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September
Vol 8-No. 3
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September
Vol 8-No. 3
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SOUTH ASIA: Pakistan News Briefs |
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Even as Pakistan grappled with a President who refused to go ‘quietly into the night’, the state of play in the conflict afflicted North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has worsened in recent weeks. Irrespective of whether General (Retired) Pervez Musharraf remains as President or not, the multiple insurgencies across Pakistan will continue to deepen creating greater troubles for the already embattled coalition Government.
On August 15, 2008, NWFP Senior Minister and head of the Government’s peace committee, Bashir Ahmad Bilour, claimed that the ‘peace agreement’ with militants in Swat was still intact, and the Government remained open to negotiations to end the unrest. Commenting on the ongoing military operations against the militants, he argued, "This [operation] is the Government’s reaction to the militants’ actions (which) they took in violation of the peace agreement signed with the Government." Further, Bilour asserted that the Government was ready to talk to the militants in accordance with the peace deal that the two sides signed on May 21, 2008. He claimed the militants did not honour the agreement. The NWFP Government re-launched military operations against the militants on July 29, after the latter demanded that the provincial Government quit within five days for "not honouring the peace agreement". For the record, the May 21 peace accord did bring a momentary peace in the province, and remains formally in place, since neither of the two sides has scrapped the pact.
670 persons, including 297 civilians, 101 security force (SF) personnel and 272 militants, have already died in 2008 (data till August 15), and there has been a drastic increase in the violence after the breakdown of the truce on June 9. Since then, at least 302 persons – 90 civilians, 47 SF personnel and 165 militants – have been killed. [It is necessary to note that, given Islamabad's understated accounts, the suppression of the Press and erratic reportage from all the conflict zones, the actual numbers of fatalities could be considerably higher than those indicated above].
In the renewed military offensive ‘Operation Rah-e-Haq’, the militants’ positions in Matta and Kabal, the Taliban strongholds in Swat District, have been targeted vigorously. The SFs are presently hitting the mountain positions of the Taliban in the Peuchar, Namal, Sijbanr, Gat Shawar and Wenai areas of Matta Sub-division and Totano Banda and Deolai of the Kabal Sub-division. In response, the Taliban has, unsurprisingly, targeted the military in Swat, and, for the first time, the various security checkpoints in Saidu Sharif and Mingora, the Headquarters of the Swat District. A number of girls’ schools have also come under sustained attack. While the Taliban has targeted these two towns in the past through bomb blasts, including suicide bombings, the present series constituted the first attacks on girls' schools and SF checkpoints. In the post-truce period, the Taliban has also attacked policemen in the adjoining Buner District in what is a clear indication of their spread and influence, as also their intent to widen the conflict. Analysts like Rahimullah Yusufzai note that the militants will also try to launch attacks on SFs in the other adjoining Districts, such as Shangla, Upper Dir, Lower Dir and Malakand Agency. Yusufzai observes,
The attacks on girls’ schools have raised the concerns not only of security agencies but also of others in the Government and civil society. The militants in Swat destroyed 28 girls’ schools during the fresh wave of violence that erupted on July 29, in addition to 59 schools they had set alight or blown up in months of militancy before May 21. There were 566 girl schools — 489 primary, 51 middle, 22 high and four higher secondary schools — of which 159 schools are now non-functional. Of these, 87 have been torched or destroyed, while 62 have shut down due to the refusal of female teachers to attend, in view of precarious security situation, putting an end to the education of 17,200 girl students. The female literacy rate in Swat stands at 22.89 per cent and that of males at 52.79 per cent, with an overall literacy rate of 37 per cent. The dropout rate, particularly among girl students, has is rising dramatically.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan has said the aim of destroying schools was to pressure the Government and replace the education system:
Muslim Khan warned that, after the destruction of girls’ schools, it would be the turn of boys’ schools. Maulana Fazlullah, the Taliban leader in Swat, has termed female education "a source of obscenity."
