Prime Minister says no one assigned to lead peace talks with TTP; Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister visits Pakistan, denies he is seeking deal for Musharraf exile; Special court receives Musharraf’s medical report; Six people murdered at Sufi shrine in Karachi; Three killed in Karachi violence; Militants kill one Indian policeman injure three in Indian Kashmir; TTP spokesman denies targeting polio workers; Explosion kills one in Khyber agency; Security forces kill two in Miram Shah; Seven injured in Kurram agency bomb blast; “Mastermind” of attack on foreign tourists in Nanga Parbat arrested in Islamabad; Militants bomb girls’ school in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; IMF report highlights pressures on Pakistan’s economy.
Talks with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
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On Monday, Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid stated that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has not assigned anyone to lead peace talks with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), refuting rumors that Sharif had tasked Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) leader Sami ul Haq to lead negotiations. A resolution passed at the All Parties Conference in September authorized Sharif to begin peace negotiations with the TTP.[1]
Saudi-Pakistan Relations
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Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain in Islamabad to talk about energy, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Pakistani diaspora in Saudi Arabia. Prince Faisal also denied that he is in Pakistan to broker a deal allowing former President Prevez Musharraf to move to Saudi Arabia.[2]
Musharraf Trial
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A copy of former president Pervez Musharraf’s medical report, obtained by the Express Tribune on Monday, states that Musharraf is suffering from nine medical conditions, including blocked arteries in his shoulders, problems in his left knee and spinal cord, and hyper tension. The special court in Islamabad also received a copy of the report on Tuesday and granted Musharraf a two day exemption from appearing before the court.[3]
Militancy
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On Tuesday, six bodies were discovered at a Sufi shrine in the Gulshan-i-Maymar area of Karachi. Four had their throats slit, and two had been beheaded. Police also reportedly found a note which said “stop visiting shrines — from the Pakistani Taliban.” Police have not determined whether the note was actually left by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or a copycat group.[4]
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On Tuesday, three people, including a policeman, died in separate violent incidents in the Pak Colony, Qaudiabad, and Malir areas of Karachi.[5]
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On Tuesday, the Sindh Rangers carried out targeted operations throughout Karachi, arresting nine suspects and recovering a variety of weapons.[6]
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On Tuesday, an Indian police officer was killed and three were injured in a gunfight with militants in Sopore, Baramulla district, Indian Jammu and Kashmir.[7]
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According to a Monday report in The Frontier Post, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid denied that the TTP has been targeting polio workers, although he said that the TTP is concerned that anti-polio workers are using their activities as a front to gathering information against the group.[8]
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On Monday, an explosion that occurred inside a house killed one woman and injured another in Bara, Khyber agency.[9]
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On Tuesday, a bomb blast in a bazaar in Sadda, Kurram agency injured seven people.[10]
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On Monday, a roadside bomb detonated in Pewar, Kurram agency, injuring a civilian.[11]
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On Monday, security forces killed two people in the Datta Khel Adda area of Miram Shah, North Waziristan agency.[12]
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On Monday, law-enforcement agencies personnel arrested a man in Islamabad who was allegedly involved in the killing of foreign tourists at a camp near Nanga Parbat in Giglit-Baltistan in June 2013.[13]
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On Monday, militants bombed a state-run girls’ school in Bannu district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. There were no casualties.[14]
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On Tuesday, a bomb blast in Saro, Charsadda district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa damaged the house of a local doctor. There were no casualties.[15]
Domestic