Car bomb targeting Shia community in Karachi kills 40, injures another 150; Interior Minister says prior intelligence warning of imminent attack was disseminated; Witnesses in Benazir Bhutto assassination case threatened by TTP; Pakistani security forces kill 15 militants in Khyber and Orakzai agencies; Several dead in Karachi; Two IEDs detonate at cell phone stores in Mohmand agency; TTP threatens shop owners; ; 95 people detained in Islamabad. Afghan President says Pakistan is not sincere in its fight against terrorism;; Pakistan’s Foreign Minister says Pakistan supports Taliban negotiations in Qatar; Pakistani military to rebuild South Waziristan; Punjab government provided LeJ leader with monthly stipend; Pakistani ambassador to Germany says Pakistan has learnt from past mistakes in Afghanistan; Hafiz Khan found guilty.
Karachi Bombing
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On Sunday, a 150kg car bomb killed at least 40 people and left another 150 injured in Abbas Town, Karachi. The bomb destroyed parts of two apartment building and several shops, burying the victims in debris. According to a senior Karachi police official, the bomb targeted a Shia Muslim neighborhood and detonated as people were leaving a mosque after evening prayers. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but according to press reports, suspicion fell heavily on Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), the group which claimed responsibility for the Quetta bombing which killed around 90 Shia Muslims on February 16th. On Monday, several Sunni and Shia political organizations called a strike while the Punjab government announced a day of mourning; most businesses and public services remained closed as funerals were scheduled for Monday. During the funeral procession two participants were shot and killed while several others were injured when unidentified assailants opened fire into the crowd. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson, Ehsanullah Ehsan, on Sunday stated that the TTP was not involved in the attack, though he did not condemn the attack either.[1]
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In response to the bombing, Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced on Monday that he had provided prior intelligence of an imminent attack on Karachi. Malik asked the Sindh inspector general (IG) why security was not maintained at an elevated level in order to stop the attack. He also stated that the Punjabi Taliban was behind the attack on Karachi. Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has scheduled a hearing on the Karachi bombing for Wednesday. Chaudhry also requested a report on the attack from Sindh Police’s Advocate and Inspector Generals. In the meantime, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah announced the formation of a six-member committee led by the Criminal Investigation Department’s Inspector General to investigate the attack.[2]
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Following the blast on Sunday, the Shia Ulema Council leader Allama Nazir Abbas demanded that the government carry out targeted operations against LeJ and Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP) in Karachi.[3]
Afghan-Pakistan Relations
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In response to a statement made by Tahir Ashrafi, a Pakistani cleric appointed by the Pakistani government to participate in Afghan peace conferences, who stated that suicide attacks in Afghanistan are justified because of NATO’s occupation of the country, Afghan President Hamid Karzai stated on Monday that the Pakistani government shared Ashrafi’s views and was not sincere about fighting terrorism. Ashrafi, however, told the Associated Press that his statements had been taken out of context while a spokesperson Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry stated that statements made by Pakistani citizens in their private capacities do not reflect the government’s position. [4]
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On Saturday, Abdul Basit, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Germany, stated that Pakistan has learnt from its past mistakes in Afghanistan and will continue to pursue an Afghan-led peace process. Basit said that unless the situation in Afghanistan is stable, Pakistan will not be able to solve its own domestic issues. [5]
Taliban Negotiations
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In response to a TTP announcement issued on Friday, which stated that the TTP expressed confidence in the conclusion of the All Parties Conference, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman stated that he appreciated the response from the TTP . He also said that the western border of Pakistan is insecure because of the erroneous policies of the Pakistani government.[6]
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Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar announced on Monday that the Pakistani government completely supports the opening of an office in Qatar to facilitate discussion between the Afghan Taliban, the Hamid Karzai administration, and the United States. Pakistan initially opposed opening the office.[7]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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A report published by The News on Monday states that officials from Pakistan’s foreign office recently issued a statement to the United States stating Pakistan’s indifference to the threat of U.S. sanctions regarding the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline. A senior foreign office official stated that Pakistani officials believe that the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline is beyond the scope of UN sanctions and are “ready to face economic sanctions for the sake of the people of Pakistan.”[8]
Benazir Bhutto Assassination Case
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On Saturday, two witnesses in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case testified in front of the Anti-Terrorist Court in Rawalpindi stating that they have received threats from TTP warning them to not testify in the case. Another witness who may have received similar threats refused to present himself in court. The Anti-Terrorist Court Judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman demanded that the interior ministry provide the witnesses protection until the hearing and requested the presence of the remaining witnesses on Monday.[9]
