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

Total
24
200
542

15

[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--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 protg
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, Balochistans 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
nave 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]