderate intensity
went off at Afghan Colony in the limits of Faqirabad Police
Station in Peshawar the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
in the morning. However no casualty was reported. According
to police, the bomb was planted in front of the house of local
trader Azam Khan at Afghan Colony that exploded with big bang.
The windowpanes and door of the house were damaged as a result
of the explosion. The blast also damaged five nearby shops and
adjoining houses.
An ATC in Quetta declared 16
suspects of the Quaid-e-Azam residency attack case as fugitives.
Quaid-e-Azam's residency in Ziarat was damaged by explosives
and was set ablaze on June 15, 2013 whereas one Police official
was also killed during the attack. According to reports, the
hearing was headed by Judge Nauroz Khan in which the statement
of the investigating officer was recorded. The court ordered
to advertise the names of the suspects in three newspapers.
The suspects include Herbiar Murree, Haleem Murree, Dar Muhammad
Murree, Jamal Shah, Geo Murree, Abdul Pukar, Aslam alias Achu,
Saifullah alias Saifu, Bairak, Rehman Gull, Abdul Sattar Murree,
Ganbu Murree, Jabal Murree, Taio Murree, Umar Mannu and Baju
Murree. The hearing of the case was adjourned till April 27.
Pakistan-based LeT 'technology
chief' Zarrar Shah and his fellow militants continue to direct
terrorist activity from behind bars under ISI watch, setting
up in jail in Pakistan's Rawalpindi a control room like the
one in Karachi to oversee the 26/11 (November 26, 2998) Mumbai
(Maharashtra) attacks, a report said.
A report in Frontline titled
'The Hidden Intelligence Breakdowns Behind the Mumbai Attacks'
says six years after the 26/11 attacks that brought Mumbai and
India to a standstill, the masterminds are still "at large
in Pakistan protected by the ISI, an intelligence service that
is nominally a US ally." "Even the defendants behind
bars are still a threat. Shah, Lashkar's technology and communications
chief, and his fellow militants continue to direct terrorist
activity from the prison," the report quoted current and
former Western and Indian counter-terror officials as saying.
"They're able to continue
operating unfettered there," former State Department intelligence
analyst Tricia Bacon said in the report. "The control room
that they once had in Karachi to oversee the Mumbai attacks
they essentially now have in the prison in the middle of the
military capital in Pakistan (Rawalpindi)," Bacon added.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Operation Zarb-e-Azb has proved
very successful in eliminating terrorism from the country and
the operation against militants will continue until the country
is purged of the menace of terrorism. Addressing a ‘Police-Darbar’
gathering at the Police Lines headquarters in Islamabad, the
Minister said the war against terrorism will continue till the
elimination of the last terrorist. Over 500 operations have
been launched against terrorists under National Action Plan
but the war against terror has not ended yet, adding that though
the enemies have run away but they are still planning attack
and threats are still there.
April 23
Twenty terrorists, including
three suicide bombers, were killed when PAF fighter aircrafts
targeted their hideouts in Kukikhel, Sepah and Kamarkhel areas
of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA. The ISPR through a
statement said that several hideouts, ammunition and ration
depots were also destroyed in the aerial blitz.
One American and one Italian
who had been held hostage by al Qaeda in the border region of
Pakistan and Afghanistan were killed in a US counterterrorism
operation in January, the White House said. The operation in
which American doctor Warren Weinstein and Italian Giovanni
Lo Porto were killed also resulted in the death of an American
al Qaeda leader, Ahmed Farouq, the White House said. Another
American al Qaeda member, Adam Gadahn, also was killed, likely
in a separate operation, the White House added. In a written
statement, the White House expressed “tremendous sorrow” over
the hostage deaths and said the United States had no reason
to believe hostages were at the al Qaeda related compound targeted
in the operation.
Weinstein was abducted in Lahore,
Pakistan, in 2011 while working for a US consulting firm. Al
Qaeda had asked to trade him for members of the militant group
being held by the United States. Weinstein was seen in videos
released in May 2012 December 2013, asking for US president
Barrack Obama to intervene on his behalf and saying he was suffering
from heart problems and asthma. Italian aid worker Lo Porto
has been missing in Pakistan since January 2012. Lo Porto, who
was from Palermo, Sicily, was kidnapped three days after arriving
in Pakistan on January 19, 2012, to work for a German organization
building houses for victims of a 2010 flood. Another man was
kidnapped with him but later separated and freed in October
2014 by German Special Forces.
An in-depth analysis by the
London-based BIJ has revealed that 38 Westerners have been killed
in the US drone strikes so far in different countries. These
include an American and an Italian whose names were mentioned
in an unprecedented announcement by US President Barack Obama.
However, these were not the only Westerners killed by the US
in its covert drone war in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The
analysis by the BIJ and author Chris Woods has found that seven
other US citizens have been killed since the White House launched
its covert drone war on suspected terrorists in 2002. These
findings are part of a major investigation into the nationalities
of people killed by the US drone war. At least 38 Westerners
in total have now been killed by US drones in the three target
countries – Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The 38 Western deaths
include 10 Americans, eight Britons, seven Germans, three Australians,
two Spaniards, two Canadians, one Belgian or Swiss national,
and now one Italian. There have also been four ‘Westerners’
of unidentified nationality.
April 24
Sabeen Mahmud, the director
at T2F, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Phase-II
area of DHA in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, in
the night. According to reports, Sabeen, accompanied by her
mother was returning home after hosting a seminar at the T2F
premises in Phase-II area of DHA, when unidentified gunmen on
a motorbike opened fire at her car. Both Sabeen and her mother
were rushed to a nearby hospital where Sabeen succumbed to her
wounds. Her mother is severely injured and still under treatment.
Police said that Sabeen received five bullet wounds.
One Policeman was killed, six
other cops and a civilian were injured when a vehicle of the
QRF of the Peshawar Police was attacked with an IED at the Gulbahar
Chowk in Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. The injured
Policemen were identified as Rahatullah, Daud, Zulfiqar, Ilyas,
Abdul Khaliq, Naik Mohammad and Mohammad Riaz. Later Daud succumbed
to his injuries. The civilian couldn’t be identified. A Police
official said around two kilos of explosives were planted on
the roadside in Gulbahar Chowk where a vehicle of the QRF used
to be positioned to respond in case of an emergency..
The Police in KP on April 24
rounded up 607 suspects and recovered a huge cache of arms and
ammunition in the ongoing search operations in the province.
The Police recovered 55 arms and ammunition of different kinds
and 3,706 rounds of different bores in different parts of the
province. During the operations, 770 houses and 240 hotels were
also checked and 19 cases registered against the violators.
During snap checking at 189 checkpoints, 379 suspects were held
and 34 arms of different kind and 3,675 cartridges of different
bores were also seized. During action against unregistered Afghans,
a total of 45 people were detained and 27 cases registered against
them.
As the president constituted
the 9th NFC to distribute resources among the federating units,
the Federal Government has proposed the provinces share the
cost of counterterrorism efforts and disaster management. President
Mamnoon Hussain constituted the 9th NFC on April 24 to determine
the fresh award for distribution of Federal taxes between the
Centre and the provinces for the next five years, according
to an official handout. The Finance Ministry also issued the
notification of the commission’s formation in addition to its
terms of reference. For the first time, the Federal Government
has raised the issue of its expenses on the fight against terrorism
and management of natural disasters on the commission’s agenda,
with the aim that the provinces share the growing burden with
the Centre. The issue is likely to be the thorniest one the
10-member commission will be discussing in the months ahead.
April 25
Nine suspected militants were
killed in air strikes in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in FATA.
An ISPR statement said jets bombed hideouts of the TTP, and
LI in Kanu Gharaibi, Pathai, Baagh, Rajgal, Jhrandy and Nakai
areas of Kukikhel and Malakdin Khel. The ISPR claimed that nine
militants affiliated with the TTP and LI were killed in the
air strikes and five of their hideouts destroyed. However, LI
spokesman Salahuddin Ayubi in a telephonic conversation with
journalists rejected the ISPR’s claim.
SFs arrested 12 suspects during
a house-to-house search in Ghundi area of Jamrud tehsil
of Khyber Agency in FATA. Officials said the detainees were
suspected of having links with some banned organisations.
April 26
Four persons were killed and
20 others were injured in a bomb blast near the vegetable market
on the Chakkar Khan Road in Sibi town of same District in Balochistan.
DPO Anwar Khetran said unidentified militants had attached an
explosive device to a motorcycle which went off when the market
was full of buyers. The blast left at least four people dead
and 20 others injured. Shops and vehicles around the blast site
sustained damage.
Highlighting the role of PAF
in the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb and its vision beyond 2025,
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman said that
the PAF would play a lead role in rooting out terrorism from
the country. Addressing fighter pilots and officers of the PAF
at a ceremony held in Sargodha, he said the force would always
live up to the expectations of the nation while safeguarding
the aerial frontiers of the motherland. He said the indigenisation
and procurement of sophisticated weapons systems would have
been a distant dream without the unflinching dedication and
visionary leadership of the PAF in the bygone years.
The TTP claimed that they are
not involved in the brutal murder of rights activist Sabeen
Mahmud on April 24 in the Phase-II area of DHA in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. “We categorically deny involvement
in the murder of Sabeen Mahmud,” TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khorasani
said. Khorasani alleged that “investigation by the TTP’s intelligence
wing suggests Government agencies are behind the killing of
Sabeen Mahmud.”
April 27
At least three Shia Hazaras
were shot dead in a targeted attack at local bus stop in Satellite
Town area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
SHO Raja Qayyum said that three people, belonging to the Hazara
community were sitting beside a tree outside the bus stop when
unidentified assailants, riding a motorcycle, opened fire at
them. As a result, two of them were killed on the spot, another
was seriously injured, and later died in the hospital. The deceased
were identified as Mirza Hussain, Asadullah and Mohammad Ali.
They were waiting to buy a ticket for Makran bound bus at the
terminal.
At least five security personnel
were injured in a roadside explosion in Loni Road area of Kulachi
tehsil in Dera Ismail Khan District of KP. According
to officials, the incident took place in Loni Road area where
a bomb exploded near vehicle carrying security personnel.
The Counterterrorism Department
and FIA arrested four suspected terrorists involved in the suicide
attack (March 3, 2014) at F/8 Kutchery in Islamabad from Peshawar,
the provincial capital of KP. According to details, heavy cache
of weapons, including pressure cooker bombs, grenades, arms
and bullets were seized from them.
Police arrested four militants
and 55 suspected persons during search operation in the hilly
areas of Boraka and Qamar Dhand in Lachi tehsil of Kohat District.
DPO Muhammad Saheeb Khan said that acting on a tip-off regarding
the presence of the militants, a heavy contingent of Police
launched operation and raided the hideouts of the militants
in the mountainous areas of Qamar Dhand and Boraka which were
considered as no-go areas and arrested four militants of Zari
alias Daday group.
Police claimed to have arrested
a suspected terrorist from outside a private school at Chungi
No 9 in Multan town of same District in Punjab. According to
sources, Police received information about a suspicious teen
wandering near La-Salle Higher Secondary School. Police arrested
him and started investigation. During interrogation, the boy
named as Hassnain said that some criminals abducted him the
other day from his house in Mian Channu. He said that they locked
him in a mini-van over the night in Multan. The source said
that they forced him to place explosive bags outside the school
and General Bus stand. He said when he was placing the bag outside
the school people held him. The terrorists, however, fled from
the scene, source added.
Of the dozens of American nationals
who had joined the jehadi front in Pakistan, five have
so far been killed by the CIA-run US drones in the tribal areas
of Pakistan, including al Qaeda leaders, Adam Gadhn and Ahmed
Farooq, who were droned in the January 15, 2015 attack in Shawal
area of North Waziristan along with the now-slain American hostage,
Dr Warren Weinstein, The News reports on April 28. According
to information revealed by diplomatic circles in Islamabad,
at least 125 Americans have gone or have attempted to go abroad
to join jehadi fronts in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen
and Syria. Forty (40) of these would-be jehadis were arrested
before they left the US and 25 were killed while “waging jehad”
abroad.
Six of them exploded themselves
as suicide bombers while five of them were perished in the CIA-run
drone campaign. Thirteen more Americans were arrested while
abroad, three of whom were extradited and prosecuted in the
US. Fifteen wanted American jehadis are still at large. Of those
known to have returned to the US, 32 were arrested and one was
killed. Thirty-seven went or tried to go to Pakistan 34 went
or tried to go to Somalia 20 to Syria 18 to Afghanistan and
11 to Yemen. The remaining Americans went to other countries.
US President Barack Obama “secretly”
approved a waiver to the rules for the US drone programme that
gave the CIA more flexibility in Pakistan than anywhere else
to strike suspected militants, The News quoting The Wall Street
Journal reports on April 27. Citing current and former US officials,
The Wall Street Journal said the rules tightened in 2013 were
designed to reduce the risk of civilian casualties. “Mr. Obama
also required that proposed targets pose an imminent threat
to the US “but the waiver exempted the CIA from this standard
in Pakistan,” the report said.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the Karachi operation will
meet its logical end. He said harmony among the civil armed
forces, intelligence and security agencies of the country will
be created in order to overcome the security challenges. The
Minister was expressing these views while chairing a meeting
of the top hierarchy of civil armed forces at the Interior Ministry.
He observed that the civil armed forces were playing a critical
role in maintaining the security of the country. He paid tributes
to the martyrs of the civil armed forces and said they were
the real heroes of the nation. Pakistan is indebted to them
and ‘we owe it forward their legacy but also to respect their
memories and take care of their heirs’. He said at time when
the country was faced with many challenges and there seems chaos
at every level, there is still respect for uniform.
April 28
One person was killed and another
injured as an IED exploded at Bagh-e-Naran Chowk in Hayatabad
area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. According to
Police, the explosion took place near a private school which
was closed at that time. SSP Operations said a convoy of SFs
was passing by when the explosion occurred. No security personnel
were injured in the blast and the van also remained safe. However,
two passers-by sustained injuries who later succumbed to their
injuries at hospital.
One security official succumbed
to his injuries in the roadside IED explosion in Loni Road area
of Kulachi tehsil in Dera Ismail Khan District on April
27, in which five SF personnel were injured. The TTP claimed
responsibility for IED blast. In a statement released by TTP
‘spokesman’ Muhammad Khorasani, claimed responsibility for the
attack.
A convict, identified as Munir
Hussain, was hanged till death in Vehari District Jail of Punjab.
He was accused of killing his nephew and niece over a land dispute
in 2000.
Two suspected gangsters, Mohammed
Amir and Asif alias Qayamat, were shot dead in an encounter
in Mithadar area of Saddar Town. DIG-South Dr Jamil Ahmed said
that this month alone, 32 suspects allegedly involved in targeted
killings, grenade attacks, and hijacking cargo vehicles were
shot dead in Police encounters in Lyari Town. He said Lyari
was the most sensitive area of the Police South Zone, as most
complaints received in other areas pertained to street crime.
An extortionist, identified
as Javed Brohi, was killed in a Police encounter in Sarjani
Town area of Gadap Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. A passer-by injured in the incident. Police recovered
a 9MM pistol and a stolen motorcycle from his possession.
Police arrested two suspects
in injured condition and recovered arms and stolen goods from
their possession during an operation in Baloch Colony of Orangi
Town.
The COAS, General Raheel Sharif
while addressing a gathering of army officers in the Bahawalpur
Cantonment said that stability was returning to the country
due to the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan
Agency and surrounding areas of FATA. “A peaceful environment
in and around Pakistan is our top priority,” Director General
ISPR quoted the army chief as saying on social networking site
Twitter. The Army Chief said the enemy forces could not take
Pakistan army’s focus away from targeting terrorism in the FATA,
adding that Security Forces were breaking linkage of terrorists
in the rest of the country. “No challenge is insurmountable.
Let’s take Pakistan forward. Our greatest asset, the youth,
must be encouraged and honed," he said.
Security Forces took control
of the entire Sipah and Akkakhel areas in Tirah Valley of Khyber
Agency in FATA after flushing out LI from these areas. Official
sources said that the control of Sipah and Akkakhel was so far
the biggest achievement of SFs during the ongoing Khyber II
military operation against joint forces of LI, TTP and JuA.
The forces also pressed their
ground advance towards the TTP-controlled Kukikhel areas in
the valley with fierce ground battles in Dwa Thoe and Zarmanza
areas of Kukikhel, Garhai of Kamar Khel, Jabbar Mela of Qambar
Khel and Nakai area of Malakdin Khel. “The fall of Kukikhel
is a matter of time now because the area has been encircled
from almost all sides and militants were seen fleeing the area,”
security officials said.
LI 'spokesman' Salahuddin Ayoubi
said over phone from an undisclosed location that the loss of
Akkakhel and Sipah was a ‘tactical retreat’ and they would soon
retake the area with support of TTP and JuA militants. He said
the Lashkar had killed nine soldiers and injured 11 during ground
battle in the Dwa Thoe area, but the claim could not be independently
verified.
April 29
An Assistant Professor of the
Department of Mass Communication of University of Karachi, identified
as Dr Syed Wahidur Rehman (42), was shot dead by four unidentified
armed assailants in a targeted attack in Federal B Area of Gulberg
Town in provincial capital Karachi. Rehman received bullet wounds
in the face, head and chest. Bullet casings recovered from the
scene of the crime indicate that a 9mm pistol was used in the
attack. Rehman was popularly known as Yasir Rizvi. Rizvi is
a common surname among Shia families. But he was not a Shia.
The Police, however, ruled out this possibility. “This is not
a sectarian attack nor is this a case of mistaken identity,”
said Yousuf Plaza Police SHO Akram Arain.
A suspected gangster, identified
as Tahir, was killed by Police in Mochko area of Baldia Town.
The suspect was allegedly involved in the Shershah carnage that
left 14 shopkeepers dead over non-payment of extortion in October
2010.
A criminal carrying head money
of PKR1 million and nominated in at least 31 FIRs in the Police
Stations of various Districts was killed in an encounter with
the Police in the limits of Hatri Police Station in Hyderabad
District. The criminal was identified as Mohammad Ali Hothipoto.
His three accomplices, including Iqbal Brohi, Mitho Machi and
Mastu Ghalo, managed to escape. The CIA in-charge Aslam Langha
claimed that Hothipoto was also involved in several high profile
kidnappings.
In a latest update on Sabeen
Mahmud's killing, DIG-South Dr Jamil Ahmed while addressing
a press conference said that she might have been targeted by
religious extremists. “A strong possibility is that Sabeen was
targeted by a banned militant outfit,” he said. In reply to
a question, the Police Officer told the media that two years
ago, ‘tension’ had been created over Valentine’s Day. He said
Sabeen had played a ‘leading role’ in support of observing Valentine’s
Day by holding a demonstration on Mai Kolachi Road. Since then,
she had been receiving threats from ‘unknown quarters’, he added.
One more death row convict,
identified as Abdul Ghaffor, was hanged till death at the District
Jail in Vehari of Punjab. Ghaffor was handed down death sentence
after he was proven guilty of rape and murder of an eight year
old girl in 1991. His appeal of clemency was rejected by the
President of Pakistan on April 6, 2015.
FC arrested four suspects, including
one "most wanted" terrorist during a search operation
in Ghahi Khan Chowk near Sariab Road in provincial capital Quetta.
FC officials upon receiving
intelligence reports arrested three suspected militants in Pasni
area of Gwadar District. Further investigation is underway.
The Intelligence Agencies personnel
arrested four militants belonging to Mohmand Agency Chapter
of TTP, identified as Mir Khan, Abdul Rehman, Zarab Khan and
Ameer Khan, and recovered suicide jackets, huge cache of modern
weaponry and explosive material from their possession during
a crackdown in Youhanabad area of provincial capital Lahore.
The CoAS General Raheel Sharif
said that the recent pattern of target killings in Karachi indicates
a design and needs to be checked, adding that all mafias will
be eliminated.
General Raheel directed the
Intelligence Agencies and Rangers to trace, apprehend and expose
the perpetrators as peace in Karachi is a priority for the revival
of the city’s economic vibrancy and the well-being of its residents.
“The Karachi operation is bringing relief in terms of target
killings and extortion. The operation will remain across the
board, indiscriminate and will continue till its logical conclusion,”
he said.
April 30
Five soldiers, a captain among
them, and 27 militants were killed in clashes in Tirah valley
of Khyber Agency in FATA. According to security sources, soldiers
were entering militants’ strongholds when an intense ground
battle took place. The officer who had lost his life in the
line of duty was identified as captain Ajmal. With ground offensives
continuing in parts of Tirah valley for the fourth consecutive
day, SFs entered Garhi Kamar Khel, Nakai Malikdin Khel, Zarmanza
in Sikandar Khel and Dwa Thoe, Tangu, Mehraban Kalay, Khaeyst,
Tharkho Kas, Mailu, Thor Darra and Malakabad localities in Kukikhel
area. All these areas had been under the control of Tariq Afridi
group of the banned TTP since 2010.
At least three persons, including
two Police officials, were killed when former Interior Minister
Aftab Sherpao’s convoy came under a suicide attack in the Umarzai
town of Charsadda District of KP. The minister remained safe.
According to officials and eyewitnesses, Sherpao was attacked
as soon as he left the venue of a public meeting. When the suicide
bomber tried coming close to Sherpao, Police officials shot
him dead. However, the explosives attached to his body detonated
killing two Police officials. Three people were also injured
in the attack. This is the fourth attack on Sherpao in recent
years.
An ATC jailed 10 persons for
25 years each on April 30 for involvement in the October 9,
2012 shooting of teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, targeted
for her campaign against TTP efforts to deny girls education.
“Judge Amin Kundi in his verdict gave 25 years jail to all of
these people,” said a court official in Swat, where the 10 were
convicted by ATC. They were the first convictions for the attack.
An unnamed top security official
said that the Federal Government is seeking to approach five
countries and the UN for the extradition of top Baloch insurgents
accused of fomenting unrest in Balochistan, as the security
agencies have identified 161 training camps of insurgents, nearly
two dozen of them are believed to be located in Afghanistan
and two in Iran. “We are taking up the issue of Baloch insurgents
with five countries [India, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Iran
and Afghanistan],” said the official, adding that Dr Allah Nazar,
Hyrbyair Marri, Brahamdagh Bugti, Javed Mengal and some other
wanted insurgents are commanding their fighters in the province.
He further said, “The Afghan
Government has assured Pakistan its full support to stop Baloch
insurgents from operating from its soil,” adding, “Pakistan
is considering taking up the issue of Indian involvement in
Balochistan unrest at the United Nations.” The official also
said that the Government has requested Iran through its Deputy
Foreign Minister Hassan Qashqavi to make maximum efforts to
block the influence of some Baloch separatists operating from
Iranian soil.
“We have expanded the military
operation in Balochistan,” the official said, adding that the
paramilitary Frontier Corps is assisting the military in targeted
operations against separatists.
According to details, Hyrbyair
Marri, the head of the BLA, has been living in self-exile in
the UK where he has been granted political asylum. Brahamdagh
Bugti, the founder of the BRA, has been living in Switzerland
seeking political asylum.
While announcing the arrest
of two terror suspects, Tahir alias Lamba and Mama Junaid, Malir-District
SSP Rao Anwar claimed that they were both members of MQM and
also worked for Indian spy agency R&AW. He further said
that they were sent to India for training in the past. “MQM
is a terrorist organization and it should be banned,” SSP Anwar
said, while narrating that member of MQM went to India through
Indian-held Kashmir where they were trained there by R&AW
and to come back to Pakistan to spread terror.
"We have solid evidence
to prove these allegations. The two people we arrested have
confessed all of this and they are ashamed of their activities.
We recovered a large amount of explosives, hand grenades, 9mm
pistols from these suspects. We will investigate further during
the remand," he said, adding, “MQM is spreading terror
in the guise of a political party, and all the senior leaders
of MQM including its chief Altaf Hussain are involved in spreading
terror in the country.” He further alleged that Zulfiqar Haider
and Nadeem Nusrat, the deputy convener of MQM, have been funding
these terrorist activities from London.
Adding to the SSP's allegations,
The News reported the statement of the death-row prisoner and
former MQM worker Saulat Mirza, which was recorded a few days
ago with the JIT, that MQM had links with India’s intelligence
agency R&AW. According to the JIT report, Mirza said that
funding to MQM came from R&AW. The report says that Mirza
confessed to killing 13 people before the JIT and yet he was
implicated in two murders only.
Soon after, MQM leader Haider
Abbas Rizvi, while addressing a press conference at MQM headquarters
Nine Zero in Karachi, categorically denounced "baseless
allegations" levelled against the party by SSP Malir Anwar
Rao.
Later, hours after his allegations,
SSP Malir Rao Anwar was suspended. Sindh Chief Minister Qaim
Ali Shah took notice of this unusual press conference and abuse
of authority, following which IG Sindh suspended SSP Rao and
ordered him to report to the Central Police Office. Meanwhile,
SSP East Peer Muhammad Shah has been given additional charge
of District Malir.
May 1
Five militants were killed and
several others injured in clashes in Tor Darra area of Jamrud
tehsil in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in FATA. Official
sources said the militants attacked a convoy of SFs when they
were advancing in Tor Darra. The SFs retaliated, killing five
militants and injuring several others.
A peace committee member was
killed in an IED blast in Nawagai tehsil of Bajaur Agency. Khalid
Khan, son of Nawagai Aman Committee Amir Guldad
Khan, was hit by the IED planted on the roadside around 20 metres
from his residence. The JuA a faction of the TTP claimed responsibility
for the killing.
A DSP, Abdul Fateh Sanghri (55),
and two constables, serving as his security guard and driver,
were shot dead in Gulshan-e-Hadeed area of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. DSP Abdul Fateh Sanghri who was a SDPO in
Bin Qasim and lived in Steel Town, was heading towards the Gulshan-e-Hadeed
market in his car when around five or six militants riding motorcycles
fired gunshots at his vehicle. DSP died on the spot while his
security guard Constable Mohammed Farooq and driver Constable
Nazeer who were injured later succumbed to their injuries at
hospital. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack.
Two persons including a father
and a son were killed in a bomb blast in Mangah area of Mardan
District in KP. Police said that the blast took place in Mangah
area where explosive material planted by unidentified militants
in agricultural land suddenly blasted. As a result of the explosion,
the motorcycle bourne father-son duo died on the spot.
Police foiled a major terror
plan, recovered 320 kilograms of explosives and arrested at
least two Afghan suspects from a house in Sethi Town area of
Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. Besides other material,
recovered explosives included 70 electronic detonators, 72 bundles
of prima card, 11 remote controls, two bags of urea nitrate
and two bags of water gel along with various circuits and local
detonators.
The ATF arrested three militants
and recovered explosives from them during a search operation
in Havelian tehsil of Abbottabad District.
A man has reportedly been killed
in a landmine blast in Qamaruddin Karez area of Zhob District
in Balochistan. Levies said that unidentified men had planted
the landmine in Qamaruddin Karez area which exploded when a
passer-by hit it, resulting in his instant death.
PM Nawaz Sharif said that the
Karachi operation is part of the Government’s efforts to eliminate
terrorism from the country, which is achieving good results.
The PM said that “The people of Karachi are now more satisfied
as the incidents of street crimes, terrorism, extortion and
target killings have decreased. The lights of Karachi are being
restored,” he remarked. Nawaz Sharif said it was the Government’s
top priority to ensure the establishment of peace in the country.
He said that the sanctuaries of terrorists had been destroyed
and eliminated in North Waziristan and peace restored there.
The Government, he added, was striving to establish peace across
the country.
May 2
Military aircraft bombed militant
hideouts in North Waziristan and Khyber agencies of FATA, killing
44 suspected militants, among them many foreigners. In a statement,
the ISPR said that precision strikes were carried out in the
Dattakhel area of North Waziristan and Tirah valley of the Khyber
Agency. Sixteen militants were killed in strikes on hideouts
in the Dattakhel area, it said. Many foreigners were among the
dead. In air strikes carried out in Tirah valley by fighter
jets and helicopter gunships, 28 suspected militants were killed
and many others injured, the ISPR said. A number of militant
sanctuaries in Rajgul and Kando Gharebi areas of Kukikhel territory,
under the control of Taliban since 2009, were destroyed in the
strikes.
Five attackers were killed,
in retaliatory fire, when they attacked suspended SSP Malir
Anwar’s convoy in the Malir area of Karachi city. The Policemen,
however, escaped unhurt. The SSP said that he was returning
from slain DSP Fateh Muhammad Sangi’s residence, who was killed
on May 1, when unidentified assailants, in one car and three
motorcycles, hurled hands grenades and opened fire at his convoy.
Akbar Nagori, the brother of
PPP MPA and Provincial minister Javed Nagori, was killed and
three others including a Policeman were injured in a grenade
attack, targeting the PPP office in Lyari area of Karachi. The
provincial minister remained safe in the grenade attack while
four other people sustained injuries. The injured were taken
to a hospital for treatment where Akbar Nagori succumbed to
his injuries.
Unknown assailants killed a
person, Nauman (30), near Bin Qasim Stadium of Sector 5G in
New Karachi.
The dead body of an unidentified
40 year old man was recovered from Banoria Town area in the
city.
Two Policemen, ASI Nawab Khan
(45) and Ashraf Qureshi (45), were injured when unidentified
armed men open fire on them in a restaurant in Gulshan-e-Ghazi,
Baldia area.
Unknown gunmen shot at and injured
a man, Ahmad Baksh (55), near Saba Cinema in New Karachi area.
Unknown gunmen opened fire and
injured two youngsters including a girl, Shazia, (20) and Arshad
(10), in Khamiso Goth of New Karachi.
Unidentified armed men shot
at and injured a person, identified as Shafiq (45), at Abdullah
Mor in Surjani Town of the city.
May 3
At least three suspected militants
were killed and two Policemen were injured when Police retaliated
an attack on one of its patrolling vehicles in Baldia Town of
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. According to initial
reports, unidentified militants attacked a Police mobile in
Baldia’s Ittehad Town area, injuring at least two Policemen.
The attackers also hurled a hand grenade at the Police mobile.
Police then opened fire on the assailants in retaliation, killing
at least three of them.
Federal Minister for Information
and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid while talking to the media after
attending a literature conference at Arts Council in Karachi
said that the military leadership is also a part of the Government
and national security policies are made with its advice.
A security force official was
killed and four others were injured when unidentified militants
opened fire on the Sra Rogha check post in South Waziristan
Agency of FATA.
At least four security force
personnel were injured when a security vehicle hit a landmine
in Spinwam area of North Waziristan Agency. The injured were
identified as Shahzad, Naek Babar, Saifullah and Jamal Din.
A security official was injured
when a rocket fired from an undisclosed location hit a check
post in Khamrang area of Wana in South Waziristan Agency. SFs
started a search operation in the area.
A security assessment report
by the PICSS claims that SFs have been proactive during the
January-March 2015 quarter, mounting 312 actions against insurgents,
while the latter carried out 232 militant activities. Altogether
944 people were killed and another 619 wounded in the violent
incidents. SFs arrested 1,646 suspected militants in the operations,
while the militants kidnapped 49 people during the quarter.
Although officials claim that
most areas of North Waziristan Agency have been cleared of the
militants, yet return process of the IDPs to the conflict stricken
tribal area is going at a snail’s pace. Officials said that
only 230 displaced families had returned to their native area
in some pockets of North Waziristan since the repatriation program
was launched on March 31, 2015. An official dealing with the
return process of IDPs in FATA said that the unregistered families
had also gone back to their homes. He admitted that the return
of IDPs to North Waziristan was going very slow as compared
to that of Khyber Agency.
At least four Security Force
personnel were injured when a roadside bomb exploded in Daryaba
area of Bannu District.
Police arrested key 'commander'
of a militant outfit, identified as Javed alias Gudd, during
a raid in Peshawar. The arrested 'commander' was wanted in several
criminal activities, including an attack on security officers.
A boy, identified as Awal Khan,
who had been kidnapped-for-ransom on April 27, 2015, was rescued
by the Police and two of the abductors were arrested in Nowshera
District. Akbarpura Police Official Akhtar Naseer said that
the Nowshera DPO and DSP issued special directives for the recovery
of Khan. Evidence led the Police to the boy and the two accused
abductors Maula Dad, Chamkani and Jehandir. During initial interrogation,
the accused reportedly confessed to having kidnapped Khan for
a ransom of PKR 1.2 million. Both the accused were later handed
over to the CTD for further investigation.
A plan to attack a religious
gathering organised by the Shias was foiled by the Police who
seized 15 kilogram of explosive material from Dhoke Hayat Ali
area of Gujar Khan in Rawalpindi District. The CTD also managed
to trace and identify the suspected terrorists but no arrest
could be made. According to details, Police officials patrolling
the area spotted two suspicious men carrying a mysterious container.
When the Police officials approached them, they got into a scuffle
with the officials and managed to escape, abandoning their motorbike,
parked nearby and the container they were carrying. Upon examination,
the Police found 15 kilograms of explosive material in the container
along with bolts, nails and a detonating device.
The RPO Mohammad Wasal Fakhar
Sultan confirmed that the suspects have been traced and will
soon be arrested. “We have identified the suspects and traced
them to their hometown” he said.
May 4
A man, identified as Waseem
(20), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Razi
Goth area of Orangi Town in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
One Abdul Waheed (38) was killed
and one another, Ahmad Ali (55), was injured when unidentified
militants opened fire at Sarafa Bazaar in Paposh Nagar of North
Nazimabad Town.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police
detained 320 suspects and seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition
in the ongoing search and strike operations being conducted
throughout the province. A Police Department statement said
that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police recovered 35 arms and ammunition
of different kinds and 359 rounds in the operation conducted
in different parts of the province.
During the operation 476 houses
and 227 hotels were checked. Two cases were registered against
the violators. During snap checking on 166 check points, 248
suspects were held and 21 arms of different kinds and 969 cartridges
of different bores were recovered from them. A total of 22 persons
were detained in action against illegal Afghans and 13 cases
were registered against them.
LeT 'commander' and mastermind
of Mumbai 2008 terror (also known as 26/11) attacks, Zakiur
Rehman Lakhvi, requested the ATC to exempt him from appearing
in the court citing security reasons. The ATC is scheduled to
resume trial in the case on May 6, 2015. ATC Judge Sohail Ikram
issued notices to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seeking
reply on Lakhvi’s application by May 6, 2015.
Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi,
counsel for Lakhvi, argued before the court that his client
had been facing threats and might be assassinated while coming
to or leaving the court. He pointed out that Lakhvi had been
kept in tight security inside the jail as the law enforcement
agency knew he might be targeted. Advocate Abbasi requested
the court to exempt him from personal attendance during the
course of hearing.
In an effort to control the
flow of arms, the Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar
Ali Khan decided to put a complete ban on the import of prohibited
weapons in the country. “It was proposed that a complete ban
on import of prohibited weapons should be put in place,” an
official statement read. According to the decision, only the
Ministry of Defence Production and security Agencies should
be allowed to import such weapons. The Interior Minister also
proposed that individuals and entities, who are qualified for
such weapons, can procure them only through Pakistan Ordnance
Factory in Wah.
The interior ministry declared
that that all manual licences, which have not been verified,
would be invalidated after December 31, 2015. The meeting also
decided that “nobody under the age of 25 years should be issued
arms license.” The Minister observed that the NADRA is regulating
all the existing arms licences. “But a comprehensive mechanism
should be put in place to regulate and monitor the flow of arms
into the country,” he added.
May 5
One Punjabi Taliban leader,
Qari Matiur Rehman, closely linked to al Qaeda, held a meeting
with the 'chief' of TTP Mullah Fazlullah and announced allegiance
to him, an unnamed source revealed. The sources claim that Rehman
remained a close aide and a logistics provider of Ayman al-Zawahiri,
the current 'chief' of al Qaeda, whenever he travels.
The 'spokesman' of Amjad Farooqi
Group, Abid Kalia called from an Afghanistan number and confirmed
the allegiance of his leader to TTP 'chief' Fazlullah. Asked
about the place of meeting, he refused to answer. Kalia claimed
that three militants initially had a meeting and Rehman's two
close and trusted aides, Ehsanul Haq and Rana Ashfaq Ahmad,
reiterated their confidence in Rehman. According to sources,
Ehsanul Haq is childhood friend of Rehman as both of them hail
from Bahawalpur District in southern Punjab from where they
had started their militant activities. Both Qari Ehsanul Haq
and Rehman have PKR10 million head money.
Rehman has been at large and
wanted by the Security Agencies for his role in attacks on former
President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf on December 25,
2003. Currently, he heads LeJ’s subsidiary group, Amjad Farooqi
Group from Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The incidents of terror attacks
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the first four months of the year
are the lowest in the last four years mostly because of the
military operations in FATA and the actions by police and Counter
Terrorism Department in the province, the statistics of the
Central Police Office said. During the first four months of
the current year, 85 terrorist incidents took place compared
to 183 in 2014, 173 in 2013 and 134 in 2012. “The modus operandi
analysis shows that 37 incidents of IED took place during the
year compared to 97 in 2014, 114 in 2013 and 83 in 2012. Similarly,
during the current year two suicide attacks were carried out
compared to six in 2014 and 10 in 2013,” said an official while
quoting the statistics of the Central Police Office.
The officials said the hand-grenade
attacks and target killings also recorded sharp decrease as
13 incidents of hurling grenades were registered compared to
26 last year. Also, the number of target killings reduced to
33 compared to 45 last year. “The casualties that took place
during the current year are the lowest in the last four years.
During the current year six persons have been killed and 104
injured compared to 194 killings while injuries to 511 others
in 2014,” the official added. Inspector General of Police Nasir
Khan Durrani appreciated the performance of the CTD particularly
its head Salahuddin Khan as the force took proactive action
against terrorists and hardened criminals all over KP.
May 6
One person lost his life while
three others sustained injuries in a terrorist attack at a school
ground when a football match was going on in Alizai area of
Kurram Agency in FATA. Security Forces sprung to action and
killed one suicide bomber while another bomber blew himself
up. Where the incident happened is a Shia-dominated area. Two
Police official were also among the injured.
A grand jirga of the Bar Qambarkhel
tribe in Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency formed a 50-member peace
body called Amn Sharishta. MNA Nasir Khan Afridi presided over
the jirga. A large number of tribal elders attended the event
at Khyber House in Peshawar. Speaking on the occasion, the MNA
said the peace body would strive to bring peace and cooperate
with political administration and security forces in the restoration
of peace in the area. “We want to curb militancy and rid the
tribesmen of this menace,” the MNA added.
A murder convict, identified
as Zulfiqar, was hanged till death in Kot Lakhpat Jail of Lahore
District. Zulfiqar was handed the death sentence following
the murder of two persons almost 17 years ago, sources revealed.
A mercy plea was put forward by President Mamnoon Hussain, however,
this was dismissed by the court.
Lasbela Police arrested a militant
belonging to LeJ, identified as Alam Ziab, during a raid in
Lasbela University in Lasbela District. “Acting on a tip-off,
the police raided a room at Lasbela University and arrested
Alam Zaib — he was a student there,” DPO Bashir Ahmed said,
adding, “The militant belong to a banned organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
and was involved in the killing of eight Police personnel and
bomb blasts.” The DSP added that the militant had a PKR 3 million
bounty on his head.
An Iranian national, identified
as Muhammad Ameer, kidnapped three years ago was recovered from
Dalbandin area of Chagai District. “Muhammad Ameer had been
missing for the past three years from his native town of Isfahan,”
District Police Officer Chagai Mubarak Shah said, adding there
were reports that the kidnappers had kept the Iranian somewhere
in Chagai District. Police raided a place on the outskirts of
Dalbandin town upon information about the presence of the Iranian
national and recovered him. No arrest could be made as the abductors
escaped before the raid.
The US has handed over 14 combat
aircraft, 59 military trainer jets and 374 armoured personnel
carriers to Pakistan from the weapons it is leaving behind in
the region, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) report
said. The Agency, which prepares internal reports for the US
Congress, reported that the weapons supplied to Pakistan were
earlier used by American forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Technically,
these weapons are classified as “Excessive Defence Articles”,
that is, equipment used by the US forces, which can be supplied
to allied nations at withdrawal instead of shipping them back
to the US. The weapons include F-16 armaments including 500
AMRAAM air-to-air missiles 1,450 2,000-pound bombs 500 JDAM
Tail Kits for gravity bombs and 1,600 Enhanced Paveway laser-guided
kits. All this has cost Pakistan USD 629 million.
Under Coalition Support Funds
(in the Pentagon budget), Pakistan received 26 Bell 412EP utility
helicopters, along with related parts and maintenance, valued
at USD 235 million. Pakistan is also receiving military equipment
with a mix of its national funds and America’s foreign military
funding.
Police investigating the April
29, 2015, murder of Karachi University Assistant Professor Waheed-ur-Rehman
have formally conducted the forensic examination of the bullets
used in the killing and found no past record of the weapon in
any other case, said a senior Police Officer. “The investigators
have received a forensic report that suggests that the weapon
used in the killing of Assistant Professor Waheed-ur-Rehman
of the Mass Communication Department last week had not been
used in other murders in the past,” said Central SSP-Investigation
Arab Mahar.
The investigating team held
discussions with the faculty of the Karachi University Mass
Communication Department, the slain professor’s students, his
close friends and relatives. They all were of the opinion that
Rehman alias Yasir Rizvi was a “thorough gentleman” and he had
no enmity with anyone, the Police officer said. The police were
probing the murder from different angles and it was not appropriate
to share initial findings of the investigation with the media
at this stage, said SSP Mahar.
May 7
A man, identified as Mian Syed
Jalal (45), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants at
Qazzafi Town in Landhi Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
A dead body of a man, identified
as that of Aamir (36), was recovered from Bashir Chowk in New
Karachi Town.
A Policeman, identified as Shah
Nawaz (38), was shot at and injured when unidentified armed
assailants opened fire on him near FTC Bridge in Sharah-e-Faisal
area of Shah Faisal Town.
One Habib (35) was injured at
Pakistan Bazaar in Orangi Town.
A man, identified as Hazrat
Gul (47), was shot at and injured near Siemens Chowrangi in
SITE Town.
A peace committee member, Zawar
Hussain, was killed as an improvised explosive device went off
in Alingar area under Safi tehsil of Mohmand Agency in
FATA.
May 8
TTP militants claimed that they
brought down the military’s MI-17 helicopter carrying diplomats
to inspect a tourism project in Naltar area of Gilgit in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Eight people, including Norwegian Ambassador Leif Larsen, Philippine
Ambassador Domingo Lucenario and the wives of the ambassadors
of Malaysia and Indonesia were killed, along with two pilots
and crew members in the incident. Polish ambassador Andrzej
Ananiczolish and Dutch ambassador Marcel de Vink sustained injuries.
TTP 'spokesman' Mohammad Khorasani sent an email to journalists
claiming the group brought down the helicopter with an anti-aircraft
gun. “The target for this attack was the Prime Minister,” the
statement said. Although the Taliban tried to claim responsibility
for downing the helicopter, no witnesses on the ground and in
other helicopters on the trip reported any firing at the aircraft.
The exact cause was not immediately clear but the Ministry of
Defense said that initial reports suggested it may have been
because of a technical fault.
The Foreign Secretary also said
that technical problems caused the crash. “Apparently its engine
failed,” Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry said. “It was not
terrorism.”
FC conducted multiple raids
in different areas of the Province and arrested a number of
suspected militants, including three members of UBA. According
to details, in one of these raids carried out in Mangochar area
of Kalat District the FC personnel arrested three UBA militants
and shifted them to an undisclosed location for further investigation.”
Elsewhere in Lehri area of Zhob
District, the paramilitary force recovered a huge cache of arms
and ammunition while arresting two suspected terrorists. “At
least seven rocket launchers, 14 improvised explosive devices,
12 anti-personnel mines, six bombs, two SMGs with 13 magazines,
three hand-grenades, 80 detonator wires, a telescope and a Motorola
cell phone were recovered,” said the FC official. He said the
force also defused 26 bombs on the spot.
The FC also arrested four militants
from Goth Hamzani, Goth Doda and Tibba areas of Sohbatpur District
(earlier a town in Jaffarabad District).
In another raid, the law enforcing
agency arrested two terrorists from Killi Thratta area of Pishin
District.
The FC also took into custody
two Iranian citizens, who were trying to enter into Pakistan
in Panjgur District. “Both Iranians were trying to enter Pakistan
without legal travel documents when FC soldiers spotted and
arrested them,” said an official.
Shikarpur SSP Saqib Ismail Memon
claimed to have arrested two militants belonging to SSP during
a search operation near Jaghan area in Shikarpur District. The
two terrorists were identified as Mir Hassan Rind and Waqar
Mahar. During initial investigation he stated of getting training
from a militant wing in Waziristan at Ustad Aslam’s Camp. SSP
Memon said that the terrorists further revealed that they were
the part of the sleeper cells of banned organisations that remained
dormant till they were given directions to carry out terrorism.
May 9
Unidentified assailants opened
fire at Shia Police officer, DSP Syed Zulfiqar Abbas, and his
friend, identified as Shahzad, killing them on spot in a targeted
sectarian attack at a restaurant near Eidgah Ground in Shah
Faisal area of Shah Faisal Town in Karachi of Sindh.
A Shia homoeopathic doctor,
Dr Anwar Ali Abidi, was shot dead while another person sustained
injuries when unidentified militants opened fire at his clinic
in Paposh Nagar area of North Nazimabad Town.
Unidentified militants opened
fire at the convoy of Adviser to Balochistan Chief Minister
of Finance, Khalid Langove, in Mangochar tehsil of Kalat District.
However, Langove escaped unhurt. Langove's guards retaliated
after which the assailants disappeared in the area, sources
said.
The Federal Government submitted
an amended appeal against Islamabad High Court’s decision to
drop terrorism charges against Malik Mumtaz Qadri, a former
police guard who murdered Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer in
Islamabad in 2011. The Federal Ministry of Interior, through
Advocate on Record (AoR) Siddique Khan Baloch, filed an eight-page
appeal under Article 185(3) of the Constitution, contending
that Qadri’s acquittal under Section 7 of the ATA 1997 was not
in accordance with the law.
“The high court was not right
to acquit the convict under Section 7(a) by not appropriately
considering the peculiar features of the case, in which the
governor of a province, holding constitutional office was murdered
mercilessly in a busy commercial area in broad daylight by a
person (deputed officially as a security guard) to save and
secure the life of the governor,” reads the Interior Ministry’s
appeal. It argues that Taseer had “particular views on national
issues due to which different religious and political groups
were propagating against him and threats to murder him were
also issued.”
May 10
At least three suspects were
killed in a Police encounter at Shah Faisal Colony in Shah Faisal
Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Police official
claimed that the alleged criminals were signaled to stop at
a police checkpoint near the colony for security checking, on
which the criminals opened fire at the personnel. The three
criminals were shot dead after law-enforcing agencies retaliated
in the clash. Weapons, ammunitions, hand grenades and repeater
were recovered from the vehicle.
A suspected militant was killed
and three others were arrested when Frontier Corps personnel
launched a search operation in Biam Shai Nullah area of Sui
in Dera Bugti District on suspicion of the presence of some
militants involved in attacks on gas pipelines and Government
installations. An exchange of fire took place when the security
personnel raided a house. An FC spokesman said the suspected
militant was killed and three men arrested at the house. They
were involved in a number of subversive acts, he said, adding
that illegal weapons and ammunition had also been seized.
FC personnel also conducted
a raid near Sakran Road in Hub tehsil of Lasbela District
and arrested four suspected militants. The FC spokesman claimed
that automatic weapons had been seized from them.
An unnamed senior Army Officer
said that the military has destroyed all the command and control
centres of TTP in Darra Adamkhel in Kohat District of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and adjoining Orakzai Agency of Federally Administered
Tribal Areas. He said that the law and order situation had gradually
improved during the last few years and it was much better these
days. He said that there was negligible threat to the public
and military now.
May 11
Six people, including a pro-government
tribal elder, identified as Malak Muhammad Jan, was killed in
a remote-controlled IED blast in Bar Kamar area of Mamond tehsil
in Bajaur Agency of FATA. Muhammad Jan was on his way to the
Har area when the IED exploded.
An unidentified man was shot
dead by unidentified assailants in Mobina Town area of Gulzar-e-Hijri
in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh.
An unidentified tortured dead
body was found on Abul Ispahani Road in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
Two boys, identified as Arsalan
(19) and Waqas (17), were shot at and injured by in Rafah-e-Aam
Society in Malir Town.
Ghotki Police failed to recover
the Mirpur Mathelo- based reporter, Hakim Abro, who was kidnapped
from the limits of Sarhad Police Station in Ghotki District
on April 22, 2015. The Ghotki SSP Saqib Sultan Mehmood had promised
the protesting journalists that the abductee will be recovered
shortly but there has been no success despite the lapse of 20
days. The victim’s brother, Shafi Muhammad Abro, decried the
derogatory attitude of the Police officials. He said that Sarhad
Police SHO Ghulam Muhammad Mahar had been attempting to recover
the abductee but the SSP had transferred him and appointed Muhammad
Khan Abro in his stead. When the latter started investigating
the kidnapping, he too was transferred and Rab Nawaz Rajpar
was posted as the SHO. He claimed that the frequent transfer
of SHOs was evidence of the Police’s apathy towards the issue.
Officials in the provincial
Home Department said that they had received directive from the
Federal Government strengthen legislation on hate speech and
extremist material. In the directive, Islamabad had asked the
Provinces, apart from making laws to curb rampant hate speech
and heaps of extremist material within their remit, to make
sure that there was no abuse of the loudspeaker, which most
extremists, posing as religious scholars, employed as an effective
tool to brainwash young minds.
The officials said that the
West Pakistan Regulation and Control of Loudspeakers and Sound
Amplifiers Ordinance, 1965, was being examined to use effectively
or make drastic changes to complement existing circumstances.
However, the Sindh Sound System Regulation Ordinance, 2015 has
all the ingredients to conform to the given situations. Officials
said hate speech and extremist material consisting of videos,
audio and printed literature would be checked and confiscated
at ‘every level’.
The White House flatly rejected
claims that Pakistan was told in advance about Operation Geronimo
that killed the then al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in his
Abbottabad hideout. Veteran US journalist Seymour Hersh claimed
in London Review of Books that Pakistan’s security services
not only knew about the raid, but had been holding bin Laden
prisoner since 2006. That account was rejected by the White
House.
"This was a US operation
through and through," said Edward Price, a White House
National Security Council spokesman. "The notion that the
operation" which killed the 9/11 mastermind, "was
anything but a unilateral US mission is patently false,"
he said, adding, "Knowledge of this operation was confined
to a very small circle of senior US officials." "The
President decided early on not to inform any other Government,
including the Pakistani Government, which was not notified until
after the raid had occurred."
Former President General (retired)
Pervez Musharraf’s Chief of Staff Lieutenant General (retired)
Hamid Javed said that the army was not aware of the presence
of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Commenting on report of a US
journalist, he said that nobody, including the army, was aware
of Osama’s presence as long as he remained the Chief of Staff
in the Presidency. The US vice president visited Pakistan in
2007 to raise issue of Osama’s presence in Pakistan but his
talks with Musharraf was limited to two points. He told Musharraf
that Osama is in Chitral, according to US intelligence report
and Musharraf replied that Pakistan will check the information
as they did not have any such information.
An advertisement, stating that
close relatives of missing terrorists would be liable to prosecution,
including death sentence and confiscation of properties if they
failed to report their disappearance, which appeared in some
national Urdu dailies in the form of a public notice, raised
many eyebrows as legal experts believe that no such provision
is available in any law available in the country. The advertisement
states, “In accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898
and other laws related to terrorism, public at large are informed
that if any member or members of their family including those
non-relatives looked after by them are individually or being
a member of an organisation involved, or there are apprehensions
of their involvement, in any act of terrorism and are missing
from their residences for that purpose, they should report it
to the nearby Police Station or office of Assistant Political
Agent along with picture of the missing person or persons.”
It further states, “In case
of failure if any terrorist was arrested in connection with
an act of terrorism, including suicide bombing, or is killed
then legal action will be taken against his parents, brothers
or the relative who had looked after him under provisions of
the above mentioned laws in which that terrorist was found involved
or killed including death penalty, life imprisonment and confiscation
of movable and immovable properties.”
In response to this advertisement,
Noor Alam Khan, advocate of the Supreme Court, said that no
such provision was available in the CrPC, ATA and even in the
Protection of Pakistan Act, which made a person liable to prosecution
in case he failed to report disappearance of his missing relative
suspected of planning to carry out any act of terrorism. He
questioned how a father or a brother could be awarded the same
sentence, including death penalty or life imprisonment, for
an offence committed by his son or brother, respectively, merely
on the ground that he had not informed the authorities about
his disappearance.
May 12
Four persons were killed in
Deewan Shah Rourri area of Kalachi in Tank District of KP when
unknown motorcyclists opened fire at them. Source said that
two FC personnel and two workers from FWO were killed in the
firing. The SF personnel were on duty at the Gomal Zam Dam road
which is under construction.
According to SSP Sukkur Tanveer
Husain Tunio, Police raided the Katcha area of Bagarji in Sukkur
District and shot dead three kidnappers during the encounter.
The three abductors were identified as Karam Sheikh, who carried
head money of PKR 500,000, Najeeb and Haleem Buriro.
An activist of the MQM, identified
as Khurram alias Pathan (35), was killed while his friend Sohail
(47) was injured when unidentified armed assailants shot at
their car near Hyderi Market located within the jurisdiction
of the North Nazimabad Police Station in North Nazimabad Town
of Karachi.
An unidentified man was shot
dead near Gutter Baghicha within the jurisdiction of Pak Colony
Police Station in SITE Town.
A man belonging to the Hazara
community was killed and five others, including two Policemen,
were injured, apparently in a targeted attack at Kasi Road of
Quetta, the provincial capital of the Balochistan. Police said
that the Hazara community members were busy in the maintenance
of a rickshaw in a shop at Kasi Road when unidentified armed
men, wearing masks on their faces, opened fire on them. As a
result, a man was killed and five others sustained injures.
The deceased was identified as Ali Raza and the injured as Constable
Abbas Awan, Sadiq Ali, Essa Mohammad, Ashraf and Safar. The
attackers managed to escape following the incident.
Convicted murderer Saulat Mirza
was hanged till death at Machh Jail of Bolan District. Mirza
had been on death row for nearly 17 years. Sentenced to death
in 1999, Mirza was initially scheduled to be executed on March
19, 2015. But in a turn of events, video footage of Mirza hurling
grave allegations at MQM chief Altaf Hussain and other leaders
of complicity in crime was aired on television channels just
few hours before his execution on March 19. The President immediately
stayed his hanging for three days after the convict sought more
time to give information regarding target killers and their
alleged patrons.
A few days later, Mirza's hanging
was put off again as authorities wished to interrogate him for
crucial details in relation to his confession. A 10-member Joint-Investigation
Team later questioned Mirza over his confession and eventually
concluded that his disclosures did not constitute any ‘actionable
intelligence or cogent evidence’ that could help the judicial
process. On May 2, 2015, the trial court issued Mirza's black
warrant for a third time, scheduling his hanging for May 12.
May 13
At least 45 Ismaili Shias were
killed and 24 others were injured when unidentified militants
opened fire on their Bus in Safora Chowrangi area near Dow Medical
College in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. Initial reports revealed that the motorcyclists used
9mm pistols in the attack. Sources confirmed that the bus was
attacked from all sides and many were left injured. Further,
reports revealed that leaflets containing militant content were
found at the scene.
Three security personnel were
killed when TTP militants attacked a security check post in
Mashpangai area of Shakai tehsil in South Waziristan
Agency of FATA. Five militants were also killed in retaliatory
firing. However, TTP-Mehsud faction 'spokesman' Azam Tariq claimed
that the bodies of the three security personnel killed in the
clash were in their custody. Denying the SF claims, he said
that only one Talib, identified as Abid, had been injured in
the attack.
Four people, including three
children and wife of Gul Toor Saidgai, were killed when a stray
shell hit his house in Dabbar area of North Waziristan Agency.
At least 29 surrendered militants
were set free after completing vocational training at Navi Saha,
an internment centre, in Bajaur Agency. Commandant Bajaur Scouts
Colonel Amir Ali said different vocational skills were imparted
to the former militants during the 10-week-long training. He
said peace and Government writ were fully restored across the
Agency as the force had eliminated militants in the region.
Two kidnappers, identified as
Sattar Sheikh and Latif Buriro alias Kana Buriro, were killed
during Police encounter in bid to rescue abductees in Katcha
area of Usta Muhammad in Jaffarabad District of Balochistan.
During the encounter the Police faced resistance from the kidnappers
and in the exchange of fire, two suspects were killed. The Police
also arrested an injured suspect and seized two Kalashnikovs
and a cache of ammunition from the possession of deceased and
detained suspects.
The Islamic State (IS/ also
known as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS) claimed responsibility
for the May 13, 2015, bus attack that killed 43 Ismaili Shias
in Safoora Chowrangi area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. Police officials said it that
six to eight militants on motorbikes first opened fire on the
bus.
A blood-stained pamphlet of
IS was recovered from the scene, according to a Police official.
"Thanks be to Allah, 43 apostates were killed and around
30 were wounded in an attack carried out by Islamic State soldiers
on a bus transporting Shia Ismaili infidels in the city of Karachi,"
claimed the Islamic State said in an Arabic statement.
Another militant group, Jundullah
also claimed responsibility for the attack. A rescue official
quoted a victim as saying that the attackers were dressed in
police uniforms.
A senior Police Official said
the bus belonged to the Al-Azhar Garden welfare, a non-profit
organisation for the Ismaili community which provided them low
cost housing just near the site of the attack and free transport
service. "Most of these people were going towards the city
centre for jobs or were vendors or small traders," the
official said.
May 14
Balochistan FC killed eight
militants and arrested several others while carrying out search
operations in Juhan area of Kalat District and Mastung District.
Three FC personnel also received injuries during the exchange
of firing. Weapons, including 12 SMGs, 20 hand grenades and
25 kilogram of explosive devices were recovered from their possession.
The terrorists were involved in attacks on Security Forces and
acts of sabotage in Nushki and other areas.
Two militants were killed in
an encounter with the FC during a search operation in the Tasp
area of Panjgur District. Two SMGs, two hand grenades, 12 magazines,
a motorbike and a vehicle of FWO was recovered from their possession.
FC personnel arrested two militants
following a tip off in the Saeedabad area of Ormara in Gwadar
District. They also recovered arms from their possession.
Two militants, identified as
Faizullah and Sanaullah, were killed in an encounter in Hayatabad
area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. SSP Dr Mian
Saeed said that Police had got information about presence of
some terrorists in a house in the area. He said that Police
raided the house but the terrorists opened fire on them. A Policeman
identified as Tariq was injured in the firing, he added. The
SSP said that two terrorists were killed in the encounter. They
were wanted by police in different cases of extortion, kidnapping-for-ransom
and street crimes, he added.
An ASI of Police, Shakirullah
Khan, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants when he
was going to his office in Hayatabad area of provincial capital
Peshawar. An official of Yakatoot Police Station said that 9mm
pistol was used in the attack.
A day after the attack on Ismaili
Shias on May 13, 2015, Rangers launched a crackdown in Karachi,
arresting 145 suspects. According to a statement issued by the
Sindh Rangers, the Law Enforcement Agency conducted targeted
raids in Sohrab Goth area of Gadap Town, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town,
Shah Faisal Colony, Korangi Town, New Karachi Town, North Nazimabad
Town and Orangi Town. During the raids, 145 suspects were taken
into custody, while weapons including SMGs were also recovered.
The Special Apex Committee held
at Corps Headquarters in Karachi to review progress of operations
and intelligence efforts so far, directed the Intelligence Agencies
to work together to exploit existing leads and continue across
the board operations with increased momentum against the terrorists.
According to DG The ISPR, Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa, the
meeting decided to apprehend criminals and their abettors regardless
of political, religious, ethnic, sectarian or any other affiliations,
besides developing a system for strict checking at all entry
and exit points. It directed the intelligence sub-committee
to coordinate and synergies civil-military into effort for optimally
effective Intelligence Based Operations.
May 15
Air Force aerial strikes killed
at least 17 militants in the areas bordering Afghanistan in
the Wareka Mandi area of Shawal tehsil in North Waziristan Agency
of FATA. “The air force jets pounded the areas close to the
Afghan border in thick forests and killed at least 17 militants.
Three compounds and five vehicles were also destroyed in the
action,” an unnamed security official said. The official said
that the killed militants included Uzbek and Afghan nationals
and cadres of the TTP.
TTP militants attacked a group
of youths celebrating their victory in a cricket match in Karikote
village near Wana town of South Waziristan Agency, killing one
of them and injuring five. Witnesses said by phone that some
of the youths were beating drums after winning a cricket match
in Karikote when followers of TTP leader Ainullah arrived there
and ordered them to stop their celebration. When the boys refused
to obey them, a scuffle ensued, during which the militants opened
fire at spectators. Marka (16) was killed and five other people
were severely injured.
Two rooms of Ghazi Baba shrine
in Arang in Uthmankhel tehsil of Bajaur Agency were destroyed
when an explosive planted by unidentified militants went off
in the morning. However, no casualties have been reported.
Three bullet riddled dead bodies,
identified as that of identified as Asim Baloch, Shahjahan and
Noshad Ahmed, were recovered from Tasp area of Panjgur District
in Balochistan. “All the three were shot in the head and chest,”
hospital sources said.
The FC continued the search
operation into its second day in Johan area of Kalat District,
killing three militants and injuring six others. So far 13 militants,
including a 'commander' of BRA have been killed. Two militant
hideouts, three explosive-laden vehicles and four motorcycles
have also been destroyed.
A man, identified as Mohammad
Amjad, was shot dead when unidentified armed assailants opened
fire him in Buleda area of Kech District.
Balochistan Assembly Opposition
Leader Maulana Abdul Wasey, who belongs to the JUI-F, narrowly
escaped a remote-controlled blast in Pishin District. No outfit
claimed responsibility for the attack.
Three suspected terrorists were
killed in a Rangers encounter in Gulshan-e-Maymar area of Gadap
Town in provincial capital Karachi. According to sources, a
large cache of weapons was seized during the encounter.
Two children, identified as
Fida Hussain (13) and Wakeel (9), were killed in a grenade explosion
in Faisal Kolachi village of Ghotki District. According to Police
sources, the two children were playing outside their home with
a hand-grenade which they had perceived as a toy when it exploded.
A Shia SSP, Ejaz Haider, was
killed in a sectarian targeted attack on May 15 when unidentified
assailants opened fire his vehicle near Pehlwan Goth in Gulistan-e-Johar
area of Karachi. Police said that one of the three women riding
with Haider was also injured in the attack. The slain Police
officer Ejaz Haider had formerly served as jail superintendent
Hyderabad and recently transferred to Karachi. Haider was waiting
for his posting.
Police conducted search operations
in Shah Faisal Colony and Al Falah Society of Shah Faisal Town
and Rizvia Society of Liaquatabad Town, arresting 38 suspects,
including four terrorists.
Police investigators are slowly
arriving at the conclusion that the militant group Islamic State
(IS/ also known as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS) was
behind the May 13, 2015, Safoora Goth carnage on Ismaili Shias
that killed 43 people. The attackers left an IS pamphlet at
the crime scene before fleeing on motorcycles. The death toll
rose to 45 after two people succumbed to their injuries. “The
shadow of Islamic State could be seen behind the Safoora Goth
carnage,” said CTD official Raja Umer Khattab, who is assisting
the team formed to investigate the incident. “The IS militants
are not outsiders they are local militants motivated and inspired
by the self-styled group,” the CTD official said, adding that
they were ‘educated people’.
A student of class nine was
injured when a bomb planted in a flask went off in Wanda Baghbanan
area of Lakki Marwat District in KP. According to a Police officer,
Abdullah was on his way to Kurram River to swim when he found
a flask. “He picked it up and tried to open it,” he said. “The
flask exploded, leaving the boy injured.”
The officials of the CTD arrested
two suspected militants for attempting to plant a bomb near
Lowara Pul (bridge) in Shahdev area of Bannu District. Two pistols,
a canister filled with explosives, a detonator and a remote
control were seized from the possession of arrested militants.
CTD arrested a militant in Hangu.
CTD Hangu in-charge DSP Taj Malook said Noor Saeed, an alleged
militant who hails from Orakzai Agency and lives in Hangu, was
taken into custody. “Saeed was wanted by the police for his
involvement in various attacks in Hangu and the tribal belt,”
he added.
Police during a raid arrested
two suspects allegedly circulating Daesh literature in Nauthia
area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. Police said,
the CTD carried out the raid in Nauthia locality and arrested
the suspects, Ghulam Muhammad and Lal Muhammad, on charges of
distributing the IS leaflets in the area.
LeT founder and JuD Chief Hafiz
Muhammad Saeed while delivering Friday sermon at Jamia Qudsia
mosque on Lytton Road in Lahore District warned that without
eliminating the secret interference of United States and India
in the country, neither the terrorism nor the Karachi-like killings
could be controlled. It was the duty of Government and the Law
Enforcing Agencies to trace and arrest the secret enemy agents
and their operatives and expose their identities and patrons
before the whole nation. Hafiz Saeed warned the rulers against
taking heavy foreign loans on high interest rates for continuing
their own luxuries at the expense of the poor who would have
to pay those loans back in the shape of huge taxes and duties.
Further he said, the rulers must abolish interest based economy
to invite the mercy of Allah Almighty for bringing back the
progress and prosperity as promised by Him. He said enemies
were continuously hatching conspiracies against the Muslims
and targeting the Ismaili community was also the part of the
same plot to provoke different groups into fighting against
each other in the country.
May 16
A US drone strike killed six
suspected militants and injured another two in Shawal Valley
of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. Sources said that the drone
fired two missiles into a compound in the valley close to the
Pakistan-Afghanistan border, killing six militants, most of
them were foreigners. The number of casualties was set to rise,
sources added.
At least four suspected terrorists
were killed and six others were arrested when Sindh Rangers
conducted an intelligence-based operation in Old Golimar area
in Karachi. According to Sindh Rangers, the suspects resorted
to indiscriminate firing during the operation, which was met
by retaliation from members of the Paramilitary Force.
May 17
At least 20 militants, including
nine 'commanders', were killed during an operation by the security
agencies in the Kalat District of Balochistan. Meanwhile, a
private television channel’s sources have claimed that during
the operation, Security Forces had found evidence of contacts
between the terrorists and the Indian intelligence agency, R&AW.
“Security Forces, engaged in an extensive operation in the rugged
territory, neutralised these low and high profile targets in
the last 48 hours,” sources said. The FC also recovered a sizeable
stash of arms and explosives. Four camps of terrorists were
also destroyed during the operation.
Two men, identified as Muhammad
Ali (25) and Danish (22), were shot dead by unidentified armed
assailants at Tipu Sultan area in PECHS locality of Jamshed
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A dead body, identified as that
of Shehzor (13) was recovered from Qasba Colony in Orangi Town.
Two men, Uzair (35) and Zaheer
(28), were shot at and injured at Five Star Chowrangi in North
Nazimabad Town.
According to an official press
release released, the Pakistan Rangers arrested 24 suspects
during targeted raids conducted in various parts of Karachi.
Those arrested include target killers, "sub-nationalist
elements" and terrorists from banned outfits, the statement
said. Weapons, walkie-talkies, hand grenades, laptops, and a
large quantity of narcotics and locally-made liquor were recovered.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim
Ali Shah while speaking at a press conference in Sukkur District
said that banned organisations, including the TTP and the BLA,
are fighting along with dacoits in the katcha area of Ghotki
District with the Police who have launched an operation against
criminals. He said that in the Ghotki operation, criminals were
equipped with modern weapons while the Police were using old
weapons. He said he had spoken to the army chief in that regard
and the army chief had sought a list of required weapons and
on receipt of such weapons and equipment, they would be provided
to the police. He said that the Rangers and the police were
carrying out the operation against criminals and the government
needed the army’s help only for weapons.
Over 4,634 suspects and 4,695
unregistered Afghan national were arrested as more than 138
search and strike operations were carried out in Peshawar alone
under the NAP, said SSP Operations Peshawar Dr Mian Saeed Ahmad.
According to statistics compiled from January 1 to May 5, 2015,
as many as 175 Afghan prayer leaders were removed, 42 people
were arrested for spreading hate material and 238 were rounded
up for misusing loudspeakers in Peshawar.
A number of search operations
were carried out in Saddar and surrounding areas, Hayatabad
and the suburban Peshawar during the last couple of days after
reports emerged about serious threats of terror attacks. Security
in the provincial capital has been put on high alert and over
80 suspects, including Afghan nationals were rounded up in actions
during the last three days. “As many as 138 search and strike
operations were carried out in Peshawar, including 51 in the
rural division, 45 in cantonment division and 42 in city division.
During these operations, 197 small machineguns, 910 shotguns,
106 rifles and 1,251 pistols were recovered,” said SSP Saeed
Ahmad.
Germany’s foreign Intelligence
Agency, Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), had helped the CIA track
down the then al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan where
the US Special Forces killed him, said the German Bild am Sonntag
news report. The BND spy service provided a tip-off that bin
Laden was hiding in Pakistan, with the knowledge of Pakistani
security services.
The information came from a
BND informant within Pakistan’s ISI Agency and confirmed CIA
suspicions, said the newspaper report, which cited unnamed US
intelligence sources. The American source was quoted as saying
the German tip-off was of “fundamental importance” in the hunt
for the architect of the September 11, 2001 (also known as 9/11)
attacks.
The German newspaper said that
ultimately US services tracked down bin Laden’s exact location
by following one of his couriers, as Washington has said. The
report also said the BND used its Bad Aibling listening post
in Germany’s southern Bavaria state to monitor telephone and
email traffic in northern Pakistan to ensure the secrecy of
the planned US Navy SEALS operation.
May 18
At least six suspected militants
were killed while two others were injured in a US drone strike
on a militant hideout in the Zoye Narye area of Shawal tehsil
in North Waziristan Agency of FATA.
An unidentified a man was shot
dead by unidentified armed assailants at Manghopir Graveyard
of Gadap Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
An unidentified dead body, with
torture marks, was recovered from Orangi Town.
A man, identified as Abdullah
(30), was shot at and injured in Korangi Town.
CoAS General Raheel Sharif while
witnessing the concluding ceremony of the 4th Army Physical
Agility and Combat Efficiency System (PACES) Championship at
Kharian in Gujrat District of Punjab Province said, “Our performance
in recent operations has been phenomenal and we have cleansed
large remote areas of terrorists in the most treacherous terrain
and in the most trying circumstances owing to fitness and professionalism
of our officers and men".
Saudi Arabia has been in discussion
with Pakistan over the acquisition of a nuclear weapon, according
to an unnamed US defence official. “For the Saudis, the moment
has come,” he said, adding, “There has been a longstanding agreement
in place with the Pakistanis, and the House of Saud has now
made the strategic decision to move forward.” He denied “any
actual weaponry has been transferred yet”, but warned that “the
Saudis mean what they say and they will do what they say”.
England’s former Foreign Secretary
Lord David Owen told The Sunday Times, “Nuclear weapons programs
are extremely expensive and there’s no question that a lot of
the funding of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program was provided
by Saudi Arabia.”
Another unnamed UK military
official said that Western military leaders “all assume the
Saudis have made the decision to go nuclear” and warned that
this could spur on others. “The fear is that other Middle Eastern
powers, Turkey and Egypt, may feel compelled to do the same
and we will see a new, even more dangerous, arms race.”
Pakistan’s ISI and Afghanistan’s
NDS signed a MoU. Director General ISPR Major General Asim Bajwa
tweeted that the MoU includes intelligence sharing, as well
as complimentary and coordinated operations on respective sides.
May 19
A man, identified as Fazal Khattak
(50), was shot dead at Swati Muhallah in Sherpao Colony of Landhi
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
An unidentified man was killed
in Ganna Mandi area of Janjal Goth in Gadap Town.
A three-day-old dead body of
a man, identified as that of Qazi Hashmi (60), was found near
Aqsa Masjid in Rasheedabad area of Baldia Town.
A man, identified as Muhammad
Behroz (20), was shot at and injured by unidentified armed assailants
in Altaf Nagar area of Orangi Town.
Another man, identified as Hasan
(23), was shot at and injured near Kamela stop in Lyari Town.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim
Ali Shah claimed that four key suspects in the May 13, 2015,
Karachi bus attack on Ismaili Shias have been arrested. He said
that the Police in a crackdown in different areas of Nawabshah
city in Shaheed Benazir Abad District have arrested the four
suspects involved in the attack. He said the detained persons
have confessed to their crime during the preliminary investigation.
A militant, identified as Jehanzeb,
was killed and a Police constable, identified as Habibullah,
was injured during an attack on a polio vaccination team in
the Tambulak area of Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to sources, the polio team was on duty to administer
polio vaccine when a militant opened fire injuring a Policeman
deputed for the vaccinators' security. Another Police Constable,
who was also accompanying the team, resorted to retaliatory
firing killing the militant on the spot.
A militant was killed and two
SF personnel were injured during a search operation carried
out by FC in Aspait area of Mashky in Awaran District of Balochistan.
SFs also recovered weapons from their possession. According
to the FC spokesman, SFs carried out the search operation against
the BLF.
An ATC sentenced, Qari Abubakar,
a prayer leader of Kasur District in Punjab to five years in
jail for delivering a hate speech at a public gathering. However,
the accused denied the charge and took the plea that he did
not attend the gathering.
The slain al Qaeda leader Osama
Bin Laden had ‘advance’ knowledge of the 2008 Mumbai terror
attacks and he wanted to establish an al-Qaeda state in parts
of Pakistan after the breakout of a possible war between India
and Pakistan, according to new book titled The Secrets of
Pakistan’s war on Al-Qaeda authored by Azaz Syed.
“Osama was thrilled to know about LeT’s plan to attack the Indian
city of Mumbai. For long he had desired to set up his own state.
After the surfacing of a report
on May 18, 2015, which claimed Saudi Arabia wanted to buy nuclear
weapons from Pakistan, a defense official of the Kingdom dismissed
it as mere “speculation”. A Saudi Defense Ministry official,
however, said that such reports were not new. “I don’t understand
what the story is. This has been in the news for 18 years and
will continue to be for the next 15 years.”
May 20
At least 13 suspected militants
were killed during airstrikes conducted by Army fighter jets
in the Dattakhel area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. According
to a statement issued by the ISPR, five hideouts of the militants
were also destroyed.
Bahadur Khan, the DSP belonging
to the CTD of Peshawar Police, was shot dead by TTP militants
near Anam Sanam chowk in Gulbahar area of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. DSP Khan's daughter remained
unhurt in the attack. Muhammad Khorasani, the TTP ‘spokesperson’,
claimed the responsibility of the killing.
FC killed a militant in Mashkey
area of Awaran District in Balochistan. According to the FC
spokesman, on a tip-off the force carried out the search operation
in the area when one of the militants opened fire on them. He
was killed as FC retaliated the firing.
A convict on death row, Muhammad
Musa, was hanged till death at Mach Central Jail in Bolan District.
Musa had committed a murder in 2005 in Quetta.
The FC on a tip-off conducted
the search operation in an unspecified area of Turbat District
and arrested two commanders of a banned outfit and recovered
arms from their possession.
A death row prisoner, identified
as Zulfiqar, was hanged till death in Faisalabad Central Jail
of Faisalabad District of Punjab. Zulfiqar had murdered a taxi
driver in 2000.
A Supreme Court Justice Qazi
Faez Isa pointed out the dangers of upholding sectarianism if
the court were to interpret legal issues in light of the Constitution
as it exists today, as opposed to its original form, which did
not contain the word ‘sect’. “Sectarianism is a curse,” said
Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a member of the 17-judge full court of
the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk that
is hearing challenges to the 18th and 21st amendment. “If we
[institutionalise] sectarianism, we will die at the hands of
our own. This is what we have been witnessing in the Muslim
world today as well,” Justice Isa deplored.
KP IG Nasir Khan Durrani ruled
out presence of militants in any religious seminary in the provincial
capital and elsewhere in the province, saying that all the seminaries
had been cleared of outlaws. “All the Afghan prayer leaders
have been removed from mosques and seminaries across the province,”
he said.
May 21
At least 16 militants, including
four foreign militants, were killed during airstrikes by SFs
in Dattakhel area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. The SFs
also destroyed their five hideouts.
Four terrorists involved in
the November 2, 2014, Wagah border blast, were killed during
an encounter by the CTD in Ittehad Town of Baldia Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. The terrorists belonged to
Umar Khorasani group. A huge amount of ammunition and explosives
were recovered from their possession.
Three persons, including a local
leader of the ASWJ, identified as Syed Abdul Wahab (65), his
two sons, identified as Farmanullah (35) and Asmatullah (30),
were shot dead by unidentified armed assailants at Khyber Hotel
in Bagh-e-Malir near Malir City in Malir Town. A 'spokesman'
for ASWJ Umer Muavia claimed that Syed Wahab was their leader
of Malir District and termed it an act of sectarian violence.
Two suspected militants were
killed and two Police constables, identified as Arshad Hussain
and Muhammad Ayaz, were injured in a Police encounter in Sultanabad
locality of Manghopir in Gadap Town. Police recovered weapons
and live ammunition from their possession.
An unidentified man was shot
dead near Bab-e-Fatima Imambargah at Liaquatabad furniture
market in Liaquatabad Town.
An ATC in Karachi handed over
to Police four suspects involved in May 13, 2015, Safoora bus
attack on 14-day physical remand. The four suspects were identified
as Saad Aziz, Muhammad Azhar Ishrat, Haafiz Nasir, Tahir Hussain
Minhas. The suspects were presented in court for clashing with
Police and possession of explosive material and illegal weapons.
According to Police, the four suspects confessed to their involvement
in a string of terrorist attacks in Karachi, including the attack
on the Ismaili community and the murder of T2F Director Sabeen
Mahmud on April 24, 2015.
During a briefing to the Senate
DG Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar said that the terrorists
have formed separate cells to target Police Officers on one
hand and scholars and vulnerable groups on the other hand. “One
of the central issues related to law and order in Karachi is
illegal weapons,” he said, adding, “A large number of weapons
of prohibited bore have been issued to people.” “Even law enforcers
don’t have such sophisticated weapons,” he said.
The officials of CTD arrested
two militants, identified as Burhan and Noor Aslam, from Hangu
District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The CoAS General Raheel Sharif
during a visit to the Command and Staff College in Quetta said
that a ‘favourable political atmosphere’ is being built in the
country following the launch of military offensive Zarb-e-Azb
against terrorism in the tribal belt. He said the armed forces
of the country have gained ‘magnificent achievements’ during
Operation Zarb-e-Azb. He, however, said conventional methods
of warfare and retaliation were no longer plausible for tackling
threats being faced by the country.
May 22
Five militants and one soldier,
Sepoy Waqas, were killed in a clash after militants attacked
a military check post in the Garwaee area of Dattakhel tehsil
in North Waziristan Agency of FATA. Security officials said
five militants were also killed in the clash after the attack
on the checkpoint.
At least one person was killed
and four others were injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast
targeting a FC vehicle on Qambarani Road in Quetta, the provincial
capital of Balochistan. BDS officials said that 100 kilograms
of explosives were used in the making of the bomb.
Balochistan Police arrested
the main accused involved in the on June 15, 2013, attack on
Quaid-e-Azam residency in Ziarat District after carrying out
a successful raid in Hazar Ganji area of Quetta. Addressing
a press conference, SSP-Operations Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya said
that Police arrested suspect, identified as Pukar alias Pako,
who was nominated for his involvement in carrying out the attack.
FC during an operation on May
21, 2015, in Rahman Kahul area of Chaman tehsil in Qilla Abdullah
District recovered explosive material, IEDs, and circuits in
huge quantity, said Brigadier Tahir Mehmood while addressing
a press conference in Quetta. He said that it was an achievement
as the recovery pre-empted a wave of terrorism in the province.
Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti
and DIG FC Brigadier Mohammad Tahir a during a news briefing
at the FC Help Center in Kholia Phattack said, “Frontier Corps
killed 29 militants associated with the Baloch separatist groups
and the TTP, including two suicide bombers, during the search
operation in the Province.” They also destroyed eight insurgents’
hideouts during the month-long operation, he added.
One Shia was killed and two
others injured when unidentified assailants opened fire at a
vehicle in Hayatabad area Peshawar, the provincial capital of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the Police sources, Wali Ahmad
Jan and his sons Ali Murtaza and Awais were travelling in a
car when unknown motorcyclists opened fire at them. Ali Murtaza
was killed on the spot while Wali Ahmed and Awais sustained
injuries.
Two suspected militants who
were arrested by the CTD, have confessed to planning the suicide
attack on Imamia Imambargah in Hayatabad on February
13, 2015.. They also confessed to facilitating the suicide bombers
who attacked the mosque.
A rocket, fired from an unknown
location, struck the Hayatabad residence former Senator Abdur
Razaq in Peshawar. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
The attack is the second of its kind on Razaq’s residence.
Karachi Police picked up Khalid
Minhas, the younger brother of Tahir Minhas, the mastermind
of the May 13, 2015, attack on Shia Ismailis. Police raided
Khalid’s house at Gharibabad Colony in Karachi, the provincil
capital of Sindh.
Saad Aziz (27), one of the militants
arrested for involvement in T2F café Director Sabeen Mahmud’s
murder on April 24, 2015, confessed to killing her. “We shot
her for holding a Valentine’s Day rally,” Aziz reportedly said
in his statement to the Police, adding, “My friend was riding
the motorcycle but I was sitting at the back and I shot her.”
May 23
Three security personnel were
killed in a blast in an IED explosion in Dattakhel area of North
Waziristan Agency in FATA. According to a security source, the
security troops were on a routine patrol when a roadside IED
hit their vehicle.
A suspected suicide bomber,
identified as Qari Naeem, who was also the prayer leader of
the mosque, was killed and four civilians, identified as Saad
Fazal Rahim, Ihsan, Subhanullah and Zabihullah were injured,
when the bomber blew up his suicide vest in a mosque in Charsadda
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A death row convict, Arshad,
was hanged till death in Kot Lakhpat Jail of Lahore District
in Punjab. He was sentenced to death for committing murder of
two people in 1991.
A death row prisoner, identified
as Mohammad Wazir, was hanged till death in Central Jail of
Sahiwal District for killing a man over enmity.
May 24
Three TTP militants were killed
while others managed to escape after during an exchange of fire
with SFs in South Waziristan Agency of FATA. Arms were recovered
from their possession. The killed terrorists were stated to
be hailing from Tank District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
One FC soldier was killed when
militants from Kunar Province in Afghanistan attacked a check
post in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur Agency. The militants
escaped after SFs returned fire.
Three people were killed and
over a dozen persons, which include several police officials,
were injured after an IED targeting President Mamnoon Hussain's
son Salman Hussian's convoy exploded outside a local restaurant
in Hub city of Lasbela District. However, Salman remained unhurt
in the attack.
A militant video was released
on May 24 showed that a Chinese tourist, Hong Xudong, kidnapped
by TTP militants from Daraban town in Dera Ismail Khan District
on May 19, 2014, asked his Government to help for his release.
A Jaish al-Hadeed militant, a TTP splinter group, gave the video
to the media. Following Hong’s abduction, the leader of TTP
splinter group, Shehryar Mehsud, Abdullah Bahar, had claimed
responsibility for the kidnapping.
Ali Haider Gilani (29), the
kidnapped son of former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani phoned
his father after two years in captivity and told him he was
well. Ali Haider was abducted by TTP militants in a hail of
gunfire in Multan District of Punjab on May 9, 2013. “My son
Ali Haider Gilani told me that he is happy and safe at (an)
unknown place,” said Yusuf Raza Gilani.”
ISIS is recruiting fighters
in Afghanistan and Pakistan, General John F Campbell, said the
commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, adding, “but they are
not yet operational”. There have been fears of ISIS making
inroads in Afghanistan since US-led NATO forces ended their
combat mission in 2014. “There’s recruiting going on in Afghanistan,
there is recruiting going on in Pakistan. There is money being
passed back and forth,” General Campbell said.
Authoritative sources rubbished
the recent ISIS claims that the terrorist entity could purchase
a nuclear device from Pakistan. Earlier on May 23, 2015, it
was reported that the propaganda magazine of ISIS, Dabiq,
had suggested the group was expanding so rapidly it could buy
its first nuclear weapon from Pakistan within a year. However,
the official sources in Islamabad said that the idea to purchase
a nuclear bomb from Pakistan by ISIS or some Middle Eastern
state was not only far-fetched, it was rather impossible.
May 25
At least three Hazara Shias
were killed and nine others were injured when unidentified militants
opened fire at two separate buildings on M.A. Jinnah Road in
Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
A local trader, identified as
Anwar Ali Hazara, was shot dead by unidentified militants on
Fatima Jinnah Road in Quetta. Following the attack, members
of the Hazara community staged a protest against the killing.
Rangers shot dead three militants
during a pre-dawn raid in Surjani Town area of Gadap Town in
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. One of the Ranger's
personnel was wounded in the shootout. A huge cache of weapons
was also recovered from their hideout.
Police arrested three suspects
after an exchange of fire near Cantonment graveyard in Hyderabad
District. Police spokesman identified the suspects as Maroof
Langha, Mumtaz Mangi and Aftab Shah. Police also recovered unlicensed
pistols from their possession.
Four people were injured when
unidentified militants targeted the vehicle of former senator
Malik Abdul Wahid with IEDs in Landi Jor area of Mohmand Agency
in FATA. However, the senator escaped unhurt.
Two people were injured when
unidentified militants targeted the vehicle of the former chief
of Safi Amn Committee Malik Subedar Safi with a remote controlled
device in Ziarat Khwar area in Safi tehsil of Mohmand
Agency. However, Safi escaped the blast while two of his companions
Javed and Shoaib were injured. Ehsanullah Ehsan , the 'spokesperson'
JuA, claimed responsibility for both the attacks.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
during a meeting with CoAS General Raheel Sharif in Islamabad
gave the go-ahead to extend Operation Zarb-e-Azb into Shawal
Valley of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. “All financial issues
related to the new military offence in Shawal Valley will be
incorporated in the upcoming budget,” an unnamed official source
said.” Further the sources added that Pakistan Army has cleared
Tirah Valley from terrorists through military operations and
the next step is to clear Shawal Valley.
May 26
At least six terrorists were
killed by paramilitary soldiers in a raid at a hideout in Pareshan
Chowk area of Mominabad in Orangi Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
In another raid, one BLA militant
was shot dead in Old Golimar area of Lyari Town.
Paramilitary soldiers killed
two Lyari gangsters, identified as Nawaz Ali Ismail Khan alias
Raja Pathan, the 'commander' of Ghaffar Zikri group and Jehangir,
in a raid on a hideout in Manghopir area of Gadap Town. Weapons
were recovered from their possession.
At least 10 accused were executed
in Punjab. According to details of hanging in Punjab, two prisoners,
identified as Shakil and Sher Ali, were hanged till death in
Kot Lakhpat jail of Lahore District. Both were accused of committing
murder. Shakil had killed a person in 1998, while Sher Ali murdered
a person in 2001.
In Central Jail Faisalabad,
another two convicts, Iftikhar Ahmed and Asif Zeb, were hanged
till death. Iftikhar had killed three people in 2001, while
Asif killed a person in 1998.
In another execution, a death
row prisoner, Ishaq, convicted of murder, was hanged till death
in Sahiwal District, while one prisoner, Mohammad Nawaz was
hanged in Gujranwala District.
In Central Jail Multan, one
Rana Faryad was executed after being convicted of murder of
his cousin over a minor argument.
Death row prisoner Mohammad
Afzal was hanged till death in District Jail Jhelum.
Another convict, Amjad Ali,
was hanged in Sargodha District, after being found guilty of
rape and murder of his young niece, as well as killing two young
witnesses of the incident.
A death row prisoner, Anwar
Ahmed, was executed in District Jail Toba Tek Singh. He had
killed six family members, including his father and brother,
over a property matter.
At least five SF personnel were
seriously injured in a blast that occurred while they attempted
to defuse an IED in Babara Chaharmang area of Nawagai sub division
in Bajaur Agency of FATA.
SFs foiled a terror bid by defusing
37 kilogram of explosives hidden in the fields in Manoska area
of Shabqadar in Charsadda District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A death row convict Ibrahim
was hanged till death in Central Jail Mach in Bolan District
of Balochistan. Ibrahim was convicted of murdering a person
in 2003.
Four BLA militants, involved
in the attack on President Mamnoon Hussain’s son in Hub city
of Lasbela District on May 24, 2015, were arrested.
Two suspected militants were
arrested in the Dasht area of the Kech District. “The militants
were involved in attacks on Frontier Corps and FWO construction,”
FC spokesperson Khan Wassey said. He added that FC recovered
automatic weapons from their possession.
Intelligence Agencies' personnel
conducted a raid on Sariab Road area of Quetta and arrested
a militant.
Federal Minister for Water and
Power and Defence, Khawaja Asif alleged that TTP was fighting
as India’s proxy against Pakistan. He said that there has been
a nexus between Indian Intelligence Agencies and terrorists
operating in Pakistan.
May 27
At least three Policemen, including
a Sub-Inspector and two constables, were killed and another
wounded when unidentified militants opened fire on a Police
mobile van in Bhangoria Goth area of Azizabad locality in Gulberg
Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
In Hyderabad District, a low-intensity
blast occurred on a rail track passing through Bengali Colony
on its one side and Autobhan Road on the other. The blast led
to the suspension of the rail traffic for a few hours. However,
no casualties were reported.
In another explosion in Nawabshah
city of Shaheed Benazirabad District, the main railway line
near near the Nawaz Dahiri station caused minor damage to the
track and suspension of the rail traffic for about an hour.
Police detained a suspect, identified
as Amanat Ali Jakhrani, who was found sitting suspiciously on
the tracks in Kandhkot tehsil of Kasmore District.
Sindh Government during cabinet
meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah decided
to cancel 595,146 arms licences because the licence-holders
failed to verify them with the relevant offices. Provincial
Home Secretary Mukhtiar Soomro said that the verification process
had been initiated for the 1,057,456 arms licences that had
been issued in the Province since they started maintaining records.
Two Shia Hazaras, identified
as Mohammad Arif and Mohammad Hussain, were shot dead, while
another, Mohammad Essa, was injured, when unidentified militants
opened fire at their cloth shop in a shopping plaza in MeCongi
road area in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
No outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.
Balochistan Home Minister Mir
Sarfaraz Bugti said that the Government has decided to launch
a grand targeted operation in the provincial capital to curb
terrorism. He said that Frontier Corps, Police, Levies and other
intelligence and Law Enforcement Agencies would take part in
the operation.
At least seven death row prisoners
were executed in various jails across Punjab and Balochistan.
According to details, two convicts were hanged till death in
Kot Lakhpat jail of Lahore District. Prisoner Abdul Khaliq had
been convicted of murdering a woman in factory area, while convict
Shahzad was also found guilty of committing a murder.
Two prisoners were hanged till
death in District Jail of Gujrat. Naseer Ahmed, a convict was
executed in after he was found guilty of killing a person over
an argument in 2002. Another prisoner, Faisal Mehmood was also
hanged after having committed a murder in 1999.
In another hanging, two prisoners
were executed in District Jail Vehari. Prisoner Abdul Sattar
was found guilty of killing a 13-year-old girl after raping
her in 1997. Convict Sanaullah had committed the same on an
11-year-old girl in 2001.
A death row convict, Khan Mohammad,
was hanged in Mach Jail of Bolan District after he was found
guilty of committing the murder of his brother as well as nephew
in 2004.
At least eight SF personnel
sustained injuries in an IED blast that occurred in Safi tehsil
of Mohmand Agency in FATA.
Another one security official
was injured in second IED explosion in the same area. Two militant
hideouts were destroyed in the Halemzai tehsil of Mohmand Agency
during an operation in the area.
Highly placed sources claim
that Ali Haider Gilani, the abducted son of former Prime Minister
Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, is in the custody of al Qaeda's Indian
wing, al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which is demanding
PKR 2 billion and release of two families of their killed activists
that are in custody of the Security Forces. They claim that
ustad Asim Umar, head of AQIS, is personally involved in this
case and is reportedly monitoring every development on the issue.
Asim Umar is an Indian national from the state of Uttar Pradesh.
He spent most of his time in the Indian-held Kashmir and later
secretly shifted to Pakistan.
According to unnamed Foreign
Office sources, Pakistan and Britain have been cooperating with
each other with exchange of information on dozens of “individuals
of interest” to both countries. Authorities in Britain have
passed detailed information about Baloch activists to Pakistan
while Pakistan has handed over files of British nationals residing
in Pakistan. It is believed that this exchange of information
related to activists who are believed to hold “extremist views”.
Pakistani authorities have conveyed to the British Government
their distress over Baloch militant leaders’ causing unrest
in Pakistan from British soil and using their links inside Balochistan
to support militants involved in violence against civilians
and security forces.
May 28
Three death row convicts, accused
of hijacking Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight 544
enroute from Turbat (Balochistan) to Karachi (Sindh) in May
1998, were hanged till death. Two of them identified as Shahsawar
Baloch and Sabir Baloch were hanged in Central Jail Hyderabad
(Hyderabad District of Sindh), while Shabbir Baloch was executed
in Central Jail Karachi. Mercy pleas filed by the three had
been rejected by the President.
Another prisoner was executed
in Karachi.
Two death row prisoners were
executed in two Central Jails of Sahiwal and Sargodha Districts
in Punjab.
Two Policemen were killed and
two others were injured when unidentified militants opened fire
and attacked a patrolling Police mobile van with rocket launcher
in Daraban area of Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A prisoner was hanged till death
in Haripur Jail.
An arrested terrorist, identified
as Abdul Ghafoor alias Ahmad, on May 28 confessed his involvement
in the March 18, 2013, suicide attack on Judicial Complex in
Peshawar, before the Anti-Terrorism Court.
Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while addressing the passing out parade
of 2,340 recruits of Frontier Constabulary reports at FC Training
Centre in Shabqadar tehsil (of Charsadda District said that
ensuring peace in the country was prime responsibility of Frontier
Constabulary. He said that elements involved in violence would
be dealt with iron hand. He said that it was the prime responsibility
of the force to play effective role in bringing peace to specific
areas of the country.
The FO spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah
said that no footprints of ISIS have been found in the country.
He said that Pakistan’s security agencies are alert to take
any action against terrorists, if required. “The people of Pakistan
have no ideological, ethnic or linguistic affinities with IS
and its members,” he said. However, he added, some pamphlets
and wall-chalking has been seen in some parts of the country.
“There is no proof of presence of IS in Pakistan. Our security
agencies are aware of the threat and will take appropriate measures
if needed.”
Despite concerns surrounding
collateral damage and wrongly identified targets being struck,
which resulted in the deaths of two hostages, nearly 60 per
cent of Americans still approve drone strikes on extremists
in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, a new poll by The Pew Research
Center found. It said its national survey showed that 58 per
cent of Americans approve of drone strikes against extremists
in those countries with only 35 per cent expressing their disapproval.
May 29
At least 22 people were killed
and several others injured when unidentified militants opened
fire at kidnapped passengers in Khad Kucha area of Mastung District
in Balochitan. Earlier in the evening, suspected militants had
abducted two passenger buses en route Karachi (Sindh) from Pishin
District (Balochistan). Soon after reports of abduction emerged,
Police and Frontier Corps officials rushed to the area and there
were reports of heavy exchange of fire between SFs and the kidnappers.
DCO Mastung claimed that 15 to 20 militants had abducted around
35 passengers. Five passengers were released by militants, the
Levies official said. UBA claimed responsibility for the killings.
A UBA 'spokesman' Mureed Baloch said that it “is a revenge for
killing of militants in Mastung and Kalat areas by security
forces”.
Five militants and two SF personnel
were killed, while one SF was injured in a clash in Ghulam Khan
area of NWA in FATA. According to reports, a group of terrorists
ambushed a SFs vehicle, opening fire on the patrolling party
and killing two of them. Five militants were also killed in
retaliation by the SFs.
Two PPP workers, identified
as Mohammed Sharif Lashari (45) and Anwar Bhutto (30), were
shot dead in a targeted attack near Bakra Piri area in Malir
Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two unidentified dead bodies,
aged between 20 and 25 years, were found from Manghopir near
Muhammadi Mosque in Gadap Town.
An unidentified man was killed
in a firing incident in Peela School area of New Karachi Town.
A man, identified as Asif, was
injured in a firing incident in Orangi Town.
Police arrested two suspects
belonging to a political party and seized a huge cache of Indian-made
arms and ammunition in a raid at a house located in Orangi Town.
During the search, the Police found one rocket propel grenade,
an anti-aircraft gun, eight light machineguns with magazines
and a fitting belt, eight sub-machineguns (SMGs), 12,000 LMG
and SMG bullets, two bullet-proof jackets, eight boxes of bullets
and other material. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) District
West Azfar Mehshar said that the weapons were Indian-made (inscribed
with SA-Local Rest Indian).
Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah
announced a reward of PKR 3 million for the SSP-West and his
team for conducting the raid in Orangi Town and seizing the
arms and ammunition. He announced PKR 3 million for an ISI team
that had provided information on which action was taken. Shah
also announced PKR 3 million for a Rangers team that had raided
a terrorist hideout in Orangi Town on May 24, 2015.
District West Police arrested
three alleged terrorists in three raids belonging to different
groups, who were involved in a number of killings, including
murders of Police and Rangers personnel. SSP Mehshar said that
acting on a tip-off a Police team conducted raids in Mominabad
(Orangi Town), Surjani Town (Gadap Town) and Saeedabad (Baldia
Town) areas and arrested Lyari gangster Abdul Hafeez, a suspected
target killer, with a 9mm pistol.
At least two people, including
a police SI, were killed and three Policemen were injured, in
a suicide attack near Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore District of
Punjab. The blast took place when a day-night match between
Pakistan and Zimbabwe was underway. Federal Minister of Information
and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid confirmed that the blast was
a suicide attack.
At least two activists of JI
were killed and another injured when unidentified militants
opened fire at them in Saleem Khan area of Swabi District in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
May 30
At least seven militants were
killed during a search operation launched on May 30 after the
May 29, 2015, bus attack in Mastung District that killed 22
people. The Home Minister of Balochistan, Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed
Bugti confirmed that at least seven militants allegedly involved
in the incident had been killed in the operation.
May 31
PML-N MPA Rana Shamshad, his
son, Ahmed, and a party worker, Shakir, were shot dead, while
his nephew, Ali Ashfaq, was injured in a targeted attack in
Kamoki area of Gujranwala District. Eye witnesses said the attackers
had covered their faces with cloth and fled the scene right
after the attack.
Pakistan Rangers arrested eight
suspects, including extortionists, during targeted actions from
Hyderi market area in North Nazimabad Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. The extortionists were distributing the slips
in advance for collecting Zakat and Fitrana from the business
community. The extortionists who belonged to a political party
used the extortion money for their criminal activities, the
sources said.
Commander Southern Command Lieutenant
General Nasir Khan Janjua, while expressing the resolve of the
political and military leadership to end terrorism said that
labourers and daily wagers were gunned down and terrorists would
be dragged out of their dens and eliminated.
June 1
At least 13 militants were killed
in a clash with SFs in Sawkai area of Dattakhel tehsil in North
Waziristan Agency FATA. According to sources, militants attacked
a bunker of SFs in the area. SFs returned fire and the exchange
of fire killed 13 militants.
Six militants were killed when
a US drone fired two missiles and hit a double cabin pickup
truck in Zwe Karba area of Shawal Valley in NWA. “The double
cabin pickup truck carrying some militants had just entered
the compound when it came under attack. Six militants in the
pickup truck died on the spot,” an unnamed security official
based said.
At least three political administration
officials, including Farooq Wazir and his two associates, were
killed in a remote-controlled bomb blast while they were travelling
in Raghzai area of South Waziristan Agency.
Elsewhere in the Agency, two
bullet-riddled dead bodies were found in Angor Adda bazaar.
A note found on the bodies said they had been killed for spying
against the Taliban.
Two SF personnel, identified
as Naveed and Mukhtiar, were injured when a check post in Ziaratkai
area of Shakai tehsil in SWA was attacked by rockets fired from
an unspecified location.
At least nine militants were
killed while two FC personnel were injured in exchange of fire
in Morgan Harboi area of Kalat District in Balochistan. The
FC spokesman said those killed in the shootout were involved
in May 29, 2015, Mastung carnage and they were planning to attack
FC post in Harboi.
FC killed four terrorists in
Panjgur District. The FC also recovered weapons from their possession.
One terrorist was killed during
exchange of fire and another detained in Kohlu District. Automatic
weapons were recovered from their possession.
At least 25 suspects were detained
during FC and Police search operation in Kharotabad and its
adjoining areas in Quetta.
A man, identified as, Abdul
Ghani (45), was shot dead by unidentified militants near Gutter
Baghicha in Old Golimar area of SITE Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh.
One Wazir (35), was shot at
and injured by unidentified armed assailants in North Nazimabad
Town.
TTP claimed responsibility for
the killing of PML-N MPA Rana Shamshad and two others in Gujranwala
District on May 31, 2015. “In Kamonki area of Gujranwala, our
special force STF successfully targeted the PML-N MPA Rana Shamshad
and his son and then managed to disappear. After the decision
by three groups of Punjabi Taliban to join the TTP, it has become
stronger in Punjab and has accelerated its activities there,”
TTP 'spokesman' Mohammad Khurasani said.
A former ISI telephone operator
and a key witness in the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s
murder case, identified as Ismail, refused to testify before
an ATC on grounds of threat to his life. Ismail told the court
that his life was in danger after he left his job at the ISI.
Ismail had confirmed to the investigation team that he had intercepted
the communication between the suspects and the TTP terrorists
involved in the murder.
June 2
A death row convict, Muhammad
Khan, was hanged till death in District Jail Sargodha in Punjab.
He was convicted for killing two people over resistance during
robbery bid in Karachi 13 years back.
Death row prisoner, Khizar Hayat,
was executed in Central Jail Mianwali (Mianwali District). Hayat
had killed his cousin in 1998.
PM Nawaz Sharif while addressing
an all-party conference in Quetta, the provincial capital of
Balochistan said that foreign forces with the help of local
elements have been promoting terrorism and violence in the country.
He said “Pakistan had suffered USD110 billion losses in the
war on terror over the past few years, but we are determined
to eliminate terrorism and extremism from our country.”
Adviser to the PM on Foreign
Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz said that India was
fanning terrorism in Pakistan. Sartaj Aziz said “Peace is multi-dimensional
process. When India keeps violating ceasefire at the Line of
Control and the Working Boundary, indulges in worst human rights
violations against helpless Kashmiris in Indian occupied Kashmir,
and undertakes subversive activities in Pakistan, then asking
Pakistan to create an environment free of violence only sounds
ironical.
June 3
At least nine militants were
killed and 13 others were injured in an air strike in Dattakhel
area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA.
Three militants and one SF were
killed in an exchange of fire at a check post that was attacked
by militants in FR Bannu. The security forces cordoned off the
area after the assault and started a search operation.
Two unidentified dead bodies
were recovered from Janjal Goth area of Gulshan-e-Maymar locality
of Gadap Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Another unidentified dead body
of a man was found dumped in Anaar Garden area near Safoora
Goth in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
A death row prisoner, Javed
alias Jeeda, was hanged till death in Kot Lakhpat Jail of Lahore
District in Punjab. Javed had killed two persons, Qasim and
Siddiqui, in Cantt Kechhri area of Lahore on 19 September, 1987.
The trial court had awarded him death sentence twice in 1989.
HRCP in a statement issued on
June 3 expressed concern over the number of executed death row
prisoners in Pakistan this year reaching 135, the highest for
any year in a decade. HRCP has called for halting executions
and abolishing capital punishment.
Balochi language poet, writer
and film actor, identified as Anwar Sahib Khan, was abducted
along with his son, Wasim, from their home in Pasni area of
Gwadar District in Balochistan. “Armed men on a pick-up abducted
the two from their house,” Police Officer Chakar Khan said.
No outfit claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
Two BLA militants, including
the alleged mastermind of May 24, 2015 bomb attack on the convoy
of President Mamnoon Hussain's son Salman Mamnoon, were detained
by FC after an exchange of fire in Hub tehsil of Lasbela District.
The mastermind was identified as Surat Jan Marri. The FC also
recovered arms from their possession.
The FC detained two alleged
'commanders' of BLF in the Pasni area of Gwadar District. Hand-grenades
and other weapons were also recovered from their possession.
CoAS General Raheel Sharif while
addressing a conference at the NDU said that Pakistan and Kashmir
are inseparable, and that Kashmir is "an unfinished agenda
of partition". He said, "While we wish for peace and
stability in region, we want Kashmir's just resolution in the
light of UN Resolutions and as per aspirations of the Kashmiri
people to bring lasting peace in region."
June 4
A death row convict, identified
as Shamsul Haq, was hanged till death in Kot Lakhpat Jial in
Lahore District of Punjab. Haq had been accused of killing one
Ali Imran on November 22, 1999.
A double murder convict, Fateh
Muhammad, was executed in Central Jail Mianwali in Mianwali
District. Fateh had killed two people in 1999.
UBA 'commander' for Kohlu, Kahan
and Barkhan region, Wali Mohammad alias Haji Kalati, surrendered
to authorities along with his 50 supporters in provincial capital
Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. Kalati claimed
that he had been fighting for independence of Balochistan since
1970 and spent 45 years on mountains.
According to a Police report,
at least 94 incidents of terrorism have been reported in Peshawar
District (the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in the
first five months of 2015. According to the report, five Police
Officials and an officer of the armed forces lost their lives
in these attacks, while seven others were injured. Moreover,
31 civilians have been killed in these acts of terror. At least
24 people have been kidnapped-for-ransom from the provincial
capital and two children have been abducted.
CoAS General Raheel Sharif on
June 4 said that the country is capable of responding to all
forms of aggression from India. “We know how to respond befittingly
to any aggression from India,” the army chief said, adding that
there is no need to worry about anything that India says. He
said that the law and order situation of the country would continue
to improve.
Sindh Information Minister,
Sharjeel Inam Memon on June 4 said that 48 madrassas have been
found involved in ‘suspicious activities’. He said that the
meeting of the Apex Committee held under the chairmanship of
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah in Karachi also decided to
undertake steps towards stopping the lines of terrorists. A
task force has also been constituted to check finance sources
of terrorism, including protection money, ransom money, land
grabbing, smuggling and collection of donations, hides and Fitra.
June 5
At least nine decomposed dead
bodies of militants, who were killed in a clash with SFs in
Saroon area of Morgand Shekhri mountain range in Kalat District,
were found in the area. The FC had claimed that its personnel
killed nine suspected militants who were allegedly involved
in the May 29, 2015, Mastung massacre in an operation launched
in Kalat.
An unnamed senior official in
Balochistan Home Department said that a joint operation by FC,
Police and Levies Force was still going on in Morgand, Saroon,
Harboi, Johan, Nirmak, Khisar Takht and Gishak areas of Kalat
and Mastung Districts.
At least eight terrorists were
killed and five others were injured in an air strike by Security
Forces in Shawal area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA.
Two Lyari gangsters, affiliated
with Uzair Baloch group, were killed in an exchange of fire
during Police raid in Baghdadi area of Lyari Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
Two suspects who were injured
in exchange of fire with Police at Northern Bypass area in Malir
Town on June 4, 2014, succumbed to injuries. Police seized arms,
grenade and a truck loaded with several motorbikes from their
custody.
An unidentified man was shot
dead in s firing incident in North Nazimabad Town.
Police recovered an unidentified
dead body from Garden area of Saddar Town.
Police said that they have arrested
another suspect, identified as Asad-ur-Rahman, who is allegedly
involved in the May 13, 2015, terrorist attack on Ismaili Shias,
from Super Highway area. According to in-charge of the Sindh
Police's CTD SSP Raja Umer Khatab, Police has also recovered
a vehicle and a weapon used in the attack.
ATC extended the physical remand
of four suspects, allegedly involved in May 13, 2015, attack
on Ismaili Shias, to Police until June 15, 2015. Police produced
accused Tahir Hussain, Saad Aziz, Mohammad Azhar and Hafiz Nasir
before the ATC judge amid high security. The investigation officer
requested the court to extend the physical remand of all the
accused as they were required for more investigation.
Eight of the 10 militants jailed
for life over involvement in the October 9, 2012, attack on
fourteen year old children’s rights activist and Pakistan’s
first National Peace Prize winner Malala Yusufzai have been
freed. “It was the court’s decision to frame charges against
two of the 10 accused and release eight others,” RPO Maland
Division, Azad Khan said, refuting claims that attackers in
Malala’s case were released as part of a deal. Confirming his
statement, DPO Saleem Marwat said that the judiciary made its
decision and there were no covert deals.
Presenting the budget in the
National Assembly the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar reported an
increase in the defence budget by 11.6 percent for the next
financial year and said, “The defence budget is being increased
from PKR 700 billion for the outgoing fiscal year to PKR 780
billion for 2015-16”.
June 6
At least nine suspected militants
were killed in a US drone strike in Shawal Valley area of North
Waziristan Agency in FATA. According to sources, the drones
fired two missiles, killing at least nine militants and all
killed in the incident were associated with the Afghan Taliban
At least four Policemen were
killed when unidentified militants opened fire at their vehicle
while they were on a routine patrol on Mullah Salam Road in
Pashtoonabad area of Quetta. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack.
Two suspected suicide bombers
were killed when their suicide vests exploded at Khayam Chowk
on University Road in Sargodha District of Punjab. According
to eyewitnesses the blast occurred when the bombers were putting
on their jackets.
At least eight passengers were
injured in a blast on a railway track when Jaffer Express, which
was taking passengers from Rawalpindi (Punjab) to Quetta (Balochistan),
passed through Jacobabad District of Sindh.
June 7
At least five Hazara Shias were
killed when unidentified armed assailants opened fire at them
in Bacha Khan Chowk area Quetta, the provincial capital of
Balochistan. Police sources said that the assailants managed
to escape from the scene. It was an act of targeted killing,
said the Police.
Quetta Police claimed to have
detained 33 suspects during a search operation in Satellite
Town and Pashtoonabad areas in the wake Pashtoonabad firing
of Jun 6, 2015, that left four Police officials dead. Police
also seized computers and others digital gadgets from the detained
suspects.
At least two Lyari gangsters,
belonging to Uzair Baloch group, were killed in a Police encounter
in Machhar Colony area of Kiamari Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. SSP City Fida Hussain of the Docks Police
Station claimed that the two were involved in different crimes
of murder and extortion.
A Policeman, identified as Saifullah,
was shot dead while another was injured when unidentified armed
assailants opened fire at them in New Karachi Town. Saifullah
was deployed on duty at the Karachi Industrial Area Police Station.
An unidentified man was killed
and another injured in a firing incident in Qaimkhani Colony
of Orangi Town.
A Policeman was shot at and
injured in firing near Rabi Centre in Tariq Road area in Jamshed
Town.
Police carried out search operations
in different areas, including Shah Faisal Town, Orangi Town,
Pakistan Bazaar (Jamshed Town) and Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town, arresting
11 suspects.
June 8
At least 19 militants, including
five 'commanders', were killed in an encounter when SFs chased
them after they attacked a checkpoint of the forces and killed
seven soldiers in Dattakhel area of NWA in FATA. An unnamed
tribal source said that one of the militants wearing an explosives-filled
jacket blew himself up and caused destruction at the military
checkpoint. He said SFs retaliated, started a search operation
and reportedly clashed with the militants, killing 19 of them.
“When being chased and cordoned off, one of the terrorists exploded
his suicide jacket and killed seven soldiers,” said the ISPR
statement. No outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.
At least three Lyari gangsters,
affiliated with Baba Ladla group, were shot dead in inter-gang
clash near Al-Falah Road in Bihar Colony area of Lyari Town
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. The dead were identified
as Shoaib (26), Nadeem (45), and Shani (26). The gang war has
taken hold of Lyari again, said Chakiwara SHO Safdar Ali. He
said that Lyari gangs have reorganized and were carrying out
attacks on each other. He further added that the reason behind
the gangsters’ gaining a foothold in the town is recent large
scale transfers and postings of policemen in the area.
Police on June 8 claimed to
have arrested three suspects from their hideout in Eastern Bypass
area of Quetta for their involvement in attacks on the Khalid
and Samungli airbases in the provincial capital on August 15,
2014. The suspects were identified as Ali Gul alias Obaida Pathan,
Rehman Wali and Zafarullah alias Muzaffar Jan. The Ghalib Mehsud
faction of TTP had claimed responsibility for the attack on
the two airbases.
Home Minister, Mir Sarfaraz
Ahmed Bugti said that the three belonged to a banned militant
organisation involved in terrorist attacks across the country.
He said Ali Gul and Rehman Wali carried head money of PKR 1
million and PKR 500,000, respectively, and were wanted by Police
for their involvement in heinous crimes, including the airbase
attacks, bomb blasts at different places and targeted killings
of Policemen. Zafarullah faces charges in nine cases of murder.
June 9
At least 12 suspected militants
were killed during airstrikes in Khyber Agency of FATA.
Rangers killed two terrorists
during a targeted operation in Ghagar Phatak area of Bin Qasim
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. The Rangers
also seized weapons from their possession. During the action,
exchange of fire took place between the terrorists and the paramilitary
force as a result two terrorists were shot dead.
A Shia DSP Majeed Abbasi was
killed when militants belonging to Swat Chapter of TTP opened
fire at his vehicle in Shah Latif Town. According Police officials,
the attackers belonged to the Swati group of TTP and were previously
involved in targeting other senior Police Officials including
Hyderabad jail official Ejaz Hyder who was shot dead on May
15, 2015. Initial reports had revealed that DSP Majeed Abbasi
was shot several times by the militants. Sources also added
that DSP Abbasi was involved in search operations in the area.
Two death row prisoners, Abid
Maqsood and Sanaullah were hanged in Sialkot’s District Jail
of Sialkot District. The two criminals took life of a 12-year
girl after a sexual assault in 1997.
A convicted killer, Muhammed
Abid, was hanged till death in Central Jail of Faisalabad District.
The criminal killed one Yasin over a longstanding feud in 1998.
Another death row prisoner,
Nawaz alias Kaka was executed in Central Jail of Sahiwal District.
The convict killed a man over a trifling dispute with him in
1995.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
during his meeting with US Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on
the sidelines of the International Conference on the Implementation
of the International Decade for Action Water for Life (2005-15)
urged him to play a proactive role in promoting peace in the
region, adding that it was incumbent on the UNSC to ensure early
implementation of its commitment as reflected in the resolutions
on Jammu and Kashmir. Talking about India-Pakistan ties, Nawaz
said there appeared to be no acknowledgement of the initiatives
he had taken to promote a dialogue process between the two countries.
In fact, recent statements by the Indian leadership had been
deeply disappointing, he said.
June 10
A wanted terrorist by the name
of Haji Ilyas Gul was killed during an intelligence based operation
in the Spin Khawra area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA.
According to the ISPR, four of Gul’s accomplices, who were involved
in various terrorist activities, were also killed in the operation.
The FC arrested five suspected
militants including a would-be suicide bomber during raids in
parts of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. A spokesman
for FC here said that raids were conducted on tip-off by the
intelligence organisation during which five suspected militants
were arrested.
Pakistan said that India should
not mistake Pakistan for Myanmar as the armed forces of Pakistan
could give a befitting reply to any Indian act of aggression.
Responding to a statement issued by Indian Minister Rajyavardhan
Rathore, Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar said that
Pakistan wanted peace in the region yet its friendly overtures
should not be confused as a sign of weakness. Chaudhry Nisar
said that India should not mistake Pakistan for Myanmar as its
armed forces possess the capability to give a befitting reply
to any Indian act of aggression. Lambasting the norm of repeated
aggressive statements from the other side of the border, Chaudhry
Nisar said that the Indian leadership should stop day-dreaming
and face reality.
The IG of Sindh Police, Ghulam
Haider Jamali claimed that the group involved in the killings
of Police officials in Malir and West Districts of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh, has been identified. Addressing
a ceremony organized to distribute cheques among the families
of Police martyrs, the IG Sindh said culprits involved in the
killings of Policemen will be brought to justice, claiming that
Karachi city has witnessed a decline in target killings in 2015
compared to 2014. "Fifty four target killers have been
arrested and other 53 were killed in the first five months of
current year", Jamali said. He disclosed that the same
group was involved in the assassination of a SSP and three DSPs
in Districts Malir and West. "Police had arrested the accused
involved in Safoora Bus Carnage and Shikarpur Carnage after
the hard-work of 15 days", the Sindh IG said.
June 11
At least 10 militants were killed
during a search operation by SFs in Dattakhel area of North
Waziristan Agency in FATA. According to statement issued by
the ISPR, the operation was conducted in Dattakhel area close
to Pak-Afghan border in North Waziristan. The information could
not be independently verified since access to journalists is
severely restricted in the region.
At least four Policemen, including
ASI Mohammad Wazir, were killed when unidentified assailants
opened fire on the Police patrolling van at Manan Chowk of Pashtunabad
area in provincial capital Quetta. The three other victims were
identified as constable Zahir Khan, constable Mehmood Khan and
driver Kalimullah. SSP-Operation Atizaz Goraya confirmed the
incident. CCPO Abdul Razzaq Cheema said, “Around four attackers
were riding two motorcycles... they attacked the Police van.”
He added that two attacks on Police vans have been carried out
in the same area within a week and with the same modus operandi.
Two unidentified mutilated dead
bodies were found in Khud Kucha area of Mastung District. According
to Levies officials, “The corpses were found in the mountainous
area of Khud Kucha,” adding that the bodies were old and beyond
recognition.
At least two Policemen were
killed and six others were injured in the morning when a suicide
blast targeting the vehicle of Deputy Commandant of FRP occurred
in Hayatabad area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP.
SSP Mian Saeed confirmed that the attack was a suicide blast
which took place near Deputy Commandant FRP Malik Tariq's vehicle
when he was on his way to the FRP office. “The bomber was on
a motorcycle and he rammed it into the vehicle of Malik Tariq
who was on his way to the office,” Mian Saeed told reporters
at the scene. The explosion left two Policemen dead and six
others injured — including two Policemen, two passers-by, the
driver of the vehicle and Deputy Commandant Malik Tariq. The
vehicle was completely destroyed in the blast. Saeed added that
it had yet to be determined whether the bomber was wearing a
suicide vest or his motorcycle was packed with explosives.
The IGP Nasir Khan Durrani said
that the law and order situation has improved compared to the
last five years, but the fight against terrorists would continue
till elimination of the last terrorist. He said that terrorists
had been denied shelters inside the city due to which they were
adopting ‘hit-and-run’ tactic. IGP Nasir Khan Durrani said this
while talking to media persons after offering funeral prayer
for the two police constables, Ibrar from Mardan and Lal Bahader
from Swabi, at Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines in Hayatabad
of Peshawar. The two constables were killed in a suicide attack
on deputy commandant FRP Tariq Malik.
A federal judge imposed the
maximum possible prison sentences on two Pakistan-born brothers
who admitted trying to pull off a terrorist bomb attack against
New York City landmarks and later assaulted two deputy US marshals
while in custody. District Judge Beth Bloom compared the plot,
which never got past the planning stages, to the 2013 Boston
Marathon bombings in which the two attackers used commonplace
pressure cookers. In the Florida case, evidence shows the younger
brother, 22-year-old Raees Alam Qazi, researched how to make
bombs on the Internet using readily available items such as
Christmas tree lights and chemicals. “You are a terrorist. Evil
in nature and evil in your deeds,” Mr Bloom said to Raees Qazi.
“You chose to engage in conduct that can only be described as
evil and reprehensible.” The judge sentenced Raees Qazi to 35
years in prison while his brother, 32-year-old Sheheryar Alam
Qazi, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars. Both sentences
were three years above those recommended by prosecutors and
defence attorneys in a March plea deal.
Sheheryar got a lesser sentence
because his main role was to back his brother financially as
he sought to actively plan an attack, according to court documents.
Mr Bloom said evidence showed Sheheryar was fully aware of and
supported the plot. “Your assistance allowed your brother to
continue with his evil plan,” he said, adding that the FBI investigation
and arrests “prevented what could have been a tragic loss of
many lives”.
The DG Rangers Major General
Bilal Akbar during a briefing to the Sindh Apex Committee regarding
the current Karachi situation said that over PKR 230 billion
is collected illegally in Karachi annually and those millions
of rupees are distributed amongst gang-war factions. He further
revealed that this money is used for the purchase of arms and
ammunition. It was also noted that money is coerced out in the
form of alms for the same purpose. The briefing further said
that most crime is committed by a large party in Karachi.
The DG Rangers went on to say
that a large part of illegal businesses in the city is the distribution
system of water, which also involved illegal means of making
money – in millions of rupees. The briefing also noted that
the money made from sale of sacrificial animal hides is used
for funding terrorist activities. Regarding land grabbing in
Karachi, the DG Rangers said that political parties, the City
Government, District Administration, and Police personnel are
all involved in the activity. He added that the amount made
from land grabbing is used by political and religious parties
to operate their armed wings.
He further said that an evil
nexus of political leaders, civil servants and gang lords is
involved in nurturing and sheltering organised crime and terrorism
in Karachi. Billions of rupees collected from extortion, land
grabbing, targeted killings and rackets are flowing in to the
coffers of some top personalities of the Sindh Province, Major
General Bilal Akbar said.
June 12
At least 25 militants, including
their key 'commander', were killed in an exchange of fire with
SFs after a check post attack in the Shawal area of North Waziristan
Agency in FATA. According to media reports, militants attacked
a check post of SFs in Shawal area, leading to an exchange of
fire that killed 25 terrorists. SFs said key hideouts of militants
have been captured and a huge cache of arms had been seized.
Two civilians, identified as
Dinar Gul and Gul Abbas, were killed and four others, including
two border security personnel, were injured in a bomb blast
at Torkham border gate in Landikotal tehsil of Khyber
Agency. The sources said a blast took place when an Afghan national
along with a pushcart loaded with quilts entered Pakistan from
across the border. According to an eyewitness that a bomb had
been concealed under the quilts that were being smuggled from
Afghanistan to Pakistan.
Two persons were shot dead in
targeted attack on Pajjagi Road area of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of KP. Honey dealer Bashir Ahmed, a resident of Kurram
Agency in FATA, was on his way to his shop on Paijagi Road when
unidentified assailants near Tableeghi Markaz opened fire on
him. Khazana resident Gohar, who was standing on the other side
of the road, was also hit by bullets and died on the spot.
SFs and intelligence officials
recovered a huge cache of explosives and other material from
the fields in Mansoka area of Shabqadar tehsil in Charsadda
District. DPO Shafiullah Khan said that the aw-enforcers recovered
50 kilograms of explosives, four IEDs, nine hand grenades, 60
detonators, 600 feet of prima cord, 20 battery cells, 16 remote
controls and five receivers. The official said the militants
were planning to shift the explosives and other material to
somewhere else.
Authorities at the Karachi Airport
arrested a French national, De Miscault, for allegedly carrying
bullets. According to Airport Police Officials, Miscault was
traveling from Karachi to Istanbul via Turkish Airline Tk-709
when he was intercepted by ASF. During manual checking, ASF
staff recovered five bullets of .22 calibers from his possession.
The accused was later handed over to Airport Police Station
where police registered an FIR No. 90/15 Under Section 23 (1)
while further investigation was underway.
Slamming India for ‘destablising’
Pakistan, former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf
said that the country’s nuclear weapons are for defence purposes
and not for “celebratory” occasions. Musharraf claimed that
India is planning a strategy to ultimately de-nuclearise Pakistan.
“We do not want to use nuclear capability but if our existence
comes under threat, who do we have these nuclear weapons for?
If I say in Chaudhary Shujaat’s style, do we have nukes saved
to be used on Shab-e-Baraat?” he said.
“Don’t attack us, don’t challenge
our territorial integrity because we are not a small power,
we’re a major and nuclear power. Don’t push us,” he said, adding,
“We should have self-confidence that their (Indian) dream to
denuclearise Pakistan is not possible. We won’t let their end
game materialise.”
Pakistan rejected the EU demand,
seeking an immediate end to executions in the country. Foreign
Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah defended the revocation
of a moratorium on the death penalty, saying the punishment
was well within the parameters of international law. Referring
to the ICCPR, Khalilullah said Article 6 of the covenant states
that every human being has inherent right to life. “This right
shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived
of his life.” But at the same time another clause of the ICCPR
states that in the countries that have not abolished the death
penalty, a sentence of death may be imposed only for most serious
crimes in accordance with the law.
“Our Constitution and legal
system contain the death penalty, and it is within the parameters
of international law. It is the responsibility of the state
to protect the life of its citizens and we are doing that,”
Khalilullah said justifying capital punishment.
June 13
20 unidentified militants were
killed in airstrikes conducted at a place near Dattakhel area
in North Waziristan near Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Director General of the ISPR
Major General Asim Bajwa issued a statement in which he said
that so far 2,763 suspected terrorists have been killed in the
Zarb-i-Azb operation in North Waziristan. It added that 837
hideouts have been destroyed and 253 tons of explosives have
been recovered. In addition, 18,087 weapons including HMGs,
LMGs, sniper rifles, rocket launchers and AK-47 rifles had been
recovered during the past one year. He said that militant strongholds,
communications infra-structure and sanctuaries were cleared
on a large scale in the FATA, including North Waziristan and
Khyber agencies. He said that thousands of suspected terrorists
and their abettors had been apprehended whereas ‘218 hardcore
terrorists’ were killed in around 9,000 intelligence-based-operations.
Major General Bajwa added that 347 military personnel had also
lost their lives during the operation. The press release further
stated that Army is finalizing plans to launch the final phase
of Operation Zarb-i-Azb in mid-July to flush out Taliban terrorists
from their remaining strongholds along the border with Afghanistan.
Two men were killed when unidentified
masked militants opened fire at a barber shop in Mano Jan area
of provincial capital Quetta. Both of the victims were brothers,
the source added.
Two unidentified men were shot
dead by unidentified armed assailants on Double Road area in
Quetta.
In another incident of target
killing, an unidentified man was shot dead near the Eastern
Bypass area in Quetta. Police officials termed the incidents
as acts of targeted killing.
Police and other Law Enforcement
Agencies launched a crackdown against target killers and conducted
several raids in Pashtunabad, Mehmoodabad and other areas of
Quetta during which 243 suspects were detained. The detained
men were shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
Police also claimed the recovery of weapons and ammunition from
their possession.
June 14
Militants blew up a gas pipeline
in Tali Mat area of Pir Koh in Dera Bugti District. According
to Levies sources, an Improvised Explosive Device was used to
blow up the 24-inch-wide pipeline, suspending gas supply to
Sui Purification Plant.
The 'commanders' of BLF and
TLB, along with a group of 57 insurgents, laid down their arms
in the presence of PML-N leader Nawab Sanaullah Zehri in Khuzdar
District. According to the reports, the commander of BLF Din
Jan alias Meeran and TLB leader Ubaidullah alias Beebarg laid
down their arms and vowed to be a part of the national mainstream.
The leaders also chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ (Long Live Pakistan)
and ‘Balochistan Paindabad’ (Balochistan Live Forever).
Balochistan Government extended
enforcement of Section 144 for a week. According to the notification
issued, the Government imposed a ban on pillion riding and display
of weapons in view of increased incidents of targeted killings
in the provincial capital.
The Sindh Rangers killed two
gangsters, affiliated with Baba Ladla group and identified as
Arslan alias Mulla and Muhammad Nasir, in an exchange of fire
and recovered arms from their possession during a crackdown
in Gul Muhammad Lane of Lyari Town in provincial capital Karachi.
Arms were recovered from their possession.
Rangers claimed to have arrested
11 suspects along with weapons during a raid conducted in the
Guru Mandir Patel Para area of Jamshed Town.
The CTD arrested four target
killers and recovered arms during a raid near Old Sabzi Mandi
area of Jamshed Town. They were identified as Khurram Shehzad,
Mirza alias Ganja, Adnan alias Adil and Imran alias Lava.
An unspecified number of unregistered
seminaries were raided by Police and Rangers in different areas
of Sukkur District. The Law Enforcement Agencies personnel surrounded
Madrassa Mehmoodia in the Bachal Shah area, Madrassa Jamia Ashrafia
near the City Point bypass, Madrassa Khulafa-i-Rashideen in
the New Pind area, Madrassa Anwarul Uloom near Maka Goth and
other seminaries in the city and checked their records. They
took away laptops and other computer equipment, printed literature,
record books, communication equipment including cell phones
and other articles in custody during a thorough search of the
seminaries.
June 15
Three gagsters, affiliated with
Noor Muhammad alias Baba Ladla group, were killed in an encounter
with Rangers and Police near Old Haji Camp within the jurisdiction
of Kalakot Police Station in Lyari Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Two of the gangsters were identified as Qadir
Nawaz (24) and Ayaz (25). The third gangster could not be identified.
Police recovered three pistols, hand grenades and looted articles
from their possession.
A man, identified as Ali (30),
was killed in a firing incident by unidentified armed assailants
near Sachal Goath area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
One Lal Muhammad (25) was shot
dead in a firing incident in Machar Colony area of Sohrab Goth
in Gadap Town.
A double murder convict, Khizar
Hayat, was hanged till death in Central Jail Multan. Hayat had
murdered his father-in-law and brother-in-law in 1997.
The Federal Government has imposed
a moratorium on executions during the holy month of Ramazan
(Islamic month of fasting). A notification was issued on June
12, 2015, by the Federal Ministry of Interior and Provincial
Governments have also been requested to comply with the order.
During the month of Ramazan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk,
and refrain from eating and drinking.
The National Assembly passed
a resolution seeking extension in the Pakistan Army Act (Amendment)
Ordinance 2015 for 120 days. According to the Pakistan Army
Act (Amendment) Ordinance, which was promulgated in February
2015, judges of the military courts will have the discretion
to decide whether the proceedings will be open or in-camera.
Similarly, judges, lawyers and witnesses will be given security
and protection. The MQM MPs started protesting when Defence
Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stood up to table the resolution.
Angered by the protest, Asif said it was a politically motivated
outcry as the MQM lawmakers fear “they can be tried under the
law for their wrongdoings”. The ordinance is a part of the National
Action Plan against terrorism which all political parties had
already acquiesced to support.
The operation Pakistan launched
against the militants in NWA of FATA has “absolutely” eliminated
extremist safe havens in Miranshah and Mir Ali areas, said an
unnamed US official in an interview to The Washington Post.
He said that terrorist safe havens in North Waziristan were
“real fundamental concerns for us, the Afghans, and also Pakistanis
in recent years.” The unnamed official noted that some of these
militants had dispersed around Pakistan. They were continuing
to plan attacks against not only Pakistanis, but also against
Afghans, Americans and others inside Afghanistan from their
new hideouts, he said, adding, “And it is going to take a sustained
effort to make sure these groups don’t reconstitute in the cleared
areas.”
However, the Under Secretary
of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights
Sarah Sewall warned that military operation alone would not
end terrorism. In a statement issued by the State Department,
she urged the international community also to address the “grievances
and motives that propel individuals, and in some cases, communities
to join or align with terrorist actors.”
June 16
Eight more death row prisoners
were hanged in different prisons of Punjab. A death row prisoner
was executed at Central Jail, Kot Lakhpat. He has been identified
as Mukhtar. He had killed a man in 2004 in the limits of Kot
Lakhpat Jail. The president had rejected his appeal for clemency.
A meeting was arranged with his family members before the hanging.
Two condemned prisoners were
hanged in the Central Jail. They are Muhammad Younis and Muhammad
Asghar. Muhammad Younis of Chak 272/GB, Jaranwala, had shot
dead his rivals Amanat Ali, Farzana Bibi and Saira Bibi in 2000.
The then Jaranwala additional District and sessions judge had
awarded him death sentence on three counts on December 28, 2004.
Asghar of Layyah had murdered his nephew over an engagement
issue.
Two condemned prisoners were
hanged in the New Central Jail. They are Ghulam Rasool of Chak
327/HR and Muhammad Asghar of Chak 47/3-R, of Haroonabad. Ghulam
Rasool had murdered three people over a family dispute on January
12, 1999. The then Bahawalnagar District and sessions judge
had awarded him death sentence. A few days ago, Bahawalnagar
District and Sessions Judge Nisar Ahmad issued his black warrant
after rejection of his all appeals. Muhammad Asghar had killed
Abdul Razzaq during a foiled dacoity.
A rape and murder convict was
hanged in the Gujranwala Central Jail. Ashraf of Khalilpura,
Pindi Bhattian, was hanged in the presence of a magistrate,
a doctor and the jail officials. The convict had killed a girl,
12, after raping her on October 3, 1999.
Another death row prisoner was
hanged in the Sialkot District Jail. According to the jail officials,
Basharat Ali had killed Muhammad Iqbal over a minor dispute
in Jhelum in 1997.
An execution also took place
in Dera Ghazi Khan, bringing the total number put to death since
executions resumed last December to 160, officials said. All
those executed had been convicted of murder. According to the
Amnesty International, Pakistan has more than 8,000 prisoners
on death row and most of them have exhausted their appeals.
An Afghan soldier who was critically
injured during an encounter with militants 0.6km from Bajaur
Agency on Afghan soil was rescued by the Pakistan Army. According
to the ISPR, the soldier was rescued on the behest of the Afghan
authorities and was admitted in Khar Hospital of Bajaur Agency.
The Supreme Court directed Attorney
General Salman Aslam Butt to submit record pertaining to the
trials of five convicts awarded death sentences by the military
courts in order to see whether the principle of fair trial was
followed or not. A 17-member full bench of the apex court, headed
by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk, was hearing petitions against
the 18th and 21st constitutional amendments. The AGP said the
procedure regarding the functioning of military courts had already
been submitted in the apex court. However, Justice Qazi Faez
Isah observed they could not find that record. Justice Khosa
remarked that though the army chief endorsed the conviction,
the appeals of the convicts were still pending. He questioned
that if the superior officer endorsed the conviction then how
his juniors could go against his verdict. He asked if anyone
was involved in terror activities who were supposed to punish
him, executive or the judiciary.
June 17
As many as 25 militants including
three key commanders were killed in clashes with SFs in Shawal
tehsil area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. Sources said
the ground operation was carried out in Shawal area where three
militant commanders of the TTP were also eliminated. The three
commanders were identified as Amirullah, Fatehullah and Yasin.
Police claimed to have killed
four terrorists in an encounter at Safoora Goth area of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. Dr Najib Khan, SSP Malir, said
the shootout took place some yards from the site of Safoora
Goth bus attack. He said that the suspects were roaming the
area with an intention to carry out act of terrorism. The SPP
said arms and two motorcycles were also recovered from the possession
of the suspects.
Rangers detained more than 15
ST cadres during a raid at its headquarters in Bheempura area
of Saddar Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Shahid Ghori, a leader of the party, said the ST leadership
and workers extended cooperation to Rangers personnel during
the raid because the party supported efforts for bringing sustainable
peace to Karachi. “If Rangers have any credible information
about any party’s involvement in illegal activities, they should
take action against it,” he said.
Balochistan has allocated PKR
54.5 billion for next fiscal year’s ADP, a rise of 7.5 per cent
compared to this year’s PKR 50.7 billion, the budget documents
showed. The Province plans to spend 60 per cent of the ADP,
which includes foreign project assistance of PKR 3.33 billion,
on new projects and the rest of it on the ongoing schemes. This
policy of allocating more money to new projects will increase
the throw-forward of development schemes in the Province from
the present PKR124.7 billion to PKR141.32 billion by the end
of the next financial year.
The number of ongoing schemes
in the Province is 940 and the government plans to start another
1,310 projects during 2015-16. A total of 807 projects were
completed during the outgoing year. It means that it will take
about seven years to complete all the projects that are being
started during the next financial year if the development funds
were distributed between new and old schemes in the same ratio
of 60:40, the documents shows. The new provincial budget focuses
more on infrastructure development, especially in the road,
power and water sectors. It also focuses on schemes that are
directly and indirectly linked to the CPEC, like construction
of international airport in Gwadar.
The JuD Amir and LeT
founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed while addressing a Nazria-e-Pakistan
seminar at a hall on Jaranwala Road in Faisalabad District said
that India is financing terrorist activities in Pakistan after
its failure to crush the freedom movement in India Administered
Kashmir. He said that the freedom movement had bewildered India
and hence Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet
members had accelerated their vicious campaign against Pakistan.
Unidentified militants blew
up a primary school for boys in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur
Agency in FATA. However, no casualty was reported.
The vehicle of a local administration
official, who went to investigate the bombing of the school,
was also targeted with an IED, said unnamed officials.
June 18
A constable of the Elite Force
was shot dead and two others were injured when unidentified
militants opened fire at them within the jurisdiction of Cantonment
Police in Mamashkhel area of Bannu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The injured were identified as Rehmatullah, the brother of the
killed constable and Huzaifa, an IDP from North Waziristan Agency.
Also in Bannu, the house of
former Noraz Nazim Rashidullah Khan was partially damaged
when an explosive planted near it exploded. Police and security
officials reached the site following the explosion and conducted
a search operation. However, no arrests were made.
Police arrested a criminal involved
in bank robberies in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
According to media reports, “This gang has looted at least three
banks this year. We have arrested the suspect who robbed a bank
in Taimooria. He will now lead us to the rest of his at-large
comrades,” the Police said. According to SSP East, Pir Mohammad
Shah, the held robber, a resident of Kala Dhaka, is a militant
trained in Afghanistan. “He is a convict who had been jailed
before. He is under interrogation right now,” he said.
Karachi Corps Commander Lieutenant
General Naveed Mukhtar visited the Rangers Headquarters and
held a meeting with Sindh Rangers DG Major General Bilal Akbar.
At the Rangers Headquarters, the corps commander was briefed
on the ongoing ‘targeted operation’ against criminals and corrupt
mafia in the city. Sources said that Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and
Major General Bilal Akbar expressed satisfaction over the crackdown
and vowed to continue the action.
Federal Minister for Information,
Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid said
that the Government would not allow anyone to make the ongoing
Karachi operation controversial that had been launched purely
to target the criminals. “If someone commits the crime in the
name of politics, he will also be taken to task,” he said. He
expressed confidence that routine-life would soon restore in
the city and people would lead their lives in a peaceful manner.
June 19
At least 20 militants, including
key 'commanders', were killed and 18 others were wounded when
Pakistani jet fighters pounded the hideouts of TTP and LI militants
in Kukikhel area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA.
The CoAS General Raheel Sharif
said that all terrorists and their facilitators, abettors and
financiers will soon be apprehended and brought to justice.
He said terrorists’ strongholds in Khyber Agency had been reduced
and now the fight was in progress in the remaining few pockets,
close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The noose, he added,
had been tightened around terrorists and they would not be allowed
to regroup. The Army Chief said the area where the operation
was being carried out was heavily infested with IEDs, mostly
of foreign make. He also visited the DRC in Bara tehsil
of the Agency where the militants, who had surrendered in Operation
Khyber-1, are being provided education and vocational training,
adds The News.
While talking to the troops
in the Agency he vowed that with unflinching national resolve
and clear direction, the armed forces will accomplish their
end objective of a terror free Pakistan.
A US citizen, identified as
Reaz Qadir Khan (51), was sentenced to more than seven years
in prison for his providing money to a suicide bomber who attacked
the headquarters of Pakistan’s intelligence service, the ISI,
on May 27, 2009 in Lahore District of Punjab Province. Khan
had previously pleaded guilty in a US court to providing material
support to terrorists. Khan admitted arranging for the delivery
of approximately USD 2,450 to Maldivian Ali Jaleel, one of the
suicide bombers responsible for the May 27, 2009 attack. Khan
also admitted to providing advice and financial assistance to
Jaleel’s wives after the bombing, “while knowing that providing
such assistance would hinder and prevent the apprehension of
Jaleel’s wives and others who may have helped in the attack,”
prosecutors said.
“With today’s sentence, the
court held the defendant accountable and made it clear that
no community should be subjected to the dangers posed by those
seeking to assist violent extremists whether here or abroad,”
said Acting US Attorney Billy Williams.
Pakistan remains a critical
counterterrorism partner and Islamabad and Washington DC continue
to cooperate with each other on information sharing and law
enforcement, according to annual US Country Reports on Terrorism
2014 released that stated, “The military operations had a significant
impact on TTP safe havens”. Ambassador Tina Kaidanow, the US
State Department’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism, released
the annual “Congressionally Mandated Country Reports on Terrorism
2014”. “South Asia remained a front line in the battle against
terrorism,” the report said, adding that al Qaeda’s core in
Afghanistan and Pakistan has been seriously degraded.”
“Al Qaeda’s presence in the
region continued to face pressure from international, Afghan,
and Pakistani forces, and Pakistan’s ongoing offensive in North
Waziristan Agency, launched in June 2014, further degraded the
group’s freedom to operate.” “Pressure on al Qaeda’s traditional
safe haven has constrained the leadership’s capability to communicate
effectively with affiliate groups outside of South Asia,” the
report added. The report read further that the Pakistan’s Army
conducted “significant counterterrorism operations” in North
Waziristan Agency and Khyber Agency in the FATA, and civilian
forces conducted operations in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and Punjab. In Karachi, security forces continued an operation
against organised crime and terrorist groups.
June 20
At least five Lyari gangsters,
affiliated with Uzair Baloch and Baba Ladla group, were killed
in an encounter led by Rangers in Chakiwara and Bihar Colony
areas of Lyari Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
According to a spokesman for Rangers, the suspects were wanted
in several cases of extortion and targeted killing.
A man, identified as Muhammad
Muzamil (35), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants
in Sector No. 11.5 of Orangi Town.
A man, identified as Abdul Rehman
(35), succumbed to his injuries in a firing incident near Kaali
Market in New Karachi Town.
June 21
The military operations in the
tribal regions [North Waziristan Agency and Khyber Agency of
FATA] are targeting all militant groups, including the Haqqani
Network, an unnamed security official clarified on June 21 in
response to a US State Department annual report, titled, Country
Reports on Terrorism 2014 released on June 19, 2015, which suggested
that certain terrorist outfits were spared by the offensives.
“It is not true that we have spared the Afghan Taliban and the
Haqqani Network. We have stated time and again that our operation
is against all groups without any discrimination,” said the
official.
In its annual report the US
State Department acknowledged that the ongoing military offensives
in North Waziristan Agency and Khyber Agency had severely dented
al Qaeda’s presence in South Asia. “Al Qaeda’s presence in the
[South Asia] region continued to face pressure from international,
Afghan and Pakistani forces, and Pakistan’s ongoing offensive
in North Waziristan Agency [has] further degraded the group’s
freedom to operate,” the report stated. Further, the report
said that while operations carried out by Pakistan’s military
and security forces disrupted the actions of many militant outfits
in the country, groups like the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani
Network and LeT were spared by the offensive.
In an email sent to the media
on June 21 a 'spokesman' for AQIS, Usama Mahmood, claimed that
the US national Warren Weinstein who had embraced Islam and
was renamed as Chacha Ishaq (Uncle Ishaq) was killed in a US
fired drone strike in Shawal Valley of North Waziristan Agency
on January 14, 2015. He claimed that Warren Weinstein had embraced
Islam while in captivity. “His new name was Ishaq. The “al-Qaeda
in the Sub-Continent” fighters affectionately called him Chacha
or uncle. Those who used to keep him in custody became his protectors
after he converted to Islam and started loving him. They used
to treat him like an elder and would happily fulfill all his
requirements,” the spokesman claimed in the statement.
June 23
At least four suspected terrorists
were killed and two soldiers were injured in an intelligence-based
operation conducted by Sindh Rangers in Manghopir area Gadap
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Rangers recovered
ammunition, explosives and a suicide vest from their possession.
Two terrorists were killed in
an operation in Kathor area of Super Highway. According to a
Rangers spokesperson, as soon as Rangers' personnel reached
the site, the terrorists opened fire at them. Rangers returned
fire at the suspected terrorists, killing two. Later, as the
paramilitary force pursued other suspected terrorists who had
managed to flee, four more suspected terrorists were killed
and two Rangers personnel were injured in the cross-fire that
ensued.
11 cadres of ST who were detained
are extortionists, target killers and land grabbers, revealed
a spokesman for the Rangers. They said that that Alam alias
Baba has confessed to have committed 84 incidents of target
killing. Earlier, Rizwan alias Guddu, Alam alias Baba, Jawad
Qadri alias Waja, Zubair Ali, Salman Mirchi, Akram alias Kala,
Farhan alias Papa, Imran Saeedi alias Noorani, Arif alias Mansoori,
Shakeel Ahmed alias Fauji and Noor Alam were produced in an
Anti-Terrorism Court, which handed them over to Rangers for
90 days. They have been accused of collecting extortion from
markets and sending it to the central leadership.
During a meeting with CoAS General
Raheel Sharif, PM Nawaz Sharif reaffirmed his support for military-led
“actions against criminals” and gave his assent for taking the
fight against terrorists to urban centres. “It was decided that
operation against criminals and terrorists would continue unhindered
across the country. It was reiterated that Zarb-i-Azb would
be taken to its logical conclusion, regardless of the cost,
and terrorists and criminals would be hunted down indiscriminately,”
the PM Office said.
Two BLA militants were arrested
during a search operation in Soranj area of Quetta. Security
Forces also recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from
their possession.
A local 'commander' of TTP,
identified as Syed Alam Shah, surrendered in Ziarat District.
According to official sources, Shah laid down arms before the
Government forces.
The Minar-e-Pakistan located
in Iqbal Park of Lahore District remained off limits to visitors
over a terrorism threat by the TTP. A Police contingent cordoned
off the monument. Pakistan Rangers also patrolled the premises.
Barbed wire has been placed on both sides of the newly-installed
steel fence around the monument. More than 20 Policemen, including
four snipers, have been deputed at the site since June 8, 2015.
As the 17-member full bench
of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk,
resumed hearing in the case filed by different bar associations
of the country against the 18th and 21st constitutional amendments
it observed that bringing certain matters within the purview
of military courts during a democratic dispensation was also
dictatorship and the court would not allow it. Justice Jawwad
S. Khawaja remarked, “If the Government can call the army in
its aid under Article 245 of the Constitution for fear of a
revolution then it could also be done now and there was no need
for formation of military courts.” Justice Asif Saeed Khosa
remarked that bringing certain matters within the purview of
military courts during democratic era was also dictatorship.
Justice Dost Muhammad Khan remarked:
“The successful operation conducted in Swat was conducted under
Article 245 and not under the military courts. If the situation
can improve there without formation of a parallel judicial system
then the same could have been done here. What was the need for
the formation of military courts?”
However, in defence of the 21st
Amendment and the constitution of military courts, Attorney
General Salman Butt said certain people had been brought within
the ambit of military courts. Butt said the military courts
had been set up to speed up the trial of terror accused, as
85 percent of terror cases were pending with the civil courts
last year.
Federal Minister for States
and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Abdul Qadir Baloch during a joint
press conference in Chamkani area of Peshawar said that a cabinet
meeting will be convened to decide if Afghan refugees can be
repatriated by December 31, 2015. The documentation process
of unregistered Afghan refugees would start from June 25, 2015.
The agency deals with roughly 13 million (as it stood till mid-2014)
refugees across the world.
During the conference, Baloch
said the final decision on the repatriation of the refugees
will be taken by the cabinet. “The decision will be taken based
on ground-realities in sight,” he said, hinting at deteriorating
law and order in Afghanistan. However, he emphasised, “The deadline
for the repatriation of Afghan refugees is December 31. [Going
back] will be a three-phased process.”
China blocked India's move in
the UN demanding action against Pakistan over release of Mumbai
2008 terror (also known as 26/11) attack mastermind and LeT
‘commander’ Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in violation of a resolution
of the world body as it contended that India provided insufficient
information. As the UN sanctions committee met at India's request,
a clarification was to be sought from Pakistan over Lakhvi's
release in the 26/11 trial but the Chinese representatives blocked
the move on grounds that India did not provide sufficient information,
official sources said.
In a letter to the current chair
of the UN sanctions committee Jim McLay, India's permanent representative
to the UN Asoke Mukherjee had said in May 2015 that Lakhvi's
release by a Pakistani court was in violation of the 1267 UN
resolution dealing with designated entities and individuals.
The sanctions measures apply to designated individuals and entities
associated with terror groups including al-Qaeda and LeT, wherever
located.
June 24
The Additional SHO Mastung Abdul
Qudus Bangulzai was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants
while he was on his way home from the Police Station in Killi
Raiki area of Mastung District. “Suspects were riding on a motorbike
and fled from the scene after targeting Bangulzai,” said SHO
Mastung Nazir Ahmed. Police collected 10 empty rounds of 9MM
pistol from the spot, added the SHO.
A target killer was arrested
from a house in Satellite Town area of Quetta. “Acting on a
tip-off, an intelligence agency raided a house in Satellite
Town, Quetta and arrested a target killer of a defunct organisation,”
security sources said. According to reports, the arrested target
killer was involved in the targeted killings of police officers,
security personnel and dozens of residents of the provincial
capital. “During interrogation, the suspect has confessed of
dozens of target killings in the city in last four years, and
was the mastermind of his group,” security sources said, without
revealing suspect’s identity.
PM Nawaz Sharif said the country’s
defence system is strong and the nuclear assets are in safe
hands. The PM, while expressing satisfaction over Pakistan’s
technological advancement in the sphere of defence that has
made the sovereignty of the country impregnable, said that the
nation is proud of engineers, scientists and experts who have
evolved the capability indigenously. He was talking to the newly-appointed
DG SPD Lieutenant General Mazhar Jamil at the PM House. General
Mazhar briefed the PM on the remarkable achievements and future
projects of the division. The country’s nuclear, missile and
space programme are supervised by the SPD. The SPD is an important
component of NCA which is headed by the PM and exercises complete
command and control over the country’s nuclear and strategic
capability structure.
Officials in the MQM have told
the UK authorities they received Indian Government funds, the
BBC learnt from an authoritative source in Pakistan. UK authorities
investigating the MQM for alleged money laundering also found
a list of weapons in an MQM property. A Pakistani official has
told the BBC that India has trained hundreds of MQM militants
over the last 10 years. The Indian authorities described the
claims as ‘completely baseless’. With 24 members in the National
Assembly, the (MQM) has long been a dominant force in the politics
of Karachi. British authorities held formal recorded interviews
with senior MQM officials who told them the party was receiving
Indian funding, the BBC was told.
Before 2005-2006, the training
was given to a small number of mid-ranking members of the MQM,
the official said. More recently greater numbers of more junior
party members have been trained. The claims follow the statement
of a senior Karachi police officer that two arrested MQM militants
said they had been trained in India. In April, Rao Anwar gave
details of how the two men went to India via Thailand to be
trained by the Indian intelligence agency, RAW. In response
MQM leader Altaf Hussain issued a tirade of abuse at Rao Anwar.
Asked about the claims of Indian funding and training of the
MQM, the Indian High Commission in London said, “Shortcomings
of governance cannot be rationalised by blaming neighbours.”
As many as 40 Policemen, including
an ASI, have been dismissed on June 24 after an inquiry established
that their negligence led to the Dera Ismail Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
jailbreak of July 28, 2013 and around 200 inmates fled the jail.
According to the DPO of Dera Ismail Khan – who headed the inquiry
into an attack by terrorists on the jail – the dismissed Policemen,
almost all of them constables and head constables, have the
right to file appeals in their respective department and the
services tribunal. He said that during the course of inquiry,
the officials were found guilty of dereliction from duty.
June 25
Two security personnel were
killed and two others were injured in a landmine explosion in
Kurram Agency of FATA. Officials said that militants had planted
explosives on a track used by security officers to provide water
to a nearby check post near Oarmagai. After the blast, the militants
opened fire at the vehicle, which was destroyed.
The Khasadar force seized a
stash of explosives during a raid on a factory in Shakas near
Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency.
June 26
A worker of PML-N, identified
as Nizamuddin Bhutto, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants
near Railway Phatak area of Naseerabad District in Balochistan.
In the wake of the heat-wave
and incessant load-shedding in Karachi, TTP 'spokesperson',
Muhammad Khorasani said, “The TTP holds the greedy K-Electric
responsible for the ruthless power load-shedding”. He further
warned the K-Electric to end load-shedding or else face action
in the interests of the oppressed people of Pakistan. Khorasani
also expressed “solidarity” with the people of the provincial
capital. “We express solidarity with the people of Karachi over
the human tragedy,” he said.
Authorities in Balochistan during
a meeting of the provincial apex committee, headed by Balochistan
Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, announced a general amnesty
plan for all home-based Baloch militants who are willing to
renounce violence and lay down their arms. According to an official
handout, the apex committee meeting analysed in detail the need
for maintaining law and order in the province. The meeting agreed
that a “peaceful, conciliatory Balochistan policy will be implemented
so that the youngsters who want to lay down arms and join the
mainstream can be granted amnesty and be encouraged to rehabilitate
themselves”.
A senior Government official
said the amnesty scheme only applies to those Baloch insurgents
who are fighting locally. “Those who are hiding abroad will
be dealt with legally,” he said. Under the scheme, he said,
small-time fighters will be paid PKR 500,000. “Mid-level 'commanders'
will get PKR 1 million while top 'commanders' will be paid PKR1.5
million,” he said, adding that rich cash prizes were offered
to ensure the fighters do not rejoin insurgent groups.
June 27
Two Lyari gangsters, belonging
to Sheraz Comrade group, were shot dead down in an encounter
in Chakiwara area of Lyari Town in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. Hand grenades and other weapons were recovered from
their possession.
Two suspects were killed and
two others were arrested in Salar Goth area of Malir Town. The
Police claimed to have recovered ‘Awan Bomb’ and other arms
and ammunition from their possession.
A Police officer, Murad Khan,
was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Alouch on the outskirts
of Shangla town of same District. Murad Khan was on his way
home in plain clothes when assailants ambushed and killed him.
A VDC) member’s son was gunned
down by unidentified assailants in Cham village under Charbagh
Police Station in Swat District. Charbagh Police official Naseer
Bacha said the incident occurred when Amir Zeb was gunned down
as he stepped out of his house in the evening.
June 28
Air strikes killed at least
20 militants in the areas close to Pak-Afghan border in the
Shawal Valley area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. The deeply
forested ravines are a smuggling route between Pakistan and
neighbouring Afghanistan, and are dotted with terrorist bases
used as launch pads for attacks on Pakistani forces.
Further on the same day, 14
more militants were killed in the air strikes in the areas on
the side of Khyber Agency.
A FC officer, Ijaz Khan, was
killed in Shabqadar tehsil of Charsadda District in KP. Ijaz
Khan was an official of Shabqadar Police Station.
A wanted target killer was gunned
down during a Police encounter in Hazar Khwani area of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of KP. “Naseer alias Kareechay was a
notorious, hired assassin with numerous target killings on his
hands,” Police said. According to reports, Naseer was known
to be behind at least 21 target killings and was wanted for
several other crimes. He recently came under suspicion of killing
two women in Peshawar. Police said that he was usually hired
for the “highest bid”, which was sometimes placed by members
of banned militant groups.
A journalist, identified as
Zafarullah Jatak, was shot dead while he was asleep at his home
in Usta Mohammad town of Jaffarabad District. Jatak was working
as a part-time correspondent for the Quetta Urdu daily Intikhab.
A Police Official said that a number of journalists had complained
of receiving threats from some unidentified groups.
The Balochistan FC seized a
huge cache of arms and ammunition during a raid at the hideouts
of BRA and BLA militants in Bhaag area of Bolan District. A
spokesman for the FC said that they had dumped weapons and ammunition
to carry out subversive activities in Sibi, Kohlu and Dera Bugti
Districts. The FC teams had seized an RPG 7 with its eight rounds,
two Chinese LMGs, four SMGs, five 3.3 rifles with 650 rounds,
nine shotguns with 135 rounds, three AK-47 rifles with three
magazines and 1,400 rounds, four seven mm guns with 280 rounds,
a repeater gun, 30 fuses, 1,300 rounds of sniper rifles and
a pickup vehicle.
The FC said that it arrested
six suspected militants during two search operations in Kalat
and Turbat Districts. According to the FC spokesman, in the
first operation the paramilitary force carried out an intelligence-based
search operation in Kalat. “FC personnel arrested two militants
of BLA and recovered automatic weapons from their possession,”
the spokesman said. Both the militants were involved in attacks
on security forces and the targeted killing of people.
In the second operation, FC
arrested four suspects on charges of insurgency in Kalagdab
area of Turbat District, the spokesman said, adding. that the
four of them were involved in attacks on SFs.
While JuD remains on the watch
list by the Federal Ministry of Interior, Pakistan formally
declared 212 outfits as proscribed organisations, as per exclusive
documents, which were presented to the Supreme Court. The Ministry
of Foreign Affairs banned 171 organisations, while the Interior
Ministry banned 60 more organisations.
At least 10 organisations have
been declared as proscribed by both the Ministries. The organisations
include, LeJ, JeM, LeT, SSP, JuF, AI, TTP, Rabita Trust, ETIM,
IMU.
June 29
At least 20 militants were killed
in an exchange of fire that resulted after the militants belonging
to BLA attacked the UBA’s Karam Khan Camp in Peer Masori area
of Dera Bugti District.
Police Inspector Mohammad Naseem
was shot dead while he was on his way home from Industrial Police
Station in Jan Mohammad Road area of Quetta. Industrial Police
SHO Athar Rasheed said, “the killing was an act of targeted
killing."
A suicide bomber blew himself
up while three others were killed in a joint search operation
carried out by Police and Intelligence Agencies in Rachna Town
and Khan Colony near GT Road area in Lahore District. According
to details, during the raid, a suicide bomber blew himself up
injuring nine people, including a Policeman. Another terrorist
was killed on the spot by Police firing while two more sustained
bullet wounds, who succumbed to their injuries on the way to
hospital. Three suicide vests, a rocket launcher, five Kalashnikovs,
five pistols and two laptop computers besides explosives were
recovered from the their possession, claimed the Police.
Sources in the sensitive agencies
said that the terrorists had plans to attack the offices of
the IB as maps of IB offices were recovered from their custody.
They said one of the killed terrorist belonged to Wana town
of South Waziristan Agency in FATA and was the 'chief' of the
Punjab Chapter of al Qaeda.
A Police constable was shot
dead by motorcycle bourne unidentified assailants in the Yakatoot
area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The constable was targeted while he was going to the police
lines for duty. The assailants managed to fled the scene.
Former ISI chief Lieutenant
General (retd) Hameed Gul has said that al Qaeda chief Osama
bin Laden died in 2005, and not in the US Navy Seals raid in
Abbottabad. “In my opinion Osama was not there (Abbottabad).
He died a natural death in 2005,” Hameed Gul said in a TV interview.
The former ISI chief added that the truth would come out about
the May 2, 2011, Abbottabad raid. Hameed Gul said he had good
relations with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. According
to Gul, Benazir Bhutto was killed because she was “sincere towards
Pakistan”.
June 30
At least 13 militants, including
the brother and nephew of BLF leader Dr Allah Nazar, and one
security official, were killed during a search operation in
Mashkay area of Awaran District. According to FC spokesperson
Khan Wasay, they conducted a search operation early on Tuesday
in Mashkay, the hometown of BLF leader Dr Nazar, to secure the
release of hostages taken by the militants. Wasay said the militants
were involved in killing of seven people on June 6, 2015 in
Mashkay. “They also took 17 women and 30 children as hostages
in Mashkay,” he said, adding that the hostages were released
after the operation. The militants killed in the operation
were identified as Safar Khan, Dr Nazar’s brother, Shahek Baloch,
Dr Nazar’s nephew, and two 'commander's Balaach and Shahjahan.
