Pakistan Security Brief
TTP negotiating committee contacts TTP shura to set date, venue for peace talks; Sartaj Aziz meets with Iranian President in Tehran; Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif defends ISI; Military helicopters shell militant hideouts in South Waziristan; Three militants and two security forces personnel killed in Khyber agency clash; One injured in Peshawar blast. Police fire teargas into crowds of protesters in Islamabad.
TTP Peace Talks
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On Monday, TTP negotiating committee member Professor Ibrahim Khan said the committee contacted the TTP’s leadership to determine a date and venue for the next round of peace talks between the government and the TTP shura.[1]
Iran-Pakistan Relations
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On Monday, Pakistan’s Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Iran next month. Both Aziz and Rouhani expressed the need for Pakistan and Iran to work together for stability, peace, and development in the region. Prime Minister Sharif reportedly sent a letter to Rouhani on Monday, which emphasized his desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation and political, security, and trade relations.[2]
Hamid Mir Debacle
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On Monday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif defended Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) following allegations that the ISI had been involved in the assassination attempt on TV presenter Hamid Mir. In an official statement, Sharif praised the ISI for its role in ensuring the “protection and defense of the country.”[3]
Militancy
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In response to an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that killed three security personnel on Sunday, military helicopters on Monday attacked militant hideouts in the Bobar area of South Waziristan. Security forces also fired artillery from Mir Ali and Sara Rogha; no casualties were reported.[4]
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On Tuesday, security forces in Khawjal Khel, Khyber agency clashed with militants after launching an operation in the area. Three militants were killed and two security personnel injured in the clash[5]
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On Monday, a bomb blast at a house in Kakshal, Peshawar district injured one person.[6]
Domestic
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On Monday, police fired tear gas into crowds of demonstrators protesting the missing persons’ case in the D-Chowk area of Islamabad. A subsequent clash between police and protestors injured six police personnel and at least three people with the media. Police reportedly targeted media personnel in an attempt to confiscate cameras and equipment. An article in the Express Tribune also reported that police arrested eight men and four women, who were later released on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s orders. Most of the 50 to 60 protesters were family members and relatives of missing persons, who were attempting to approach Parliament House to start a protest.[7]
