U.S. Drone strike kills at least eight in Datta Khel, North Waziristan; UNHRC condemns U.S. drone attacks; Airstrikes kills eight militants in Tirah Valley, Khyber Agency; Security forces seize explosives, arms and arrest three in Quetta; Tribal leader shot dead in Tank, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; New ISI chief a firm believer in democracy; No plans for meeting between Prime Ministers of India, Pakistan at UN; PTI chief to hold rally in Lahore; PTI, PAT supporters protest outside Prime Minister Sharif’s London residence; Government to sell 10 percent stake in OGDCL; IDPs form jirga to discuss possible relocation to Afghanistan.
Drone Strikes
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On September 24, a U.S. drone strike killed at least eight suspected militants and injured several others 60 kilometres outside of Miramshah in the Alwara Mandi area of Datta Khel sub-district, North Waziristan. Two Uzbeks militants were found among the dead. Pakistan’s Foreign Office strongly condemned the strike, arguing that the military’s campaign in North Waziristan precluded the necessity of such strikes.[1]
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In panel discussion on drones in Geneva on September 22, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) condemned arbitrary killings by the use of armed drones in Pakistan. All countries except the U.S., UK and France condemned the human rights consequences of U.S. drone strikes. The issue of armed drones violating international human rights law as well as the UN Charter was discussed for the first time by the UNHRC.[2]
Militancy
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On September 24, Pakistani Air Force fighter jets conducted airstrikes, killing eight Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants throughout the Kokikhel area of the Tirah Valley, Khyber Agency. Several militants hideouts were destroyed.[3]
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On September 24, security forces in Quetta carried out a raid on an under-construction house, seizing explosives and arms and arresting three suspects. Quetta police officials said the suspects detained are thought to have been involved in a recent bombing in Satellite Town, Quetta.[4]
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On September 23, unidentified gunmen killed tribal elder Malik Bakhtiar Mehsud in the Kot Azam area of Tank district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Mehsud was reportedly returning home after attending a jirga in Machikhel.[5]
New ISI Chief
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A report in The News on September 24 claims that the newly appointed Director General of the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar, is a firm believer in democracy, based on a research paper Lt. Gen. Akhtar wrote in March 2008 during his time at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. According to the report, the research paper, titled “US-Pakistan Trust Deficit and the War of Terror,” advocates that the role of the military should be limited to ensuring the nation’s security from external threats and should “only be utilized for internal security as a last resort.”[6]
Indo-Pakistan Relations
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On September 23, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mr. Syed Akbaruddin said that there are currently no plans for holding a meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week. According to a senior Pakistani official, the Pakistani government will not request a meeting between the two leaders but also will not refuse a meeting if India requests one.[7]
Political Crisis
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According to media reports on September 24, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan plans to hold a large rally in Lahore on September 28 at the Minar-e-Pakistan monument. The PTI claims that the strength of the protest gathering will serve as a referendum against the Nawaz Sharif-led government.[8]
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On September 23, PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) supporters demonstrated outside the residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in London, chanting “Go Nawaz Go.” The PTI London chapter declared that it did not endorse any protests outside private residences and urged its members to seek prior permission before holding such protests.[9]
Economy
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According to a report in the Wall Street Journal on September 23, Pakistan’s government plans to sell about 10 percent of its stake in the state-run Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) to foreign investors early next month. This will be the largest privatization initiative since Prime Minister Sharif came to power in June 2013. According to Privatization Minister Mohammad Zubair, the sale of the OGDCL stake will raise between $800 and $850 million. OGDCL is Pakistan’s biggest oil-and-gas exploration business.[10]
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
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According to a report in The News on September 24, some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are forming a representative jirga to consider the possibility of moving to Afghanistan from Pakistan. Four members from each tribal agency will reportedly be included in the jirga. The IDPs have appealed to the army to stop bombing “innocent tribal people” while also appealing to the Taliban to give up attacks on security officials.[11]