The ATC No-II, Rawalpindi, awarded
eight-time death sentences to three TTP militants involved in
an attack on the NATO supply convoys on October 3, 2010 that
had killed four people. They were identified as Afraz-ur-Rehman,
Ali Imran and Wajih-ur-Rehman. The court has also awarded life
sentences with fines of millions of rupees to each.
July 1
Three Punjabi welders were shot
dead in an ethnically motivated attack at a shop in Sirki Road
area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. Senior
Police Official Abdul Razzaq Cheema said that it appeared to
be an “ethnic” killing as the victims were from Punjab.
Two people, identified as Police
Constable Imdad Ali and a passerby Zahid Ali, were killed and
three other Police personnel sustained injuries in attack on
a Police check-post in Mir Hassan area of Jaffarabad District.
No outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.
A Levies constable was killed
when unidentified militants opened fire at Badizai check post
in Pishin District.
Two criminals, identified as
Majeed Lashari and Paryal, were killed in a Police encounter
in New Karachi Industrial area of New Karachi Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. Police said that two pistols
with live rounds and stolen vehicle were recovered from their
possession.
At least two security personnel
were injured in a gun and rocket attack from Afghan SFs at a
security checkpost in the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan
Agency in FATA. According to the ISPR, Afghan SFs fired an RPG-7
rocket and few rounds of small arms at the security and the
Pakistani troops retaliated and targeted positions where the
fire was coming from.
Unidentified people have torched
about 40 houses in the Tirah valley of Khyber Agency. “Who torched
the houses after the militants were flushed out of various areas
of Tirah including Takhtakai, Tora Lagada, Nari Baba and once
the government had restored its writ?” asked an elder Haji Normat
Khan while talking to reporters. He said about 40 houses of
Kamarkhel tribe were set on fire at night by unknown people
in Takhtakai and Tora Lagada during recent weeks. He added that
the tribesmen had vacated their houses when the SFs launched
Operations Khyber-1 and Khyber-2 against the LI and TTP in Tirah
valley.
The long-awaited repatriation
process of IDP started when 93 families were sent back to their
native areas in NWA. “The families repatriated on the first
day comprise around 450 individuals, mostly women and children,”
Mir Ali Assistant Political Agent Zaheeruddin said. Since most
of the displaced people belonging to Eidak are living in Baran
camp on the outskirts of Bannu, the area was bustling as families
prepared to board buses for what a return journey which was
a long time coming. Trucks had been arranged to transport the
belongings of the IDPs.
July 2
A man, identified as Zahid (35),
was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Mai Kolachi
Bypass that connects Kiamari Town with Saddar Town in provincial
capital Karachi.
An unidentified dead body was
recovered from Orangi Town.
Two people, identified as Muhammad
Ilyas (60), and Muhammad (30), were shot at and injured near
Rahmat Chowk in Orangi Town.
One Afzal (44) was shot at and
injured by unidentified armed assailants at Singer Chowrangi
in Korangi Town.
Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah claimed
that the Government had controlled extortion and target killings
in the Province. He said that the Sindh Government had given
the Rangers rights under Anti Terrorist Act.
A local leader of the ANP, Dost
Muhammad Khan, was shot by unidentified assailants in Uthmanzai
area of Charsadda District in KP. According to police sources,
two motorcycle-bourne assailants opened fire at a local office
of the ANP at Uthmanzai bazaar area, as a result of which Dost
Muhamad Khan alias Khan Baba was killed on the spot. The attackers
managed to flee from the scene.
Two children were injured in
Koza Bandai area of Swat District when a hand grenade exploded
while they were playing with it. According to a family member,
the children found a toy bomb and were playing with it when
it suddenly exploded.
Police arrested three suspected
militants said to be inspired by the self-styled Islamic State
from Shamshadu Bazaar area of Peshawar, the provincial capital
of KP. Acting on an intelligence tip-off, SFs raided a shop
in the Shamshadu Bazaar area and arrested the three suspects.
According to police sources, laptops containing IS literature
along with other documents were recovered from their possession.
Also seized were documents against the Pakistan Army. No weapons
or ammunition was seized in the raid. Amongst those arrested
were two Afghan nationals, Asmatullah and Abdur Rehman. The
third suspect, Mohammad Ibrahim, belongs to Mohmand Agency of
FATA.
The TTP claimed responsibility
for the killing of Malik Said Agha Jan, a member of the peace
committee in Bajaur Agency of FATA who was targeted by armed
men. Talking to reporters on phone from an unspecified location,
TTP spokesman Mohammad Khorasani said Malik Said Agha Jan was
on their hit list because of his support of the Government against
TTP. He said they would continue to attack the tribal elders
who motivated people against the TTP. “We have list of all the
local committees’ members who are motivating the local people
to fight against Taliban and we will target them one by one,”
said Khorasani.
The Army has successfully brought
to a close a massive offensive in Khyber Agency of FATA, effectively
flushing out militants and blocking their crossing points on
borders with Afghanistan. The Army formally brought Operation
Khyber-II to a close on June 15, significantly enough, on the
first anniversary of Operation Zarb-i-Azb in North Waziristan
Agency.
Four days later, Army Chief
General Raheel Sharif visited the troops in Tirah to take stock
of the military offensive and the gains made in the nearly three
and a half month long operation. The military had gained control
of strategically important areas, depriving TTP and LI of space
in one of their toughest strongholds in the tribal regions.
The military, the sources said, had also taken physical control
of the three passes from Afghanistan into Tirah – Mzatal, Kandao
Gharibi and Dramudrad situated at 7,300 to 9,300 feet altitude
above the sea level.
Two of the passes have been
physically taken over by the military, while the third is under
direct fire power, thus putting an end to any movement through
that pass. But the success did not come easily. The military
lost more than 50 men, including officers, in the second phase
of Operation Khyber, while another 100 or so were wounded. “It
was not easy,” a security official said, requesting he not be
named. “The area was heavily mined,” he said. “There were mines
every 15 metres. The mining was done professionally.”
A three-member bench of the
Supreme Court, headed by Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, asked the
Attorney General to explain as to why the government’s action
plan was only focused on Deeni Madaris and no action
was being taken against the terrorist organisations. “Why terrorist
organisations are overlooked by them? Action should be taken
against them as well. Governments should do their job. The court
will issue no directive. No one can heave a sigh of relief.
Every day a terror incident is published in newspapers. This
is the level of seriousness of governments that terror incidents
are taking place every day. Tell us, what the government has
done within six months and six days,” asked Justice Khawaja.
The court sought the details
of NGOs operating in the country besides calling proposals from
the Federation and the Provinces for bringing the NGOs within
the ambit of law and the Constitution. Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja
remarked: “You have an action plan, then why it is not being
implemented? What performance has been shown by the five governments
with reference to the NGOs so far? Has the account of anyone
been frozen so far? Why the name of Deeni Madaris is mentioned
only?
The hearing of the case was
adjourned till July 3, 2015.
July 3
Two persons were killed and
three others sustained injuries in an incident of firing by
unidentified assailants in Nasirabad area of Turbat District
of Balochistan.
The COAS General Raheel Sharif
said the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb will not stop unless achievement
of the objective of a terror-free Pakistan. The Army chief said
this during his visit to the forward-most locations close to
the Pak-Afghan border in the NWA. He was briefed in detail by
the formation commander about the progress of Operation Zarb-e-Azb
and future plans to clear the remaining pockets of terrorists
in the Shawal area, said an ISPR press release. Later, talking
to fighting troops who have just successfully completed the
preliminary phase of the Shawal operation and cleared all peaks
around Shawal, the COAS commended their professionalism, sacrifices
and the state of high morale so visible through their operational
gains so far.
July 4
Mutilated bodies of two men
were found in Zehri area of Khuzdar District. Two national identity
cards, two mobile phones and some currency notes were found
in the pockets of the deceased. According to the cards, they
were identified as Munir Ahmed and Bashir Ahmed.
July 5
12 militants and four soldiers
killed were killed in Dattakhel area of North Waziristan Agency
in FATA. Four soldiers were killed and eight others sustained
injuries when their vehicle ran over an IED in the Dattakhel
area. SFs launched a search operation in which they had killed
12 militants. The ISPR confirmed the loss of four soldiers in
the attack. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack. The
TTP ‘spokesman’, Muhammad Khurasani, told reporters in a phone
call from an undisclosed location that their cadres had planted
the IED to hit the military convoy. He claimed nine soldiers
were killed in the attack. There was no independent confirmation
of these claims.
Militants opened fire on a security
checkpoint in the Ladha subdivision of South Waziristan Agency,
killing two soldiers and injuring three others. Azam Tariq,
spokesman for a splinter group of the TTP led by Khan Said Sajna,
claimed responsibility for the attack.
Suspected militants blew the
building of the Government Boys Primary School in Kamangarah
area in Nawagai tehsil of Bajaur Agency.
Unidentified militants shot
dead three Punjabi labourers at a construction company in Zero
Point area of Pasni tehsil in Gwadar District. Levies
sources went on to say that the assailants also snatched weapons
from Balochistan Constabulary personnel deployed to guard labourers
and machinery in the area. All the three victims belonged to
the Khanewal District of Punjab, adds The News.
A man was killed and 15 others
were injured after an explosion near the Bacha Khan Chowk in
Quetta. According to the Quetta CCPO Razzak Cheema, the bomb
was fixed to a motorcycle parked in the area. No outfit claimed
responsibility for the attack.
FC and Police conducted a joint
sting operation in Goharabad area of Quetta and arrested two
key terrorists. Security Forces seized firearms from their possession.
According to security sources, the terrorists are involved in
numerous targeted killings and bombings in Quetta.
Commander of Southern Command
Lieutenant General Nasir Khan Janjua said that the people who
had fled abroad and were now playing with dollars and pounds
were misleading the innocent youth to fight in the name of freedom.
“Peace is the basic right of the masses and we are following
the path of peace,” he said. He said those who had fled the
country and had been misleading the people of Pakistan could
not be the leaders of Pakistan. Those leaders had been leading
luxurious lives abroad and playing in pounds and dollars and
forcing the poor to fight with the forces.
Two militants, along with weapons,
explosives and hand grenades, were arrested when CTD raided
a house near Farooq-e-Azam Chowk in Charsadda town of same District
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The CTD personnel recovered 80 kilogram
explosives, two hand grenades and weapons from the house.
July 6
Three Hazara Shia, including
a Policeman among them, were killed while another woman inured
in a suspected sectarian attack when unidentified assailants
opened fire outside the passport office on the Joint Road area
of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. Three persons
including two real brothers Hassan Hazara and Shabir Hazara
and a cop Kala Khan died on the spot.
The manager of a local NGO was
shot dead by unidentified motorcycle bourne in Jinnah Town area
of Quetta.
A man, identified as Riaz Hussain,
was injured in a landmine explosion in the Manzoor Ahmad Goth
area of Chithar tehsil in Nasirabad District.
A Sub-Inspector of Sindh Police
and manager of a local bank among at least four people have
been shot dead in separate incidents of firing in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh.
Sub-Inspector Imran was killed
by unidentified assailants as they opened fire at his car near
Abdullah College in North Nazimabad town.
Sheikh Nazir, the bank manager
of NBP’s local branch was shot dead near UP Mor area of North
Karachi.
A man identified as Bakht Mansha
was killed near Ayesha Manzil area.
An anonymous dead body was recovered
from Sohrab Goth area.
The Rangers personnel rounded
up several suspicious people besides arresting nine suspects
in separate raids conducted in Muslim Colony, Kausar Colony
and Godhra neighborhoods.
July 7
SFs killed three militants including
Mehmood-ur-Rehman Rind, the leader of an anti-Shia outfit, Jaish-ul-Islam,
during a targeted operation at Eastern Bypass on the outskirts
of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. One Frontier
Corps officer was wounded in the exchange of fire. Jaish-ul-Islam
has claimed many of the recent attacks on Hazara community in
Balochistan.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a lawyer of the Sindh High Court, identified as Wakeel
Sahib Khan, in Agra area of Khairpur District in Sindh. The
assailants managed to flee from the scene after committing the
murder.
CIA arrested two suspects from
Lahore allegedly linked with TTP, involved in kidnap for ransom
and recovered illegal weapons, along with PKR three million
in cash, from them. According to a news release, a CIA team
led by SP Umar Virk carried out raids on the information provided
by intelligence agencies and nabbed the two suspects Mukarram
and Moazzim - of Dera Ismail Khan while they were heading to
the FATA. The suspects were brothers and had links with the
TTP’s Matiur Rehman group based in Miranshah of North Waziristan
Agency of FATA, the CIA police said. The group was allegedly
also involved in an attack on former President General Parvez
Musharraf. The suspects during interrogation confessed to have
committed several kidnappings for ransom.
The special police unit claimed
to have arrested a terrorist Muhammad Zahid from Hethala area
near Dera Ismail Khan town of same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The SPU received a tip-off regarding the presence of Muhammad
Zahid of Kulachi in Hethala area. The officials of the SPU raided
the area and successfully arrested the alleged terrorist. The
initial investigation revealed that Zahid was involved in terrorist
attacks on SDPO Kulachi Zahoorud Din and the DSP Kulachi.
Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan told the Senate that the UNHCR had
listed JuD as a resurrection of LeT but no supporting evidence
was shared with Pakistan to establish such a connection. The
Interior Minister noted during the question hour that currently
JuD was placed under observation under S 11 D vide SRO No. 1040
(1) 2003 and it has been mentioned in all provinces for any
suspect activity. In response to a question by Senator Farhatullah
Babar, the Minister said that any organisation proscribed under
S 11 B of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 was prohibited from any
and all activities, including charity work under a different
name. The Minister pointed out that between 2008 and 2010, its
offices were closed, however, relief was given by the Lahore
High Court in WP 19705/2002. “Presently, JuD is engaged in charity
and social work, operating hospitals, clinics, schools, ambulance
service and religious institutions,” he noted.
The Interior Minister Chaudhry
Nisar Ali Khan directed NADRA to prepare the national counter-terrorism
database and that of the INGOs. He said this during his meeting
with senior officials of NADRA during a visit to the NADRA headquarters.
Taking notice of the difficulties being faced by the people
due to long queues at every office of NADRA, the Minister directed
the chairman NADRA to put in place an online CNIC application
system. This, he said, would not only benefit the Pakistanis
in the country but also the overseas Pakistanis.
Afghan Government officials
and Taliban representatives began two days of discussions in
Pakistan, Afghan officials said, signaling a possible start
to a formal peace process. The meeting was one of the highest-level
contacts between the two warring parties in recent years, offering
hope that a formal peace process aimed at ending the long-running
conflict could soon begin. A senior Afghan official said the
US and Chinese officials took part in July 7’s meeting as observers.
Their attendance, together with Pakistan’s willingness to play
host, is significant as it points to a broadening involvement
of key players in a possible peace process.
July 8
Three unidentified bullet riddled
bodies of men aged between 25 years and 30 years were found
from Al-Noor Society in Surjani Town area of Gadap Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
One Waseem (25) was shot at
and injured in Bihar Colony area of Lyari Town.
A man, identified as Shafiq
(43), was shot and injured by unidentified armed assailants
near Gulberg Police Station in Gulberg Town.
Maulvi Shahidullah Shahid, a
former TTP spokesman and the first to pledge allegiance to Daesh
in Afghanistan, was killed along with 25 others in a drone strike
in Achin District of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. Shahid,
who was the leader of Daesh for the Khorasan province – a state
Daesh announced for the region – was killed in the drone strike,
in which deputy commander of Daesh Gul Zaman, his deputy Jahanyar
and 23 others were also killed, said the NDS.
A former senior commander of
TTP Gul Zaman has been killed in a US drone strike in Achin
District of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. Sources said
Gul Zaman, who was the deputy head of the TTP for Orakzai Agency
before joining the Islamic State group, was killed along with
several other militants in Achin. Gul Zaman was deputy to Hafiz
Saeed Khan Orakzai, who earlier headed the TTP unit in Orakzai
Agency and is now the Islamic State chief for the Khorasan chapter,
which includes both Afghanistan and Pakistan. It isn’t known
if Hafiz Saeed is also based in the same area in Afghanistan.
Police foiled an alleged terrorist
attempt and killed a suspected terrorist who had entered a stadium
located at Sheikhupura road in Gujranwala District, recovering
a suicide jacket and arms from his possession. Police reports
later confirmed that one suspect was killed in an encounter
while the other managed to escape. According to CPO Waqas Nazeer
confirmed the incident.
The JuD chief and founder of
LeT Hafiz Muhammad Saeed while talking to journalists in Faisalabad
District said that India is dispatching intruders via Afghanistan
to launch sabotage and terrorist activities in Pakistan. He
said, “We shall have to stop Indian infiltration one way or
the other by taking steps to quit Indian agents from Afghanistan.”
He said the foreign forces were contemplating to make Afghanistan
as their base to create disturbance in Pakistan and also encouraging
the ‘separatists of Balochistan’ as the Allied forces were planning
to keep their hold in Afghanistan and ultimately capture the
resources of Gulf countries and other oil-producing Muslim states.
Three persons were injured when
a roadside bomb went off on Ring Road near Achini in Peshawar,
the provincial capital of KP. According to an official of the
Pishtakhara Police Station, the blast was caused by an explosive
device weighing eight kilogrammes. The bomb had been planted
on the road. “We have reason to believe that the attack was
aimed at a security forces convoy which had passed on the road
10 minutes before the blast occurred,” he said. The official
said the convoy was equipped with signal jammers. As a result,
it did not go off until 10 minutes after the convoy had passed.
“Three bystanders were injured in the explosion,” he said.
The commissioner Asmatullah
Khan Gandapur disbursed monetary compensation among families
of those killed and injured in the firing incident at the Baka
Khel Camp in Bannu District. “The displaced families from North
Waziristan Agency are our guests,” said Gandapur at the occasion.
Two people were killed while 11 were injured at Baka Khel Camp
on June 22. Security Forces had opened fire and baton charged
IDP protesting for better facilities at the camp.
The first half of 2015 was more
peaceful compared to the corresponding year in KP, official
statistics said. As per the statistics, 131 terror incidents
took place during the current year compared to 290 in 2014,
281 in 2013 and 203 in 2012. The incidents dropped 59 percent
compared to last year. Similarly, during the current year, 63
deaths occurred compared to 212 in 2013. Out of those 63 casualties,
23 Police personnel embraced martyrdom. The casualties are 70
percent less than 2014 and 83 percent less than 2013. Similarly,
156 persons were injured during the current year compared to
590 in 2014 and 1,074 in 2013 showing a decrease of 74 percent
compared to last year and 85 percent in comparison to 2013.
The CTD is now handling all terrorism related cases right from
the registration of cases to investigation. During the current
year, the CTD has traced 104 terrorism cases, including high
profile and also cases of target killing of police officers.
During the current year, the CTD launched 9,865 search operations
resulting in the recovery of around 8,063 arms and 332 kilogram
explosives. The report said that the strategy of denying bases
to the terrorists in settled areas has also helped the police
in reducing these incidents.
Security Forces arrested four
TTP militants from Nawan Killi area of provincial capital Quetta.
Official sources said the arrested militants were wanted in
criminal cases, including explosions and target killings. “They
belonged to the banned TTP’s Sajna group,” a spokesman for the
FC said, adding, “They were planning to carry out subversive
activities in and around Quetta.”
FC and Police personnel arrested
four suspected militants during a joint operation in Killi Deeba
and Huda areas of Quetta. A senior security official said the
arrested militants included 'commander' of a banned militant
organisation. “They were involved in recent killings in different
areas of Quetta,” he added.
The IGP, Balochistan, Mohammad
Amlish Khan, confirmed the arrest. The IGP claimed that the
militant leader was planning a suicide attack on the Yaum-e-Ali
procession in the city on June 8, 2015. About security, he said
that around 1,500 Policemen had been deployed at mosques and
Imambargahs.
July 9
Mahmoodabad and Baghdadi Police
conducted separate raids and after encounters arrested three
gang war criminals, identified as Zoahaib Baloch, Ajaz Baloch
and Shabbir Ahmad, from Lyari Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Three RPGs and three pistols were recovered
from their possession. Police said that the criminals were wanted
to police in different cases of terrorism.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said that Pakistan is fighting the war against terrorism not
only for regional stability but for peace all across the world.
Addressing the participants of BRICS Summit Russia Ufa 2015,
Nawaz Sharif stressed that all states will have to join hands
to achieve the goal of peace and progress in the region. He
said Pakistan had to pay a hefty price for fighting the terror
war. However, he added that the loss of life and property will
not deter Pakistan from taking this war to its logical end.
The first official peace talks
between the Afghan Taliban and the Government in Kabul concluded
with an agreement to meet again after the month of Ramazan,
officials said. Pakistan hosted the meeting in a tentative step
towards ending more than 13 years of war in neighbouring Afghanistan,
where the Taliban have been trying to re-establish their regime,
which was toppled by a US-led military invasion in 2001. The
next round of talks is provisionally planned for August 15 and
16 in Doha, capital of Qatar, according to sources close to
the participants. Tuesday’s meeting was hailed as a “breakthrough”
by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The Foreign Office decided not
to call IS by this name and instead refer to it as Daesh, an
acronym that stands for Al Dawla al Islamyia fil Iraq wal Sham
(translated as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). “I would refer
to the outfit as Daesh as there is nothing Islamic about it,”
Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said. The Foreign
Ministry had previously been using both IS and Daesh in its
statements. There have been calls by Muslim scholars for calling
the group Daesh in a move to delegitimize it.
The group likes to be called
IS because it negates the concept of borders and promotes a
vision of one Muslim caliphate. It also suggests existence of
a central authority instead of roving groups of mercenaries.
It feels offended when called Daesh and had threatened to cut
the tongues of those who used it.
“Pakistan has alerted its security
agencies to the threat posed by Daesh. Our authorities are vigilant
and have been advised to take necessary action in this regard,
if required,” FO spokesman Khalilullah said.
According to a report presented
in a meeting held at the CPO in Karachi, Sindh Police carried
out 8,928 targeted operations and 1,512 search operations, and
killed 483 criminals in different Districts of Sindh, including
Karachi, as per the NAP since January 2015 until July 8, 2015.
As many as 5,397 alleged criminals were also arrested during
this period from across Sindh, while the Police also claimed
to have recovered explosive material from their possession.
Sindh IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali
issued directives to Police officials to continue the targeted
and search operations against criminals to ensure getting positive
results as per the NAP so that the public could take a sigh
of relief. The meeting was told that 136 killed terrorists belonging
to al Qaeda and TTP, while 45 were target killers, 16 kidnappers,
105 Lyari gangsters and 181 dacoits.
The Sindh Government cancelled
nearly 600,000 arms licences and decided to launch another drive
for voluntary surrender of illegal weapons across the province,
it emerged through official sources. Officials said the Government
cancelled the licences of all those arms licence holders who
had neither submitted their documents for verification nor had
they applied for computerised arms licences since October 1,
2013. The Home Department officials said the apex committee,
which executes and oversees ongoing targeted operations in the
city, was recently informed that 1,057,456 manual licences had
been issued in Sindh when the Government decided to computerise
them.
Since October 1, 2013, the deadline
for the surrender of manual arms licences has been extended
several times and the last such deadline expired on May 19,
2015, according to the officials. By then the Government had
received 462,310 applications seeking computerised arms licences,
the officials said, adding the remaining 595,146 licence holders
abstained from being featured on the radar. The apex committee
finally decided to cancel the 595,146 manual arms licences,
the officials said.
July 10
Nine persons, including the
former 'commander' of a militant outfit, identified as Fazal
Haider, his brother Obaid alias Mout, and four of their guards,
were killed when unidentified armed assailants opened fire at
their car in Naseerabad area of Turbat District. Three others
were identified as Bahar, Waheed and Haroon. One of them remained
unidentified.
Levies found three unidentified
dead bodies in Hoshap area of Turbat District.
Two people, identified as Shehroz
and Sadat Khan, were injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast
under the Sariab Bridge in provincial capital Quetta. An official
of the Bomb Disposal Squad said the remote-controlled bomb was
homemade. “Around four kilograms of explosive material was used
in the device,” he said.
The CoAS, General Raheel Sharif,
during his visit to the headquarters of Southern Command in
Quetta assured the Government and people of Balochistan of all
support in their quest for durable peace, development and prosperity.
The COAS said that potential of Balochistan as a regional hub
for energy and trade would only be realised with a collective
civil-military approach for its security and development. He
welcomed those who had decided to give up violence and were
laying down their arms and said it was very encouraging that
insurgents were gradually coming back into national mainstream.
All support would be rendered to rehabilitate them.
A Police constable, identified
as Jannat Gul, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants
while he was patrolling at Anam Sanam Chowk in Gulbahar area
of Peshawar.
Police claimed to have arrested
seven suspected militants belonging to TTP from Maripur area
of Kiamari Town in provincial capital Karachi. “The Anti-Extremism
Cell (AEC) of the Counterterrorism Department of Police arrested
local TTP 'commander 'Haji Sher Muhammad along with his six
associates in Maripur,” said AEC official Ali Raza. Commander
Muhammad had close links with Mohmand TTP chief Umar Khalid
Khorasani and on his directions he along with his associates
was planning a terror attack in the city, claimed the officer.
“They are involved in collection of extortion from the business
community for the TTP in the city.” A huge quantity of arms
and ammunition was also seized recovered from them.
A day after the Sindh Government
extended the Police powers of the paramilitary force for 30
days rather than the usual four months, the Rangers DG Major
General Bilal Akbar made it clear that there is no time frame
to complete the Karachi operation. “Karachi Law Enforcement
Operation will continue till its logical conclusion is achieved,
inshallah (God willing),” stated Rangers DG Major General Bilal
Akbar in a tweet @Bilalak80.
The US still has three key interests
in Pakistan, averting al Qaeda’s re-emergence, preventing the
proliferation of nuclear weapons and promoting regional stability,
said the next chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General
Joseph F. Dunford Junior, who currently heads the US Marine
Corps, during a three-hour long hearing at the US Senate Armed
Services Committee in Washington. The lawmakers showed a keen
interest in the future of US-Pakistan relations. If confirmed
by the Senate, General Dunford would succeed Army General Martin
E. Dempsey on October 1, 2015. He said that the US-led coalition
and the Afghan Government were closely watching the IS’s attempt
to expand its reach to Afghanistan and Pakistan and were collaborating
closely to prevent this threat from expanding.
He further said that regional
partners have an important role to play in ensuring a stable,
democratic Afghanistan. “We have encouraged stronger ties between
Afghanistan and Pakistan and have been pleased with their recent
bilateral efforts to address their security concerns,” Dunford
said. Areas of divergent interest with Pakistan include “our
views on the use of proxies and the importance of a positive
and stable Pakistan-India relationship”.
The Khyber Agency political
administration in FATA granted the status of ‘Lungi holder’
(tribal elder) to four representatives of minority communities,
Christians and Sikhs, living in the Agency. Officials said that
it was for the first time that minorities living in FATA were
granted the status of tribal elders, thus formally merging the
community into the tribal society. They said that those who
were granted the status of ‘Lungi holder’, who in local parlays
are referred as ‘Speen Rubay”, included All Fata Minorities
Social Welfare Organisation chairman Wilson Wazir, Jamrud church
caretaker James Michael, and two representatives from Sikh community
Gormeet Singh and Narenjan Singh.
Terming the government decision
historic, Wilson Wazir expressed optimism that the move would
end discrimination between local residents and the minority
community living in tribal areas. He said that under the rules
of political administration the four minorities’ Lungi holders
were entitled to all the official perks and privileges along
with having authority to stamp their attestation on all the
important national documents, including those for computerised
national identity card, domicile certificate and passport.
Wilson Wazir said that earlier members of the minorities’ community
would approach the local tribal elders for attestation of national
documents.
The Law Enforcement Agencies
decided to install ‘tracking chips’ on the ankles of 1,600 ‘terror
suspects’ in Punjab after Eidul Fitr to monitor their movements.
There are some 1,600 terror suspects on the list of the Fourth
Schedule in Punjab. The Fourth Schedule defines a terror suspect
as a “person who is concerned in terrorism or he belongs to
a proscribed organisation”. “The Punjab Government has decided
in principle to start electronic surveillance of 1,600 Fourth
Schedulers by installing tracking devices on their ankles (commonly
known as ankle-band) so that their movements can be monitored,”
an unnamed spokesman for the Provincial CTD said.
Official sources said that the
Government had decided to install the 'ankle chip’ after reports
that a number of high-profile members of banned organisations
were flouting the official order "to stay in a particular
district or area". “We cannot deploy cops outside the residence
of each fourth scheduler to watch his activities,” the official
said. The official said the fourth schedulers' movement was
restricted under the law would be summoned for the purpose.
He expressed the hope that the use of the technology would not
only help law enforcement agencies in keeping an eye on the
suspects’ movements but also help reach ‘hard core terrorists’.
The Anti-Terrorism Act Section 11 (EE-f) empowers law-enforcement
agencies to carry out electronic surveillance of the fourth
schedulers.
July 11
13 persons, including as many
as nine terrorists and four SFs, were killed in two separate
incidents in FATA.
ISPR said that the SFs conducted
operation against terrorists in Pre Ghar area bordering North
and South Waziristan agencies where clashes erupted between
SFs and the terrorists. Nine terrorists were killed in the clash.
Terrorists attacked a SF check
post in Ladha Tehsil of SWA killing four SFs and injuring three
others.
July 12
Two soldiers, identified as
Naib Subedar Iftikhar and Lance Naik Mushtaq, were killed and
five others were injured in an IED blast in Sandana area of
Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA.
During an emergency meeting
of Sindh Apex Committee that was held at Chief Minister House
in Karachi, it was agreed that the operation against terrorists
will be brought to its logical conclusion and the port city
will be cleared from crime and miscreants at all costs. “Slow
implementation on NAP is affecting action against miscreants
in the metropolis,” it was observed.
The DG ISPR Major General Asim
Saleem Bajwa said that terrorists will not be allowed to return
to the tribal areas and no agreement will be made with them
in this regard. He said that the army and the local tribesmen
had agreed that terrorists would never be allowed to come back
once the whole area was cleared of them. “The state position
is very clear that there would be no agreement with the Taliban
and no question of their return arises,” he said.
He said that he cannot give
a time-frame for the operation, and said that the operation
was making substantial progress. “I cannot give a time-frame
but we are achieving our objectives. However, the understanding
is to complete the operation as soon as possible. The Operation
Zarb-e-Azb is continuing under a plan,” he said. The military
spokesman said the preliminary phase of the operation in the
Shawal Valley has been completed and the next phase is being
planned.
July 13
Unidentified armed militants
shot dead two Balochistan Constabulary officers, identified
as Sub-Inspectors Fazalur Rehman and Hafeezullah, in a targeted
attack in Satellite Town area of provincial capital Quetta.
At least two alleged extortionists,
identified as Abdul Jabbar and Abdul Hameed, were killed and
as many injured by the Police during a search operation in Kalat
District. The Police came under fire and in a retaliatory reaction,
the Police killed two suspects and injured as many others. “The
suspects were involved in the kidnapping of an ASI and extortion,”
SHO Muhammad Yousuf said.
At least eight suspected militants
were arrested during a search operation launched after receiving
information about presence of wanted suspects in Kharan District.
“The arrested militants include three important commanders of
a banned organisation,” the Frontier Corps spokesman claimed,
adding that a large quantity of arms and ammunition was also
seized.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Police
arrested a suspect from Skarkoi area of Gilgit District and
seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition from his possession,
averting a terrorist act before the commencement of CPEC Project.
Acting upon intelligence information, the Police raided a house
and arrested the suspect, said a police official. “More than
a dozen Kalashnikovs, pistols and bullets have been seized from
the militant,” confirmed a Police Official.
Police also carried out another
raid during which army and police uniforms were found at a raw
material store. According to station police officer Zahoor Ahmed,
the raid was conducted as part of a plan that was devised to
keep a check to prevent terrorist activity. “Cases have been
registered against the culprits,” added Ahmed.
Police claimed to have arrested
a suspect, identified as Muhammad Nasir alias Dhobi alias BBC,
allegedly involved in the targeted killing of a Shia cleric
and son of known scholar Allama Abbas Kumaili in September 6,
2014, during an encounter in Manghopir area of Gadap Town in
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Karachi Police Chief
Ghulam Qadir Thebo confirmed the arrest. “He is associated with
the banned LeJ and during the initial investigation it emerged
that his group was involved in 29 sectarian killings.”
Chairman of the Senate’s Standing
Committee on Interior, Rehman Malik, said that self-styled IS
group, also known as Daesh, is involved in terrorist activities
in Karachi. Malik said, “Recent confession by suspects involved
in the Safoora carnage about their link to Daesh is evidence
of the presence of the organisation in the country and its involvement
in acts of terrorism in Karachi.”
Pakistan categorically said
that no dialogue can be held with India if Kashmir is not on
the table. “The meeting was not formal start of any dialogue
process. Rather, it has served an important purpose to achieve
an understanding that Pakistan and India should reduce tensions
to constructively engage in a structured dialogue on all issues
of bilateral and regional interest, including the core issue
of Jammu and Kashmir,” Adviser on National Security and Foreign
Affairs Sartaj Aziz said during a news conference at the Foreign
Office. He said the joint statement issued after the meeting
of Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi clearly said that the two
countries are ready to discuss ‘all outstanding issues’, and
“of course, Kashmir tops the list of outstanding issues.” “The
statement says very clearly that both sides have agreed on the
need to discuss and resolve all outstanding issues. So now,
we are not going to beg or show over-anxiety about dialogue.
If India follows up with the next step of seeking a formal dialogue,
then I can assure you that no dialogue will take place without
Kashmir on the agenda,” he said, adding, “This is our clear
position in that sense.”
July 14
At least 14 militants were killed
in air strikes carried out by PAF in Alwara area of NWA in FATA.
ISPR statement said that some important militant 'commanders'
were among those who were killed, adding that terrorists were
seen to be dragging the bodies of some of the deceased while
fleeing the area.
DG ISPR Major General Asim Saleem
Bajwa in an interview with BBC said that the operation against
terrorists in the Khyber Agency had been completed and the Pakistan
Army also wanted to complete the Operation Zarb-e-Azb in NWA
as early as possible. He said that the first phase of the operation
against the militants in North Waziristan had also been completed
and vowed to clear Shawal from the possession of terrorists
as soon as possible.
An ATC in Swat District sentenced
three accused men to 58 years in prison for their involvement
in militant activities during TTP rule in the Valley. Swat Police
spokesperson Muhammad Rehman said, “The convicts have been identified
as Waheedullah, Hassan Khan and Muhammad Karim,” adding, “The
men were arrested in a raid carried out during 2014 by Law-Enforcement
Agencies. Two of the three suspects belonged to Afghanistan.”
The spokesperson explained the men were wanted in multiple cases
of bombing government installations.
Inspector General of Police
KP Nasir Khan Durrani said that the presence of the self-styled
IS cannot be ignored in KP. "It is wrong to say IS does
not have a presence in KP," said Durrani, adding, “IS’s
presence in Pakistan is not a new phenomenon, members who belonged
to the outlawed TTP have switched sides in some cases."
But Durrani assured that the situation was under control. "Frequency
of terrorist attacks has witnessed a noticeable in drop comparison
to the last four years, which is due to concentrated efforts
by the army and law enforcement agencies," he added.
Adviser to the Prime Minister
on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz, confirmed
that Track-II dialogue between India and Pakistan he mentioned
in his media briefing on July 13, 2015, was actually a plan
for back-channel engagement. He had at a press conference said
that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart
Narendra Modi had agreed to revive the Track-II dialogue on
longstanding issues bedeviling the ties between the two countries,
including the Kashmir dispute. The Adviser clarified that he
used the phrase ‘Track-II’ instead of ‘back-channel’ because
the two sides had in their meeting in Ufa (Russia) agreed on
reviving Track-II. But, in essence it would be back-channel.
Defending the recourse to back-channel,
Aziz said it was difficult to achieve progress on sensitive
issues in the front channel that takes place in the public glare.
The Adviser said that the back-channel will be used simultaneously
with the front channel official engagement.
The number of suspects killed
in Police encounters in Karachi has shown an increase of over
64 per cent in the first six months of 2015 as compared to the
same period during 2014, according to Human Rights Commission
of Pakistan Report released. The report states that while 191
people were killed in Police encounters in 2014, the number
of those killed in Police encounters jumped to 255 during the
same period in 2015.
The report, however, says that
the overall number of those killed in the first six months of
last year was 1,558 and the number of those killed during the
corresponding period this year was 1,040, a drop of over 34
per cent. There has been a drastic drop in the number of targeted
killing of non-political people. While 403 such people were
killed last year, the number of such people killed during the
current year was 128, a drop of around 68 percent.
Further the report states that
79 political activists were killed in 2014 while the number
of those killed during the current year was 33, 58 percent less
than those killed last year. The number of dead bodies found
this year also dropped by over 46 percent as compared to that
of 2014, when 201 bodies were found, while 109 bodies were found
during the current year.
July 15
Some unidentified assailants
shot dead a shopkeeper, identified as Moulvi Wali, in Boghra
bazaar of Chaman town of same District in Balochistan. The Levies
force said that the armed men entered a shop in and opened indiscriminate
firing at the owner, leaving him seriously injured. The assailants
managed to escape from the scene, while the injured succumbed
to his injuries on way to the hospital.
The Levies force recovered two
abducted truck drivers from Jhal Magsi jungle area of Sibi District.
Sibi Deputy Commissioner Sohailur Rehman Baloch said acting
on a tip off, a Levies force team, led by Tehsildar Malik Bhadur,
conducted a raid and recovered the abducted truck drivers from
the Jungle. The truck drivers, namely Mir Ahmad and Abdul Hameed,
were kidnapped fifteen days ago by some unknown armed men on
the National Highway near Chakra.
Two persons including a woman
were injured when unidentified attackers hurled a hand grenade
at a house in Buland Khel area of Orakzai Agency in FATA. Unidentified
attackers threw a hand grenade at the house of one Islam Dar
Khan. Khan and a woman inside the house were injured in the
explosion. The injured were rushed to the local hospital.
A bomb went off outside the
residence of former provincial minister Hidayatullah at the
Din Bahar Colony near Charsadda Road in Peshawar, the provincial
capital of KP. Locals said the bomb, planted outside the residence
of ANP leader Hidayatullah, went off in the evening, damaging
the main gate and boundary wall. However, no casualty was reported.
Two explosive devices were detonated
outside the house of Faiz Muhammad in Doaaba area of Hangu District.
The explosions caused partial damage to the boundary walls of
the house. No casualties were reported in the said incident.
The CTD of KP Police has successfully
recovered a kidnapped student after an encounter in Mardan District.
Working on the complaint from one Taj Muhammad of Haryana, KP,
the CTD initiated an investigation that included modern techniques
of triangulation of the mobile phone used by the abductors to
contact the family. According to Taj Muhammad, his son Sartaj
was abducted on May 6 last when he was on his way home from
college. “The abductors were demanding Rs 100 million for the
release of my son,” he informed media.
July 16
Pamphlets bearing IS seal have
been found circulating in Inayat Kalay and areas of Mamond tehsil
of Bajaur Agency in FATA. The one-page pamphlet claims that
the extremist group, which has taken over large swathes of the
territory in Iraq and Syria, aims to carry out attacks on polio
workers, Government functionaries and anyone suspected of ‘spying’.
The contents of the pamphlet carry a sectarian tone. However,
the details provided in the pamphlet trace back to neighbouring
Afghanistan.
Four militants, including a
key commander of a banned organisation, surrendered to SFs at
Sui tehsil of Dera Bugti District in Balochistan. The
commander identified as Tota Khan Bugti laid down weapons along
with three other militants before officials at a ceremony. Frontier
Corps spokesman Khan Wasey said that Tota Khan Bugti was fighting
against SFs for a long time in the area. The militants handed
over 4 SMGs, 20 SMG magazines, a satellite phone and other equipment
to SFs.
The Punjab Apex Committee in
its meeting presided over by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif
decided to eliminate banned outfits with full force and launch
a crackdown on the facilitators and abettors of terrorists.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif presided over the sixth
meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee. Lahore Corps Commander
Lieutenant-General Naweed Zaman, Provincial Minister Colonel
(retd) Shuja Khanzada, chief secretary, Director General Punjab
Rangers Major-General Umer Farooq Burki, General Officer Commanding
10th Division Major-General Sardar Tariq Aman, Inspector General
of Punjab Police, Provincial Home Secretary and senior civil
and military officers attended the meeting.
The meeting of the Provincial
Apex Committee expressed satisfaction over the measures taken
in the province under the NAP for eliminating terrorism while
the performance of the Punjab government and law enforcement
agencies on the recent successful operation against terrorists
and their facilitators was appreciated. The meeting decided
to take more effective steps speedily for the implementation
of the NAP.
July 17
Three militants were killed
in a clash with SFs after a bomber rammed an explosive-laden
vehicle into a checkpoint at the newly-constructed Degree College
in Draban area of Dera Ismail Khan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
in the night. The sources said that a militant rammed an explosive-laden
vehicle into the checkpoint at the Degree College, Draban. After
the suicide attack, militants led by their commander Amin Jan
alias Malang attacked the checkpost with heavy arms. However,
SFs repulsed the attack and killed three militants, including
one Amin Jan. A constable of the Quick Response Force Amin Nawaz
was killed in the exchange of fire.
A SP of Elite Force (Bannu),
Hairul Haseeb, was killed in Saleem Khan area of Swabi District
in KP. According to District Police Officer Swabi Sajjad Khan,
Hairul Haseeb was on his way home from a mosque after offering
morning prayers when unidentified gunmen on motorcycle opened
fire and killed him. SP Hairul Haseeb was a retired army officer
and posted as Baunu elite police force SP.
At least three militants arrested
in Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. According to official
sources, the arrested terrorists were planning to target sensitive
installations on the eve of Eidul Fitr.
At least two persons were killed
in a suicide explosion near Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University
on Brewery road area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani said that the
bomber attempted to enter Quetta's Hazara town area but was
intercepted by security personnel. He added that the interception
forced the attacker, who was wearing women's clothes, to prematurely
detonate his explosives. Those killed in the attack included
the attacker and the security guard who had intercepted the
25-year-old bomber.
Police foiled a sabotage bid
to blast railway track and arrested a terrorist Ghulam Yasin
in Kashmore District of Sindh. The Police arrested Ghulam Yasin
while he was fixing explosive material on the track. The arrested
terrorist was wanted by Police in several sabotage acts of blowing
railway tracks and gas pipelines and government had fixed PKR
one million head money for him.
The Sindh Chief Minister Syed
Qaim Ali Shah extended the Rangers’ stay in Sindh by one year
to assist the civil administration and the provincial police
in combating crimes and improving law and order. According to
a spokesman for the Sindh chief minister, the Sindh Rangers’
stay in the province was coming to an end on July 19. Like the
previous practice, this time too the Sindh Government extended
the Rangers’ stay in the province by one year. Earlier, on July
9, the Sindh CM had extended the anti-terror and anti-crime
policing powers of the Rangers in the Karachi Division by one
month only.
July 19
At least nine militant ‘commanders’,
who were reportedly involved in the killing of 44 personnel
from frontier works department, were killed during a clash with
FC in Awaran District of Balochistan. Frontier Corps, on a tip
off about the presence of militants, launched a search operation.
On seeing the FC personnel, the militants opened fire on them
and in retaliatory fire nine of them were killed. The FC seized
large cache of arms and explosives from the possession of the
militants.
Police arrested three suspected
terrorists allegedly planning to carry out targeted killing
in the city during Eidul Fitr from Surjani Town area of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. According to Police the accused,
identified as Abdulla Mufti s/o Abdul Majid, Danish Ahmad s/o
Zahoor Ahmad, Majeed s/o M Ibrahim, were involved in target
killing, ‘bhatta’ collection, kidnapping for ransom, collecting
donations and financing a banned organization. All three of
them belong to a religious organization. Police have recovered
three hand grenades, three pistols and 12 rounds of bullets
from their possession.
July 21
Two children were injured as
a toy bomb exploded in Tochi area of Bannu District in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. According to reports, one of the injured children
was stated to be in a precarious condition. The incident occurred
in the Tochi area where two children were busy in playing outside
their house. The children saw a toy bomb and started playing
with it which resulted into an explosion.
A bomb planted by roadside exploded
with a big bang in Jamrud area of Khyber Agency in FATA. However,
no loss of life was reported. According to reports, traders
were busy in opening their shops in Jamrud Bazaar when the bomb
exploded.
Four mortar shells were fired
from the Iranian side that landed in the Gramkan area of Panjgur
District in Balochistan. There was no report of any loss of
life or injury to anybody.
The SFs foiled an attempt to
blow up Pakistan Customs office in the border town of Chaman
in Qilla Abdullah District by defusing an IED that was planted
near the office. A spokesman for Frontier Corps said that FC
personnel with the active support of bomb disposal squad defused
the IED after receiving information about presence of a bomb
at the site.
July 22
Italian police said that they
have arrested two people, including a Pakistani and a Tunisian,
suspected of being behind a Twitter account that carried threats
in the name of Daesh or the self-styled IS group against some
of the country’s most famed monuments. The Police said they
had arrested the two men on suspicion of terror association
and subversion and the two are IS-backers and used social networks
to threaten violence. The threats in the name of Islamic State
carried on the Twitter account “Islamic State in Rom” featured
images of the Roman Colosseum and Milan’s Duomo Cathedral, with
a warning that they were identifying targets and preparing to
strike. The suspects were arrested in the northern city of Brescia
and searches were being carried out throughout the Lombardy
region.
The Supreme Court observed that
the war against terrorism could not be fought without choking
funds to terror outfits. The Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction
at the Federal Government’s report showing a lack of progress
on the establishment of the Joint Investigation Directorate
at the NACTA, the most important organisation tasked to implement
the National Action Plan to deal with the menace of terrorism.
The court also expressed grave concern over the Federal Government
as well as the Provincial Governments for their failure to compile
the baseline data pertaining to sources of funding of local
as well as INGOs operating in the country.
July 23
A child was injured in an IED
attack in Lehri area of Sibi District in Balochistan.
FC personnel defused a bomb
that was planted on the roadside in Dera Bugti District. According
to the BDS the bomb weighed 10 kilograms. The BDS disclosed
the bomb was a remote-controlled device.
Security and intelligence officials
arrested nine TTP militants following a shootout in the Kuchlak
area of provincial capital Quetta. “Frontier Corps (FC) and
intelligence officials carried out a search operation in Kuchlak
after being tipped off on militant activity in the area,” an
FC spokesman said. “Nine militants belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan were arrested following an exchange of fire. Weapons
were recovered from their possession,” he said.
Two militant 'commanders', identified
as Mir Hazar Khan Marri and Hayder Mawali, laid down their arms
before FC officials in Balouwal area of Loralai District. According
to the spokesman, Marri and Mawal had been “in the mountains,
fighting the state” and surrendered “for a better future.” He
said they decided to lay down their arms due to the announcement
of amnesty by the Government.
A man, identified as Mohammad
Din, who claimed affiliation with JuD, was arrested from Lahore
District for planning to target foreign dignitaries visiting
a private club along the canal through a tunnel from his house.
Mohammad Din had dug a six-foot-long tunnel in his house, CTD
SP Maroof Safdar Wahla said. According to him, the suspect claimed
that he had been associated with JuD since 1994 and got militant
training in Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2001.
However, JuD rejected the claim, saying Mohammad Din had never
been associated with it.
An ATC in Karachi sentenced
a TTP suspect, Ammaduddin, to 14 years in prison after convicting
him of taking extortion from a vegetable trader. According to
the prosecution, Ammaduddin was caught ‘red-handed’ in January
2014 after he collected protection money from the complainant,
Khameeso, who is a middleman at the city’s fruit and vegetable
wholesale market. He was accompanied by two of his accomplices,
who managed to flee, when Police surrounded them off at the
crime scene.
According to details, Khameeso
had lodged complaint with the police that he was being threatened
by some unidentified men over the phone for extortion. He told
the police that the callers identified themselves as members
of the TTP and were demanding PKR1 million as protection money.
After negotiations, they agreed to take PKR 250,000.
Special Assistant to the Prime
Minister on Foreign Affairs, Tariq Fatemi said that thousands
of terrorists had been arrested in operation Zarb-e-Azb and
they will be brought to justice soon. In his address at Heritage
Foundation, Fatemi said, “Over 190,000 Pakistan military personnel
are taking part in Zarb-e-Azb, launched 13 months ago.” Pakistan
has cleared Shawal area near Pak-Afghan border, he maintained.
The US while lauding Pakistan’s
continued efforts to eliminate terrorism which will lead to
stabilising the region, assured Islamabad that it would enhance
its counter-terrorism capabilities to deal with the emerging
threat of Daesh. The assurance of the US support leading to
greater cooperation was given by Senator Dianne Feinstein of
California, who is the Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee
on Intelligence, in a meeting with Special Assistant on Foreign
Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi on the Capitol Hill. “Senator Feinstein
noted Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate terrorism and stabilise
the region. Assuring of the US support for enhancing Pakistan’s
counter-terrorism capabilities, the senator stressed the need
for continued cooperation between Pakistan and the US to deal
with the emerging threat of Daesh,” says a statement from Fatemi’s
office commenting on his “intense engagements”.
The PTI chief Imran Khan again
reiterated his stance that negotiations with the TTP should
be initiated. “If America can negotiate with the Afghan Taliban,
Pakistan and Afghanistan should also negotiate with them (Taliban),”
said Imran while speaking to the media after meeting members
of APS Shuhada Forum. Imran announced the observance of a minute
of silence on December 16 to honour the victims of APS Peshawar.
He also announced the formation of a committee to negotiate
on behalf of APS Shuhada Forum with the Federal Government.
Afghanistan accused Pakistani
troops of shelling Afghan villages on the border, which is said
to have killed three people. In Kabul, Pakistan’s Ambassador
Abrar Hussain was summoned to the Afghan Foreign Ministry to
receive the protest over cross-border shelling. And while the
Afghans protested over the incident, Commander Resolute Support
Mission and United States Forces in Afghanistan General John
Campbell visited General Headquarters in Rawalpindi to discuss
the border coordination, where he met Army Chief General Raheel
Sharif, besides holding delegation-level talks. It is not clear
if he specifically discussed the alleged shelling incidents.
Washington is expected to make
a USD 337 million payment to Islamabad under the CSF in the
next few days. The Obama Administration has notified the US
Congress of its intention to release the CSF tranche and, after
a mandatory 15-day notice period ends this weekend, the money
will be released to Pakistan, said a Finance Ministry official
familiar with the matter.
CSF disbursements still amounted
to roughly USD 1.7 billion in fiscal 2015, said the Finance
Ministry official, far higher than the USD 675 million released
by Washington in fiscal 2014. A key reason for increase in disbursements
is Operation Zarb-e-Azb, as the military offensive against the
TTP militants in North Waziristan Agency and other tribal areas
of FATA is treated as part of larger global campaign against
terrorism.
July 24
The Rangers claimed to have
arrested a suspected ‘Hit man’ during a raid carried out on
a restaurant owned by a MQM MNA Syed Ali Raza Abidi in Clifton
area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. The Rangers
took into custody his cousin and some other persons. MQM chief
Altaf Hussain condemned the raid and said that the Rangers action
was aimed at stopping MNA Abidi from raising his voice against
the injustices to his community. A Rangers statement issued
said that the raid was conducted on the restaurant on secret
information. “This restaurant was under observation for the
last some days due to information about alleged activities of
targeted killers there. In this successful action, a notorious
targeted killer identified as Yameen alias AD was arrested,”
it added.
July 25
Balochistan Levies personnel
found three bullet-riddled bodies in Turbat area in South Balochistan.
Levies official Irshad said, “Three mutilated dead bodies were
found in Turbat’s Kuddan union council area. Locals in the area
had spotted the dead bodies, after which they informed the area
administration.” “All the victims had received bullet injuries
and could not be identified,” stated the Levies official.
Unidentified armed men opened
fire at a shop in Quetta and killed one person. The attackers
managed to flee the scene of the crime. SFs reached the crime
scene and started their investigations.
A Pakistani man, identified
as Iqbal Baig, who was an employee at the United States Embassy
in Islamabad was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants
in G-9/1 area of Islamabad. A case of murder has been lodged
at the Karachi Company police station, said the spokesperson.
An Imambargah trustee, identified
as Syed Rais Jafferi (57), was shot dead while he was on his
way to Central Prison to attend a court hearing near Marton
Quarters in PIB Colony of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. Gulshan SP Abid Qaimkhani said
that the victim was a trustee of Imambargah Jafferia located
in Rizvia Society of Liaquatabad Town. "It appeared to
be a sectarian killing and police are probing as to whether
the same suspects targeted him,” said the senior Police Officer.
Jafferi had survived an attempt on his life in 2013 in Rizvia
Society.
July 26
Unidentified militants killed
a Police constable in Surkhab area of Pishin District. DPO Abdul
Hayee Amir said, "This seems to be an act of targeted killing."
DPO Amir said a search operation had been launched in the area
to arrests the militants involved in the attack, adding that
some suspects had also been detained. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack.
Unidentified militants attacked
a levies check post in Nasirabad area of Turbat District. The
militants destroyed the levies check post and threatened the
force's personnel. An unnamed levies official said that the
levies personnel had no weapons.
The spiritual leader of the
Zikri community, Syed Zafar Noori, was abducted at gunpoint
by unidentified militants in Pasni of Gwadar District. Noori
is the nephew of Syed Essa Noori, MNA and a leader of the Balochistan
National Party-Mengal. According to family sources, a group
of men came to his residence in Pasni and took him away at gunpoint.
No outfit claimed responsibility for the kidnapping or contacted
his family for ransom.
July 27
Two Policemen and a woman were
killed when unidentified militants attacked the convoy of SP
Zahoor Afridi on Sariab Road area in Quetta. One militant was
also killed in retaliatory fire, said Quetta Police Chief Abdul
Razzaq Cheema. No outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.
Two death row prisoners, Farooq
Babar and Krim Nawaz, were hanged to death in Multan Central
Jail. Babar had been found guilty of killing a man in 1998 after
he failed to return an amount of borrowed money, while Nawaz,
was convicted of murdering a man over an old feud.
“Two prisoners, Farooq alias
Farooqa and Karim Nawaz, who had been awarded capital punishment,
have been hanged in central jail in Multan today,” Chaudhry
Arshad Saeed, a senior Government Advisor for prisons in Punjab
said. “Both of these convicts were awaiting the death penalty
for murdering people in separate cases. They have been executed
today after resumption of hangings following a temporary moratorium
because of Ramazan,” he added.
July 28
Malik Ishaq, 'chief' of LeJ,
his two sons Usman and Haq Nawaz, and 11 others were killed
in an alleged exchange of fire with Police in Shahwala area
of Muzaffargarh District. At least six Policemen were injured
in the encounter. According to details, Ishaq and his sons were
arrested by the CTD a week ago. Following their arrest, the
Police had interrogated them and had subsequently taken them
to Shahwala in Muzaffargarh District to aid the Police in identifying
suspected militants, sources in the CTD said. The encounter
appears to have taken place as militants attacked Security Forces
and tried to free Ishaq who was killed in the ensuing exchange
of fire.
A Police Constable and a militant
were killed while three other Policemen were injured during
an encounter on Jaranwala Road at People’s Colony in Faisalabad
District. During the exchange of fire three accomplices fled
leaving behind the vehicle they were traveling in. Police said
they recovered 10 hand grenades, two Kalashnikovs, four pistols
and live bullets from the vehicle. According to the IGP Mushtaq
Sukhera, Police impounded the car and seized two Kalashnikovs,
10 magazines, 169 bullets, four pistols with 22 bullets, 10
hand grenades, one hammer, two mobile phones, a blue bag, a
veil, two gloves and two masks.
At least two people, identified
as Raz Muhammad and Muhammad Tahir, were killed when unidentified
armed assailants opened fire at a vehicle on Sabzal Road in
Quetta. Police and other law enforcement personnel reached the
spot and cordoned off the area Security officials termed the
shooting an act of targeted killing.
At least 35 suspected persons
including an important militant ‘commander’ were arrested in
an operation in the Malikabad area of the Swabi District in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Swabi DPO Sajjad Khan said that the Police
had started targeted operation in Malikabad and in the jurisdiction
of the Industrial Estate Police Station after the assassination
of SP Elite Force Khair-ul-Haseeb by the terrorists. He said
the Police raided and searched the hideouts of the suspected
militants. During the search operation, he said 35 suspects
had been arrested. He added that 10 of those arrested had frequently
visited Afghanistan. “Some Afghans are also among the arrested
persons,” said official. He said a suspected militant commander
has also been arrested.
July 29
Police killed five TTP militants
in a shootout during checking in Zia Colony of Orangi Town in
provincial capital Karachi. According to details, SSP Azfar
Mehesar of District West said that a Mominabad Police team was
patrolling when they saw some suspects in a Hi-roof van. When
the Police signalled the van driver to pull over, the suspects
opened fire. As the Police retaliated, more companions of the
terrorists who were coming behind the van on a motorcycle attacked
the Police, wounding Police Constable Naseem.
After the encounter ended, five
suspects were arrested in an injured condition but their accomplices
escaped under the cover of darkness. A ready-to-use IED weighing
about four kilograms was found from the van. Explosive material,
a detonating cord, nut bolts, nails, batteries, three TT pistols,
a Kalashnikov, hand grenades, ball bombs and some other explosives
were recovered. The SSP suspected that the terrorists had been
planning to carry out an attack at some place or installation
in retaliation against the killing of LeJ 'chief' Malik Ishaq
on July 8, 2015 in Punjab.
South Range Police shot dead
a gangster associated with the Baba Ladla group during an encounter
in the Chakiwara area Lyari Town.
Another Baba Ladla gangster
was shot dead in Napier area of Lyari Town. The two were said
to be involved in target killings, extortion and short-term
kidnappings-for-ransom. Police found grenades, 9mm pistols and
rounds on the dead.
Two bullet-riddled dead bodies
of abducted men, identified as that of Ajmal Khilji (30) and
Sohaib Hayat (28), were found dumped in bushes near the Khuda
Ki Basti area in Kotri town of Dadu District. Khilji’s brother,
Mohammad Anwar said that some unknown persons in a double-cabin
vehicle had abducted Khilji from outside his oil shop at Kali
Mori some seven months ago. Hayat's uncle Ashraf Samoon told
that Hayat had been heading a seminary until he went missing
some six months back.
Two terrorists were killed in
retaliatory firing at Goteriala Police check post in Gujrat
District. District Police Officer (DPO) Gujrat Zameerul Haq
said that unidentified militants ambushed the Police check post,
injuring two Policemen deployed there. In retaliation, two terrorists
were shot dead by the Police, he added.
Eight death row prisoners were
executed in Pakistan’s Punjab Province. Three prisoners, identified
as Muhammad Safdar, Aftab and his father, were hanged at Attock
District Jail. Aftab and his father Usman had killed a man in
1998 over a monetary dispute. Muhammad Safdar had murdered two
people over a ‘petty issue’ in 2003. Another convicted prisoner,
Muhammad Tufail was hanged till death in Kasur District Jail.
Tufail was hanged for killing a man and his son in 2001. Separately,
another convict, Mohammad Nawaz was hanged till death in Sargodha
District Jail for killing his relative over a land dispute in
2002. In Multan District Jail, death row prisoner Nayyar Abbas
was hanged for killing a man in 1996. Another prisoner, Gulfam
alias Gullu, was hanged till death in Gujrat District Jail for
killing a man in 2001. Ahmed Din was hanged at the Jhang District
Jail for killing Shireen Khan in a land dispute in April 2001.
In a bid to curb terror financing,
the Punjab Government booked a number of banned organisations
for illegally collecting funds from the public in different
Districts of the Province. The cases have been registered against
Al-Rasheed Trust (Maymar Trust) and Al-Rehmat Trust in Multan,
Ansarul Ummah, Sipa-i-Sahaba and Tehreek-e-Ghulbai-e-Islam in
Bahawalpur and Jaish-e-Muhammad in Gujranwala.
The accused involved in illegal
collection of funds have been arrested and investigations are
in progress. The two-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Justice
Jawwad S. Khawaja had taken up a case relating to activities
of NGOs. The matter cropped up during the June 23, 2015, hearing
of a bail application of Haroonur Rashid who had been booked
for alleged fraud in a business transaction. During the case,
it emerged that the parties involved had invested in a Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa-based NGO ‘Baraan’ which was registered in Peshawar
but had spread its activities to Tank, Bannu and D.I. Khan.
Consequently, the apex court
asked for information about the steps the Government had taken
after December 24, 2014, the day the NAP was prepared. A voluminous
report submitted by Additional Advocate General of Punjab Razzaq
A. Mirza said the provincial CTD was strictly monitoring activities
of outlawed organisations and hardcore militants, including
those mentioned in the Fourth Schedule of the ATA 1997, as well
as their facilitators involved in raising and possessing funds
for terrorism. According to the report, the CTD has arrested
a gang of 12 people found collecting funds for JeM and Al-Rehmat
Trust and confiscated ‘Jihadi’ literature and books. It said
the FIA Punjab had also launched a crackdown on Hundi and Hawala
operators across the Province.
The IGP, Mohammad Amlish Khan,
said that law and order situation in the Province is not purely
a home-grown problem because criminal elements from Iran, Afghanistan
and Sindh often penetrate into Balochistan. He said that Police
with the help of other LEAs had recently made a breakthrough
by eliminating the provincial leadership of LeJ. The development
has had a positive effect on the law and order situation in
the Province.
Talking to journalists, he said:
“Balochistan Police have been confronting the challenge of terrorism
for years. The Province has borders with Iran, Afghanistan and
Sindh from where terrorists, militants and criminals enter Balochistan.
Because of limited financial sources, Police cannot monitor
the entry of all such people into Balochistan.” He said top
leaders of LeJ in the Province, including Osman Saifullah, had
been killed and their accomplices arrested in the recent intelligence-driven
joint operations of Police and other LEAs.
He said that militant organisations
such as Jaish-e-Islam had stepped up their activities in the
Province after the signing of an agreement to build China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor which would pass through the province. “Several
militant organisations have formed a joint network to carry
out terrorist activities in the province,” he added.
The Afghan Taliban and sources
close to the militant group’s representatives, who are engaged
in peace talks with the Afghan Government, rejected reports
that Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar is dead. A Taliban
'spokesman' insisted that the group's leader “is very much alive”
and the rumours of his death were aimed at drawing out the leader.
However, Afghanistan's security
services spokesman Abdul Hassib Seddiqi said that Mullah Omar
died two years ago in Pakistan. Seddiqi told British Broadcasting
Cooperation's Afghan Service that Mullah Omar had died of health
problems at a hospital in Pakistan. The Afghan Government says
information on his death is credible. The BBC reported
that the latest reports of Mullah Omar's death were being taken
more seriously than previous such reports. A statement from
the office of Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani said that
it believed based on credible information that Mullah Omar died
in April 2013 in Pakistan.
Another senior Afghan Government
official quoting a senior Taliban leader said that the reclusive
leader of the Afghan Taliban had died of multiple organ failure
a year and a half ago and was subsequently buried in Kandahar.
He further said an eight-member Taliban Shura will hold a meeting
to choose Omar's successor for six months to one year.
Another Afghan Taliban claimed
that Mullah Omar had died eight months ago of natural causes.
The Taliban member added that, "The issue of choosing the
next Amir-ul-Momineen is being resolved," adding, "A
20 member Shura is in control of the situation to avoid any
conflict between the contending leaders".
However, a senior official from
the Pakistani military said he could not confirm Omar’s death.
“It is worth asking why this news has come out now, when we
are two days away from the second round of peace talks,” said
an unnamed official. “Especially in light of reports that he
died two years ago ... why is this news being released now?
It raises questions about the intentions of people who don’t
want talks to go forward,” he said.
July 30
Sindh Rangers killed at least
four terrorists during an operation at Super Highway near Kathore
area in Gadap Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Rangers’ spokesman said that the paramilitary force also recovered
arms from their possession. He said the terrorists killed in
the action were involved in several murder cases. The militants
have been identified as Muhammad Asif alias Ajmal, Muhammad
Amir Khan, Abdul Waseem alias Channy Wala and Younis Ahmed alias
Kalia.
A man, identified as Zeeshan
(25), was killed by unidentified armed assailants near Adam
Tea House in Lyari Town.
One Shafiqur Rahman (35) was
shot at and injured when unidentified militants fired on him
near Ghosia Hotel in Quaidabad area of Landhi Town.
A man, identified as Fahim (25),
was shot and injured in Old Kumhar Compound in Lyari Town.
Three suspected militants and
two SFs personnel were killed in an exchange of fire on Khadim
security checkpost in Daryaba area of Bannu District in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. Security sources say suspected militants attacked
the Khadim security checkpost, adding that security personnel
killed three 'terrorists' in responsive firing.
At least two militants, including
a local 'commander', were killed and a soldier sustained injuries
during a search operation in Wadh area of Khuzdar District.
According to the FC spokesman, “A commander of Lashkar-e-Balochistan
and his aide were killed in an exchange of fire.” FC also seized
four SMGs with rounds from their possession, he added.
A dead body, identified as that
of Sadam Wali, was recovered from Mand area of Turbat District.
A dead body of a child, identified
as that of Zakir Ahmed (8), was found in Kechi Baig area of
Quetta.
11 suspects were arrested during
a search operation in the Tusp area of Panjgur District. “Seven
militants were arrested in a targeted search operation,” he
said, adding that the FC also seized a number of Kalashnikovs
with two magazines and 45 rounds. They recovered some suspected
passports, ID cards and weapons licences also.
In another operation, the paramilitary
forces, deployed at the Joudhar check post in Panjgur District,
signaled a vehicle to stop. Instead two suspected militants
opened fire on them and tried to speed away. The security personnel
returned fire and arrested them with bullet injuries. One RPG7
with two magazines and SMGs rounds were seized from their possession,
he added.
The paramilitary forces acted
on an intelligence report, raiding the Government Science College
and arrested two suspected militants in Quetta.
SFs arrested five TTP cadres
in Khyber Agency of FATA. According to security sources, the
arrested militants were wanted in criminal cases, including
attacks on security check posts and installations. A suspected
TTP commander from Khyber Agency, Ababel, was also amongst those
arrested. He was also allegedly involved in multiple attacks
on SFs in the area.
Afghan Taliban officially confirmed
Mullah Muhammad Omar’s death, hours after the group elected
Mullah Akhtar Mansoor as the new Afghan Taliban supreme leader.
Mullah Omar’s family and the Taliban leadership council in a
statement confirmed that Mullah Omar passed away in a peaceful
manner. A statement released by the Afghan Taliban said, “Mullah
Omar never visited Pakistan or any other country except Afghanistan.”
“Mullah Omar led his movement from Afghanistan,” it added. Further,
the statement said, “Mullah Omar died owing to an illness some
time ago and he died within two weeks of contracting the disease.”
However, the statement did not disclose the location of his
death.
An unnamed senior Taliban leader
said that the council elected Mullah Akhtar Mansoor as the new
Afghan Taliban supreme leader. “The council also elected Sirajuddin
Haqqani, who is known as Khalifa (Caliph), the 'chief' of Haqqani
Network as 'deputy' of the Taliban’s leader,” the Taliban leader
said. The Taliban have not yet officially announced the new
leader. However, the Taliban leader said the formal announcement
is likely to be made shortly.
More than 20,000 terrorists
were killed up to July 13, 2015, as a result of implementation
of NAP, revealed official documents. The documents obtained
by The News pertain to the implementation of NAP in which it
has been claimed that 3,148 terrorists were apprehended from
across Pakistan while 1,799 individuals were held over charges
of hate speech. As many as 3,446 persons were identified for
having links with banned outfits. More than 100 Madrassah
have been shut down so far, the documents also disclosed.
July 31
Three prisoners, identified
as Samar Jan, Nadeem Shehzad and Riaz Yousuf, were executed
in Kot Lakhpat Jail of Lahore District. According to jail sources,
Samar and Nadeem were involved in kidnapping and killing of
a child from Garhi Shahu town. Both were awarded death sentence
in 1998. While Yousuf was awarded capital punishment by Anti-Terrorism
Court for killing two people within the limits of Shalimar Police
Station. The death warrants of all three condemned prisoners
were issued after their mercy plea was rejected.
Two death row prisoners, Muhammad
Ashraf and Zafar Iqbal, were hanged in Adiala Jail of Rawalpindi
in Punjab. Mandra Police had arrested Zafar Iqbal and registered
a murder case in 2000 while Wah Police held Muhammad Ashraf
in 2002.
The Commander Southern Command
Lieutenant General Muhammad Nasir Khan Janjua said that the
insurgency in Balochistan was going to end and now people would
fully enjoy peace in their region. The people engaged in the
insurgency have now realised they had adopted a wrong path,
while the Frontier Corps and intelligence agencies are united
in their actions against terrorists and anti-peace elements,
he said. He was speaking during a high-level meeting that decided
to form a new force, comprising 1,100 personnel for Gwadar Safe
City Project and to allocate PKR two billion for it besides
taking more measures for the security of Chinese engineers working
in Balochistan.
KP Police have sacrificed the
most number of cops during the last almost 10 years and they
include officers up to the rank of Add IG down to constables,
says AIG Establishment Fida Hassan Shah. “As many as 1,133 Policemen
have been killed in the attacks all over the province since
January 2006,” Fida Hassan Shah said. A total of 1,508 Policemen
were killed in various kinds of attacks in the province since
1971.The increase in violence in KP in recent years could be
gauged from the fact that the Police casualties remained 375
in 35 years from 1971 to 2005, but the figure shot up to 1,133
in less than a decade.
All those Police killed during
the period were hit by suicide attackers, their cars and police
stations were bombed and fell victim to target killing and rocket
attacks as the violence increased in the province in 2006. The
worst year was 2009 when 207 cops were killed, followed by 176
in 2008, 148 in 2011, 127 in 2013, 109 in 2010, 108 in 2007
and 101 in 2014. As many as 31 Policemen have been killed in
attacks in 2015 so far.
August 1
SFs during a joint raid conducted
by Swat Scouts and Khasadar force arrested TTP 'commander' Umar
Khan Maki Khel from a house in Ghundi area of Jamrud town in
Khyber Agency.
Officials said that SFs also
seized huge quantity of arms and ammunition from another empty
house in Malakabad locality of Jamrud.
August 2
At least four suspected terrorists
were killed during an operation carried out by the CTD in Manghopir
area of Gadap Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
The CTD officials recovered weapons, ammunitions, a hand grenade
and a stolen motorcycle, from their possession.
Home Minister Balochistan Sarfaraz
Bugti while addressing a press conference said that the SFs
have killed the al Qaeda 'chief' of Balochistan and South Punjab,
Omar Abdul Latif alias Luqman in Chaghi District. The SFs arrested
the wife of the militant 'commander'. She was identified as
Tayyaba alias Freeha Baji. Two children of the alleged militant
commander were also taken into custody for interrogation.
"Security personnel are
interrogating the commander's wife," Bugti said adding
that, "The al Qaeda commander had fled from neighboring
Afghanistan to Pakistan eight or ten months back." The
Home Minister further said, "Omar Abdul Latif was striving
to establish al Qaeda Sub-Continent Center here. Major terror
bid has been foiled in Balochistan."
Two SF personnel were injured
when unidentified militants attacked a check post in Shakai
tehsil of South Waziristan Agency in FATA. According
to an ISPR statement, a group of ‘well-equipped’ militants attacked
the security forces check post at Ziarat in Shakai tehsil. SFs
launched a retaliatory action soon after the attack, ISPR said.
Police arrested two militants,
identified as Haji Gul and Haq Nawaz, during a raid in Muhammadzai
area of Kohat District. A press release issued by the office
of the DIG Police, Kohat Range, confirmed the arrest. It added
that they were wanted by the Cantonment Police in connection
with terror activities.
August 3
Six militants and one soldier
were killed, while three soldiers were injured during a clash
with Security Forces in Shawal Valley of North Waziristan Agency
in FATA.
A lawyer, identified as Ashfaq
Qaimkhani, while his friend Rifaat Zaidi was injured when unidentified
armed assailants opened fire on his car near Mian University
Road in Gulshan Town of provincial capital Karachi.
A man, identified as Rashid
(32), was shot dead by unidentified militants in Sector 5-A
1, New Karachi Town.
An unidentified dead body of
man was found near Landhi Railway Station in Landhi Town.
One Yousaf Haleem (17) was shot
at and injured by unidentified armed assailants in Shireen Villas
of Aath Chowk in Lyari Town.
One Riaz (30) was injured when
unidentified armed assailants opened fire on him near Telephone
Exchange in Garden area of Saddar Town.
A man, identified as Ahsan (32),
was wounded when unidentified militants opened fire on him near
Muhammadi Masjid in Model Colony of Malir Town.
Police claimed to have arrested
three alleged extortionists, who it said tended to target doctors
and pharmaceutical companies and have links with a South Africa-based
group. “Police arrested two suspected extortionists, identified
as Wasif Rafiq and Faizan alias Matto, from Khawaja Ajmair Nagri,
and seized computers from their custody,” said Karachi-West
DIG, Feroze Shah. “This is an international gang of extortionists
who mostly targeted doctors and pharmaceutical companies,” added
the Police Officer. The officer further revealed, “They were
involved in extortion during the last five years but they tended
to use names of Lyari gang-war outfits and Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan, while sending extortion chits to doctors, pharmas
and traders.”
Mirpur Mathelo-based reporter,
Hakim Abro, who was kidnapped from Ghotki District on April
22, 2015, was recovered by the Police from Damdama Shahwali
area of Sukkur District, after an encounter with the abductors.
The Sindh IG reportedly announced a cash reward of PKR 300,000
for the Police.
Ruling out the possibility of
any conspiracy against CoAS General Raheel Sharif, Federal Minister
for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the COAS has
the confidence of the Government, armed forces and the entire
nation. He further said that the Pakistan Army was a disciplined
and highly professional force and speaking against the army
was harmful to the country and the military.
“It is not possible for few
military officers to de-seat the army chief,” said Nisar. The
interior minister added that the nation should stand by the
army chief as the army was the only institution that has achieved
success in guerrilla war.
The CoAS, General Raheel Sharif
while addressing on the occasion of his visit to the Anti-Narcotics
Force headquarters Rawalpindi District of Punjab said that the
nexus between drug- pushers and terrorists would be eliminated
at all costs as drug peddlers and those involved in drugs production
were as much pernicious to the national security as the terrorists.
“Drug money is being used for abetting terrorism and, therefore,
it is important that drug dealers are dealt with an iron hand,”
Sharif emphasised, adding, “We will break the nexus among drug
dealers, financiers and perpetrators of terrorism. We will not
allow these drug barons to negatively influence and spoil our
future generations."
August 4
At least two suspected militants
were killed during a search operation in Nushki District. Khan
Wasey, the spokesperson for FC confirmed the incident. Security
Forces also claimed to have recovered a large quantity of arms
and ammunition during the operation.
Almost all major Baloch insurgent
groups, except BLA 'chief' Nawabzada Harbyar Marri, have opened
negotiations with the stakeholders in Balochistan. According
to sources privy to the development, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
was informed about the latest situation of the talks between
various factions of Baloch rebels and the local stakeholders,
including the Provincial Government.
Chief Minister Balochistan Dr
Abdul Malik Baloch briefed the Prime Minister about the development
projects and security situation in the Province, the official
statement said. The sources said that PM Nawaz was informed
that except BLA 'chief' almost all the major factions have come
to the negotiating table and law and order situation of the
Province has improved. BLF chief Dr Allah Nazar, they said,
has fled the country and most probably is stationed in Afghanistan.
Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada
said that the Police arrested five TTP militants for their involvement
in the twin suicide attacks that targeted two Churches in Youhanabad
area of Lahore District on March, 14, 2015. “Police have arrested
five suspects who were involved in Youhanabad attacks, a bomb
attack in Model Town area and another attack in Qila Gujjar
Singh area of Lahore,” Shuja Khanzada, Home Minister of Punjab
said. “They belonged to the splinter group of TTP, Shehryar
Mehsud group and had been coordinating attacks inside Pakistan
from Afghanistan,” Khanzada said, adding, “They planned these
attacks in Afghanistan and then came to Lahore. They were provided
suicide vests and other materials here in Lahore for the attack.”
Sindh Rangers arrested an extortionist
woman during an encounter in Lyari Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. The spokesman said, the accused woman is spouse
of notorious gangster Imran aka Kawwa and she had demanded
PKR 500,000 extortion money from a local trader. During interrogation,
the woman has confessed to extorting money from three people.
On the information provided by the accused, Imran has also been
arrested. Further investigation is underway.
The paramilitary Rangers asked
the MQM to hand over custody of its 187 workers, who are nominated
in cases of the targeted killings of Police Officials who participated
in the Karachi operation in 1990s. According to a letter, the
Rangers said all the Police Officials and personnel who had
participated in the 90’s operation against MQM have been killed
one by one. The letter said 187 men, allegedly belonging to
the militant wing of the MQM-Altaf (the main MQM-A group), had
been nominated in the FIRs of these murders. The paramilitary
force, while providing a list of the suspects, demanded that
the MQM hand over custody of these men to the Rangers so that
investigations into the cases against them can move forward.
August 5
The Police claimed that three
militants were killed in an encounter near Gajooji village in
Dera Ghazi Khan District. An official said that the militants
were being taken to a location by a Police party for investigations
when their accomplices attacked the Police. There was an exchange
of fire in which the three were killed. The official claimed
that two of the killed had been identified as Haneef and Iftikhar
while the third was yet to be identified.
Three unidentified militants
shot dead an Additional District and Sessions Judge, identified
as Tahir Khan Niazi, in Sadiqabad Town area of Rawalpindi District
while he was leaving his Judges Colony residence. The assailants
escaped from the scene after the attack.
A man, identified as Muzamil
(32), was killed by unidentified armed assailants at Bengali
Para locality in Ibrahim Haidery area of Korangi Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
One Shehzad (22) was killed
and another Bilal (24), was injured when unidentified armed
assailants opened fire at them near KMC Quarters in Pak Colony
area of Orangi Town.
Two boys, identified as Kamran
Bakhsh (17), and Kamran Ayub (19), were shot at and injured
by unidentified militants on Mauripur Road.
A youth, identified as Jahangir
(20), was shot at and injured by unidentified militants in New
Karachi Town.
A youth, Yousaf (21), was shot
at and injured by unidentified armed assailants in Qasba Colony
of Orangi Town.
One Majeed (25) was shot and
injured by unidentified armed assailants in Mehran Town area
of Korangi Town.
A man, identified, Akbar (30),
was shot and injured near Allah Wali Masjid in Baldia Town.
The Chief Executive Officer
of BBCL Group (Pvt) Ltd, Pervez Iqbal and his daughter were
injured when unidentified militants opened fire at their vehicle
in Korangi Town.
Panic gripped in MPR Colony
of Orangi Town when residents of the area spotted a bomb outside
the house of a transporter, identified as Haji Mairaj. After
examining it, the BDS told the Police that the bomb did not
contain any explosive material. “It was an IED and was a remote-controlled
device but did not contain any explosive material,” said the
BDS expert.
Police officials also found
a letter along with the bomb, containing the names of the IS
and LeJ. Police officials said that the transporter had been
demanded to pay protection money several times by extortionists
but he always refused to comply with such demands. This time,
the extortionists demanded PKR 700,000, which Mairaj again refused
to pay, they added. Speaking about the warning letter found
from the bomb site, Police Officials said that the extortionists
warned the transporter of dire consequences. “We are keeping
an eye on you and your business,” the police quoted the letter.
“We will destroy your house and business if you tell anyone
about this letter. It is up to you whether you want to make
friendship with us or want enmity with us. Be ready for your
coffin if you want to be an enemy.”
Three death row prisoners were
hanged till death in Central Jail Mianwali in Mianwali District.
Relatives Amaanullah Khan, Muhammad Riaz Khan and Muhammad Mumtaz
Khan were convicted for a triple murder that took place in 2006.
A death row prisoner, identified
as Waqar, was hanged till death in Central Jail Gujranwala.
He was convicted for the 2002 murder of five people, including
three children and a woman.
