Pakistan: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2012

A key Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ‘commander’, Nasir Khan Zakakhel, was killed during a clash with Security Forces (SFs) at an undisclosed location of Orakzai Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 1, reports Daily Times. Nasir Khan Zakakhel belonged to Zakakhel tribe of the Jamrud tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber Agency. Read less...

Further, the car of Sindh Human Rights Minister Nadia Gabol came under an attack while she was on a visit to the affected areas. Fortunately, no injury or substantial loss was reported to have occurred in the incident. Read less...

In a bid to impose their own puritanical version of Islam, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) introduced “moral policing” in parts of north-eastern Afghanistan, Afghan Police claimed on April 1, reports The Express Tribune. Key leaders of the TTP – including its ‘commanders’ in Swat, Bajaur Agency and Mohmand Agency Maulana Fazalullah, Maulvi Faqir and Abdul Wali – and dozens of their loyalists had fled military operations and sought sanctuary in the Afghan provinces of Nuristan and Kunar. Sporadically, they have been mounting cross-border attacks on Pakistani border guards in Chitral and Dir Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They have introduced “moral policing” on the pattern of the Taliban-era ‘Department for the Preservation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice’ in Kamdesh District of Nuristan province. Their armed vigilantes roam the streets to stop what they believe are un-Islamic activities. “Turbaned and bearded Pakistani Taliban fighters, clad in black clothes, punish local people for shaving or trimming beards, using mobile phones and even eating Naswar,” Provincial Police Chief Ghulamullah Nuristani told The Express Tribune by phone. These vigilantes, according to Nuristani, are affiliated with a TTP group, led by Maulana Fazlullah, the infamous cleric who had fled his stronghold in Swat District following a military operation in 2008. However, Sirajuddin, a TTP ‘spokesperson’, denied the claim. So did the Afghan Taliban. The Taliban’s shadowy Governor for Nuristan, Sheikh Dost Muhammad, dismissed Nuristan’s claim as “part of propaganda to undermine the Taliban’s growing popularity in the region”. Read less...

In an encounter in Lyari, Police claimed to have killed Saqib Khan alias Shaki, an alleged member of a Lyari gangster group. The encounter ensued in the search operation of police in Chakiwara area. An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Waheed also sustained bullet injuries during the exchange of fire. Police also claimed to have arrested Saqib’s aide Kashif besides recovering a Kalashnikov and a TT pistol from his possession. Read less...

In another incident, a 25-year-old man, identified as Murtaza was shot dead in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, while a woman and a man who could not identified until this report was filed, were shot dead in Saddar and Nazimabad areas Read less...

In Gulshan-e-Iqbal, clashes between the workers of the ANP and the Muttahida Organising Committee of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) killed two persons. Read less...

In Orangi Town, unidentified assailants, riding a motorcycle shot and killed Ameerullah (26) while he was returning home after attending a wedding ceremony in Saeedabad. He was a cab driver affiliated with the ANP and a resident of Frontier Colony in Orangi Town. Read less...

Meanwhile, the Federal and Sindh Governments decided to give a free hand to Police and rangers to take indiscriminate action against those who were disturbing law and order in Karachi. The decision was made at a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Interior Minister Rehman Malik. Malik also held separate meetings with leaders of the MQM and ANP and representatives of the business community on the law and order in Karachi. According to a handout, Malik said that extortionists, land and weapon mafias were involved in disrupting peace in the city. He asked all political parties to remove their party flags and banners from the city “otherwise police will do so”. Read less...

Meanwhile, the Police claimed to have recovered a Kalashnikov rifle and a pistol from the possession of alleged gangster Saqib alias Sakhi, who was killed in a Police ‘encounter’ in Chakiwara area on April 1. However, Saqib’s accomplices, Umer Katchi, Baba Ladla, Abdul Jabbar alias Jeengo, Taj Muhammad alias Taju and others had managed to escape. Read less...

Nine persons, including an Awami National Party (ANP) activist and a women, were killed in the ongoing violence at different places of Karachi on April 1, reports The Express Tribune. Read less...

Separately, unidentified assailants shot and injured a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) member Syed Mansoor Rizvi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. Read less...

Unidentified militants blew up a portion of an 18-inch gas pipeline in the Pir Koh area of Dera Bugti District in Balochistan on April 1, reports Daily Times. Local Levies sources said the damaged pipeline was supplying gas from wells number 15, 21 and 19 to the Sui gas plant. Gas supply to the said wells was suspended after the explosion. Read less...

An explosive device went off in a guest room at the residence of Awami National Party (ANP) leader Rasta Baaz Khan in the Mamashkhel area of Bannu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 2, reports Daily Times. The blast caused partial damage to the room, though no causalities were reported. Read less...

As many as six persons lost their lives and another 28 were injured on April 2 during a daylong clash between protesters and Police in Lyari area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, reports Daily Times. People took to the streets after unidentified assailants shot dead Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Hasan Soomro. Nabeel Gabool, member of National Assembly from Lyari, said Soomro was standing at Aath Chowk when the unidentified assailants opened fire on him. A People’s Aman Committee (PAC) leader said that over 20 persons were injured in the clashes. He also said the injured were shifted to the Lyari General Hospital, adding that five of them succumbed to their injuries Read less...

Five Security Force (SF) personnel were killed when a group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants from across the Afghanistan border attacked a security post at Olai checkpoint in Mohmand Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 2, reports Dawn. Four other SF personnel were injured and another one was stated to be missing. At least eight militants died when Security Forces (SFs) retaliated and pushed the attackers back to Afghanistan, officials said. A spokesman for the Frontier Corps said that militants had infiltrated from Afghanistan’s Kunar Province, adding that the post had been attacked from three directions. A spokesman for the TTP, Mohmand chapter, Mukarram Khurasani said only one of his colleagues was killed in the gun battle and claimed that heavy losses had been inflicted on SFs. The Olai checkpoint has been established near Salala check-post, which was attacked by NATO/ISAF forces on November 26, 2011. Read less...

Hindustan Times reports that a 50-year-old Pakistani-Canadian was sentenced to 14 years in jail in US on April 2 for providing material support to the Sikh militant group Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), blamed for carrying out assassinations and bombings in India. During sentencing proceeding, the US district court found that all three of Awan's crimes intended to promote crimes of terrorism, and imposed a prison sentence of 14 years. Khalid Awan was convicted in 2006 by a United States (US) federal jury in Brooklyn for providing financial aid to KCF. In a statement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said KCF comprises Sikh militants seeking a separate Sikh State in Punjab and has been responsible for thousands of deaths in India since it was founded in 1986. The organisation has engaged in numerous assassinations of prominent Indian government officials — including that of Chief Minister Beant Singh of Punjab in 1995 — and hundreds of bombings, acts of sabotage, and kidnappings. Read less...

Meanwhile, the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said that the incessant recovery of mutilated bodies, increasing incidents of abductions and targeted killings affirm the notion that law enforcement agencies were either helpless or too weak to take action against criminals. “It is ironic that you know 206 bodies were found dumped in different parts of Balochistan but failed to find any clue about the causes and who are behind these killings,” the Chief Justice remarked when Home Secretary Naseebullah Bazai presented details of unrest. “The discovery of mutilated bodies is fuelling hatred and tarnishing image of the country. You should interview the victim families and dig deeper to know who is responsible for this massacre,” Justice Chaudhry said. The figures provided by the Home Department were different from the report of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The IB, in its report, said 52 bodies were found dumped this year [2012], but the Home Department said 44 bodies were found during the past three months. Read less...

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on April 2 said that his Government is in no hurry to reopen NATO supply routes and a decision to that effect will be taken only after evolving a consensus at the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, reports Dawn. Gilani said: “Let the committee, which has representation from all political parties in parliament, decide what they want. The government has not set a timeframe for the committee to complete its deliberations and will wait for a final outcome.” Read less...

Separately, a man was killed and 13 others were injured when a low intensity bomb exploded at a taxi stand near the Sadda Bazaar in Kurram Agency. Read less...

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on April 2 highlighted the difficulties in verifying the cases of forced disappearance in Balochistan, urging all concerned to play their role in documenting such cases to ensure that no forced disappearance case escaped attention, those in unlawful detention were freed and the illegal practice brought to an end, reports Daily Times. A statement issued by the HRCP says, it is a matter of concern that forced disappearances still continue in Pakistan. The HRCP has been trying to verify and document cases of forced disappearances for years now and has no hesitation in admitting that verification of the actual number, particularly in Balochistan, has been quite difficult and sometimes impossible. The nationalists claim the figure is in thousands and the people must respect their views. The authorities have put the number from scores to several hundred, which obviously is an understatement. Read less...

