Pakistan: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Asks Media Persons Not To Distort Party's Statements

SAP20110521122015 Quetta Dunya in Urdu 19 May 11 pp 1, 7

[NNI report: "Bullets Can Target Chests of Media Men Also: Lashkar-e Jhangvi"]

Quetta -- Ali Sher Haideri, spokesman for the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, has

said: "The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claims responsibility for the attack in

Gauharabad on 18 May. We will conduct further attacks of similar kind

as well. The political parties should mend their ways and stop begging

aid from Iran and Shiite people. If there is a Muslim member in any

political party, he should understand this Shiite infidelity. If they

supported the infidelity of Shiite people out of fear, they will be on

our target as are the Shiite people."

On 18 May, talking to NNI news agency from an undisclosed location via

satellite telephone, Ali Sher Haideri said: "The media persons should

mend their ways and stop distorting our statements. Moreover, some of

the papers do not report our statements. If from now onward, the media

persons did not publish our statements, the media persons will not be

safe. Their offices will be in danger as well. If we can open fire on

Shiite people, we can also the attack them. Media persons should

honestly perform their duties."

"We appeal to the entire Sunni trader community that they should not

take part in any strike or rally of the Shiites, otherwise, they will

face terrible consequences." He also severely criticized the

organization of a traders' community.

[Description of Source: Quetta Dunya in Urdu -- "The World," a

moderate newspaper mostly presenting government views. It does not

carry detailed reporting on activities of nationalist groups.

Editorials and articles are mostly borrowed from major newspapers. The

Dunya Group of Newspapers also publishes the daily Qudrat in Pashto

and the daily Talib in Urdu. Circulation unknown.]

Pakistan: Two Terrorists Killed in PNS Attack Identified as Uzbek Nationals

SAP20110527100007 Islamabad Khabrain in Urdu 26 May 11 pp 1, 4

[ANN news agency report: Uzbek Group Came to Karachi Two Weeks Ago,

Visited Mehran Base; Mobile Recovered ]

Karachi - The investigation agencies have found the cellular phone of

one of the terrorists, who attacked Pakistan Navy Station [PNS] Mehran

that has facilitated the investigation. The finger prints are being

sent to National Database and Registration Authority to identify the

attackers.

According to military sources, the terrorists who attacked PNS Mehran

had brought big cache of arms with them but they did not have edibles.

The sources told that the four terrorists who entered into the base

were wearing suicide jackets and they also had night-vision goggles.

During operation on the PNS Base, the first encounter between the

terrorists and navy commandos took place early on Monday morning [ 23

May].

According to military sources, the commandos taking part in the

operation were directed to arrest the terrorists alive due to which

the naval commandos showed care during the operation and made every

effort to arrest the terrorists alive. When the naval commandos

reached near a terrorist to arrest him, he blew himself up. During the

operation the terrorists targeted the navy commandos.

According to sources, operation at PNS Mehran was launched by naval

commandos of Pakistan Navy prepared on the model of the US navy seals.

Two of the persons [attackers] killed in the attack have been

identified as Uzbek nationals. They are stated to be hailing from

terrorist outfit Islamic Jihad Union of Uzbekistan. This group has

expertise in launching attacks on airports and has been involved in

several attacks in Afghanistan.

The sources revealed that a high-ranking intelligence official has

confirmed the identity of these people. He has expertise regarding

Uzbek and Chechen terrorists. The official said Islamic Jihad Union

has close links with Taliban Movement and Al-Qa'ida and prepares

suicide bombers for attacks. Most of the youth in the organization are

aged between 16 and 25 years. The sources say the group that took part

in the attack had smattering of Urdu.

The group had come to Karachi two weeks ago to launch attack on Mehran

Base where Usman group of Taliban made arrangements for its stay and

was assigned the task of monitoring the area. Some people at Mehran

Base informed the group about the way-in and positions of the cameras.

The group visited Mehran Base a few days ago in this connection. The

day for the operation was chosen by Jihad Union at its own and the

objective of the mission was to destroy the US-made aircraft. Some

colleagues of the group kept on watching the action from a distance

and later fled away with [some] attackers. It is stated that those

escaping went to Korangi and Defense areas. The sources say that as

the identity of two out of four terrorists has been established, the

investigation agencies are convinced that the terrorists who escaped

can be arrested. High alert has been sounded in the country after this

situation. In this connection, four arrested navy officers are being

investigated, who have been tried in court martial for contacts with

terrorists.

The law enforcement agencies have started investigation in southern

Punjab after apprehensions that Lashkar-e Jhangvi is involved in the

incident. According to media sources, the law enforcement agencies

have received such information that those launching attack on PNS Base

in Karachi may be associated with Lashkar-e Jhangvi. After that the

law enforcement agencies started massive investigations in southern

Punjab and started a hunt for Lashkar-e Jhangvi men.

[Description of Source: Islamabad Khabrain in Urdu News, a

sensationalist daily, published by Liberty Papers Ltd., generally

critical of Pakistan People's Party; known for its access to

government and military sources of information. The same group owns

The Post in English, Naya Akhbar in Urdu and Channel 5 TV. Circulation

of 30,000]

Pakistan: PIPS Report Titled 'Backgrounder' on Attacks on Sufi Shrines

SAP20110529106007 Lahore Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies in

English 25 May 11

[Unattributed report: "Backgrounder: Attacks on Sufi Shrines"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

A spate of terrorist attacks targeting shrines of renowned Sufis and

worship places has been witnessed across the country in recent years.

Many of these attacks did not attract much media attention mainly

because they took place in the conflict-hit areas of the country, and

were considered within the context of the insurgency and militant

violence in those areas rather than as a specific attempt by the

militants to target those places. However, 2010 was a watershed in

this regard as most major Sufi shrines in the country--including the

shrines of Data Ganj Bakhsh (Lahore), Abdullah Shah Ghazi (Karachi),

Baba Fareeduddin Ganjshakar (Pakpattan) and Sakhi Sarwar (Dera Ghazi

Khan)--were targeted. The attacks fueled extensive media coverage and

discussions.

The targeting of shrines could have a number of motives:

Disturbing sectarian/communal harmony in the country by stirring up

another layer of conflict that increases religious polarization. This

in turn diverts the attention of the security forces from their

campaigns against the militants in the tribal areas and stretches them

to maintain security within the urban centers, thus providing the

militants with a breather to reorganize and regain strength.

Maximizing anarchy which is conducive for growth of militancy.

At an ideological level, such attacks are a manifestation of

prevalence of Al Qaeda's Takfiri ideology within the ranks of banned

sectarian outfits who, by closely linking themselves with Al Qaeda,

increasingly use tactics such as suicide bombings to target these

shrines. Militants have shown that they would attack anyone who

opposes their version of Islam. Therefore, attacks on the shrines of

renowned Sufis who advocated tolerance and peace make perfect sense.

They are also in sync with the Islamist militants' espoused ideology

of purging Islam of "religious impurities" and ridding Pakistani

society of "moral ills."

Since the beginning of 2005 until the end of April 2011 as many as 24

attacks have been reported on shrines which have left at least 200

people dead and another 542 injured. These attacks should not be

looked at as isolated incidents with sectarian/communal undertones but

as continuation of a well-thought strategy of the militants against

anyone opposing their version of Islam. Most of these attacks have

been sectarian in nature and have been carried out by the

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Punjabi Taliban, the key knots of the network of

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Terrorist Attacks on Sufi Shrines in Pakistan (Jan 2005-April 2011)

Date

Place

Shrines

Killed

Injured

Apr 3, 2011

D.G.Khan

(Two Attacks)

Sakhi Sarwar Shrine

50

100

Feb 3, 2011

Larri Addah

area,

Lahore

Haider Saint Shrine

3

30

Jan 24, 2011

Lund Khur

Sub-district,

Mardan

Shrine

2

3

Jan 3, 2011

Angoor Adda area,

South Wazirstan Agency

Mussa Neeka Shrine

-

-

Dec 14, 2010

Budh Bheer area

Peshawar

Ghazi Baba Shrine

3

3

Oct 25, 2010

Pakpattan district

Punjab

Baba Fareeduddin Ganjshakar Shrine

7

25

Oct 14, 2010

Landi Kotal

Khyber Agency

Shrine

-

-

Oct 7, 2010

Karachi/Sindh

Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi Shahid shrine

9

75

Aug 19, 2010

Green town area

Lahore

Shrine

-

2

July 15, 2010

Landi Kotal

Khyber Agency

Shrine

-

-

July 1, 2010

Data Ganj Bakhsh

Lahore/Punjab

Data Ganj Bakhsh Shrine

At least 40 persons were killed and 175 others injured when three

suicide attackers blew themselves up inside the shrine of Lahore's

patron saint Syed Ali Hajwairi popularly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh, at

about 11 pm (PST) in the night.

45

175

June 21, 2010

Chamkani area Peshawar

The shrine of Mian Umer Baba

-

-

Apr 21, 2010

Orakzai Agency

Shrine

-

9

Jan 5, 2010

Satori Khel area

Orakzai Agency

Seven Shrines

-

-

March 5, 2009

Hazarkhwani area

Peshawar

Rehman Baba's Shrine Attacked, Famous Pashtun Traditional Islamic Poet

-

-

May 8, 2009

Peshawar

Sheikh Omar Baba's shrine in Peshawar

-

-

March 7, 2009

Nowshera

Shrine of Bahadur Baba in Nowshera

1

-

March 3, 2008

Bara

Khyber Agency

A 400-year-old shrine of Abu Saeed Baba

in Bara Tehsil Khyber Agency

10

-

May 7, 2008

Peshawar

The shrine of Ashaab Baba

-

-

Dec 9, 2008

Buner

District Swat

The shrine of Hazrat Pir Baba

1

4

Dec 18, 2007

GT Road, Peshawar

Shrine of Abdul Shakoor Malang Baba

4

1

May 27, 2005

Islamabad / Punjab

At least 25 people, including a suspected suicide bomber, are killed

and approximately 100 others sustain injuries during a powerful

explosion at the Bari Imam shrine of the Shia sect located in vicinity

of the diplomatic enclave in capital Islamabad.

25

100

March 20, 2005

Jhal Magsi

Kachhi district/Balochistan

Urs of Sufi saint Pir Syed Rakheel Shah Jhal Magsi shrine bombing

40 15

Total

24

200

542

[Description of Source: Islamabad Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies

in English -- Website of an independent, not-for-profit

nongovernmental, research and advocacy Pakistani think tank dedicated

to producing surveys and analysis of South Asia-related issues.

Muhammad Amir Rana, a well-known author on Pakistani militants, is

President of PIPS Board of Directors. Advisory Board members include

American terrorism expert Peter Bergen and Khalid Ahmed, renowned

moderate intellectual and consulting editor of the weekly Lahore

Friday Times in English and Lahore Daily Times in English; URL:

http://www.san-pips.com.]

Article Says Saudi State Agencies Funding Extremist Elements in Pakistan

SAP20110530136008 Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu 30 May 11 p 6

[Article by Mujahid Hussein: "Extremism in South Punjab: An Analysis

-- Last Part"]

The game has now gone out of the control of the Inter Services

Intelligence [ISI] and Army, and it has become impossible to block the

Taliban power in Punjab. They have become active against all the state

institutions, and their designs against other sects and minorities

have come to the fore.

The ISI is in fix, and the Army is also left with limited options. Now

the situation is such that the ISI is making efforts to withhold the

information it extracted from terrorists after interrogation.

Moreover, it is being considered dangerous to make public the links

between the security agencies and perpetrators of attacks on Pervez

Musharraf, General Headquarters [GHQ] and the ISI centers in Lahore,

Multan Peshawar, and Faisalabad, and ties with extremist outfits of

Punjab.

The gravity of situation can be understood from the fact that when

terrorists held the Pakistan Army's top brass hostage in GHQ, the ISI

chief requested the chiefs of the Sipah-e-Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Taiyiba

[LeT], Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Jaish-e-Muhammad in Punjab by telephone

to help save those officials. It can be assessed from this incident

that what power centers in Punjab are and where they are located.

The LeT's governing offices are located in Muridke and Lahore. The

Sipah-e-Sahaba is controlled from Jhang. The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi takes

directions from Rahimyar Khan and Karachi, and the Jaish-e-Muhammad is

linked with its center in Bahawalpur.

Moreover, the provincial and district offices of powerful agencies

keep on issuing "necessary" directions whenever needed. Members of

these outfits and parties continue to perform their assigned duties in

police, district administration, educational institutions, traders'

unions, Urdu newspapers, TV channels, government departments, as MPs,

in trade unions of Pakistan International Airlines and railways, and

other government and semigovernment departments. Seminaries of various

religious sects and their outfits in South Punjab also play their role

in this holy war of extremism and sectarianism.

Most of the terrorists involved in suicide attack on Marriot Hotel

Islamabad belonged to Jhang city and adjoining villages. They kept on

loading a truck with explosives for one week and then passed through

highway to reach their target. No one today knows who were these

people, and to which religious party they belonged, whom the law

enforcement agencies arrested on charges of these attacks.

Similarly, several perpetrators of GHQ attack belonged to Dera Ghazi

Khan, Rajanpur, and Bahawalpur. However, the newspapers were provided

with limited information about a single character, Dr Usman, and the

issue was shelved.

Majority of the perpetrators of attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team

in Lahore belonged to Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Jhang, and Bahawalpur.

However, nothing is available anywhere about them or their links.

Similarly, people who attacked the ISI center in Lahore also belonged

to the cities of South Punjab.

However, everything regarding these accused perpetrators is

confidential. Majority of people accused in various attacks, including

suicide attack at Royal Artillery Bazaar Lahore, attack on the ISI

center in Faisalabad, massacre of Ahmadis in Faisalabad, suicide

attack on the intelligence agency office in Model Town Lahore, Karbala

Gamay Shah [Shiite worship place in Lahore], and Data Darbar, and even

those involved in assassination of General [retired] Faisal Alvi,

former chief of the military commandos wing in Rawalpindi, belonged to

South Punjab and other cities of Punjab. However, no one knows about

their centers and sponsors.

Children born in traditional poverty and backwardness of South Punjab

are trained in violence and sectarianism in religious seminaries and

scattered everywhere because 90 percent of these religious seminaries

belong to a specific school of thought. All the religious seminaries

established in these areas get unimaginable funds from Gulf countries,

particularly Saudi Arabia. Those who prov ide assistance include Saudi

state agencies and affluent Arab shaykhs donate funds openheartedly.

The government does not have any mechanism to stop or monitor similar

assistance. Successive governments, under foreign pressure, have made

half-hearted attempts regarding syllabi of these seminaries and their

registration. However, the powerful agencies come to these seminaries'

rescue, and governments stop this process. The powerful agencies come

to the rescue of these seminaries and governments stop their job. The

only reason for this type of intervention by the powerful agencies is

to save these jihadist organizations from any type of accountability.

These organizations have been providing human resource to these

agencies, whenever needed, on the domestic as well as external fronts.

Following the damage done by these extremists to the state and the

security agencies themselves, it always appears that the powerful

agencies have renounced assistance to them. This is such a wishful

thinking that cannot be cured because it has never materialized into

action. This horrifying tradition of willful neglect continues with

full force, and despite identification, these characters in Punjab,

about whom there is no ambiguity now, are being ignored.

Numerous similar horrible characters, which were once dear to the

adventurous and powerful agencies, are now engaged in war against the

state. These characters, from Ilyas Kashmiri to Zakiur Rahman, are in

front of us. They were fully armed and provided with militants to turn

the dream of strategic depth into reality. Strategic depth has become

further "deeper," and several friends of past have turned into foes to

such an extent that major military centers have been rendered

insecure. Fingers are being pointed at similar characters within the

security agencies that provide information and assistance to

terrorists. All the details of this situation are surprising, and also

point toward shallowness of the state.

[Description of Source: Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu -- Daily owned

by Century Publications of the Lakson Business Group. The second

largest daily after Jang newspaper with a circulation of over 120,000.

Provides good coverage of national and international issues and

follows moderate and neutral editorial policy.]

Pakistan: New Terror Wave To Surface With Operation in North Waziristan

SAP20110601109008 Rawalpindi Jang Online in Urdu 01 Jun 11

[Report by Irshad Ahmed Arif: "US Gave Pakistan Target of Military

Offensive in North Waziristan Within One Month, Also Asked Pakistan to

Arrest Five Commanders"]

Lahore -- The war expanses amounting to $113 billion during the

current fiscal year and $107 billion during the next year are the most

significant reason for the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

However, Pakistan has been given the target to conduct military

offensive in North Waziristan within the next one month i.e. by the

commencement of military withdrawal on 1 July in line with the

declaration of US President Barack Obama.

Moreover, the United States has also asked for the arrest of five

Al-Qa'ida and Taliban commanders Dr Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Mullah Muhammad

Umar, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Ilyas Kashmiri, and Attiya Abdur Rehman

through unilateral or joint operation. It has added to the worries of

Pakistan nation. This also is a reason of concern and surprise that so

far Pakistan army was following a policy to avoid conducting military

showdown in North Waziristan because on the one hand, the Haqqani

network poses no threat to Pakistani national interests, and on the

other, it is an important Pakistani source of contacting the Taliban,

battling against NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Thirdly, Mullah Nazir and Hafiz Gul Bahadur groups in North Waziristan

have kept some effective tribes, in particular Wazir tribe, away from

this war against Pakistan which Baitullah Mehsud and his predecessor

Hakimullah Mehsud had triggered in unison with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

and other sectarian groups and Mehsud tribe.

According to a report of the US newspaper The Washington Post, the

most important factor in military withdrawal from Afghanistan is

neither the rise in death toll of battling the Taliban nor is purging

a lot of areas from the control of the Taliban but it is only and only

the growing US war expanses, which have forced the political team of

US President Barack Obama to make this decision of withdrawal. In the

process, the opinion of David Petraeus and other military advisors has

been turned down. After earmarking a huge amount of $113 billion for

the war expanses alone, the social sector is impacted negatively.

The death of Usama Bin Ladin has cemented the decision of the US

military withdrawal and senior political colleagues like Joe Biden

told the US president not to deviate an inch from the roadmap declared

during 2009 so that the US economy could be saved from destruction.

Prior to withdrawal, the apparent goal of toning up pressure against

Pakistan for military offensive is that at one hand, the arrest or

killing of the "most wanted" persons should boost the morale of the US

nation and the US troops, withdrawing from Afghanistan; and on the

other hand, the decision should not be considered as made by a tired

and defeated nation and an obligated army. Second, the United States

wants that the Haqqani Network and other safe sanctuaries of Pakistan

and the leaders, who lead Al-Qa'ida and Taliban, in the eyes of the

United States, should not be able to take credit of the US withdrawal.

The United States also fear that with their withdrawal, the spirits of

the Afghan Taliban will go up and the Haqqani Network through its

actions in the areas adjacent to North Waziristan will shred the peace

of Afghanistan into pieces.

However Pakistan is facing a fix because the military offensive in

South Waziristan and military action in Lal Mosque brought a jinni of

terrorism out of bottle. However, despite serious and intense military

actions, the US drone attacks and extensive arrests and crackdowns in

every nook and cranny of the country, Pakistan could not put the jinni

of terror back into the bottle.

Now if Pakistan initiated military offensive against the Haqqani

Network, Pakistan will lose the weak or strong contacts that it has

with Taliban of Afghanistan. Moreover, India will come forward to fill

this lacuna of power as India is present in Jalalabad, Kabul, Herat,

and at other places under the US patronage. This operation could also

encourage the groups of Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mullah Qadir to tread

the footprints of the Tehreek -e Taliban of Pakistan.

The eight to nine years of war have swayed the Pakistani society,

state agencies, and system of defense and security. It is hard to cope

with these acts of terrorism for too long because several global

players are intent on settling their old scores with Pakistan and the

United States is supporting them in every possible way.

Another reservation is rightly there that after the military offensive

kicks off, the United States may mount pressure on Pakistan to take

action against the Lashkar-e-Taiyiba [LeT] as Pakistan will be engaged

in coping with the potential outburst of terror wave then. It is

because the United States is again and again linking the LeT to

Al-Qa'ida and Taliban. The United States opposes making any kind of

discrimination among Al-Qa'ida, the Taliban, Haqqani network, and the

LeT.

The United States itself wants result-oriented and decisive talks with

the Taliban but it is showing Pakistan a path of war against the same

groups. These groups, so far, have been avoiding engaging in any clash

with Pakistan and they have capability to play a positive role during

the talks between and among the United States, Pakistan, and the

Taliban at some stage.

The United States fears that these groups may create tumult in

Afghanistan after the US withdrawal and Afghan Army cannot take on

these groups which the Pentagon has prepared with a huge amount of $28

billion and trained then along the global standards of professional

training.

If Pakistan kicked off military offensive in North Waziristan, for the

very first time during the past 10 years war, the US troops will also

fight shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Army [as published] for

which Hillary Clinton and the United States are making demands.

Moreover, if the United States initiated the course of search

operation seeking the wanted men in southern Punjab, then only God

knows what would be the consequences. However, Pakistan is at the

moment standing between devil and the deep blue sea. One single step

may prove destructive for its integrity, defense and situation of

law-and-order.

[Description of Source: Rawalpindi Jang Online in Urdu -- Website of

The War, an influential, largest circulation newspaper in Pakistan,

circulation of 300,000. One of the moderate Urdu newspapers, pro-free

enterprise, politically neutral, supports improvement in

Pakistan-India relations; URL: http://www.jang.com.pk]

Pakistan: Involvement of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Mehran Naval Base Attack Suspected

SAP20110526100008 Karachi Ummat in Urdu 25 May 11 p 9

[Unattributed report: Investigation Into Involvement of

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Mehran Base Attack Starts"]

Investigation agencies and police have started investigation about the

involvement of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi [LeJ] terrorists, hailing from

southern Punjab, in attack on Mehran base located along Faisal Highway

in Karachi while another investigation agency is also collecting

information about the terrorists of defunct Tehreek-Taliban Pakistan

[TTP]. Investigation agencies claim that LeJ has merged into outlawed

TTP and launches action by using the name of defunct LeJ at times, and

name of defunct TTP at other times.

A senior officer of the CID [Criminal Investigation Department]

police, Sind told, on condition of anonymity, that CID police Sind

have started investigation at its own after attack on Mehran Base and

investigations are being held about the involvement of LeJ terrorists

in the attack. The police officer said that investigation agencies

were also holding investigation in this regard. The police officer

said an investigation agency has collected information from the

officers of CID Sind about the LeJ terrorists, belonging to south

Punjab. The police sources say such information was being received

that the terrorists of LeJ in Karachi were being operated from south

Punjab. The source said that even if the terrorists, who launched

attack on Mehran base had come from outside, they would have enjoyed

full support of their Karachi-based comrades and the arrangements for

lodging and provision of weapons would have been made by the

terrorists present in Karachi. The investigation agencies have started

investigation in this connection. Officer of an investigation agency

told the Ummat, on condition of anonymity, that all the groups of

defunct LeJ have merged into defunct TTP and when these terrorists

commit some sectarian act of terrorism, they call themselves as

members of defunct LeJ and when they attack security forces, they call

themselves Taliban. The officer of investigation agency said there are

tip offs that the terrorists of LeJ, belonging to southern Punjab, can

carry out more terror acts. The source said that CID police has been

mobilized in this regard but investigation are being held, in the

first phase, as to wherefrom the terrorists enter into Mehran base. In

this regard, the federal Interior Minister, Rehman Malik said the

assailants entered from the rear wall of the Faisal Base in

juxtaposition of the checkpoint No 9. They were carrying two ladders.

They cut the barbed wire and cable of secret cameras and then they

target two P-3 Orion aircraft parked in and outside the hanger of

Mehran Base. Four terrorists were killed in the encounter while two

escaped. Two of them were killed in exchange of fire while the

remaining two blew themselves up. Their dead bodies are beyond

recognition. It may be recalled that the team that the interior

minister had got constituted immediately after the incident was

particularly comprised of the officers of the investigation agencies

of air force, navy intelligence, Inter Services Intelligence [ISI],

Military Intelligence, Federal Investigation Agency, and police. Some

time after the statement of the federal law minister, the naval chief

told a news briefing that the assailants had entered from the

jurisdiction of air force and they had not come from the jurisdiction

of Mehran while case No 447/2100 has been registered under section

353/427/324/302 of conspiracy against country and section 314, 34/ 21

of explosive act and it was got registered by Lieutenant Irfan of

Mehran Base. It says a guard, Adnan posted on checkpoint No 9 told him

at 2200 on 22 May night that 10 to 12 terrorists had entered the base

from the rear boundary wall on the side of Shah Faisal Colony and

carried out a blast near the hanger. Therefore, immediate

reinforcement should be dispatched. He said four terrorists were

killed in the incident while the remaining managed to flee. The

weapons recovered from the terrorists include rocket launchers,

Kalashnikovs, hand grenades, and other weapons.

The Ummat has learned that it had become clear after half an hour of

the attac k that the terrorists had entered from the rear wall. The

intelligence agencies recovered two ladders while foot prints of four

to five persons were traced. Immediately afterwards, heavy contingents

of rangers cordoned off the area. 16 km-long jurisdiction of Faisal

Base spread from Drug Road, Shah Faisal Colony No 4, Shah Faisal

Colony 5, Baloch Colony, to KESC Grid Station. The investigation

agencies started interrogation about the terrorists in neighborhoods

on both sides of the drain in juxtaposition of checkpoint No 9. The

rain drain adjacent to the rear wall is nearly 200 feet wide. The

local population lives nearly 350 to 400 ft away from the boundary

wall. A footpath leads upwards along the drainage from embankment of

Malir drainage at Shah Faisal Colony and near the cantonment pump

house. Ghausia Colony is situated in juxtaposition of the boundary

wall that is called as shanty town of Shah Faisal Colony No 5. It has

a population of some 24,000 inhabitants and the settlement spreads

from the said place to Malir drainage. There are poultry farms beyond

the Ghousia Colony and the shanty town is situated near the boundary

wall and is comprised of a few cottages. Non-locals doing farming live

along the boundary wall. However, later this place was illegally given

the name of Shah Faisal Colony No 6. Approximately 200 homes have been

built here and people hailing from Hyderabad and other cities of Sind

are living in some 40 cottages situated here, some Urdu-speaking

people also live here.

The terrorists crossed over the boundary wall when the power supply to

the area was cut off at its scheduled time, 10 p.m. First blast

occurred inside the Mehran base at 2225. The officer of an

intelligence agency told the Ummat that shanty town and Ghausia Colony

were cordoned off in wake of the incident because it was probable that

the assailants were either living in rented houses or living as

guests. The population is far away from the city, and plots or

cottages are easily available for100,000 to 200,000 rupees, while a

home is available for rent for a few hundred rupees. A large tract is

empty nearby while the garbage of Shah Faisal Town is dumped near the

drainage. The Malir drainage joins it where people have been given

permission to do farming. The Ummat team reached the rear boundary

wall of Faisal Base near the checkpoint No 9 on 24 May in connection

with the investigation into the incident and found that the barbed

wires on the rear boundary wall had been replaced while new barbed

wires and secret cameras were being installed, especially at

checkpoint No 9. It was stated that the terrorists first cut the

barbed wire by using a ladder and then cut off the cable of secret

cameras to render them useless. Large contingent of police was

deployed on footpath while the police personnel on horses were

patrolling the place. The Ummat team went to shanty town in

juxtaposition of check post No 9 and found all cottages and brick

homes locked. A resident, Jabbar told the Umamt that he belongs to

Tandu Adam and had been living there for 20 years. He said he works in

fields along the boundary wall. There were some 25 to 30 cottages five

years ago and tillers used to live there. Then all places were

grabbed. People belonging to Sind, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa,

besides Waziristan and Tribal Areas also live there. He said he was

asleep at the time of attack and woke up on hearing noise. There was

no power at that time. Sounds of blasts and firing were audible. He

said police and rangers took position on the route leading to their

settlement from upward. He said it was surprising that when he came

out, many cottages were locked and the residents had reached Shah

Faisal Colony through rear residential area. A woman resident of the

same area said few persons had come to their settlement on the morning

of 17 May to collect information. The home bearing census No SM 151

was locked. Many people used to get information about it. The

residents of many homes and cottages are missing since Sunday night.

She said that some one came to the settlement after an hour or so to

collect information and personnel in plain took many inmates along

with them.

The Ummat has learned that cottage settlement and Ghausia Colony were

thoroughly checked after act of terrorism at Mehran Base. A resident

of Ghausia Colony said it appears that the intelligence agencies are

suspecting that the terrorists were present in the cottage settlement

or Ghausia Colony and attacked the Mehran base when it was black out.

On the other hand, police are investigating as to how the assailants

reached the boundary wall and how they crossed over 200 ft wide

drainage and how they reached with without being noticed by the

personnel present on checkpoint and secret monitoring cameras

installed there. No eyewitness was found vis-à-vis the terrorist act.

It could not be known yet as well as how the accused person fled and

where they went during the commando operation.

[Description of Source: Karachi Ummat in Urdu -- Sensationalist,

pro-Usama Bin Ladin Urdu daily. Harshly critical of the US, Israel,

and India. Propagates Muslim unity to counter US/Western influence.

Circulation 20,000. Editor-publisher Rafiq Afghan is an Afghan war

veteran.]

Pakistan: Intelligence Agencies and Extremism in South Punjab

SAP20110528122004 Islamabad Aaj Kal in Urdu 27 May 11 6

[Article by Mujahid Hussain: "Extremism in South Punjab -- A Review (Part 2)"]

Most of the seminaries in South Punjab belong to Deoband school of

thought. However after 1990, the seminaries of Ahl-e-Hadith school of

thought have substantially increased. The seminaries were established

for militants of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba [LeT], Sipah-e-Sahaba [SS] and

Jaish-e-Mohammad [JeM] in the economically backward areas and they

were directly linked with pro-jihad donors, well-off sectarian

elements, and rich contacts of Gulf States.

Since ISI [Inter Services Intelligence] was at war with India through

JeM and LeT, training camps were established in areas ranging from

Muzaffarabad to Mansehra, Murree, Bahawalnagar, and South Waziristan,

where the jihadists were given guerilla training. The militants of SS

and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi [LeJ] were also admitted to these camps.

Apparently, these militants would express willingness to fight Kashmir

jihad; however, wiping out the opponent sect was their real objective

and they used to carry out attacks every now and then to achieve this

objective. That is what accounts for the fact that workers of SS and

JeJ were very few among the Pakistani mujahidin who fought Kashmir

jihad. Most of the martyrs belonged to LeT while second most belonged

to JeM. In this entire struggle, ISI very secretly made such financing

arrangements for these militants that the springs of this funding

continue to flow as smoothly as ever. The trained staff of the

Pakistan Army's intelligence agencies used to be deployed in Saudi

Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai in the

guise of diplomats to raise funds for these holy warriors. These

officials, who had all kinds of diplomatic facilities, would introduce

the militants leaders to the rich Arab traders and they would start

getting aid in the name of seminaries to continue the jihadist

mission. Similar methods were used to forge contacts with the

governments and wealthy people of countries like Iraq, Libya, and

Syria.

In the attempt to raise funds inside the country, such industrialists

and traders were hunted who were pro-jihad and sectarian. For example,

the billionaire jewelers, apparently very religious but dishonest in

reality, the rich people connected with textile industries in

Faisalabad, traders connected with electronics and iron business, the

real estate businessmen in Karachi and other main cities, and even the

wealthy overseas Pakistanis, who wanted to make a name among the

national political and religious parties, were also connected with

jihadists and sectarian groups.

Aid in the form of dollars and pounds continues through hundi. As

State Bank of Pakistan and other financial institutions do not have

the powers to stop the hundi business, it was not possible for the

state to stop the flow of the foreign funding for jihad and sectarian

killings or to order any inquiry into it. Things reached a point where

the financers of the jihadist groups started to send funds through

firms like Western Union. This is so despite the fact that, after the

9/11 incident, the FBI and other western intelligence agencies were

bound to check all the records of the concerns like Western Union and

Money Gram.

In 2008, when LeT started preparation for Mumbai attacks, overseas

Pakistanis, Haji Mohammad Yaqub, Imrab Yaqub, father and son, sent

money from Italian city Brescia to Karachi center for purchasing

weapons. Later, the Italian police arrested them on the request of

FBI.

Similarly, the jihadist organization and violent seminaries in South

Punjab are directly linked to government institutions and traders of

Gulf countries and get millions of rupees annually in the name of

religious education. These religious institutions design projects for

providing the students with education, food, and accommodation and

residential constructions to get money from foreign non-government

organizations [NGOs] and personalities. Just as the human rights

organizations and NGOs in Pakistan, which are hated by the religious

minded, these "religious NGOs" get funds from the government

institutions in Gulf countries and overseas Pakistanis in the western

countries.

It is pertinent to mention here that the organizations and parties

which are funded like this include some which are not involved in any

kind of jihad or sectarianism inside or outside the country. However,

it will be difficult to predict as to what turn their aims and

objectives will take in future because some religious parties, which

used to be peaceful some time ago, have now got involved in these

sectarian wars. It is very difficult to stop these religious parties

which are moving on the track of religious extremism and sectarianism.

Cutting off the supply of funds from inside and outside the country to

these organizations is even more difficult. The involvement of

powerful and adventurous state institutions is the important reason

for it. These institutions have been taking help from these jihadist

and sectarian groups and parties at different times at internal and

external fronts and are unwilling to give up this practice.

[Description of Source: Islamabad Aaj Kal in Urdu -- Newspaper

published by Media Times (Private) Ltd., which also publishes the

independent moderate newspaper Daily Times in English. The paper

provides exhaustive coverage of terrorism issues. Editorials strongly

oppose religious extremism and Talibanization. In 2008 the paper

received threats from the Red Mosque activists for its criticism of

Islamic extremism and militancy. The Taliban in Khyber Agency had

imposed a ban on sale of Aaj Kal for some time. Salman Taseer, the

incumbent governor of Punjab province, is publisher/owner of Aaj Kal

and Daily Times. Aaj Kal is published simultaneously from Karachi,

Lahore, and Islamabad.]

Pakistan: Militant Affiliated Group Organizes Seminar

SAP20110608134001 www.alittehaad.org in Urdu, English 08 Jun 11

An announcement posted on the website www.alittehaad.org, affiliated

with the militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), says that the

Alittehaad subgroup of Ahl-e Sunnat Wal Jamaat (new name for anti-Shia

group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan) is organizing the 2nd annual Imam Azam

Abu Haneefa bin Sabat seminar, which will take place in the Islamabad

Hotel, Melody, in sector G-6, on Sunday 19 June 2011. The seminar

will be attended by local and international eminent scholars,

intellectuals, and journalists. Live coverage will be provided for

this seminar by Ahnaf Media [the media wing of ASWJ].

Time: 9 AM - 3 PM

Admission: By invitation only

The alittehaad.org website has been also observed to carry an ad

providing the details of the seminar. It carries an ad in Urdu

The following is the translation of the Urdu text.

Organized by Alittehaad, Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat[the followers of

Prophet's teachings].

The 2nd annual Imam Azam Abu Haneefa bin Sabat seminar

Location: Islamabad Hotel, Melody, in sector G-6, Islamabad

Date: Sunday, 19 June 2011

Time: 9 AM - 3 PM

Presided over by: Maulana Munir Ahmed Manawar - President of

Alittehaad, Pakistan

With the prayers of Azizur Rehman Hazarwee and Maulana Zahoor Ahmed Halvee

Speakers: Abdul Hafeez Makki- from Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Sheikhul Hadees Maulana Zahid Rushdi, Jamia Nusrat-ul-Aaloom, Gaugernwala

Maulana Mufti Mohammed Zahid, Jamia Imdadia, Faisalabad

Maulana Abinul Hasan Abbasi, Editor Monthly Wafaaq-ul- Madaras

Maulana Alyaas Ghuman, Sargodha Center

Maulana Syed Adnan Kaka Kheel, Jamia Alrashid, Karachi

Maulana Sajaad abne Alhajabi, Murdan

Maulana Rooh Allah Madni, Ex Provincial Minister, Peshawar

Maulana Syed Mohammed Abdulul Khabir Azad, Imam of Badshai Mosque, Lahore

Maulana Mufti Shabir Ahmed, Sargodha Center

Doctor Ali Asghar Chushtee, Alama Iqbal Open University

Doctor Mohammed Tufail Hashmi, Islamabad

Senior Journalist Mujeebur Rehman Shami, Lahore

Prominent Writer Irfan Siddique, Islamabad

Maulana Abid Jamshaid, Director of Ahnaf Media service

Live coverage of the seminar can be seen at the following websites;

www.alittehaad.org, www.ahnafmedia.com

By invitation only

Contact: Maulana Abid Jamshaid

Cell: 0334-4004420, 0321-423-1173

Email: markazhanfi@gmail.com

[Description of Source: www.alittehaad.org, affiliated with the

militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ)]

Pakistan: Police Help TTP, LeJ Terrorists Escape From Detention

SAP20110608115001 Karachi Ummat in Urdu 07 Jun 11 p 3

[Unattributed report: "Terrorists Easily Flee From City Court and

Civil Hospital"]

Solid proofs of police officials's connivance in escaping of Alauddin,

the dreaded commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan [TTP] and

Kashif of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi [LeJ] from prison ward of Civil

Hospital, Karachi have been found. In this regard, daily Ummat has

come to know that one of the officials, who got escaped TTP activist,

Alauddin, from Civil Hospital's prison ward on 15 May, used to visit

Kashif, an accused being treated in the ward. That is why when he came

to prison ward on 15 May at 0700. along with his other colleagues, he

was allowed to enter the ward because of his acquaintance. Afterward,

with the help of his colleagues, he picked up the lonely policeman in

the prison ward at gunpoint and removed handcuffs of all the six under

treatment prisoners, including, Alauddin, and took with them Alauddin

and Kashif. However, the other four accused did not flee because of

their illness.

The Ummat has further learned that the man who used to visit Kashif in

the Prison ward had been giving a hefty amount of money to police

officials deployed in the ward every time. Meanwhile, one of the five

police officials on duty, Head Constable Shamsuddin is still at large.

It is suspected that he was in contact with the banned LeJ. However,

the real facts will emerge after his arrest. The police official

reportedly belongs to the Saraiki belt in southern Punjab.

It may be recalled that negligence, carelessness, and collusion of

police officials plays a key role in the escape of most of the

prisoners from the City Court and government hospitals. The security

arrangements in the City Court and Civil Hospital are such that any

prisoners can escape any time with the help of his colleagues. It is

also very difficult to re-arrest these dangerous accused. The

incidents of fleeing of dangerous prisoners have increased because of

negligence and criminal carelessness of the police in the court and

lock-up of the City Court.

The Ummat conducted a special survey of the prison ward of Civil

Hospital, City Court, and City Court Police Station to review the

incidents of escaping of prisoners from the City Court and hospital.

The survey revealed that the prison ward of the Civil Hospital has

been temporarily closed and security arrangements are being made after

the escape of two dangerous prisoners from the hospital on 15 May. The

concerned officials said that completion of security arrangements may

take two months and the prison and afterward would be reopened for

prisoners.

In addition, a special plan worked out under the supervision of the DG

[director general] South with regard to security in the City Court has

been sent to higher authorities. Under the plan, a total of 86 secret

cameras, USV [unmanned surface vehicle] system for checking vehicles,

walk through gates and scanners for all the doors will be installed at

the City Court and around it. In addition, the lock-up of the City

Court is also being widened. At the same time, there is a plan to

construct boundary wall around lock-up to prevent the prisoners from

openly meeting with their relatives and friends. However, if police

department and government showed some slackness, the traditional

system will go on without any change. This system has dozens of flaws

and dangerous prisoners have been fleeing by taking its advantage and

apprehensions of their escape exist in future as well.

When the Ummat conducted research regarding the escape of prisoners

from these places, many flaws and weakness came to limelight and any

armed group by taking their advantage can easily get free its

prisoners with the help of its members. The Ummat came to know that

the accused got released by terrorists from the prison ward of the

Civil Hospital included accused Alauddin, who was arrested in Orangi

Town area on 30 June 2010 when he along with his colleagues was

engaged in a bank robbery. Police had to face stiff resistance at the

time of his arrest because the accused had, in retaliation, attacked

police with autom atic weapons and hand grenades, due to which five

police officials, including, SHO [station house officer] of the

concerned police station, Raja Tariq, were injured. However, Alauddin

was arrested in wounded condition.

Similarly, Azizabad Police had arrested accused Kashif Bahadur in 2010

on suspicion of his links with outlawed LeJ. According to sources,

when accused Alauddin was arrested, a grenade, which he was carrying,

had exploded due to which his leg was injured and the lower part of

his chin had blown up. He was shifted to Civil Hospital in precarious

condition. However, charge was not framed against this dangerous

accused during the last one year because whenever the case came up for

hearing in the court, a new date was given. Had charge been framed

against the accused, perhaps the incident of his escape would have not

happened.

In this context, Raja Tariq told the Ummat that when Alauddin was

arrested, it was presumed that he is the ring leader of a group

involved only in bank robberies in Gadap, Orangi Town and other areas.