Military authorities have said their operations would continue till the areas were cleared of militants. "This operation is going to be decisive," Brigadier Zia Anjum Bodla, Army’s Divisional Commander, told journalists at the Circuit House in Gul Kadda on August 4. On its part, Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar told Dawn that they would "retaliate with full force" if the Government "imposed a war" on them. On July 30, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) threatened to mount attacks across Pakistan in response to the renewed military action in Swat "We will start operations in the entire country, in the entire province... because we consider this an action against all Taliban… We will soon take a decision on starting operations".
An index of the grim situation in the Frontier is visible in the fact that the provincial capital, Peshawar, is extremely vulnerable, with militants pounding at its doors. As the Taliban advance gradually towards Peshawar, the NWFP Police Chief and top administrators issued warnings that, unless the Government takes decisive action, Peshawar would fall. "Peshawar is in a state of siege and if Peshawar falls, the rest of the Districts in the NWFP would fall like ninepins", an official told Dawn on June 25, 2008. Peshawar hosts the headquarters of the Army’s 11th Corps, the paramilitary Frontier Corps, the Frontier Constabulary and the Police. Police Stations in rural Peshawar have long given up patrolling at night "after a contingent was blown up by a rocket-propelled grenade and charred bodies of policemen were retrieved and buried without allowing their dear ones to see their faces for the last time." According to journalist Ashfaq Yusufzai, "Not one of Peshawar’s 30 police stations stays open after 8 p.m. Police in rural Peshawar have stopped night patrols after a patrol was blown up in a grenade attack on May 29." Militants operating in the Matani, Adezai, Badhber and Mathra areas of Peshawar have regularly been attacking girls’ schools, CD and video centres, barber shops and Police establishments. Apart from the fact that rocket attacks were on the increase in Peshawar, militants have also resorted to blowing up electricity towers, a tactic applied regularly in Balochistan. Peshawar, with an estimated population of 2.3 million and counting, for instance, was plunged into complete darkness as militants blew up the 500KV major pylon near Sheikh Mohammadi Grid Station in the early hours of August 8. The blast also caused power suspension to the entire Peshawar District and some parts of the Southern Districts – areas of Kohat, Hangu, Lachi, Gorgorai and Pabbi. An official of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company said the attack was a reaction to the anti-Taliban operation in the Matni area. The same pylon had been blown up by militants on May 12. According to the Globe and Mail, militants have started openly entering Peshawar to threaten businesses they disapprove of, such as music shops.
In reality, the augmented presence of the Taliban in Peshawar is not unusual. They have always had a significant presence in the town and in the surrounding regions, including the Khyber Agency, Darra Adam Khel, Mohmand Agency, Shabqadar, Michni and Mardan. Furthermore, the capacities to repel any Taliban push towards Peshawar are lacking. For instance, the Inspector General of the NWFP Police, Malik Naveed Khan, said at Peshawar, on June 12, 2008, that the province had a 40 percent deficit in Police Stations and Police Lines buildings.
A trust deficit has dominated the dialogue between the Government and the rebels. While the Taliban, operating under the command of Maulana Fazlullah, have claimed that the Government has not withdrawn troops nor vacated SF checkpoints nor released imprisoned militants, as agreed, the provincial Government and security agencies argue that the Taliban has not disbanded its militia, they continue to carry out suicide attacks and to target the SFs and Government installations.
The NWFP Government is currently deliberating a three-year ‘comprehensive peace plan’, with an estimated cost of approximately USD Four billion which aims at reducing the militancy by 30 per cent. Among its objectives are the reduction of attacks on security forces, prevention of suicide attacks, reversal of the loss of civil governance, retrieval of areas lost to militants and regaining the space currently dominated by the forces of radical Islam. Within this rubric, the provincial Government intends to:
Khalid Aziz, a former chief secretary of the province and part of the Plan drafting process, has however, conceded that the provincial Government does not have the capacity to implement such an all-encompassing plan, and has the capacity to utilise only up to USD 800 million. Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, though, is optimistic that international donors would respond to his call for contributing to the plan: "There is a great deal of interest. The Saudis, Americans, European Union, Scandinavians and Chinese have all shown interest in the peace plan." It remains to be seen how foreign funding for a security plan will be realized in a country like Pakistan where anti-American and anti-West sentiments are constantly on the high, and where the state’s capacities for implementation are poor and are being further and continuously eroded by militancy.
