Senior officials continue to deny Pakistani military involvement in LoC incident; Indian opposition party demands cessation of dialogue with government of Pakistan in response to the death of five Indian soldiers in Kashmir; U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan acknowledges Pakistani concerns about Indian involvement in Afghanistan; Blast outside soccer stadium in Karachi kills 11, may have been targeting provincial minister; Taliban members kill 3 security officials investigating June assault on foreigners at Nanga Parbart base camp; TTP sub-group takes credit for kidnapping of former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani’s son.
Terror Threat Alert
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According to a report in the Daily Beast, a conference call between twenty leaders of al Qaeda-affiliated groups around the world, including a representative of the Pakistani Taliban and Pakistan-based al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri, convinced intelligence officials that a plot against Western interests in the Middle East was imminent. The tip allegedly prompted the U.S. Department of State to shutter embassies throughout the region and evacuate American citizens from Yemen.[1]
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The Inspector General of Police in Islamabad announced on Tuesday that security would remain on high-alert through Eid. Security was increased on Monday after intelligence reports warned of terrorist plots against military installations and government facilities.[2]
Indo-Pakistan Relations
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Hours after Tuesday’s attack on Indian soldiers, two Pakistani soldiers sustained serious injuries during an exchange of fire with Indian security officials in the Kamalkot Uri sector of northern Kashmir.[3]
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Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations, Major General Ashfaq Nadeem, contacted his Indian counterpart via hotline today to discuss yesterday’s firing incident across the Line of Control (LoC) that left five Indian soldiers dead. Nadeem insisted that India’s accusations of Pakistani military involvement were baseless.[4]
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At a press conference on Wednesday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that although Pakistan desires regional peace and stability, India’s accusation that the Pakistani military was involved in yesterday’s LoC incident is counterproductive to achieving that goal. Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid told the press that the Indian government did not want to create tensions with Pakistan that would be “detrimental and destructive for India’s security and peace,” hinting at continued diplomatic engagement.[5]
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Indian’s primary opposition group, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanded on Wednesday that the government cancel diplomatic talks with Pakistan due to yesterday’s firing incident across the LoC. Although Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony alleged that the attackers appeared to be clothed in Pakistani military uniforms, he has not officially condemned the Pakistan Army for the incident. Antony’s remarks have reportedly failed to appease the BJP.[6]
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On Wednesday, members of India’s ruling Congress Party's youth wing swarmed the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to protest Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the death of five Indian soldiers in Kashmir yesterday. Foreign Office officials summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan in Islamabad after the incident, informing him that it was the Indian government’s responsibility to maintain the security of the Pakistan High Commission and its staff in New Delhi.[7]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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U.S. Department of State Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf remarked at a press conference on Tuesday that al Qaeda’s leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been degraded, but she emphasized the dangers posed by regional nodes such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Her comments come in the wake of the U.S. Department of State’s terror alert closing U.S. embassies throughout the Middle East and evacuating American citizens from Yemen.[8]
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In an interview with the BBC, U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins assessed that Pakistan’s preoccupation with Indian activities in Afghanistan is inflated, but “not groundless." Dobbins’ interview with the BBC marks the first time a U.S. diplomat has publicly expressed the sentiment.[9]
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At a press conference on Tuesday, U.S. Department of State Spokesperson Jen Psaki expressed hope for the prospect of continued dialogue between the governments of India and Pakistan following increased tensions over the death of five Indian soldiers in yesterday’s cross-border attack in Kashmir.[10]
Militancy
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An improvised explosive device planted inside a motorcycle detonated late on Tuesday outside a soccer stadium in Lyari, Karachi, after a late-night match. The attack killed 11 people and wounded approximately 24 others, including many young boys. Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, Provincial Minister for Kutchi Abadis and Spatial Development Javed Naghori may have been the target. Naghori is the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Member of Provincial Assembly for Lyari. He attended the match, and his car was destroyed in the explosion, but the minister remained unharmed.[11]
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On Tuesday, a Reuters report revealed that the victims of yesterday’s attack on a government military convoy were security officials involved with investigating the late June assault on foreign tourists at Nanga Parbat base camp in Gilgit-Baltistan. An unidentified spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility today for the attack on the police.[12]
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The Al Mansoorain Brigade, a sub-network of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility on Wednesday for the May kidnapping of Ali Haider Gilani, son of former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. Al-Mansoorain Brigade spokesman Abu Yazid Mansoor told reporters the Brigade would negotiate for Gilani’s release after Eid.[13]
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An explosion in Mastung, Balochistan province, killed two people and injured approximately 15 more on Wednesday.[14]
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On Wednesday, security officials found and defused two hand grenades outside a residence in Noor Colony of Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.[15]
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Unidentified militants threw a grenade into the Hayatabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province residence of Khyber agency Senator Haji Khan on Tuesday. The grenade did not detonate and there were no reported casualties.[16]
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Acting on an anonymous tip, security officials found and defused three bombs on Wednesday in various locations around Bannu, in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Unidentified militants had planted bombs along the roadside, at a school, and at the guest house of Sardar Yusuf Khan.[17]
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An explosion occurred on Tuesday at a candy shop in an unspecified location in Lakki Marwat district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. There were no casualties.[18]
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Four small explosions occurred at wine shops in the Defence and Gulshan-e-Iqbal areas of Karachi on Tuesday night. There were no casualties. Media reports say all four shops were owned by the same person.[19]
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Three people died and one more person was injured on Wednesday in a blast near Goth Pervaiz Domki, in the Kashmore district of Sindh province.[20]
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Unidentified individuals used explosives to damage a small section of railway track in Tando Adam, Sindh province, on Tuesday. The sabotage delayed train service for several hours, but there were no casualties.[21]
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On Tuesday, residents of Lashora in Bajaur agency disrupted an attack on the construction site of a future school. Unidentified militants tossed a grenade into the building. Village watchmen responded by shooting at the militants from inside the school, alerting fellow residents to join the counter-attack. The militants managed to escape, and there were no reported casualties.[22]
Abbottabad Commission Report
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Unofficial representative of the Pakistan Army and Inter-Services Intelligence to the Abbottabad Commission Lieutenant General (retd) Nadeem Ahmed clarified his relationship with Save the Children, the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) accused of facilitating Dr. Shakeel Afridi and the Central Intelligence Agency’s operations against Osama bin Laden. In response to an earlier report in The News accusing him of revealing sensitive information to Save the Children officials, Ahmed insists that his actions were sanctioned by the Chairman of the Commission and in accordance with his official duties as a participant in the Commission.[23]
Domestic
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On Tuesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) requested army personnel deploy to more than 1,000 polling locations to maintain security throughout Punjab province during by-elections on August 22. Although the Election Commissioner of Punjab says the Commission sought input from the provincial government before finalizing its security plan, the government of Punjab claims it can provide sufficient security without the assistance of army personnel.[24]
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The ECP issued a warning on Tuesday that political parties declining to submit their asset records by the end of August would be barred from participation in subsequent parliamentary elections.[25]
Musharraf’s Trial
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On Tuesday, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) summoned for questioning several of former President General (retd) Perez Musharraf’s associates including: Justice (retd) Ajmal Mian, former Prime Minister Shaukhat Aziz, Secretary Khalid Saeed, and approximately seven more senior officials. According to FIA investigators, these office-holders were “an official party” to Musharraf’s imposition of emergency rule in November 2007.[26]