Pakistan Security Brief

May 13, 2010

Pakistan Security Brief – May 13, 2010

President Obama addresses Pakistan at White House press conference; Interior Minister Malik says Pakistan cooperating with US investigation of Faisal Shazad; IED explosion kills three outside madrassa near Peshawar; MQM-H activist killed in Karachi.

US-Pakistan relations

President Obama addressed several issues regarding Pakistan during a White House press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday. Mr. Obama said that he was “encouraged” by the Pakistani government’s recent efforts to drive out the “cancer” of Islamic militancy within their borders, adding that such campaigns “advance the security of Pakistanis, Afghans and Americans alike.” The president also stated that the US was committed to “[breaking] down some of the old suspicions” which have tarnished relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.[1]
Interior Minister Rehman Malik issued a statement today saying that Pakistan was cooperating with the US in the investigating the case of Faisal Shahzad but would not allow foreign agencies to conduct investigations on Pakistani soil.[2]

Khyber-Pakhutunkwa

Three male students were killed and two more injured on Wednesday evening when a remote-controlled IED detonated outside of a madrassa in the Dawar Bagh area, near Peshawar.[3]

Karachi

An activist of the Mojahir Quami Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) was gunned down in Karachi on Wednesday. Police said that two unknown gunmen riding a motorcycle shot the activist to death while he was dining at a roadside restaurant in Shah Faisal Colony. Although police denied the victim’s role as a political activist, a spokesman from one faction of the MQM-H confirmed that the deceased was an active party member and had recently received several death threats.[4]

[1] Anwar Iqbal, “Obama deflects criticism of Pakistan,” Dawn, May 13, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/obama-deflects-criticism-of-pakistan-350. “Obama praises Pakistan’s anti-militant push,” Dawn, May 12, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/obama-deflects-criticism-of-pakistan-350.

[2] “Pakistan cooperating with US on Faisal Shahzad: Malik,” Dawn, May 13, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-pak-faisal-shahzad-qs-14.

[3] “Police: At least 3 dead, 2 injured in Peshawar blast,” CNN, May 12, 2010. Available at http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/12/police-at-least-3-dead-2-injured-in-peshawar-blast/. “Five killed in terror incidents in Peshawar,” Daily Times, May 13, 2010. Available at http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\05\13\story_13-5-2010_pg1_2.

[4] “Another MQM-H activist gunned down,” Dawn, May 13, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/another-mqmh-activist-gunned-down-350.

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