The slain al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s three widows and two daughters were jailed on April 2 for 45 days and fined PKR 10,000 each after finding them guilty of illegally staying in the country, reports Daily Times. A Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official said that the family, including three widows, two daughters and nine children had already served a month sentence in a sub-jail in Sector G-6 of Islamabad. He said the family would serve only 14 days in prison because they have been in detention since March 3. After which they would be deported to their hometown, he added. The official said the widows, Khaira Hussain alias Umme Hamza, Slham Sharif alias Ume Khalid, Amal Ahmed and two daughters Mariam and Summaya confessed to illegally staying in Pakistan. Amal belongs to Yemen, while Khaira and Slham are from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Read less...

The United States placed Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, along with his brother-in-law Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, on the most-wanted terrorist list on April 2, reports Dawn. The USD 10 million rewards brought Hafiz Saeed at par with Taliban founder Mullah Omar, who the US holds responsible for 9/11. The move was disclosed to Indian foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai by US undersecretary of political affairs Wendy Sherman, who is in New Delhi on an official visit. Saeed was designated global terrorist in December 2008 and Makki in November 2010. Read less...

A security official was killed when a vehicle of the Frontier Corps (FC) escorting a convoy of the Security Forces hit by improvised explosive device (IED) near Miranshah in North Waziristan Agency Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 3, reports Daily Times. Two Security Force (SF) personnel were also injured in the attack. SFs returned the fire in the nearby areas, but there was no report of any other casualty. No group claimed responsibility for the attack Read less...

As many as 20 people lost their lives and another 55 were injured in a fresh wave of sectarian violence across Gilgit-Baltistan, which erupted after clashes between Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) and Police in which five persons were killed in Gilgit city on April 3, reports Daily Times. The district administration has imposed curfew in the city. Police officer Basharat Ali said that the violence began when five people were killed in Gilgit city in clashes between Police and protesting ASWJ cadres and sympathizers. The outfit had called for a strike in Gilgit to press the Government to release its leaders who were arrested for their alleged involvement in a firing incident on a Shia procession on March 28. Reportedly, the outfit later burnt tyres and forced shopkeepers to close down their shops. Meanwhile, unidentified people hurled a grenade at the protesting ASWJ cadres. Subsequently, mosques in Kashroot, hub of extremist Sunnis, made announcements to retaliate against Shias in Diamer and Kohistan Districts. At least 20 persons were killed in the following violence. In one such incident, nine people were killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on a bus on Karakoram Highway (KKH) near Gonar Farm in Chilas. Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the city administration had called army to control the law and order situation. Read less...

Hindustan Times on April 4 reports that United States (US) has hard evidence that Pakistan-based Jama’at ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was communicating with slain al Qaeda Osama bin Laden through a courier which subsequently led USA to put a USD 10-million bounty on Saeed’s head. The evidence also points to Laden; of having played a key role in the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in 2008 that killed 166 people and injured more than 300. All this was unearthed by US Special Forces in May 2011 when they killed Osama Bin Laden in his hideout in Abbottabad, and took back bagfuls of his documents and computer equipment Read less...

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said that the ethnic, sectarian and politically-linked violence in Karachi has claimed at least 300 lives so far in 2012. Parts of the city have become battlegrounds in the last week; with authorities unable to prevent spiraling violence blamed on activists from political parties representing competing ethnic groups. "About 300 people have been the victims of violent shootings in the last three months," HRCP Chairwoman Zahra Yusuf said. "The figures compiled by our staff and the death toll for the last three months confirmed by the police shows the number of victims of violence was not less than 300," she said. The figures include the assassination of 49 political activists, while the rest of the victims were people with no political affiliations, the HRCP statement read. The HRCP previously said 1,715 people were killed in 2011 in sudden flare-ups of violence in city. Read less...

Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court requesting the court to eradicate irregularities and illegalities in promotional matters of the Sindh Police. The applicant, Syed Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi, filed the miscellaneous petition, making the federation, Sindh Interior Secretary, Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Provincial Chief Secretary respondents. Read less...

Meanwhile, the JuD officially condemned the US bounty Saeed, terming it “another attack by the US Government on Muslims and Islam”, reports The Express Tribune. JuD ‘spokesperson’ Yahya Mujahid said the US had offered the bounty due to the Difa-e-Pakistan Council’s (DPC) strong resolve against the reopening of NATO supply routes through Pakistan, drone strikes in the country’s tribal badlands and trade with India. Defending Hafiz Saeed and Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, described as LeT’s second-in-command, Mujahid said the whole world was aware of their whereabouts since they were are not living in the forests, hills or caves. “Hafiz Saeed and Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki are the most popular religious leaders of the motherland of Pakistan and their relief and religious activities are not hidden from anyone,” the JuD spokesperson said. Read less...

Meanwhile, the leaders of different religious parties in Pakistan said the JuD chief is a hero of Pakistan and allegations against him were in fact allegations against the Muslim Ummah and the country. The leaders of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam- Samiul Haq (JUI-S), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Dawat Ahl-e-Hadees, Majlis Ahrar-e-Islam, International Khatam-e-Nabuwat and Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadees criticised the US move. JUI-F senior leader Khursheed Abbas Gardezi said that this step by the US will only generate hatred amongst millions of Muslims all over the world. He said, “An attack on Saeed is an attack on Islam and Muslims countries will retaliate in this case soon.” Read less...

Police arrested four target killers after an encounter and recovered weapons from SITE B area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, reports Daily Times. As per release, the Police arrested accused Kokab Noorani, Khuram Shahzad, Niamatullah and Gohar while conducting an encounter and recovered two 7-mm rifles and two pistols from their possession. According to initial investigations, the accused were involved in the killings of eight people, including two Policemen Read less...

Separately, an employee of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) was abducted by unidentified persons in Nasirabad District. Sources said that lineman Zaffar Ali was on his way home when the armed persons took him away at gunpoint. Read less...

Two persons, Akbar Ali and Ali Raza, were shot dead by unidentified assailants in an incident of sectarian violence on Mecongi Road of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan on April 3, reports Daily Times. The victims were residents of Alamdar Road, an area dominated by the Hazara community. Relatives said the duo belonged to Gilgit-Baltistan. Read less...

Five people, including an activist of Awami National Party (ANP), were killed in separate acts of target killing in Karachi, the provincial metropolis of Sindh, on April 4, reports Daily Times. An activist of ANP, Omar Malook (30), resident of Sector 36 in Taiser Town, was sitting in front of his house when unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle shot him dead and managed to escape. A police official said the victim was the area president of ANP and was working at a bus stand as a clerk. Read less...

Further, an owner of PCO was shot dead at his shop near Al Asif Square within the precincts of Sohrab Goth Police Station. The victim hailed from Afghanistan. Read less...

Further, Pakistan rejected the US bounty on Saeed saying that the United States must provide “concrete evidence” if it wanted Islamabad to act against Saeed. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said Islamabad would rather be presented with evidence about Hafiz Saeed than have a public discussion on the matter. “In a democratic country like Pakistan, where judiciary is independent, evidence against anyone must withstand judicial scrutiny,” the spokesman added in a statement. Read less...

Meanwhile, a 26-year-old man, Sher Hakeem, was standing near New Sabzi Mandi, Super Highway, within the limits of Sohrab Goth Police Station when unidentified assailants opened fire on him; killing him on the spot. Read less...

Meanwhile, a Shahbaz Rangers trooper, Irfan (34), who was injured when unidentified men targeted him on April 1 near Metrological office, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, succumbed to his injuries on April 4. Read less...

Meanwhile, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed mocked the United States during a defiant media conference close to the country's military headquarters in Rawalpindi, a day after the US slapped a USD 10 million bounty on him, reports Dawn. "I am here, I am visible. America should give that reward money to me," said Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, referring to the fact that the bounty was given to a man whose whereabouts are not a mystery. "I will be in Lahore tomorrow. America can contact me whenever it wants to," he dared. Read less...

Meanwhile, the Federal Minister of Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the clashes in Gilgit-Baltistan are not of a sectarian nature, rather hidden forces are involved and were trying to disrupt peace in the areas, reports Dawn. These are the elements, who desire disturbance, chaos and they do not want progress in GB, he said while talking to media persons after having a meeting with Ulema from different school of thoughts. Read less...

Meanwhile, the US said that it was looking for evidence that could be used to put Hafiz Saeed behind bars, reports Daily Times. State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said Washington was working to assist Pakistan and provide the country with the evidence to arrest Saeed and try him in a court of law. Toner said the US had intelligence and information but not “concrete evidence” – as demanded by Pakistan – that might assist a judicial inquiry to prosecute the Saeed for his alleged role in November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks. Read less...

Security situation remained tense and volatile in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) despite curfew in the wake of April 3 sectarian violence and target killings, reports Daily Times. Despite the imposition of curfew, incidents of sporadic firings were reported in some areas. In Skardu, a strike was observed to protest against the Shia killings by terrorists in Chilas. All schools remained closed and attendance in Government offices was nominal. Traffic was also less than normal. Unidentified men also set ablaze a petrol pump. The District administration has imposed Section 144 in the city. Security Forces are shifting people stranded in different Districts during riots to safer locations. On the other hand, 40 passengers, who narrowly escaped firing on buses in Chilas, have been shifted to Skardu. The Army personnel, police and scouts are patrolling volatile areas in Gilgit. Read less...

