Posts Tagged ‘North Waziristan’

Pakistan vociferously condemns US attack

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan condemned in the strongest terms the US drone attacks in North Waziristan on Saturday morning.
The Foreign Office in a statement said Pakistan has consistently maintained that these illegal attacks are a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and are in contravention of international law.  The Foreign Office further said it is our considered view that …

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Unterred US goes for another ‘kill’ in NWA

PESHAWAR – Unconcerned by the slump in bilateral ties, the United States on Saturday launched another drone attack in North Waziristan killing at least 10 suspected militants and injuring several others.
A drone fired two missiles at a house in Darai-Neshtar area of Shawal town, some 70 kilometres of Miranshah in North Waziristan Agency.
“The death toll in the US drone strike has risen to …

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10 people killed in US drone strike in North Waziristan

At least ten persons were killed and several others injured when a US drone attacked a house in North Waziristan Agency on early Saturday morning.
A US drone attack targeting a militant compound killed at least 10 militants in North Waziristan early Saturday, security officials said
The officials said two missiles hit and destroyed the compound in Shawal area, some 70 kilometres (45 miles) west …

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NATO supply routes closure causing massive equipment backlog: US DoD

WASHINGTON: The US Department of Defense’s (DoD) semi-annual Afghanistan report says the closure of the Nato supply routes in Pakistan has led to the backlogging of thousands of tons of equipment.

In the report on progress towards Afghanistan’s stability and security that is based on events from October 2011 to March 2012 and has been submitted to Congress, the Department of Defense says that the closure of the Pakistan Ground Lines of Communication (GLOCs) remains a strategic concern. “Failure to settle the GLOC issue will also significantly degrade redeployment and retrograde operations in support of the drawdown of coalition forces.”

The report cites the impact the closure of the Nato supply routes has had on equipment needs for Afghan forces. The Nato supply routes were closed in October 2011, after 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a Nato strike on the Pak-Afghan border.

The Afghan National Police remains under-equipped, says the report, and there will be shortages of equipment especially vehicles for Afghan National Army (ANA) units due to the closure of the GLOCs. Over 4000 vehicles meant to be used for the ANA, said the DoD report, remain stranded in Pakistan. “Reopening the GLOCs would improve the US and coalition forces’ mission flexibility and build capacity.”

US forces in Afghanistan have been relying primarily on the Northern Distribution Network (NDN) through Central Asian nations for sending supplies to forces. The report says that it has “ensured the sustainment needs of coalition forces and allowed initial proof of principle shipments for retrograding material from Afghanistan to the United States” through the NDN.

However, “the closure of the GLOCs has had a more limited effect on communications equipment and weapons, the delivery of which continues via air lines of communication (ALOCs). Fielding priorities for the next 180 days are expected to be met if Pakistani GLOCs are restored.”

The closure of the GLOCs has also had an impact on the completion of the Kandahar-Helmand Power Plant program, and has created a backlog of electrical materials required for the project, says the report. DoD says that unless the border reopens or alternate routes are used, which will increase the cost of the project, the US could see a “potentially one-year delay in getting Kandahar distribution upgrade materials in the country.”

Safe havens in Pakistan

The DoD report says that the insurgent safe havens in Pakistan including the Haqqani network’s presence in North Waziristan are among the reasons why the security situation in eastern Afghanistan remains volatile.

The report also said that while attacks decreased by eight percent as opposed to the same time last year, 34% of all attacks in the country were in eastern Afghanistan, which had increased by 3% as opposed to the same period last year.

The report also calls safe havens in Pakistan and the “limited capacity of the Afghan government” as the biggest risks to Afghanistan’s security and transforming the state into a durable and sustainable one. Additionally, the report says that Kandahar remains a contested province in Afghanistan, partly due to the “insurgent safe havens and freedom of movement across the border in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.”

“The insurgency benefits from safe havens inside Pakistan with notable operational and regenerative capacity. The insurgency remains a resilient and determined enemy and will likely attempt to regain lost ground and influence this spring and summer through assassinations, intimidation, high-profile attacks, and the emplacement of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Additionally, the Afghan Government continues to face widespread corruption that limits its effectiveness and legitimacy and bolsters insurgent messaging.”

