| |
SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 11, No. 51, June 24, 2013
Data and
assessments from SAIR can be freely published in any form
with credit to the South Asia Intelligence Review of the
South Asia Terrorism Portal
|
Rising
Desperation
Ajit Kumar Singh
Research Fellow; Institute for Conflict Management
Afghanistan
President Hamid Karzai, in a ceremony held at the new
National Defense University built to train Afghanistan's
future military officers, announced on June 18, 2013,
that his country's armed forces were taking over the lead
for nationwide security from the United States (US)-led
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) coalition. Karzai
declared, “From tomorrow all of the security operations
will be in the hands of the Afghan security forces.” The
352,000 strong Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) will
now execute all military operations across the 403 Districts
of Afghanistan's 34 Provinces. Till the last phase of
the handover, they were responsible for 90 percent of
military operations in 312 Districts nationwide.
The International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will now move entirely
into a supporting role, and will provide support to ANSF
on the battlefield when they require it. Explaining the
future role of NATO forces, NATO Secretary-General Anders
Fogh Rasmussen observed,
As
your [Afghan] forces step forward across the country,
the main effort of our forces is shifting from combat
to support. We will continue to help Afghan troops
in operations if needed. But we will no longer plan,
execute or lead those operations. And by the end
of 2014, our combat mission will be completed. At
that time, Afghanistan will be fully secured by
Afghans… From 2015, a new chapter will begin. Together
with our partners, we are planning a new and different
mission. The goal of the new mission is to train,
advise and assist Afghan forces. We will also play
our part in the broader international efforts, to
ensure the long-term sustainment of the Afghan security
forces.
|
Presently,
there are about 100,000 ISAF troops in Afghanistan, drawn
from 48 countries, including 66,000 Americans. According
to the Inteqal
(Transition) Framework defined at
the London and Kabul Conferences on Afghanistan in 2010,
and US President Barack Obama’s latest
Afghan policy, by the end of the current
year, 2013, NATO Forces in Afghanistan will be halved.
At the end of 2014, all combat troops will have left and
will be replaced, if approved by the Afghan Government,
by a much smaller force that will only train and advise.
A studied ambiguity has been maintained over the residual
number of foreign troops that may remain after 2014. However,
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Army General
Martin E. Dempsey, stated on February 9, 2013, “we’re
not going from number to mission, we’re going from mission
to number”, and that the yet undefined mission in Afghanistan
would determine the number of American troops to be deployed
there after 2014.
Though
the negative impact of the premature
drawdown has been discussed elsewhere,
the successful transition is an appreciable development
and President Karzai was rightly buoyant in declaring
it. However, his exhilaration was cut short by another
development that took place, on the same day, June 18,
far from the country frontiers, but which could have far-reaching
impact in Afghanistan.
On June
18, while opening their office in Qatar in Doha, the Afghan
Taliban declared that they were ready to talk with the
US. The US reciprocated instantly, announcing that its
officials would reach Doha ‘within days’ for the talks.
Though none of these two statements had the potential
to irk President Karzai, it is the background development
which infuriated the Government of Afghanistan. After
a meeting at President Karzai's palace, an Afghan Government
statement declared, "The opening of Taliban office
in Qatar, the way it was opened and messages it contained,
contradicts the guarantees given by the US to Afghanistan."
Significantly,
a sign outside the new Taliban office in Doha proclaimed
it as representing the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan".
Moreover, the Taliban claimed that the office would allow
it “to improve its relations with countries around the
world through understanding and talks as well as help
them establish contact with the United Nations and aid
groups, and to talk to the news media.” In addition, Taliban’s
insistence that "first we talk to the Americans”
and "after we finish the phase of talking to the
Americans, then we would start the internal phase...”
convinced Karzai that the Afghan Government had been sidelined
in the ‘peace process’.
Kabul first
objected to the use of the expression "Islamic Emirate
of Afghanistan" by the Taliban, arguing that “such
a thing doesn't exist”. Rejecting participation in the
talks, Karzai insisted that the Doha Office would be activated
as a forum to try to re-establish Taliban’s political
legitimacy, especially in international circles, rather
than confining itself to peace talks. Not surprisingly,
Karzai halted negotiations with the US on the future Bilateral
Security Agreement.