However, when he was interrogated, he made many disclosures and it

came to light that he is the most important member of the TTP in

Karachi and he has sent millions of rupees, which he got through bank

robberies and kidnapping for ransom, to Waziristan. Alauddin used to

keep with him only five percent of the money to meet his own

expenditures and that of the members of his gang. It had also come to

know that he enjoyed close contacts with Shuja Haider, commander of

Jundullah in Karachi, and he made last contact with Haider during

encounter with police in Orangi Town and asked him to come for his

help if possible, otherwise inform his mother about his 'martyrdom'.

However, Haider could not reach for his help due to the reason that at

that time Rangers, besides heavy police contingents, had cordoned off

the bank building. Inspector Tariq added that a few months before this

incident, a close colleague of Alauddin alias doctor was killed in a

house in hilly Mangopir while making a bomb.

The Ummat has come to know through important sources that Haider, the

commander of Jundullah in Karachi, had got released TTP and LeJ

activists from the prison ward of the Civil Hospital. Investigations

are underway in this regard.

It may be recalled that this was not the first operation to get

released accused of banned organizations. Earlier, members of

Jundullah had attacked the City Court in 2010 when four members of the

group, which included Murtaza Ilyas Shakil, Shaikl Farooqi, Wazir

Muhammad and Murad Shah, arrested by SIU [Special Intelligence Unit]

were being produced in the court. They were involved in over 25

incidents of terrorism. After their arrest, CCPO [capital city police

officer], Waseem Ahmed had proudly addressed a press conference.

However, the colleagues of the accused attacked the City Court and got

released the accused by martyring a police official. The

investigations of important cases, which beside others, included blast

on Ashura [martyrdom day of Hazard Imam Hussain], came to a standstill

with the escape of dangerous accused. After the incident, judicial

staff and lawyers launched a strong protest and IG [Inspector General]

Sind [police] and CCPO were demanded to resign immediately because

police had failed to provide appropriate security for high profile

accused. After the incident, an issue was also raised that security in

the City Court and other courts should be upgraded because now accused

belonging to banned organizations and accused involved in terrorism

are being produced in the courts besides accused involved in murder,

attempted murder, theft and other traditional cases. However, the

traditional system of security prevailed when the dust settled down

after the incident. The result was that a number of prisoners

succeeded to escape from City Court in 2010, which broke all previous

records.

In this context, the Ummat has come to know through important sources

that whenever dangerous accused succeed to escape fro m the City Court

and other places, the speed of crimes suddenly increases. Giving an

example, a CCU [common control unit] officer said that incidents of

kidnapping for ransom have increased after the release of the LeJ

accused on 15 May.

About the background of Jundullah, a senior police officer told the

Ummat, that Al-Qa'ida commander in Waziristan, Abu Hamza Jufil Masri

is running this organization. It has been involved in big activities,

including attack on Corps Commander in Karachi in 2004.

When the Ummat analyzed the prison ward of the Civil Hospital to

review escape of prisoners and negligence of police, it came to know

that the prison ward has been closed after the escape of prisoners.

Security arrangements, including placing iron grills on doors and

windows, are being made. In addition to increasing the number of beds

in the ward, secret cameras are being installed to avoid recurrence of

any such incident. A police official in the prison ward on the

condition of anonymity told the Ummat that when the terrorists carried

out operation to get the accused freed, four police officials deputed

at the ward had gone for breakfast at 0700. and there was only one

police official in the ward, who was guarding six dangerous prisoners.

He said that it often happens that central gate of the prison ward is

locked up from inside. The gate is only opened when an acquaintance is

on the gate otherwise the gate is not opened. However, on that day,

the police official on duty opened the gate on the arrival of

terrorists. It may be recalled that after the escape of prisoners, a

case No. 147/2011 was registered in Eidgah Police Station against five

police officials deployed in the prison ward, in which very hard

clauses including, 222, 225, 392, 397 and 337, were imposed against

them. The police officials against whom the case has been registered,

included Inspector Abdullah Hameed, Constable Qazi Kamran, Constable

Muhammad Fahim, Constable Moeen Ansari and Head Constable Shamsuddin.

However, Head Constable Shamsuddin had fled from the scene when the

remaining four police officials were arrested and locked up in Eidgah

Police station. The investigation was assigned to Inspector Rais of

Eidgah Police Station.

The Ummat has come to know that the accused have escaped from the

prison ward of the Civil Hospital in the past as well. Despite that,

only six police officials were deployed for security in the prison

ward and often one of them remained present on duty. It was known well

to all concerned officers that how much high profile were the accused

prisoners being treated in the ward for the past one month. It has

come to know about the City Court lock-up that no steps have been

taken to improve the situation despite fleeing of dozens of prisoners

from here and the same traditional system is being run.

The chains of handcuffs of eight to 12 dangerous prisoners are given

in the hand of an inexperienced policeman. In addition, there is no

system of vigil and security in the custody area of the City Court.

The family members and colleagues of the accused continue to meet

freely with the accused persons. They also gave eatables to the

accused persons. A police personnel continues to watch all this by

holding the chains of their handcuffs. However, he does not speak

because of the reason that his palm is also greased. After getting the

money, the policeman also makes an accused to talk to someone on

mobile phone. There is a rush of accused persons and their friends

outside the lock-up of the City Court as if it is a picnic spot.

A police official on the condition of anonymity said that when these

dangerous accused and members of banned organizations are arrested,

they are brought to police station in the armored vehicles under the

supervision of heavy police contingents equipped with modern weapons.

However, when they are produced in the courts, the newly recruited

policemen are made to hold their handcuffs at a time when no security

arrangements exist in th e City Court. Therefore, the policemen are

always at the mercy of terrorists.

The Ummat has come to know through sources that the number of accused

fled from the City Court in 2011 has reached 13 whereas only one

accused has fled from Malir Court. Similarly, two accused have fled

from the prison ward of the Civil Hospital. As a whole, 16 accused

have fled in five months. The Head Clerk of the City Court, Nadeem

told the Ummat in this context that Police of the City Court Police

Station is taking special steps for the last few months which have

resulted in the considerable decrease in the number of fleeing

prisoners. He said that he registered case of escape of only one

prisoner in 2011. An accused of the PIB Police Station, Khan, alias

Essa, had fled from the City Court on 13 January by getting his

handcuff freed from the policeman. At this case No 2/2011 was

registered against the policeman and challan submitted.

However, according to the information gathered by Ummat, 10 other

accused also fled from the City Court Police Station in 2011, which

included eight accused fled on 4 February. A case of kidnapping was

registered against these accused and they were produced in the court

of District East Session Judge Waseem Iqbal. However, the accused fled

in front of the investigation officer when their bail application was

rejected. Two other accused, Kamran and Amjad, who fled from the City

Court Police Station, faced cases of attempted murder.

When Nadeem's attention was drawn toward these incidents, he said

these are the accused, which are brought to the court by police of the

Police Stations by directly nominating them in the cases instead of by

police of the prison s. The cases are not registered when such accused

flee.

According to the investigations of the Ummat, there is no arrangement

for the treatment of the accused, who are brought to hospitals by

police. The Ummat during survey of the Civil Hospital came to know

that an injured accused was brought to the Civil Hospital from Pak

Colony Police Station on 3 June. He was admitted in a ward in the

hospital for treatment. However, the accused succumbed to his injuries

on Monday, 6 June and his relatives disappeared with his body without

any information. After the incident, an official of Pak Colony [Police

Station] with papers in his hands wondered in the hospital in a worry

as to what reply he would submit to the senior officers.

Meanwhile, the Ummat saw three handcuffed youth sitting in the

emergency of the Civil Hospital. However, no police official was

present with them. These accused could have fled or made to flee

easily.

Inspector Rais, Investigation officer of police officials arrested for

negligence over escape of prisoners from the prison ward of the Civil

Hospital talking to the Ummat said after arrest the police officials

were presented in the court and the court remanded them to police

custody for further investigations. Meanwhile, a bail application was

submitted in the court by the arrested police officials, however, the

court rejected their application. Inspector Rais said on 6 June that

these accused police officials were presented in the court on which

the court fixed 14 June as date for further proceedings. The interim

challan [fine] of the accused has been submitted and a final challan

will be submitted on 14 June and now these police officials have been

sent to prison. Confirming negligence of the police officials and

their possible assistance to the accused, Inspector Rais said FIR

[First Information Report] registered against the police officials

said that a visitor used to visit accused Kashif for the last several

days and police officials deputed at the prison ward allowed him to

enter the ward. According to Inspector Rais, the real facts will come

to light very soon.

[Description of Source: Karachi Ummat in Urdu -- Sensationalist,

pro-Usama Bin Ladin Urdu daily. Harshly critical of the US, Israel,

and India. Propagates Muslim unity to counter US/Western influence.

Circulation 20,000. Editor-publisher Rafiq Afghan is an Afghan war

veteran.]

Pakistan: Banned Lashkar-e Jhangvi Said Involved in Killing of Sports Official

SAP20110618381001 Karachi Ummat Online in Urdu 18 Jun 11

[Report by Asif Sa ud: Proof of Lashkar-e Jhangvi s Involvement in

Abrar Shah Murder Case ]

Quetta - The police investigating team probing the murder of Syed

Abrar Hussain Shah, former Olympian and Deputy Director General [of]

Pakistan Sports Board, has got solid proof about the involvement of

terrorists belonging to the banned Lashkar-e Jhangvi outfit in this

killing. With the help of eyewitnesses the police have prepared the

sketch of a terrorist and have also taken into custody nine people

from Quetta from whom vital information about the proscribed Lashkar-e

Jhangvi network is being extracted. After the murder of Syed Abrar

Hussain Shah on Ayub Stadium Road in Quetta on Thursday, an

investigation team led by DPO [District Police Officer] Jameel Kakad

was constituted under the supervision of CCPO [Capital City Police

Officer] Quetta. This team also includes Abdul Malik Durrani, SHO

[Station House Officer] of Sadar Police Station and Sub-Inspector

Shafqat Mehmood Aamir, officer in charge of Investigations of the same

Sadar Police Station. An important source says that the First

Information Report [FIR] submitted to senior officers by the

investigation team probing the murder of Abrar Hussain says that this

incident is the outcome of sectarian terrorism and that the terrorists

of proscribed Lashkar-e Jhangvi outfit are involved in it. The same

source says that in this case, the investigation team has sought the

help of CID [Crime Investigation Department] Quetta police, which

probes cases in regard to the incidents of sectarian terrorism. The

source further says that the police have prepared a sketch a terrorist

in Abrar Hussain murder case which was shown to the Quetta CID

officials, too. According to the source, this sketch resembles a

terrorist belonging to the banned Lashkar-e Jhangvi outfit. However,

this matter has been kept absolutely confidential.

The Ummat, in this connection, has come to know that the Quetta CID

police had apprised senior officers of the fact that the proscribed

Lashkar-e Jhangvi outfit was getting stronger. The report identified

the areas where the terrorists of the proscribed Lashkar-e Jhangvi

were getting back to their feet. The source has also stated that the

terrorists had used a 9-mm pistol in the murder of Abrar Hussain.

Even on earlier occasions, the terrorists had used 9-mm pistols only

in the incidents of sectarian terrorism in Quetta. In this

connection, investigation department officer Shafqat Mehmood told the

Ummat that the FIR Number 72/2011 of Olympian Abrar Hussain murder was

moved by his brother Syed Ijaz Hussain Shah. The investigating

officer says that there is sufficient progress in the murder probe and

a sketch of a terrorist has also been prepared, which has proved very

helpful in tracing out the terrorists. Five spent cartridges of 9-mm

pistol have been found at the scene of the murder and these have been

recovered and sent to the forensic laboratory. Initial investigation

reveals that this is an incident of sectarian terrorism and that the

terrorists involved in this case will be arrested soon.

[Description of Source: Karachi Ummat Online in Urdu -- Website of the

sensationalist, pro-Usama Bin Ladin Urdu daily. Harshly critical of

the US, Israel, and India. Propagates Muslim unity to counter

US/Western influence. Circulation 20,000. Editor-publisher Rafiq

Afghan is an Afghan war veteran; URL: http://www.ummatpublication.com]

Pakistani Commentary Details Dissident, Terrorist Networks Operating in Country

SAP20110620142004 Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu 19 Jun 11 p 6

[Commentary by Syed Asim Mehmood: "Pakistani Taliban"]

The other day I happened to meet a friend. He was extremely worried

over the situation in the country. In the course of the conversations

he said: "Curiously, we have no idea who is our friend and who enemy,

and who is whose enemy, or why." Almost every Pakistani, not just my

friend, is victim of the confusion as to what is happening in

Pakistan. It is no longer a secret that seven types of armed groups

are currently active in Pakistan: the Afghan Taliban; Al-Qa'ida and

other organizations connected with it; the Pakistani Taliban;

sectarian groups; separatist groups; anti-India groups; and foreign

intelligence agencies.

1. Al-Qa'ida, Other Organizations Connected With It

According to the national media, Sayf-al Adl, the interim chief of

Al-Qa'ida, is in the area of Waziristan currently. Ilyas Kashmiri,

another important commander of Al-Qa'ida, was also residing in this

very area. Moreover, the leaders and members of the organizations

connected with Al-Qa'ida; that is, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan,

Islamic Jihad Group of Uzbekistan, the Lebanon Islamic Fighters Group,

the Eastern Turkmenistan Islamic Movement, and so on, are also present

here. According to experts, Al-Qa'ida is involved in attacks on the

Pakistan Army and other security agencies.

2. Afghan Taliban

Afghanistan is their home. However, the western media claim that the

Afghan Taliban have also established their centers in the FATA

[Federally Administered Tribal Areas] where they impart training to

the Pashtun youths so that these youths can fight the foreign

occupiers in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban are primarily supporters

of Pakistan and often keep announcing that they are not involved in

the unrest and turmoil in Pakistan. The Haqqani Network is a part of

this group.

3. Pakistani Taliban

This is a general name for different Pakistani militant organizations.

These include: Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Hakimullah Mehsud and

Waliur Rehman); Maulana Faqir Muhammad Kajtha (Bajaur); Tehreek

Nifaz-e-Shariat Muhammadi (Maulana Qazi Fazlullah); and Maulvi Saeed's

group (Razmak Valley). Moreover, the militants of Punjab known as the

Punjabi Taliban are also counted among this group. According to

experts, these Taliban, who are warring against the Pakistani

Government, are supported by Al-Qa'ida.

However, two major groups of Pakistani Taliban, Hafiz Gul Bahadur's

group (North Waziristan) and Maulvi Nazir's group (South Waziristan)

are not warring against the government. These groups only help the

Afghan Taliban in order to help them drive out the foreign occupiers

from their country. The Afghan Taliban claim that they have no

connection with the local Taliban fighting against the Pakistan

Government. Rather, on numerous occasions, Mullah Omar has said to

the Pakistani Taliban that they should not foment evil in Pakistan.

However, they are doing what they like.

4. Sectarian Organizations

Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Sipah-e-Muhammad fall

into this category. They first help the Pakistani Taliban in times of

need. These organizations can also pick fights to destroy peace.

5. Separatist Groups

This group consists of separatist organizations like the Baloch

Liberation Army, Jiay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Waziristani Tehreek, and so

on. These organizations also can carry out terrorist acts in the dear

motherland in order to achieve their objectives.

6. Anti-India Groups

This group consists of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba [LT], Jaish-e-Muhammad [JeM],

Harkat-ul-Mujahidin [HM], and other small organizations. Hafiz

Muhammad Saeed, Fazlur Rehman Khalil, and Maulana Masud Azhar are the

central leaders of this group. The group aims to free Kashmir of the

Indian oppression. This group is not involved in the terrorist acts

in Pakistan. However, some experts say that some members of JeM have

joined the Pa kistani Taliban.

7. Foreign Intelligence Agencies

This foreign group includes the intelligence agencies of India,

Russia, Afghanistan, the United States, and Israel. These visible and

invisible enemies of Pakistan can carry out terrorist acts through

their local agents in order to destabilize Pakistan.

First Side of Coin

Pakistan is the only nuclear power of the Islamic world. The

closeness to the three major powers of China, Russia, and India, has

made it an important geographical location. Then, in the prevailing

situation, Iran also has assumed great significance.

This very important geographical position has made Pakistan a part of

the "new great game" that is going on between the world powers in our

region. This clandestine game is aimed at gaining control over the

fuel and vast reserves of precious minerals found in this region. It

is only possible when a world power brings the countries of the region

under its influence. Therefore, any world power that is a part of the

great game can be involved in the terrorism in Pakistan to achieve its

objectives.

Religious and ideological differences are an important aspect of the

turmoil going on in the dear motherland. The roots of these

differences can be traced to the first Islamic era, when the Muslims

and Christians clashed in Syria and Turkey in the first century. This

was followed by the crusades. Later, because of scientific and

technical supremacy, the British, the Portuguese, the Russians, the

Dutch, the French, the Italians, the Spanish, the Belgians, the

Germans, the Austrians, and so on, occupied Muslim areas. They

subjected the Muslims to atrocities and plundered the local resources.

The Muslim leaders in several Muslim areas fought wars of freedom

against the European imperialist powers and waged jihad. Severe

resistance was put up against the imperialist powers in Indonesia,

India, the Philippines, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria,

Iraq, Turkestan, and Dagestan. These powers called the Muslim

resistance "terrorism."

The tables turned in the 20th century. The European imperialist

powers, ravaged by the lust of land and riches, fought against one

another. Following two world wars, several Muslim countries were

freed from the clutches of oppression. The leaders of Al-Qa'ida and

all the organizations connected with it say that the Islamic world has

not been able to free itself of the clutches of the imperialist

powers, despite winning freedom, as in most Muslim countries they

appointed their puppet rulers. The only thing these rulers want is to

prolong their rule, using all legitimate and illegitimate means, and

thus live a luxurious life. Therefore, in the presence of these

rulers, the movements of revival of Islam or Islamic renaissance can

never succeed.

The leaders of the Islamic movements felt helpless when they saw that

the Muslims in Palestine, Kashmir, the Philippines, Thailand,

Yugoslavia, Burma, Chechnya, and Central Asia continued to be

subjected to oppression with the backing of the imperialist powers.

Later, the Muslims of Bosnia and Kosovo also joined these ranks.

On the other hand, the Muslim rulers were content to make oral

protests. Their inaction and insensitivity engendered the theory,

first of all in Egypt, that it was imperative to get rid of the

incapable, corrupt, and greedy rulers, the western stooges, before

fighting the imperialist powers. This theory saw Anwar al-Sadat

murdered. Ayman al-Zawahiri, a central and spiritual leader of

Al-Qa'ida, is the most active proponent of this theory. It is he who

provided the ideological foundations to Al-Qa'ida and then war was

opened against imperialism with the funds of Usama Bin Ladin.

Prior to 9/11, the Islamic leaders did not apply this theory to the

Pakistani Government. However, when General Pervez Musharraf's regime

shook hands with the United States, the greatest imperialist power of

the modern world, all the Muslim leaders stood against him. In 2002,

General Pervez Musharraf sent the Army into the FATA and thus made

some tribes enemies of the Pakistani Government. Then, in 2004, he

declared the Islamic organizations fighting against the Indian

occupiers in occupied [Indian-administered] Kashmir "terrorists."

Senior Al-Qa'ida leader Ilyas Kashmiri became active against the

Pakistani Government only after this act. Otherwise, he had been

actively involved in the Kashmir jihad previously.

The militant organizations having the ideology as stated above hold

that the Pakistani Government has put an end to its religious and

legal status by joining hands with the imperialist powers (the United

States and the United Kingdom); therefore, waging jihad against it is

legitimate. The militants belonging to the middle and lower class

also regard the Pakistani Government as corrupt. It is under this

ideology that they are attacking the Pakistani government

installations. Some of these organizations tend toward extremism.

For example, they hold the ideology that the Muslims who do not agree

with their ideas and ideologies also deserve to be killed.

The Muslims across the world who hate the western imperialist powers

are supporters of all the organizations of the Islamic world,

including Al-Qa'ida, which are fighting against the West. They

believe these organizations are the Islamic vanguards against the

western military and cultural invasion. However, the Muslim

governments are engaged in wiping them out after declaring them to be

terrorists.

It was a strategy of Usama Bin Ladin and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the

founders of Al-Qa'ida, to entangle the United States, today's central

imperialist power, in wars and thus destroy it economically because it

is difficult to defeat it in the battlefield. When we see the

statistics Bin Ladin's strategy appears to be successful because the

total US debts have assumed dreadful proportions. The total US public

debt stood at $3.4 trillion in 2000. After the United States was

entangled in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the so-called war

against terrorism, this debt has risen to $14.32 trillion in just 11

years. The Americans believe that the figure is dreadful because the

total annual US GDP is $14.66 trillion. In other words, the United

States has sunk under a whole mountain of debts. If the United States

does not get rid of its international wars, this mountain will one day

crush it to pieces.

[Box]

Network of Organizations

According to research done by the Financial Action Task Force, an

international agency that monitors the illegal movement of funds,

bombs do not cost much to the organizations that attack the citizens

and most of their funds are spent on maintaining their network. For

example, in July 2005, the bomb attacks on the London transport system

cost only $12,000. Similarly, the bomb attacks in Bali in October

2002 cost only $50,000. Experts estimate the 9/11 attacks cost the

attackers at most $500,000.

Most of the funds of these militant organizations are spent on

maintaining their networks, for example, giving salaries to the

members, bearing their everyday expenses, and feeding their families

in the hour of need, and then giving them training and bearing the

expenses of their travel, accommodation, and food. In short,

maintaining the network costs millions of dollars while the material

for making bombs, maps, and surveillance equipment can be obtained for

a few thousand dollars.

These organizations often receive donations from the traders,

industrialists, and people, who subscribe to their ideas and

ideologies. Some of them also earn funds from kidnap for ransom,

thefts, robberies, selling drugs, and selling weapons to fulfill their

designs. They generally use hundi [hawala] for the movement of funds.

[End of Box]

Other Side of Coin

Syed Qutab Azzam, Imamul Sharif, and Ayman al-Zawahiri were the

creators of the religious ideologies under which Al-Qa'ida and other

Muslim o rganizations waged international jihad. Imam Sharif's

jihadist books were taught at the war training centers of Al-Qa'ida.

However, in 2007, Al-Qa'ida suffered a huge ideological setback when

Imamul Sharif announced the abandoning of his ideology. His basic

point was that the change cannot be brought about with the bullet.

Moreover, confessing his mistake, he insisted that there are specific

conditions for jihad and Al-Qa'ida's international jihad does not meet

these conditions. Moreover, he raised strong objections to the

attacks on children, women, and citizens, which are forbidden in

Islam.

In Pakistan, the organizations of the Deoband and Ahl-e-Hadith schools

of thought were impressed by the ideologies of the Muslim leaders

mentioned above. That is why their ideologies cannot find a place in

Brelvi circles. The Brelvis anyway believe that mysticism is a

messenger of love and peace and in Islam killing is secondary to these

moral values.

A major objection raised against the jihadist organizations is that

the blind attacks on citizens and particularly the 9/11 incident, have

harmed the Muslims freedom movements in occupied Kashmir, Palestine,

Chechnya, the Philippines, and other areas. These attacks provided

the imperialist powers with the excuse to declare terrorists the

mujahidin engaged in real jihad. That is why the war in occupied

Kashmir has cooled down today and Muslims are fighting against Muslims

in Pakistan.

The foreign intelligence agencies also benefited from the internecine

fighting and injected their local agents into the warring parties.

These agents have not only added fuel to the raging fire of

differences but also carried out terrorist acts whenever they saw that

peace was about to be established so that the flames of fire would

keep burning.

Obviously, it is quite difficult to know whether a person is an agent

of the RAW [Research and Analysis Wing], CIA, or KHAD [refers to

Afghan National Directorate of Security -- NDS]. The enemy countries

are already engaged in fighting proxy wars. The terrorist acts

perpetrated by these very agents have defamed the Islamic

organizations across the world.

Experts raise another objection against these organizations that

militancy and extremism were promoted in the Muslim societies because

of them while the tolerance and forbearance, which have a prime status

in Islam, have died. According to experts, the recent revolutions in

the Middle East, Egypt, and Tunisia have proved that militancy is not

the only solution to the problems and negotiations and dialogue often

yield better results.

Another point is that the jihadist organizations want to foist their

own sect on other Muslims, the sect with which all the Muslims do not

agree. God has said in the Holy Koran that there is no room for force

in religion. Yet, some organizations want all Muslims to accept their

religious viewpoint and ideology.

Another theory is that the Pakistani Taliban are agents, particularly

of the United States and India, and the two countries design to

destabilize Pakistan through these agents. Retired General Aslam Beg,

former Pakistani Army chief, has already said about the Sipah-e-Sahaba

and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi that these organizations were formed by the

United States to foment Shiite-Sunni riots. These organizations may

well be supported by India as well because India was enraged at the

"infiltration" of the Pakistani organizations into occupied Kashmir.

According to Retired Gen Aslam Beg, these very organizations are

involved in bomb explosions at mosques and imambargahs [Shiite

mosques].

It is pertinent to mention here that, in 2009, Qari Zainuddin Mehsud,

a Tehrik-e-Taliban defector, claimed that the organization had

relations with foreign powers (the United States, India, and Israel).

A few days after giving the news conference about this, Qari Zainuddin

Mehsud was murdered. Similarly, the telephone numbers of the leaders

of the Tehrik-e-Taliban were recovered from the cellular telephones of

Raymo nd Davis, an officer of the US CIA. Moreover, in the recent

attack in Karachi, the attackers belonging to Al-Qa'ida or the

Tehrik-e-Taliban specifically targeted the P-3 Orion aircraft, which

were used for the surveillance of the enemy's activities in the water.

Their destruction has benefited India the most, as the Pakistan Navy

has lost its eyes and ears.

The events and developments make it clear that Pakistan is currently a

victim of the war of ideologies and interests and attacks by the

foreign intelligence agencies. According to experts, the new

generation of Islamic leaders and workers, impressed by the Al-Qa'ida

ideology, has ripened and this generation is more strongly militant

than its predecessors. If its jihad is against the atrocious

imperialist powers, it is understandable then. However, what do they

want to achieve by harming an important country of the Islamic world?

The answer to this question remains to be unraveled. Then, regardless

of everything, the Pakistani people have suffered the most in this

war. The expensive cost of living, poverty, and joblessness have

badly affected them.

The need of hour is that all the Pakistanis unite to fight the

problems so that the dear motherland can be put on the road of

progress and prosperity. There is no other way of pulling ourselves

out of the quagmire of problems.

[Box]

Ilyas Kashmiri's Story

When the Mehran base in Karachi was attacked, it was initially

believed that the attack was carried out by Indian agents. However,

gradually, it was discovered that that Ilyas Kashmiri's organization

Brigade 313 carried out this attack. Ilyas Kashmiri is also among the

Pakistanis who were active on the Kashmir front earlier, but then

turned against the Pakistani Government. Considering his bravery,

intelligence, and experience, Al-Qa'ida had made him head of its

global operations. He was reportedly killed in a US attack on 3 June.

Ilyas Kashmiri was born in Bhimber, Azad [Pakistan-administered]

Kashmir on 10 February 1964. Right from his childhood, he cherished

the desire to free occupied Kashmir of the clutches of the occupiers.

That is why, as soon as he matured, he started taking part in jihadist

activities. He even abandoned his education to take part in jihad.

He sacrificed an eye and a finger in jihad. Later, he joined the

Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami and fought against the occupiers in occupied

Kashmir.

Ilyas Kashmiri won global fame in 1994 when, along with his

companions, he attacked New Delhi. He wanted to get his mujahid

friends released from Indian imprisonment. He held several Israeli,

US, and UK tourists hostage and took them to Ghaziabad (near Delhi).

He wanted the release of his friends in exchange for their release.

However, the Indian commandos attacked his hideout. Ilyas Kashmiri

fought and escaped. Militant Shaykh Umar, who later kidnapped famous

US journalist Daniel Pearl, also participated in this operation, which

was named "Al-Hadeed."

On 25 February 2000, the Indian commandos crossed the Line of Control

to enter Lunjut, a village in Azad Kashmir. They kidnapped three

Kashmiri girls from there. They raped the girls and then martyred

them and threw their heads in front of the Pakistani forces. By then,

Ilyas Kashmiri had formed his Brigade 313. The very next day, he

entered the Nakyal sector of Kashmir along with his 25 companions. He

kidnapped an Indian major and later killed him. Then, his head was

brought to the bazaar in Kotli and was taken round the bazaar.

In 2002, when the extremist Hindus bathed the Muslims in blood in the

Indian province of Gujrat, this horrible incident enraged Ilyas

Kashmiri. He swore that he would teach the Indian Army a lesson.

Before conducting the guerilla operation in occupied Kashmir, he

divided his group into two parts. The first group conducted a major

attack in Akhnor Cantt. Several Indian generals, brigadiers, and

colonels arrived in Akhnor Cantt after the attack. Now, the second

group attacked the m. Two generals were injured in the attack while

more than 10 Indian brigadiers and colonels were killed. (You can

gauge the importance of this incident from the fact that no Indian

general had even been injured in the three wars before then). This

brave attack demoralized the Indian forces in Kashmir and their morale

received a setback.

However, Ilyas Kashmiri's life soon took a turn. While shaking hands

with the Americans, the Musharraf regime declared all the

organizations warring against the occupiers to be "terrorists." Some

leaders of the jihadist organizations went silent at this U-turn.

However, Ilyas Kashmiri and other leaders turned against the Pakistani

Government. They blamed the Musharraf regime for being a US stooge

and now started to fight against it. They declared the Pakistani

rulers corrupt and said they were prisoners of their interests and

luxuries.

In 2005, Ilyas Kashmiri joined the Taliban. Then, following in the

footsteps of famous Vietnamese guerilla leader General Giap he

introduced new tactics in the Taliban resistance. For instance, he

targeted the tankers carrying oil and supplies for the NATO forces in

Afghanistan. Moreover, he conducted suicide attacks on NATO

checkpoints.

The murdered journalist Salim Shahzad claimed in his book Al-Qa'ida

and the Taliban that the Pakistani Government planned a large-scale

operation against Al-Qa'ida and the Pakistani Taliban in 2008. In

order to defer this operation, large-scale suicide attacks were

carried out in Mumbai on 26 November 2008. Ilyas Kashmiri and Haroon

Ishaq, a former commander of the LT, planned this operation. The

operation engendered the threat of a Pakistan-India war. Thus, the

military campaign against Al-Qa'ida and the Taliban was deferred.

The late Salim Shahzad wrote that Al-Qa'ida deliberately made the FATA

their headquarters because secretly operating from the difficult areas

was easy. Then, the Al-Qa'ida leaders impressed hundreds of

Pakistanis with their ideologies. These included scientists, IT

experts, jihadist commanders, and conventional Taliban. In Al-Qa'ida,

they are called "Ibnul Balad" (sons of the soil). Therefore, the

death of Bin Ladin will not mean the de-escalation of global jihad

against the United States.

[End Box]

[Box

Sectarian Divide of Muslim World

During the last 30 years, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon,

and Pakistan have been the victim of wars. During this time, at least

6 million Muslims have been killed, while millions were either injured

or became homeless. Surprisingly, the invaders of the Muslim

countries were called "the ambassadors of peace," while those who

defended their motherland were called "terrorists." Anyhow, in these

very Muslim countries, global jihad against the imperialist powers was

started and this jihad still continues.

In these 30 years, two major and strong groups came to these Muslim

countries. The first group is that of the Sunni Pashtuns. This group

consists of the 30 million tribal Pashtuns who live in Pakistan and

Afghanistan. This group has raised the morale of the Muslims across

the world. During the last 30 years, it has defeated the two

superpowers of the world, Russia and the United States, while the NATO

has also been unable to succeed against it.

The other group consists of Shiite Muslims. The millions of members

of this group are present in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Lebanon, Saudi

Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. This group is also a strong

opponent of the imperialist power, especially the United States. Even

after making threats of nuclear attacks, the United States has been

unable to force Iran, the flag-bearer of this group, to bow.

BOTh these groups are a great threat to US interests. Therefore, the

intelligence agencies of the United States and its allies want to set

these two groups against each other so that internecine fighting will

reduce their strength, leaving them unable to fight the imperialists.

Therefore, both the Sunnis and the Shia need to understand that the

imperialist powers are trying to set them against each other under a

secret conspiracy. They should understand the nature of this threat

and should not allow themselves to fall prey to the conspiracies of

others.

This plan is actually a part of the imperialist powers' new "great

game," which is being played in our region. Through this game, the

imperialists want to set the Muslims against one another. That is why

the hoax of the "Shiite threat" has been created in the Gulf

countries. The United States once again sold weapons worth billions

of dollars to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries so that they could

fight the Shiite threat. The purpose of this entire plan is nothing

but to harm the unity among the Muslim nation.

Experts say that the US intelligence agencies, present in Afghanistan

since 2004, have been successful in their plan to send the Afghan war

into Pakistan with the cooperation of the Indians. Consequently, the

Pakistan Army is engaged in fighting its own Pashtun tribes.

Moreover, more than 10 million Pakistani soldiers have been deployed

on the Pakistan-Afghan border. In a sense, it is an indirect help to

the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

The game of the imperialist powers makes it obvious that they are

trying to achieve their designs by fanning the sectarian differences

in the Islamic world. It is imperative that the Muslims see through

the moves of the foreigners and maintained their unity and faith.

[End Box]

[Box]

Religious Is Matter of Choice

A large section of the Muslims in the Islamic world is against the war

that the militant organizations have waged against the West as well as

the United States. The experts of this section say that the

self-styled jihad that the organizations have waged is not real jihad;

it is their personal war. No matter how high their ambitions may be,

the fact remains that this fighting cannot be called jihad because

jihad has its specific conditions. For example, only the government

of an Islamic country can wage jihad; individuals do not have the

right to take this step. Then, the secret attacks that the militants

often carry out are forbidden in Islam. The Holy Koran says that

"open" and "in defense" jihad should be waged against the invaders.

Another important condition is that the result of the jihad should be

good and such as God would like. However, the attacks of the

militants have spread devastation, particularly in Iraq and Pakistan.

Therefore, how can we call this fighting jihad? Such fighting has

been called "evil" in the Koran.

Because of these reasons, several Muslims believe that peaceful

struggle against the imperialist powers will prove more conclusive.

Islam also insists on the negotiated settlement of problems. In

Islam, jihad can be waged only when there is no option left and in

case of extreme necessity (that too in self defense). Islam means

peace. Another question is whether suicide attacks are permitted in

Islam when they are carried out against Muslims.

[End Box]

[Box]

Balochistan's Importance

Balochistan is an extremely important pawn in the new great game the

imperialist powers have started in South Asia. The reason is that

China wants to use Gwadar as a port for access to China, the Gulf

countries, and the Middle East. If that happens, the Chinese progress

and influence will grow. This is not acceptable for the United States

and India. That is why their pets have created unrest in Balochistan.

These foreign agents are trying to kill people belonging to different

ethnic and linguistic groups in order to set them against one another.

Their plan is that the internecine fighting in Balochistan will make

it difficult for the Chinese to come and stay in Balochistan.

This is so despite the fact that, if Gwadar becomes a busy port, the

local population will receive many ben efits. New jobs will be

created. Hundreds of development projects will be implemented and

Balochistan will become the richest province. It is a pity that today

the Pakistanis themselves are inviting the Russians to come to Gwadar

to allow them access to the Middle East. If China, Russia, and the

Central Asian states use Gwadar as a trade seaport, not only will

Pakistan's status at the international level be strengthened, but its

economy will also progress, as it will receive millions of dollars in

fees.

Because of these factors, the enemies of Pakistan are well aware of

the importance of Balochistan. That is why they are funding the

separatist movements in Balochistan. They also provide weapons so

that the province will be ravaged by unrest and the province will be

separated from Pakistan, God forbid.

Military experts say that India is equipping its Navy with

sophisticated weapons in order to thwart China by gaining control over

the Indian Ocean. The Mehran naval base attack can be a part of this

plan, as the United States fears the growing military and economic

power of China. Therefore, it is helping India so that the latter

will become its vanguard in the front against China.

[End Box]

[Box]

Mysterious Death of Colonel Imam

In 1980, the Pakistani Government decided to provide military support

to the Afghan mujahidin fighting against the Soviet Union so that they

would thwart the superpower's march. Later, Pakistani military

officers were appointed to give military training to the mujahidin and

plan attacks. Colonel Imam was one of these; he gained much fame.

Sultan Amir Tarar was his real name. Colonel Imam taught several

young Afghans how to fight and told them the alpha and omega of war

strategy. Moreover, it was with his efforts that several Afghan

groups of mujahidin started to fight against the Russians. Otherwise,

according to a military officer, they had so many differences that

Hekmatyar's and Ahmed Shah Masud's groups would kill more of each

other than they would kill Russians.

When the Russians departed, the differences between the Afghan groups

once again emerged. That is why peace could not be established in

Afghanistan. Later, the Taliban emerged. The Pakistani Government

backed them because the Taliban were well-wishers of Pakistan.

Colonel Imam was also entrusted with the responsibility to give

military training to the Taliban. He performed this responsibility

well. He was also the instructor of Mullah Omar. Until the last, he

was an admirer of the simplicity, sincerity, bravery, and love for

Islam of the Taliban.

In March 2010, the Asian Tigers, an organization connected with the

Tehrik-e-Taliban, abducted Colonel Imam along with Khalid Khawaja,

another military officer. Khalid Khawaja was soon martyred. Then, in

February 2011, Colonel Imam was also martyred. According to experts,

his martyrdom makes two things obvious. One, is that the Afghan

Taliban have no control over the local Taliban who are against the

Pakistani Government. Second, it is quite possible that the

Tehrik-e-Taliban has become a tool of the foreign intelligence

agencies. Colonel Imam must have been interrogated about whether the

Pakistan Army has any contacts with the Afghan Taliban. When he did

not reveal anything important, he was martyred so that his mystery

would not be resolved. Alternatively, the militants wanted to get

their companions released through Colonel Imam, in which they failed.

[End Box]

[Box]

Pakistani Forces' International Services

For some time, international media has started a nefarious campaign

against the Pakistani forces and institutions. This propaganda is

aimed at psychologically harming the Pakistani forces, which are the

guardians of Pakistan and are counted among the best forces of the

world. That is why the international media has never tried to

highlight the glorious services the Pakistani forces have rendered in

the last 50 years to maintain international peace.< /p>

In 1960, Pakistan sent its first peace contingent to Congo under the

supervision of the UN. This year, when the UN observed 29 May as

"International Day for United Nations Peacekeepers," Pakistan

completed 50 years of working for international peace. On this

occasion, a Pakistani diplomat held a soul-stirring ceremony in New

York. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also participated in this

ceremony. On this occasion, in his address, he said: "During the last

50 years, Pakistani soldiers and civilians have demonstrated matchless

selflessness, sincerity, bravery, and valor and helped the nations

ravaged by wars and civil wars. Pakistan not only saved these nations

from militants, but it also constructed schools, hospitals, and

welfare institutions there. It provided free treatment to the poor on

thousands of occasions and constructed grounds for the children to

play. I have no hesitation in saying that Pakistan has the status of

the leader in international peacekeeping."

During the last 50 years, besides in Congo, the Pakistani forces and

police have rendered peace services in Somalia, Sierra Leone, Bosnia,

Liberia, Indonesia, Burundi, and several other countries and won

recognition for their great capabilities. Even today, 3,590 soldiers

of the guardians of Pakistani borders are serving the aggrieved

humanity in Congo, 3,419 in Liberia, 15,820 in Sudan, 1,304 in Ivory

Coast, 250 in Haiti, 195 in Timor Leste, and 175 in Kosovo. This is

the largest contingent in the UN peacekeeping army.

Last year, 122 of our soldiers embraced martyrdom while performing

their duties. They were not sons of Pakistan alone; they were sons of

the nations of the world. In his address, Ban Ki-moon paid great

tribute to these martyrs and said: "The world will always remember

their sacrifices."

It is hoped that the Pakistani forces will continue their efforts for

the maintenance of peace in the world with the same level of zest.

Regrettably, the pro-Christian media seldom appreciates the services

of the Pakistani forces. It clearly betrays its prejudice.

[End Box]

[Description of Source: Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu -- Daily owned

by Century Publications of the Lakson Business Group. The second

largest daily after Jang newspaper with a circulation of over 120,000.

Provides good coverage of national and international issues and

follows moderate and neutral editorial policy.]

Pakistan: Alleged Leader of Defunct Group LeJ Freed After 14 Year Custody

SAP20110715127005 Lahore Daily Times Online in English 15 Jul 11

[Daily Times Monitor report: "Lashkar-e-Jhangvi leader Malik Ishaq released"]

LAHORE: Malik Ishaq, alleged operational head of banned

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, has been released from Kotlakhpat Jail after 14

years of detention, a private TV channel reported on Thursday.

Speaking after his release, Ishaq said that the integrity of Pakistan

was dear to him and he would not let anything happen to the country.