“Pakistan’s selective counterinsurgency operations, passive acceptance – and in some cases, provision – of insurgent safe havens, and unwillingness to interdict material such as IED components, continue to undermine security in Afghanistan and threaten ISAF’s campaign.”

While citing meetings between Afghanistan and Pakistan’s leadership, the report says, “pervasive mistrust, long-standing tensions, and divergent strategic interests continue to make genuine cooperation difficult.”

“Pakistan continues to seek a stable, secure Afghanistan, an Afghan government with primacy for Pashtuns, and limited Indian influence. To this end, Pakistan has allowed an insurgent sanctuary in its border areas to persist, offering a safe haven to Afghan Taliban and associated militant groups including the Haqqani Taliban Network in North Waziristan Agency. Pakistani leaders have tolerated this due to their concerns that Pakistan will be left alone to confront an unstable, an unfriendly, or an Indian-influenced Afghanistan on its borders. Accordingly, Pakistan seeks to play a key role in the peace and reconciliation process to advance a political settlement that considers Pakistani interests.”

Al Qaeda relying on Haqqani leaders 

The Department of Defense report also says that even though al Qaeda has been degraded, it is increasingly relying on a “shrinking cadre of experienced leaders primarily inside a Haqqani-facilitated safe haven in North Waziristan.”

“The insurgency’s funding comes “from a variety of external sources, including Persian Gulf-based donors, state and non-state actors in Pakistan and Iran, and various transnational and criminal enterprises, but remains dependent on poppy cultivation and the narcotics trade as its primary source of revenue. Insurgents suspend operational efforts to provide labour for the poppy harvest, which typically begins in April and continues to June, as revenue from the poppy harvest is critical to insurgent operations throughout the year.”

Pakistan-based outfits, said the report, also support the insurgency through sanctuary, training infrastructure, and financial and operational support. “The insurgency also receives material support from Iran, although to a lesser degree than from Pakistan.” The report cites the corridor from Pakistan’s Kurram Agency through Azra District as the most vulnerable area in the east of Afghanistan.

The report says that the implementation of the Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement has not been realised due to political tensions between Pakistan and India.

Pakistan records protest over US drone hit

ISLAMABAD – Foreign Office Monday summoned a senior US Embassy official and lodged a formal protest over Sunday’s US drone attack.Political Councillor of US Embassy Jonathan Pratt was summoned at the Foreign Office by Director General Americas”, a foreign office spokesman said. The govt strongly condemned the US drone attack in North Waziristan, he said, adding that such attacks are …

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Attacks violate sovereignty, says Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, April 30: Pakistani officials on Monday condemned the US for carrying out its first drone strike in the country since parliament demanded they end two weeks ago.

The foreign ministry issued a statement, saying the strike which killed three suspected militants in the North Waziristan tribal area on Sunday “are in total contravention of international law and established norms of interstate relations”.

“The government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that drone attacks are violative of its territorial integrity and sovereignty,” it said.

But Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani struck a moderate tone on Monday when he seemed to link the strikes to the continued ability of militants fighting the government.

He pointed out that the resolution passed by parliament also stipulated that foreign fighters must be expelled from the country and Pakistani soil should not be used to attack other countries.

“So, when we plan a strategy (with the US), all these aspects would be discussed,” he said.

A Pakistani intelligence official said the most recent strike seemed to be a message from the US.

“It’s a message that things are going to continue as usual irrespective of what we say,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity It’s not the first time the US has ignored Pakistan’s parliament, which has called for the drone strikes to end since 2008. President Barack Obama significantly ramped up strikes in Pakistan when he took office in 2009.

Drones are not the only issue complicating Pakistan’s decision to reopen the Nato supply lines the country closed after a US border air attack killed at least 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Pakistan’s parliament has also demanded that the US provide an ‘unconditional apology’ for the deaths of the Pakistani troops in November. The US has expressed regret, but has declined to apologise – a decision that appears to be driven by domestic political considerations. The US has said its troops fired in self-defense – a claim disputed by Pakistan – and the White House could be concerned about Republican criticism if it apologises.—AP

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Via DAWN.com

Pakistan lodges formal complaint over N Waziristan drone attack

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday summoned a senior US diplomat to lodge a formal protest over Sunday’s drone attack inside the tribal belt, igniting fresh tensions between the two countries.