Subsequently,
however, after constant US overtures, on June 20, 2013,
Karzai’s spokesman Fayeq Wahidi disclosed that the Afghan
President was willing to join peace talks with the Taliban
if the US follows through with promises he said were made
by US Secretary of State John Kerry over the phone. Wahidi
said Kerry promised Karzai that the Taliban flag and the
nameplate – "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan"
– would be removed and that the US would issue a formal
written statement supporting the Afghan Government and
making clear that the Taliban office would not be seen
as an embassy or government-in-exile. Wahidi stated, "If
all those assurances and commitments the US had given,
if we are assured that they will be fully put in place
on the issue of talks in Qatar, we would see no problem
in entering into talks with the Taliban in Qatar.”
Karzai’s
concerns, it seems, have been somewhat met. The nameplate
has been removed from the Taliban office. The flagpole
inside the compound was apparently shortened and the Taliban
flag — dark Quranic script on a white background — was
still flying but not visible from the street. However,
these moves have now made the Taliban unhappy. Senior
Taliban spokesman Shaheen Suhail stated, in Doha, "There
is an internal discussion right now and much anger about
it, but we have not yet decided what action to take. But
I think it weakens the process from the very beginning."
Whether
the talks will really take place and the potential for
their success are a different matter; what is of immediate
importance is the volte face of the US. On October
27, 2011, the then US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton,
referring to talks with Taliban had observed, "We
have been clear about the necessary outcomes of any negotiation.
Insurgents must renounce violence, abandon al Qaeda, and
abide by the constitution of Afghanistan, including its
protections for women and minorities. If insurgents cannot
meet those red-lines, they will face continued and unrelenting
assault." However, it now seems that the apparent
preconditions have themselves become the object of the
negotiation. Jennifer Rene Psaki, spokesperson for the
US Department of State, stated, on June 19, 2013, “We
don't expect that they would decry al-Qaida and denounce
terrorism immediately off the top – this is the end goal."
What prompted
the US to get into talks with the Taliban is hardly a
secret. Indeed, there has been little improvement in the
security situation in Afghanistan. According to the United
Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Annual
Report 2012, released in February 2013, the Country recorded
6,131 civilian casualties (2,179 civilian deaths and 3,952
injuries), as compared to 5,636 civilian casualties (2,208
civilian deaths and 3,428 injuries) attributed to Anti-Government
Elements. Similarly, UNAMA documented 782 improvised explosive
device (IED) incidents which resulted in 2,531 civilian
casualties (868 civilian deaths and 1,663 injuries) as
compared to 2,460 civilian casualties (949 civilian deaths
and 1,511 injured) in an unspecified number of IED attacks
in 2011. Ironically, while Washington was expressing satisfaction
over the proposed Doha talks, the Taliban was attacking
an American base outside Kabul, killing four soldiers
in rocket fire. Elaborating on the ‘Doha Statement’, which
indicated that the Taliban would continue to fight the
US in Afghanistan, the Taliban spokesman bragged, "The
Mujahideen of the Islamic emirate from the other
side also have taken all the preparations that will be
effective for the destruction of America's nests."
The peace
initiative led by the US must be assessed within the perceived
short and long term interests of the troubled superpower.
Media reports suggest that an immediate US goal is to
secure the release of US soldier, Bowe Bergdahl, who is
in Taliban custody since June 2009, in return for the
release of five Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay.
Over the long term, the US seeks an assurance from the
Taliban that its Forces will not attack convoys carrying
equipment and weapons of US Forces who are preparing to
leave Afghanistan.
The US’s
latest outreach to Taliban is also to do with its realization
that it needs Pakistan's help to exit from the land-locked
Afghanistan at any cost. In return, it is trying to give
some legitimacy to Pakistan’s Taliban proxies – the ‘Pakiban’
as some commentators now describe them – in Kabul, via
their recognition in Doha. Kabul did make an indirect
reference to Pakistan’s role in the context of the Doha
office controversy, noting, "the latest developments
show that foreign hands are behind the Taliban's Qatar
office.” The US, however, publicly acknowledged, on June
21, 2013, the ‘constructive role’ played by Pakistan in
bringing Taliban and the US administration closer to reconciliation.
