Swat TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah becomes new head of TTP; TTP spokesman says that talks with government are off; U.S. already tracking Fazlullah; TTP may begin targeting Punjab, PML-N leadership; Foreign Office denies that it would give Saudi Arabia nuclear weapons if asked; Pakistan helping Saudi Arabia train Syrian rebels; Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers will not meet in Colombo or Tashkent; Haqqani Network’s support in Afghanistan reportedly declining; One killed and one injured in Punjab shooting; Three people killed in Balochistan shootings; TNFJ asks for more Muharram security in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; Army to deploy troops to Punjab for Muharram; Plurality of Pakistanis consider electricity to be the most important issue facing the country; Two Pakistanis added to FBI Cyber most wanted list.
Aftermath of the Death of Hakimullah Mehsud
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On Thursday, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced through its interim leader Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani and its spokesman Shahidullah Shahid that Swat TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah has been chosen as the new head of the TTP. He is believed to be currently based in Nuristan province, Afghanistan. According to some reports, some commanders of the Waziristan-based TTP were initially unhappy with Fazlullah’s elevation, but relented on the urging of senior commanders. Sheikh Khalid Haqqani was appointed as the deputy chief.[1]
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TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said on Thursday that, under new leader Mullah Fazlullah, the TTP will not negotiate a peace agreement with the government. Fazlullah had already been opposed to negotiations before his promotion.[2]
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According to a Thursday report in The News, the United States is already tracking new TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah, and plans to strike against him as soon as there is actionable intelligence. U.S. Ambassador Richard Olson said before Fazlullah’s elevation that the U.S. “will take him off the battlefield” if the opportunity arises.[3]
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According to a Thursday report in The News, security agencies in Pakistan have warned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that the TTP is planning to target Punjab, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership, and the Sharif family in revenge for the death of Hakimullah Mehsud.[4]
Pakistan-Saudi Relations
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On Thursday, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry denied reports that Saudi Arabia is considering acquiring nuclear weapons from Pakistan and that Pakistan has several warheads ready for delivery that would be transferred to Saudi Arabia upon request. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement to the BBC that “Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state.”[5]
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According to a Wednesday report in Foreign Policy, Saudi Arabia has begun to train Syrian rebels with the help of Pakistani instructors, after coming to the conclusion that the United States is not planning to intervene in the Syrian civil war. Saudi Arabia is reportedly considering asking Pakistan to train 5,000-10,000 fighters of the roughly 50,000-person force it envisions.[6]
India-Pakistan Relations
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According to a Thursday report in The News, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will not meet each other this month despite the fact that both will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.[7]
Iran-Pakistan Relations
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According to a Thursday report in The Express Tribune, Iran has agreed to allow payments for gas delivered via the planned Iran-Pakistan pipeline to be denominated in Indian rupees instead of U.S. dollars as a means of avoiding U.S. sanctions.[8]
Haqqani Network
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According to a Tuesday report in the New York Times, the Haqqani Network’s support in eastern Afghanistan, which has traditionally been one of its strongholds, is eroding. Tribal leaders, including some from the Haqqani’s tribe have broken with the group, calling it an agent of Pakistan.[9]
Militancy
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On Wednesday, gunmen in Kunjah, Gujrat district attacked a colonel in his car, badly injuring him and killing his driver.[10]
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A total of three people were killed in two incidents in Balochistan on Thursday. The first incident occurred in Pasni, Gwadar district, and the second in Panjgur district.[11]
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On Thursday, police arrested a suspect in al Qaeda’s 2011 kidnapping of American citizen Warren Weinstein in Pakpattan district, Punjab.[12]
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On Wednesday, the Tehreek Nafaz-i-Fiqa Jafria (TNFJ), a Shiapolitical party, has asked the army to increase security in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ahead of Muharram to protect processions of mourners.[13]
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According to a Thursday report in The News, the army will deploy troops to Nankana Sahib district on November 10 to protect Muharram processions.[14]
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On Thursday, one of Lyari gangster Baba Ladla’s aides was killed in Lyari, Karachi. He is reportedly the third close aid of Ladla to die in gang violence in the last two days.[15]
Domestic
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According to a Thursday report in The Express Tribune, a poll by the International Republican Institute shows that 42 percent of Pakistanis consider electricity to be the most important issue, with 21 percent saying inflation, and 10 percent terrorism. 58 percent approved of the government’s performance, while 33 percent disapproved.[16]
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According to a Wednesday report in The Express Tribune, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has added two Pakistani nationals, Farhanul Arshad and Noor Azizuddin, to the most wanted list for cybercrimes. The two reportedly executed a fraud scheme worth $50 million. The FBI is offering $50,000 rewards for both of them.[17]