“US Political Councilor, Jonathan Pratt was summoned at the Foreign office by Director General America over yesterday’s drone attack,” according to an official statement issued here.

A similar protest was also lodged in Washington to convey Islamabad’s displeasure over the unilateral strikes.

The remotely piloted aircraft targeted an abandoned girls’ high school building used by militants in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan on Sunday, officials and witnesses said. The strike reportedly killed four militants and injured three others.

The Predator attack was the first since the Parliament approved new terms of engagements that seek an immediate halt in the CIA-piloted campaign.

During recent high-level talks, Pakistan had categorically told the US that drones are totally unacceptable.

At a joint news conference with US Special Envoy Marc Grossman last week, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani reiterated Pakistan’s strong opposition to the CIA-piloted drone campaign in the tribal areas.

“We consider drones as illegal, non-productive and accordingly unacceptable,” he emphasised.

Separately, President Asif Zardari told the visiting top American diplomat that the two sides should consider setting up a framework of mechanism to find mutually acceptable alternatives to drone strikes in Pakistan.

The Obama administration considers drone campaign crucial to eliminate ‘high value’ targets associated with al-Qaeda and the Taliban from the tribal areas.

But the US policy has now turned out to be one of the major sticking point hindering cooperation between the two countries.

Recently, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar acknowledged that despite Pakistan’s repeated demands, the US was not listening to Pakistan’s demands to stop the drone attacks.

Alumnus visit: Khar gives ‘foreign policy briefing’ at LUMS

LAHORE: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar paid a visit to her alma mater, the Lahore University of Management Sciences, on Monday, where she gave a briefing of sorts on Pakistan’s current foreign policy, as well as answering questions from students.

Khar had studied economics during her time at the Lahore based business school, and she shared with students how her studies were now helping her in the day to day life as a foreign minister. “Everything now is increasingly moving towards economic diplomacy so having a basic understanding of the subject has done me good.”

Afghanistan

But soon the mood turned to serious matters. Speaking on Afghanistan, Khar regretted that over the years Pakistan had not concentrated on a ‘prosperous neighbourhod’ and said that ties with neighboring countries including Afghanistan, was in Pakistan’s interest and that peaceful ties should be established with all its neighbors. Responding to a question about Pakistan’s role in the Afghan reconciliation process, Khar said the ‘if asked’ to be a party to the Afghan led reconciliatory process, Pakistan will assist in whatever capacity possible.

She added that a ‘spill out’ affect of the instability in neighbouring countries would adversely affect the entire region.

Offering a simplistic solution to problems of diplomatic nature, Khar said that the ‘is it in Pakistan’s interest?’ question often offered easy solutions to the issues at hand. “In pursuing its goals and objectives, Pakistan wants to be a responsible global player,” she said.

US

Talking about Pakistan-US relations, which have sunk to their lowest in the aftermath of the Nato Salala checkpost raid, the foreign minister said, “the relationship with the US is very dear to Pakistan but not at the cost of its sovereignty.”

Commenting on drone attacks, one of which blew up a school in North Waziristan on Sunday, and has been a source of anger among many Pakistanis, she termed it as a “complex problem,” and that all diplomatic means were being utilised to address the issue.

Looking at a way forward, she hoped that ties with US will be based on common interests of both the countries, “long term relations with any super power can only be assured if it is based on mutual interest and respect.”

Referring to the recent visit of US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman and his meeting with the Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Khar said that there was “nothing wrong” about the nature of the meeting.

“There is a lot of ‘security element’ in our relationship with the US,” said Khar, clarifying that the meeting should not attract any undue concern, adding that every institution in Pakistan was a stakeholder, including the GHQ.

“We (the government) are in an evolutionary phase and rest assured that every institution is in its right place,” said Khar.

Siachen

The Siachen issue was also addressed in the minister’s speech, saying that there can be no unilateral withdrawal of troops from Siachen. Khar added that the emphasis lay not merely on troop withdrawal, but an environment of mutual trust between the two countries was also needed.

Kashmir

Talking about Kashmir, Khar said it still remained a core issue that posed hurdles in improving ties between India and Pakistan and that it was time to ascertain whether the issue could be resolved militarily or at the dialogue table, “if not resolved, the Kashmir issue will continue to breed hatred among the people.”

