Private intelligence claims Mullah Omar rushed to medical care by ISI; Pakistani soldiers killed in North Waziristan; U.S. drone attack kills five; Senior official claims 80% of Kurram cleared of militants; Six soldiers injured in FATA explosion; Jirga in North Waziristan; Leaflets warn against joining Pakistani military; Gilani: no talks to be held with militants; 600 arrests in Karachi search operation; 7.2 magnitude earthquake wracks Pakistan; Explosion in Peshawar; Four militants arrested in Mingora; TNSM chief indicted in Peshawar; Four killed in Quetta explosion; Report issued on dangers of rising population.
Mullah Omar Allegedly Suffers Heart Attack
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According to the Washington Post, a private intelligence network known as The Eclipse Group has reported that Mullah Omar, the leader of the Afghan Taliban, suffered a heart attack on January 7th. He was allegedly treated by a Karachi physician, after being rushed to the hospital by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The Eclipse report contends that Omar is currently recovering at an ISI-run safe house in Karachi. Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, has strongly denied that the report has any factual basis and said that “Pakistani intelligence, military and law enforcement personnel continue to hunt down wanted Al-Qaeda and Taliban figures and will apprehend anyone if and when we have hard intelligence, which is very different from speculation circulated by contractors."[i]
FATA
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Three Pakistani soldiers were killed and three others injured in a rocket attack launched by Taliban militants on Tuesday in North Waziristan. The rocket attack took place at a security forces camp in Razmak. Elsewhere in North Waziristan, a U.S. drone attack killed five Taliban fighters after hitting a militant compound in Asar village in Datta Khel sub-district. Intelligence officials have reported that the drone fired three missiles at the complex, which was situated five kilometers from the Afghan border.[ii]
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A senior official has claimed that 80 percent of Kurram Agency has been cleared of militants, during an ongoing operation. Commandant Kurram Militia Col. Tauseef Akhtar asserted that, “We have almost purged Kurram Agency of militants. The remaining areas will soon be cleared.” In addition, Akhtar said that a helicopter service between Peshawar and Parachinar has commenced, circumventing the closure of the Thall-Parachinar Road.[iii]
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Six soldiers were injured by a blast in North Waziristan. The bomb was triggered by a remote control, which exploded near a Dangin checkpoint on Sunday. An investigation into the incident has commenced.[iv]
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A North Waziristan ‘peace Jirga’ met on Monday to condemn a recent militant attack on a Frontier Corps convoy. Local sources claim that the Jirga guaranteed the Pakistani government its continual allegiance to the pledges made in the peace accords, on behalf of local tribesmen.[v]
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Militants in North Waziristan disseminated pamphlets on Sunday, cautioning local tribesmen against joining Pakistani security forces. The leaflets distributed by ‘Ameer and Shura of the Mujahideen, North Waziristan,’ the Taliban faction headed by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, warned that the recruitment of tribesmen by the government will lead to a civil war in the area. The pamphlet further stated that, “If anyone violate[s] our instruction and enlist[s] in the security forces, he would be responsible for the consequences. We will not entertain any complaint by such person in case of harm.”[vi]
No Talks with Militants
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Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani claimed Wednesday that no talks would be held with militants and that dialogue would only be held with insurgents who surrender to the government. Gilani also asserted that Pakistan was in danger from the presence of “terrorism and extremism” in the country, and that the security condition was having an adverse effect on Pakistan’s economy.[vii]
‘Target Killings’ in Karachi
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During the course of a search operation in Karachi aimed at stemming the rising tide of politically motivated assassinations, over 600 suspects have been arrested and dozens of arms seized in Orangi Town. The five-hour operation on Tuesday led to six alleged ‘target killers’ being arrested, after a wave of ethnic and political violence that wracked Karachi over the weekend. Violence has continued in the city, with four reportedly killed and three injured over the last twenty four hours.[viii]
Major Earthquake in SW Pakistan
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A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit a remote region of southwest Pakistan on Wednesday, resulting in tremors felt as far away as Dubai and Delhi. The earthquake’s epicenter was in a remote area of Baluchistan province, about two hundred miles south of Quetta. The closest town to the quake’s center was Dalbandin, but it is currently unknown if the city suffered any damage. Local news outlets have reported that the quake was felt in other provinces in Pakistan, causing panic in both Karachi and Quetta.[ix]
Explosion in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
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An explosion in Peshawar has resulted in one fatality and eleven injured. Police officials affirmed that the bomb was planted in a horse cart parked near a school. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.[x]
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Four militants were apprehended in Mingora, Swat on Tuesday during a door-to-door search operation. The militants were arrested during an unannounced curfew in Kuza Bandai.[xi]
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An anti-terrorism court in Peshawar has indicted Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad with terror charges. He is currently behind bars for campaigning to institute a callous version of sharia in Malakand division for the last twenty years.[xii]
Violence in Balochistan
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Four people were killed in Quetta in two separate explosions in Loralai district and Mand. The Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the attacks.[xiii]
Dangers of Rising Population
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Official figures have been released, projecting Pakistan to become the sixth most populated nation by 2015. The population is predicted to reach 191 million, up from the current population of 170 million. In a nation that has recently dealt with militancy, an unstable economy, and flooding, officials are concerned for a further drain on resources. The population growth has been attributed to a lack of access to family planning methods as well as the unwillingness of many families to consider using contraception due to religious beliefs.[xiv]