Pakistan Security Update - 27 July, 2010

• Admiral Mike Mullen says WikiLeaks information will not effect relationship with Pakistan
• Mullah Fazlullah traced to Kunar, Afghanistan; kidnapped ISI officer threatens to expose Pakistan’s weaknesses
• 43 suspects arrested in Karachi
• Three security forces personnel killed
• 20 militants killed in Khyber Agency
• Anti-Terrorism Bill 2010 proposed in Pakistani Senate

WikiLeaks Fallout

• Admiral Mike Mullen on Tuesday said that the information in the WikiLeaks documents on the war in Afghanistan did not call U.S. strategy into question or Washington’s relationship with Pakistan. “Certainly the information that I've seen so far in the documents, there's nothing in there that wasn't reviewed or considered in the strategic review” of the war last year,  Mullen told reporters. Mullen added that Washington has voiced its concerns about Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and the Haqqani Network, which targets U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.  [1]

• In Islamabad, a senior ISI official reportedly said that if the CIA does not “denounce the suggestions" of ISI complicity with the Taliban, the ISI might need to "reexamine its cooperation."  Gen. Hamid Gul, a former ISI chief now in the spotlight because he is frequently mentioned in the leaked documents as a link with the Taliban, denounced the reports as “completely baseless.” [2] 

Mullah Fazlullah in Afghanistan

• Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have traced the location of Swat Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah to Kunar province, an area inside Afghanistan that borders Pakistan’s Chitral District and Bajaur Agency. “We know exactly where he (Fazlullah) is in Afghanistan…we have told Americans and Afghans to get him. But they hardly seem to be interested in moving against him,” a Peshawar-based security official said. Intelligence officials believe that Fazlullah crossed into Kunar province immediately after a military operation was launched in Swat in May of 2009.[3]

 

Khyber-Pakhtunkwa

• In a video obtained by the Associated Press on Tuesday, a former Pakistani intelligence officer kidnapped four months ago threatened to expose the government’s “weaknesses” unless it agrees to a prisoner swap to secure his release. Sultan Amir Tarar, also known as Col. Iman, was kidnapped while travelling with another former intelligence official, Khalid Khawaja, and a filmmaker in North Waziristan. The group holding Col. Imam, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, has demanded the release of nearly 160 militants, including suspected suicide bombers and conspirators facing trial for the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.  Khawaja’s body was found with a note attached accusing him of being a CIA and Inter-Services Intelligence spy.[4]

• Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan said on Tuesday that Pakistan will continue to fight terrorism. “We will not compromise on our anti-terror policy,” Wali told reporters a day after a suicide attack killed at least eight people outside the residence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Minister in Pabbi. [5]
  

Karachi

• Sindh rangers and police arrested 43 suspects in a crackdown across the city on Tuesday. The search operations were conducted mostly in neighborhoods where target killings have occurred. According to sources, police also recovered drugs and weapons. Meanwhile, the Office of Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah announced the formation of a special judicial tribunal to investigate incidents of targeted killings. The tribunal will report its findings within 30 days. Meanwhile, speaking outside the Senate in Islamabad, Interior Minister Rehman Malid said that the violence is Karachi is not only due to targeted killings, but also to ongoing conflicts between land mafia groups. Malik also said that rangers have been deployed to quell the violence.[6]
  

Balochistan

• Three security personnel were killed by gunmen in two separate attacks in Awaran and Khuzdar districts on Monday. According to sources, two Balochistan Levies were killed by unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles near Pirnawa. In a separate incident, a Frontier Corps soldier was killed by gunmen in Khuzdar district, 300 kilometers from the provincial capital.[7]
  

Khyber Agency

• Security forces killed at least 20 militants during an operation on Sunday in Khyber Agency. Back by helicopter gunships, security forces attacked positions in Kharmatang area of Tehsil Bara, a known militant stronghold.[8]
  

