Terrorist Activities in Pakistan
Suicide Bombings
A suicide bomber blew himself up outside Jandol Police Station in Lower Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after officers opened fire on him on September 5, reports Daily Times, adding that there were no other casualties. “A man was coming towards the police station, when police shouted to stop him he began running and blew himself up when police started firing,” Senior Police Official Akhtar Hayat Gandapur said. There were no other casualties or damage, he said. Nobody claimed responsibility for the attack.
At least 15 persons killed and 40 others injured in a suicide attack in a crowded Hamid Market in Kashmir Chowk area of Parachinar town, the headquarter of Kurram Agency in FATA on September 10, reports Daily Times. “The market was crowded when the attack took place and initial reports say some 10 people are dead,” an official in Parachinar said on condition of anonymity. “The bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a wall of the market and seconds later there were dead bodies and destruction all over the place,” said a local journalist working for a private TV channel. Around 30 shops were also destroyed in the market where used electronic goods were sold, the journalist said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. However, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has acknowledged involvement in such attacks targeting Shias in the past. Parachinar is predominantly inhabited by Shias as sectarian conflict has displaced many Sunnis from the headquarters of Kurram Agency. Sectarian violence involving Sunnis and Shias, who account for around 20 percent of the 167 million populations, has killed more than 4,000 people since the late 1990s.
Bomb Blasts
At least 12 people were killed and another 12 injured in a car bomb attack on August 31 near a mosque in Matni Bazaar of Peshawar, reports Daily Times. The political tehsildar of North Waziristan Agency (Federally Administered Tribal Areas-FATA) Hashim Gul, his son Sajeel, brother Zahir Shah, and a cousin, identified as Ajab Gul, were killed in the car bomb blast, adds The News. Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. According to local sources, Gul, a resident of Adizai area in Matni, was vacationing here. He was attacked when he was having his vehicle repaired at a motor mechanic’s workshop.
Four activists of Tauheed-ul-Islam (TI), a pro-Government militia, were injured when an improvised explosive device went off near a bunker in Zakhakhel Bazaar area in Khyber Agency on September 5, reports Dawn. Officials said that the explosive device was planted near the bunker of ‘Commander’ Abdul Qadir, who along with his three guards was injured critically in the blast. Most of the members of the group are former commanders and activists of Bara-based proscribed militant organisation Lashkar-e-Islam (LI). They formed Tawheed-ul Islam in March 2011 after developing differences with LI ‘chief’ Mangal Bagh over alleged execution of a Zakhakhel cleric. They expelled commanders and activists of Lashkar-i-Islam from Zakhakhel Bazaar area soon after forming the new organisation and announced to support political administration and Security Forces in clearing the area of all militant groups. The group extended cooperation to polio vaccination campaign, concluded recently in Brag, Karamna, Alacha and Zakhakhel Bazaar areas.
Separately, three children playing cricket in Safi tehsil (revenue unit) of Mohmand Agency were injured when an improvised explosive device exploded, reports Central Asia Online. The target was obviously children, because the IED was planted in a playground, Upper Mohmand Agency Assistant Political Agent Rasool Khan said. No group has claimed responsibility, officials added.
Unidentified militants blew up a Government girls’ primary school in Shewa area of Swabi District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on September 7, reports Daily Times. The blast partially damaged the school building, but no causality or injury was reported as the building was empty at the time of blast and also located far away from residential areas.
Three security personnel were injured in two different incidents in Bara tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber Agency on Sept 10. Officials said that two personnel of Frontier Constabulary were injured critically when an improvised explosive device planted along the roadside in Naw Gazee Baba was detonated through a remote control. In another incident, a security official was injured when militants attacked a patrolling party of Security Forces in Qamberabad near Bara Bazaar.
One person was killed and three others injured in a remote controlled bomb blast in the Sariab area of Quetta on September 12, reports Dawn. A cycle rigged with the bomb and parked near Gahi Khan Chowk blew up, injuring four passers-by. One Zafar Iqbal later succumbed to his injuries. The other injured were identified as Abdul Qadir, Muhammad Anwar and Muhammad Ismail. The sources suspected the attack was targeted at a convoy of Security Forces which had passed the area minutes before the blast.
A blast that took place outside a scrap shop left a 10-year-old boy dead and 10 others injured at Bara Board in Nazimabad in Karachi on September 15, reports Daily Times. Police said the boy, Babar, was playing with a drum containing unknown sort of explosive material when it went off.
Sixteen persons were killed and 13 others injured when a remote-controlled bomb ripped through a passenger van in the Inzaro Kandao area of Lower Dir District on September 16, reports Dawn. The bomb planted on a track in the Inzaro Kandao area was detonated when the van stopped to pick up a passenger. District Coordination Officer Mahmood Aslam told Dawn it was a remote-controlled blast that hit the van carrying citizens from Inzaro Kandao to Munda bazaar. The bomb disposal squad said that up to 15 kilograms of explosives had been used in the blast, adding that bodies of some victims were found two furlongs from the road.
The driver of a trailer, supplying goods to NATO forces in Afghanistan, was killed and his assistant received critical injuries when their vehicle was targeted by an explosive device on Peshawar-Torkham road near Shahgai Fort in Jamrud tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber Agency on September 17, reports Dawn. Officials said that unidentified militants targeted the vehicle, carrying two Humvee jeeps to Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device planted along the roadside. The blast caused serious injuries to driver Nazar Mohammad and his assistant Gul Mohammad besides damaging the front portion of the vehicle. Officials said that the driver later succumbed to his injuries in a hospital.
At least seven people belonging to the Dawoodi Bohra community, including a three-month-old baby Shabbir, a 12-year-old girl Umema and a woman, were killed and 22 others injured in twin bomb blasts on a road between two apartment buildings — Qasr-e-Kutbuddin and Burhani Bagh — in Block C of North Nazimabad in Karachi commonly called Bohra Compound on September 18, reports Dawn. The blasts came a day after the visit of Syedi Mufaddal Bhaisaheb Saifuddin, designated successor of Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin. A large number of the community’s members from across the country and India are visiting Karachi on the occasion. “Six of the dead belong to the Dawoodi Bohra community, while the seventh is an ice cream vendor belonging to Rahimyar Khan District of Punjab,” a doctor at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital said.
Targeted Killings
At least four passengers in a bus were shot dead and 10 others were injured when unidentified armed militants opened indiscriminate fire on two buses in Bolan District on August 26, reports Dawn. In the first incident, armed men opened fire on a bus travelling from Quetta to Sadiqabad tehsil (revenue unit) of Rahim Yar Khan District of Punjab. As a result of the shooting, two people were killed, sources said. In the second incident, which occurred near Balanari area of Bolan District, armed militants opened fire on a bus travelling from Quetta to Nawabshah District in Sindh, which killed two people and injured 10 others.
Terrorists riding a motorbike opened fire at a Police party present on duty at a check post in Gligit city killing a Policeman on August 26, reports The News. Meanwhile, four Police officials were arrested for criminal negligence in duty, adds Dawn. Police officials said that the man who attacked their colleague also took away the official gun. Inspector General of Police, Usman Zikria said that coward elements had no place in the Police Force.
At least17 more people were killed in the continuing violence in Karachi on August 27, reported Dawn.
At least 16 persons, including political workers and gangsters, were killed in separate acts of target killing and bomb blast in two separate Districts of Sindh province on August 28 and August 29, reports Daily Times. Three alleged gangsters, identified as Fida Baloch, Khalil Baloch and Imam Baloch, were killed in encounter with Police in Malir City. Police also recovered two Kalashnikovs and a repeater was also found from their possession. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rao Anwar said that deceased were wanted gangsters.
At least 14 persons, including a Rangers official, were shot dead in separate incidents of violence in Karachi on August 29, reported The News. According to Police, unidentified armed assailants shot dead a man on Mirza Adam Khan Road.
Three people, including a Session Judge, identified as Zulfiqar Naqvi, his guard and driver were shot dead by unidentified armed militants on Munir Mengal Road in Quetta in the morning of August 30 while he was going to his office, reports The News. Separately, unidentified armed militants opened fire on one Mujeebur Rahman, killing him on the spot, and wounding two passers-by in Kalat District on August 29, reported Daily Times.