US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson stated, “We are
working closely with Pakistan. Pakistan played a constructive
role in the opening of Taliban office in Doha. This is
a big step and we greatly appreciate Pakistan’s support.”
The present
US initiatives are driven, overwhelmingly, by fears of
a chaotic flight of its Forces in the last phases of the
drawdown, under focused attack by the Taliban. In its
moment of desperation Washington has, once again, fallen
back on its unreliable ‘principal ally’, Pakistan, restoring
the prime supporter of the Taliban and of terrorism in
Afghanistan to a central role at the most sensitive phase
of the ‘transition’. Though there are arguments that "the
Taliban is changing", as claimed by Masoom Stanikzai,
head of the Afghan Government's High Peace Council secretariat,
it is useful to recall that the Malim Shah Wali, the head
of the High Pece Council in the southern Province of Helmand,
was killed by the Taliban as recently as on May 1, 2013.
The US faith in Pakistan and a ‘peaceful’ Taliban is wishful
thinking, and will only plunge Afghanistan, and the wider
South Asian region, into a deeper and lasting chaos.
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Disabling
Devolution
S. Binodkumar Singh
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On June
13, 2013, the Sri Lanka Cabinet approved two changes in
the 13th
Amendment to the Constitution. The
first of these was to remove the provision for two or
more Provinces to join together; the second did away
with the requirement that the consent of all Provincial
Councils be obtained if there is to be constitutional
change that impacts upon the Provincial Councils; the
latter was a safeguard to prevent the Central Government
from legislating on subjects allocated to the Provincial
Councils, without first obtaining their consent.
On June
17, 2013, Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne argued that giving
Police and Land powers to Provincial Councils would create
‘needless issues’ in a small country like Sri Lanka and
was not required at the present juncture. The land power
requires the Government to consult the relevant Provincial
Council with regard to the utilization of land and the
Police power empowered Provincial Councils to legislate
on any matter falling within the subject "Law and
Order".
Later,
on June 18, 2013, a Private
Member’s Bill titled the “Twenty First
Amendment to the Constitution” was presented to Parliament
by the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), an ally in the United
People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government led Sri Lanka
Freedom Party (SLFP), to abolish the 13th Amendment
to the Constitution. The Bill, presented by JHU Member
of Parliament (MP) Ven. Aturaliye Ratana and seconded
by United National party (UNP) Puttalam District MP Palitha
Range Bandara (who threatened to form an alternative faction
of the UNP and join the broad opposition coalition), states,
Sri
Lanka is a free, sovereign, independent and unitary
state and it is the duty of the state to safeguard
the independence, sovereignty, unity and the territorial
integrity of Sri Lanka and the provisions of the
13th Amendment are a threat to the independence,
sovereignty, unity and the territorial integrity
of Sri Lanka.
|
The future
of this Bill is, of course, a different issue; the JHU
is just a small ally in the ruling coalition, with three
seats in the current Parliament, and it is still unclear
whether other parties will support it. However, the reasons
behind these developments related to 13th Amendment
are a matter of urgent concern.
The 13th
Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution was an outcome
of the Indo-Sri
Lanka Accord signed on July 29, 1987,
and was passed on November 14, 1987. The Amendment focuses
primarily on devolution
of powers. On September 2 and 8, 1988,
the then President Junius Richard Jayewardene issued proclamations
enabling the Northern and Eastern provinces to be one
administrative unit, administered by a single elected
Council. This merger was declared illegal by the Supreme
Court of Sri Lanka on October 16, 2006, as the President
had no powers to effect a merger of provinces under Emergency
Regulation, and only Parliament could decide on the subject.
The province was formally demerged into the Northern and
Eastern provinces on January 1, 2007.