Separately, Police found dead body of a man packed in a gunny bag from Karimabad, within the jurisdiction of Azizabad Police Station. The victim appeared to be 25-year-old Balochi speaking. Read less...

Seven people were killed and three others injured when a passenger van was blown up in a roadside bomb blast at Shah Kas area in Jamrud tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 4, reports Dawn. Official sources said a remote-controlled device placed along a road at Shah Kas locality was detonated at around 8.30am. It appeared that the target was the passenger van going to Jamrud bazaar from Qadam, sources added. “Six passengers, including oil dealer Haji Gulab, were killed on the spot while a critically injured person died in hospital,” Asmat Ullah Wazir, the tehsildar (revenue official) of Jamrud said. He said that Haji Gulab was previously involved in the business of fuel supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan and had received threats recently. Read less...

The Chief Minister (CM) Aslam Raisani said on April 4 that the Federal Government and its bureaucracy were not mindful of the seriousness of the Balochistan issue, allowing foreign countries to interfere in the Province, reports Dawn. He said, “Islamabad does not understand the importance of the Balochistan issue” and this attitude was encouraging the anti-Pakistan elements to misguide jobless Baloch youths. Other countries were spending money to achieve their nefarious designs, he added. The CM said the Federal Government was not providing funds for the departments devolved to his province under the 18th Amendment. There was no provision in the 18th Amendment or the NFC Award that the provinces would bear all expenditures of the departments transferred to them, he added. Raisani said all provinces, including Balochistan, had pleaded on the eve of the NFC award and the 18th Amendment that they would not bear expenditures of devolved departments. “If the federal government does not accept this principle, it should take back the Gwadar port and other devolved departments.” He said the Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan package, under which the Chief Minister was made chairman of the Gwadar Development Authority, was not fully implemented so far. Read less...

Times of India on April 5 reported that the Abdul Rehman Makki, the brother-in-law of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed is a conduit between LeT and Taliban. Government sources say that one of the main reasons for the US announcing a reward of USD two million for Makki is said to be his proximity to Taliban supreme commander Mullah Omar and al Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri. According to Indian authorities, Makki had regularly participated in meetings along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border that also featured Omar and al-Zawahiri and in which it was decided to attack Indian interests in Kabul, including its embassy Read less...

A suicide bomber targeted a senior Police Officer, Superintendent of Police (SP) Anwar Ahmed Khan, said to be a leading name in the crackdown on militants, killing four passers-by and injuring 17 others in the Malir area of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh on April 5, reports Dawn. According to Police, SP Anwar Ahmed Khan was going to the District Courts, Malir, in a convoy of five vehicles for a meeting when the suicide bomber blew himself up at the T-junction of Jinnah Avenue and Sharea Faisal in Malir Halt. Three of the dead were identified as Lal Badshah (50), Ata Muhammad (60), and Adeel Ismail (30). The identity of the 60-year-old man could not be ascertained. Three City Wards and Police constable Ayub posted on the SP’s security were among the injured. Commonly known as Rao Anwar, SP Khan is among the few surviving officers who had played an active role in the Karachi operation during the 1990s. Read less...

China has given rare details of what it says are the links between militant groups in its restive far western region of Xinjiang and neighbouring countries, most likely close ally Pakistan, as it unveiled a list of six wanted suspects, reports Dawn. The Ministry of Public Security published the names of the suspects, all apparently ethnic Uighurs, on its website (www.mps.gov.cn) late on April 5, along with their photographs and an outline of their alleged crimes. All six had spent time in what the ministry called “a certain south Asian country” – a likely reference to Pakistan – where they were trained to carry out terror attacks and incited militants in China to carry out suicide bombings and knife attacks. Some Chinese officials have blamed attacks on Muslim militants trained in Pakistan, though the Foreign Ministry has refrained from public criticism of the neighbour. Both Chinese and Pakistani officials have said that the militants based in western China have ties to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militants in north-western Pakistani regions along the Afghanistan border. Officials in Kashgar, a city in south Xinjiang, said a stabbing attack there in July 2011 was orchestrated by members of the separatist East Turkestan Islamic Movement who trained in Pakistan before returning to China. Read less...

Earlier in a pre-dawn attack, three Policemen were shot dead in PIB Colony. A car carrying the Policemen was ambushed by unidentified militants who came on six motorcycles and two cars. A police officer, a head constable and a constable lost their lives in the strike. Read less...

Half of the terrorism-related stories published in the country’s key national newspapers originate from the border region in Pakistan’s northwest, says a new study released by a local media development organisation on April 5, reports Daily Times. “Almost 50 percent of terrorism stories come from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP),” says the study, ‘How Pakistani Media Reports Terrorism Related Conflict?’ The study has been conducted by the Intermedia Pakistan, an Islamabad-based media development organisation which focuses on training, advocacy and research on media issues. “On TV, the region gets 44 percent of the airtime when it comes to reporting on terrorism-related conflict.” “The study is based on in-depth content analysis of terrorism-related news reports published in a sample of newspapers and aired on select television channels,” says Sadaf Baig, the author of the report. “It unveils statistics that shed new light on the way local media covers terrorism in Pakistan.” In terms of regional break up of news coverage of terrorism-related events, the study says, “FATA dominates the coverage of terrorism with 26 percent of terrorism-related news emanating from the region, KP follows with 23 percent, Balochistan gets 24 percent coverage, Sindh 19 percent, Punjab eight percent, Islamabad six percent while Gilgit Baltistan two percent and AJK gets one percent of space in newspapers.” The study revealed that FATA and Frontier Regions (FRs) featured prominently in terrorism-related stories, adding that armed fighting and skirmishes dominated the incidents of terrorism events reported from FATA. Read less...

In another incident at Bokhar – Zakhakhel’s boundary with Nari Baba – a TI volunteer lost his life and another three were injured. Mortar shells landed at various locations in Bara. However, no casualties have been reported. Read less...

In another incident, Police found a bullet riddle dead body of a man from Hub Dam Road area, near Sultanabad. The man was later identified as 35-year-old Haji Wali Rehman, a resident of Sultanabad, Sector 3. SHO Ghulam Rasool Rajper said the victim hailed from Swat. Read less...

Intelligence agencies arrested several suspected persons and recovered a suicide jacket during a raid at a house at Peshawar road under Tehalka Police Station area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 5, reports Dawn. Read less...

Meanwhile, Police found body of a man from seawater near Mai Kolachi Road within the limits of Jackson Police Station. The identity of the victim was yet to be ascertained Read less...

Meanwhile, unidentified assailants shot dead a man, identified as Munawar Ahmed, in Mastung town of Mastung District. The attackers managed to escape from the scene on a motorcycle Read less...

Prime Minister (PM) Yousuf Raza Gilani on April 5 said that the case of Jama’at-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed is an "internal issue" and any evidence against him should be provided to Pakistan so that the courts can take action, reports Indian Express. Gilani made the remarks while responding to points raised by lawmakers during a joint session of the National Assembly and Senate about the USD 10 million bounty offered by the US for Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). The premier said this was an internal issue of Pakistan and "if there is any concrete proof against Saeed then it should be provided to Pakistan, which has an independent judiciary". He pointed out that cases against Saeed were dismissed in the past due to lack of evidence. Further, PM Yousaf Raza Gilani said that the US bounty on Hafiz Saeed would send a “wrong signal” at a time when the two countries were embarking upon new dimensions. “This is purely an internal issue of Pakistan and the US has been asked to provide evidence [against Saeed], if they have any, to the Pakistani government… This was also conveyed to the US deputy secretary of state that when new rules of engagements are being defined, they should send a positive signal to Pakistan,” Gilani added. Read less...

Separately, a man was shot dead near Tyre Market of Gharibabad, within the precincts of Sharifabad Police Station. The identity of the victim was yet to be ascertained. Read less...

Separately, two men were killed after assailants on motorcycles fired at a shop in Sariab area of Quetta. Read less...

The ongoing target and sectarian killings claimed four more lives in different parts of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh on April 5, reports Daily Times. A young Shia man was shot dead in Buffer Zone, near Nagan Chowrangi within the limits of Taimuria Police Station. The 22-year-old Ahmer Abbas was sitting in front of his hostel situated at Sector 15, Buffer Zone when two unidentified assailants, riding a motorcycle, shot him dead and managed to escape. A Police official said that the victim hailed from Gilgit and initially Police revealed that it was sectarian killing. Read less...

The Supreme Court (SC) on April 5 ordered the Balochistan Police and Levies to investigate into dumping of bullet-riddled bodies in various parts of the province and compensates the aggrieved families, reports Daily Times. The Balochistan Inspector General of Police (IGP) was also ordered to take action or arrest the provincial ministers involved in kidnappings for ransom. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry issued these orders while hearing a constitutional petition filed by the Balochistan High Court Bar Association regarding law and order situation in the province. The bench also comprised Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Pervez. Police submitted Balochistan Home Minister Zafar Zehri’s statement about the involvement of Ministers in kidnappings for ransom. However, the Minister had not disclosed the names of the Ministers in his statement. The court ordered the IG to collect Zehri’s both statements that he gave to the Police and media and take action against the ministers. The court said the minister could be disqualified if his statement were wrong. Read less...