A leader of the ruling National
Party (NP) and a MPA, Haji Islam Baloch, and his family survived
a rocket-and-gun attack near Pattak area of Besima tehsil
while he was travelling to Quetta from Panjgur District. One
of the security guards escorting the MPA was injured as he received
splinters of the rocket that exploded near his vehicle. The
attackers fired two rockets to target the MPA’s vehicle.
The JUI-S chief and administrator
of the Dar-ul-Uloom Haqqania, Maulana Samiul Haq along with
other teachers of the seminary announced support to the new
leader of the Afghan Taliban Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour.
The announcement was made in a ceremony at the start of the
new academic year at the Darul Uloom Haqqania on Wednesday.
Hundreds of Ulema and clerics from Afghanistan also attended
the event.
Maulana Samiul Haq urged the
Afghan Taliban to set aside their differences and extend cooperation
to Mulla Akhtar Mansour for the cause of Taliban and Islam.
He said that unity among the ranks of Mujahideen was
needed at this critical juncture when foreign forces were still
present in Afghanistan. He said that differences among the Taliban
leaders would encourage the enemies of Islam to hatch conspiracies
against the Muslim world.
During a meeting at Chief Minister's
House the Sindh Government with the help of Intelligence Agencies
identified at least 48 madrassas (religious seminaries) in the
Province having links with banned organisations and half of
them operating in Karachi. “These seminaries are promoting terrorism.
We have worked out and our Security Forces are ready to take
action against these illegal and un-registered madaris,” IG
Sindh Police Ghulam Hyder Jamali said.
The meeting decided that no
new seminary will be established without obtaining a NOC from
the concerned Deputy Commissioner and Home Department as well
as Sindh Building Control Authority. The IG Sindh said that
as many as 9,590 seminaries have been reported in the province,
of which 6,503 are registered, 3,087 are un-registered and 167
have been sealed because of illegality.
August 6
Eleven militants, including
a commander, were killed and several others sustained injuries
during a clash with the SFs in the Isparkat area of Dogar subdivision
in Kurram Agency of FATA.
Seven suspected militants were
killed when a US drone fired two missiles at their compound
in the Lowara Mandi area of Dattakhel in the NWA. Official and
tribal sources said the drone fired two missiles at a house
reportedly being used by the militants. The identity of the
slain militants could not be immediately confirmed due to lack
of communications, though local tribesmen claimed all of them
were foreign fighters.
At least one Policeman, identified
as Abdul Qayyum Rajput (50), was killed and another, identified
as Abdul Fatah (32), was injured when unidentified militants
attacked on Abdul Haque Jamali Police check post in Shaheed
Benazirabad District (also known as Nawabshah District). The
assailants took possession of government-issued arms and ammunition
from them, said Police sources. SSP Pervaiz Umrani said the
unknown assailants were hiding in fields near the scene of the
crime. The TTP in an email claimed responsibility for the attack
on the Nawabshah check post.
A man, identified as Shahid
(45), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in New
Karachi Town of provincial capital Karachi.
A man, identified as Shani (25),
was shot dead by unidentified militants near Ghee Factory, 100
Quarters in Koarangi-3 area of Korangi Town.
A man, identified as Amir (34),
was shot dead in Cantt Bazaar area of Drigh Road in Shah Faisal
Town.
A video of the bullet riddled
dead body of Lyari gangster Noor Muhammad alias Baba Ladla is
presently in circulation and telecast by some of the news channels
confirming his violent death. On May 13, 2014, The Express
Tribune quoting reliable sources from across the border
reported that Baba Ladla was intercepted and killed by the Iranian
Security Forces.
According to details, Ladla
had reportedly fled to Iranian Province of Sistan-Balochistan
when Sindh Rangers launched its operation in Karachi. However,
Iranian forces spotted the presence of Ladla at a house near
the Konarak Coastal Township and raided it. Ladla tried to flee
towards the Pakistani borders where the Iranian border guards
intercepted him. In an ensuing exchange of fire, Baba Ladla
was killed and his body was taken to a local hospital where
the Iranian security officials prepared a video for record purposes.
However, security officials
in Quetta said they had not received any information from Iranian
authorities confirming his death. “We have no information about
the killing of Baba Ladla,” a senior official of the Home Department
said. There was no reaction to reports of Baba Ladla’s killing,
according to officials and residents. There was muted reaction,
mainly because there was no confirmation of the killing. “There
was no reaction in any part of Lyari,” City SSP Fida Hussain
said.
The Counter-Terrorism Department,
Police and intelligence officials carried out joint search operations
in seminaries of Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Bahawalpur
Districts and arrested 20 suspects.
Multan City Police Officer Azhar
Ikram led the search operation in the city and Chungi No 9.
The spate of raids on seminaries is to bust militants, if any,
from seminaries. The Police Officer said that entire area was
sealed before starting the operation while pickets were raised
at several intersections and along roads for random searches.
The seminaries of banned organisations, those on the fourth
schedule and the workers of banned organisations were also searched,
he said. A house-to-house search was conducted to seize illegal
weapons and explosives and people living in these localities
illegally were detained. He said 20 people were arrested and
20 Kalashnikovs seized from seminaries and houses.
PM Nawaz Sharif while chairing
a high level meeting in Islamabad approved the Pur Aman Balochistan
(Peaceful Balochistan) plan aimed at bringing the angry Baloch
back to the national mainstream. He said that those who would
lay down their arms would be given incentives. Nawaz asked the
authorities concerned to reach out to the people of Balochistan
and make them partners in the development process. He said Balochistan
was the cornerstone of the future development of Pakistan and
would be the principal beneficiary of the CPEC projects.
The PM said the infrastructure
and communication network will be planned and executed for the
utilisation of resources of Balochistan and the Gwadar Port
will be connected by rail/road links with the Central Asian
states. He directed preparation of a strategy for building Gwadar
Port City and Gwadar Port as economic hub and attraction for
investments. He directed the provincial government to keep up
the momentum of the good work for the betterment of the people
of Balochistan.
August 7
Two unidentified dead bodies
were recovered from a deserted area in Mochko locality of Baldia
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. The bodies
were recovered from the manhole of a sewer in Hawksbay Scheme-42,
said the SHO Nawaz Gondal. The bodies appeared to be three to
four weeks old, and the victims appeared to be 20 to 25 years
old.
Karachi Corps Commander Lieutenant
General Naveed Mukhtar while addressing the passing-out parade
of a new batch of Pakistan Rangers soldiers reiterated his trust
in the Pakistan Rangers and other LEAs leading the Karachi operation,
which he said, was “apolitical, indiscriminate and free of any
compromise” aimed at bringing Karachi to normality. “Karachi
operation is apolitical. It is indiscriminate and free of any
compromise and pressure. Terrorists, their aides and facilitators
are targets of the operation. We will not leave any stone unturned
to achieve these targets,” he said. The fresh move by the military
establishment to assert its support for the Karachi operation
and institutions behind the campaign has come amid gradually
improving law and order situation in the metropolis.
Around 1,235 families of the
IDPs were registered for return to native areas in South Waziristan
Agency of FATA, the second day of the process. Assistant Political
Agent, Ladha subdivision, Abdul Nasir, told a delegation of
the local elders that registration for sending back the displaced
families had been started from August 6, 2015. He said the displaced
families would be sent back to various areas in Sararogha, Sarwakai
and Tiarza tehsils.
On the second day of registration,
around 1,235 families comprising 8,000 individuals hailing from
the tehsils got themselves registered to return to native areas,
he added. “Around 302 families comprising 2,105 individuals
would return to Sararogha, 354 families comprising 2334 individuals
to Sarwakai tehsil and 579 families including 3668 individuals
have to return to Tiarza tehsil,” he said. He said that 799
families comprising 6, 010 individuals were registered to back
to their homes in South Waziristan.
August 9
Unidentified militants opened
fire at a Karachi bound passenger coach coming from Mand town
of Kech District (also known as Turbat District). The assailants
managed to escape from the scene. However, not casualties were
reported.
SFs arrested seven TTP militants
during a search operation in Dalbandin city of Chagai District.
An official confirmed the arrests.
Three TTP militants were arrested
during a raid in a hostel in Qila Saifullah District.
SFs arrested three suspects
who were allegedly involved in terrorist attacks and targeted
killings during a raid in Sanjavi area of Loralai District.
FC personnel arrested three
suspects from Zhob District.
Provincial Home Minister Mir
Sarfraz Bugti during an interview said that terrorists also
entered Balochistan from Waziristan after Operation Zarb-e-Azb
was launched there. He said that when the armed forces launched
an operation against militants in the FATA, a number of anti-peace
elements also entered Balochistan through Zhob and other areas.
“We, however, took swift action to apprehend these anti-peace
elements and to stop their further entry into Balochistan,”
he said, adding, “Following intelligence information, we carried
out security operations against terrorists in Zhob, Sanjawi,
Dalbandin and other areas to destroy their new network.”
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said in an official report on the implementation
of the NAP against terrorism and extremism that Law-Enforcement
Agencies have so far placed 30 religious seminaries in the "suspect"
category which have been closed. Two of the suspect seminaries
were from Punjab, 15 from Sindh and 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
No seminary in Balochistan has been placed in this category
since the launch of the NAP in December 2014.
Although the report does not
explain in so many words what is meant by suspected madaris,
a senior official involved in the implementation of the NAP
said that suspect seminaries are the ones that have some direct
or indirect connections with militants or their activities.
According to the report, Sindh is the only Province which has
taken concrete action and has so far closed 72 unregistered
seminaries. No such action has been reported from the other
three Provinces.
The Sindh Rangers in a statement
released said that the first stage of the ongoing security operation
in Karachi had been completed. The Karachi Operation had been
started off by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on September 5, 2013,
to root out crime and terrorism from Karachi. The Rangers said
that with the first phase over, they are now preparing to start
phase two, which is expected to commence from August 14, 2015.
“Pakistan Rangers Sindh successfully completed the Stage-I of
the operation and are well prepared to start Stage-II from August
14, 2015 till the time it is successfully completed.”
“Stage-II will be more severe
than Stage-I as the main task is to hunt down land grabbers,
target killers, extortionists, kidnappers, terrorists,” the
statement said, adding, “Pakistan Rangers Sindh is committed
not to spare any criminal… Do not worry even if the criminals
are very powerful because Pakistan Rangers Sindh are more powerful.”
The report added that a total of 826 terrorists, 334 target
killers, and 296 extortionists were arrested during this period.
August 10
The chief of a local peace committee,
Dilawar Jan, was killed in a bomb blast at Suri Pao village
in Maidan area of Lower Dir District of KP. Dilawar Jan was
returning from a mosque after Fajr prayer when the remote-controlled
blast occurred, killing him on the spot. Dilawar Jan had been
heading the peace committee since 2009 and was active in efforts
against militants.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a Shia Hazara, identified as Ghulam Raza, while he was
on his way home in Quetta.
FC arrested nine Afghan nationals
under Foreign Act from different areas in Quetta. The FC spokesman
said that arrested Afghan nationals would be handed over to
FIA for further interrogation.
The IG FC Balochistan, Major
General Sher Afgan while talking to the media in Quetta said
that the BSO founder Dr Allah Nazar is not traceable since the
morning of June 18, 2015. He said that there were reports that
Dr Allah Nazar had either been killed or injured but there was
no confirmation yet. Allah Nazar communicated with his associates
on July 18, 2015, at 8:14am. At the same time, his location
was attacked. Within 10 to 12 minutes of the attack, Security
Forces reached the area and searched the vicinity in a radius
of 10 kilometers but couldn’t trace Allah Nazar injured or dead.
After that day, his communication with his colleagues inside
Pakistan has ended. Their wireless conversations with each other
show their worry over their failure to contact Allah Nazar.
He said that India and Afghanistan’s
intelligence agencies, the R&AW and the NDS, respectively,
are fuelling terrorism in Balochistan to destabilise Pakistan.
“We have achieved major targets in preventing foreign influence,”
Major General Sher Afgun said. “Unfortunately, Pakistan’s enemies
have been using our people against our state, but we are now
fighting against R&AW and NDS because the people are standing
with their forces.” “Following the launch of the operation,
a sharp decline has been observed in incidents of terrorism
across the province. The number of this year’s incidents is
comparatively lower than last year’s,” he added.
The Khairpur Police shot dead
a criminal, Anwar alias Mushki Kalihoro, carrying PKR one million
head money during an encounter within the limits of Kumb on
National Highway in Sukkur District. SSP Khairpur Sajid Hussain
said that the Anwar was wanted in the killing of DSP Imran Awan
in 2002 and other serial killings.
Rangers arrested six target
killers having ties with MQM during from a surgical action in
Ranchore Line area of Saddar Town in provincial capital Karachi.
Huge cache of weapons was also recovered from their possession.
According to details, Khurram
alias Muchar, Unit in-charge MQM Unit-28, was arrested over
charges of involvement in extortion, dumping of weapons and
target killings. Mahmood, an active worker of MQM Unit-20, who
has already confessed to murdering 47 people when he was arrested
earlier in November 2014, was arrested on charges of kidnapping
and torture. Rangers also arrested Shahid alias Kala, an active
worker of MQM Unit-31, who had earlier confessed six murders
during initial interrogation when he was arrested in September
2014. Mubin, the committee member of MQM Unit-20, also faced
arrest as he had confessed to numerous target killings, extortion,
arson, rioting and other heinous crimes when he was earlier
arrested in May 2013. Zubair alias Handi, worker of Ranchore
Line Sector, was arrested over his involvement in armed clashes,
rioting, murders after kidnapping, cash van robbery and extortion.
The sixth suspect arrested by Rangers was Kashif alias Macha,
worker of MQM Unit-30, involved in target killings and extortion.
A militant was killed in a clash
with SFs in Janikhel area of FR Bannu in FATA. Sources said
the SFs personnel were on way to carry out a search operation
in the Janikhel area when they intercepted the militants. The
SF and the militants traded fire. A militant identified as Sailab
was killed on the spot while his accomplice managed to flee
the scene. SFs have mounted a search operation to arrest the
second militant.
Unidentified militants torched
a school and abducted ten labourers in the Sarkai area of Kurram
Agency. According to security and administrative officials,
militants torched a primary school in Sarki, and abducted ten
labourers who were living in the school's premises. Officials
said labourers were working on an under-construction road and
would rest inside the school after the day's work was over.
TTP ‘commander’ Razman Shah
and eleven other militants surrendered to SFs in the Kalaya
area of Orakzai Agency. Razman Shah is believed to be an important
commander of Orakzai chapter of TTP. The other 'militants' include
Meer Khan, Shahid, Abdullah, Ameenullah, Mohammad Ameen, Irfan,
Hazrat Mohammad, Meela Khan, Speen Mir Khan, Mohammad Adeel
and Dinullah.
Lahore High Court issued a notice
to the Federal Government on a petition filed by LeT founder
and JuD 'chief' Hafiz Muhammad Saeed against the screening of
an Indian movie, Phantom, in Pakistan. He said the film targeted
the JuD and sought to harm the integrity of Pakistan. Justice
Shahid Bilal Hasan directed the Federal Government to file its
reply before the next hearing on August 13, 2015.
Advocate AK Dogar, the counsel
for Saeed, requested the court to issue a stay order against
the screening but the judge said it was necessary to first hear
the respondent. A JuD 'spokesperson' and Saeed’s brother-in-law,
Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, attended the court proceedings. Responding
to a query after the proceedings, Makki said they wanted the
film to be banned on every forum, including the internet, cinemas
and DVDs.
Following the recent wave of
attacks in Kabul that killed at least 56 people, Afghan President
Ashraf Ghani claimed that the “organisers of terrorist attacks
and terrorist centres still exist in Pakistan”. “Pakistan still
remains a breeding ground from where mercenaries send us messages
of war,” President Ghani said at a press conference. “Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif promised me the enemies of Afghanistan
would be the enemies of Pakistan. We want this commitment to
be honoured”. The Afghan President said he spoke to PM Nawaz
over phone on August 9, who promised to chalk out a new anti-terror
strategy in the coming weeks.
“I have told the Pakistani prime
minister and army chief that peace in Pakistan is impossible
without peace in Afghanistan,” he said, adding that an Afghan
delegation would travel to Pakistan on August 13 to “seriously”
discuss the peace process. “I told Pakistan to see terrorism
in Afghanistan the same way it sees terrorism in Pakistan.”
Referring to his visit to Islamabad in November, Ghani said
he told Pakistani leader’s peace had two aspects: “peace with
Pakistan and with the Taliban.”
August 11
At least four unidentified dead
bodies, including two of men and as many women, were recovered
from Killi Paind Khan area of provincial capital Quetta. The
sources further said that all victims had received multiple
bullet wounds, adding that they were shot from a close range.
Levies personnel claimed to
have recovered three unidentified dead bodies from the Pishin
District. The bodies were spotted by locals of the area. The
identity of the victims could not be ascertained.
A Police Official was killed
and another was injured in a bomb explosion in Gawalmandi Chowk
of Quetta. No outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack.
FC foiled a sabotage bid and
defused 15 kilograms of IEDs in Mach area of Bolan District.
Dera Ghazi Khan District Police
claimed to have arrested nine suspects during a raid on seminaries
and Imambargahs (Shia place of commemoration) of the District.
Sources said that police registered three cases against the
suspects. DPO Ghulam Mubashar Maikin said that during the raids
launched under the NAP the Police arrested suspects and confiscated
huge quantity of sectarian hate material. He said two cases
were registered against as many people for sectarian graffiti
while seven other suspects were arrested during a search operation.
The Police of Bahawalnagar and
Rahimyar Khan Districts along with sensitive agencies personnel
conducted a search operation in various seminaries. The Bahawalnagar
Police conducted a search operation at Madrassa Jama'at-ul-Aloom
on Eidgah Road, Madrassa Taleem-ul Quran in Quresh Colony and
Jamia Rehmania at Mohallah Gao Shala and interrogated many students
and teachers while a thorough search was made in hostels.
The Rahimyar Khan Police conducted
a search operation and arrested PO Hashim Riaz and drug pushers
Hasan Abbas and Imtiaz and recovered two kilograms of charas
from their possession.
Rajanpur DPO Zahid Mehmood Gndal
said that 13 seminaries had been cleared as no objectionable
material was found.
Addressing the Belarusian State
University at Minsk (Belarus), PM Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan
wanted cordial relations with both India and Afghanistan and
would not let anyone use its territory for terrorism against
any neighbour. He also talked about the challenges his Government
was facing and the measures taken to meet the energy shortages
and to eradicate extremism. Referring to terrorism, Nawaz said
his Government was committed to rooting it out and said the
nation stood united with the government and the armed forces
in this regard. He said the Operation Zarb-e-Azb will continue
till the elimination of terrorism in the country.
A day after President Ashraf
Ghani claimed the organisers of terrorist attacks and terrorist
centres still exist in Pakistan, Afghanistan’s Chief Executive
Dr Abdullah Abdullah claimed Pakistan does not cooperate in
anti-terrorism campaign with Kabul. “In regards to Pakistan...
in spite of our people’s scepticism, we took bold steps to improve
relations, but unfortunately, Pakistan did not cooperate in
anti-terrorism activities over the past 10 months as we expected,”
Dr Abdullah said at a council meeting of ministers. “They (Pakistan)
issued good statements, but those who commit crimes against
our people are financed and armed there,” Abdullah’s office
quoted him as saying. “They kept Mullah Omar’s death a secret
for two years, and then openly held new leadership meetings
in order to restore their identity under the leadership of a
new criminal, to gain legitimacy and continue their carnage.”
The US indicated to Pakistan
that further extension in the CSF beyond 2015 may not be possible.
The issue about the future of CSF, according to a defence source,
was discussed at the 23rd Defence Consultative Group Meeting
(DCG)-Interim Progress Review (IPR) held at the Defence Ministry.
Principal Deputy Secretary of Defence Ms Kelly Magsamen led
the US delegation comprising officials of the defence and state
departments. Under the CSF arrangement, the US reimbursed Pakistan
for operations and maintenance costs incurred in direct support
of its operations in Afghanistan.
Since 2001, the US has reimbursed
USD 13 billion to Pakistan, which is the largest recipient of
the fund. The arrangement was supposed to end with the completion
of the drawdown in December 2014, but the US government through
legislation extended the programme for another year. The extended
programme, which came with extra conditions, allowed reimbursement
of up to USD one billion. At the DCG meeting Pakistan sought
its further extension due to continuing challenges. Besides
helping in meeting security expenses, the government has been
using CSF inflows to narrow down current account deficit. A
source said the US unwillingness to continue the programme was
because of its changing priorities as it appeared more focused
on the challenges posed by Middle Eastern terror group Daesh.
Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, wrote
a letter to high ranking officials in Karachi Police, alleging
that 19 Police officials were involved in various crimes and
corruption cases, including extortion and kidnappings. The letter
asserts that the accused receive political backing to protect
offenders involved in crimes.
Sindh Assembly passed a resolution,
banning the manufacturing and sale of toy guns. MPA of MQM,
Saifuddin Khalid had presented the resolution before the Sindh
Assembly. Rising above their political differences, all the
members present in the house expressed their support for the
resolution.
The National Assembly adopted
a resolution demanding that what is regarded as a vision of
the Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah about the status of religious
minorities in Pakistan be adopted as the country’s roadmap for
the future. Some supporters of the resolution wanted the Quaid’s
famous speech to Pakistan’s first Constituent Assembly on Aug
11, 1947, containing that vision, be made part of school and
college curriculum to make the country’s youth aware of what
its founder had visualised the new state to be like. “The text
of the historic August 11, 1947 speech is a beacon of light
for us...and be regarded as a roadmap for the future,” said
an opposition amendment to the Urdu text of the official resolution
that recalled what it called the Quaid-i-Azam’s promise of “rights
of equality” for all minorities living in Pakistan.
Some key portions of the speech,
which were allegedly blacked out by some previous regimes, were
recalled in the house, such as: “You may belong to any religion
or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business
of the state.” The speech also read, “You will find in course
of time that Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would
cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that
is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political
sense as citizens of the state.”
August 12
At least four Policemen were
killed when unidentified militants opened fire on a Police mobile
van in Zaman Town locality of Korangi Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. SSP Korangi Naeem Ahmed Sheikh said that ASI
Aqeel and three other cops died on the spot.
An unidentified man was shot
dead by unidentified armed assailants near Taskeen Cafe in Chishti
Nagar of Orangi Town.
A man, Shah Jahan (32), was
shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Saido Lane, Street
7 of Lyari Town.
SFs in an intelligence-based
operation busted a foreign sponsored terrorist gang and foiled
its bid to sabotage the Independence Day celebrations in Karachi.
The ISPR said some high value targets, including the TTP Swat
Chapter Naib Ameer in Karachi, Bakht Zaman, was arrested during
the operation. The terrorist gang had prepared an explosives
laden vehicle and a motorcycle which they were planning to use
on Independence Day. During interrogation, the Ameer confessed
that vehicles were arranged from Karachi and they were waiting
for suicide bombers to arrive from Afghanistan.
A tribal elder, Ali Muhammad
Hassani, was killed along with his son and two other colleagues
when unidentified militants opened fire at his convoy in Jorri
Cross area of Surab tehsil in Kalat District. Three persons
were also injured in the attack. Hassani was travelling from
Kalat to Kharan District.
At least three security personnel
were killed when an IED went off in Sandana area of Tirah Valley
in Khyber Agency of FATA. According to a security official,
the bomb which had been planted on a roadside, exploded when
security personnel were on a routine patrol of the area, where
the Army is currently involved in Operation Khyber-II.
The Operation Zarb-e-Azb, which
is being carried out in NWA to eliminate terrorists and their
safe havens, is in its final stages, COAS General Raheel Sharif
said. General Raheel visited the front lines in Waziristan,
where he directed operation commanders to ensure that terrorists
remain cut off from their “friends and their outside support”,
said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations.
“These enemies of state and their financiers will not find a
place in the country and will ultimately meet their justified
ends,” said the army chief. Reviewing the progress of ongoing
operations, he expressed satisfaction over gains made by forces
thus far and appreciated the troops’ high morale which, he said,
was at display while they fought terrorists in the most rugged
terrain, said the ISPR statement.
Shahzeb Khanzada in his television
program on Geo Television revealed the close relation between
PPP and the Lyari Gang War 'chief' Uzair Jan Baloch, who is
the leader of PAC. He revealed that symbol of terror in Karachi
the leader of the Lyari Gang War, Uzair Baloch had finalised
the names of the candidates of PPP for contesting the 2013 elections
from many constituencies of Karachi. All of these candidates
took the oath of allegiance with Uzair Baloch and not the party.
A number of special videos depicting
strong and close connections of PPP and Uzair Baloch in the
program, which had never been seen earlier, were shown. One
of these videos showed Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and
other important leaders of the PPP attending a reception Uzair
Baloch had hosted immediately after the oath-taking ceremony.
There had been report of such links between the PPP and PAC,
but PPP always refuted the reports.
The Government told the Senate
(Upper House) that JuD was still placed on the suspect list
of groups and that its ex-nomenclature was LeT, as PPP Senator
Farhatullah Babar said permitting banned outfits to work under
different names undermined the state’s credibility to fighting
militancy. Senator Usman Kakar of PkMAP reminded the Government
that the Constitution and the law did not allow anyone to keep
private militias, whereas hundreds of these were active across
Pakistan.
Responding to discussion on
a motion, moved by PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar, State Minister
for Interior Muhammad Balighur Rehman said that if any of the
groups placed in the suspects list would go out of its domain
as a charity and welfare outfit, the government would take action
against it. Senator Babar agitated on not being shared a copy
of the Lahore High Court judgement, which allowed JuD to work
as a charity organisation despite a commitment by a Minister
over a month ago and his letter to the Senate Secretariat on
this count.
He reminded the Minister that
the Government had confirmed while replying to his question
on July 7 that no banned outfit could resurrect by renaming
itself. But the Government could not do anything after the court
had permitted JuD to work. However, to date, he was not provided
operative part of the court order despite passage of over a
month, order of the Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani and his
(Babar’s) letter to the Senate Secretariat on this count.
August 13
Karachi East DIG Munir Ahmed
Shaikh said that the investigators have made headway in identifying
militants and their motive for the killing of four Policemen
in Korangi Town of Karachi. “Police have made a breakthrough
in the case. The group involved in the quadruple murder has
been identified and credible information has been gathered about
them,” said DIG Shaikh. The initial probe made so far indicated
that a particular militant group was involved in the killing
of the Policemen of the Zaman Town Police Station.
The forensic report of the weapon
used in the murder confirmed that it was also used in the murder
of Preedy SHO Ejaz Khwaja near Akhtar Colony and Syed Iqbal
Mehdi who was shot dead on sectarian ground in the jurisdiction
of the same Police Station, said the official.
CoAS General Raheel Sharif confirmed
the death sentences of seven hardcore terrorists, including
six belonging to TWJ and one TTP militant, who were involved
in December 16, 2014, Peshawar Army Public School and May 13,
2015, Safoora Chowrangi attacks. The six TWJ militants identified
as Hazrat Ali, Mujeebur Rehman, Sabeel alias Yahya, Molvi Abdus
Salam, Ateequr Rehman, Kifayatullah alias Kaif Qari. TTP militant
was identified as Taj Muhammad alias Rizwan.
According to ISPR, eight hardcore
terrorists, involved in offences relating to terrorism, suicide
bombings, damage to life and property, including attacks on
Army Public School Peshawar, Safoora Chowrangi, were tried by
military courts established under the Pakistan Army (Amendment)
Act, 2015. In view of the nature and gravity of offences, seven
terrorists were awarded death sentences, whereas one was awarded
life imprisonment by the military courts. The convicts have
the right to file an appeal before the military court of appeals.
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri,
in an online audio message, pledged allegiance to the new head
of the Afghan Taliban Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansoor. “We pledge
our allegiance ... (to the) commander of the faithful, Mullah
Mohammad Akhtar Mansoor, May God protect him,” said Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The authenticity of the recording could not be immediately verified,
but it had all the stamps of an al Qaeda video.
The Government revealed that
terrorist organisations are operating around 3,000 websites
to promote their nefarious agenda in the country. This was disclosed
by PML-N lawmaker Tahir Iqbal during the meeting of the sub-committee
of National Assembly's Standing Committee on Information Technology
and Telecommunication. The committee met to re-examine the proposals
received on the ‘Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill, 2015’
at the Parliament House.
Iqbal said that the Government
wants to finalise the ‘Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill,
2015’ as soon as possible, since it was demanded by Law Enforcement
Agencies to implement the NAP in accordance. The participants
discussed the offences and punishments included in the ‘Prevention
of Electronic Crimes Bill, 2015’ including glorification of
an offence and hate speech, unauthorised use of identity information,
unauthorised interception, offences against dignity of natural
person, cyber stalking, spamming, spoofing, retention of traffic
data, power to manage intelligence and issue directions for
removal or blocking access to any intelligence through any information
system.
August 15
Three 'terrorists' suspected
of affiliation with the BLA were killed, while one other was
injured in an exchange of fire with Rangers personnel during
an operation near the Ismael Shah Mazar area in Karachi of Sindh.
Those killed have been identified as Zahid, Nasir and Habib,
alias Fauji. Their accomplice, Allahi Buksh, alias Guddu, was
injured, said a Rangers press release. The statement said the
paramilitary force was conducting 'surgical action' on suspected
hideouts of 'BLA terrorists'. On seeing the Rangers, the 'gangsters'
resorted to firing, upon which paramilitary troops returned
fire.
August 16
More than 40 militants were
killed and many others injured in ground and aerial offensives
launched by SFs in Shawal Valley area of NWA of FATA. According
to a statement issued by the ISPR, a large number of militants
fleeing the military operation in other parts of NWA are believed
to have taken refuge in Shawal Valley.
Two persons, identified as Syed
Qabil and Noor Khan, sustained injuries when an IED went off
near a shrine in Lakar Baba area of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency.
A bomb blast occurred at the
football ground at the Government High School in Landikotal
tehsil of Khyber Agency. However, no casualty was reported.
Sources said that the blast took place 20 minutes after a football
match of the Independence Sports Festival was stopped and spectators
left the ground due to heavy rain. He said the bomb was of high
intensity as it smashed window glasses of a few homes nearby.
Two suicide attackers killed
Punjab Home Minister Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada and at least
20 other people, after detonating a bomb at a meeting the Minister
was attending in the village of Shadi Khan in Attock District
of Punjab. DSP Hazara Circle Shaukat Shah was also killed in
the incident. 23 others persons were also injured. Khanzada
(71) had been holding a meeting with local people who had come
to express their condolences on the death of his cousin. “There
were two suicide bombers. One stood outside the boundary wall
and the second one went inside and stood in front of the minister,”
Mushtaq Sukhera, Provincial Police Chief said. “The blast by
the bomber standing outside destroyed the wall which caused
the roof to fall on the minister and the people gathered there,”
he added. Khanzada used to visit his home every week to listen
to the problems of the people of his constituency. Khanzada
had been a member of the Punjab Assembly since 2002 and an active
member of the PML-N.
A TTP-affiliated militant group,
LI claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was retaliation
for military operations against them in Khyber Agency. However
it was unclear if LI had actually carried out the attack or
was just taking credit for it.
PM Nawaz Sharif pledged that
the terrorists would be chased to their last hideout and eliminated
with national resolve and unity. While eulogising Punjab Home
Minister Shuja Khanzada, the PM said that the sacrifices of
the brave nation and valiant heroes like Shuja Khanzda would
decimate the designs of coward terrorists. He said that the
courage and valour of Khanzada was a message to the terrorists
that they were bound to be defeated. Nawaz expressed his deep
grief and sorrow over the killing of Khanzada, said a press
release issued by the PM’s House.
Three FC personnel and two terrorists
were killed in a clash between the SFs and militants in Qilla
Kurd area of Chaghi District in Balochistan. The FC spokesman
said that the terrorists attacked the paramilitary troops. Three
FC personnel were killed in the attack. The paramilitary force
appropriately retaliated the attack, killing two terrorists
while others fled from the scene. Arms were recovered from the
possession of slain militants.
An ATC in Lahore awarded life
term to an al Qaeda member Khurram Shahzad, with an order to
confiscate his entire property. The verdict came on a charge
sheet submitted by the CTD Lahore. The convict, a resident of
Rawalpindi, was arrested by the CTD from Lorry Ara on May 13,
with recovery of a hand-grenade and 10 kilograms of explosive
material from him. Shahzad also confessed that he had planted
a bomb in the washroom of a bus stand that was recovered by
the CTD officials. The charge sheet and prosecution revealed
that the convict belonged to al Qaeda and was involved in transporting
arms, ammunition and explosives to carry out attacks across
the country.
Police have ‘neutralised’ more
individuals and gangs allegedly involved in heinous offences
in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, in the first seven
months of the current year than the criminals they had eliminated
last year. According to the performance report on the ongoing
Karachi operation prepared by the Sindh Home Department, Police
have already recorded 935 shootings against criminal gangs and
individuals by the end of July, which are 66 more than the 869
encounters last year. A total of 596 gangs have been busted
– 118 more than the 478 gangs eliminated last year, while 386
‘criminals’ have been ‘neutralised’ – 125 more than the alleged
criminals gunned down in 2014.
August 17
The SFs claimed to have killed
65 militants in air strikes in the NWA and the Khyber Agency
of FATA. The ISPR said that as many as 50 militants were killed
in precise air strikes in the Shawal and Gharlamai areas of
NWA. It said the fighter jets pounded sanctuaries of the militants
in the remote mountainous Shawal Valley near the Afghan border.
It added that infrastructure of terrorists, including an ammunition
depot, were destroyed in the air strikes.
The ISPR said that at least
15 terrorists were killed in precise aerial strikes in the Rajgal
area which is close to the Pak-Afghan border in the Khyber Agency.
It said reports also indicated that two suicide bombers were
among the killed terrorists.
Unidentified militants blew
up a Government school in Waliabad locality of Bar Qambarkhel
in Bara tehsil. Sources said that militants planted explosive
material in the school at mid night. The explosion caused partial
damage to the school building. The Khasadar Force later arrested
at least five suspected men during a search operation. According
to official figures, militants had destroyed 150 Government
schools in different parts of Bara during the last six years.
A soldier of the Pakistan Army
sustained injuries in a cross border firing by the Afghan troops
at Security Forces post in Arundu area of Chitral District in
KP. The Afghan troops opened fire on the security forces post
at Arundu crossing at 1:45pm where a soldier identified as Havaldar
Bismillah sustained injuries.
Three IEDs were defused in different
areas of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP.
A person suspected of killing
two peace committee members in 2007 and committing other crimes
has been arrested by the Counter Terrorism Department during
a raid on a house in Badaber area of Peshawar. Wanted terrorist
Amal Gul of Bara, Khyber Agency was caught when the CTD acting
on an intelligence lead, raided the house in Badaber.
Police foiled a sabotage bid
and defused IED from under construction building of the PTCL
at Kechibaig near Sariab area of Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan. According to Police, acting on a tip off, a
Police party along with bomb disposal squad team reached the
site and defused Five kilogrammes explosive devices which were
planted near the under construction building at Kechibaig area
by unidentified person.
Five commanders and 23 cadres
of the militant outfit surrendered in Quetta and Panjgur District.
Four of the commanders handed over their arms to the authorities
in the presence of provincial Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed
Bugti and Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani at the Quetta
Press Club. Abdul Sattar Masoori Bugti, Iftikhar Bugti, Najeebullah
Bugti and Idrees Rind belonged to the banned BRA. The Minister
described the surrender as a big achievement of the government
because the men were said to be the “right hand of Brahamdagh
Bugti”.
August 18
At least 18 militants were killed
in air strikes in Shawal Valley of North Waziristan Agency in
FATA. The area is generally off-limits to journalists, making
it difficult to independently verify the number and identity
of the dead.
PPP central executive committee
member and former MNA Akhunzada Chattan’s nine-year-old son,
Hussain Shah, was recovered from Dosai area of Khar in Bajaur
Agency. After he was abducted on August 17, the political administration
and Security Forces conducted a search operation within Bajaur
Agency and also alerted the personnel manning check posts. The
nine-year-old was found in the morning. After his release, the
boy told the Police he was waiting for the school bus when the
kidnappers hauled him away in a car.
At least two suspected terrorists
and one Rangers official, identified as Assistant Director of
Law Enforcement Agency, were killed during an intelligence-based
targeted operation carried out by the paramilitary force on
suspected hideouts in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. "On seeing the Rangers, the suspected
militants resorted to firing, upon which paramilitary troops
returned fire," the press release statement said.
The Deputy Secretary of the
ASWJ, Dilshad Moavia (40), was shot dead in a sectarian attack
near Noorani restaurant in Orangi Town.
The driver of MQM leader and
MNA Rashid Godil, identified as Abdul Mateen, was shot dead
while Godil sustained injuries injured when unidentified militants
opened fire at his car came in Bahadurabad area of Gulshan Town.
He was attacked while he was on his way to party headquarters,
Nine Zero, for a meeting with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman.
SSP East Javed Jiskani said. “Godil was targeted after being
identified,” he added.
An activist of MQM, identified
as Rahim, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in
Orangi Town.
In the biggest bank heist of
2015, four armed robbers barged into a private bank and escaped
with PKR 8 million in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. They injured the
security guard and took the staff and people present in the
bank hostage. According to SP Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town, one of the
dacoits was arrested along with arms and he was being investigated.
The Director General of Pakistan
Rangers, Sindh, announced PKR1 million reward for the information
that would help the law enforcers to arrest the killers of restaurant
owner, Rehan Rasheed, who was shot dead along with his employee,
Saeed Abu Mohammed (60), in North Nazimabad Town on August 16,2
015. Nazimabad SHO Ather Malik claimed that initial probe indicated
that the murder could be a sectarian attack.
Unidentified people put up posters,
signed by Daesh (also known as Islamic State/IS), on the walls
of schools in Phugla, Fazla Kachh and Barthi tribal areas of
Dera Ghazi Khan District. Border Military Police registered
a case against unidentified people. The posters carried messages
against co-education.
Four leaders of BRA surrendered
and handed over their arms to the authorities in the presence
of Provincial Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti and Home
Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani at the Quetta Press Club in
Quetta. They were identified as Abdul Sattar Masoori Bugti,
Iftikhar Bugti, Najeebullah Bugti and Idrees Rind. The Minister
described the surrender as a big achievement of the Government
because the men were said to be the “right hand of Brahamdagh
Bugti”. He said they had abandoned the armed struggle against
the state and decided to join the mainstream. Now they would
work for the development and prosperity of the country, especially
Balochistan, he added. Sattar Masoori said he went to Afghanistan
in 2006 and spent most of his time in Nimruz province. He said
the BRA had set up 20 to 30 camps in Sobatpur, Panjgur, Khuzdar,
Dera Bugti and other areas. He claimed that the Indian intelligence
agency R&AW and Afghanistan’s NDS were behind funding and
training of the BRA militants. The RAW and NDS personnel trained
BRA militants in its camps, he said, adding that providing arms
and ammunition and transport were also their responsibility.
24 BRA and the BLA militants,
including one militant leader, identified as Hamal, handed over
their arms to the FC officials in the presence of Health Minister
Rehmat Saleh Baloch in Panjgur District. Official sources said
the surrendered militants announced that they were abandoning
the armed struggle against the state and would join the mainstream.
August 19
At least 25 militants were killed
in military air strikes in Shawal area of North Waziristan Agency
in FATA. “Jet air bombing destroyed five militant hideouts and
killed 25 militants,” said one of the two officials who confirmed
the death toll. However, TTP 'spokesman' Ehsanullah Ehsan said
the air strikes had not killed any militants.
The Federal Government announced
the establishment of civilian courts in FATA. “We will establish
civilian courts in all agencies of FATA and also post an additional
political agent in every agency whose sole responsibility will
be to facilitate the court in his assigned agency,” said Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan at the inauguration
ceremony of FATA Tribunal Courtroom at the Federal Judicial
Complex in Peshawar. The FATA Tribunal was established in 2011,
but a functioning courtroom was not present for the tribunal.
A Case Management Information System (CMIS) was developed using
the Multi Donor Fund Trust (MDFT) and will function in the courtroom.
A case registered in the court, took an average of 142 days
to resolve, but now after the introduction of CMIS, it would
be resolved in 92 days.
The Director General of ISPR,
Asim Saleem Bajwa, announced the beginning of ground operations
in Shawal Valley of NWA in the night of August 19. According
to DG ISPR, COAS General Raheel Sharif has directed for accomplishment
of military objectives as soon as possible. Bajwa also tweeted
that the COAS also ordered ideal coordination between air and
ground assaults for maximum outcome.
Intelligence Agencies arrested
two suspected militants from Faisalabad District in connection
with the August 16, 2015, suicide attack on Punjab Home Minister
Colonel (retired) Shuja Khanzada, reports The News. According
to details, local suspects in Attock collaborated with the terrorists
and more than one terrorist outfit was involved in the attack.
A Division Bench of Lahore High
Court granted post-arrest bail to Mumtaz Sindhi, suspected of
being involved in attacking a vigil organised to mark the fourth
death anniversary of former Governor Salmaan Taseer at Liberty
Chowk in Lahore District on January 4, 2015. The bench directed
Sindhi to submit two surety bonds to the tune of PKR 200,000
each to avail the bail.
Pakistani authorities are investigating
officials at NADRA for allegedly issuing Identity cards to militants,
including some linked to al Qaeda, in return for bribes as small
as USD 100. The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), uncovered
the alleged corrupt practices at the NADRA during ongoing anti-terrorism
operations, according to official documents. “It has been found
that many NADRA officials are involved in facilitating miscreants
and terrorists in obtaining fake identity,” read ISI correspondence.
Adnan El Shukrijumah, a senior
al Qaeda leader wanted by the US over a 2009 plot to attack
the New York subway system, was among those who obtained a Pakistani
ID card by bribing officials, the documents said. Shukrijumah
was killed in December 2014 during an army operation in South
Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
He was described by the FBI as “one of the leaders of al Qaeda´s
external operations program” and had a USD 5 million bounty
for information leading to his arrest.
August 20
At least 43 terrorists were
killed in air strikes by SFs in NWA of FATA. According to Inter
Services Public Relations, 28 militants were killed in Gharlamai
and 15 in Shawwal area in the strikes. Several militant hideouts
were also destroyed in the strikes.
SFs killed 10 militants and
injured five more in armed skirmishes in the Paray Ghar, Larvay
and Mushta areas of Ladha tehsil in South Waziristan
Agency. One personnel of the SFs also embraced martyrdom in
the fights while two others sustained injuries.
A man, identified as Ramzan
(32), was shot dead and four others, Khalid (30), Salman (25),
Muhammad (30) and Rahmat (50), were injured by unidentified
armed assailants in Dur Muhammad Lane in Chakiwara area of Lyari
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
One Sajid Riaz (40), was shot
at and injured by unidentified armed assailants in Block 16,
Federal-B Area of Gulberg Town.
The law enforcers arrested 25
militants and demolished ‘offices’ being used by TTP in various
localities, including Manghopir, Sultanabad and Sohrab Goth
(Gadap Town), Kunwari Colony (Orangi Town), Gulshan-e-Bunair
and Future Colony (Landhi Town), and Ittehad Town (Baldia Town).
The Police raided two offices of the TTP in Mir Muhammad Goth
and Sultanabad areas of Manghopir and later demolished them.
Manghopir SHO Ghulam Hussain Korai said that the Police razed
the offices completely. “The offices were closed but we have
had information that the militants are trying to reopen them,”
said Korai. These areas had remained under the influence of
militant outfits, particularly the TTP for the past few years.
They established their offices to operate gangs, carry out terrorist
activities and generate funds.
The South Zone Police claimed
to have arrested 25 suspects, including 12 for displaying weapon
in public, during raids in different parts of Karachi. On the
directives of South DIG Dr Jameel Ahmed, South Zone Police conducted
raids against criminals and arrested 12 of them from Frere,
Clifton and Defence areas of Saddar Town for displaying weapons.
Two repeaters, two 7mm rifles, two 9mm pistols, three 12-bore
rifles, a gun, a Kalashnikov rifle and a TT pistol were recovered
from their possession.
Napier, Mauripur, Clifton, Boat
Basin, Darakhshan, Gizri, Defence and Eidgah Police arrested
13 suspects in separate raids within their jurisdictions. Police
said the arrested suspects were wanted in different cases including
looting, street crimes, vehicle snatching and armed crime activities.
Three rifles, a Kalashnikov rifle, a repeater, three pistols,
one 9mm gun, a sword, a gun, hundreds of cartridges, snatched
motorcycle and some money and other valuables were recovered
from their possessions.
The investigators probing the
May 13, 2015, Safoora bus attack on members of the Ismaili community
confirmed that the assailants were affiliated with the Islamic
State (IS). The anti-terrorism court hearing the case, after
an extensive scrutiny, accepted the interim charge sheet of
the Safoora bus attack case. The charge sheet, which is also
held as the investigation report, was submitted nearly three
months after the case was registered. It states that there were
at least 15 assailants involved in the attack: 10 were riding
the four motorcycles and five others were in a white-coloured
car that followed them. The motorcyclists stopped the bus, barged
into it and carried out the execution, while the car occupants
served as a back-up team.
An Ahmadi, identified as Ikram
Ullah (37), was shot dead by four unidentified militants in
a sectarian attack in Taunsa town of Dera Ghazi Khan District.
Saleem-ud-Din, a community leader, condemned the killing. “Continuous,
seditious propaganda against Ahmadis all over the country is
a primary reason of these kinds of incidents,” Din said in a
statement.
The CTD took arrested two suspects,
identified as Qari Tahir and Mohammad Zubair, who allegedly
spied on the assassinated Home Minister of Punjab, retired Colonel
Shuja Khanzada. Tahir Zubair had constantly been following Khanzada
over the past couple of weeks before terrorists targeted him
in a suicide attack in Attock on August 16, 2015.
Seven suspects were detained
from different areas of Lahore. Three of the arrested suspects
were identified as Qari Attiqur Rehman, Mohammad Irshad and
Abdul Razzaq. CTD SP Maroof Safdar Wahla said that his department
was carrying out operations against members of banned organisations
on a daily basis.
An unidentified Baloch militant
was killed in exchange of fire with FC during a search operation
in Tallar area of Turbat District.
Unidentified militants abducted
four labourers from Tallar area of Turbat District. “Militants
kidnapped four labourers from the Tallar area of Turbat,” said
a police source. “The labourers were coming back from Mirani
Dam to Turbat bazaar when they were abducted,” added the police
source. The labourers were identified as Juma Khan, Bakhtullah,
Gul Khan and Yehya Khan by the security sources and were involved
in the construction of a road in the area.
FC arrested BRA militant in
another combing operation in Dera Bugti District.
Police and FC arrested a militant
'commander' from Qambarani Road in Quetta.
A TTP was arrested during a
raid carried out in the main Killa Abdullah Bazar of Killa Abdullah
District.
August 21
Five Lyari-based gangsters,
including one wanted in several cases, were shot dead in a joint
encounter by Police and Rangers in Ghulam Hussain Shah Lane
near Lea Market in Napier area of Saddar Town in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. Three SF personnel, including the
SHO Napier, Azam Khan, were also injured in the exchange of
fire. According to SSP East, Fida Hussain Janwari, the Police
obtained intelligence about the presence of gangsters in the
area after which a joint team of the Police and Rangers conducted
a targeted raid on an alleged hideout.
Fida Hussain identified one
of the deceased as Sadiq Gadani. “He had established a reign
of terror in Lyari,” claimed the senior Police Officer. “Sadiq
Gadani was linked with Noor Mohammed alias Baba Ladla gang,”
he said. But some residents said Sadiq Gadani had recently parted
ways with Baba Ladla and joined the Lashari gang. The Sindh
Government had placed PKR 1 million bounty on his head. The
other deceased gangsters were identified as Salar, Shahnawaz
and Raza while a fifth suspect could not be identified immediately,
said the SSP.
SFs claimed to have recovered
thousands of bullets from vehicle parked in Nazimabad No. 1
area of North Nazimabad Town. Area residents informed Police
about the presence of the suspicious vehicle, which had remained
parked in Nazimabad for the past few days. Initial reports suggest
that the car was transferring ammunition to an unknown location,
but was parked due to some mechanical problems in the car. According
to Central SSP Muqaddas Haider, residents saw boxes inside the
vehicle and Police summoned the bomb disposal squad to scan
the car for explosives. More than 9,000 bullets were recovered
from the car. Security sources said that the recovered ammunition
appeared to be bullets of G3 rifles.
Karachi Police Chief, Mushtaq
Ahmed Mahar conceded on that unlike targeted killings and acts
of terrorism, the incidence of street crime in the metropolis
had not come down. He said that for a city of over 18 million
people there were only 30,000 Policemen who were already battling
organised criminal gangs, armed wings of political parties and
militants of banned outfits.
Speaking to journalists after
signing a MoU between the Karachi Police and Voice of Karachi
(VoK), a Non-Governmental Organisation, he said due to unavailability
of the required number of force, the Law Enforcement Agency
was focusing on technological support for regular policing and
investigations. “The signing ceremony today is an initiative
on the same line,” he said, addiing, “We are well aware of the
policing challenges in the city and for that a comprehensive
strategy is being devised to fight every crime. That’s true
that the ratio of street crime has not declined to that extent
despite the operation in Karachi, but we hope to change the
situation positively very soon.”
Four Police Officials were arrested
in two separate incidents in Lahore District, on suspicion of
having link with terrorists. In the first incident, Police arrested
three Police Officials from Police Lines and in another incident,
one Policeman was arrested from Laxmi Chowk. The arrested officials
reportedly had affiliation with a defunct organisation.
A terror suspect was arrested
by the Police and the officials of sensitive agencies from Chungi
Dogaij area of Lahore. Explosive material and other sensitive
documents were recovered from his possession.
Over 140 suspected terrorists
were arrested from different areas in South Punjab in the aftermath
of the August 16, 2015, Attock suicide attack in which Punjab
Home Minister, Shuja Khanzada was killed along with several
others. A majority of those picked up carry head money on their
arrest, a Senior Police Official said. He said most of the suspects
were members of banned militant organisations active in Punjab
and many were hardened criminals said to be involved in terrorist
activities.
The Police averted a terror
attack when it arrested a wanted terrorist from Haji Camp area
of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP and recovered 11 kilogrammes
of explosives from his possession. According to the details
provided by Special Police Force, the wanted terrorist Waheedullah
was arrested after intelligence agencies shared information
regarding his whereabouts. Police also claimed to have recovered
an IED, which was fitted inside a water cooler, from the possession
of the arrested terrorist. The Police sources further claimed
that Waheedullah has confessed to his involvement in six terror
attacks in Bara, Khyber Agency, which had resulted in the deaths
of 42 security personnel.
August 22
At least three people including
two tribal elders, identified as Malik Dawakhana and Haji Kareem
were killed and two others injured in an IED blast in the Arang
area of Bajaur Agency in FATA. Initially, three others were
injured, however, one of them succumbed to injuries in the hospital.
Police arrested a high profile
terrorist in Matta tehsil of Swat District. According to CTD,
Mian Syed, a resident of Bara Bamakhela area in Matta tehsil,
was arrested on a tip-off. He was wanted by law enforcement
agencies in several terrorist activities in Swat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A live hand grenade was recovered
from the building in Attock District where Punjab Home Minister
Shuja Khanzada was killed in a suicide attack on August 16,
2015. The BDS was called in to defuse the hand-grenade. The
grenade was discovered during the clearing of the compound.
A senior security official said that the suicide bomber might
have been carrying the hand grenade, which remained undetonated.
“The hand grenade could have been thrown towards the target
in case the suicide vest failed to detonate,” the official said.
August 23
At least four dead bodies of
abducted labourers working on a project of the Pakistan-China
Economic Corridor were found in the Dasht area of Turbat District.
The labourers were identified as Yahyah Khan and Jumma Khan,
residents of Quetta, while other two were identified as Gull
Khan and Bakht Khan of Wazir Khan. They had been abducted along
with their vehicle in Dasht area on August 21, 2015.
At least four Policemen, including
an ASI, were killed when unidentified armed assailants opened
fire on a patrolling Police van in Pashtunabad area of provincial
capital Quetta. SSP Operations Quetta Aitzaz Goraya said that
the assailants managed to escape after the attack.
One FC trooper, identified as
Muhammad Rehman, was killed and two others were injured when
unidentified militants opened indiscriminate fire on them near
a petrol station on Sariab Road of Quetta.
An unidentified shopkeeper was
shot dead in Hazar Ganji area of Quetta.
Police recovered two kidnapped
foreign nationals in a raid conducted in Jinnah Town area of
Quetta. “A raid was conducted at a house in Jinnah Town and
we recovered two foreign nationals, one from Nigeria and the
other from Tanzania,” said the Police source. The two foreigners
were abducted from Karachi a month and a half ago.
Four TTP militants were arrested
and their two hideouts destroyed during a search operation conducted
by FC in Kakal area of Zhob District.
Frontier Constabulary on an
intelligence report raided a house and recovered huge cache
of arms during a crackdown in Sunny Shoora locality of Sibi
District. The recovered arms included, 75RR Gun, 7MM Gun, RPG7
Gun, RPG7 Gun, rifles, pistols, hundreds of rounds of different
bores and a motorcycle.
Four Army soldiers were killed
and four others suffered injuries when militants fired rockets
on their observation post in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency in
FATA from the border areas of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.
Military authorities said the terrorists were stated to have
fired rockets, adding that Afghan officials claimed after the
attack they didn’t have a security post in the area from where
the rockets were fired on the Pakistani post.
A tribal elder associated with
the PPP was killed in roadside blast in the Zari area of Bajaur
Agency. The sources said that PPP Loi Mamond chapter president
Malik Muhammad Khan was on his way when he was targeted with
an IED in the Zari area.
Three soldiers sustained injuries
when their vehicle was targeted with an IED in the Sperai area
of Wara Mamond in Bajaur Agency. However, no arrest was made
during the search.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead the sole eyewitness in a terrorism case related to the
murder of four Customs officials in Muhammadzai village of Kohat
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police said that Hukam Khan,
a watchman at a filling station, had given a statement in court
of law and on his identification the killers of Customs officials
were arrested on February 2, 2015.
A Chinese tourist who was kidnapped
by the TTP militants more than a year ago has been freed, Federal
Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said. “He was handed
over to us late last night ... Today, after a while, maybe after
one or one-and-a-half hours, we will hand him over to the Chinese
Embassy,” he said. The Chinese man, who had been cycling through
Pakistan, was abducted in May 2014 near Dera Ismail Khan.
The ISI arrested a gang of around
52 Hundi and Hawala dealers, all of whom are Afghan nationals
and majority of them hold a Pakistani ID, from an unspecified
area of Islamabad. The ISI report states that “as these foreign
nationals have attained Pakistani identities, it was quite difficult
for the law enforcement agencies to track and apprehend them”.
The report, however, does not
speak about any transactions or the volume of money moved by
the dealers, except that Pakistani identities were found on
most of them. Intelligence officials also shared a list of
16 Pakistani and Afghan agents, who acted as middlemen between
NADRA staffers and the Afghan dealers for the ID cards. An unnamed
spokesperson for NADRA said that the organisation “will neither
confirm nor deny the ISI report”, and refused to comment any
further. The agents hail from South Waziristan Agency of FATA
and Afghanistan, and operate out of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. An intelligence officer said terrorist groups
prefer to send money through Hawala because it’s difficult to
trace the transfers. “The Afghan dealers were found involved
in transferring money to anti-state elements.”
The CTD arrested TTP-Khan Zaman
faction in separate raids conducted in Karachi. According to
CTD sources, in a raid conducted in SITE Town, five suspected
militants, identified as Naimatullah, Abdullah Jan, Sher Wali,
Saeedullah and Samiullah, were arrested. According to security
sources, all of them belong to Khan Zaman faction of TTP operating
in Karachi. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered in the
raid, which included five pistols and hand grenades.
Four militants belonging to
Khan Zaman faction were arrested from Korangi Town. Police also
recovered four pistols and associated ammunition from their
possession.
Sindh Police plans to send 35
cases of terrorist activities allegedly carried out by Safoora
Goth bus attack suspects on May 13, 2015, believed to be local
operatives of IS, to military courts. "We have identified
35 incidents of terrorism and other crimes, which were carried
out by the bus attack suspects,” said an unnamed senior official
privy to recently held series of meetings on re-examination
of all terrorism-related cases before sending them to the Home
Department that would then forward them to military courts.
August 24
Six militants and two security
personnel, one of them an officer, Lieutenant Colonel Faisal
Malik, were killed during a clash with the militants in Shawal
Valley of North Waziristan Agency in FATA.
A pro-Government armed group
of the Zakhakhel tribe, TI, beheaded three men from a rival
group for allegedly planting a bomb outside a mosque in Zakhakhel
Bazaar in Khyber Agency. Sources close to TI, the so-called
Zakhakhel peace committee, said they had taken the men `hostage’
before the month of Ramazan and found them responsible for planting
an explosive device outside a mosque frequented by the Tauheedul
Islam’s leaders. The device was defused by the Tauheedul Islam’s
activists.
SFs arrested two militants during
an operation in Chapar Mishti area of Orakzai Agency. The sources
said that the SFs and political administration launched an operation
against militants in Chapar Mishti area. The hideouts of a militant
commander Khadi Khan was destroyed in the operation and two
militants identified as Ihsanullah and Salim were arrested.
An unidentified man, aged about
30, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Industrial
Area of New Karachi Town in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
An unidentified dead body was
recovered near Lal Pul in Azeempura area of Shah Faisal Colony
in Malir Town.
A man, identified as Muzammil
(23), was shot at and injured by unidentified armed assailants
near K-Electric office in Bahadurabad area of Gulshan Town.
An under-trial prisoner, identified
as Tanveer alias Jumbo, who was being tried for possession of
explosives, escaped from Police custody by unlocking his handcuffs
while being escorted by a Policeman from Central Jail Karachi
for his hearing at Anti-Terrorism Court-IX. Tanveer was under
the custody of the Special Investigation Unit after he was arrested
in Ibrahim Hyderi area of Bin Qasim Town in 2014 and a case
(FIR 241/14) was registered under Sections 4/5 of the Explosives
Substances Act, 1908. Police claimed that hand grenades and
other explosive devices were recovered from Tanveer's possession
at the time of arrest.
Sindh Provincial Home Department
issued a notification imposing Section 144 in Karachi division
which bans display of weapons in the city. The current imposition
of Section 144 is for 90-day duration and comes into immediate
effect. The ban imposed today include activities such as open
display of arms, private vehicles having resemblance with vehicles
of police and other law enforcement agencies, private vehicles
with tinted glasses, private vehicles with mounted police lights
or sirens and fancy number plates.
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz
Sharif while chairing the Federal Cabinet meeting explicitly
ruled out rolling back the operation being conducted against
criminals and terrorists in Karachi. “We cannot even think of
taking any step back as far as Karachi operation is concerned
and those who have come in parliament with the people’s mandate
should place their grievances and raise their issues on the
floor,” he said. He said the Government is committed to implementing
NAP in its essence to ensure that benefits of its success reach
every nook and corner of the country. He emphasised that those
involved in sectarianism will be dealt with iron fist and affirmed
those who were disseminating hatred, inciting militancy and
encouraging terrorism will not be spared.
At least two people were killed
and two others were injured when unidentified militants lobbed
a hand grenade at a shop in Mullah Fazal Chowk area of Gwadar
District in Balochistan. No outfit claimed responsibility for
the attack.
Two ‘commanders’ of the TTP
Swat chapter have died of illness in the custody of the SFs
on an unspecified date in 2014. The sources said that Muslim
Khan and Mehmood Khan were arrested in 2010. Four to five important
TTP figures were arrested on the occasion and Muslim Khan and
Mehmood Khan were among them. Muslim Khan was spokesman for
the TTP in Swat. Mehmood Khan was one of the TTP negotiators
in Swat and had good contacts with Government officials. However,
there was no official confirmation of the deaths. The local
sources said the commanders died last year.
Police foiled a terror bid and
recovered explosive device planted to a bridge at Mardan-Swabi
road in the limits of Shahbaz Garhi Police Station in Mardan
District of KP. Source said that militants had planted 15 kilograms
explosive device to a bridge at Mohib Bypass on Mardan-Swabi
road. Taking action on a tip-off, officials of the Bomb Disposal
Unit rushed to the spot and defused the device.
The 'chief' of Jundullah, an
anti-Shia splinter group of TTP, Qari Ghulam Hazrat alias Abu
Huzaifa, was killed along with his three 'commanders' in an
airstrike in Chardara District of Kunduz Province. The NDS confirmed
the killing of Huzaifa and three of his accomplices. The NDS
said that the group was also involved in violence in Afghanistan.
Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while addressing a press conference
said that cracking down on religious and sectarian terrorist
groups is the Government’s top priority. He gave credit to the
civil-military cooperation for the achievements against terrorism.
He further said that terrorism
had been on an upsurge since 2006, but peaked after the 2009
operations in Swat Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and South Waziristan
Agency of FATA, with 2010 being the worst year in terms of terrorism,
when 2,061 terrorist attacks were recorded. But in 2014, this
number had gone down to 1640, while so far this year only 695
incidents have been recorded, of which there were no casualties
in 305 attacks, the Minister added. He said security forces
have killed 1,114 terrorists so far. Over 500 terrorists have
laid down their arms in Balochistan, where he claimed all terrorist
camps were dismantled.
August 25
At least five soldiers and six
TTP militants were killed during raids on Pakistan Army checkpoints
in Shawal area of NWA in FATA. “We will not let the army enter
Shawal under any conditions,” Azam Tariq, a TTP spokesperson,
said, adding that dozens of TTP cadres fighters had been involved
in the raids.
SFs recovered and defused an
explosive device planted near the house of JI leader, Zarnoor
Afridi, in Landikotal tehsil of Khyber Agency. Zarnoor
Afridi is JI’s deputy chief for FATA, in Sadukhel area.
Two high-profile `terrorists’
belonging to the TTP were arrested and three camps were destroyed
in Mishti Chappri area of Orakzai Agency. According to sources,
the arrested men were taken to an undisclosed place for interrogation.
Their identity was not disclosed.
Under the directives of the
Federal Government the Frontier Rangers have completed preparations
to take action against unregistered madrassas in FATA.
According to sources as part of the implementation for the NAP
703 madrassas in the FATA have been blacklisted in which 50,000
students including 18,000 women are being educated. Out of the
703 unregistered madrassas, over 292 are in North Waziristan
Agency and 204 in South Waziristan Agency.
At least four LeJ militants,
including one of its 'commanders', were shot dead and a FC official
was injured in a clash in Mian Gundi area of Quetta. According
to an unnamed FC official, they had received a tip off from
an intelligence agency that a convoy of LeJ militants was heading
towards Mastung District. FC special wing set up a picket on
the Quetta-Mastung highway in Mian Gundi to intercept the militants.
“The militants opened fire at security personnel,” he said.
In the ensuing exchange of fire, four militants of LeJ were
killed on the spot. A security official was also injured.
A Levies official was shot dead
by unidentified militants in Gandawah area of Jhal Magsi District.
An ASI, identified as Ali Nawaz,
was killed when unidentified armed assailants opened fire at
him on Sariab Road of Quetta.
One militant was killed and
another arrested with injuries during a joint operation by the
Police and Intelligence Agency personnel in Kili Geo area of
Quetta. Three security personnel were also injured in the incident.
SFs foiled an attempt to attack
a convoy of soldiers by defusing a bomb planted along a road
in Sangsilla area of Dera Bugti District.
Four TTP militants were arrested
during a raid on their hideout in Zhob District. “Security Forces
have recently killed and arrested several members of the TTP
who came to Zhob and Loralai areas after the launch of Zarb-e-Azb
operation in North Waziristan,” said an unnamed a security official.
Police arrested a suspect, identified
as Shaheen Marri, during a raid in the Marri Camp area of Quetta.
SFs detained six suspects during
two raids in Quetta and Nushki Districts. They are being interrogated,
the sources said.
A man, identified as Kajloo,
and his son, Ghazi, were killed in a roadside blast in Khalid
Brohi village near Tingwani area of Sukkur District in Sindh.
A man, identified as Muhammad
Saleem (28), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants
near 100 Quarters in Korangi Town of provincial capital Karachi.
A Policeman, identified as Ibrahim
(40), was killed and another, identified as Muhibullah (33),
was injured when unidentified armed assailants opened fired
on them near Empress Market in Jahangir Park of Saddar Town.
Three youngsters, identified
as Rehan (21), his brother, Arsalan (23), and Tahir (25), were
injured by unidentified militants at Electronics Market in Firdous
Colony area of Liaquatabad Town.
A man, identified as Ikram (25),
was shot at and injured in City Railway Colony of Saddar Town.
One Waqas Qureshi (24), was
shot at and injured by unidentified armed assailants near Akhter
Colony in Defence Morr area of Jamshed Town.
The CTD Operation Wing arrested
two alleged targeted killers, identified as Fazl alias Pehlwan
and Noor Hussain alias Noor, during a raid in Kati Pahari area
of Orangi Town. SP Usman Bajwa said that the suspects were affiliated
with Deen Muhammad Wazir and Mehfooz alias Bhaloo gangs.
The Police recovered two hand grenades, two Kalashnikovs and
cartridges from their possession.
Kashmore Police claimed that
they recovered three kidnapped persons from Masoo Curve area
of Kashmore District. The abductees included a goldsmith of
Sukkur Shahzado Dogar and two residents of Thulh, Gul Hasan
and Rahim Bakhsh. SSP Kashmore Umar Tufail said that the Police
recovered them while the abductors attempted to shift them.
Unidentified motorcyclists shot
dead a prominent religious scholar, Maulana Sheraman, a resident
of North Waziristan Agency of FATA, near Abu Samra locality
under the limits of Yarak Police Station in Dera Ismail Khan
town of same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A nephew of the
cleric, Luqmanullah, who was accompanying him sustained injuries.
A death row prisoner, identified
as Zulfiqar, convicted of killing four Policemen in 1997, was
hanged till death in Central Jail Bahawalpur of Bahawalpur District.
The Punjab CTD, in association
with the Intelligence Agencies, arrested as many as 182 suspects
belonging to various banned outfits, including 39 from Lahore
District, during search operations. A CTD spokesman said a list
of more than 500 members of banned outfits, including LeJ and
SeM, was prepared jointly by Intelligence Agencies and CTD spy
wing. He said it was decided in the Regional Police Officers
(RPOs) conference that the members of banned outfits operating
in different areas of the province would be arrested.
Following the meeting, a campaign
was launched against such elements, the CTD spokesman added.
He said during the drive, 182 banned outfits members had been
taken into custody from different regions and efforts were being
made to track down others. “As many as 39 members of LeJ and
SM residing in different areas of the provincial capital have
been arrested and shifted to undisclosed locations for interrogation”,
he said. He said there were reports that these suspects had
been in contact with hardcore terrorists.
Punjab Minister for Law and
Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah while addressing a press
conference on August 25 said that “not a single Madrassa
in Pakistan's most populous province was reported to have any
links with militancy,” reported Dawn. Sanaullah said “geo-tagging
of 13,787 seminaries had been completed” where about a million
students were acquiring religious education. He that Law Enforcement
Agencies had completed search operations in hostels and universities,
following a “zero tolerance policy against terrorism.”
August 26
At least eight BRA militants,
including 'commander' Chella Reesh, were killed during an operation
launched by the FC in Sui area of Dera Bugti District in Balochistan.
The FC spokesperson said that 15 kilograms of explosives, two
IEDs and other arms and ammunition were seized from their possession.
“The militant group was involved in terrorist activities in
Sui and other areas of Dera Bugti district,” said Wasey.
FC personnel arrested three
suspected militants from Sariab Road area of Quetta and recovered
weapons from their possession.
TTP 'spokesperson' Muhammad
Khurasani claimed responsibility for the August 25, 2015, killings
of one Levies official in Jhal Magsi District and an Assistant
Sub-Inspector in Quetta. Khurasani said that the TTP’s 'Special
Task Force' had been asked to target Government officials across
the country.
The UN Refugee Agency said that
around 64 families and 280 individuals will be repatriated to
Afghanistan. In a statement, the UNHCR chief in Balochistan
Dinesh Shrestha said, “the body is responsible for voluntary
return and we are providing every facility to them.” Shrestha
further stated that Pakistan and Afghanistan decided to extend
the stay of refugees in Pakistan for two more years. He said
we have registered three hundred thousand Afghan refugees in
Balochistan.
A man, identified as Nadir (30),
was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants near Tayyub Masjid
in Bakra Peeri area of Malir Town in provincial capital Karachi.
One Muhammad Hussain (60), was
shot dead in Korangi Town.
An unidentified man was shot
dead by unidentified armed assailants near Power House in Surjani
Town area of Gadap Town.
A man, identified as Abdul Aziz
(40), was shot at and injured by unidentified armed assailants
near Rexer Bridge in Muslim Colony area of New Karachi Town.
Jacobabad Police claimed that
BLA 'commander' Daren Shambhani Bugti and his close associate
Ali Hassan Banglani were arrested during a raid conducted on
an intelligence report in Channa Laro area of Thull town in
Jacobabad District. They were accused of planning to bomb the
Peshawar-bound Khushal Khan Khatak Express that originates from
Karachi. Jacobabad SSP, Malik Zafar Iqbal Awan said that three
hand grenades, a rocket launcher, two Kalashnikov rifles, ammunition
and explosives were seized from their possession.
TTP 'spokesperson' Muhammad
Khurasani claimed responsibility for several attacks on the
SFs in Ittehad Town of Baldia Town, Ayesha Manzil in Gulberg
Town, Korangi Town and Malir Town. He said that the 'Special
Task Force' of the TTP killed five spies of the Police and the
security forces in these areas of Karachi.
South Zone DIG Dr Jameel Ahmad
directed all SDPOs and SHOs s of his zone to draw maps of entrance
and exit points of their jurisdictions and deploy constables
there so that no criminal could find it easy to escape after
committing the crime. Dr Jameel Ahmad also directed to accelerate
action against street criminals. He ordered to the all SDPOs
and SHOs to compile a list of wanted criminals involved in terrorism,
target killing, extortion, street crimes, robberies and other
crimes and conduct targeted raids for arrest of these criminals.
Sindh Home Department identified
49 madrassas (religious seminaries) having alleged links with
‘terrorist organizations’ against whom the authorities have
been told to take action. The officials, who have prepared a
report based on the latest information and submitted it to Chief
Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, avoided naming the militant groups
those madrassas had ties with. However, they said the information
had been shared with the Sindh Police and Rangers for action
against them. The latest report prepared by the home department
said 26 of the seminaries linked with the banned groups were
in Karachi, 12 in Hyderabad, seven in Sukkur and four in Larkana
District.
Two soldiers were killed and
another injured in an IED attack targeting their military convoy
in Nano area of South Waziristan Agency of FATA. TTP - Mehsud
faction’s 'spokesman', Azam Tariq, claimed responsibility for
the attack.
BDU defused an IED planted near
Tanga area on Jandullah-Wana Road in North Waziristan Agency.
The BDU officials said that 16 kilogram of explosives had been
packed in the bomb.
Brahamdagh Bugti, the separatist
leader of the BRP, said that he is willing to negotiate with
the Government over the Balochistan issue, according to an interview
given to BBC Urdu. “If our friends, companions, political allies
and finally the people are in favour of this, then we are definitely
ready to live with Pakistan,” said Bugti. “We want to resolve
all issues politically and peacefully,” added Bugti.
Referring to Federal Minister
for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Bugti said, “We are ready
to meet him as we want a political solution to the problem.”
He further said, “Development in Balochistan is irrelevant,
as a democratic Government is not present in the Province and
the Baloch people were not included in the decision,” said Bugti.
August 27
Three militants who were strapping
an IED to a rail track died when they accidently detonated a
hand grenade in the Bala Nari area of Bolan District.
At least two labourers were
killed when unidentified armed assailants opened fire at them
on Sariab Road in Quetta. No outfit claimed responsibility for
the attack.
Two people, identified as Rab
Nawaz and his friend Sudher, were shot dead while they were
sitting outside their house in Quetta.
At least five persons, including
an al Qaeda affiliated suicide bomber, Habibur Rehman, and his
three children and wife, were killed when he detonated his suicide
vest during a joint-raid conducted by Police and SFs in Housing
Colony area of Pir Mahal area in Toba Tek Singh District of
Punjab. Police say officers raided a suspected militant hideout
in the area, triggering a shootout. The suspects also lobbed
several grenades wounding three members of the Punjab Elite
Police Force during the hour-long encounter.
“A man identified as Habibur
Rehman was running a business of washing powder supply in the
town,” the SHO, Chaudhry Akhtar of the local Police Station
said. Except for the sudden disclosure that he was a high-profile
al Qaeda operative, Rehman was living a normal life with his
family in this community, Akhtar added.
A man, identified as Gul Aslam
(25), was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Metroville
area of SITE Town in provincial capital of Sindh, Karachi.
An unidentified man was shot
dead in Orangi Town.
A man was shot at and injured
by unidentified militants in Iqbal Market area of Orangi Town.
A pro-government tribal elder,
identified as Malik Gul Rahim, was killed in an IED blast in
Chamarkand tehsil of Bajaur Agency in FATA. TTP claimed the
responsibility for the attack in a statement issued by its 'spokesman'
Khalid Khurasani.
A death-row prisoner, identified
as Maqbool Hussain, convicted of killing at least six persons,
was hanged till death in Multan's Central Jail in Multan District.
Hussain was sentenced to death by a Sessions Court after he
was found guilty of murdering six people in 1996, allegedly
to avenge the murder of his own brothers. Hussain's mercy petitions
had been rejected by higher courts and President Mamnoon Hussain
before his hanging.
CoAS General Raheel Sharif said
that 203 militants have been killed in the ongoing operation
in Shawal Valley of NWA in FATA so far. He said that the faces
of those who helped kill “our people and children” will be exposed.
Further, the Army chief “directed troops to comprehensively
cleanse terrorists from their hideouts, reduce isolated terrorists
to their size and sever their link with their abettors anywhere.”
Pakistan formally banned the
IS or Daesh. According to a notification issued by the Federal
Ministry for Interior, Daesh would not be allowed to operate
in Pakistan while any other outfit formed in the similar names
would also be banned.
August 28
Two kidnappers were shot dead
and an abductee, identified as Ghous Ahmad (35), a senior officer
of a private bank, was recovered from their captivity, during
an operation jointly carried out by the CPLC and SIU of Police
on Northern Bypass area of Baldia Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Ahmed had been abducted on August 14, 2015
from the Superhighway. The kidnappers had demanded PKR 15 million
and 40 kilogram of gold ornaments in ransom. One of the abductors
was identified as Amir Bux.
A Shia advocate of Sindh High
Court (SHC), identified as Syed Ameer Hyder Shah, was shot dead
by unidentified militants while he was travelling in his car
near Hassan Square in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
A man, identified as Aftab Ahmad,
was shot dead while his son remained unhurt when unidentified
militants opened fire at his car near Qalandria Chowk in North
Nazimabad Town. “The Police has started an investigation, and
we are looking at probable motives behind the murder,” said
Feroze Shah, Karachi-West DIG.
August 29
At least 14 suspected militants
were killed and their sanctuaries destroyed as military planes
bombed the Shawal area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. The
military planes reportedly pounded militant hideouts in Shawal,
during which infrastructure, including ammunition depots, managed
by "terrorists" was destroyed.
An unidentified man, aged about
45, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Power
House Chowrangi in North Karachi Town.
One Muhammad Ishaq (15), was
shot dead near his house in Cheel Chowk area of Lyari Town.
A man, identified as Alam (40),
was shot at and injured near his house in Faqira Goth area of
Gulshan-e-Maymar area of Gadap Town.
One Muhammad Asif (45), was
shot at and injured by unidentified armed assailants near Sarina
Mobile Market in North Karachi Town.
August 30
Two traffic Policemen, identified
as Nizamuddin and Shair Muhammad, were killed by unidentified
armed assailants near Sunday Bazaar, Metro Shopping in Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A man, identified as Muhammad
Farooq (45), was shot dead and two others, Muhammad Ismail (65),
and Muhammad Haroon, were injured when unidentified armed assailants
opened fire at them near Qudsia Masjid, Bismillah General Store
in North Nazimabad Town.
An unidentified man was shot
dead by unidentified armed assailants in Mewa Afghan Morr of
Gadap Town.
At least two engineers were
killed when unidentified militants attacked the Jiwani aiport
in Gwadar District. According to Police sources unidentified
militants opened fire at the airport and killed electronics
superintendent identified as Khalilullah during the attack.
The assailants had also kidnapped electronics engineer Mehmudullah
Niazi from the airport. Niazi's bullet-ridden body was later
found from a nearby area. Police sources said that the kidnapped
engineer was shot from a close range. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the attack.
Unidentified assailants killed
two constables in Hoti area of Mardan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Constables Mohammad Zubair and Walid, performing duty at the
Ghari Kapura Police Station, were going to the Police Lines
on their motorbike early in the day when two suspected militants
fired at them near Shahdhand Baba graveyard. As a result, both
of them died on the spot.
SI Mohammad Ashraf was shot
at and injured in a targeted attack at Transformer Chowk in
Rawalpindi District. The SI was engaged in investigation of
high profile cases which could be reason of attack, the Police
sources said.
The SFs arrested three TTP militants
during search operation at Mushti bazaar in Orakzai Agency of
FATA. The SFs launched search operation in Mushti bazaar and
arrested three militants identified as Mullah Jan, Noorul Amin
and an Afghan national Hayat Khan.
The United States spelt out
the steps it expected Pakistan to undertake for dealing with
the Haqqani network and stressed that these were crucial for
Islamabad’s relations with both Washington and Kabul. The message,
described by a senior US official as frank, was conveyed during
US National Security Adviser Susan Rice’s visit to Islamabad
for delivering an invitation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
for a meeting with President Barrack Obama at the White House
on October 22. “In Islamabad today, discussed how to deepen
cooperation to tackle shared priorities. Encouraged Pakistan
to advance regional peace and stability,” Ms Rice tweeted as
she left after completing her trip and said that she “conveyed
President Obama’s invitation to PM Sharif to visit the White
House in October to continue discussions”.
In a statement the Prime Minister’s
Office quoted Mr Sharif as having told her that he “was looking
forward to his visit to the US in October this year as an opportunity
to further strengthen the ties between the two countries”. The
sense emerging from Ms Rice’s meetings with PM Sharif, Foreign
Affairs and National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz and Army Chief
General Raheel Sharif was that counter-terrorism cooperation
and more particularly Washington’s perception that Pakistan
was not adequately targeting the Haqqani network in the Zarb-i-Azb
military operation against militant and terrorist groups in
North Waziristan would dominate the agenda awaiting the prime
minister in Washington.
Balochistan has witnessed a
'substantial drop' in violence this year, according to the Official
documents put together for the Balochistan Apex Committee monitoring
the progress of the NAP. The documents claim a ‘dramatic decrease’
in violent incidents in the volatile areas of the province.
The Provincial Home Department said the emerging situation was
the result of the joint efforts of the military and the civilian
government for establishing peace in the province.
According to the official data,
targeted killings have witnessed a significant drop. The LEAs
reported that so far this year 143 people have been killed and
216 injured in attacks on minority groups, settlers and law
enforcers. By comparison, more than 275 people were killed and
731 injured last year. The year before that was worse. 530 people
were killed and 1,162 injured by insurgents. The LEAs reported
58 attacks on the Quetta Electric Supply Company, the Sui Northern
Gas Pipelines Limited and the Pakistan Railways this year, 115
last year and 70 the year before.
August 31
Two terrorists, identified as
Abrar (36) and Munir (40), were killed during a Police encounter
at Khajji Ground in Rizvia Society of Liaquatabad Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. The Police said the terrorists
opened fire on them and in the retaliatory fire both of them
were killed. One SMG, a grenade and a pistol were recovered
from their possession.
