Kidnapped ICU vice chancellor appeals for release; Religious Affairs Minister escapes targeted killing; Forces kill 25 in Orakzai and Khyber operations; Four killed in Karachi violence; Rangers arrest suspects in Karachi operation; Bin Laden’s son-in-law pleads not guilty; Brennan’s nomination to lead CIA approved; Sufi shrine leader to protest Ashraf’s visit to India; Kayani hosts Pakistan Army Corps Commanders Conference; JUI-F expects breakthrough in Taliban negotiations; Anti-terrorism bill passed in National Assembly; ISI contractors file contempt of court case against chief; U.S. warns Pakistan of sanctions; China to provide infrastructure aid to Pakistan.
Militancy
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Punjab Minister for Religious Affairs Haji Ehsanuddin Qureshi escaped an attack unscathed when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle in Multan, Punjab. [1]
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Security forces in Upper Orakzai and Khyber agency killed at least thirteen militants in three linked operations on Friday. In Orakzai, forces led two raids that killed eight militants and destroyed two hideouts. In the Tirah valley, Khyber agency, soldiers killed at least five militants and wounded several more, destroying three hideouts. [2]
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On Thursday, Pakistani Air Force (PAF) jets bombed and killed twelve militants in Inzar Mela, Jandri Kalle and Adu Khel areas of Mamuzai, Upper Orakzai. Four militant hideouts were destroyed in the operation. [3]
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Friday morning, unknown gunmen opened fire in Shah Faisal colony, Karachi, killing one man and injuring two more. Another man was shot and killed in Azimpura. Landhi residents turned two target killers over to the police on Thursday after the gunmen opened fire on a religious leader. The attackers failed to hurt the Imam, and locals caught, disarmed, and tortured them before handing them off to police. [4]
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On Thursday, Rangers arrested several suspects in a detention operation in the Garden area, Karachi. [5]
Al Qaeda Leader Captured
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In New York, Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, pleaded not guilty on Friday to allegations of conspiring to kill U.S. citizens. Ghaith was arrested in Jordan for his previous role as a spokesperson for al Qaeda and transferred to U.S. custody on February 28th. He has been appointed three lawyers to preside over his defense and faces life in prison if convicted. [6]
John Brennan Selected for CIA Head
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On Thursday, the U.S. Senate approved John Brennan’s nomination to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). [7]
Karachi Bombing
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On Friday, a five-member bench resumed the hearing on the Karachi bombing that killed at least 45 people on Sunday. The judges presiding over the case ordered the Sindh provincial government to suspend three police officers for their “criminal negligence and poor response." [8]
Taliban Negotiations
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While addressing a conference in Swabi, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) deputy chief Maulana Gul Naseeb stated that he expected a major breakthrough in negotiations between the Pakistani government and the TTP. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, JUI-F chief, said that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s governor has already agreed to facilitate talks between the TTP and the government. [9]
Afghan Violence
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Muslim Clerics from Pakistan, Indonesia, and Britain convened at the “Islamic Cooperation for a Peaceful Future in Afghanistan” conference held in Istanbul earlier this week. Participants of the conference unanimously concluded that there is no religious justification for the violence in Afghanistan. [10]
Iran-Pakistan Pipeline
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U.S. State Department’s spokesperson Victoria Nuland stated on Thursday that the U.S. has made it clear that Pakistan will violate U.S. sanctions if it concludes the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline deal. Nuland stated that “Iran is not a reliable partner,” and that the U.S. is working closely with Pakistani officials to solve Pakistan’s energy crisis. [11]
General Kayani Hosts Meeting
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On Thursday, General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani hosted a Pakistan Army Corps Commanders Conference in Rawalpindi, where top generals discussed the security situation across Pakistan, specifically focusing on recent violence in Karachi and Quetta. [12]
Peshawar Ajmal Khan Hostage
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On Thursday, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) released the fifth video of the kidnapped vice-chancellor of Islamia College University (ICU) Peshawar Ajmal Khan appealing to the government, chief justice of Peshawar High Court, and Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, for his release. [13]
Domestic Politics
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On Friday, the National Assembly of Pakistan approved the Anti-terrorism Bill 2013, which will create an anti-terrorism department led by the prime minister, and will also formulate a national anti-terrorism policy. The bill also allows the use of electronic evidence in terrorism cases and grants Pakistani security forces the authority to confiscate the assets of suspected terrorism financiers. The bill was approved by the senate on March 5th. [14]
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According to the Express Tribune, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf wrote a letter to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry requesting that he form a judicial commission to investigate the rental power project case in order to disprove corruption allegations against Ashraf. [15]
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On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court petitioned the federal government to investigate national and international laws pertaining to drone strikes in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Members of the Peshawar High Court also asked whether the armed forces had any technology prevent the strikes. [16]
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Four Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) contractors asked the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to file contempt of court charges against ISI Director-General Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam and other top defense officials for not abiding by a prior IHC ruling demanding that the ISI regularize the civilian contractors’ status within the agency. An ISI official responded stating that contractors cannot obtain permanent positions until they have successfully completed a number of exams. [17]
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On Wednesday, The Lahore High Court’s bench ordered an inquiry about the implications of United Nations Security Council’s resolutions against Pakistani citizens. The order came when the Lahore High Court was due to hear a petition submitted by wanted terrorist and founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, against the banning of his organization, Jamaat-ud-Dawa in Pakistan, and questions surfaced over the validity of the petition. [18]
Sino-Pakistan Relations
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According to report by Geo, China will grant Pakistan $700 million in aid for the construction of a Gwadar-Rato Dera highway. [19]
Indo-Pak Relations
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On Friday, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, the spiritual leader of a Sufi shrine in Ajmer Sharif, India, decided to boycott the visit of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, who is scheduled to visit the shrine on Saturday. Khan stated that he will protest Ashraf’s visit because of the “ill-treatment of Hindus in Pakistan.” [20]