Three Frontier Crops (FC) soldiers were killed and another two were injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast at Balingor near Mand in Turbat District of Balochistan on April 5, reports Daily Times. According to official sources, unidentified people planted an explosive device along with road in Balingor near Mand and detonated it when the convoy moved. Three Security Force personnel, identified as Naik Tariq Mehmood, lance Naik Niaz Hassan and sepoy Muhammad Saleem, died of multiple splinter wounds, while two others Naik Ali Nawaz and Sepoy Aurangzeb were injured. Read less...

Two Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) militants were killed and another two were injured in a clash between the banned LI and Tawheedul Islam (TI) activists in Kalanga area of Akakhel in Tirah Valley area of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 5, reports Daily Times. Two volunteers of the Zakhakhel-based TI (peace militia) were injured. Reportedly, both sides used heavy artillery. Read less...

Elsewhere, the Chairman of the Hinglaj Mata temple, Maharaj Ganga Ram Motiyani, was abducted from the Lasbela District on April 6, reports The Hindu. Members of the Hindu community protested outside the Karachi Press Club on April 8 alleging that the abduction of Maharaj was a conspiracy. Community leaders say the Chairman was abducted to sabotage the pilgrimage which attracts devotees from various parts of the world. Abduction-for-ransom is being ruled out by the community as Maharaj Motiyani is not a rich man. Read less...

Around 20 million children in Pakistan, including an estimated 7.3 million of primary school age, are not in school, said a statement issued by United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on April 6, reports Daily Times. “Investing in children and their education is vital due to the positive impacts it has on so many socio-economic dimensions. It is therefore imperative that all children in Pakistan, both boys and girls, have the opportunity to attend and complete their schooling,” the statement said. About the efforts of the fund for promoting education for children across the country, the statement said, “UNICEF is supporting the nationwide ‘Every Child in School’ campaign, which encourages parents and communities to ensure that all primary school-age children are enrolled for the new school year. A special focus is being placed on enrolling girls, who represent 57 percent of primary school-age children who are not attending school. Girls from poor families in rural areas, for example, receive just over one year of education, on average.” Read less...

Authorities launched a crackdown on activists of sectarian outfits and arrested dozens of people in the night of April 6 and early April 6 mornings, reports Dawn. “Dozens have been arrested and more are yet to be taken into custody,” Police officials said. Sources said that raids were carried out in various localities of the city, including Amphary, Basin, Napura, Narote, Naikkoi, Kashrote, Nagarl and some other parts of the area. Police officials said that raids were conducted by army troops together with officials of the administration, but Police had no role in it. Lists of the extremist organisations had been prepared and handed over to military authorities, add Police officials. Daily Times adds that around 100 suspected persons were rounded up. Read less...

Elsewhere, a cadre of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Abdullah Bhumka (55), was shot dead in Godhra Society. Abdullah Bhumka was on his way home after offering Isha prayers when armed men shot him in sector 11-G, New Karachi. Read less...

Further, a People’s Students Federation (PSF) worker, Saeed Hussain Khan (29), was also shot dead outside his house at Scout Colony under Mobina Town Police Station. PSF Karachi President Faisal Sheikh said the victim was an active member of the federation in the Karachi University. Read less...

Meanwhile, a Senior Police Officer who had survived a suicide attack in the Malir area on April 5 accused a fellow officer, and not terrorists, of having hatched the conspiracy to kill him. SP Anwar Ahmed Khan lodged a complaint in which he named Azam Mehsud, an inspector of Karachi police, his brother and a number of other people as accused. However, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. Read less...

Meanwhile, a top Pakistani counter-terrorism official said that Hafiz Saeed has been helping Pakistan de-radicalise militants under efforts to stabilise the strategic US ally, reports Times of India. "Hafiz Saeed has agreed with the Punjab Government programme of de-radicalisation and rehabilitation of former jihadis and extended full cooperation," the counter-terrorism official said under the condition of anonymity. The counter-terrorism official said that Saeed had not been paid for his de-radicalisation activities. A senior police official in Punjab province, who is closely involved with investigations into militant activity, confirmed that Saeed and his supporters were helping efforts to transform militants into law-abiding citizens. "Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) was consulted, and they approved the de-radicalisation plan. They assured us of their intellectual input and resource materials. They also offered teachers," he told Reuters, referring to the charity Saeed heads. However, Yahya Mujahid, the JuD spokesman, said the group had not participated in the de-radicalisation programme. Hafiz Khalid Waleed, another senior JuD member, declined to comment on whether the Islamist leader had been directly assisting the government in de-radicalisation Read less...

Separately, a seminary teacher, Naeem Sheikh (55), was also shot dead in an act of “sectarian” killing in Sector L-1 near the Maymarabad Mosque in Surjani Town. Police said Sheikh was the resident of New Karachi and that he was also a teacher at Jalilia Madrassa. They said Sheikh was an active member of the Tableeghi Jamaat and that he could be a target of sectarian killing Read less...

Separately, Maulana Mohammad Qasim Sasoli, a prayer leader belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (Noorani group), was shot dead on Saryab Road of Quetta. According to police, Maulana Qasim was on his way to Jamia Masjid Noorani to lead the Friday prayer when armed men on a motorcycle opened fire on him, killing him instantly. Police have termed the incident a case of target killing. Read less...

Six persons, including three PPP and a PSF activist, were killed in the ongoing wave of target and sectarian killings in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh on April 6, reports Daily Times. Tension engulfed several areas of Orangi Town after four assailants, riding two motorbikes, opened fire at a shop in Urdu Chowk of Orangi Town. Four PPP workers, Farhan alias Guddu, Nafees Siddiqui alias Munno Bihari, Umer Hayat and Rana Faraz – received bullet injuries and were moved to hospital. Farhan, Nafees and Hayat succumbed to the injuries later. The killings triggered violence in Orangi Town’s sectors 10, 14 and 15, Bismillah Colony, Faqeer Colony, Urdu Chowk and its surrounding areas. Some armed men also resorted to aerial firing, forcing markets to shut down. Carrying the body of Farhan, scores of PPP workers marched on Shaheen Complex and tried to reach the Chief Minister’s House in the ‘red zone’. Police moved in a container to block the way of protesters and also baton charged them, injuring six party activists. Read less...

The Foreign Office (FO) on April 6 rejected Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna’s remarks that India has provided adequate proof linking Jama’at ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed to the Mumbai attacks, reports Daily Times. Reacting to comments made by Krishna in Bangalore, FO spokesman Abdul Basit said India had not given “any solid and significant evidence” against Saeed. The spokesman also said, “Action can only be taken on the basis of solid evidence.” “There is nothing concrete and maintainable. From its own Mumbai trial experience, India knows well that hearsay cannot substitute for hard evidence,” the spokesman said. “It is only the latter that can withstand judicial scrutiny,” Basit added. Read less...

The Supreme Court (SC) said on April 6 there was no difference between a human being and animals in Balochistan where mutilated bodies were found on a daily basis, reports Daily Times. “I think I should stay in Quetta for a month,” said Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, as a three-member SC bench resumed the hearing of a case concerning the poor security and human rights situation in Balochistan. Following the chief justice’s directive, Quetta Police produced four of seven ‘missing’ people of the Marri tribe in the court. The seven people were picked up during a raid in Quetta’s Sariab Mill area on March 1 and had been listed ‘missing’ since then. Police, who had earlier been declining having information about the missing persons, produced four of seven people. The four were Hazar Khan, Mazar Khan, Malik Sher and Javed Marri. Justice Chaudhry suspended New Sariab SHO Noor Baksh Mengal for his false statement about the missing persons and directed Police to arrest him. The Chief Justice said he would also suspend the Balochistan IGP if the remaining three missing persons were not produced before the court by April 9. Frontier Corps (FC) Inspector General Major General Ubaidullah Khan Khattak also appeared before the court and rejected charges against his force. Read less...

Two bullet-riddled bodies were found in Kanak area of Mastung District in Balochistan on April 6, reports Daily Times. According to a Balochistan Levies official, some passersby spotted the bodies dumped in a deserted location in Kanak. The victims, identified as Abdul Manan and Muhammad Rais, were listed missing a few days ago. Read less...

Unidentified militants blew up a Government-run girl’s primary school with explosives in the Lakrro area in Safi tehsil (revenue unit) of Mohmand Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 6, reports Daily Times. The school building was partially damaged due to the blast. However, no causality or injury was reported, as the building was vacant at the time of the blast. Terrorists in FATA have destroyed 92 government schools, most of them for girls, schools in Mohmand Agency during the past three years. Read less...

A rickshaw driver, Khurram alias Shani (24) was killed in Landhi. He was a resident of Korangi. Station House Officer (SHO) Mazhar Awam said that he was killed near Landhi No.6. Read less...