Four persons, including a Policeman, were killed in separate acts of violence in Karachi on August 30, reported Daily Times. A man, identified as Shamim was killed at Dhobi Gath within the limits of Pak colony Police Station.
Six persons, including a trainee Policeman, were killed in separate incidents of target killing in Karachi on September 1, reported The News. One, Fahad was shot dead and another Shafi was injured in a shooting incident in Burns Road area.
At least four people, including a member of the Katchi Rabita Committee (KRC), were killed in separate acts of violence in Karachi, on September 2, reports Daily Times. KRC member, identified as Younis Katchi was killed by unidentified armed assailants near Native Jetty Bridge, within the precincts of Jackson Police Station. Police suspected that some Lyari gangsters were behind the killing. After the incident, residents of Agra Taj and neighbouring areas took to streets and held a sit-in to protest the killing. Later, the KRC announced to end the protest after getting assurance from Police authorities that the accused would be brought to justice as early as possible.
Separately, the owner of a milk shop, identified as Qasim was shot dead in the Usmanabad area, within the vicinity of Garden Police Station.
In another incident, Police found a dead body of a young man, identified as Akhtar from the Siddiq Wahab Road area, within the limits of Garden Police Station. Police officials said the deceased was the brother-in-law of the slain Lyari gangster Rehman Dakait’s closed aide Nazeer Bala.
Also, a handcuffed 14-days-old decomposed unidentified dead body of a man was recovered from Lyari Naddi within the jurisdiction of Pak Colony Police Station.
Five persons, including an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI), were killed in different incidents of violence in Karachi on September 5, reported The News. According to Police, ASI Ghafoor Abbasi and a shopkeeper were killed when unidentified armed militants opened fire in Khawaja Ajmer Nagri area of North Karachi.
Two people, identified as Ramzan and Mushtaq, were shot dead when unidentified armed militants opened fire on a shop in Pasni area of Gwadar District on September 5, reports Daily Times. Separately, a dentist, identified as Niamatullah, belonging to Hazara-Shia community was killed when unidentified armed militants opened indiscriminate fire on Shaukat Clinic on Kinrani Road in Quetta. No group has claimed responsibility for the killing.
In another incident, unidentified militants opened fire on a man, identified as Abdul Ghaffar, at Umar Farooq Chowk area of Khuzdar Town in Khuzdar District, killing him on the spot and injuring a passerby, identified as Fazal.
Elsewhere, Quetta Police recovered an unidentified dead body from the Double Road area of the city.
Unidentified armed assailants killed the Secretary General of Gujrat Chapter of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Chaudhary Muhammad Tofail and his driver in Jalalpur Jattan town of Gujrat District on September 9, reports Daily Times.
At five persons, including a Policeman and two activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement were killed in separate incidents of target killing in Karachi on September 10, reported Daily Times. Two men were shot dead by unidentified armed assailants while they were standing near ZMC office in Orangi Town No 5 within the limits of Orangi Town Police Station. One of the dead was identified as Tahseen, while the identity of other victim is yet to be ascertained.
Abductions
Armed militants abducted three drivers in two separate incidents on Aug 26. In the first incident, unidentified militants abducted one Muhammad Ismail from National Highway Dhadar area of Bolan District and moved him to an undisclosed location, reported Daily Times. In two other incidents of abduction, two drivers, Muhammad Usman and Rehmatullah were abducted near Gandawa area of Jhal Magsi District and Nothal area of Naseerabad District respectively. In addition, unidentified armed militants abducted one Kareem Jan from Bedi area of Awaran District.
Sectarian
Three men, identified as Habibullah, Muhammad Ali and Mustafa, belonging to Hazara community were shot dead and two others, including a two-year-old child passing by, sustained critical injuries in a sectarian attack on August 27 at Killi Mubarak Chowk on Spiny Road in Quetta, reports Daily Times. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Separately, local administration recovered the dead body of a youth, identified as Muhammad Zakira, from Gorpad area of Kalat District. The victim had gone missing from Kalat area three days earlier.
At least nine Hazara Shias were killed in separate incidents of sectarian attack in Quetta on September 1, reported The News. In the first incident, unidentified armed militants ambushed a vehicle carrying five passengers and killed all of them near Sabzi Mandi in Hazar Ganji area of the District. Separately, in another sectarian attack in the same area two Shias were shot dead by unidentified militants. Later in the city, the residents protested against the target killings and two more persons died and ten others injured in those violent protests. Meanwhile, two Shia men were killed and 10 others were injured while protesting against the killing of Shias in Quetta.
Miscellaneous
Security Forces on August 26, killed at least 20 militants and injured 10 others in a clash during a raid in Batwar area of Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur Agency, reports Daily Times. According to sources, the SFs stormed the militants’ hideouts in Batwar area in which at least 20 militants were killed and 10 others injured. Four security officials and two members of National lashkar (tribal militia) also sustained injuries. Assistant Political Agent, Jehangir Azam Wazir said that the volunteers of the National lashkar have also set up check posts in various parts of Salarzai tehsil in a bid to curb militancy.
One militant was killed and two others were arrested by Security Forces in Balagarhi area of Behrain tehsil (revenue unit) in Swat District on August 26, reports Dawn. Sources said that SFs opened firing on militants when they were attacked in Balagarhi area of Behrain. A militant, identified as Shamroz Khan, was killed in exchange of fire with SFs. The arrested militants were identified as Amanullah and Gul Zar.
An operation to clear militants from Batwar area of Bajaur Agency on August 27 left 36 dead including three soldiers and two members of a government supported peace committee, reports Dawn. Security Forces (SFs) launched the operation to clear the Batwar area, which lies in along the Af-Pak border, of militants who had crossed over from the neighbouring Kunar province of Afghanistan.
Separately, eight militants were killed and two security personnel suffered injuries in a clash in Masozai area of Kurram Agency. Sources said that a group of militants attacked a check post in Masozai with heavy weapons and injured two security men. Security forces killed eight militants and injured several others in retaliatory action.
Nine Security Force personnel and six militants were killed while several others wounded in a clash between SFs and militants in Baba Ziarat locality of Ghat Badr, some 35 kilometres south of Ladha, in South Waziristan Agency on August 29, reports Dawn. Sources said that fierce fighting erupted when militants led by Sher Azam of Waliur Rehman group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacked an advancing party of SFs in Baba Ziarat area. The SFs had advanced on Baba Ziarat, on August 28 and set up bunkers to stay at night. The TTP ‘spokesman’ Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed that 12 soldiers were killed and scores of others wounded. He said the bodies of seven soldiers, who had been beheaded, were in possession of the TTP. He claimed only one militant was killed and three were injured in the clash.
At least 14 militants, among them a key ‘commander’, were killed and seven others injured in gun battles with Security Forces (SFs) at Gul Kadda in Mamozai area of Upper Orakzai Agency on August 31, reported Dawn. Sources said the clash between SFs and militants erupted at around 11 am during which both sides used heavy weapons. SFs claimed that eight militants, including a ‘commander’, were killed and four others injured in the gun battle. While six militants were killed and three others injured when SFs targeted their hideouts with artillery shelling.
At least nine militants, among them key Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ‘commanders’, were killed and several others in clashes with the Security Forces (SFs) and volunteers of a local peace committee in Batwar area of Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) of Bajaur Agency on September 2, reported Dawn. Separately, at least seven militants were killed while 13 were injured during an operation launched by the SFs in South Waziristan Agency.
A Police constable, identified as Ikram Hussain was killed and four others, identified as Nizamud Din, Sajad Ahmad, Mohammad Ali Shah and Samiullah, driver of the van, sustained injuries when their vehicle came under attack at Bazarak Khwar near Afghan refugees’ camp in Lower Dir District on September 2, reports Dawn. Sources said that Police were on routine patrol in Jandol area when their van was attacked by unidentified militants.
