Tag: terrorism

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif chairs NSC meeting amid rising terrorism in Pakistan

    PM Shehbaz Sharif chairs NSC meeting amid rising terrorism in Pakistan

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is charing a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) as the country faces an uptick in terrorist incidents.

    Senior civilian and military leaders are part of the meeting. The decision to convene the meeting of the NSC was taken in a meeting between PM Shehbaz and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Thursday.

    Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and military chiefs are also present in the moot.

    According to news reports, Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum will brief the meeting on the recent terror wave in Pakistan and the situation at the Pak-Afghan border while an integrated strategy against terrorism is expected to be formulated.

  • After Islamabad and Balochistan, threat of terrorism reaches Karachi

    After Islamabad and Balochistan, threat of terrorism reaches Karachi

    The Sindh government has informed provincial police and DG Rangers that three banned organisations have planned major terrorist incidents in three major cities of the province—Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur.

    According to an official letter sent to the concerned authorities, the banned organisations include Baloch Revolution Army, Baloch Raaji Ajoi Sanga and Sindh Revolution Army.

    Moreover, the letter stated that the aforementioned organisations have also distributed arms and ammunition to their associated terrorists.

    On the other hand, Islamabad Police on Tuesday issued a “special security plan” after analysing the current security situation of the capital.

    The law enforcement agency said that at least 25 temporary security check posts have been established at different locations in Islamabad.

    Authourities will be using safe city cameras to record traffic at Red Zone entrances while the videos of metro bus service passengers will also be recorded.

    The police have also requested residents and foreigners to carry their identification documents.

    Since the suicide attack in Islamabad on December 23, multiple foreign missions including the United States (US) Saudi Arabia and Australia have advised their citizens and staff to limit their movement in the capital.

    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.

  • BJP leader places Rs2 crore bounty on Bilawal Bhutto’s head for calling Modi ‘butcher of Gujarat’

    BJP leader places Rs2 crore bounty on Bilawal Bhutto’s head for calling Modi ‘butcher of Gujarat’

    Manupal Hansal, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Uttar Pradesh, has placed a Rs 2 crore bounty on the head of Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, stating that Indian people are angry at the minister’s remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    “Mai ailaan karta hoon ke jo uss mantri Bilawal Bhutto ka dhar se sar alag karega, 2 crore ka inaam mai doonga” [I declare that I will give a reward of ₹2 crore to anyone who will behead Minister Bilawal Bhutto], Hansal had said.

    The BJP also held protests across India and in front of the Pakistan Embassy in New Delhi, burning effigies of the Pakistani foreign minister.

    Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman has condemned Hansal’s remarks in a tweet, saying that this was a testament of “the shocking impunity that extremism enjoys for doing only what terrorists do in Modi’s RSS-defined India”.

    In an interview with “Bloomberg“, Bilawal Bhutto stood by his statement about Modi by pointing out that what he had said was “a historical fact”. He also pointed out that the term “butcher of Gujarat” had not been coined by him, but by the people of Gujarat after the 2002 Godhra incident. He further added that he was aware of the bounty a BJP leader had placed on his head.

    “I was referring to a historical reality. The remarks I used weren’t my own. I did not invent the term ‘butcher of Gujarat’ for Mr Modi. The Muslims of India following the Gujarat riots used that term for Mr Modi. I believe I was referring to a historical fact and they believe that repeating history is a personal insult. If I was incorrect then … So what has happened today… it’s been two days since my remark, a member of Mr Modi’s party has announced 20 million rupee bounty on my head. So I don’t think the best way to disapprove the fact that Mr Modi is the butcher of Gujarat is to adopt such extreme steps,” he said in the interview.

