Pakistan Security Brief
Jundallah claims responsibility for attack on All-Saints Church in Peshawar that kills 83 people; Prime Minister says Church attack has jeopardized peace dialogue with TTP; Protestors condemn Peshawar attack; Security increase for Christian communities in wake of bombing; Mullah Baradar released to safe house in Karachi; U.S. drone strike kills 7 foreign militants in North Waziristan agency; Prime Minister will meet with Indian Prime Minister during UN General Assembly; Sindh Chief Minister says Karachi operation will continue until order is restored; Prime Minister departs for United Nations General Assembly in New York; CJCSC meets with Prime Minister in Islamabad; 49 accused terrorists transferred from Rawalpindi jail to Central Jail Faisalabad; Seven killed in bombing of police van in Balochistan; Five PTI workers killed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; Awami National Party leader killed in Buner district; Three kidnapped doctors released by TTP.
Peshawar Church Attack and Fallout
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The All-Saints Church in Peshawar was bombed on Sunday by two suicide attackers. The reported death toll is currently 83, making the attack the deadliest recorded attack on Christians in Pakistan. Jundallah, an offshoot of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has taken responsibility for Sunday’s bombings.[1]
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At a press conference in London on Sunday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that the All-Saints Church bombing did not bode well for the prospect of peace talks with the TTP. Sharif said the government was unable to proceed with the dialogue, but did not explicitly state that the government is considering military action. On Friday, a high-level meeting to discuss proposed peace negotiations concluded that the government would exhaust all peaceful tactics before authorizing the use of force against militants; the discussion took place before the Church attack, however. Separately, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman told the press on Monday that the attack against All-Saints Church was an attempt to undermine the prospect of peace talks with the TTP.[2]
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Protests occurred throughout Karachi on Monday to condemn Sunday’s bombing of the All-Saints Church in Peshawar. Christian protestors have accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government of failing to protect their communities. Sindh Inspector General of Police Shahid Nadeem Baloch authorized increased security measures for Christian communities and residential areas in the wake of the bombing. At a press briefing on Sunday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the government will evaluate security measures at places of worship and devise a security plan to protect these locations from terrorist attacks. Khan commended the restraint of the Christian community in responding to the attack.[3]
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According to a Geo News report on Monday, Peshawar city officials may have received prior warning of an attack on the All-Saints Church.[4]
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On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon released a statement condemning the All -Saints Church attack.[5]
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In the aftermath of the attack against All-Saints Church on Sunday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to visit Peshawar immediately.[6]
Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations
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On Saturday, Pakistan released former Afghan Taliban second in command Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in order to facilitate peace talks between the Afghan Taliban and the Afghan government. He is currently being held in a safe house in Karachi while the United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan negotiate what role Baradar will play in peace efforts, and to which country he will be sent.[7]
Drone Strike
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An American drone strike in the Shawal area of North Waziristan agency killed seven suspected militants and injured four others on Sunday. According to an unidentified TTP commander, the casualties were foreign militants who had travelled to North Waziristan for jihad from an unspecified location.[8]
Indo-Pakistan Relations
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According to a The News report on Monday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over breakfast at a hotel in New York City at an unspecified date during the United Nations General Assembly session. In addition to direct talks, the parties will engage in delegation-level discussion.[9]
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On Saturday, a Pakistani judicial commission arrived in India to cross-examine witnesses of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The visit has been delayed several times.[10]
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The Indus Water Commission arrived in India on Saturday. The commissioners intend to meet with Indian officials to discuss Pakistan’s displeasure with four dams constructed along the River Chenaab that may affect Pakistani water supplies.[11]
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On Monday, suspected militants killed one Indian Central Industrial Security Force soldier and wounded another in Sringar, Indian-administered Kashmir.[12]
Karachi Unrest
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Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah told the press on Saturday that the Ranger-led paramilitary campaign of targeted operations will continue until security is restored in Karachi.[13]
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Security personnel detained 53 suspects on Monday in a series of ten raids throughout Karachi. An additional 80 suspects were detained on Sunday and another 115 suspects had been detained on Friday.[14]
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On Monday, Rangers seized munitions, including explosives and grenades, from fruit crates in the Old Sabzi Mandi Sakhya Ground area of Karachi. No suspects have been detained.[15]
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Karachi police detained a suspected arms smuggler in the SITE area of the city on Saturday. The suspect provided information leading to the arrest of seven other people later that day.[16]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif departed Islamabad on Sunday for the United States, where he will attend the United Nation General Assembly.[17]
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During a press briefing at the White House on Monday, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes expressed optimism for the future of bilateral relations with Pakistan. He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif intends to be “very clear” about Pakistani interests and will work with the Obama Administration for resolution when differences arise.[18]
Domestic
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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shahmeem Wynne met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad on Saturday. Wynne briefed Sharif on unspecified military issues. Later, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt met with Sharif in Islamabad to discuss the Pakistan Air Force’s preparedness.[19]
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According to an Express Tribune report on Monday, the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan misinformed former President Asif Ali Zardari about available foreign exchange reserves. The resulting delay allegedly contributed Rs 500 million ($4.7 million) to the national debt due to an expensive campaign preventing the rupee’s devaluation.[20]
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Finance Minister Ishaq Dar informed the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) that the federal government has accepted the organization’s demands regarding the national budget. Dar’s decision follows the FPCCI’s threat last week of a nationwide strike if the government failed to resolve the “directionless” 2013-2014 budget. The FPCCI says the budget will jeopardize growth in trade and industry.[21]
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On Monday, the provincial government appointed Nasir Khan Durani as the Inspector General of Police of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Durani replaces Ehsan Ghani in the position.[22]