Indeed,
with the much publicized and long delayed elections for
the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) inching closer –
the elections are schedule to be held in September 2013
- Colombo’s worries have increased, and the initiatives
against the 13th Amendment are a manifestation
of this rising anxiety. It is significant that the Tamil
National Alliance (TNA), considered to be the political
proxy of the now defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam,
(LTTE),
had won eight out of the 15 Parliamentary seats in the
Northern Province during the 2010 General Elections (TNA
had won 14 seats in total, across the country). Showing
Colombo’s concern over the possibility that TNA might
sweep the NPC elections, Defence & Urban Development
Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa had argued, on October 12,
2012, “The 13th Amendment and the Norway brokered
CFA [Cease Fire Agreement finalized on February 22, 2002]
didn’t serve the people of Sri Lanka. Instead, they facilitated
interests of various other parties, including the LTTE.”
Again, on May 23, 2013, referring to the TNA, he asserted,
“Police powers in the hands of those still pursuing a
separatist agenda can pose a severe threat to national
security.”
Going a
step ahead, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in the strongest
indication of a serious rethink on the concept of autonomy
for Provinces in the country, had announced in Parliament,
on November 8, 2012, that “a change in the prevailing
Provincial Council system is necessary to make devolution
more meaningful”.
The current
position of the Government is in complete contrast to
its earlier rhetoric. On July 11, 2006, for instance,
at the inaugural meeting of the All Party Representatives
Committee (APRC) and its multi-ethnic Experts Committee
appointed by the President to assist the APRC, President
Rajapaksa stated:
People
in their own localities must take charge of their
destiny and control their politico-economic environment.
… In sum, any solution needs as a matter of urgency
to devolve power for people to take charge of their
own destiny… Any solution must be seen as one that
stretches to the maximum possible devolution without
sacrificing the sovereignty of the country given
the background of the conflict.
|
Mahinda
Rajapaksa, had even talked of going beyond the 13th
Amendment, describing his position as a “13th
Amendment plus approach”. In January 2009, according to
WikiLeaks, the US Embassy in Colombo reported
in a cable that, in discussions with India’s then External
Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, President Rajapaksa
declared that “he supports a 13th Amendment-plus
approach, but did not specify what the ‘plus' would entail.”
The virtual
turnaround is a clear demonstration of the hardening of
ethnic faultlines in Sri Lanka, and the official justification
that the “LTTE threat still exists” can hardly stand up
to scrutiny. Though Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa,
in January 2012, claimed that there is a possibility of
the re-emergence of LTTE in Sri Lanka, as LTTE sympathizers
abroad were still struggling to achieve the LTTE's separatist
ideology in the country, not a single incident of violence
has taken place since the defeat of the LTTE in 2009.
Needless
to say, it will be an uphill task for the Government to
retreat from its earlier promises, as there are groups
which are vehemently opposing the Government’s moves.
The TNA,
which still exercises enormous influence in the Northern
Areas, warned, the Government on May 28, 2013, that TNA
would boycott Parliament if the 13th Amendment
is abolished.
The TNA
has already received assurances of support from three
Leftist Ministers in the Government – Leader of the Lanka
Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and Minister of Technology and
Research, Prof. Vitarana; General Secretary of the Communist
Party (CP) and Minister of Human Resources, D.E.W. Gunasekera;
and Leader of the Democratic Left Front (DLF) and Minister
of National Languages and Social Integration, Vasudeva
Nanayakkara. Separately, all the eight MPs of Sri Lanka
Muslim Congress (SLMC), on June 11, 2013, came to the
decision unanimously to oppose any moves that curtail
the powers allocated to the Provincial Councils.
More importantly,
the main opposition party, UNP, has declared itself against
the changes in 13th Amendment. John Amaratunga,
the senior Parliamentarian from the Gampaha District in
a media interview on May 12, 2013, stated: “If the Government
is strong and capable of governing the country to the
satisfaction of all its subjects, irrespective of caste,
creed or race, it needs not withhold any rights of people
to whichever community they may belong. When such withholding
and deprivation of rights of the people take place, then
that section of the people will revolt against the Government.
At the same time, the ruling party should maintain writ
authority over the periphery so that divisions will not
take place among the communities or territories…” He was
responding to the question that “your party is committed
to devolution of power, in favour of the 13th
Amendment. Don't you see the danger involved in land and
police powers being devolved when the LTTE's notorious
expropriation of State land and its own police force and
court system are still fresh in the public mind?”