Seven militants were killed on September 4 in Batwar Khas, Chachagi, Kambeli, Tendo Dag and Kumbat areas of Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur Agency, near the Afghan border, as Security Forces (SFs) kept up their attempts to drive out the fighters from their hideouts, reports Dawn. The clashes between SFs and anti-militant tribal fighters on one hand and Afghanistan-based Pakistani militants took place in Batwar Khas, Chachagi, Kambeli, Tendo Dag and Kumbat areas. Both sides used heavy weapons. Sources in the SFs claimed that seven militants were killed. Two volunteers of an anti-militant tribal group called Lashkar suffered injuries, according to locals. Sources said militant infiltration from Kunar province of Afghanistan to Bajaur continued unabated. Fresh groups of militants had replaced the tired ones. The militants frequently use secret routes to intrude into Bajaur from across the border. Sources said jet fighters and helicopters had been unable to pin down the militants to their lairs in dense forests of Salarzai tehsil.
Two containers from Karachi (Sindh) heading towards Chaman town in Qilla Abdullah District carrying military hardware and goods for International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan were attacked by unidentified militants in Dasht area of Mastung District on September 7, reported Daily Times. Resultantly, the containers caught fire and were partly damaged. However, No casualty was reported in the attack.
PAKISTAN
US officials rule out role of ISI in attacks on NATO troops in Afghanistan
US officials refused to endorse Afghanistan’s claim that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have infiltrated their Security Forces and were attacking American and NATO troops, dressed as Afghan soldiers, reports Dawn on August 27. “It’s our understanding that these attacks aren’t the work of foreign intelligence services,” a senior US defence official told Wall Street Journal. Citing US investigations of the incidents, the official said: “They’re typically Afghans who themselves decide to conduct them, and some Afghans from insurgent networks might have helped on occasion.”
Earlier, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, issued a statement earlier this week, insisting that “foreign spy agencies” had infiltrated Afghan Security Forces and were now using their uniforms to attack US and NATO troops. They were responsible for taking the lives of 40 coalition members this year (2012), he said. Although President Karzai did not name the agency, other Afghan officials told Western journalists he was referring to Pakistan’s ISI which, they said, was responsible for these attacks.
Later, an Afghan Presidential spokesman, Aimal Faizi, said that they had conducted an investigation into the attacks and concluded that “foreign spy agencies are growlingly fearful of the empowerment of Afghan security agencies” and that’s why they were masterminding those attacks. “The countries behind the attacks are from the region,” he claimed. But America’s top military commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, asked Kabul to provide evidence to support the claim.
Policeman and security guard shot dead in Peshawar
A Policeman and a private security guard were killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on a patrolling squad at Civil Colony on Kohat Road in Peshawar on August 27, reports Dawn. An official at the Bala Mani Police Station said the Policeman Kaleem Khan along with a colleague was on a patrol duty that armed men attacked them, killing Kaleem on the spot. The official said a security guard in the area was critically injured in the firing incident. However, he succumbed to his wounds. His name could not be ascertained
Mullah Omar and aides living in Pakistan: NATO Commander
The NATO commander in Afghanistan General John Allen on August 28 said that reclusive Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar was hiding in Pakistan along with his commanders, reports Pakistan Today. “Omar lives in Pakistan, as do many of his commanders. From that safe vantage point, they’ve sent hundreds of young, impressionable, largely spiritual and helpless youths to their deaths and detention in Afghanistan. For this, they must forfeit their honour and any claim to Islamic virtue,” General John Allen said in an article. Allen’s article focused on the recent increase in attack on US troops from the Afghan security force, which the Taliban have been claiming of carrying out. “The focus on ‘green-on-blue’ attacks obscures the callous slaughter of Afghan civilians by insurgents led by Mohammad Omar. He has the blood of innocents on his hands even though he hypocritically tells his subordinates not to attack civilians,” Allen said, holding that Omar was either out of touch, or his forces were out of control.
Sectarian outfits active in Balochistan
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on the occasion of International Day of the Disappeared on August 30 said that during the tenure of the present Government, as many as 450 mutilated dead bodies have been recovered and over 1300 persons went missing in different areas of Balochistan Federal Government should take remedial steps to resolve the issue, reported Dawn. Chairperson HRCP Zohra Yusuf said that there is war like situation in Balochistan. Hazara Community is being killed by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and now Jama’at-ud-Dawa (JuD) has also started opening offices in Balochistan. She said that so far two activists of HRCP have been murdered in Balochistan which shows that commission is under threat.
TTP beheads 12 soldiers in FATA
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan on August 31 released a video showing the severed heads of 12 soldiers, as security officials said 15 troops had gone missing following fighting with militants in Batwar area of Bajaur Agency in FATA, reports Daily Times. TTP spokesman Sirajuddin sent a video showing a militant ‘commander’ posing with 12 heads arranged on the ground, which he claimed were of the soldiers they had killed. “Many of them were killed by bullets, 12 of them as you see have been beheaded, you see 12 heads here, and more heads are on the way,” he said.
Terror bid foiled in Punjab
Foiling a possible mega terrorist bid, Police arrested three alleged Afghan militants with loads of explosives, including detonators, remote controls, bomber’s vests, nuts, bolts, shrapnel, hand grenades and other bomb-making paraphernalia, from deep in the woods near a graveyard on August 31 from Wah Cantt in Rawalpindi District, reported The News. According to Station House Officer (SHO) of Wah Cantt Police Station Chaudhry Zulfiqar, three alleged terrorists were arrested from woods near a graveyard after receiving a tip off. After the identification process, it was revealed that the alleged terrorists were Afghan nationals. They were identified as Mujeebullah, Najeebullah and Mohibullah.
Two Americans among four killed in suicide bombing in Peshawar
At least four persons, including two Americans, were reportedly killed and 19 others injured in when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle in the University Town area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on September 3, reports Pakistan Today. Officials said the target of the bombing was apparently a vehicle in use by US nationals. As per details, the suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the vehicle purportedly carrying US nationals on the main Aabdara Road in University Town. The massive explosion left a four-foot crater on the road and destroyed several houses and vehicles. The bomb-proof vehicle of US diplomatic mission was also badly damaged. A Police officer who witnessed the attack said the US nationals attacked in the blast were whisked away by another vehicle soon after the blast. Therefore, authorities were unclear of the actual casualties and injuries caused to the foreigners. Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Imtiaz Altaf also expressed ignorance about the fate of US nationals in the vehicle attacked by the bomber. However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain said those killed “included two Americans”.
However, the US embassy in Islamabad released the following statement through State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland: “We can confirm that a vehicle belonging to the US Consulate in Peshawar was hit in an apparent terrorist attack. Two US personnel and two Pakistani staff of the Consulate were injured and are receiving medical treatment. No US Consulate personnel were killed, but we are seeking further information about other victims of this heinous act. We stand ready to work with Pakistani authorities on a full investigation so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice.”
Stability in Afghanistan is vital for Pakistan: Pak Foreign Minister
The Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on September 3 reiterated that Pakistan, in its core national interest is irrevocably committed in achieving stability in Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process. Speaking at the “Changing Global Environment: Pakistan’s Perspective,” hosted by the German council on foreign relations in Berlin, Khar said that Afghans themselves need to define the contours of the reconciliation process. The program was attended by political, social, business and academic representatives of Germany. Hina Rabbani Khar, on a three day official visit to Germany, dilated upon the Afghan situation, Pak-US relations and the various reforms introduced by the present Government to strengthen democracy and the civil society in Pakistan. She emphasised that a stable and a peaceful Afghanistan was an absolute imperative for the prosperity of Pakistan.
Anti-terror laws to be given more teeth
The Government on September 4 decided to bring in a new law that would arm security and intelligence agencies with modern techniques of surveillance and collecting evidence to ensure that no culprit escaped punishment for lack of proof, reported Dawn. Law Minister Farooq Naek said that the Fair Trial Act of 2012 would be among three to four other laws that the Federal Cabinet would consider at a meeting on September 5, 2012 (today).
The Minister said the Fair Trial Act of 2012 was being promulgated to ensure that no culprit, particularly those involved in acts of terrorism, managed to win release from the courts because of lack of evidence or through intimidation of witnesses and even judges. The law was aimed at providing investigation for collection of evidence by means of modern techniques and devices to prevent and effectively deal with scheduled offences and to regulate powers of Law-Enforcement and Intelligence Agencies. The law would also prevent security and Intelligence Agencies from using arbitrary powers and to provide for permissible and fair uses in accordance with the law and under proper executive and judicial oversight keeping in view Article 10-A of the Constitution.