A seminary student, Mohammad Daud (17) was shot dead in Ghazi Town. DSP Rao Iqbal said that Daud used to study at Madrassa Arabia Islamia and he was with somone when he was killed. Read less...

Earlier in the day, in Meena Bazaar, a 40-year-old pushcart vendor, Abdul Karim Ghanchi, was shot dead near his house, said the PIB Colony Police. They claim that two motorcyclists shot at him twice and escaped. Read less...

Elsewhere, one Shahid (26) was found dead in Korangi. SHO Nail Mohammad Jakhrani said that Shahid was a resident of Shah Faisal Colony and used to work for a private company. He added that Shahid was abducted and shot in the head. He was from Punjab, had been married twice and might have been killed over a family dispute. Read less...

Fourteen-year-old Sohail, a teenager died in an explosion in his own house near Manora. Read less...

Further, Barkat Khan (23) was shot dead in Baldia Town in a drive-by shooting. The Police said that Khan lived in Baldia Town and was a scavenger Read less...

Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Police Inspector General (IG) Hussain Asghar on April 7 (today) denied any foreign involvement in the recent strain of violence in the region, reports The Express Tribune. Talking to The Express Tribune via telephone, the IG maintained that few job opportunities and a high literacy rate among the resident youth was fueling dissatisfaction and was feeding the rise in sectarianism. “I don’t think there is any foreign hand involved in the sectarian riots. The key thing in my understanding is the high rate of literacy without employment opportunities, which allows the frustrated youth to be easily used by some elements,” he said. Talking about farsighted measures to stem sectarianism from the picturesque region, he suggested establishing industries to absorb the educated youth on a large scale. This would, according to him, keep them from involvement in sectarian activities. “G-B has among the highest literacy rates in the country, but few employment opportunities. Such a situation frustrates the youth,” he said. “If they have jobs and are busy with work, they will not have time to indulge such activities,” he suggested. Read less...

In addition, the body of an alleged Lyari gangster, Imran Baloch (26), was found near the District Collector office in North Nazimabad, said the Taimuria Police. There were reports that he was a PPP leader in Manghopir but SHO Kamal Naseem said that he had a criminal record and was associated with a gang in Lyari. Read less...

In another incident, the driver of a passenger bus, identified as Rahim Bakhsh, was shot dead on Saryab Road in Quetta. According to witnesses, an armed militant boarded a bus, which was coming from Karachi. As the bus reached a stop in Quetta, he opened fire on the driver, killing him instantly. Read less...

In Barkhan District, a security man was killed and another sustained injuries when their checkpost was attacked by a group of armed militants. The two security personnel were manning the checkpost when armed militants opened fire on them. Resultantly, one of the officials died on the spot while the other received bullet wounds. Read less...

In yet another attack, a taxi driver, Khursheed, was killed and two others, Murtaza and Anwer, were also injured in Shah Faisal Colony Read less...

Meanwhile, Zar Gul (46) was gunned down outside his house in Hazara Chowk, Orangi Town. SHO Waqar Jadoon said that Gul’s family suspected that he was killed over a personal enmity. Read less...

Sarwar Bahadur, a leader of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), formerly known as banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), was injured when armed militants shot at him on Lasbela Road. Bahadur’s brother and an ASWJ supporter were also injured. The Rangers spokesperson claimed that they had seized six repeater pistols, four Kalashnikovs, five TT pistols and bullets from a flat in Eidgah. Read less...

Separately, a prayer leader, Arif Ejaz Khan, was shot dead outside a mosque situated in Akbar Baloch Goth in Steel Town in a drive-by shooting Read less...

The Express Tribune reports that in yet another wave of target killings, nine persons were killed while two bodies were found in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh on April 7. 11 more persons were also injured in the ongoing violence. A Policeman, Rizwan Ahmed, was killed and two more, Raza and Imran, were injured when a Police picket in Sohrab Goth was attacked. The Police detained 17 persons who are in questioning. Within an hour, militants targeted another hotel in Block H of North Nazimabad in which one person was killed and three others were injured. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rasheed Khan said that all were affiliated with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). The victim, Shahid, was the former member of the party’s Zakat Committee Read less...

Three persons, including a Police official, were killed in separate incidents of firing in different parts of Balochistan on April 7, reported Daily Times. Assistant Sub-Inspector Abdul Samad Jan was shot dead in main Kalat bazaar in Kalat District. Read less...

Army gunship helicopters pounded militant positions in Mamozai area of Orakzai Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 8 and killed 14 militants, reports Dawn. Officials claimed that militant ‘commanders’ Lutfur Rehman, Hisbanur Rehman, Luqman Khan and Islamuddin were killed in shelling on four militant hideouts. With military aircraft bombing militant hideouts in different areas, residents have started moving to safe places. According to witnesses, women and children have been forced to trek through difficult terrain on their way to Hangu District (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) via central Kurram Agency. Many families have reached Tora Warai area of Hangu where they are looking for shelter and food. Read less...

Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani on April 8 accused some elements in policy-making machinery in Islamabad of indirectly helping the elements trying to break up Pakistan by not implementing announcements and promises made by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, reports Dawn. According to official sources, Mr Raisani made the remarks during a meeting with Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafiz Sheikh and said these elements were destabilising the federation and fuelling hatred between federating units and the centre. He said that if Balochistan seceded from Pakistan it would not be because of a handful of extremists challenging the State. He said he would blame the attitude of policy-makers and bureaucrats in Islamabad for paving the way for the success of extremists. The Chief Minister said the Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan package was not being implemented in letter and spirit. Mr Raisani, who has been criticising the Federal Government for the past few days, accused the policy-makers of deliberately ignoring important projects in Balochistan and delaying release of funds. Read less...

Elsewhere, three people, Naqeeb-ur-Rehman, Sher Khan, and Aslam Uddin, were wounded when unidentified persons sprayed them with bullets at Bihar Colony within Chakiwara Police precincts in Lyari. Read less...

In addition, two Levies Force personnel were injured in Chaman town of Qilla Abdullah District after some unidentified armed assailants opened fire on them. Read less...

In addition, two Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) workers, including General Secretary for District West Siddique Akbar, wounded in separate firing incidents in Orangi Town within Pirabad Police Station limits. Read less...

In another incident, a youngster was shot dead near Inquiry Office within the jurisdiction of Nazimabad Police Station. Read less...

In another incident, one Mohammad Rahim was shot dead in Surpul area of Quetta while he was sitting at his shop. Read less...

Meanwhile, authorities claimed to have arrested over four dozen suspects during various search operations in different areas of Karachi. They, however, were unable to arrest any of the culprits involved in incidents. The law enforcers also claimed to have recovered a huge cache of weapons including Kalashnikovs, repeaters, pistols, ammunition, a bulletproof jacket and drugs. Read less...

Meanwhile, four personnel of Tochi Scouts were injured in a roadside bomb blast on the Miranshah-Dattakhel road near Miranshah in North Waziristan Agency, reports Dawn Read less...

One Frontier Corps (FC) soldier, identified as Nibat Khan, was killed when unidentified militants fired rockets at a check post in Barkhan District on April 7, reported Dawn. However, two militants were killed when FC personnel returned fire, said Official sources. Read less...

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on April 8 acknowledged that the case of Jama’at-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was an "issue" between Pakistan and India but said Islamabad needs "substantial" evidence against him to try him in a court of law, reports The Indian Express. "We are serious on the issue of Saeed but the question is how to proceed against him without evidence. Courts here are independent and we need substantial evidence against him," Gilani said while interacting with a group of reporters at his residence Lahore. Gilani further said it had been agreed that the Interior and Home Secretaries of the two countries would discuss the issue when they meet on April 16. Responding to a question about groups like JuD fanning extremism in Pakistan, Gilani said: "I have ordered action against all proscribed organisations". He said there should be peace between India and Pakistan and it was in the interest of both countries as well as the region. "(Indian Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh and I are committed to bringing stability to the region. We will take every possible step towards peace and stability," he said hours after President Asif Ali Zardari met Singh in New Delhi. Read less...

Separately, a Police Sub-Inspector, identified as Abdul Samad, died when armed assailants opened fire on him in Kalat District. Read less...

Separately, one Shakeel (26) was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in PIB Colony. Read less...

The United Sates (US) offered a lucrative monetary favour to the coalition Government led by the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) for the federal budget 2012-13 in exchange for resumption of supply routes of NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan, reports Daily Times. The sources privy to recent diplomatic parleys between Pakistani authorities and US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides said that the offer was made to Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh for the upcoming budget, which the PPP-led Government wants to make “people-friendly” in order to muster public support for the next general elections. The sources said the fresh US offer was an additional attraction for Pakistan as Washington had already expressed its willingness to pay compensation for 24 soldiers killed in NATO air strikes at Salala checkpost on November 26, 2011. The US has also offered “other” taxes on NATO supplies passing through Pakistan, they added. Read less...