Iran-Pakistan pipeline

Speaking about the proposed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, Khar said that Pakistan could not afford to be selective in relations with its neighbours based on its energy demands.

GB, Balochistan

Regarding the recent spate of violence in Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan, she said that it remained a matter of great concern for the government.

Talking about about the role of foreign elements in Balochistan, Khar stated that the Prime Minister had raised the issue with India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a meeting between the two in Sharm el-Sheikh, adding that while Pakistan faced ‘external conspiracies’, it was necessary for it to become strong internally, to resist the external elements.

Responding to a question regarding resumption of cricketing tie between Pakistan and India, she said much was being done to address the issue diplomatically on both sides.

Drone strikes: Pakistan may boycott Chicago summit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan may boycott the upcoming Nato summit in Chicago and delay its decision to reopen Nato supply routes in retaliation for the latest US drone attack in North Waziristan Agency, officials said.This was the first such attack since parliament last month approved new guidelines on relations with the United States, which included a call for an end to drone strikes in Pakistani territory.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office denounced the latest strike as “a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty”.

“Such attacks are in total contravention of international law and established norms of interstate relations,” it added. The matter would be taken up through diplomatic channels both in Islamabad and Washington.

A senior government official told The Express Tribune that Pakistan was contemplating a number of options to convey a strong message on drone strikes to the US. One such option includes pulling out of the Chicago summit scheduled for May. It was, however, not clear whether Islamabad was formally invited to the gathering of nearly 50 heads of states and governments.

US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman did request the Pakistani leadership during his recent trip to attend the summit, said the official. “The latest drone attack clearly is an attempt to discredit democracy in Pakistan,” added the official, who was part of recent negotiations between Islamabad and Washington.

Abandoned school targeted

The latest strike took place in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, on Sunday.The drone fired two missiles targeting an abandoned girls’ high school building used by militants, officials said. The school which is located in Qari Masjid village was abandoned by schoolchildren due militancy in the area.

“The building had been taken over by militants,” a local resident said.  An official from the area confirmed that three people have been killed and two wounded. “However, there are reports that there might be six suspected militants killed,” he added. Another security official said the compound was used mainly by Uzbek and Tajik militants.

(With additional reporting by Zulfiqar Ali in D I Khan and agencies)

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2012.

Drone attack follows failed Pak-US talks

PESHAWAR – At least four suspected militants were killed and two others injured when US unmanned predator fired two missiles on a deserted government school in Miranshah Bazaar, North Waziristan Agency, on Sunday. It was the first drone strike in almost a month and came after the failure of fresh round of talks between US and Pakistan. American special envoy Marc Grossman left Islamabad …

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US drone ‘kills three militants’ in Miramshah

Two missiles hit an abandoned girls schools in the town of Miramshah in the North Waziristan tribal region, killing three unidentified militants.– AFP (File Photo)

MIRAMSHAH: Three militants were killed and two others wounded in a US drone attack in Pakistan’s restive tribal region near the Afghan border on Sunday, security officials said.

The drone fired two missiles targeting a militant compound in Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan, known as a stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants, they said.

This was the first drone strike since the parliament last month approved new guidelines on relations with the United States, which included a ban on transporting weapons through the country to Afghanistan.

“A US drone fired two missiles on a compound, killing three militants and wounding two others,” a senior security official told AFP.

He said that the compound in the market area of Miramshah was once a girls’ school that was occupied by the militants.

Another security official, who confirmed the toll, said the compound was used mainly by Uzbek and Tajik militants.

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Via DAWN.com

Talks between US, Pakistan fail: Report

WASHINGTON: High-level talks on ending a diplomatic deadlock between the United States and Pakistan have ended in failure over Pakistani demands for an apology from the United States, The New York Times reported Saturday.

The newspaper said US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman left Islamabad Friday night with no agreement.

The departure followed two days of discussions aimed at patching up the damage caused by a US air strike last November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on the Afghanistan border, the report said.

The United States refuses to apologise for the strike.

The incident has damaged the precarious US-Pakistani partnership and provoked outrage in Islamabad, which has retaliated by cutting off NATO supply routes to Afghanistan.

