Munter tried to stop March 17 drone strike; U.S. and Pakistan working to resolve travel restrictions dispute; Pakistan opposes U.S. plan for nuclear material cutoff; Ludin: Afghan peace requires Pakistani cooperation; Former Afghan intel chief: Musharraf rejected reports of al Qaeda safe-houses near Abbottabad; Pakistan attempts to salvage relationship with China after Xinjiang attacks; Fifty-eight killed in Karachi since last Friday; Drone kills four in N. Waziristan; Explosives meant for attack kill two young boys; Seraiki province effort gains momentum.
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter called Washington to try to stop a drone strike scheduled for March 17, the day after CIA contractor Raymond Davis was released. Munter was concerned that launching a drone attack the day after Pakistan released Davis, who was accused of killing two Pakistanis, would further anger an already infuriated Pakistani government and people. Then CIA director Leon Panetta rejected Munter’s plea and went ahead with the strike, according to anonymous U.S. Officials.[i]
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Reuters reports that the U.S. and Pakistan are working to resolve a difference of opinion regarding Pakistan’s recent imposition of strict travel restrictions for diplomats in the country. Pakistan insists the restrictions are meant to ensure the safety of all diplomats working the country, not just those from the U.S. The U.S. argues that diplomats are granted the right to move freely, especially between consulates and the embassy, by the Vienna Convention. U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Marc Grossman told reporters after a meeting with Afghan and Pakistani officials that he was confident the U.S. would be able to come to an agreement with Pakistan that would satisfy both parties.[ii]
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A U.S.-led effort in the U.N. to halt nuclear bomb material production has once again put the U.S. at odds with Pakistan. Pakistan’s acting representative to the U.N. Raza Bashir Tarar has said that no plans should be discussed within the Conference on Disarmament which are “contrary to the security interests of any . . . member state.”[iii]
Pak-Afghan Relations
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After attending trilateral talks with Pakistan and the U.S. in Islamabad, Afghan deputy foreign minister Jawed Ludin told reporters Afghanistan needed Pakistani help in reaching out to the Taliban and bringing peace to Afghanistan. Ludin stated that while Afghanistan has been successful in reaching out to some low to mid-level insurgents, it remains difficult to contact their leaders, many of whom could be hiding in Pakistan.[iv]
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Former head of Afghan intelligence Amrullah Saleh told CNN that Afghan intelligence operatives discovered potential al Qaeda leadership safe-houses in Pakistan only to have their reports disregarded by former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. The safe-houses were located in Mansehra, a town just sixteen miles away from Abbottabad, where Osama bin Laden was eventually found and killed. Musharraf refused to act on the intelligence, stating that he would not conduct a door-to-door search in an otherwise peaceful area. Saleh went on to claim that the Taliban leader was “with” the Pakistani government and that Pakistan could capture him whenever they wanted without a military operation.[v]
China-Pakistan Relations
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Reuters reports that Pakistan’s reactions to China’s claim that recent attacks in Xinjiang were perpetrated by militants trained in Pakistan shows how much Pakistan values its relationship with China, perhaps to a fault. Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (DG-ISI) Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha immediately left for China to express Pakistan’s dedication to fighting militants that threaten China. Such a high-level of cooperation and quick response is not usually extended to the U.S. The Reuters report emphasizes that Pakistan should be careful in their new partnership with China because China interests in the region extend beyond Pakistan and it is unlikely to sacrifice its interests vis-à-vis India or its own “deep relationship” with the U.S. for the sake of Pakistan.[vi]
Karachi
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As of Wednesday, fifty-eight people have been killed in Karachi in the last five days. The government is offering a reward of 10 million Pakistani rupees ($115,000) to anyone who has information about those committing the violence. The Express Tribune reports that Pashtun and Seraiki people in Surjani area have begun fighting, adding to the violence already taking place between Pashtuns and Mohajirs. The paramilitary Rangers are reportedly preparing for an aggressive operation to clear the city of violent criminals responsible for recent bloodshed.[vii]
FATA
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On Tuesday, a drone strike killed four militants in Qutub Khel, three miles east of Miram Shah. The drone fired two missiles at a vehicle carrying the militants. No details are available yet on the target of the strike.[viii]
Balochistan
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On Monday, two young boys were killed near Quetta when explosives they were carrying went off. The boys, aged eleven and twelve-years-old, were given an envelope set to explode and told to place it in a crowded market. Those responsible for giving the boys the envelope have yet to be identified.[ix]
Seraiki Province Push
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Dawn reports that the push for the establishment of a Seraiki province is “picking up momentum.” The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are seeking to pick up votes in Seraiki areas. The Seraikis are an ethnic group focused in southern Punjab which has been neglected by the provincial government in the past.[x]