Three more people were shot dead and five others wounded by unidentified armed assailants in Orangi Town, PIB Colony, Nazimabad and Lyari areas of Karachi on April 8, reports Daily Times. A man, identified as Ibrahim (42), was shot dead while on his way home to Pareshan Chowk in Orangi’s Mominabad area. Read less...

Under constant pressure from the US over the increasing use of Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs) by militants on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghan border, Pakistani authorities have worked out a strategy to counter the threat, reports The Express Tribune. Draft legislation for the National Strategy to Counter-IED will be soon tabled in parliament for approval. The proposed C-IED Act 2012 will provide a legal framework for the strategy and deal with issues like monitoring and controlling ingredients used in IED-making and prosecution of criminals by introducing new amendments to existing laws. The national strategy, soon to be made public, has been prepared by the National Counter-IED Forum. It is headed by the interior secretary and includes chief secretaries of all provinces, the National Counter Terrorism Authority Director General (FG), DG Engineers Pak Army, DGs/ IGs of all Civil Armed Forces, IG police of all provinces and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Inter-Services Intelligence. One of the most fatal tactical weapons used by militants, IEDs have caused 13,918 casualties – 47% of the total casualties suffered during the past four years on Pakistan’s side of the border. According to a policy paper available with The Express Tribune, out of these causalities, Pakistan Army and law-enforcement agencies in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have suffered 1,244 casualties with 221 people killed and 1,023 injured most of them critically. Read less...

A Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) activist, Younis Pathan (28), was shot dead, while another person identified as Zait Khan (25), was injured on Abul Hasan Isphani Road in the precincts of Mobina Town Police Station in Karachi in Karachi on April 9, reported Daily Times. Read less...

Elsewhere in the District, Sir Syed Police claimed to have arrested a target killer Qasim alias Paratha from the slums of Bilal Colony, recovering a TT pistol and stolen motorcycle, reported Daily Times. SHO Changaiz Khan said Qasim was involved in three murder cases, including Rizwan murder case of 2010. Qasim is said to be associated with a politico-religious party. Read less...

Four militants and two soldiers were killed during a clash when a group of 20 militants attacked a military checkpost in the Khapyanga area of Kurram Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 9, reports Daily Times. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) official said that clash took place near the Afghan border, was repelled when troops responded with artillery and heavy weapons. “Four troops were also injured in the clash which continued for around 40 minutes.” Read less...

In another incident, a Policeman, identified as Raj Mohammad (32), posted at the Kalri Police Station was shot dead while he was checking Police deployment in the area on the Mauripur Road, reports Dawn. Read less...

In another incident, two people, identified as Qasir and Asif Javed, were shot dead while they were waiting for a Karachi-bound bus in Mand area of Turbat District. Both the victims belonged to Lahore and Sargodha Districts of Punjab province. Read less...

India, responding to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s statement on Hafiz Saeed, said that ‘solid evidence’ on the Jama’at-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and alleged 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind has already been given to Pakistan, The Express Tribune quoting CNN-IBN reported on April 10. Sources in the Indian Government said that the evidence includes the statement of Ajmal Kasab – the lone surviving gunman in the Mumbai attacks – saying that “Saeed was present during the selection and training of terrorists behind the 26/11 attack.” They also pointed out that the statements of David Coleman Headley, another person involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, on Saeed have also been sent to Pakistan. The sources stressed on Pakistan to work on the provided evidence. Gilani, talking to the media on April 8, had said that Pakistan and India will share intelligence and evidence against Saeed on April 16. “We are in the middle of talks with India and on April 16 both countries’ interior secretaries will share their evidence against Saeed. And on the basis of these evidences, which would be sufficient for the courts, further action against Saeed will be taken,” Gilani added. Read less...

Meanwhile, Additional Inspector General (AIG) Karachi Akhtar Hussain Gorchani said, “Target killings have risen over the past few days in Karachi, however, some of these cases were either of personal disputes or involved individual gains”. The AIG said, “We met a delegation of PPP led by Senator Faisal Raza Abidi with regard to rising target killings of PPP activists”, adding that the delegation was appraised of threats to the security of citizens and political activists. Read less...

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani sacked seven Police officials on duty for the killing of six Hazara. According to Police sources, 17 suspects have also been arrested in connection with killing Read less...

Separately, another PPP activist, identified as Syed Mukhtiar Shah (35), was shot dead in his school in Baldia Town in the Saeedabad Police Station precincts. Read less...

Separately, at least 10 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were injured when policemen baton charged panicked IDPs to force them to follow queue. The IDPs belonged to the Zakha Khel tribe of Khyber Agency. This incident took place at a registration point in Jalozai camp in the limits of Nowshera District (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Read less...

Separately, the Levies Force found two unidentified bullet-riddled dead bodies from the Surab area of Kalat District. According to local officials, some passers-by spotted the bodies lying in a deserted area in Angera and informed the Levies Forces. Read less...

Six Shia persons belonging to the Hazara community were killed and three others were injured when armed militants opened fire at a cobblers shop on Prince Road in Quetta on April 9, reported Daily Times. Quetta Police Deputy Inspector General Qazi Wahid said that all the victims belonged to Hazara community and it appeared to be a case of sectarian target killing. According to official sources, the shoemakers were sitting inside their shop when assailants on two motorcycles opened fire on them with automatic weapons, killing six of them instantly while injuring three others. Read less...

The Supreme Court on April 9 refused to give an opportunity of hearing to former President Pervez Musharraf in a case regarding the registration of second First Information Report (FIR) in the December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto murder case against him and 12 others because he had already been declared as a proclaimed offender by a lower court in 2011, reports Daily Times. The court observed that Musharraf should have surrendered before the court, which had issued arrest warrants for him. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez also directed the respondents to file their replies by April 16, 2012. Read less...

At least 34 people abducted from Hunza District on April 3, 2012 in the wake of violence and bloodshed in Gilgit and Chilas were released on April 10 as a result of successful talks between the abductors and cleric Aga Rahat-ul-Hussain, reports Dawn. Member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Deedar Ali Shah said the 34 hostages had been released unconditionally. The abducted men — the district health officer, a civil judge, truck drivers, cleaners and labourers working in flour mills — had been taken to Nagar valley. On Tuesday, they were brought to Gilgit where they were received by the deputy speaker of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, Home Secretary, Finance Secretary and the District Inspector General (DIG). Read less...

Elsewhere, one Akhlaq (40) was shot dead by unidentified armed militants near Taiser Town in the Surjani Town Police jurisdiction, while he was going to his house. Read less...

In a separate incident, an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI), Muhammad Aslam (40) who received bullet wounds on April 1 in the Khokhrapar Police limits, succumbed to his injuries. The Police claimed to have arrested two target killers in this connection. Aslam had named two suspects - Arshed and Akmal Raza – who were arrested on April 10 along with two TT pistols. During interrogation, the suspects confessed to being involved in a number of targeted killing incidents as well as opening fire on ASI Alam. Read less...

In addition, for the establishment of law and order in Karachi, a presidential package worth PKR 2.5 billion was approved by the Government for the city, reported Express Tribune. The fund will be provided in two phases. In the first phase, armored vehicles worth PKR 4.5 million will be bought through Heavy Industries Taxila. In the second phase, 24 armored vehicles worth PKR 3.5 million will be bought. Rs8.7 million worth of arms and ammunition will be bought for the Law Enforcement Agencies from Wah Industries, whereas RPK 3.9 million will be given for the transportation of these agencies. This package will not be directed towards the payroll of police and other LEAs, but will be used to arm them better against terrorists and criminals. Read less...

In another incident, a member of the Pakhtoon Action Committee, Haji Muhammad Deen (75), was shot dead by two militants outside his residence near Mehboob Manzil situated in North Nazimabad within the Shahra-e-Noorjhan Police area. Read less...

Meanwhile, the curfew imposed eight days ago remained in force, without any relaxation. Since the outbreak of violence, Gilgit has remained cut off from the rest of the country with no vehicle plying on the Karakoram Highway. Read less...

Meanwhile, the Sindh Government decided to strengthen the border Police check posts along the provincial border and entry and exit points with Balochistan to curb inter-provincial movement of criminals, reports Daily Times. Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan told the media that modern technology would be introduced at the Police check posts. He said orders have been given for effective check on the movement of criminals. Read less...

One MQM activist, identified as Muhammad Furqan (35), was shot dead by two unidentified armed assailants near RCD Ground in Malir in the Saudabad Police limits, while he was returning to his residence along with his wife. However, the Muhajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) also claimed that Furqan was their activist. Read less...

