Pakistan Security Brief

Pakistan to train 8,000 troops to protect nuclear weapons; Gilani visits St. Petersburg to discuss SCO membership; Five soldiers killed in Taliban attack in South Waziristan; Pro-government elder killed in South Waziristan; Funds released for victims of sectarian violence in Kurram agency; Intelligence officials foil terror plot; Interior Ministry issues list of banned organizations; ATC charges two police officers in Bhutto assassination; ANP leader killed in suicide attack; Militants attack home of tribal elder; Body of tortured journalist found in Balochistan; Street crime becoming increasingly common in Karachi; Turkmenistan to sign TAPI pipeline agreement; PML-Q dissidents negotiate with Imran Khan.

Nuclear Weapons

Pakistan-China Relations

FATA

Terrorism

  • Intelligence officials have reportedly “foiled an attempted spree of terrorist attacks…against several key state institutions” including the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and the Presidency in Islamabad. The plot was foiled after police detained a Miram Shah, North Waziristan native associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who revealed the identities of two men involved in the planned terrorist attacks.  The men, who received “terrorist training” in South Waziristan, are still at large.[6] 

  • On Saturday, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry “issued a list of 31 banned organizations, as is traditional before Eid-ul-Azha each year as a reminder that these groups must not be allowed to collect donations in the form of animal hides.”  According to the Express Tribune, a UN designated terrorist group called Jammat-ud-Dawa (JuD) was not included on this year’s banned list, despite being a known front for the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).  JuD maintains that it is a charity organization with no ties to Pakistan’s militancy.  Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik released a statement on Sunday inviting all terrorists groups, specifically the Taliban, to “throw away [their] weapons” and “adopt peace.”[7]

  • Two Rawalpindi police officers have been charged by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court (ATC) over the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.  Saud Aziz, Rawalpindi’s chief of police at the time, was charged alongside another police officer for his role in altering security plans as well as failing to protect the former Prime Minister. Furthermore, a mishandling of the crime scene, among other things, has “raised questions about the possible involvement of the military government, then led by General Pervez Musharraf, Ms. Bhutto’s rival.” Five Pakistani Taliban militants have also been indicted for “criminal conspiracy over Bhutto’s death.”[8]

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

Balochistan

Karachi Violence

Energy

  • Turkmenistan announced Friday that it would sign an agreement allowing for the “sale and purchase of natural gas” using the proposed TAPI gas pipeline, which will connect the countries of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.[13]

Pakistani Politics


[1] Marc Ambinder and Jeffrey Goldberg, “The Ally From Hell,” The Atlantic, December 2011. Available at  http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/12/the-ally-from-hell/8730/
Sebastian Abbot, “Pakistan trains 8,000 to protect nuclear arsenal,” AP, November 7, 2011. Available at  http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-trains-8-000-protect-nuclear-arsenal-114624948.html
[2]“ Pakistan seeks full SCO membership,” Dawn, November 7, 2011. Available at  http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/07/gilani-in-russia-for-summit-pakistan-seeks-full-sco-membership.html
“Pakistan, China agree to expand cooperation ,” Geo, November 7, 2011. Available at http://geo.tv/11-7-2011/88600.htm
[3] “Convoy attack: Five soldiers killed in North Waziristan ambush,” Express Tribune, November 6, 2011. Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/288376/convoy-attack-five-soldiers-killed-in-north-waziristan-ambush/
Mushtaq Yusufzai, “Five soldiers killed in S Waziristan attack,” The News, November 6, 2011. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=10119&Cat=13
[4] “Woman killed as militants attack elder’s house in Bajaur,” The News, November 7, 2011. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=76579&Cat=7
[5] “Elders urged to strengthen Kurram peace initiatives,” The News, November 7, 2011. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=76586&Cat=7
[6] Asad Kharal, “Counter-terrorism: Attempted Presidency, GHQ attacks foiled,” Express Tribune, November 7, 2011. Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/288776/counter-terrorism-attempted-presidency-ghq-attacks-foiled/
[7] Rana Tanveer, “Funding militants: Jamaatud Dawa free to collect Eid donations,” Express Tribune, November  7, 2011. Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/288708/funding-militants-jamaatud-dawa-free-to-collect-eid-donations/
“Malik sends out invitation of peace to Taliban,” The News, November 6, 2011. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=26149
[8] “Bhutto murder: Pakistan police and Taliban charged,” BBC, November 5, 2011. Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15605565
Waqar Gillani, “Pakistan Indicts 7 in Bhutto Assassination,” New York Times, November  5,  2011. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/world/asia/7-pakistanis-are-indicted-in-benazir-bhuttos-killing.html?_r=1
[9] Iftikhar Firdous, “Former ANP Tehsil Nazim killed in Swabi suicide attack,” Express Tribune, November 7, 2011.  Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/288878/former-anp-tehsil-nazim-killed-in-swabi-suicide-attack/
“Former senior government official killed in Swabi blast,” Dawn, November 7, 2011. Available at http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/07/former-senior-government-official-killed-in-swabi-blast.html
[10] “Woman killed as militants attack elder’s house in Bajaur,” The News, November 7, 2011. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=76579&Cat=7
“Militants bid to bomb shrine in Nowshera,” The News, November 7, 2011. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=76585&Cat=7
[11] Shehzad Baloch, “Missing persons: Young journalist found dead in Khuzdar,” Express Tribune, November 6, 2011. Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/288386/missing-persons-young-journalist-found-dead-in-khuzdar/
[12] Imran Ayub, “Street crime becoming commoner in city,” Dawn, November 7, 2011. Available at http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/07/street-crime-becoming-commoner-in-city.html
“Overall law, order under control: Malik,” Geo, November 7, 2011. Available at http://geo.tv/11-7-2011/88599.htm
“Eid security: 32 suspects arrested in Karachi,” Express Tribune, November 6, 2011. Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/288491/eid-security-32-suspects-arrested-in-karachi/
[13] “‘Gas pipeline deal for Pakistan, India imminent,’” Reuters, November 5, 2011. Available at  http://tribune.com.pk/story/287863/gas-pipeline-deal-for-pakistan-india-imminent/
[14] Amir Wasim, “PML-Q dissidents lining up to join Imran’s party,” Dawn, November 7, 2011. Available at http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/07/pml-q-dissidents-lining-up-to-join-imrans-party.html
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