Indian Defense Minister says military will take “all possible steps” to counter LoC violations; U.S. Treasury adds Pakistan-based al Qaeda member as designated international terrorist; Indian Prime Minister still interested in meeting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at UN; Senate condemns alleged LoC violations by Indian military; Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani meets with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif; Arrest of LeT-linked terrorist likely to increase Indo-Pak tensions; General (retd) Pervez Musharraf charged with murder; Interior Minister met with U.S. Ambassador in Islamabad; Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addresses the nation; Alleged al Qaeda communications center disrupted in Lahore; Sindh provincial government increases security for 29 officials on terrorist target list; Police arrest 20 suspects in connection with Nanga Parbat killings; Iran-Pakistan pipeline delayed further.
Nawaz Sharif Address
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On Monday evening, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made his first televised address to the nation, covering a wide range of topics, from energy to counter-terrorism. Sharif made offers of dialogue to extremists, in an attempt to end continuing violence throughout the country. However, Sharif also stated that Pakistan must find an “end to terrorism whether it is through dialogue and reconciliation, or through full use of force,” thereby leaving military options on the table. Sharif also praised his government’s progress in trade relations with China, noting that the new trade corridor connecting Gwadar with Kashgar will be a “game changer.” Sharif pledged to end the national energy crisis during his tenure as Prime Minister as well, noting that a national energy policy has already been formulated and that the government will take action against energy theft. Sharif also addressed Pakistan’s relationship with India amid ongoing Line of Control (LoC) tensions, noting that, the “progress and development of a nation is deeply linked to cordial relations with neighbors. It is because of this that we want good relations with all neighbours including India.”[1]
U.S. Treasury Designation
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On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated senior al Qaeda official Umar Siddique Kathio Azmarai as an international terrorist and the Jamia Taleem-Ul-Quran-Wal-Hadith Madrassa (Ganj Madrassa) as a training center and facility for Lashkar-e-Taiba, al Qaeda, and the Taliban. The sanctions are intended to disrupt the “financial and logistical support network that abuses charitable donations” to support terrorist activities. According to the Treasury Department statement, Azmarai is an al Qaeda leader active in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan.[2]
Line of Control Dispute
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Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told the upper house of India’s Parliament on Monday that the army would take “all possible steps” to counter further Pakistani ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC).[3]
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Unnamed U.S. diplomatic sources told Dawn that Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon indicated to them that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is still interested in meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the United Nations General Assembly next month. The meeting remains unconfirmed, but will likely include a discussion about ongoing Line of Control tensions.[4]
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Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday to discuss the LoC situation, as well as the proposed National Security Policy. During the meeting, Sharif indicated that he would meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the United Nations General Assembly, and also declared that “war is not the solution to such disputes. They can be dealt with through a dialogue process and I would prefer dialogue over a third or fourth war with India.”[5]
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On Monday, Pakistan’s Senate unanimously condemned alleged LoC violations by Indian military forces.[6]
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On Friday, Indian security officials detained Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT)-linked Syed Abdul Karim Tunda along the Nepalese border while traveling under a false name on a Pakistani passport. Tunda is accused of orchestrating the 1993 bombing campaign in Mumbai, and Indian officials suspect him of collaborating in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Indian intelligence officials are likely to broach these confessions with Pakistani counterparts, adding to increased tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the August 6 attack across the Line of Control that led to the death of five Indian soldiers.[7]
Musharraf Trial
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On Tuesday, Rawalpindi’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) charged General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and six other officials with murder, criminal conspiracy for murder, and facilitation for murder in connection with the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Musharraf and his co-defendants denied the charges. Yesterday’s proceedings mark the first time in Pakistan’s history that an ex-military leader has been subject to criminal proceedings.[8]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan met with U.S. Ambassador Richard Olson in Islamabad on Monday. Khan said he hoped U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent visit to Pakistan would enhance the economic, political, and strategic ties between Pakistan and the United States. Khan also said he would take necessary measures to facilitate the resumption of the Strategic Dialogue.[9]
Iran-Pakistan Pipeline
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According to Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources Jam Kamal Khan in an address to the National Assembly on Monday, Pakistan will not complete its section of the planned Iran-Pakistan pipeline by December 2014, the set deadline for the project. Iran has reportedly already completed 900 of the 1,150 kilometers of its section of the pipeline.[10]
Militancy
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Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials raided a residence in Green Town, Lahore, on Tuesday. Reports indicate that two men and six women were detained for interrogation. Intelligence officials claim the suspects ran an al Qaeda communications center under the name International Technical Hub.[11]
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As of Tuesday, police have reportedly used the cell phone data of Malik Sikander, the perpetrator of last Friday’s standoff in Islamabad, to arrest 3 other suspects in Hafizabad, Punjab province, in connection with the incident.[12]
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On Tuesday, the Sindh provincial government authorized a security increase for 29 officials allegedly on the hit lists of terrorist and militant organizations, including several police officers and a judge. According to unnamed sources cited in The News, Justice Maqbool Baqar—targeted in a June 26 IED attack—was at the top of terrorists’ target lists.[13]
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An Islamabad Anti-Terror Court (ATC) on Tuesday ordered the Pakistani government to produce information on a Pakistani panel visiting India to cross-examine Indian witnesses in the 2008 Mumbai bombings.[14]
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On Tuesday, unidentified gunmen shot and killed one man in the North Nazimabad area of Karachi.[15]
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Officials recovered the bodies of three torture victims in Karachi’s Malir Town on Tuesday. Separately, one person died from gunshot wounds in Orangi Town and a political activist was shot to death along Martin Road.[16]
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Unidentified gunmen killed two supporters of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ)— including a Pakistani-born British national and member of the Tablighi Jamaat—near the Masjid al Huda in the Buffer Zone of Karachi on Monday.[17]
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An armed confrontation killed a Muttahia Qaumi Movement activist and wounded two other men in the Garden area of Karachi on Monday. Separately, a Pakistan Sunni Tehrik activist died in an attack by unidentified gunmen in the Dhobi Ghat area of Garden. Unidentified gunmen wounded another PST activist in Martin Quarters, Karachi.[18]
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In Ferozkhel, Orakzai agency on Monday, unknown gunmen shot and killed two people. Police conducted search operations in the area, but have not made any arrests.[19]
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According to an article in the Frontier Post, in a joint operation with the Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies, the Diamer police on Monday arrested 20 men in connection with Nanga Parbat attacks, which killed ten people on June 22.[20]
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On Monday, police detained another DI Khan Central Prison escapee in Yarak, within the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.[21]
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According to District Police Officer Sajjad Khan, the Pakistan Army will deploy troops to 89 polling stations in Hangu, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa deemed “sensitive” in the district.[22]
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A blast damaged a residence in Bannu, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, on Sunday night.[23]
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On Tuesday, security officials arrested 13 suspects in Quetta, Balochistan province. Two Kali Burma and Kali Ghribabad activists were arrested in the Sariab area. Eleven people were detained and weapons seized by Frontier Constabulary officials during a search operation in Kali Shadikhel of the Qambarani area.[24]