Pakistan is going to deploy specially trained Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) forces at 820 border posts along the Pak-Afghan border to counter the use of homemade landmines – the weapon that causes the most troop and civilian casualties on both sides of the border, reports The Express Tribune. “Special instructions are being passed to all agencies to enhance vigilance on the Pak-Afghan border. Pakistan has deployed 23 wings of the Frontier Corps (FC) for border control. The manpower deployed on approximately 820 posts established by the Pakistan Army/FC along the international border are being trained to monitor the movement of Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN),” said an official document available with The Express Tribune. CAN and Ammonium Nitrate (AN) are used to manufacture fertilisers but simultaneously function as key ingredients in making homemade mines called IEDs. The FC has trained their personnel in basic Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) to undertake search and disposal operations, while specialised Police units have been established to undertake EOD tasks which will be used not only on border points but during raids on IED manufacturing sites on its side of the border. IEDs have caused over 13,918 (civilian and military) casualties, which is 47% of the total casualties suffered by Pakistan over the past four years in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone. The use of Taliban homemade landmines and roadside bombs against NATO forces has reached record levels according to a Pentagon task force. IEDs are the number one cause of casualties for International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF), newly trained Afghan National Security Forces (NSF) troops and civilians. The US has devoted huge resources to defeating the IED threat over the years but with little success. The US Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) alone has an annual budget of over USD three billion, and since 2006, USD 20 billion have been spent on C-IED efforts. Read less...

Police on April 10 recovered three Marri tribe missing persons following the orders of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Chaudhry in Quetta, reported Daily Times. According to official sources, the Police claimed to have recovered Gul Mir, Mir Jan and Amir Khan. Earlier, the CJP had ordered the Balochistan Inspector General (IG) and other officials concerned to recover seven missing persons who were picked up from the Sariab area on March 1, 2012. The court had warned that it would suspend the IG and other high-ups if they failed to produce the missing persons before the court. Earlier, the Police had produced four of the seven missing persons before the court on April 6, 2012. Read less...

Separately, a bullet-riddled dead body of another MQM activist, identified as Qamar Qureshi alias Kamran (30), was found from Korangi area within Landhi Police jurisdiction. Read less...

Separately, a jirga (tribal council) of Kukikhel tribe resolved to desist from all types of terror activities and not allow any banned group to operate on its soil in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency. Presided over by Dr Zabita Khan Kukikhel and held at Speena Khawra Markaz, the jirga unanimously decided to impose a fine of PKR one million on those violating the jirga decisions. Read less...

The Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik on April 10 urged parliament to adopt an amendment in anti-terror law to remove loopholes for closing door to terrorist' bailout, reports Daily Times. Addressing a joint parliamentary sitting on killings of people from the Shia community, the Minister said parliament needed to pass an amendment in the Pakistan Penal Code as currently no law existed to bring terrorists to justice. He said the criminals were easily bailed out after being apprehended by the law enforcement agencies, adding that in an instance, a man was bailed out 34 times. He said, "Let me brief the House as how foreign powers are involved in marring law and order situation of the country and how they are creating hostility." Malik termed Chilas tragedy as an “incident of terrorism, not sectarianism”. Malik said his remarks on witnessing Gilgit-based people in Quetta and Karachi proved true after the Kohistan incident in which 18 passengers from the Shia community were killed. Read less...

The Peshawar High Court on April 10 directed the local Police to close down three illegal detention centres, which were run by a former Station House Officer (SHO) of Hayatabad Police Station in his area, reports Dawn. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk pointed out that a recent inquiry conducted by the Police high-ups on the order of the high court proved that SHO Rajab Ali had been running three illegal detention centres in Hayatabad, Peshawar. The bench directed the Police to hand over the three premises to their owners and provide their details to the court so that they could be asked not to rent out their premises in future for such illegal purposes. On the court order, a senior investigation officer of National Accountability Bureau Col (retired) Hussain Ali appeared and told the court that he had constituted a team for probing the allegations against the SHO of amassing wealth by indulging in illegal activities. The bench observed that so far three inquiries had been conducted against Mr Ali and all the three showed that he was involved in illegal activities. The SHO had already been transferred to police lines. Further, Peshawar High Court directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Police Officer to conduct an inquiry as to why police were extending illegal cooperation and help to those agencies which were not authorised under the law and constitution to pick up citizens. In addition, Peshawar High Court directed the quarters concerned to expedite the process of enlisting the [low profile] category B and C militants after the bench was requested to allow some time for the completion of the list. Earlier, the court had issued directives that militants of the category B and C be identified and set free on strong surety bonds. Read less...

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on April 10 claimed responsibility for the abduction of four members of a pro-government militia in Tank District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on March 25, reports The Express Tribune. The abducted men have been identified as Gul Muhammad, Mukhtiar, Abdul Wahab and Rehman. Speaking from an undisclosed location, the TTP ‘commander’ for North Waziristan Agency, Asmatullah Shaheen, said that the four men were abducted from Umer bus terminal. “We will kill them one by one if our demands are not met,” he threatened, without mentioning what the demands were. “We will not tell the media what the demands are, but they need to be met within a week.” Read less...

A day after Hazrat Khan, a former LI commander, was killed along with six others by Mangal Bagh’s men in Bara of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Munsif Ali, believed to be an ardent follower of Bagh’s LI, was killed in the village of Bajri Read less...

Earlier, in Bakhtawar Goth and Safoora Chowrangi areas, unknown suspects set ablaze two minibuses. Read less...

Elsewhere, at least three girls were injured when unknown militants resorted to firing while forcing shops’ closure in Kalakot Police precincts. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) South Nasir Aftab said it was not clear if they were targeted or caught in the line of fire. Read less...

Four alleged militants were killed and six others arrested by the Frontier Corps (FC) after an exchange of fire with them at Sangsila area in Dera Bugti District on April 11, reports Daily Times. According to official sources, a convoy of FC was passing from the area when a group of armed militants opened fire on it. However, no FC man was hurt in the attack. FC personnel returned fire, killing four of the alleged militants. The forces also arrested six militants along with weapons. Read less...

Four people, including two activists of the Jaye Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), were shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Karachi on April 11, reports Daily Times. Two JSQM workers, identified as Ghulam Hussain (29) and Waqas (25), were forcing the shopkeepers to pull down their shutters in Khadda Market area of Lyari when another group from the area resorted to firing, killing them on the spot and injuring five others, including two seminary students Muhammad and Umar Saeed. Read less...

In addition, two passengers, Noor Shah and Muhammad Abdullah, were injured when two armed militants boarded a minibus and started firing near Dua Hotel on Mauripur Road. Following the gunfire, the militants set ablaze the bus as well as a truck parked nearby. Read less...

In another incident, Police found an unidentified dead body of a man stuffed in a gunny bag near Labour Square within the limits of Site B Police Station. The identity of the victim was yet to be ascertained. The victim appeared to be of Baloch descent. Read less...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain on April 11 favoured resumption of NATO supply but said there should be no permission to the arms and ammunitions’ movement to Afghanistan in NATO containers and that NATO supply should be restored for food items only, reports Dawn. He said everyone would accept parliament’s decision on restoration of NATO supply as it was the country’s supreme institution. “Our national interests are supreme to us. We will never compromise them with any international power, including the United States (US),” he said. He urged the US to reconsider its policies, especially regarding drone attacks, saying it’s badly affecting the US image in the country and the world. The Minister said that the drone technology should be shared with Pakistan for better results against war of terror. Read less...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Finance Humayun Khan praised the people of Malakand for bravely fighting the ‘war of survival’ in the country. He said the matchless sacrifices of the people would be written with golden words in the history. Read less...

Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) militants shot dead five Zakkakhel tribe persons in Bara tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 11, reported Daily Times. They also slaughtered two of their former cadres. Among those killed were a former LI ‘commander’, Hazrat Khan, and his friend, Rehman. Sources said that the victims had recently started supporting Security Forces (SFs) to bring peace to the area. Read less...

Meanwhile, Police and Frontier Constabulary conducted a raid at Jokhio Para and detained five suspects for being involved in riots at Khadda Market. Read less...

Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) in collaboration with Police conducted targeted raids in different areas, including Keamari Town, Hussain Hazara Goth, Hijrat Colony, Baloch Para Jamshed Town and Nazimabad and detained 12 suspects along with 18 weapons of different calibers. Read less...

Separately, a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) activist Rashid Baig (25) was shot dead near his residence in North Karachi within the limits of Ajmer Nagri Police Station. Read less...

The continuous spilling of blood in sectarian killings in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is a result of failure to address religious intolerance in society, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on April 11, reports Daily Times. In a meeting, the commission said, “HRCP is alarmed by the continuing sectarian bloodshed in Pakistan, particularly in Quetta and GB. The killings demonstrate a disturbing pattern and appear to be part of a well-planned sequence. It has been stated that miscreants from Afghanistan have been involved. That may be one problem, but it certainly is not the only one. The mindless bloodshed that we witness day in and day out is rooted in religious intolerance cultivated by the state.” It also said, “The people are paying the price of indifference with their lives. Rather than wasting time on addressing mere symptoms, the root cause of the problem must be identified and addressed. Instead of living in denial, we must now identify the policies that strengthen extremism and promote faith-based hatred in society. These constitute the single biggest threat to Pakistan.” Read less...