TTP operating in Islamabad and Rawalpindi go generate funds
Two suspects operating a network for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad for generating funds via extortion and kidnapping were arrested by a joint investigation team of Security Forces and Capital Police on September 5, reported Dawn. On the light of the information given by the suspects, efforts are in progress to arrest the leader of the network operating from United Kingdom (UK). The Police are seeking a Red Warrant for the network’s leader from Interpol (international Police). Vigilance has been mounted in and around the business centres of the twin cities.
FATA tribesmen threaten to migrate to Afghanistan
The leaders of different political parties have formed an alliance under the banner of FATA Qabail Ittehad to pressurise the Government for stopping military operations in parts of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), warning that in case their miseries are not ended they will collectively decide to migrate to Afghanistan, reports Dawn. In this regard a group of tribesmen addressed a joint press conference in Peshawar Press Club on September 5. Briefing media persons, Mohammad Iqbal Afridi said that that drone attacks had greatly disturbed the civilian population of Waziristan Agency and the people had already made their intentions clear to migrate to Afghanistan. He said that launch of an operation in North Waziristan would be a blunder on part of the Government. He said that the FATA Qabail Ittehad would soon convene a meeting of tribal elders to decide future line of action so that they could take steps with consultation.
Pak Army repulsed 17 cross border attacks in 2012
Major General Ghulam Qamar, the operation commander in Swat, on September 6 said that Pakistan Army repulsed 17 major attacks of militants from across Afghan border since February 2012, saying 260 attackers were killed while 40 security personnel lost lives in these attacks, reports Dawn. He said this during a press briefing at headquarters of 19th Division in Khwazakhela of Swat District. Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesman Colonel Arif and other military officers were also present on the occasion. The commander said that since February 2012, 105 fire exchanges occurred in. However, the Security Forces (SFs) successfully thwarted these attacks. He said that people of Dir had fought shoulder to shoulder with the army to stop infiltration of militants into the region. He praised performance of Dir Police, saying several attempts of sabotage were thwarted by them.
Dead bodies of 19 militants found in FATA
The Security Forces (SFs) on September 9 claimed to have recovered 19 bodies of militants during a search operation in areas along the border in Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) of Bajaur Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), reports Dawn. All the militants active in the area had been pushed back into Afghanistan. Officials said the SFs and volunteers of Salarzai peace committee conducted a joint operation in the areas cleared of militants after receiving information that the fleeing militants had planted bombs and other explosives in different parts of the tehsil. Sources said that the bodies were recovered in twos or threes along the border. A huge quantity of weapons and explosives was also found. Sources said that bomb disposal experts were taking part in the search operation while some areas had been cleared of planted explosives. Meanwhile, registration of the tribesmen displaced because of the law and order situation in the border areas of Salarzai continued for the second day. According to local officials, over 2,000 affected families have been registered and the process is continuing. Distribution of food packages to the affected persons was also going on in various parts of the tehsil.
Separately, an important ‘commander’ of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan was reported killed during clashes with SFs in the Zarmelan village of South Waziristan Agency (SWA), reports Daily Times. Sources said that, eight days back, a key ‘commander’ of TTP, Aftab Khan Mehsud, was killed during clashes between security forces and TTP fighters in Zarmelan village of SWA. Official sources said that Aftab was the right-hand man of TTP ‘chief’ Hakimullah Mehsud. The report came out in the open some days after the incident because the rugged terrain of the region renders it inaccessible to the media.
Pakistanis are victims of terror: US State Dept
The United States on September 12 said Pakistanis have been victims of terrorism, as the State Department underscored the importance of support for the country in combating terrorists, reports Dawn. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland spoke about United States’ strong counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan, which over the last decade has suffered grievously from retaliatory terrorist bombings. The spokesperson emphasised the strong bilateral cooperation against terrorism in response to a question. “I think you know how hard we work in our bilateral relationship with Pakistan to maintain a strong focus and a strong effort on terrorism there and to offer our support to Pakistani efforts”, Nuland told an Indian journalist who wanted to know if the US had thought of taking the issue of tackling terrorism in tribal areas to the United Nations or address it bilaterally with Pakistan.
Pakistan needs strategic space: Pak ambassador to USA
Pakistan needs strategic space and sympathy, not calls to ‘do more’, Ambassador Sherry Rehman told a Congressional Caucus in Washington during a discussion on the subject “Pakistan and the United States: The Road Ahead”, on September 14, reports Dawn. Speaking at an event of the 50-member Pakistan Caucus in the United States (US) House of Representatives, she assured the lawmakers that Pakistan was with the US “for a long haul”. At the event organised jointly by Caucus Co-Chairs Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat, and Dan Burton, a Republican, she underscored the importance of building a strong relationship between the two allied nations.
The Ambassador also underlined Pakistan’s priorities, concerns and apprehensions before legislators and congressional staffers. She highlighted the numerous instances of close, and in some cases, historical cooperation between the two countries since 1947. “We do not want to be seen as just a function of US concerns in Afghanistan. We are an important country in our own right that has a history of close friendship with the United States,” she added.
REGIONAL
Bangladesh – Internal Dynamics
4 persons testify against JMB militants
A special tribunal in Habiganj District on August 29 recorded deposition of four prosecution witnesses in three cases over the 2005 synchronised bomb attacks, reports The Daily Star. The accused, including the banned outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Moulana Saidur Rahman, his son and a section chief AHM Shamim, operatives Azizul Islam Gazi, Hafez Hujaifa, Mohammad Belal Hossain, Salah Uddin, and Shafiqul Islam, were present in court. The judge fixed October 31 for recording deposition of the other witnesses.
Gonomukti Fauj commander arrested
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a ‘commander’ of banned outfit Gonomukti Fauj along with a light gun (LG) and one bullet at Pabohati village in Sadar sub-District of Jhenidah District on August 30, reports The Daily Star. The arrestee is identified as Monirul Islam (35) son of Mohasin Mia. RAB said on secret information, they arrested Monirul along with the arms while he and his cohorts were holding a secret meeting there to commit crime. However, the rest managed to flee, sensing the presence of the elite force.
Meanwhile, Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in a statement issued on August 30, termed Bangladesh as a black hole for disappeared victims, reports The Independent. The Hong Kong-based human rights watchdog in its statement issued to mark the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearance said the people of Bangladesh are scared because their brothers and sons are disappearing. “Incidents of abduction by plain-clothed people, who often claim to be the country’s law-enforcing agents, are ongoing without any indication of being on the want,” the statement said. According to the statement, the stories of disappearances are being exposed by the media and human rights groups amidst constant denials by law-enforcement agencies and their political masters.
PBCP regional leader killed in Pabna
A regional leader of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Red Flag) faction was stabbed to death in Chatmohar sub-District of Pabna District on September 1, reports The Daily Star. The deceased is identified as Nayeb Ali (40) son of Kashem Ali of Hadal Pashchimpara village in Faridpur sub-District of same District. Police said locals found Nayeb’s body in Aulipur sluice gate area and informed them.
PBCP regional leader killed in Kushtia
A regional leader of outlawed Lal Pataka faction of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) was killed in a ‘shootout’ between Police and his cohorts in Mirpur sub-District of Kushtia District on September 4 (today), reports The Daily Star. The deceased was identified as Abdul Jalil (43) son of late Mofiz Uddin. Police said Jalil was a regional leader of the outfit active in Mirpur and Sadar sub-District of Kushtia District and Alamdanga sub-District of Chuadanga District.
Woman militant arrested
Police arrested an alleged woman cadre of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party Janajuddha faction along with arms and bombs from her father’s house at Kadikhali village in Harinakunda sub-District of Jhenidah District on September 7, reports UNBConnect. The arrestee was identified as Farida Parvin, wife of Beltu. Acting on secret information that PBCP Janajuddha faction commander of the area Amirul Islam alias Pocha had brought huge arms to his brother – Beltu’s house in the area, a team of Police raided the house. Sensing the presence of the Police, Beltu’s wife Farida relocated the arms to her father’s house in Kadikhali village. Being informed, Police raided the house of Farida’s father and arrested her and recovered one double barrel gun, two shutter guns, three choppers and seven live bombs. Police said Farida has been working as an associate of outlawed party leader Amirul Islam and engaged in collecting ransom from kidnapped people.