Ishaq had been in prison since 1997 and had 44 cases ranging from

murder to terrorism lodged against him. The court had acquitted him in

34 cases while granted him bail in the rest. Head of the Ahle Sunnat

Wal Jamaat, Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, along with other members

greeted Ishaq upon his release. Ishaq said that he was satisfied with

the decision of the courts and he had nothing to do with terrorism. He

added that he would continue to fight for the country. The Supreme

Court's Lahore Registry had granted him bail on July 11. Ishaq was

accused of masterminding the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in

2009 while in prison. He had appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn

the decision of the Lahore High Court, which had rejected his bail

plea. The case was heard by Justice MA Shahid Siddiqui at the Supreme

Court's Lahore Registry. The defence attorney had said that the

charges against Ishaq could not be proved and thus the Supreme Court

had approved his bail. The court had directed that he submit two

separate security bonds worth Rs 500,000 each.

[Description of Source: Lahore Daily Times Online in English --

Website of the independent, moderate daily, run by Media Times

(Private) Ltd., owned by Shehryar Taseer, son of Salman Taseer, former

slain governor of Punjab province. Rashed Rahman is the

editor-in-chief. The same group owns and publishes weekly newspaper

The Friday Times and Urdu daily Aaj Kal. Strong critic of radical and

jihadi elements. Provides extensive coverage of activities of

jihadi/militant groups. Caters to the educated middle class, with an

estimated circulation of 20,000.; URL: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk.]

Pakistan: Key Suspect in Attack on Sri Lankan Team in Lahore Released on Bail

SAP20110715128016 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 15 Jul 11

[Report by Asad Kharal: Court releases terror kingpin, alleged killer

of 70 for assistance with multimedia elements, contact OSC at

1-800-205-8615 or oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov ]

LAHORE: Fida Hussain Ghalvi is scared. Twelve members of his family

were killed in cold blood in 1997 and the alleged killer, Malik Ishaq,

has been released on bail from Kot Lakhpat jail by the Supreme Court

Lahore registry on Thursday.

Ishaq, however, is no ordinary killer. He is one of the founders of

the dreaded terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), key suspect in

the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009 and 43 other cases

in which 70 people have been killed.

He was granted bail by the apex court after the prosecution failed to

prove his involvement in the case of attack on Sri Lankan cricket

team.

Ishaq was acquitted in 34 out of 44 cases while in the remaining 10,

including the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team, he had already been

granted bail, official documents revealed.

Garlanded upon release

Sources say the release comes after Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi,

chief of the defunct outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan which is now known

as Millat-e-Islamia/Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamat, met with Ishaq for more

than two hours at Kot Lakhpat Jail. Other prisoners were not allowed

to meet their families during that period.

Maulana Ludhianvi then distributed money amongst jail staff and

prisoners after the meeting, sources said. He had arrived with several

guards and armed men, they added.

Ishaq was greeted by scores of supporters on his release, who

garlanded him and showered flower petals on him.

Shoot-out at majlis

Ishaq has been in jail since 1997 for allegedly killing 12 members of

Ghalvi's family, in addition to being allegedly involved in killing 58

other people in various incidents of sectarian violence.

"Ishaq and seven of his accomplices attacked a Shia gathering at my

relative's village in Do Kota in Mailsi tehsil, Vehari," said Ghalvi

while speaking exclusively to The Express Tribune.

"They started firing indiscriminately as soon as they entered it," he added.

Ishaq was arrested from Faisalabad the same year and sent to Multan

central jail.

'Dead don't talk'

Ghalvi says he and other witnesses were summoned to identify Ishaq.

"He was least disturbed when witnesses pointed him out," said Ghalvi.

In the presence of a civil judge and jail deputy superintendent, Ishaq

threatened the witnesses and said: "Dead men don't talk."

"Despite the threat, we refused to back down," Ghalvi said, adding

that Ishaq's associates have unleashed a violent campaign against the

witnesses and their families.

He said that Ishaq's cohorts have also threatened judges, policemen

and prosecutors.

The intimidation resulted in Ishaq being let off in 42 cases

registered against him. He was granted bail in the 43rd case and only

one case is now pending against him, Ghalvi said.

He added that during Ishaq's trial, eight more people linked to

witnesses were killed while he, and other witnesses, still receives

death threats from Ishaq's men.

Victim imprisoned, killer at large

"I have become almost a reclusive. I can't even go to funerals,"

Ghalvi said, adding "Sometimes I feel like a prisoner. However, the

killers are at large." Poor investigation and prosecution, and

disregard of evidence contributed to Ishaq's freedom, Ghalvi said.

Fear also played a major role since Ishaq's cohorts frightened

everyone involved in the cases, he added.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

Pakistan: Founder Leader of Banned Lashkar-e Jhangvi Released from Prison

SAP20110717381001 Karachi Ummat Online in Urdu 16 Jul 11

[Report by Saifullah Khalid: We will accept the court decision on

bloody sectarian disputes leader of Lashkar- Jhangvi ]

When the founder leader of Lashkar-e Jhangvi, Malik Ishaq, got

released from prison after his 15-year jail term, he returned to his

house in Rahim Yar Khan the other day and he was given a rousing

welcome there. After being welcomed by a gathering of 10,000 to

15,000 people in a rally at Tarinda Sarai Khan, 7 km away from Rahim

Yar Khan, Malik Ishaq was led to his residence. When Malik Ishaq got

his release from Lakhpat prison as per court orders at noon on 14

July, he was received and garlanded by Maulana Mohammad Ahmed

Ludhianavi, chief of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba and Ahle Sunnat Wal

Jamaat as well as by Dr Khadim Hussain Dhillon, Secretary General of

the organization. Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianavi also submitted a

bond for the release of Malik Ishaq. At the time of the release,

Maulana Ludhianavi received Malik Ishaq outside the prison and

disposed his security contingent and vehicle at his service. Malik

Ishaq was taken by road from Lahore to Rahim Yar Khan at 3:00 in the

afternoon, but as the workers of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat were going on

meeting him on the way, his caravan arrived in Rahim Yar Khan close to

Friday prayers after a break at 4 a.m. When his caravan arrived in

the city limits, Malik Ishaq was cordoned by two Elite Force vehicles.

Malik Ishaq was arrested from Faisalabad in 1997. At that time, 43

cases were pending against him in which he was alleged to have

directly involved in the killings of more than 70 people. One case

was filed against him in the prison itself. Malik Ishaq was either

acquitted in all the cases or his bail was accepted on which he was

eventually released under court orders on 14 July. Even during the

term of the previous government, he was acquitted in almost all cases;

but, due to the security situation prevailing over the country, he was

kept under house arrest instead of summary release. When it was not

legally possible to continue the house detention by the present

government, too, at the behest of the federal government, the

provincial government included his name in the case pertaining to the

attack on Sri Lankan cricket team.

Regarding the cases pertaining to Malik Ishaq, sources claim that

although those cases were disposed by the courts -- he was acquitted

in 36 cases and bail was posted in eight -- he was not released from

prison. Therefore, the proscribed Sipah-e-Sahaba leadership held

talks with the Government of Punjab in 2008 and a deal was struck in

this connection under which Malik Ishaq's brother, who was an

important political personality in his locality, not only supported

Shahbaz Sharif, but also while taking personal interest in his

election, prevailed over his rival candidates and got Shahbaz Sharif

elected unopposed. In exchange for this, Malik Ishaq's release should

have become a reality, but it did not materialize due to pressure from

the federal government. Subsequently, he was implicated in the case

relating to the attack on Sri Lankan team and he was finally released

after the bail in this case was accepted.

Sources claim that even while in prison, Malik Ishaq played a vital

role in regard to [safeguarding] national security. These sources

also say that during the attack on the GHQ [General Headquarters -- of

the Army] when the terrorists demanded the release of Malik Ishaq and

when government officials met him at Lahore jail, he not only refused

to accept such a release, but also came to GHQ on military helicopter

and spoke to them [attackers]. He also told the team that was carrying

out an operation against them that he did not have anything to do with

them and that he did not want his release in exchange for any such

step.

During Malik Ishaq's release, the special branch of Punjab Police

dispatched letters to all the intelligence agencies in the country

saying that not only a strict watch should be kept on him, but he

should be essentially kept under tight security as well. Talking to

the Ummat in this connection, a senior Punjab police official said

that now Malik Ishaq does not pose any terrorist threat; but, of

course, Malik himself faces the threat of terrorism and the reaction

against any such eventuality will be too dangerous. That is why the

need arose to essentially inform all the agencies in the country about

this situation. A responsible official from the prosecution

department of Punjab police said: we cannot say that Malik Ishaq was

not involved in any court case; but due to the unavailability of

witnesses it was not possible to carry out the proceedings in the

case. He admitted that in some cases, there are so many flaws in the

investigations that the lawyers blast out [the prosecution].

Now the question is, with the release of the founder leader of

Lashkar-e Jhangvi, what will be the effects on the country? In this

connection, an important official in Islamabad says that the issue was

making the rounds in intelligence circles since 2009 that there was no

use in keeping Malik Ishaq in detention. If he was acquitted by the

courts, he should be set free. The advantage of this move will be

that the terrorist groups sprouting like mushrooms in the name of

Lashkar-e Jhangvi will forfeit their justification; because, Malik

Ishaq does not nurture any terrorist ideology now. However, the

government was not prepared to take the risk. Now there is some

expectation of improvement after his acquittal by the courts. It is

learned in this connection that while dissolving the Lashkar-e

Jhangvi, Malik Ishaq has joined the proscribed Sipah-e-Sahaba and the

recent Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and has announced his decision to

continue the struggle by peaceful means. In this regard, the Ahle

Sunnat Wal Jamaat leadership has decided that Malik Ishaq will

maintain total silence and will stay indoors. He will keep aloof from

functions and rallies as well as statements and protests. Ghulam

Rasool Shah has been appointed as his spokesman. If necessary, Ghulam

Rasool Shah will speak on his behalf. The "Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat"

[the organization's name within quotes as published] party will decide

about the future strategy.

On this occasion, the Ummat spoke to Malik Ishaq over telephone to

find out his stance and extract information about his future

intentions. Malik Ishaq said: I got released after seeking justice

from the courts. My release is not part of any deal. The courts

delivered justice to me and I have trust on the courts. I thank and

assure the judiciary that to whichever forum and wherever I am

summoned for the sake of the security and peace of the country, I will

be there and will extend all sorts of cooperation. A discussion with

him goes on as follows:

Question [unidentified correspondent]: In the name of Lashkar-e

Jhangvi, dozens of groups are going on creating undesirable incidents.

What is your relationship with them and what will be their position

in the future?

Answer [Malik Ishaq]: I would like to make it clear in categorical

terms that I have nothing to do with the ongoing process of militancy

in the country, nor is any of our party workers involved in any

militant activity in any part of the country. Whosoever they are, I

declare that I want to keep distance from them. I founded the

Lashkar-e Jhangvi. I founded it to protest against the biased and

intolerable policies of the government at that time. Now, it is not

so the case. I was the founder of Lashkar-Jhangvi. Today, as members

of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat under the leadership of Maulana Mohammad

Ahmed Ludhianavi, I and my associates will remain peaceful and work

within the purview of law.

Question: What about those who use the name of Lashkar-e Jhangvi?

Answer: I have nothing to do with those people as well as their

Lashkar-e Jhangvi. None of my workers is currently involved in any

activity.

Question: What will be your future policy?

Answer: The future policy will be the one as dictated by Maulana

Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianavi. It was a mischievous propaganda that

probably I wanted to lead the Jamaat and that is why the Jamaat d id

not want my release.

Question: What role can you play in resolving bloody sectarian disputes?

Answer: I went to jail in connection with my struggle against the

blasphemous acts committed against the companions of the Holy Prophet.

Even today, I am steadfast in my faith. Currently, on the internet

and Facebook, there has been a storm of blasphemous entries against

the companions of the Holy Prophet. The Government of Pakistan should

play its due role against this practice and if this process is halted

in Pakistan, there will not be any dispute.

Question: What role will you play to restore peace?

Answer: Even in the past, I supported the committee [as published] in

every forum and presented my case and I am ready to do so in the

future as well. The most important task that was accomplished in this

connection was the issue of Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. When he heard

both sides of the case -- even today I believe that Chief Justice

Iftikhar Chaudhry's stature is very stable and reliable. I appeal to

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to pick up the

threads from where Justice Sajjad left and give a verdict about this

problem in the light of arguments and counter-arguments in the chamber

of the court. I can speak with confidence that barring the Supreme

Court, a durable solution to this dispute cannot be found anywhere

else. Its beginning was done by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice

Iftikhar should take it to its logical conclusion. This will be his

obligation to the country. Whatever decision the court makes, I will

accept it.

[Description of Source: Karachi Ummat Online in Urdu -- Website of the

sensationalist, pro-Usama Bin Ladin Urdu daily. Harshly critical of

the US, Israel, and India. Propagates Muslim unity to counter

US/Western influence. Circulation 20,000. Editor-publisher Rafiq

Afghan is an Afghan war veteran; URL: http://www.ummatpublication.com]

Pakistan: Report Sees Flaws in Judicial System Behind Militants' Acquittal

SAP20110722052001 Karachi Express 24/7 Television in English 0700 GMT 21 Jul 11

[For a copy of the video, contact GSG_GVP_VideoOps@rccb.osis.gov or

the OSC Customer Center at (800) 205-8615.]

Pakistan is a frontline state in the war against terrorism. Thousands

of civilians and security officials have lost their lives in horrific

incidents of suicide blasts and attacks. While Pakistan may have been

winning the war on many fronts including Swat, the state is badly

losing its battle at legal front. The recent acquittal of

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi activist Malik Ishaq, who was under arrest for 44

cases of murder and terrorism, is an eye-opener for all. Our Lahore

correspondent Muhammad Rizwan reports:

[Begin recording] [Correspondent Rizwan] The pictures, you are

watching on your screen, need no words. This scene is plucked from the

aftermath of a deadly terrorists' strike on Manawa Police Academy

[Lahore]. Police and law enforcement agencies nabbed the culprit from

the crime scene with proverbial smoking gun. Hijratullah is a prized

catch and an important link to this chain of terror. Investigated and

challenged Hijratullah's case is thrown out of court for the lack of

evidence. The examples of acquittal are plenty. The accused in Marriot

Hotel bombing, Danish Embassy bombing, Benazir [Bhutto] assassination

case, Sri Lankan team bus attack; there is a long list of those who

were arrested by the police but got relief from trial courts for the

lack of evidence. Lately, Malik Ishaq, a Lashkar-e-Jhanjvi activist

who carried a head money of 5 million rupees and charged with 44 cases

ranging from murder to terrorism, was acquitted in 34 cases while bail

was granted in rest of the cases. He was released from Kot Lakhpat

Jail along with two accomplices.

[Superintendent of Police Shoaib Khurram, identified by screen

caption, in Urdu] In most of the cases, the courts are simply not

satisfied with kind of evidence they are witnessing. Whatever evidence

we present they are not really satisfied. They want more evidences.

There is fear factor. The complainants become frightened. There is no

strong protection system for them [complainants] in Pakistan.

[Rizwan] In some of the situations in the last many years during which

the terrorists ramped through our civilian and uniformed security

establishment not a single culprit has been awarded the punishment so

far. Is it the below par and faulty investigation that is responsible

for the release of these extraordinary criminals or fear factor plays

its role. True, medieval investigation method, poorly trained

investigation officers, and a strong fear factor led these criminals

off the hook. So far Pakistan's security operators and citizens have

paid the price with their blood and sweat as terrorists continue to

strike its will, claiming 20000 lives. The investigators and

prosecutors all but lay the blame on the door of judiciary. However,

according to a former high court judge the judiciary decides on what

is presented before it.

[Justice retired Fakhuunnisa, identified by screen caption] Now,

unless you changed the law, unless you changed the evidence set,

unless you bring many changes in the statutes which deal with the

offender, you cannot get hold of these terrorists.

[Rizwan] However, question arises can a common criminal could be

acquitted from 44 cases of murder and terrorism. The civil society and

legal fraternity is bewildered over the virtual immunity of some law,

the extremists are getting.

[Hina Jilani, identified by screen caption] At the core of everything

again is honesty. Honesty plus the genuine willingness to tackle

terrorism in this country and where we have a deep suspicion at the

public level that terrorism is tolerated, that agencies of the state

are not very keen on catching certain terrorists and their activities

are, ther efore, covered up. That, you know, makes it very difficult

to predict what kind of technical system would help them.

[Rizwan] The time bomb of terrorism and extremism is ticking even

louder now. If the state does not act now, many believe the war

against it would be lost quicker than one would like to imagine.

Muhammad Rizwan, Express 24/7, Lahore. [End recording]

Related Attachment

Click here to view 4 minutes 30 seconds video report on militants

acquittal in .wmv format.

[Description of Source: Karachi Express 24/7 Television in English--

Private satellite television channel owned by Century Publications,

the publisher of Daily Express in Urdu and owner of Urdu TV channel

Express News TV.]

Pakistan: Two Policemen Deployed at Residence of Freed Defunct Group Leader

SAP20110723127003 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 23 Jul 11

[Report by Asad Kharal: "Lashkar-e-Jhangvi leader provided police guards"]

RAHIM YAR KHAN: Two police men have been assigned security duties at

the residence of Malik Ishaq, recently released from a Lahore prison.

Rahim Yar Khan district police officer Sohail Tajik told The Express

Tribune that the guards were deployed at the Mohallah Islam Nagar

house of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi leader in view of the threat posed by a

large number of people visiting him everyday He said more officials

would be deployed to the place if the need arose. The LeJ has been

declared a terrorist organisation and banned.

A Rahim Yar Khan police security branch official speaking on condition

of anonymity said four guards of a private security company were also

performing security duties at the place.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) Punjab

president Shamasur Rehman Muavia expressed satisfaction over security

arrangements at Ishaq's home.

Ishaq has been acquitted in 34 of the 44 cases against him involving

killing of 70 people, most of them belonging to the Shia sect. He has

been released on bail in the remaining 10 cases, including the attack

on Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.

'Prisons will not stop our mission'

"Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is not a terrorist outfit. It was set up to ensure

proper respect for the companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)," Malik

Ishaq said on Friday.

He was speaking to a delegation of clerics belonging to the Majlis

Ahrar-i-Islam at his residence. He said foreign powers were

responsible for terrorism in the country. He said these powers using

as front an organisation named International Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

He said it was this organisation that had been accepting

responsibility for terrorist attacks in the country and not the LeJ he

had belonged to. Criticising Interior Minister Rehman Malik for

accusing LeJ of terrorist acts, he said Malik appeared to be a

spokesperson for the ILJ and not the federal government.

Ishaq also said he was committed to continuing his fight mission of

defending the companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) against slander

and irreverence. He said he would not abandon the mission even if he

was again jailed for it.

"Our struggle will continue from the platform of Ahle Sunnat Wal

Jammat," he said. He said hundreds of LeJ workers had laid down their

lives for the cause.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

Pakistan Article Urges Federal Govt to Cleanse Punjab of Terrorists, Supporters

SAP20110724118024 Lahore Daily Times Online in English 23 Jul 11

[Article by Naeem Tahir: "A jubilant terrorist, supported by the PML-N"]

The nation has become a hostage to the Punjabi Taliban and their

supporters. The PML-N will continue to support the extremists because

it needs them to get votes in the next election

On June 16, the newspapers carried his photographs with a big grin.

His teeth showed prominently in a frame of black beard. He was

profusely garlanded and was accompanied by another bearded supporter,

equally happy. Both were riding an expensive car. That was Malik

Ishaq, the key founding member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) -- a

notorious terrorist organisation, a violent killer of Shias and a

major ally of al Qaeda.

Malik Ishaq was accused of being the key planner of the attack on the

Sri Lankan cricket team. His associate accused namely, Javed Anwar,

Abdullah and Ubaidur Rehman had been arrested from Shahdara. It was

claimed that the men had confessed to their involvement in the cricket

team attack.

Some officials informed the press on condition of anonymity that Malik

Ishaq enjoyed the Punjab government's financial assistance ever since

the Sharifs came to power in 2008. The accused terror kingpin belongs

to the banned Sunni outfit LeJ and has been nominated in 44 cases in

which 70 people were killed. During imprisonment, he used to receive a

monthly stipend from the Punjab government. He and his family have

been well looked after. No wonder he had a big grin on his face.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed the disbursement but

clarified that it was given to Ishaq's family, not him, as per the

orders of the court. However, further investigations revealed that

neither were there any such disbursements during General Musharraf's

regime nor was there any court order pertaining to the matter.

Rana Sanaullah always looks very comfortable in telling lies and

giving disinformation, which was proved once again. The Punjab

government's financial support to the terrorist was purely meant to

protect the PML-N's vote bank and the street mafia in its favour.

Look at the audacious Malik Ishaq whose first terror attack took place

14 years ago when he targeted a 'Majlis' in which 12 people were

killed. Unfortunately, eight among the complainants and witnesses of

the incident have been killed so far. Now only one complainant and

three witnesses are alive. One wonders if they are also awaiting their

elimination; more so as the jubilant Malik Ishaq has been released on

bail and has the blessings of the Punjab government. He can now

eliminate the rest of the witnesses and get acquittal from the

helpless courts.

Individuals, politicians, political parties, federal and provincial

governments, and the establishment need to seriously introspect

themselves in this regard. The point to ponder is: are we a country

promoting terrorism or not? Thoughtless denials prove nothing except

giving a hidden feeling of guilt. Here is Punjab government doing

whatever it can to protect terrorists that support the PML-N. Please

also recall that the same Punjab government had allocated financial

support worth Rs 86 million to the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) from the

Punjab budget last year. One wonders what the role of the federal

government is in such a situation. One also wonders what should be the

role of the judiciary, which is fond of taking suo motu notices.

That is how the Americans, Indians, and several others see us

supporting the terrorists even if we vehemently deny this. But how do

we explain the doings of the Punjab government? Also, how do we

explain the tolerant stance of the emerging leader Imran Khan and his

party? He does not consider the war on terror as our war. We also need

to take into account the so-called 'rogue elements' in the

establishment. The infiltration of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir is also there

and of course millions of people at home and around vaguely think of

Islam and follow all those who claim religious expertise.

If we are not supporters of terrorism, we must be able to distinguish

between the message of the Quran, teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) and

their misin terpretation and misdirected use by the so-called

religious experts whose agenda is to create a divide to exploit and

rule. Apparently, there is a divide between the federal and the Punjab

government. The Punjab government rules 60 percent of the populace of

Pakistan and can effectively defeat federal policies. The federal

government, the three provincial governments, Gilgit-Baltistan and the

tribal areas are definitely against terrorism. Therefore, the good

news is that the majority of Pakistanis are in fact peace-loving and

have suffered at the hands of the terrorists. Then why is the federal

government not taking notice of the PML-N's activities supporting

terror outfits? Are Mr Zardari and Mr Gilani too afraid to rock the

boat? I am afraid if they do not 'rock the boat', the 'boat' may rock

them. There is no doubt that Mr Zardari's political manoeuvring is

superb. He has handled all internal threats to his power successfully.

Now he even has the support of the PML-Q and the MQM. This is the time

that he should cleanse Punjab of pro-terror elements. The armed forces

have controlled FATA and it will also cleanse North Waziristan

gradually but it is political action that is required in Punjab. This

can be best handled by smart political moves of the president. He

would know how to do it the best, but he must do it. The nation has

become a hostage to the Punjabi Taliban and their supporters. The

PML-N will continue to support the extremists because it needs them to

get votes in the next election and to threaten those who would not

want to vote for the PML-N. Would the country allow its major province

to become a safe haven for the terrorists? There is less than 18

months' time left before the next election. It is not a very long time

and a strategy to deal with it must be designed now. All anti-terror

groups, parties and other elements need to join in on a single point

agenda of cleansing Punjab of those who directly or indirectly support

terror outfits.

[Description of Source: Lahore Daily Times Online in English --

Website of the independent, moderate daily, run by Media Times

(Private) Ltd., owned by Shehryar Taseer, son of Salman Taseer, former

slain governor of Punjab province. Rashed Rahman is the

editor-in-chief. The same group owns and publishes weekly newspaper

The Friday Times and Urdu daily Aaj Kal. Strong critic of radical and

jihadi elements. Provides extensive coverage of activities of

jihadi/militant groups. Caters to the educated middle class, with an

estimated circulation of 20,000.; URL: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk.]

Pakistan: Defunct Groups' Leaders Address Religious Gathering in Khairpur

SAP20110731103004 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 31 Jul 11

[Report by Saba Imtiaz: "Looming storm: Banned outfit s leader whips

up crowds in Khairpur"]

KARACHI: Malik Mohammad Ishaq, a leader of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba

Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, made an appearance in Khairpur

on Friday to address the 'Difaa-e-Sahaba' conference in the city. The

event was organised by Jamia Haidriah.

Ishaq was recently released on bail from Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail

after serving 14 years of imprisonment. Ishaq was accused of killing

70 people in 44 cases. He was acquitted in 34 and granted bail in 10

cases, including one in which he was charged with plotting the 2009

attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.

Ishaq's presence in Khairpur is significant since the city was home to

SSP leader Allama Sher Hyderi, who was assassinated in August 2009. A

speaker at the conference invoked Hyderi's memory while introducing

Ishaq.

Ishaq spoke of his resolve to continue with his mission, he praised

the leadership of the SSP and said he would continue to make

sacrifices and work to defend Islam.

Ishaq has been on a publicity tour of sorts after his release and has

even addressed people in his hometown of Rahim Yar Khan. "He is

re-establishing himself as a leader," says analyst Ayesha Siddiqa.

"Even though there was no curb on his activities when he was in jail -

there was his involvement in the Sri Lankan cricket team attack and

other plans as well - but his physical presence means that he can

organise things better. He is strengthening his base and we do know

that the SSP is spreading rapidly in Sindh. For example, Ghotki and

Jacobabad are very affected - you see SSP graffiti and flags there."

Siddiqa offered a grim view of militancy in the province, where she

says Jamaatud Dawa is also making inroads. "While we are talking of

peace in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the centre of

militancy and radicalisation is in Sindh and Punjab."

While he may have been in jail for 14 years, Ishaq appeared to be

quite updated with the news of allegedly blasphemous content available

online. He riled the crowd by describing blasphemous images in graphic

detail. He also questioned the categorisation of religious leaders as

being involved in militancy and sectarianism. The crowd waved flags

and chanted slogans against a particular sect during his speech.

A video of Ishaq's speech in Khairpur was uploaded to the official

YouTube channel of the Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat (the SSP's new name).

Scores of men can be seen attending the event and chanting slogans.

The Express Tribune previously reported that Ishaq's family received a

stipend from the Punjab government while he was in jail. Ishaq has

also been provided with two police guards. According to Interior

Minister Rehman Malik, the man is under observation.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

Pakistan: Militants of TTP, Lashkar-e Jhangvi Arrested During Raids in Karachi

SAP20110801127008 Lahore Daily Times Online in English 01 Aug 11

[Report by staff correspondent: "Four TTP men arrested in Karachi"]

KARACHI: Crime Investigation Department (CID) and Anti Extremist Cell

(AEC) claimed to have arrested four militants of Tehreek-e-Taliban

Pakistan (TTP), one of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and two Lyari gangsters

during separate raids in the city on Sunday.

According to SSP Chaudhry Aslam Khan, four TTP men Abdul Rehman,

Nazrab Khan, Azhar Mahmood and Ahmed Khan were arrested from Sohrab

Goth along with one Kalashnikov, one repeater, two hand grenades and

three TT pistols during a raid on a tip-off in Sohrab Goth.

He said the arrested terrorists after getting extortion from the

business community in the city had sent the amount worth millions of

rupees to their commander Abdul Wali alias Omar Khalid in Waziristan

and were also involved in target killings of the people in the city on

the suspicious of being police informant on their commander's

directives.

In another raid, an alleged member of the banned religious outfit LeJ,

Wasim Channa, was arrested from Jamshed Quarters. AEC also claimed to

have recovered one Kalashnikov from his custody.

[Description of Source: Lahore Daily Times Online in English --

Website of the independent, moderate daily, run by Media Times

(Private) Ltd., owned by Shehryar Taseer, son of Salman Taseer, former

slain governor of Punjab province. Rashed Rahman is the

editor-in-chief. The same group owns and publishes weekly newspaper

The Friday Times and Urdu daily Aaj Kal. Strong critic of radical and

jihadi elements. Provides extensive coverage of activities of

jihadi/militant groups. Caters to the educated middle class, with an

estimated circulation of 20,000.; URL: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk.]

Pakistan: Sunni Sectarian Group Claims Responsibility for Attack in Quetta

SAP20110803122006 Quetta Intikhab in Urdu 31 Jul 11 1, 7

[NNI report: "Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Claims Responsibility for Attack at Spini Road"]

Quetta -- Ali Sher Haideri, spokesperson of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi [LeJ], a

banned group, has said the mujahidin [holy warriors] of LeJ claim

responsibility for the attack at Spini Road on Saturday [ 30 July]. He

said this while talking to NNI over the telephone on Saturday.

The spokesperson said the attack was a reaction to the killings of

Maulana Abdul Karim Mengal and Abdul Wahid. Haideri appealed to the

group's Sunni brethren not to deal with or travel in the company of

Shiites. He also asked Sunni drivers not to let Shiites travel in

their vehicles, saying that if they did, they would be responsible for

the consequences.

[Description of Source: Quetta Intikhab in Urdu -- "The Choice," a

daily newspaper simultaneously published from Quetta, Karachi, and

Hub, a city in Baluchistan located on the border with Sindh Province.

It follows a pro-Baluchi nationalist policy and provides extensive

reporting on activities of Baluchi organizations and leaders,

particularly statements criticizing the presence and actions of the

military and the paramilitary Frontier Corps. Publisher Anwar Sajidi

is a veteran journalist who worked for the Urdu newspaper Jang for 18

years and Editor Nargis Baluch is prominent among female journalists

in Pakistan. Circulation unknown.]

Pakistan: Report Mentions Views of Pakistan s Proscribed Religious Group Leader

SAP20110811109002 Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu 11 Aug 11 p 8

[Unattributed report: "Kept in Jail for 14 Years on US Instructions:

Malik Ishaq"]

Machhiwal -- Leader of Ahle Sunnat-wal-Jamaat Malik Ishaq has said

that the government should form a bench comprising of Supreme Court

judges to hear our stance in connection with the religion and whatever

decision they would take would be acceptable to all.

Talking to journalists, he said that there was no other hand involved

in his detention in jail rather he was detained for 14 years as per US

instructions. He said that the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi had nothing to

do with the attack on General Headquarters [GHQ]. I went to GHQ from

Multan Jail on the government's instructions and talked to the

terrorists who attacked at GHQ and later announced that

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi had no links with the attack.

Stringent security arrangements were made on the arrival of Ishaq

while officials of intelligence agencies have been submitting report

of every moment to their high authorities.

[Description of Source: Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu -- Daily owned

by Century Publications of the Lakson Business Group. The second

largest daily after Jang newspaper with a circulation of over 120,000.

Provides good coverage of national and international issues and

follows moderate and neutral editorial policy.]

Video Released of Pakistani Teenagers Terror Training in North Waziristan

SAP20110817103010 Islamabad The News Online in English 17 Aug 11

[Report by Amir Mir: "Video of Jehadi training in NWA released"]

LAHORE: The notion that the North Waziristan Agency continues to be

used by al-Qaeda and Taliban elements for terrorist training

activities has again been confirmed with the release of a fresh video

of the Pakistani teenagers being trained in NWA.

The seven-minute-long video, which is titled 'Cubs of Waziristan,' has

been released on jihadi websites by the Al Ansar Mailing List. An

edited version of the video and the translation has been provided by

the SITE Intelligence Group. The location of the training camp seems

to be the Mirali area of North Waziristan, which serves as a haven for

the fugitive al-Qaeda and Taliban leadership. Coming back to the

seven-minute-long video, titled 'Cubs of Waziristan,' it shows a group

of 16 teenage jihadis, including six trainers armed with assault

rifles and ten young recruits who are standing in a half circle. An

older fighter, who seems to be their trainer or leader, is shown

citing a verse from the Holy Quran that says Muslims must prepare for

war against 'the enemy of Allah and your enemy'.

"In obedience of this divine command, we are preparing militarily and

Shariah and faith-wise," the fighter is shown as saying. "In this way,

we are erasing ages of humiliation that we tasted and in which we grew

up. At times we were scared of match sticks, and now, thanks to Allah,

here are the children of the Muslims getting trained in weapons that

US Special Forces are trained to use. This is an embodiment of the

extirpation of the defeatist moral that was planted in the Islamic

Ummah [community].

"The young Pakistani children are then seen undergoing firearms

training with pistols, assault rifles, and machine guns. The boys are

conducting shooting drills in lanes, with paper targets tacked up on

posts. A few of the smaller kids are seen having difficulty handling

the recoil of the assault rifles. The video ends with the trainers and

the young recruits, who are now armed with assault rifles, standing in

line, raising their weapons, and shouting "Allah Almighty is Great".

Located between eastern Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan, the North

Waziristan Agency also provides shelter to many anti-American

terrorist organisations such as the Haqqani Network, the

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Islamic Jihad Union, the Islamic Army

of Great Britain, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the Harkatul Jehadul Islami, the Jamaat-ul-Furqaan,

the Fidayeen-e-Islami, as well as the splinter groups of the Harkatul

Mujahideen (HuM), the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and the Lashkar-e-Taiba

(LeT), among others.

Many of the terrorist attacks targeting the American and Western

installations and individuals in Pakistan as well as the headquarters

of the Pakistani security and intelligence interests, had been jointly

planned by al-Qaeda and the TTP in North Waziristan. At the same time,

much of al-Qaeda's most wanted core leadership remains in the Mirali,

Miramshah and Datta Khel areas of North Waziristan and continues to

mastermind bloody acts of terrorism on both sides of the Pak-Afghan

border. The US considers the Haqqani Network and its role in the

insurgency in Afghanistan among the most difficult challenges the ISAF

faces, but has so far simply failed to convince the Pakistani military

establishment to take action against the Haqqani Network's safe havens

on the Pakistani soil.

The Americans maintain that the North Waziristan has become a hub of

the anti-US elements given the fact that it has a common border with

Khost, the native Afghan province of Jalaluddin Haqqani.

However, the Pakistani military authorities, despite intense US

pressure, have so far shown reluctance to carry out a full-fledged

military operation in North Waziristan. They have been insisting that

military operations against the militants would be undertaken at the

timing of its own choosing and at a scale in keeping with its strength

of manpower and military hardware. On the other hand, the American

drones have targeted the North Wa ziristan extensively since the dawn

of 2010, especially after a suicide bomber killed seven CIA officers

in the Khost area of Afghanistan on December 31, 2009 by exploding

himself inside the CIA facility.

========================================

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Pakistan: Recordings of Militants' Reasons to Attack Civilians Launched Online

SAP20110820103008 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 20 Aug 11

[Report by Saba Imtiaz: "Defending militancy: Why they kill civilians,

attack the state"]

KARACHI: An audio recording explaining why militants attack the state,

military and civilians and engage in kidnappings and bank robberies

has recently surfaced online.

The conversation is described as being between Harkat-e-Islami

Uzbekistan's Mufti Abuzar Hifzullah and an unnamed religious scholar

reportedly employed by the Army. A website states that the

conversation took place via a 'wireless set' in Shaktoi, South

Waziristan.

Hifzullah could refer to Mufti Abuzar Khanjari, who BBC has reported

as being part of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi's Qari Zafar group.

The two discuss issues such as the destruction of mosques, legality of

killing civilians and accepting US aid.

Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Major-General Athar

Abbas said he was unaware of any such recording. As far as the

presence of religious scholars or clerics with military units is

concerned, Abbas said, "I don't know how you would define a cleric,

but the military has chaplains who are part of each unit. They are

non-combatants, so they remain part of the base camp. They give

sermons, but these are authorised, vetted and provided by the army.

The chaplains are supervised by the commanding officer and do not do

anything that is not in line with what he says."

The audio cannot be independently verified, since the individuals do

not name themselves and there is no time frame available for when the

audio was recorded.

The recording begins with a discussion of the 2007 military operation

at Lal Masjid, after which there was a surge in suicide attacks. The

military scholar questions the existence of arms in Lal Masjid and

asks why militants now attack mosques.

Hifzullah justifies this by saying that killing 'munafiq' [hypocrites]

in mosques is legitimate, as is killing religious scholars - or

anyone else - who does not agree with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan's

stance.

The conversation is an interesting insight into how militants and the

army use religion to justify their work. Religious texts are cited by

the men, albeit with very different interpretations.

The men debate accepting US aid. Hifzullah says it is a sin to take

aid from infidels [referring to the US] to kill Muslims, which the

military scholar challenges with the assertion that militants took

American aid to fight in Afghanistan in the 1980s, which Hifzullah

accepts. However, his justification is that it is permissible to take

aid from non-believers if it does not "harm Islam and Shariat".

The scholar challenges Hifzullah, saying that the military works for

its lawful salary and does not take money from anyone.

According to Hifzullah, robbing banks is 'legal' and their 'right'

because it is 'maal-e-ghanimat' [spoils of war]. Hifzullah says they

attack banks which have government accounts. "Emptying Pakistani banks

is jihad ... the money has been earned by selling our fighters,"

[likely referring to people handed over to US custody after 9/11]. He

also defends kidnapping people for ransom; but says they do not kidnap

minors.

The scholar asks how many Pakistanis have been killed compared to

Americans. Hifzullah's reply is that killing Pakistani officers is the

same as killing Americans, as they consider them as one.

The scholar repeatedly brings up attacks on civilians, such as those

in Lahore's Moon Market and the December 2007 attack in Kamra on a

Pakistan Aeronautical Complex bus that was transporting the children

of air force employees. He asks why militants attack women and

children, when doing so is forbidden in Islam.

Hifzullah says these 'children' were older and their deaths were a

consequence of the militants' campaign against the armed forces. "It

is a military school; children also die when you are killing adults."

Hifzullah thanks God for the 2005 earthquake which "killed thousands

of military personnel".

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

Around 25 Defunct Organizations Warned to Stop Terrorism Activities in Pakistan

SAP20110824103004 Islamabad Pakistan Observer Online in English 24 Aug 11

[Report by staff correspondent: "25 banned organisations warned to

stop activities"]

Karachi--The banned organisations including Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and

Sipah-e-Sahaba have been warned to end all their activities otherwise

action will be taken under Anti-Terrorism Act against them.

The warning was extended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah

and Interior Minister Rehman Malik at a review meeting held here

Sunday at CM House on law and order in the province particularly in

Karachi.

The meeting was informed that enquiry will be conducted against at

least 25 banned organisations which are still functioning with new

identities. "The offices of banned organisations will be sealed," it

was declared.

It was decided to take effective and result oriented measures against

anti-state elements to protect the life and property of the masses.

Participants of the meeting also expressed their satisfaction over

decisions taken during a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime

Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani here on Monday and results of

deployment of police and Rangers in sensitive areas.

Performance of Police and Rangers was also appreciated for their

measures taken during the 'Yaum-e-Ali Day' when 4,000 personnel were

deployed for security of the processions.

It was further observed that the 'Mafia of Extortionists' have caused

fatal damage to the business and industrial activity in the city and

that tough measures needs to be taken against them to end this menace.

All the DPOs and concerned police officers were directed to provide

all protection to the business fraternity.

At least 6 extortionists have been arrested from SITE area Karachi,

the meeting was informed.

Referring to the smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives and other

prohibited items into the city through inter-provincial transport

routes, it was decided to further scrutinise and minimise the entry

points so that police could tighten their check on such activities.

Moreover, checking of incoming passenger buses from other parts of the

country will also be enhanced, it was further decided.The Sindh Home

Minister Manzoor Wasan, IGP Sindh Wajid Ali Durrani, Acting DG Sindh

Rangers Brig. Zafar Iqbal, Additional IGP Saud Mirza and other

officials also attended the meeting.

[Description of Source: Islamabad Pakistan Observer Online in English

-- Website of the pro-military daily with readership of 5,000.

Anti-India, supportive of Saudi policies, strong supporter of

Pakistan's nuclear and missile program. Chief Editor Zahid Malik is

the author of books on nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan; URL:

http://www.pakobserver.net]

Pakistan: Militant Groups Recruit Young Men From Punjab to Fight in Kashmir

SAP20110825127005 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 25 Aug 11

[Unattributed report: "Spy agencies claim banned militant groups

recruiting in Punjab"]

LAHORE: Amid reports that banned militant organisation

Jaish-e-Muhammad has resumed full-scale public activity, intelligence

agencies have said that other militant groups have also begun

recruiting young men from Punjab to fight, particularly in Indian

Kashmir.

These recruitments, agencies say, have begun following visits from

renowned militant leader Syed Salahuddin to different cities in

Punjab. Salahuddin heads Hizbul Mujahideen, the most prominent

militant outfit in Kashmir, and heads terror alliance Muttahida Jihad

Council which supports Kashmir's accession to Pakistan.

According to the agency's report, these activities have been observed

since the last week of July in many cities in central Punjab. Both

Salahuddin and Hafiz Saeed have been delivering emphatic speeches at

public gatherings and Iftar parties.

Meanwhile, another report forwarded by Punjab home department says

that banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) has also become

active, particularly after the release of the group's founder Malik

Ishaq in July.

A circular has been sent to the Punjab inspector general of police,

Lahore police chief, all regional police officers and district police

officers.

According to the report, some terrorists who have been released from

Punjab's prisons in the last six months have also regrouped.

