Tag: terrorism in Pakistan

  • National Security Council meeting tomorrow as terrorism on rise

    National Security Council meeting tomorrow as terrorism on rise

    The National Security Council (NSC) is set to hold a meeting on Friday (tomorrow) as terrorist activities in Pakistan continue to rise.

    The council will discuss a strategy to combat the new wave of terrorism in the country along with reviewing the situation at the Pak-Afghan border.

    The country’s federal ministers, military brass, and representatives from the security apparatus will attend the meeting, chaired by the head of government—Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

    Pakistan is facing a resurgence of terrorism since the militant Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off its ceasefire with the government in late November.

    Currently, security is on high alert in Islamabad after a foiled suicide bomber blew himself up while threats have also hit Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur.

  • US embassy issues warning to American staff based in Pakistan of a possible attack

    The embassy of the United States of America (USA) has warned its Islamabad-based staff of a possible attack on the Marriott Hotel and “prohibited” them from visiting the hotel during the Christmas holidays.

    On Sunday, the embassy issued a security alert stating: “The US government is aware of information that unknown individuals are possibly plotting to attack Americans at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad sometime during the holidays. Effective immediately, the embassy in Islamabad is prohibiting all American staff from visiting the hotel.”

    The US also urged its staff to refrain from non-essential travel in Islamabad during the holiday season.

    Meanwhile, the Islamabad police raised security levels to high alert in the capital. The police said that checking was increased at all entry and exit points, requesting residents to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.

    The capital administration has also put a ban on all types of gatherings for two weeks and declared a high alert in the city for 48 hours.

    The American embassy directive followed a suicide bombing in I-8, a residential area of Islamabad on Friday, which killed a police officer and wounded 10 people.

    Pakistan is facing a resurgence of terrorism since the militant Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off its ceasefire with the government in late November.

    Seven separate blasts ripped through Balochistan on December 25 killing six soldiers and injuring dozens of others.

    Last week, TTP militants seized control of the Counter-Terrorism Department’s (CTD) compound in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and held hostages inside the compound for almost two days.

  • US warns Taliban of action if terrorists ‘regroup’ in Afghanistan

    US warns Taliban of action if terrorists ‘regroup’ in Afghanistan

    The United States (US) has warned of action if the superpower sees “international terrorists regrouping in Afghanistan” while saying that US’ broader goal was to make sure that “terrorists and others aren’t able to use Afghanistan as a launch pad for attacks on Pakistan.”

    US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, in a press briefing, stated: “We also have capabilities when it comes to counterterrorism in the region that does not leave us entirely beholden to the Taliban.”

    He also mentioned the killing of the al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri by a US strike in August this year to prove the superpower’s capabilities to act against terrorists.

    The spokesperson also added that the Afghan Taliban had been “either unable or unwilling to live up to the commitments that they’ve made in a number of areas.”

    Answering a question, Price said, “Of course, we’ve seen other groups also active. You mentioned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), among others. We are determined to work with our partners in the region, including Pakistan, to do what we can to take on the threat of terrorism in the region, and certainly the threat of terrorism that extends well beyond the region.”

    Terming Pakistan an “important partner”, Price said that the US values its bilateral relationship with the country. “We welcome opportunities to expand cooperation in areas that are of mutual interest to us and to Pakistan. That, of course, does include when it comes to counterterrorism”, he added.

    Earlier this week, Pakistan’s Head of Mission to Kabul Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani escaped an assassination bid in Afghanistan. Last month, a suicide attack— for which TTP claimed responsibility— rammed a police escort for a polio vaccination team in Quetta.

  • ‘Almost impossible to convict the elite’, Pakistanis angry kay Shahrukh Jatoi ko reha kia jaye ga

    ‘Almost impossible to convict the elite’, Pakistanis angry kay Shahrukh Jatoi ko reha kia jaye ga

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday acquitted Shahrukh Jatoi and others in Shahzeb Khan’s murder case.

    Shahzeb was murdered in Karachi in 2012.

    An Anti-Terrorism Court handed Jatoi a death sentence in 2013. However, in 2017, the complainant side had ‘pardoned’ Jatoi under the country’s Qisas and Diyat law.

    The hearing at the apex court was headed by a three-judge bench that included Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

    The son of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Aurangzeb Khan, the 20-years-old Shahzeb Khan was shot and killed at Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority on December 24, 2012. He was returning home from a wedding with his sister.

    Shahzeb was slain after he got into an altercation with one of the suspects’ servants who had verbally threatened and tormented his sister.

    Twitter users are expressing their anger over the acquittal of Shahrukh Jatoi.

  • At least 57 dead and several injured in Peshawar’s mosque blast

    At least 57 dead and several injured in Peshawar’s mosque blast

    At least 57 people have lost their lives and more than 190 have been injured in an explosion that took place during Jumma (Friday) prayers at a mosque in Peshawar’s Kocha Risaldar, one of the densely populated areas in the city.

    The injured have been moved to the Lady Reading Hospital. Police teams are at the site of the explosion and have sealed off the area.

    According to Capital City Police Peshawar, policemen on duty were shot at by the attackers.

    Officials are yet to confirm the nature of the explosion.

    This is a developing story.

  • Quetta bomb blast: two FC personnel injured

    Quetta bomb blast: two FC personnel injured

    Two Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were injured in an explosion on Quetta’s Sariab Road today (Monday). They have been shifted to the FC hospital, an FC spokesperson confirmed, reports Dawn.

