Marc Grossman begins first official trip; U.S. rejects Davis-Siddiqui swap; DeHaven’s bail denied; District in Afghanistan shelled by Pakistani military; U.S. considering radar systems along Afghan-Pakistani border; Pakistan hikes oil prices; Four tribesmen killed in NWA; Dawezai cleared of militants; Three tribesmen killed in Mohmand; Three militants fatally wounded by IED; Girls wounded in attack on college party; Schools attacked in Darra Adamkhel; PPP leader killed in Gilgit.
U.S.-Pakistani Relations
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Marc Grossman began his first official trip on Monday as the new U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Grossman will be traveling to London, Jeddah, Kabul, Islamabad and Brussels. In Kabul and Islamabad, Grossman is scheduled to speak with senior government officials, civil society members, and the local media.[i]
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Dawn reports on the Obama Administration’s rejection of Pakistan’s proposal to trade Raymond Davis for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently serving an eighty-six year term in a United States prison. The U.S. government reportedly declared that the possibility would not be entertained due to them being “two different cases.” Other proposals put forth by the Pakistani government include throwing out a case against an ISI chief in a New York court, and reparations being paid to the Davis victims’ families.[ii]
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On Monday, bail was denied to U.S. national Aaron Mark DeHaven by a Pakistani court. Public prosecutor Javed Ali stated that, “The bail application of Aaron Mark DeHaven has been rejected because he had no legal documents.” On Saturday, a court had decided that DeHaven would remain in custody for fourteen days.[iii]
Afghanistan-Pakistan Border
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Pajhwok Afghan News reports that Pakistani security forces shelled areas of Goshta district of eastern Nangarhar province, injuring an Afghan police officer. An Afghan police commander said that the shelling on Monday night also resulted in the displacement of five-hundred families, who migrated to safer areas. A spokesperson for the Pakistani military, Major General Athar Abbas, declared that, “We do not have any information in this regard.”[iv]
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Reuters reports that the U.S. is considering the use of radar systems , similar to the ones used on the U.S.-Mexico border, in order to monitor the Afghanistan-Pakistan boundaries. The move aims to stem the flow of Taliban fighters crossing from Pakistan into Afghanistan, over the 1,510-mile long border.[v]
Internal Politics
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On Tuesday, three main opposition parties walked out from the National Assembly in protest over the 9.9 percent increase in the price of oil products. Members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) argued that the increase in price would further intensify the already high prices in the country. The decision is expected to produce as much as $70 million (Rs. 6 billion) for the Pakistani government and is a policy which the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority deemed as necessary, due to instability in the Middle East and North Africa.[vi]
FATA
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On Tuesday, Taliban militants in North Waziristan killed four local tribesmen whom they accused of spying on behalf of the United States. The bodies were discovered in Miram Shah along with notes which read, “We killed them because they were spying for America, anyone who acts like this will face the same fate.”[vii]
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On Monday, the Political Agent of Mohmand Agency, Amjad Ali, declared that Dawezai area had been cleared of militants and 700 landmines had been defused in recent operations. Militants operating out of the Sagi, Anbar, and Dawezai areas were targeted by military operations and subsequently flushed out of the area. In addition, 987 displaced families have left from Danishkol and Nahaqi camps to return to their hometowns.[viii]
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Three people were killed and one wounded in two separate blasts in Mohmand on Tuesday. The first blast in Qandaro area fatally wounded a local tribesman, while the second in Ali Nigar area killed two local men. [ix]
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Three militants were killed in Mohmand on Monday while constructing an improvised explosive device. The bomb detonated prematurely in Ghanam Shah village, killing all three. Elsewhere in Khwezai sub-district, a man sustained injuries when a roadside bomb planted by militants exploded in Totakhel.[x]
Blasts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
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Fifteen girls were wounded in Mardan on Tuesday after militants opened fire and hurled grenades at a college party. Some of the victims remained in critical condition following the attack on the girls-only institution.[xi]
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Elsewhere, unknown militants attacked three schools in Darra Adam Khel on Sunday. The insurgents blew up a high school and two schools for girls in Tor Chappar area, while a dispensary and telephone exchange were also attacked. No casualties have been reported.[xii]
PPP Leader Killed in Gilgit
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A Pakistan’s Peoples Party (PPP) leader was killed in Gilgit on Sunday. The local leader, Mir Nawaz Khan, was shot to death by unidentified armed militants.[xiii]