Zardari meets with Ayatollah Khamenei to discuss Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, U.S. officials warn Pakistan against pursuing deal with Iran; Pakistan yet to ship wheat to Iran; India contemplating building new missile testing sites; APC Conference calls for peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban; Pakistan to shut Afghan border checkpoints; Hazara community aims to develop security force; IEDs destroy four schools in Mohmand agency; Police officer killed in Mohmand agency; rangers arrest seven suspects in Karachi; U.S. Congressman asks for release of Dr. Afridi; Indian External Affairs Minister dismisses Chuck Hagel’s comments linking India to terrorism against Pakistan from Afghanistan.
Iran-Pakistan Relations
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During a meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday, Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stressed that the proposed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline should go ahead as planned and urged the Pakistani President to ignore U.S. pressure to cancel the project. The two leaders agreed to complete the construction of the pipeline within the next 15 months. The $7.5 billion project is contentious in part because the U.S. is threatening sanctions against Pakistan if it cooperates with Iran. U.S. State Department spokesperson Patrick Ventrell released a statement on Thursday urging Pakistan to seek out other solutions to its energy problems rather than turning to Iran, and saying it is in Pakistan’s best interest to avoid the possibility of sanctions. [1]
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According to an article published by Dawn on Thursday, Pakistan has yet to ship any wheat to Iran in accordance with an agreement made last August. According to the report, the delay could be because of sanctions placed on Iran and upcoming general elections in Pakistan.[2]
India-Pakistan Relations
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On Wednesday, officials from India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) proposed to establish two more missile testing sites in Rutland Island and Nagayalanka in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh stating that the Orissa missile testing site is overloaded. Defence Minister A.K. Antony said that the proposed sites are still in the initial planning state.[3]
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On Wednesday, the Pakistani army started an investigation examining the alleged torture and death of Ali Murtaza, a Kashmiri man who died last week while in the custody of the Pakistan Army near Kotli sector in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. Murtaza’s family believes that he was tortured and killed by members of the Pakistan Army. According to witness accounts, Murtaza was taken away by intelligence officials for reportedly straying too near the Line of Control. [4]
Taliban Peace Talks
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On Thursday, an All Party Conference (APC), hosted by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazur Rehman, called for peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban as soon as possible. Members from major political parties and tribal representatives convened for the conference in Islamabad, and expressed their confidence that negotiations could restore peace to the region. During the conference, Rehman stressed the importance of including the military in peace talks, stating that negotiations would be useless if the military was not involved. [5]
Pak-Afghan Relations
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Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the press on Wednesday that because Afghanistan has not installed a biometric system at its checkpoints on the border, Pakistan will shut down all cross-border checkpoints starting March 8. Malik explained that only those people with valid visas will be permitted to cross the border.[6]
Hazara Community Security Force
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On Thursday, members of the Hazara community in Quetta announced that the Hazara community is planning on taking up arms in response to recent attacks targeting the Shia minority group. Members of the community have vowed to set up their own security apparatus to counter Sunni terrorist groups. A chairman of the Hazara community scouts said that around 200 volunteers currently perform part-time security duties under the name of Syed-ul-Shohada Scouts but cannot afford to work full-time. The chairman added that the community is trying to establish a system to financially compensate the scouts in order to create a standing force.[7]
Militancy
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Improvised explosive devices (IED) exploded at four different schools in Mohmand Agency on Thursday. No one was injured in the attack. According to an intelligence official in Mohmand agency, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was responsible for the attack.[8]
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On Wednesday, a police officer was killed during a raid on the hideout of Pir Muhammad, a suspected criminal, in Prang Ghar sub-district of Mohmand agency.[9]
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Unidentified assailants shot and killed two people on Ghundi Road in Jamrud sub-district of Khyber agency on Wednesday.[10]
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On Wednesday, two unidentified assailants attacked a security forces officer and seized the officer’s sub-machine gun near Baraich Town, Quetta. In response, the police cordoned and searched the area for the offenders.[11]
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In Karachi, unidentified assailants threw a hand grenade inside the Shah Faisal police station on Thursday. A police station in Baloch Colony was also attacked by unidentified assailants who threw a hand grenade at the station and caused damage to the exterior wall. No was killed or injured in either attack. Pakistani Rangers conducted a targeted operation in Bukhara Colony of Orangi Town, Karachi arresting seven suspects and recovering 12 weapons. Rangers also conducted a raid in Shah Latif Town and reportedly recovered a large quantity of explosive material. [12]
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On Thursday, officials from the Interior Ministry discussed placing Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) chief Malik Muhammad Ishaq on the Exit Control List, Pakistan’s travel ban list, in response to reports suggesting that he may attempt to leave Pakistan. Ishaq was arrested soon after the Quetta attacks on the Hazara community and placed under “preventive detention” under a law governing “the Maintenance of Public Order” along with 119 other members of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP). .[13]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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A press statement released Wednesday described a recent bill introduced into the U.S. House in which U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher calls Dr. Afridi, a Pakistani doctor who ran a fake vaccination campaign on behalf of the CIA as part of efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden, an American hero and calls for his immediate release from Pakistani prison. Afridi is currently in jail serving a 30 year sentence for cooperating with the CIA.[14]
Secretary of Defense Hagel Statement Controversy
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On Wednesday, Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid dismissed U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s 2011 statement linking India to supporting terrorism in Afghanistan. Khurshid said the India’s response on Monday which reiterated Indian commitment to fighting terrorism remained the official position, and went on to say that “[Hagel] made no such statement…I cannot react to something he said about two years ago.”[15]