In the News: Mapping Terror in Pakistan Since 9/11

A research compilation conducted by Pakistan media The News (Jang group) indicates that the country has witnessed 332 terrorism related incidents that claimed 5,704 lives since September 2001. The research aimed primarily at documenting violent developments which Pakistan experienced (due to) following the US-led War against Terror in the region. The research used open source information including statistics and chronology recorded by the US Department of State, archives of Pakistani newspapers and web portals.

Some Highlights:

Pakistan has lost around $35 billion since joining the still-continuing War on Terror.

The country witnessed only two terror-related incidents in 2001, 14 in 2002, just 8 in 2003, 18 in 2004, 11 in 2005, 16 in 2006, 56 in 2007, 72 in 2008, 130 in 2009 and 29 in the first two-and-a-half months of 2010 till the fling of this report. The year 2009 of course remained the bloodiest of all with 130 incidents claiming around 1,800 lives, followed by 2008 which saw 1,565 people falling prey to 72 such attacks.

High Profile Assassinations:

Terror in Pakistan claimed the lives of eminent personalities like the two-time Premier Benazir Bhutto (December 27, 2007), eminent Deobandi scholar and head of Islamic religious school Jamia Binoria, Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai (May 30, 2004), leading Shia scholar and Chief of Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan, Allama Hassan Turabi (July 14, 2006), Chief of Peshawar City Police Malik Saad (January 27, 2007), former Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam MNA and Wafaqul Madaris Vice Chairman Maulana Hassan Jan (September 15, 2007), Pakistan Army’s top medic Lt Gen Mushtaq Baig (February 25, 2008), former head of Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group Maj Gen (R) Ameer Faisal Alvi (November 19, 2008), Awami National Party Provincial law-maker Alam Zeb Khan (February 11, 2009), leading Sunni Barelwi cleric Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi (June 12, 2009), Punjab-born Balochistan Education Minister Shafiq Ahmed Khan (October 25, 2009), Balochistan’s Deputy Inspector General Nizam Shahid Durrani (November 19, 2009), ANP politician Shamsher Ali Khan (December 1, 2009), former NWFP Education Minister Ghani-ur-Rehman (January 3, 2010), Peshawar’s District Police Officer Iqbal Marwat (February 12, 2010) and Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnat’s key leaders Mufti Saeed Jalalpuri (March 11, 2010) and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Nadeem (March 14, 2010).

Posted by Animesh Roul on March 17, 2010. Respond »

To Jaw-Jaw:  Next India, Pakistan Talk in Islamabad or New York?

After the lackluster meeting between the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan in late February, the buzz is now about another round of informal handshakes (may be more than that ) between Heads of the State which are expected sometime in April 2010. This would take place perhaps on the sidelines of a scheduled United Nations conference on nuclear security in New York. While the exact schedule of the forthcoming meeting is not known yet it is expected that Indian and Pakistani leaders may have a one-to-one meeting in New York.

Last week’s meeting in New Delhi produced nothing, except of course setting the atmosphere for future meetings.

Another buzz doing the rounds is that India’s foreign secretary Nirupama Rao might meet her Pakistani counterpart, Salman Bashir in Islamabad sometime this month. Though the schedule is not certain and the structure of the engagement is not properly laid out, the trends are quite encouraging.  At least there are rumors around regarding future parleys between the warring neighbours.

Now interestingly, political leaders of both countries are lamenting that they are victims of cross border terrorism and blaming each other for fueling terrorism. While India pointing towards the 40 odd terrorist camps in Pakistan administered Kashmir, Pakistan pointed towards India’s hand in Balochistan insurgency.

Winston Churchill once said (at the White House on June 26, 1954) “To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war.” He was optimistic like most of us. But is it a good idea to pretend to be an optimist always, especially in this (Indo-Pak) case? 

Posted by Animesh Roul on March 2, 2010. Respond »

The Great Meltdown: India Offers to Resume Talks with Pakistan

Finally, India has proposed a foreign secretary-level talk with Pakistan, in a remarkable departure of what Pakistan terms as traditional ‘inflexibility’. So a sign of thaw is apparent now. It has to be remembered that all bilateral engagements have been stalled between the two South Asian countries since the Nov 2008 Mumbai terror events. Among Pakistan’s best step forward is the acknowledgement of Lashkar-e-Taiba as the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai attacks. This one is a positive step taken by Pakistan in recent times.