The United States and Pakistan disagree about the precise sequence of events in the deadliest single cross-border attack of the 10-year war in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies shooting first, and has accused the Americans of an intentional attack on its troops.

The administration of President Barack Obama had been seriously debating whether to say “I’m sorry” to Pakistan’s satisfaction – until April 15, when multiple simultaneous attacks struck Kabul and other Afghan cities, The Times said.

“What changed was the 15th of April,” the paper quotes an unnamed senior administration official as saying.

US military and intelligence officials concluded that the attacks were directed by the Haqqani network, a group working from a base in North Waziristan in Pakistan’s tribal belt, the report said.

That swung the raging debate on whether Obama or another senior US official should go beyond the expression of regret that the administration had already given, and apologise, the paper said.

Without the apology, Pakistani officials say they cannot reopen the NATO supply routes into Afghanistan that have been closed since November, the report said.

The United States, in turn, is withholding from Pakistan between $1.18 billion and $3 billion (2.26 billion euros) of promised military aid.

The continuing deadlock does not bode well for Pakistan’s attendance at a NATO meeting in Chicago in three weeks, assuming it is even invited, The Times said.

US administration officials acknowledged Friday that the stalemate would not be resolved quickly, the paper noted.

Looming food insecurity

ON March 16, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani launched a National Zero Hunger Action Programme to be carried out by the newly-created Ministry of National Food Security and Research following transfer of the ministry of agriculture, food and livestock to the provinces.

Inspired by similar Brazilian and Indonesian projects, Pakistan’s venture is a five-year plan that would cover 61 million food insecure people across the country at a cost of $16
billion but how different it would be from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is not clear.

The BISP makes cash transfers and extends loans to the chosen few, the zero hunger programme will provide food commodities to some of the vulnerable sections of society. The programme, in its first year, is expected to reach 12 million people constituting 20 per cent of the total affected population at a cost of $1.04 billion. Since partner organisations of
the programme include USDA, USAID, WFP and UNICEF, their contributions will be of vital importance.

The new ministry, which is currently fighting for control of 12 projects of the defunct ministry of agriculture which the Planning Commission has opposed, has also signed a letter of intent with the WFP, under which some 500,000 metric tones of wheat, donated by the government of Pakistan will be converted by it into nutritious food items that will be provided to malnourished children, pregnant women and primary schoolchildren.

According to Abid Qaiyum Suleri, head of SDPI, also a partner body: “The good news is that despite persistent denial from official sources, food insecurity has eventually been acknowledged as a problem in Pakistan at the official level following passage of the 18th Amendment in the Constitution.” While addressing the food security conference last month, the prime minister had acknowledged that food insecurity was a serious issue and deserved immediate attention.

However, the fact remains that it is not the abundant availability of food in the market that ensures food security. It is the ability of the needy to purchase food that ends his insecurity. And that means a basic change in the distribution paradigm. A few days ago, the State Bank of Pakistan, in a report on food security, made bold observations. It said:

“The inequitable distribution of land and the lack of constitutional rights for peasants prevalent in the country have to be addressed squarely, so that the poor in rural areas gain access to and control over land resources.” This requires land reforms.

The report said the government and the State Bank were alive to the situation and wished to establish a farmer-friendly policy and regulatory environment that encourages the development of a sustainable agricultural sector. Pakistan, it said, is vulnerable to food insecurity because of several factors such as slowdown in availability of irrigation water; slower growth of food crops resulting in low yield, inadequate storage capacity, higher post-harvest losses and the continuing war against terrorism.

What remains generally oblivious is the fact that while farmers grow enough food to feed the world, commodity speculators and grain traders control the global food prices and distribution. For a family living on the extreme of poverty, a small price increase can a big difference. Although Pakistan is producing sufficient food, often more than it requires, food insecurity continues to increase.

According to Peter Phillips, a research scholar, starvation is profitable for corporations when demands for food push the prices up. Profits of Cargill, a leading food multinational, from commodity trading for the first quarter of 2008 were 86 per cent above 2007. World food prices grew 22 per cent from June 2007 to June 2008 and a major part of the increase was caused by the $175 billion invested in commodity futures that speculate on price instead of seeking to feed the hungry. The result is erratic food price spirals while food insecurity continues to further increase.

