Pakistan Security Brief
IHC orders Musharraf’s arrest, Musharraf escapes; Zardari calls for dialogue with India, Kashmiris; Pakistan Army soldiers and TTP clash in North Waziristan; PAF jets kill eight in Orakzai; Seven killed in Karachi violence; BNP leader attacked in Kharan; Ashraf conditionally allowed to contest elections; Gunmen kill two in Pishin; Imran Khan says home attacked, police denies allegation; Pakistan Army deploys 550 troops to help earthquake relief.
Musharraf Flees Court’s Arrest Order
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On Thursday, former President Pervez Musharraf fled the Islamabad High Court after the court denied him an extension for pre-arrest bail in the ongoing treason case and ordered his arrest. Musharraf, with the help of his personal security detail, managed to make it back to his farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad. Later on Thursday, the Islamabad High Court declared his escape a criminal act, and also incriminated the guards and police present who either helped him escape or stood idly while it happened. Musharraf is wanted for violating allegedly the constitution and illegally detaining judges during his tenure as president.[1]
Indo-Pak Relations
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During a speech to a session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari called for an open dialogue with India, specifically stressing that Kashmiris and the issues in Kashmir are crucial for any sort of reconciliation between India and Pakistan. In the same speech, Zardari condemned the hanging of Mohammed Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri militant convicted of planning the 2001 attack on India’s parliament, saying his trial amounted to an abuse of the judicial process.[2]
Militancy
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On Wednesday, Pakistan Army soldiers and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters clashed in Miram Shah, North Waziristan, killing one civilian and injuring at least twenty more, before the civilians repeatedly called for a ceasefire to take the wounded to safety.[3]
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On Thursday, Pakistan Air Force jets bombed and killed eight militants in Bootakhel area, Orakzai, destroying thee hideouts.[4]
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On Thursday, Karachi police found three bodies in Kharadar area, after the victims had been kidnapped, tortured, and killed. In four separate acts of violence, four people were killed in targeted attacks across the city. A boy was shot dead in Jamshed Quarters when gunmen opened fire on him. In Orangi Town, unknown assailants shot and killed a criminal on parole as he was asleep in his house. In another attack, a shop owner was shot to death when motorcyclists opened fire at his shop. Police recovered the body of another man who was shot after being kidnapped in Sultanabad, Manghopir.[5]
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On Wednesday, unknown attackers threw a hand grenade at the Balochistan National Party’s (BNP) leader Azeem Bareej, injuring two people in the Kharan area, Balochistan.[6]
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On Wednesday, unknown gunmen shot and killed two people in Pishin, Balochistanas they were leaving a shop.[7]
Domestic Politics
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On Wednesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said that a hundred people attacked his home in Islamabad, beat his brother-in-law and abused his sister. Khan accused the police of doing nothing to provide security, despite repeated requests. The local police chief in Bani Amin denied that a break-in happened or that he had received any requests for security, saying anything that might have happened to Khan’s home was likely from his own party members who have been protesting outside Khan’s house in recent days against being denied party tickets.[8]
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On Thursday, the Lahore High Court tentatively repealed a decision to bar former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf from contesting upcoming elections. Ashraf was previously barred for his involvement in a corruption case relating to a massive rental power project. The court ruled that the decision be temporarily overturned because Ashraf has not yet been convicted, but also gave Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau till April 22 to determine whether or not Ashraf was indeed involved in corrupt practices.[9]
Earthquake Relief Efforts
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As of Thursday, the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps have deployed 550 soldiers and a number of helicopters to support the relief effort in Mashkel area, Balochisan, after tens of thousands of people were affected by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake there on Tuesday.[10]
