Tag: terrorism

  • US sees TTP as a threat to Pakistan

    US sees TTP as a threat to Pakistan

    Counselor of the United States (US) State Department, Derek Chollet, has said that his country sees the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a threat to Pakistan.

    While talking to ARY, Chollet said, “We have seen [TTP] in a terrible way a threat to Pakistan. The US considers any terrorist act as unexpectable.”

    The Counselor will pay an important visit to Pakistan during the ongoing week to explore possibilities of coordinating efforts to combat terrorism.

    He was also of the view that there is a great opportunity to further improve the relationship between Washington and Islamabad.

    The US diplomat said that Pakistan and US are working together to deal with the threats of terrorism.

    Since government talks with the TTP broke down in November, the militant group has intensified its attacks across Pakistan including attacks on the police.

    According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), January 2023 remained one of the deadliest months since July 2018.

    Most recently, more than 100 people lost their lives during a suicide attack at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines. The TTP initially claimed responsibility for the attack, however, it later backtracked and claimed that they did not perpetrate the bombing.

  • Security forces kill 12 TTP terrorists during intelligence-based operation in KP

    Security forces kill 12 TTP terrorists during intelligence-based operation in KP

    The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), has confirmed that security forces have killed 12 terrorists of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Lakki Marwat area.

    “Terrorists were lured in by providing a vehicle for escape that was intercepted and neutralised,” said the ISPR, adding that weapons, ammunition and Afghan currency were also recovered from the terrorists.

    “Locals appreciated the operation and lauded the efforts of Pakistan Army in eliminating terrorism,” the statement concluded.

    Later, a clearance operation was carried out in the area.

    The country is facing rising insurgency, especially in Balochistan and KP, after the outlawed TTP ended its ceasefire with Islamabad in November.

  • Elections should be held once: Saad Rafique

    Elections should be held once: Saad Rafique

    Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation, Khawaja Saad Rafique, has said that elections in Pakistan should be held once, otherwise there is a risk of anarchy.

    Talking to the media in Lahore on Tuesday, he said that the country cannot face another crisis.

    Taking a jibe at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that Khan cannot dissolve the assemblies as the constitution has given that power to the leader of the House.

    Saad said that there were no particular circumstances that led to the dissolution of provincial assemblies, claiming that pressure was put on chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to do so.

    He also said that Khan should participate in All-Parties Conference (APC), as he was of the view that all political parties should unite and play a role against terrorism.

  • Terror attacks: January 2023 deadliest month since July 2018

    Terror attacks: January 2023 deadliest month since July 2018

    January 2023 has become the deadliest month with the maximum number of terror attacks since July 2018, with 134 people losing their lives in at least 44 militant attacks across Pakistan, data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) has shown.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) residents remain in the eye of the storm after two suicide bombings were rocked the province — one in Peshawar and the other one in the tribal district.

    Although the number of terrorist attacks declined slightly in January, fatalities increased by 139 per cent, attributed mostly to the Peshawar Police Lines suicide blast on Monday which resulted in the death of over 100 people.

    The data mentions that KP Police was the primary target of the militants operating in the province bordering Afghanistan.

    Militant attacks declined in Balochistan during January, however, Punjab saw four incidents in which three security forces personnel were killed while two low-profile attacks were reported in Sindh in which one person died.

  • ‘Why were there two black Vigos?’: Elahi family slams govt after raid on Gujrat house

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) and former Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Pervaiz Elahi has condemned the raid on his family house ‘Kunjah Gujrat’ and held the incumbent government responsible.

    In a tweet, he claimed that the staff at their house was harassed in the middle of the night. The former CM also threatened the caretaker government with legal action and said that the matter will go to court.

    Addressing Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and caretaker CM Punjab Mohsin Naqvi directly in another tweet, Elahi urged Shehbaz to “respect the sanctity of the home” and warned him that “people would protest outside his own home”. To Naqvi, he said that his job is to ensure fair and transparent elections

    He also regretted that “the rulers have directed police and administration to engage in vengeful actions” while the country is dealing with terrorism.

    Earlier in the day, his son and former federal minister Moonis Elahi claimed that his family home in Gujrat was raided by the police in the early hours of Wednesday “without having a warrant, nor a case”.

    Implying that intelligence agencies were involved in the raid, he said “I can wrap my head around the 25 police vehicles, but why were there two black Vigos?”.

    Moonis then asked if the police were looking for Indian agents.

    The raid has taken place after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday declared that PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain would remain the president of the party months weeks after he was ousted following rifts with his cousin Pervaiz Elahi.

    Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) accused the caretaker Punjab government of ‘political persecution’.

  • Islamabad, Karachi put under high alert after Peshawar attack

    Islamabad, Karachi put under high alert after Peshawar attack

    Following the suicide bombing in a mosque in Peshawar on Monday, officials have raked up the security of Islamabad and Karachi.

    Special measures have been taken at key sensitive buildings in Islamabad, including the President House, Prime Minister (PM) House and Parliament among other places.

    Moreover, high security was also beefed up at all the entry points of the capital, Islamabad police’s Twitter account said on Monday.

    Snipers have been deployed at all locations and residents are instructed to carry identity cards and essential documents along with them while travelling.

    Meanwhile, the Inspector General (IG) of Sindh Police has also ordered officials to start patrolling and snap checking in Karachi.

    A day earlier, Peshawar was attacked by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which claimed the lives of 93 people and left more than 200 injured. In a surprise turn of events, the TTP later claimed that it had nothing to do with the bombing.

    Pakistan is currently facing a resurgence in terrorist activities.

    After the Peshawar attack, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that such cowardly terror attacks will not weaken the nation’s resolve and that all the terrorists and their facilitators involved in the attacks will be punished.

