Pakistan Security Brief

Pakistani military air strikes kill 44 suspected militants over two days in North Waziristan; TTP suicide bomber kills 4 in attack on Frontier Corps convoy in Peshawar; New ISI chief appointed with the approval of Prime Minister Sharif and army chief; Prime Minister Sharif leaves for U.N. General Assembly in New York; Punjab Governor rejects rumors he is resigning; PAT chief refuses to allow protestors to leave;  Prime Minister Sharif congratulates new Afghan President and Chief Executive; Outgoing Afghan President blames U.S., Pakistan for continuing conflict in Afghanistan; Top U.S. energy companies withdraw from TAPI pipeline project.

Militancy

• On September 23, Pakistan military air strikes killed 19 suspected militants in Dandi Kachkol near Ghulam Khan, Gurbaz and Mana near Pash Ziarat in North Waziristan as a part of the ongoing military offensive Operation Zarb-e-Azb.[1]

• On September 23, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle near a paramilitary Frontier Corps convoy in Peshawar, killing four people—including a security official—and injuring 14. The attack was targeting Brigadier Khalid Javed, the second-most senior officer in the FC. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, claimed responsibility for the attack and said that it was in reaction to the ongoing military offensive, Operation Zarb-e-Azb, in North Waziristan.[2] 

Domestic Politics

• According to a report in The News on September 23, a cabinet minister said that the new Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar, is a professional soldier and has been appointed with the complete agreement of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as well as Chief of Army Staff Gen. Raheel Sharif. The government also expects the new appointments in the Pakistan Army to add to the professionalism of the institution as well as improve civil-military relations.[3]

• According to a statement issued by Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif left for New York on September 23 to attend the 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He is expected to address the UN General Assembly on September 26 and also co-chair a UN peacekeeping summit.[4]

• According to a report in Dawn on September 23, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar rejected rumors that he is resigning from office over differences with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on governance issues.[5]

Political Crisis

• On September 22, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr. Tahirul Qadri refused to allow protestors in Islamabad, except those who are resident in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, to leave the protest site on Constitution Avenue in Islamabad. He had said on September 21 that he would tell his supporters the next day when they could finally go home.[6] 

Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations

• In a telephonic conversation on September 23, Prime Minister Sharif congratulated the new Afghan President-elect Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and future Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on their power-sharing “unity” deal. He assured Pakistan’s support to Afghanistan in promoting peace and reconciliation in the country. He also invited both leaders to visit Pakistan.[7]

• In a farewell speech made on September 23 ahead of the swearing-in of the new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, outgoing President Hamid Karzai blamed the U.S. and Pakistan for the continuing war with the Taliban-led insurgency in the country. He also warned the new government to be “extra cautious in relations with the U.S. and the West.” He claimed that there would be no peace in Afghanistan unless the U.S. or Pakistan wishes it be so.[8]

Energy

• According to a report in the Express Tribune on September 23, U.S. energy companies, Chevron and ExxonMobil, are have withdrawn themselves from contention to become consortium leaders in financing the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) pipeline, after Turkmenistan turned down their demand for an equity stake in the project. The Turkmenistan government is now negotiating with France’s Total and Malaysia’s Petronas companies to fill the gap. The 1,800 kilometer (1,118 miles) long pipeline will export natural gas from Turkmenistan to India after passing through Afghanistan and Pakistan.[9]