Prime Minister Ashraf asks British Prime Minister for British weapons and equipment in Afghanistan; Indian Prime Minister says India concerned with security in Pakistan, considering boosting military; TTP and AI clash in Tirah Valley; UN Secretary General calls for India-Pakistan dialogue; CID announces TTP involved in IED attack on gas company in Karachi; NATO strike kills TTP militants in Afghanistan; Several dead in Karachi.

Indo-Pak Relations

  • On Tuesday, Mansoor Ahmed, a specialist from Quaid-e-Azam University’s Department of Defense and Strategic Studies, said that the surface to surface ballistic missiles Hatf-IX (Vengance-IX)/Nasr (Nasr) Pakistan tested on Monday are “evidence that Pakistan is leaning more heavily on its nuclear deterrent…relative to arch-rival India.”  He explained that the Nasr missiles were designed to avoid all counter-measures and be especially accurate and mobile, which, combined with their ability to carry nuclear warheads, is indication of a clear attempt to “maintain a semblance of deterrence stability” in the face of growing disparity in conventional capabilities between the two countries.[1]

  • Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said during a press release on Tuesday that India is very concerned with the “security situation” in Pakistan, and “India needed to improve its forces to meet the new security challenges in the region.”  Singh went on to say that, while India is committed to peace with Pakistan, conflicts like the Kashmir violence across the Line of Control (LoC) in January are antithetical to that process.[2]

  • On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson Martin Nesirky announced that Ban “called for a dialogue between India and Pakistan to ease the tensions in Indian-held Kashmir.”  Tensions are high in Kashmir after India executed Kashmiri militant Afzal Guru over the weekend, which caused riots and protests that killed three and injured dozens more.[3]

U.K.-Pakistan Relations

Militancy


 
[1] Usman Ansari, “Pakistan Test-Fires Tactical Nuclear Missile,” Defense News, February 12, 2013.  Available at  www.defensenews.com/article/20130212/DEFREG03/302120029/-1/7daysarchives/Pakistan-Test-Fires-Tactical-Nuclear-Missile
[2]“Pakistan’s internal security threats worry India,” The News International, February 13, 2013.  Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-87825-Concerned-over-Pakistans-internal-security%3a-Singh
[3] “UN chief calls for Indo-Pak dialogue to ease Kashmir tensions,” Express Tribune, February 13, 2013.  Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/506576/un-chief-calls-for-indo-pak-dialogue-to-ease-kashmir-tensions/
“Kashmir protests turn deadly after handing in New Delhi,” CS Monitor, February 10, 2013.  Available at www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0210/Kashmir-protests-turn-deadly-after-hanging-in-New-Delhi
[4] Murtaza Ali Shah, “Pakistan asks for British arms used in Afghanistan,” The News International, February 13, 2013.  Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-20929-Pakistan-asks-for-British-arms-used-in-Afghanistan
[5] “Six more militants killed in Tirah fighting,” The News, February 13, 2013. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-20941-Six-more-militants-killed-in-Tirah-fighting
“Battle for the valley: AI-TTP clash in Tirah leaves 19 dead,” Express Tribune, February 13, 2013. Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/506596/battle-for-the-valley-ai-ttp-clash-in-tirah-leaves-19-dead/
[6] “Pakistan Taliban involved in attacks on Karachi gas installations: Police,” Geo, February 13, 2013. Available at http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=87797
[7] “Nato air strike kills civilians in eastern Afghanistan, officials say,” The Guardian, February 13, 2013. Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/13/nato-air-strike-civilians-afghanistan
[8] “Karachi firing violence claims two dead,” Geo, February 13, 2013. Available at http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=87858
“Karachi violence claims three lives,” Dawn, February 13, 2013. Available at http://dawn.com/2013/02/13/karachi-violence-claims-four-lives-4/
[9] “Karachi firing violence claims two dead,” Geo, February 13, 2013. Available at http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=87858
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