Two TTP militants, identified
as Sajid and Mohammed Zafar, were shot dead during an operation
conducted by CTD in Ramazan Goth area of Ittehad Town in Baldia
Town. The accused were involved in the killing of several Policemen,
hand grenade attacks on Police vans and kidnapping for ransom,
said an official of the CTD of Police, Ali Raza. Police claimed
to have seized three ball bombs and three TT pistols from their
possession.
Two security guards were injured
when two explosives detonated near Habib University’s campus
in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. SSP East
Javed Jiskani said, “Explosives were hurled from the backside
of the university.” However, a spokesperson for Habib University,
Sibtain Naqvi denied reports of any attack on the campus. “I
am speaking from the campus and I can assure you that no shooting
has taken place here. The shooting took place near Rabia City,
which is half a kilometer from our campus,” said Naqvi.
At least one man killed and
four others sustained injuries in an IED blast in Khar tehsil
of Bajaur Agency in FATA. According to security sources, the
vehicle was on the way from Salarzai area to Khar when an IED,
planted on the roadside, went off. The source said that a pro-government
elder travelling in the vehicle was the apparent target of the
attack but the elder survived the blast while his driver was
killed.
Around 324 internally displaced
families were sent home in SWA on the first day of the 12 phase
of returning process launched. The IDPs families were transported
to native areas in the Sararogha tehsil in SWA under the escort
of the SFs. A transit camp was established in Khargi area in
Tank. Talking to reporters, Political Agent Zafarul Islam said
the returning families were provided transportation and PKR
25,000 and one month ration. He said the 12th phase of the return
process would continue for two months. The tribal people from
South Waziristan were displaced in 2009 when the security forces
launched operation Rah-e-Nijat against the militants. More than
16,000 families have been sent back during the earlier phases.
A youth, Jamilullah, was shot
dead by unidentified assailants in Mohmand Koroona area of Akbarpura
village in Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Kohat Police claimed to
have arrested an absconder who had escaped Bannu jailbreak on
April 15, 2012. DPO Sohaib Ashraf said that one Mir Zaman, belonging
to Orakzai Agency, was a prisoner in Bannu Central Prison, but
he escaped from the jail when the militants attacked the prison.
He said the absconder was sentenced to 50 year imprisonment
after being arrested in terror activities and attacks on the
law-enforcement agencies.
Responding to US concerns that
Pakistan remains a haven for the Haqqani Network, Prime Minister’s
Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz
said that the infrastructure of Haqqani Network in North Waziristan
Agency of FATA has been disrupted. Aziz said the militants have
been weakened by an army offensive and now operate mostly out
of Afghanistan.
Aziz denied any implication
that Pakistan is not targeting the Haqqani Network in its military
offensive in the border region of NWA. “The infrastructure of
the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan, which included the
IED (Improvised Explosive Device) factories and a number of
other capacities including communication, has been disrupted,”
Aziz said.
He also disputed the assertion
by US officials that the Haqqanis plan most of their Afghanistan
attacks from Pakistani soil. “Our assessment is that their capacity
in Afghanistan is much, much bigger - probably 80/90 percent
compared to what it is here. And what is here is also being
cleaned out as a part of our operations,” Aziz said.
September 1
At least six persons, including
one Khasadar personnel, were killed and 56 others were injured
when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of Political
Agent office in the Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency in
FATA. Security sources say six of those injured were in critical
condition. Political Agent Shahab Ali Shah said that the suicide
bomber was aiming to enter his office but the plot was foiled
because of the strict security measures in place at the complex.
Therefore, the bomber could not enter the premises and blew
himself up at the entrance gate, Shah said.
Two militant groups, TTP and
LI claimed responsibility for the attack. Salahuddin Ayubi,
spokesman for the Mangal Bagh-led LI, was the first to claim
responsibility for the blast. Speaking from an unknown location
using an Afghanistan mobile phone number, he said their target
were government officials. Later, the TTP spokesman Mohammad
Khorasani asserted responsibility for the suicide attack and
said those officials tasked to implement the Government’s National
Action Plan were the target. He said the attack was carried
out by the TTP’s special martyrdom unit.
Six militants were killed and
four others were injured in a US drone attack on a house in
the Karwanda village near the Manzarkhel area of Dattakhel tehsil
in the NWA. Security officials and tribal sources said the drone
fired two missiles at an alleged compound of the militants near
the Afghan border.
SFs defused an explosive device
planted on roadside in Janikhel area in FR Bannu. The sources
said that the SFs convoy was heading to Bannu city from Janikhel
when the personnel of the bomb disposal unit detected an explosive
device planted on roadside.
At least three suspected militants,
including two brothers, were killed during a raid in Belar area
of Kulanch in Pasni town of Gwadar District. The three suspects
were identified as Majeed, his brother Subhan and the third
accomplice was identified as Hammal Ghuram.
Three militants were arrested
and two others were injured in an exchange of fire during a
search operation in Newano area of Buleida in Kech District.
According to Frontier Corps Balochistan spokesman, the FC recovered
some arms from their custody, including 5 SMGs, one Chinese
LMG or sniper rifle. FC spokesman revealed that the militants
were involved in attacks on security forces, convoys of FWO
and targeted killing of citizens.
Security Agencies and Police
arrested two high-profile 'target killers' involved in the murder
of two journalists and an accountant in Quetta along with other
terrorist activities. Security sources say the accused belonged
to a banned militant outfit. Balochistan Home Minister Mir Safaraz
Bugti during a press conference at the Home Ministry said that
Security Agencies had arrested the murderers of journalists
Irshad Mastoi and Abdul Rasool, who were killed on August 28,
2014.
Three suspected terrorists,
identified as Hassan Punjabi, Shah Qanoon and Imran, were killed
and a SI, identified as Mehmood Hayat, was injured during Police
operation in Batapur locality of Lahore. The encounter was preceded
by the recovery of arms and ammunition from the same locality.
The recovered arms included suicide jacket, four hand grenades,
sub-machine guns. According to details, while the Police was
on its way back after making the recovery, the suspects’ companions
attacked their van near Dera Aslam on BRB Canal, said Police.
The attack led to an exchange of fire between the Police and
the militants, which resulted in the death of the three terrorists
in Police custody.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a man in Pabbi bazaar of Nowshera District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Tauheed reported to the Police that his 21-year-old brother
Atizaz had gone to Pabbi bazaar when unidentified assailants
fired at him, killing him on the spot.
The National Assembly’s Standing
Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources was informed that
the Rangers had arrested the Deputy Managing Director of the
Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) in Karachi for his alleged involvement
in funding militant groups.
“I have talked to the Rangers
director general and assured him of full cooperation in the
investigation against SSGC officials. I was told that Shoaib
Warsi is accused of financing militant groups,” Committee’s
Chairman, Bilal Ahmed Virk said. SSGC Managing Director Khalid
Rehman informed the committee that Shoaib Warsi was detained
by Rangers personnel on August 26, 2015, when he was leaving
his office. He declined to name the militant group or share
with members of the committee details of alleged links of Shoaib
Warsi with the group.
September 2
SFs claimed killing 40 militants
in air strikes in the NWA and Khyber Agency of FATA. In a statement,
the ISPR said that jet fighters of the PAF pounded the hideouts
of militants in the Shawal area of NWA near the Afghan border.
The PAF jet fighters also carried out air strikes in the Tirah
Valley of Khyber Agency.
The Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad
Khan said the return process of the displaced tribal people
to Kurram and Orakzai Agencies would start from September 29.
He stated that about 4,500 families displaced from Kurram Agency
and 700 families from Orakzai would return to their homes from
September 29. He added that 5,000 displaced families belonging
to Akakhel tribe would be sent home in Orakzai Agency soon.
He was chairing a high-level meeting to review the return process
of displaced tribal people here at the Governor’s house in Peshawar.
Three Policemen and one civilian
killed during an encounter in Badukhel area of Peshawar, the
provincial capital of KP. Seven Policemen and another resident
were injured. The deceased policemen were identified as Roman,
Dost Mohammad and Rehmat Shah and the resident as Aslam Niaz.
The injured were identified as Mohib Shah, Gul Ahmed, Israrullah,
Mohammad Waqas, Nihar Ali, Bahadar and Imran.
Former DIG Qazi Abdul Wahid
was shot dead by two unidentified militants near his house on
Arif Street in Sariab area of provincial capital Quetta. "It
appears to be an incident of targeted killing and the attackers
were waiting for him near his residence,” said a Police Official.
SFs recovered a large cache
of weapons and explosives during an intelligence based operation
in a bomb making factory in Rehman Khol area of Chaman town
in Killa Abdullah District. During the raid they recovered explosives,
suicide vests, anti-aircraft guns, IED, and RPG along with equipment
used to create bombs. “No arrest was made during the search
operation,” the Frontier Constabulary official said.
In another raid, the SFs also
recovered weapons and explosives which had been buried in a
compound in Murgha Kibzai area of Zhob District. “The arms were
being used in terror activity in Balochistan,” the Frontier
Corps spokesperson said. The guns included 12 MM gun, eight
IEDs, six mortars, a suicide jacket, four RPGs, seven fuses,
six mortar fuses, bag of detonators, remotes and batteries.
A traffic Police Constable was
shot dead while two others sustained injuries when unidentified
militants opened fire at them in Site-B area of SITE Town in
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Giving details, Karachi-West
SSP Azfar Mahesar said that this was the third attack on traffic
police officials in the last one week. He termed it as “a new
wave of targeted killing of policemen.”
Almost all members of the Uighur
militant group, the ETIM, have been eliminated from Pakistan,
President Mamnoon Hussain said during a meeting with Chinese
President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
He said the ongoing anti-terror Zarb-e-Azb operation “has been
successful in eradicating terrorism from our country,"
adding, “It has also been very helpful in eliminating the ETIM
element from our country and I think almost all ETIM people
in our country have been eliminated.” “If some of them were
still there, their number would be very few,” he added.
September 3
Three murder convicts were hanged
in the New Central Jail in Bahawalpur District of Punjab. Those
hanged are Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Boota and Faqir Muhammad.
Muhammad Nawaz was awarded death sentence by the Bahawalnagar
District and session’s judge in a murder case registered with
the Chishtian Police in 1995. Muhammad Boota of Burewala was
awarded death sentence by the Bahawalnagar District and session’s
judge in a murder case registered with the Haroonabad Police
in 2003. Faqir Muhammad of Islam Garh was awarded death by a
court in a case registered in 2004.
Maqbool alias Quli was hanged
in the Kasur District Jail. He had been convicted for murdering
a man after kidnapping him from Lahore.
The Police arrested a suspected
person and recovered two hand-grenades from his possession at
Bagota Security Checkpost in Hangu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Sources said that the Police personnel intercepted a suspected
person identified Shakeel alias Sohail at Bagota Security Checkpost
and recovered two hand-grenades from his possession.
The CTD and SFs arrested two
militants in separate actions and recovered two hand-grenades
from them in Hangu District.
The Government decided to set
up a CTD, headed by AIGP Tanveerul Hasan, in Gilgit Baltistan.
“The initiative is aimed at dealing militants with an iron fist,”
said an unnamed official of the GB Chief Minister Secretariat.
He said that the CID will be merged with the new force. “It
was important because mega projects like the CPEC will pass
through the region,” he added. Hasan’s appointment has formally
been notified by Gilgit Baltistan police chief Captain (retd)
Zafar Awan. Department staffers will be trained and provided
with modern facilities.
The National Assembly Standing
Committee on Defence Chairman, Rohail Asghar, said that the
Army would stay in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan
till 2019. The committee was informed that more than 3,500 terrorists
had been killed and over 300 Army officials had embraced martyrdom
during the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb in the NWA of FATA.
Rohail Asghar, Chairman of NA body on defence, headed a meeting
at the Parliament House. Defence Secretary Aalam Khattak and
top Army officials also attended the meeting. The committee
was briefed that the Security Forces had taken control of the
Shawal Mountains while ground troops and PAF jets would keep
targeting terrorist hideouts till the clearance of the entire
area.
September 4
Two football players, identified
as Manzoor (30), and Samiullah (25), were shot dead while they
were sitting in a football stadium in Jehangir Road-I area of
Jamshed Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Jamshed
Quarters Superintendent of Police (SP) Akhtar Farooq said that
Police found nine spent bullets fired from a 0.9mm pistol from
the crime scene.
A man, identified as Faiz Muhammad
(45), was killed when unidentified armed assailants opened fire
at him near Nipa Chowrangi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
An unidentified dead body of
a man bearing torture marks was recovered from Ibrahim Haideri
area of Korangi Town.
ATC handed over two suspects,
Mirza Zeeshan Baig and Tanveer Ahmed alias Tanoo Bihari, to
Rangers for 90 days. According to the Rangers, the suspects
were wanted for interrogation over their alleged involvement
in target killings, extortion and other offences that come within
the ambit of Anti-Terrorism Act. Sources said that Mirza Zeeshan
was allegedly involved in the assassination of 20 people, while
Tanveer was wanted by Police in 15 murder cases. Both the suspects
belonged to a political party.
A Policeman, Shah Wali, was
shot dead by unidentified assailants on Rajar bypass in Charsadda
town of same District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The slain cop was
a driver and was posted at the City Police Station.
Unidentified militants fired
two rockets close to a FC check post near Gwadar Airport in
Gwadar District. However, no casualty was reported. SHO Gwadar
Chakar Baloch said that at least two rockets had been fired
from an unknown location, which landed near an FC check post
at the Gwadar Airport. “After two blasts, FC fired blanks into
the air so that militants feel their presence,” said another
Gwadar Police Official Faiz Ahmed. No outfit claimed responsibility
for the rocket attack.
Pakistan said that USD 1.9 billion
dollars have so far been spent on the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb
and return of IDPs. “Pakistan has met these expenditures from
its own resources,” Foreign Office spokesperson said, during
his weekly press briefing in Islamabad. “The CSF is reimbursement
of the expenditures Pakistan incurred before the start of Operation
Zarb-e-Azb,” the spokesperson added. Further, he said talks
with the US authorities for the release of CSF fund are underway.
The remarks come amid uncertainty on whether the US would release
USD 300 million in military aid to Pakistan, which is dependent
on US Government certification that Pakistan is targeting the
Haqqani Network.
The late Afghan Taliban leader
Mullah Omar asked the Former President General Pervez Musharraf
Government to bring in weapons and bomb Kandahar if it did not
like Taliban policies, reveals a secret US cable released by
the State Department. Pervez Musharraf conveyed this message
to the then US Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering at
a meeting in Islamabad on March 26, 2000. In the meeting, “the
chief executive referred to the recent visit of DG ISI General
Mahmud to Kandahar as evidence of what it was like to deal with
the Taliban”. “Mullah Omar told Mahmud he was sorry that Taliban
policies were causing Pakistan problems and suggested that if
(Islamabad) did not like (those policies), it might want to
bring in its weapons and begin shelling Kandahar,” General Musharraf
told Mr Pickering.
When Mr Musharraf urged the
US to engage with the Taliban directly, Mr Pickering said the
US had been engaging with the Taliban “at multiple venues on
repeated occasions, in Washington, New York and Islamabad”.
Mr Pickering said “the fact that Pakistan was the strongest
supporter of the Taliban, was of particular concern” to the
US. “This presented us with the anomaly of a good friend being
the best friend of our worst enemy. This was an abscess on our
relationship that would only get worse and worse.” Mr Pickering
said the US understood why General Musharraf did not want to
go to Kandahar without being able to bring back concrete results.
“But it was important that he recognise that the Bin Laden issue
was eating away at our relationship.”
September 5
Rangers killed a terrorist and
overpowered four others during a raid in Lyari town of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. According to a Rangers spokesperson,
a Rangers team raided a hideout of terrorists on tip-off. He
said that the alleged criminals opened fire on the raiding party,
and in retaliatory fire, one terrorist identified as Zakir alias
Wehshi was killed and his four accomplices were arrested.
Unidentified militants stormed
a check post, tied the Policemen’s hands and took away arms
and ammunition in Ghizer Valley of in Chashi village in Gilgit
Baltistan. The incident came days ahead of GB Government’s decision
to deploy Pakistan Rangers in areas bordering the tribal belt
where the army operation is under way.“ Out of nine, there were
six Policemen in the check post at the time of incident,” said
Feroz Khan, a journalist based in the headquarters of Ghizer
District.
September 6
At least four bullet-riddled
dead bodies were found in Kalghali area of Surab in Kalat District.
Two bullet-riddled dead bodies
were fund from Basima area of Kalat District.
Security Agencies arrested two
TTP 'commanders' during a raid conducted in Gwal Ismail Zai
area of Zhob District. Security officials also recovered arms
and ammunition from their possession. “The militants were planning
on carrying out subversive activities in Quetta during the upcoming
Defence Day,” said an unnamed security official.
SFs thwarted a terrorist attack
during the Defence Day celebrations and arrested four suspects
along with IEDs and arms from Kechi Baig locality near Sariab
area of provincial capital Quetta.
FC arrested a suspected militant
from Turbat District. “The search operation was carried out
following a tip off,” the FC spokesman said.
FC IG Major General Sher Afgun
said at least 650 security personnel in addition to more than
3,500 civilians had sacrificed their lives to defend Pakistan
and to ensure peace in Balochistan. “We cannot forget the sacrifices
of more than 3,500 civilians in Balochistan,” the FC chief said,
referring to the people were killed during the unrest.
Law enforcers foiled a terrorist
bid on Defence Day by killing two suspected militants in an
exchange of fire in Manghopir area of Gadap Town. According
to Police officials, the militants first attacked the Police
patrolling van when it reached close to their hideout in Manghopir.
As a result of the attack, two Policemen, identified as Imran
and Haider, were injured. Following the attack, a large contingent
of law enforcers was summoned to the site and two militants
were killed after an exchange of fire. One of the suspects was
identified as Adrak.
Peerabad Police claimed to have
arrested Sindh Chapter 'chief' of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan-Swat,
identified as Hafiz Idrees, along with two of his accomplices
during a targeted raid in Orangi Town. A huge cache of weapons
and explosives was also seized from their possession. Police
officials claimed that the arrested suspects were involved in
various high profile cases of terrorism, including the targeted
killing of MQM legislator, Sajid Qureshi. They were also involved
in target killings of Policemen.
The paramilitary force arrested
five suspected criminals during targeted raids conducted in
al-Asif Square of Baldia Town and Golimar area of SITE Town.
The Rangers spokesperson said that weapons were also seized
from their possession.
Hangu District councilor Malik
Mumtaz, belonging to the Awami National Party, and his cousin
Javed were killed when an improvised explosive device blew up
his vehicle in Doaba town of Hangu District in KP. A guard and
another man were severely injured.
Unidentified militants shot
dead a tehsil councilor belonging to the QWP in Kotigram
village of Lower Dir District. The sources said that the councilor,
Muhammad Umar, was standing outside his house in Kotigram when
unidentified motorcyclists sprayed him with bullets. The assailants
managed to escape.
SFs thwarted an attempt to sabotage
Defence Day celebrations and arrested four suspects along with
IEDs and arms from Kechi Baig near the Sariab area of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of KP. According to security officials,
intelligence sleuths identified the presence of militants after
carrying out a combing operation between the Kechi Baig and
Burma Hotel localities of Sariab. Acting on the tip-off, security
personnel picked up the four suspects and recovered IEDs and
weapons from their possession.
SFs recovered 94 bags of explosives
from a truck in the Khar area of Bajaur Agency in FATA. The
sources said that acting on a tip-off, SFs and officials of
the political administration pulled over a truck and seized
94 bags of explosives.
The LeT founder and JuD 'chief'
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed threatened war in Indian cities while calling
the Pakistani rulers to press India to grant the right to self-determination
to the Kashmiris. He said that in case India refuses, the rulers
should announce that Pakistan would stand by the Kashmiris.
He said that the Indian leadership
talked of a limited war and targeted the JuD, but they must
know that the war would begin in the Indian cities before its
army reached the Pakistani borders. He further said, "Pakistan
was a nuclear power," adding, a single bullet from India
across the LoC should be taken as a message of war and India
should be given a befitting reply.
The COAS General Raheel Sharif
said that Pakistan’s armed forces are fully capable to counter
any external aggression. Addressing a special ceremony to pay
homage to martyrs of Pakistan at GHQ, Rawalpindi, in connection
with Defence Day, he said that, “If the enemy tries to impose
short or prolonged war on us, it will have to pay an unbearable
price.” He went on to say that Pakistan has been facing terrorism
and unconventional war for the last many years.
September 7
At least five members of TI,
pro-government peace militia, were shot dead by LI militants
in Qambarkhel area of Khyber Agency in FATA. The peace volunteers
had been abducted a day earlier from Zakhakhel Bazaar of the
Agency. LI 'spokesman' Salahuddin Ayubi called from an undisclosed
location and claimed that their men had killed the five pro-government
fighters. The victims were identified as victims Noor Hakeem,
Siyal Jan, Muhammad Said, Samin and Mubeen.
At least three suspected militants
were killed and a militant hideout was destroyed in Shawal Valley
of North Waziristan Agency in the first ever air strike by a
Pakistan made drone Burraq (lightening). The armed drone
was used for the first time since its development in November
2013.
A pro-government tribal elder,
identified as Mullah Amanullah, was shot dead by unidentified
armed assailants in a targeted attack in Chaharmang area of
Nawagai in Bajaur Agency.
In an unprecedented show of
unity, legislators from FATA called upon the Government to abolish
the tribal areas and merge them with KP Province, reports Dawn.
Senators and MNAs from the tribal areas have traditionally never
been united on any other issue in the past, but the demand to
make FATA areas a part of KP has not only brought them together,
but has also managed to bring together individuals who have
hitherto been poles apart on most issues. “All 19 MNAs and senators
have agreed to join the struggle. We have this in writing,”
Shahji Gul Afridi, an independent MNA from the Khyber Agency
said.
The driver of Sabeen Mahmud,
the slain director and founder of T2F café, identified as Ghulam
Abbas, was shot dead in Bhittai Colony, within the limits of
Ibrahim Hyderi Police Station in Korangi Town of Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. Abbas, in addition to working part-time
as a driver for Sabeen, was also an employee of the anti-corruption
department. Abbas was a prime witness to Sabeen’s murder on
April 24, 2015.
CoAS General Raheel Sharif while
addressing a large gathering of elders of Swat on the concluding
day of the Swat tourism and trade festival at Kalam said that
terrorists will not be allowed to return to the Swat Valley
from where they have been driven out by the soldiers of the
Pakistan Army. “Holding a tourism festival in Swat is an open
message to the world that peace and normalcy have returned to
the Valley and it has become possible because of joint efforts
and sacrifices of the people of Swat, security forces and civil
forces,” said the CoAS.
September 8
Six TI members, a pro-Government
Zakhakhel peace committee, were killed by LI militants in Khyber
Agency of FATA. According to sources, LI militants had abducted
11 volunteers of TI from Sanda Pal area while they were going
to Maidan area in Tirah Valley on September 6, 2015. All 11
volunteers have been killed in the last two days. A LI 'spokesman'
said that the volunteers were helping the SFs against them.
Geo News satellite engineer
Arshad Ali Jafri was killed and the driver Anees was injured
when unidentified militants opened fire at the Geo News Digital
Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) van in Bahadurabad area of Gulshan
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim
Ali Shah announced head money of PKR 2.5 million for eight absconders
in the May 14, 2015, Safoora Goth carnage case. The eight absconders
are identified as Hafiz Muhammad Umar alias Hafeez, Ali Rehman
alias Tona, Abdullah Mansoori, Mistri Pathan, Ijteba alias Dawood,
Mehmood, Tayyab and Abdullah bin Yousuf alias Saqib.
Chief of the BLF Dr Allah Nazar
Baloch has been killed in an operation by SFs in Awaran District,
according to unverified reports, Balochistan Home Minister Safraz
Bugti disclosed during a press conference at Civil Secretariat
Quetta. Bugti said, "According to unverified reports Dr
Allah Nazar has been killed ... I say unverified because we
have not yet received any evidence of his being alive ever since
the Frontier Corps conducted a series of operations. There has
been no human intelligence, no sign of life." Nazar belonged
to a middle-class family from Mashkay in the Awaran District.
BLF's area of operations stretches largely across Awaran, Panjgur,
Washuk, Turbat and Gwadar Districts in southern Balochistan.
The Home Minister further announced
that the SFs destroyed a communication network of terrorists
arrested seven suspects during an operation in Dalbandin area
of Chagai District. "Security Forces seized 600 mobile
SIMS, 1000 antennae and ammunition from the communication center,"
he said. Bugti revealed that the suspected terrorists were using
Indian, Afghan, Iranian and European SIMS to carry out subversive
activities in the Province.
Senior tribal journalist, Abdul
Azam Shinwari, was shot at and injured in Hayatabad area of
provincial capital Peshawar. Shinwari hails from the Landikotal
tehsil of Khyber Agency in FATA.
BNP-M Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini
during a meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Interior
revealed that the Government had secretly brought some demographic
changes in various Districts of Balochistan. “The Government
settled four million people in various parts of Balochistan
in the past three decades,” Senator Jehanzeb said, adding, “With
broader demographic changes in the province, the government
is converting the majority into a minority.” “A new settlement
is being established by bringing in people from other provinces,”
Jamaldini said.
The percentage of Balochi speakers
in the Province has gone down drastically. The figures of the
Pakistan Statistics Department revealed that only 35 per cent
of the Province’s inhabitants speak Balochi, 25 per cent Pashto,
around 20 per cent Brahui, and the rest speak Punjabi, Sindhi
and Urdu. “Four to five million more people are being settled
in various districts of the province. The settlement of Afghan
refugees also helped the government accomplish its purpose,”
he informed.
According to a report carried
by The Washington Post, “Over the past nine months, government
statistics show major terrorist attacks have declined 70 per
cent and Pakistanis are flocking back to shopping malls, resorts
and restaurants”. The report further said, “The relaxed and
optimistic mood in Pakistan was benefiting Prime Minister (PM)
Nawaz Sharif politically,” adding, “Still, the arrangement is
allowing PM Nawaz to do something that Pakistani leaders have
struggled to accomplish for much of the past decade: implement
a road map for what a peaceful, stable Pakistan could look like.
And in the process, the Prime Minister is winning over sceptics
despite his low-key leadership style.”
September 9
At least 15 TTP militants were
killed in a US drone strike in Gomal District of Afghanistan,
quoting intelligence officials. “Fifteen dead bodies of killed
militants will be shifted soon to their native areas in Dera
Ismail Khan (District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province),” one
intelligence official said. Three officials confirmed the 15
militants belonged to the Gandapur faction of TTP that is led
by Mullah Fazlullah.
A shopkeeper, identified as
Imran Iqbal (30), and his employee Waqas (27), were shot dead
in a sectarian attack at their Al-Madina Bakers in Sector-5-B-1
of North Karachi Town in provincial capital Karachi. ASWJ 'spokesperson'
said that the victims were their supporter. The double murder
appeared to be a targeted killing apparently linked with sectarianism,
Central SSP Muqaddas Haider said.
A journalist, Aftab Alam, was
shot dead near his home in North Karachi Town. He is the second
journalist to be killed in the city within a span of twenty-four
hours.
A cadre belonging to the ST,
identified as Mohammed Qasim (28), was shot dead in a sectarian
attack in Shah Faisal Colony of Shah Faisal Town. The victim
belonged to the ST Bilal Qadri group, said Shah Faisal SHO Ejaz
Khan said.
An unidentified man was shot
dead was in Razzaqabad area of Liaquatabad Town.
The Home Secretary Mukhtiar
Soomro informed the Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah that the
Sindh Government under the National Action Plan has managed
to complete the geotagging of 3,662 of the 6,503 madrassas in
Sindh. The process of geo-tagging, through which the geographical
location of the madrassas is marked, has been carried out and
the process is likely to be completed soon. So far, 2,122 madrassas
have been tagged in Karachi and 1,548 in Hyderabad. The Home
Secretary pointed out that there are 9,590 madrassas in Sindh
and 6,503 of them have been registered. There are 517,695 students
enrolled in the unregistered madrassas. “Geotagging will help
us see the exact location of the madrassas,” said Soomro.
Five militants were killed and
several others were injured in air strikes by PAF jet fighters
in Kurram Agency of FATA.
As many as 3,324 displaced families
of South Waziristan Agency region have been sent back to hometowns
under the supervision of the Pakistan Army. The 12th phase of
repatriation started from August 31, 2015. Political Agent Zafarul
Islam Khattak said that basic amenities were being provided
to the families at the camp arranged by the Pakistan Army and
political administration in Khargi village of FR Tank.
A team of the CTD arrested JUI-F
leader and former MPA Mufti Kifayatullah for allegedly making
a hate speech in Chiniot District. Kifayatullah had come from
Mansehra District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to attend the ‘Istehkam
Pakistan Conference’ convened by Maulana Ilyas Chinioti, a PML-N
MPA.
Sources said the CTD Police
Station in Faisalabad District had registered a case against
him under the Anti-Terrorism Act for speaking against state
institutions and praising terrorists. According to details,
Kifayatullah criticized the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb in
North Waziristan Agency of FATA and glorified the slain banned
LeJ leader Malik Ishaq to stir up sectarian hatred.
SF arrested three suspects and
recovered 3,800 kilograms of explosive material, 10 mortar shells
and hundreds of submachine gun rounds from their possession
from Killa Abdullah District. The SF spokesman said that the
suspected terrorists who had entered into the country from Afghanistan
were trying to go to Quetta and other areas of the country for
terrorist activities.
September 10
Four suspected terrorists were
killed, and one Rangers' official was injured in an encounter
in Sohrab Goth area of Gadap Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. The terrorists were alleged target killers
of Shia lawyer Husnain Bukhari who was killed on March 4, 2015.
A nexus of banned outfits and
criminal elements, known as Channel-2, was unearthed in an investigative
report. According to the report, proscribed organisations were
behind the recent incidents of targeted killing in Karachi.
There was solid evidence to support the report that one such
outfit identifies the target while another group of professional
killers carries out the attack. Security sources said this new
type of terrorism has been named ‘Channel-2’.
An official of the CTD, identified
as Saghir Abbas, was shot dead while a passer-by sustained injuries
when unidentified militants opened fire at the CTD official
within the limits of City Police Station in Dera Ismail Khan
District. The passer-by was identified as Lal Gul.
A murder convict, identified
as Muhammad Khalid, was hanged till death in Central Jail Faisalabad.
Khalid was accused of murdering one Muhammad Ishaq over a minor
issue in 1991.
Foreign Office spokesperson
Qazi Khalilullah during his weekly press briefing in Islamabad
reiterated that there would be no talks with India unless the
issue of Kashmir was on the agenda. “Any formal talks with New
Delhi would have Kashmir as part of the agenda,” Khalilullah
said. At the same time, the spokesperson said Pakistan will
also not accept any pre-conditions for talks. He pointed out
that there are UN resolutions on the disputed region of Kashmir.
Pakistan wants peaceful resolution of this dispute in accordance
with the UN resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiri people,
Khalilullah said.
He further said there was no
proposal under consideration for a meeting between National
Security Advisers of India and Pakistan on the sidelines of
the 70th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly scheduled
to start on September 15, 2015.
In a high-level meeting to review
progress of the implementation of NAP in Islamabad, Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif and CoAS General Raheel Sharif approved a countrywide
crackdown against sectarianism. “It was unanimously decided
during today’s meeting of the country’s top civil-military leadership
that elements challenging the writ of the state would be eliminated,”
said Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, adding,
“There will be no tolerance for calling each other infidel or
liable to be killed. There is a very thin line between sectarianism
and terrorism. They both go hand-in-hand.”
According to the new policy
formulated by the Federal Ministry of Interior, Pakistan decided
to introduce new visa conditions for foreigners seeking admissions
in madrassas. The aspiring foreign candidates would need
to fulfill four requirements before getting admission in Pakistani
seminaries. Besides having sponsorship of a registered madrassa,
the candidates would have to undergo a scrutiny through which
Pakistani authorities will determine their financial position.
The students would need to receive NOC from their native countries,
security clearance from Pakistan’s Intelligence Agencies and
the Departments concerned before attaining the visa. Under the
new policy, the visas would be cancelled if students are found
violating the Government’s orders.
September 11
Two volunteers of a peace committee,
identified as Nawab Khan and Fazal Khan, were killed in an IED
attack while they were travelling from Pandyali tehsil
to Dwezai area of Mohmand Agency in FATA.
A bullet-riddled dead body of
TTP militant, identified as Khani, was found dumped in a seasonal
stream in Ghuz Garh area of Orakzai Agency.
Two militants were killed and
four Policemen were injured in an exchange of fire in Spina
Warai area within the limits of Pishtakhara Police Station in
provincial capital Peshawar. According to details, the militants
opened fire at the patrolling Police van, injuring two Policemen.
In retaliation, Police killed two of them.
The CTD arrested a suspected
terrorist, identified as Noor Muhammad alias Yar Muhammad, during
a raid conducted on Ring Road in Peshawar. The suspected militant
is accused of targeted a plane at Bacha Khan International Airport
(BKIA) on June 25, 2014. “CTD received a tip-off from an intelligence
agency,” read the statement. “During interrogation, Noor Muhammad
confessed to firing on Pakistan International Airlines flight
PK-756 from Riyadh to Peshawar on June 25, 2014,” read a statement
issued by the CTD.
A leader of the NP and councilor
of Gogadan Union Council, identified as Jan Ahmed Dashti, was
shot dead in Dank area of Turbat District. Police sources said
Dashti was the brother of Turbat Sessions Judge Murad Ali Baloch.
September 12
The CTD of Karachi Police claimed
to have arrested alleged mastermind of the killing of journalist
Aftab Alam, who was shot dead last week. Sources in the CTD
also said that three other suspects, identified by the mastermind,
were also taken into custody. They said the arrested men are
suspected of being involved in an armed attack on a bakery besides
the killing of Aftab Alam in North Karachi.
Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) claimed
arresting 10 target killers in operations carried out in various
areas of Karachi during the last 24 hours. According to sources,
out of the 10 apprehended men, four belong to religious-militant
groups, three have links with the MQM and three belong to the
MQM-H. As per details, a Rangers official Tariq Hussain was
injured when Nabeel alias Sherry, a target killer opened fire
at him during the operation.
September 13
At least 17 suspected militants
were killed and several others injured in air strikes on militant
hideouts at Gurbaz and Zoi in Shawal tehsil of NWA in
FATA near the Afghan border. Four hideouts were destroyed.
At least four TTP militants,
including commander Habib, were killed in a drone strike in
Lalpura near Pak-Afghan border in Khyber Agency. The attack
targeted a double cabin car and killed key TTP commander Habib
and his three accomplices.
Two security personnel, Iqbal
and Bakhtiar, were killed when TTP militants attacked them while
they were fetching water from a spring in Khaisoor area of Tiarza
tehsil in South Waziristan Agency.
At least 10 persons were killed
and 59 others injured in a suicide blast at Vehari Chowk in
Multan District of Punjab in the night. DCO Salim Zahid Gondal
told reporters that it was a suicide attack, not a cylinder
blast as reported earlier. The blast which was heard far and
wide also damaged five rickshaws, one car, one motorcycle, and
two shops.
Two militants and one Police
man killed during a clash when a group of unidentified militants
attacked Police patrolling van in Pishtakhara area of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Five others were
injured during the gunfight.
Three members of a family were
shot dead by unidentified assailants inside their house on the
Dora Road in the limits of Yakatoot (Agha Mir Jani Shah) Police
Station in Peshawar in the morning. Police said Abdul Rashid,
his wife Farhana and daughter Maryam were shot dead by unidentified
assailants inside their rented house on the Dora Road. The family
had shifted a few days back from Mathra.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a general councillor and member of a pro-government peace
body in the Nangolai area in Kabal tehsil in Swat District.
Sources said that a councillor Ghulam Saeed was on his way home
after offering the Isha prayers when unidentified gunmen fired
at him, killing him on the spot.
The Levies force recovered bodies
of three unidentified persons from Pasni area of Balochistan.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a man and injured a woman in the Colony area of Gwadar
District.
The FC arrested two suspected
persons at a hotel in Zhob area of same District.
Two Lyari 'gangsters' allegedly
linked with the Uzair Baloch group, operating in Karachi's Old
Golimar Area, were killed by Rangers in an exchange of fire.
The 'gangsters' were identified as Adnan Baloch and Sajid Ganga,
who were wanted for a number of target killings, kidnapping
for ransom and "other vicious crimes", according to
a Rangers press release. Rangers also claimed the recovery of
weapons and ammunition from their possession. An intelligence-based
targeted operation had been conducted on the suspected hideouts
of gang war criminals in Lyari Town, a Rangers press release
said.
Jonathan Carpenter, Special
Representative of the US for Afghanistan and Pakistan, while
appreciating Pakistan’s war against terrorism, said that because
of the Zarb-e-Azb Operation, Waziristan and Khyber Agency have
become safer. He said that provision of the CSF to Pakistan
will continue for the current fiscal. Carpenter said that he
held extensive talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the
Government of Pakistan had assured an indiscriminate operation
against all the terrorist groups.
September 14
Army Major Ismail and five militants
were killed in a terrorist attack on the Dandi Kuch security
checkpost and the ensuing clash in the Kaka Ziarat area of Spin
Warm area of North Waziristan Agency in FATA. Security sources
said the attackers, who used light and heavy weapons, managed
to escape from the site taking advantage of darkness and also
took away the bodies of their colleagues.
At least six terrorists were
killed during a raid conducted on militant hideout Sheikhupura-Faisalabad
Road in Manawala town of Lahore District. However, two terrorists
managed to escape while a cache of arms and explosives were
seized from the hideout.
An ATC in Rawalpindi convicted
three TTP suspects in the April 24, 2010, NATO oil tankers attack
case. It was the second case in which the ATC convicted Ali
Imran, Aizazur Rehman and Shujauddin for attacking and burning
the containers. The court awarded the convicts 62 years’ imprisonment
along with a fine of PKR 300,000 each.
Two traffic Policemen, identified
as SI Omer Hayat and ASI Juma Khan, were wounded when unidentified
armed assailants opened fire at them on M.T. Khan Road near
Bahria Complex in Bahria Town of Karachi.
At least six persons, including
three engineers of BDA, were abducted from Murgha Faqirzai area
of Muslim Bagh tehsil in Qila Saifullah District. According
to Levies Force, the engineers and a private contractor were
busy in survey of a road project in Murgha Faqirzai area when
unidentified armed militants reached the site in vehicles and
took away all of them to unknown destination on gunpoint.
Federal Minister of Interior
Affairs Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan directed the FIA and the NACTA
to take immediate action against the financial sponsors of terrorists.
Presiding over a meeting in Islamabad, he also directed both
the institutions to take stringent measures in order to overcome
financial assistance of the terrorists. He stressed the need
for enhancing cooperation between the Federal Investigation
Agency and the State Bank of Pakistan in this regard. “War against
terrorists is difficult, but it is not impossible to win and
the government is determined to wipe out terrorists at all costs,”
he added.
September 15
An unidentified dead body was
recovered from Surjani Town area of Gadap Town in provincial
capital Karachi.
An unidentified burnt dead body
was recovered from Hawke's Bay area of Kiamari Town.
Rangers and Police conducted
a joint search operation and home searching in PIB Baloch Dervish
Colony and its surrounding areas in Gulshan Town and detained
35 suspects.
A Government report on NAP revealed
that a total of 343 terrorists were killed and 370 were arrested
so far in Sindh Province. The report says that the law enforcement
authorities conducted as many as 9,958 raids and 844 search
operations. Explosives weighing 1500 kilograms were seized besides
a large variety of 5,223 weapons.
A FC official was killed and
five others were injured in an IED attack on the Wana Bypass
Road in South Waziristan Agency of FATA.
Soon after the IED attack, Security
Forces launched a search operation and called in air support.
Residents and local administration officials said helicopter
gunships bombed a market located on the Wana Bypass Road and
later bulldozers razed dozens of shops belonging to suspected
militants. A curfew has been imposed in Wana, they said.
Police acting on a tip-off foiled
a sabotage bid and defused an IED at Bypass in Pishin District.
Intelligence personnel and the
FC in a joint operation arrested eight militants from Gwadar
District for their alleged involvement in the August 30, 2015,
attack on Jiwani airport. The Frontier Corps spokesman Khan
Wasey said that the arrested militants are suspected of involvement
in target killings and other subversive activities in the area.
The suspects belong to a banned militant organisation operating
in the area, he added.
More than two dozen militants
laid down their weapons in Nushki District. An unnamed security
official said, "Most of them belonged to the banned BRA,"
adding that the militants had targeted security personnel and
vital national installations for a long time. The suspected
militants, who laid down their weapons announced their intent
to rejoin society and live peaceful lives while assuring officials
that they would work for development and prosperity of the country.
September 16
Three Lyari gangsters affiliated
with Uzair Baloch gang were killed in Police encounter shootouts
in the jurisdiction of the Mochko Police Station in Baldia Town
of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. The gangsters were
involved in target killings, including the killing of some CID
Police Officials in 2012.
Two terrorists were killed in
an encounter in New Karachi Town. The spokesman for the Sindh
Rangers said the terrorists were involved in sectarian killings
in the city.
A target killer, identified
as Abbas, was killed in the Docks Police Limits in Kiamari Town.
He was involved in over a dozen killings, including sectarian
and Police killings. Police recovered grenades and four 9mm
pistols d from his possession.
The CTD claimed to have arrested
Sheeba Ahmed, an alleged ''key financier'' involved in the May
14, 2015, Safoora bus carnage. Ahmed was detained from the Defence
area of Saddar Town, said CTD''s Senior Superintendent of Police
Investigation, Naveed Nisar Khwaja. Khwaja said Ahmed allegedly
''brainwashed'' the suspects accused of carrying out the Safoora
massacre and provided them with key financial support. “The
held suspect, apart from brainwashing the main accused of Safoora
tragedy, also provided them complete financial support,” claimed
the CTD official.
President Mamnoon Hussain said
that Pakistan’s policy on dealing with terrorist sanctuaries
and militant organisations was very clear and the ongoing military
Operation Zarb-e-Azb was targeting all terrorist outfits without
discrimination. He said fighting terrorism was amongst Pakistan’s
top priorities and there was a national consensus and commitment
to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
The president was talking to outgoing US Ambassador Richard
Olson, who paid a farewell call on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr,
said a press release.
The COAS General Raheel Sharif,
assured the tribesmen of South Waziristan Agency that having
paid the price for operational successes, terrorists would never
be allowed to return and the Pakistan Army will not go back
till the job was fully done. During his visit to South Waziristan,
the COAS General Raheel Sharif urged the tribal people to continue
supporting security and rehabilitating operations to achieve
the end objective of enduring peace and prosperity in these
areas. He said the Pakistan Army with the support of the entire
nation had successfully evicted terrorists from the area. General
Raheel appreciated the support of the tribal brethren in combating
terrorism and acknowledged their sacrifices in the war against
terrorism.
The Army chief inaugurated multiple
projects as part of a post operation comprehensive rehabilitation
plan for FATA. It included the UAE-funded state-of-the-art Wana
Cadet College building for 500 children from Waziristan and
the rest of FATA. The college will be compatible with the best
cadet colleges of Pakistan. The initiative will go a great length
in propelling the local youth into professional colleges and
changing lives of their families. Later, he commissioned a 132-KVA
grid station and a 54-km transmission line at Wana, a modern
power infrastructure for the people of Fata as their longstanding
demand.
The Army chief also visited
Dera Ismail Khan and inaugurated the USAID-funded 62-kilometre
Dera Ismail Khan-Hathala-Tank dual carriage road as part of
the 705-kilometre Central Trade Corridor linking this region
with Afghanistan. The newly-constructed road by the FWO will
reduce the travelling time between the two cities from four
hours to 40 minutes. General Raheel assured the locals that
the entire rehabilitation plan will be fully executed and the
IDPs will return as per plan to a better and infrastructurally
much-developed region. The tribal elders thanked the COAS for
fulfilling the promises made to them on the development work.
The Home Secretary of Balochistan,
Akbar Hussain Durrani, stated that provincial law enforcement
agencies have arrested more than 8,000 suspected militants after
the implementation of the NAP. “A total of 204 terrorists were
killed by security forces during different operations and raids
in the Province,” said Durrani. He further added that out of
the 204 terrorists killed, around 100 were high-profile terrorists.
The Home Secretary also stated that 1,840 intelligence based
operations have been conducted in Balochistan after the implementation
of NAP. “The situation has improved drastically in the province,
and a large number of insurgents have laid down their arms and
have rejoined society,” added Durrani.
Commander of Southern Command,
Lieutenant General Mohammad Naseer Khan Janjua during a book
launch organised by the NAB said that efforts made by the civil
and military leadership have helped remove the negative perception
of Balochistan and people have come out of the state of fear
that prevailed in the province for long. “The atmosphere of
fear and harassment no more prevails in the province. As a result
its image has changed at local and international levels. People
of the province have embarked upon a journey to a better future
and a developed Balochistan,” General Janjua said.
September 17
The CTD claimed to have foiled
a terror bid by arresting the 'chief' of Tehreek-e-Imaraat-e-Islamia
Afghanistan, Omar Hayat alias Mavia Darwesh, during an intelligence
based raid in Orangi Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. Two suicide jackets and two bombs were also recovered
from his possession. Darwesh was planning a suicide attack on
Eidul Azha prayers, CTD SSP Junaid Shaikh said. According to
SSP Shaikh, “Darwesh is a mastermind of preparing youth for
suicide bombings.”
SFs destroyed two hideouts of
a banned militant organisation in Babar Kach area of the Sibi
District. During the search, two vehicles were also destroyed
and 300 bags of wheat were seized. However, no arrest was reported.
Six officials of BDA, who were
abducted on September 14, 2015 from Qilla Saifullah District,
were recovered from Sharan area of Paktika Province in Afghanistan.
Family members of the kidnapped individuals said that tribesmen
in Paktika played a vital role in the safe recovery of the individuals.
They were brought to the residence of a local tribal elder,
Azam Khan.
BLA militant 'commander', Jumma
Khan Marri, along with six other militants, surrendered at a
ceremony at the FC headquarters in Sibi District.
September 18
At least 43 persons, including
14 terrorists, were killed as the PAF camp at Inqalab road in
Badaber area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
came under attack of TTP in the early morning. The Badaber camp
used to be an operational air force base. It is no longer an
operational airbase but is still used as a PAF training centre.
DG ISPR Major General Asim Bajwa
said that 13 militants were killed during the operation. Addressing
a press conference later during the day he said that out of
the 29 dead, 16 PAF soldiers were killed in a mosque as they
offered morning prayers. Seven other PAF soldiers were killed
in a barrack near the mosque. Army Captain Asfand Yar died leading
the counter-attack against raiders and two soldiers were also
killed. Militants killed three PAF technicians in the guard
room while they entered the Base. 10 soldiers were injured during
exchange of fire with terrorists, two of whom are officers.
Around 15 people were arrested during the search operation.
The ISPR DG said as many as
13-14 terrorists stormed the airbase’s mosque at 5:00am in the
morning and dispersed into two groups there. The attackers were
wearing constabulary uniforms. He said that one group went towards
the administrative part while the other to the technical side
of the airbase. “Terrorists busted the main gate with grenades
and split into two groups. One group then targeted worshipers
during morning prayers,” he said. Bajwa said that commandos
and other security personnel surrounded the terrorists and contained
within 50 meter of the infiltration.
TTP spokesperson Muhammad Khurasani
claimed responsibility for the attack in an email sent to journalists.
The attack was planned and controlled from Afghanistan. It was
also reported that the attacking militants came from Afghanistan.
DG ISPR Asim Bajwa said, "The attackers came from Afghanistan
and the whole foul play was planned in the neighbouring country.
This attack was being executed through direct coordination from
Afghanistan as well”.
At least 13 militants were killed
and eight others injured when military helicopters and planes
pounded hideouts in Kundi Ghar in Sarwakai tehsil areas of SWA
in FATA. The base camp of Mehsud Taliban (Khan Said group) in
Kundi Ghar was destroyed and 13 militants were killed and eight
others injured.
The house of a suspected militant
Abdul Manan Mehsud was attacked during the area raid in Ziarat
Zhay of Sarwakai tehsil in which three women, four girls and
two boys were killed. Another house was targeted in Durmandi
area in which two minors were injured.
At least seven suspected militants
were killed and two others injured in a US drone strike conducted
in the Shunkrai Narai village of Ladha tehsil. “A vehicle close
to a militant compound was the target of the strike in the Shunkrai
Narai village of South Waziristan,” an official said.
A senior military officer, Lieutenant
Colonel Muhammad Umair escaped unhurt in a roadside explosion
at the SFs checkpost in the Chopan area of Mohmand Agency. The
sources said that Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Umair was crossing
the SFs checkpost at Chopan when an explosive device planted
at roadside went off. However, no casualty took place.
SFs arrested 17 suspects during
a search operation in Ghundi area of Jamrud tehsil in Khyber
Agency.
At least two devotees were shot
dead while four others were injured in an attack on Astana Zinda
Pir shrine in Korangi Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. Karachi-East DIG Munir Ahmed Shaikh said four suspects
riding two motorcycles opened fire indiscriminately at those
present at the shrine, which resulted in the death of two persons
and injured four others.
A Shia general store shopkeeper,
identified as Syed Irfan Zaidi, was shot dead in a targeted
sectarian attack in the North Nazimabad Town.
One person was killed and another
was injured in a minor explosion in Bannu District of KP. The
blast initially seemed a planted bomb explosion but later security
sources claimed that the two men were transporting explosive
material on the motorcycle and had to stop due to a fault in
the vehicle. As they stopped, the material they were carrying
exploded, killing one and injuring the other.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead an official of an intelligence agency in Toot Dama area
of Gokand valley in Buner District. The sources said that the
official, Noor Taj Ali, was on his way to his office on a bike
when unidentified assailants opened fire on him near Toot Dama.
He received several bullets in his body and died on the spot.
The KP IGP Nasir Khan Durrani
said that systematic implementation of anti-terror plan by provincial
police has saved the settled areas of the province from becoming
safe heavens for terrorists. Sharing the document from the
second phase of the anti-terror operation, the IGP maintained
that during the ‘Search and Strike Operations', 38,113 suspects
were detained while 10,512 firearms were confiscated and almost
340kg of explosive was seized. The KP Police also established
35,042 road blocks for snap checking and during the exercise
69,783 suspects were detained along with 5,409 arms and 174,863
rounds of different caliber were confiscated. Around five kilograms
of explosive material was also seized during snap checking.
September 19
At least 15 suspected militants
were killed and several others were injured as military planes
pounded terrorist hideouts in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency
in FATA. Security officials said that air strikes were conducted
on the hideouts of militants belonging to the banned TTP and
LeI. Fifteen suspected militants were killed whereas four militant
hideouts were destroyed in the air strikes, official added.
September 20
Unidentified assailants shot
dead the brother of a senior Policeman at Dakorak area in Charbagh
tehsil of Swat District in KP in the evening. Source
said that Ihsanullah, an elder brother of Inspector Amjad Ali,
was on his way home at evening when unidentified assailants
opened fire on him, leaving him dead instantly.
BDU officials defused a roadside
bomb in Tora Warai area of Hangu District. Sources said terrorists
had planted a two-kilogram remote-controlled bomb on the roadside.
The locals spotted the bomb and informed the Police. The BDU
team reached the area and defused the bomb.
The officials of the CTD arrested
a militant in the limits of Doaba Police Station in Hangu District.
The sources said the CTD officials arrested a militant identified
as Zahid, a resident of Chapri Naryab, during a raid near Bypass
Road. He was allegedly involved in attacks on Security Forces
and Government installations.
Several suspected persons were
arrested during a search operation in various parts of the Dera
Ismail Khan District.
Two Policemen, identified as
SI Shoaib Shaikh and Constable Ashraf Ali, were injured when
al Qaeda in the AQIS, 'commander' Irfan alias Pahlwan blew himself
up during a raid in Kehkashan Society of Al-Falah in Shah Faisal
Town of provincial capital Karachi. SSP Rao Muhammad Anwaar
said that acting on information provided by the Military Intelligence,
the Malir District Police raided a house there and in the ensuing
shootout, the terrorist holed up there.
Unidentified militants attacked
a Samaa TV DSNG vehicle under bridge at Liaquatabad No.10 area
of Liaquatabad Town. The attackers fired five to six straight
shots at the van before escaping from the scene. However, there
was no was no loss of life reported.
Sindh Government received details
about 62 banned sectarian organisations from the Federal authorities,
bank accounts of the 13 of those groups have been frozen and
offices of just nine of them have been sealed. Officials in
the Home Ministry mentioned in a report sent to the Chief Minister
Office that the Ministry of Interior had sent some finer points
of the organisations to the Province for further action. They
stated that the MoI had also sent category-wise sketchy details
of the banned groups, which had never become dormant despite
having been slapped with repeated bans. A hefty 43 such organisations
fall in the ‘A’ category, 12 in B’ category and seven
others in ‘C’ category. Referring to the report, the officials
said 17 organisations among the 43 had been categorised in the
‘anti-state terrorism (armed and anti-state)’. However, the
bank accounts of just one of them have been frozen.
The personnel of Kurram Levies
recovered a bomb from a house in the Yaqubi village of Kurram
Agency in FATA. The sources said the Kurram Levies personnel
raided a house in the Yaqubi village after the intelligence
agencies reported that terrorists were planning an attack on
the upcoming Eidul Azha. The Levies force recovered a 20-kilogram
bomb from the house and arrested the owner Nazir Hussain. The
sources said the terrorists wanted to target an Imambargah in
Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurram Agency, during Eid.
The families from Sarwakai tehsil
of SWA have started moving to safer grounds. The decision to
vacate the area was taken after aerial bombardment was carried
out against militants in Ziarat Zhay area of the tehsil two
days ago. An official privy to the development said that a majority
of these families belong to the Mehsud tribe. “Many of them
have shifted towards Spin Kach along Gomal River,” he said.
“Some families have also shifted to settled areas like Tank.”
Five of the 14 attackers who
stormed the PAF Camp in Badaber of Peshawar, the provincial
capital of KP, and killed 29 persons belonged to the Khyber
Agency of FATA and Swat District of KP. A source that the identification
was made through the fingerprints collected from the bodies
of attackers by forensic experts. The specimens of the bodies
of attackers have also been sent for DNA tests. Security personnel
have extended the scope of the investigation into the Badaber
attack to the Khyber Agency and Frontier Regions of Kohat and
Peshawar.
According to a source, three
attackers including 19-year old Adnan, 21-year old Sirajuddin
and 27-year old Ibrahim belonged to the Khyber Agency. Muhammad
Ishaq, 27, was also identified and he hailed from the Kabal
area in Swat. The address of the fifth attacker identified as
Rab Nawaz, 20, wasn’t yet known though he was stated to be from
Swat. The source said that raids were conducted in Swat and
Khyber Agency to hunt down the facilitators and find out more
about the attackers. The bodies of the rest of the nine attackers
are yet to be identified. The DNA samples have been sent to
laboratory that will give its report in a few days. The data
and record of telephonic conversations of the attackers is also
being collected to trace the group and its activities.
September 21
An unidentified man was shot
dead by unidentified armed assailants in Manghopir area of Gadap
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
A three-day-old bullet-riddled
and tortured dead body of a man, identified as Arslan (25),
was recovered from Steel Town Ground in Baldia Town.
Police claimed to have arrested
a suspected militant belonging to SMP, identified as Zeeshan
Haider, allegedly involved in the September 9, 2015, killing
of television journalist Aftab Alam. Counter-Terrorism Department,
SSP Amir Farooqi said that a 9mm pistol was also seized from
his possession. “He is associated with the Raza Imam group of
the banned Sipah-e-Mohammed Pakistan,” said the SSP.
Sindh IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali
submitted a report in the Supreme Court stating that 3,400 Police
Officials were involved in heinous crimes like extortion, fake
encounters, land grabbing and others. However, the court rejected
the report.
An alleged terror bid targeting
Heavy Industries Taxila was successfully foiled in Taxila town
of Rawalpindi District. Two alleged terrorists tried to gain
entry to the Heavy Industries Taxila but they were intercepted
by the security guards present at the gate, source said. The
two men instead of facing the queries of the guards began to
run away from the gate. The security guards pursued the suspects
and succeeded in capturing them. A suicide jacket was recovered
from their possession. Police is investigating the case.
Punjab Government directed the
Police to launch a province-wide crackdown against the distribution
of provocative, sectarian pamphlets and posters. This comes
after intelligence reports suggested that LeJ, had threatened
a prominent Shia leader not to hold the Majlis-e-Aza
at a Darbar in Multan District during the upcoming month of
Muharram.
CoAS General Raheel Sharif approved
the death sentences of nine ‘hardcore terrorists’ involved in
heinous terrorism activities, said a statement issued by the
ISPR. The ISPR said that some of those convicted were involved
in sectarian attacks in Mastung District of Balochistan, killing
of civilians and security personnel in KP and suicide attack
in Nowshera District in KP. One terrorist was awarded life imprisonment,
the ISPR said.
The nine were identified as
active members of HuJI and TTP. Said Zaman Khan, Jamshed Raza
and Obaid Ullah were active members of HuJI. Mehmood, Qari Zubair
Muhammad, Rab Nawaz, Muhammad Sohail, Aslam Khan and Jameel
ur Rehman were members of TTP. Another convict, identified as
Muhammad Imran, was an active member of an unnamed proscribed
organisation. He was found involved in sectarian killings in
Mastung District.
Taliban attacks have cost the
economy as much as USD 5 billion a year in lost investment,
the Finance Secretary Waqar Masood said in an interview in London,
adding that Islamabad is keeping its options open for another
IMF program. “Our people have suffered terribly over the last
10-15 years and we have lost out enormously in terms of economic
opportunities and output because of terrorism,” said Masood.
“We have seen in the past foreign (investment) inflows of USD
5-7 billion but today we are not even having (investment of)
USD 2 billion,” he said, noting that security costs and damage
to the economy had to be added to that.
September 22
A sabotage effort to blow up
a passenger train plying from Karachi to Peshawar at the rail
track near Thal tehsil of Jacobabad District in Sindh was foiled
in the wee hours. According to details, two miscreants were
planting explosive material at the rail track near Thal tehsil
before the arrival of the Khushhal Express. The personnel of
intelligence agencies conducted a raid and arrested a suspected
terrorist, Lal Muhammed Nandwani alias Lalu, while his accomplice
managed to escape from the scene. The law enforcers recovered
at least five kilograms of explosives from them.
Police and intelligence agencies
conducted an operation in Pala Dheri of Charsadda District in
KP and apprehended a suspect allegedly involved in the September
18 attack on the PAF camp in Badaber in Peshawar, the provincial
capital. The suspect was identified as Bakhtiar who hails from
Afghanistan. The operation was conducted on a tip-off.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the mastermind of the terrorist
attack on the PAF camp in Badaber, Peshawar, had been traced
to Afghanistan and stressed that a Zarb-e-Azb like operation
must also be launched there. In a statement, the minister said
Pakistan would share all evidences with the Afghan leadership.
He said the place where terrorists stayed had also been identified.
He said five out of a total of 14 attackers had been identified.
The attackers were Ibrahim (27), Adnan (19) Sirajuddin (21),
Rab Nawaz (20), and Mohammad Ishaq (27). He said Pakistan neither
feared Afghanistan nor was it answerable to it. “We will share
all evidences with the Afghan leadership that the culprit is
operating from Afghanistan. Our side is under control the attacker
is across the border,” said the minister.
India and the US after the conclusion
of the first India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue at the
State Department in Washington urged Pakistan to bring to justice
the perpetrators of the Mumbai 2008 terror attacks (also known
as 26/11), while reiterating the threat posed by al Qaeda, the
LeT and the Haqqani Network. The 2008 militant assault on India’s
financial capital Mumbai had killed 166 people and injured 293
others.
In a joint statement issued,
the two countries reiterated “the threat posed by al Qaeda,
LeT, JeM, D-Company and Haqqani Network and other regional groups
that seek to undermine stability in South Asia”.
September 23
Afghan Taliban executed six
Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan. “Six Pakistani nationals
were killed near the Pakistan-Afghan border,” Balochistan Levies
DG Captain Tariq Zehri said. According to Levies sources in
Nokundi, Taliban issued a video showing the execution of the
six Pakistanis in Afghanistan who were identified as Jameel,
Sarwar, Shah Murad, Basit, Ghani, Kutab Khan and belonged to
Taftan town of Chagai and Nushki District.
Three militants were killed
in an encounter after they attack a Police patrolling car near
Akhun Zafar Baba graveyard in Shabqadar town of Charsadda District
in KP. Kalashnikovs, hand grenades and other weapons were recovered
from the attackers.
An important commander of TTP,
Gul Rauf, was killed during a Police operation in Takhtikhel
under Naurang Police Station in Lakki Marwat District. KP Police
spokesman in a statement said Gul Rauf was an important commander
of TTP who was wanted to the Police after he escaped from the
Bannu jail in April 2012. He carried PKR two million head bounty.
He was wanted by the Police in over 30 bomb explosions, murder,
dacoities, kidnappings for ransom and robbery related cases.
One SMG, three hand grenades and one mobile was recovered from
his possession.
At least 14 suspects were arrested
in a search operation conducted by FC in Kharotabad area of
provincial capital Quetta. “The FC handed over 14 suspected
persons to police for interrogation,” the FC spokesman said.
FC arrested two militants from
Kohlu District.
FC arrested a militant from
Quetta for his involvement in bomb blast in Lehri Bazaar in
August 2015.
Two sons of deceased Lal Masjid
cleric Ghazi Abdul Rasheed who was killed in a military operation
in 2007 were arrested near Super Market in Islamabad. The suspects,
identified as Haris and Haroon, were arrested along with their
personal guard by a joint team of Police and Rangers who were
patrolling the area at the time. An army uniform and a handgun
were seized from their vehicle.
A Lal Masjid spokesman said
that the FIR was an attempt to bar Abdul Rasheed’s sons from
pursuing a case against former President General (retired) Pervez
Musharraf. The spokesman said that no uniform had been recovered
from the car and that only a weapon was present in the vehicle.
He added that the recovered weapon was licensed.
Police claimed to have arrested
a suspected target killer, identified as Ali Nawaz, alias Ali
Dada, allegedly involved in the killing of around 50 people,
including several Policemen. He was trained by the BLA, said
Counter-Terrorism Department Senior Superintendent of Police
(Operations-II) Junaid Ahmed Shaikh. “He was involved in 50
murder cases,” the officer said. The Police claimed to have
seized two hand grenades, one Mauser gun, an MP5 (submachine
gun) and a shotgun from his possession.
An ATC remanded two target-killers,
affiliated with MQM and identified as Shakeel Baba and Shaikh
Ilyas alias Sheru, into Rangers custody on 90-day remand. According
to Rangers spokesman, the accused have confessed to killing
46 people on political and sectarian grounds. Sheru has confessing
to killing DSP Nawaz Ranjha and two Rangers officers.
Four militants surrendered to
the SF in Orakzai Agency of FATA. The sources said that four
militants affiliated with the TTP, Aslam Farooqi Group, surrendered
to the SFs and renounced militancy. One of the surrendered militants
was identified as Muhammad Gul.
The cadres of the Afghan Taliban
have started leaving Pakistan following a strong warning from
the Government to militant groups against using its soil for
insurgency in Afghanistan and to renounce violence and insurgency,
a senior official privy to the development said. “It is our
understanding that several Taliban fighters have recently left
Pakistan,” claimed by the official who requested not to be named.
The official maintained that the country’s clear warning to
the insurgent groups against not using its soil against the
neighbouring country could be the main reason behind the Afghan
Taliban’s exodus. Pakistan has long been accused of harbouring
the Afghan Taliban, including the deadly Haqqani network, a
charge Islamabad has always denied. A senior official’s acknowledgement
of the presence of some Afghan Taliban members on the Pakistani
soil, however, remains unprecedented.
September 24
The DSP of Peshawar Central
Jail Peshawar, Zahir Shah, and his brother were shot dead by
unidentified armed assailants while he was exchanging Eid greetings
at his hujra in Mandai area of Charsadda District. “Unknown
gunmen shot dead Zahir Shah and his brother and fled on motorcycles,”
local police station chief Hassan Khan said. No outfit claimed
responsibility for the killing.
Three Security Force personnel,
identified as Kamran Hayat, Jaffar Khan and Waqar Ali, were
shot at and injured in Sangan area of Sibi District.
At least 10 suspects were arrested
by law-enforcement agencies and Police during a raid in the
Marri Camp area of Western Bypass in provincial capital Quetta
for their suspected involvement in various crimes.
BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal
while talking to reporters in Uthal said that an atmosphere
of trust should be created for initiating negotiations with
Baloch militants to resolve the conflict in Balochistan. He
said that the BNP was holding public meetings and rallies all
over the province to highlight the Baloch people’s demands and
defend their national rights. “The gatherings are not part of
preparations for any elections, but are aimed at overcoming
political fear among the people,” he said. Sardar Akhtar said
that he was unaware of a move for the formation of an opposition
jirga, “but if it’s political then we will welcome it”.
September 25
SFs claimed to have arrested
10 suspected militants affiliated with a banned militant organisation
during a raid conducted by FC and Intelligence Agencies' personnel
in Gwadar District. FC spokesman Khan Wasey confirmed the arrests.
The suspected militants were involved in target killing, extortion
and bomb blasts in the area, he said.
Balochistan Chief Minister Dr
Abdul Malik Baloch said that his government will initiate talks
with self-exiled Baloch leaders soon in an effort to persuade
them to return to the country to help resolve the issues the
province has been facing for a long time. “We have planned to
meet angry Baloch nationalist leaders after Eidul Azha,” Dr
Baloch said.
Pakistan Rangers personnel conducted
a raid in Surjani Town in Gadap Town of provincial capital Karachi
and arrested an alleged target-killer, identified as Mohammad
Rehan Hussain alias Bihari, accused of being involved in the
murders of Policemen and several political activists in the
city. According to a Rangers spokesman, suspect Bihari belongs
to the MQM and was in-charge of the party's Surjani Town sector.
The suspect was allegedly involved in the killing of political
workers and Police personnel, as well as crimes of extortion,
kidnapping for ransom, snatching sacrificial hides, and 'china-cutting',
said the Rangers spokesman.
September 26
Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed
Chaudhry said that despite India’s hostile attitude, Pakistan
desires good relations with India. He called for an end to military
activities along the LoC in the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan,
he said, believed that the struggle in Kashmir was indigenous,
with the people of the occupied Kashmir struggling for their
right of self-determination. To a question about the aggressive
Indian attitude and the chance of resumption of dialogue, the
foreign secretary said, “One should always remain optimistic,
because the overarching objective is to have good relations
with India.” He said Pakistan remained steadfast in this objective,
“but it needs two hands to clap.”
September 27
A suspected militant was killed
and another arrested after an exchange of fire in Mangochar
area of Kalat District in Balochistan. According to Levies sources,
unidentified militants opened fire at a levies vehicle to which
the security personnel retaliated, killing one of the attackers
and arresting another. Sources said levies personnel also recovered
a rifle from his possession.
SFs foiled a major terrorism
bid during a raid in Behlol area of Loralai District. Frontier
Corps spokesman Khan Wasey said that the SFs recovered 20 RPT-7
rockets along with fuses. Wasey said the weapons were being
transported to various parts of the province to carry out subversive
activities. No arrests were made during the raid.
The Political Administration
arrested two alleged militants in Saada Bazar area of Kurram
Agency in FATA red-handed as one of them was busy in planting
a remote controlled bomb in a passenger vehicle and recovered
explosive materials from his possession. When contacted, Assistant
Political Agent, Fazl Qadir Khattak disclosed that they apprehended
a militant red-handed on the information given by local people
that a militant, identified as Mumtaz, has had explosive materials
intended to plant inside a passenger vehicle.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
called for the implementation of UN Security Council resolution
on the decades-old Kashmir dispute, and holding of plebiscite
to determine the wishes of Kashmiri people. Nawaz urged UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon to play a role in defusing tensions between
Pakistan and India and help end the cross-LoC violations for
promoting peace in the region when he held talks with him at
UN Headquarters, according to official sources.
The US Secretary of State John
Kerry told world leaders that LeT was one of the extremist groups
that were threatening world peace. “It would be a complete understatement
to say that we meet at a challenging time. Extremist violence
is a major contributor to the suffering that we see radiating
not just out of Syria but elsewhere in the world,” he told a
global forum being held on the sidelines of the United Nations
General Assembly. The United States is co-hosting the Global
Counter-terrorism Forum Ministerial.
September 28
FC personnel arrested four suspects
with arms in Patogoraizai area of Zhob District.
Police recovered an abducted
Hindu trader, identified as Santosh Kumar, during a raid carried
on a tip-off in Chaman town in of Killa Abdullah District. Police
said that suspects were arrested in this regard.
The Provincial administration
launched an operation in Kohat District following reports about
presence of illegal foreigners in the local seminaries. DPO
Mohammad Sohaeb Ashraf said that the objective of the operation
was to computerise the data of the seminaries, check militant
activities there and verify that their curriculum was approved
by Waqaful Madaris, the supreme body looking after the seminaries
countrywide. He said that they had already evicted 24 Afghan
prayer leaders from various mosques in the city and its outskirts.
He said that Afghan students,
almost all of whom belonged to Deoband school of thought, were
allowed to study in the seminaries as the ban was applicable
only to the members of banned religious outfits. “All the data
will be collected and the family background of the students
and teachers will also be confirmed. During the operation, the
luggage of the students and their teachers is also being checked
for banned books and diaries to ascertain their contacts with
banned organisations,” said the official. He said that the seminaries,
which were constructed without proper permission and approval
of the industrial department, would be closed.
Another unnamed official said
that there might be some seminaries near the Afghan border and
in the tribal areas which were under the control of TTP or any
other banned group. The political administrations had been ordered
to seal such seminaries, he added.
September 29
At least three policemen and
two militants were killed during an exchange of fire in the
Omar Kalay village of Tank District in KP. Four Police personnel,
including a SHO, were also injured during the clash that occurred
during a Police raid in the Omar Kalay village. The slain militants
were identified as Jamal and his brother Afzal.
A schoolteacher was killed and
another person sustained injuries when unidentified assailants
opened fire on them in Piran area near Bhatkela in Malakand
District. Schoolteachers Muhammad Salim and Aziz Muhammad were
going home from school when one Bakht Bahadur allegedly opened
fire on them in Piran area. As a result, Muhammad Salim was
killed while Aziz Muhammad and another passer-by sustained injuries.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a councillor belonging to the ANP and injured his two security
guards in Pabbi town of Nowshera District. Sources said that
the ANP leader and president of the Anjuman-e-Tajiraan Pabbi
Station Bazaar, Ikramullah, along with his two security guards
Sartaj and Feroz had gone to Pabbi. Two motorcyclists opened
indiscriminate fire on them in Pabbi Bazaar.
The CTD claimed to have arrested
a militant carrying a bounty of PKR 500,000 on his arrest. A
statement issued here identified the militant as Noor Wali alias
Nooray, a resident of Akakhel in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency
in FATA. The arrested person was involved in a suicide attack
on CID Police Station in 2009.
A convict, identified as Ansar
Iqbal, who said he was 15 when he was arrested for a murder
he did not commit, was hanged till death in Sargodha District.
Iqbal had said that he and a friend were arrested 16 years ago
for the murder of a neighbour. The victim’s family said Iqbal
killed the neighbour over an argument on a cricket match but
Iqbal said Police framed him by planting two guns in his house.
The security agencies arrested
a key suspect, identified as Qasim Muawiya, involved in Punjab
Home Minister Shuja Khanzada’s assassination on August 16, 2015
in Attock District. According to the CTD spokesman, Muawiya,
was tracked through mobile data. He was presented in an ATC
where the court sent him on physical remand. The attack was
masterminded by a local TTP 'commander' namely Qari Sohail.
Other facilitators have been identified as Zaheer alias Talha
and Imran Sattar.
Annoyed over their failure to
comply with orders in missing persons cases, Chief Justice of
Peshawar High Court Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel summoned the Federal
Interior Secretary and KP Home Secretary. The officials were
told to appear on the next date of hearing. The division bench
of Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Irshad
Qaiser, while hearing 20 cases related to missing persons, observed
that departments working under the KP Chief Secretary failed
to perform their duties.
“The additional PHC registrar
issued notices on several occasions, but departments under the
provincial and federal governments failed to submit their replies
despite being given several chances,” the chief justice remarked.
He asked representatives of the government departments to present
themselves in court and explain their failure to comply with
orders. Miankhel observed that court orders were being blatantly
ignored.
Afghanistan’s Chief Executive
Officer Abdullah Abdullah while addressing the UN General Assembly
hours after the Taliban assault and capture of the northern
Afghan city of Kunduz in a multi-pronged attack involving hundreds
of fighters said, “We call on Pakistan to do what its leadership
promised to us a few months ago when they agreed to crack down
on known terror outfits”. Abdullah said some of the attackers
had come from abroad. He asked Pakistan to keep its promise
to crack down on Islamic extremists blamed for carrying out
cross-border attacks and destabilising the impoverished country.
Abdullah said Afghanistan was
in the forefront of the combat against terrorism and extremism.
“The presence of terrorist sanctuaries and support networks
in Pakistan continue to cause trouble inside Afghanistan. The
Haqqani Network has been identified as a main culprit and needs
to be dismantled as has been our demand in the past,” he said.
In a video exclusively available
with CNN-IBN, people in large numbers in several areas of PoK,
including Muzaffarabad, Gilgit and Kotli, are protesting against
the Pakistani establishment, demanding freedom and raising pro-India
slogans. Some protestors have also said on camera that Pakistan
has no right to use force on them and even that India is better
place to live. In the video, they are also heard demanding jobs
and other rights. The Pakistan military is using brutal force
to shut their voices.
The US included the Islamic
State’s (IS/ also known as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria-ISIS)
affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan, IS-Khorasan, in its newest
terror watch-list, slapping sanctions against major IS leaders
and financial figures. The State Department also announced sanctions
against 15 IS figures, including supporters and facilitators.
IS-Khorasani’s formation was
announced in an online video on January 10, 2015. The group
is led by former TTP 'commander' Hafiz Saeed Khan, and consists
of former Pakistani and Afghan Taliban faction commanders. On
January 26, 2015, IS 'spokesman' Abu Muhammad al Adnani announced
IS’s expansion into Khorasan by reporting that Baghdadi had
accepted Khan’s pledge and appointed him the regional governor.
The FIA of Pakistan was given
the special ‘Police-like’ powers. According to a notification
issued today, an office of the agency’s counter-terrorism wing
has been upgraded to a Police station in the Federal Capital.
This wing would now be able to lodge and investigate terrorism
and cybercrime related cases. The scope of the FIA’s counter-terrorism
wing has been widened to the whole country.
According to the new powers
delegated through an amendment in the Protection of Pakistan
Act 2014, FIA would be able to hold anyone in its custody for
90 days.
Approving the ninth USD 504
million tranche for Pakistan under the 36-month Extended Fund
Facility (EFF), the IMF Executive Board said that reforms should
aim at securing a reliable supply of electricity and gas, and
reducing fiscal risks posed by these sectors. The Fund decided
to keep mum on the exact numbers of waivers on key conditions
approved by the Executive Board of the IMF in its official press
statement issued from its headquarters in Washington, DC. “It
seems that although the Fund’s Executive Board approved the
tranche for Pakistan but it was not a very smooth sailing,”
the sources who dealt with the IMF said.
In a brief statement issued
by the IMF’s Resident Office, Islamabad, after approving the
ninth tranche in a meeting held in Washington, DC, stating that
the Executive Board of the IMF on September 28, 2015, completed
the eighth review of Pakistan’s economic performance under a
36-month program supported by an EFF arrangement. The Executive
Board’s decision enables the immediate disbursement of an amount
equivalent to SDR 360 million (about USD 504.8 million), bringing
total disbursements to SDR 3.24 billion (about USD 4.54 billion).
September 30
Police recovered an unidentified
dead body of man from Joint Road area of the provincial capital
Quetta.
A traffic Police Official, identified
as ASI Zulfiqar, was shot dead in an armed attack by unidentified
armed assailants near Malir Kala Board in Malir Town of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh.
Lyari SP, Aftab Nizamani survived
an attempt on his life while two attackers were killed by Police
in retaliatory firing in Chakiwara area of Lyari Town. According
to Police sources, Nizamani was patrolling when unidentified
militants opened fire on his car. "The officer remained
unhurt and while the two attackers were killed in retaliatory
firing," said Chakiwara SHO, Safdar Mashwani. Police claimed
to have recovered two TT Pistols and two motorcycles from their
possession.
The Security Forces and Police
arrested 35 suspects during a joint search operation in parts
of Kohat District. DPO Sohaib Ashraf said that the SFs, Police
and personnel of the Quick Response Force, Bomb Disposal Unit,
along with the female Police made the arrest during a door-to-door
search in Kohat Cantonment and its surrounding localities. He
said the law-enforcement agencies also recovered two Kalashnikovs,
five rifles, six pistols and hundreds of cartridges during the
operation.
SFs imposed a curfew in Shalozan
Colony near Scheme Chowk, adjacent to Badhaber airbase in Peshawar.
“A few days ago announcements were made on loudspeakers, saying
there would be a curfew in place from 10 in the night to 6 in
the morning and that everyone had to abide by it,” a local said,
adding, “As a security measure, the area has been under curfew
for the last three days.”
October 1
Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif has
said the dossier on Indian interference in Pakistan’s internal
affairs and on fomenting terrorism on Pakistan’s soil by India
would soon be handed over to the Secretary General of the UN.
He told reporters at a press conference at Waldorf Astoria hotel
after his UN General Assembly speech that if he had a meeting
with Indian PM Narendra Modi he would have handed the dossier
over to him. He said that Pakistan was keen to have peaceful
neighbourly relations but India had not reciprocated with the
same sentiments. “It is the time that India should act by coming
forward and desist from violating the ceasefire on LoC and Working
Boundary,” he said.
October 2
At least 25 suspected terrorists
were killed and several others were injured when the military
carried out air strikes in Alwara Mandi area of Dattakhel tehsil
in North Waziristan Agency of FATA. A security official said
at least five terrorist hideouts were destroyed in the aerial
operation.
Two bullet-riddled dead bodies,
identified as that of Muhammad Faisal and Dad Bakhsh Baloch,
were found in Pidrak area of Turbat (Kech) District. The two
men were kidnapped a couple of days ago, sources said. They
were shot from a close range in their heads and chests.
SFs foiled a terrorism bid in
Murgha Kibzai area of Zhob District and recovered a sizeable
amount of arms and ammunition, reported Dawn. “Weapons recovered
during the raid include three RPG launchers, 22 RPG rockets,
23 mortar shells and other weapons and explosives,” said the
FC spokesperson Khan Wasey. He added that that no arrests were
made as the terrorists were not present at the location when
the raid was conducted.
A bullet-riddled dead body of
a missing worker of MQM, identified as Asad Iqbal, was found
in Mochko area of Baldia Town in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. The MQM Coordination Committee said that Iqbal was
taken away by Rangers from his home in Liaquatabad Town on July
21, 2015. He was killed in an ‘encounter’ by Rangers on September
4, 2015, in limits of Mochko Police Station. The party termed
it as extra-judicial killing of the worker. He was buried by
a welfare organization as an unclaimed body on September 17,
2015. However, the party spokesperson said that he was identified
by his brother through picture taken by the welfare institution.
A PTI village councilor, identified
as Dildar Ali, survived a grenade attack in Manglawar area of
Swat District. The councilor survived while his wife was wounded
in the attack.
A house was damaged when an
explosive device planted near the boundary wall of the house
of Malik Khalil in Shahidabad area within the limits of Bilyamina
Police Station of Hangu District exploded. However, no casualty
was reported. Malik Khalil told reporters that a letter was
pasted on another portion of the boundary wall apparently to
demand extortion money. “The people identified themselves as
member of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had pasted the letter
on the wall, demanding PKR 1 million,” he maintained.
