Pakistan Security Brief

U.S. drone strike kills up to six militants in Datta Khel, North Waziristan; Pakistani military clearing area between Mir Ali and Miram Shah; Court denies request to move Musharraf trial to Karachi; Militant infighting leaves three dead in Khyber Agency; Bomb disposal unit defuses IED in Rajanpur, Punjab; Prime Minister Sharif opens dialogue with allied and opposition parties to resolve PTI standoff; Intelligence agencies warn of militant threats to Imran Khan during August 14 march; Former Air Vice-Marshal says army demanded invocation of Article 245 before Operation Zarb-e-Azb; Indian Border Security Force soldier arrested on Pakistani territory; Pakistan requests Afghanistan hand over TTP chief Fazlullah; Cleric Qadri given $350 million income tax notice, charged with inciting violence.

North Waziristan Offensive

• A U.S. drone strike killed five militants, most of them reportedly foreigners, and injured two others when it hit a compound in Datta Khel, North Waziristan on August 6.  The Express Tribune reported that the strike killed six militants.  The militants could not be identified.[1]

• Airstrikes on August 5 were reportedly the first to target areas of Garyaum sub-district in North Waziristan.  A tribal cleric and North Waziristan peace Jirga member told The News that Pakistani airstrikes on August 5 also targeted the Gharlamai area in Afghanistan’s Khost province, bordering Datta Khel, where 500 families from North Waziristan’s Degan area fled due to airstrikes and artillery shelling.  He also alleged that the Gharlamai airstrikes killed several civilians. According to press reports on August 6, the Pakistani military had allowed residents of the Garyaum, Razmak, Dos Ali, Datta Khel, Shawal and Lowara Mandi areas in North Waziristan to stay in their villages[2]

• The Express Tribune reported on August 6 that the Pakistani military is currently conducting clearing operations between Mir Ali and Miram Shah, in the villages of Momi Gul Ziarat, Darpa Khel, Tappi, and Spalga.[3]

• Dawn reported on August 6 that the new commander of U.S. and NATO Forces in Afghanistan praised the Pakistani North Waziristan offensive but believes more action is needed.[4]

Musharraf Trial

• On August 5, a three-judge special court presiding over the high treason trial of former President General Pervez Musharraf declined the defense counsel’s request to move the trial from Islamabad to Karachi.[5]

Militancy

• Two Lashkar-e-Islam commanders and one Tauheedul Islam militant died as a result of clashes between the two rival militant groups on August 6 in the Zakakhel area of the Tirah Valley, Khyber Agency.  Taheedul Islam militants also arrested three Laskar-e-Islam fighters during the clashes.[6]

• Bomb disposal personnel defused an eight kilogram improvised explosive device (IED) planted beside a railway track in the Fazilpur area of Rajanpur, Punjab on August 6.[7]

PTI March

• According to the Express Tribune, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is currently developing a strategy to deal with the upcoming Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) march on Islamabad and sought the counsel of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on August 5. Prime Minister Sharif reportedly consulted with the leaders of allied and opposition parties on August 5 and will meet with a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party delegation on August 7 as part of his efforts to resolve the political situation. PPP co-chairman Zardari reportedly spoke with PTI chief Imran Khan and supports Khan’s demands for an audit of the four constituencies that were allegedly rigged during the 2013 elections.  PPP sources told The Express Tribune that the PPP hopes to act as a political intermediary and resolve the situation between the PTI and the government.[8]

• In the past few days, intelligence and security sources in Pakistan and Afghanistan have warned of threats to PTI leader Imran Khan’s life after learning of threats via telephone intercepts in areas near the Pak-Afghan border.  Some intelligence sources have reportedly warned the government of a possible militant attack targeting Imran Khan and have advised Khan to take protective measures when interacting with the public, precautions he currently eschews.  The sources warned most strongly of threats accompanying the PTI’s August 14th “Azadi March” and advised the PTI leadership to take extreme care in planning for and addressing security threats.[9]

Islamabad Troop Deployment

• Former Air Vice-Marshal Shahid Latif said on August 5 that the Pakistan Army had previously demanded the invocation of Article 245 and the deployment of troops to Islamabad before the start of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, but the Pakistani government is only now acting on that demand.[10]

Pakistan-India Relations

• On August 6, Pakistan Rangers arrested an Indian Border Security Force (BSF) solider who had allegedly crossed the border near Kuleil village in the Bajwat sector of Sialkot. The Hindu reported that the soldier belongs to a group of BSF soldiers who had to evacuate a damaged boat on the Chenab River and the soldier was swept away to the Pakistani side of the border.[11]

Pak-Afghan Relations

• On August 4, Pakistan again requested that Afghanistan hand over Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazullah. Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz reiterated the seriousness of cross border militant attacks launched by the TTP from Afghanistan. Aziz also discussed Pakistan-China economic, political and defense cooperation when speaking to the press on August 4.[12]

Dr. Tahirul Qadri

• On August 5, the Punjab government filed charges against Dr. Tahirul Qadri, leader of the Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT), for “inciting violence.” The charges allege that Dr. Qadri had told his followers to attack security forces during a speech delivered on August 3 in Lahore.[13]

• On August 6, the Federal Board of Review (FBR) issued PAT chief Dr. Tahirul Qadri an income tax notice of Rs $350 million ($3,542,602). The amount on the notice relates to Dr. Qadri’s personal income and that of his institution, Minhajul Quaran International. The FBR said that if Dr. Qadri and Minhajul Quran do not pay, the FBR will deduct the outstanding tax liability from the accounts of the organization Minhajul Quaran International.[14]

New Election Reform Chairman

• On August 6, a Special Parliamentary Committee on Election Reforms elected Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as its new chairman. Dar is a key cabinet member of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and a close confidant of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.  The committee was established on July 25 to evaluate the electoral process and ensure free, fair, and transparent elections in Pakistan and includes members from both houses of the Parliament and all government and opposition parties.[15]