The provincial Government claims to have adopted a ‘multi-track approach’, instead of focusing merely on a ‘military solution’. However, this approach does not appear to have registered much of a beginning. On the one hand, the dialogue with the Taliban has remained a non-starter, while, on the other, military responses have only deepened the conflict. Complicating the issue for Islamabad is the fact that both negotiated settlements and a recourse to the use of force alone have augmented radicalization in the region.
A critical objective of any plan to bring normalcy to the conflict-wracked Frontier must be the implementation of a compatible strategy in FATA. Peace cannot be achieved in the NWFP without first achieving normalcy and a semblance of order in FATA. There is, for instance, a clear link between the militancy in Swat and Bajaur Agency in the FATA. The Taliban have been sending fighters from Bajaur and other tribal areas to reinforce the militant ranks in Swat whenever the need arises. In fact, the Taliban are able to "receive reinforcements from all over NWFP and even from other provinces in times of need."
Peace in Swat is also linked to the militancy in Darra Adam Khel, Hangu and Waziristan. The NWFP Government has, in fact, held a dialogue, separately, with the Taliban in Darra, Hangu, and Dir, and has also resorted to military operations in these areas. A combination of dialogue and force is being used across the NWFP and FATA. Multiple cease-fires – most of them momentary – and various dialogue tracks are currently underway, even as a military solution is sought. Such contradictions have only deepened cleavages and led to more violence.
Since they assumed office, the national and provincial Governments have been bogged down by the judicial crisis, the politics revolving around Pervez Musharraf and a serious economic crisis. In the absence of a national policy on combating the multiple insurgencies afflicting Pakistan, a currently clueless provincial Government has little chance of success in its efforts to end the NWFP’s "descent into chaos".
* This article was written prior to Pervez Musharraf's resignation as President.
[South Asian Intelligence Review]
Military operations in FATA suspended: Interior Adviser Rehman Malik said on August 30 that the Government would suspend the military operations in the FATA on August 31 in view of the holy month of Ramazan. He said, however, that the military would respond "with full force" if it were attacked. "It is not a ceasefire… If they fire a single bullet we will respond with 10 bullets," he added. The Taliban, operating under the command of Maulana Fazlullah in Swat Valley in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), however, continued their militant activities on August 31, rejecting the Government's announcement. The Taliban spokesman, Muslim Khan said, "The Government should show respect for the entire Holy Quran and announce the enforcement of Shariah on the first Ramazan", clarifying that the ‘cease-fire announcement’ was made by the Government, not by Taliban. "The decision about a cease-fire will be made by our central Shura. We don't believe in cease-fire but want permanent peace in the region which is not possible until the enforcement of Shariah," he said. He added that they could not guarantee peace in the area until the implementation of the peace accord signed on May 21. Previously, on August 29 and 30, around 65 militants were killed in air strikes targeting militant strongholds in Swat Valley. During the August 30 operations, fighter jets are reported to have bombed hideouts in the Peochar Valley, a stronghold of top Taliban cleric Mullah Fazlullah, and killed 40 militants. Army spokesman Major Nasir Ali said the dead included two senior commanders loyal to Fazlullah. Local officials said Fazlullah escaped the attack, but his group suffered ‘massive damage’. Ali said the group’s ‘core militants’ were killed and its communication network destroyed in the operation. On August 29, at least 25 militants, including two Taliban commanders, were killed in another air strike on militant hideouts in the Swat Valley. A private jail and an ammunition depot of militants were among the air strike targets. A military spokesman in Swat stated that "a core of militants" had perished in the operation. "Their command and communications structure has also been destroyed. This was their key area where they had set up ammunition depots, which were also demolished… This strike was carried out after intelligence that top Taliban cleric Mullah Fazlullah was hiding there," the security official said. Daily Times; Dawn, August 30-31, 2008. In the Bajaur agency, on August 27, troops had killed at least 50 militants, including some foreign fighters. Security forces (SFs) targeted militants holed up in a health centre, killing 30 of them and wounding many more. In another clash, helicopter gun-ships and aircraft targeted militant hideouts in the Loyesam, Charmang and Ghonday areas of the Agency headquarters at Khar, and Rahgan, and the Aupusht and Dherai areas of Salarzai Sub-division, killing eight militants and injuring 12 others. Police said another eight militants died and 10 sustained injuries when SFs fired on suspect vehicles in two areas of Bajaur, though the reported casualties could not be verified independently. Daily Times; The News, August 28-September 1, 2008. 