    When the interviewer had further questioned Bilawal on whether these comments might further sour relations with India and even the possibility of nuclear war, the FM pointed out that Indian citizens had the right to protest, but the threat to his life was very problematic:

    “As far as my remarks concerned they resulted in protests all over India and that’s their right. I think you cross the line when you officially announce head money for your neighboring country’s foreign minister’s assassination. I think that’s a line we’re normalizing in crossing and the fact that we get to move on from that question is troubling for me when I’m engaging with Bloomberg which is an important international forum. As far as nuclear war no one has threatened nuclear war. A minister did say that Pakistan is a responsible nuclear country and should be treated as such.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZKjz4SUs7s&t=436s

    At a press conference in New York on December 16, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had responded to accusations that Pakistan had sheltered Osama bin Laden by pointing out that Modi, who is regarded as ‘butcher of Gujarat’ is still the Prime Minister of India:

    “I would like to remind Mr Jaishankar that Osama bin Laden is dead, but the butcher of Gujarat lives, and he is the prime minister (of India).”

  • ‘Osama bin Laden is dead, but the butcher of Gujarat lives, and he is the PM of India’: Bilawal Bhutto tells Indian Minister

    ‘Osama bin Laden is dead, but the butcher of Gujarat lives, and he is the PM of India’: Bilawal Bhutto tells Indian Minister

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari slammed Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi in response to his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s accusations about Pakistan perpetuating terrorism and sheltering Osama bin Laden.

    “I would like to remind Mr Jaishankar that Osama bin Laden is dead, but the butcher of Gujarat lives, and he is the prime minister (of India),” said Bilawal at a press conference in New York on Thursday.

    “He (Narendra Modi) was banned from entering this country (the United States). These are the prime minister and foreign minister of RSS, which draws inspiration from Hitler’s SS,” he added.

    “In India, who perpetuates terrorism? Is it Pakistan? Ask the people of Gujrat; they will say it is their prime minister. Ask the people of Kashmir; they will say the butcher of Gujrat is now the butcher of Kashmir. I am not talking about some imaginary past; I am talking about today. They are not even attempting to wash the blood of the people of Gujrat from their hands for their own election campaign. Prime Minister Modi and his government have used their power to pardon the men who raped Muslims in Gujrat. The prime minister of India freed those rapists and terrorists.”

    “The Indian government does not believe in Gandhi’s ideology, but rather in the doctrines of his assassin,” said Bilawal.

    https://twitter.com/IbrarAMir3/status/1603491220566728727?s=20&t=RDyV6PKM20nB5RI-D5977w

    Jaishankar remarks on Pakistan came after State Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that India is a “rogue state” that projects itself as greatest victim of terrorism but is the perpetrator of it. Jaishankr said that Khar’s remarks reminded him of the then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Islamabad more than a decade ago when she reminded Pakistan that “if you have snakes in your backyard, you cannot expect them to bite only your neighbours”.

    He claimed that Pakistan was “not great at listening to good advice … and now look what’s happening there. Today, it’s the epicentre of terrorism … and has its fingerprints over a lot of activities in the region and beyond”.

    Urging Pakistan not to blame others, the Indian minister asked: “How long Pakistan intends to practice [terrorism] and hide it by taking that debate elsewhere? Please clean up your act. Please try to be a good neighbour.”

    “We have lost far more lives to terrorism than India did,” said Bhutto-Zardari while pointing out that “India has been playing in the space” that has made it “very easy” to bracket Muslims with terrorism. “India has very skilfully blurred this line, making like us all are terrorists who are actually victims.”

    The Pakistani foreign minister noted that India has continuously perpetuated this philosophy, not just for Pakistan but Muslims in India too.

    The foreign minister said that Pakistan is proud of its achievements in the war against terrorism, as the country has taken concrete steps in connection with the National Action Plan for counterterrorism.

    He said that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) endorsed Pakistan’s measures taken to stem terror financing. Bilawal also said that it is wrong to blame the Muslim world for terrorism as terrorism doesn’t belong to any religion or region.

    He pointed out that terrorism has mainly targeted Muslims since 2001. Also, there were incidents where Chinese citizens were targeted in Karachi, he said.

