IS leaders met LeJ leadership over a year ago near Saudi-Iraq border, claims report; TTP Jamatul Ahrar releases video of dead Pakistani soldiers in Khyber; PAF airstrikes kill 6 militants in Tirah Valley, Khyber; IED kills two, injures five in Parachinar, Kurram Agency; Two government officials shot dead in Balochistan; Grenade attack injures 15 in Karachi; Army Chief meets U.S. CENTCOM chief in Florida; Pakistan tests ballistic missile, Shaheen 1A; Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs makes controversial remarks, clarification issued by Foreign Office; China rejects Indian media reports alleging provision of training to Pakistani soldiers; Pakistan supports revival of dialogue with India, says Prime Minister Sharif; Pakistani envoy to UN claims U.S. drone strikes counterproductive; PAT chief declares no connections with PTI.
Islamic State in South Asia
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According to a November 18 Reuters report, Islamic State (IS) has established contacts with the banned Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). The report claims that the leadership of LeJ had visited Saudi Arabia over a year ago and met leaders of Islamic State at an undisclosed location at Saudi-Iraq border.[1]
Militancy
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On November 15, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Jamatul Ahrar’s Ihya-e-Khilafat Media Foundation distributed an Urdu-language video on its social media accounts which shows dead soldiers of the Pakistani Army killed in attacks by militants in Khyber Agency. The footage was reportedly recorded by Lashkar-e-Islam. The video shows a beheaded soldier and threatens to behead all soldiers involved in the military campaign in the area.[2]
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On November 18, Pakistan Air Force airstrikes killed six militants, including a key commander, in the Malikdin Khel area of the Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency. Several militants were also wounded. [3]
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On November 18, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) killed two people and injured five children when it exploded near a school van in the Nasti Kot area of Parachinar city in Kurram Agency. [4]
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On November 18, unknown gunmen killed two government officials in a targeted attack in the Labach area of Awaran district in Balochistan.[5]
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On November 18, a grenade attack injured 15 people near the Mithadar police station in Karachi.[6]
Military
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On November 17, Army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif met U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Gen. Lloyd J. Austin in Tampa, Florida during his five-day official visit to the U.S. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Maj. Gen. Asim Bajwa, Gen. Sharif discussed Pakistan’s perspective on regional security, Pak-Afghan military relations and Indian cross-border violations along the Line of Control during his meeting with the CENTCOM chief. Gen. Austin also reportedly praised the Pakistan Army for its commitment toward fighting terrorism.[7]
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On November 17, Pakistan successfully tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile called Shaheen 1A (Hatf IV). The missile can carry nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 900 kilometers.[8]
Foreign Affairs
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In an interview to BBC Urdu on November 17, Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz declared that the enemies of U.S. had become enemies of Pakistan for no reason and that Pakistan should not target those extremists who were not a threat to Pakistan’s national security. This statement reportedly created a backlash in political circles which led to the Pakistani Foreign Office issuing a clarification on the statement. Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam declared on November 18 that the statement by the senior advisor was made in a historical context and that Pakistan was committed to fighting terrorism in all forms and manifestations. Aziz had further stated in the interview that the Afghan Taliban is Afghanistan’s problem and that the Haqqani Network is a part of Afghan Taliban. He also reiterated that it was the Afghan government’s responsibility to negotiate with the Afghan Taliban and that Pakistan would play its part in convincing the Taliban to enter into talks. Furthermore, Aziz said that the two countries need to cooperate on border control at the intelligence and operational levels and that a roadmap had been laid out for the same. Aziz also said that U.S-Pakistan relations were improving and that there was no trust deficit between the two countries. [9]
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On November 17, Chinese officials rejected a report published in the Indian media which alleged that Chinese troops were training Pakistani soldiers in Rajouri Sector on the Indo-Pak border. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei declared that the report was not based on facts.[10]
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On November 17, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told former British Foreign Secretary David Milliband that Pakistan supports the revival of the dialogue process between India and Pakistan if India takes the initiative. Prime Minister Sharif also said that Pakistan wanted to have trouble-free ties with India but that its “desire must be respected in the manner that it deserved.”[11]
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On November 17, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Masood Khan, reiterated Pakistan’s stance that the use of armed drones in Pakistan’s tribal territories violated Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Khan added that U.S. drone strikes were counterproductive and that the strikes were not justified in the face of ongoing Pakistani military operations against militants in North Waziristan.[12]
Politics