Continued firing across LoC kills five civilians, Prime Minister Sharif rules out option of war with India; UN Secretary General, U.S. State department official urge dialogue; MWM, JuD, Sunni Tehreek call for protests against Indian firing; Sunni insurgents increase frequency of border attacks in Iran; IED blast injures six including anti-Taliban militia member in Salarzai, Bajaur Agency; U.S. reimburses $371 billion to Pakistan under CSF; Convicted Pakistani waives appeal in U.S. Court; Pakistani Finance Minister meets with U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser; IDPs protest against U.S. drone strikes; Government, protesting parties to resume talks, claims opposition jirga; Pakistani UN peacekeeper killed in Bangui, Central African Republic; Malala Yusufzai joint winner of Nobel Peace Prize.
Indo-Pakistan Relations
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On October 9, five more Pakistani civilians were killed and over 50 injured in continued cross-border firing by Indian and Pakistani forces. An official statement released by Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC), convened by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on October 10, declared that war with India was “not an option” but that the country’s armed forces were capable of defending the country against any aggression. Prime Minister Sharif also reiterated that Pakistan’s desire to maintain peace must not be misinterpreted as weakness by India. Addressing the media later that day, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that dialogue was the only way to maintain peaceful relations between India and Pakistan. On October 10, Foreign Office spokesperson, Tasneem Aslam accused India of instigating the firing and claimed that Pakistani troops were only retaliating to the provocation. Aslam also called upon India to allow UN observers to investigate ceasefire violations along the LoC.[1]
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On October 9, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon deplored the loss of lives and displacement of civilians in the conflict and urged the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue. On October 10, U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki also expressed concern over continued violence between India and Pakistan and encouraged the governments of India and Pakistan to address issues through dialogue.[2]
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October 9, leaders of Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), Sunni Tehreek and Jamaat-ud- Dawa (JuD) called on people to observe a day of protests on October 10 in order to condemn the ceasefire violations and attacks by Indian forces on Pakistan.[3]
Militancy
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As reported on October 9, according to The New York Times, Sunni insurgents in Pakistan have been increasing the frequency of their attacks on Iranian border posts, allegedly employing methods similar to Islamic State (IS) militants. On October 9, an Iranian border post near Saravan, Sistan-Baluchistan was attacked by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) killing a senior police officer. Additionally, on October 8, militants killed three Iranian police officers responding to a fake distress call in Sistan-Baluchistan, Iran. The attacks were claimed by the Sunni militant group Jaish ul-Adl. In response to these attacks, on October 9, Iranian commanders and politicians called upon Pakistan to control its borders. Iranian officials warn that they are considering authorizing “hot-pursuit missions” into Pakistan to catch cross border attackers.[4]
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On October 9, a roadside blast injured six people including an anti-Taliban militia member in an attack on the militia member’s vehicle in the Ghazi area of Salarzai sub-district, Bajaur Agency.[5]
Pakistan-U.S. Relations
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According to a report in The News on October 10, the Obama administration reimbursed Pakistan $371 million as part of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) program on September 30 for anti-terrorism operations conducted by the Pakistani military in the tribal areas. According to officials, another installment is still pending approval.[6]
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On October 9, Pakistani neuroscientist, Aafia Siddiqui, convicted of the attempted murder of FBI agents in Ghazni, Afghanistan, successfully withdrew her appeal against her conviction in U.S. federal district court. Militants including Islamic State (IS) have asked for Siddiqui’s release in proposed prisoner swaps in the past. Siddiqui cited a lack of faith in the U.S. legal system behind her decision to withdraw her appeal.[7]
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On October 10, Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar met with the U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economic Affairs, Caroline Atkinson in Washington, D.C. Dar stated that Pakistan’s macroeconomic indicators have begun showing good results, indicating that the economy is on the right track. Despite the economic issues resulting from the recent political crisis over the last 50 days, Dar expressed his belief that lending intuitions have confidence in the Pakistani economy. Atkinson pledged support for Pakistan’s IMF program and expressed her desire that Pakistan overcome its energy shortfall and tariff issues and increase its foreign exchange reserves.[8]
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
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On October 9, internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur agencies protested in Peshawar against U.S. drone strikes on tribal areas during Eid celebrations. The IDPs condemned the combined onslaught of ongoing military offensive Operation Zarb-e-Azb and U.S. drone strikes.[9]
Political Crisis
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On October 9, the political jirga comprised of opposition parties claimed that the government and the protesting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) parties had agreed to resume talks to resolve the 57-day-long political deadlock in Islamabad. According to jirga leader Sirajul Haq, the jirga would first meet Prime Minister Sharif on October 13. Talks between the government and protesting parties had been suspended earlier because of PTI and PAT workers’ arrests by the government.[10]
United Nations
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On October 9, a UN peacekeeper from Pakistan was killed during an ambush on a joint Pakistani-Bangladeshi convoy in Bangui in the Central African Republic.[11]
Nobel Peace Prize
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On October 10, Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan and Kailash Satyarthi of India were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their “struggle against the suppression of children and young people, and for the right of all children to education.” Malala was shot by a Taliban gunman in 2012 for promoting women’s education and is the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Prize.[12]