The 13th
Amendment was adopted by the Sri Lankan Parliament and
is very much part of the Constitution. The cost of tampering
with the existing 13th Amendment will eventually
express itself in a politics that is even more confrontational
and radicalized than the existing ethnically polarized
situation in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, both international
pressure and domestic politics have tended, over the past
years, to push the Rajapaksa Government into a posture
of defiance and hardening Sinhala triumphalism. While
such a position may yield short term political gains,
it will rebound, eventually, to the enduring detriment
of the nation. If the 13th Amendment requires
any re-examination, this is best accomplished through
a consensual, rather than confrontational process.
|
Weekly Fatalities: Major
Conflicts in South Asia
June 17-23,
2013
|
Civilians
|
Security
Force Personnel
|
Terrorists/Insurgents
|
Total
|
BANGLADESH
|
|
Islamist Extremism
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
INDIA
|
|
Assam
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Jammu and
Kashmir
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
Nagaland
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Manipur
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
6
|
Left-wing
Extremism
|
|
Chhattisgarh
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
Jharkhand
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
Maharashtra
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Total (INDIA)
|
3
|
4
|
12
|
19
|
PAKISTAN
|
|
Balochistan
|
5
|
1
|
7
|
13
|
FATA
|
5
|
4
|
1
|
10
|
Gilgit Baltistan
|
11
|
0
|
0
|
11
|
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
|
50
|
8
|
16
|
74
|
Sindh
|
36
|
2
|
1
|
39
|
Total (PAKISTAN)
|
|
|
|
|
Provisional
data compiled from English language media sources.
|
INDIA
Around
60
underground
groups
operating
in
State,
says
Manipur
Deputy
Chief
Minister
Gaikhangam
Golmei:
Deputy
Chief
Minister
(CM)
Gaikhangam
Golmei
on
June
17
told
the
State
Legislative
Assembly
that
there
are
about
60
Under
Ground
(UG)
outfits
operating
in
the
State.
The
number
of
UG
organizations
is
on
the
rise
day
by
day.
He
noted
that
earlier
the
number
of
UG
outfits
stood
at
50.
Kangla
Online,
June18
2013.
Central
Government
to
implement
livelihood-security
plan
in
12
worst
LWE-affected
Districts:
'The
Central
Government
will
roll
out
a
livelihood-security
programme
in
12
worst
Naxal
[Left-Wing
Extremism-(LWE)]
affected
Districts
from
July
1,
2013.
Named
as
Governance
and
Accelerated
Livelihood
Security
(GOALS),
the
United
Nations
Development
Programme
(UNDP)-assisted
plan
will
be
implemented
in
Jharkhand's
West
Singhbhum,
Latehar,
Palamu,
Gumla
Districts;
Chhattisgarh's
Sukma,
Bijapur,
Balrampur,
Narayanpur
Districts;
and
Malkangiri,
Koraput,
Kalahandi
and
Nuapada
Districts
of
Odisha.
Economic
Times,
June
18,
2013.
Ready
for
talks
with
Maoists,
says
Karnataka
Chief
Minister
Siddaramaiah:
The
State
Government
is
ready
to
hold
talks
with
the
Communist
Party
of
India-Maoist
(CPI-Maoist)
and
it
would
welcome
any
Maoist
who
wanted
to
surrender
themselves
and
join
the
mainstream
of
life,
Karnataka
Chief
Minister
Siddaramaiah
said
in
Bangalore
on
June
18.
Asked
whether
Karnataka's
stand
on
the
issue
was
not
contrary
to
the
Union
Government's
decision
to
act
tough
on
Maoists,
Siddaramaiah
said,
"This
is
the
stand
of
[my]
Government.
We
appeal
to
all
those
involved
in
these
activities
to
come
forward
for
a
dialogue
across
the
table."
He
maintained
that
the
Left-wing
Extremism
(LWE)
problem
was
'not
very
serious'
in
Karnataka.
The
Hindu,
June
19,
2013.
NDFB
founder
'chairman'
Ranjan
Daimary
released
on
bail:
National
Democratic
Front
of
Bodoland
(NDFB)'s
founder
'chairman'
Ranjan
Daimary
was
released
on
bail
from
the
Guwahati
(Assam)
Central
Jail
on
June
23.
