Government pushes for peace deals with individual militant groups; PTI agrees to participate in peace talks; Lal Masjid cleric says peace talks not progressing; Army says it will not participate directly in dialogue with TTP; Finance Minister and Chief of the Army Staff agree to increase 2014-2015 defense budget; BNP leader and bodyguard killed in Khuzdar district; Gunmen in Quetta kill Afghan national; Dera Bugti landmine blast kills one and injures two; Two policemen killed in separate incidents in Quetta; Four mortar shells from Afghanistan land in North Waziristan; Gas pipeline blown up in Sindh in attack claimed by BRA; Two terrorists arrested in Lahore; JuD chief claims his group has been involved in relief efforts in Thar Desert drought.
Peace Talks
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According to a Monday article in the Express Tribune, members of the federal government are pushing for peace deals with individual militant groups after reaching a consensus that an “all-inclusive agreement” with all militant groups operating under the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) umbrella may not be possible. One member of the government-nominated negotiating committee stated that the government is using “backdoor channels” to communicate with groups that are willing to negotiate. Another committee member commented that members of the army were reluctant to participate in the government’s new negotiating committee because they were skeptical that the TTP’s willingness to negotiate was not sincere. On Saturday, however, the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, said that the army would assist the government in the implementation of peace talks.[1]
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On Monday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) agreed to participate in peace talks between the government and the TTP and named Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Gulzar Khan as its representative in the new government committee.[2]
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According to a Monday article in Dawn, Lal Masjid cleric and member of the TTP-nominated negotiating committee Maulana Abdul Aziz stated that talks between the government and the TTP do not seem to be moving forward even though dialogue was the only viable option. Aziz added that civilians would suffer if the military carried out ground operations.[3]
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On Friday, at the 170th Corps Commanders’ Conference, military officials referred to the peace talks as a “government strategy,” implying that the army was not interested in participating directly in dialogue with the TTP. According to a source who was present at the meeting, the commanders expressed concern over continued attacks by various militant groups despite the TTP’s declaration of a month-long ceasefire.[4]
Jamaat-ud-Dawa Charity Work
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On Saturday, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed said that his group has put $300,000 into the Thar Desert region in the last three years to combat hunger and drought. The JuD has endeared itself to the local population through its charitable work, including operations such as disaster relief.[5]
Domestic
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On Saturday, the Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and the Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif met in Islamabad, where they discussed the army’s budget requirements and agreed to increase the defense budget by 15 to 20 percent for the 2014-2015 year. Highlighting the current security situation in Pakistan and possible ground operations in Pakistan’s tribal areas, Dar assured General Sharif that the military would have the resources necessary to defend the country.[6]
Militancy
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On Sunday, four mortar shells fired from Afghanistan hit Ghulam Khan sub-district, North Waziristan agency. There were no casualties. Security forces also defused a bomb planted on the road linking the area to Miram Shah.[7]
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On Sunday, a leader of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and his bodyguard were killed by unidentified gunmen in Khuzdar, Balochistan.[8]
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On Sunday, gunmen killed Abdul Malik, an Afghan national in Quetta.[9]
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On Sunday, gunmen killed two people in separate incidents in Quetta.[10]
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On Sunday, a landmine blast in Koh, Dera Bugti district, Balochistan killed one person and injured two more.[11]
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On Saturday, gunmen killed the head police constable of the Sariab road area of Quetta.[12]
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On Sunday, a bomb blast in Mach, Bolan district destroyed a bridge on the road between Sibi and Quetta.[13]
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On Saturday, Bajaur Levies and security forces seized a cache of weapons in Teer Bandai, Bajaur agency including a large number of rockets and bombs.[14]
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On Sunday, a bomb blast in Corporation Colony, Peshawar injured two people.[15]
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On Saturday, militants in Sarband, Peshawar district attacked policemen and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) personnel with gunfire and improvised explosive devices (IED). There were no casualties reported.[16]
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On Saturday, unknown security forces arrested two unidentified militants, allegedly belonging to a “defunct” terror group that operated in Khyber agency.[17]
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On Sunday, a gas pipeline in Goth Mukhi, Kashmore district, Sindh was blown up. The Baloch Republican Army (BRA) reportedly claimed responsibility.[18]
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On Saturday, a Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) defused two bombs which had been planted under a gas pipeline in Khairpur, Sindh.[19]
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On Friday, police in Model Town, Lahore arrested two alleged terrorists and seized a cache that included detonators, detonator wire, and TNT.[20]