Five JMP militants indicted for killing Prof Humayun Azad
A Dhaka court on September 10 indicted five members of militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Prof Humayun Azad murder case, reports The New Age. On February 27, 2004, JMB militants stabbed the 56-year-old Humayun Azad, a teacher of Bangla department of Dhaka University, near the Atomic Energy Commission office on the university campus while he was returning home from Ekushey Book Fair. The accused are Salehin alias Salahuddin, Hafiz Mahmud alias Hasan, Anwarul Alam alias Anwar, Mizanur Rahman alias Minhaz and Nur Mohammad. Among the accused, Nur Mohammad is on the run while others are in jail.
GMB regional leader killed in Kushtia
A regional leader of outlawed outfit Gono Mukti Fauj (GMF) was killed in a “shootout” between Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and his group at Char Sadipur village in Kumarkhali sub-District of Kushtia District on September 12, reports The Daily Star. The deceased was identified as Tofazzal Hossain alias Tofa (40). Tofa was the prime accused in a triple-murder case of Ambaria Union Parishad Chairman Nurul Islam (48) and his two assistants. He was also accused in seven other cases of murder, extortion and abduction. RAB said they raided Char Sadipur village on a tip-off that the gang was holding a secret meeting there. When the militants opened fire on RAB personnel the RAB team in self-defence returned the fire. After an hour long “gunfight”, RAB personnel found the bullet-riddled body of Tofa at the spot. They also recovered five light guns, two bullets and five machetes left by the gang.
BNP leader killed in bomb attack
A local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader was killed and his co-villager injured in a bomb attack at Duttapara Bazar in Sadar sub-District of Jessore District on September 17, reports The Independent. The deceased was identified as Jihadul Islam Zia (42), organising secretary of Ward BNP. Police and witnesses said a gang of miscreants swooped on Zia and Mohammad Ali while they were gossiping at a teashop at the bazaar. The criminals hurled several bombs at them and later chopped them indiscriminately.
Three policemen injured in attack by ICS cadres in Chandpur
At least three Policemen, including a sub-inspector, were injured in a clash between a group of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) cadres and the law enforcers in front of Chandpur Government College in Chandpur District on September 17, reports The Daily Star. Police said some ICS cadres brought out a procession from the college campus, protesting the trial of war crimes accused. When the Police tried to stop them, the ICS cadres attacked them with sticks and brickbats, leaving three Policemen critically injured. The ICS cadres also tried to snatch arms and wireless sets from the Police. The injured Policemen are – Sub-Inspector Mahfuz Ahmed (32), and constables Masud Rana (24) and Redwan Ahmed (20). Police have also arrested four cadres of ICS – Jahirul Islam (25), Iqbal Hossain (25), Shahadat Hossain (18), and Shahriar Tanzim (20) – for their alleged involvement in the attack.
PBCP regional leader killed in Kushtia
A regional leader of the outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) Lal Pataka faction was killed in a “shootout” between police and the group in Mirpur sub-District of the Kushtia District on September 18, reports The Daily Star. Police said the deceased Rahat Ali was accused in 11 cases, including five for murder. Acting on a tip-off, Police raided Kursha High School, where the outlaws were holding a “secret” meeting. Sensing Police presence, the criminals opened fire on the law enforcers prompting them to retaliate that triggered an hour-long gunfight. Rahat was caught in the line of fire and died on the spot, though his associates managed to flee the scene. Police recovered a 9 mm pistol, 8 bullets and 6 bombs from the scene.
India – Internal Dynamics
One person injured in bomb attack in Manipur
Kanglaonline reports that a person was injured in a bomb attack at the residence of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Executive Engineer, C. Hangsing at Upper Lamka near Churachandpur (District) Public ground pm August 25, according to Police reports. The injured is C. Nengpao, brother of C. Hangsing. Meanwhile, two bombs exploded at Nongren Maning Leikai of Imphal East District, at the residences of former Pradhan (headman) Leishangthem Tarpon and Loitam Chinglen by unknown persons in the night of August 24.
Naxal movement may intensify in Bihar
Union Rural Development Minister, Jairam Ramesh on August 25, pulled up the Bihar Government for slow implementation of central flagship schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MNREGA) and Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) and cautioned that the Naxal [Left Wing Extremism (LWE)] movement may intensify if adequate steps were not taken to provide basic infrastructure to the rural people, reports Zee News. The Minister was on a visit to Bihar’s Rohtas District to inspect progress in implementation of the rural development schemes and the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) at Rohtas block.
Miscreants set ablaze 30 houses and explode grenades in Assam
Hindustan Times reports that one person was killed and four others injured when miscreants opened fire in Pakritola village under Fakirgram, they said, adding that one more person was injured in the third incident that took place in Tupimari under Gossaigaon area of Kokrajhar District.
The bodies of two persons missing in Dhemaji were recovered on August 25 from the Nalbari area of the same District, reports Seven Sister’s Post.
In addition, a group of unidentified armed miscreants set ablaze at least 30 houses at Pakhirtola area in Fakiragram in Kokrajhar District on August 27 night and engaged in exchange of fire with Security Forces (SFs), adds rediff.com. The miscreants also exploded at least five grenades, the Police informed. Exchange of fire between SFs and miscreants were reported from at least three villages namely Norjibari, Choutaki and Bhumki at Salakati area in Kokrajhar District.
The clashes started on July 19.
PLFI cadres kill three, including live-in couple in Jharkhand
Cadres of the Peoples’ Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a breakaway faction of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) killed an unmarried couple for maintaining a live-in relationship in Atheldih village in Khunti District in the night of August 25, reports The Times of India. The victims were identifies as Sanjay Purty and Itwari Oriya. “We are trying to know whether PLFI had given any warning to the couple’s parents or not,” said Khunti Superintendent of Police (SP) M Tamilvanan. It might also be that Purty had refused to join their ranks or had done something against PLFI’s interests.
Meanwhile, the PLFI cadres also allegedly killed one of their colleagues who apparently opposed this sort of moral policing. “A body has been recovered from a nearby jungle,” said an officer at Murmu police station. The body is yet to be identified.
Panchayat secretary killed in Maoist firing
Markam Somaru, panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) secretary of Gollapalli was killed and four others were injured in a Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) attack in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh on August 29, reported twocircles.net quoting IANS. District Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Shandilya told IANS that “Maoist guerrillas last (Wednesday) evening attacked the jeep in which the panchayat secretary was travelling, along with four others” in Sukma District under Konta Police Station limits. Congress worker G Sai Reddy, driver Sodi Dalla, helper Betty Satyam and one other man are being treated at Konta government hospital and are stated to be out of danger, Shandilya said.
Seven Delhi districts under Maoist influence
Seven Districts in Delhi have come “under the influence” of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) while 84 Districts across the country witnessed violent activities of Naxals (Left Wing Extremists), reports IBN Live. Minister of State for Home Jitendra Singh said the Districts in the national capital which have come under the influence of Left wing extremism are Central Delhi, New Delhi, South Delhi, North West Delhi, South West Delhi, North and North East. There are nine Districts in Delhi. “In 2011, a total of 84 districts in India witnessed violent activities of some nature by LWE outfits, an overwhelming majority of which were by the CPI (Maoist). Out of the above, around 50 districts witnessed moderate to high levels of violence,” Singh told Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Parliament) on August 30 in a written reply. He said the Districts which are classified as “under LWE influence” was based on overground activity of the front organisations of the CPI-Maoist and other Left wing extremist groups. “The total number of such districts in the country in 2011 was 203 (including the 84 violence affected districts),” he said. Singh said since 2009, significant spatial reduction in Left wing violence has been noticed in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. West Bengal’s West Midnapore district, which had witnessed 360 killings between 2009-11, has not seen any violence till July 31 this year. Similarly, Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada, where 280 people were killed in Maoist violence in previous three years, has witnessed 13 deaths in the first seven months of 2012.
BSF trooper killed in landmine blast
A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper, J Kundu, was killed and another, Dhiren Sahu, injured when a landmine planted by the Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres exploded on a forest road in Koraput District on September 1, reports Hindustan Times. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Y Jagannath Rao said a group of BSF troopers was walking down the forest in Laxmipur area after conducting combing operation nearby when one of them apparently stepped on the landmine which went off. The two troopers were members of a unit of the BSF stationed at Palur in Koraput, Rao said.
