Pakistan Security Brief - February 15, 2013

TTP responds to APC conference, states that Pakistani government is not serious about negotiations; Corps commanders conference cautious about negotiations; Pakistani soldier killed along LoC, India returns body, imposes curfew; Pakistani officials dismiss Indian concerns over Gwadar Port; Pakistan tests the Haft II missile; Suicide bomber targets KP chief minister; Several dead in Karachi; Security forces kill eight militants in Orakzai Agency; US Ambassador says Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline does not concern U.S.; Pakistani reserves fall $154 million; American diplomat involved in accident; U.S. withdrawal attempts to use routes through Pakistan.

Taliban Negotiations

• On Thursday, an All Parties Conference (APC’s) convened by the Awami National Party (ANP) to discuss peace negotiations with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) made a statement saying that it was ready to engage any group that was ready to renounce violence and accept the constitution of Pakistan. The TTP rejected the APC’s outreach. The TTP’s spokesperson, Ehsanullah Ehsan on Friday called the ANP’s conference communique “nothing but old sentences and stories” and asserted that political parties in Pakistan were not serious about talking to the TTP. Ehsan further stated that the Jamaat-e-Islami’s refusal to attend the APC meant the conference was a failure. He accused the ANP of using the APC as an electoral ploy. According to Ehsan, the TTP has developed a negotiations team, but will not divulge its members’ names until it receives a serious response from the government. Ehsan also emphasized the TTP’s disapproval of the Pakistani media, stating that American-influenced journalists are discrediting the TTP’s peace offerings and should be held accountable for their actions.[1] 

• According to an AP report, security analysts in Pakistan maintain that the TTP is “fractured, strapped for cash, a losing support of local tribesmen.” The report claims that the varying agendas of the TTP’s factions have caused division within their ranks and that its peace overtures were “an attempt to regain stature, silence critics and gain concessions from a weak government heading into nationwide elections.” The TTP has repeatedly denied such claims and Ehsan stated on Friday that the peace offer is not a sign of weakness, but rather the offer was made for Islam and Pakistan’s best interests.[2]

• Military officials in Corps Commanders meeting, which took place on Thursday to discuss internal security, reportedly decided to adopt a “wait and watch” policy regarding negotiations with the Taliban. A military official stated that the commanders are taking a cautious approach and do not want to make any statement that may be “interpreted negatively” given that the civilian government was already deliberating on the issue.[3]

Indo-Pak Relations

• On Thursday, a Pakistani military official stated that a Pakistani soldier was shot and killed by Indian forces after accidentally crossing the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir. Lt. Col. Rajesh Kali, spokesperson for the Indian army in Kashmir, stated that the solider had begun firing and Indian soldiers were forced to return fire. The body of Akhlaq Ahmed, who was killed in the incident, was returned to Pakistan in a meeting in Laam Sector along the LoC. The incident disrupted sports and cultural events that were scheduled to take place in India. Indian authorities re-introduced a strict curfew in Indian-controlled Kashmir and did not allow for citizens to attend Friday prayer at the mosques fearing protests.[4]

• Pakistan officials dismissed Indian concerns over the handover of Gwadar Port to a Chinese company responding to recent statements by Indian Defense Minister AK Antony, who said that China’s control over the port could enable the Chinese Navy to exert pressure to gain control of geo-strategic region. A Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson said the concerns were “unwarranted” and China can play a role in stabilizing the region.[5]

• Foreign Office Spokesman Moazzam Ali Khan issued a statement during a weekly media briefing stating that although Pakistan seeks to improve relations between itself and India, there are disputes and issues that need to be resolved. Khan said that the only way to resolve the issues is through dialogue.[6]

Nuclear Tests

• An Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release on Friday stated that Pakistan tested a short range ballistic missile called the Hatf-II. The Haft II has a range of 180km (approximately 112 miles) and is capable of accurately delivering a nuclear warhead as well as conventional warheads.  On Monday, Pakistan tested the Hatf-IX with a range of 60km (approximately 37 miles). President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf reportedly congratulated the team of scientists and engineers that made the launch a success.[7]

Militancy

• On Friday, an unidentified suicide bomber detonated his explosives in front of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti’s convoy near College Chowk in Peshawar. Aside from the death of the attacker, no other loss of life was reported.[8] 

• In Karachi, one person was killed and a child injured on Friday due to firing by unidentified assailants in Baloch Goth area of Orangi town, Karachi. Four people were injured when an unknown assailant opened fire on a store in Khokhrapar. One police officer was injured in a firing incident near a religious centre in Kharadar. Another man was injured in a firing incident by unknown assailants in Awami Colony of Korangi. One person was also killed in Hyderi in a shooting incident.[9]

• On Friday, police forces recovered a body in a sewage drain in Surjani Town, Karachi.[10]

• Pakistani security forces killed at least eight militants in an operation conducted in Mamuzai area of Orakzai agency on Friday. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was also involved in the operation and destroyed two militant hideouts. [11]

• On Thursday, a man was killed in a firing incident by unknown attackers in the Sohbatpur area of Jafarabad district ofBalochistan.[12]

• On Friday, an unknown sniper shot and killed an Elite Forces commando and injured another in Katarian, Rawalpindi while security forces were conducting a search. Two civilians were also killed in the firing incident.[13]

Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline

• The Adviser to the Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources, Dr. Asim Hussain, said that Pakistani officials will sign an agreement over the construction of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline on Friday. The pipeline is projected to bring 750 million cubic feet of gas to Pakistan daily. U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Richard Olson, stated that the pipeline is a commercial deal between Iran and Pakistan and does not concern the U.S.[14]

Afghan Withdrawal

• A report published by the New York Times on Friday states that one of the main obstacles in the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is withdrawing over $28 billion worth of equipment. The report states that although Pakistan offers the cheapest route to the closest seaport, the routes are not reliable. U.S. Army General Stein stated that the military has been sending test shipments to determine the reliability of the routes, however, problems along the Afghan-Pakistan border caused delays.[15]

Pakistan Reserves Fall

• Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $154 million, not including a $146 million  payment to the IMF, officials from State Bank of Pakistan said on Thursday.[16]     

Diplomatic Accident 

• An American diplomat was involved in a car crash in Islamabad which resulted in the death of a Pakistani civilian. Officials from the U.S. Embassy released a statement which said "The U.S. Embassy wishes to extend its heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this tragedy," and will fully cooperate in the investigation.[17]