On the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SARRC) summit later this month, internal (Home) affairs ministers of both countries will meet in the garrison city of Rawalpindi (February 26- 27), which will pave the way for a much awaited meet between the foreign secretaries of the two countries. For obvious reasons, terrorism would be the prime focus of the meet, though the agendas of the proposed talks are yet to be confirmed. The latest ‘defreezing’ comes at a time when the bilateral ties between New Delhi and Islamabad are all time low with war of words from both sides virtually dominated the airwaves. Badly worded statements too became the order of the day which polluted the already tensed atmosphere. (e.g.  Pakistan’s Food Minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal’s statement mentioning that ‘Pakistan is ready to fight a war against India if India does not stop violations and obstruction of water flow’).

Pakistan wants the resumption of the all encompassing Composite Dialogue, but India is moving cautiously for now and wants to test the water before going for full fledged engagement that can address other bilateral disputes, including terrorism.

Posted by Animesh Roul on February 4, 2010. Respond »

In The News: Promoting Peace in South Asia!

At a time when India-Pakistan relations are plumbing new depths with irresponsible remarks from political elites pouring in (e.g. ‘thousand,years war for Kashmir’), a three day peace conference has been organized in New Delhi to carve a ‘roadmap to peace’. The aim of the conference is to put pressure on both governments to pursue the path of dialogue and development as a strategy for promoting peace in the region.  Eminent personalities (may call them ‘Peaceniks’) from all walks of life (civil society representatives, media persons, former diplomats and political leaders from both countries) are participating in this conference. Pressing Issues such as Water sharing, cross border trade and terrorism have received ample attention in the ongoing meet. So also, geopolitical issues like Kashmir, Balochistan and Afghanistan are scheduled to be discussed.

Speakers have reiterated, irrespective of their nationality that uninterrupted dialogue in all possible circumstances could lead to resolution of outstanding issues. Even though all those past engagements between the neighbors didn’t bring any visible results, the ideals of people-to-people contacts (Track-II) to remain in force to create a ‘congenial atmosphere’ for any bilateral initiatives in future.

For more details: Read “Call to resume dialogue”, The HIndu, January 11.
Also read a critque: “Candle exchange may not bring peace b/w India and Pakistan”, PakTribune, January 10.

Posted by Animesh Roul on January 10, 2010. Respond »

Pakistan: Sectarian Terror and Killing Ritual on Muharram

Annual Shia festivity of Youm- e- Ashura (also known as Muharram in the region) has been marred by suicide blasts and sectarian violence in Pakistan. The epicenters of the latest terror violence were centered around port city of Karachi and Muzaffarabad in the capital city of Pakistan Administered Kashmir targeting Shia community. The December 28 suicide attack took place near the Light House at Jinnah Road. Besides deaths and destructions caused by the blast itself, the resulting mob violence that spread around Karachi city estimated to have destroyed nearly 500 shops and many vehicles.

Mourning processions by minority Shiite Muslims in Pakistan are often attacked by majority Sunni militants. Karachi blast was fourth in a series of attacks targeting Shia processions and gatherings in the last three days.

•December 28: A suicide bomber blew himself up near a Shiite mourning march in Karachi killing at least 33 people (according to latest fatality count) and injuring several others.

•December 27: At least 15 people were killed and over 100 others injured in suicide blasts near the Pir Alam Shah Bukhari Tomb, a place for Shia prayers in Muzaffarabad, provincial capital of Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK). Another suicide attack however, was foiled elsewhere in the Bagh district in PAK that day.

•December 26: A remote controlled bomb blast injured nearly 26 Shia mourners at Khalifat Chowk in North Nazimabad Town of Karachi.

•December 26: Another bomb blast in Orangi Town in Karachi left 24 people injured. Angry mob had resorted to arsons and anti-government protests in reaction to the blast.

In Pakistan, pro Sunni terrorist groups used to carry out deadly attacks in regular intervals against minority Shia populations. Although no terrorist outfit has claimed responsibility so far, the needle of suspicion now is on the Sunni centric Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and its affiliate anti-Shia outfit Lashkar- e- Jhangvi. According to a recent circular distributed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Pakistan the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s newly floated suicide wing Mujahid Abu Faraz has reportedly been assigned to carry out country wide terrorist attacks during Ashura ceremony. The TTP leader Qari Hussain Mehmood has formed the group to avenge the death of Abu Faraz (a.k.a. Nasim Shah), a Taliban commander in Swat). Faraz, a close associate of Mullah Fazlullah, was killed during a recent fight (On 03 December) in the Kabal area of Swat.

Posted by Animesh Roul on December 28, 2009. Respond »