One civilian and a militant killed in Nagaland
Nagaland Post reports that a civilian and one Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khole-Kitovi (NSCN-Khole-Kitovi) cadre were killed while two more civilians sustained injuries when suspected NSCN-Khaplang cadres attacked the house of NSCN-khole-Kitovi Yimchunger region ‘chairman’ identified as Yimthong Yimchunger at Longya Ward, Kiphire town (District) at around 1 am on September 3. The deceased identified as khapur Tsingthong (NSCN-Khole-Kitovi) and a civilian identified as Luthong of Zanger village were sleeping in a room when the incident occurred. They added that the two were shot when they went out of the room after suspected NSCN-K cadres hurled stones at the roof.
ULFA was paid during National Games held in 2007 in Assam
Assam Tribune reports “very credible” intelligence inputs which indicate that substantial amounts of money was paid to then United Liberation Front of Asom in order to persuade the outfit to withdraw the ban on the National Games held in Guwahati. RN Ravi, a retired Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), made this disclosure. Ravi said that according to intelligence reports, ULFA first demanded an amount of INR 30 crore from Larson& Turbo (L&T), which seriously affected the construction work of the National Games venues. This threat put the Games in jeopardy and there was a big question mark on the Games. There was also a question mark on the ability of the State to hold the games peacefully, but later, a few politicians bought peace by arranging for payment of a substantial amount to the ULFA. He said that according to available intelligence inputs, an amount of INR 15 crore was paid to the ULFA to buy peace. However, there is no proof to indicate that the Government was directly involved in the entire deal.
Ravi further said that there have been instances of political leaders maintaining links with militants in Nagaland and Manipur and even in Arunachal Pradesh. He said that the situation in Tripura has improved in the last seven or eight years as the political leaders have stopped maintaining links with the ultras after militancy is now on the wane in the State.
14 injured in bomb blast in Assam
A grenade blast by suspected Anti-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom on September 6 left 14 persons including three Police personal were injured in Doomdooma town of Tinsukia District, reports The Sentinel.
Meanwhile, Security Forces (SFs) arrested ‘commander-in-chief’ of Dimasa National Revolutionary Front (DNRF), Diamond Dimasa alias Pranjol Hojai, from Diyungmukh in Dima Hasao District.
One army soldier and a civilian injured in blast
An Army soldier, Lance Naik Ravinder Singh, was injured in an IED blast triggered by Peoples Liberation Army rebels along the Airport Road in Imphal of Manipur on September 8, reports The Telegraph. A civilian, Akham Shanti (31), also sustained minor injuries. Police said the Improvised Explosive Device (IED), planted on the road divider, was detonated by remote control.
| Monthly Fatalities The following deaths, related to ongoing insurgencies and acts of terrorism, occurred during the period Aug 26 to Sept 25, 2012: |
| Civilion | Indian Security Personnel | Militant | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assam | 05 | 01 | 02 | 08 |
| Arunachal Prad | 00 | 00 | 01 | 01 |
| Manipur | 01 | 01 | 09 | 11 |
| Meghalaya | 01 | 00 | 01 | 02 |
| Nagaland | 01 | 00 | 04 | 05 |
| Tripura | 01 | 00 | 00 | 01 |
| Left-wing | 03 | 08 | 28 | 39 |
| Total | 12 | 10 | 45 | 67 |
Army soldier killed and 10 others injured in bomb attack in Manipur
The Sangai Express reports that a powerful bomb planted at Kangshoibi Thong along Moirang-Kumbi road in Bishnupur District exploded at about 6 am on September 9 killing one Assam Rifles (AR) trooper and injuring 10 others. The deceased has been identified as Naib Subedar Srinivas Rao while the 10 injured jawans have been identified as Naib Subedar G Pandey, Havildar Harish Chand, Rifleman Kishan, Havildar Devender Singh, Rifleman Narayan Singh, Rifleman Goutam, Rifleman Kailash, Rifleman Vipin Khuman, Rifleman Harjeet Singh and Rifleman Ph Shanta. A Police source informed that the bomb was planted at the southern side of a culvert built across Kangshoibi Khong (canal), about 3 kilometres from Kumbi Police station towards Moirang. 33 AR troops posted at Kumbi post travelling in two Gypsys were passing troops of the same AR unit posted at Moirang Khunou who were patrolling on foot when the bomb exploded.
PLA attacks RAW office in Manipur
An improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the office complex of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Special Bureau (SB) in Imphal West District on September 13, reports IBN Live. However, no casualty was reported. Meanwhile, ‘publicity secretary’ of the Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF) ,the political front of PLA, T. Leisemba, issued a statement in the evening that claimed the attack was to demonstrate that the party was closely monitoring activities of the agency in the State, adds The Telegraph.
Nepal – Internal Dynamics
Special Committee to seek ways out to stalled integration process
Army Integration Special Committee (AISC), responsible for supervision, integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants, is holding meeting on August 27 (today) to find way out of the halted integration process, reports Nepal News. The news report states that AISC member representing the opposition parties will also attend the meeting despite their protest against the Government.
Meanwhile, Unified Communist party of Nepal (UCPN-Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and Communist party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) agreed on August 26, to move ahead as per “politics of national consensus” after doing away with the misunderstanding and differences among themselves. During the meeting, NC and UML also expressed dissatisfaction with the Maoists for portraying them as anti-federalists.
Further, CPN-Maoist ‘vice president’ C.P. Gajurel accused the UCPN-Maoist’s Pushpa Kumar Dahal aka Prachanda led Federal Democratic Republican Alliance (FDRA) of working at the behest of anti-nationalist force and foreign power.
USA removes UCPN-M from its terrorist list
Unites States of America (USA) has removed the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist from its global terrorist organisations list, stating that the party has demonstrated a credible commitment to pursuing the peace and reconciliation process in Nepal, reports Nepal News on September 7.
Meanwhile, Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) published a ‘white paper’ on the failure of the Constituent Assembly (CA) to promulgate the new constitution, mainly blaming the UCPN-M and the Madhesi Front for the CA’s termination. CPN-UML also cited reasons such as ‘over-expectation’ from the CA, agreements signed outside of the CA and the activities of different pressure groups within the CA for the constitutional fiasco. The party said proportional representation weakened the political leadership’s influence on the issues thereby leading to the failure to promulgate the constitution.
Political instability demoralising civil servants, says chief secretary Paudel
Chief Secretary Lila Mani Paudel on September 7 said that political instability was stifling the efforts to boost the morale of civil servants and make service delivery effective, reports Nepal News.
PM warns of stern step
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on September 8 threatened to take “stern step” if President, Ram Baran Yadav rejected the ordinances presented to him by the Government for certification, reports Nepal News. Bhattarai said the Government would take tough steps if the ordinances were not approved. While he did not clarify what that step would be, he went on to warn of stir with the support of the families of the disappeared people if the President blocked the ordinance on establishing a commission to probe the conflict-era disappearances.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress ‘vice president’ Ram Chandra Poudel has said that revival of the dissolved Constituent Assembly (CA) was crucial to end the existing political deadlock in the country.
Further, 666 former combatants of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist have filled forms for their integration into Nepali Army in all cantonments until September 7.
Finance Ministry allocates millions to provide financial package to former PLA combatants
The Ministry of Finance has allocated NPR 819.59 million with a view to concluding the ongoing peace process by providing financial package to the former People’s Liberation Army (PLA) combatants who have chosen voluntary retirement, Nepal News on September 15 reported. Officials at the Army Integration Special Committee (AISC) Secretariat, which is responsible for monitoring, rehabilitation and integration of former Maoist combatants, said that the PLA combatants opting for voluntary retirement will get NPR 500,000 to 800,000 along with travel expense. According to reports, the ‘junior commissioned officers’ will be discharged from the respective camps whereas, the ‘officer level fighters’, will be discharged from the Nepal Army School at Chitwan.
Meanwhile, Organization Department Chief of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) Krishna Bahadur Mahara said on September 15 that there is no alternative for the political parties other than agreeing on identity-based federalism to end the current political deadlock. He also stressed on the need for a constitution that guarantees federalism in order to ensure the rights of the people.