KP Police claimed to have arrested
three suspected militants belonging to a banned outfit from
Badaber area of provincial capital Peshawar. SSP Operations
Mian Saeed said media representatives that three militant 'commanders',
identified as Naseer, Hazrat Sher and Zarma Khan, were taken
into custody from Badaber. "All three belong to a banned
outfit operating from Khyber Agency two hand grenades, a pistol
and a SMG was recovered from the trio," said the SSP.
ATS officials arrested a terrorist,
identified as Ghazi Akbar alias Mandray from Matta tehsil in
Swat District. ATS officials claimed that that Akbar was a wanted
terrorist involved in a number of attacks on security forces.
The anti-terrorism department
arrested alleged target killer, Bilal Hussain, from the Matni
area of Peshawar. Bilal Hussain is accused of murdering five
workers of a political party in Karachi. He is also accused
of attacks on Rangers and two Police Stations.
Two self-radicalized Pakistani
men from Karachi, identified as Bilal Rind and Zain Shahid,
were arrested while trying to go to Syria to join the terrorist
group of IS. Authorities claimed that this is the first such
case from Pakistan. The two men from Karachi were arrested
in a remote Iranian town along the Turkish border. They were
later deported by Iran and handed over to the FIA. On their
return, they were arrested by the Sindh Police’s CTD. Their
interrogation has brought to light the increasing use of social
media by militant groups to recruit impressionable youngsters.
Rind and Shahid were impressed
with IS’s ideology through its videos, pictures and literature
shared on Twitter. They planned their escape at the start of
the year and got in touch with IS operatives on the micro-blogging
website.
Terming the Kashmir issue an
unfinished agenda of partition of the Subcontinent, CoAS General
Raheel Sharif while speaking at the Royal United Services Institute
in London said that the world community must come forward to
help resolve the longstanding issue if it wants genuine peace
in the region. He said the dispute between Pakistan and India
“resides in the Kashmir issue”.
The Army chief said that Pakistan
would continue to support all efforts for an enduring and permanent
peace in Afghanistan and warned against detractors and spoilers
of these efforts. “While we continue to support enduring and
permanent peace in Afghanistan, let us all beware of detractors
and spoilers,” CoAS said.
October 3
One security official was killed
and two others sustained injuries in an IED blast in Toran Dara
area of Mohmand Agency in FATA.
One Levies personal was killed
while two others sustained injuries in an armed attack targeting
the vehicle of Assistant Commissioner in Kalat District. The
dead assailant is yet to be identified by security forces. There
was no claim of responsibility for the attack.
October 4
At least three alleged gangsters
were killed during a Police encounter in Baldia Town of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. The dead gangsters were identified
as Arshad, Abdul Noor and Noman.
The CTD personnel raided a private
hospital and arrested two Afghan nationals who were undergoing
treatment since September 21, 2015 in Baldia Town.
A pro-government tribal elder,
Malik Sayed Ali Wazir, was killed and his son was wounded when
a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in the Bakkakhel town of Bannu
District in KP. No group has yet claimed responsibility for
the killing but Malik Sayed Ali Wazir, who headed an anti-Taliban
militia in the town, was on the target of militants.
The TTP hanged a military intelligence
officer in retaliation for recent executions of militants by
Government, the militant group said in videos released. In the
first video, a man identifies himself as Bashir Ahmad Khan,
originally from the 19th Army air defence unit and later recruited
by Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, the ISI. "We
were trained to trace the Taliban´s training camps," said
the man identified as Khan. He was dressed in plain brown traditional
Pakistani clothes and surrounded by armed men wearing masks
and camouflage. One unmasked man in white robes kneels beside
him. Two men hold a black banner in the background that is embroidered
with the kalma, a Muslim declaration of faith.
In the second video, Khan is
shown wrapped in a Pakistani flag, his eyes bound with black
cloth and a noose around his neck. One of the masked men says:
"The hanging of Bashir Ahmad is our response to the Pakistani
government who are busy hanging our group members. This is just
the beginning and all those who are in our custody or those
who have any links with the Pakistan government will face the
same treatment." After the masked man finishes speaking,
he pushes Khan off a rock. As Khan dangles from the rope around
his neck, other militants shoot at his body and shout: "God
is great." The videos were provided by Maqbool Dawar, a
TTP commander from North Waziristan who is known to Reuters.
Reuters could not independently authenticate the two videos
and a Pakistani military spokesman was not immediately able
to comment on them.
According to some unnamed senior
officials, the government has sought to brief the strength of
LEAs in Balochistan by as much as 27 per cent in addition to
improving their training and equipment. Some security outfits
in the province could see further recruitment in the coming
years. “The massive recruitment process will continue till 2018—it’s
part of the action plan against insurgents,” a senior official
in Balochistan Home Department said.
LEAs, including Police, Levies,
FC and FCB have seen their rank and file boosted from an estimated
83,741in 2011 to 106,243 in 2015. To afford these upgrades,
the Government is expected to increase the annual budgets for
these forces accordingly. According to data from the Federal
Ministry of Interior and the Balochistan Home Department, the
FC has seen the largest manpower increase from 38,132 to an
estimated 52,000. Further, officers in the force have been increased
from 248 to 511.
The Government has also beefed
up Police in the Province, recruiting 3, 123 personnel and raising
its strength to 28,094 men with a budget of PKR 9.3 billion
for the current fiscal year. The FCB, too, has seen fresh recruitment
with 511 personnel inducted. The force, with a strength of 9,149
men has been allocated a budget of PKR 3 billion.
The US is helping Pakistan fight
militants in its tribal areas by providing precision strike
technology to its air force, said Pakistan's envoy Jalil Abbas
Jilani while addressing the second Convention of the Pakistani-American
Community in Washington. Talking to participants about progress
in Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan Agency of FATA,
Ambassador Jilani said over 90 per cent of the areas in North
Waziristan which were previously used by militants as safe havens
have been cleared by Pakistan’s military. He added that the
military has also completely destroyed the terrorists’ command
and control infrastructure.
He further said that Washington
is also helping Islamabad rehabilitate tribes people displaced
by the military operations against terrorists. He also said
Pakistan’s government is taking multiple steps to improve the
security situation in the country.
October 5
Several suspects, including
a doctor, were arrested in three intelligence-driven raids on
as many private health facilities in Bahadurabad area of Gulshan
Town in provincial capital Karachi. According to sources, a
total of three facilities were raided and besides a doctor,
some staff members and some under-treatment suspects, who had
been wounded in the ongoing operations in FATA, were picked
up.
“We received information that
some wounded militants are being treated at some Karachi hospitals,”
said an unnamed senior Police official. He further said, “During
initial interrogation, the held suspects informed us about their
handler and we also took him into custody in a separate raid,”
adding, “The handler told us that around 100 wounded Taliban
suspects are currently under treatment in different health facilities
of the metropolis.” City Police Chief said that a doctor was
arrested in the raid on a Bahadurabad hospital on charges of
treating militants wounded in tribal areas. He said that the
doctor was being interrogated.
Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar
Siyal while speaking at the 'Meet the Press' program of the
Karachi Press Club said that the Provincial Government was not
considering winding up the Karachi Operation. He said that the
operation was launched against terrorists and criminals and
it would continue till the elimination of the last terrorist.
He said that Police and Rangers were jointly carrying out the
operation in Karachi and it was wrong to say that the role of
the Police had been restricted to a mere backup force because
the Rangers had taken a leading role.
The CTD claimed to have arrested
three al Qaeda militants from Raiwind town in provincial capital
Lahore. The suspects were identified as Tariq Aziz, Abdul Ghaffar
and Mehar Hamid Ali. The Police also recovered cash, weapons
and printed and written material suggesting their links with
al Qaeda from their possession.
Two suspected terrorists, identified
as Khalid Mahmood and Amanullah, were arrested from a village
near Thokar Niaz Beg area in Lahore. The Police recovered illegal
weapons and two kilogram of explosive material from their possession.
An ATC sentenced former ASWJ
Rawalpindi 'president' Mufti Tanveer Alam Farooqi to six months
in prison for hate speech and possession of weapons. During
the hearing, ATC Judge Asif Majeed Awan ordered the Farooqi
to be imprisoned for six months and pay a fine of PKR 50,000.
The ASWJ leader was arrested by the CTD on December 31, 2014.
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa of
the Supreme Court of Pakistan while hearing an appeal filed
by Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of former Punjab Governor Salman
Taseer, against his death penalty, said that criticism of the
blasphemy law did not amount to blasphemy. During the hearing
on October 5, the bench observed that the entire argument of
Qadri’s counsel would be rendered irrelevant if it is not established
that then governor Salman Taseer had committed blasphemy. Justice
Khosa in his remarks said that criticizing a law does not amount
to blasphemy and the press clippings presented in court do not
provide sufficient evidence to maintain that the former governor
had committed blasphemy.
The current military operation
against militants will continue until the writ of the state
is restored, said, Pakistan’s Defence Attaché Brigadier Sarfraz
Ali Chaudhary while addressing a convention of Pakistani-Americans
in Washington. He said that the operation had four major goals,
eliminating extremists from North Waziristan, their sleeper
cells elsewhere in the country, restoring the writ of the state,
and ensuring that only the state had monopoly on the use of
legitimate physical force within its jurisdiction.
An unnamed spokesman of the
ISPR while commenting on the video released by the TTP on October
4, 2015, showing hanging of a military intelligence officer
in NWA of FATA said that it was totally baseless. He regretted
that a section of foreign and local media has accommodated a
propaganda news item along with video, issued by terrorists
about killing of an individual which they claimed as an intelligence
official. The person shown in video is neither a serving soldier
nor an intelligence official, the ISPR spokesman said.
October 6
The FC and intelligence agencies
conducted a joint operation at a militant hideout in Panjgur
District and arrested three suspected militants. A Kalashnikov,
12 bore rifles, and rounds of various weapons were taken into
custody from the hideout.
The CTD personnel arrested a
militant, identified as Qari Rasheed, from Jhelum District.
Qari Rasheed was an alleged mastermind of attack on an INGO
World Vision in 2010 in Oghi, Mansehra. In the attack, six people
were killed including two women. The Oghi Police had lodged
a FIR against him under sections 302, 324, 427, 148, 149 PPC
6/7 ATA 3/4. The government had announced PKR one million head
money for arresting him either dead or alive.
A death row convict was sent
to the gallows at the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore in the early
morning. Death row prisoner Idrees was executed for killing
a man in 1997.
The CTD claimed to have arrested
a graduate turned terror suspect affiliated since 2007 with
the proscribed organisation HuT from the Clifton vicinity of
Karachi District. According to Karachi CTD in-charge Mazhar
Mashwani, suspect Muhammad Owais Raheel was a graduate of the
reputable NED University of Engineering and Technology as well
as held a MBA from the prestigious IBA in Karachi. Mashwani
further told that a large number of pamphlets were recovered
from Owais’s possession. It was Owais responsibility to distribute
leaflets of HuT in mosques located in Clifton and Defence areas
of the city. Owais told the interrogators that he stayed in
contact with the help of the communication software ‘Viber’
with his other companions, who are residents of Malir, Landhi
and Model Colony in Karachi.
Owais Raheel, targeted educated
youngsters in the Defence and Clifton areas in order to use
them “for illegal activities” with a view to implementing “Khilafa”
in the country. Banned in Pakistan in November 2003, HuT is
believed to be a global organisation that has organisational
structure in several countries with main concentration in Islamic
states.
KP Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmed
Khan has said that the peace of whole region was linked with
the peace and stability in tribal areas. He said the menace
of terrorism has been controlled due to comprehensive strategy
of military and political leadership, adding that repatriation
process of TDPs has been started and going on successfully.
The governor said one third of the total displaced population
would be repatriated by the end of current.
Minister of State for Interior
Baleeghur Rahman informed the Senate that there were a total
of 6,016 death row convicts imprisoned in various jails across
the country. During the question hour, he said that the process
for execution of the convicts who had availed of all legal options
and whose mercy petitions had also been rejected continued as
per law since December 17, 2014. The last such prisoner, Mohammad
Aslam, was executed in the Bahawalpur jail in September.
The house was also informed
that 588 people were killed and another 1,007 were injured in
821 acts of terror in the country from January to August 2015.
Rahman also said that despite
constraints, the performance of NACTA was satisfactory. It was
mandated to implement the National Internal Security Policy
and the NAP. The minister said a robust mechanism was in place
for transparency in carrying out executions and implementation
of the NAP.
The PHC directed the KP AG,
Abdul Lateef Yousafzai, to submit a detailed explanation on
behalf of provincial government that under what law the SFs
were called and stationed in different parts of the province
by the Government. A bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Mazhar
Alam Miankhel and Justice Irshad Qaiser also directed the advocate
general to submit the correspondence between the Provincial
and Federal Governments through which the former had requested
the latter for calling the SFs in aid of civil power in the
province. The bench observed that while for FATA and PATA the
federal government had made two regulations by the name of Action
(in aid of civil power) Regulation, 2011, no such law was introduced
for other areas of KP.
The AG, meanwhile, stated that
SFs were called in aid of civil power in PATA and KP on the
request of the provincial government, made through a letter
sent on April 12, 2008. He said that in the said communication
the provincial government had expressed concern over the deteriorating
law and order situation in the province and requested the centre
for calling the armed forces under Article 245 of the Constitution.
The court, however, sought a detailed explanation and adjourned
the hearing till October 27.
The PHC chief justice had taken
suo motu contempt notice of the issue involving a series of
incidents, happened in close succession, where the free travelling
of the chief justice and judges was halted and they were misbehaved
by the Army personnel at checkposts despite sharing with them
in advance their travel plan.
October 7
SFs killed three suspected militants
during an operation in Maskhay area of Awaran District. The
SFs also recovered weapons from their possession. “Security
forces also destroyed various safe havens of the militants operating
in the area during the operation,” stated the security official.
A criminal, identified as Amir,
was killed in retaliatory firing by the Police that had come
under attack by him and his accomplice while patrolling the
area of Garden West Road, adjacent to Lyari Expressway. The
Police recovered one TT pistol and five rounds of ammunition
from his possession. The other accomplice managed to escape.
Amir was associated with the Lyari gang war and his criminal
record is currently being collected by the Police.
The Rangers arrested MQM Rabita
Committee member Kamal Malik during a raid at his house, the
party claimed in a statement on its website. The MQM said Rangers
conducted a thorough search of Malik's house, and took away
his academic documents and certificates. "A heavy contingent
of Rangers raided the house of Kamal Malik on the intervening
night of Wednesday and Thursday around 2:30am. They scaled the
walls of his home and arrested him. No reason for the arrest
has been given," the MQM said.
The SFs recovered a stockpile
of explosives and equipment used in making bombs and ammunition
during a search operation in parts of Mamond tehsil in
Bajaur Agency of FATA. Official sources said that the ammunition
recovered in the search included rocket shells, equipment used
in making bombs, cartridges and a stockpile of explosives.
SFs arrested 28 suspected persons
during a search operation after an attack on a checkpost in
Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency. The sources said that unidentified
militants attacked a SFs checkpost in Ghundi area. No casualty
was reported in the attack.
The Supreme Court maintained
the conviction of Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of former Punjab
Governor Salman Taseer, by an Anti Terrorism Court. The Islamabad
High Court's March 9, 2015, verdict which had rejected Qadri's
application against his death sentence under the Pakistan Penal
Code (PPC) but accepted his application to void the ATA’s Section
7,was overturned by the court.
Headed by Justice Asif Saeed
Khosa, the bench had taken up two appeals one moved by Advocate
Mian Nazir Akhtar on behalf of Mumtaz Qadri, and another moved
by the Federal Government against the IHC verdict. A three-member
bench of the apex court allowed the government application to
re-include the terrorism charges against Qadri The appeal filed
by Mumtaz Qadri for a reduction in his sentence was dismissed
by the court.
Qadri still has the right to
submit a mercy appeal to the President.
In a statement released, Sunni
Tehreek (ST) decided to file a review petition in the SC in
regards to the apex court's earlier decision to uphold the death
penalty for Mumtaz Qadri under ATA laws. "The death penalty
awarded to Mumtaz Qadri is against Sharia'h and the Constitution
of Pakistan," claimed the statement from ST.
The US said that a strong relationship
between Pakistan and India is “absolutely critical” to achieving
peace and stability in South Asia. At a daily news briefing,
a spokesperson for the US State Department, Mark Toner, also
stressed the need for India and Pakistan to work together to
defeat terrorists. “We want to see better, stronger, closer
counter-terrorism cooperation not only between the US and India
but of all the countries in the region, including Pakistan,”
he said. “We all need to be on our guard. We all need to be
vigilant. We all need to cooperate and share information and
intelligence where we can … to prevent future attacks,” he said.
The US is exploring an option
that could pave the way for a civil nuclear deal with Pakistan
like the one concluded with India in 2005, according to a report
published in The Washington Post. “The issue is being discussed
quietly in the run-up to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit
to Washington on October 22, 2015” said leading columnist David
Ignatius in an article he wrote for the Post. “We are in regular
contact with the Government of Pakistan on a range of issues
as we prepare for the Prime Minister’s visit,” a US Government
spokesperson said, adding, “We’ll decline comment on the specifics
of these discussions.”
The spokesperson also said that
the US “urges all nuclear-capable states, including Pakistan,
to exercise restraint” regarding nuclear weapons and missile
capabilities. “We encourage efforts to strengthen safety and
security measures and continue to hold regular discussions with
Pakistan on a range of global issues, including nuclear security,
counter-terrorism, and international norms,” she said.
October 8
Two Police Officials, identified
as head constable Abdul Ghafar and Pervaiz, were shot dead while
they were on their routine patrol near Char Minar within the
limits of the New Town Police Station in Bahadurabad area of
Gulshan Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. The
Police recovered seven empty bullet casings from the crime scene
and have initiated an investigation into the incident.
A traffic Policeman, identified
as Rehan Sarwar (45), was killed at his home in Aram Bagh area
of Saddar Town.
A Shia, identified as Malik
Jarrar Ali Haider, was killed and his two minor daughters were
injured when their motorbike was ambushed by unidentified armed
assailants in a sectarian attack on Mohammad Ali Johar Road
in provincial capital Peshawar. Police said Malik Jarrar, an
employee of the Afghan Refugees Commissionerate in Hayatabad,
was taking his daughters Bisma (5) and Rubab (10) to school
when the incident occurred. “This is a target killing motivated
by sectarianism as the man had no enemies,” said an investigation
official from Khan Raziq station, adding this was the second
such incident in recent times.
Police claimed to have arrested
32 suspects, including three proclaimed offenders, and seized
arms and narcotics during search and strike operation in Peshawar.
Law-Enforcing Agencies arrested
27 suspects, including Afghan nationals, and recovered huge
cache of arms during a search operation in Ublan Afghan camp
in Kohat. According to District Police, many Afghans, who were
residing in the camps without legal documents were arrested
from the camp.
SFs and Police arrested 15 suspects
during a joint search operation in Risalpur, PAF Academy Behram
village, Tauheedabad and other areas in Nowshera District.
Intelligence agencies arrested
two suspected militants, including a prayer leader, identified
as Maulana Tayyab Gul, during raids in Nisata area of Charsadda
District.
According to a KP Home Department
document, judicial lockup facilities and central and District
jails in the Province are overcrowded, housing over 1.5 times
as many prisoners as the approved prisoner strength. The document
shows there are 10,040 prisoners behind bars in the province's
22 jails and lockups, whereas the total authorised inmate capacity
is 6,601 prisoners. Of this number, 7,100 are under-trial prisoners
(UTPs), while 2,940 convicts ─ including 196 death-row
inmates ─ are housed in various jails in the Province.
LI responsibility for the bombing
of private girls school in Bar Qambarkhel area of Khyber Agency
on October 7, 2015.
SFs recovered explosives and
ammunition during a search operation in Bara tehsil of
Khyber Agency in FATA. The SFs recovered mortar shells, anti-aircraft
guns, rocket launchers, explosive material and other ammunition
from the tunnel.
The Islamabad Police proposed
that the entry of 25 ulema (clerics) in Islamabad during Muharram
be banned by the local administration. Seven ulema may also
be banned from delivering speeches during the month, revealed
unnamed sources. They said that out of the 25 Ulema, 10 were
from the Sunni sect and five were from Shia sect. Most come
from Punjab and frequently visit the capital during Muharram.
Seven local ulema members from both sects may also be barred
from delivering sermons during Muharram. The ban would also
prevent them from speaking publicly about religion or sects.
The CPJ in its recently released
Impunity Index Report “Getting Away with Murder” for 2015 which
looks at unsolved murders of journalists - in countries where
attacks on journalists mostly go unpunished - as a percentage
of the country’s population, stated that while Pakistan’s position
remains unchanged at number 9, its rating has improved by 0.004
points from 0.123 in 2014 to 0.119 in the latest report.
The report points out that there
are 22 unsolved murders of journalists in Pakistan including
three killed since the release of the last report in 2014. Identifying
Pakistan as one of the countries “where potent illegal armed
groups actively menace journalists,” the report highlights diminishing
hope that the situation in Pakistan will get better. It points
out Pakistan has failed to “implement a series of commitments
to CPJ to address impunity.”
According to the report, “Threats
to journalists stream from military and intelligence agencies,
political parties, criminal groups and militants, and corrupt
local leaders. Pakistan is a focus country for the United Nations
Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists and Issue of Impunity,
an initiative that has improved dialogue and coordination among
civil society, media, and the government but not yet led to
any significant reduction in impunity."
October 9
Three people, including a PPP
candidate for the Union Council chairman candidate, Aslam Channa,
were killed and two others were wounded when unidentified armed
assailants opened fire targeting Channa in Dipalpur tehsil of
Okara District.
Intelligence Agencies passed
a threat alert to security and Law Enforcement Agencies about
a series of possible terrorist attacks at sensitive installations
in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Sargodha Districts of the Province,
and Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. The alert
letter said that the leadership of TTP embroiled in Badaber
Camp, Peshawar, attack has planned a series of terrorist attacks,
saying, “Umar Mansoor, Ameer of TTP Darra Adamkhel while accepting
the responsibility of the attack on Badaber Airbase Peshawar,
has threatened to launch more attacks on sensitive installations
in other cities.” Currently, Umar Mansoor, along with his group
is hiding in Achin and Naziyan Districts of Nangarhar Province
in Afghanistan. “He is being facilitated by hostile agencies.
He is planning to launch similar attacks in Rawalpindi, Islamabad,
Quetta and Sargodha.”
A NP leader, identified as Ali
Muhammad Baloch, was shot dead by unidentified militants outside
his residence in Balecha area of Tump tehsil in Turbat District.
The Police killed a local commander
of TTP, Idadullah alias Farooq Alam, during an encounter in
Gujrat village of Mardan District of KP. DPO Faisal Shahzad
said that Police from the Rustam Police Station were patrolling
Gujrat on the Daggar Road when militant commander Idadullah
alias Farooq Alam along with his two accomplices opened fire
on the Police. Farooq Alam was killed on the spot while his
two accomplices escaped. The DPO said that the slain militant
was wanted by the Mardan Police in more than 40 cases of bombing
schools, CD shops and Government installations and carrying
out attacks on the Police. The Police seized a Kalashnikov rifle
and hand-grenades after the clash.
Police arrested 46 suspected
persons, including 11 Afghan nationals, and recovered huge cache
of arms and ammunition from them during a search operation in
the Hangu District. Police recovered eight Kalashnikovs, five
rifles, 22 guns, 33 pistols, three hand grenades, a thousand
cartridges and 18 kilogram of hashish from them.
Police arrested the mastermind
of the attack on the University of Malakand (UoM) in Gulabad
area of Chakdarra in Lower Dir District. The militants stormed
the UoM on March 18, 2009, killing four cops and a university
security guard. Two other cops were also injured in the attack.
SHO Oach Police Station, Said Zaman Shah, said that acting on
tip-off the police established a checkpost in Gulabad area.
He said that the Police arrested the militant identified Muslim
Khan, a resident of Shamozai village in Swat District, during
the search. The official said the militant had fled to Saudi
Arabia after the military operation against the militants in
Swat and returned a few days ago.
At least 41 suspects, including
five activists of a political party, were detained during operations
by law enforcers in different parts of the provincial capital
Karachi. According to officials, Rangers and Police personnel
carried out search operations in Liaquatabad Town, Shah Faisal
Colony (Shah Faisal Town), Manghopir (Gadap Town), Sultanabad
(Kiamari Town), Landhi Town, Nusrat Bhutto Colony (North Nazimabad
Town), and Orangi.
The CTD arrested a target killer,
identified as Yaqoob alias Mama, during a raid near Parking
Plaza in Saddar Town. The CTS officials claimed to have seized
a huge cache of dumped arms and ammunitions on information provided
by him. The accused was said to be affiliated with a political
party, however, the officials did not disclose the party’s name.
According to CTD officials, the accused was involved in over
10 cases of target killings of activists and workers belonging
to rival groups and parties such as the ST, MQM-H, SSP and the
Ahmed Magsi group of Lyari Town.
The CTD arrested one Adnan alias
Billu during a targeted raid conducted at Manghopir Road in
Gadap Town, while weapons were also seized from his possession.
CTD officials said that the suspect was involved in various
cases of target killings, extortion and street crimes.
Rangers arrested an alleged
target killer, identified as Moiz Saleem, from Gulshan-e-Maymar
area of Gadap Town. According to the Rangers spokesperson, the
suspect is affiliated with a political party but the paramilitary
officials did not disclose the party’s name. The spokesperson
added that the suspect was involved in numerous cases of target
killings in the city. “He was involved in more than 57 cases
of target killings, including the killings of two Rangers personnel,
as well as attacks on Rangers and Police vehicles,” said the
spokesperson.
A report by a four member JIT,
headed by DIG Sultan Khawaja and DIG Munir Shaikh, on October
9 revealed that an extortion group was behind the Baldia factory
fire that led to the death of 259 people on September 11, 2012.
The DIG's reached Dubai on October 4, 2015, and recorded the
statements of the Bhaila brothers, Arshad and Shahid, the owners
of the garment factory Ali Enterprises in Karachi's Baldia Town.
They had refused to visit Pakistan for the investigations. According
to the initial report prepared by the JIT after recording statements
of the factory owners, it was revealed that the attack was the
work of an organised gang of extortionists in Karachi that elaborately
planned and executed the attack. “We had been providing them
extortion money before the fire incident but the relations turned
sour before the incident,” an unnamed senior Police official
quoted the owners as saying. “They [extortionists] warned us
that they will set our factory ablaze as their demands were
not being fulfilled.”
The Pakistan Rangers, Sindh,
and Karachi Police after a meeting at the Rangers headquarters
with Rangers Director General Major General Bilal Akbar in the
chair to review the investigation into policemen’s killings
decided to take ‘surgical actions’ against culprits behind the
recent killings of Policemen and devised a comprehensive strategy
to meet the challenge. “The meeting discussed recent killings
of policemen, reviewed all possible motives and approved a comprehensive
strategy under which surgical actions would be taken,” said
a brief statement released by the Rangers.
October 10
Baloch separatist leader Hyrbyair
Marri in an interview said that the Baloch people are not in
favour of seeking help from India to gain freedom, a report
published on the BBC Urdu website reported. Marri said that
he was fighting for an "independent Balochistan" however
neither he nor his associates have any affiliation with the
proscribed BLA militant group.
In response to a question about
separatist BRP leader Brahamdagh Bugti's statement that he was
ready to give up his demand for an independent Balochistan if
the Baloch so desired, Marri said, "No, I don’t think the
majority of Baloch people want to live with Pakistan."
He further said he was not seeking assistance from India for
his movement: "I have never sought help from them, nor
will I in the future."
He also rejected reports that
he travelled to India to start the Free Balochistan Movement.
October 11
At least 22 militants were killed
and six others were injured in Lowara Mandi, Lataka and Shawal
Valley areas of Dattakhel tehsil of NWA in FATA. Six
compounds of militants were targeted in the airstrikes. No further
information was provided about the identity and nationality
of the slain militants.
The return of the IDPs to the
Orakzai Agency continued for the fifth consecutive day. An official
of the political administration Orakzai Agency, Khaista Akbar,
said that a total of 1,150 families had been accommodated at
Togh Serai Camp in Hangu District Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the
last seven years. “So far 300 families have been shifted to
their villages in Lower and Central Orakzai Agency,” he said,
adding that the Government had provided them food and other
relief items. It was learnt that the subdivision of the Upper
Orakzai had been closed and water and other relief items being
provided by the FDMA and UNICEF stopped. About 450 families
belonging to the Upper Orakzai at the camp had been facing tremendous
problems after the closure of the projects by the UNICEF and
FDMA as they could not stay in rented houses due to lack of
money, besides facing the drinking water problem at the camp.
At least five suspected al Qaeda
militants were killed in an exchange of fire with Police in
Factory Area Police Station of Sheikhupura District in Punjab.
“At around 2am, Police personnel escorted a prisoner Kashif
alias Kashi from Lahore to a terrorist hideout in Sheikhupura
in order to seize an arms cache,” said a spokesman from the
Punjab CTD. The spokesman added that as soon as the Police party
along with the escorted prisoner reached a railway crossing
within the limits of Factory Area police station, they came
under attack by seven to eight suspected militants. “Five terrorists
including Kashif were killed in retaliatory firing by Police
while the others managed to flee taking advantage of the darkness,”
said the CTD spokesman.
The CTD arrested a terrorist
in Jhelum District and seized proactive literature and videos
from him. The CTD personnel raided a house on a tip-off and
arrested terrorist Ali, who allegedly has close links with terrorist
group Daesh.
Punjab Government banned the
entry of 190 Ulema and Zakirs in the Rawalpindi division during
Muharram. The inter-provincial movement of religious leaders
is already banned during the month. According to Police sources,
of the 190 ulema, the entry of 39 has been banned in the Rawalpindi
district, 91 in Attock, 18 in Jhelum and 45 in Chakwal. As many
as 77 of the clerics belonged to the Shia, 95 to Deobandi and
18 Barelvi schools of thought. The Government has also decided
to register cases against the organisers of majalis in which
any banned ulema or Zakirs would be invited. “No ulema from
other parts of the province will be allowed to enter Rawalpindi
or visit other districts during Muharram,” Regional Police Officer
(RPO) Mohammad Wisal Fakhar Sultan Raja said.
The first eight months of the
current year (2015) has witnessed 821 incidents of terrorism
in the country, in which 588 people lost their lives while 1,007
people got injured, a month-wise break-up issued by the Interior
Division said. The report revealed that in 124 incidents of
terrorism during month of January, 122 people were killed and
174 were injured.
Similarly, in 10 terrorism related
incidents during February this year, 9 people were killed and
49 injured, in March 86 terrorism related incidents occurred
in which 45 people were killed and 141 injured and in 113 incidents
during month of April, 59 lost their lives and 110 got injured.
The data further revealed that the month of May witnessed 121
unfortunate incidents of terrorism with killing of 137 people
and injuries to 162 people. In June, there were 70 such incidents
in which 50 got killed and 55 got injured, the month of July
saw 116 such incidents in which 65 were killed and 131 injured
while in August 2015, 61 people became victims of 82 terrorism
related incidents while 77 got injured.
October 12
A Policeman, identified as Head
Constable Gulzar, was killed and another identified as Constable
Awal Zeb, sustained injuries when unidentified armed assailants
opened fire at Police van that was patrolling in Pir Baba area
of Buner District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Police and the Bomb Disposal
Unit foiled a terror bid by defusing an explosive device planted
near a private school, Rayan Education School, in Lower Dir
District.
Three Ahmadis, identified as
Saleem Rafaqat (55), and his nephews, Shahmir Ahmad (17), and
Moaaz Ahmad (20), were shot at and injured in a targeted gun
attack while they were returning home in their car in Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Saleemuddin,
the spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya community said that hate
literature against the Ahmadiyya community was continuously
being published and distributed. “This is putting the lives
of Ahmadis in danger. It was clearly mentioned in the National
Action Plan that action would be taken against literature and
speech promoting hatred. But these activities are still under
way against Ahmadis,” he said.
An IED was defused on the terrace
of a house in Chishti Nagar area of Gulistan-e-Jauhar locality
in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. Inspector Fakhrul Hasnain of the BDS
said that it was a ‘bottle bomb’, weighing over half a kilogram.
Police and Rangers claimed to
have arrested at least 100 suspects during the past three days
as part of a crackdown initiated against banned outfits in Karachi
ahead of the holy month of Muharram. In a raid, law enforcement
personnel took 23 suspected terrorists into custody from Manghopir
area of Gadap Town. "10 out of 23 suspects were released,
while the rest are being interrogated," said Karachi West
SSP Azfar Mahesar. "Potential hideouts of terrorists and
localities where their presence is feared, like Sultanabad and
Kunwari Colony are being targeted in this search operation,"
SSP Mahesar further said.
The CTD said that the Police
conducted a raid at a hideout of target killers in Malir Town
and after an encounter arrested two suspects, Kamran Qureshi
and Khawar. During the initial interrogation, the two men disclosed
that they were activists of a political party and extorted money
from people. The money they collected was provided to target
killing teams, Police said. They also supplied weapons and
shelter to target killers.
Police arrested another alleged
target killer, identified as Yameen Qureshi, from Shah Faisal
Town.
The CTD arrested two accused
for their alleged involvement in an armed attack on MQM legislator
Rashid Godil on August 18, 2015, in Bahadurabad area of Gulshan
Town.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim
Ali Shah said that Muharram and local bodies election are taking
place simultaneously, therefore the intelligence and Law Enforcing
Agencies have to be more vigilant, as members of banned outfits
have started emerging under new names. "We have to stop
them at any cost," the chief minister said while presiding
over an extra-ordinary meeting on law and order in the context
of Muharram security arrangements.
Inspector General of Police
Ghulam Hyder Jamali while briefing a parliamentary panel said
that the IS, also known as Daesh, was active in the Province
and it had links with the sectarian militant outfit LeJ. The
Sindh Police chief shared details of the arrested suspects and
their alleged involvement in terrorism, particularly the May
13, 2015, Safoora bus attack. “They [the suspects] wanted to
set up a self-styled caliphate in Pakistan,” Jamali told the
Senate Standing Committee on Interior. He said investigations
into the Safoora carnage revealed that Abdul Aziz, the kingpin
of the group, had escaped to Syria and was involved in almost
all the recent terror attacks along with his lieutenant Azhar
Minhas. “These two most-wanted men are affiliated with the LeJ
and are influenced by late Islamic scholar Dr Israr Ahmad’s
philosophy of Islamic caliphate.” The Police chief said the
two men were associated with al Qaeda for the past four to five
years and with IS.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar
Zaheer Jamali said that any institution crossing its prescribed
limits not only damages democracy but also leaves a negative
impact on social welfare. The Chief Justice said that social
justice, peace and the rule of law were crucial for development,
prosperity and promotion of democracy. It is only possible when
every institution works in accordance with the law and the Constitution.
“The Constitution has drafted
principles for every institution according to which the three
pillars of the state, the executive, the legislature and the
judiciary, have to perform within their prescribed limits besides
ensuring the supremacy of the Constitution,” Anwar Jamali said.
The Chief Justice further said the Constitution had also delegated
an onerous responsibility to the judiciary to protect the basic
human rights and for this reason the judiciary was separated
from the executive and legislature. He said the judiciary was
also ensuring its independence. The Chief Justice said in any
unfavorable situation, all the institutions and the public looked
towards the judiciary.
October 13
Two terrorists, identified as
Zohaib and Mahmood, were killed during Police encounters in
Kalari and Chakiwara areas of Lyari Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. According to SSP City Fida Hussain dead terrorist
Zohaib was involved in killing of PPP MPA Raja Kareem Dad. A
large quantity of arms was also recovered from their possession.
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s
(KMC) Additional Director Arshad Hussain was shot dead in a
firing incident near Askari Park in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.
Police recovered an unidentified
dead body from Gulshan-e-Ghazi of Baldia Town.
Police arrested a target killer,
identified as Aftab alias Daingo, after an encounter in Iqbal
Market of Orangi Town. Aftab was involved in several cases of
target killing.
According to a JIT report on
the mastermind of the May 13, 2015 attack on the Ismaili community,
known as the Safoora carnage, revealed that the group was receiving
funding from the IS also known as Daesh. The JIT report on the
mastermind, Tahir Hussain Minhas, who established his own group
linked with Daesh, revealed that the group was receiving funds
from different countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi
Arabia. “The group has remained in touch with IS,” said an unnamed
official. “This group comprised at least 53 members, who previously
belonged to different militant outfits, including Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
and al Qaeda.” Minhas revealed that Abdullah bin Yousuf alias
Abdul Aziz alias Saqib is the 'chief' of IS in Pakistan, while
Omar Afzal alias Jawad is the al Qaeda Sindh Chapter 'chief'.
At least three were killed in
a shootout during a joint operation launched by Police and Intelligence
Agencies in Killi Kudao area of Kanak in Mastung District. “Police
have recovered arms which were in the militants’ possession,”
said Police spokesperson Muhammad Javed.
At least one suspected militant
was arrested during a search operation in the Eastern Bypass
area of provincial capital Quetta.
The SFs arrested an alleged
militant from the Sui area of Dera Bugti District.
The Police killed a militant
who was involved in the attack on Policemen in Pacha Killay
located in the jurisdiction of Pir Baba Police Station in Buner
District of KP. DPO Syed Khalid Hamdani said that unidentified
militants had killed Constable Gulzar Khan and injured Awal
Zeb during a patrol in Pacha Killay in the night of October
12. Police launched search operation in the surrounding area
for the arrest of the accused soon after the attack. The Police
surrounded a group of five militants at Baloo Khan Village and
in an exchange fire one of them was killed and another was injured.
The slain militant was identified as Azmat, son of Umar Gul
and resident of Narbatawal village.
KP Police declared Peshawar,
Hangu, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan as the most sensitive districts
for Muharram. An announcement in this respect was made after
senior Police officials of the province met here to discuss
Muharram security plan. Provincial Police Chief Nasir Khan Durrani
chaired the meeting, where regional Police officers, DPO, AIG
of Special Branch, DIG of CTD and Peshawar Police chief were
in attendance. According statement issued by the Police, 429
Muharram processions will be taken out in the province, while
940 majalis will take place during the month. The Police have
identified 129 ‘trouble spots’ on procession routes across the
province. The provincial capital has 67 imambargahs from where
121 precessions will be taken out on different days of Muharram.
The DPO has put up posters containing
information of around 27 militants and proclaimed offenders
on walls across Dera Ismail Khan City. An insider familiar with
the matter said the posters include photographs and names of
the miscreants, and also state the bounty placed on their heads.
The public has been urged to inform the Police immediately if
it has any information about the whereabouts of the proclaimed
offenders and militants. “The posters have attracted attention,”
a local said. This measure has been introduced to ensure security
before and during Muharram.
The CTD has prepared a list
of 53 terrorists who they claimed are affiliated with Daesh,
commonly known as IS. According to CTD sources, Abdullah Yousuf
alias Abdul Aziz, alias Saqib, is the amir of Daesh while
another terrorist has been identified as Shahid Khokhar, who
belongs to Hyderabad District. The CTD sources further said
that a third terrorist, Bilal is also affiliated with Daesh
and hails from Mirpurkhas District.
October 14
At least eight people, including
three contestants of the upcoming Local Government elections
and a suicide bomber, were killed and 13 others were injured
when the suicide bomber targeted the camp office of PML-N MNA
Sardar Amjad Khosa in Taunsa Sharif city of Taunsa tehsil
in Dera Ghazi Khan District. The Police said that there were
no security arrangements at the office. Khosa said that he had
been contesting elections from the constituency for the last
27 years.
Five convicted murderers were
hanged till death in three cities of Gujrat, Faisalabad and
Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab, bringing the total number executed
to more than 235 since December 16, 2014. “Three murder convicts
were executed in Gujrat's District Jail early. One convicted
killer was sent to the gallows in Dera Ghazi Khan Central Jail
and another in Faisalabad,” said Chaudhry Arshad Saeed, an Advisor
to Punjab Chief Minister for Prisons' Affairs.
Giving up the fight, four separatist
militants, including two 'commanders' laid down their arms.
“Commander of BLA Kodi Camp Javed Marri, Commander Ali Muhammad
from Bambor Camp, Masood Marri and Irshad have given up fighting
and joined the mainstream to help the Government in retaining
peace in the region,” security sources said. The Government
of Balochistan had announced in August the Balochistan peace
package, urging militants to join mainstream politics, and work
for the prosperity and development of the province. As many
as PKR 1.5 million were allocated for militants giving up the
fight.
Lyari gangster Shahid Bikak
had ordered the attack on MQM leader Rashid Godil, said the
officials investigating the case. The officials claimed to have
arrested one more suspect, identified as Pir Ali, who, according
to the authorities, is a brother of slain PPP leader Bilal Sheikh.
Pir Ali was arrested in Rashid Godil attack case from Phase-6
of DHA. The investigation officials said the accused arrested
in the case earlier had confessed to executing the attack on
Godil and receiving PKR 200,000 each for the job. Godil was
attacked on August 18, 2015 in Bahadurabad area of Gulshan Town.
A Sindh Police spokesman denied
a news report claiming the Police issued or prepared a list
of 53 IS-'inspired' militants. The spokesman in his statement
categorically denied issuance of such a list by any department
working under Sindh Police. A report carried by almost all the
newspapers of Pakistan on October 13, 2015, claimed that Police
Investigators claimed to have traced more than 50 militants
in Karachi ‘inspired’ by the self-styled Islamic which wants
a presence in the country.
The Peshawar High Court upheld
the convictions and death sentences awarded to two militants
including a juvenile by the military courts after conducting
in-camera hearing into their cases. Official sources said that
a bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice
Irshad Qaisar dismissed two petitions filed by mothers of the
convicts including Haider Ali and Qari Zahir Gul against their
children’s conviction by military courts for involvement in
acts of terrorism. Lawyer for the petitioners Malik Ajmal Khan
confirmed to the media that the bench had dismissed both the
petitions. He said after detailed judgments were issued, it
would be clear whether the petitions were dismissed on the ground
of being non-maintainable or they’re decided on merit. The court
had earlier stayed the execution of both the convicts and with
the dismissal of these petitions they said stay order also stood
vacated.
October 15
Three terrorists, including
two women, and one Police commando were killed during an intelligence
based operation against terrorists in Jorian village near the
Dhamial Base in Rawalpindi District. Two children were also
killed in the encounter. Three Police commandos sustained injuries.
On a tip off from a Multan-based intelligence Agency, a joint
team of intelligence agency and Police raided a house located
in the Jorian village at 2:00 am and cordoned off the area.
As the joint raiding team reached the house, resistance was
offered from the housemates. The terrorists opened fire on the
raiding party and also hurled hand grenades. Resultantly, Sub-Inspector
of Elite Force Irshad was killed and three other personnel,
including ASI Ibrar, sustained bullet injuries. One of the injured
terrorists was a 'commander' of the TTP and was planning a terrorist
attack during Muharram in Rawalpindi.
One of the detained terrorists
was identified as Abid, son of Younas, resident of Mirza village
in Attock District. It has also been learnt that Abid is a close
associate of Qari Sohail, mastermind of colonel (retired) Shuja
Khanzada suicide blast case. Initial reports by police revealed
that one woman from inside the raided house blew herself along
with one another woman and two children by blowing grenades.
One of the killed women was recognized as Malika Bibi and other
as Sumaira Bibi. The children are recognised as Azan and Muhammad
Umar. Police later searched the house and recovered two 9MM
pistols, two hand grenades, 20-25 mobile SIM cards of different
networks, four mobile phones and one old model Mitsubishi Lancer
Car bearing Karachi registration number S-0303. There were reports
that explosives were loaded in the car.
A suspected bank robber was
killed when his accomplices after collecting PKR 4.5 million
at gunpoint from Meezan Bank opened fire to disperse the crowd
branch in Babar Market Branch, Landhi Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. The local Police described it as a botched
robbery attempt but the SIU, which has been tasked with investigating
bank robberies, believed the robbers took away over PKR 4.5
million.
Sindh Home Department issued
a notification, ordering to hold the proceedings of May 13,
2015, Safoora carnage case inside the prison citing security
fears. The notification has been received by an ATC which says
the accused cannot be presented before the court due to security
reasons. Five accused in the Safoora massacre case identified
as Saad Aziz, Tahir Hussain, Athar Ishrat, Hafiz Nasir and Asadur
Rehman are in Police custody. Now the next hearing of the Safoora
carnage case will be held inside the prison.
The ANP leader Malik Gulzada
Khan survived an IED blast in the Serai area in Mamond tehsil
of Bajaur Agency in FATA. Assistant Political Agent Nawagai
Fayaz Ali Sherpao said that the ANP leader was headed from Damadola
towards Inayat Kallay when a road-side planted IED detonated
as Gulzada's vehicle passed by it. Malik Gulzada remained unhurt
in the blast.
Pakistan warned India to refrain
from using its soil for hatching conspiracies against Pakistan
while supporting the TTP. “It is pertinent to mention here that
majority of the terrorist incidents staged by the Indian side
on its soil to implicate and malign Pakistan has proved to be
fake. I wish to underscore that in the case of India, the international
community is aware that state actors have been involved in destabilising
and fomenting terrorism in neighbouring countries, including
Pakistan,” said Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khaliullah.
Khalilullah also pointed to
an Afghan national, Balaach Pardili who, while living in India,
was involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan. “As Balaach
Pardili is an Afghan national, we expect the Afghan Government
to take up the issue with India to ensure that its nationals
living in India are not used for fomenting terrorism in Pakistan,”
the spokesman said. Pardili is a worker of the Harbiar Marri-led
Balochistan Movement which seeks an independent Balochistan.
“Terrorism is our common enemy. A cooperative approach is required
to deal with the menace,” he said, adding that in the past it
was India that had accused Pakistan of supporting non-state
actors.
Richard Olson, who is presently
serving as US Ambassador to Pakistan, will become US Special
Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan from November 17,
2015. According to the US Department of State, Richard Olson
will assume charge of his new responsibilities from November
17, 2015. Daniel F. Feldman, who was the US special representative
for Pakistan and Afghanistan, retired on September 18, 2015.
October 16
SFs foiled a major terrorism
bid by recovering cache of arms and ammunitions in Urmarh area
of Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP. According to CCPO
Mubarak Zeb, “During the raid six suicide jackets, six batteries,
eight detonators and 18 kilograms of explosives were recovered”.
“Terrorist were using an under construction school to store
the weapons, and they planned to attack the Muharram procession
in the city,” added the CCPO.
Intelligence Agencies and ATF
claimed to have arrested at least five target killers during
two back-to-back raids in Quetta. According to an unnamed SF
official, during the first raid conducted in Sariab Road area,
intelligence agencies and ATF personnel arrested three suspected
target killers and interrogated them about their activities
and the presence of their aides. Upon the information received
from them, the SFs conducted another raid in Satellite Town
area and arrested two more suspects. The SFs recovered a huge
cache of arms, ammunition and other weapons from their custody.
President Barack Obama's administration
has underrepresented the true number of civilians killed in
drone strikes, a cache of secret files reveals. The Intercept
unveiled documents leaked by a whistleblower about America’s
use of UAV to kill terrorist targets in the Middle East and
Central Asia. According to the report, Obama, after taking office
in 2009, has vastly expanded the drone program, authorising
many more strikes than his Republican predecessor, George W.
Bush. In classified slides, the US military describes fatalities
from targeted strikes as "enemy killed in action,"
even if their identity is unknown or they were not the intended
targets, according to The Intercept.
And the attacks often kill many
more people than intended, which runs counter to White House
and Pentagon assertions that the strikes are precise and result
in minimal casualties. Documents detailing a mission called
Operation Haymaker showed that US special operations airstrikes
killed more than 200 people in northeastern Afghanistan from
January 2012 to February 2013. But only 35 of those casualties
were intended targets, The Intercept said.
And in one five-month period
of the operation, nearly 90 percent of those killed in airstrikes
were not the intended targets. The US has better intelligence
in Afghanistan, scene of America’s longest war, than in places
like Yemen and Somalia, where the ratios may be equivalent or
even worse, it said. "Anyone caught in the vicinity is
guilty by association," the unnamed source within the intelligence
community who leaked the documents said. When "a drone
strike kills more than one person, there is no guarantee that
those persons deserved their fate... So it´s a phenomenal gamble,"
the source added.
October 17
Eight suspected militants were
shot dead by Police in an encounter in the outskirts of Karachi.
Police, on a tip off provided by an arrested militant, raided
an alleged hideout off the Northern Bypass in Manghopir area.
SSP Rao Anwar, who led the Police party said, on seeing the
Policemen, the suspects resorted to firing, injuring Manghopir
SHO Ghulam Hussain Korai and constable Altaf. During the exchange
of fire, eight suspects were gunned down, he said. The SSP identified
four of the deceased suspects as Irfan Munir, Saddam Hussain,
Sharifullah and Ismail Mehsud. The other four deceased suspects
have not been identified as yet. The senior Police official
claimed the suspects were involved in the recent killing of
policemen in Karachi, the Abbas Town bomb blast, and other targeted
killings. Police also claim to have recovered explosive material
and arms and ammunition from their custody.
SFs arrested 18 people accused
of terrorist activities from the Pak-Afghan Torkam border in
Khyber Agency of the FATA.
KP Police’s special unit arrested
four HuT militants in Peshawar. Police sources said that the
four were HuT activists were campaigning to bring more people
into the organization’s fold.
October 18
Iranian border guards fired
eight mortar shells in Nukar area of Panjgur District. “Eight
mortars landed and exploded on an empty plot in Panjgur,” said
a senior official of Balochistan Government, adding, “No loss
of life has been reported."
Police and Intelligence Agencies
arrested five suspected terrorists during an operation in Balakot
area of Mansehra District and foiled terrorist plots to attack
religious processions in Muharram and damage the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor at the Karakoram Highway. Mansehra DPO Najeebur
Rehman said that law enforcers recovered 30 kilograms of high-grade
of explosive material, suicide jackets, uniforms of intelligence
agency personnel and bomb-making gadgets from their possession.
Intelligence Agencies and Police
conducted raids in various areas of the city and arrested three
alleged terrorists of Daesh (also known as IS). The arrested
suspects were involved in the Safoora Goth carnage and they
also have links with TTP, sources said. The accused have been
identified as Mistry Khan, Tayyab and Dadu.
Pakistan has eliminated all
members of the Uighur militant group the ETIM from its territory,
but must remain vigilant to ensure they don’t return, said Federal
Minister for Defense Khawaja Asif in Beijing. “We believe they’re
all eliminated,” Khawaja Asif said on the sidelines of a security
forum. “I think there (were) a small number in tribal areas,
they’re all gone or eliminated. There are no more there,"
he added.
It is just as much in Pakistan’s
interests as China’s to fight the Uighur militants, Asif said,
denying there was any difference of opinion between Beijing
and Islamabad on Pakistan’s efforts to tackle the problem. “The
fight against ETIM is our own fight. It’s not only China’s fight.
It’s a joint fight against ETIM, between Pakistan and China,
so there is absolutely no difference of opinion on the elimination
of ETIM from our tribal areas,” he said, adding, “We have to
be vigilant for a long time that this menace, this infection,
does not return."
Speaking on BBC Urdu show ‘Sairbeen’,
the Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security And Foreign
Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan had no issues whatsoever
with Washington’s diplomatic relationship with New Delhi. “However,
at a time when Pakistan’s relations with India are tense, it
[the United States] should at least try not to increase the
strategic and traditional imbalance [of power] to the extent
that it might pose a threat to the integrity of the whole [South
Asian] region”.
With regard to Washington's
role in thawing the frosty relationship between Pakistan and
India, Aziz said not only the US but all countries of the world
wanted the two countries to resolve their issues through talks.
“But the important thing is that the strategic imbalance in
the region should not increase,” he added.
October 19
At least 11 people, including
two children, were killed and more than 20 were injured in a
bomb blast that occurred inside a local city bus at Dukani Baba
Chowk area on Sariab Road in provincial capital Quetta.
Three BRA militants were killed
in an exchange of fire with the Frontier Corps during a search
operation together in Tasp area of Panjgur District. An FC spokesperson
said that they had recovered a light machinegun, two sub-machineguns,
two kilograms of explosives, a hand grenade, land mines, four
motorcycles and a car during the search.
Two unidentified bullet riddled
bodies were found dumped in Machrani area of Barkhan District.
“The men were 30 and 50 years of age and they had each received
more than 10 bullets,” said sources at the civil hospital in
Barkhan.
Two FC officials, identified
as Sepoy Sajjad and Naik Noorul Amin, were killed and six others
were injured when an IED exploded in Harnai District. No outfit
claimed responsibility for the attack.
Unidentified militants blew
up four power pylons in Aab-e-Gum area of Kachhi District (previously
known as Bolan District), disrupting power supply to five Districts
in the Province.
FC personnel foiled a sabotage
bid and defused five kilograms IED near Kachhi Canal area in
Kachhi District.
The CTD arrested a militant,
identified as Mohammad Israel, from the General Bus Stand in
provincial capital Peshawar. According to the CTD, Mohammad
Israel hailing from Taru Jabba in Nowshera District had introduced
himself as the spokesperson for the TTP-Mohmand Agency Chapter,
after the September 18, 2015, attack on the Pakistan Air Force
camp in Badaber. Officials said the terrorist was held on the
basis of information provided by the National Counter Terrorism
Authority.
Another militant, identified
as Uzair, was arrested from the Bacha Khan International Airport
in Peshawar on his return from Saudi Arabia. He hailed from
Shamozai village in Mardan District. The accused had attacked
a post of the security personnel in Swat District in 2009 and
escaped abroad.
Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar
Siyal said that there are threats at 992 extremely sensitive
places and 2,150 majalis (congregation/gatherings) in Karachi.
The Home Minister said that law and order situation in Sindh
will be maintained at all costs and no one will be allowed to
take law in hand or deteriorate peace and harmony in Province.
Anwar Siyal presided over meetings of police officers of various
districts, particularly Sukkur and Larkana division, after Karachi
to review all security arrangements at sensitive places and
law and order in province during Muharram.
The meeting also urged upon
the religious scholars of all sects and representatives of civil
society and citizens to play their respective role for peace
and brotherhood. Suhail disclosed that due to terrorism threats
in province security high-alerted on 8th, 9th and 10th Muharram
to avoid any untoward incident added that the religious sects
should promote tolerance, peace, tranquility and unity of all
sets of Muslims on the occasion.
According to the Police deployment
in Karachi about 26542 Police will be high alert to perform
their duties, while 5724 will be responsible for patrolling
and 18557 officials will be deployed in various areas during
Muharram. The meeting told that about 9488 Police personals
in Sukkur and 10791 in Larkana will be deployed on the occasion.
Similarly, Police officials will perform their duties in Hyderabad
about 6924 Police personals, 2276 in Mir Pur Khas and 7623 in
Shaheed Benazir Abad (Nawabshah).
October 20
Two Policemen, identified as
Safar Muhammad and Abdullah, were killed when unidentified militants
opened fire at the check post on Boghra Road in Chaman town
of Qilla Abdullah District. DPO Asad Khan Nasir said that armed
men riding a motorcycle opened fire at a police check-post in
Chaman, killing two personnel instantly. Nasir said that it
could be an act of targeted killing.
Unidentified militants killed
a Police Head Constable on Sariab Road in Quetta.
The Young Baloch Tiger (YBT)
claimed responsibility for October 19, 2015, bomb blast on a
passenger bus Quetta that had killed 11 people. Speaking on
behalf of the outfit, one Berg Baloch said, “Our man was shifting
explosive material to target some other place during which it
exploded in the local bus,” he said, adding, "the man carrying
the explosives also died in the blast."
Two militants, identified as
Yaseen Wahab and Mobeen, were killed in an exchange of fire
with Police and SFs during a raid in Tajazai village within
the jurisdiction of Ghaznikhel Police Station in Lakki Marwat
District. An unnamed Police Official said that Yaseen Wahab
was a hardcore militant and he was wanted by Police in 33 different
cases, including those relating to terrorism and kidnapping.
“He was a sign of terror in the area and would now be able to
take a sigh of relief,” he said, adding, “To bring Yaseen Wahab
into the clutches of law either dead or alive was a tough challenge
for police.”
Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad
Chaudhry while speaking on a television channel said that Pakistan
is fully capable of answering any aggression from India as it
has developed ‘short-range tactical nuclear weapons’. He said
that Pakistan was ready for a nuclear weapon race with its South
Asian rival and ruled out any deal or compromise on the country’s
nuclear program. Chaudhry said Pakistan knew how to show India
the right path as it has developed small tactical nukes to convert
any ‘adventure into misadventure’.
According to HRCP, the incidents
of targeted killings, both on political and apolitical grounds,
in Karachi have dropped by 63 percent while sectarian killings
also went down by 28 percent until the third quarter of this
year. According to the statistics compiled by the HRCP, a significant
decrease in the number of targeted killings, on apolitical,
political and sectarian grounds has been recorded. Moreover,
the casualties of Policemen also decreased by about 39 per cent.
In the last nine months, 208
people with no political affiliation were killed as compared
to 568 last year, showing a decrease of 63 percent. Similarly,
the number of people killed with political affiliation this
year was 40, as compared to 107 in the corresponding period
last year, showing a decline of 63 percent in the number of
incidents. Sectarian killings also showed a declining trend
with 69 people shot dead in the nine months of this year as
compared to 97 in the corresponding period of 2014.
October 21
Four militants were killed in
a Police encounter during a search operation in Swabi District.
The militants were identified as Abbas (Swabi), Muhammad Zeb
(Mohmand Agency, FATA), Liaquat and Hazrat Bilal (Peshawar).
DPO Swabi Javed Iqbal Wazir said that during the operation,
a group of around 30 militants opened fire on the Police party.
Police responded with retaliatory firing, and subsequently four
militants were killed during the ensuing encounter. The other
militants managed to flee.
At least 25 kilograms of explosive
material, including 14 IEDs, 15 detonators and two cell phones,
were recovered from prayer leader Maulvi Ehsan’s room during
a raid in a mosque in Charsadda District. Ehsan, an Afghan national
living in Umarzai area of the District was not present at the
time of the raid. However, area residents claimed that he had
been picked up by intelligence personnel a few days ago.
The CTD foiled a terror bid
and arrested two terrorists, recovered arms and hand grenades
from their possession in Phase VII of Hayatabad in provincial
capital Peshawar.
The CTD recovered the locally
manufactured bombs, four hand grenades, two pistols, hundreds
of rounds and walkie talkie from their possession. The detained
terrorists were involved in more than 20 terrorist attacks on
Imamia Mosque, Police and SFs.
The Sindh CTD published seventh
edition of its Red Book containing list and details of the most
wanted terrorists, including the names of eight accused involved
in the May 13, 2015, Safoora Goth massacre tragedy. The Anti-terrorism
Department announced PKR 0.8 million rewards on capture or providing
on information about each of these terrorists.
Syed Arifeen said the CTD published
the seventh edition of the Red Book after a period of two years.
The book has two parts containing 92 names. The first part has
the names of 67 while the second has the names of 25 terrorists.
The first name in the Red Book is Moti-ur-Rahman alias Abd-ul-Samad
of the LeJ, HuJI and AQIS. The head money for Moti-ur-Rahman
is RPK 11 million. This man remained involved in attack on the
President (Pervez Musharraf) and a number of other terror acts.
He is, at present, hiding in the tribal areas of Pakistan or
Afghanistan. The LeJis now divided one of the two groups is
headed by Ata-ur-Rahman alias Naeem Bukhari, while the other
is headed by Rizwan alias Arif Chotoo. The head money for both
of them is PKR 5 million and PKR 2.5 million respectively.
According to the Nuclear Notebook
Report by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Pakistan now has
a stockpile of 110-130 warheads, compared with 90-110 in 2011,
and at this rate, it could emerge as the fifth largest nuclear
power by 2025. The Nuclear Notebook, one of the most authoritative
sources of information on Pakistan's nuclear capabilities, also
said that Pakistan continues to expand its nuclear arsenal and
production of fissile material.
The Report by acclaimed nuclear
expert Hans Kristensen and Robert Norris confirms that Pakistan
is developing short-range nuclear capable missiles to repel
any invasion by Indian troops. Kristensen said that Pakistan's
tactical nuclear weapons were intended more for use against
a large Indian conventional invasion and occupation of Pakistani
territory and not any limited anti-terror operation on Pakistani
territory. "One of the most controversial new nuclear-capable
missiles in the Pakistani arsenal is the NASR (Hatf-9), a short
range, solid-fuel missile with a range of only 60 kilometer
(37 miles). With a range too short to attack strategic targets
inside India, NASR appears intended for battlefield use against
invading Indian troops,'' says the report.
October 22
As many as 21 terrorists were
killed when Indigenously-made 'Burraq' drone carried out an
operation in North Waziristan Agency of FATA. According to the
ISPR, the 'Burraq' drone fired missiles and destroyed several
militant hideouts as well. Sources added that it was the first
night strike by Burraq with pinpoint accuracy. The military
successfully tested ‘Burraq’ (flying horse) and test-fired its
laser-guided missile ‘Barq’ (lightning) in March.
At least 12 people were killed
while 21 others received injuries when a blast ripped through
an Imambargah in Bhaag area of Bolan District in Balochistan.
SFs have arrested five suspected
people in Killi Pir Bakhsh Sumallani and Killi Shanawaz areas
of Quetta, the provincial capital.
An IED exploded, which was planted
by unidentified men outside a house in Miryan area of Bannu
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to Police, no casualty
was reported in the explosion. The House owner Sirajuddin, a
resident of Miryan, lodged a complaint with the local police
that unidentified people had been demanding PKR five million
extortion money from him for the last one month.
A militant allegedly involved
in over two dozen terrorist attacks and his four accomplices
were brought to Pakistan from Dubai. The suspects arrested in
Dubai with the help of Interpol are believed to be involved
in targeted killing of 12 people and the Mominpura massacre
in Lahore. The Punjab Government had announced PKR 2.5 million
head money for Haroon Rasheed Bhatti, a proclaimed offender
and founding member of the banned LeJ. He was a close aide of
Malik Ishaq, the former chief of LeJ. He is said to be involved
in a massacre in Mominpura, Lahore, that left 25 people dead
and more than 50 injured. He is also believed to be behind the
killing of DSP Tariq Kambo and his guard, ASWJ leader Maulana
Shamsur Rehman Moavia, Dr Shabihul Hassan, advocate Shakir Ali
Rizvi, bank manager Syed Waqar Haider and Dr Qaiser Abbas.
The US and Pakistan called upon
the Afghan Taliban leaders to enter direct talks with Kabul
and work towards a sustainable peace settlement Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif and President Barack Obama discussed the importance
of continued cooperation against terrorists and violent extremist
groups. President Obama affirmed Pakistan’s role as a key counter-terrorism
partner and recognized the sacrifices that Pakistani civilians,
military, and law enforcement personnel have made over the years
as they confront terrorism and militant groups. He expressed
particular appreciation for Pakistan’s ongoing support to degrade
and ultimately defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates, noting that
this partnership has helped to decimate the group’s leadership
and operational capacity and has disrupted plots against the
US homeland.
October 23
At least 22 persons including
eight children were killed in a suicide blast targetting a 9th
Muharram (Shia mourning period) procession near a park in the
Lashari area of Jacobabad District in Sindh in the evening.
Police confirmed 40 others including several children, have
been injured in the attack. SSP Zafar Malik said, "It appears
from the evidence collected that it was a suicide attack."
He added that a pistol has also been found from the site of
the blast.
The TTP militants shot dead
two traffic Policemen at Aman Chowk of Swabi town in Swabi District
of KP. TTP has claimed responsibility for the attack. Swabi
DPO Javed Iqbal said the two traffic Policemen, namely Gohar
Ali and Arshad, deputed at Aman Chowk were fired upon by unidentified
gunmen, and both died on the spot.
A major terror plot was foiled
in Kurram Agency of FATA as a suicide bomber and his accomplices
were arrested by SFs. According to officials the terrorists
were planning to attack Muharrammajalis. SFs
are conducting raids in Kurram Agency to arrest other accomplices
of the suicide bomber.
A US State Department official
said that all issues including Kashmir have to be resolved between
India and Pakistan. He added that the US can only facilitate
and not provide mediation between both countries to come to
some terms. The official further said that any civil-nuclear
deal was not discussed during the visit of the Pakistani leadership.
He also said that good or bad will have to be decided by the
Taliban, whether they are for violence or if they want peace
in Afghanistan.
October 24
Sindh Home Minister Suhail Anwar
Siyal said that the LeJ has claimed responsibility for the suicide
attack in Jacobabad District in Sindh in the evening of October
23. Speaking to media persons in Karachi, the Sindh Home Minister
claimed that the attack was a suicide bombing and the banned
sectarian outfit LeJ is behind the attack. He added that two
separate committees have been formed to investigate the attack.
October 25
Two alleged militants were killed
while four others were arrested by the FC during a search operation
in the Washuk area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
“The FC carried out the operation on a tip-off and two alleged
militants were killed during a shoot-out. Four other suspects
were also apprehended,” the FC spokesman said. A huge cache
of arms and ammunitions was also recovered from their possession.
In a major swoop, the CTD of
KP arrested 93 suspected people including a hardcore militant
during a search operation in the Matta tehsil of Swat District.
The CTD personnel raided various areas in Swat and arrested
93 suspects, according to CTD spokesperson. The spokesperson
said that a militant, identified as Akhtar Ali, who hailed from
the Bharshardo Ghalaye area, was also arrested during a raid
on a hideout. The raiding team also recovered six rifles and
40 cartridges from the suspect’s possession.
October 26
According to a supplementary
charge-sheet filed in an ATC, a suspect identified as Mohammad
Imran Swati, confessed to his involvement in planning the murder
of the Director of the Orangi Pilot Project Perween Rehman on
March 13, 2013, on Manghopir Road in Karachi, along with his
brother-in-law and a TTP militant. Imran, belonging to the ANP,
confessed that he was part of a meeting in which the murder
was planned. He had joined the ANP in 2010 and was an office-bearer
of its Bokhari Colony ward.
A suspect, Ahmed Khan alias
Ahmed Ali alias Pappu Kashmiri, has been charge-sheeted in the
case. The supplementary charge-sheet also named Rahim Surti,
Ayaz Surti, Amjad Afridi and Shaldar Khan as absconding accused.
The ATC-II judge issued non-bailable warrants against the four
absconders directing the Police to arrest and produce them in
court till October 30, 2015. A case was registered under Sections
302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan
Penal Code at the Pirabad police station.
October 27
A group of militants opened
fire on FC check post in Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan
Agency in FATA from across the border in Afghanistan and killed
seven FC personnel and injured three others. According to security
officials, a group of militants opened fire on the FC post from
across the border in Paktika province in Afghanistan. The FC
troops retaliated that led to a heavy clash between the FC men
and the militants. There was no information about the losses
suffered by the militants in the clash as it was dark but seven
FC personnel were killed and three others were injured.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
provided information to National Assembly standing committee
that India intends to limit the dialogue with Pakistan to terrorism
while Pakistan wants unqualified dialogue on all issues, which
is proving to be a deadlock in talks between the two countries.
Rana Afzal presided over the committee’s meeting attended by
not only its members, but also experts on foreign affairs and
defence policy. It was told that India had committed 400 violations
of the LoC and Working Boundary this year, killing 36 people
and injuring 122 others.
Issuing a written order on the
dismissal of Malik Mumtaz Qadri’s appeal against his death sentence,
the Supreme Court urged the state to ensure that no one is forced
to endure an investigation or trial on the basis of false blasphemy
allegations. On October 6, 2015, a three-judge bench of the
Supreme Court, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, had scrapped
a plea seeking revocation of Qadri’s death sentence for assassinating
former Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer on January 4, 2011. The
sentence was first awarded by an ATC and then upheld by the
Islamabad High Court before it was challenged in the apex court.
Authoring the 39-page verdict,
Justice Khosa said Qadri had murdered Taseer on the basis of
nothing but hearsay. “It is an unfortunate fact which cannot
be disputed that in many cases registered in respect of the
offence of blasphemy, false allegations are leveled for extraneous
purposes.” He said that in the absence of adequate safeguards
against abuse of the blasphemy law, people falsely accused of
the offence suffer irrevocably. The order said any call for
reform in religion-related laws should be seen as a call for
introducing safeguards against abuse of such laws, adding that
it should not be interpreted as a call against the religious
aspects of the offences covered by the laws.
October 28
Three terrorists were killed
in an exchange of fire with Police during a search operation
in Mominabad area of Orangi Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. One of the militants managed to escape. Police
also recovered arms from their possession. According to SSP
West Zafar Mahesar, one of the slain terrorist has been identified
as Khan alias Shero.
The LEAs arrested two terrorists,
identified as Mistri Pathan and Kamran Aslam alias Kamran Gujjar,
involved in the May 13, 2015, Safoora Carnage. The LEA also
recovered weapons from their possession. According to the joint
interrogation report compiled after the revelations of Tahir
Minhas, the suspected gang leader of Safoora attackers, Mistri
was the man who was wearing Police uniform along with Abdullah
Mansuri and the two men stopped the bus in Scheme 33 area of
the city. The report further says Mistri after shooting the
driver, took control of the steering. While he kept driving
the bus carrying members of Ismaili community, his other gang
members were busy in gruesome shooting of innocent people. Kamran
Gujjar was assigned to coordinate with and facilitate the gang
members.
Punjab Government has enhanced
the security of LeT founder and JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed,
who is accused of masterminding the November 2008, Mumbai terror
attack (also known as 26/11), following a Home Department alert
that a "foreign intelligence agency" may make an attempt
on his chief's life. "We have enhanced the security of
Hafiz Saeed in accordance with the directive of the home department,"
an official of the Punjab Government said on October 27.
He said more Policemen have
been deployed at his residence in Jauhar Town and JuD headquarters
Chauburji, Lahore, in the wake of the threat. Senior superintendent
of police Athar Ismail said the police had "sensitized"
the people who are engaged in the personal security of Saeed.
According to the letter issued by the Punjab Home Department,
a "foreign intelligence agency" has made plans to
attack "high-value targets" like Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif and JuD chief Saeed to create chaos on a wide-scale.
October 29
At least eight people, including
two tribal elders and six of their bodyguards, were killed in
an Improvised Explosive Device blast in the Marwar area of Bolan
District. BLA claimed responsibility for the attack. According
to the Balochistan Levies, a convoy of tribal elders Mir Gul
Khan Marri and Bahwal Khan Marri was its way home when it was
hit by an IED. The explosion killed both the tribal elders and
their six guards on the spot. The BLA had deceived Gull Khan
by inviting him for negotiating surrender and killed him on
the way back.
Two 'commanders' of BLA along
with 28 militants laid down their weapons and surrendered to
authorities in a press conference held by Provincial Minister
Nawab Changaiz Marri in Quetta. “We appreciate that the militants
have surrendered and have announced their decision to join peaceful
lives,” said Marri.
Three attackers opened aerial
fire near two schools in the Shabqadar area of Charsadda District
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. No loss of life or property has been
reported. One of the schools was a public girls' school, while
the other was a private school. District Police Officer Charsadda
Shafiullah Khan said that the attackers had escaped from the
scene after retaliatory firing by area residents. The attackers
fled the scene on foot. “Some men were trying to climb the boundary
wall of a private school and on seeing them, the school guard
opened fire after which the men fled,” Shafiullah Khan said.
The CTD claimed to have arrested
a target killer, identified as Shahid Qadri, during a raid in
Dalmia area of North Nazimabad Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. According to SSP Junaid Shaikh, Qadri, who
belongs to a religious political party, has confessed to killing
17 people including two Policemen
The CTD arrested a gangster,
identified as Aadil, during a raid in New Karachi Town. The
SSP said that Aadil confessed to killing 24 people including
Policemen. He said that Aadil was trained by an outlawed organization
in Hub tehsil of Lasbela District in Balochistan.
Italian Police handed over a
man suspected of involvement in the December 16, 2014 Peshawar
APS massacre to the FIA. Usman Ghani - who hails from Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa’s Mardan District - was escorted to Islamabad’s
Benazir Bhutto International Airport by Italian Police after
being arrested in Italy with Interpol’s assistance. Ghani is
reportedly wanted for his involvement in terrorist activities
in Pakistan including the TTP-claimed APS attack in which at
least 150 people were killed, over 140 of them being children,
they said. After he was handed over to FIA, the suspect has
been shifted to the agency’s passport cell for investigation.
October 30
One SF official was killed while
three others were injured in an IED blast in Sandana area of
Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA. Sources told that the
SFs were on routine patrol when the explosion occurred.
The District Police foiled a
terror bid near Farooq Shah Market near Thall Police Station
in Hangu District. The BDS defused a five kilogram bomb planted
by militants in the area.
The CoAS General Raheel Sharif
during his visit to the NCTC in Pabbi area of Gujrat District
(Punjab) said that any threat to the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Saudi Arabia will evoke a strong response from
Pakistan. “Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong and brotherly
relations which have a long history of deep rooted cooperation,”
quoted the ISPR statement.
The CoAS had gone to see the
Pak-Saudi Joint Training Exercise Al-Shihab that "focused
on counter terrorism training of the Special Operation Forces
of Pakistan and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which included cordon
and search operations, airdropping and heli-lifting of special
forces for operations against terrorist’s acts and their hideouts,”
the press release said. "This exercise signifies the joint
effort of our two nations against terrorism and we will defeat
this menace in all its forms and manifestation,” he added.
A high-profile militant, identified
as Farmanullah, was arrested in Diamer Valley of Gilgit Baltistan.
According to a senior unnamed Police Official, the man arrested
is believed to be the mastermind behind sectarian attacks in
Diamer and Kohistan Districts. Farmanullah was arrested based
on an intelligence tip. The police also confiscated a mask,
an artificial beard, a wig, and a number of sophisticated guns
loaded with ammunition from his possession. “He was an active
member of a banned terrorist outfit operating in the region.
This man was also a prime suspect in high-profile terrorism
cases in Kohistan, Diamer and Ghizer,” said the official. “Carrying
a wig and beard cannot be downplayed these days since militancy
has become a major issue. This is an important matter and we
hope the information from him will lead us to the entire network,”
he added. Farmanullah was booked in 2005 under various sections.
He was also declared a proclaimed offender by court of law.
The Home Department had also set a bounty worth PKR 0.5 million
for his arrest.
October 31
Two persons were killed in separate
incidents of violence in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. A worker of the MQM was shot dead in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.
Police said that armed men attacked Mohammed Aziz at Iqra Complex.
In another incident, Atif Razzak (25) was going on a motorcycle
when unidentified men on another bike attacked him near a petrol
pump in Korangi. He died on the spot.
November 1
At least six terrorists were
killed during a joint operation carried out by FC and intelligence
agencies in Johan area of Kalat District. During the operation,
the suspects opened fire at the FC personnel from their hideouts.
In retaliation, six militants were killed. The security forces
recovered huge cache of arms and ammunitions from their possession.
At least three people were killed
and 12 others were injured when an IED exploded near a railway
track in Dasht area of Mastung District. The explosion partially
damaged the railway track and a bogey of the Jaffar Express
train, which was travelling from Quetta to Rawalpindi District
in Punjab and passing by Mastung when the explosion hit the
railway track.
SFs detained at least two suspects
on the suspicion of having relations with a banned outfit in
Sibi District.
A gangster, identified as Rana,
affiliated with Sheraz Comrade Group, was killed during a Police
operation in Baghdadi area of Lyari Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. Rana was involved in killing of 15 people,
including Akbar Nagori, brother of MPA Javed Nagori.
A suspected gangster was killed
in a Police shootout in Mochko area of Baldia Town.
An accused who had sustained
injuries in encounter with Police in New Karachi Town, succumbed
to his injuries.
The CTD claimed to have arrested
an alleged target killer affiliated with a political party and
identified as Muhammad Khalid from Korangi Town. According to
SSP Junaid Shaikh, Khalid was involved in seven killings. "The
accused has revealed that he had been ordered by his party's
top leadership to target a reporter of a news channel",
the SSP said.
A driver of a female additional
session judge was killed in attack on judge’s motorcar near
Rana Deray area of Swabi District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Two
unidentified motorcycle bourne assailants opened fire at the
vehicle of Haripur Additional Session Judge Hina Khan near Rana
Deray area, killing the driver on the spot Sarwar Shah. However,
Additional Session Judge Haripur Hina Khan was not present in
the car. The mother of Hina Khan remained unhurt in the attack.
November 2
Four decomposed dead bodies
were found in a dried-up water tank of an abandoned building
near Edhi Village in Gadap Town of Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
A press release issued by Pakistan
Rangers (Sindh) said that terrorists suspected of involvement
in attacks on personnel of LEA will be apprehended in the next
phase of Karachi operation. The Rangers said terrorists, contract
killers and their facilitators involved in attacks on LEA personnel
"especially police, lawyers and witnesses" will be
arrested, and such elements will be eliminated in the new phase
of the Karachi operation.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the ongoing targeted crackdown
against criminal elements in Karachi has brought about a visible
improvement in law and order there and asked the Rangers to
take similar steps in collaboration with Police in the interior
parts of Sindh. “Karachi operation has brought about visible
improvement in the metropolis and the crackdown should be further
intensified,” the Interior Minister asserted.
Three mortar shells fired from
Paktika Province in Afghanistan landed in Kurram Agency of FATA.
However no casualty was reported.
The PEMRA prohibited broadcasters
from covering the activities of 72 different banned groups,
including JuD. “All satellite TV channels/FM radio licences
are therefore strictly directed not to give any kind of coverage
to any proscribed organisation, including JuD, FIF, LeT,” PEMRA
said.
November 3
A tribal elder, identified as
Malik Younus, was killed while three of his companions were
injured in an IED blast in Gulu Shah area in Salarzai tehsil
of Bajaur Agency in FATA. Malik Younus was an active pro-government
leader and was heading the peace committee in Salarzai tehsil
of the Agency.
Another pro-government tribal
elder Malik Musanif Khan was killed in an IED attack was on
his way to home from a nearby mosque in Mohmand tehsil of Mohmand
Agency.
TTP militants operating from
Kunar province in Afghanistan attacked the posts of SFs in Ghakhi
Pass in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur Agency. The sources said that
militants armed with sophisticated weapons staged the attack.
The soldiers manning the posts returned the fire and repulsed
the attack. However, no casualty was reported.
A local senior journalist Dr
Muhammad Zaman Mehsud was killed when unidentified militants
fire at his vehicle on North Waziristan Road in Tank District.
Police sources said that that Zaman was travelling from Gomal
Bazar to Tank when his car came under attack. Mehsud served
as the President and Secretary General of the Tribal Union of
Journalists’ South Waziristan Chapter.
Unidentified militants shot
at and injured a local ANP leader Dr Zar Wali in his village
in Mano Dheri in Uthmanzai tehsil in Charsadda District.
At least three armed assailants
opened firing outside Government Girls Middle School in Misri
Banda area of Nowshera District. However, no loss of life was
reported.
Two employees of the Special
Communication Organisation (SCO) were abducted from the Derail
Valley of Diamer District. According to police sources, at least
a dozen alleged terrorists took part in the kidnapping incident.
They reportedly tied the watchman of the cellular company’s
tower with ropes and took the two SCO employees namely engineer
Essa, resident of Gilgit and operator Amjad Hussain, resident
of Astor along with them. The SCO, is part of the Pakistan Army,
and provides telecommunications services in the region.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister
on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi while addressing a seminar
on Pakistan India Relations: Emerging Relatives organised by
the KCFR said that Pakistan was ready to hold dialogue with
India on all outstanding issues. He called upon the members
of civil society to continue to push the leadership of both
the countries to hold talks. It is a reality that Nawaz desires
cordial relations with India, he asserted.
Former Foreign Minister Khursheed
Mehmood Kasuri said that he has not lost faith in the common
sense of the people of both the sides and things will hopefully
move in the positive direction. He also appreciated the Prime
Minister for taking initiative to hold composite dialogue with
India.
According to unnamed sources,
decision to launch a crackdown against the HuT in Sindh has
been taken. Sources further said that the members of banned
HuT have been active in several key universities across Sindh
Province.