    Following the blast, the area was sealed and security personnel along with a bomb disposal squad reached the site to initiate an operation.

    The spokesperson further said that the two injured personnel were on routine patrol in a village when the bomb, which was fitted in a motorcycle, blew off.

    Today’s incident is the latest in a string of attacks in Balochistan and has occurred a couple of days after a terrorist attack on security forces in Balochistan’s Panjgur and Naushki.

    Balochistan Home Minister Mir Zia Langove had revealed that several threats had been issued in February. “We had threats from Daesh and so-called nationalists,” he had said.

  • Pak army successfully stops terror attacks in Balochistan, heavy terrorist casualities

    Pak army successfully stops terror attacks in Balochistan, heavy terrorist casualities

    Two separate terrorist attacks have been successfully repulsed by the Pakistan Army in Balochistan’s Panjgur and Noshki.

    In a press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said “both attacks have been successfully repulsed while inflicting heavy casualties to terrorists”.

    According to the ISPR, terrorists were in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan. They said that after the Taliban’s takeover we were told that attacks from the war-torn neighbour will stop but they have increased.

    The attacks occurred late Wednesday evening, resulting in four soldiers embracing martyrdom and killing 15 terrorists. The terrorist tried to enter a security forces’ camp from two locations. The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks.

    Today’s incidents are the latest in a string of attacks in Balochistan and come a week after ten soldiers were martyred in a terrorist attack on a security forces’ checkpost. Similarly, an incident occurred on January 30, when 17 people were injured in a grenade attack in the province.

    Following the news, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, in a tweet, said that the nation stands united behind the security forces of Pakistan.

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad has also issued a statement, praised the services of the security forces.

  • New terrorist wave

    New terrorist wave

    A new wave of terrorism seems to be gripping the country in recent months, with the Lahore blast being the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted security forces, policemen, and civilians. From Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Balochistan, from Sindh to the capital city to the heart of Punjab, there is a rise in such attacks across the country.
     
    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari told Dawn and Geo News that the Islamic State group’s Khorasan chapter (IS-K) is a different and bigger threat than even the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Coming from the police chief of a province that has been one of the worst victims of terrorism in the country, his statement should raise alarm bells for the state. Pakistan has given immense sacrifices in its war against terrorism – 70-80,000 people lost their lives at the hands of terrorist attacks. The APS attack is a tragedy that can never be erased from our memories. Our security forces and police officials have fought bravely against terrorist outfits and now for terrorism to make a comeback, it is even more important that the state should build a consensus on this issue and tackle the hydra of terrorism.
     
    A study conducted by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Study (PICSS) says that the rise in militant attacks in Pakistan coincided with the Afghan Taliban’s military offensive and their eventual takeover of Kabul. Many had been pointing out to the Pakistan government that a government that does not believe in the rule of law and does not abide by any international covenants cannot bring any stability in the region and will in fact lead to instability in the neighbouring countries when Pakistan was celebrating the takeover of Kabul by the Afghan Taliban.
     
    With the withdrawal of the US and NATO troops from Afghanistan, the fall of Kabul and the rise of the Afghan Taliban were inevitable. However, the support that they got from Pakistan has led to many problems, including the tensions between the US and Pakistan when it comes to diplomatic ties. But the most critical consequence of the new government in Afghanistan is the rise of militant outfits who are rearing their heads once again in neighbouring Pakistan.

    The rise of the Afghan Taliban has given new ideas and strength to militant outfits that had gone underground since the security forces defeated the TTP and crushed other terrorist outfits some years ago. We hope that the state will not let them wreak havoc with the country’s future again. Pakistan needs peace and stability, not chaos. 

  • Interior Minister questioned on rising terrorism, didn’t brief parliament for nine months

    Interior Minister questioned on rising terrorism, didn’t brief parliament for nine months

    The Opposition senators questioned the Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed over the recent terrorist attacks in Islamabad and Lahore in today’s Senate session.

    Earlier this week, in a gun attack, a police officer was killed in the capital and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility. Lahore was attacked on Thursday which claimed the lives of three civilians.

    Senator Raza Rabbani said that Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) had claimed responsibility for one of the attacks while Rasheed said the TTP was behind it. The senator demanded that the minister be summoned to clear the confusion, reports Dawn.

    Several other senators including Pakistan Muslim-League’s (PML-N) sought a reply. One of them said that “he had not seen the interior minister in the House for any briefing during the last nine months.”

    Rasheed made a briefing and said that there are “special motives” behind the killing of the cop in Islamabad. However, about the Lahore tragedy, the minister stated that an investigation is underway. 

    Upon the Oppostion’s insistence of seeking an explanation from the government. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani told the minister to brief the upper house in this regard and the steps taken by the government on Monday (January 24).

    After the capital incident, the minister had warned of more terrorist-related attacks. Previously in the past month, two terrorists allegedly belonging to the banned outfit TTP were arrested in Karachi.

  • Malaysia bound PIA flight delayed over hijacking scare

    Malaysia bound PIA flight delayed over hijacking scare

    A Malaysia-bound Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight PK-894 from Islamabad was delayed on Thursday night because of a plane hijacking scare, reports Saama.

    The flight was supposed to take off at 12:30 am but it was cleared by 2 am as the plane was thoroughly searched.

    The national airline’s spokesperson said that as they had doubts about a terror attack, therefore they started a search and checked passengers. This took time and delayed take-off.

    He said that false information was circulated that a hijacking alert has been issued but this wasn’t true.