These 51 alleged high-profile terrorists, says the report, have been

conducting meetings with their previous accomplices and are

collaborating with the outfits that they used to belong to. All these

terrorists were imprisoned for their involvement in terrorism cases.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

The Nizam-e- Khelafat-e-Rashida Seeks Donations For Madrasah Expansion

SAP20110815134002 www.jmmpak.tk in Urdu 15 Aug 11

[The Nizam-e- Khelafat-e- Rashida, the new name for

Sipah-e-Sahaba/Lashkar-e-Jangvi, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, has

launched an online appeal for donations for an extension of a

religious school through its own website, www.jmmpak.tk. According to

the website, the school is running out of space to accommodate an

overwhelming increase of students.]

[The following announcement and an appeal for donations appear on the

latest release of Nizam-e- Khelafat-e- Rashida on the website.]

[The following is the translation of the Urdu text]

"The Ail-e-Sunnah Aljamat Madrasah in Samundree City "Founder: Maulana

Ziaur Rehman Farooqui Saheed [martyred]

"Jamiah Omar Farooq Islamia

"Educational Institutes are needed

"Ever since Saibzada Rehan Mahmood Zia took full control of Gulshan

Farooqi Shaheed Jamiha Omar Farooq Islamia [madrasah], the school

standard has much improved. This is one of the reasons so many

students seek admission to this school. At this time, older schools

cannot accommodate the increasing number of students; therefore,

management has made the drastic decision to build another floor.

"The total covered area of the library of the 2nd floor is 2260 SF and

the 'memorize' section of the Koran is about 1200 SF.

"The affluent can help the operation by donating cement, sand, crushed

stones, steel, and cash. The estimated cost for both institutes is

approximately RS 3 Million [$35294.00].

"Requested by: Rehan Mahmood Zia, the Principle of Anjaman Jamiah Omar

Farooq Islamia

"Samundree Faisalabad Pakistan Ph: 0300-769-3296 and 041-342-0896"

[Description of Source: JMMPAK.Net in Urdu Website of Jhangvi Media

Movement, apparently an affiliate of the banned Sunni Islamist

extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, now renamed as Ahle Sunnat

Wal Jamaat Pakistan; critical of the US action against terrorism,

posts anti-Shia and anti-Qadiyani material, provides links to other

Sipah-e-Sahaba websites and publications. ]

Pakistan Article Discusses Attitude of Punjab Govt Towards Punjabi Taliban

SAP20110827135003 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 27 Aug 11

[Article by Imran Khan: "[name of US person omitted] is no CIA agent"]

By repeatedly declaring that there are no Punjabi Taliban, the chief

minister of Punjab has basically refused to acknowledge the ethnicity

of accomplished terrorists such as Qari Zafar and Usman Punjabi. Many

interpreted that statement as, "only Pathans can be Taliban". But the

clarification came very quickly, as the chief minister asserted that

ethnicities shouldn't be labelled with terrorism -- be it Pathan or

Punjabi. Fair enough, but then that didn't seem to be the case as

Punjab's minister, Rana Sanaullah commented on the abduction of [name

of US person omitted].

Mr Sanaullah has said that the kidnapping was perhaps a result of

collusion between Mr [name of US person omitted]'s staff and the

abductors. This may be a plausible theory, but to support it the

minister doesn't mention any links of the accused to terrorist outfits

such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi or the Sipah-e-Sahaba, instead he simply

mentioned their domiciles, as being from Swabi, Charsadda and Fata, as

if that were enough proof of culpability. Forget about the non-Pashtun

guard, it was the ethnicity of the Pashtun staff that had to be

suspected and highlighted, because it just makes good mathematical

sense, since the minister would think that Pathan equals Taliban.

But this guilt by domicile wasn't limited to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It

also applies to an American passport in which case its holder is

assumed to be a CIA agent. It was bewildering to hear the Punjab law

minister equate [name of US person omitted] with Raymond Davis, and

also link it with the doctor's refusal of an offer by the Punjab

government to provide a police escort.

[name of US person omitted], who headed the Pakistan Initiative for

Strategic Development and Competitiveness (PISDAC) project, is a very

well known figure within Pakistan's aid and development community.

Under the PISDAC project, [name of US person omitted] oversaw

strategic interventions in the dairy, gems jewellery, marble and

granite sectors in Pakistan, resulting in the establishment of

companies such as Pakistan Stone Development Company (PASDEC), and the

Pakistan Dairy Development Company. The project also provided

technical assistance in modernising dairy as well as marble production

and improving marketing in the gems and jewellery sectors. The overall

impact of that intervention on Pakistan's economy according to one

reported, is estimated to be around $67 million.

The details of [name of US person omitted]'s contribution to

Pakistan's economy, including PISDAC and other projects, are easily

available on the internet. Given the current office that Mr Sanaullah

occupies, and the importance of what he says to the press, Punjab's

law minister should perhaps encourage his staff to use Google to keep

him updated on such a sensitive issue.

Another document that the good minister needs to be made aware of is

the Pew Research Centre survey for 2010. According to this, the

Taliban enjoy an approval of 22 per cent in Punjab, compared to seven

per cent in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, six per cent in Balochistan, and five

per cent in Sindh. These figures may make some sense especially if one

considers that in the past, the chief minister of Punjab has publicly

said that an olive branch should be offered to the Taliban.

Ingratitude goes against our national ethos, and we are showing

exactly that by baselessly maligning the name of [name of US person

omitted] -- a person who has dedicated seven years of his life to

serving Pakistan. There are many other ways to justify the

incompetence of Punjab's security apparatus, but a mixture of racist

generalisations and unsubstantiated allegations is certainly the most

shameless way to go about it.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

Pakistan: Banned Groups Members Receiving Technical Training in South Punjab

SAP20110831142002 Karachi Islam in Urdu 31 Aug 11 8, 7

[Unattributed report: "Punjab Government Organizes Technical Training

for Banned Organizations"]

Multan - Punjab Home Department organizes technical training for the

members of the banned religious, belonging to South Punjab, to bring

them in the mainstream of life. Initially, the training is being given

at the Abad Technical Training Center, located at Fatehpur Road,

Rajanpur District, and Toyota Center, located at KLP Road, Bahawalpur.

Eighteen persons have been selected for giving training from

Bahawalpur District, while 16 persons have been selected from Rajanpur

District.

Some youths receiving the technical training and some trainers told

BBC on the condition of anonymity that the training started on 10 July

2011 and will conclude on 10 October 2011. The people belonging to the

banned Jihad-e-Islami, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Harkatul Ansar, Harkatul

Jihad al-Islami, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba, and

Sipah-e-Muhammad are among those receiving professional training. Most

of the people attending this training program are youths belonging to

the banned jihadist organizations. They are being given electrical

training free of cost as well as stipend amounting Rs 800 [$9] per

month.

A youth, belonging to Dera Nawab, a town in the sub-district Ahmedpur

east, said that the officials of Dera Nawab police station summoned

and told him that the people on the Fourth Schedule, who had received

jihadist training in Afghanistan and had also participated in Afghan

jihad, could attend this 16-week training program. He further said

that, in addition to this free training, they would also be given

stipend amounting Rs 800, the youth added.

An official of the Toyota Center, Rajanpur District, said that their

company had closed down the electrical department. However, following

the Punjab Home Department's decision, seven teachers were hired. He

further said that psychologists have also been hired to change the

trainees' mindset. In addition, the government religious teachers also

give them religious education.

When Akhtar Islam, in-charge of the Special Branch, deputed in

Rajanpur District, was contacted for the confirmation and further

information about this program, he said that he could not give any

information in this regard.

[Description of Source: Karachi Islam in Urdu -- Jihadist daily

associated with the Al-Rasheed Trust, estimated circulation around

20,000. A pro-Taliban paper which claims to have introduced a new

trend in journalism based on Islamic values. Following orthodox

Islamic principles, the paper never publishes pictures of living

beings.]

Pakistan: Police Suspect Groups Linked to Taliban Active in Karachi

SAP20110904122001 Karachi Ummat Online in Urdu 31 Aug 11

[Report by Asif Saud: "Initial Evidence of Relations With Defunct

Tehreek-e-Taliban"]

Karachi -- Important evidence have been found with regard to the two

terrorists who were killed when the motorcycle on which they had

planted explosive materials slipped and the burst into flames under

the jurisdiction of Mubina Town Police Station that they had links

with the now defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban. Investigations with regard to

a similar group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which is associated with the

Tehreek-e-Taliban network are also in progress.

The bomb disposal squad has claimed that certain similarities were

found in the bomb planted on the motorcycle found in Liyari and the

bomb that exploded in Mubina Town. The investigation agencies, having

taken a few persons into custody in light of information extracted

from the phone SIMs of the terrorists, are trying to find out as to

where the terrorists were intending to conduct the explosion?

A concerned officer of the investigation team has said that certain

evidence have been found from the mobile phone SIMs that show that the

deceased terrorists had links with the defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban. Four

persons have been taken into custody for interrogation. Police sources

say that they were the same people who had called the terrorists on

their mobile phone in the morning.

The source has also said that an investigation agency have collected

details of all telephone calls made on the said mobile phone SIMs and

those using these numbers are being taken into custody. It adds that

two terrorists have been taken into custody from Scout Colony with

reference to calls made on the mobile phone SIMs. Another person has

been taken into custody from Metrole-III, Phase-I, on the basis of

information from these two persons.

The CID [central investigation division] police is investigating a

group of defunct Lashkar-e-Jhangvi members who also works for the

defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban.

The sources say that a motorcycle was found on 30 August night in

Liyari area on which an approximately 3-kg bomb had been planted;

whereas, the bomb disposal squad has claimed that the bomb planted on

a motorcycle exploded under the Mubina Town police station

jurisdiction also had 3 to 4 kg of explosive materials; and the two

bomb were similar to each other.

[Description of Source: Karachi Ummat Online in Urdu -- Website of the

sensationalist, pro-Usama Bin Ladin Urdu daily. Harshly critical of

the US, Israel, and India. Propagates Muslim unity to counter

US/Western influence. Circulation 20,000. Editor-publisher Rafiq

Afghan is an Afghan war veteran; URL: http://www.ummatpublication.com]

Pakistan: Report Says Despite Usama's Death Al-Qa'ida Has Grown in Strength

SAP20110910118001 Islamabad The News Online in English 10 Sep 11

[Report by Amir Mir: "Remembering 9/11: no signs that terror is being defeated"]

LAHORE: A decade after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US and the

subsequent war on terror launched by the US-led allied forces against

al-Qaeda, the global terrorist organisation remains a potent threat as

it keeps surviving and thriving mainly on the Pak-Afghan tribal belt.

In these rugged areas, the al-Qaeda leadership has established an

effective militant network that increasingly exploits its Pakistani

affiliates to carry on the global militant agenda of Osama bin Laden,

despite his May 2 killing in a US military raid in Pakistan. Until

recently, analysts have been mostly focusing on the dangers posed by

the growing Talibanisation of Pakistan. However, it has now become

abundantly clear that the time has come to pay more attention to the

bigger dangers posed by the Pakistanisation of al-Qaeda.

Since the former US President Bush's declaration of war against global

terrorism in September 2001, the United States and its allies have

claimed to have killed or captured over 80 percent of senior al-Qaeda

leaders, especially from Pakistan, the latest being Younis al

Mauritani, who is suspected of directing attacks against the United

States and Europe. Mauritani was arrested on September 5, 2011 from

Quetta.

Yet, the frequency of the al-Qaeda-sponsored terrorist attacks has

increased, as compared to the pre-9/11 period, the latest being the

September 7, 2011 twin suicide attacks targeting the residence of the

Deputy Inspector General of the Balochistan Frontier Corps in Quetta,

which killed 28 people.

The Quetta attack was reportedly carried out in retaliation to the

arrest of Younis al Mauritani. The current spate of high-intensity

terrorist attacks, despite Osama's elimination months ago, makes it

obvious that al-Qaeda's core elements are still resilient and the

outfit is cultivating stronger operational connections which radiate

outward from their hideouts in Pakistan to affiliates scattered

throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

Therefore, al-Qaeda not only remains in business in its traditional

stronghold in the Waziristan tribal region on the largely lawless

Pak-Afghan tribal belt border, but has clearly advanced to the urban

areas in all the four provinces of Pakistan.

However, the most worrying aspect of the prevalent situation remains

the growing belief of the Obama administration that if there is one

country in the world that matters most to the future of al-Qaeda, it

is none other than Pakistan.

Al-Qaeda, which means "The Base" in Arabic, was founded way back in

1988 by Osama bin Laden, and seeks to overthrow the US-dominated world

order. The outfit was relatively unknown until the 9/11 terror attacks

when its operatives hijacked four US airliners and crashed two of them

into the World Trade Centre towers in New York.

A third plane hit the Pentagon building in Washington and a fourth one

crashed in Pennsylvania after the passengers attempted to regain

control of the plane. In an exclusive interview with Geo Television on

July 23, 2008, Mustafa Abu Yazid alias Sheikh Saeed, then the third

senior-most al-Qaeda leader after Osama bin Laden and Dr Ayman

Zawahiri, had confessed for the first time that the 9/11 attacks were

carried out by 19 al-Qaeda operatives, most of whom were Saudi

nationals.

As the US-led allied forces launched a ruthless military offensive in

Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the

Afghanistan-based al-Qaeda leadership started moving its fighters

across their eastern border into Pakistan, where they have now taken

over the control of the mountainous Fata after joining hands with the

local Taliban militants. The Al-Qaeda leadership's choice of using the

Fata region, especially the North and the South Waziristan tribal

agencies as their hideout, enabled the terrorist organisation to build

a new power base, which is separate from Afghanistan. Therefore,

despite Pakistan's extensive contribution to the global war on terror,

many questions persist about the extent to which al-Qaeda and its all

ied groups are operating within Pakistan.

In fact, al-Qaeda's success in forging close ties to Pakistani

militant groups has given it an increasingly secure haven in the

mountainous tribal areas of Pakistan, which has replaced Afghanistan

as a key state for the training and indoctrination of al-Qaeda

recruits for operations abroad and for training of those indoctrinated

and radicalised elsewhere. Therefore, the international community

continues to portray Pakistan as a breeding ground for the Taliban

militia and a sanctuary for the fugitive al-Qaeda leaders.

Despite repeated denials by Pakistani authorities, the international

media keeps reporting that al-Qaeda and Taliban have already

established significant bases in Peshawar and Quetta, and carrying out

cross-border ambushes against their targets in Afghanistan, while the

suicide bombing teams of al-Qaeda target the Afghanistan-based US-led

allied forces from their camps in the mountainous region.

The general notion that al-Qaeda is getting stronger even after a

decade-long war against terror can be gauged from the fact that

Pakistan, despite being a key US ally during all those years, is

undergoing a radical change, moving from the phase of Talibanisation

of its society to the Pakistanisation of al-Qaeda. Many of the key

Pakistani militant organisations, which are both anti-American and

anti-state, have now joined hands with al-Qaeda to let loose a reign

of terror across Pakistan. The meteoric rise of the al-Qaeda-linked

Taliban in Pakistan, especially after the 9/11 attacks, has literally

pushed the Pakistani state to the brink of civil war, claiming over

35,000 civilian and khaki lives in terrorism-related incidents between

2001 and 2011.

In fact, the Pakistanisation of al-Qaeda is rooted in decades of

collaboration between elements of the Pakistani military and

intelligence establishment and the extremist militant movements that

birthed and nurtured al-Qaeda, which has evolved significantly over

the years from a close-knit group of Arab Afghans to a trans-national

Islamic global insurgency, dominated by more and more Pakistani

militants. US intelligence agencies say a gush of motivated youth is

flooding towards the realm of militancy and joining the al-Qaeda

cadres, and thus Pakistan remains a potential site for recruitment and

training of militants as the fugitive leadership of the terror outfit

keeps hiring local recruits with the help of their local affiliates in

Pakistan, in a bid to bolster the manpower of al-Qaeda that has grown

from strength to strength despite the arrest and killing of hundreds

of its operatives from within Pakistan since 2001.

To tell the truth, al-Qaeda has literally become a Pakistani

phenomenon now for all practical purposes, given the fact that a good

number of anti-American sectarian and militant groups in the country

have joined the terrorist network, making Pakistan the nerve centre of

al-Qaeda's global operations. For instance, investigations into the

May 22, 2011 terrorist attack on the Mehran naval base in Karachi had

revealed that it was a coordinated operation involving al-Qaeda's

Waziristan-based chief operational commander from Egypt, Saif Al Adal,

top military strategists of al-Qaeda from Pakistan, Commander Ilyas

Kashmiri, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Punjabi Taliban, a

term used to describe the Punjab-based militant organisations which

are opposed to, and fighting the Pakistani state as well as the United

States.

Pakistani intelligence findings on the Mehran naval base terrorist

attack clearly demonstrated that al-Qaeda and TTP have teamed up with

the Punjabi Taliban in recent years to form a triangular syndicate of

militancy, chiefly to destabilise Pakistan, whose political and

military leadership is allegedly siding with "the forces of the

infidel" in the war against terror.

Therefore, the al-Qaeda-Taliban alliance has gained an edge in

Pakistan because of the support the local militant groups provide.

Ideological ties bind the al-Qaeda, the Tehrik-e-Taliba n and the

Punjabi Taliban to throw out international forces from Afghanistan.

These three militant entities share intelligence, human resources and

training facilities, and empathise with each other as the American and

Pakistani agencies -- however strained the relationship between the

two countries may be -- hunt and target them, as proven recently with

the arrest of Younis al Mauritani, which became possible due to the

collaboration between US and Pakistani intelligence agencies.

These three outfits initially came together at the time the US-led

allied forces invaded Afghanistan post-9/11, prompting the al-Qaeda

and the Afghan Taliban to rely on local partners such as the

pro-Taliban tribes in Pakistan, anti-US and anti-Shia groups like the

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), militants in religious seminaries and

extremist groups for shelter and assistance. The ties between local

militant groups and al-Qaeda cemented further as a result of the

Afghan Taliban's astonishing successes against the US-led allied

forces, which prompted the US to increase the drone attacks in the

tribal areas and turn the heat on Pakistan to crack down on the TTP

and others.

However, this axis of evil remains an informal alliance which is

mainly meant to protect and support each other. But what gave the

alliance an impetus was the migration of battle-hardened Pakistani

commanders from the battlefront in the Indian administered Jammu &

Kashmir to the Waziristan region in Fata. As things stand now, the

trouble-stricken Waziristan tribal region has become the new

battlefield for the pro-Kashmir militants, who have joined hands with

the anti-US al-Qaeda elements. Information gathered by the Pakistani

agencies shows the presence of fighters in Waziristan belonging to

several pro-Kashmir militant groups, many of which have fallen out of

favour with the Pakistani military and intelligence establishment,

which are under tremendous pressure to stop harbouring al-Qaeda-linked

extremist elements.

In a nutshell, the death of Osama bin Laden was unquestionably a major

blow to al-Qaeda. Yet, there are clear indications to imply that long

before he was killed, al-Qaeda had adapted itself to survive and

operate without him, ensuring that the threat his terror network poses

lives well beyond his demise. Therefore, there is no reason to believe

that the terrorist outfit Osama bin Laden had launched more than two

decades ago, is anywhere near defeat.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Report Says Banned Militant Organizations Behind Killings in Balochistan

SAP20110812141003 Lahore The Friday Times Online in English 05 Aug 11

- 11 Aug 11

[Report By Zia Ur Rehman: Balochistan Crisis: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

Behind Hazara Killings in Quetta ]

Eleven people, including a woman, were killed on July 30 when gunmen

opened fire on a passenger vehicle near Pishin bus stop in Quetta. All

the victims were Hazaras. The incident sparked violent protests and

Quetta was completely shut down on July 31.

This is not the first such attack on members of the Shia

Persian-speaking Hazara community. On July 10, two Hazara policemen

were shot and killed on Qambrani Road. On June 22, two people were

killed and 11 others injured in Hazar Ganji area when armed men

ambushed a bus carrying pilgrims to Iran.

Syed Abrar Hussain Shah, a former Olympian, deputy director of

Pakistan Sports Board, and recipient of the prestigious presidential

Pride of Performance and Sitara-e-Imtiaz medals, was gunned down on

June 16 near Nawab Nauroz Khan Stadium in Quetta. Shah, who belonged

to the Hazara community, has represented Pakistan in the Olympics

thrice and won a gold medal at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing.

In another sectarian attack near Mirgahi Khan Chowk on May 18,

unidentified men shot dead seven members of the Hazara community,

including a baby, and injured five others. Most of the killed were

vegetable vendors.

Seven Hazara men were killed and several injured in a rocket and gun

attack in Hazara Town on May 6. There were Frontier Constabulary and

Police checkposts nearby, but the attackers fled.

Over 200 Shia Hazaras have been killed in Balochistan in the last

three years, according to elders of Hazara tribe and media sources.

They include businessmen, political leaders, government employees,

clerics, police cadets, vegetable vendors, and daily-wage workers.

Hazaras are identifiable because of their Mongoloid features.

A large number of Hazaras have also been killed in attacks on

religious processions. Last year, over 80 Shias, most of them Hazaras,

were killed in a bombing on a Shia procession on September 3.

"Members of our community have been targeted persistently for the last

10 years by sectarian outfits, especially the banned militant

organisations Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan

(SSP)," said Abdul Khaliq, chairman of Hazara Democratic Party.

LeJ has accepted responsibility of most of these attacks. A spokesman

for the LeJ in Balochistan, who ironically identifies himself as Ali

Sher Haidri, said his group would avenge the killing of Al Qaeda

leader Osama bin Laden by targeting not only government officials and

security forces, but also Hazara Shias.

Handbills distributed in Quetta recently have warned the Hazaras of a

"jihad" similar to the one carried out against the Hazaras of

Afghanistan by the Taliban; the Taliban regime had killed 12,000

Hazaras in central Afghanistan

The 3.5 million Hazaras in Balochistan are said to have migrated to

Quetta from Afghanistan a century ago. In the 1990s, the Taliban

massacred the community - the third largest in the country - killing

thousands in Bamyan, Ghazni and parts of Uruzgan that later became the

Daykundi province. They had accused the Hazaras of collaborating with

the Afghan Northern Alliance (ANA) fighting the Taliba n regime in

Kabul. According to an Amnesty International report, about 12,000

Hazaras were killed in central Afghanistan by the Taliban.

"Hundreds of Pakistani young men from militant organisations including

the SSP, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Jundullah and Harkatul Mujahideen fought

with the Taliban against the ANA," said an expert on militancy who

teaches at Balochistan University. "The same men are now killing the

Hazaras in Balochistan." He said the Al Qaeda and Taliban-linked

groups accuse the community of colluding with the Americans and

causing the downfall of the Taliban. Quetta is reportedly the new hub

of the defeated Taliban factions, and has become a major site of

expression of the hatred towards the Hazaras.

The LeJ network in Quetta is being run by Usman Saifullah Kurd, Dawood

Badini and Shafiqur Rind, a senior police official said. Kurd, who

heads the LeJ in Balochistan, has trained a new group of killers who

are carrying out attacks on the Hazaras, he said. Rind was arrested in

2003 from Mastung area of Balochistan while Kurd was arrested by the

Criminal Investigation Unit in Karachi on June 22, 2006. Both fled

from the Anti-Terrorist Force jail in Quetta on January 18, 2008. Rind

was rearrested, but Kurd is still at large.

A source in the SSP said Kurd had recently met Malik Ishaq, a founding

member of the LeJ, in Rahim Yar Khan and invited him to visit Quetta

to address the banned SSP's public meetings.

Ishaq, accused of having masterminded the attack on the Sri Lankan

cricket team in 2009 from behind the bars, was recently released by

the Supreme Court after 14 years in prison.

The Hazara community had expressed concerns over his release. "The

courts are releasing top leaders of banned organisations, and that

shows these groups are getting stronger once again," said a Hazara

religious scholar.

According to the Hazara Democratic Party chairman, Kurd's escape from

jail was proof that these groups have inside support. He said the

government claims to have arrested the attackers in all the cases, but

they are never brought before the court or the public.

"The government has failed to tackle sectarian violence and protect

the Hazara community," Khailq said, whose predecessor Hussain Ali

Yousafi was also killed for being a Hazara in 2009.

Hazara elders believe intelligence agencies know about the activities

of banned outfits and the whereabouts of their leaders, who simply

operate under new names. They believe the state is either indifferent

or supporting them.

[Description of Source: Lahore The Friday Times Online in English --

Website of the Independent, moderate weekly run by veteran journalist

Najam Sethi. Reputed for in-depth analytic articles. Editorials

analyses, and articles criticize government policies and expose its

corruption and misconduct. Hardcopy circulation of 5,000; URL:

http://www.thefridaytimes.com]

Pakistan: Investigations Reveal PPP, MQM-A, ANP Have Target Killers in Karachi

SAP20110910118006 Islamabad The News Online in English 10 Sep 11

[Report by Ansar Abbasi: "All coalition partners in Sindh harbour

target killers"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

ISLAMABAD: The recent search operation against criminals, terrorists

and target killers in Karachi has officially exposed all the three

coalition partners in Sindh -- PPP, MQM-A and ANP -- besides revealing

the deadly role of the PPP's People's Aman Committee (PAC) and

discovering that this largest political party of the country too has

target killers.

Informed government sources said the updated list of alleged target

killers, apprehended in Karachi, includes six killers belonging to the

PPP. However, the MQM-A continues to lead the list of these alleged

killers with 22 from it.

The sources told The News that the recent arrests of criminal elements

had also established the involvement of the PAC in terrorist

activities. The PPP's peace committees were the brainchild of former

Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, who is presently the darling of

the media after his recent press conference in which he charged MQM

chief Altaf Hussain and Interior Minister Rehman Malik with working

against Pakistan.

An informed source said in the federal cabinet meeting, held on

Thursday, video clips of the admissions of PAC members were shown in

which they were speaking their venom against the MQM-A men.

Similar video clips of criminals and alleged target killers belonging

to other political parties like the MQM-A and ANP were also shown to

the cabinet to conclude that different political parties, including

the three major coalition partners, PPP, MQM-A and ANP, are breeding

terrorism and involved in the killing of each others' men. The MQM-A,

which has been a part of the Sindh as well as the federal government

for over three years but left the cabinet slots recently, continues to

have its governor in Sindh.

According to another senior government source, the latest list of

already apprehended alleged target killers includes at least six from

the PPP. Most of these alleged target killers are from Lyari, the

stronghold of the PPP.

The alleged target killers include 22 from MQM-A, at least four from

the ANP and several others from MQM-Haqqiqi, Sunni Tehrik,

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba.

It was Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani who had recently admitted in a

cabinet meeting that PPP men were also involved in the Karachi

killings. The premier had told the cabinet meeting that law

enforcement agencies in Karachi were confident of controlling the

deteriorating law and order situation in the city in just a fortnight

provided they were given a free hand.

The prime minister had said law enforcement agencies sought a free

hand and demanded that there should be no political interference from

any side to ensure early peace and to stop the target killings.

Political interference and backing of criminals and killers by

political parties were seen as the major hurdles in the way of durable

peace in the city.

Briefing the cabinet about the Karachi situation, Prime Minister

Gilani had admitted that besides the MQM-A and the ANP, the PPP men,

whom Gilani described as 'our men', were also involved in the Karachi

killings.

The 2010 official report, prepared during the tenure of Zulfiqar Mirza

as the home minister, contained details of joint interrogation reports

of all the key government agencies relating to the 26 accused arrested

and probed in 2010 in Karachi's target killing cases. The then list

showed the majority (14 out of 26) belonging to the MQM-A, while the

rest claimed their association with the MQM-Haqiqi, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi,

Sipah-e-Muhammad, ANP and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan. In that list not

even a single alleged target killer had claimed his association with

the PPP.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Pakistan: TTP Planning to Attack Police to Free Partners From Bahawalpur Jails

SAP20110911127021 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 11 Sep 11

[Report by Asad Kharal: "Intelligence report: Terrorists plot attacks

on police to free accomplices"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

LAHORE: Terrorists from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - the

outlawed conglomerate of militant groups - are plotting jailbreaks and

attacks on police to free their accomplices from police custody in

Bahawalpur district of Punjab.

According to a classified intelligence report, the terrorists could

attack the Bahawalpur Central Jail or police parties escorting some

high-profile terrorists to anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) for hearings.

The Bahawalpur Central Jail hosts some senior militants from the TTP,

Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) who were

allegedly involved in an attack on a building of the Inter-Services

Intelligence (ISI), The Express Tribune has learnt.

Also four "TTP terrorists" were recently shifted to the Bahawalpur

Central Jail from Multan prison. They are: Abdul Rahim, alias Talha;

Muhammad Afzal, alias Qari Muhammad Din; Suleman, alias Amjad, and

Sajjad. The authorities have put in place additional security at the

Bahawalpur jail following reports of possible terrorist attacks.

Another 40 policemen have been deputed at the jail.

The Bahawalpur Central Jail is considered as the most sensitive jail

because some high-profile terrorists from the TTP and other extremist

groups. The jail administration has also received threats from

extremist groups.

According to another classified report, seven under-trail prisoners,

including Saleem, Mufti Munawar and Bilal, who belong to the TTP, SSP

and LeJ are also imprisoned in this jail.

In view of the threats, the Punjab police chief has said that

currently 14 terrorists involved in high-profile cases of terrorism

are being tried in ATCs in Bahawalpur, Khanewal and Multan.

In an official circular to the district police officers, the Punjab

police chief further said that militants could attack police while the

terrorists are being ferried to ATCs for court hearings in an attempt

to free their accomplices. He directed the DPOs to put in place

fool-proof security while the terrorists are taken to courts for

hearing of their cases.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

Pakistan: TTP Spokesman Says Suicide Bombers Have Made Mujahedeen Invincible

SAP20110913118001 Islamabad The News Online in English 13 Sep 11

[Report by Amir Mir: "Ten years after 9/11: Suicide attacks declining

in Pakistan"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

Having cost 4,808 precious human lives and inflicting injuries on

10,149 others in 303 suicide attacks carried out by fanatic human

bombs in almost every nook and corner of Pakistan between September

11, 2001 and 2011 in the aftermath of 9/11, the intensity of deadly

suicide bombings seems to be declining in Pakistan.

According to statistics compiled by The News after a careful scanning

of the interior ministry's crime records of the last ten years,

compared with 857 Pakistanis who had lost their lives in 41 incidents

of suicide bombings last year (between January 1 and September 11,

2010), the death toll for the same period during the current year

(between January 1 and September 11, 2011) stands at 601 in 36

incidents of suicide bombings, which were carried out by the human

bombs.

It means that compared with the death toll of the last year till

September 11, 256 less people have been killed and five less suicide

attacks taken place during the current year till September 11. In

fact, the people of Pakistan had to bear 51 suicide bombings in 2010,

which killed 1,172 people and injured 2,204 others.

According to available figures, on average, the suicide bombers have

killed 480 people and injured 1,014 others every year across Pakistan

since September 11, 2011. Similarly, the monthly ratio of the killings

caused by suicide bombers in the last 120 months (since 9/11) comes to

40 people a month. Likewise, the human bombs have so far carried out

30 attacks in Pakistan every year since September 2001 while the

monthly ratio of suicide bombings comes to four attacks a month.

Pakistan was itself spared by any suicide hit until 2001, except for

one such attack in 1995 at the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad. Later

the suicide bombers spread across Pakistan and the security situation

in Pakistan is in utter turmoil today with highly secure key military

and civilian installations becoming vulnerable targets.

The phenomenon of suicide bombings actually came to Pakistan in 2002,

killing 15 people and injuring 35 others in a single incident that

took place on May 8, 2002 when a bomber rammed his explosive laden

vehicle into a bus near the Sheraton Hotel in Karachi. Those killed in

the attack included nine French engineers and five Pakistani

technicians who were working on a naval project. The Sheraton attack

was the second hit of the year 2002.

The next year, in 2003, a total of 70 people were killed and 114

injured in three suicide attacks, two targeting General Pervez

Musharraf in December and one targeting former Prime Minister Shaukat

Aziz in June that year.

In 2004, 91 people were killed and 393 injured in seven incidents of

suicide bombing. In 2005, a total of 86 people were killed and 219

injured in four suicide attacks, followed by seven incidents of

suicide bombings in 2006 that killed 161 people and injured 352 more.

However, 2007 saw unprecedented rise in suicide attacks, in the wake

of the gory 'Operation Silence' carried out by the Pakistan Army

against the fanatic Lal Masjid clerics and their followers in

Islamabad. Subsequently, a record number of 766 people were killed and

1677 injured in 56 suicide attacks that year. The intensity of the Lal

Masjid aftermath could be gauged from the fact that General Musharraf

had to publicly direct his troops on July 13, 2007 not to wear their

uniforms in public, especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for fear of a

backlash from extremists.

In fact, the Lal Masjid raid was exploited by pro-al-Qaeda tribal

leaders to provoke attacks against the army and demoralise its

soldiers in the fight against jehadi terrorism. The idea was to make

the intensively Islamised military rank and file realize that the army

was making a mistake by following the American dictates under the

leadership of a 'faithless' Musharraf and his fellow generals.

The number of suicide bombings multiplied further next year -- in 2008

-- killing 895 people and injuring 1873 in 60 such incidents. There

were 78 suicide attacks in 2009, killing 951 people and wounding 2361.

The ugly phenomenon of suicide terrorism saw its peak in the year

2010, when 1,172 people were killed and 2204 injured in 51 such

incidents.

A total of 601 people have been killed and 842 others injured in 36

attacks carried out by human bombs between January 1 and September 11,

2011.

According to the month-wise break-up of the suicide bombings and the

subsequent death toll this year, 45 people were killed in four

incidents in January 2011, 39 people were killed in three suicide

attacks in February; 127 more lost their lives in six suicide attacks

in March; another 65 Pakistanis were killed in April in six bombings

carried out by human bombs; 154 people lost their lives in five such

incidents in May, 66 more Pakistanis were perished in four attacks in

June; 11 people were killed in three attacks carried out in July, 71

Pakistanis lost their lives in four suicide bombings in August while

24 people have so far been killed in one suicide attack which was

carried out in Quetta on September 7, 2011.

Investigations carried out by the Pakistani security and intelligence

agencies have shown the involvement of several kinds of jehadi groups

in the ongoing spate of suicide strikes including the Tehrik-e-Taliban

Pakistan (TTP), Asmatullah Maaviya and Qari Zafar groups of

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Brigade 313 of Ilyas Kashmiri, Badar Mansoor

Group of Harkatul Mujahideen (HM), Qari Saifullah and Amjad Farooqi

groups of Harkatul Jehadul Islami (HUJI), Lal Masjid Brigade (LLB),

Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM),

Jamaatul Furqaan (JuF), Jaishul-Islami (JuI), Fidayeen-e-Islam (FeI)

and Abdullah Azzam Shaheed Brigade (ASB).

Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked Pakistani terrorists actually learnt the

deadly skill of suicide hits from their Afghan counterparts. Afghan

Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah Akhund was the main architect behind

the increasing number of suicide raids against the US-led Allied

Forces in Afghanistan while Qari Hussain was known in the Pakistani

security circles as the master trainer of young suicide bombers and

thus referred to as the "Ustad-e-Fidayeen", or the teacher of the

suicide bomber.

Qari Hussain, who was the cousin of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Ameer

Commander Hakimullah Mehsud, had also formed the Fidayeen-e-Islam, a

special squad of highly trained suicide bombers that was specifically

assigned to target the security forces and the military installations.

Even after Qari Hussain Mehsud's death, the TTP is believed to have

2000-plus trained suicide bombers across the country. To quote the TTP

spokesperson Azam Tariq, "Our ulema have termed suicide attacks as an

elite form of jehad. Fidayeen is a sophisticated weapon of the

mujahideen; our enemies have no idea how to counter these lethal

bombers. Suicide attacks have made the mujahideen invincible".

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Asia Times: 'Al-Qaida's Roots Grow Deeper in Pakistan'

CPP20110915715018 Hong Kong Asia Times Online in English 0745 GMT 10 Sep 11

[Asia Times Report by Amir Mir: "Al-Qaida's Roots Grow Deeper in

Pakistan "; headline as provided by source]

ISLAMABAD - Ten years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York

City's twin World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon and the

subsequent "war on terror" launched by United Stated-led forces

against al-Qaeda, the terrorist group continues to pose a serious

threat to the world as it keeps surviving and thriving mainly on the

Pakistan-Afghanistan tribal belt.

In these rugged areas it has established an effective jihadi network

that increasingly exploits its Pakistani affiliates to carry on the

global jihadi agenda of Osama bin Laden, despite his May 2 killing in

a United States military raid in Abbottabad in Pakistan.

Until recently, analysts have been mostly focusing on the dangers

posed by the growing Talibanization of Pakistan. Yet, it has now

become abundantly clear that the time has come to pay more attention

to the bigger dangers posed by the Pakistanization of al-Qaeda.

Since US president George W Bush's declaration of war against global

terrorism in September 2001, the US and its allies claim to have

killed or captured over 75% of senior al-Qaeda leaders, the latest

being Younis al-Mauritania, suspected of directing attacks against the

US and Europe, who was arrested on September 5, 2011, during a raid in

Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province in Pakistan.

Yet, the frequency of terror attacks worldwide being attributed to the

al-Qaeda network has increased, as compared to the pre-9/11 period,

the latest being the September 7 twin suicide attacks targeting the

residence of the deputy inspector general of the Balochistan Frontier

Corps in Quetta, which killed 24 people.

Pakistani terrorism experts believe that the current spate of

high-intensity attacks, despite Bin Laden's death four months ago,

make obvious that al-Qaeda's core elements are still resilient and

that the outfit is cultivating stronger operational connections that

radiate outward from hideouts in Pakistan to affiliates scattered

throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

Therefore, as things stand, it appears that al-Qaeda not only remains

in business in its traditional stronghold in the Waziristan tribal

region on the largely lawless Pakistan-Afghanistan tribal belt border,

it has also clearly advanced to the urban areas in all the four

provinces of Pakistan.

This is confirmed by the growing belief of the Barack Obama

administration that if there is one country that matters most to the

future of al-Qaeda, it is Pakistan.

A solid base

Al-Qaeda, which means "The Base" in Arabic, was founded in 1988 by Bin

Laden with the aim of overthrowing the US-dominated world order. The

outfit was relatively unknown until the 9/11 terror attacks when its

operatives hijacked four US airliners and successfully crashed two of

them into the World Trade Center towers in New York, with a third

plane hitting the Pentagon building in Washington and a fourth one

crashing in Pennsylvania as the passengers attempted to regain control

of the plane.

In an exclusive interview with Geo television on July 23, 2008,

Mustafa Abu Yazid alias Sheikh Saeed, then the third senior-most

al-Qaeda leader after Bin Laden and Dr Ayman Zawahiri, confessed for

the first time that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by 19 al-Qaeda

operatives.

As US-led forces launched a ruthless military offensive in Afghanistan

in the aftermath of 9/11, the Afghanistan-based al-Qaeda leadership

started systematically moving its fighters across their eastern border

into Pakistan, where they effectively took over the rugged mountainous

Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) after joining hands with

local militants.

The al-Qaeda leadership's choice of using the FATA region, especially

the North and South Waziristan tribal agencies as their hideout, has

enabled the terror outfit to build a new power base, separate from

Afghanistan. As a result, despite Pakistan's extensive contribution to

the "war on terror", many questions persist about the extent to which

al-Qaeda and its allied groups are operati ng within Pakistan.

Al-Qaeda's success in forging close ties to Pakistani jihadi groups

has given it an increasingly secure haven in the mountainous tribal

areas of Pakistan. These regions have replaced Afghanistan as the key

training and indoctrination grounds for al-Qaeda recruits to be used

in operations abroad and for training those indoctrinated and

radicalized elsewhere.

The international community continues to portray Pakistan as a

breeding ground for the Taliban militia and a sanctuary for fugitive

al-Qaeda leaders. Despite repeated denials by Pakistani authorities,

the global media keep reporting them having already established

significant bases in Peshawar and Quetta, and carrying out

cross-border ambushes against their targets in Afghanistan, while

al-Qaeda suicide bombing teams target US-led forces from their camps

in the mountainous region.

The general notion that al-Qaeda is getting stronger even after the

decade-long "war on terror", can be gauged from the fact that

Pakistan, despite being a key US ally during all those years, is

undergoing a radical change, moving from the phase of Talibanization

of its society to the Pakistanization of al-Qaeda.

Many of the key Pakistani jihadi organizations, which are both

anti-American and anti-state, have already joined hands with al-Qaeda

to let loose a reign of terror across Pakistan. The meteoric rise of

the Taliban militia in Pakistan, especially after 9/11, has literally

pushed the Pakistani state to the brink of civil war, claiming over

35,000 lives in terrorism-related incidents between 2001 and 2011.

Terrorism experts believe that the Pakistanization of al-Qaeda is

rooted in decades of collaboration between elements of the Pakistani

military and the intelligence establishment and extremist jihadi

movements that birthed and nurtured al-Qaeda, which has evolved

significantly over the years from a close-knit group of Arab Afghans

to a trans-national Islamic global insurgency, dominated by more and

more Pakistani militants.