  • Lashkar-e-Khorasan claims responsibility for killing two intelligence officers

    Lashkar-e-Khorasan claims responsibility for killing two intelligence officers

    Lashkar-e-Khorasan, a relatively unknown terrorist group allied with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has claimed responsibility for killing two intelligence officers who were martyred on Tuesday in Khanewal, journalists have reported.

    The two officers, who were part of the counter-terrorism department of the intelligence service, were known for arresting members of the TTP and other militant organisations. They also had a formidable reputation for solving complicated terrorism cases including bombings.

    Both officers were shot as they were parking their vehicle outside a roadside restaurant in Pirowal where they reportedly planned to have tea.

    Terrorist incidents across the country are on the rise after a ceasefire pact with the government ended in November.

    Defense Minister Khwaja Asif had said on Monday that the recent spate of attacks were being staged by Pakistani Taliban hiding in Afghanistan. He asked the Taliban administration in the neighboring country to stop the attacks emanating from their soil.

  • NSC likely to take ‘key’ decisions on terrorism today

    NSC likely to take ‘key’ decisions on terrorism today

    National Security Committee (NSC) meeting will be convened on Monday (today) to take “key decisions” concerning security and the economy.

    According to media reports, the meeting will also approve decisive action against terrorists.

    The meeting will be a continuation of the one held last week.

    Senior civil and military officials are expected to attend the meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif chairing the moot.

    On Friday, last week, the NSC meeting decided to turn up the heat on militancy with relentless counter and preemptory measures to neutralise threats present in the country in any form.

    In a statement, the PM Office said the participants of the NSC meeting unequivocally resolved that Pakistan’s national interests would not be compromised and no one would be allowed to undermine national security.

  • Politics edition: Five things Pakistanis don’t want to see in 2023

    Politics edition: Five things Pakistanis don’t want to see in 2023

    In 2022, we collectively experienced episodes that turned Pakistan upside down. Many incidents shook the entire nation, some of them worth condemnation. Significant happenings shook the world of politics, from Prime Minister Imran Khan getting removed through a no-confidence motion to the ugly fight between Pervaiz Elahi and Hamza Shehbaz for Punjab’s Chief Minister (CM) seat.

    After a year full of constitutional crises in Pakistan, we hope that we don’t witness another year full of drama.

    Another Prime Minister not completing his constitutional term

    For the first time in the history of Pakistan, a sitting prime minister was removed through a no-confidence motion. In April, PM Imran Khan was removed after being the head of government for more than three years. In the 75-year-long history of Pakistan, not a single Premier stayed for their full term. We hope that next time when the public chooses their leader, he or she gets to keep their promise and serve their full term.

    Politicians not getting harassed

    Right after the formation of a new government, in April, a group of Pakistani pilgrims accosted, heckled and chanted slogans against incumbent PM Shehbaz and his entourage at the Masjid-e-Nabwi in Madina during their three-day visit to Saudi Arabia. Such incidents continued happening throughout the year. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb was heckled at a coffee shop in London. Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal was harassed by PTI supporters at a restaurant while Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was heckled by unidentified people in Washington DC. It was observed that a particular party was being targeted. Whether these incidents happened because of a false narrative or not, no one has the right to harass someone.

    Not making public figures a target of gun

    This year, we also saw how some of our public figures remain targeted. In the second half of the year, two unfortunate incidents took place. On October 23, senior anchorperson Arshad Sharif was shot dead near Nairobi, Kenya, by the local police. The local law enforcing authorities termed the killing, calling it a case of ‘mistaken identity’. However, some termed it an assassination. Till now, authorities are unable to find the real culprits. Almost a week later, on November 3, Imran Khan survived an assassination attempt on day seven of PTI’s ‘Haqeeqi Long March’ as his container moved through Punjab’s Wazirabad. Salman Taseer, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, Shahbaz Bhatti; how many assassinations do we have to witness?

    No more constitutional crisis

    We saw legislators getting into a brawl in Punjab Assembly over the CM seat. The beginning of summer wasn’t good for Pakistan as in April a scuffle between treasury and opposition benches in Punjab Assembly took place, resulting in PML-Q leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi getting injured. The same day, PML-N’s nominee Hamza Shehbaz was elected as CM, however, later the Supreme Court struck down Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari’s ruling on the election. Later, Pervaiz Elahi took over the CM seat, however, he doesn’t enjoy a great majority in the Assembly.

    Terrorism wave in Pakistan

    Just when we thought that terrorism has finally ended, attacks started escalating. Currently, the capital is on high alert because of extreme threats. In late November, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said that they had called off a ceasefire with the federal government and ordered its militants to stage terrorist attacks across the country. On December 23, a suicide bomb shocked the residents of Islamabad— which is considered one of the safest cities in Pakistan. After dealing with terrorism for decades, Pakistanis dont want to start living again in fear.

  • Terrorism threats: Five places to remain closed on New Year’s eve

    Terrorism threats: Five places to remain closed on New Year’s eve

    Local authorities have decided to close down five key recreational points ahead of New Year’s Eve in Islamabad as threats of terrorist attacks loom over the capital.

    According to Samaa News, the decision has been taken to prevent large gatherings on New Year’s eve out of fear of terrorism.

    The places include F-9 Park, Centaurus Mall, Safa Mall, Lake View Park, and Faisal Masjid. Residents of the city won’t be allowed to go to these places to welcome 2023.

    The Deputy Commissioner (DC) has directed Assistant Commissioners (ACs) to implement the orders.

    Moreover, to prevent any untoward incident, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police have also decided to beef up the security of the federal capital and called in 1,000 Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel to assist the police at checkposts.

    These decisions have been taken following a suicide car bomb blast in Islamabad on December 23 that left one policeman martyred and 10 injured.