Following
his
release,
Daimary
said
that
he
will
take
part
in
the
proposed
peace
talks.
Daimary
had
obtained
bail
in
all
the
14
cases
in
which
he
is
an
accused.
Ranjan
Daimary,
was
handed
over
to
the
Indian
Administration
by
the
Bangladesh
Authorities
on
May
1,
2010.
Assam
Tribune;
Telegraph
India,
June
24,
2013.
NEPAL
18
of
the
33
parties
in
CPN-Maoist-Baidya-led
alliance
decide
to
participate
in
CA
elections:
Eighteen
of
the
33
parties
in
the
alliance
led
by
Mohan
Baidya's
Communist
Party
of
Nepal-Maoist
(CPN-Maoist-Baidya)
have
said
they
are
going
to
take
part
in
the
Constituent
Assembly
(CA)
elections
scheduled
to
be
held
in
November
2013.
The
18
parties
announcing
their
decision
at
a
press
conference
on
June
21
also
formed
a
separate
alliance,
called
'Progressive
Democratic
National
Front'.
Nepal
News,
June
22,
2013.
PAKISTAN
50
civilians
and
16
militants
among
73
persons
killed
during
the
week
in
Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa:
At
least
15
Shia
persons
were
killed
and
25
others
injured
in
a
suicide
attack
at
an
Imambargah
in
largely
Shia
area
of
Gulshan
Colony
on
the
edge
of
Peshawar
(Peshawar
District),
the
provincial
capital
of
Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa,
on
June
21.
At
least
six
Security
Force
(SF)
personnel
were
killed
and
three
others
injured
when
a
convoy
of
the
forces
came
under
attack
in
Sra
Khawra
area
of
Matani
town
in
outskirts
of
Peshawar
on
June
19.
The
sources
said
four
of
the
militants
were
also
shot
dead
when
the
SF
personnel
retaliated.
At
least
35
persons,
including
a
newly-elected
Member
of
Provincial
Assembly
(MPA)
Imran
Mohmand,
were
killed
and
over
57
others
injured
when
a
suicide
bomber
blew
himself
up
at
a
funeral
prayer
in
Shah
Zaman
Qala
village
of
Shergarh
town
in
Mardan
District
on
June
18.
At
least
seven
militants
were
killed
and
several
others
were
injured
in
a
clash
between
two
militant
groups
in
Bosti
Khel
area
Darra
Adam
Khel
town
of
Kohat
Districton
June
18.
Daily
Times;
Dawn;
The
News;
Tribune;
Central
Asia
Online;
The
Nation;
The
Frontier
Post;
Pakistan
Today;
Pakistan
Observer,
June
17-24,
2013.
36
civilians
and
three
SFs
among
40
persons
killed
during
the
week
in
Sindh:
At
least
five
parsons
were
killed
in
separate
incidents
in
Karachi
(Karachi
District),
the
provincial
capital
of
Sindh,
on
June
23.
At
least
nine
persons
were
killed
in
separate
incidents
in
Karachi
on
June
21.
At
least
12
persons,
including
three
Policemen
and
two
activists
of
the
Muttahida
Qaumi
Movement
(MQM),
were
killed
in
separate
incidents
in
Karachi
on
June
20.
At
least
six
persons,
including
MQM
and
Pakistan
People's
Party
(PPP)
workers,
were
killed
in
separate
incidents
in
Karachi
on
June
18.
Daily
Times;
Dawn;
The
News;
Tribune;
Central
Asia
Online;
The
Nation;
The
Frontier
Post;
Pakistan
Today;
Pakistan
Observer,
June
17-24,
2013.
11
persons
including
10
foreign
tourists
killed
by
TTP
in
Gilgit
Baltistan:
A
total
of
11
persons,
including
10
foreign
tourists-cum-mountaineer,
were
killed
on
June
23,
when
militants
wearing
paramilitary
uniforms
attacked
a
base
camp
of
Nanga
Parbat
mountain
range
in
Bonar
area
of
Diamer
District
in
Gilgit
Baltistan
region
of
Pakistan
occupied
Kashmir
(PoK),
The
Nation
reports.
One
Pakistani
woman
guide
was
also
killed
in
the
incident.
Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan
(TTP)
'spokesperson'
Ehsanullah
Ehsan
while
claiming
the
responsibility
said
that
killing
was
revenge
against
the
United
States'
(US)
drone
attacks
and
killing
of
TTP
'deputy
chief'
Waliur
Rehman
Mehsud.
He
also
revealed
that
a
new
faction
of
the
outfit,
named
Junud-e-Hafsa,
carried
out
the
attack.
The
Nation,
June
24,
2013.
Punjab
Government
allocates
millions
of
rupees
for
JuD:
The
Government
of
Punjab
Province
on
June
18
allocated
millions
of
rupees
in
its
budget
for
fiscal
2013-14
for
the
Jamaat-ud-Dawah
(JuD),
front
for
the
banned
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT).
Besides
a
grant-in-aid
of
over
PKR
61
million
for
the
JuD
centre
known
as
'Markaz-e-Taiba',
the
provincial
Government
also
allocated
PKR
350
million
for
setting
up
a
'Knowledge
Park'
at
the
centre
and
other
development
initiatives.
Details
of
the
allocations
were
presented
in
budget
documents
tabled
in
the
Punjab
Assembly
on
June
17
by
the
Pakistan
Muslim
League-Nawaz
(PML-N)
Government
led
by
Chief
Minister
Shahbaz
Sharif.
Times
of
India,
June
19,
2013.
Anti-Baloch
policies
of
state
continue
unabated,
says
Baloch
Republican
Party:
The
anti-Baloch
policies
of
Pakistan
continue
unabated
in
Balochistan,
said
a
statement
issued
by
the
Baloch
Republican
Party
(BRP)
on
June
20.
According
to
the
statement,
the
state
forces
are
carrying
out
a
lengthy
military
offensive
in
Kalat
District
for
the
past
many
days.
Several
areas,
including
Kabu,
Isplinji
and
Mangochar,
have
been
attacked
by
the
forces
and
Baloch
residents
are
being
targeted
indiscriminately.
Dozens
of
the
houses
of
Baloch
civilians
have
been
attacked,
looted
and
destroyed.
Every
kind
of
medical
and
food
access
has
been
denied
to
the
residents
by
the
forces
since
the
start
of
the
offensive
on
June
1.
Casualties
are
also
feared
as
the
areas
remain
under
tight
siege
and
continuous
assaults
of
the
forces.
Daily
Times,
June
21,
2013.
Abduction-for-ransom
'industry'
booming
in
Karachi,
says
Citizens
Police
Liaison
Committee:
According
to
the
Citizens
Police
Liaison
Committee
(CPLC),
abduction-for-ransom
'industry'
is
booming
in
Karachi
as
this
industry
has
generated
huge
money
at
the
cost
of
life
and
peace
in
metropolis.
The
data
available
to
the
sources
in
CPLC
says
that
within
few
months,
from
January
to
June
2013,
about
74
such
cases
have
been
registered.
In
year
2012,
there
were
132
such
cases
registered
at
various
Police
Stations
of
the
city.
Daily
Times,
June
24,
2013.
Militant
activities
within
Pakistan
are
no
jihad,
says
LeT
founder
Hafiz
Saeed:
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT)
founder
and
Jamaat-ud-Dawah
(JuD)
chief
Hafiz
Saeed
on
June
17
said
that
militant
activities
within
Pakistan
cannot
be
considered
a
part
of
jihad
(holy
war)
and
asked
terrorists
to
desist
from
carrying
out
attacks
in
the
country.
"Militant
activities
in
Pakistan
do
not
fall
in
the
category
of
jihad.
I
appeal
to
all
jihadi
organizations
not
to
carry
out
attacks
inside
Pakistan
as
it
is
not
jihad.
America
and
India
are
taking
benefit
from
their
activities.
They
want
infighting
among
different
schools
of
thought
to
achieve
their
vested
interest,"
Saeed
said
in
a
statement.
Times
of
India,
June
18,
2013.
TTP
not
ready
for
peace
talks:
The
Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan
(TTP)
on
June
16
said
they
will
not
change
their
decision
of
withdrawing
an
offer
of
peace
talks
to
the
Government
because
they
are
still
mourning
the
killing
of
their
'deputy
chief',
Waliur
Rehman,
in
a
United
State
(US)
drone
strike
on
May
29.