American intelligence agencies believe that with a surge of motivated

youth flooding towards the realm of jihad and joining al-Qaeda cadres,

Pakistan remains a potential site for recruitment and training of

militants as the fugitive leadership of the outfit keeps hiring local

recruits with the help of their local affiliates in Pakistan. This is

to bolster the manpower of al-Qaeda, which has grown from strength to

strength despite the arrest and killing of hundreds of its operatives

from within Pakistan since 2001.

These experts believe, despite the physical elimination of al-Qaeda

founder Bin Laden, that his terrorist outfit remains a potent threat

to global peace as it keeps blooming in the Pakistan-Afghanistan

tribal belt. They say al-Qaeda, for all practical purposes, is now a

Pakistani phenomenon as a good number of the anti-American sectarian

and jihadi groups in the country have joined the terrorist network,

making Pakistan the nerve center of al-Qaeda's global operations.

Investigations into the May 22, 2011, fidayeen (suicide) attack on the

Mehran Naval Base in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi have

revealed that it was a coordinated operation involving al-Qaeda's

Waziristan-based chief operational commander from Egypt, Saif Al Adal,

the outfit's top military strategists from Pakistan, Ilyas Kashmir,

the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Pakistan Taliban - TTP) and the Punjabi

Taliban, a term used to describe the Punjab-based jihadi organizations

that are opposed to, and fighting, the Pakistani state as well as the

United States.

The Pakistani intelligence findings on the Mehran attack clearly

demonstrate that al-Qaeda and the TTP have teamed up with the Punjabi

Taliban in recent years to form a triangular syndicate of militancy,

with the aim to destabilize Pakistan, whose political and military

leadership has been siding with "the forces of the infidel" in the

"war against terror".

Therefore, the al-Qaeda-Taliban alliance has gained an edge in

Pakistan b ecause of the support the local jihadi groups provide.

Ideological ties bind al-Qaeda, the TTP and the Punjabi Taliban to

throw out international forces from Afghanistan. These three jihadi

entities share intelligence, human resources and training facilities,

and empathize with each other as American and Pakistani forces -

however strained the relationship between the two countries may be -

hunt and target them. This was proven recently with the arrest of

Mauritania, which was the result of collaboration between US and

Pakistani intelligence agencies.

The three organizations initially came together at the time the US

invaded Afghanistan post-9/11, prompting al-Qaeda and the Afghan

Taliban to rely on local partners such as Pakistani pro-Taliban

tribes, anti-US and anti-Shi'ite groups like the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

(LeJ) and jihadi mercenaries in Pakistani religious seminaries and

jihadi groups for shelter and assistance.

The ties between local militant groups and al-Qaeda were cemented

further as the Afghan Taliban's astonishing successes against the

US-led allied forces prompted the US to increase drone attacks in the

tribal areas and turn the heat on Pakistan to crack down on the TTP

and others.

However, this "axis of evil" remains an informal alliance that is

mainly meant to protect and support each member. What gave the

alliance a fillip was the migration of battle-hardened Pakistani

commanders from the battlefront in Indian-administered Jammu and

Kashmir to the Waziristan region of Pakistan.

As things stand, the violence-wracked Waziristan region has become the

new battlefield for the pro-Kashmir militants, who have already joined

hands with the anti-US al-Qaeda elements. Information collected by

Pakistani agencies shows the presence of fighters belonging to several

pro-Kashmir jihadi groups, many of which have fallen out of favor with

the Pakistani military and intelligence establishment, which is under

tremendous pressure to stop harboring al-Qaeda-linked elements.

These groups, which include the Harkatul Jihad-al-Islami, al-Badar,

Jamaatul Furqaan and renegade elements of the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the

Lashkar-e-Toiba, have strong connections with al-Qaeda in terms of

operational collaboration and logistical support.

Veteran jihadi commanders like Kashmiri, who was reportedly killed in

June in a US drone attack, were the first to adopt al-Qaeda's ideology

- that the weakening of the world's only superpower, the United

States, is essential for the survival of the Muslim world.

The death of Bin Laden was unquestionably a major blow to al-Qaeda.

Yet, terrorism experts say long before he was killed, al-Qaeda had

adapted itself to survive and operate without him, ensuring that the

threat his terror network posed lived well beyond his demise.

Therefore, a decade after the US unleashed its much-trumpeted "war on

terror", and despite the death of Bin Laden, there is no reason to

believe that the terrorist outfit he launched more than two decades

ago is anywhere near defeat.

Amir Mir is a senior Pakistani journalist and the author of several

books on the subject of militant Islam and terrorism, the latest being

The Bhutto murder trail: From Waziristan to GHQ.

[Description of Source: Hong Kong Asia Times Online in English --

Online newspaper focusing on political and economic issues from an

"Asian perspective," with over 50 contributors in 17 Asian countries,

the United States, and Europe, and a branch office in Bangkok;

successor of the Hong Kong/Bangkok-based print daily Asia Times that

closed in 1997, it claims an average of 100,000 daily site visitors,

with 65% of the audience based in North America, and 22% in the

Asia-Pacific region; tends to be critical of the United States; URL:

http://www.atimes.com]

Pakistan Report: Leader of Defunct Organization Released on Bail in Lahore

SAP20110919103009 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 18 Sep 11

[Report by Asad Kharal: "LeJ leader continues to preach violence"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

LAHORE: 'Cognitive dissonance' fails to describe the words and actions

of Malik Ishaq, the leader of the sectarian militant group

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), recently released on bail.

Far from keeping a lowprofile, the man accused of murdering 70 people

- most of them Shia - is active once again, preaching hatred and

violence in the name of Islam, according to an internal document

prepared by a law enforcement department of the Punjab government and

made available to The Express Tribune.

The document titled: "Highly objectionable activities of Malik Ishaq"

reads "Please find enclosed herewith four vernacular reports regarding

some highly objectionable activities of Malik Ishaq whose name has

also been placed in the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act

(ATA) for information and appropriate legal action."

"Ishaq addressed Maulvi Muhammad Yasin's Madrassah Tajul Aloom at Tab

Chouhan on September 2. Earlier the same day, he also gave an address

at Maki Mosque, Thal Hamza District in Rahim Yar Khan," reads the

cover letter enclosed with the document.

"All those against Sahaba, are not our personal enemies, but the

enemies of Islam. And we will fight them ... we cannot tolerate these

elements at any cost," Ishaq had said during his address, reveals the

document.

On September 4 and 5, Ishaq also visited Tranda Panah with Shafiq

Maavia, a man whose name was also placed in the fourth schedule of the

ATA (meaning he and every person who visited him would be watched by

the police). This programme was hosted by Ayub Maavia. He later

attended a Difa-e-Sahaba conference held at Madrasa Qasamul Uloom

which was hosted by Maulana Manzoor Amed.

During the conference, they chanted some highly inflammatory slogans.

Ishaq, then, also vowed that the "killings of the enemies of Sahaba

would continue".

"Prisons will not stop our mission. The LeJ is not a terrorist outfit.

It was set up to ensure proper respect for the companions of the Holy

Prophet (PBUH)," Ishaq said. He said he would not abandon its mission

even if he's jailed for it once again. "Our struggle will continue,"

he reiterated.

On September 6 Ishaq visited the house of high-profile terrorist,

Abdul Wahab alias Aanek Wala Jin, whose name is also included in the

Red Book, comprising particulars of most-wanted terrorists.

He was accompanied by Qari Manzoor Ahmed Shakar, the general secretary

of District Kasur, whose name is also placed in the fourth schedule of

the ATA.

The entry of Malik Ishaq and Syed Ghulam Rasool Shah, a close aide of

Ishaq's and coaccused in various cases of terrorism registered against

the LeJ leader, has been banned within the limits of District Toba Tek

Singh for three months due to provocative speeches and inciting

violence.

Despite being declared a terrorist organisation, policemen have been

deployed at Ishaq's residence in Mohallah Islam Nagar.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

Pakistan: Protestors in Alipur Demand Police Arrest Killers of LeJ Worker

SAP20110920118003 Islamabad The News Online in English 20 Sep 11

[Report by staff correspondent: "114 booked in Alipur for killing LeJ worker"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

MUZAFFARGARH: Tension gripped Alipur, Jatoi and adjacent areas during

the burial of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi worker Mehboob Ahmed

Sathari who was shot dead at Sallowala village. Maulana Abdul Khaliq

Rehmani led the funeral. Workers of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and

Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan shouted slogans, demanding immediate arrest of

64 nominated accused. DPO Rao Muneer Ahmed Zia said that seven teams

had been constituted to arrest the accused who attacked the SSP

caravan. He added that the accused would be arrest in 24 hours. He

said that Malik Muhammad Ishaq also wanted to join the funeral, but he

was not allowed to visit Muzaffargarh. He said that it was not a clash

between two sectarian groups. Alipur City police have registered a

case against 114 Shia activists under Sections 302, 324, 334,297, 365,

435 of the PPC and 7-ATA.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Pakistan: Another Attack on Senior Police Officer Results in 8 Deaths in Karachi

SAP20110920135004 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 20 Sep 11

[Report by Mahnoor Sherazee / Salman Siddiqui: Taliban hit list:

Battleground shifts from headquarters to home ]

KARACHI: A senior police officer, infamous for his tough measures

against notorious criminal elements, survived yet another suicide

blast - this time at his residence - early Monday morning in Karachi.

While the high-intensity assassination attempt was unable to take the

life of the officer, it resulted in the deaths of eight others -

including a schoolteacher and her son.

In a display of alarmingly desperate determination, militants, who

have borne the brunt of Superintendent of Police (SSP) Crime

Investigation Department (CID) Chaudhry Aslam Khan's efforts as of

late, sent a double-cabin vehicle carrying 300 kilogrammes of

explosives hurtling into the officer's residence in the upscale

Defence Housing Authority Phase VIII - an area that also houses a

number of schools.

Having suffered intense infrastructural damage, the schools have been

closed until their buildings are repaired.

Khan's family is reported safe, while those dead include his police

guards, his cook, and the son and driver of a neighbour. The blast

created an 8X6-foot-deep crater and left a significant portion of the

targeted house's front facade, and that of neighbouring houses, in a

pile of rubble.

"We claim responsibility for the attack. Aslam Khan has killed a

number of our colleagues and also arrested and tortured many more,"

TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP in a phone call from an

undisclosed location.

"He was on our hit list and he is still on our hit list," Ehsan said,

giving names of several other police and crime investigation

department officials also targeted. "They will be killed soon," he

vowed.

Additional Inspector-General Saud Mirza cautioned that it was too

early to say exactly which group is involved in the attack. "SSP Khan

is a prominent officer in the fight against militants and his name

appears in a recent Taliban hit list," he added.

Even Aslam himself kept the scope of investigations open. "As of now,

we believe that the TTP is behind the attack, but we are in the

preliminary stages and other collaborating groups could be involved,"

he told The Express Tribune. "There are many subgroups within the TTP,

such as the al Mukhtar group." CID officials are fairly certain that

the group led by Hakimullah Mehsud is directly involved in the attack,

but are considering other groups such as the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

However, there is consensus that the same group that had attacked the

CID operational base in Civil Lines, Karachi, in November 2010, is

involved in this attack.

Undeterred

Officials say that Khan's life was always under threat by extremists,

particularly those from the TTP.

"Every month, there's a new high alert for the CID and Khan almost

always gets a mention," an official said, requesting anonymity.

In fact, just a couple of months ago, the TTP had sent a DVD to media

houses showing preparations of the November 2010 CID attack. The list

of targets mentioned in the video included Khan.

But the man with a thousand enemies refused to be cowed. "Why don't

they come attack me in the open? I didn't know these terrorists are

such cowards that they will attack sleeping children," visibly furious

SSP Khan told reporters. "I will teach their generations a lesson,"

the officer, who courageously went to work, vowed.

Inspector-General of Sindh police Wajid Ali Durrani said intelligence

reports had warned of an imminent militant attack, as a result of

which the Sindh police had assessed other installations - but did not

expect Khan's house to be targeted.

Evidence lost

Two closed-circuit TV cameras were fitted on a pole outside Khan's

house. However, the system they were attached to was damaged in the

blast, creating a bottleneck in the probe into the attack.

A case has been filed against the attackers at the Darakhshan Police

Station and Khan has registered himself as the complainant. However,

despite the TTP's claim of responsibility the FIR does not name any

particular terrorist or ganisation and only refers to a 'banned

organisation'.

Witness accounts

For A, who works in one of Karachi's most volatile PIDC area, blasts

are nothing new but this one happened in the safety of his home and

shook him to the core. "I was ironing my clothes to get ready for work

when I heard the blast. The impact was so severe I flew back and

landed on broken glass on the floor," A said, showing his bruised

arms. "At first I thought it was an earthquake."

MH, who lives at a stone's throw from the blast site, said the loud

sound of the blast woke her up from deep sleep. "I knew there had been

a blast nearby and it seemed as if my backyard had been attacked," she

said.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

Pakistan: Effective Planning Led to Attack on Senior Cop's Residence in Karachi

SAP20110920109009 Karachi Ummat Online in Urdu 20 Sep 11

[Special Report by Asif Saud: Chaudhry Aslam Arrested Over 100

Taliban Terrorists ]

Sources claim that most of the attackers belonged to Swat and

Waziristan. The SSP of Anti-Extremism Cell played an important role in

busting the network of the Taliban in Karachi. He was also on the

hit-list of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Lyari gangs for

carrying out effective operations against them.

SSP [Senior Superintendent of Police] of CID [Crime Investigation

Department] Anti-Extremism Cell Chaudhry Aslam Khan was active in

busting the network of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan [TTP] in

Karachi. He had arrested more than 100 terrorists of the banned

Tehrik-e-Taliban and its subsidiary groups during the past two years.

A large number of these terrorists were commanders of the

Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat, on whose information a huge cache of arms and

explosive material was recovered by destroying their network in

Karachi. Because of successful operations against the banned

Tehrik-e-Taliban, SSP Chaudhry Aslam Khan came on the hit-list of the

Taliban. It is being claimed about Monday's incident that the banned

Tehrik-e-Taliban attacked SSP Khan's residence with an explosive-laden

vehicle. The investigation teams of the police are probing the

incident, keeping in mind the involvement of the banned

Tehrik-e-Taliban and its subsidiary groups. The pattern of the attack

carried out at Chaudhary Aslam's residence was found to be similar to

the offensive on the CID Civil Line on 11 November 2010, in which an

explosive-laden vehicle rammed into the CID Civil Line building due to

which the building was reduced to rubble. It may be recalled that the

CID Civil Line building was also targeted when the CID police had

started tightening the noose around the terrorists belonging to the

banned Tehrik-e-Taliban and had started arresting its commanders and

other important operatives.

According to the information received by Ummat, the security agencies

have been actively operating against the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban

across Pakistan. They have also been informed that the banned

Tehrik-e-Taliban is becoming active in Karachi because the

organizations involved in sectarian terrorism such as the banned

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, banned Harkat-ul-Mujahidin Al-Alami, banned

Jundullah and other banned organizations and parties, have merged with

the Tehrik-e-Taliban. But when any of these groups, which have merged

with the Tehrik-e-Taliban, commits any sectarian act, it uses its old

identity at that time. If any action is taken against the security

forces or the police, the same group claims to be the banned

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. According to the information received by

Ummat, different investigation agencies are working in Karachi against

the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. After arresting these terrorists

belonging to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban, the investigation agencies

hand them over to the SSP of CID Anti-Extremism Cell Chaudhry Aslam

Khan so that cases can be registered against them in accordance with

the law and the accused can be punished after being produced before

the courts.

An important source said that the investigation agencies take action

against the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban network by tracing its cadres

through their intelligence and technical sources. After being

interrogated, these terrorists are handed over to SSP Chaudhry Aslam

Khan. Following this, Chaudhry Aslam Khan and his team interrogate

those terrorists and recover a huge cache of arms and explosive

materials in the raids, as per the tip-offs from the sources. Sources

in the CID police said that the Anti-Extremism Cell of the CID is

working against the network of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan

for the past two years and more than 100 terrorists belonging to this

network have been arrested so far. Sources said that a majority of the

arrested terrorists are the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan

commanders, who had gone into hiding after reaching Karachi, following

operations by the security forces in Swat and South Waziristan and had

started operating their network, while sitting in K arachi. SSP

Chaudhry Aslam had recently arrested an important commander from Swat,

Nazir Alwaqach, who was involved in the attacks on security forces and

blowing up schools and police stations. Dozens of cases had been

registered against him with the Rahimabad Police Station. After the

arrest of Nazir Alwaqach, the Rahimabad police reached Karachi and

showed his arrest in the cases registered with its police station.

Later, the police took him to Swat. The Anti-Extremism Cell of the CID

also arrested an important terrorist from Swat, Ali Imran Shah, who

had been associated with this network and was the most wanted culprit

by the Rahimabad police. The Rahimabad Police also took him with them

after visiting Karachi.

An important source said that following a suicide attack on the

residence of SSP Chaudhry Aslam Khan, the investigation agencies have

started interrogating the terrorists of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban

Pakistan, arrested in 2010 and 2011. The source said that the

Anti-Extremism Cell, had in 2010, arrested an important member of the

banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Abdul Aziz Masood, a resident of

Azmrai village in Ladda subdivision of Tank district in South

Waziristan, who had hideouts in Karachi at Kanwari Colony on Manghopir

Road and Qasba Colony. Masood was an expert in manufacturing explosive

vests. According to the information about the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban

Pakistan network in Karachi provided by Masood during interrogation,

his group included 17 people including Meraj Mahsud, former chief of

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan having a hideout in Kanwari Colony on

Manghopir Road in Karachi; Lal Baz Mahsud, Amir Abdul Wahab Mahsud,

Islam Mahsud, Nasr Mahsud, who was the incumbent chief of the banned

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan for Kanwari Colony; Khan Zaman, who belonged

to Ittehad Town, Karachi; Qaiser Mahsud, Habibullah Mahsud, Siddiq

Mahsud, Gallat Mahsud, Rana Gul Mahsud, Kalamdin Mahsud, Nek Nawaz

Mahsud, Maulvi Faiz Muhammad, Lal Muhammad Mahsud, Sultanabadwala and

Azam Mahsud. Waliur Rehman Mahsud headed this group. The source said

that this group had also chalked out a plan to receive ransom after

kidnapping the foreigners from the Creek Club in Defense and

established its network in the vicinity of the Defense. It was an

extremely dangerous group of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

When the arrested terrorist told about his accomplices, the CID police

raided the hideouts to arrest those accused, because of whom they were

compelled to flee from Karachi. Meanwhile, the Anti-Extremism Cell of

the CID had eliminated the network of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban

Pakistan commander, Shah Salim Khan Mahsud group, in Karachi and

arrested an important member of this group, Muhammad Suleman alias Nek

alias Gulsha Khan. This arrest too was made towards the end of 2010

and it was disclosed that the group of Commander Shah Salim Khan

Mahsud was active in Pipri area. The prominent people of this group

who were identified included Shahzada Khan Mahsud, Salam Mahsud alias

Agha, Rehmat Khan Mahsud, Salim Burki, Hameedullah Mahsud, Commander

Qari alias Langra Qari, Bakht Nawaz alias Doctor, Shakil Khan, Kaku

Khan and Akbar Khan. The CID police had conducted raids in Pipri and

Sohrab Goth areas to arrest these people, fearing which the people

associated with this network had fled to South Waziristan.

Sources in the CID told Ummat that the CID Anti-Extremism Cell had

arrested an important commander of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban

Pakistan, Muhammad Sahib alias Qasai, who belonged to Doshkhsela in

Matta tehsil of Swat district. The said commander was an absconder in

two cases registered with the Matta Police Station in Swat with FIR

[First Information Report] No. 2009/109 under Sections

302/364/109/114/134/12212/W7ATA-Y-A/Ar. For the arrest of other

accomplices of commander Muhammad Sahib including Zabiullah, Maaz

Khan, Akbar, Tahir and Farooq, the operations were conducted in Sohrab

Goth and Manghopir areas. An important source said that there was also

an investigation going on ab out a group of the banned Harkatul

Mujahidin in Karachi that was planning an attack on the CID officers.

In this regard, a probe is under way on the Maulana Badar Group, which

comprises Danish, Nasir, Shakil alias Iqbal and other terrorists. The

source said one terrorist of this group, Muhammad Afzal, was arrested.

Afzal disclosed that his accomplice Danish had told him that the

people reaching Karachi from Waziristan were being arrested by the

CID, so now it was time to target them. In this regard, he named SSP

Raja Umar Khatab, who was attacked near his residence. The source said

that the grip of SSP Chaudhry Aslam Khan on the network of the banned

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in Karachi had strengthened and he was

conducting raids daily in Manghopir, Kanwari Colony, Banaras, Sohrat

Goth, Machhar Colony, Quaidabad and other areas. Meanwhile, the CID

also conducted raids to arrest some people, who were secretly

extending financial support to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Because of these actions, the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan was

also facing financial difficulties. The source said that following the

bomb blast at CID Civil Line, SSP Khan had tightened security around

his office and it was not possible for terrorists to target his office

at the Garden Headquarters. The police sources said that there was

also elaborate security outside the residence of SSP Chaudhry Aslam.

He had got six secret cameras installed in the vicinity of his

residence and also set up a monitoring room to these cameras. The

source said the terrorists had attacked his residence after a proper,

detailed planning. The objective of the early morning attack was to

target SSP Chaudhry Aslam and his family, because Khan used to reach

home late night as a routine. But on the day when the blast was

carried out, he was at home. A source in the Bomb Disposal Squad said

that the terrorists used 300 kilograms of explosives in the attack on

Khan's residence and the pressure of the blast was directed downwards,

because of which a six-foot crater emerged. Had this pressure been

upward, there might have been large-scale destruction.

According to the information received by Ummat, SSP Khan was also on

the hit-list of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement terrorists. He had

arrested several terrorists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement during the

Karachi operation, and also killed several terrorists in various

encounters. The source said: "SSP Chaudhry Aslam Khan has also been

handling the Lyari Task Force and he has arrested dozens of terrorists

belonging to Lyari gang war. SSP Khan also killed an important

terrorist of Lyari gang war, Abdur Rehman Dakait, along with his

accomplices during an encounter with the police, after which Lyari

gang war terrorists put Chaudhry Aslam Khan on their hit list.

Earlier, he was also attacked in the premises of the Gazri Police

Station, in which his two guards were killed. Khan became extremely

careful after that attack. The source said: SSP Khan had been

receiving threats for the past few months, while there were also

intelligence reports that terrorists may target Khan. The

investigation agencies had directed him to be careful.

[Description of Source: Karachi Ummat Online in Urdu -- Website of the

sensationalist, pro-Usama Bin Ladin Urdu daily. Harshly critical of

the US, Israel, and India. Propagates Muslim unity to counter

US/Western influence. Circulation 20,000. Editor-publisher Rafiq

Afghan is an Afghan war veteran; URL: http://www.ummatpublication.com]

Pakistan: More on 26 Killed as Bus Carrying Shia Pilgrims Ambushed in

Balochistan

SAP20110921034001 Islamabad The News Online in English 21 Sep 11

[Report by The News correspondent Muhammad Ejaz Khan: "26 pilgrims

taken out of bus, shot dead in Mastung"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

QUETTA: Twenty-eight people were shot dead and six others wounded in

two separate incidents in Mastung and Quetta districts on Tuesday. The

defunct Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) has claimed responsibility for the

carnage.

The first incident took place in the Ghuncha Dori area, 40 kilometres

from Quetta, when some unidentified armed men attacked a Taftan-bound

passenger coach. The passenger coach was carrying 45 pilgrims and

traders from Quetta to Taftan (Iran), when it was attacked.

Eyewitnesses said some eight to ten armed men intercepted the

passenger coach and sprayed bullets on the passengers.

"The unknown gunmen segregated the passengers, moslty from the Shia

Hazara community, and resorted to indiscriminate fire with automatic

weapons at around 05:00pm," the driver of the coach Khushhal Khan told

The News.

The attack was so sudden and intense that 26 passengers died on the

spot and six others sustained serious injuries.

The incident created tension in the provincial capital and a large

number of people thronged the Bolan Medical Complex hospital to wait

for the ambulances to bring in the victims.

Reports suggest that the armed men chased the passenger coach in two

vehicles and intercepted it when it reached the Ghuncha Dori area.

Some armed men barged into the coach and took the passengers hostage

at gunpoint. They offloaded all the passengers and then segregated

them, subsequently opening fire on passengers belonging to the Hazara

community; 26 people were killed instantly. The armed assailants

escaped the scene leaving behind the deceased in a pool of blood and

others in a state of terror and shock.

On being informed, Levies forces reached the spot. The injured

passengers and bodies of the ill-fated deceased were shifted to Quetta

where the injured were admitted to the BMC hospital.

The defunct LJ, through its spokesperson, claimed responsibility for

the incident. An emergency was declared in all hospitals of Quetta

soon after the incident. Later, the bodies of the deceased were handed

over to the heirs for the performance of last rites.

In another incident, police said three persons were killed in Quetta

when unknown armed men riding on a motorcycle opened fire on them.

Police said the victims were on their way to Mastung to identify their

relatives when they also become victims of terror.

Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi and Chief Minister Nawab

Aslam Raisani strongly condemned the target killings. In separate

messages, they expressed deep grief and sorrow over the killings. The

chief minister expressed his concern over the non-compliance of orders

passed by the government to provide security to vehicles carrying

pilgrims to Iran.

The Hazara Democratic Party (HDP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party

(PkMAP), National Party (NP) and others strongly condemned the

killings in Mastung and Quetta and demanded that the government step

down as it has been failed to protect the life and property of

citizens. Wahdat-e-Muslemeen announced three days of mourning against

the target killings in Balochistan.

PPI adds from Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has strongly

condemned the attack on a bus of pilgrims in Mastung. The president

termed the attack an inhuman and brutal act of terrorism, and said

such cowardly acts would not dent the government's resolve to fight

terrorism till its eradication.

He prayed that the departed souls rest in eternal peace and the

bereaved families find the courage to bear the loss with equanimity.

APP adds: PTI Chairman Imran Khan has also strongly condemned the

inhuman attack on pilgrims in Mastung.

In a statement, the PTI chief expressed sympathy with the bereaved

families and prayed to Almighty Allah to grant them courage to bear

the irreparable loss.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Pakistan: Karachi Blast Shows TTP Changing Strategy by Attacking Security Men

SAP20110921128001 Islamabad The News Online in English 21 Sep 11

[Report by Amir Mir: Pakistani Taliban changing tactics ]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

LAHORE: The Monday suicide bombing in the defence area of Karachi

marked the second attempt by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan to kill a

high-profile police official who has vowed to crush the militants -

and a sinister change in tactics to hit residences, with little

concern for the deaths of family members and neighbors.

TTP's use of human bombs to conduct brazen attacks on such soft

targets could be a sign of increasing desperation after the deaths and

captures of senior Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked operatives from various

parts of the country. The blatant attack by a suicide bomber who

rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the residence of Chaudhry

Aslam Khan, a senior police official spearheading a steady campaign

against the TTP network in Karachi, makes it clear that even after the

lapse of a decade, the shock waves from the 9/11 terror attacks show

little signs of abating.

The attack, which destroyed or damaged neighboring houses and killed

many innocents, has once again highlighted that the war against

al-Qaeda-linked Taliban extremists is no longer confined to the tribal

belt of Pakistan but has reached the urban centers - be it Quetta,

Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi. Pakistan has

suffered 305 suicide bombings, the death of 4,847 people and injury of

10,227 others at the hands of al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked extremists

in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Karachi, being the largest city, main seaport and key financial center

of the country, is one of the biggest sources of the Pakistani

Taliban's funds through criminal activities like kidnappings and bank

robberies. Karachi has not seen as many TTP-sponsored suicide bombings

in the past as other major cities, but it is home to thousands of the

Puhstun militants who have fled military operations in the tribal

areas on the Pak-Afghan border.

In fact, the first vehicle-borne suicide bombing in Pakistan was

carried out in Karachi on May 8, 2002 when a human bomb drove his car

into the side of a bus outside the Sheraton Hotel, killing 14 people

including 11 French naval technicians.

The Karachi attack was in keeping with the change in TTP tactics as

the group has apparently decided to target top policemen and military

officials involved in counter-terrorism efforts. Aslam Khan, the SSP

who heads the anti-extremist cell of the Criminal Investigation

Department (CID) in Karachi, survived the September 19 suicide attack.

The proscribed TTP quickly claimed responsibility for the bombing,

saying Aslam had been responsible for the arrest of many of its key

operatives. "We will continue targeting all such police officers who

are involved in the killing of our jehadi comrades," TTP spokesman

Ehsanullah Ehsan said while claiming responsibility for the attack.

The assault came less than two weeks after another human bomb on

September 7 rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the Quetta

residence of the deputy inspector general of the Balochistan Frontier

Corps, killing his wife and 24 others in a high-security zone in the

city. The Frontier Corps official was targeted because he was involved

in the capture of Younis al-Mauritani, a senior member of al-Qaeda's

external operations council and his two aides, Abdul Ghaffar Al-Shami

and Messara al-Shami. The three al-Qaeda operatives were arrested in a

suburb of Quetta during a joint operation between the Balochistan

Frontier Corps and the Inter Services Intelligence.

The previous attempt to assassinate Aslam Khan was also made by a

human bomber, who rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the Karachi

headquarters of the CID on November 11, 2010. Aslam and other officers

of the CID - Fayyaz Khan, Omar Shahid and Mazhar Mashwani - who

oversee the anti-extremism cell and run counter-terrorism operations

in the port city, escaped unhurt. The attack began as an armed assault

and ended with a truck bomb that killed at least 20 people and injured

over 100 others. The CID building was being used to interrogate

suspects belonging to TTP and other banned militant groups. The attack

was carried out a day after Aslam had arrested six activists of the

TTP-linked sectarian-cum jehadi group - Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).

Chaudhry Aslam Khan and his team members largely succeeded in breaking

the TTP network in Karachi by arresting three successive Ameers of the

Karachi chapter of the group in recent months - Akhtar Zaman Mehsud,

his successor Bahadur Khan Momand and his successor Maulvi Saeed

Anwer. These arrests invited the wrath of the Karachi chapter of the

TTP, which has links with militants in the country's tribal areas and

with al-Qaeda and several banned militant and sectarian outfits.

Therefore, the TTP's claim of responsibility soon after the September

19 attack came as little surprise.

On his part, SSP Aslam told reporters after the assault that he had

been receiving threats from the al-Qaeda-linked Pakistani Taliban. "I

was sleeping when they carried out this cowardly act and rammed an

explosive-laden vehicle into my house. But let me tell you, I will not

be cowed. I will teach a lesson to generations of these militants. I

did not know that these terrorists were such cowards that they would

attack sleeping children", Aslam told the media outside his ruined

residence. Due to the nature of his work, the enemies of Aslam in the

jehadi circles of Karachi are as countless and varied as the

techniques he himself has used to arrest them. They range from the

Tehrik-e-Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) to drug-runners and

target killers belonging to several major political parties.

Well-informed circles in the security agencies say the Karachi suicide

bombing was an attempt to demoralize law enforcement agencies,

especially the Criminal Investigation Department of Sindh Police,

which in recent days has identified over two dozen extremist militant

and sectarian outfits in Karachi for a possible crackdown once the

hunt for politically-backed target killers is over.

Prominent alongside the TTP and LeJ among these sectarian and jehadi

groups are also: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al Alami, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan,

Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, Sunni Tehrik, Daawat-e-Islami, Harkatul

Mujahideen, Harkatul Mujahideen Al Alami, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Jamaatul

Furqaan, Harkatul Jehadul Islami, Jundallah, Tehrik-e-Islami,

Lashkar-e-Muhammadi, Lashkar-e-Islami, Mehdi Militia, Hezbollah, and

Tawheed Brigade.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Pakistan: Police Officer Names Taliban Group Perpetrating Terrorism in Karachi

SAP20110920100011 Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu 20 Sep 11 pp 3, 5

[Unattributed report: "Al-Mukhtar Group Increasing Acts in Karachi:

Chaudhry Aslam"]

Islamabad -- Senior Superintendent of Police [SSP] Crime Investigation

Department [CID] Karachi Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam Khan has said that

the members of the defunct Taliban Movement want to target him. Aslam

Khan said: "I have arrested several people belonging to the Lashkar-e

Jhangvi and the defunct Pakistan Taliban Movement. Their second group

is increasing its acts in Karachi and its name is Al-Mukhtar group.

They have stockpiled sufficient explosive in Karachi and have

conducted one or more explosions as well." He was speaking in the

Express News program titled, Kal Tak.

Chaudhry Aslam, who survived the terrorist attack in Karachi, said

that he was receiving grave threats from the Taliban. The building

subjected to terrorism was not my investigation cell but my residence.

He further said: "My sister has also been injured in the attack at my

home. The terrorists present in Karachi come from the upper areas.

Small groups of the Taliban come from Waziristan, launch action, and

return. We will not let situation in Karachi be vitiated. I have

arrested several Taliban."

Former Chief of Citizen Police Liaison Committee Karachi Jamil Yousaf

said that the names of the police officers arresting and interrogating

the terrorists should not be made public and their identity should be

concealed.

Pakistan Peoples Party [PPP] MP from the rain-affected Tharparkar

District Mahaish Kumar has said that the greatest problem is that all

agricultural lands have submerged. Some 150,000 people from other

districts are taking shelter in Tharparkar District. All elected

representatives should donate their one-month salary to the flood

victim.

The host of the program Javed Chaudhry has said that no party

including the PPP [Pakistan People's Party], the PML-N [Pakistan

Muslim League-Nawaz], the PML-Q [Pakistan Muslim League-Qaid], the ANP

[Awami National Party], the MQM [Muttahida Qaumi Movement], and the

PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaaf] have raised funds for the flood

affected people and all are just paying visits.

Former Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri said: "The first

thing that we should understand is that the US Administration wants to

tell its people that Pakistan is responsible for the entire situation

in Afghanistan."

Javed Chaudhry said: "The United States has been mounting pressure on

Pakistan due to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan for the

past one week. Pakistan says that the Haqqani network does not exist

in Pakistan. However, it appears that Pakistan has apparently accepted

the pressure." He further said: "Speaker of National Assembly Fehmida

Mirza and Zulfiqar Mirza are present in Dubai and two rumors are in

circulation. According to one rumor, Zulfiqar Mirza has reconciled

with President Zardari and he had gone abroad to make a deal. Fehmida

Mirza played important role in it. According to second rumor, the

couple had gone to Dubai to meet President Zardari. The president

stayed in Dubai on 15 September on his way back from London and met

both of them. However, confirmation has not yet been possible."

[Description of Source: Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu -- Daily owned

by Century Publications of the Lakson Business Group. The second

largest daily after Jang newspaper with a circulation of over 120,000.

Provides good coverage of national and international issues and

follows moderate and neutral editorial policy.]

AFP: Pakistan Puts Leader of Banned Extremist Organization Under House Arrest

SAP20110922018002 Hong Kong AFP in English 1139 GMT 22 Sep 11

[AFP Report: "Pakistan puts extremist leader under house arrest"]

ISLAMABAD, Sept 22, 2011 (AFP) -- Pakistan put the leader of a banned

extremist organisation under house arrest on Thursday for inciting

sectarian hatred, police said, just days after gunmen killed 29 Shiite

Muslims.

Malik Ishaq, head of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, was released on bail in July

after nearly 14 years behind bars over his alleged role in numerous

sectarian murders and accusations he masterminded an attack on the Sri

Lankan cricket team.

Ishaq was now under house arrest for 10 days in the city of Rahim Yar

Khan, 550 kilometres (350 miles) southwest of the capital Islamabad,

police said.

"Ishaq has been confined to his house... on the orders of the Punjab

government after growing tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims,"

district police official Sohail Zafar Chattha told AFP.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is regarded as the most extreme Sunni terror group

in the Sunni Muslim-majority country and is accused of killing

hundreds of Shiite Muslims after its emergence in the early 1990s.

It was banned by then president Pervez Musharraf in 1999.

Ishaq's sermons had led to violence in parts of the country and raised

sectarian tensions, another official said, but did not explicitly link

him to the Shiite killings on Tuesday, the deadliest such sectarian

attack in a year.

In a brutal assault, gunmen killed 26 Shiite pilgrims after ordering

them off their bus in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, before

other attacks killed three relatives travelling to collect the bodies.

Authorities in Baluchistan blamed the killings on Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Rights groups say a persistent lack of action from the government has

emboldened sectarian militant groups, blamed for the deaths of

thousands in past years.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi played a key role in the 2002 kidnap and murder of

American journalist Daniel Pearl and in twin failed assassination bids

on key US ally Musharraf in December 2003.

Ishaq was arrested in 1997 and is implicated in 45 cases, mostly murder.

He was accused of masterminding, from behind bars, the 2009 attack on

the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore which wounded seven players and

an assistant coach, and killed eight Pakistanis.

The attacks saw Pakistan stripped of its right to co-host this year's

cricket World Cup and the country has since hosted no top foreign

teams.

[Description of Source: Hong Kong AFP in English -- Hong Kong service

of the independent French press agency Agence France-Presse]

Pakistan Commentary Details Groups Considered To Be Behind Attack on CID Officer

SAP20110922001001 Karachi Ummat in Urdu 21 Sep 11 pp 3, 4

[Commentary by Asif Saud: "People Involved in Attack on Chaudhry

Aslam's Residence Cannot Be Traced"]

Law enforcement agencies are investigating four groups after the 19

September suicide attack on the residence of Chaudhry Aslam Khan,

Sindh Police's CID [Crime Investigation Department] SSP [Senior

Superintendent of Police]. The terrorists of these groups were

earlier arrested by the CID. To date, the investigations by the

police have not been able to trace who hit Chaudhry Aslam's home.

However, according to intelligence reports, SSP Chaudhry Aslam was

made a target by these four groups after he took action against them.

Chaudhry Aslam has also nominated the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban

Pakistan [TTP], the outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi [LeJ], the outlawed

Tehrik-e-Punjab Taliban, and the Al-Mukhtar Group for the bombing. He

said any of these groups could have attacked his home. The FIR [First

Information Report] of the attack has been registered under sections

302, 324, and 327 of the Pakistan Penal Code and the 3/4 Explosive Act

of the Antiterrorism Act.

According to reports received by Ummat, investigations into the

suicide attack on Chaudhry Aslam's residence have been started, but,

despite the passage of more than 24 hours, the police teams have not

been able to find any lead. The explosions taking place at the

residence of Chaudhry Aslam and the CID offices at the Civil Lines

Karachi are identical in nature. The method and explosives used in

both the attacks are the same. In this connection, a senior CID

official said that, even after the passage of 10 months, no clue to

the CID bombing has been found so far. Nothing could be found about

the perpetrators, as well as about the vehicle used in that attack.

As a huge quantity of explosive was present in the vehicle, therefore,

the pickup truck and the bomber were blown to pieces.

The same is the case with the attack on Chaudhry Aslam's residence.

Investigating teams and forensic experts are trying to find

information about the vehicle used in the bombing, as well as the

suicide bomber, but they have not been able to achieve any success to

date. A senior investigating officer told Ummat that they are trying

to get solid information about the vehicle used in the bombing, as it

will greatly help the investigators.

A source said that senior CID officials have also sought help from a

top federal investigating agency in connection with the

investigations. CID teams are also trying to find out from the

intelligence agencies from where they got information about the

possible attack and which TTP group is planning attacks on police

officials in Karachi.

In this connection, an investigating official said dozens of small

groups of the TTP are active in Karachi. He said all the outlawed

organizations active in Karachi have merged into the TTP, but they are

still maintaining their separate identity as well. They have been

working under the names of the outlawed LeJ, the outlawed

Harkat-ul-Mujahidin al-Alami, the outlawed Jundullah, and others. The

source said the CID has conducted the toughest operations against

local groups of the LeJ, Jundullah, and Harkat-ul-Mujahidin. When

security forces launched operations in South Waziristan and Swat, the

commanders and other important members of the TTP started arriving in

Karachi. Therefore, the CID's Counterextremism Cell was activated

against them, which took actions against the TTP militants in Karachi.

In the meantime, the CID sources said, the TTP organized outlawed

sectarian organizations and groups under its flag and carried out

terrorist activities all over the country. The source said the TTP

formed several groups consisting of terrorists from the LeJ,

Jundullah, and Harkat-ul-Mujahidin, which carried out terrorist

attacks throughout Pakistan. The same groups were involved in attacks

on security forces in Karachi. The network of these groups is highly

organized and it is also being run by arrested militants from jails.

In this connection, an important disclosure was made in 2009 by Syed

Mohammad Moeen, alias Atif, who is an important terrori st of

Harkat-ul-Mujahidin. He was a resident of Karachi's Orangi Town. He

said he would go to jail every Friday to meet with Shahnawaz, Jamil

Ahmed, and Mufti Shahid belonging to the LeJ and Harkat-ul-Mujahidin.

He said another notorious terrorist of the LeJ was also in touch with

him by cellular telephone from Lahore Jail. Atif said he had also

gone to Lahore at the invitation of that terrorist. It was learned

from him that the outlawed organizations' terrorists, who are under

detention, are running their networks from jails.