Sri Lanka – Internal Dynamics
Sir Lanka committed to support multilateral efforts to prevent terrorism
Sri Lanka will continuously support multilateral efforts to prevent all forms of terrorism and to safeguard global peace and security said the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on August 30 addressing the 16th Heads of State Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the Iranian capital of Teheran, reports Colombo Page. Speaking further, the President said the world is facing a threat of global terrorism and pointed out that Sri Lanka overcame the challenge of terrorism three years ago by acting on a clear stance. The President noted that a domestic mechanism similar to Sri Lanka that is based on the people of the country is required to thwart such a threat. International community should support countries that have faced threat of terrorism, he said stressing that there should be no double stance or policies favoring one side of the issue.
Nearly 5000 suspects arrested since July
Nearly 50,000 suspects who had arrest warrants against them were taken into custody during countrywide raids carried out since July 1, reports Daily Mirror. Police Headquarters said on August 31 that 48977 suspects were arrested in raids carried out around the country. The raids were carried out on instructions from Police Chief N.K Illangakone. This is sequent to the arrest a few months ago of underworld gangster Julampitiye Amare. The highest number of arrests was recorded from the Central Province with 7329 suspects taken into custody.
Election monitors warn of violence on election day
Election monitors in Sri Lanka on September 5 warned that violence is likely to grip the Ampara District in the Eastern Province if the law enforcement authorities fail to uphold law and order during the Eastern Provincial Council election, reports Colombo Page. The Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFE) stated that Muslim-dominated Akkaraipattu town in Amapara District is likely to become another Kolonnawa with several Muslim parties contesting for the power in the Council. Kolonnawa in Colombo District turned violent last October during local government elections with a shooting incident that killed four persons including a Presidential advisor and severely injured a governing party parliamentarian.
UPFA will form provincial administration in EP
A United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) administration will be set up in the Eastern Provincial Council, Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said on September 13, reports Daily News. He said in accordance with the result of the recent Provincial Council election for the Eastern Province, the UPFA obtained the majority returning 14 members. Therefore, the UPFA as the party, which obtained the majority, has the right to set up the administration in the Eastern Province. When the minister was asked whether the UPFA receives the support of the other parties to set up the administration, the Minister said that discussions are being held with several parties in a friendly manner for setting up administration.
Meanwhile, Irrigation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva on September 12 said that the work of the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on finding a political solution to the ethnic issue has been delayed by the major Tamil party Tamil National Alliance (TNA), reports Colombo Page. De Silva during a meeting with visiting United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert O. Blake said the TNA’s failure to name representatives to the PSC has delayed its work. De Silva however has explained to Secretary Blake that the PSC could commence its deliberations even now if the TNA nominates its representatives to the committee.
SL would not have defeated terrorism without Pakistan’s support: President Rajapaksa
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on September 13 said that Sri Lanka would not have eliminated the scourge of terrorism without the help and support of Pakistan, reports Colombo Page. The President told the Pakistani Parliamentary delegation led by Dr. Nafisa Shah, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and Chairperson of National Commission for Human Development when she paid a courtesy call on the President at Temple Trees in Colombo. The President noted that Pakistan extended unflinching support to Sri Lanka during the 3 decade internal conflict and immensely helped in the elimination of the menace of terrorism from the Sri Lankan soil.
Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian region and former US ambassador to Colombo Robert O Blake on September 14 stressed the importance of early resumption of talks between the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to agree on power devolution to the provinces. He emphasised the need to have an accelerated process to implement the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations and its action plan.
INTERNATIONAL
Iraq: Gunmen with silencers kill general
Iraqi officials say gunmen with silenced weapons killed an army Brigadier General just outside Baghdad, while two civilians died in separate attacks elsewhere in the country. Police and medical officials said Monday, Aug 27 the gunmen shot dead Brig. Gen. Abdul-Muhsen Khazal in the Sunni town of Taji, just north of the capital.
In Haditha, a roadside bomb went off near an army patrol, killing one civilian and wounding four soldiers, said Mohammed Fathi, a provincial spokesman in Iraq’s western Anbar province. Another bomb exploded in the northwest city of Mosul, killing one civilian and wounding another, police said. Health officials confirmed the casualties. Unnamed officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporter.—AP
Libya hints at intervention in Syria
An adviser for Libya’s Representative at the Arab League, Ahmad Abdusselam on Sunday, Sept 9 said that in the event the joint UN and Arab League Envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi failed, a limited intervention in Syria may come up on the agenda as it happened in Libya. Speaking to the Anadolu Agency (AA), Abdusselam said that Brahimi at first will listen to the demands of the Syrian regime and opposition and try to open channels for dialogue.—AP
Al Qaeda chief Zawahiri confirms the death of its second in command, al-Libi
In a undated frame grab from video posted on a militant-leaning Web site, and provided by the SITE Intelligence Group, shows Abu Yahya al-Libi whose death was confirmed by al Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahri in a video posted on September 10, reports The Hindu. The leader of al Qaeda confirmed the death of the group’s second-in-command, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in June 2012. In a video posted on militant websites on September 9, al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri described his late lieutenant Abu Yahya al-Libi as a “lion of jihad and knowledge”. The killing of al-Libi, who was Libyan by birth, was the biggest setback to al Qaeda since the death of Osama bin Laden. Al-Zawahri also urged Libyans to attack Americans to avenge the late militant’s death, saying his “blood is calling, urging and inciting you to fight and kill the Crusaders.
Netanyahu denies interfering in US vote
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, Sept 14 denied accusations he was interfering in U.S. politics after coming under fire for fiercely criticizing Washington’s handling of Iran. Relations between Netanyahu and President Barack Obama hit a new low this week after the Israeli leader said nations that failed to set red lines for Iran did not have the “moral right” to prevent Israel from launching a military strike. He did not mention the United States by name, but the comments were clearly aimed at Obama and his administration. Coming less than two months before a U.S. presidential election, critics accused Netanyahu of seeking to influence the vote – a charge the Israeli prime minister rejected in interviews published in local media on Friday. “That’s nonsense, because what’s guiding me is not the election in the United States but the centrifuges in Iran,” he told Israel’s Hayom daily newspaper. “If the Iranians … had stopped enriching material and preparing a bomb until the U.S. election was over, I would have been able to wait,” he added. Israel and Western powers believe Iran is developing the technology to build nuclear weapons. Tehran denies this and says its nuclear project is entirely peaceful. Netanyahu has constantly urged the United States and Europe to apply more pressure on Tehran, believing that only the threat of credible military action will persuade Iran to back down.
8 cops killed by roadside bomb
Eight police officers died and nine were wounded in a roadside mine blast on Sept 16 blamed on Kurdish rebels in Turkey’s southeast, local security sources said. The members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) launched the attack around 0715 GMT Sunday as a police vehicle was passing in the Karliova district of Bingol province, the sources said. The latest attack comes amid an ongoing army operation against Kurdish rebels in the southeast that has been concentrated in the Semdinli district in Hakkari province and has included nearly 5,000 ground troops, according to the Turkish military. Twenty-eight Kurdish rebels were killed in operations in the last three days, the local governor’s office said on Sunday. The PKK, considered a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community.—Reuters
US warns Israel against Iran strike
US officials have warned that Egypt and Jordan could annul their peace treaties with Israel and sever all diplomatic ties if the Jewish state attacks Iran’s nuclear sites, a newspaper said on Sept 20. Quoting a high-level Israeli official, the top-selling Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot said Washington had warned that Arab leaders would not be able to control an angry public backlash if Israel were to mount an attack on Iran.
The official, who was privy to the US warning, pointed to the violent response in several Middle Eastern countries to a film insulting Islam, saying: “Today the Arab leaders do not control their peoples, the streets control the leaders. “An Israeli strike is just what the Iranians need. The entire Arab and Muslim street will take to the streets to demonstrate,” he said.
“What happened with the film … is just a preview of what will happen in case of an Israeli strike,” he said of the unrest which has swept the Muslim world, targeting US embassies and other American symbols and leaving more than 30 people dead. Egyptian and Jordanian leaders “would not be able to withstand the pressure of the masses and would have to take drastic measures such as the severing of diplomatic ties and annulling the peace agreements, despite the fact that they are personally opposed to a nuclear Iran,” the paper said.
