800 killings in Karachi this year; Navy moves battleships away from PNS Mehran; Rangers plead not guilty to Sarfaraz Shah killing; U.S. aid to Pakistan at risk; Mumbai attacks likely perpetrated by Indian Mujahideen; Zardari will not announce Seraiki province; Patek to be sent back to Indonesia “soon”; Terrorist plot foiled; Kharotabad incident remains a mystery; Balochistan religious students harvest poppy in Afghanistan during summers.
Karachi
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On Friday, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) stated that 800 people have been killed in Karachi so far this year. HRCP believes that 300 of the killings occurred in July. As violence continues, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Farooq Sattar has asked the National Assembly to establish a judicial commission to investigate the violence. Sattar presented a list of 500 people allegedly responsible for acts of violence in Karachi. He blamed “terrorists from the northern areas and local mafia” for the recent spike in violence.[i]
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In response to the recent attack on the PNS Mehran, the Pakistani navy has reportedly moved battleships to Ormara, Balochistan. Vice Admiral Javed Iqbal (retd.) denied the battleships were moved out of fear and said the move would give the navy “strategic depth.”[ii]
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On Thursday, the six paramilitary Rangers accused of murdering an unarmed youth, Sarfaraz Shah, pled not guilty. The Rangers fired upon Shah when, according to their account, he reached for one of their rifles while resisting arrest. A video of the incident, which provoked widespread public outrage, shows Shah pleading to be taken to the hospital after he was shot. The Rangers have claimed they did, in fact, take Shah to the hospital, and they waited there until he died.[iii]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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A Washington Post report details the issue of U.S. aid in Pakistan. While Congress is debating whether or not to cut aid to Pakistan, Pakistan is lamenting the slow rate at which aid has been delivered thus far. Many U.S. politicians have complained that the billions of dollars spent in Pakistan have not coincided with a sufficient crackdown on terrorism in the country. Pakistan emphasizes the need for more civilian aid and a greater focus on economic development.[iv]
Mumbai Bombings
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On Thursday, Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram told India’s parliament he believed an India-based group was responsible for the July 13 bombings in Mumbai. Police initially said the bombing’s tactics resembled those used by the Indian Mujahideen (IM), a militant offshoot of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) that is allegedly linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The death toll of the bombings currently stands at twenty-six.[v]
Zardari Will Not Announce New Province
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On Thursday, presidential spokesmen Farhatullah Babar dispelled rumors that President Asif Ali Zardari would announce the establishment of a new Seraiki province on Independence Day. Zardari cannot announce the establishment of a new province until “a resolution is passed by the provincial assembly concerned by a two-thirds majority,” according to Babar. The National Assembly must also approve the resolution.[vi]
Patek to Be Extradited “Soon”
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Umar Patek, a suspect in the 2002 Bali bombing, will be sent to Indonesia soon, according to Indonesia’s foreign minister. Patek was arrested in Abbottabad on January 25 of this year. It has been announced several times in the last few weeks that he would be sent to Indonesia to stand trial, but he remains in Pakistani custody where he is reportedly providing investigators with useful information.[vii]
Terrorist Plot Foiled
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On Thursday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced that the Pakistani authorities had foiled a terrorist plot to assassinate politicians throughout the country by planting explosives in perfume bottles. The assassinations were meant to take place during Ramadan.[viii]
Balochistan
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On Thursday, Al Jazeera published a report detailing the controversy surrounding the May 17 shooting of five foreigners in Kharotabad. Frontier Corps (FC) personnel fired upon the foreigners, among whom were two women, because they believed they were suicide bombers.[ix]
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The Express Tribune reports that hundreds of religious students from madrasas in Balochistan work on poppy farms in Afghanistan during summers to make money. Students make as much as $2,000 in a summer of work.[x]