Pakistan Security Brief

Airstrike kills thirty militants, destroys six militant hideouts in North Waziristan; Unknown men fire on Balochistan Constabulary vehicle killing two in Mastung, Balochistan; Rocket attack on Frontier Corps checkpost in Kech district, Balochistan; Interior Minister denies allegations that army deployment is linked to upcoming August 14 PTI protests; PTI chief Imran Khan to reveal evidence of election rigging in 2013 elections on August 11; Jamaat-ud-Dawa to hold nationwide anti-Israel rallies; Pakistan likely to receive fifth loan tranche from IMF.

North Waziristan Offensive

  • On August 5, air force airstrikes in Datta Khel, Marsi Khel and Kamsham in North Waziristan killed 30 suspected militants and destroyed six militant hideouts.[1]

Militancy

  • On August 5, in the Mastung area of Balochistan, unknown men fired on a Balochistan Constabulary vehicle killing two personnel inside and injuring several others.[2] 

  • On August 4, unknown men attacked a Frontier Corps checkpost with rockets in Tump in Kech district of Balochistan. No one was killed. In a separate incident in Tubat town, Balochistan, unknown motorcyclists shot at and killed a man.[3]

Islamabad Deployment

  • Speaking on August 5 in Islamabad, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan denied that the recent invocation of Article 245 had any link to the upcoming August 14 Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) protests, and asserted that the Pakistani government had every right to deploy the Army to the capital to counter terrorist threats.  He said that invoking Article 245 is neither politically motivated nor unusual, as Article 245 has been invoked 24 times since 2007.  He also asserted that the government deployed the Army to the capital with full support of Pakistan’s provincial governments and with full adherence to Pakistan’s constitution.  Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also stressed that the Army deployment does not violate the constitution and will not hurt civil-military relations.[4]

  • Pakistan Army troops are not currently performing frontline security duties and are not actively deployed in Islamabad, according to Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mujahid Sher Dil. Instead, Dil says the military is waiting on stand-by to act as a rapid response force and assist police and Ranger patrols in the city.[5]

PTI Allegations and March

  • PTI chief Imran Khan said that he will reveal evidence of alleged election rigging during the 2013 elections on August 11.  While speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on August 5, Khan alleged that the 2013 elections suffered from nation-wide ballot stuffing.[6]

Jamaat-ud-Dawa

  • On August 5, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) announced it is scheduling a countrywide protest against the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. JuD leader Hafiz Muhammad Saeed called for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to meet with other Muslim leaders to discuss declaring jihad against Israel. A JuD press release explained that protests will be held in most major cities on August 8, in Karachi on August 10 and Peshawar on August 17. JuD’s press release disclosed that JuD will establish a coordinating committee to get the public to participate in the protests. [7]

Meeting IMF conditions

  • The Express Tribune reported that because Pakistan had met most of the IMF’s conditions Pakistan is expected to receive the fifth loan tranche of $550 million. Meetings between the IMF and Pakistan will begin on August 6 and continue until the 14.[8]


[1] Mateen Haider, “Airstrikes in N Waziristan kill 30 suspected militants: ISPR,” Dawn, August 5, 2014. Available at: http://www.dawn.com/news/1123456/airstrikes-in-n-waziristan-kill-30-suspected-militants-ispr
[2] Syed Ali Shah, “Two Balochistan Constabulary men killed in Mastung firing,” Dawn, August 5, 2014. Available at: http://www.dawn.com/news/1123450/two-balochistan-constabulary-men-killed-in-mastung-firing
[3] “FC checkpost attacked with rockets,” Dawn, August 5, 2014. Available at: http://www.dawn.com/news/1123372/fc-checkpost-attacked-with-rockets
[4] “Article 245: No shame in calling in the Army, Nisar tells NA,” Dawn, August 5, 2014. Available at: http://www.dawn.com/news/1123460/article-245-no-shame-in-calling-in-the-army-nisar-tells-na
[5] “Army not visible in Islamabad,” The News, August 5, 2014. Available at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-265373-Army-not-visible-in-Islamabad
[6] “Imran vows to reveal evidence of rigging in past elections,” Dawn, August 5, 2014. Available at: http://www.dawn.com/news/1123468/imran-vows-to-reveal-evidence-of-rigging-in-past-elections
[7] “Hafiz Saeed urges PM to declare Jihad against Israel,” The News, August 5, 2014. Available at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-265388-Hafiz-Saeed-urges-PM-to-declare-Jihad-against-Israel
[8] Shahbaz Rana, “Meeting IMF conditions: Pakistan likely to win $550m loan tranche,” The Express Tribune, August, 5, 2014. Available at: http://tribune.com.pk/story/744341/meeting-imf-conditions-pakistan-likely-to-win-550m-loan-tranche/
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