The source said a team of investigators is getting the record of the

people who visited jails to meet the terrorists of the TTP, LeJ, and

other groups to find some clues. The source further said that

investigating agencies had information regarding organized networks of

outlawed terrorist organizations run by their leaders detained in the

Central Jail of Karachi. There was information that these terrorists

freely use cellular telephones. The investigating team has got jail

records to carry forward its investigations.

The source further said that investigating teams are gathering

information about the TTP's Qari Zafar Group. The teams are also

contemplating grilling Shoaib Khan, alias Tariq, a terrorist of the

Qari Zafar Group. Shoaib Khan, alias Tariq, a resident of Abbottabad

[in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province], gained training from terrorist

commander Abdullah Khan in Wana and was arrested by the CID. After

the arrest, he provided important information about his accomplices

Qari Faysal, Abdullah alias Faizan, Javed Farooqui, Roohul Amin alias

Pathan, and Ejaz.

The source further informed that another active group of the TTP is

called the Mansur Group. Led by Mansur, its important members are

Zubair, Shaukat, Asif, and Abrar. The CID has arrested Mohammad

Shahzad, alias Munna Pehalwan, an important terrorist of this group.

He was an important colleague of terrorist Maulvi Abdul Samad.

Pehalwan was adept in making suicide jackets and planting bombs. The

source said his arrest inflicted great loss on the TTP network.

The source added that Chaudhry Aslam recently arrested Razzaq, an

extremely important terrorist. He belonged to the TTP and was tasked

with brainwashing Karachi youths and using them for conducting suicide

bombings. He used to take such youths to South Waziristan. After his

arrest, Razzaq confessed to sending seven children to South

Waziristan. Five of them were used for carrying out suicide bombings,

while two were rescued. After his arrest, the TTP network sending

children from Karachi to South Waziristan for terrorist training was

badly affected. CID and another investigating agency conducted a

joint investigation and collected valuable information about some

important members of that network. The people involved in the heinous

act were also being kept under surveillance.

The source said that, after the busting of that network, Chaudhry

Aslam became an important target of the terrorists. He has inflicted

so much loss on the TTP network in Karachi during the past two years

that the terrorists faced great difficulty in carrying out their

activities in the Sindh metropolis.

Police sources said the attack on Chaudhry Aslam's residence was

designed to demoralize police force and tell police personnel not to

take action against terrorist organizations. In this connection, an

important CID source said the suicide attack on its offices in Civil

Lines 10 months ago scared some of its officers. However, they did

not stop working against the terrorists although they did scale it

down. The operations against outlawed organizations were then again

intensified after sometime. The source said the attack on Chaudhry

Aslam's residence shows that the terrorists' network is also very

strong and does possess information about the police personnel. The

terrorists also have information about the residences of the police

personnel and know whether they are present at their homes.

The source said the vehicle, a Suzuki van with a hood, that was used

for the attack was brought from a nearby place, as police strictly

check all pickups with hoods in Karachi. Therefore, a police team is

also investigating if anyone had information about the vehicle. The

source said investigating teams have been given different tasks.

One team is working with regard to the Al-Mukhtar Group, which is in

fact a group of the TTP itself. The name of Al-Mukhtar has come to

light just recently. A member of the investigating team said the

Al-Mukhtar Group is headed by one Omar Baluch and terrorists from the

LeJ, Jundullah, and Harkat-ul-Mujahidin are its members. Chaudhry

Aslam has nominated this group also in the report he lodged with

police in connection with the attack on his residence. The source

said police have arrested 17 people, who are at present being

interrogated. At the same time, more information is being gathered

from intelligence agencies.

[Description of Source: Karachi Ummat in Urdu -- Sensationalist,

pro-Usama Bin Ladin Urdu daily. Harshly critical of the US, Israel,

and India. Propagates Muslim unity to counter US/Western influence.

Circulation 20,000. Editor-publisher Rafiq Afghan is an Afghan war

veteran.]

Pakistan Article: Leaders Tombs in Danger After Massacre in Balochistan

SAP20110923128012 Islamabad The News Online in English 23 Sep 11

[Article by Harris Khalique: Mastung carnage ]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

After the Mastung carnage the other day when people were dismounted

from the bus, lined up and shot, followed by attacks on the attendants

of the injured and mourners of the deceased in Quetta, I am really

worried about the safety and security of Quaid-e-Azam's mausoleum and

Allama Iqbal's tomb.

Twenty-nine Shia Muslims belonging to the Hazara community of

Balochistan lost their lives. Many are wounded. This was not the first

time. Shia Muslims in the length and breadth of Pakistan, from Gilgit

to Karachi, are being targeted in general. But those belonging to the

Hazara community have taken the brunt in the last few years. They are

continuously threatened, attacked and killed.

Some say that the cause of this violence against the Dari-speaking

Hazaras is rooted in the conflict between the Taliban and the protégé

of the erstwhile northern alliance in today's Afghanistan. Others

blame it on the proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran being waged in

our country for years unending. Some also say it is the Jundullah, the

separatists from Iranian Balochistan who have adopted a certain

religious hue. Then the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, ingrained in the interior

of Punjab but now spread all over, takes the blame.

Without a doubt no one is spared in the killing fields of Pakistan.

Sunni Muslims of different denominations are killed in their mosques,

Christian churches and neighbourhoods are torched, Hindus are hounded

out of Muslim areas if their children drink water from the same tap,

Ahmadis are killed while saying their prayers, Pakhtuns, Baloch,

Sindhis, Punjabis, Mohajirs, Seraikis, Hazarawals of

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, all fight each other under the banner of different

political outfits. School buses are attacked, houses and hotels are

blown up, offices are ransacked, markets are bombed.

However, Shias are being identified and killed indiscriminately for

many years by no one else but their own countrymen. Be they doctors in

Karachi, worshippers in Quetta, processionists in Hangu, passengers in

Talagang, bystanders in Gilgit-Baltistan, they are all targeted.

There is a newly found passion among a certain segment of Pakistanis

for correcting the path our ancestors treaded and purifying our

customs and rituals of any adulteration brought about by the spreading

of Islam in the non-Arab world. That path is no other than the Saudi

path. But something that always intrigues me is that it took the Arabs

1300 years to raze the graveyard of the family and companions of the

Prophet (PBUH) in Medina to cleanse the faith from impurities.

I would just want to come back to where I started. Why is the

Quaid-e-Azam's mausoleum in danger? Because Mohammed Ali Jinnah was

born into a predominantly Ismaili family, got married the Shia Isna

Ashri way and offered his prayers with Sunni Muslims. And something

that I have shared once before about Shorish Kashmiri asking him if he

was a Shia or a Sunni, to which he responded, "Was our Prophet Shia or

Sunni?"

Likewise, Iqbal says about himself in his poem Zuhd Aur Rindi (Piety

and Profanity), "Suntey hain keh uss mein haiy tashayyo bhi zara sa...

Tafzeel-i-Ali hum ney suni uss ki zabani (People say that there is a

Shia tinge in his beliefs... He speaks of the primacy of Hazrat Ali).

Iqbal's son Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal quoted his father once, "I

belong to the Ahl-i-Sunnat-Wal-Jama'at (Sunni sect) but in my view

those who do not love and revere the Ahl-i-Bait (the members of the

house of the Prophet) cannot be true Muslims."

So what do you think readers, are the resting places of the Quaid and

Iqbal safe?

The writer is an Islamabad-based poet and author.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Pakistan: Former Police Chief Details Reasons Behind Balochistan Terror Attacks

SAP20110923115004 Karachi Ummat in Urdu 22 Sep 11 p 3

[Interview with Chaudhry Yaqub, former Inspector General of Police in

Balochistan, by unidentified correspondent from the "Special Report"

section; place and date not given: "Usman Saifullah Group Involved in

Attacks on Hazara Community" -- first four paragraphs are Ummat

introduction]

The attack on pilgrims in the Mastung District of Balochistan is not

the first incident of its kind. Twenty-six people were killed in the

attack; later another three people who had arrived to receive the dead

bodies were also gunned down. Over 100 people were killed in seven

similar incidents last year, including Syed Abrar Hussain Shah, the

former Olympian and deputy director of the Pakistan Sports Board, who

was the winner of the Pride of Performance and Star of Excellence

awards. Over 200 people of the Hazara Shiite community have been

killed in terrorist attacks during the last three years. They include

every type of person such as political leaders, traders, government

employees, police officials, vegetable sellers, and daily workers.

The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi [LeJ] has been claiming responsibility for most

of these attacks. Security sources in Balochistan also hold this

banned organization responsible for these incidents. A man named Ali

Sher Haideri, who introduces himself as the LeJ spokesman, often

telephones the offices of newspapers from some unknown location to

state that his group is not only targeting government officials and

security forces but the Hazara community is also its target. However,

the law enforcement agencies could not capture this spokesman of the

outlawed organization.

According to the available sources, at present the number of people of

the Persian-speaking Hazara Shiite community in Balochistan Province

is about 3.5 million. The majority of them lives in Quetta. Their

forefathers migrated from Afghanistan a century ago and settled in

Quetta. The people of the Hazara community are recognized from a

distance because of their Mongolian features. Thus, the terrorists do

not face any problem in recognizing them. The security experts say

these attacks are 100-percent sectarian terrorism. When attacks

started against the Hazara community in Baluchistan 10-11 years ago, a

number of other outlawed organizations supported LeJ under a specific

ideology. In this regard, the names of Jundullah and Jaish-e-Muhammad

are particularly mentioned, because in their view the Hazara community

has been anti-Taliban.

According to security sources in Balochistan, at the moment Usman

Saifullah Kurd is running the LeJ network in Quetta. Kurd is also LeJ

chief in Balochistan and his "killer group" is continuously targeting

people of the Hazara community. Shafiqul Rind, a close companion of

Kurd, was arrested in the Mastung district of Balochistan in 2003.

Later Kurd was also held in Karachi on 22 June 2006. However, both

men broke out from the antiterrorist force jail on 18 January 2008 and

escaped. While Rind was rearrested, Kurd is still at large.

How has the LeJ taken root in Balochistan, particularly in Quetta, and

why have the security forces failed to save the people of the Hazara

community from its bloody attacks? We contacted Chaudhry Yaqub, the

former Police IG [Inspector General] of Balochistan who held the key

post in Balochistan from June 2004 to December 2006. The LeJ had

taken root in Balochistan, and particularly in Quetta, before he

assumed his office. However, during his tenure, not only were the LeJ

Balochistan chief and other key members of the organization arrested

but attacks on the Hazara community subsided considerably. We produce

a conversation with Yaqub, who keeps a vigil on the issue, for

readers.

[Ummat] How do you view the latest attack on the pilgrims bus in Mastung?

[Yaqub] It is purely sectarian terrorism. You know this chain has

been continuing for a long time. The Iran-bound pilgrims buses and

processions have come under attack in the past and the LeJ has claimed

responsibility for these attacks as with the present one. The area in

which the terrorists targeted the pilgrims bus is called a "D area."

An area in which police have no jurisdiction is called a "D area" and

the Levies look after all the issues in this area. Unfortunately, we

are still living in the Stone Age in Balochistan. The influential

chieftains and the government do not want to come out of this old law

and system. The government in Balochistan wants Levies officials to

be their personal servants. They have people of their own choice

inducted into the Levies and most of them work in their houses. The

Levies have no training in investigation and other issues; hence, such

incidents will continue to occur.

When I assumed the post of IG Baluchistan, I was entrusted these

powers with the police. Much hue and cry was raised and it was said

that the law and order situation has greatly deteriorated and highways

have become very unsafe. We also trained officials of the Levies. No

one can investigate without training. In those days, the interior

secretary would often write a letter to me saying that such and such

incident should be got investigated by the police as the Levies cannot

investigate complicated cases. In fact, the British Government told

the Baloch chieftains before the establishment of Pakistan that it

would not disturb their system and they should continue to run Levies

and even use them for personal purposes. That system is still intact.

When I got these powers during my tenure and took practical steps

through effective investigation, no case of sectarian terrorism was

left untraced in Balochistan and all the accused involved in these

incidents were arrested. However, the key LeJ leaders arrested during

my tenure escaped from jail two years later. Now, the LeJ has let

loose a reign of terror in Balochistan. Certainly, other people will

have joined this group. Before and during my tenure LeJ terrorist

Kurd, Daud Badani, and Rind subjected the people of the Hazara

community to terrorism and this was proved during investigations.

[Ummat] How and when did the LeJ take root in Balochistan?

[Yaqub] Its background is quite old. Before sectarianism hit

Balochistan, the chain was started in Punjab Province, particularly in

Jhang. A number of sectarian organizations were formed, including

Sipah-e-Sahaba and Sipah-e-Muhammad. They were funded from abroad

because they considered Pakistan a fertile land for sectarianism.

Then the sectarianism hit Balochistan like all other parts of the

country. Its background was rumors that people of the Hazara

community were trying to influence the Sunni areas. Sipah-e-Sahaba

and LeJ exploited this issue for gains. In this way, they succeeded

to attract the local people of Balochistan. A year before I assumed

the office of IG Balochistan in 2004, a number of Shia were killed in

handgrenade attack in Liaquat Bazar, Quetta. A large number of shops

were gutted in this incident. Thus, a curfew had to be imposed on the

occasion of Ashura Moharram [Muslim religious festival]. We traced

all the incidents of sectarian terrorism that occurred during my

tenure and arrested all the accused involved in them. The situation

had reached such an extent that the terrorists used to carry out their

activities even in the graveyards of the Hazara Shiite community.

[Ummat] Does the LeJ Balochistan only include local people or have

people from other parts of the country also joined it?

[Yaqub] It includes local Baloch. Certainly, it was not the history

of Balochistan that the Baloch would take part in sectarian

activities. However, people of the LeJ Punjab have trained these

local Baloch. Most of the people of the local group that is involved

in sectarian terrorism in Balochistan received training abroad. They

have admitted this during interrogation. Now a large number of local

people in Balochistan are included in the LeJ.

[Ummat] Has Quetta become the LeJ stronghold?

[Yaqub] It has become a LeJ stronghold to a considerable extent.

During my tenure, it had come to be known that the LeJ was active in

Usta Muhammad and some areas of Balochistan bordering Sindh and its

special target was people of the Hazara Shiite community in Quetta.

[Ummat] Please let us know on the basis of your experience as to how

attacks against the Hazar a community can be prevented.

[Yaqub] Those who are being targeted should inform the police about

their departure and arrival in advance so that police can make

effective arrangements for their security. The police should

establish permanent posts and start patrolling in the areas where

people of the Hazara community live. Police escort should accompany a

bus of pilgrims. The system of investigation should be improved so

that a hand should be laid on the people involved in terrorism.

Although it is not an easy task to stop terrorism, the incidents of

terrorism still can be reduced with such basic efforts.

[Description of Source: Karachi Ummat in Urdu -- Sensationalist,

pro-Usama Bin Ladin Urdu daily. Harshly critical of the US, Israel,

and India. Propagates Muslim unity to counter US/Western influence.

Circulation 20,000. Editor-publisher Rafiq Afghan is an Afghan war

veteran.]

Asia Times: 'Pakistani Taliban Changing Tactics'

CPP20110926715050 Hong Kong Asia Times Online in English 0844 GMT 20 Sep 11

[Asia Times Report by Amir Mir: "Pakistani Taliban Changing Tactics";

headline as provided by source]

ISLAMABAD - The attack on Monday by a suicide bomber who rammed his

explosive-laden vehicle into the residence of a senior police official

spearheading a campaign against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in

the commercial capital Karachi makes it abundantly clear that the

shock waves from the 9/11 terror attacks a decade ago show few signs

of abating.

Pakistan has suffered 305 suicide bombings, the death of 4,847 people

and injury of 10,227 others at the hands of al-Qaeda and

Taliban-linked extremists in the aftermath of the 2001 terror attacks

on New York and Washington. Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, main

seaport and key financial center, which is also the capital of Sindh

province, is one of the biggest sources of the Pakistani Taliban's

funds through criminal activities like kidnappings and bank robberies.

Karachi has not seen as many TTP-sponsored suicide bombings as other

major cities, but it is home to thousands of the group's militants who

have fled army operations in the tribal areas. The first vehicle-borne

suicide bombing in Pakistan was carried out in Karachi on May 8, 2002,

when a human bomb drove his car into the side of a bus outside the

Sheraton Hotel, killing 14 people including 11 French naval

technicians.

Aslam Khan, the police senior superintendent who heads the

anti-extremist cell of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in

Karachi, survived the September 19 attack after a double-cabin vehicle

packed with C4 explosives was rammed into the main gate at his

residence in the heavily guarded Defence Housing Area at 7.30 am.

Eight people including six policemen, a woman and a child, were

killed. The proscribed TTP quickly claimed responsibility for the

attack, saying Aslam had been responsible for the arrest of many of

its key operatives.

"We will continue targeting all such police officers who are involved

in the killing of our jihadi comrades," TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan

said when claiming responsibility for the attack.

The Karachi suicide attack was in keeping with the change in TTP

tactics as the group has apparently decided to target top policemen

and military officials involved in counterterrorism efforts. The

change in tactic shows increasingly desperation because the TTP is now

attacking soft targets, such as homes of law-enforcement officials in

large cities, which are bound to be relatively unsecured, as opposed

to government or military installations. The deaths of family members

and neighbors would seem of little consequence to the attackers.

The attack came less than two weeks after another human bomb on

September 7 rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the Quetta

residence of the deputy inspector general of the Baluchistan Frontier

Corps, killing his wife and 24 others in a high-security zone in the

city.

The Frontier Corps deputy inspector was targeted bomb because he was

involved in the capture of Younis al-Mauritani, a senior member of

al-Qaeda's external operations council, and his two aides, Abdul

Ghaffar Al-Shami and Messara al-Shami. The three al-Qaeda operatives

were arrested in a suburb of Quetta during a joint operation between

the Baluchistan Frontier Corps and the Inter-Services Intelligence

Directorate.

The bombing was the TTP's second attempt in 10 months to assassinate

Aslam Khan, who has repeatedly vowed to break the back of the TTP and

crush its strong network in the port city, where it works in tandem

with sectarian and militant groups. Monday's attack, which destroyed

or damaged neighboring houses and killed many innocents in the posh

area of Karachi, has once again highlighted that the war against

al-Qaeda-linked Taliban extremists is no longer confined to the tribal

belt of Pakistan but has reached the urban centers - be it Quetta,

Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi.

The previous attempt to assassinate Aslam Khan was also made by a

human bomber, who rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the Karachi

headquarters of the CID on November 11, 2010. Aslam and other of

ficers of the CID - Fayyaz Khan, Omar Shahid and Mazhar Mashwani - who

oversee the anti-extremism cell and run counter-terrorism operations

in the port city, escaped unhurt. The attack began as an armed assault

and ended with a truck bomb that killed at least 20 people and injured

over 100 others. The CID building was being used to interrogate

suspects belonging to TTP and other banned militant groups. The attack

was carried out a day after Aslam had arrested six activists of the

TTP-linked sectarian-cum jihadi group - Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).

Aslam and his team members largely succeeded in breaking the TTP

network in Karachi by arresting three successive ameers of the Karachi

chapter of the group in recent months - Akhtar Zaman Mehsud and his

successors Bahadur Khan Momand and Maulvi Saeed Anwer. This invited

the wrath of the Karachi chapter of the TTP, which has links with

militants in the country's tribal areas and with al-Qaeda and several

banned militant and sectarian outfits. Therefore, the TTP's claim of

responsibility soon after the September 19 attack came as little

surprise.

Aslam told reporters he had been receiving threats from the

al-Qaeda-linked Pakistani Taliban. "I was sleeping when they carried

out this cowardly act and rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into my

house," Aslam told the media outside his ruined residence. "But let me

tell you, I will not be cowed. I will teach a lesson to generations of

these militants. I did not know that these terrorists were such

cowards that they would attack sleeping children."

Due to the nature of his work, the enemies of Aslam in the jihadi

circles of Karachi are as countless and varied as the techniques he

himself has used to arrest them. They range from the TTP and

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) to drug-runners and target killers belonging

to several major political parties, especially the Muttahida Qaumi

Movement (MQM).

Well-informed circles in the security agencies said the Karachi

suicide attack was an attempt to demoralize law enforcement agencies,

especially the Sindh Police CID, which in recent days has identified

more than two dozen extremist militant and sectarian outfits in

Karachi for a possible crackdown once the hunt for politically-backed

target killers is over. Prominent alongside the TTP and LeJ among

these sectarian and jihadi groups are also: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al

Alami, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, Sunni

Tehrik, Daawat-e-Islami, Harkatul Mujahideen, Harkatul Mujahideen Al

Alami, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Jamaatul Furqaan, Harkatul Jehadul Islami,

Jundallah, Tehrik-e-Islami, Lashkar-e-Muhammadi, Lashkar-e-Islami,

Mehdi Militia, Hezbollah, and Tawheed Brigade.

Security sources said some TTP-linked elements had distributed a

leaflet in various outskirts of Karachi in the first week of July,

carrying a "hit list" of anti-jihadi personalities, threatening that

they would be killed along with family members. The pamphlet justified

jihad and urged "pure Muslims" to rise up against elements creating

problems for jihadis who were described as the defenders of Islam and

Pakistan.

According to the leaflet, the definition of a criminal had been

changed in recent times. "Previously, it was used for robbers and

dacoits, but after 9/11 the term is being used for those who are

sincere with the religion of Islam and want to wage jihad against the

forces of the infidel."

Those declared "liable to be killed" in the TTP pamphlet, along with

the CID's Aslam Khan, included: Capital City Police Officer Karachi

Saud Mirza; CID superintendent Fayyaz Khan; Anti-Violent Crime Unit

Chief Farooq Awam; Special Investigation Unit chief Raja Omar Khattab;

former Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)

Wasim Ahmed; Sunni Deobandi scholar Mufti Mohammad Naeem, Shia scholar

Mirza Yousuf Baig; and Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Haider Abbas

Rizvi. Television artists and anchors and some Karachi-based

journalists were also on the list.

The TTP spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, while claiming respons ibility

for the Karachi suicide bombing, stated, "Aslam Khan was on our hit

list and his name will only be removed after he is killed. But let me

tell you frankly, he is not the only one on our hit list. There are

many other officers of the Karachi Police on our hit list who will be

targeted and killed soon for having sided with the forces of the

infidel".

Amir Mir is a senior Pakistani journalist and the author of several

books on the subject of militant Islam and terrorism, the latest being

The Bhutto murder trail: From Waziristan to GHQ.

[Description of Source: Hong Kong Asia Times Online in English --

Online newspaper focusing on political and economic issues from an

"Asian perspective," with over 50 contributors in 17 Asian countries,

the United States, and Europe, and a branch office in Bangkok;

successor of the Hong Kong/Bangkok-based print daily Asia Times that

closed in 1997, it claims an average of 100,000 daily site visitors,

with 65% of the audience based in North America, and 22% in the

Asia-Pacific region; tends to be critical of the United States; URL:

http://www.atimes.com]

Pakistan: Religious Leader, Deputy Put Under House Arrest for 10 Days

SAP20110923100013 Karachi Islam in Urdu 23 Sep 11 pp 1, 7

[Unattributed report: "Ahl-e Sunnat Wal Jamaat Leader Malik Ishaq,

Deputy Put Under House Arrest"]

Lahore -- The leader of Ahl-e Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Malik Muhammad Ishaq

and his deputy, Ghulam Rasool have been put under house arrest for 10

days due to the threat to maintenance of public order while under

section 144, Malik Ishaq and Dr Khadim Hussain Dahloon have been

banned from entering into the revenue jurisdiction of Muzaffargarh

District. The ban comes into force with an immediate effect and will

remain effective for three months.

While condemning the restrictions, Ahl-e Sunnat Wal Jamaat Chief,

Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhiyanvi said that these restrictions are in

violation of law and contrary to the human rights and we strongly

condemn them. The government should immediately end their house

arrest. According to district administration, Rahim Yar Khan, Malik

Ishaq has been put under house arrest for 10 days under 16 MPO. Malik

Ishaq has been put under house arrest at his home, located in the

jurisdiction of police station B division, police have been deployed

outside his home, and ban imposed on meetings with him. The sources

said that Malik Ishaq has been taken into custody on orders of the

Punjab Government. Malik Ishaq was released from jail a few months ago

after which ban was imposed on him to go out of district. A few days

ago, people coming to receive Malik Ishaq were fired on in

Muzaffargarh due to which the Muzaffargarh administration had sent him

back to Khan from Head Panjnad.

Bahawalnagar administration has put Rasool, deputy of Malik Ishaq,

under the house arrest. District coordination officer Muzaffargarh,

Tahir Khurshid has imposed ban on the entry of the leaders of the

defunct organizations Sipah-e Sahaba and Lashkar-e Jhangvi, Malik

Ishaq and Dr Dahloon, under section 144, in the revenue jurisdiction

of Muzaffargarh District. The ban comes into force with an immediate

effect and will remain in force for three months. A strict action will

be taken in case of its violation.

The head of Ahl-e Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Muhammad Ludhiyanvi has termed

the house arrest of Ahl-e Sunnat Wal Jamaat Leader, Malik Ishaq as

unjust and strongly condemned it. He said antistate elements are

active in dear motherland, who wanted to put the security of the

country at stake in the name of sectarianism. We have always condemned

murder and pillage. No government has taken any step so far for the

prevention of sectarian riots. That is why, when situation worsens,

the government resorts to arrests, house-arrests, and blame game.

[Description of Source: Karachi Islam in Urdu -- Jihadist daily

associated with the Al-Rasheed Trust, estimated circulation around

20,000. A pro-Taliban paper which claims to have introduced a new

trend in journalism based on Islamic values. Following orthodox

Islamic principles, the paper never publishes pictures of living

beings.]

Pakistan: Balochistan Govt Says 40 Terrorists Freed Due to Lack of Evidence

SAP20110928118001 Islamabad The News Online in English 28 Sep 11

[Report by Mumtaz Alvi: "Over 40 alleged terrorists released in

Balochistan in a year"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

ISLAMABAD: The Balochistan government said on Tuesday that as many as

forty alleged terrorists were released in one year in Balochistan due

to lack of evidence against them.

Talking to The News from Quetta, Balochistanís Home Secretary

Naseebullah Khan Bazai said that 43 cases were filed against alleged

terrorists with the court but 40 of these were dismissed because of

lack of evidence.

He conceded not only people from Hazara received threats from

militants but also those serving in government departments faced a

similar situation. He confirmed that several persons belonging to the

Hazara community had received threats and even literature was

distributed warning them to leave Balochistan.

Malik Ishaq of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, according to media

reports, was also set free because of lack of evidence a few months

back in Punjab. He was accused of being a key player in an attack on

the Sri Lankan cricket team.

The home secretary noted some drastic administrative measures were

being taken to flush out thousands of Afghans, who had been staying in

Kuchlak and some other localities illegally. These areas are very

close to the provincial capital.

The Afghan consulate, UNHCR and even some NGOs rushed to us, when we

decided to take action against Afghans, who are in the province

without any legal documents whatsoever, Bazai maintained.

However, he said they would not take into consideration pressure and

would not show leniency against the illegal persons. He pointed out

over 3,000 Afghan nationals without legal documents, staying in

Balochistan were pushed back to their country ever since the massacre

of 29 pilgrims on September 20, belonging to Hazara community.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Article Says Growing Extremism, Division in Society Threat for Pakistan

SAP20110929127036 Islamabad The News Online in English 29 Sep 11

[Article by Kamila Hyat: "Caught up in the net of extremism"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

It is sometimes easy to delude ourselves into believing that the

problem of extremism is limited to the men in turbans who still stalk

the northern parts of our country and use terror as their principal

weapon.

It is also easy to convince ourselves that the problem will simply

disappear if the US removes its presence from our soil. But this is a

naïve thought.

It may have held true at some point in the past. However, for a wide

variety of reasons, escaping the chains Washington uses to grip us

would be welcome.

But we must also face the fact that extremism has seeped so deep into

our society that it will be hard to remove in just one step. Indeed as

things stand now, the task is akin to picking out weevils from a

heavily infested sack of grain.

We must think about whether it is even possible to achieve this

without involving a far larger number of persons with deft fingers and

a great deal of patience to help with the task and begin what will

undoubtedly be a painstaking process.

New examples of the kind of place we have become surface virtually

every day. Take the case from Havelian, near Abbottabad, where an

eight-grade Christian girl, Faryal Bibi, was accused of blasphemy

after misspelling a word on an Urdu exam paper.

No one defended her or showed any willingness to accept pleas from her

or her mother that this was not a malicious act but simply a small

mistake, which could have been made by anyone.

The authorities at the Pakistan Ordinance Factory Colony where the

school was based, pressurised by clerics' protests, not only expelled

the girl but also, presumably as an additional act of punishment,

transferred her mother who worked as a nurse at a POF Hospital.

Such vindictiveness, perhaps driven forward by fear of speaking out

against injustice, is growing everywhere. It can be found well beyond

the north, in cities and towns across the country.

The case of Asia Bibi, the impoverished Christian woman who the late

Salmaan Taseer tried to defend, is yet another example of this. Today,

Asia continues to languish in a Sheikhupura Jail, her husband and

small children remain on the run and Taseer of course is dead.

In court his killer has boldly defended his actions and maintained he

committed no wrong when he killed Taseer.

There are of course many reasons for this growth of extremism. One is

that we seem unable - or perhaps unwilling - to act against the groups

spreading all kinds of vitriol that is only adding to the hatred that

runs deep in society.

The leader of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Malik Ishaq, has recently been

placed under house arrest after a series of shocking addresses

attacking Shias were made in southern Punjab.

Few doubt Ishaq, who has stated his diabolic comments were in fact

valid, will walk free once more in the not too distant future.

He was freed after 14 years in jail in July this year, with many of

the multiple charges of murder and terrorism against him, including

the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team, going unproven.

But the lack of action against Ishaq does not explain why groups such

as the LeJ, banned in 2002, remain able to operate so freely. The

outfit, carved out in the 1990s from the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan has

claimed responsibility for many of the most recent terrorist attacks.

Like it, other groups, notably those in southern Punjab, too seem able

to operate at will. Cosmetic name changes are involved in some cases.

Most have not bothered even with this meaningless ploy. Their

influence is increased by the madressahs they run and by using clerics

at mosques that spread hatred through their sermons.

The impact of their efforts is visible everywhere, with our society

contorted into a place where tolerance or acceptance for different

views have no place at all.

This is reflected even in curriculums at mainstream schools, where a

culture of orthodoxy p ervades the texts books children are forced to

read. The lack of reading outside this sphere adds to the problem,

allowing no chink of light to enter minds that have closed up like

clams.

And what suggestions do our political leaders have to counter this? In

an especially absurd suggestion Interior Minister Rehman Malik

suggested shutting down access to the Google search engine or the

YouTube website to prevent terrorists from communicating or gathering

information.

Precisely how such a drastic measure, affecting millions of Internet

users in the country would help has not quite been explained.

Other politicians continue to insist that, essentially, the Taliban

pose no threat at all and that the stories about them beheading people

or burning down girls' schools are mere concoctions of a propaganda

machine powered by the US.

Perhaps these leaders, before they speak out at highly public forums,

should just have a word or two with the people of Swat or others who

have lived under the Taliban before coming up with their comments.

The strategy adopted by the government of setting up 'lashkars' to

combat the Taliban has essentially failed. These groups have

themselves come under attack again and again, raising the question of

whether it is even moral to use ordinary people to fight highly

trained militias.

Like the Taliban themselves, the Lashkars too have been accused of all

kinds of atrocities, including using children as soldiers in violation

of international law or carrying out extra-judicial executions.

The question is: where do we go from here? Blockades appear on every

path leading out from the pit within which we have been trapped.

Society is becoming more and more divided. Immense confusion surrounds

the issue of the Taliban, action against them and the growth of

extremism. Religiosity has taken on peculiar contours.

There needs to be a process of re-moulding of thinking at many levels

if we are ever to find normalcy once again and escape the extremist

trap which has closed in all around us with fewer and fewer escape

routes left open.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Pakistan: Banned Group Head Detained for 30 Days to Pre-Empt Sectarian Strife

SAP20110929128003 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 29 Sep 11

[Report by Asad Kharal: LeJ chief Malik Ishaq jailed for 30 days ]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

LAHORE: Founder of banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) Malik Ishaq

was shifted late Tuesday night to a Rahim Yar Khan jail after being

under house arrest for 10 days.

Ishaq has now been detained for more than 30 days to pre-empt

sectarian strife, under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), The

Express Tribune has learnt.

According to an official of the security branch, the detention order

was issued by the District Coordination Officer (DCO) Rahim Yar Khan

late on Monday but due to the closure of the jail.

The former chief of the banned outfit was allegedly involved in 44

murder cases in which 70 people mostly belong to the Shia community.

He was released on bail from Kot Lakhpat Jail Lahore on July 14 in a

case regarding the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team by the order

of the Supreme Court.

Ishaq had been in jail since 1997 for allegedly killing 12 members of

Fida Hussain Ghalvi's family, in addition to being allegedly involved

in killing 58 other people in various incidents of sectarian violence.

He is one of the founders of the terrorist outfit LeJ, a key suspect

in the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009.

He was granted bail by the apex court after the prosecution failed to

prove his involvement in the case.

Ishaq was acquitted in 34 out of 44 cases while in the remaining 10 he

had already been granted bail, official documents revealed.

Intelligence and law enforcement agencies' reports have revealed that

the banned organization's leader is engaged in highly objectionable

activities which may spark sectarian violence in Punjab.

Ubaidullah Usmani, the media coordinator of Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat

(ASWJ) said that the chief of ASWJ Allama Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi has

strongly condemned the detention of Malik Ishaq.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

Pakistan: Kidnappers of Ex Governor Punjab s Son Want Governor s Killer Free

SAP20111003135001 Islamabad The News Online in English 03 Oct 11

[Report by Amir Mir: Kidnappers of Taseer s son want release of Qadri ]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

LAHORE: Expressing grave concern over the release of Malik Mohammad

Ishaq, one of the founding members of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) an

al-Qaeda-linked anti-Shia and anti-US Sunni-Deobandi

sectarian-turned-jehadi organisation, the Hong Kong-based Asian Human

Rights Commission (AHRC) has accused the Punjab Law Minister [Rana

Sanaullah Khan] of conniving with the abductors of Shahbaz Taseer, the

son of former Punjab Governor, Salman Taseer, to ensure the release of

his assassin - [Malik Mumtaz Qadri who was sentenced to death on

October 1, 2011 by an antiterrorism court on the basis of his

confession].

Founded in 1986 by a prominent group of jurists and human rights

activists in Asia, the Asian Human Rights Commission is an

independent, non-governmental organisation, which seeks to promote

greater awareness and realization of human rights in the Asian region.

The Commission has regretted in a statement which has already been

posted on its website (www.humanrights. asia) that "a mass killer -

Malik Mohammad Ishaq - has been provided protection by the state while

the families of his victims continue to suffer threats".

"[Mumtaz] Qadri, the killer of Governor of Punjab [Salman Taseer] has

been given the status of a hero of Islam who is enjoying every

facility of life in custody; facilities which he never had in his

ordinary life being a head constable in Punjab police. He has access

to his network through mobile phones and is being held in a special

ward of the jail and allowed to have visitors who meet him regularly.

All of this is contrary according to the prison manuals", the AHRC

statement observed.

The AHRC then regretted that the whereabouts of the son of the

assassinated Governor of Punjab, Shahbaz Taseer, who was abducted by

militants from Punjab on August 27, 2011, remain unknown. "It is

reported that the LeJ is negotiating through the Punjab government for

the release of [Malik Mumtaz] Qadri in exchange for Shahbaz Taseer.

The negotiations are apparently being carried out under the

supervision of the Punjab Law Minister [Rana Sanaullah Khan] who is

notorious for having relationships with the banned militant groups.

Therefore, all efforts for the release of Shahbaz have been in the

interests of the militant organizations", the AHRC statement added.The

Asian Human Rights Commission statement said that the state has

totally failed to provide protection to the citizens from the

religious militant organisations who are surviving on the mercy of

jehadis. "We urge the government of Pakistan to realize that the

international community is closely monitoring the situation and is

quite capable of seeing the very blatant discrepancies in the

treatment of the victims and the perpetrators. We vehemently condemn

the protection provided for a mass murderer (Malik Ishaq) while his

victims continue to face death threats and religious intolerance. We

urge that action must be taken against the LeJ and its members. The

Minister of Law of Punjab who is aiding and abetting this organisation

must be prosecuted particularly for his connivance with the abductors

of Shahbaz Taseer to obtain the release of a murderer. We also urge

the government to ensure the safe release of Shahbaz and that suitable

compensation and rehabilitation be provided to the victims and the

families of the Mastung carnage".

Approached for comments, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan

strongly refuted the "baseless allegations" levelled against him and

the Punjab government by the "socalled" Asian Human Rights Commission,

saying they were simply farcical and politically motivated. About the

Commission's claim that the Punjab law minister was conniving with the

abductors to pave the way for Mumtaz Qadri's release in exchange for

Shehbaz Taseer, Rana Sanaullah said: "Let me make it clear that no

talks are going on with the abductors at any level as far as I know. I

reject AHRC's allegations regarding my connivance wi th any militant

group at any level. The Punjab government would lodge a formal protest

with the AHRC for spreading this baseless propaganda. Such

unsubstantiated speculations would only hinder the progress being made

in the case by the investigators.

To a question, Rana Sanaullah said: "As a matter of fact, Shehbaz

Taseer's abduction case is not being dealt with by the Punjab Police

alone. In fact, there is a highlevel Joint Investigating Team (JIT)

being led by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) which is

investigating the case. The Crime Investigation Department of Punjab

and the Special Branch of Punjab Police are only assisting the

investigators in their efforts to track down the kidnappers". Asked

about the identity of Shehbaz Taseer's abductors, the law minister

said: "I can say positive progress has been made in the case and the

investigation is going in the right direction". Asked if the

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi was involved in the kidnapping, Rana Sanaullah said

such reports were baseless. Those investigating the case do have a

very clear idea about the kidnappers. But I can't make public any

information at this stage due to sensitivity of the matter," the law

minister added.

While slamming the Punjab government for its soft corner towards

extremists, the AHRC statement said: "Banned militant religious groups

are exciting violence in Punjab with full institutional protection

from the ruling party of the province (PML-N). Federal minister for

interior had accused the Punjab government that its ministers and

officials are closely associated with the LeJ which is why no action

has been taken against the group. Ishaq's September 22 protective

detention under the guise of house arrest comes after his

organisation, the Lashkar-e- Jhangvi, claimed responsibility for the

killings of 29 Shia pilgrims." The AHRC statement further said: "The

LeJ has overtly opened offices in many districts of the Punjab

province and collecting funds on the streets by means of collection

boxes in shops and restaurants. After the killing of 29 Shia pilgrims

from the Hazara tribe in Mastung, the Lashkare- Jhangvi has come out

openly and announced to continue its movement against the Shia sect as

they are infidel and they should be declared a non- Islamic religious

group. One must ask if this is another attempt at appeasement by the

government towards the militant religious groups".

While expressing dismay at the recent release of the

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi's operational chief, Malik Ishaq, the Asia Human

Rights Commission said: "Malik was bailed from the Supreme Court of

Pakistan [on July 14, 2011] from many cases regarding killings and

bombings. Malik remained in detention for 14 years but the [Punjab]

government could not provide protection to witnesses [against him].

Also, the prosecution produced very weak cases which ultimately

benefited defence. He was thus released on bail by the Supreme Court

on the grounds of these weak cases".

"Malik Ishaq was then detained on September 22 [ 2011] on the pretext

that he was facing death threats and needed protection. His arrest was

made under Article 5 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) for ten

days. The house detention generally does not fall under the term of

punishment in the country as during that period the detainee has

access to communications via cell phones, internet and the electronic

media. Immediately after his release on bail he visited many places

and roused the people on sectarian issues. At the same time, he (Malik

Ishaq) organized his group, the LeJ, which is supposedly banned by the

government", the AHRC statement added.

However, a senior official of the Punjab Home Department [who

requested anonymity] refuted the AHRC statement as a pack of lies,

adding that Ishaq has not been sent to jail because he was facing

death threats and needed protection. In fact, the official said, he

has been detained for a period of one month to preempt sectarian

strife in the province. He said not only Malik Ishaq, but another LeJ

leader Ghulam Rasool Shah has a lso been confined in his hometown,

Bahawalnagar. Therefore, the spokesman said, it is simply ridiculous

to accuse the Punjab government of having a soft corner towards

extremists.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Pakistan: TTP Demands Rs 30 Million as Ransom Money for Releasing Taseer s Son

SAP20111004128004 Islamabad The Nation Online in English 04 Oct 11

[Report by Jam Sajjad Hussain: Rs30m demanded for Taseer s son release ]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

LAHORE - Commander Arif of Tehrik Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is holding

the fate of Shahbaz Taseer, son of slain Governor Punjab Salman

Taseer, demanding Rs 30 million as ransom money for his safe return,

The Nation has learnt reliably.

Shahbaz Taseer, has been hidden somewhere in the provincial capital

since his abduction, whereas his cell phone is being used by his

abductors from Razmak, which is one of the three sub-divisions of

North Waziristan Agency.

Razmak is further sub-divided in three Tehsils, which are Razmak,

Datta Khel and Garhyom. Recently, the security agencies were receiving

ransom-money phone calls from Tehsil Razmak, which is a hilly and

comparatively colder area.