    Highlighting the post-flood situation in Pakistan, the foreign minister said some areas of Balochistan and Sindh are still waterlogged. The massive flooding adversely impacted health, education and basic infrastructure.

    Assistance from the international community is crucial for Pakistan in coping with the challenge of rehabilitation and reconstruction of the victims, he asserted.

  • ‘No country has used terrorism better’; Hina Rabbani Khar slams India as ‘rogue state’

    ‘No country has used terrorism better’; Hina Rabbani Khar slams India as ‘rogue state’

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, has said that India is a “rogue state” that projects itself as greatest victim of terrorism but is the perpetrator of it.

    During a press conference in Islamabad, Khar said that India’s objective was to undermine Pakistan’s peace and security through terrorism, saying, “No country had used terrorism better than India”.

    Khar’s presser came a day after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that India’s footprints are seen in all terror activities carried out in Pakistan and New Delhi’s activities have gone “beyond that of an enemy state” just to hide its atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

    The state minister said that it was important for everyone who speaks of “justice and the universality of the value system to call a spade a spade”.

    “This particular effort is to bring to the attention of the world and to expect them and really encourage them to see things based on evidence as they are,” said Khar. 

    Khar told the press that Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan had called members of the diplomatic corps in Islamabad and shared Pakistan’s dossier on the 2021 Johar Town blast — that claimed six lives.

    Around 17 others sustained injuries in the blast in Johar Town, Lahore, in June 2021. The explosion took place in a residential area near Allah Hu Boulevard, police said.

    “This dossier has detailed evidence of how India has been found to be fully behind this incident that led to the loss of life,” Khar said on the Johar Town blast.

    The state minister reminded New Delhi that it cannot have islands of excellence in a sea of depravity. 

    “When you try and harm your region, you actually end up harming yourself,” she added. She said that Lahore, the Samjhota incident, and the Khulbushan Yadav evidence all point out that New Delhi plays as a victim of terrorism and gains sympathy.

    “This dossier, as you already know, has details and evidence of how India is fully behind this particular incident which led to the loss of lives. And we do not blame one country or the other the next day, unlike our neighbors. We waited till we had strong hard evidence to be making the case we are making today,” stated the minister.

    “I don’t think I need to remind anyone that India has had a role in destabilising its neighbouring countries and weaken their economies to try and pursue its hegemonic designs in the region,” she said, citing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Balochistan as two examples of India’s designs.

    The minister also reminded India that there could not be “islands of excellence in a sea of depravity”, stressing that when the country will try and harm the region, they actually end up harming themselves.

    “India’s unabated slip into the abyss of terrorism is being clouded by this growing India, emerging India narrative,” emphasised Khar.

  • 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.

  • ‘Murder of school van driver in Swat was honour killing’: police

    Inspector General (IG) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police, Moazam Jah Ansari, has said that the case of an attack on a school van in Swat on October 10 was actually an “honour killing incident”.

    Addressing a press conference, the IG said that the murder killed his sister’s husband [the van’s driver] for honour. “We have collared one of the three suspects, while the other two will soon land in the hands of police”, he added.

    Earlier, the police had also claimed that the van driver was in fact the target of the shooting incident which happened while there were 10 to 11 children in the van.

    Moreover, Ansari said, another incident of firing in which children were apparently targeted in Lower Dir was also an armed clash between two rival groups.

    It is pertinent to mention that following the incident of October 10, protestors in Swat valley took to the streets to condemn the attack, believing it was an act of terrorism.

    Many journalists and politicians also expressed concern after the horrifying attack on a school van which left one child injured.

  • ‘Balochistan’s issues must be resolved’: NA addresses fake encounters

    Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal raised the matter of fake encounters in the National Assembly (NA) in which, he alleged, innocent people were killed and presented as terrorists.

    Three missing persons were found dead in Kharan on Monday. They were allegedly killed in fake encounters by the Balochistan Counter Terrorism Department.

    Mengal told the lower house that the people killed by the department have been identified and all of those people were “picked up”.

