U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan kills three and injures three; Foreign Office spokesman condemns drone strike; PTI Chairman threatens to close NATO supply lines if drone strikes continue; Prime Minister says that talks with the TTP have begun; Prime Minister meets with British officials in the UK; Iranian Oil Minister says gas pipeline with Pakistan may be cancelled; Pakistan to ask U.S. for $1 billion to fix roads damaged by NATO convoy; Three killed in Karachi; Kidnapped teacher found dead in Khyber agency; Police arrest 18 linked to June attack on tourists; Operations in Peshawar continue; Joint Investigation Team declares Musharraf innocent in Lal Masjid case; Pakistan to issue bonds to raise money for foreign exchange.
U.S. Drone Strikes
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On Wednesday, an American drone strike in Miram Shah, North Waziristan killed three suspected militants and injured three others. This was the first American drone strike in Pakistan since September 30th.[1]
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On Thursday, Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry condemned the Wednesday drone attack on North Waziristan, saying that drones violate Pakistan’s sovereignty and are not effective in stopping terrorism.[2]
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On Wednesday, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid criticized a statement by U.S. Congressman Alan Grayson saying that Pakistan could stop drone strikes by withdrawing support for them. Rashid said that Pakistan has taken “bold actions” against terrorism and that Grayson is not well informed on the situation in Pakistan. He also said that Pakistan’s anti-drones stance is unchanged.[3]
Talks with the TTP
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On Thursday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, threatened to close North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) supply lines to Afghanistan that run through Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa if a drone strike takes place during the government’s talks with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).[4]
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In a meeting with British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on Thursday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that dialogue with the TTP has already begun, and that he wants the negotiations to be held within the framework of the Pakistani constitution.[5]
UK-Pakistan Relations
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In talks on Wednesday with several high-ranking British officials, including Foreign Secretary William Hague, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif discussed Pakistan’s role in the Afghan reconciliation process, and his goal of ending the Kashmir dispute through dialogue, which he says must include Pakistani, Kashmiri, and Indian views. He praised the UK for its strong ties with Pakistan. He added that he hoped the UK could play a role in resolving disputes with India.[6]
Iran-Pakistan Relations
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The semi-official Iranian Fars news agency, reported that Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on Wednesday that the gas pipeline between Iran and Pakistan will likely be cancelled.[7]
U.S-Pakistan Relations
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According to a Wednesday report in The News, Pakistan is planning to request that the United States pay the country about $1 billion to repair roads that have been damaged by trucks supplying NATO troops in Afghanistan.[8]
Militancy
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Three people were killed in Karachi on Thursday in separate incidents. The incidents occurred in the Sultanabad, Lyari, and New Karachi neighborhoods.[9]
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A teacher, who had been kidnapped three days earlier, was found dead on Tuesday in Ghundi, Khyber agency.[10]
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On Thursday, police in Gilgit-Baltistan arrested 18 people suspected of having ties to the June attack on tourists climbing a mountain in Pakistan which killed ten people.[11]
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On Wednesday, Karachi law enforcement personnel arrested two people in the SITE area with alleged ties to the TTP and two people in Old Sabzi Mandi who are tied to Lyari gang violence.[12]
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A video of two Czech women kidnapped in Pakistan this March was released on Wednesday. The two appeared to be in poor health. They begged the Czech government to put pressure on Pakistan to negotiate with their kidnappers.[13]
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On Wednesday, Frontier Constabulary, Frontier Corps, and Peshawar Police personnel conducted operations in Peshawar. Three hundred people have been arrested over the course of the operations.[14]
Domestic
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According to a Thursday report in The News, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of the Islamabad Police has filed a report declaring former President Pervez Musharraf innocent in the murder case relating to the 2007 Lal Masjid incident.[15]
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On Wednesday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the government is not planning to abolish the death penalty. A moratorium on executions was put in place by the previous government.[16]
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According to a Thursday report in Dawn, Pakistan is planning to issue Eurobonds to raise $750 million with the goal of adding to the country’s dwindling foreign exchange. This comes as a team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is in Pakistan to determine whether Pakistan has met conditions for $6.7 billion loan.[17]
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On Wednesday, a court heard the petition of Dr. Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani doctor who helped the United States search for Osama bin Laden. Afridi petitioned for a new trial by the Khyber agency political agent and a release on bail.[18]