Pakistan Security Brief
16 terrorists identified in Nanga Parbat attacks; Kidnapped Czech women appear in terrorist video; JI warns government of U.S.-India relations; 5 killed in Karachi; Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit China; MQM will not join PPP-led Sindh government; Suicide bomber kills civilian in Quetta; Militants open fire on container trucks; FATA, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa poll turnouts affected by election violence, says study; Two peace militia members killed in Dera Bugti; National budget approved; JUI-F chief urges peace talks with Taliban; France pledges to aid in energy crisis; SC adjourns Musharraf hearing today.
Militancy and Terrorism
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As of Wednesday, security forces have identified sixteen terrorists suspected of carrying out Sunday’s Nanga Parbat killings. Ten of the men are reportedly from the local Diamer valley, while three are from Mansehra, and another three are from Kohistan. Officials are searching for links to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).[1]
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The German Federal Prosecutor's Office revealed on Thursday that it will charge a dual German-Afghan citizen with membership in a foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors allege the man provided information for use in German-language recruitment videos for his associates in the Pakistan-based Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.[2]
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Despite Sunday’s killings of foreign tourists on Mount Nanga Parbat, tourists continue to visit Pakistan as 25 mountaineers from countries including Ireland and Canada arrived in Islamabad, moving to Skardu soon after.[3]
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Two Czech women kidnapped by unidentified militants in March in Balochistan appeared in a video message released on Wednesday. In the video, dated mid-April, the women read aloud their captors’ demand for the release of Pakistani national and alleged al Qaeda facilitator Aafia Siddiqui. Siddiqui is currently serving an 86-year jail sentence at a prison in the U.S. after her 2010 conviction on charges of attempted murder and assault.[4]
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On Wednesday, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islami-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman urged the Pakistani government to begin peace talks with the TTP, claiming that, “the use of force does not work all the time and in all situations.” Rehman also welcomed the opening of the Afghan Taliban office, expressed his hope for successful peace talks in Afghanistan.[5]
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5 people were killed in Karachi on Thursday in separate shootings. A man was shot and killed in North Nazimabad, while another was gunned down in Liaquat Chowk. Unknown gunmen also shot a man in Bihar colony, while an 11-year-old girl was killed in a crossfire in the same area. An unidentified man's body was also recovered in Lyari.[6]
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A police intelligence officer was shot and killed on the Super Highway, Karachi on Wednesday. Two armed men on a motorcycle fired at him while he was on his way to receive information on suspected militants in the area.[7]
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A blast was heard late Wednesday night in Defence, Karachi, shattering windowpanes throughout the neighborhood. However, Senior Superintendent of Police Clifton Nasir Aftab claimed that no explosion occurred.[8]
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A night watchman guarding a compound in Federal B Industrial Area, Karachi was shot and killed late Wednesday night while on duty.[9]
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Following yesterday’s attack on Sindh High Court Justie Maqbool Baqar, the Sindh assembly voiced concern over Karachi’s deteriorating law and order, and the repercussions for the personal safety of Sindh's lawmakers and their staff members. Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani wrote a letter to the attorney general of the Sindh police regarding the concerns, asking him to review the security measures of the assembly building, while the assembly passed a resolution condemning the attacks. Police now suspect the attack was a joint effort between Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).[10]
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Security across Rawalpindi was heightened on Thursday, after a bomb threat was made to a police station in the district.[11]
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An suicide bomber was killed on Thursday in Quetta when the vest he was wearing went off, killing him and another civilian, and wounding two others. The bomber had reportedly been on his way to attack a populated location[12]
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In Mastung, Balochistan, four armed militants opened fire on container trucks, injuring the two drivers of the trucks and torching the containers. The containers had been on their way from Karachi to Quetta.[13]
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On Wednesday, eight people from the Talibighi Jamaat, an orthodox Islamic sect, were kidnapped in the Jaho area of Awaran district, Balochistan by unknown men on motorcycles.[14]
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Two peace militia members were killed in Gopat, Dera Bugti, Balochistan on Tuesday after unknown gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint. Two of the suspected militants were also wounded in the fight. Separately, nine people were wounded by a roadside IED in Gopat, which exploded as they were driving by in a pick-up truck.[15]
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Three men were kidnapped in Wana, South Waziristan on Tuesday evening, according to an Express Tribune report. The men were abducted at gunpoint and carried to an undisclosed location.[16]