November 4
A Ranger was shot at injured
when unidentified armed assailants opened fire at Rangers personnel
who were conducting routine snap-checking near the Labour Square
in the SITE area of SITE Town in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh.
SFs claimed to have recovered
a large cache of foreign-made-weapons during search operations
in different parts of Khyber Agency in FATA. The weapons include
RPGs, SMGs, MMR rifles, mortar shells, anti-aircraft guns SMGs
launchers and thousand of cartridges. According to security
official the weapons were manufactured in Russia and the United
States. Security officials said that the weapons were recovered
during search operations in different parts of Khyber Agency
after end of Khyber-II Operation.
TTP claimed responsibility of
the November 3, 2015, killing of senior journalist Zaman Mehsud
(38) in Tank District of KP. TTP 'commander' Qari Saifullah
Saif said, “We killed him because he was writing against us,
we have some other journalists on our hit list in the region,
soon we will target them.” Zaman was working for the Urdu newspaper
Daily Umet and SANA News Agency, and had also worked for the
independent HRCP.
US announced that it will provide
USD 30 million through USAID in order to help facilitate the
return of Temporarily Displaced Persons to FATA. “People here
are resilient, and with their determination and our support,
we look forward to a thriving and peaceful FATA,” said John
Groarke, USAID Mission Director while speaking at a ceremony
attended by representatives of the United Nations and the Government
of Pakistan. The funds being provided through USAID will support
the reconstruction of schools, provide job training, improve
farming techniques and will also be utilised to distribute food
stipends.
November 5
At least three persons including
a child were injured when an office of CTD of Sindh Police came
under a cracker attack in the Malir area of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. According to Police, unidentified motorcycle
riders fled after hurling a home-made bomb outside the CTD office,
injuring a child among three persons passing through the site
in a rickshaw and a bus.
The CTD arrested a suspected
militant with links to a militant group and recovered explosive
material and three detonators from his possession during a raid
in Morgah area of Rawalpindi District in Punjab. The arrested
militant Sabir, who is a resident of the Kunar Province of Afghanistan,
had links with JuA, a breakaway group of TTP and carried a bogus
national identity card with the address of Dhoke Syedan, Rawalpindi.
He confessed of monitoring army personnel and renowned politicians
to target them.
November 6
Four militants and one FC official
was killed in an exchange of fire during a search operation
in Surab area of Kalat District. FC recovered ammunitions, including
IEDs and other arms from their possession.
A Shia, identified as Jafar
Ali, was shot dead while another, identified as Tanveer Ali,
was injured when unidentified militants opened fire at their
vehicle in Kirani Road area of provincial capital Quetta.
According to official document
released by Provincial Home Department, acts of terrorism as
well as sectarian and targeted killings have gone down by 50
per cent in Balochistan over the last two years under Chief
Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch. Statistics released show that
27 people have been killed and 13 others wounded in incidents
of sectarian killing till September 2015. This number is significantly
lower than the figures for 2014, when 91 people were killed
and 129 others wounded. It is a marked improvement also from
the 2013 figures when 258 people were killed and 478 people
were injured in similar incidents. In 2015, there has been a
significant decline not only in sectarian violence but also
in attacks on settlers – mostly Punjabi- and Urdu-speaking residents
of Balochistan. In 2010, around 113 settlers were killed. However,
this figure dropped in 2014 to 91 while in 2015 around 36 settlers
were targeted.
Six armed robbers looted PKR
4.0 million, 10 cell phones, security guards’ weapon, from a
private bank at gunpoint within the Baldia Town Police jurisdiction
in Baldia Town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that a new operation in Karachi
was on the cards against the facilitators of crimes.
November 7
At least 20 suspected militants
were killed as PAF jets destroyed a number of militant hideouts
and other related targets in Khyber Agency of the FATA. Security
sources said that PAF jets targeted militant hideouts in Tirah
Valley, killing five suspected militants and injuring three
others. In a separate round of airstrikes, PAF jets struck targets
in Rajgal area, killing 15 suspected militants. Militant hideouts
and ammunition depots were targeted in Rajgal, claimed security
sources. Report added that the identity of the dead 'militants'
and their affiliation with any militant organisation is yet
to be ascertained.
Armed assailants killed two
Hazara Shias in Spiny road in Quetta. “Armed assailants opened
fire at a vehicle on Spiny road and killed two members of the
Hazara community,” said a Police official. Police official added
that one person died at the spot of the attack while the other
succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.
Two dead bodies were recovered
from Naal tehsil of Khuzdar District. A Levies official said
that the identity of the victims could not be immediately ascertained
and both had received multiple bullet injuries.
November 8
Police claimed to have arrested
three LeJ militants from MPR Colony in Manghopir area of Gadap
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. They also
claimed that the suspects were planning some major acts of terrorism
to avenge the killing of LeJ leader Malik Ishaq in an encounter
in Punjab. The three militants were identified as Zubair, Asif
and Umair. An official of the CTD, Ali Raza said that four TT
pistols, three kilograms of explosives and four “ball bombs”
were seized from their possession.
“The held militants disclosed
that Mufti Saddam of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
had sent them to Karachi to establish a group here for taking
revenge of the killing of Malik Ishaq,” Raza disclosed. The
CTD official said that the suspects established a ‘terrorist
group’ in collaboration with some other banned organisations
and they were planning some big terrorist activities in the
city in near future.
The Bomb Disposal Squad defused
a bomb, weighing about 10 kilograms, which was found outside
Markazi Imambargah Hussainia in Alipur tehsil of Muzaffargarh
District in Punjab.
Police launched a door-to-door
search operation in Darel and Tangir Valleys Diamer District
to rescue two employees of SCO who were abducted on November
3.
November 9
Former SHO, Rana Muhammad Atif,
was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants at the Sant Singh
Railway Crossing near Mansoorabad area in Faisalabad District
of Punjab. Rana was famous for Police encounters and was also
national hockey player.
The CTD Malakand arrested two
suspects, identified as Abdul Ghaffar and Zakirullah, for facilitating
terrorists in attacks on Police personnel and abetting other
acts of terrorism during a raid in Matta tehsil of Swat
District. The CTD claimed the suspects were providing assistance
to Umarzada. The Police also recovered a car from their possession.
The CTD Bannu arrested a suspected
terrorist, identified as Noor Said alias Lal Gulab, during a
search operation in Bannu District. The official said that the
suspected terrorist was wanted in connection with the murder
of a Police Constable.
The Provincial Police claimed
to have arrested a recruiter for the Islamic State (IS, also
known as Daesh), identified as Dadullah, from the Badaber area
of provincial capital Peshawar. The suspect was allegedly involved
in recruiting for IS, said an unnamed Police Official. “The
suspect arrested, Dadullah, belongs to Afghanistan, and was
recruiting for an international militant organisation,” said
SSP Operation Mian Saeed. Weapons and hand grenades were also
recovered from his possession.
In a joint civil-military meeting
chaired by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, “Issues of national
security were discussed and different stages of the National
Action Plan [against terrorism] were reviewed,” said a statement
issued from the Prime Minister Office.
According to sources Karachi
operation was the main talking point. The meeting took important
decisions vis-à-vis Karachi operation which will play out in
the coming days, according to sources. There were a number of
key decisions about the Karachi operation which were pending
approval of the political leadership. The military leadership
convinced the civilian leadership on the future course of the
operation, and the meeting approved the pending decisions. The
meeting reiterated that the Karachi operation would continue
till it achieved the set goals.
November 10
Two unidentified bullet-riddled
dead bodies were found dumped in Baghau area of Barkhan District
in Balochistan.
Two Policemen, including an
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Haji Muhammed Budhra and Constable
Ghulam Rasool Sahatto, were shot dead by unidentified armed
assailants on a Police checkpoint near Lakhi Ghulam Shah area
in Shikarpur District of Sindh. The attackers escaped while
taking weapons of victims.
The CTD arrested three alleged
target killers, identified as Muhammad Shahid, Shah Jalal and
Muhammad Shakir, during a raid in Saudabad area of Malir Town
in provincial capital Karachi.
The CTD officials arrested one
target killer, identified as Fahad Hussain, during a raid in
Landhi Town.
The Police acting on a tip-off
raided a house and defused explosives in Takhtikhel village
in Sarai Naurang tehsil of Lakki Marwat District. The
Police recovered two explosive devices, 12 anti-tank shells
and five kilograms of explosives.
Karachi witnessed 48 percent
decline in the incidents of target killing while the rate of
other types of killings has also come down by 37 percent in
the Rangers led operation, representatives of the Federal Ministry
of Interior told the National Assembly.
They told lawmakers that it
has sealed 102 Islamic seminaries for fanning extremism. Moreover,
it has also frozen PKR1 billion in funds of proscribed militant
groups. The LEAs have sealed the seminaries for sponsoring terrorism
or extremism, Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali
Khan said. In 2015, the Government closed down 87 madrassas
in Sindh and 13 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he said. Two seminaries
have been sealed in Punjab where a number of students were found
in contact with banned groups. The LEAs have also identified
190 seminaries that receive funds from abroad.
November 11
Four 'commanders' along with
24 other militants laid down their arms and surrendered to authorities
during a function held by Provincial Minister Nawab Changaiz
Marri. “We appreciate that the militants have surrendered and
have announced their decision to join peaceful lives,” said
Marri. The militants who surrendered today belonged to various
militant organisations and were active in Kohlu and other areas
of Balochistan. “Those targeting innocent people cannot be referred
to as ‘angry Baloch’, they should be called terrorists,” remarked
Marri. "I stand for peace and development of the country,”
he added.
A report on the implementation
of the NAP in KP reveals that the state has made over 10,000
arrests, 22,000 detentions and 508 search and strike operations
from December 17, 2014 to October 31, 2015.
November 12
Six suspected militants were
killed in a Police encounter at a hideout of militants in Manghopir
area of Gadap Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
Quoting an intelligence report, SSP Rao Anwar said, “They had
come from Swat to carry out major terror acts in the provincial
capital.” Two of the deceased were identified as Haider Ali,
'commander' of TTP, while the other was identified as Abdullah.
Police claimed to have seized a large quantity of explosive
material, arms and ammunition from their custody.
Rangers refuted media reports
about slowing down of the operation against the MQM amid an
alleged understanding. Rangers’ spokesperson said that the operation
was still ongoing and will continue till the last target killer
has been arrested. It requested citizens to keep an eye on their
surroundings and in case of emergencies, contact them through
the Rangers helpline. Rangers and the people of Karachi are
together, read the statement. However, an MQM official said
that an understanding had been reached in the recent meeting
between the Rangers DG with party lawmakers, Dr Farooq Sattar
and Kunwar Naveed. “We have reached an understanding with the
Rangers. Hopefully, the law enforcement agencies will let us
run our local government election campaign and not disrupt them,”
MQM MNA Sattar said.
One FC official, identified
as Parvez, was killed and another, identified as Rasheed, was
injured when their vehicle was attacked by unidentified militants
in Awaran District. No outfit claimed responsibility for the
attack.
SFs claimed to have foiled a
terror bid in a raid conducted at a spot used as a sanctuary
by militant outfits in Zhob District. “Terrorists had dumped
the weapons, and we raided the spot after receiving credible
information,” said a security official. SFs claim to have recovered
two rocket launchers, nine landmines and other weapons during
the raid. However, no arrests were made as the terrorists fled
from the spot before the arrival of the SFs.
Unidentified kidnappers set
free the 21 labourers who were abducted on October 22, 2015
from the work site in Neeli Kach area on the Tank-Wana Road
in FR Tank of FATA. “The kidnappers had set free the labourers
in Kot Khadak in the limits of the Gomal Bazaar Police Station
and from there they have been brought to the office of the Political
Agent in Tank city,” an official said. It could not be ascertained
who had kidnapped the workers and where they were kept. The
demands of the kidnappers also remained unknown. However, there
were reports that tribal elders played a role in the safe release
of the labourers.
BRP leader Brahamdagh Bugti
claimed that he met Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik
Baloch in Geneva and discussed the Balochistan issue with him
but said that Dr Malik Baloch has no 'authority' to discuss
the all important issue, reports Dawn. The disgruntled Baloch
leader said that even his grandfather Nawab Akbar Bugti had
never rejected the option of dialogue but those who are 'authoritative'
enough to change the situation should come forward and negotiate.
According to November 11 report
on Gandhara website (http://gandhara.rferl.org/) Bugti is months
away from returning to Pakistan, marking an end of his nine-year
exile which had followed the killing of his grandfather, Nawab
Akbar Khan Bugti, by Pakistani Security Forces on August 26,
2006. "He has agreed to come [back to Pakistan],"
said an unnamed source in the inner circles of the Balochistan
Government, quoting Gandhara. "We have reached an agreement
on 90 per cent of the issues." "There were two or
three meetings [in July]. He [Bugti] has asked for respect and
an end to all cases against him [as a pre-condition for his
return]," the source was further quoted.
November 13
The councilor of Union Cuncil-5
Abbas Gujjar was shot dead by two unidentified armed assailants
near Bijli Ghar on Multan Road within the Sabzazar Police in
provincial capital Lahore.
At least seven people, most
of them belonging to the Kutchi community, were injured in a
hand grenade attack near the water pumping station located near
Khadda Market at Shah Waliullah Road within the limits of the
Baghdadi Police Station in Lyari Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh on.
The CTD arrested two suspects,
identified as Nawab Khan and Nazeer Khan, during a raid in Quaidabad
area of Bin Qasim Town. The suspects were involved in the killing
of Police Officials in Karachi. A shootout took place during
the raid. The raiding party found two hand grenades, a 30 bore
pistol and a Kalashnikov in their hideout. During the investigation,
it was revealed that the accused belonged to the Swat-based
Shireen Jaan faction of TTP and were involved in killing of
Police Officials in the city.
The paramilitary force during
targeted raids in different parts of the city, including NIPA
Chowrangi (Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town), Haroonabad (SITE Town) and
Landhi Town, arrested three suspects, including a terrorist
and a kidnapper. Weapons were also recovered from their possession.
At least three people, identified
as Abdul Waheed and Syed Amir, and Abdul Ghani, were injured
when unidentified militants opened fire at them in Mastung District
of Balochistan.
A hand grenade was thrown into
the house of Mohammad Rafiq, a customs official, in Banamari
area of provincial capital Peshawar. However, no casualties
were reported. Rafiq received threatening calls from some unidentified
people demanding extortion money and he had informed the police
about.
Police claimed to have arrested
an Afghan national, identified as Israr alias Landay, who was
allegedly involved in the bomb attack that killed DSP Rasheed
Khan in 2011.
The COAS General Raheel Sharif
paid a visit to PCENS and expressed confidence over the security
of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. “Pakistan has taken measures,
including setting up of the PCENS, to strengthen its nuclear
security,” said the COAS. Interacting with officers and troops
at the PCENS, the army chief said that nuclear security is a
sacred responsibility. He lauded the progress the institution
had made since its establishment. “I am glad to see that it
has instilled as a culture and the progress made in the recent
past is praiseworthy.”
The Army Chief witnessed the
state-of-the-art facilities and ongoing training activities
at the PCENS. The Army chief was received by Lieutenant-General
Mazhar Jamil, Director General of the SPD. Pakistan has also
offered the PCENS as a regional and international hub for imparting
education and training in the field of nuclear security to the
international community. Since its establishment, PCENS has
conducted several national and international training courses
focusing on physical protection, personal reliability as well
as safety and security of nuclear and radioactive materials
and facilities.
The United States Department
of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions
on Altaf Khanani-led Money Laundering Organisation (Khanani
MLO) pursuant to Executive Order 13581, which targets transnational
criminal organisations (TCOs) and their supporters, reports
The News, quoting a statement posted on the State Department’s
websites. The Khanani MLO launders illicit funds for organised
crime groups, drug trafficking organisations, and designated
terrorist groups throughout the world. Additionally, the Office
of Foreign Assets Control is designating Dubai-based money services
business Al Zarooni Exchange under Executive Order (E.O.) 13581
for being owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf
of, directly or indirectly, the Khanani MLO, and for materially
assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or
technological support for, or goods or services to or in support
of, the Khanani MLO.
The Khanani MLO engages in third-party
money laundering by transferring funds to financial institutions
on behalf of drug traffickers and TCOs. The designations highlight
the importance of dismantling the extended financial infrastructure
of TCOs and their supporters. “The Khanani Money Laundering
Organization exploits its relationships with financial institutions
to funnel billions of dollars across the globe on behalf of
terrorists, drug traffickers, and criminal organizations,” said
Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence
Adam J. Szubin.
The Khanani MLO has also laundered
funds for designated terrorist organizations. Altaf Khanani,
the head of the Khanani MLO, and Al Zarooni Exchange have been
involved in the movement of funds for the Taliban, and Altaf
Khanani is known to have had relationships with Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT), Dawood Ibrahim, al Qaeda, and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
November 14
In an operation targeting militant
hideouts, PAF jets killed 22 militants in the Shawal tehsil
area of NWA in FATA. Six militant hideouts were destroyed in
the airstrikes.
Two people were killed in an
IED blast in Safi tehsil of Mohmand Agency.
Two Shia Policemen, identified
as Police constables Ali Raza (50) and Ghulam Jaffer (46), guarding
Ismaili community’s residential complex were shot dead by four
unidentified militants at a checkpoint outside Jeewani Heights
in the Sachal area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town in Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. With the murder of the two police officials,
the number of policemen killed in the city during the current
year reached 80, said an unnamed Police spokesperson.
One Policeman was killed while
another sustained injury when terrorists attacked a check-post
near the Super Highway in Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh. The deceased Police Constable is identified as Ali Raza.
Police killed a gangster belonging
to the Uzair Baloch gang in an encounter near Kharadar area
in Khajoor Market of Saddar Town. The gangster was wanted for
target killing, kidnapping and extortion cases. A pistol and
bullets were recovered from his possession.
A man, identified as Baderuddin
(22), was killed and another, identified as, Muhammad Asif (22),
was injured when unidentified armed assailants opened fire at
them in Shah Faisal Mohallah, Baloch Goth area of Orangi Town.
Rangers arrested 36 suspects,
including members of a banned outfit, in raids conducted in
Ehsanabad, Port Qasim, Pakhtunbabad, Sultanabad, Nusrat Bhutto
Colony, Javed Bahria Housing Society and FB Area. Weapons were
recovered from their possession.
According to an official report
released, at least 232 Police personnel, including officers
and 23 Rangers personnel, were killed during the Karachi operation
launched in September 2013.
Unidentified armed assailants
shot dead a man, identified as Amjad Khan, and injured a shopkeeper,
identified as Saghar, in Turbat District.
Police defused one four kilograms
of IED hidden in a water cooler at Brewery Cross Check Post
near Joint Road area of provincial capital Quetta.
Brahamdagh Bugti, President
of the BRP, invited various parties, including the banned Baloch
pro-independence groups, and their leaders for negotiations
to sort out their differences. In a statement received in Quetta
from Geneva (Switzerland), he said that unity was the only way
to guarantee resolution of issues. Bugti suggested that the
meeting of the parties and leaders should be held in Switzerland,
but could also be held in any other European country where BRP
delegates would participate and he would talk through video
link because he lacked documents required to travel outside
Switzerland.
“I request all Baloch leaders
to put their differences and other matters aside and gather
in Switzerland within a month to sort out all differences.”
If any party or leader does not accept the majority’s decision,
the Baloch nation will decide who is responsible for disunity
in ‘our ranks’. “After achieving national unity, the BRP will
accept the majority’s decision on all issues, including negotiations
with the state,” he said, adding that ‘state atrocities’ could
be defeated only through unity.
November 15
Five rockets were fired from
Afghanistan side towards Pak-Afghan Gate at Angor Adda in SWA
of FATA. However, no loss of life or property was reported.
According to ISPR, the rockets were fired at 1430 hours.
Sindh Rangers arrested five
terrorists and recovered weapons during separate raids in Liaquatabad
Town, Lyari Town, Shah Faisal Colony and Sohrab Goth area of
Gadap Town. Arms were recovered from their possession.
In search operations conducted
at Dafto village and Nizampura village in Kasur District, police
arrested five suspects, including two proclaimed offenders.
Illegal weapons and seven snatched motorcycles were recovered.
Captain Asmat Mehmood, the head
pilot of a November 3, 2015, Shaheen Air flight that crash landed
at Allama Iqbal International Airport in provincial capital
Lahore, was charged under the Anti-terrorism Act. The FIR also
mentions charges of intoxication. Captain Mumtaz, a member of
the inquiry committee, has alleged that the inquiry was not
impartial. However,, the pilot’s wife alleged that Captain Mehmood
was kidnapped from their home in Karachi by twelve men who arrived
in a police van.
The law enforcement agencies
were put on alert due to possible terrorist attack on Chehlum
(40th day of Muharram) and local government elections in Dera
Ghazi Khan (DG Khan) District. Attacks are likely to be carried
out by the banned outfit TTP that has reorganized, after operation
Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan Agency of FATA, in DG Khan and
other parts of South Punjab under the banner of IS, also known
as Daesh.
Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed
Chaudhry in an interview with Radio Pakistan ruled out the footprints
of the IS and said no citizen could be allowed to have links
with the terrorist organisation. “Pakistan has the capability
to thwart threats by any terrorist organisation, including the
Islamic State,” he said. Chaudhry said terrorism was on its
last gasps and Pakistan was winning the war on terror with complete
support of the masses.
The ISPR Director-General Major
General Asim Bajwa urged Afghanistan authorities to implement
‘strict surveillance’ along the Pak-Afghan border to prevent
terrorists from ‘escaping’. “We had preempted that terrorists
could flee to Afghanistan to avoid operation Zarb-i-Azb,” he
said, stressing that Pakistan has always extended full support
for peace in Afghanistan, and will continue to do so ‘with utmost
sincerity’.
At least 10 Police officials
were injured in grenade attacks during a raid to arrest Rahimullah,
a militant accused of involvement in the Nanga Parbat massacre
of foreign mountaineers (June 22, 2013) and abduction of two
employees of the Special Communications Organisation (November
3, 2015), at his sister's house in Tangir area of Diamer District.
According to officials, Rahimullah was hiding in the house.
It was besieged by a heavy contingent of Police. When the police
closed in, four grenades were hurled at them from the house
while the accused escaped. Officials claimed that the SFs arrested
Rahimullah’s sister and brother-in-law during a search operation
on suspicion of being facilitators of the kidnappers’ gang in
Darel Valley.
November 16
Levies personnel recovered two
bullet-riddled dead bodies from Dasht area of Mastung District
in Balochistan.
Six people were injured when
one of three rockets fired from across the border in Iran hit
a house in Mand Suro town in Kech District. One of the rockets
hit an office of Pakistan Customs near the border, leaving its
building slightly damaged. However, no casualties were reported
from there. The third rocket exploded in an open area near
a camp of FC. Official sources said that the rockets were fired
from the nearby mountains and their target was FC’s camp.
A convoy of the FWO was attacked
in a bomb and gun attack in Hoshab area of Kech District. However,
no casualties were reported.
FC personnel arrested two suspected
militants from Kech District for possessing anti-state literature
and books containing hate material. "The suspects were
detained and are being interrogated by security officials,"
said the FC spokesman Khan Wasay.
FC recovered at least four rockets,
19 hand grenades, an IED and a number of other weapons from
a house in Mand tehsil of Kech District.
A man, identified as Ahmed (30),
was shot at and injured by unidentified armed assailants near
Old Haji Camp in Lyari Town of Karachi, provincial capital of
Sindh.
The CTD arrested a terrorist,
identified as Sami Ullah, during an anti-terror raid in Odigram
area of Swat District. Ullah was wanted by Raheem Abad Police
for various terror acts.
November 17
A PML-N candidate for general
councilor, identified as Shabir Arain, was shot dead by unidentified
assailants in Mirpur Bathoro Tehsil in Thatta District of Sindh.
The CTD of Police and the paramilitary
force arrested a target killer, identified as Mirza Abdur Raheem
Baig, wanted in at least seven killings of political party workers
mostly from MQM, from SITE in Karachi, provincial capital of
Sindh. The suspect informed that most of the targeted killings
took place in Lyari, Ranchore Lane, Sher Shah and Baldia Towns
of Karachi after approval from gangster Uzair Baloch.
Rangers arrested Zaheer Ahmed
alias Piyala, a cadre of SSP, involved in over 17 target killings
including six Policemen, from Golimar area of SITE Town in Karachi.
Police arrested two suspected
persons after raiding a house in Khatan area of Khuzdar District
of Balochistan. A stolen motorcycle and pistol was recovered.
Army Chief General Raheel Sharif,
who is in the US on a five-day visit, met US Defence Secretary
Ashton Carter at Pentagon to discuss the bilateral defence relations
and regional security. The DG of ISPR, Lieutenant General Asim
Bajwa, informed through a series of tweets that General Raheel
visited Pentagon. During the meeting, the US Defence Secretary
appreciated Pakistan’s contribution and sacrifices in fighting
war on terror and acknowledged the effects of successful counter
terrorism operations.
The Punjab CTD cannot rule out
threat of Paris-like attacks in Lahore and elsewhere in the
province, a senior CTD ADG Rai Tahir said. Another senior official
has said a seminary in south Punjab has been sealed for providing
militant training to its students. The two officials were briefing
journalists about security arrangements being made for the coming
local government elections in the province. Provincial Law Minister
Rana Sanaullah was also present on the occasion. There is no
election-related threat from the Middle East-based Islamic State
militant group, also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh, said
ADG Rai Tahir. “But there are threats from the international
terrorist organisation to Punjab,” he said.
November 18
Two members of the peace committee
were wounded when unidentified militants threw a grenade at
a checkpost at Naray Baba area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency
in FATA.
The CTD released three doctors,
identified as Saadullah Khan, Zubair Mirza and Rizwan, for treating
two wounded militants of terror outfit, TTP, identified as Abdul
Rehmad and Abdullah, at Zubaida Medical Centre in Bahadurabad
area, Gulshan Town in Karachi, provincial capital of Sindh.
It was found that the doctors did not know that the wounded
were militants and were released under Section 169 (release
of accused when evidence deficient).
Thirty suspects were arrested
after an explosive device was recovered on the Mall Road near
the Armoured Corps Centre in Nowshera town of same District
of KP. Sources said unidentified terrorists had planted the
explosive on the Mall Road, which was spotted by a Police patrol
party. The Police party called the bomb disposal unit officials
who defused the explosive. Police and SFs launched a search
operation in Hakimabad, Pir Sabaq, Armour Colony and Dheri Katikhel
and arrested 30 suspects, including truck driver Attaullah and
taxi driver Akar Khan.
The intelligence agencies prepared
a list of 86 suspects, including members of political parties
(MQM-H and ANP) and Lyari-based gangs (Baba Ladla and Uzair
Baloch groups), actively involved in criminal activities like
extortion, targeted killings, street crimes, drugs and other
heinous crimes in Karachi, provincial capital of Sindh. The
list has been dispatched to the Police department for preparing
a strategy to take action.
Army has trained a special high
altitude force in Gilgit Baltistan to encourage foreign tourists
to visit the region. A ceremony was held to mark the completion
of the training. GB Chief Minister Hafeezur Rahman attended
the event as a chief guest. Force Commander Major General Asim
Munir was also present on the occasion. After the ceremony,
Rahman said the force was trained by the army because traditional
training was not adequate enough to protect climbers at high
altitudes. “In the past, a series of reservations were expressed
over police performance,” he said. “However, with a force that
has been trained diligently, similar complaints can now be avoided.”
November 19
Four suspected militants were
killed in a search operation conducted after a security man
was killed in a roadside explosion in Mashkay tehsil
of Awaran District in Balochistan. The dead militants remain
unidentified.
The FCs arrested a suspected
militant in Bhag area of Nasirabad District in Balochistan.
The accused has a million rupee bounty on his head and is wanted
for heinous crimes. Weapons, including three submachine guns
and seven magazines, one rifle, 165 rounds along with other
materials were recovered.
Sindh Rangers arrested a suspect,
identified as Imran alias Faqeera, involved in target killing,
extortion and other offences, under 90-day preventive detention
in Karachi, provincial capital of Sindh. The suspect is detained
under legal provision section 11 EEEE (1) [Power to arrest and
detain suspected persons] of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 for interrogation.
CTD arrested an engineer, identified
as Owais Raheel, in Boat Basin area of Saddar Town for distributing
pamphlets of banned outfit Hizbut Tahrir outside mosques in
the Clifton and Defence areas of Karachi. Raheel is on the watch
list under the fourth schedule under Section 11-EEEE of the
Anti-Terrorism Act.
The Special Police Unit arrested
a militant, identified as Khalid Zaman, wanted in terror activities,
in Serai Naurang tehsil of Lakki Marwat District.
An anti-terrorism court sentenced
nine men, arrested from different parts of Lahore, provincial
capital of Punjab, to five years imprisonment for financing
banned outfits and imposed a fine of PKR 25,000 each. The convicts
were identified as Shahid, Maqbool, Riaz, Abdul Ghaffar, Akhtar
Hussain, Mahboob Alam, Sajid Hussain, Muhammad Tahir and Majid
Ali.
November 20
Four Sindh Rangers personnel,
identified as Qasim Ali, Shahdat Ali, Ashfaq and Akhtar Ali,
were shot dead by three unidentified assailants carrying 9mm
pistols on two motorcycles at 1:45 pm outside Jamia Abu Hurrairah,
Ittehad Town of Karachi, provincial capital of Sindh. The Police
recovered seven bullet shells from the incident site. Raja Umer
Khattab, in charge of the Transnational Intelligence Group of
the Counter Terrorism Department, Sindh, said that the attack
indicates presence or regrouping of members of banned outfits,
especially TTP Swat chapter, in the area.
Rangers arrested nine accused
persons, included target killers affiliated with a political
party, in a targeted raid in Civil Lines area of Saddar Town
in Karachi.
Two suspects, identified as
Amjad alias Mirchi and Muhammad Iqbal alias Kana, involved in
murders, extortions and kidnapping, were killed in an intelligence-driven
targeted raid in Lyari Town, Karachi. The accused were allegedly
conspiring to sabotage upcoming local elections. Weapons and
ammunition were recovered.
Rangers arrested three suspects,
including a terrorist from a banned outfit, from Gulshan-e-Maymar
area of Gadap Town and Shah Faisal Colony of Shah Faisal Town,
Karachi. Weapons were recovered in the raid.
Two traffic Police personnel,
Bashir Ahmed and Naseer Ahmed, were shot dead by unidentified
assailants while they are on duty at Atmanzi Bazaar in Charssada
District of KP. Charsadda’s DPO Shafiullah Khan told reporters
that it was a case of targeted killing. He said all personnel
of Charsadda Police had been provided with bullet-proof jackets,
but the victims had been shot in the head.
Imdad Hussain Jafari, vice-president
of ANP in PK-2, Ganj Ward in Peshawar was shot dead by unidentified
assailants at Tedi Gate within the jurisdiction of Yakatoot
Police Station in Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP, in
the afternoon.
Police recovered at least 49
kilogrammes of explosive material from a motorcyclist at Azamabad
check post within the jurisdiction of Kalu Khan Police Station
in Swabi District. According to DPO Swabi Javed Iqbal Wazir,
Police personnel intercepted a motorcyclist Rozi Khan at Azamabad
check post during snap checking and recovered at least 49 kg
of kilogrammes from his possession.
Three employees of television
channel Dunya News were injured in a hand grenade attack on
the Faisalabad Bureau office by unidentified motorcycle bourne
assailants in Faisalabad District of Punjab. The assailants
threw pamphlets containing threats by Daulat-i-Islamia Khorasan
(Islamic State- Khorasan group).
Punjab Government extended the
ban on carrying or display of firearms, aerial firing, organising
rallies and gatherings of five or more people throughout Punjab,
especially in Districts where local Government elections are
to be held. All the candidates who are contesting elections
are directed to handover the firearms possessed by them to the
Police.
Pakistan has a zero tolerance
for Islamic State militants – also known as ISIS, Daesh and
ISIL – and the terrorist group has no acceptance in the country,
said DG ISPR Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa. He also said a global
response was needed to deal with the global threat posed by
the terrorist group. Briefing reporters about the visit of Chief
of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to Washington, he said the
Army Chief held discussions with top civilian and military leadership
of the US on issues ranging from defense and military cooperation
to regional security and stability including the longstanding
Kashmir dispute with India. On the question of Daesh, Bajwa
said that the group was a global threat and needed a global
response to be defeated as also mentioned by the Army Chief.
“There is a zero tolerance for Daesh in Pakistan. “Not even
a shadow of Daesh will be allowed in Pakistan,” the DG ISPR
said, adding that the Pakistani society has totally rejected
it and there was no acceptance of the terror group in Pakistan.
November 21
Four suspected terrorists were
killed and one Rangers official injured in a targeted operation
in Northern Bypass near Khairabad area of Saddar Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. The Karachi Operation has been
escalated after four Rangers Personnel were shot dead by terrorists
in Baldia Town on November 20. Weapons, ammunition and explosives
were recovered.
Two security personnel were
injured in a roadside blast in Kaman Gara area of Bajaur Agency
in FATA.
A Policeman, identified as Naveed
Ahmad, was shot dead and another person injured in an attack
by motorcycle borne unidentified armed assailants in Shahoo-Keth
area of Panjgur District of Balochistan.
November 22
Three security personnel were
killed in a roadside bomb blast in Warghara area of Tiarza tehsil
in South Waziristan Agency of FATA. Intelligence sources said
the personnel were patrolling the area when an improvised explosive
device placed by the road exploded. TTP claimed responsibility
for the attack.
The body of a man, abducted
and later killed by unidentified persons, was recovered near
Iqbal Market Police Station in Altaf Nagar area of Orangi Town
in Karachi.
Law enforcement agencies detained
150 suspects, including six suspected terrorists of TTP, during
targeted raids and door-to-door search operations in different
parts of Baldia Town in Karachi.
Rangers Personnel arrested 75
persons including alleged extortionists, gang-war suspects and
members of political parties involved in target killings, during
raids in Safoora Goth (Gulshan Town), Azam Basti (Jamshed Town),
Frontier Colony (S.I.T.E Town), Shah Faisal Colony (Shah Faisal
Town) and Mohmmad Colony area (Liaquatabad Town) of Karachi.
Arms, ammunition and drugs were recovered.
Unidentified assailants shot
dead a TV journalist, Hafeez Ur Rehman (42) on the outskirts
of Kohat District in KP. Rehman, who had been working as a journalist
for 12 years, was employed by the Neo TV network. He was also
publisher of his own daily, 'Asia', until it folded earlier
this year.
Two SF personnel were injured
when the vehicle they were travelling in, came under bomb blast
in Parom area of Panjgur District.
Iranian border guards fired
four mortar shells that landed 120 metres inside Pakistan territory,
near Panjgur District in Balochistan. No loss of life or property
was reported.
SFs prevented a terror attack
by conducting an intelligence-driven raid in Murgha Faqirzai
area of Killa Saifullah District. An anti tank mine, nine improvised
explosive devices, two rocket-propelled grenades, two rifles
and other weapons, dumped by a militant organization, were recovered.
Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sentenced
Saqlain Haidar to 13 years imprisonment and a fine of PKR 250,000,
under Section 9-A (using threatening, abusive or insulting words)
and Section 11-W (printing, publishing or disseminating material
to incite hatred) of The Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, for posting
hateful sectarian material on Facebook, in Chiniot District,
Punjab.
Army, Rangers and Police Personnel
jointly conducted a flag march in Jhelum city (Jhelum District)
of Punjab to restore law and order in wake of a November 20
arson attack by a mob on a chipboard factory and place of worship
of Ahmadi community. A case against 80-85 alleged attackers
has been registered under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act
1997 (Punishment for acts of terrorism). Section 144 prohibiting
gathering of five or more people has been imposed in the District.
Pakistan will not send its troops
for any mission outside the region, says Director General of
Inter Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa.
“We already have about 182,000 troops deployed along the Afghan
border. We are not looking for any involvement outside our region,”
Mr Bajwa told a news briefing at the end of the Army chief’s
visit to Washington this week.
November 23
Three suspected militants were
killed in an encounter with SFs at Jhalwari area in Mashkay
tehsil of Awaran District in Balochistan. According to official
sources, a convoy of Security personnel was going from Gajjar
area to Parwar town when it came under fire at Jhalwari area.
The deceased were identified as Razzaq, a resident of Kech District
Sharbat, Bandil area of Mashkay and Inayatullah from Kandri
area of Mashkay.
SFs killed two suspected militants
during the search operation in Totak area of Khuzdar District.
A camp and bunkers used by the militants in the area were also
destroyed.
The Police killed three Lyari
gangsters allegedly involved in grenade attacks on political
gatherings and the killing of Policemen during an encounter
in Lyari town of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. An
encounter between the Police and gangsters took place when the
police were conducting a search operation in Baghdadi. Police
officials said that the three gangsters were killed during an
exchange of fire and that the police also recovered weapons
from their possession.
An IED was found in the parking
area of an office of the CTD in Civil Lines area of Karachi.
Sources said that some unidentified men lobbed the IED into
the CTD office in Civil Lines in the early hours of Monday but
it failed to explode. CTD official Amir Farooqi said that the
IED landed in the parking area of the CTD. The IED was defused
by bomb disposal squad officials, who said that the wires were
not connected to the device.
The CTD of Sindh Police arrested
three alleged target killers during a raid in SITE Town of Karachi.
CTD’s special investigation unit in-charge inspector Tariq Islam
said that a raid was conducted on the information about the
presence of criminals planning major criminal activities in
the city, adding that the suspects belonged to the Shahid Bikik
group. They were identified as Syed Arif Hussain Rizvi, Irfan
Lodhi and Ismail Wali. Weapons were also recovered from their
possession.
More than 30 suspected persons
were detained when Rangers carried out a search operation near
Old Sabzi Mandi area of Karachi. Ranger’s personnel started
the door-to-door search operation early November 22-morning
in the PIB Colony neighbourhood near Old Sabzi Mandi. The operation
was conducted on intelligence about the presence of suspected
criminals and members of banned outfits in the neighbourhood.
A large contingent of security personnel cordoned off Eesa Nagri,
Old Sabzi Mandi and surrounding areas during the operation,
blocking all entry and exit routes. The personnel – which also
included female Rangers personnel – arrested 30 suspects during
the five-hour-long operation, taking them to undisclosed locations
for further interrogation.
Unidentified assailants opened
fire shots at Levies Force personnel at Wana Road in Tank District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killing him on the spot while a passerby
was critically wounded in the firing.
The Anti-Terrorism Department
has arrested most-wanted terrorist during an operation conducted
in Charial area of Malakand District. As per media reports,
the arrested terrorist was allegedly involved in various terror
attacks on Security Forces back in 2009.
The LEAs in a mid-night raid
captured more than 40 suspects for their alleged involvement
in torching a chipboard factory owned by a member of Ahmadi
community and its worship place at Kala Gojran area of in Jhelum
District in Punjab following a “desecration” incident there.
Sources said the LEAs officials identified the suspects involved
in torching the factory and Ahmadis’ worship place through video
footage of the incident and then launched an operation to arrest
them late on Sunday night. It continued till Monday morning
during which at least 40 to 45 suspects were arrested, they
added.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah
said the Islamic State does not exist in Pakistan and some proscribed
organisations are using its name, but the CTD is chasing militants.
Unidentified elements in Pakistan
and Afghanistan are major sources of terrorist financing, says
a report by the US Treasury Department. The report — “Terrorist
Financing Risk Assessment, 2015, — notes that the Haqqani Network
generates funds by a wide range of sources including businesses
and proceeds derived from criminal activities such as smuggling,
extortion, and kidnapping for ransom in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The report claims that LeT receives the majority of its funds
from within Pakistan, including by using its charitable front
organisations, JuD and FIF, to solicit donations. “There is
evidence that recently some funding via donations has been diverted
from Afghanistan and Pakistan to terrorist groups operating
in Syria,” claims a similar report by the British Government.
Terrorist financing was the focus of discussions at a White
House meeting last week between US security officials and Pakistani
defence team headed by Army Chief General Raheel Sharif.
The US State Department’s spokesperson
John Kirby reminded Pakistan of its pledge to take effective
action against LeT. “We know that the safe haven still exists
along that border region, and we’ve been very plain about our
concerns over those continued safe havens,” he said.
November 24
Rangers killed four suspected
terrorists during a raid in a hideout in Northern Bypass area
of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. One Rangers personnel
was also injured in the shootout. “The armed men in the hideout
attacked personnel of our team when they were busy taking positions
following information about the presence of terrorists in the
area,” said the unnamed Rangers spokesman.
Rangers arrested four suspects
during two search operation in Saddar Town and North Nazimabad
Town. The Rangers recovered huge cache of weapons and ammunitions
from their possession.
Rangers and Police conducted
joint raids in various parts of Karachi and detained 59 suspects
and arrested an alleged target killer Fahim Hussain. Fahim was
arrested from Aram Bagh area in Saddar Town. Rangers recovered
heavy arms, bullet-proof jackets and explosives from his possession.
A spokesman of Sindh Rangers said that the suspect confessed
to involvement in criminal activities including target killing,
extortion and arson.
In Sharafi Goth and Orangi Town,
the Rangers arrested three gangsters were arrested from Sharafi
Goth area of Korangi Town.
Over 40 suspects were taken
into custody.
The Rangers and Police conducted
a joint house-to-house search in Sultanabad area of Manghopir
in Gadap Town and detained 10 suspects.
The LEAs, including Pakistan
Army, have launched an operation in Darel and Tangir Valleys
for the recovery of two civilian officers of SCO, identified
as engineer Essa Baig and a technician Amjad Hussain, who were
abducted on November 3, 2015 on gunpoint by 10 unidentified
militants from the Darel Valley of Diamer District. The SCO
is managed by the army to provide communication facilities in
Gilgit Baltistan.
A grand jirga from Darel
and Tangir Valleys was summoned to Chilas town to convey a strong
message for the rescue of the abducted officials. The Government
has since been mounting pressure on the jirga to help produce
Baig and Hussain. A massive search operation by police is under
way in the valleys, where the force is raiding houses and arresting
suspects. On the other hand, the terrorists have attacked Police
twice in Diamer. “The government is asking us to ensure the
militants surrender,” said Abdul Haleem, a leading cleric who
heads the jirga in Darel. “We will cooperate fully but they
[militants] aren’t at our payroll to accept our orders,” Haleem
said during a meeting of the jirga attended by nearly 15,000
people in the valley on November 24.
FC recovered huge quantity of
explosive material, IED and 10 kilograms of remote control bombs
during a search operation near FC check post in Sonari Mat area
of Dera Bugti District. These materials were to be used for
blowing up of gas pipelines, said the spokesperson for FC.
SFs and Police detained over
100 suspected persons, including 40 Afghan nationals, during
a joint search operation in parts of the Nowshera District of
KP. DPO Wahid Mehmood told reporters that the personnel of SFs,
Police and intelligence agencies launched a search operation
against anti-social elements and made the arrests. He said that
search operation had been carried out in the Cantonment Board
Nowshera, Risalpur, Muslim Town, Hakeemabad, Badrashi Regi,
ASC Colony, Watar Ismailkhel, Sultan Ghari, Behram Killay, Mera
Kheshgi, Marhati Banda, Ghaladher Zendo and surrounding localities.
The Police beefed up security
around the Kohat District jail after a terrorist threat, and
detained 33 suspected persons from the prison’s vicinity. The
operation was conducted in Anar Banda, Chamabi, Waziro Kalay
areas. The arrested persons also included four illegally staying
Afghan nationals. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from
those arrested, which included a small machine gun, three pistols
and two rifles besides huge quantity of cartridges.
Senate Standing Committee on
Interior and Narcotics Control was informed that the terrorist
network has been dismantled and operation Zarb-e-Azb
is continuing with success. Briefing the committee at Parliament
House, KP special secretary said the province is on the front
line in the war on terror. The law and order situation is improving
gradually due to effective action of police, Rangers and other
law enforcement agencies in KP, he said, adding that all the
terrorists involved in Peshawar Army Public School attack have
been arrested and steps have been taken to prevent such incidents
in the future.
A man of Pakistani origin, identified
as Abid Naseer (29), was jailed for 40 years in the US on November
23 for plotting to bomb a British shopping center with al Qaeda.
Naseer was first arrested in 2009 in Britain with 11 other men
suspected of preparing to attack the mall in Manchester, and
was extradited to the US from Britain in 2013. "You are
not a typical criminal," Judge Raymond Dearie told Naseer
in the US Federal Court in Brooklyn. "You are a terrorist."
A US jury found him guilty of providing material support to
a foreign terrorist organisation, conspiring to provide material
support to al Qaeda and with conspiring to use a destructive
device.
According to Provincial Home
Department statement released, at least 48 terrorists, 17 of
them high profile, have been killed by the Counter-Terrorism
Department under the NAP. A total of 17 out of 24 identified
terrorists have also been executed and petitions of seven others
are pending decision in the Supreme and High Courts. Three accused
in one out of four cases sent to the military courts created
under the NAP have been awarded death sentence and their mercy
petitions are lying with the President for a decision.
An official said the CTD also
arrested 5,812 terrorists and their operators from different
cities of Punjab in intelligence-based operations, averting
major acts of terrorism on Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha and during
the first 10 days of Muharram. Of them, 1,265 were arrested
in Bahawalpur, 1,040 in Gujranwala, 1,008 in Rawalpindi, 810
in Sargodha and 233 in Lahore.
The law-enforcement agencies
disengaged 115 Fourth Schedulers (declared dangerous under the
Anti-Terrorism Act) from religious seminaries. He said a number
of websites promoting hate speech were reported to the authorities
concerned for blocking them.
November 25
Twelve terrorists, including
the commander of the TTP, Khan Said Sajna, have been killed
in a drone strike in Damma area of Afghanistan. According to
sources, Naeem Kochi and Kifayat Kochi were also among the terrorists
killed in the drone strike. Sources said that over twenty terrorists
also sustained injuries in the attack.
Four LeJ terrorists, including
the founding member of the outfit, identified as Haroon Bhatti,
were killed while three Policemen were injured in a Police encounter
in Badami Bagh area of Lahore. A spokesman from the CTD said
that the Police had brought back Bhatti, along with his four
associates, to Pakistan from Dubai with the help of Interpol
on October 22, 2015. Police claimed to have recovered a huge
cache of arms and explosives, including Kalashnikovs, rifles
and hand grenades from the suspected terrorists' possession.
The three suspects were identified as Omair Nadeem, Omair Hassan
and Noman Yasin.
According to the details of
the encounter, Bhatti along with his three accomplices was accompanying
the Police and CTD personnel to assist them in identifying a
house in use of suspected terrorists near Malik park in the
Badami Bagh area when the encounter took place. The CTD spokesman
said the police party raided a house on the tip off to arrest
criminals involved in sectarian killings. He added that the
terrorists staying in the house offered resistance to the raiding
party and opened fire. Police said the raiding party resorted
to retaliatory firing as a result of which the attackers were
killed. The Punjab Government had announced a bounty of PKR
2.5 million on the head of Haroon Bhatti.
One man was killed and four
others were injured in a remote-controlled blast near a bus
terminal in the Lea Market area of Lyari Town in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh. SSP-City Fida Hussain said that
the intended target has not yet been ascertained.
At least 10 suspects were arrested
after Rangers raided MQM office at Korangi 2.5 Number in Korangi
Town. The arrested workers have been transferred to an undisclosed
location for investigation.
Karachi Police registered a
case against former petroleum Minister and PPP leader Dr. Asim
Hussain under terror charges. The development comes a day before
the end of a 90-day physical remand of Dr. Asim in Rangers custody
on charges of terror financing. An unnamed Senior Police Officer
said that North Nazimabad Police have registered the case against
Dr. Asim under Anti-Terrorism Act of 1999. The Federal Ministry
of Interior has put Dr Asim's name on the Exit Control List
(ECL), sources said.
At least three Policemen were
injured in IED blast targeting a Police vehicle that was on
a routine patrol in Qambrani Road area of provincial capital
Quetta. No outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.
SFs claimed to have foiled a
major terror bid and seized a large quantity of arms and ammunition
from Chagai District. “The weapons were dumped to carry out
subversive activities in the province,” said Khan Wasey, a spokesperson
for the FC. He added that FC personnel conducted a raid in Killi
Nafas area of Chagai District after receiving actionable intelligence.
The weapons recovered include 15 rockets, 14 sub-machine guns,
two AK-47s, two rocket propelled grenades and other weapons
and ammunition. “No arrests were made as the militants had left
the area before the raid was conducted,” Wasey said, adding,
“The weapons were smuggled into Chagai District from neighbouring
Afghanistan.”
The CTD of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
arrested 567 militants during 876 targeted operations that it
conducted in various parts of the province in last ten 10 months,
a summary report issued by the Department said. The report,
a copy of which is available with Dawn, reveals that the CTD
either arrested or killed at least 93 POs carrying head-money
and wanted in high-profile cases. CTD report said that 10 of
the 93 POs were killed by the CTD personnel. The CTD personnel
traced 252 militancy-related cases during the time period, said
the report. According to the report, the CTD personnel recovered
four suicide jackets, 231 hand grenades, 1203 kilogrammes of
explosives, 5675 detonators, seven RPG-7 launchers, 71 SMG rifles,
103 pistols and 48 rifles with different bores.
November 26
A soldier and four militants
were killed in a clash that erupted after a group of Afghanistan-based
militants stormed the Al-Ghazi post in Sheikh Baba Gulono area
in Safi tehsil of Mohmand Agency in FATA. According to
sources Security Forces deployed at the post challenged the
attackers triggering a gunbattle. “One soldier and four militants
were killed in the clash. Five militants also sustained injuries
in the clash that lasted for two hours,” said an unnamed official.
A Khasadar, identified
as identified as Hisab Khan, who had gone missing five days
ago, was found dead in Maidanak Lashora area of Jamrud tehsil
of Khyber Agency.
Unidentified armed militants
opened fire on a Khasadar official, identified as Amir Khan,
in tedi area of Jamrud tehsil. Meanwhile, security officials
carried out a search operation in the area and arrested several
suspects in connection with the killings.
At least two Policemen were
killed and five people were injured when IED hit the convoy
of the Federal Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani
in Bannu town of Bannu District. The SHO of Baka Khel Police
Station said that Durrani, a JUI-F MNA was on his way to Bannu
after holding a political rally in Baka Khel town when his convoy
came under attack.
An ATC in Karachi remanded former
Federal Minister of Petroleum Dr Asim Hussain into Police custody
for four days over allegations of corruption and facilitating
terrorists at his private hospital. The Sindh Rangers registered
a case against Dr Asim at a North Nazimabad Police Station on
November 25, 2015, soon after the expiry of the 90-day remand
that the paramilitary force had obtained from an ATC for interrogation
after his arrest on August 26, 2015 under Section 11-EEEE of
the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.
According to the FIR registered
against him, Dr Asim facilitated criminals and terrorists by
getting them treated at the two branches of his hospital in
Karachi. The complainant in the FIR said that Dr Asim admitted
before the Joint Investigation Team that he facilitated criminals
and terrorists belonging to banned organisations and the Lyari
gang war as well as workers of political parties at the two
branches of his hospital situated in North Nazimabad and Clifton.
Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the convicted
killer of Salman Taseer, former Governor of Punjab, threatened
to commit suicide if he is not allowed to meet his family as
per previous routine and that the jail authorities would be
responsible for his death. Qadri’s death sentence was upheld
by the Supreme Court and he was kept in Adiala jail of Rawalpindi
District. After the SC's decision, the venue of his meeting
with family was changed. He was allowed to see members of his
family only though an iron fence, apparently because of security
reasons and for being a dangerous prisoner.
According to a security official,
after the threat the jail authorities had arranged Qadri’s meeting
with his family as per the demand. Qadri’s meeting with his
father, brother and other family members started at 4:00 pm
and continued for an hour.
Baloch separatists released
a video purporting to show that leader BLF Allah Nazar, who
the Government believed it had killed in a raid in August this
year, was alive and leading the insurgency. The date of the
video released by the BLF could not be independently verified,
but BLF spokesperson Miran Baloch said it was shot in Balochistan
in November.
“For quite some time the government
has been issuing propaganda about my death. This is a blatant
lie,” said Nazar, who appeared in the video sitting next to
an automatic rifle and wearing an ammunition belt. He vowed
to continue to fight. In the video, Nazar denounced the military
intelligence services and the Provincial Government. “They’ve
turned Balochistan into a slaughterhouse. And the Baloch nation
will hold these perpetrators accountable for each and every
drop of Baloch martyr’s blood,” Nazar said, speaking in the
Balochi language.
According to figures released
by the Punjab Government, till November 11, 2015, vigorous action
had been taken under newly promulgated laws in the Province
of Punjab, during which a total of 48,617 cases have been registered,
while 53,151 accused have been arrested on the charge of committing
different offences including hate speech, wall chalking and
display of arms. Punitive action has also been taken in case
of other offences under the newly promulgated laws in line with
immediate and effective measures adopted by the Provincial Government
to ensure implementation of NAP that aims at eradication of
terrorism.
November 27
Twenty-one militants were killed
while several others sustained injuries when PAF fighter aircraft
carried out bombardment on the suspected militants’ hideouts
in the Rajgal Kandow, Kheraba and the adjacent areas in Tirah
Valley of Khyber Agency in FATA. An official said that 12 heavy
bombs were dropped that destroyed several hideouts vacated by
the TTP and LI fighters after SFs chased them in Tirah Valley
near the Pak-Afghan border.
A staff member, identified as
Hassan Mateen, was injured when unidentified militants attacked
the Dawn News DSNG van in Essa Nagri area of Gulshan
Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. PFUJ President
Rana Azeem announced a countrywide protest against the "an
attack on journalism". "I urge all the journalist
community to protest against the attack tomorrow after 3 PM,"
said Rana Azeem.
The CTD of Police arrested the
head of HuT - Karachi Chapter, identified as Siham Qamar, from
Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. According to SSP CTD Usman Bajwa, Siham
was involved in propagating the ideology of his group in the
posh areas and provoked the masses against the Government and
the law of the land.
Intelligence Agencies arrested
a suspected terrorist, identified as Babar alias Bobby, who
allegedly facilitated a 2011 bomb attack on the Rummy Club in
Karachi, during an operation on Tariq Road in Jamshed Town.
One militant was injured when
he resisted arrest during a search operation in Tump tehsil
of Kech District. The operation led to the arrest of 10 suspects.
"A search operation was conducted in Tump tehsil and we
recovered one RPG-7 grenade, one SMG and other weapons from
the militants' possession in Kech district," said FC spokesperson.
"Hate materials against the state were also recovered during
the operation," he added.
Three terrorists were arrested
during a search operation in Pat Feeder area of Dera Bugti District.
BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal
during a press conference said that there is ambiguity among
the Government circles regarding initiating dialogue with exiled-Baloch
leaders, in order to find a political solution for issues facing
the province. “Some call them angry Baloch, whereas some legislators
call them terrorists,” the BNP chief said. A large number of
BSO activists led by Javed Baloch announced joining BNP on the
occasion. Sardar Mengal said the Balochistan Assembly also recently
adopted a resolution and called the exiled Baloch leaders terrorists.
Most of the legislators from treasury benches supported the
resolution, he recalled.
The CTD arrested nine suspected
militants belonging to LeJ from the Farooq-i-Azam Madrassah
in the Cantonment area of Lahore. However, the seminary patron-in-chief
Qari Maqbool Farooqi managed to escape from the scene. The suspects
were identified as Mubashir Ahmed, Muhammad Sarfraz, Tahir Hasam,
Muhammad Firdous, Muhammad Talha, Usman Ghani, Tamseel Ahmed
Siddiqui, Aamir Mahmood and Abdul Waheed.
An unnamed senior CTD official
said that the seminary was the last stronghold of the LeJ in
Lahore and was also involved in various terrorism incidents.
He said the CTD officials recovered a huge quantity of hate
material from the seminary and later sealed it under the NAP.
He said it was the first seminary sealed after launching of
the NAP in the country.
The CTD KP arrested the suspected
killer of three members of a polio team in Mansehra District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. CTD officials claimed the arrest of Siraj
alias 'Amir Sahab' on Friday from the village of Tanda. The
official said the accused had confessed to attacking the polio
team in Mansehra along with his accomplice, Shahid Omer, during
an initial interrogation with the CTD. The 'militant' is suspected
of affiliation with the TTP. Two lady health workers and a Police
guard were shot dead in the mountainous Danna area of Mansehra
District in March 2015. The polio team had been vaccinating
children on the second day of a three-day anti-polio drive in
the district when they were attacked.
The Federal Interior Ministry
declared Kohat as one of the most sensitive Districts for Chehlum
of Imam Husain and banned the entry of 290 ulema in Kohat District.
The District administration has decided to deploy over 4,000
Policemen for the security of Chehlum processions on December
3, 2015. Chairing a meeting, deputy commissioner Zahir Shah
Mohmand also imposed a strict ban on pillion riding on December
2-3 and Section 144 for one month with immediate effect. It
was decided that the business community would keep their shops
closed from the evening of December 2 till the evening of December
3 for their own safety.
PM Nawaz Sharif stated that
for sustainable peace, Pakistan is ready for dialogue with India
without preconditions. PM held a meeting with his British counterpart
David Cameron on the sidelines of CHOGM in the Maltese capital.
PM Nawaz and David Cameron agreed to continue close collaboration
in diverse fields particularly trade, investment and security.
The two leaders expressed long term commitment to work together
for greater security and prosperity of their countries. Both
PMs reaffirmed their commitment to work in partnership for countering
the shared threats of terrorism, organized crime and illegal
migration. Sharif said Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its
forms and manifestations and was deeply saddened by the recent
terrorist attacks in Paris.
Punjab Home Department, citing
Intelligence reports, alerted Police and other agencies in the
Province that IS (also known as Daesh) has planned attacks on
civil and military targets. Punjab Government’s alert mentioned
that IS-affiliated militants are out to strike army vehicles
moving on Jalalpur Jattan Road and Police patrols on GT Road
in Gujrat District. It said a group of five terrorists has reached
Lahore, and plans to storm private establishments by indiscriminately
killing their security guards. According to an intelligence
official, their likely targets could be minorities and foreigners.
However, the Punjab Law Minister
Rana Sanaullah described the threat alert as being "a routine
matter". “There is no existence of Daesh in Pakistan, especially
in Punjab,” the Minister said, adding, “There are some troublemakers
belonging to banned outfits and the Government is making efforts
to eliminate these criminals”.
November 28
Two peace volunteers were killed
in a roadside blast under Ambar tehsil of Mohmand Agency in
FATA. Sources said that Hazrat Noor and Mohammad Gul were going
to Daroo market on a motorcycle when an IED placed on the road
in the Sanger Khawar area went off. Noor died on the spot. Gul
was critically injured and taken to hospital where he died after
a while.
Two low intensity blasts hit
Quetta's Chashma Achozai area close to the airport. IEDs planted
by unknown miscreants went off in a deserted area close to the
railway track, said officials. Security officials rushed to
the site and cordoned off the area after the first explosion.
As officials gathered to investigate the site, another blast
took place close by.
The CTD arrested three alleged
terrorists, who were planning to bomb Chehlum of Hazrat Imam
Hussain (RA). A CTD team from Peshawar, acting on a tip-off,
stopped a car coming from Bannu at Jarma bridge. Three terrorists
belonging to Khyber Agency, who were currently residing in various
parts of Peshawar, were arrested. They were identified as Imran
Khan, Mali Khan and Fareed Khan. The CTD squad recovered 20
kilograms of explosives stuffed in a gunny bag, a safety fuse,
12-meter-long detonating cord, a remote controlled bomb receiver
and an electric detonator from the vehicle.
The Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan during a media briefing at Wah General
Hospital in Wah Cantonment said that the law and order situation
in Karachi had improved considerably since the beginning of
the ongoing operation, which would be further intensified. Nisar
said the crackdown was launched with the consent of all political
parties, including MQM and PPP. “The government is committed
to eliminating extremism and terrorism from the country,” he
said, claiming the law and order situation in Quetta has also
improved.
November 29
Police conducted a search operation
and detained 10 suspects, including six Afghans, from Hassan
Ghari, Michni Gate sites in provincial capital Peshawar. All
the suspects have been shifted to undisclosed place for investigations.
Police spokesman told media that lethal weapons and ammunitions
have been recovered from their possession.
SSP Operations Dr Saeed said
that Police conducted operation in Armar area and detained four
suspects involved in attacks on Police personnel. The SSP said
that the accused were also wanted by various police stations
in a number of criminal cases.
Acting on an intelligence report,
Rangers arrested three suspected terrorists during a search
operation in Bhimpura locality of Saddar Town in Karachi, the
provincial capital of Sindh.
Police detained four alleged
terrorists during a raid in SITE Town. The detainees have been
identified as Imran, Raheem, Taj and Raz Muhammad, all belonging
to Afghanistan. Police also recovered huge cache of weapons
from their possession.
Sindh Rangers arrested two alleged
target killers, besides recovering arms and other snatched valuables
from their possession during an operation in Babar Market locality
of Landhi Town. During crackdown after exchange of fire, Rangers
arrested two alleged target killers along with a LMG, other
arms, snatched mobile phones and looted valuables.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman
while addressing a Conference in Larkana District of Sindh said
that Islam is the true identity for Pakistanis all across the
globe and vowed not to let Pakistan become a ‘liberal’ state.
November 30
Four al Qaeda militants were
killed in a joint action by Police and CTD in an operation in
Wador area within the limits of Gadani Police Station in Dera
Ghazi Khan District. Exchange of fire took place between security
officials and the terrorists in which four terrorists were killed.
However, militant 'commander' Shoaib Cheema and Hanif Muhammad
managed to flee during the action. Police said that the terrorists
had entered Punjab via Balochistan and wanted to launch a major
terror activity in the Province. The terrorists were affiliated
with Al-Qaeda, the police added.
The District Coordinator of
the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), identified as Dr.
Yaqoob, was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Zaida
Bypass area of Swabi District.
FCs eliminated four terrorist
sanctuaries and arrested seven militants during an intelligence-driven
raid in Sanjavi area of Ziarat District. 1,000 kilograms of
explosives and four AK-47s were recovered. The militants were
allegedly planning to smuggle arms and ammunition to the provincial
capital Quetta to conduct terrorist activities.
SFs arrested three militants
belonging to TTP, from Killa Saifulla District. The militants
are accused of targeting SFs in North Balochistan.
Commander of Southern Command,
Lieutenant General Aamer Riaz stated that the Pakistan Army
wants to see Balochistan emerge as a peaceful and economically
thriving province and emphasized the need to foster tolerance
to defeat violence. He assured that the local people will be
beneficiaries of the mega development projects in Balochistan.
Rangers arrested four suspects
in a targeted raid in Lines Area of Jamshed Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. The Rangers spokesman said
that weapons were also recovered from their possession.
An ATC issued non-bailable warrants
(NBW) of arrest against Lyari gangster Shahid Bikik, who is
accused of involvement in the August 18, 2015, Rashid Godial
attack and three other cases registered at the Gulberg Police
Station. The court ordered to arrest Bikik and ensure his production
in the court on December 21, 2015.
DIG headquarters Aleem Jaffery
said that 384 criminals were killed in Police encounters in
2015 under NAP in Sindh. He said that 427 accused were arrested
in 10,684 raids and 2,091 search operations in 2015.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
on the sidelines of the climate summit in Paris said that he
wants better bilateral relations with India, but his country
will not compromise on its dignity and honour. "We want
peace without any compromise on the dignity and honour of Pakistan,"
said Sharif, adding, "Pakistan desires better bilateral
relations with India."
PM Nawaz Sharif and his Indian
counterpart Narendra Modi had a "casual meeting" in
Paris. After meeting Modi, Sharif told the Pakistani media that
Islamabad attaches highest significance to its principled stance.
"I had good discussions with the Indian Prime Minister
in a good way, in a good environment and even they have expressed
that we should take our issues forward. And we also have the
same opinion and hope," Sharif said. "If both the
sides are on agreeing terms, then it's not possible that the
talks and discussions are not taken ahead," he added.
Pakistan's Advisor on Foreign
Affairs Sartaj Aziz while addressing the Senate Standing Committee
on Foreign Affairs in Islamabad said that the dossiers on India's
alleged involvement in Pakistan's unrest have no "material
evidence" but only narrative to protect witnesses, reports
Business Standard. He said the dossiers contained the "pattern
and narrative" of Indian involvement. "The dossiers
have been meticulously prepared, but material evidence cannot
be shared for the sake of protecting the sources," Aziz
said.
Ziauddin Hospital’s Deputy MD
Dr Yousuf Sattar confessed that that ‘political militants’ were
given refuge at the hospital on former Federal Minister of Petroleum
Dr Asim Hussain’s orders. “Some political militants were also
given a hideout in the hospital,” he said before a Central District
Judicial Magistrate in Karachi. He alleged that on instructions
of Dr Asim several ‘political’ militants were treated at discounted
rates. Dr Sattar was detained over corruption charges on August
26, 2015. Later, the Karachi ATC extended the judicial remand
of Dr Asim by seven more days after a request for extension
of his remand had been filed by the law enforcing agencies.
December 1
At least five militants were
killed in a search operation in Nok Jo locality of Mashkay tehsil
in Awaran District. The SFs also recovered weapons from their
possession. The militants were were identified as Akhtar Ali,
Darwesh, Umer and Abdul Rehman.
Two military Policemen, identified
as Lans Naik Rashid and Havaldar Irshad, were killed when two
unidentified militants opened fire at their vehicle on M.A Jinnah
Road near Tibet Centre in Saddar Town of Karachi, the provincial
capital of Sindh. DIG South Jamil Ahmed told AFP. ”This is a
very serious incident but we will track the attackers down soon.”
The sources revealed that weapon
used in attack on military Policemen was same that was used
in November 20, 2015 attack on Rangers. The sources disclosed
that a 9 mm pistol was used in attacks on Rangers personnel,
doctors, Policemen and others.
Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, claimed
to have foiled a plot to sabotage the upcoming Local Government
Elections after seizing a huge cache of arms and ammunition
and arresting a suspect associated with a political party from
Bheempura locality in Saddar Town. The weapons seized from the
custody of the suspect included seven SMGs, five 30-bore pistols,
222 rifle, two 7MM rifles, three 303 rifles and two bullet-proof
jackets.
At least five persons, including
two Policemen, were injured when two unidentified armed assailants
hurled a cracker at the office of, Din News, in Gulberg area
of provincial capital Lahore. DCO Lahore also visited the spot.
An ATC in Faisalabad District
sentenced two SSP cadres, identified as Amir Sher Mohammad and
Ramzan Abdul Salam, to six years imprisonment and fined them
PKR 0.1 million each for possessing and distributing hate material.
In the FIR registered against them, the complainant stated that
he saw Amir and Ramzan displaying banners and flags of SSP on
their stall and distributing hate material against Shias during
the International Khatm-e-Nabuwat Conference that was held on
October 31, 2015.
CTD arrested three terrorists
during a raid in Dera Ismail Khan District. CTD recovered five
kilogram of explosives from the hideout. The terrorists are
involved in terrorism and extortion incidents in the Province.
December 2
Four convicted terrorists were
sent to the gallows in Kohat prison of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for
their involvement in the APS massacre in Peshawar on December
16, 2014. "Four militants involved in the attack on the
APS school were hanged this morning in Kohat prison," said
a Peshawar security official. On November 30, Chief of Army
Staff General Raheel Sharif had signed the death warrants of
the four convicted terrorists, who included Maulvi Abdus Salam,
Hazrat Ali, Mujeeb ur Rehman alias Ali alias Najeeb Ullah, and
Sabeel alias Yahya. Hazrat Ali was convicted of involvement
in collecting funds to carry out the APS attack. Mujeeb ur Rehman
alias Ali alias Najeeb Ullah was found involved in transporting
10 suicide bombers for the attack on a PAF Base in Peshawar
and abetment in the APS attack. Sabeel alias Yahya also found
guilty of involvement in the PAF base Peshawar attack as well
as abetment in the APS massacre, while Maulvi Abdus Salam was
found guilty of harbouring suicide bombers who were later used
in the APS attack.
Peshawar ATC sentenced two criminals
to 14 years imprisonment each after they were convicted in case
regarding possession of explosives. Two culprits, Shah Hussain
and Aziz Jamal have been given prison time of 14 years each.
CTD had arrested the persons in April. The culprits were accused
of possessing explosives for terror attacks.
Rangers killed two terrorists,
involved in the killing of security personnel, in Northern Bypass
area of Karachi, provincial capital of Sindh. Hand grenades
and weapons were recovered.
Rangers detained 30 suspects
in connection with the December 1 killing of two Army Personnel
on Mohammad Ali Jinnah Road during raids in Old City areas,
Business Recorder Road, Lines Area and Pakistan Chowk Areas
of Karachi. The Rangers have announced a reward of Rs. 2.5 million
for giving information regarding the suspects. Officials interrogating
the attack suspect the involvement of an Islamic State (Daesh)
inspired outfit.
The PPP shared its posters for
the Union Committee elections with the ASWJ, formerly known
as SSP, in Malir District in Karachi. ASWJ spokesperson clarified
that the organization has an alliance with different political
and religious organisations including the PPP, Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami and
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. The PPP leaders have not verified the
alliance.
Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister
on Information, Maula Bakhsh Chandio, announced at a press conference
that the Karachi Operation will be expanded across Sindh. 30
more ATCs will be established and 8,000 police personnel will
be recruited to strengthen the force.
Two people were injured in an
IED attack near a fire brigade station at the Bacha Khan Chowk
in provincial capital, Quetta, on the route for the procession
of Shuhdah-i-Karbala Chehlum. 5 kilograms of explosive material
was used in the attack.
The Ahmedzai Wazir tribe of
South Waziristan Agency in FATA imposed a ban on sheltering
Punjabi, Mehsud and Gandapur militants and has asked them to
leave the area within three days. This decision was announced
at a jirga attended by thousands of Ahmedzai Wazir tribesmen
in Wana town. The jirga was addressed by elders from nine clans.
Majority of the tribal elders observed the presence of Punjabi,
Gandapur and Mehsud Taliban was the root cause of violence in
Wana. A number of tribal elders shared information with each
other about militants’ activities.
December 3
Security Officials recovered
the mutilated bodies of three young shepherd boys from Chaghi
District.
Security officials recovered
three mutilated bodies from Muslim Bagh area Killa Saifullah
District. Multiple bullet injuries and torture marks were visible
on the bodies.
FC defused eight kilograms of
landmines planted for sabotage by unidentified militants in
Killi Lanja near Sui Area of Dera-Bugti District. One timer
clock and two detonators were recovered.
Rangers killed three terrorists,
including two militants of TTP, identified as Hazrat Bilal,
Siraj Gul and Umer Rana, in Gul Mohammad Lane, Lyari Town of
Karachi, capital of Sindh. Hazrat Bilal, affiliated with the
TTP Abid Machhar group, was involved in six target killings,
street crime and a grenade attack on a Sohrab Goth police chowki,
Gadap Town. Siraj Gul, also affiliated with the TTP, was involved
in attacks on schools in FATA, looting arms and ammunition from
LEAs and kidnapping of eight FC personnel. Umer Rana, alias
Laptop, was involved in four target killings in 2014 and conducting
reconnaissance for various assassinations.
Rangers arrested three suspects
during targeted raids in Gulberg Town and Lyari Town in Karachi.
Weapons were recovered from the possession of the arrestee.
During a raid in Saddar Town,
nearly 50 suspects involved in the December 1 attack on Military
Personnel on Mohammad Ali Jinnah Road, were detained.
One terrorist, Shahid Bikak,
main suspect in attack on MQM parliamentarian Rashid Godil and
involved in an attack on former President Asif Ali Zardari’s
protocol officer Bilal Sheikh, is contesting an election for
Chairman of Union Council (UC) 44 as an independent candidate.
The ATC had also issued a non bailable arrest warrant for Bikak
on October 18, 2015.
The SFs defused two IEDs planted
by unidentified militants in Sheikh Baba Gulono area of Safi
tehsil in Mohmand Agency of FATA. Local people informed the
SFs after detecting the IEDs. The security personnel reached
the spot, cordoned off the area and called the bomb disposal
squad from the FC camp. Later, the IEDs were defused safely.
The Sipah tribesmen from Bara
tehsil in Khyber Agency agreed to hand over ‘wanted’ clan members
after hammering out a deal with the political administration.
Elders and Maliks from the Sipah and other tribes of Bara met
with the political administration in Peshawar. Following the
jirga, the elders announced they will not allow terrorists to
use their lands and will back the Government in the fight against
terrorism. An 80-member ‘peace’ militia will be raised. If a
criminal involved in kidnapping or murder should return, they
would be fined between PKR one million and PKR three million
while their houses will also be demolished according to tribal
customs.
The CTD arrested a key felicitator
of terrorists named Fazlullah, son of Noorul Haleem, resident
of Kuza Banda area in Batagram tehsil of Abbottabad District
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and recovered explosive material from
his possession. The arrested terrorist during initial investigation
revealed that he also has concealed explosives and other material
used in terror activities in his shop. The CTD recovered 16
kilogrammes explosive, 20 feet primacord, 4 kilogrammes ball
bearing and a pressure cooker from his shop.
DG Rangers Bilal Akbar said
that terrorists were on the run due to effective operations
in Sindh and will not be allowed to regroup in Karachi. Major
General Bilal Akbar said the Karachi operation against criminals
would continue till the elimination of the last target killers.
He said that 10,000 Rangers personnel had been deployed in Karachi
while 11,000 more personnel were performing their duties in
rural Sindh during Chehlum (40th day of Imam Hussein’s martyrdom)
procession.
December 4
At least two houses were damaged
in separate explosions in Yakatoot and Phandu areas of Peshawar,
the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Both incidents
are believed to be related to extortion. A Police official
said that the first attack took place on the house of Ahmad
Khan in Madina Colony in Panj Khat Chowk of Yakatoot. Unidentified
men lobbed a hand grenade at the house. As a result, the house
was damaged. However, there was no loss of life.
The house of a trader was damaged
when an explosive device planted near the main gate went off
on Phandu Road. The attack is believed to be orchestrated by
extortionists. According to a Police official, the house belonged
to Zainullah Khan Safi. Four shops were also damaged in the
blast. However, no loss of life was reported in the attack.
CTD arrested an alleged kidnaper
who was involved in kidnapping of two children for PKR five
million ransoms. A press release of the CTD said the force during
an action in Buner had recovered the kidnapped kids while two
kidnappers were also arrested. However, their third accomplice
had managed to escape.
Police claimed to have recovered
a kidnapped person within a few hours after his abduction in
Karak District. The sources said proclaimed offender Abdur Razzaq
and his accomplices Shakoor and Naseebullah allegedly kidnapped
Wahid Rehman from Takht-e-Nusrati bazaar early in the morning.
After getting information about the crime, the police chased
the kidnappers and recovered Wahid Rehman. However, the kidnappers
managed to flee towards the nearby hills, leaving a motorcycle
behind.
SFs recovered a huge cache of
arms and ammunition concealed in a cave in Darsamandar Chena
area of Thall tehsil of Hangu District and believed to
be used to target the processions of the Chehlum of Hazrat Iamam
Hussain (RA) in the Hangu District.
The United States (US) Government
source said that one of the two people, Tashfeen Malik (27),
and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook (28), accused of the California
shooting on December 2, 2015, were Pakistani and had pledged
allegiance to Islamic State militant leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
US investigators are evaluating evidence that Malik, a Pakistani
native, who had been living in Saudi Arabia when she married
America-born Farook, had pledged allegiance to IS leader al-Baghdadi.
They said the finding, if confirmed, could be a "game changer"
in the investigation. Malik and Rizwan were killed in a shootout
with Police hours after the massacre that killed 14 people.
Malik had pledged allegiance
to al-Baghdadi in a post on Facebook made on the day of the
attack under an account that used a different name. The investigation
has been focused on the motivation for the attack with officials
including President Barack Obama and San Bernardino Police Chief
Jarrod Burguan saying it may have been motivated by extremist
ideology.
December 5
Three suspected militants were
killed during an exchange of fire with SFs in Sariab road area
in Quetta. SFs conducted a raid in the area to apprehend the
accused during an intelligence based operation. The miscreants
belonged to a banned militants outfit involved in targeted killings
and explosions in Quetta, Frontier Corps spokesman said. “A
cache of weapons was also recovered during the operation,” he
added.
A small portion of railway track
was damaged in a blast near Sariab road area in Quetta. Police
sources said unidentified militants planted an IED near a railway
track. However, there was no loss of life due to the blast.
Levies force recovered an abducted
man, identified as Lal Jan, from Dhadar area of Bolan District.
The Levies sources said that Jan was abducted few days ago on
gunpoint from Mastung District.
Speaking on the occasion of
the passing-out parade of the sixth batch of Balochistan’s youth
who have joined the Pakistan Army, comprising 944 recruits,
Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai said that all nefarious
designs and conspiracies of foreign elements against Balochistan,
the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Karachi would be
frustrated with national unity and joint efforts of the Government
and security forces, reports Dawn. The Governor said it was
a matter of satisfaction that youths from Balochistan were joining
the army in large numbers, noting that their number in the force
a few years ago was very low.
December 6
Levies force recovered an abducted
man, Syed Muhammad Arif, from Killi Habib Baziabzai near Gulistan
area of Killa Abdullah District. Arif was abducted three months
ago.
NP President Mir Hasil Khan
Bizenjo while speaking to the media during a visit to Turbat
District said that efforts were being made to initiate negotiations
with self-exiled Baloch leaders, adding that the Government
had achieved considerable success in its move. “The Government
is making efforts to bring the Baloch leaders back to the negotiating
table under the Peaceful Balochistan plan,” he said. “Nawabzada
Brahamdagh Bugti is ready for talks and coming back to the country,”
said Bizenjo, adding that they had not been able to get in touch
with Dr Allah Nazar.
The Federal Minister for States
and Frontier Regions retired Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir
Baloch expressed the hope that the Murree Accord signed by leaders
of the three coalition partners in Balochistan will be implemented
in a few days. He said that under the Murree Accord the chief
Ministership of Balochistan was to change hands on December
4, but the day passed without that happening.
At least five women were injured
in a medium-intensity blast in Mohalla Bajauri Khord of Sarki
Gate in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,.
A Police official said that a device weighing three kilogrammes
was planted near the house of Amjad Khan, a local contractor.
The official said the contractor was constantly receiving threats
and extortion demands.
Unidentified miscreants lobbed
a hand-grenade into the house of Muhammad Rasool in Koza Bandai
area in Kabal tehsil in Swat District. However, it caused
no casualty.
Police found three bags full
of empty mortar shells from a field in Garhi Sobat Khan within
the jurisdiction of Khazana Police Station in Peshawar. A Police
official said that mysterious bags were found abandoned in the
fields and were inspected by the bomb disposal unit. “There
were 80 shells and most were without explosives or had already
been used,” he said. Mortars and artillery shells are processed
by terrorists who extract the high-quality explosives to use
in IEDs.
An ATC Judge Mohammad Javed
Alam sentenced a convict, identified as Shan Ahmed alias Shani,
to a collective sentence of 28 years in explosive material and
illicit weapon cases. Shani, was found guilty of carrying an
unlicensed pistol and a hand grenade on Manghopir Road in January
2014. In case of non-payment, the convict would undergo an additional
three-month imprisonment. However, both sentences would run
concurrently.
Federal Minister for Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the Rangers would be withdrawn
from Karachi if the Sindh Government did not requisition the
extension of the force’s stay in the port city. He said that
the Rangers would not stay there without legal protection. “The
Federal Government will call the Rangers back in case the Sindh
Government does submit the requisition,” the Minister added.
December 7
A security guard was injured
when unidentified militants hurled a grenade at the Sargodha
Bureau of local television channel Express News. However,
no loss of life was reported.
The CTD arrested Ghalib Ata,
Assistant Professor at the Institute of Administrative Sciences
of Punjab University, for his alleged association with Hizb-ut-Tahrir
(HuT), during a raid in his house in Allama Iqbal Town of Lahore.