The curfew imposed in Gilgit City on April 3, 2012, continued for the ninth day on April 11, reports Dawn. As reported earlier, 24 people were killed in violence in Gilgit-Baltistan region on April 3. Read less...

the people released by their abductors on April 10 left Gilgit for their native areas on April 11. The hostages belonged to Shangla in Hazara division and some areas of Punjab. The hostages spoke about their ordeal to the reporters. “I cannot believe that I am alive. The kidnappers were highly trained people. They blindfolded us and took us to Sumayar valley of Nagar subdivision and tortured us,” said one of them. He said they divided us in three groups, changed four locations and gave us food two days after kidnapping. “We were given electric shocks,” said another hostage. “God has saved our lives. We will never come back to this area,” said Mohammad Khan, who works in a flour mill. Read less...

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on April 11 summoned the Federal Ministers and Secretaries of Defence, Interior and Law in cases of missing persons, asking them to explain why they had been defending illegal and unconstitutional acts of the intelligence agencies, reports Dawn. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk also put on notice the Attorney General for Pakistan and the judge Advocate General of Pakistan Army, directing them to appear and assist the court on the point under what authority of law these agencies had been keeping persons in illegal detention. The bench observed that in all the habeas corpus petitions in the High Court allegations were leveled against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and sector commanders of the Intelligence Agencies. It added that it was often alleged that these agencies picked persons from houses without search warrant, detained them in illegal detention centres and tortured them. The chief justice observed that keeping in view the provisions of the constitution regarding fundamental rights, the Government, particularly the Ministries of Defence and Interior, were not supposed to defend illegal acts of these agencies. “The matter is very serious not only for the courts, but also for civil society which raised voice against it and it may result in any ugly situation like public versus the army and would be dangerous for both the state and army,” the bench observed, adding that it was appropriate that the ministers and secretaries of defence, interior, law should appear in person and explain their positions. Read less...

the Police booked friends of Lyari ‘chief’ Habib Jan Baloch besides People’s Amn Committee (PAC) leadership in the First Information Report (FIR) of a Police constable Raj Mohammad’s murder that took place in Lyari on April 9, 2012. Police officials said seven of the nine suspects included Habib Jan Baloch besides PAC leaders Uzair Baloch, Zafar Baloch, Omar Katchi, Fahim Badshah, Adnan and Mushtaq. Read less...

The United States (US) has not kept Pakistan in the dark on its efforts to seek a negotiated settlement to Afghanistan, said US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman on April 11, reports Dawn. “I have many faults. But not keeping the Government of Pakistan or the Government of Afghanistan fully informed on what we were doing on the reconciliation side is not one of them,” he told a gathering at the US Institute of Peace in Washington. “I recognize that’s what people say, but I just want to tell you that I work very hard to make sure that people are neither in the dark or excluded,” he said. Grossman also said that a new economic bloc that connects South and Central Asia – with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the centre – can play a key role in bringing peace to the region. Read less...

13 labourers of a construction company were abducted from the Sui area of Dera Bugti District, reports Dawn. No group has claimed the responsibility for the kidnapping. Read less...

An alleged Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) militant was decapitated and his head displayed on a rooftop as a ‘warning’ in Sarbanda on the outskirts of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 12, reports The Express Tribune Read less...

armed assailants attacked another shop on Archer Road killing two people belonging to the Hazara community, Nor Ali and Nor Ahmed on the spot. The Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) announced to stage a sit-in outside the Governor’s House and the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on April 13 (today) to protest the killings. Read less...

At least 15 militants were killed when Army gunship helicopters heavily pounded terrorists positions near the Afghan border in Joki Zaranna areas of Kurram Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 12, reports Daily Times. The dead included terrorists from Waziristan, Kurram, Orakzai, and Khyber Agencies, Kohat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some foreigners. Read less...

Estimated to have more nuclear weapons than India, Pakistan is rapidly developing and expanding its atomic arsenal, spending about USD 2.5 billion a year to develop such weapons, reports The Hindu quoting a report 'Assuring Destruction Forever: Nuclear Modernization around the World’ by Reaching Critical Will of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. “Pakistan has been rapidly developing and expanding its nuclear arsenal, increasing its capacity to produce plutonium, and testing and deploying a diverse array of nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles” said the report. “Pakistan is moving from an arsenal based wholly on highly enriched uranium (HEU) to greater reliance on lighter and more compact plutonium-based weapons, which is made possible by a rapid expansion in plutonium production capacity,” said the 150-page report. “Pakistan is also moving from aircraft-delivered nuclear bombs to nuclear-armed ballistic and cruise missiles and from liquid-fuelled to solid-fuelled medium-range missile. Pakistan also has a growing nuclear weapons research, development, and production infrastructure,” it said. According to the report Pakistan is estimated to have 90-110 nuclear weapons. Read less...

In another incident, Balochistan Weightlifting Association (BWA) General Secretary Abdul Jabbar Khilji was shot dead while he was on his way home in Shaldra area Quetta. Read less...

it was reported that another missing person, identified as Mazar Khan, has not been recovered so far. The court was told that a case has been registered against Station House Officer (SHO) Noor Bukhsh and has been arrested. Khan was picked up by some unidentified people in the presence of Bukhsh. The court adjourned the hearing until April 30, 2012. Read less...

Maulana Samiul Haq, Chairman of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), in reference to reopening of NATO supply routes said on April 12 that the DPC is standing firm against reopening the NATO supply routes and added that Parliament’s decision to reopen the routes will not be an easy decision to make, reports Express Tribune. Haq said that the timing of the upcoming DPC rally in Peshawar on April 15, 2012 was of utmost importance as “Peshawar’s rally is more important than those held in Karachi (Sindh) and Lahore (Punjab) earlier because it is an area that is directly affected by the NATO supply line,” he said. Read less...

Parliament on April 12 approved new guidelines for the troubled ties with the US, a decision that will likely pave the way for the reopening of supply lines to NATO troops in neighbouring Afghanistan that have been blocked since November 2012, reports Times of India. The proposals call on the Government to allow the international coalition to resume transporting its supplies through the country, as well as demand an end to US drone strikes on Pakistani soil. But the guidelines do not directly link the two issues or make a halt in strikes a prerequisite to reopening the supply lines. Read less...

Police and witnesses said that the families of the six abducted aid workers launched a public campaign to raise ransom money demanded by their abductors. On December 13, 2011 armed militants whisked away six people working for the Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP) from Pishin District. Their families have set up a camp at a main junction in the middle of the provincial capital to try to raise the USD 2.5 million ransom demanded by the abductors, who are believed to be from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Read less...

The Supreme Court on April 12 released three ‘missing’ Baloch men after the Balochistan Advocate General (AG) and Deputy Inspector General-Operations Wing (DIG) Qazi Abdul Wahid produced them before the Court, reports Daily Times. The three men, Mir Jan, Amir Khan and Gul Mir were whisked away from their house some 40 days ago. They are all residents of Sariab Mills in the New Sariab Police precincts in Quetta. According to the freed men, they could not know where they were taken and detained as they were blindfolded. The Police took them in custody after they were left in the Khuchlak area. A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, is hearing a case regarding the recovery of missing persons. Read less...

Three people belonging to the Hazara community were shot dead and another wounded in separate incidents of target killings in the provincial capital Quetta on April 12, reports Daily Times. In the first incident, unidentified militants opened fire on a tea store on Shahrah-e-Iqbal area, killing a man on the spot and injuring the owner of the store identified as Sakhi Dad. Read less...

a boy, identified as Zakir (8), died and two other unidentified men were injured after being hit by a stray bullet near the Aath Chowk. Read less...

a man, identified as Yasin, died of gunshot wounds after he was hit by a stray bullet outside his home in Bihar Colony around the evening. Read less...

A United States national of Pakistani origin, Jubair Ahmad (24), was sentenced on April 13 to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release for providing material support to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), reports Daily Times. Jubair Ahmad, who lived in Woodbridge, Virginia, received the sentence after being found guilty of promoting and urging recruitment for the LeT, designated by Washington as foreign terrorist organisation, the Justice Department said. “We’ve seen a sharp increase in terrorists’ use of social networking services like YouTube to reach a worldwide audience,” said US attorney Neil MacBride. Ahmad was “deeply committed to LeT’s violent aims, which he promoted through online propaganda, recruiting others and fundraising” for the group, which was behind the 2008 attack in Mumbai, India. Read less...

an unnamed US officials said the White House has no intention to end CIA drone strikes against militant targets on Pakistani soil, possibly setting the two countries up for diplomatic tensions after Pakistan’s parliament unanimously approved new guidelines for the country’s troubled relationship with the United States, reports Dawn. The US officials say they will work in coming weeks and months to find common ground with Pakistan, but if a suspected terrorist target comes into the laser sights of a CIA drone’s hellfire missiles, they will take the shot. Read less...

another man, Rustam (30), was shot dead near the Dhobi Ghat area of Lyari. Read less...

another round of shooting incident at a bus stop killed one Taj Wali (25) and injured Ghulam Qadir (28), who was hit in the leg. Read less...