23 Taliban militants and two soldiers killed in clashes in South Waziristan: At least 23 Taliban militants and two soldiers were killed, while 20 militants and seven soldiers were injured on August 27 after clashes broke out in different areas of South Waziristan. The Taliban attacked a check-post in Tiarza, three kilometers off Wana in the night of August 26. The SFs countered the attack, killing 11 militants and injuring 20 others. Fierce fighting between the two sides reportedly continued throughout August 27. Two soldiers were killed and seven others sustained injuries when the Taliban attacked three Army vehicles near Wana bazaar in the evening. Fighting was intensified in different areas after the attack on the Army convoy. Another 12 militants were killed in the clashes. Further, a woman and a man were killed after a mortar shell hit their house. The News; Dawn, August 28, 2008. Government bans Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan: The Interior Ministry, on August 25, banned the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and said that the Government will freeze its bank accounts and assets. "This organisation is a terrorist organisation and created mayhem against public life," Interior Adviser Rehman Malik told reporters in Peshawar. Anyone aiding a proscribed organisation – through financial assistance, promoting them in literature or in other ways – can be jailed for up to 10 years under anti-terrorism laws. Malik also said the Government was considering announcing rewards for people who provide information leading to the arrest or killing of Taliban leaders. The announcement came a day after the Government rejected a unilateral cease-fire offer by the group in Bajaur Agency in the FATA. However, a TTP spokesman claimed the ban was "meaningless". "Our organisation is neither registered nor do we have any bank accounts," Muslim Khan said. Daily Times, August 26, 2008. 50 militants and 17 soldiers killed in suicide attack and subsequent military operation in Swat: Ten army soldiers, seven policemen, 50 militants and a number of civilians were killed in a suicide attack on a police station and the subsequent military operation in Swat on August 23, 2008. A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden jeep into the Charbagh police station at 7.45am (PST), killing four policemen and three civilians. 20 others were wounded. About 100kg of explosives were reportedly used in the attack. Military spokesman in Swat, Major Nasir Ali, told Dawn that soon after the suicide attack, security forces (SFs), backed by helicopter gunships, targeted militants’ hideouts in the valley, killing 50 Taliban militants, including their top commanders and foreigners. Ten army soldiers were killed and seven others injured in the fighting and three army vehicles were damaged. Several militant hideouts, including their command and control centre in Kabal, were destroyed. Major Nasir said the operation would continue till all objectives were achieved and the Government’s writ was restored. However, the Taliban dismissed the military version, claiming in turn that they had killed 33 SF personnel. Spokesman Muslim Khan said that the Taliban had carried out the suicide attack in reaction to the killing of 14 militants in Doaba in the Hangu district on August 22. Dawn, August 24, 2008. 70 persons killed and 67 injured in twin suicide blasts at Pakistan Ordnance Factories near Islamabad: Two suicide bombers blew themselves up on August 21, 2008 at the gates of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) in the high security cantonment town of Wah, around 30 kilometres from capital Islamabad, killing at least 70 persons in what was described as the deadliest attack on a military installation in the country’s history. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack. The POF at Wah is a cluster of about 20 industrial units producing artillery, tank and anti-aircraft ammunition for the Pakistani armed forces. It employs around 25,000 to 30,000 workers. The bombers blew themselves up outside two gates of the factory at 2.35pm (PST) when hundreds of workers were leaving after a shift change. Most of the victims were civilian workers. The first explosion occurred outside the main gate and it was followed by an equally powerful blast at gate No.1 located close to a busy market. Witnesses said the bombers were on foot and they exploded themselves within a minute of each other. Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar claimed responsibility of the suicide attacks saying that they had been carried out in retaliation for military operations in Bajaur and Swat. He warned that such attacks would also be carried out in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Mardan, Bannu, Kohat and Swat. Dawn, August 22, 2008. 32 persons killed in suicide bombing at hospital in NWFP: 32 persons, including seven policemen, were killed and 55 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up near the emergency ward of the District Headquarters Hospital in Dera Ismail Khan on August 19, 2008. The attack was carried out when a large number of people had gathered there to protest against the murder of the local Shia leader Basit Ali earlier in the day. Attacked by a gunman near the Faqirni Gate, he was brought to the hospital where he died. Police said the 20 year-old suicide bomber blew himself up in the presence of police personnel who were trying to control the crowd. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. TTP spokesman Maulvi Omar said they had targeted police and other Government officials and "did not intend to attack any specific religious sect (the Shia)." He said suicide attacks would continue till the military operations in Bajaur and Swat were stopped. Dawn, August 20, 2008. Pervez Musharraf resigns as President: President Pervez Musharraf on August 18, 2008, announced his resignation ahead of a threatened impeachment by the ruling coalition. In a farewell address to the nation, General (retired) Musharraf said he was going not because he was scared of a possible impeachment but because he wanted to spare the country the instability and uncertainty the proceedings would bring. "This is not the time for individual bravado. This is the time for serious reflection. Whether I win or lose, the nation will lose in every way. It will be a blow to the dignity of the nation and to the office of the President… Therefore, after consultations with all my advisers and friends, for the sake of the country, I announce my decision to step down from the office of President," he said. Defending his tenure as President, Musharraf said, "No charge sheet against me will stand," referring to the charges that the ruling coalition had finalised to support an impeachment motion. Declaring he had done nothing in his personal interest and everything for Pakistan, Gen. Musharraf said even if the motion was defeated, there would be tensions between the presidency and the Government and between institutions. "God forbid, the Army should not have to interfere. I would never want that," he said. Regarding his future, he said he left it for the people to decide. "I leave my future to the people of Pakistan. Let them be the judges and let them do the justice," he stated. The Hindu, August 19, 2008. 183 militants and 25 civilians killed in Bajaur Agency: At least 183 militants and 25 civilians were killed in Bajaur Agency during the week. Four militants were killed on August 17, 2008, when three Pakistan Army helicopter gunships targeted Taliban militants in the Bajaur Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Earlier, the troops hit two vehicles in the Salarzai area, killing 14 militants on August 16. Three children were killed when a mortar shell missed its target and hit a house in the Cheengai village in Damadola. Sources said two militants were killed when a mortar shell hit a roadside post manned by the armed Taliban at Lagharay in Mamond Sub-division. Similarly, two unidentified bodies were recovered from the main road in Utmankhel. Seven suspected militants were killed when artillery shells were fired on their position on Khaza Ghar mountains in Mamond. 35 persons were killed when helicopter gunships attacked militants in several areas of the Bajaur Agency on August 15. The militants’ headquarters at Savei in the Mamond Sub-division was heavily bombed, killing 11 people. The building housed a so-called ‘Sharia court,’ a private jail and a store of weapons and ammunition. Witnesses said that militants attacked helicopters with anti-aircraft guns in Saddiqabad near Khar. At least five of the assailants were killed when the helicopters retaliated. In Mamond, at least 10 militants were killed and another 12 wounded. Earlier, on August 14, amid reports of the killing of prominent militant Taliban commander Maulana Faqir Mohammad in Bajaur Agency, the troops intensified the ongoing military operation, killing 33 Taliban militants. "Two vehicles carrying senior Taliban commander Maulana Faqir Mohammad and his close aides were targeted by two gunship choppers. But I am not sure whether he (Maulana Faqir) died in the attack or not," said a senior military official. 