Pakistan Security Brief-October 26, 2010
Richard Holbrooke phones President Zardari; Six militants and one soldier killed in Orakzai gun battle; Pakistan labeled as 34th most corrupt country in the world.
US-Pakistan Relations
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Special U.S. Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, phoned Pakistani President Asif Zardari early this morning. The phone calls was intended as a follow-up to last week’s three day summit meeting in Washington that aimed to improve the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan. According to reports, Holbrooke and Zardari also discussed the regional security situation, the militant threat in Pakistani’s tribal areas, and the tempo of flood rehabilitation efforts.[1]
FATA
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Six militants and one Pakistani solider were killed during fighting in Orakzai agency on Tuesday. According to government officials, a gun battle broke out after militants attacked a contingent of Pakistani soldiers assigned to the tribal agency. A significant number of Pakistani soldiers remain in Orakzai following last March’s military operation to root out militants. Today’s firefight comes just day after a roadside bomb killed six Frontier Corps soldiers on patrol in Orakzai. [2]
Transparency Report
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According to the 2010 annual report by Transparency International, Pakistan is the 34th most corrupt country in the world. Pakistan has grown more corrupt over the last year, falling eight spaces from last year’s ranking of 42. The Transparency International corruption ranking is a calculated by statistically qualifying various surveys, independent reports from institutions from like the World Bank, and the testimony of expert analysts.[3]