Informed official circles privy to the developments regarding efforts

for the recovery of Shahbaz Taseer told this scribe that Commander

Arif has deputed Tariq Afridi, a former activist of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

to negotiate the ransom money with the family of Shahbaz Taseer and

law-enforcers.

Currently, Tariq Afridi controls Dara Adam Khel, an area comprising 35

kilometers south of Peshawar, which is commonly called as Frontier

region of FATA also is famous for manufacturing of all kind of

firearms and is inhabited by five sub-tribes of Adam Khel Afridi.

Informed quarters said Tariq Afridi has further appointed one Talha

(original name is Younas) as spokesman for this specific case of

abduction of ransom.

Talha is currently dealing with DIG Investigations Lahore Ali Aamir

Malik and SP Organised Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Omer Virk and

other top cops but nothing fruitful development has been come out so

far.

SP CIA Omer Virk, however, completely denied of having any kind of

information or connections in this regard saying they (policemen) were

trying their best to recover him as soon as possible.

Shahbaz Taseer was abducted on August 26, when he was driving towards

the offices of the First Capital Group off M.M. Alam Road in Gulberg.

'Yes, the TTP contacted local abductors and urged them to cooperate,

and later Shahbaz was kidnapped at gun-point by three to four locals,

who used a Prado jeep and a motorcycle and bundled Shahbaz Taseer into

the four-wheeler and fled away unimpeded', they added.

The recent developments showed that Tariq Afridi, who is believed to

be the mastermind of a massive suicide attack carried out on a mosque

in Akhorwal area to punish the followers of Momin Afridi tribe for

cooperating with security forces, is being considered the most

reliable person of Commander Arif of the TTP.

'Yes, one motive behind this abduction is quite clear as they have

formally demanded ransom money amounting to Rs 30 million while the

second is too early to unveil', official quarters said.

They, however, claimed the top guns of the Lahore police were quite

scared to visit Razmak Tehsil.

'Yes, the TTP command has advised them (police cops and other close

family members) to visit Razmak, where they would receive ransom money

and the abducted person would be released', they added.

Meanwhile, DIG Ali Aamir Malik, who had revealed during a Press

conference some days back, that 'fruitful developments' have been

established could not be contacted by this scribe despite the repeated

requests.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The Nation Online in English --

Website of a conservative daily, part of the Nawa-i-Waqt publishing

group. Circulation around 20,000; URL: http://www.nation.com.pk]

Pakistan Editorial Calls for Commitment to Tackle Militants in Balochistan

SAP20111005103006 Karachi Dawn Online in English 05 Oct 11

[Editorial: "Targeting Hazaras"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

TUESDAY morning saw yet another horrific attack on Balochistan's

hapless Hazara Shias. According to a representative of the community,

gunmen removed non-Hazara passengers from a bus on the outskirts of

Quetta before opening fire on the Hazara passengers and killing 13

people. The attack followed the chilling murder of 26 Shia pilgrims on

their way from Quetta to Iran in Mastung on Sept 20. They were lined

up in a row to be gunned down, execution-style. Following as these do

a number of other targeted attacks against Hazaras over the summer,

this is nothing short of a campaign of sectarian and ethnic cleansing.

Members of the community are easily recognisable physically, and Sunni

extremists are taking advantage of this fact to target Shias more

easily than is possible elsewhere in the country.

But what is also making this possible are the ties that various

militant groups have built with each other across the country. It is

the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi of southern Punjab that is suspected to be

behind most of these killings; having developed links with the Taliban

and Al Qaeda, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi militants have found a convenient area

of operation in and around Quetta, retreating into seminaries and

other safe havens in nearby lawless border areas between attacks. The

sectarian Jundallah group is also suspected to have a hand in

anti-Shia violence in Balochistan, despite its focus on Iran. The

situation is thus a prime example of the fallout from increasing

collaboration among militant groups present in different parts of

Pakistan. It also demonstrates that going after anyone of them will

not be enough. Besides providing the Hazara community with much better

protection, the situation will require a commitment to tackle the

militants who are targeting Shias as well as those who have allowed

them to operate with such impunity in this part of Balochistan.

[Description of Source: Karachi Dawn Online in English -- Website of

Pakistan's first and most widely read English-language daily promoting

progressive views. Generally critical of military rule; URL:

http://www.dawn.com]

Pakistan Report Says Balochistan Situation Worsening Due to Government's Apathy

SAP20111006127003 Islamabad The News Online in English 06 Oct 11

[Report by Tariq Khosa: "Balochistan at the edge of precipice,

slipping into chaos Perspective"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

ISLAMABAD: With a heavy heart and great sorrow, I am constrained to

warn the present policy makers that Balochistan is fast slipping into

chaos and turmoil that may result in disintegration of the State of

Pakistan.

Being the first and only Baloch Inspector General of Balochistan

Police in 2007, I do not want this to happen as the vast majority of

the Baloch sub-nation does not want their province to be embroiled in

the new great game being played in the region. What really bothers me

is the lack of political will and wisdom to set things right. The

security establishment has a barrel vision as its current strategy is

perpetuating tit for tat killings and violence.

Rule of law and the writ of the State are the biggest casualties

despite a strong message being given by the High Court of Balochistan

to all the relevant stakeholders to come up with a strategy to foil

the designs of the terrorists and insurgents. Recent spate of targeted

killings of Shia community is a case in point. The State seems to be

helpless or groping in the dark to take on proscribed militant

organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. The Government of Balochistan has not

come up with a concerted strategy after detailed review and

consultation with the chief secretary, home secretary, inspector

general police, DG Levies, IG Frontier Corps, IB, ISI, Special Branch,

and CID. A few meetings to pay lip service will not do.

Everyone knows that after the escape of a hardcore LJ terrorist from

the high security prison in Quetta, the LJ has regrouped and developed

a nexus with BLA and other militant outfits in the province to cause

systematic mayhem. It is not a secret that such forces have their

hideouts near Mastung in Kabo and other Ferrari camps. These camps are

located in the B Areas, which are out of the reach of Balochistan

Police, thanks to power-hungry politicians and bureaucrats who have

handed over 95% of the province to the rag-tag militias, called the

Levies. A turf battle has been won by narrow-minded bureaucrats

against the police. Consequently, there is no rule of law and peace in

the entire province.

The Balochistan police are totally demoralized and their fractured

command is unable to deliver peace. They were not even consulted when

Police Act of 1861 was re-enacted with a new name. The IG is

struggling to post even the SPs as bureaucratic control over the

police has been re-established by law and Rules of Business. A junior

home secretary has no guts to summon the command of all the law

enforcement and intelligence agencies to evolve an action plan on law

and order.

The Frontier Corps looks up to the army command rather than the

Ministry of Interior to respond to acts of terrorism and disorder in

the province. A huge force is being fed gigantic internal security

allowance out of limited financial resources of the province, and yet

it is not accountable and responsive to the needs of the provincial

government to carry out raids in the 95% lawless areas of the

province. With such fragmented administrative machinery, how can

Balochistan not go down the road of utter chaos?

Intelligence Bureau, the civilian police-led agency of the Federal

Government, has been made ineffective as power lies somewhere else.

Its role in Balochistan is to act as glorified partner of the local

special branch. The military-led all powerful ISI is not willing to

part with its administratively acquired technological prowess for

intelligence-based investigations against the terrorists and

insurgents. About Military Intelligence (MI), less said the better in

the context of Balochistan.

Balochistan faces major challenges on account of insurgency stoked by

foreign sponsored sub-nationalists, sectarian terrorism by LJ and

anti-state militants, lack of safety on the highways, poor policing by

tribal levies, ineffective border control by the Frontier Corps, lack

of will by the police, selective sharing of information by the

intelligence agencies and above all lack of political will to steer

the province out of its present quagmire. The provincial government,

with Levies and police, the Federal Government, with Frontier Corps,

IB, ISI, FIA, assisted by the armed forces have to sit together and

come up with a concerted and effective plan that has political,

economic and security solutions if Balochistan is to be pulled back

from the edge of precipice.

We cannot afford to have another Hamudur Rehman Commission in our

history. Political issues require political solutions. Economic help

is the right of the deprived people of Balochistan. Security policies

must not lose sight of dignity and self-respect of those seeking their

rights. Absence of Baloch political parties from APC held on September

29, 2011, has been a setback. The saner voices like that of Senator

Abdul Maalik and Hasil Bizenjo need to be heard. Death of Nawab Akbar

Bugti in August 2006 under military siege should be probed by an

independent judicial commission. The BNP-M and its leadership need to

be brought back in the political mainstream. Issue of missing persons

must be resolved by our security establishment.

Balochistan has a huge economic potential. This land has great

reservoirs of gold, copper, coal and other precious metals and

minerals. Gwadar port is certainly destined to become a trade conduit

and economic boom for Pakistan. This land is our land. It is the

future of Pakistan. Please save it from going down.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Pakistan: Investigators Say Hazara Killings Part of Lashkar-e Jhangvi's Campaign

SAP20111006127006 Islamabad The News Online in English 06 Oct 11

[Report by Amir Mir: "Why Hazaras are being killed"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

LAHORE: The authorities investigating the current spate of

execution-style sectarian killings in Quetta say it is part of a

systematic campaign launched by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi to persecute

half a million members of the Persian speaking Hazara community into

leaving Pakistan, the way the Taliban regime of Mullah Omar forced

thousands of them to abandon Afghanistan between 1995 and 2001.

In its latest attack on October 4, the LeJ killed 14 more Hazaras

traveling on a bus to work in Quetta. The attackers forced them off

the bus, made them stand in a line and then opened fire. The massacre

was literally an action replay of the September 20 cold-blooded

execution-style killing of 29 pilgrims of Hazara community in the

Mastung area of Quetta who were on their way to Iran from Quetta.

Armed with Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers, the attackers stopped

the bus and forced the pilgrims to get off. While women and children

were spared, they were made to witness the execution of their dear

ones who were lined up and sprayed with bullets.

The LeJ had claimed responsibility for the massacre. The LeJ, which

has strong ties with the al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, is a

sworn enemy of a particular sect and has a declared agenda of ridding

Pakistan of it.

Available figures show that a total of 422 Hazaras have been killed in

Balochistan alone since 1999. Well-informed sources in the

intelligence establishment say the killing spree in Quetta is being

spearheaded by one of the most wanted LeJ activist, Usman Saifullah

Kurd. Interestingly, Kurd had been arrested in 2006 but he finally

escaped from a Quetta jail in January 2008.

Those investigating the ongoing killings of Hazaras say the campaign

has intensified in the aftermath of the May 2, 2011 killing of

al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in an American military raid in

Pakistan. Immediately after the Abbottabad episode, a spokesman of the

LeJ, who identified himself as Ali Sher Haidri, threatened to avenge

the killing of "Sheikh Osama bin Laden" by targeting not only

government ministers and Pakistani security forces' personnel but also

the Hazaras.

Shortly afterwards, threatening letters were circulated in Hazara

areas of Quetta, warning residents either to leave Balochistan by 2012

or to get prepared for more violence because the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

will be intensifying the holy war against the Hazaras, similar to the

one waged by the Afghan Taliban against the Hazaras in Bamiyan and

Ghazni provinces of Afghanistan".

Mostly settled in central Afghanistan, the Hazaras comprise the

third-largest ethnic group of Afghanistan. The Hazara Mongols of

Afghanistan represent one of the last surviving Mongol remnants in

western Asia of the vast empire, which was conquered by the armies of

Chinggis Khan in the early 13th century and consolidated by his

descendants. The Mongol origin of the Hazaras is attested by their

high cheekbones and sparse beards.

Over half a million Hazaras living in Pakistan, especially in the

Quetta district, are Afghan refugees who settled in the city following

the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent outbreak of

the Afghan civil war. They are the frequent target of attacks in

Afghanistan as well as in Pakistan by sectarian-cum-militant groups.

Those investigating the upsurge in sectarian attacks in Quetta believe

the dreadful tendency has something to do with the recent release of

Malik Mohammad Ishaq, the operational chief of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

who had been charged with involvement in 100-plus sectarian murders

but released by the Supreme Court on bail due to "lack of evidence".

Malik Ishaq's release instantly caused sectarian tensions that were

prompted by the sectarian sermons he began delivering while touring

Punjab, coupled with the release of an open letter addressed to the

Hazara community living in Quetta.

Therefore, on September 21, 2011 hardly 24 hours after the bloodba th

in Mastung, Malik Ishaq was placed under temporary house arrest in

Rahim Yar Khan, with district police officer Sohail Chattha saying:

"Ishaq's conduct has endangered sectarian harmony and caused a sudden

rise in the sectarian temperature in the country."

According to Punjab police records, after being arrested by Punjab

police in 1997 on charges of involvement in 102 murders, Ishaq

confessed to committing 11 and abetting 57 other killings. But

according to Ishaq's lawyer, Misbahul Haq, who pleaded his bail case

in the Supreme Court, his client was acquitted in 35 cases because of

"lack of evidence", and granted bail in eight cases and discharged in

one case.

The last charge leveled against him was masterminding from his jail

cell the March 2009 terrorist attack targeting a bus carrying the Sri

Lankan cricket team in Lahore. During subsequent investigations, it

transpired that the LeJ attackers wanted to take hostage the cricket

team to get Ishaq released. He was bailed out anyway by the Supreme

Court "due to lack of evidence and the weak case of the prosecution",

as observed by two apex court judges while bailing him out against a

surety bond of a million rupees.

While giving its verdict, a division bench of the apex court

comprising Justice Shahid Siddiqui and Justice Asif Khosa expressed

dissatisfaction over the poor performance of the prosecution in

establishing its case against the accused.

The court observed that the prosecution produced only two witnesses

who stated that they had heard conversations between some people

planning to take the Sri Lankan cricket team hostage to get Ishaq

released. The bench censured the prosecutor general of Punjab, saying:

"The judiciary has to face the wrath of the public when it releases

such accused due to lack of evidence and weak case of the

prosecution."

On the other hand, Malik Ishaq said in a brief media talk after being

set free: "We were never terrorists and killers and the apex court has

also proven that." He was cheered by hundreds of LeJ activists and

showered with rose petals as he walked from a high-security prison in

Lahore to a waiting land cruiser that was surrounded by dozens of his

arms-wielding supporters. The million-dollar questions remains: are

the Pakistani authorities incapable or unwilling to stop the march of

al-Qaeda-linked LeJ as it goes about its goal of radicalizing

Pakistan.

[Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English --

Website of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the

Jang publishing group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of

domestic and international issues. Usually offers leading news and

analysis on issues related to war against terrorism. Circulation

estimated at 55,000; URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/]

Asia Times: 'Blood Flows Freely in Pakistan'

CPP20111007715025 Hong Kong Asia Times Online in English 0823 GMT 04 Oct 11

[Asia Times Report by Amir Mir: "Blood Flows Freely in Pakistan";

headline as provided by source]

ISLAMABAD - The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ - Army of Jhangvi), a

Pakistan-based, al-Qaeda-linked, anti-United States, Sunni Deobandi

sectarian-turned-jihadi group, has let loose a reign of terror against

the Shi'ite minority.

In its latest attack, the LeJ on Tuesday killed 13 Shi'ites traveling

on a bus to work in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan

province. The attackers forced the Shi'ites off the bus, made them

stand in a line and then opened fire.

This followed the July 14 release of Malik Mohammad Ishaq, one of the

founding members of the LeJ, which has already claimed responsibility

for the September 20 cold-blooded execution-style killing of 29

Shi'ite pilgrims of the Hazara community in the Mastung area of

Balochistan.

All those killed were on their way to Iran from Quetta. Armed with

Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers, the attackers stopped the bus and

forced the pilgrims to get off. While women and children were spared,

they were made to witness the execution of their dear ones who were

lined up and sprayed with bullets.

It was the deadliest attack on the Shi'ite community in Pakistan since

September 4, 2010, when a suicide bomber killed 57 people at a

procession in Quetta. The Mastung attack is not an isolated incident,

but part of a systematic campaign of violence directed towards the

Shi'ite community. Over 400 Shi'ite Hazaras have been killed in

Balochistan by the LeJ since 1999.

The Hazaras are Persian-speakers who mainly live in central

Afghanistan. They are overwhelmingly Shi'ites and comprise the

third-largest ethnic group of Afghanistan. Over half a million Hazaras

live in Pakistan, especially in the Quetta district.

They are the frequent target of attacks in Afghanistan as well as in

Pakistan by anti-Shi'ite Sunni Deobandi sectarian-cum-militant groups

like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Pakistan Taliban - TTP) and the

LeJ, which suspect them of assisting and aiding US intelligence

agencies in their hunt for the fugitive leaders of al-Qaeda and the

Taliban, believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

One would recall the massacre of the Hazaras in Afghanistan after the

Afghan Taliban led by Mullah Omar took power in Kabul in September

1996 and allowed the LeJ to operate in Pakistan from sanctuaries in

Afghan territory.

While claiming responsibility for killing the 29 pilgrims in Mastung,

a spokesman of the LeJ, said: "Our activists will continue to target

the Shi'ite community." The massacre was carried out amid the usual

hate speech and wall-chalking, branding Shi'ites as apostate and

worthy to be killed.

A few weeks before the massacre, the LeJ had circulated an open letter

addressed to Hazaras in Quetta. Written in the Urdu language, the

letter stated: All Shi'ites are worthy of killing. We will rid

Pakistan of unclean people. Pakistan means land of the pure and the

Shi'ites have no right to live in this country. We have the edict and

signatures of revered scholars, declaring Shi'ites infidels. Just as

our fighters have waged a successful jihad against the Shi'ite Hazaras

in Afghanistan, our mission in Pakistan is the abolition of this

impure sect and its followers from every city, every village and every

nook and corner of Pakistan.

Like in the past, our successful jihad against the Hazaras in Pakistan

and, in particular, in Quetta, is ongoing and will continue in the

future. We will make Pakistan the graveyard of the Shi'ite Hazaras and

their houses will be destroyed by bombs and suicide bombers. We will

only rest when we will be able to fly the flag of true Islam on this

land of the pure. Jihad against the Shi'ite Hazaras has now become our

duty. Those investigating the recent surge in anti-Shi'ite attacks

believe it has something to do with the release on bail of Malik

Ishaq, the feared LeJ leader who had been charged with involvement in

100-plus sectarian murders.

His release instantly caused sectarian tensions that were prompted by

the anti-Shi'ite sermons he began delivering after his release.

Therefore, on September 21, hardly 24 hours after the bloodbath in

Mastung, Ishaq was placed under temporary house arrest in the Rahim

Yar Khan district of Punjab province, with district police officer

Sohail Chattha saying: "Malik Mohammad Ishaq's conduct has endangered

sectarian harmony and caused a sudden rise in the sectarian

temperature in the country."

According to an official document of Punjab Home Department, soon

after his release, Ishaq had vowed while addressing a public meeting

in Multan to continue to kill the enemies of "Sahaba" (the Prophet

Mohammad's companions). "All those against Sahaba are not our personal

enemies, but the enemies of Islam. And we will fight them... we cannot

tolerate these elements at any cost," Ishaq said during his address,

the document reported. The document, titled "Highly objectionable

activities of Malik Ishaq", further read: "On September 6, 2011, Malik

Ishaq visited the house of a high-profile terrorist, Abdul Wahab alias

Aenak Wala Jin, whose name is included in the Red Book, comprising

particulars of most-wanted terrorists."

Two weeks later, on September 19, Ishaq's gunmen who were escorting

his rally in Muzaffargarh district clashed with the Shi'ite community,

resulting in two deaths. Ishaq had undertaken the procession in

defiance of government orders since he is on an anti-terrorism watch

list and is required to request permission before leaving the

jurisdiction of his local police station. It was after these killings

that the Punjab government decided to place him under house arrest,

but for a brief period of one month, after which he will again be free

to spit venom and preach hatred in the name of Islam.

According to Punjab police records, after being arrested by Punjab

police in 1997 on charges of involvement in 102 murders, Ishaq

confessed to committing 11 and abetting 57 other killings. But

according to Ishaq's lawyer, Misbahul Haq, who pleaded his bail case

in the Supreme Court, his client was acquitted in 35 cases because of

"lack of evidence", and granted bail in eight cases and discharged in

one case.

The last charge leveled against him was masterminding from his jail

cell the March 2009 terrorist attack targeting a bus carrying the Sri

Lankan cricket team in Lahore. During subsequent investigations, it

transpired that the LeJ attackers wanted to take hostage the cricket

team to get Ishaq released. He was bailed out anyway by the Supreme

Court in July "due to lack of evidence and the weak case of the

prosecution", as observed by two apex court judges while bailing him

out against a surety bond of a million rupees (US$11,436.)

While giving their verdict, a division bench of the apex court

comprising Justice Shahid Siddiqui and Justice Asif Khosa expressed

dissatisfaction over the performance of the prosecution in

establishing its case against the accused. The court observed that the

prosecution produced only two witnesses who stated that they had heard

conversations between some people planning to take the Sri Lankan

cricket team hostage to get Ishaq released. The bench censured the

prosecutor general of Punjab, saying: "The judiciary has to face the

wrath of the public when it releases such accused due to lack of

evidence and weak case of the prosecution."

On the other hand, Ishaq said in a brief media talk after being set

free: "We were never terrorists and killers and the apex court has

also proven that." He was cheered by hundreds of LeJ activists and

showered with rose petals as he walked from a high-security prison in

Lahore to a waiting land cruiser that was surrounded by his

arms-wielding supporters.

Rise to infamy

Born in 1959, Ishaq is the son of Ali Ahmad Awan, who owned a cloth

shop in the village Taranda Sawaey Khan in Rahim Yar Khan district of

southern Punjab. He left school in the sixth grade in the early 1980s

to assist his father.

He eventually started a business distributing cigarettes before

joining a Sunni Deobandi sectarian organization, the Sipah-e-Sahaba

Pakistan (SSP), in 1989 after he met Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, its founder

who was based in the Jhang district of Punjab. Ishaq started his

hardline sectarian activism from the SSP platform soon afterwards and

launched the LeJ in 1996 with the support of his close aides, Riaz

Basra and Akram Lahori. Ishaq was arrested the same year but he

managed to escape from police custody a few months later, only to be

arrested again in 1997.

But Ishaq's release was a foregone conclusion that had even been

predicted by the foreign media almost two years before the Supreme

Court set him free. On August 7, 2009, the New York Times reported

that one Fida Hussein Ghalvi, who had testified 12 years ago against

Ishaq for killing his 12 family members, "feared the imminent release

of the terrorist leader, thus adding horror to Ghalvi's life of grief,

already reduced to the limits of his house in Multan". The newspaper

said that Ghalvi still received threats from followers of Ishaq, who

has has never had a conviction that stuck, though Punjab police

records show a dizzying tally of murders against his name.

"When Malik Ishaq was arrested in 1997, he unleashed his broad network

against his opponents, killing witnesses, threatening judges and

intimidating police, leading nearly all of the prosecutions against

him to collapse eventually," said the New York Times. "Now, with the

cases against him mostly exhausted, Ishaq - a 'jihadi hero' - could be

out on bail very soon. That prospect terrifies Ghalvi." The Times

quoting him as having said: "My life is totally constrained. I can't

even go to funerals. What have I gotten from 13 years of struggle

except grief?"

In fact, when Ghalvi and three other men had identified Ishaq, he told

them in front of the trial court judge that "dead men can't talk".

Subsequently, five witnesses and three of their relatives were killed

during the trial. Ishaq was also the prime accused in the 1997 bombing

of the Iranian culture center in Multan, which killed eight people.

When investigating officer Ejaz Shafi persuaded two witnesses to

appear in court and testify against Ishaq, his car was sprayed with

bullets by unidentified assailants in broad daylight.

Anti-Terrorism Court judge Bashir Ahmed Bhatti eventually convicted

Ishaq in the same case, but the Supreme Court overturned the

conviction in 2006 because of "lack of evidence". In March 2007, the

same judge, scheduled to hear another case against Ishaq, was on his

way to the court when a remote-controlled bicycle bomb exploded near

his car, killing his driver and two policemen. Ishaq was charged with

planning the attack but was eventually acquitted in April 2009, once

again due to "lack of evidence".

Following Ishaq's release, the police provided security to Ghalvi,

thus highlighting the concerns of the law-enforcement agencies.

Ghalvi, meanwhile, has relocated from his native town in Multan

district. However, two other key witnesses and one complainant have

not been provided any security. The men, identified as Khadim,

Sikandar and Abdul Ghafour (complainant) are the only people to have

survived the court cases that have taken 20 lives, including eight

people who were murdered purely for being associated with the case.

Following Ishaq's release, Sikandar was quoted by newspapers as

saying: "I can be attacked at any time and I do not know if I will be

alive tomorrow or not, as you know almost everyone who was a witness

or a relative has already been killed."

Like Sheikh Ahmed Omar Saeed, another terrorist already sentenced to

death for the 2002 beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl,

Ishaq was not subdued by jail conditions and allegedly continued to

plot acts while behind bars.

Perhaps this is no surprise. Ishaq was flown from a Lahore jail to the

garrison town of Rawalpindi by the military on a special chartered

flight to hold talks with fidayeen (suicide) attackers of the TTP, led

by Dr Aqeel alias Mohammad Osman, who had stormed the general

headquarters building on October 10, 2009 and taken hostage 42 people,

including several military officials.

The terrorists had listed demands and expressed their desire to

directly hold talks with the chief of army staff General Ashfaq Kiani.

The hostage-takers also gave a list of jailed militants belonging to

some Sunni Deobandi militant and sectarian groups, seeking their

release, failing which, the hostages were threatened to be killed one

by one.

As a time-buying tactic, negotiators roped in key leaders of jihadi

and sectarian groups to hold talks with the terrorists. Special planes

were subsequently flown to Lahore, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan to

bring to Rawalpindi Ishaq, Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, Maulana

Fazalur Rehman Khalil, the amir of the Harkatul Mujahideen, and Mufti

Abdul Rauf, the younger brother of Maulana Masood Azhar who is also

the acting amir of the Jaish-e-Mohammad.

The attackers were subsequently killed in a successful rescue

operation, except for Mohammad Aqeel, alias Dr Usman, a former army

man who had already been sentenced to death.

Interestingly, these same four jihadi leaders had been roped in by the

Pervez Musharraf regime in July 2007 to negotiate with the hardline

clerics of the infamous Lal Mosque (Red Mosque) in the heart of the

capital, Islamabad. The military later launched a raid on the mosque

to flush out militants who had taken sanctuary there.

The clout that Ishaq enjoyed even while in jail can be gauged from the

fact that he was not only allowed to use a mobile phone, he continued

to receive the regular monthly stipend from the Punjab government that

bega when Shehbaz Sharif became provincial chief minister in 2008.

Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, the current chief of the SSP,

claimed during a media discussion almost a year ago that he had met

Ishaq in jail at the request of Sharif, offering Ishaq a conditional

release if he remained peaceful for the rest of his life.

If close acquaintances of Ludhianvi are to be believed, following

intense backdoor diplomacy at the beginning of 2010, the SSP chief and

Sharif, who is the younger brother of former premier Nawaz Sharif,

held a clandestine meeting in Mecca in Saudi Arabia to sort out their

long-drawn-out differences.

The bone of contention was the killing of 36 activists of the SSP and

the LeJ in fake police encounters by the provincial government in the

first quarter of 1999 when Nawaz was prime minister. Shehbaz was

subsequently nominated by the Lahore police in the murder case of the

SSP workers, but was eventually acquitted by an anti-terrorism court

after the complainants withdrew the charges against him.

During his last days as premier, Nawaz Sharif, whose own life was

under threat from the SSP and the LeJ and who had already survived an

assassination attempt by them in Lahore, went public in naming

Afghanistan as the country providing shelter and training to SSP and

LeJ hit men. On January 3, 1999, the two sectarian groups had

attempted to blow up a bridge on the Lahore-Raiwind road, close to

Nawaz Sharif's farmhouse, shortly before he was due to pass by.

Returning to the Mecca meeting between Shehbaz Sharif and Ludhianvi,

once the two had reached an understanding they reportedly swore on the

Holy Koran while standing inside the Holy Kaaba to bury their

grievances and not to go against each other.

Although Sharif family circles strongly deny these reports, the fact

remains that the slain governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, had accused

the Sharif government of courting the SSP in the Jhang district of

south Punjab to safeguard its vote bank in the Pakistan People's Party

in a March 2010 by-election for a vacant seat in the Punjab provincial

assembly.

Taseer, who was gunned down by his bodyguard for his liberal views, in

Islamabad on January 4, 2011, had subsequently written a letter to

Shehbaz Sharif on March 5, 2010, demanding drastic action against Law

Minister Rana Sanaullah for his public meetings and addresses to

rallies in Jhang accompanied by known terrorists of the SSP.

The rise and ris e of the SSP

The LeJ was launched in 1996 by a breakaway faction of Sunni Deobandi

extremists of the SSP, including Ishaq, Riaz Basra and Akram Lahori,

who walked out of the outfit after accusing the SSP leadership of

deviating from the ideals of its founder, Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi,

who was killed by his Shi'ite rivals in February 1990.

But terrorism experts believe that the SSP is in fact the mother

organization that has provided human fodder to the cauldron of the

region's multi-layered violence in the name of Islam.

The SSP - Corps of the Prophet Mohammad's Companions - is a violently

anti-Shi'ite Sunni sectarian group responsible for targeting the

Shi'ite minority in Pakistan. The ultra-fanatic sectarian SSP emerged

in central Punjab in the mid-1980s as a response to the Iranian

Revolution of 1979, seeking proclamation of Pakistan as a Sunni state.

Having ideological affinity with the Taliban, the SSP aims at

restoring the caliphate system and has declared the Shi'ite minority

to be non-Muslim.

The SSP and the LeJ, which is considered to be the military wing of

the SSP, were once the strategic assets of the state of Pakistan and

have linked with al-Qaeda as its ancillary warriors, killing Pakistani

citizens and targeting the security forces to dissuade Pakistan from

fighting the "war against terror" as a United States ally.

The LeJ today has deep links with al-Qaeda and the Pakistani and

Afghan Taliban and is considered to be the most violent terrorist

organization operating in Pakistan, with the help of its suicide

squad. As with most Sunni Deobandi sectarian and militant groups,

almost the entire LeJ leadership is made up of people who have fought

in Afghanistan with the backing of the Pakistani security

establishment and most of its cadre are drawn from the numerous Sunni

madrassas (seminaries) in Pakistan.

The Lashkar stands out for its secrecy, lethality and unrelenting

pursuit of its core objectives - targeting Western interests in

Pakistan and the Shi'ite community as a way to the eventual

transformation of the country into a Taliban-style Islamic state. It

has become the group of choice for hard-core militants who are adamant

in pursuing their jihadi agenda in Pakistan.

The LeJ consists of loosely coordinated cells, of approximately five

to eight militants each with limited contact with one another, spread

across Pakistan with self-regulating chiefs for each of them. The

operational successes of the group over the years are attributed to

its multi-cell structure.

While not much is known about its structure of operations,

intelligence reports indicate that, after each attack, Lashkar cadres

disperse and subsequently reassemble at various bases/hideouts to plan

future operations. The LeJ's presence has been reported from locations

as varied as Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Islamabad, Jhang,

Khanewal, Layyah, Bhakkar, Sargodha, Rahimyar Khan, Orakzai, Sahiwal,

Karachi, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat, Sukkur, Bajaur, Parachinar,

Kurram, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Hangu, Hyderabad,

Bahawalpur, Nawabshah, Mirpur Khas, Chitral, Gilgit and Quetta.

Although sporadic crackdowns by the security forces since late-2001

have had some success, the LeJ continues to make new recruitments to

replace those arrested or killed. And great care is taken in

recruiting cadres, while considering both religious conviction and the

skill and commitment to carry out attacks.

While Shi'ites remain the primary target of the LeJ, the group has,

since 2002, broadened its focus to include other civilian, government

and Western targets in Pakistan.

Despite the involvement of the LeJ and its parent party, the SSP, in

sectarian violence since its inception in 1996, the Pakistani state

has failed to neutralize either group. Being part of a broader jihadi

movement with Deobandi ideological affiliation, the LeJ has links with

other jihadi groups, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Harkatul

Mujahideen and the Harkatul Jehadul Islami.

The LeJ also main tains close operational links with the Afghan

Taliban and al-Qaeda. There is, in fact, sufficient evidence to

indicate that the LeJ has been transformed into a significant al-Qaeda

affiliate, which provides not only back-up support but also takes part

in terrorist attacks linked to al-Qaeda. Yet, the group stays focused

on its home turf and its stated goal of radicalizing Pakistan.

Most terrorism experts agree that LeJ operatives are the most highly

trained and equally vicious killers the world of terror has to offer.

Intelligence sources say the LeJ has finally moved to center stage and

the past claims by Pakistani agencies of its demise after the capture

of its salar-e-Aala (commander-in-chief) Akram Lahori have proved to

be wide off the mark. This is evident as the group has already started

a fresh recruitment drive to form new cells at the district and

provincial levels, especially following the release of Ishaq.

Amir Mir is a senior Pakistani journalist and the author of several

books on the subject of militant Islam and terrorism, the latest being

The Bhutto murder trail: From Waziristan to GHQ.

[Description of Source: Hong Kong Asia Times Online in English --

Online newspaper focusing on political and economic issues from an

"Asian perspective," with over 50 contributors in 17 Asian countries,

the United States, and Europe, and a branch office in Bangkok;

successor of the Hong Kong/Bangkok-based print daily Asia Times that

closed in 1997, it claims an average of 100,000 daily site visitors,

with 65% of the audience based in North America, and 22% in the

Asia-Pacific region; tends to be critical of the United States; URL:

http://www.atimes.com]

Pakistan: Law Enforcement Agencies Operations Reduces Violence in Karachi

SAP20111009118008 Lahore Pakistan Today Online in English 08 Oct 11

[Report by Imdad Soomro: "Situation under control but for how long"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

KARACHI - The law enforcement agencies (LEAs) may not have achieved

their main objective in the ongoing 'surgical operations' but the

violence in Karachi has greatly subsidised since the launch of the

LEAs' action and the beginning of the Supreme Court's proceedings on

suo motu over Karachi killings.

According to official figures, since the 'real' operation was launched

on September 3, under the supervision of the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh

in collaboration with intelligence agencies, the LEAs have arrested

3,283 suspects while seizing 2,276 illegal weapons, including

explosive chemical and explosive substance.

Among the arrested suspects, 78 persons were claimed to be

high-profile target killers and 38 extortionists belonging to

different political parties of the city, including Awami National

Party (ANP), Muttahida Qaumi movement (MQM), People's Amn Committee

(PAC), Sunni Tehreek (ST) and also banned outfits Lashkar-e-Jhangvi,

Sipah-e-Sahaba and Sipah-e-Muhammad.

The operation was launched when Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General

Ashfaq Parvez Kayani called on Rangers Director General (DG) Aijaz

Chaudhry and ordered him to launch an indiscriminate operation in

Karachi and arrest criminals without considering their political,

ethnic or sectarian belongings.

Earlier on September 1, in the meeting of Corps Commander,

dissatisfaction was expressed on operations launched under the

supervision of Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

A statement issued through the Inter-Services Public Relations also

expressed reservations over the issue.

Sources in the federal government claimed that Malik was then 'asked'

to leave Karachi and the Rangers DG announced the beginning of an

indiscriminate, targeted operation in a press conference.

According to Sindh Home Department documents obtained by Pakistan

Today, out of the 3,283 suspects arrested, 2,714 were held by police

and 569 by Rangers.

The 2,276 weapons recovered included Kalashnikovs, submachine guns,

9mm and 8mm rifles, 9mm and 30m bore pistols, repeaters and explosives

including hand grenades, crackers and chemicals.

Two large torture cells were also discovered with one in Lyari, a

stronghold of the PAC, and another at Yousuf Plaza in Federal B Area,

a stronghold of the MQM.

Among the arrested persons, 2,324 alleged accused after interrogation

by Joint Investigation Team were presented before courts while the

remaining are undergoing investigation.

[Description of Source: Lahore Pakistan Today Online in English --

Daily online newspaper launched in October 2010 by Nawa Media Group

providing in-depth reporting on domestic and international issues,

financed by Pakistan's richest businessman Mian Mohammad Mansha.

Editor Arif Nizami is an experienced journalist with professional work

experience of over three decades, mainly as editor of a major

Pakistani daily The Nation. URL: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/]

Pakistan: ASWJ Vows To Support Army in Case of Foreign Aggression

SAP20111008100010 Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu 07 Oct 11 pp 8, 5

[Unattributed report: We Shall Fight Shoulder-to-Shoulder With Army

in Case of US Aggression: Stability of Pakistan, Martyrs of Islam

Conference ]

Islamabad -- Allama Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, head of the Ahle Sunnat

Wal Jamaat [ASWJ], has announced that the organization will fight

shoulder-to-shoulder with the Pakistan Army if any enemy tries to

commit aggression against Pakistan. "We invite all leaders of our

neighboring country to come forward so that an effort is made to

resolve the differences between Shi'ites and Sunnis in all the Muslim

countries of the world. The riots in Karachi and elsewhere in the

country are taking place because of foreign agencies. Interior

Minister Rehman Malik is committing excess by leveling allegations of

terrorism against us."

He expressed these views while addressing the Stability of Pakistan

and Martyrs' of Islam Conference under the auspices of the ASWJ here

at Hockey Stadium on 6 October. Ludhianvi has also said that US

imperialism is following a policy of massacre in the Muslim countries

and disrupting Muslim societies. He said: "We are peace-loving people

and we are exhausted by carrying the bodies of our workers and

leaders. However, we have not abandoned the path of perseverance. Our

leadership has already invited the central leaders of our neighboring

country to end the differences between Shi'ites and Sunnis in

Pakistan. I will go a step forward and invite them to hold talks for

the establishment of peace all over the world. The riots that are

taking place all over the country, including in Karachi, are due to

external agencies, but Rehman Malik is leveling allegations of

terrorism against us. He is not being fair in doing so. We condemn it

and demand investigations into the allegations leveled by Zulfiqar

Mirza, former senior Sindh minister. Mirza has said that some people

have military camps in the middle of Koh-e Sufaid in Parachinar, but

the responsible government functionaries are evading naming them. We

know well who is orchestrating riots in our country and who the killer

of our workers is. Peace cannot be established until these people are

reigned in."

Addressing the conference, ASWJ Federal Secretary General Dr Khadim

Hussain Dhaloon has said that the release of the killers of Maulana

Azam Tariq is a conspiracy to trigger riots. "The government should

not test our patience. We are certainly peaceful, and will remain so,

but know how to secure our rights through peaceful struggle," he said.

Moving resolutions at the Pakistan Stability Conference, Dr Hussain

has also said that the courts acquitted Malik Ishaq, chief of the

banned Lashkar-e Jhangvi, after 14 years, but he has been put under

house-arrest despite the fact that he is not guilty. "We demand of the

interior minister to stop unilateral allegations against our

organization. We believe that he has wrongly been briefed about us. We

are ready to sit with him and hold talks to remove any

misunderstandings in the larger interests of the country. We request

Pakistani Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to reopen the suo

moto notice taken by former Chief Justice Syed Sajjad Ali Shah for the

establishment of peace in Pakistan. The request is being made in the

backdrop of the measures that he took for peace in Karachi and due to

which people are satisfied and targeted killing has been controlled to

a great extent. Targeted killings in Karachi and the massacre of the

Hazara community in Quetta and of the Mengal and Bangash tribes in

Parachinar should be stopped," he said.

Dr Hussain went on to say: "The ASWJ strongly condemns the threats

given by the United States to the Pakistani Government and the Armed

Forces of Pakistan. We condemn the conspiracies being hatched in

Afghanistan, India and the United States against Pakistan and demand

our Foreign Office to take up the issue on the diplomatic front. The

days of the four caliphs of Islam should be observed at an official

level. All the patriotic forces have expressed deep concern over the

invitation of the representatives of the defunct organizations to the

All Parties Conference [APC]. Even then, we fully support the decision

made by the APC through collective sagacity. The killers of our

leadership should immediately be arrested. Websites containing

insulting, blasphemous contents should immediately be blocked. At the

same time, a ban should be imposed on programs of television channels

that are based on religious extremism, prejudice, and mischief. The

ASWJ supports the announcement made by the united religious parties of

the country regarding the release of Mumtaz Qadri, Punjab Governor

Salman Taseer's killer. According to the unanimous recommendations of

the Islamic Ideology Council, all religious processions should be

confined to places of worship."

Addressing the conference, Maulana Shamsur Rehman Moavia said: "All

conspiracies against the ASWJ will be foiled. Hundreds of thousands of

workers of the party will fight shoulder-to-shoulder with the Armed

Forces of Pakistan in case of any conspiracy and aggression against

the country. This is our country and we shall not let any harm come to

it.

It is to be mentioned that when Ludhianvi appealed for the assistance

for the flood victims in Sindh at the conclusion of the conference, a

donation of 855,288 rupees was collected and handed over to ASWJ

Information Central Secretary Maulana Aurengzeb, who had come from

Karachi to attend the conference.

