Pakistan Security Brief - February 4, 2011

Peace treaty in Kurram; Nine militants killed in Orakzai; Cabinet to be dissolved; Troika meets to discuss security and economic situations; U.S. criticism over Davis case; Further clashes between Afghan and Pakistani troops; Blast in Lahore; Three arrested in Karachi; Man murdered in Jaffarabad; Three killings in Balochistan; Three bodies discovered in Khuzdar district, NYT: Pakistan has “ingredients for revolt.”

FATA

• A peace treaty has been signed between Sunni and Shia groups in Kurram Agency, aiming to end the four-year conflict between the communities. The accord will go into effect on February 5 with the reopening of the Thall-Parachinar Road and other key roads within the agency. The 220-member tribal jirga consisting of tribal elders and parliamentarians reportedly took two years to arrange a negotiated settlement between the two groups.  Malik Waris Khan Afridi, the former federal minister from Khyber Agency, said that the safe return of displaced tribesmen will be ensured by the government. Furthermore, he stated that the government will pay compensation to the affected people. [i]
• Three militants were killed in a shootout in the Kalaya sub-district of Orakzai Agency on Thursday. A group of insurgents had attacked a security checkpoint and opened fire on security personnel, killing one soldier. Fire was returned by the security officers, killing three militants in response. Also on Thursday, six militants and one security officer were killed in an exchange of fire in the Karghan area of Orakzai Agency. Four other militants were injured upon escaping from the scene.[ii]

Pakistani Politics

• On Friday, the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) authorized Prime Minister Gilani to dismiss the cabinet. The PPP Secretary General said, “President Zardari has given the authority to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani … to dissolve the cabinet whenever he wants.” At that point, all the ministers, advisors, and special assistants will no longer hold offices in the cabinet. The decision follows harsh condemnation that the cabinet is too large and expensive for a country facing economic difficulties.[iii]
• President Zardari, Prime Minister  Gilani, and the Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, met on Thursday to reportedly discuss the security situation in the country as well as the current financial situation. During the meeting, U.S.-Pakistani relations and the issue of Raymond Davis also came under discussion. According to sources, the troika was unanimous over letting the Davis matter proceed in the Lahore High Court.[iv]

U.S.-Pakistani Relations

• The U.S. government on Thursday criticized Islamabad for denying U.S. diplomat Raymond Davis a defense lawyer and translation support at the Lahore High Court. In a statement, a U.S. embassy spokesperson said, “This morning, the American diplomat was remanded in court without notice to the US government, without his lawyer present, and without translation assistance. He was denied due process and a fair hearing.” Meanwhile, investigators into the Davis murder case have submitted their preliminary report on the incident. Sources have told Geo News that the investigators did not find the claim of “self defense” credible and that Davis used a disproportionate amount of force.[v]

Afghan-Pakistani Clashes

• The News has reported that Pakistani and Afghan troops have again traded heavy artillery gunfire after Afghan forces fired mortar shells on Nawab Camp in North Waziristan on Thursday. According to local sources, the NATO and Afghan forces fired three shells, prompting retaliatory fire in the Gurbaz district. The clashes continued later that day when Afghan forces once again fired on Pakistani territory for a span of three hours. The sources say that Pakistani troops responded by firing on the Tor Khobay area in Afghanistan.[vi]

Blast in Lahore

• A blast in the Badami Bagh area of Lahore on Thursday has resulted in two deaths and twenty casualties. The explosion occurred near a Sufi shrine to Haider Sain. The bomb was a locally made remote-controlled device, which detonated when food was being distributed among the congregation. An investigation into the incident has commenced.[vii] 

‘Target Killings’ in Karachi

• Three men accused of conducting ‘target killings’ in Karachi have been arrested, according to local police officials. Police Superintendent Raja Umar Khattab said, "Two of the men have directly participated in the killings. We have been able to identify at least 13 people who were murdered by them." The third man is suspected to have been a major supplier of arms to groups involved in the recent killings.[viii]

Violence in Balochistan

• A man was killed in Jaffarabad when unknown gunmen opened fire on a van taking employees to the Uch gas field. Three others were injured in the attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident.[ix]
• Three men were killed in separate incidents in Quetta, Mastung, and Bolan districts. In Quetta, gunmen on a motorcycle gunned down a railway employee. The Balochistan Nationalist Liberation Army (BNLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack. In Mastung, assailants shot a person in what the police have termed as a ‘target killing.’ In Bolan district, a group of unidentified gunmen kidnapped a passenger in Mach town, later shooting him to death.[x]
• Three bodies were discovered in Khuzdar district by Levies officials on Thursday. The victims had been kidnapped weeks prior, and were found with bullet wounds and torture marks. An investigation into the incident has commenced.[xi]

“Ingredients for Revolt”

• A report Thursday in the New York Times analyzes the Egyptian ingredients for revolt, which some consider to be present in Pakistan. "Diplomats, analysts and other Pakistani officials admitted to unease, and conceded that Pakistan contained many of the same ingredients for revolt found in the Middle East -- and then some: an economy hollowed out by bad management and official corruption; rising Islamic religious fervor; and a poisonous resentment of the United States." The article questions when or how Pakistan’s population may be incited to take collective action in response to these issues.[xii]