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According to a Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) research center report released on Wednesday, election violence from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) “infused an acute sense of insecurity in the region’s residents.” During the first quarter of 2013, leading up to the elections, there were 1,001 casualties, including 639 deaths, due to election-related attacks.[17]
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On Thursday, Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Haji Adeel called for a multi-lateral approach to combating terrorism, urging all parties in Pakistan to join together and establish law and order in the nation. Adeel also claimed that violence in the FATA is adversely affecting other parts of Pakistan.[18]
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On Wednesday in Karak, police raided the hideout of a suspected kidnapping gang, arresting one outlaw in the raid. A police officer was also shot during the raid, and a Kalashnikov rifle was seized.[19]
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A man was arrested in Kotli, Azad Kashmir on Tuesday after making a false bomb threat to Geo News.[20]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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U.S. Department of State spokesman Patrick Ventrell indicated U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was eager to visit Pakistan, but regrettably was unable to on his most recent trip to the region. Ventrell assured his audience that Kerry intended to spend “appropriate time” in the country at a later date.[21]
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On Wednesday, Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Syed Munawar Hasan cautioned the government to beware of U.S. intentions after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that India should play a greater role in ensuring free and fair elections in Afghanistan next April.[22]
China-Pakistan Relations
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A foreign ministry official announced yesterday that, at the invitation of Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will travel to China on July 4 for his first official foreign visit. Talks between Sharif and Keqiang will likely focus on trade, energy, and improving strategic bilateral relations.[23]
Sri-Lanka-Pakistan Relations
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Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani began a three-day visit to Sri Lanka today to meet with senior military officials and strengthen bilateral relations.[24]
Domestic
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On Wednesday, an unnamed Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) member claimed approximately 80 percent of voting party members voting in last week’s referendum opposed a union with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the Sindh government. MQM officials planned to announce the polling results last week, but have postponed the official announcement following the death of MPA Sajid Qureshi in North Nazimabad, Karachi, last Friday.[25]
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Citing perceived political discrimination by the legal system against the PPP, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon informed the Sindh Assembly on Thursday that the government could not provide security for its constituents if the judiciary refused to prosecute terrorists and criminals.[26]
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According to a report in The News, the government of Pakistan recently hired lawyers to try and re-open cases in Switzerland in pursuit of state assets lost due to allegations of graft by President Asif Ali Zardari. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif promised during his election campaign to recover national wealth lost due to corruption. This development follows reports yesterday that the former government of the Pakistan Peoples Party clandestinely requested that Swiss authorities disregard an appeal by the Supreme Court to re-open the graft cases.[27]
Economy
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The National Assembly approved a national budget today in the Finance Bill 2013-2014. The budget totals Rs 3.5 trillion ($35 billion) and includes an unprecedented Rs 1.155 trillion ($11.6 billion) as an economic stimulus for public sector development.[28]
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An unnamed senior government official revealed on Wednesday that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar refuses to accept harsh terms by the International Monetary Fund. The government is formulating a “Plan B” involving a diverse range of programs including seeking advance payment of aid from the U.S., launching bonds, generating foreign investment, and collecting unpaid debts.
Energy Crisis
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French Ambassador Philippe Thiebaud emphasized the French government’s commitment to easing the energy crisis in Pakistan yesterday at an inauguration ceremony for the Jabban Hydroelectric Power Station in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The station was decommissioned after receiving extensive damage in a 2006 fire, but the French Development Agency provided a loan covering most of the reconstruction costs.[29]
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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended a high-level meeting with senior ministers on Thursday to discuss options for easing the energy crisis, including gas pipeline projects and India’s desire to export liquefied national gas. Sharif authorized “all available resources” to find a solution.[30]
Musharraf Proceedings
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The Supreme Court decided today to adjourn the hearing of Musharraf’s case during deliberations regarding the formulation of a special court. Musharraf has already filed a complaint alleging the government would not remain impartial and that he would be unlikely to receive a fair trial. Separately, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the National Assembly the Federal Investigative Agency has contributed four individuals to the committee responsible for probing the treason charges.[31]