[Description of Source: Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu -- Daily owned

by Century Publications of the Lakson Business Group. The second

largest daily after Jang newspaper with a circulation of over 120,000.

Provides good coverage of national and international issues and

follows moderate and neutral editorial policy.]

Pakistan: Police Suspect Kidnappers of Moving Ex Governor's Son Out of Lahore

SAP20110910100016 Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu 09 Sep 11 pp 8, 5

[Unattributed report: Shahbaz Taseer Likely Shifted to Some Other

District or Province"]

Lahore -- The kidnappers of Shahbaz Taseer are likely to have shifted

him from Lahore to some other district or province. According to

police sources, the police are conducting investigation on scientific

lines even as eight investigation teams, including the FIA could not

reach at any final conclusion.

According to these sources, the same group of Taliban is involved in

the kidnapping of Aamir Malik, son-in-law of General [retried] Tariq

Majid, [name of US national omitted], and Shahbaz Taseer. The Taliban

got these three individuals kidnapped through their partner, the

defunct Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

[Description of Source: Islamabad Daily Express in Urdu -- Daily owned

by Century Publications of the Lakson Business Group. The second

largest daily after Jang newspaper with a circulation of over 120,000.

Provides good coverage of national and international issues and

follows moderate and neutral editorial policy.]

Asia Times: 'No Escape for Pakistan's Hazaras'

CPP20111011715068 Hong Kong Asia Times Online in English 0803 GMT 05 Oct 11

[Asia Times Report by Abubakar Siddique and Khudainoor Nasar: "No

Escape for Pakistan's Hazaras "; headline as provided by source]

QUETTA, Pakistan - A deadly attack in southwest Pakistan has added to

the heavy toll suffered by a small Shi'ite minority amid a broad

sectarian conflict.

The October 4 attack, carried out against a bus carrying mostly

Hazaras on the outskirts of Quetta, claimed the lives of 12 people.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but similar attacks

against the community have previously been claimed by Sunnis

affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Thousands have died in the ongoing conflict between rival hardline

Shi'ite and Sunni sects in Pakistan, but the Hazaras have particularly

suffered. The minority has been left reeling from a sharp increase in

attacks in recent years, prompting some members to call on the

government to provide more land to accommodate fresh graves.

Obtaining justice in the Sunni-majority state has proved elusive for

some Hazaras like Rukhsana Ahmed Ali, a prominent political activist

and social worker whose husband, Ahmed Ali Najafi, was killed at his

workplace two years ago.

She says two eyewitnesses, young students of a religious seminary,

said they heard the killers order her husband out of his car and

asking them how he had wronged them.

"The killers then told him, 'You have not done anything wrong, but we

have been told that killing one Shi'ite will open five doors of heaven

for us,'" Ahmed Ali says. "He was then forced out of his car and

killed by a whole burst of Kalashnikov fire."

'Are we humans or insects?'

Najafi's September 2009 killing marked the beginning of bloodshed

against Hazaras centered in Balochistan province that has continued to

this day. Hazara leaders claim that nearly 600 members of their

community have been killed since 1999.

The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a banned extremist Sunni organization now seen

as allied with al-Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for most of the

attacks.

Middle-aged coal mine owner Sayed Nasir Ali Shah represents Quetta's

Hazaras in the federal parliament. He was elected on the ticket of the

governing Pakistan People's Party in 2008, but has since turned into

one of its most outspoken critics. These days, his only mission is to

try to save Hazara lives by calling for government protection.

Shah was undeterred even when he was targeted in a suicide attack last

year, which left one of his young sons paralyzed. He says that

protests and petitions with senior leaders have so far fallen on deaf

ears.

"The government is only watching, and I am now tired after constantly

shouting to grab their attention," Shah says. "I have been pleading

for them to (do something to protect us) for God's sake. Are we humans

or insects? We have no confrontation with our (neighboring) Balochi

and Pashtun communities. We are targeted because our tormentors

believe that we are infidels."

Losing battle

A century ago, Shah's Hazara ancestors fled the poverty and oppression

of their Afghan homeland to the safety offered by Quetta, a British

garrison town. Compared to their Afghan cousins, the Hazaras in Quetta

prospered in British India and later on in Pakistan. But the tiny

minority turned into a target for radical Sunnis.

Quetta once led the rest of Pakistan as an example of interfaith

harmony. But Sunni extremism gradually gained traction in

Balochistan's secular political culture and changed the landscape of

its capital. This transformation was aided by Pakistan's alliance with

radical Islamists who have fought its proxy wars in neighboring

Afghanistan since the 1980s.

Abdul Khaliq Hazara, chairman of the Hazara Democratic Party, says the

government had abdicated its responsibility of protecting his

community. The small political party he leads hopes to provide

protection to Quetta's 400,000 Hazaras by relentlessly advocating

their rights.

He now sees no light at the end of the tunnel, and laments that many

youths in the community are opting to seek asylum abroad.

"Nobody is listening to us - the parliament, Islamabad, the government

in Ba lochistan, and our powerful (security) institutions," Khaliz

Hazara says. "We feel that it's the government's policy to promote

sectarian terrorism here. So that people keep on fighting each other

because of sectarian tensions."

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and least-populated province, is the

scene of complex regional rivalries and home to many insurgent

movements. The province has been destabilized by a separatist ethnic

Balochi insurgency since 2004 that Islamabad is trying to crush

militarily.

Insurgents' foothold?

Afghan and Western officials, however, are more concerned about the

presence of Afghan insurgents in Balochistan. They blame Pakistan for

sheltering the leadership of the Afghan Taliban movement in Quetta.

Police officials claim that the security environment in Balochistan is

stretching their small force. Hamid Shakeel, a senior police officer

in Quetta, says they always urge Hazaras traveling from Quetta to

request police protection before embarking outside the provincial

capital, often en route to Iran.

But there is only so much they can do, Shakeel says. "We only have

1,100 police officers for Quetta and their responsibility is not only

to prevent target assassinations but they have to provide protection

to senior officials," he says.

The situation prompted the Hazaras of Quetta to call for international

protests this month. The Hazara Democratic Party is counting on Hazara

diaspora communities to demonstrate in major cities across Europe,

Australia and North America throughout October. A protest in Vienna on

October 1 attracted hundreds of supporters, and the October 4

bloodshed prompted hundreds more to condemn the killings during a

rally in London.

Back in Quetta, fear and uncertainty remain high. Mohammed Ismail, a

Harzara trader, says that living a normal life in his once peaceful

hometown is now impossible.

"When we leave our houses (in the morning) we are not sure about

returning in the evening," Ismail says. "When our children go out into

the bazaar, we are worried about something happening to them. These

are the kind of problems we live with."

[Description of Source: Hong Kong Asia Times Online in English --

Online newspaper focusing on political and economic issues from an

"Asian perspective," with over 50 contributors in 17 Asian countries,

the United States, and Europe, and a branch office in Bangkok;

successor of the Hong Kong/Bangkok-based print daily Asia Times that

closed in 1997, it claims an average of 100,000 daily site visitors,

with 65% of the audience based in North America, and 22% in the

Asia-Pacific region; tends to be critical of the United States; URL:

http://www.atimes.com]

Pakistan minister blames militant group for Balochistan situation

GMP20111014950012 Dubai ARY One World TV Online in English 0759 GMT 14 Oct 11

Text of report on Dubai-based private Pakistani TV channel ARY News

website on 14 October

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik has blamed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi

for the bad law and order situation in Balochistan. FC [Frontier

Constabulary, paramilitary force] and police are used to take action

against the terrorists, he added.

Talking to media during a meeting with MNA [Member of National

Assembly] from Balochistan Nasir Ali Shah outside the parliament house

in Islamabad Rehman said that democratic institutions are performing

their duties in the country.

We will take action against all those pinpointed by Nasir Shah, he added.

[Description of Source: Dubai ARY One World TV Online in English

--Internet website of the Dubai-based 24-hour news channel launched in

early 2004. It is a subsidiary of the larger ARY Digital Network]

Pakistan: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Warns Sunni Community to Part Ways With Shiite

SAP20110929122002 Quetta Zamana in Urdu 24 Sep 11 p, 1, 7

[NNI news agency report: "Banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Claimed

Responsibility for Attacking the Van"]

Quetta -- Ali Sher Haideri, spokesman of banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

[LeJ] has said LeJ mujahidin claims responsibility for attacking a van

[of Shiite pilgrims] on Sibbi road.

He expressed these views while talking to NNI over telephone from an

undisclosed location.

He said this attack is a reaction to the incident of setting ablaze

houses on Karani road. I give a last warning to the transporters not

to let Shiite travel on their vehicles. Otherwise, we will set ablaze

their vehicles. I also warn the press, including all media channels,

not to manipulate reports regarding us. Otherwise, you and your

vehicles will not be able to reach the destination. I warn Sunni

[Muslim] community to part ways with Shiite, otherwise they will be

responsible for the consequences.

[Description of Source: Quetta Zamana in Urdu -- "The Age," one of the

mainstream newspapers published by the Zamana Group of Newspapers in

Balochistan. Carries local news and provides a balanced coverage of

national and international news. Its founder and editor, Syed Fasih

Iqbal, is a former Pakistani Senate member. The Zamana Group also

publishes the Daily Balochistan Times in English. Circulation

unknown.]

AFP: Pakistan Extends Detention of 'Extreme' Sunni Militant Leader

SAP20111026049001 Hong Kong AFP in English 0856 GMT 26 Oct 11

[AFP Report: "Pakistan Extends Detention of Militant Leader"]

ISLAMABAD, Oct 26, 2011 (AFP) - Pakistan has extended the detention by

60 days of a leader of the country's most extreme Sunni Muslim terror

group wanted over sectarian killings, an official said Wednesday.

Malik Ishaq, a founder of the feared Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group, was

initially put under house arrest, then sent to Rahim Yar Khan jail in

central Punjab province on September 25 for 30 days.

"The authorities have extended his detention for another 60 days,"

jail superintendent Shahid Naeem Sheikh told AFP by telephone.

"We received a notification from the Punjab government after the

expiry of the previous order on Tuesday," he said.

His detention has been extended in the interest of public order and to

preempt any sectarian strife, Sheikh said.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is regarded as the most extreme Sunni terror group

in the Sunni Muslim-majority country and is accused of killing

hundreds of Shiite Muslims after its emergence in the early 1990s.

It was banned by then president Pervez Musharraf in 1999.

Ishaq was also accused of masterminding, from behind bars, the 2009

attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore which wounded seven

players and an assistant coach, and killed eight Pakistanis.

But he has been acquitted in 34 cases against him and granted bail in

the remaining 10, official documents said.

Rights groups say a lack of action from the government has emboldened

sectarian militant groups, blamed for the deaths of thousands in past

years.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi also played a key role in the 2002 kidnap and murder

of American journalist Daniel Pearl and in twin failed assassination

bids on key US ally Musharraf in December 2003.

asq-sz/jm/pdh

[Description of Source: Hong Kong AFP in English -- Hong Kong service

of the independent French press agency Agence France-Presse]

Pakistan: Defunct Groups Banned From Collecting Skins of Sacrificial Animals

SAP20111031122003 Islamabad Khabrain in Urdu 31 Oct 11 p, 1, 4

[Report by crime reporter: "Defunct Organizations Banned From

Collecting Skins of Sacrificial Animals in Punjab"]

Lahore -- The Punjab Government has banned 28 defunct organizations

from collecting skins of sacrificial animals. In this regard, police

have been provided lists and have been directed to take strict action

against those who may donate skins to these organizations.

According to Interior Ministry sources, the list of 28 organizations

sent to the police includes names of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi,

Sipah-e-Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba [LeT], Sipah-e-Sahaba,

Tehreek-e-Jafariya, Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Muhammadia,

Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan, Khuddam-e-Islamia, Islami Tehreek, Hizbul

Tehreer, Jamaatul Ansar, Jamatul Furqan, Tehreek-e-Taliban and others.

In this regard, police have been directed to strict action against any

organization that sets up camps for collecting skins.

[Description of Source: Islamabad Khabrain in Urdu News, a

sensationalist daily, published by Liberty Papers Ltd., generally

critical of Pakistan People's Party; known for its access to

government and military sources of information. The same group owns

The Post in English, Naya Akhbar in Urdu and Channel 5 TV. Circulation

of 30,000]

Pakistan: Police Said Arrest 2 Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Activists for Killing Lawyer

SAP20111105052003 Lahore Pakistan Today Online in English 05 Nov 11

[Report by correspondent: "Lawyer Killed in 'Sectarian' Attack Outside

Ex-SHC Judge's House]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

Karachi - A lawyer was killed on Friday in an attack on the vehicle of

a former Sindh High Court (SHC) judge outside the latter's residence

in Block-V of Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

Later, police managed to arrest two alleged assailants, who, according

to sources, are affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. They added that

it was a sectarian attack as the former SHC judge Justice Zawar

Hussain Jaffery is Shia and so was the deceased lawyer.

According to details, the judge was at his residence when a lawyer,

Zainul Abideen, came to visit him.

Some assailants in Cultus car opened fire at judge's vehicle parked

outside his home, injuring Abideen in the process.

When the security guard of the judge opened fire on the escaping

attackers, they lost control of their vehicle and rammed their car

into the wall of a nearby house.

They tried to escape on foot, but by that time, the police had reached

there and arrested two of them following a brief encounter.

The injured lawyer was taken to the Aga Khan hospital where he

succumbed to his injuries. The body was later shifted to the Abbasi

Shaheed Hospital.

The arrested men were identified as Jameel and Muneer and one

Kalashnikov, two Uzi pistols, a rifle, a rope, a knife and bullets

were recovered from their possession. The Crime Investigation

Department of the police took them into custody and shifted them to an

undisclosed location. The sources said that the two men are members of

the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and important information could be

extracted from them during interrogation.

They also said that the attackers were had used a fake number plate on

their vehicle.

[Description of Source: Lahore Pakistan Today Online in English --

Daily online newspaper launched in October 2010 by Nawa Media Group

providing in-depth reporting on domestic and international issues,

financed by Pakistan's richest businessman Mian Mohammad Mansha.

Editor Arif Nizami is an experienced journalist with professional work

experience of over three decades, mainly as editor of a major

Pakistani daily The Nation. URL: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/]

Pakistan: Militant Groups Abandon Brutal Foreign Militants in Waziristan

SAP20111022141001 Lahore The Friday Times Online in English 14 Oct 11

- 20 Oct 11

[Report by Zia Ur Rehman: "Endgame in Afghanistan; North Waziristan

Tribes Wary of Brutal Foreigners"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

Although the United States is putting pressure on Pakistan for a

full-scale operation against the Haqqani Network and other militant

groups operating in the North Waziristan for a long time, the region

has once again become the centre of a heated debate, especially

following direct warnings and accusations by senior US officials

claiming that the Haqqani Network is responsible for majority of

attacks on US in Afghanistan.

Located between the Khost province of eastern Afghanistan and Khyber

Pakthunkhwa of northwest Pakistan, North Waziristan is the second

largest tribal region of Pakistan's Federally Administrated Tribal

Areas (FATA). According to security experts, the area is considered

today to be the epicentre not only of violence in Afghanistan and

Pakistan but also a major source of International terrorism. Along

with its geographic isolation, difficult terrain and relatively stable

coalition of militant groups, they believe that the region has become

the most important centre of militancy of FATA because of the impunity

with which militants in the area have operated.

The most important militant group operating in the region is the

Haqqani Network, an Afghan insurgent group led by Maulvi Jalaluddin

Haqqani. Haqqani left his native Khost province and settled in North

Waziristan as an exile during the republican Afghan government of

Sardar Mohammad Dauod Khan in early 1970s. His son Sirajuddin,

popularly known as Khaleefa, who became a key insurgent leader in the

Afghanistan in mid 1980s, manages the network's organisation from the

Danday Darpakhel village near Miramshah in North Waziristan and

carries out attacks on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, according to

security experts and local elders.

The second most important group in North Waziristan is led-by Hafiz

Gul Bahadur, a key militant leader known for hosting foreign

militants. Bahadur was announced as Naib Amir (deputy head) under the

leadership of Baitullah Mehsud upon the formation of the 2007

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organisation of various

militant groups operating in FATA. However Bahadur later formed an

anti-TTP bloc by joining hands with Maulvi Nazir's South Waziristan

based group because of disagreements over TTP attacks against the

Pakistani security forces and tribal rivalries of Mehsuds. The Haqqani

Network and Bahadur are considered 'good Taliban' by the Pakistan

military authorities as they don't carry out attacks inside Pakistan

and focus only on Afghanistan.

North Waziristan also provides shelter to several other local, foreign

and international militant groups, such as the Islamic Jihad Union

(IJU), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), the Islamic Army of

Great Britain , Ittehad-e-Jihad Islami (IJI), the TTP, the

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the Harkat-ul-Jihad al Islami, the

Fidayeen-e-Islami, Harkat-ul-Mujaheen, the Jaish-e-Muhammad and

Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, according to a latest report published in The News.

Elders and political activists of North Waziristan say that many of

the foreign militants, especially Central Asians, Arabs and Afghans,

arrived in Pakistan's tribal areas when their bases in Afghanistan

were closed down in late 2001. They say that the local population does

not approve of the presence of foreign militants, especially the

Uzbeks and Punjabis, because they encroach the tribes' lands and are

insensitive to local customs. "We need neither good Taliban nor bad

Taliban. The Pakistani government should abandon their policy of using

militant groups against each other and should take stern measures to

flush out all of these monsters from the area. They are not only

carrying out subversive attacks in Afghanistan but also destroying

peace in Pakistan," said an elder from Dawar tribe of North

Waziristan.

"We hate Taliban and there are no two opinions about it, but we are

compelled to bear the atrocities of these militant outfits because the

state has no writ," said another elder from the Utmanzai tribe. "Our

voices are not heard and we are not given appropriate space and

airtime in the mainstream media."

Because of the reluctance of Pakistani authorities to carry out a

military operation in the region, US drone have targeted the Mir Ali,

Dattakhel and Miramshah areas of North Waziristan extensively, with

five out of six drone strikes in Pakistan now being reordered in North

Waziristan. Residents of the tribal region say that they live in a

constant state of fear of being hit, because of local and foreign

militants. The attacks occur without any warning and are often not

related to the Pakistani military's operations.

"The drone frightens women and children who sometimes become the

victims, especially if the intended targets are close to their homes,"

the Utmanzai elder said.

Tribal elders believe many foreign and local militant leaders have

been killed in drone strikes in North Waziristan. New America

Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, estimates on basis of media

reports that 80% of the people killed in drones were Al Qaeda and

Taliban militants. The accuracy rose to an astonishing 95% in 2010.

This assertion was corroborated by Pakistani security official Maj Gen

Ghayur Mehmood, who commands troops in North Waziritan, in a March 9

media briefing. Between 2007 and 2011, he said, 164 drone strikes had

carried out and over 964 terrorists had been killed. Of those killed,

793 were foreigners - Arabs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Chechens, Filipinos and

Moroccans.

When drones kill a key militant leader or fighter, the

Ittehad-e-Mujahedeen-e-Khurasan (IMK), a relatively less-known

alliance of all local and foreign militant outfits, kill innocent

people belonging to local Utmanzai and Dawar tribes, accusing them of

spying. The murders have created more hatred for the foreigners . Most

of the killings are carried out by Uzbek and Arab members of the IMK,

tribal elders say.

Some Pakistani militant groups have abandoned the IMK because of the

brutal ways in which they murder people. "We tried our best to reform

the IMK but repeated attempts to correct them failed," Bahadur said in

a recent statement issued after pressure from local Wazir tribesmen.

It is pertinent to mention here that with the help of militants led by

Nazir, the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe of South Waziristan successfully

flushed out Uzbek militants of IMU from Wana and other Wazir-dominated

areas of the region in a spring 2007 uprising sparked by the brutality

of the Uzbeks.

Similarly, the tense relationship between local and foreign militant

outfits operating in North Waziristan has been displayed several times

in the past, particularly in November 2006, when the IMU and the IJU

accused Bahadur of betraying them and jumping into the government camp

by demanding their eviction from the North Waziristan. Differences

between Gul Bahadur and Central Asian militant outfits were solved

after the Haqqani Network intervened.

Security experts say that the Haqqani Network has been playing the

role of bridge between the local and foreign militants, especially

Pakistani and Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda. It was the Haqqani Network

that brokered a truce between the Nazir-led militant group and the TTP

in South Waziristan when they were fighting over expulsion of Uzbek

militants from the region, said a Bannu-based journalist, adding that

that the Haqqani Network has strong presence not only in North

Waziristan but also in South Waziristan, Kurram and Orakzai tribal

agencies.

The Shia Turi tribes of neighbouring Kurram Agency say the growing

drone attacks that killed dozens of Al Qaeda, Haqqani Network and TTP

leaders, and the US pressure on Pakistani government to begin an

operation in North Waziristan, has increased the importance of K urram

for the Haqqani Network. The network will also find in Kurram Agency

new passages into Afghanistan, especially with help from former TTP

leader Fazal Saeed Haqqani. And it will bring new problems for the

Shias of Kurram Agency.

[Description of Source: Lahore The Friday Times Online in English --

Website of the Independent, moderate weekly run by veteran journalist

Najam Sethi. Reputed for in-depth analytic articles. Editorials

analyses, and articles criticize government policies and expose its

corruption and misconduct. Hardcopy circulation of 5,000; URL:

http://www.thefridaytimes.com]

Pakistan: Police Arrest Key Terrorist Involved in Attack on Shi'ite Mosque

SAP20111111100007 Islamabad Khabrain in Urdu 11 Nov 11 pp 8, 4

[Unattributed report: "Key Terrorist Involved in Grave Acts Arrested

in Rawalpindi"]

Rawalpindi -- The Rawalpindi police arrested a key terrorist involved

in acts of terrorism, including an attack on the Shi'ite mosque Shah

Najaf in the jurisdiction of Pir Wadhai police station. The Punjab

government had announced a head money of 200,000 rupees for his

arrest. It has been stated that the accused person belongs to a

defunct religious organization. The police have started an

investigation after getting a five-day physical remand of the accused

person from a special court. It has also been stated that unknown

terrorists had attacked Shah Najaf in Khayaban Sir Syed Rawalpindi on

26 February 2002, and martyred 11 people and wounded 14 others when

the people were offering prayers after sunset. Report of the case was

presented in the court and five accused persons were declared

proclaimed offenders.

A special team led by Malik Matloob, Superintendent Police, Rawalpindi

division, and comprising other officials, was constituted for the

arrest of proclaimed offenders. The team had to work hard for the

arrest of the accused persons. The Punjab government had fixed a head

money of 200,000 rupees for the arrest of proclaimed offender Qari Gul

Muhammad. It has been told that he belongs to a defunct religious

organization. Muhammad was produced in the special anti-terrorism

court and was grilled following a five-day remand. It has been further

revealed that he belongs to the defunct Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Further

investigation is underway.

[Description of Source: Islamabad Khabrain in Urdu News, a

sensationalist daily, published by Liberty Papers Ltd., generally

critical of Pakistan People's Party; known for its access to

government and military sources of information. The same group owns

The Post in English, Naya Akhbar in Urdu and Channel 5 TV. Circulation

of 30,000]

Pakistan: Author Sees Taliban, Al-Qa'ida Connection in Quetta Sectarian Violence

SAP20111102141001 Karachi Herald in English 01 Sep 11 - 30 Sep 11 p 33

[Article by Maqbool Ahmed: "Deadly Mix"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

Sectarianism in Quetta has dangerous ethnic and regional overtones.

As if Balochistan did not have its fair share of political troubles,

it is also beset by sectarian strife that has an ethnic dimension as

well as a connection to Afghanistan and al-Qaeda. Three men arrested

and tried in the recent years for masterminding and conducting

murderous attacks on Shia congregations and individuals in Quetta -

Usman Saifullah Kurd, Dawood Badini and Shafiqur Rehman - are all

ethnically Baloch.

The intelligence officials claim that Kurd is the head of the banned

militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) and Badini is the son of Maulvi

Amir Hamza Badini who was a prominent member of the Jamiat

Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal JUlF) in Chagai before he became a close associate

of Mullah Omar, head of the Afghan Taliban, says an intelligence

official. He says the hatred against the Quetta-based Hazaras - who

are all Shias and have migrated from Afghanistan over more than a

century - intensified after the Taliban came into power in Afghanistan

in 1996.

Political analysts in Quetta say the war in Afghanistan fueled support

for Deobandi Islam in Balochistan like never before. "Hundreds of

religious seminaries were opened in Baloch areas with the help of

foreign funding and the JUIF rose as a major political force here,"

says one of them. Other evidence of this Afghan connection can be seen

in the Mastung and Qalat districts where can be found hundreds of

graves of young Baloch men who fought in Afghanistan and whose

tombstones proudly proclaim them as martyrs.

Attacks on Hazara Shias in Quetta, says an intelligence official, are

a result of anti-Iran and pro-Taliban sentiments among the religiously

radicalised Baloch people. There was a large scale exodus of Hazaras

from Afghanistan when the Afghan Taliban conquered Bamiyan, the

ancestral home of the Hazara community. Iran supported these Hazaras

financially to help them

settle in Quetta's Hazara Town and Mariabad area, forcing out the

Baloch population of the latter locality, the official tells the

Herald.

A recent statement by Ali Sher Haideri, the Balochistan spokesman of

LJ, had the effect of adding the al-Qaeda factor to the existing

ethnic and sectarian mix. He said his group was out to avenge the

killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and would target government

officials, security forces and Hazara Shias.

Zafarullah Baloch, the provincial home secretary, denies that there is

a connection between sectarian violence in Quetta and the Taliban or

al-Qaeda. "Sectarian violence in Balochistan is not limited to Quetta

only," he says. The Shias and the Sunnis have both attacked, and

killed each other in Mastung as well as in Nasirabad and Jafarabad

districts, he adds. "During the month of Muharram, security measures

in Nasirabad and Jafarabad are as stringent as in Quetta," he says.

[Description of Source: Karachi Herald in English -- Monthly, owned by

the Dawn publishing group, with a circulation of 15,000. Considered to

be a serious socio-political journal, with in-depth articles.]

Pakistan Police Operation Shows Jhelum Become Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Sanctuary

SAP20111114109004 Karachi Ummat Online in Urdu 14 Nov 11

[Report by special correspondent: "Police Failed in Showing Dead

Bodies of Terrorist; Pir Chambal Operation Questionable"]

Islamabad -- The police operation aimed at the recovery of five

officers and men of military intelligence that lasted from Saturday [

12 November] to Sunday [ 13 November] morning near Jhelum has proved

questionable. Police failed to pick the dead bodies of the deceased

terrorists.

According to the informed quarters of the area, the police did not

kill any accused during this operation in the tortuous mountainous

territory of the Pir Chambal shrine and its rocky surroundings in the

Pind Dadan Khan sub-district of Jhelum. Nor were some accused

apprehended. In this regard, police officers have been supplying

incorrect information to the media.

According to sources, the alleged terrorists of the banned

organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, whom local commander and homeopathic

doctor Arshad was leading, fled from the area prior to the initiation

of the operation in the first place. Police knew about this fact.

However, police kept firing on the rocks and in the air in order to

score false pride. According to sources, to deceive the common people

and officials, police told the local representatives of the

broadcasting institutes on the condition of not describing the source

of the news that the operation had killed Dr Arshad and his five

accomplices.

According to sources, besides the dead bodies of five men of military

intelligence, including an officer, the dead body of a man reported to

be Mahmood Ali Sialvi was found at the spot of the operation, who has

been buried in local village Chak Ali Shah. According to sources, the

abductors already tortured these men of military intelligence to

death.

According to the sources, the local police were casting a blind eye to

the fact that for seven months the terrorists were hiding in the

premises of this shrine and in the nearby mountains and, therefore,

the visitors were afraid to come to this area out of the fear. In

fact, there are number of policemen who are also among the devotees of

the Pir Chambal shrine and they also knew that the accused were

involved in incidents of kidnap for ransom for the last several

months. However, the police officers have been avoiding passing any

information in this context till late in the evening. Their junior

policemen have been telling the journalists that the RPO [Regional

Police Officer] Rawalpindi Division will soon address a news

conference.

In his brief conversation with the journalists on Sunday night,

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that he will demand a

report from the chief secretary of Punjab in connection with this

incident. Meanwhile, during a search operation against insurgents in

Pir Chambal, the police took three people into custody. The officials

have suspicions that the arrested have been providing facilities to

the extremists that include food, water, weaponry, and other things.

A huge contingent of jawans of the police elite force is engaged in

carrying out a search operation in the area and it has found the empty

hideouts of the extremists. The extremists had established their

hideouts in the mountainous area using unbaked bricks and muck, where

one could go only on foot.

According to the BBC, the path to where the dead bodies of the men of

military intelligence were found is a distance of three hours, because

the mountainous range starts here; it is highly tortuous. According

to news agency INP, the tragedy of Pir Chambal is still engulfed in

the dense layer of mysteriousness. To date, no clear information has

come into the public domain regarding the terrorists who caused the

martyrdom of a major and four soldiers.

On Sunday at 1400 hours, the District Headquarter Hospital of Chakwal

was put on high alert because the dead bodies were bring brought for

the postmortem. On this occasion, the DSP [District Superintendent of

Police] and large number of police personnel were stationed around the

hospital.

Meanwhile, Mushtaq Cheema, SHO [Station House Officer] of Choa Saiden

Shah, expressed ignorance when he was asked as to whose dead bodie s

were being brought to the district headquarters hospital of Chakwal.

Mushtaq Cheema said that, since the incident has taken place in the

precincts of the Jhelum District, therefore, they do not know much

about the incident.

According to the information received from the area, Dr Arshad

recently moved to Pir Chambal. At present, this entire salt range

area has become a safe sanctuary for the terrorists and absconders.

[Description of Source: Karachi Ummat Online in Urdu -- Website of the

sensationalist, pro-Usama Bin Ladin Urdu daily. Harshly critical of

the US, Israel, and India. Propagates Muslim unity to counter

US/Western influence. Circulation 20,000. Editor-publisher Rafiq

Afghan is an Afghan war veteran; URL: http://www.ummatpublication.com]

Editorial: Pakistan Must Weed Out 'Militant Sympathizers' From Security Agencies

SAP20111116114006 Lahore Daily Times Online in English 16 Nov 11

[Editorial: "Combat Infiltration"]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

In a recognisable pattern, the version of the Chakwal incident on

Friday, November 12 presented by Interior Minister Rehman Malik is

different in vital respects to that being reported by other sources

like the BBC. While Malik continues to insist the killing of four

Military Intelligence (MI) operatives in Chakwal by the

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) was the result of an operation to smoke out

and eliminate criminal and extremist elements ensconced in the area,

the alternative account says quite the opposite. BBC reported

'sensitive agency' sources as having revealed that LeJ had abducted

four MI operatives as hostages to barter for 20 of their party members

arrested in the tribal areas by the military. The four operatives were

then killed when an operation to rescue them was mounted. It is also

interesting that 'security agency' sources support Malik's version.

However, the reason 'sensitive agency' sources and their version

appear more credible is that the military is not known to go after

militants of any description in the settled areas of Pakistan for

various reasons. Leaders and members of various militant and extremist

organisations live and operate freely in many parts of Pakistan's

settled and urban areas, particularly in Lahore, Quetta, Karachi and

South Punjab, in full knowledge of government and security agencies.

If it was a unilateral strike against an extremist organisation in

Punjab, it would have been the first of its kind.

Though it is tragic that four MI operatives were killed, one hopes the

incident will highlight for the establishment that extremists of any

stripe can, and will, strike out at them whenever it suits. It is

shortsighted in the extreme to consider any of these outfits as

'assets' for 'strategic' objectives. A very worrying aspect

highlighted by the story is the indication that many security agencies

and the civil and military bureaucracy of the country have been deeply

infiltrated by extremist organisations. It appears the four were

killed as a result of the rescue operation being leaked to the LeJ.

Reports hint at elements within the Punjab Police being the source of

the leak. This is not the first indication of such infiltration. The

cases of ex-commissioner of Malakand Javed Mohammad, the Mehran base

attack in Karachi, the assassination of Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer

by a member of Punjab police's elite commando unit, and numerous

others spring to mind immediately.

It is vital that alongside the war on extremist combatants, urgent

action be taken to weed out militant sympathisers from within

government and security agencies. One can only hope the Chakwal

incident proves to be a blessing in disguise, with the army jolted out

of its complacency with regard to violent sectarian outfits. It is

also high time the Punjab government learnt some lessons with regard

to appeasement of extremists, and acts before the situation reaches a

point of no return.

[Description of Source: Lahore Daily Times Online in English --

Website of the independent, moderate daily, run by Media Times

(Private) Ltd., owned by Shehryar Taseer, son of Salman Taseer, former

slain governor of Punjab province. Rashed Rahman is the

editor-in-chief. The same group owns and publishes weekly newspaper

The Friday Times and Urdu daily Aaj Kal. Strong critic of radical and

jihadi elements. Provides extensive coverage of activities of

jihadi/militant groups. Caters to the educated middle class, with an

estimated circulation of 20,000.; URL: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk.]

Islamabad Police Arrest Key Member of Pakistan Taliban Movement

SAP20111027100007 Islamabad Jinnah in Urdu 26 Oct 11 pp 8, 6

[Unattributed report: "Islamabad: Key Member of Defunct Pakistan

Taliban Movement Arrested; Suicide Jackets Seized"]

Islamabad -- Islamabad police have arrested a key member of the

defunct Pakistan Taliban Movement. Muhammad Zubair was arrested from

the suburbs of Chakwal on tip-off by the intelligence agency.

According to sources, the arrested person is the mastermind of the

Melody suicide attack in which police were targeted. The accused

helped the suicide bomber to reach Islamabad and provided him a

suicide jacket. Moreover, the accused is also involved in the attacks

launched in Lahore and other parts of the country. He wanted to

orchestrate acts of terrorism in Islamabad and Rawalpindi but was

arrested.

According to sources, two suicide jackets have also been seized from

the arrested terrorist. The accused belongs to the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

He was living in a hiding for three years. Efforts are on to arrest

colleagues of the detained terrorist.

[Description of Source: Islamabad Jinnah in Urdu -- Daily owned by a

prominent businessman who is mainly involved in real estate business

and said to be close to military high-ups. Carries good investigative

reports and conducts surveys on relevant issues. Editorials are

harshly critical of US policies. Recently Jinnah has adopted

sensationalist reporting and tends to splash corruption stories out of

proportion. Editor Khushnood Ali Khan strongly criticizes Musharraf in

his daily columns.]

Pakistan: Around 39 Extremists From Defunct Organizations Disappear in Lahore

SAP20111128103008 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 27 Nov 11

[Report by Asad Kharal: High security month: Punjab police unable to

keep an eye on suspects ]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

LAHORE: While the law takes its time to prosecute 725 terror suspects

for violating the conditions placed on their freedom out of the 2,080

of the most dangerous criminals whose names appear in the Anti

Terrorism Act, 39 other extremists from banned militant outfits have

disappeared.

According to a report released on the eve of Muharram by the Punjab

home department, it is necessary to monitor all terror suspects and

ask them to submit surety bonds before Muharram to avert any untoward

incident in Punjab.

Despite the usual recommendations, however, there are delays in

initiating action against violators and disappearance of suspects

involved in terrorist and sectarian violence is routine.

According to a list prepared by the Punjab government, 916 of 2080

suspects are Afghan-trained boys, 230 are returnee Afghan prisoners

(RAPs), 31 are from Lal Masjid, 825 belong to Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan

and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, eight belong to Hizb-e-Tehreek and 66 belong to

Jaish-e-Muhammad.

An earlier report had revealed that 55 out of 2151 terror suspects,

whose names were placed in the fourth schedule of the ATC were missing

from their hideouts and were likely to be involved in terrorism, 20

had fled abroad, while 724 extremists whose names were in the fourth

schedule had not deposited surety bonds.

The home department and inspector general police, Punjab have directed

the police and other law enforcement agencies to maintain a record of

suspects whose names appear in the fourth schedule, especially when

they leave their respective city and the limits of the local police

station. The authorities have directed the police to register cases

against extremists who have gone missing under the ATA.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]

Pakistani religious group claims responsibility for attack in Afghan capital

SAP20111206950038 Peshawar Afghan Islamic Press in Pashto 0937 GMT 06 Dec 11

Excerpt from report by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency

Peshawar, 6 December: An organization named Lashkar-e Jhangvi Al-Alami

[an anti-Shi'ite party in Pakistan] have claimed responsibility for a

suicide attack in Kabul.

A person in Pakistan who claimed to be a spokesman for Lashkar-e

Jhangvi Al-Alami took responsibility for the suicide attack in Kabul.

According to details, after a few hours of the suicide attack on the

Shi'ite mourners' gathering in Kabul on Tuesday, 6 December, [which

killed 48 and injured over 100] a person who introduced himself as Abu

Bakr Mansur phoned the media outlets in Peshawar in Pakistan and

claimed responsibility for the suicide attack in Kabul.

Mansur said that today's attack on Shi'ites was organized by the

Lashkar-e Jhangvi Al-Alami and they claim responsibility for the

attack.

[Passage omitted: Lashkar-e Jhangvi an anti Shi'ites party and banned

in Pakistan]

[Description of Source: Peshawar Afghan Islamic Press in Pashto --

Peshawar-based agency, staffed by Afghans, that describes itself as an

independent "news agency" but whose history and reporting pattern

reveal a perceptible pro-Taliban bias; the AIP's founder-director,

Mohammad Yaqub Sharafat, has long been associated with a mujahidin

faction that merged with the Taliban's "Islamic Emirate" led by Mullah

Omar; subscription required to access content;

http://www.afghanislamicpress.com]

Pakistan Report Claims Release of At Least 65 Extremists From Jails in Punjab

SAP20111207103001 Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English 06 Dec 11

[Unattributed report: Freed terror suspects in Punjab back to old ways ]

[Text disseminated as received without OSC editorial intervention]

LAHORE: As many as 65 extremists - belonging to various banned

militant outfits - were released from prisons across Punjab during

2011, a report prepared by the provincial government revealed.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the report added that some of

the recently released extremists were back to their old ways,

indulging in terrorist activities and sectarian violence again.

Following these revelations, the Home Department directed a strict

inquiry into the case.

After receiving the report, the Punjab Home Department directed the

police and other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to prepare another

detailed report specifying the activities and present whereabouts of

the released militants.

Meanwhile, the Counter Terrorism Wing (CTW) of the Federal

Investigation Agency (FIA) has also sought complete details of the

particulars of all the currently detained prisoners on allegations of

terrorism and sectarian violence across the country.

The agency has directed all the provincial setups of the CTW to

compile a detailed account of the activities of the detained prisoners

who were arrested under charges of terrorism. The FIA has stressed

that the report should document their complete criminal record, latest

pictures, their sects and affiliated groups, and present the current

status of their cases registered, sources familiar with the matter

revealed.

The Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) also sent a circular to

the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), all Regional Police

Officers (RPOs), City Police Officers (CPOs), District Police Officers

(DPOs) and all other authorities concerned to submit their reports

regarding the activities and latest whereabouts of all the 65 released

prisoners.

The list included the name of Malik Ishaq -- the former operational

chief of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), who was allegedly involved in 44

cases, involving the death of 70 people, mostly belonging to the Shia

sect. Ishaq is in prison under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO)

but is not imprisoned in any of the 44 registered cases.

According to report, the released extremists were identified as Hafiz

Muhammad Ahsan, Abdul Rauf, Muhammad Younas, Muhammad Akhtar Javed,

Inyatullah, Muhammad Yousaf, Hafiz Zia, Hafiz Qari Ghulam Muhammad,

Moshsin Rasheed, Muhammad Ashfaq, Bilal Ahmed, Mufti Mansoor Ahmed,

Adnan Hassan, Feezan, Asia Bibi, Ghulam Mustfa, Tahseen Abbas,

Muhammad Shafiqur Rehman, Muhammad Naeem, Usama Bin Waheed, Faisal

Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Nadeem, Khurram Shahzad, Fidaullah,Khairullah,

Abdullah, Muhammad Awais, Muhammad Sarfraz, Zeeshan Jalil, Dr Abdul

Razaq, Zawar Khan, Liaqat Khan, Shahrukh, Gul-o-Lail, Hafiz Shahid,

Muhammad Amin, Ghulam Shabbir, Muhammad Arif , Muhammad Amjad,

Muhammad Aslam, Safdar, Munsoor Ahmed, Sabir Hussain, Shahabuddin,

Muhammad Ayaz, Saifur Rehaman, Muhammad Ibrahim, Abu Bakar, Ijaz,Zahid

Hussain, Amjad Ishaq, Muhammad Shafi, Muhammad Akram, Inyatullah,

Muhammad Amin, Hafiz Abdullah, Muhammad Bashkh, Abdullah, Shafaqat

Hussain, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Adnan, Naseemullah and Muhammad

Amjad.

[Description of Source: Karachi The Express Tribune Online in English

-- Website of a newspaper partnered with the International Herald

Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. It is part of the

Lakson Group, which includes Daily Express and Express News Television

in Urdu and Express 24/7 Television in English. The group's media wing

has no known political affiliations and operates as a moderate,

independent commercial media organization. The newspaper claims its

mission is to defend "liberal values and egalitarian traditions"; URL:

http://tribune.com.pk]