Food price inflation in Pakistan has averaged 18 per cent for the last four years while the purchasing power of the poor has declined significantly. Food prices in the country have remained near an all-time peak since late 2010, pushing more millions into abject poverty and some times creating a famine-like situation.

Thirty-six per cent of Pakistanis are undernourished, according to Oxfam’s food price pressure point map, which includes Pakistan among the 21 undernourished nations of the world. The map provides a global view of the impact of the international food price crisis. While most identified nations are from the African continent, Pakistan was found more undernourished than Tanzania (35 per cent), Niger (28 per cent) and even worse than Yemen (32 per cent).

The state of food security in Pakistan has deteriorated since 2003. According to a 2010 report by the SDPI, 48.6 per cent of Pakistan’s 165 million people are food insecure.

Food security is inadequate in 61 per cent of the districts in the country. This is a sharp increase from 2003, when conditions for food security were inadequate in 45 per cent districts. In other words, almost half of the population doesn’t have access to sufficient food for an active and healthy life.

The report shows that provincial disparities exist in terms of food security. Fata (federally controlled tribal areas) has the highest percentage of food insecure population, 67.7 per
cent, followed by Balochistan, 61.2 per cent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 56.2 per cent. The lowest percentage of food insecure population, 23.6 per cent, is in Islamabad.

Among the districts, Dera Bugti in Balochistan has the highest percentage of food insecure people — 82.4 per cent. Balochistan has higher number of districts with worst conditions for food security. The 20 districts of Pakistan with worst conditions for food security include ten from Balochistan, five from Fata; three from KP, and one from Gilgit Baltistan
(GB) and Sindh each.

The number of districts from Balochistan in this category has doubled since 2003. Dera Bugti, Musa Khel, Upper Dir, North Waziristan, Kohistan, Muhammand, Dalbadin, South Waziristan, Orakzai, and Panjgur are the 10 districts with worst conditions for food security.

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Via DAWN.com

Afghanistan arrests insurgents with explosives, makes Pakistan link

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Afghan soldiers -File Photo

 KABUL: Afghanistan security forces have detained five insurgents with massive quantities of explosives intended for use in attacks on crowded areas of Kabul and linked them to Pakistan-based militants, an intelligence spokesman said on Saturday.

The alleged connection to militants in Pakistan will likely step up the pressure on Islamabad, after a recent coordinated assault by insurgents on diplomatic and government areas in Kabul and elsewhere put the spotlight on the South Asian nation.

“It could have caused large-scale bloodshed,” National Directorate of Security (NDS) spokesman Shafiqullah Tahiri told a news conference.

“Three Pakistani terrorists and two of their Afghan collaborators who placed the explosives under bags of potatoes in a truck were caught.”

The 10 tons of explosives were stuffed into 400 bags and hidden under piles of potatoes in the back of a Pakistan-registered truck on Kabul’s outskirts, said Tahiri.

The US ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, said there was “no question” that the Haqqani network, which Washington believes is based in Pakistan’s North Waziristan region, mounted last weekend’s 18- hour roc ket and gunfire operation in Kabul.

Crocker called on Pakistan to crack down on the Haqqanis and said the response to that demand would influence future ties between the strategic allies.

Relations have been heavily strained by a series of events, including the unilateral US special forces raid that killed Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil in May of last year.

Pakistan has denied accusations that its military spy agency sees the Haqqanis as a counterweight to the growing influence of rival India in Afghanistan.

Tahiri said the five men confessed to receiving training from Noor Afzal and Mohammad Omar, who he identified as key commanders of the Pakistani Taliban and Pakistan intelligence.

Video footage released by NDS to media showed the detained men, including the alleged Pakistanis, talking about where they came from while sitting against a blank white wall.

A Pakistani intelligence official declined comment on the accusations, while Afghan officials were not immediately available to give additional information.

While the Pakistani Taliban cooperate with the Afghan Taliban, they are sworn enemies of the US-backed Islamabad government and have mounted suicide bombings against Pakistani intelligence officials and security forces.

It’s still not clear whether the confessions will create a new crisis in relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Cross border ties went into a freeze last year after Kabul accused Pakistani agents of playing a role in the September assassination by insurgents of the head of the country’s High Peace Council.