Terrorism in Pakistan
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A Bloomberg report published on Sunday examines the connections between politicians and radical groups in Pakistan and how politicians use extremist groups to exert power. The report states that the provincial government of Punjab, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), paid a monthly stipend to Malik Ishaq, the leader of LeJ, to yield votes for the upcoming elections. Ishaq was recently detained for his connection to the Quetta bombing which killed around 90 people on February 16th.[10]
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On Monday, NBC News published a report exploring the effects of recent security operations and the current state of affairs in North and South Waziristan. According to the report, Waziristan is one of the least developed places in Pakistan and a number of people turn to criminal activities or militancy to earn a living. According to the report, the Pakistani military is pushing a number of development programs in order to wean people away from supporting the Taliban. The report states that the Pakistan army will also be utilizing USAID funds to build roads connecting isolated communities.[11]
Militancy
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Pakistani security forces killed at least 15 suspected militants during raids on Sunday. At least seven suspects were killed in the Sipah Lakhkar area of Khyber agency by ground forces. Another eight militants, including a commander, were killed in the Arghanjo and Sama Bazar areas of Orakzai agency. Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets also destroyed three militant hideouts in the Tirah Valley, Khyber agency.[12]
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In Karachi, police forces conducted targeted operations detaining five suspects on Sunday. A body was recovered in the Essa Nagri area. On Saturday, 12 people were killed in various incidents around the city and an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in Sohrab Goth. A man was shot and killed in Green Town in Shah Faisal Colony. Two people were killed in a firing incident by unidentified assailants near Sabri Chowk. A doctor was shot and killed in a clinic in Kati Pahari. One person was killed in a firing incident in Khwaja Ajmair Nagri and another near Shahid Coach Adda in Quaidabad. A man was shot and killed in Hasan Square. Police recovered the bodies of three gunshot victims in Musharraf Colony and another two on Suparco Road. On Saturday, an IED detonated in the Ahsanabad area of Sohrab Goth. A bomb disposal squad responded to the incident and found another undetonated IED in the area. Two people were injured in Clifton when unidentified assailants opened fire outside a shopping mall. On Friday, Pakistani Rangers recovered a large cache of explosives and weapons in Orangi town.[13]
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On Saturday, about 60 cell-phone store owners in Peshawar received threats from the Pakistani Taliban warning them to either stop selling various electronic devices or face dire consequences. The Taliban, in a note, accused the vendors of selling un-Islamic materials and becoming “centers of shamelessness.”[14]
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On Saturday, two IEDs detonated at two different cell phone shops in Halimzai sub-district, Mohmand agency destroying the shops. No injuries or deaths were reported. [15]
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On Sunday, a bomb disposal unit defused an improvised explosive device (IED) in Karkhano Market, Peshawar.[16]
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One person was killed and another injured during a firing incident by unidentified assailants in Jamil Chowk, Peshawar on Sunday.[17]
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In Balochistan, the bodies of two gunshot victims were recovered on Sunday. At least four people were killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on a vehicle on Rodban Bridge [18]
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On Saturday, the police and the Frontier Corps captured six suspects in a joint raid conducted in Quetta. The FC and police also recovered several weapons and ammunition during the raid.[19]
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In Islamabad, police on Saturday detained 95 people during a search operation and impounded 35 motorcycles. On Sunday, police arrested 14 people suspected of various crimes throughout the city on Sunday. Police recovered 42 weapons and over 2.5kg of hashish.[20]
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On Sunday, a family of four was found dead in a house in Muslim Chowk, Green Town, Lahore.[21]
Indo-Pak Relations
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On Monday, a report by DNA India states that Indian Defence Minister AK Antony claimed that Pakistan has violated the Line of Control (LoC) ceasefire agreement 93 times in 2012.[22]
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On Sunday, Indian officials asked their Pakistani counterparts to obtain No Objection Certificates (NOC) from New Delhi for building hydropower plants that involve international funding in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.[23]
Florida Terrorism Case
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On Monday, Hafiz Khan, a Muslim cleric charged with supporting the Pakistani Taliban was found guilty on four charges, two conspiracy counts and two counts of providing material support to terrorists. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment, Khan will face sentencing on the 30th of May.[24]
Polio Strike
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On Sunday, the female staff of the polio vaccination health department refused to continue working in the polio immunization campaign following announcements by local citizens prohibiting woman from entering homes.[25]