11 militants were killed in this attack. Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar confirmed the air attack but said Faqir Mohammad was unhurt. 22 militants were killed when gunship choppers targeted a seminary run by the chief of the Bajaur Agency unit of Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) and Taliban commander Maulana Mohammad Munir at Seway in Mamond sub-division. On August 13, Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft and military helicopter gunships targeted militant hideouts in Bajaur, killing 21 people, including three civilians. Fighter aircraft and the Pakistan Army Cobra gunship choppers heavily bombarded hideouts in Pashat, Naraza and Mulla Said Banda in Salarzai Sub-division and Inam Khwaro and Damadola in the Mamond Sub-division. The officials claimed 12 militants were killed in the air strikes. In Jar Kalley of Utmankhel Sub-division, a group of militants sitting on the roadside to target the troops through IEDs were targeted by gunship choppers that killed six militants. In Pashat village, three tribesmen, including an elder, were killed when his house came under attack from a warplane. On August 12, a senior al Qaeda operative and 17 other militants were killed and several others sustained injuries when low-flying helicopters bombed their positions in Bajaur. Sources said Abu Saeed al-Masri alias Mustafa Mohammad Ahmad was killed in the air strike. The Egyptian-born Abu Saeed was reported to be a senior member of the Majlis-i-Shura and financial chief of al Qaeda. They said that Cobra helicopters precisely targeted militants’ positions in Shahnari, Haji Lawang, Ragha Dagg and Takht areas where security forces had been using air power since August 8. Security forces killed approximately 50 Taliban militants in clashes on August 11. "Some of the bombs dropped by jets on suspected militants’ hideouts in Tauheedabad and Damadola villages also hit many houses killing six civilians and wounding 12 others," a security official told AFP. Civilian casualties were also reported in the Charmang area of Bajaur and the Manja area of Khar. At least 13 members of a family, including women and children, were killed as a result of bombing at an unnamed village. Dawn; The News; Daily Times, August 11-17, 2008. Suicide attack on police kills nine persons and injures 35 in Lahore: suicide blast in Lahore, targeting policemen standing guard on August 13, on the eve of Independence Day, killed at least nine persons and injured more than 35. The attack took place at the busy Dubai Chowk in the Allama Iqbal Town area at about 11:34 pm, as citizens poured into the streets before midnight to celebrate the 61st anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence on August 14. Among the dead were two Policemen and a woman. Witnesses said a young man with a beard blew himself up near a Police van that arrived at the Dubai Chowk traffic signal. Daily Times, August 14, 2008. Six Pakistan Air Force personnel and seven civilians killed car blast in Peshawar: Six Pakistan Air Force (PAF) personnel and seven civilians were killed and 14 persons were wounded when a car bomb exploded near a bridge on the main Peshawar-Kohat Road in the southern part of Peshawar, capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) on August 12. The explosion occurred when a van carrying PAF personnel was going from the Badbher PAF base to Peshawar. Police said it was not yet clear whether it was a case of suicide attack or of a bomb detonated by remote control. Among the dead were a six-year-old girl and two women who were going to a wedding ceremony. According to BBC, Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was in response to military operations against militants in the Bajaur Agency. "It is an open war between us and them," he told The Associated Press. Dawn, August 13, 2008. President Musharraf siphoned millions of dollars from US war on terror fund: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Zardari has accused President Pervez Musharraf of misappropriating millions of dollars of United States aid given to Pakistan for supporting the war on terror. Zardari made the charge in an interview published in The Sunday Times on August 10, 2008. "Our grand old Musharraf has not been passing on all the $1 billion a year that the Americans have been giving for the armed forces," he claimed. "The Army has been getting $250m-$300m reimbursement for what they do, but where’s the rest? They claim it’s been going in budget support but that’s not the answer. We’re talking about $700m a year missing. The rest has been taken by Musharraf for some scheme