    “Wasim Tabish was a student who wrote a poem for missing persons. Those who speak and write are picked up,” said the BNP-M chief.

    “Do not push us to a point of no return”, warned Mengal, as he urged the end of fake encounters in Balochistan.

    Later, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the issue as “Wounds of the state that have been bleeding for years”. He called for measures to address and resolve the issues and acknowledged that the problem had existed for a long time.

    “Balochistan’s issues must be resolved”, stressed the federal minister.

    Not only Khwaja Asif, but Minister for Climate Change, Sherry Rehman, also called for constituting a “truth and reconciliation commission” to address the unrest in Balochistan.

    The federal ministers also highlighted growing concerns over the situation in Swat.

    “A terrorist is a terrorist and he remains one because he took up weapons. And when he agrees to talk to you, he has pre-conditions,” said Rehman.

    The PPP senator recalled multiple incidents of terrorism and said it was beyond her understanding how a compromise could be reached with terrorists. Moreover, she urged the house to call a joint session again.

    Khawaja Asif called for the members to sit together on the situation in Swat, among other issues of grave importance.

    He recalled that a similar situation in Swat was seen 11 to 12 years ago when concerns were raised that “those in Swat may not be too far away from Islamabad”. He warned that “Whatever is happening in Swat and elsewhere, those flames can reach us as well”.

  • Pakistan likely to exit FATF grey list after 4 years

    Pakistan likely to exit FATF grey list after 4 years

    Pakistan is expected to leave the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list on October 21 after topping the dreaded chart for over four years.

    According to Dawn, a 15-member team of the money-laundering watchdog concluded its onsite visit to Pakistan on September 2, with the final decision on the country’s grey list status now expected at its next meeting set to take place in Paris this week.

    According to an official statement, panellists from 206 Global Network members and observer organisations, including the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, the World Bank, Interpol, and the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, will attend the Working Group and Plenary meetings in Paris.

    The outcome of the two-day deliberations on Pakistan’s status would be announced. The FATF Onsite team’s report on Pakistan is scheduled to be reviewed at the plenary meetings.

    Pakistani authorities believe that after four years of hard effort, the country has achieved not just a high level of technical compliance with FATF standards, but also a high degree of efficacy through the implementation of two comprehensive FATF action plans.

    It is worth noting that the FATF found Pakistan generally compliant on all 34 issues in June of this year and opted to send an onsite team to verify it on the ground before formally declaring the country’s removal from the grey list in August and September.

    Pakistan was rated “compliant or generally compliant” with FATF criteria in 38 of 40 recommendations, putting the country among the top FATF-compliant countries in the world.

    Pakistan was officially placed on the FATF grey list for the third time on June 28, 2018, and has been working to remove itself off the list ever since.

    The country was originally placed on the FATF grey list in 2008 after failing to meet international anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) requirements. Pakistan was removed from the list in 2010 after upgrading its AML/CFT regime. However, Pakistan was placed on the grey list again in 2012 and remained there until 2015.

  • Khan pleads innocence: ‘Threats to female judge don’t fall under terrorism’

    Khan pleads innocence: ‘Threats to female judge don’t fall under terrorism’

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Friday that the threats he issued to a female judge in a rally do not fall under “terrorism” and the case should be dismissed as he is “innocent”.

    “I am the chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf, I have been the prime minister of Pakistan. This government tortured [my aide] Shahbaz Gill due to political opposition. The report filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) proved that Gill had been tortured,” Khan told the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), calling for the dismissal of his case in the written reply submitted.

    Khan was asked to appear before the JIT at the Margalla Police Station on Friday but he did not show up.

    Last week, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad extended the interim bail of the PTI chairman till September 12 in the terrorism case related to his controversial remarks about the female sessions court judge Zeba Chaudhry and the capital city police.

    The court directed the ex-prime minister to submit Rs100,000 as surety against the bail.

    A case was registered against the former prime minister under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening the additional sessions judge and senior police officers of the Islamabad Police during a public rally.