Afghanistan has long been suspicious of Pakistani intentions, accusing Islamabad of backing insurgent groups to further its interests.

Pakistan’s government denies supporting or giving sanctuary to insurgents on its territory and has said it would do what it can to advance the Afghan reconciliation process.

Afghan officials say privately that Pakistan has not delivered on its promises, despite upbeat official assessments of cooperation from both sides in recent months.

The Taliban in March said they were suspending peace talks with the United States and a plan to open an office in the Gulf state of Qatar to smooth negotiations, accusing Washington of double-dealing over confidence-building measures including the release of insurgents from a US military prison in Cuba.

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Via DAWN.com

Kabul attacks will help US press Pak: analysts

The weekend attacks on Kabul, blamed by the US on the Pakistan-linked Haqqani network, will strengthen Washington’s hand in talks with Islamabad over drone strikes and NATO supply routes, analysts say.
The US ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker said Thursday the attacks — the biggest to hit the Afghan capital in 10 years of war — were planned by Haqqani leaders in North Waziristan.
US …

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Intelligence leads: ‘TTP chief convenes meeting to plan revenge attacks’

An extract of the intelligence report states that Mehsud convened a meeting with several senior commanders of TTP, Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan and Al-Qaeda in North Waziristan Agency in the second week of February.

The report adds that in case of the resumption of Nato supplies, the militants will show their anger through terrorist activities across the country, including targeting high-profile personalities.

Information about the planned attacks as well as other possible threats has been forwarded to the police and other law enforcement agencies by the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) of the interior ministry. Officials have been directed to beef up security at possible target sites.

The report says possible targets not only include US diplomats and their bases in Pakistan, but also Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, interior minister Rehman Malik, Imran Khan and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

A separate report revealed that the Jundullah group also held a meeting to plan out attacks across the country, particularly in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore. It added that the group had established an army of 21 militants for the purpose.

The said army will report to Hakeemullah Mehsud, who will also assign the targets. It said that the targets assigned to this group would be government offices, sensitive installations, important personalities and law enforcement agencies.

Yet another report says that five TTP militants have entered Punjab from the Darya Khan Bridge in a double-cabin vehicle and are armed with huge quantities of explosives, ammunition and different numbered licence plates.

The report says the law enforcement agencies have been informed of planned attacks in and around Lahore, particularly near the Fortress Stadium situated in the cantonment area, during this month (April).

It identifies two militants Waqar and Atique as the masterminds behind attacks planned in the metropolitan cities and mentions two suspected suicide bombers from Orakzai Agency.

Law enforcers have also noted the suspicious activities of two unknown suspects around the US consulate in Lahore. According to a report, security staff has been alerted about a Toyota Corolla car hovering around the area. It added that the licence plate on the car, LWK-3393, was counterfeit and actually belonged to a motorcycle.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2012.

Bannu jailbreak aftermath: Influential Taliban commander calls for ‘agreement with Pakistan’ be respected

MIRANSHAH: Influential Pakistani Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur has asked North Waziristan’s residents to rise up against all forces trying to use their soil in accordance with an agreement they have ‘signed with Pakistan’.

The request, communicated through a pamphlet distributed on Tuesday, comes a day after the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed that they had taken prisoners, who they had released in their brazen attack on Bannu Central Jail, to Mir Ali.

In the pamphlet, titled Masool-o-Khuddamul Mujahideen North Waziristan, Bahadur said that the people of the agency will be fully supported by him in their battle against those who try to use the area against the interest of the people. “Do not let them operate [from North Waziristan]. Show them resistance, we are with you,” the pamphlet read.

Resistance will be put up if security forces try moving into the agency, the pamphlet said, also stressing that those hailing from South [Waziristan] should respect their own land and property.

The “agreement with Pakistan” is a clear reference to a peace treaty.

The pamphlet uses the word “Southerners” in a clear reference to the TTP, which comprises mostly of Mehsud tribesmen from South Waziristan. Differences between Bahadur and TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud grew stronger following former TTP head Baitullah Mehsud’s death in a drone strike in 2009. Previously, the Taliban had operated under the Shura Ittehadul Mujahideen but the group became defunct a few months after its inception in December 2008.

Bahadur’s relationship with the TTP may have soured, but his alliance with Mullah Nazir in South Waziristan remains intact.