or other and we’ve got to find it," Zardari said. The alleged misappropriation will form a part of the charge against Musharraf to be announced on August 11 when Parliament is recalled to start impeachment proceedings, the report said. Zardari claimed the US aid might have gone to fund rogue members of the external intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). "We’re looking for the money. I think he [Musharraf] has a slush fund being used for this and for some activity for the future," he said. . Daily Times, August 11, 2008. More than 95 militants and 23 soldiers killed in clashes in Bajaur Agency: Paramilitary troops retreated from the Loyesam area of Bajaur Agency in the FATA on August 9, 2008, three days after an attempt to recapture the Taliban stronghold near the Afghan border. Loyesam lies on the strategically important road leading towards Peshawar, capital of the NWFP. About 200 Frontier Corps (FC) troops were deployed on August 6 to set up check-posts near the Afghan border, prompting "tough resistance" from the militants. More than 70 Taliban militants were killed and 60 others sustained injuries in a gun-battle between militants and the security forces (SFs) in the Bajaur Agency on August 8. Seven paramilitary troops also died in clashes near the Afghan border, as helicopter gun-ships and mortars targeted militants’ hideouts in the Rashakai and Tank Khata areas. Previously, hundreds of Taliban militants attacked a security check-post near the Afghan border late on August 6, sparking fierce clashes in which up to 10 soldiers and 25 militants were killed. The SFs had deployed a large force at Loyesam, 12 kilometres from Khar, headquarters of the Bajaur Agency, in a bid to reclaim important Taliban strongholds nearby. A Frontier Corps officer told AFP that 300-400 militants armed with AK-47 assault rifles, rocket launchers and grenades, participated in the attack. Earlier, Frontier Corps and Bajaur Levies personnel, backed by helicopter gunships, launched an operation against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)-linked militants in the Bajaur Agency on August 6. Official sources said that helicopter gunships targeted suspected hideouts and locations of the militants led by TTP deputy chief, Maulana Faqir Mohammad, at Loisam area in Nawagai town. Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the troops took action against militants when they attacked a security post at Loisam. The News; Daily Times, August 7-11, 2008. President Pervez Musharraf to be impeached: After three days of dialogue, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led ruling coalition announced on August 7, 2008, that it had decided to impeach President Pervez Musharraf, warning that any move by him to fight back by dissolving Parliament would be rejected by the nation. A joint declaration drafted by the PPP and its main ally, the Pakistan Muslim League (N), and accepted by other partners in the coalition, listed the reasons for the move. Read out by PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari in the presence of PML (N) chief and former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, and leaders of the other coalition parties at a Press Conference in Islamabad, the charges against the retired General Musharraf included his failure to take a vote of confidence from the newly elected Parliament despite a commitment he would do so to the Supreme Court at the time of his election from the outgoing Parliament in October 2007. It also listed his refusal to quit despite the electoral defeat of his political allies, his failure to address the new Parliament and the "incompetence" of his policies that had resulted in an economic crisis. It also accused him of trying to "undermine" the transition to democracy, and of weakening the Federation. Zardari also said the judges dismissed by President Musharraf would be reinstated after his impeachment. The Hindu , August 8, 2008. TTP threatens to launch suicide attacks across country: Highly-motivated ‘boys and girls’ are eager to mount suicide attacks all over the country, including Karachi, targeting high-profile Government functionaries, according to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Addressing a Press Conference on August 5 in Anayat Kalley in the Bajaur Agency of the FATA, the TTP deputy chief Maulana Faqir Mohammad and spokesman Maulvi Omar said that a ‘Fidayeen Squad’, comprising 10- to 20-year-old boys and girls, was ready to carry out the attacks if the Government did not immediately stop the operation in Swat in the NWFP and did not reverse its decision to launch military operation in other tribal areas. Omar said the TTP chief, Baitullah Mehsud, had held consultations with key Taliban commanders and they were of the opinion that the only way to effectively counter the Government’s aggressive plans was to launch massive attacks. He said a plan had been finalised and the TTP had decided to launch suicide attacks in Peshawar, Mardan, Dir and other Districts of the NWFP. Dawn, August 6, 2008. 