TTP may “lose its prominence” due to split; Pakistan welcomes President Obama’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan; Pakistan will dig trench to enhance security along Afghanistan-Pakistan border; Afghanistan alleges cross-border shelling from Pakistan kills one and injured 16; India releases 37 Pakistani prisoners; Anti-corruption court issues non-bailable arrest warrant for former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim; Anti-terrorist court acquits LJ leader Malik Ishaq citing insufficient evidence; Geo TV to file contempt of court petition against Pemra; IED blast kills three, injures two near North Waziristan border; IED blast kills three, injures two in Frontier Region Bannu; Interior Minister may increase scale, scope of Karachi operation.
TTP Splits
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According to analysts cited in a Thursday article in The Express Tribune, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) may “lose its prominence” due to the departure of Khan Said “Sajna” and the Mehsud branch of the TTP. Other affiliated groups may follow suit, including the Punjabi Taliban led by Asmatullah Mauavia, whom analysts see as likely to join Sajna’s group because both he and Sajna favor negotiations with the government. An article in The News underscores the positive impact that the split in the TTP may have on peace talks with the government. One political analyst commented that the split was the result of government agencies’ efforts to “isolate the pro- and anti-talks militants.” Conversely, the split is seen as a major setback for the TTP leader, Mullah Fazlullah, who has been unable to quell the infighting and has received strong criticism from the TTP central shura over his decision to dismiss Khan Said Sajna.[1]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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On Wednesday, a top Pakistani adviser welcomed President Obama’s decision to draw down forces in Afghanistan while cautioning against the creation of a security vacuum. The U.S. President stated that at the end of 2014, the U.S. will reduce troop levels to 9,800 and will completely withdraw by the end of 2016.[2]
Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations
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On Wednesday, the Head of the Pakistan Army’s Southern Command, Lieutenant General Nasser Khan Janjua, stated that Pakistan would begin efforts to dig a trench that will help secure the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Janjua added that Afghan intelligence, as well as a “handful of disgruntled people,” were creating disturbances in Balochistan and were involved in targeted killings, bomb blasts, and insurgency in the province.[3]
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On Wednesday, Afghanistan lodged a formal protest to Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul over cross-border shelling from Pakistan into Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nuristan provinces. According to Afghan officials, shelling from Pakistan over the past few days has killed one person, injured 16, and caused hundreds to flee.[4]
India-Pakistan Relations
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On Thursday, India released 37 Pakistani prisoners, mostly fishermen, in a reciprocal gesture to Pakistan’s recent release of arrested Indian fishermen ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to India.[5]
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On Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi gave a speech in Islamabad in which he called for stronger economic ties with India and Central Asian countries. He also touted Pakistan’s relationship with Russia and advocated for more cooperation in general in South Asia.[6]
Domestic
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On Thursday, an anti-corruption court in Karachi issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim in cases relating to financial irregularities in the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. The case against Fahim was initially registered by the Federal Investigation Agency when he was the Commerce Minister. The court has adjourned the hearing until June 17.[7]
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On Thursday, an anti-terrorist court in Rawalpindi acquitted Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) leader Malik Ishaq on charges of propagating hate speech and inciting violence due to there being insufficient evidence for further proceedings. Cases had been registered against Ishaq at police stations in Attock, Hazro and Talagang.[8]
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According to a Wednesday report in The News, Geo TV has decided to file a contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra). Geo broadcasts remain blocked in much of the country despite a ruling by the Supreme Court ordering the blocks be removed.[9]
Militancy
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On Thursday, two improvised explosive device (IED) blasts planted along a roadside killed three soldiers and injured two others who were inspecting the Bannu-Miram Shah road near Nosher Fort on the border of North Waziristan.[10]
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On Thursday, an IED blast killed three soldiers and injured two when their car ran over a landmine in Frontier Region Bannu.[11]
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On Wednesday, villagers in Karbogha Sharif, Hangu district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa kidnapped a measles vaccination team and quickly freed it.[12]
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On Thursday, a Bomb Disposal Squad defused explosives found at a construction site in Islamabad.[13]
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On Monday, unidentified gunmen killed a Pakistani-American Ahmadi doctor in Lahore.[14]
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On Wednesday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan indicated at a meeting with Sindh Rangers Director General Major General Rizwan Akhtar, that the government wanted to increase the intensity and expand the scope of the targeted operations in Karachi. The leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Tahir Mashhadi later told reporters that the Karachi operation was “misdirected,” and called for action against “banned outfits” that attempted to finance terrorist activities.[15]