"We
are
still
in
a
state
of
shock
at
the
martyrdom
of
our
deputy
chief
and
there
is
no
change
in
our
decision
of
not
talking
to
the
government,"
TTP
spokesman
Ehsanullah
Ihsan
said.
The
TTP
withdrew
its
offer
of
dialogue
with
the
new
Pakistan
Muslim
League-Nawaz
(PML-N)
Government
a
day
after
Ehsan
confirmed
on
May
30
that
Rehman
was
killed
along
with
six
other
militants
in
a
US
drone
strike
in
North
Waziristan
Agency
of
FATA.
Times
of
India,
June
17,
2013.
Pakistan
raises
a
25,000-strong
special
force
and
put
in
place
extensive
measures
to
protect
and
manage
its
strategic
assets,
says
Federal
Minister
of
Finance
Ishaq
Dar:
Pakistan
has
raised
a
25,000-strong
special
force
and
put
in
place
extensive
measures
to
protect
and
manage
its
strategic
assets,
including
its
nuclear
arsenal,
Federal
Minister
of
Finance
Ishaq
Dar
said
on
June
22.
"A
special
security
force
of
25,000
personnel,
who
have
been
specially
trained
and
provided
sophisticated
weapons,
has
been
deployed
to
protect
(the
nuclear
assets),"
Dar
told
the
National
Assembly.
Pakistan
has
raised
a
special
response
force,
a
special
escort
force
and
a
marine
force
to
protect
and
guard
its
strategic
assets,
he
said
without
giving
details.
Times
of
India,
June
24,
2013.
SRI
LANKA
JHU
presents
Bill
to
abolish
the
13th
Amendment
to
the
Constitution:
A
Bill
was
presented
to
Parliament
on
June
18
by
the
Jathika
Hela
Urumaya
(JHU),
an
ally
of
the
ruling
United
People's
Freedom
Alliance
(UPFA)
to
abolish
the
13th
Amendment
to
the
Constitution.
The
Bill
was
presented
by
JHU
Member
of
Parliament
(MP)
Ven.
Aturaliye
Ratana
and
is
titled
the
'Twenty
First
Amendment
to
the
Constitution'.
The
Bill
states
that
the
13th
Amendment
seeks
to
weaken
the
Government
of
Sri
Lanka
whilst
strengthening
the
Provincial
Councils
and
thereby
destroying
the
unitary
character
of
the
state,
territorial
integrity,
and
the
sovereignty
of
the
people.
The
Bill
has
been
introduced
based
on
the
premise
that
the
13th
Amendment
did
not
get
the
unanimous
approval
of
the
Supreme
Court.
Daily
News,
June
19,
2013.
Minister
of
Mass
Media
and
Information
explains
Government's
moves
to
amend
the
13th
Amendment
to
the
Constitution:
Minister
of
Mass
Media
and
Information
Keheliya
Rambukwella
on
June
20
explained
the
reasons
behind
the
Government's
initiative
to
revise
the
13th
Amendment
to
the
Constitution.
Minister
Rambukwella
said
the
13th
Amendment
to
the
Constitution
and
the
Indo-Lanka
Agreement
were
imposed
on
the
country
without
the
consent
of
the
people.
The
Minister
said
that
a
country
has
the
right
to
change
agreements
with
foreign
countries
in
conformity
with
the
aspirations
and
mandate
of
the
people
of
the
country
as
the
sovereignty
of
the
people
is
supreme.
ColomboPage,
June
21,
2013.
PSC
on
constitutional
changes
for
13th
Amendment
appointed:
Parliamentary
Select
Committee
(PSC)
on
constitutional
changes
for
the
13th
Amendment
was
appointed
on
June
21.
It
comprises
19
members
and
is
headed
by
Minister
Nimal
Siripala
De
Silva
as
its
Chairman.
Daily
Mirror,
June
22,
2013.
The South
Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that
brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on
terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on
counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on
related economic, political, and social issues, in the South
Asian region.
SAIR is a project
of the Institute
for Conflict Management
and the
South
Asia Terrorism Portal.
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