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On Tuesday, a multi-party committee authorized by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will meet to formulate its recommendations for increased civilian participation and control over cantonment boards. The party consists of three PML-N members and a representative from each of the following parties: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Awami National Party (ANP). The Federal Cabinet must approve the committee’s recommendations before the issue is brought before Parliament.[23]
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The minarets of an Ahmadi mosque in Sialkot, Punjab province, were destroyed by police on Saturday after protesters and local religious leaders complained. Ahmadis are a heterodox Muslim sect that faces heavy persecution in Pakistan. Pakistani law does not recognize them as Muslims.[24]
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According to a Saturday report in The Express Tribune, extortion of traders has become widespread in Pakistan. Traders often pay large sums of money to ensure their safety, and those who do not, face injury or death at the hands of the extortionists.[25]
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The Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) began a country-wide protest on Saturday against the arrest of Dr. Khadim Hussain Dhillon, the secretary general of the organization. Dhillon was arrested for entering Bhakkar district, Punjab despite being banned from the area.[26]
Iran-Pakistan Relations
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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will meet with Iranian President Hasan Rouhani on an unspecified date during the United Nations General Assembly.[27]
Militancy
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49 prisoners who are accused of terrorist activity were transferred from Central Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, to the high security Central Jail Faisalabad on Sunday. Five of the people transferred are American nationals who allegedly took part in the 2007 attack on Sargodha Airbase.[28]
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On Monday, army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Division Headquarters in Swat, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Kayani praised troops for their work in Malakand Division and offered prayers for military officials, including Major General Shanaullah Khan, killed by the TTP last week during an attack in Upper Dir district. Kayani also said that the Pakistan Army would continue its operations in Swat.[29]
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On Sunday, one person was killed and another injured by shelling from across the Afghanistan border into the Saidgi area of North Waziristan agency.[30]
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Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed gave a speech on Sunday in Ramzan Town, located in the Arifwala sub-district of the Pakpattan District in Punjab province. Saeed told his audience that jihad is necessary for all Muslims.[31]
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A bomb blast in Sibi, Balochistan injured 21 people on Sunday. The bomb was concealed in a motorcycle. No group has yet claimed responsibility.[32]
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A police van was bombed on Monday while on patrol in Pishin district, Balochistan. Seven people, including five policemen, died in the explosion.[33]
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Minister for Health Regulations, Services, and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar told the press on Monday that the Frontier Corps will provide security for polio vaccination campaigns in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.[34]
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A man in Shangla district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa accidentally detonated either a suicide vest or an improvised explosive device on Friday, killing himself. No one else was harmed.[35]
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Two people were killed in two different incidents on Friday in Karak district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The first incident involved a man who was captured, tortured, and killed by attackers who allegedly had a dispute with him. The second person was killed when gunmen opened fire on him. One person was also injured in this attack.[36]
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Unidentified gunmen killed five PTI workers on Friday at Jalozai camp, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for internally displaced persons. One of the five dead was Haji Mula Khel who was the PTI president for the camp.[37]
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A leader of the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) found a bomb near his house in Mandani, Charsadda district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday. He notified police, who defused the bomb.[38]
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On Saturday, the TTP released three doctors kidnapped in June near Zhob, Balochistan. A ransom of around $330,000 was reportedly paid.[39]
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On Saturday, Frontier Corps soldiers in the Kalat district of Balochistan province seized 800 tons of fertilizer from 16 trucks illegally transiting to Karachi. Fertilizer is used to make ammonium nitrate explosives, although no additional information was immediately available regarding the purpose of this shipment. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.[40]
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According to a The News report on Saturday, militants are growing increasingly powerful in Peshawar, to the extent that portions of the city are patrolled by bands of militants.[41]
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Five members of the militant group Lashkar-e-Islam died in Khyber agency on Sunday when an improvised explosive device they were constructing detonated unexpectedly. Two of the dead were commanders and one was a spokesperson for the group.[42]
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A leader of the ANP in Bula Khan, Buner district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was shot to death by unidentified assailants on Sunday.[43]
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Twelve militants were killed and two security personnel injured in a gun battle near the Afghanistan border in Lower Dir district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. A group of 15 to 20 militants was caught trying to cross the border by security forces and engaged for two hours.[44]
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Two members of the Khassadar Force were shot to death in Jamrud, Khyber agency on Sunday in separate incidents.[45]
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A fruit vendor in the Gulistan e Jauhar neighborhood of Karachi was shot to death on Sunday by two men riding motorcycles.[46]
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On Saturday, four gunmen on motorcycles killed two people and injured four outside a drug den in the Muslimabad neighborhood in Karachi.[47]
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An altercation on Monday between protestors and security personnel in Malir Town, Karachi, resulted in the death of a police official and injuries to six other people. The protestors were demonstrating against the death of a suspect in police custody on Sunday.[48]
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Rangers detained five suspects in Mehmoodabad, Karachi, on Sunday in connection with kidnappings for ransom.[49]
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Security personnel located and defused explosives in the SITE area of Karachi on Saturday night.[50]
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An unidentified attacker threw a small IED at the Orangi Town, Karachi office of the MQM on Sunday. No one was injured in the attack.[51]
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A bag of hand grenades was defused on Saturday in Karachi. Rangers found the bag and called a bomb disposal unit.[52]
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Two gunmen attacked the house of an administration and security officer of the Federal Government Polyclinic in Islamabad on Sunday. No one was injured.[53]
Canada-Pakistan Relations
