Punjab: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2013

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants abducted seven soldiers from a bus from Jand area of Punjab on January 2, reports Dawn. The soldiers were travelling between Army headquarters in Rawalpindi and their stations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when they were taken off their bus in Jand The militants took the seven soldiers and let go a sweeper on the bus with them, one military official said. The gunmen were wearing military uniforms. TTP ‘commander’ Tariq Afridi, who has forces in the area, was not available for comment and no TTP ‘spokesman’ returned calls seeking comment. Read less...

One person, identified as Aslam Zia, was injured when two motorcyclists opened fire at a majlis (religious gathering) held in a house at Wahdat Colony, a few metres from the local police station, in Taxila (Taxila District) and fled away, reports Dawn. The majlis was held in connection with the Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain. Read less...

Two unidentified armed motorcyclists shot dead vice-president of the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Muhammad Shakeel, near Kot Pindi Das area of Sheikhupura town of same District in Punjab on January 7, reports The News. According to Police, the Muhammad Shakeel had been on his way to Lahore when unknown motorcyclists opened fire on him near Kot Pindi Das. Read less...

Daily Times quoting Punjab Counterterrorism Department reported on January 9 that there is a threat of a suicide attack on the long march of Dr Tahirul Qadri on January 14, 2013. The feared attack has been planned by a Jihadi group – Ghazi Fidayee Force – under the leadership of Saifullah Baqi of Abbottabad. According to a report of the Department, Yar Bakht Khan of Hango, Ahmad of Charssada and Alam Khan have been assigned the task of a suicide attack. Read less...

After a trial spread over 14 months and conducted in an uneasy environment, Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Pervez Akhtar jailed a blasphemy accused, Ghulam Ali Asghar for 10 years and imposed a fine of PKR 200, 000 on January 9, reports Dawn. Convict Ghulam Ali Asghar, a resident of Chinji village in Talagang tehsil (revenue unit) was booked on Nov 17, 2011, on a charge of blaspheming the Holy Prophet (PBUH) by misquoting a Hadith in Punjabi language. Read less...

A Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) working group held a meeting on January 21 at Army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Central Asia Online reported quoting Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release. Delegates from the Afghan National Army, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Pakistani Army participated, the statement said. The participants discussed measures to counter the IED threat faced by civilians and Security Forces on both sides of the Pakistani-Afghan border. The working group resolved to advance work already done to counter the IED threat. Read less...

A local leader of Ahl-i-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), Qari Mohammad Saeed, was killed by unidentified assailant in Talagang area of Chakwal District in Punjab on January 23, reports Dawn. Qari Mohammad Saeed, the prayer leader of a local mosque, was attacked by an unidentified assailant when he came out of Ayesha Siddiqua Masjid on Mianwali road after Maghrib prayers. Read less...