As well as potentially sacrificing its relations with Jordan and Egypt, a strike “would have severe ramifications on ties between Israel and other Muslim countries around the world.—Reuters
Israel kills 2 Hamas guards
An Israeli strike on Gaza on night of Sept 21 killed two people whom Palestinian officials described as border guards, but Israel said it had thwarted an attack in the advanced planning stage. “Two citizens were martyred and another was wounded in an Israeli air strike on a car in Rafah city,” Palestinian health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra said.
Officials in Gaza’s Hamas-run Interior Ministry said the air strike killed two border guards and seriously wounded a third as they were patrolling the frontier with Egypt. The ministry named the two dead men as Lt. Ashraf Saleh, 33, and his deputy, Anis Abu Al-Aynin, 22. The third, who was seriously hurt in the strike, which occurred just before midnight, was also a lieutenant in the security forces.—Arab News
4 dead in Benghazi militia bases attacks
At least four people have been killed in the Libyan city of Benghazi after military police and protesters took over several militia bases on Sept 22. The violence followed a day of protests by tens of thousands of citizens demanding an end to the armed groups. The bases include the HQ of the Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia, suspected of involvement in an attack on the US consulate in the city. The deaths occurred during a standoff at the base of another group. Officials in Tripoli have been appealing for calm, she says.
Senior Libyan officials say that while they welcomed the protests, people should differentiate between the rogue militias and honest rebel brigades that helped to secure the town in last year’s uprising against Col Muammar Gaddafi. Earlier, some 30,000 protesters marched through Benghazi calling for an end to the armed groups and a return to the rule of law.—Reuters
Somali rebels kill MP, threaten more
Islamist rebels said they shot dead a Somali lawmaker in Mogadishu and threatened to kill every legislator in the country. Gunmen shot dead Mustaf Haji Mohamed outside his home after evening prayers on Sunday, Sept 23, the latest in a wave of attacks since Somalia’s new assembly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud earlier this month. “How many times had we warned Somalis against joining the infidel government?” Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, spokesman for military operations for the Islamist militant group al Shabaab, told Reuters late on Saturday. “Let it be a good lesson for the rest.” Mohamud’s election was hailed by his supporters and Western powers as a vote for change after more than two decades of violence. The militants were swift to brand the political newcomer a “traitor” who headed a government serving only Western interests. Mohamud was the target of a failed suicide bombing just two days into his new job. “We killed legislator Mustaf … and we will kill all Somali MPs and officials one by one,” Musab said.
Obama condemns blasphemous film Vows to hunt killers of US envoy to Libya
US President Barack Obama while addressing UN General Assembly session on Sept 25 condemned the blasphemous film and said that it is also insult of the America, adding that there is no justification for violent protests on this matter.
Obama said US wants end of Basharul Asad’s rule in Syria at every cost, adding that Iran is supporting Syrian government and terrorist organizations. He said “we will do what we must do to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear power”. He said attack on US ambassador in Libya was attack on US. The attacks on our civilians in Benghazi were attacks on America. There should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice,” Obama said. While eulogizing US ambassador Christopher Stevens, who was killed two weeks ago along with three other Americans, Obama also styled the attack as not just an assault on America, but also on the ideals behind the United Nations.
In his annual speech to the world body, Obama again condemned the video produced by Coptic Christian extremists in the United States that set violence raging across the Arab world as “crude and disgusting.” But he said that however vile, no exercise of free speech that is protected by the US Constitution could justify killing and violence.
Elite Indonesia squad arrests 10 suspected Islamic militants
Indonesia’s anti-terrorist squad arrested 10 suspected Islamic radicals and seized a dozen home-made bombs from a group planning attacks against security forces and the government, a police spokesman said on Sunday, Sept 23. The arrests by the elite Detachment 88 police squad were the latest sign of a weeks-long crackdown by authorities against militants. They come almost 10 years after a bomb attack on Bali killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. Nine people were arrested in Solo, in the center of Java island, and another was caught in Melawi in a central region of Borneo island, national police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said.
Israel will be ‘eliminated’: Nejad
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sept 25 that Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be “eliminated,” ignoring a U.N. warning to avoid incendiary rhetoric ahead of the annual General Assembly session. Ahmadinejad also said he did not take seriously the threat that Israel could launch a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, denied sending arms to Syria, and alluded to Iran’s threats to the life of British author Salman Rushdie. The United States quickly dismissed the Iranian president’s comments as “disgusting, offensive and outrageous.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted Israel could strike Iran’s nuclear sites and criticized U.S. President Barack Obama’s position that sanctions and diplomacy should be given more time to stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies it is seeking nuclear arms and says its atomic work is peaceful and aimed at generating electricity. “Fundamentally we do not take seriously the threats of the Zionists,” Ahmadinejad, in New York for this week’s U.N. General Assembly, told reporters. “We have all the defensive means at our disposal and we are ready to defend ourselves.” Ahmadinejad is due to speak at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met Ahmadinejad on Sunday and warned him of the dangers of incendiary rhetoric in the Middle East.—Reuters
China flexes muscles over maritime Japan issue
China sent its first aircraft carrier into formal service on Sept 26 amid a tense maritime dispute with Japan in a show of force that could worry its neighbors. China’s Ministry of Defense said the newly named Liaoning aircraft carrier would “raise the overall operational strength of the Chinese navy” and help Beijing to “effectively protect national sovereignty, security and development interests”. In fact, the aircraft carrier, refitted from a ship bought from Ukraine, will have a limited role, mostly for training and testing ahead of the possible launch of China’s first domestically built carriers after 2015, analysts say.
China cast the formal handing over of the carrier to its navy — attended by President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao — as a triumphant show of national strength at a time of tensions with Japan over islands claimed by both sides.
Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated sharply this month after Japan bought the East China Sea islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, from their private owner, sparking anti-Japan protests across China. “China will never tolerate any bilateral actions by Japan that harm Chinese territorial sovereignty,” Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun told his Japanese counterpart on Sept 25 as the two met in a bid to ease tensions.
Kuwait faces parliamentary deadlock after court ruling
Kuwait’s highest court declined to approve a government bid to amend voting boundaries on Sept 25, leaving the cabinet without a clear option to break a parliamentary deadlock that has held up crucial economic bills. The ruling is likely to defuse immediate tensions with the increasingly assertive opposition, which had promised to take to the streets if the court ruled in the government’s favour. But it does not solve the problem of how to establish a functioning parliament. In the last assembly, dissolved on a technicality by the Constitutional Court, Islamist and tribal candidates tried to push through Islamist legislation while clashing with the government over finance bills including a major economic development plan. The opposition had said the government’s petition to the court to change the electoral boundaries was an attempt to favour government-friendly candidates in a new election. The court’s latest ruling suggests that a new assembly, whenever it is elected, is likely to have a similar make-up to the last one, and could be just as obstructive to the unelected government. Oil exporter Kuwait, one of the richest countries in the world per capita, has a relatively open political system by Gulf standards, and has avoided the uprisings seen elsewhere in the Arab world.
| Current Threat Levels : |
| City Region | Threat Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Islamabad | Level 2 | ** |
| Lahore | Level 2 | ** |
| Karachi | Level 2 | ** |
| Punjab | Level 2 | ** |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Level 3 | *** |
| Peshawar | Level 2 | ** |
| Quetta | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper Balochistan | Level 3 | *** |
| Lower Balochistan | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper / Rural Sindh | Level 2 | ** |
| ilgit and Northern areas | Level 3 | *** |
| Tribal areas, close to Afghan border | Level 3 | *** |
| Index to Threat Level Perceptions |
| Threat Level 1 Indicates there is no threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required | * |
| Threat Level 2 Indicates there is no specific threat to foreigners; however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised if traveling. | ** |
| Threat Level 3 Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Level dictates that foreigners should rehearse plans for evacuation. | *** |
| Threat Level 4 Indicates complete breakdown of civil administration and law & order leading to anarchy. All foreigners advised to remain indoors and confined to their own city. Families and staff not required to be evacuated retaining only a skeleton staff. | **** |
| Threat Level 5 Indicates complete breakdown of law and order, enemy action/hostilities, invasion /occupation by enemy. | ***** |