Official “Intelligence agencies and the CTD have been directed
not to allow HuT to continue its activities,” said official
sources. “Ghalib Ata was a clean-shaven young man when he joined
the university. But some years ago, the liberal Ata grew beard,
joined a religious organisation and took part in preaching tours,”
said one of his unnamed colleagues.
An Anti-Terrorism Court of Islamabad
handed over three accused in the MQM leader Imran Farooq murder
case to the FIA on seven-day physical remand. Accused Moazzam
Ali, Mohsin Ali and Khalid Shamim were produced before the court
amid tight security. The court handed over the accused to the
investigation agency on seven-day remand. Farooq was killed
on September 16, 2010 in London.
Denying all allegations against
him, former Federal Minister and PPP leader Dr Asim Hussain
told the administrative judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court that
he was being "tortured and pressurised to make a false
confession". Dr Asim was produced before Justice Naimatullah
Phulpoto of the Sindh High Court after the period of his second
Police remand completed. He has been in Police custody since
November 28, 2015, and before that he spent three months in
Rangers custody. The new Investigation Officer of the case,
DSP Altaf Hussain took over the investigations on December 4,
2015, and sought another extension in his remand for further
questioning and collection of evidence in a case relating to
providing treatment and shelter to terrorists.
CoAS General Raheel Sharif while
addressing a high-level security meeting chaired by Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif at the Governor’s House in Karachi said that the
ongoing operation in Karachi was not being carried out against
any political party. He said that the operation by Rangers and
Police was aimed at terrorists and their sympathisers and facilitators.
The network of terrorists and their facilitators has been dismantled
in the country by the actions taken by the security forces,
he was quoted as saying.
In addition, appreciating the
role played by Rangers, Intelligence and other agencies in the
ongoing operation against criminals and terrorists, PM Nawaz
Sharif said that there will be no compromise on the law and
order situation of Karachi. The PM said his government has been
extending necessary cooperation to the Sindh government, Rangers
and Intelligence Agencies in addressing the security situation
of the metropolis.
National Advisor to Prime Minister
on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz while talking to the media after
attending a conference said that the deadlock in Pakistan-India
relations has eased to some extent. He said that the Indian
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is arriving in Islamabad
on December 8, 2015 to attend the Heart of Asia Conference.
He welcomed the arrival of Sushma Swaraj in Islamabad and said
various matters with focus on resumption of composite dialogue
between the two countries will be discussed during talks with
the Indian Minister. “This is a good beginning. The deadlock
has eased to some extent,” he said. She will also call on Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif for a meeting.
The Government of Balochistan
extended the Policing powers of FC in Quetta for another three
months. The Policing powers of FC had expired recently and were
extended by the Provincial Government to maintain law and order
situation in the city, a Balochistan Home Department source
said. Giving details, the source revealed that the extension
in powers of FC will be effective till February 16, 2016. "The
government decided to grant policing powers to FC to maintain
order," the source said.
However, Balochistan Chief Minister
Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, claimed to have achieved more than 60
per cent peace in Quetta as compared to the past. "The
number of blasts and incidents of targeted killings have considerably
dropped in Quetta", said Dr. Baloch.
Tashfeen Malik (27), the woman
involved in California shooting on December 2, 2015 had enrolled
at the multi-national Al-Huda Institute in Multan in 2013, which
targets middle-class women seeking to come closer to Islam.
The madrassa also has offices in the US, the UAE, India and
the UK, said Imran Amir, an administration official at the seminary.
As investigators probe Tashfeen’s
possible role in radicalising her husband Syed Rizwan Farook
(28), his father hinted that she may not have had to try very
hard. “He [Rizwan] said he agreed with (Islamic State/IS 'chief'
Abu Bakr) al-Baghdadi’s ideas for creating the Islamic State,
and he was obsessed by Israel,” La Stampa quoted Rizwan’s father,
also named Syed Farook, as saying.
December 8
Two leaders of the NP, identified
as Ataullah Sajdi and Muhammad Saddiq Samalani, were shot dead
when they were traveling to Gerasha from Naal in Khuzdar District.
However, the two other party men accompanying them were unhurt.
PPP Senator and Chairman of
Senate Standing Committee Rehman Malik during a press conference
held at the Chief Minister Secretariat in Quetta said that Balochistan
is the best role model for other Provinces in implementation
of the NAP. “The Apex Committee of Balochistan has fully implemented
all decisions in coordination with all elements in the province,”
he said adding that unity and close coordination with security
agencies is the main reason behind improvement in law and order
situation.
Indian External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj said that ties between India and Pakistan must
improve and move forward. She said that she had come to attend
Heart of Asia Conference because it was being held in Pakistan
and was related to Afghanistan. “Therefore, it has significance
for India,” she added. Efforts would be made to bring normalcy
in the bilateral relationship, she asserted.
National Advisor to the Prime
Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan wants
durable peace in Afghanistan, as instability there was not in
the interest of Pakistan. Sartaj Aziz said the multilateral
conference is an effective platform for promoting regional cooperation
and connectivity. He said it provides an opportunity to member
countries for result-oriented engagements for peace and stability
in Afghanistan.
Senior PPP leader and Sindh
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmad Khuhro
while talking to the media during a seminar organized by Jinnah
Post Graduate Medical Centre announced that the Sindh Assembly
has been called upon to procure a legal endorsement to extend
the period of special Rangers' powers in the Province. "The
matter has been passed onto the Sindh Assembly," he stated,
adding that the approval should take a maximum of two days.
The term of the paramilitary force’s operation expired on December
6, 2015. Khuhro said that because the assembly has not been
in session for some time, the decision of extending the Rangers'
special powers could not be signed by the Chief Minister.
Khuhro added that while there
is no disagreement on the matter of the paramilitary force's
extension, procedure must be followed, and a constitutional
cover is needed to be given to the process by the Provincial
Assembly.
As the US prepares to sell F-16s
to Pakistan, the former Pakistani Ambassador to the US Husain
Haqqani warned the Congress that such fighter jets would end
up being used against India and not against terrorists. "The
Obama administration's consideration of a nuclear deal with
Pakistan, just like its decision a few months ago to sell almost
USD 1 billion in US-made attack helicopters, missiles and other
equipment to Pakistan will fuel conflict in South Asia without
fulfilling the objective of helping the country fight Islamist
extremists or limit its nuclear arsenal," said Haqqani.
In a prepared remark submitted
ahead of a Congressional hearing on 'Civil Nuclear Cooperation
with Pakistan: Prospects and Consequences to the Terrorism,
Nonproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs', Haqqani said Pakistan's failure to tackle
its jihadist challenge is not the result of a lack of arms but
reflects an absence of will. "Unless Pakistan changes its
worldview and its compulsive competition with its much larger
neighbour even in violation of international commitments, American
weapons will end up being used to fight or menace India and
perceived domestic enemies instead of being deployed against
jihadists," he said.
The US Deputy Secretary of State
Antony Blinken, who is on a two- day visit to India, said that
Pakistan should not distinguish between terror groups like Pakistani
Taliban (TTP) and LeT and that it would be satisfied only when
perpetrators of the Mumbai 2008 terror (also known as 26/11)
attacks are brought to book and justice ensured to the victims.
On the 26/11 attacks, he said India and US were "bound
together" in seeking justice to the victims. "I don't
think anyone would be satisfied until justice is done, no we
can't be satisfied," he said.
Blinken stressed that the US
has told Pakistan, "publicly, privately and repeatedly",
that the country should take action against both "inwardly
directed and outwardly directed" terror groups who threaten
India, US or Afghanistan. "We are looking to his (Chief
of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif) own standard that there
should be no distinction. A terrorist is a terrorist whether
it is Pak Taliban, LeT or Haqqani Network. It's a very important
statement and should be the basis of collective action,"
he said.
December 9
The incidents of terrorism in
KP have come down by 56 percent while casualties decreased by
58 percent since the attack on the APS on December 16, reveals
official statistics. The data was compiled by the Central Police
Office. The overall law and order situation has witnessed significant
improvement during 2015 compared to 2014 that ended with the
APS attack that was the worst in Pakistan’s history. According
to the parents of the APS victims, 153 people including 22 teachers
and staff members were killed in the attack on December 16,
2014.
The military operation was intensified
in the tribal areas while the Police search and strike operations
were also undertaken under the NAP that was implemented immediately
after the APS attack. Thousands of suspects were rounded up
all over the country during these operations. “More than 145,000
suspects were rounded up during search and strike operations
and snap checking by the police under the NAP all over Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa during the current year,” an official said. Many
of those were later released after they were proved innocent.
Officials said that significant improvement in the law and order
situation was witnessed during 2015 if compared with the last
several years. “Compared to the preceding year, terrorist attacks
decreased by 56 percent all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the
casualties in such attacks plummeted by 58 percent,” an official
said. Moreover, murders and extortions decreased by 52 percent
all over the province.
In a major breakthrough during
the Heart of Asia Conference, Pakistan and India announced that
they were resuming the dialogue on outstanding issues, ending
a two-year long stalemate. The ‘Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue’
as it has been named will include all elements covered under
the previous versions of the talks — peace and security, confidence-building
measures, Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage
/ Tulbul Navigation Project, economic and commercial cooperation,
counter-terrorism, narcotics control and humanitarian issues,
people-to-people exchanges and religious tourism.
The revival of the dialogue
was announced by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
“I have good news for you. The Composite Dialogue between our
two countries, which later became the Resumed Dialogue, is being
restarted as Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue and would have
same pillars as the earlier processes,” she said, adding, “more
components” could be added to the dialogue, if required.
US Deputy Secretary of State
Antony Blinken in an interview to The Indian Express
warned that a terrorist attack in India could spark off a war
with Pakistan. Blinken said that the possibility of an unintended
war between India and Pakistan was a cause of concern for the
US. “It remains a matter of real concern. The only thing worse
than an intentional conflict is an unintentional conflict where
an incident sparks something and it spirals out of control,”
he said.
The prospect of such a conflict,
he said, was “one of the reasons why it is so important — in
our judgment — that India and Pakistan find ways to communicate,
to reduce tensions, and ultimately to find a more cooperative
relationship, he added.
Rejecting rumours about the
presence of the ISIS fighters in the FATA areas, a senior military
official Sector Commander Brigadier Wajid Qayyum Paracha said
that the war against terrorism would continue until the elimination
of the last terrorist. Speaking as a chief guest at the 20th
passing-out parade of the Khyber Rifles here, Sector Commander
Brigadier Wajid Qayyum Paracha said peace had been restored
in the Tirah valley and the Bara tehsil in the Khyber Agency
as a result of the sacrifices rendered by civilians and soldiers.
Over 75,000 families of IDP
from FATA and KP have been rehabilitated and returned to their
areas of origin. These statistics were revealed in a report,
“Returning Home: Livelihoods and Food Security for Fata Returnees”.
The report further says that by mid-2016, all of the displaced
would have returned home. At present, more than one million
people are displaced due to operations against militants in
the tribal areas. The report has been compiled as a joint initiative
of the WFP, FAO, the International Rescue Organisation and the
Food Security Cluster, in collaboration with FATA Secretariat.
December 10
Afghan Security Forces killed
a key commander of TTP, Saeed Duar alias Aryana, and arrested
his 15 accomplices in a raid carried out near Pak-Afghan border
in Paktia province of Afghanistan. Saud Duar was a close confidante
of former TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud and Moulana Sadiq Noor.
He remained closely associated with Mehsud till latter's death
in a US drone strike. Aryana hailed from Mir Ali tehsil
of North Waziristan Agency in FATA and fled to Afghanistan with
his companions after Pakistan military launched operation Zarb-e-Azb
in June 2014.
Islamabad Police arrested four
target killers, who the officials say, are affiliated with a
Karachi-based political party. The Police said, the arrested
men have confessed to killing people, carrying-out dacoities
in Islamabad and Karachi. They said the alleged target killers
were involved in target killings in various areas of Karachi
including Korangi and used to submit money collected from extortion
and robberies to a political party's head office in Karachi.
Commissioner Asadullah Khan
during a press conference said that educational institutions
are on threat alerts and a security strategy has been devised
in a meeting with schools’ heads of Multan Division and Security
Agencies. “As there is a background to these threats, we’ve
increased the security of educational institutions as we have
to fight terrorism,” he said. He said educational institutions
would install surveillance cameras and hire trained security
guards. He said terrorist elements were using social media to
trap the students. He said counseling sessions for students,
especially of the BZU, would be held regarding extremism and
violence.
Regional Police Officer Tariq
Masoof Yasin said that educational institutions needed to take
measures to counter radicalism among students. “Only the head
of an institute will take action against the students and faculty
members involved in spreading extremism,” he said. He said the
police would not take any direct action in any educational institution
because of their sanctity. “Action will only be taken if there
are intelligence reports or the administration of the institution
requests us to do so,” Yasin added.
Police said that it had found
“no terror-related evidence” against the former Federal Minister
and senior PPP leader Dr Asim Hussain. According to officials,
the development may lead to Dr Hussain’s release on bail more
than three months after his arrest. The disclosure by the Karachi
Police authorities came three days after Dr. Asim told the Administrative
Judge of Anti-Terrorism Courts that he was being tortured to
make a bogus confession. He denied all allegations against him.
“We have completed our investigation,” SSP (investigation) Arab
Maher said, adding, “The IO [investigation officer] has sent
me a report which says that the police have not found any evidence
so far in support of terror-related charges leveled against
Dr Asim Hussain. So we are dropping those charges from the FIR.”
Sindh Minister for Information,
Maula Baksh Chandio said that only Sindh Chief Minister Qaim
Ali Shah is the competent authority to decide as to how and
when Rangers ‘special powers’ are to be granted extension.
The provincial Information Minister described the issue of granting
approval to the extension in special powers of the paramilitary
force as a sensitive matter, adding, however, that a decision
in this connection would be made in a day or two. The special
powers granted to Sindh Rangers to strictly deal with the criminal
elements as part of the Karachi operation were last renewed
for four months in August 2015.
A partial strike was observed
in Panjgur and parts of Gwadar and Turbat Districts on the call
of Baloch National Front against alleged violations of human
rights in the Province. In Panjgur all shops and private banks
were closed, but some offices were open. In Gwadar, shops were
closed in some areas. However, business and trade centres and
banks remained opened. In Turbat, shops were closed in some
areas. Security situation remained under control in all these
towns.
PM Nawaz Sharif nominated PML-N
member Sanaullah Zehri as the next Chief Minister of Balochistan
in line with the Murree agreement. Under the Murree agreement
Dr Abdul Malik Baloch was to serve as CM Balochistan till December
4, 2015 and after this date the PML-N would nominate its CM
for the province for the rest of two-and-a-half-year term.
Maulana Abdul Aziz, Lal Masjid
cleric, turned to the Supreme Court submitting a petition asking
the Government to furnish reports listing the steps taken in
regard to the complete enforcement of Shariah (Islamic Law)
in the country. The latest petition asks the SC to order the
Federal and Provincial Governments to take steps under the constitution
that will enable Muslims to live in accordance with the teachings
and the requirements of Islam, as set out in the Holy Quran
and Sunnah (Prophetic tradition).
Maulana Aziz had also made an
impassioned appeal before a Supreme Court bench headed by then-Chief
Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on March 27, 2012, asking
him to invoke suo motu jurisdiction and order parliament to
enforce Sharia and shun English law. “Otherwise, Allah Almighty
will initiate a suo motu,” Maulana Aziz had cautioned the court
when he appeared before it during the hearing of petitions moved
against the alleged extra-judicial killings of innocent people
in the wake of the Lal Masjid operation in 2007.
December 11
At least five terrorists were
killed in an encounter with the CTD at Qila Mian Singh area
of Nankana Sahib District. According to details, when SFs reached
the spot the terrorists opened fire. In retaliatory firing by
the SFs five terrorist were killed, while three managed to flee.
The terrorists were identified as Attaullah of Khangarh in Muzaffargarh
District, Khalid Muavia of Bhakkar District, Bilal of Multan
District, and Awais and Irfan of Muzaffargarh District.
December 12
Two TTP militants were killed
in a Police encounter in Sohrab Goth area of Gadap Town in Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. In an exchange of fire, two
militants were killed while four others managed to escape, claimed
Malir SSP Rao Anwar. One of the militants was identified as
Abdullah alias Kobra, a TTP operative. "The men were involved
in incidents of extortion, kidnapping-for-ransom, as well as
terror attacks," the SSP added. Arms and explosive materials
have reportedly been seized from the militants'' custody.
A retired Major of the Pakistan
Army, identified as Ahsan Raza (52), was shot dead in DHA area
of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. TTP claimed responsibility
for the killing. The Major belonged to the Shia community.
Justice Amir Hani Muslim of
the Supreme Court, while presiding over a meeting to review
the performance of the ATCs at the Karachi Registry of the Supreme
Court directed the Police to make all-out efforts to track down
and arrest the absconding persons in terrorism cases. He also
directed the Provincial authorities to complete within three
months the construction works of the building for housing ATCs
on the premises of the Karachi central prison.
One FC soldier was killed and
four others wounded including a passerby when an IED exploded
at a paramilitary checkpoint at Main Chowk on Brewery Road in
Quetta. Earlier it was reported that five persons, including
a child, were killed. TTP claimed responsibility for the attack
on FC personnel.
Unidentified assailants opened
fire at a car outside MPA hostel in Peshawar the provincial
capital of KP, killing Nisar Afridi on the spot while injuring
Haji Gul and Kabir. “Nisar was a member of a banned militant
outfit. However, he had surrendered and was no more wanted by
the Police,” the official quoted an injured Gul as saying. Gul
said Nisar was in the city for a court case when assailants
opened fire at his car. “Nisar died on the spot while his driver
Haji Gul was injured. Kabir, who was also injured, was a passerby
and was caught in the crossfire,” a Police official said.
DSP Jandad Khan, of the CTD,
was shot at and injured in Faqirabad area of the provincial
capital Peshawar. TTP claimed responsibility for the attack
on the DSP.
A blast damaged a house near
Wazir Bagh area of Peshawar. Locals said the bomb planted outside
a house went off with a loud sound at around 8:55 pm, damaging
the boundary wall. However, no casualty was reported in the
incident. Locals feared the incident might be extortion-related
as a number of houses have been bombed recently by the extortionists
for not paying money.
Police during a raid on a house
in Mathra area of Peshawar recovered two rocket launchers along
with shells and IEDs. Two persons were arrested.
Police rounded up a prisoner,
identified as Haisiyat Ali, who had escaped during the Bannu
jailbreak, from KDA area in Kohat town of same District. Haisiyat
Ali, who had escaped during Bannu jailbreak in 2012, had been
imprisoned in Bannu Prison in connection with terror activities
and attempted-murder cases.
The CTD arrested a wanted extortionist
and target killer named Ibrahim during a raid in Hassan Garhi
of Peshawar. He was wanted by the Police in a number of cases.
Ibrahim lived in Garhi Fazale Haq within the jurisdiction of
Mathra Police Station. A hand grenade and a pistol were seized
from him. According to CTD officials, Ibrahim killed polio worker
Amina in Shagai Hindkyan village on December 18, 2012. On March
5, 2014, he allegedly gunned down prayer leader Roohullah in
Qaziabad, Mathra in yet another targeted killing. Ibrahim was
also accused of the murder of a retired Army officer in the
jurisdiction of Mathra Police Station.
Intelligence agencies claimed
to have uncovered a network of militants and arrested a suspected
suicide bomber, identified as Kamran, from Charsadda town of
same District. At the time of the arrest, Kamran was in possession
of three suicide jackets, two pistols and three rifles. Prior
to the arrest, Kamran had opened fire on the authorities, after
which a gun fight ensued. At the end of the crossfire, Kamran
was caught and taken into custody.
Police arrested at least 63
suspects and recovered a hand grenade from the possession of
one of them during operations in parts of Kohat District. According
to Police, Salman Khan, a resident of Tarai Banda, Hangu, admitted
that he had brought the grenade in a crate of oranges from Hangu.
He was booked under Section 5 of Explosives Sub Act.
Police arrested more than 100
suspected persons and seized arms from them in search operation
Hangu District. DSP Rafiullah Khan said that the Police launched
massive search operation in different parts of the District
and arrested more than 100 suspected persons, including proclaimed
offenders, and seized a huge cache of arms and drugs from their
possession. He said that one Kalashnikov, two rifles, three
pistols, cartridges and 20 kilograms of charas were seized from
them. “Most of them were involved in kidnapping, murder and
extortion,” the DSP said.
SFs and Police arrested 80 suspected
persons during a search operation in Shabqadar tehsil of Charsadda
District.
The District Administration
in Lahore removed anti-Ahmadi posters and stickers from the
city’s largest mobile and computer equipment market. Numerous
shopkeepers in Hafeez Centre located in the Gulberg locality
of Lahore displayed signs and stickers prominently on their
shop windows, inscribed with statements such as, “We do not
do business with Ahmadis” or “Ahmadis are not allowed”.
The military’s media wing ISPR
claimed that 3,400 militants have been killed so far in the
ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan Agency of the
FATA. “3,400 terrorists killed, 837 hideouts from where they
were carrying out their terrorist activities destroyed,” Director
General ISPR Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said. “During last
18 months, over 13,200 IBOs carried out across the country in
which 183 hardcore terrorists killed and 21,193 arrested,” he
added.
December 13
At least 25 persons were killed
and 62 injured in a sectarian attack when a device containing
about 35 kilograms of explosives ripped through a makeshift
market in Parachinar town of Kurram Agency in FATA. Officials
said that the device kept in a sack exploded when a large number
of people were buying second-hand clothes. Israr Hussain, head
of the Bomb Disposal Squad, told reporters that 35 to 40 kilograms
of explosives had been used in the device. Two militant groups,
LeJ Al-Alami and Ansarul Mujahideen (based in South Waziristan
Agency) claimed responsibility for the attack, with one of them
saying the target was the Shia community. A statement released
to a foreign media channel and attributed to the spokesman for
the Jhangvi group, Ali bin Sufian, said the attack had been
carried out against the Shia elements who were supporting Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad and the Iranian government. “We warn
... parents that if they don’t stop their children from ongoing
(sic) conflict in Syria they should remain prepared for more
such attacks,” Sufian said.
A Khassadar official was killed
when militants attacked Takhta Baig checkpost in Jamrud tehsil
of Khyber Agency. The sources said that militant opened fire
on Takhta Baig checkpost, killing Said Jan on the spot. The
militants fled the scene after the attack.
SFs killed three suspected militants
in an exchange of fire in Mashkay tehsil of Awaran District.
Arms and ammunition were recovered.
Frontier Corps personnel arrested
five suspected TTP militants during a search operation in Aghbarg
area in Ziarat District. Weapons and ammunition were recovered.
Political leaders in Balochistan
advised Nawab Sanaullah Zehri of the PML-N, who took over as
the Chief Minister under conditions set by the 2013 Murree Accord,
to take all political forces in Balochistan on board and accelerate
the pace of reconciliation and dialogue to bring peace to the
insurgency and Sunni militancy hit province.
An Afghan Taliban militant was
killed while a Policeman was injured during a Police encounter
in Safdarabad area of Sheikhupura District. During the encounter
three of his aides managed to flee. A suicide jacket, two hand
grenades and a huge cache of arms were recovered from his possession.
Police claimed to have arrested
a suspect, identified as Abid Hashmi, involved in putting up
a notice against a religious minority group outside his shop
in Gulberg locality of Lahore. DIG Dr. Haider Ashraf took notice
of the pasting of a poster outside a shop in Hafeez Centre declaring
Ahmadis “infidels” and banning their entry in the shop.
A suspected militant was killed
when a hand grenade with him went off during a search operation
by security personnel in Nursez area of Gomal Union Council
in Tank District. The operation was underway when a suspected
militant, Karman, started fleeing with a hand grenade in his
hands, the sources said, adding the grenade exploded, killing
Karman on the spot.
A man who was kidnapped three
weeks back was found dead in a mountain in Ghaligay area in
Swat District. Sources said that acting on a tip-off, the Police
reached a mountain in Ghaligay area and recovered the body.
The slain man was identified as Salama Khan, a resident of Ghaligay
area.
An ATC in Peshawar discharged
two cases against seven suspected militants after absolving
them of the charges, including that of involvement in the bombing
of an ANP leader’s house. The development came as the prosecution
told the court that enough evidence were not available against
them. The prosecutor produced applications under Section 4 of
the KP Prosecution Service (Constitution, Functions and Powers)
Act, 2005, requesting the court to discharge the two cases due
to lack of evidence against suspects.
The LEAs increased security
for schools and other educational institutions in Karachi as
well as the city’s bourse following the Home Department’s warning
that terrorists were planning attacks in connection with the
first anniversary of the Army Public School Peshawar carnage
on December 16, 2014, and the hanging of four militants involved
in that attack. The Sindh Home Minister issued two detailed
letters to the Inspector General of Police and the Rangers’
Provincial Headquarters in the Province.
As per latest statistics collected
by the Federal Ministry of Interior, Sindh has over the past
five years led in sending terrorists to gallows, followed by
the three other Provinces and independent administrative regions.
According to the figures, the Province also has more terrorists
awaiting ution than the rest of the country. Until the last
week of November 2015, Sindh carried out capital punishment
in 106 cases, followed by Punjab with 64 terrorists.
The Islamabad Capital Territory,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan each have sent one terrorist
to the gallows. Not a single death punishment has been carried
out in the FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK during this period.
Same is the case regarding the number of terrorists awaiting
execution. Here, Sindh stands out with 98, Punjab 81 and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa 25. Balochistan and Islamabad each have one condemned
prisoner. There is no terrorist on death row in FATA, PoK and
GB.
The JuD 'chief' and LeT founder
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed dared India to prove his involvement in
the Mumbai 2008 terror (also known as 26/11) attacks. According
to a video posted on his Twitter account, Saeed is seen saying,
"Our Government remained silent, but let me respond to
Sushma. It’s been seven years but they could not prove who was
behind the Mumbai attacks and Inshallah (God willing) they will
never be able to prove it until eternity." Further he said,
"India has failed to provide any evidence of Mumbai attacks,
while on the other hand Modi has confessed for worst terrorism
of #1971."
Pakistan and India, who recently
resumed the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue, are likely to
rely on secret diplomacy and backchannel talks to resolve the
Kashmir dispute, similar to the Manmohan-Musharraf strategy.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has termed it precaution and not
secrecy.
A Punjab University faculty
member, identified as Amir Saeed, and one student, Waqar, were
taken into custody by the Lahore CTD during a raid on university
premises for their links with the HuT. Saeed is the Assistant
Professor of the Institute of Administration Sciences, and Waqar
a seventh semester Law College student. Both are suspected of
involvement with the HuT, said CTD sources. Earlier, Department
sources had said the arrested men were suspected to have connections
with the SSP.
December 14
At least 13 militants were killed
during search operation in Barnat area of Awaran District. “Thirteen
militants of banned organisations were killed in exchange of
fire,” sources said, adding Security Forces also recovered weapons
from the militants’ possession. The SFs recovered SMGs, a sniper
rifle, rocket launchers, 7MM rifle and motorcycles from the
hideout.
Judicial Magistrate Zafar Farid
Hashmi granted bail to Abid Hasan Hashmi, who was arrested on
December 13, 2015, for putting up anti-Ahmadi posters at his
shop at Hafeez Centre in provincial capital Lahore, against
PKR 50,000 surety bonds. The magistrate observed that the matter
needed to be further investigated. Hashmi’s lawyer submitted
that he did not own the shop where the posters had been displayed.
“The shop’s owner, too, is not responsible because any visitor
can put up a poster there," the lawyer said.
A three-member bench of the
Supreme Court headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa rejected the
review petition filed against the death sentence of Malik Mumtaz
Qadri, who is convicted for the murder of former Punjab Governor
Salman Taseer, on the basis of non-maintainability. The petition
was filed by Qadri, who challenged the October 6, 2015, verdict
against him. In its remarks the bench said that the court had
heard the case from all the aspects and that it was a criminal
case. It observed that the blasphemy charge against Salman Taseer
could not be proved.
An ATC Rawalpindi had awarded
death sentence to Qadri on October 1, 2011 under section 302
of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism
Act 1997 for killing former Punjab governor and leader of Pakistan
People’s Party Salman Taseer, with PKR 0.2 million as fine and
compensation to the legal heirs of Taseer.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in a statement issued said that the
Federal Government is spending about PKR 9 billion annually
on Rangers in Sindh. He said that some forces in the Sindh Government
are trying to give impression that the Federal Government is
not spending a single penny on Karachi operation. "I must
clarify that aside from spending a huge amount on Intelligence
Agencies in the Province, the Federal Government is spending
about PKR 9 billion annually on Rangers in Sindh," said
Nisar in the statement.
He repeated that Karachi operation
should continue for the greater good of the Province and city.
Indian High Commissioner TCA
Raghavan said that his country will only discuss PoK in the
India-Pakistan dialogue. The High Commissioner said, “We regard
the occupation of Azad Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan as illegal
and raise the issue in bi-lateral negotiations.” He noted that
Pakistan and India have both been impacted by the absence of
a real bilateral relationship, and the recent joint statement
of the two countries’ Foreign Ministers makes a good attempt
to re-initiate the process which was abandoned in 2008, he said,
noting that comprehensive dialogue will hopefully be more than
a change of nomenclature”.
December 15
At least eight terrorists were
killed and eight other terrorists were injured in Army air strikes
in the Rajgal and Sparee areas in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency
in FATA.
The Bara area of Khyber Agency
has been handed back to the civil administration after clearance,
said Inter-Services Public Relations chief Lieutenant General
Asim Bajwa. Traders can now re-open their businesses in Bara
Bazaar, with a majority of displaced people having returned,
reports Radio Pakistan. The Pakistan Army launched an operation
against terrorists in the country's tribal areas, primarily
NWA, in June 2014. The operation then spread to other tribal
regions, including the Khyber Agency - where Bara is located.
The COAS General Raheel Sharif
said the Army will consolidate operation Zarb-e-Azb gains. He
said that those killed and injured in the Peshawar APS attack
on December 16, 2014, have rendered great sacrifices for the
country, which will be remembered forever. Army Chief said Security
Forces will continue to consolidate their gains to make them
sustainable, which he said will be a befitting tribute to all
those killed and wounded in the APS attack.
Unidentified militants shot
dead Dr. Shafi Bizenjo, the brother of Chief Minister's Political
Secretary Khair Jan Baloch, in Jhawo area of Awaran District.
“Dr. Bizenjo was killed on the spot, whereas, one Levies personnel
suffered serious bullet wounds,” the official said. However,
the assailants managed to escape.
One Security Official was killed
and three others were injured when unidentified militants attacked
a Levies check post in Surkhar area of Pishin District. Following
the attack, a search operation has been launched in order to
arrest the accused involved in the attack.
The FC arrested six suspected
militants from Sabzal Road area of Quetta, the provincial capital
of Balochistan. “The suspects were arrested on suspicion of
their links with an outlawed terrorist group,” said FC Spokesman.
The FC arrested four suspects
from Marriabad area of Quetta. A pistol was recovered from their
possession.
Eight more convicted murderers
were hanged till death in various jails of the Province, bringing
the total number of executions to around 310 since the government
lifted a moratorium on the death penalty in December 2014. “Two
convicts on death row were hanged in Multan District, two each
in Bahawalpur and Gujrat and one each in Attock and Dera Ghazi
Khan,” Chaudhry Arshad Saeed, an Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister
for prison affairs said.
The HRCP called upon the President
to stay the execution of Syed Saqi Shah who is scheduled to
be hanged on December 16, 2015. In a statement issued, the Commission
said, “Yet another case of a murder convict who is reported
to have been a minor at the time of the occurrence has come
to light. It is reported that Syed Saqi Shah who was sentenced
to death for a 1992 case of sectarian strife in Jhang was only
16 at the time the crime was allegedly committed. His age is
said to have been confirmed by a school certificate. Since this
claim needs to be confirmed prudence demands that the hanging
of Syed Saqi Shah may be put off by the president till his age
at the time of the occurrence and correctness of the trial can
be established beyond any shadow of doubt.”
The Peshawar Police claimed
to have foiled a plan to bomb a school on the first anniversary
of the APS massacre by arresting five suspected terrorists and
seizing a 40kg explosive device. City Police’s chief Mubarak
Zeb told a news conference at the Malik Saad Shaheed police
lines that arrests were made in light of investigation into
the reported gas cylinder blast in a mosque in the limits of
the Mathara Police Station two days ago. He said the investigators
had found out that an improvised explosive device had exploded
and not a gas cylinder.
The Police chief said the Police
later arrested the mosque’s prayer leader, Qari Kashif, a resident
of Ghilachi area in Mathara. He said the prayer leader told
investigators that he and his accomplices living in the area
had planned to bomb a Warsak Road school on the first anniversary
of the APS attack. Mr Zeb said on the pointation of the prayer
leader, the police raided a house and arrested his accomplices,
including Azizul Haq, Aftab, Sher Bahadar and Mohammad Alam,
all residents of Mathara.
Police issued a sketch of the
suspected shooter who killed two Military Police personnel on
December 1, 2015, in Karachi, provincial capital of Sindh, announcing
a reward of PKR 10 million for information leading to his arrest.
The pamphlet issued by the South Zone Police carries two pictures:
a pencil sketch and a CCTV screen grab. In the sketch, the suspect
with moustache appears to be in his 30s. It was made with the
help of an eyewitness, according to investigators.
Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul
Aziz approached the Supreme Court for the implementation of
its eight-year-old verdict, which had directed authorities to
rebuild a women’s religious seminary attached to the Lal Majid,
Jamia Hafsa, and make arrangements for education, boarding and
lodging of female students. Jamia Hafsa was badly damaged during
the July 2007 military operation.
Aziz through his counsel Tariq
Asad has moved an application in the SC, requesting it to direct
the Federal Government to implement the court’s October 2, 2007
verdict. The petition states that it is a matter of Constitutional
principle that when rights are transgressed, the remedy must
be provided. It says that it is envisaged in the Constitution
that the judiciary shall be independent but the petitioner believes
that judiciary has become apparently, no doubt, powerful and
activist, but not independent it is powerful for the weak, but
weak for the powerful.
December 16
SFs arrested a group of al Qaeda
cadres in the AQIS during a raid carried out in Malir Town of
Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. According to the report,
qualified engineers were also among the arrested men who were
planning terrorist acts with the help of drones. It said the
AQIS group had 10 to 12 members but most of them have been arrested.
"Three engineers who were working on anti-drone technology
have also been arrested," the report said, stating that
the arrested engineers planned to jam the signals of US drones
and also to bring them down.
Sindh Assembly passed a resolution
asking for checks and conditions on Rangers’ Special Powers
to raid and arrest suspects. Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar
Sial presented the resolution on the critical issue of Rangers’
powers on the floor of the Sindh Assembly, amid chants and slogans
by opposition members. The resolution states that Rangers will
only have powers with respect to the following, target killing,
extortion, kidnapping-for-ransom, sectarian killing.
The Resolution read, “That any
person, who is not directly involved in terrorism and is only
suspected of aiding and abetting terrorists or by way of terror
financing or facilitating terrorists shall not be placed under
preventive detention under any law without prior written approval
of the Government of Sindh, that is, the Chief Minister. It
is clarified that in case a person is suspected of the above,
cogent reasons with complete evidence justifying such preventive
detention shall be provided to Government of Sindh, which will,
based on the available evidence, approve or reject such proposal
of preventive detention.” “The Pakistan Rangers Sindh shall
not raid any office of Government of Sindh or any other Government
Authority without prior written approval of the Chief Secretary,
Government of Sindh,” it said.
Nearly 300 madrassas (religious
seminaries) in Pakistan are receiving financial support from
around 10 countries, the Federal Government informed the Lower
House of Parliament, as it admitted it had no idea about the
total amount of funds or any other kind of support these seminaries
receive. The Federal Ministry of Interior, in a written response
to a question, told the National Assembly that 285 seminaries
were receiving funds from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
the UAE, Kuwait, Iran, Turkey, the United States, the United
Kingdom, and South Africa.
Of the seminaries identified
by the Interior Minister, 147 are located in Punjab, 95 in Gilgit-Baltistan,
30 in Balochistan, 12 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and one in Sindh.
The report went on to add that most of the seminaries identified
belonged to the Deoband school of thought. While some of these
madrassas receive funds through the legal channels, the administrators
of some seminaries raise money by visiting sponsors in foreign
countries. The interior ministry said it had no tangible intelligence
whether these countries were facilitating the seminaries in
terms of training, capacity building, and curriculum development.
On the first anniversary of
the militant attack on the Peshawar Army Public School, the
Government has told the lower house of parliament that 360 schools
were destroyed in three agencies of the FATA during 2015. “The
areas of the [Fata] agencies which are not accessible are being
assessed/surveyed,” Federal Minister for States and Frontier
Regions Lieutenant-General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch told the
National Assembly. According to the statistics, at least 166
schools were destroyed in NWA, 139 in Khyber Agency and 55 in
SWA.
The PPP MNA Beelum Husnain asked
the Government to share public record of the destroyed infrastructure
of the three tribal agencies with the house. These schools have
been divided into different categories. The A category shows
a long list of destroyed schools while the B category lists
schools that need major reconstruction. There is also a separate
list of a few partially damaged schools in these agencies. The
official estimates for reconstruction of these schools are PKR
348.758 million. Under restoration plan phase one, at least
PKR 143.967 million is required for rebuilding of 139 schools
of Khyber Agency.
In the official list, there
are remarks on the damages of each school in the ‘status block’.
The Government has also shared details of action which has been
taken for the reconstruction. “Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
Unit (RRU) has been notified as a dedicated unit to coordinate
and facilitate the rehabilitation and reconstruction process
with all the stakeholders including the federal government,
armed forces and development partners,” Qadir Baloch said.
December 17
The CTD of Punjab Police arrested
six LeJ militants from provincial capital Lahore. The Police
also claimed to have recovered a huge amount of explosives and
electronic detonators from their possession. "Three suspects
were arrested from Khokhar Chowk area near College Road, while
the other three were arrested from Baidian Road, said a CTD
spokesman. Two separate FIRs were registered in CTD Police Station
against the six suspects over possession of explosives.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
mounted a stout defence of the country’s military leadership,
dismissing the notion held in certain political circles that
the civilian Government’s affairs are subject to meddling. “Critics
who accuse the military of interfering in the civilian Government’s
affairs should observe the present situation against the backdrop
of the country’s history,” he said in an interview to the BBC.
The Minister insisted that though he was, and still is, strongly
opposed to military-style governance he is “satisfied with how
things are at present”. “And if my conscience makes me uncomfortable
about any possible interference by the military in the affairs
of the civilian government at any point in time, I shall raise
my voice against it,” he added.
He brushed aside the idea that
the civilian government is competing (with any another institution
of the country) for power. “We complement each other as institutions.
After having witnessed four military governments, I believe
that the rumours and whispers (of meddling) will end with one
more general elections and a peaceful transfer of power,” Asif
said.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that there had been an 80 percent
reduction in acts of terrorism in Karachi since the start of
the operation on September 5, 2013. He said considerable reduction
in the occurrence of other crimes, including target killings
(53%), murders (30%) and robberies (35%), had been witnessed.
He pointed out that there had
been considerable improvement in coordination between the federal
intelligence agencies with the provinces, particularly Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. However, he said the war against terror
was not over, saying the terrorists had been marginalised and
they could try to undertake desperate sabotage acts. “They have
been made to run across the border but still they have not been
eliminated,” he added.
The Minister said no foreign
agency was allowed to carry out activities in the country and
there was no agent of Black Water in the federal capital. “Neither
is any Black Water agent present in Islamabad nor is any foreign
agency allowed to operate in the country,” he said, while laying
a report in the National Assembly on ‘Achievements of the Ministry
of Interior’.
US Special Representative for
Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Olson told the Congress that
the US has held candid discussions with Pakistan on its short-range
nuclear weapons and Pakistan is willing to engage with the US
on this issue. He also told the House Foreign Affairs Committee
that the Obama administration was “not negotiating a one-two-three
agreement - a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Pakistan.”
“We’ve had a very candid discussion
with the Pakistanis about some of the concerns that we have,
including about shorter-range nuclear systems. And Pakistan
has been prepared to engage with us in those — in those discussions,”
he added. “As with all nuclear-capable states, we have urged
Pakistan to restrain its nuclear weapons and missile development,”
he said, adding, “(We also) stressed the importance of avoiding
any developments that might invite increased risk to nuclear
safety, security, or strategic stability.”
The Adviser to the Chief Minister
on Education Sardar Raza Mohammad Barrech said that over 1.6
million children of school-going age, two-thirds of them girls,
were deprived of education in Balochistan. He said it was a
matter of serious concern that girls in such a large number
were not enrolled in schools because of their shortage.
About 12,000 of the 22,000 plus
settlements in the province had government-run schools but most
of them lacked facilities. Realising the gravity of those issues,
he said, the Provincial Government had allocated massive funds
for education sector and planned to open maximum number of schools.
The Foreign Office laid stress
on uninterrupted and result-oriented dialogue with India. “What
is important is to have a dialogue between the two countries,
which is uninterrupted and result-oriented,” an FO spokesman
said. “It is important to make sustained efforts to realise
the shared vision of the leadership of the two countries of
a peaceful and stable South Asia,” the spokesman further added.
December 18
At least 23 suspected militants
were killed in air strikes carried out by the PAF in Rajgal
area of Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA. “Six hideouts
of terrorists were destroyed while 10 suspected militants were
also injured as a result of precise air strikes," said
a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations.
SFs killed three militants following
an exchange of fire in Mashkay area of Awaran District. According
to official sources, SFs were conducting a search operation
in the area when they came under fire. “The militants opened
fire on security personnel conducting the search operation.
The troops returned fire, killing three of them,” an unnamed
security official said.
Six local leaders and workers
of the ruling NP and BNP-A were abducted by unidentified militants
from Karkak Dasht area in Turbat District. The victims associated
with the NP were identified as Muhammad Akbar, the younger brother
of Akram Dashti, the Provincial President of NP, Barkat Ali,
Sher Jan and Nadeem. Two local leaders of the BNP-A were identified
as Muhammad Imam and Mehmood. They were engaged in election
campaign for the BNP-Awami candidate.
The FC arrested two suspects
during a raid in Nabi Killi area of Dera Bugti District.
MQM activist, identified as
Mohammad Akbar, was found dead in Nooriabad area of Jamshoro
District. Akbar was picked up by unidentified persons on December
6, 2015.
Four well-educated people, including
one who had studied at two American universities and was running
his own educational institution, were arrested for their alleged
involvement in the May 13, 2015, Safoora carnage and other terrorist
attacks, according to a Senior Police Officer. The Chief of
Police’s CTD, Raja Umar Khattab, said at a press conference
that the wives of two of the arrested suspects, along with their
accomplices, used to brainwash educated and rich women through
sermons and videos about the IS and other terrorist outfits.
The four accused were identified as Khalid Yusuf Bari, Saleem
Ahmed, Mohammad Suleman Saeed and Adil Masood Butt.
Police registered a terrorism
case against the organisers of a rally staged for the release
of Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of Punjab Governor
Salman Taseer. The rally was organised by the Tanzeemat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat,
an alliance of certain religious parties, demanding the release
of Qadri whose appeal against the death sentence has been turned
down by the Supreme Court.
Minister of State for Interior
Balighur Rehman told the Senate that JuD has been under observation
since December 1, 2005 while 61 other organisations have been
banned. He said that any organisation found involved in terrorism
and extremism would not be allowed to operate in the country
and that under the NAP, the Ministry and Provincial Governments
had taken appropriate measures to stop banned outfits from re-emerging
with new names. The State Minister said two organisations,
Al-Akhtar Trust and Al-Rashid Trust, were listed under “UNSCR
1267”.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the National Assembly that he wants
to rid Islamabad of illegal madrassas (religious seminaries)
and their students and for this he needs across-the-board political
support. He said, “The problem is not as simple as it looks
from outside because there are 25,000 madrassa students in the
city.” Chaudhry Nisar said it was not possible for the Government
to confront all the illegal madrassas through the Police. “We
have already seen the result of the use of force in the case
of Lal Masjid where 100 students lost their lives in a military
operation in 2007. Yes, there is a problem which needs to be
tackled in a peaceful manner.”
He further said that the past
policies of the military and political elite are responsible
for bringing the country to a level where it has become difficult
to govern. “We are all responsible for creating this mess in
the country, where it is easy to commit bad deeds and people
find it difficult to do good things,” he added.
Former Foreign Minister Hina
Rabbani Khar during the ‘Head to Head’ segment of on Al Jazeera
said that the military still plays a bloated role in Pakistan’s
politics, claiming the Prime Minister has “much less freedom
than he ought to have”. Khar also said Pakistan was ‘guilty
of being incompetent’ when it came to the presence of Osama
Bin Laden in Abbottabad, while denying any role of the PPP-led
Government in protecting the global terror kingpin.
On the issue of US drone strike,
Khar remained adamant that the Zardari regime did not give backing
to the drone strikes. “Drone strikes are counterproductive,
what does counterproductive mean, it means that they are actually
fuelling extremism, and assisting people to attract more people
towards extremism. […] they were against Pakistan’s territorial
integrity.”
PM Nawaz Sharif has stopped
his ministers from giving anti-India statements so that the
peace process is not hit, an unnamed official said. He said
that the Ministers and Senior Officials had been asked not to
issue any statement that could damage the peace process. "There
will be statements only that encourage the dialogue process
rather than digging out the past. The PM has asked the close
aides and cabinet members to promote peace," said the official
in an interview to The Nation.
He said Sharif was optimistic
about better ties with India, which would benefit the whole
region. Sharif, the official said, wanted to give top priority
to Kashmir, terrorism and trade when the two sides discuss peace.
In addition, another unnamed
official said that PM Sharif and the military leadership were
on the same page to make peace with India. "There is no
difference of opinion and both agree that there should be no
compromise on the stated position on key issues," he added.
The US agreed to extend Pakistan’s
military assistance under the CSF for another year, an unnamed
Defence Ministry Official said after high-level talks between
the two countries in Washington. Pakistan had sought the extension
in US assistance under the CSF which is meant to reimburse costs
Islamabad incurred in the fight against terrorism. “Now, the
CSF arrangement will continue in 2016 as well,” the Defence
Ministry official said.
The agreement was reached during
the meeting of the US-Pakistan DCG held in Washington on December
16 and 17, he said. According to the official, the US also gave
a commitment that the assistance for Pakistan would continue
beyond 2016. It is not clear, though, as to whether this assistance
will continue under the CSF or if the two sides will have a
new arrangement.
A US lawmaker Congressman Ed
Royce during a Congressional hearing sought the closure of 600
Deobandi madrassas (religious seminaries) in Pakistan, describing
them as an “infrastructure of hate” and which are fanning terrorism
and extremism in the country, as he asserted that the country
had failed in eliminating the extremist mindset. He alleged
that the madrassas were spewing hate. He said that Pakistan
should allocate a sizeable portion of its budget on education
instead of giving major budgetary allocations to defence. He
said that USD 30 billion had been given to Pakistan after 9/11
and those funds had not been accounted for. He also called for
stopping the USD 2 billion annual aid to Pakistan.
“Unless that infrastructure
of hate is shut down, Pakistan will never win its struggle for
internal peace,” Royce said, adding, “That’s the issue. We have
the list of the 600 schools. I’ve made three trips, as I’ve
indicated, to try to convince the government to shut those down.
We’ve had little success in convincing families in the Gulf
States not to send their money there or convincing those governments
in the Gulf States not to fund this.”
December 19
SFs arrested eight suspected
militants from Balochistan's Dera Bugti and Zhob Districts.
The FC spokesman said “six miscreants were apprehended after
an exchange of fire in Lope Sirani area of Dera Bugti district.”
The miscreants wanted to blow up gas pipelines in the area,
the FC spokesman added.
SFs arrested two suspected militants
in Zhob District. The SF personnel also recovered weapons and
explosives from the possession of the militants. He said the
miscreants belonged to a banned militant organisation.
Former peace committees of Mohmand
Agency’s Baizai tehsil voluntarily handed over a huge
cache of weapons to the administration in Bahi Daag area of
the Baizai sub-division in the Mohmand Agency of FATA. Assistant
Political Agent Abdullah Shah told that the handing over of
weapons to the administration marked the phasing out of the
peace committees. Heads of former peace committees, Malik Sultan
Kodakhel, Malik Sanober Khan, Malik Zar Jan and Malik Sabir
Khan, and a large number of tribal elders attended the ceremony.
“It is part of the National Action Plan and in accordance with
the directives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor and the political
administration for handing over heavy weapons to the administration
in order to strengthen the writ of the state,” said Shah. He
said that for the first time the administration had deployed
300 Levies personnel in the area to secure the border posts
and for that purpose the weapons would be given to them. The
weapons, which were handed over, included three RPG-7, five
anti-aircraft guns, eight short-range missiles, two anti-tank
mines, thousands of live rounds of different bores and 44 shells
of RPG-7 ammunition.
The Chief Minister Syed Qaim
Ali Shah wrote two letters to the Federal Government informing
the Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Interior about the
finalization of the extension of Special Powers of Pakistan
Rangers, Sindh, for another 60 days. The Provincial Government
has informed the centre about ratification of deployment of
Rangers and their powers under Article 147 of the Constitution
from December 6 to February 5, 2016. Special powers given to
Rangers under the Anti-Terrorism Act had expired on December
5, 2015, and the Sindh Government was reluctant to extend them.
The American Embassy in Islamabad
said that it has received information on possible terrorist
attacks in the Pakistani capital in late December, especially
during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. The US embassy's
warning for American citizens says "possible targets include
places of worship and shopping centers". The warning said
that American citizens should "minimize the number and
duration of trips" to crowded places such as markets, restaurants,
hotels and places of worship.
However, an unnamed Pakistani
intelligence official said that there is a "general threat
perception" but no specific threats.
Nearly 40 percent of the IDPs
have so far returned to their homes, Army Chief General Raheel
Sharif was apprised during his visit to the North Waziristan
Agency. The Army Chief was briefed about the progress of ongoing
Operation Zarb-i-Azb and the return of IDPs, read a statement
issued by Inter-Services Public Relations. Details related to
the ongoing rehabilitation work, and its effects on the socio-economic
landscape of the area were also shared with the Army Chief.
General Raheel expressed satisfaction over the pace of rehabilitation
work and directed all concerned to ensure a dignified return
of IDPs — to a better built and rehabilitated area. Giving details,
the formation commander said that around 291,827 families were
internally displaced due to the Zarb-e-Azb operation. So far,
nearly 108,503 families have returned to their homes following
the successful culmination of the military operation. The Army
Chief interacted with the tribal elders and recently returned
IDPs, and assured them that the army will stay in the area till
the completion of resettlement process.
TTP rejected Islamic State leader
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's claim to be the global leader of all
Muslims. The TTP's statement comes after a similar rejection
by the Afghan Taliban following pledges of allegiance from low-level
commanders of both Islamist movements to the Middle East-based
IS. "Baghdadi is not Khalifa (caliph) because in Islam,
Khalifa means that he has command over all the Muslim world,
while Baghdadi has no such command he has command over a specific
people and territory," the Pakistan Taliban said in a statement.
"Baghdadi is not a Islamic Khalifa because his selection
is not according to Islamic rules," the statement said,
adding that the IS leader had little control in Muslim countries
like Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan. The TTP operate separately
from the Afghan insurgents of the same name, but are loosely
aligned with them. Late last year, a few breakaway factions
of TTP declared allegiance to Islamic State and ordered militants
across the region to join its campaign to set up a global Islamic
caliphate.
December 20
Law Enforcement Agencies claimed
to have detained at least 24 suspects, including militants belonging
to banned outfits during raids across provincial capital Karachi.
According to details, Pakistan Rangers Sindh carried out targeted
raids in different areas and arrested 20 suspects, including
members of banned outfits, said a spokesperson of the paramilitary
force. The ‘operation’ against criminal elements in Pakistan’s
commercial hub was initiated back in September 2013 after the
federal cabinet empowered Rangers to lead a targeted advance
with the support of police against criminals already identified
by federal military and civilian agencies for their alleged
involvement in targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion
and terrorism in Karachi.
A Senior Police Official said
that Police’s CTD arrested four suspected militants from Korangi
Industrial Area of Korangi Town. The CTD claims that the suspects
namely Mohammed Shahid alias Zubair, Mohammed Ali, Manzoor Ahmed
and Usman Ghani alias Baba belong to TTP and LeJ.
The CTD officials are set to
arrest the wife of May 13, 2015, Safoora attack mastermind Saad
Aziz and other women part of the ‘women wing’ of an IS-inspired
group operating in the Karachi. “We were delaying their arrests
because they are women,” the official said. “But now the stage
has come to arrest them.” CTD officials claim that the women’s
terror wing of the IS-inspired group is being operated by the
families, particularly the wives of suspects arrested in connection
with the Safoora carnage and other terrorist attacks in Karachi.
There is an increasing recognition
in Pakistan that to defeat the TTP, they must also fight the
Afghan Taliban, says a senior US official. “And that creates
an opportunity that we will want to pursue as much as possible,”
Ambassador Richard Olson told the Senate Foreign Relation Committee.
In an earlier testimony, Mr Olson had told the House Foreign
Affairs Committee that the US had held candid discussions with
Pakistan on its short-range nuclear weapons and Pakistan was
willing to engage with the US on the issue. “I think there is
increasingly a recognition on the part of the government of
Pakistan that there is significant bleed over between the Pakistani
Taliban and the Afghan Taliban. This is one of the motivations
for their desire to that it is no longer so simple for them
as it may have been in the past even if they in principle agree
to distinguish between good and bad Taliban,” he said.
December 21
Naib Subedar Naseer Khan and
a taxi driver lost their lives when a planted mine exploded
in the Baizai area, some 25 kilometres west of Ghalanai tehsil
(revenue unit) of Mohmand Agency in FATA.
In the same tehsil, a roadside
bomb exploded near a security convoy Atam village left a civilian
dead and three security personnel injured. Frontier Corps Lieutenant
Colonel Taimur was among the injured.
One militant was killed during
an exchange of fire with SFs in Yek Much area of Dalbandin in
Chagai District. The SFs also seized a vehicle transporting
weapons in the area. According to an unnamed official, "the
militants inside the vehicle opened fire on the forces, when
they were signaled to stop. The SFs retaliated and killed one
of the militants while seizing a sizeable cache of arms and
ammunition." The seized weapons included one rocket launcher,
10 RPGs rounds, 30 hand-grenades, 20 fuses, explosives and other
weapons.
Two SFs, identified as Mir Zaman
and Zakir, were injured in a landmine blast in Marget area of
Quetta.
Rangers recovered huge cache
of arms and ammunition during raids in Lyari Town and Bheempura
area of Saddar Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
According to Rangers spokesman, 14 SMGs, five rifles, eight
pistols, 41 home-made bombs, and hundreds of bullets were recovered
during the raids.
The Supreme Court regretted
that by raising arguments on the merit of the case and the sentence
already confirmed, an attempt was made to reargue the entire
case on a review petition by the counsel representing Malik
Mohammad Mumtaz Qadri, who had assassinated former Punjab Governor
Salman Taseer in Islamabad on January 4, 2011, for allegedly
committing blasphemy.
“A review is surely not a rehearing
of the main case and all contentions have already been attended
to in the October 7, 2015, judgment under review in some detail,”
stated the SC in a five-page detailed judgment by Justice Asif
Saeed Khosa explaining why its three-judge bench had on December
14, 2015, rejected the review petition filed by Mumtaz Qadri
through his counsel Mian Nazir Akhtar. “No error patent on the
face of the record was pointed out by Qadri’s counsel against
the judgment,” said the verdict.
December 22
Three militants were killed
in an exchange of fire with Balochistan FCs personnel in the
Turbat area of Kech District in Balochistan. A spokesman for
the FC said that following intelligence information, FC teams
launched a search operation where armed militants hiding in
a house opened indiscriminate fire on them. The FC personnel
retaliated. “The gun battle between the FC personnel and the
militants continued for four hours, resulting in the killing
of four militants,” he said.
FCs arrested 14 suspected militants
in Bar Aab area of Kech District who were allegedly involved
in attacking an FC check-post in Chagai District. An FC official
said that following intelligence information, they conducted
a raid in a Bar Aab area and arrested 14 alleged militants who
had entered into Pakistan from Afghanistan to carry out sabotage
activities.
An ATC in Karachi issued non-bailable
warrants for the arrest of 25 senior leaders of the MQM in a
case registered against them for facilitating Altaf Hussain’s
July 12 speech that was critical of the military establishment.
The MQM leaders were named in different FIRs by private complainants
who alleged that the accused had attended a public gathering
and listened to Altaf Hussain’s outburst against the security
agencies on July 12 this year. In his speech, Hussain had accused
the paramilitary forces of torturing and killing his party workers.
Compiled on the basis of FIRs registered against the MQM leaders
at police stations in Malir cantonment, Sukhan, Bin Qasim Town,
New Town and Steel Town, Karachi Police presented before the
ATC a charge sheet in which the MQM leaders were charged under
Section 12 (collection of evidence in the absence of accused)
of the CrPC.
The Federal Ministry of Interior
gave a free hand to the Sindh Rangers in Karachi to continue
their policing job under the Anti Terrorism Act 1997 without
having been influenced by the Sindh Assembly resolution or Provincial
Government’s executive order. In its letter issued to the Provincial
Government following high-level consultations, the Interior
Ministry conveyed to the Sindh Government that the powers conferred
to the Rangers under the Anti Terrorism Act 1997 could not be
abridged, customised or made conditional.
Following the Dr Asim-linked
controversy, the Sindh government had recently curtailed the
Rangers’ powers and restricted them to operate only against
target killers, sectarian killings, extortions and kidnappings
for ransom. The Sindh Government had clipped the Rangers’ powers
relating to terrorism and terror financing besides stopping
the agency from arresting any political figure or raiding any
provincial office without the permission of the Chief Minister.
December 23
Five TTP militants were killed
during an ‘encounter’ with personnel of the CTD and Police near
the Wador within the jurisdiction of Saddar Police Station in
Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab. Sources said that the encounter
took place early in the morning when law-enforcement personnel
were searching an area near the Wador hamlet. The search was
launched on reports that terrorists could strike in the city
on Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH). The sources said that suspected
terrorists were trying to escape on a van when they were intercepted
by the CTD and Police personnel. People in the van opened fire
which was returned and during the gunfight the suspected terrorists
were killed. The sources claimed that the militants were working
under the TTP’s groups led by Qari Ziaur Rehman, Qari Ibrahim
and Umer.
A roadside bomb attack killed
three persons including two children near the Afghan border
in the Mohmand Agency of FATA.
Sindh Rangers claimed to have
arrested two alleged terrorists linked to a banned outfit from
different parts of Lyari area in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. According to Rangers’ spokesman, the paramilitary
force arrested two terrorists affiliated with a proscribed outfit
during intelligence-based raids carried out in various parts
of Lyari neighbourhood and recovered many weapons and explosives.
An SMG, four pistols, fourteen IEDs, three remote controls,
two detonators and a huge cache of explosives were recovered
from the terrorists’ possession.
December 24
At least seven terrorists were
killed by SFs killed during an action in Ziaratzai and Tormandi
areas of SWA in FATA.
SFs, on the information of presence
of militants in the area, carried out search operation in Tiarza
and Sarwakai tehsil and arrested nine suspected persons
including a woman.
An unidentified assailant shot
dead a Police constable Khuda Bux near the Five Star Chowrangi
in North Nazimabad town of Karachi, the provincial capital of
Sindh.
The Police arrested a terrorist
of a banned outfit and recovered arms and explosives from his
possession in Kandhkot tehsil in Kashmore District. SSP Umer
Tufail said that the Police on a tip-off conducted operation
in Kandhkot area during which a terrorist belonging to an outlawed
outfit with head bounty of PKR 500,000 and involved in blowing
up railway tracks, gas pipelines and other terror activities
in Sindh and Balochistan provinces was arrested. The Police
recovered weapons, two-kilogram explosive material, three detonators
and two batteries from the possession of the arrested terrorist.
December 25
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi expressed desire to
carry forward the dialogue process for the improvement of bilateral
ties. "Both Prime Ministers agreed to enhance cooperation
and work together to establish good neighbourly relations,”
the Foreign Office spokesperson, Qazi Khalilullah, said in a
statement.
The Federal Government directed
the LEAs operating across the country, especially in Karachi,
to take stricter action against the Islamic State’s (IS/ also
known as Daesh) splinter groups. Following Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif’s directives to the Federal Ministry of Interior, the
LEAs have been told to expedite their efforts against the IS
not only to weaken them but to eliminate them altogether.
Federal Government issued a
notification, under Article 147 of the Constitution, providing
legal cover to paramilitary force to exercise policing powers
in Karachi for another two months under Clause 4 of Anti Terrorism
Act 1997. Earlier on December 23, 2015, the Sindh cabinet rejected
the Federal Ministry of Interior’s decision to unilaterally
extend Rangers powers.
December 27
Two suspects, identified as
Danish and Baloch, were killed in a retaliatory fire during
a Police raided on a hideout at Jinnah Square in Malir Town
of provincial capital Karachi. The police said that the suspects
were killed during. Authorities wanted them for extortion and
robbery, among the other dreadful crimes they committed.
The Mominabad Police shot dead
TTP-Swat Chapter militant, Naqeebar Khan (27) son of Abdul Haq,
in an encounter in Orangi Town. The suspect, as per Mominabad
SHO Sadi Khan Khattak, was involved in bombings and murders
of 18 people including Policemen and Frontier Constabulary personnel.
The SHO added that Naqeebar was also involved in extortion activities
to generate funds for the terror group.
A man, identified as Sher Muhammad
(45), was shot at and injured in a firing incidents near Vita
Chowrangi in Korangi Town.
Rangers claimed to have arrested
three terrorists during a search operation in North Nazimabad
Town. The Rangers said that a huge cache of ammunition was also
seized from their possession.
The Shikarpur Police arrested
four terrorists and seized nearly 100 kilograms of explosives
and arms from their possession in Shikarpur District. The SSP
of Shikarpur, Masood Bangash, said that four terrorists, Abdul
Rehman, Siraj Brohi, Siraj Langa and Abdul Ghani Brohi, were
arrested in a raid. The SSP said that that Police had earlier
arrested Akram Muavia, who during interrogation identified another
man, Abdul Aziz. “Following his arrest, Aziz identified the
above mentioned four terrorists,” Bangash said.
An unidentified bullet-riddled
dead body was found in Gomazi cross area of Kech District.
Unidentified armed assailants
set on fire the house of former Provincial Minister for Fisheries
Akbar Askani in Mand Jat area of the Kech District. However,
no casualties were reported. Askani is contesting for Balochistan
Assembly seat PB-50 (Turbat-3) in the By-Election as the PML-N
candidate.
Rockets fired from across the
Iranian border exploded in Mashkel tehsil (revenue unit) of
Kharan District. However, no casualty was reported.
The Human Rights Commission
of Pakistan (HRCP) chairperson Zohra Yusuf raised concerns over
a rise in extrajudicial killings and lack of transparency in
the way the paramilitary force operates. She said there had
been a clear decrease in targeted killings, extortion and kidnapping-for-ransom
in Karachi, but sectarian killings persisted. She further said
that the HRCP was worried over the rise in extrajudicial killings
and lack of transparency about the number of people picked up
or later let off. “When the operation began two years back,
there were talks about constituting a monitoring committee,
which will keep a check on the workings of the paramilitary
forces and to ensure that no innocent person is arrested. The
Muttahida Qaumi Movement suggested the name of Justice Nasir
Aslam Zahid for the committee but nothing has happened yet,”
Yusuf said.
According to Karachi Police’s
statistics, there was a marked improvement in the law and order
situation in Karachi in the year 2015 primarily because of the
intensified efforts of Police and Rangers in the crackdown against
criminals, but nevertheless street crimes continued to surge
in the city and there were some major terrorist attacks too,
reports The News. The statistics show a decline in all categories
of crimes, the only exception being the cases of cell phone
snatching.
There was a remarkable decrease
in target killing cases in 2015. 863 people were murdered in
comparison with 1,823 the previous year. Besides, 81 Policemen,
seven Rangers and two Military Police personnel fell in the
line of duty in 2015. Of the policemen killed in 2015, 64 were
targeted in drive-by shootings, three in blasts, nine in encounters
with terrorists, two over personal enmity and two while resisting
robberies.
A Pakistani man from South Africa
on his ‘dream vacation’ to New York City was arrested for describing
his suitcase as a ‘bomb’ while checking in at a Sheraton hotel
in Brooklyn, US media reported. According to New York Daily
News, Jhanzaib Malik is facing criminal charges after he
pointed to his suitcase and said, “There’s a bomb in there”
when he got frustrated with the check-in process. However, his
lawyer, Roger Asmar, claims that Malik only referred to his
luggage as ‘bomb’, slang for cool, to impress the female concierge.
“The FBI checks the whole thing, and clears him and leaves,
and yet he still gets arrested. Now, this poor kid is sitting
in jail. It’s ridiculous. It’s discrimination against Pakistanis,”
Asmar said. Malik, who works for his uncle as a fraud manager
in the technology department of Skywise Airlines, a domestic
carrier in South Africa, is currently spending his vacation
on Rikers Island on USD 100,000 bail, according to Correction
Department records. The 24-year-old’s uncle, Javed Malik, told
the Daily News from Johannesburg that his nephew had been saving
money for a year to be able to afford the trip.
December 28
Unidentified armed assailants
attacked the driver and took away the Geo News van from
North Nazimabad Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
The CTD produced a suspect,
identified as Imran alias commando, before ATC and informed
it about his 90 days preventive detention for question. CTD
along with its counsel produced the suspect before sitting administrative
judge of ATC. The Department told the judge that they have credible
information about suspect's involvement in target killing, extortion
and other offences that come within the ambit of Anti-Terrorism
Act.
Police submitted an interim
challan to ATC against MQM leader Waseem AKhter in a case pertaining
to harming the national interest and inciting people to violence.
In the challan, the accused has been declared as absconder under
section 512 of CrPC despite his public movements.
The CTD claimed that it had
busted a cell of the Islamic State (IS/ also known as Daesh)
operating in Sialkot District, and arrested eight suspects,
also seizing weapons, explosives and laptops, as well as a large
number of compact discs containing publicity material from their
possession. Investigators claimed that the suspects had taken
an oath to “overthrow democracy and introduce Khilafat (Caliphate)
in Pakistan through armed struggle”. The suspects arrested by
CTD belong to different Districts of Punjab, but Sialkot served
as the base of their operations. They had already established
infrastructure in the district to carry out operations across
the country.
It was, however, not clear when
did the CTD bust the cell. Three of the suspects have received
“militant training”, according to documents detailing their
interrogation. The operation, the first of its kind in the country,
enabled the CTD to break the network and infrastructure of the
group anywhere in Pakistan. The CTD has already shifted the
suspects to an unspecified “highly secure place”. Interrogations
show that the suspects were trying to extend their network to
other parts of Punjab through recruitment.
According to the data released
by the Karachi Police, Police and Rangers killed 696 suspects
in different encounters in Karachi during 2015 and the collective
number of their personnel who fell in the line of duty during
the same period is 95. A total of 1,577 encounters took place
during 2015 and 544 suspected militants, gangsters, criminals,
were killed. The number of Policemen who lost their lives in
armed attacks so far is 83, while 89 were wounded in the outgoing
year. It further said that the number of people killed in targeted
attacks during 2015 was 986. In 2014, a total of 1,925 people
lost their lives in targeted attacks.
Pakistan Rangers Sindh claimed
to have arrested at least 4,074 suspected criminals during a
total number of 2,410 raids and operations conducted during
the year 2015. According to Rangers spokesperson, out of the
4,074 arrested, 2,198 were formally handed over to Police for
persecution. "Those handed over to Police included 887
terrorists, 268 target killers, 97 extortionists and 49 kidnappers,"
said the statement issued by Rangers. 19, 2944 rounds of ammunition
of different caliber was also recovered.
According to analysis of official
data revealed, the country faced 34.22 percent reduction in
the incidents of terrorism and fatalities this year as compared
to 2014. During the year 2015, as much as 3,615 fatalities were
reported in the incidents of terrorism as compared to last year’s
5,496 fatalities. “The base camps and other facilities to the
terrorist networks operating in the North Waziristan as well
as in other parts of the country have been destroyed during
the military offensive Zarb-e-Azb and it played a decisive role
in maintaining peace in Pakistan. However, despite the military
offensive, the sleeper cells of these militant organisations
rarely succeeded to carry out terrorism in the country,” Senator
General (retired) Salahuddin Tirmizi said.
The analysis of official data
suggests that the military offensive brought significant improvement
in law and order situation and an apparent reduction of 50.81
percent came in the civilian casualties. During the current
year from January 01 to December 15, total 905 civilians lost
their lives in the incidents of terrorism whereas during the
same period last year 1,781 died of terrorism.
Federal Minister of Interior
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while chairing a meeting to review progress
on NAP said that the implementation of NAP will continue with
full force and enthusiasm. He said that the NAP didn’t belong
to an individual, a political party or a government institution
but it is the voice of the whole nation.
Officials of the Panjgur administration
distributed compensation cheques among 50 Baloch militants who
had abandoned armed struggle against the Government and joined
mainstream politics. FC Commandant Tasawar Hussain, said that
the Pur Amn Balochistan package was bearing fruit because more
and more people living in mountainous areas were abandoning
militancy and joining the mainstream politics. "We welcome
those who have laid down arms under the Pur Amn Balochistan
package,” he added.
Provincial Home Secretary, Akbar
Hussain Durrani said that more than 9,000 suspected militants
and criminals were arrested by Police, Levies, Frontier Corps
and Intelligence Agencies in Balochistan as a part of the NAP
in the year 2015. He claimed that a total of 1,973 intelligence
based-operations were conducted in Balochistan and arrested
the elements involved in targeted killings, bomb explosions
and kidnappings. "Innocent people were freed, whereas the
criminals were charged", he added. "Balochistan Government
implemented 17 out of 20 points under NAP to bring an end to
unrest and maintain law and order situation,” Durrani said.
December 29
At least 26 people were killed
and 50 others injured as a suicide bomber exploded himself near
a NADRA office located on the link road in Mardan town of same
District in KP. The explosion ripped through the front entrance
of the regional branch of NADRA. The blast took place at a time
when the office was crowded with people lining up to make applications
for CNICs. “At least 26 people have been killed and more than
50 injured,” said Provincial Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani.
“[The] condition of 11 of them is still critical,” he added.
Deputy Inspector General Mardan Division Saeed Wazir said the
blast was a suicide attack carried out by a bomber. He added
that a security guard posted at the office stopped the bomber
at the gate, after which he detonated his suicide vest. The
suicide attacker was on a motorbike and rammed it into the gate
after being denied entry, he said.
TTP splinter group JuA claimed
the responsibility for the attack. In an email sent to media
by their ‘spokesman’, Ehsanullah Ehsan, reads, “NADRA is an
integral part of the State and any such targets that directly
or indirectly work for the State will be our target.” However,
TTP ‘central spokesman’ Mohammad Khorasani in a statement distanced
his group from the Mardan attack, saying, “We have nothing to
do with blasts at public places”.
Four terrorists were executed
at the Kohat Central Jail in the morning. COAS General Raheel
Sharif had signed the black warrants of the four men convicted
by military courts, namely Noor Saeed alias Hafiz Sahib, Murad
Khan, Inayatullah and Israruddin alias Abu Lais, earlier this
month. An ISPR statement issued at the time said the men were
convicted for "slaughtering, suicide bombing, abduction
for ransom and funding terrorist organisation".
Kohat Police arrested 250 suspected
persons and recovered arms from them during a door-to-door search
operation in parts of the District. DPO Muhammad Sohaib Khan
said that the Police launched the search operation against militants,
criminals and anti-social elements under the NAP in Jangalkhel,
Lachi, Tough, Bilitang, Cantonment Board Kohat, city and surrounding
localities and made the arrests. Police also recovered eight
Kalashnikovs, 10 rifles, eight Kalakov rifles, 30 pistols, four
kilogram of hashish, three hundred grams of heroin, two bottles
of liquor and hundreds of cartridges from them.
Two people were killed in a
landmine blast in the Chamalang area of Loralai District.
A FC soldier was killed while
one more was injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast in Kech
District.
A FC soldier, identified as
Tariq, was killed while two others were injured when an IED
exploded near the FC convoy in Ispilinji area of Mastung District.
“The two other injured soldiers were identified as NK Imtiaz
and Naveed.
Three suspected militants, including
a militant 'commander', were killed during a search operation
in Tump area of Kech District. The FC spokesperson Khan Wasey
said that the terrorists had recently targeted a school in the
area with a hand grenade. Weapons and ammunition were also seized
from their possession.
At least four suspected militants
were killed in military air strikes in the Rajgal areas of Tirah
Valley in Khyber Agency of FATA. Six other militants were injured
in the air strikes, the source added.
Turkish authorities have arrested
three suspected members of the Islamic State (IS/ also known
as Daesh) group in Istanbul, including two Pakistanis and a
Briton. According to media sources, the Pakistani suspects had
been detained last week in a raid on their homes in Mecidiyekoy
District.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah
said that nine suspects, who were arrested from Daska in Sialkot
District on December 28, 2015, by the CTD, have no direct connection
with Daesh (also known as IS). Earlier it was reported that
eight suspects were arrested. “Preliminary investigation has
found that the suspects had no direct contact with Daesh. They
were preaching and trying to get support locally,” he said.
According to him, the suspects were trying to become Daesh local
representative on their own and were in contact with somebody
named Abu Muawia on the social media. “They were also planning
to go to Syria.” All those who supported them will be rounded
up and interrogated, he added.
A special court gave 10 days
physical remand of the nine suspects to the CTD authorities.
According to the sources, important maps and other documents
have been recovered from the arrested suspects.
The Journalist Protect Committee
(JPC) in its annual report stated that at least 28 were killed
and 23 injured while performing their professional duties in
2015 in Pakistan. Fifty-one cases were lodged and only three
killers have been held so far. The report further said that
six journalists were killed in Karachi, five in KP and FATA,
four in Balochistan while remaining journalists were killed
in various parts of Pakistan in different incidents.
TTP released its first annual
report, claiming that in 2015 the TTP carried out 73 target
killings, 12 ambush attacks, 10 raids, 19 IED blasts, five suicide
attacks, 17 missile attacks and shot down two helicopters, and
claims it killed some 686 people in 2015.
However, the analysts suggested
that its "inflated" figures illustrate the extremists' struggle
to demonstrate their capability as security improves. In the
report, it claims that it killed 247 people in an attack on
Peshawar's Badaber airforce base in September 2014. The official
death toll was 29. "This report mostly carries big claims, but
there is no evidence to support these claims which are often
inflated," said analyst Rahimullah Yousafzai.
December 30
The house of Mohammed Ali Rind,
who is contesting the by-election for PB-50 Turbat-3 as a candidate
of the BNP-A, was torched in Mand Bullo area of Kech District.
However, no casualties were reported.
Rangers claimed to have arrested
four terrorists during targeted raids conducted in PECHS area
of Jamshed Town and Rizvia colony in Liaquatabad Town of Karachi,
the provincial capital of Sindh. Rangers also claimed to have
recovered weapons from their possession.
Sindh IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali
directed officials concerned to ensure strict security in all
public places on the eve of the New Year while random snap checking,
police picketing and patrolling also need to be ensured.
PM Nawaz Sharif invited India
to hold dialogue with Pakistan on all issues, saying the two
countries cannot live as enemies. “Pakistan and India will have
to resolve all issues amicably and in a comprehensive way,”
he said while addressing a foundation stone-laying ceremony
for the western route of the CPEC project at Zhob in Balochistan.
The route will cover Zhob-Mughal Kot (N-50) and Qila Saifullah-Wagum
(N-70). The PM said National Security Adviser Nasser Janjua
had held meetings with Indian officials to discuss issues and
conflicts between the two countries. He said that during Indian
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Islamabad
it had been decided that the two countries would restart dialogue
on all issues. “Pakistan and India will have to create a friendly
environment to resolve their issues,” he said, adding that all
disputes and conflicts anywhere in the world were resolved through
talks.
A civilian intelligence agency
has reported that around 20 men, women and children connected
with Bushra's network who had left for IS raising alarms about
Lahore as a launching pad of Daesh. Bushra is the female principal
of a Lahore-based Islamic center who had left home along with
her four children in the morning of September 12, 2015, telling
her husband, Khalid, that she was going to Kasur District, but
never returned. A week later, Khalid received a call from his
wife who was in Quetta. She told him that she was on her way
to Syria through Iran for joining Daesh along with the kids.
The eldest among them is 15-year-old and the youngest is nine
years old. Bushra, now in IS, is preaching to the like-minded
women through video-links. Khalid who remained affiliated with
JuD shared with interrogators the messages received from her
wife urging him to join them for jihad.
Incidentally, two other ladies
went missing the same day along with their children from Lahore.
One of them was the sister of an anchor who reported her disappearance
to Police after failing to search them through personal connections.
The Government is in a state of denial about Daesh’s presence
but the efforts are in progress on ground with some major breakthroughs
have been achieved which are being kept unannounced though.
December 31
An engineer, Mohammad Shoaib,
associated with a survey team working on a dam was killed and
two others were injured when unidentified assailants opened
fire in Ormara area of Gwadar District in Balochistan. Official
sources said that a team headed by Engineer Mohammad Shoaib
came under fire while they were busy surveying the area for
the construction of Basool Kour Dam. Mr Shoaib died on the spot
and his colleagues Muhammad Arif and Nabi Bakhsh suffered injuries.
The SFs recovered huge cache
of arms and ammunition during search operations in Mamond and
Salarzai tehsils of Bajaur Agency in FATA. The SFs recovered
RPGs, RPG fuses, anti-tank mines, 17 hand grenades, rocket shells
and other explosive material.
A cache of weapons and explosives
was recovered during a search operation in Ghulam Khan area
of NWA. According to NWA Political Agent Kamran Afridi, the
political administration after getting information about presence
of weapons in the area launched a search operation and seized
a huge cache of light and heavy weapons, hundreds of cartridges
and explosives from the deserted houses in the region.
Sindh Rangers launched a fresh
campaign against extortionists in Karachi, the provincial capital
of Sindh. In the statement issued by the Rangers, citizens are
urged to help Rangers' identify extortionists in their vicinity.
The spokesman added that any information can be given to the
Rangers by using their helpline (1101) or a nearby Rangers post.
An ATC court in Karachi sentenced
a man to 14 years in prison in a case pertaining to a grenade
attack on the consulate of Saudi Arabia. Zaki Kazmi was found
guilty of carrying out the attack with his now dead accomplice
at the consulate in the Defence Housing Authority in May 2011.
ATC remanded Muhammad Ayaz alias
Baby, son of Abdul Qayyum, to Rangers custody for 90 days. The
accused had been arrested on a tip off by the paramilitary force
a day earlier, according to a Rangers statement. It said that
Ayaz confessed to have supplied weapons to Lyari gang war's
Baba Ladla and Aziz groups. Besides, he also used to repair
and dump arms of these groups of criminals. It further said
the accused also confessed his involvement in several cases
of extortion.
The PTI demanded an operation
against “terrorists and their facilitators in Punjab”. Commenting
upon the presence of the militant Islamic State group in the
province, PTI leader Chaudhry Sarwar said it’s the complete
failure and incompetency of the Punjab police to identify and
isolate militant group’s cells. He alleged the police were busy
in victimisation of political rivals instead of arresting the
terrorists.
A senior leader of the Afghan
Taliban militant movement was recently treated at the Shaukat
Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (SKMCH) in Lahore, PTI Chairman
and SKMCH founder Imran Khan said, saying that he came to know
about the treatment of the Afghan Taliban militant when he received
a letter of thanks from him. The PTI chairman made the confession
in an exclusive interview with Geo News senior anchorperson
Hamid Mir. Speaking about the management of SKMCH Lahore, he
confessed that the hospital was so successful that even a senior
Afghan Taliban leader went through treatment there.
Source:Compiled from news reports
and are provisional.