109 militants among 130 persons killed in military operations in Swat: At least 130 persons, including 109 militants and 13 security force (SF) personnel were killed in the ongoing military operations against the Taliban in the Swat District of the NWFP. 30 militants and a security official were killed on the fifth day of the operations, on August 3. Officials said the militants were killed in the Sech Banr area of the Matta sub-division. Locals said that four SF personnel were killed in a rocket attack on a security post in Matta’s Kala Kot area. Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told PTV that the repeated peace pact violations had forced them to take action. On July 31, 13 civilians and 20 militants were killed. Residents said shells hit a house in the Deolai area, killing five children and their parents, including two women. Officials said it was not clear if the munitions were fired by security forces or militants. In separate incidents, five civilians were killed in shelling, they said, adding that a total of 25 people were also wounded in the fighting. 48 militants, including a commander, and five soldiers were killed and an unspecified number of people were injured in clashes on July 30. The fighting erupted on July 29 after the militants attacked a security post in their stronghold in the Matta sub-division and took about 25 SF personnel hostage. After the overnight targeting of various militants’ positions, the SFs, backed by gunship helicopters, carried out an operation and shelled suspected militant positions in several parts of the valley, including Peuchar, Namal, Ronial, Sarbanda and Chuprial that left 48 persons dead and as many injured. The Taliban militants also claimed killing 25 SF personnel, but the claim could not be confirmed independently. 11 militants and two troopers, including a Pakistan Army Captain, were killed during day-long clashes between the SFs and the Maulana Fazlullah-led militants on July 29. Dawn; The News; Daily Times, July 30-August 4, 2008. Government rejects US reports on ISI role in suicide bombing at Indian embassy in Kabul: Pakistan on August 1, 2008, rejected a report that the United States had accused its main intelligence agency – the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) – of helping to plan a bombing at India’s Embassy in Kabul on July 7, 2008. Citing unnamed officials, The New York Times said intercepted communications had provided clear evidence that the ISI was involved in the suicide attack on the Indian mission, which killed around 60 persons. "It’s rubbish. We totally deny it," Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said. "This is a baseless allegation that the New York Times keeps on recycling using anonymous sources. These stories always die afterwards because there is no proof," Sadiq said in Colombo in Sri Lanka. Pakistan’s military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the report was "malicious propaganda". "It is meant to defame ISI… This is a national institution which is vital for security. The ISI’s role in fighting terrorism and extremism is exceptional," Abbas told AFP.. Dawn, August 2, 2008. NATO blames peace deals in the FATA for more militancy: Pakistan’s peace talks with extremists have resulted in a 40 per cent rise in militant activity in Afghanistan, where there are more foreigners on the battlefield, NATO said on July 30, 2008. It is up to the international community to put pressure on Pakistan to root out the "cause" of the unrest, with NATO’s military force not able to pursue militants over the border, spokesman Captain Mike Finney told reporters. "There is also evidence that the activities increased by some 40 per cent since... tribal areas became unregulated following the negotiations between the Pakistan government and Baitullah Mehsud," he said. The News , July 31, 2008. Afghan intelligence accuse ISI of plotting against Indian projects: The Afghan intelligence agency on July 28, 2008, accused the Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, of training thousands of militants to attack Indian road projects in Afghanistan. "Pakistan’s ISI (agents) are determined to hamper the activities of Indian companies in various parts of Afghanistan," the National Directorate of Security said in a statement. "The spy agency has some 3,000 terrorists, most of them foreigners, under sabotage training to attack Indian construction projects inside Afghanistan," it said. Dawn, July 29, 2008. [South Asian Intelligence Review]
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