Anti-Terrorism Bill 2010 Proposed

• Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday proposed the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill 2010 in the Senate.  Addressing the Senate, Malik said that terrorism is the biggest threat facing the country and that the bill is critical in counteracting that threat. Under the proposed amendments, a suspected terrorist can be held for up to 90 days without being formally charged. Also, operating an illegal FM station advocating resistance to security forces will be considered an act of terrorism. Malik added that 176 terrorists had been arrested in Balochistan, many of whom were of Uzbek and Afghan origin.[9]
  

---

Source: 
[1] “No change to war strategy, Pakistan ties after leak: US,” Dawn, July 27, 2010. Available on http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/03-no-change-to-war-strategy-pakistan-ties-after-leak-us-ss-05?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dawn%2Fnews%2Fworld+%28DAWN.COM+-+World+News%29

[2]Joshua Partlow and Karin Brulliard, “Pakistan decries WikiLeaks release of U.S. military documents on Afghan war,” Washington Post, July 27, 2010. Available on http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/26/AR2010072602393_pf.html

Zahid Hussain, “Reports Depict Pakistani Ex-Spy as Taliban Link,” WSJ, July 27, 2010. Available on http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704700404575391152099593496.html

[3] “Pakistani spies trace Fazlullah to Kunar province,” Express Tribune, July 27, 2010. Available on http://tribune.com.pk/story/31093/pakistani-spies-trace-fazlullah-to-kunar-province/

[4] “Former spy held by militants demands help,” Dawn, July 27, 2010. Available on
 http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-former-spy-held-by-militants-demands-help-ss-03

[5] “We will not pull out from war against terror: Asfandyar,” Dawn, July 27, 2010. Available on http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-asfandyar-on-war-on-terror-qs-03

[6] Rangers arrest 43 suspects in Karachi operation,” Express Tribune, July 27, 2010. Available on http://tribune.com.pk/story/31596/rangers-arrested-43-suspects-in-karachi-operation/

“Target killings not the only violence: Malik,” Dawn, July 27, 2010. Available on http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-target-killings-not-the-only-violence-malik-ss-02

[7] “Three security personnel killed,” Express Tribune, July 27, 2010. Available on http://tribune.com.pk/story/31485/three-security-personnel-killed/

“Three security personnel killed in Balochistan,” Daily Times, July 27, 2010. Available on http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\27\story_27-7-2010_pg7_6

[8] “20 militants die in Bara assault,” Express Tribune, July 26, 2010. Available on http://tribune.com.pk/story/31121/20-militants-die-in-bara-assault/

[9]“Anti-terrorism bill tabled in Senate,”  Dawn, July 27, 2010. Available on  http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-anti-terror-bill-senate-qs-04?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dawn%2Fnews%2Fpakistan+%28DAWN.COM+-+Pakistan+News%29

“Anti-Terrorism Bill tabled in Senate,” Express Tribune, July 27, 2010. Available on http://tribune.com.pk/story/31554/anti-terrorism-bill-tabled-in-senate/

“Bill moved in Senate to amend Anti-Terror Act,” The News, July 27, 2010. Available on http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=109248

Pakistan Security Update - 26 July, 2010

• Large scale leak of US military and diplomatic documents reveals ISI links to Taliban
• Admiral Mullen speaks with Pakistani military leaders in Rawalpindi
• First group of IDPs to begin resettling South Waziristan
• Drone strikes in North and South Waziristan kill at least 35 militants
• Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Hussain’s son gunned down by Taliban, home targeted by suicide bombing
• Violence continues to grip Karachi.

 

US-Pakistan Relations

On Sunday, it was revealed that more than 90,000 military and diplomatic documents pertaining to the war in Afghanistan between 2004 and 2009 had been leaked to three major new organizations by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.org, making it the single largest leak of its kind in US history. Foremost among the various issues detailed in the documents is the allegation that Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has been playing a “double game” in Afghanistan by secretly continuing to aid the Taliban insurgency. 

The reports indicate that ISI representatives directly met with the Taliban to hold secret “strategy sessions” to organize various militant groups which have actively attacked US and NATO forces. In addition, some of the documents even go so far as to suggest that ISI has collaborated with al-Qaeda in planning attacks. Pakistan has denied the accusations while both US and Pakistani officials have condemned the unauthorized release of information as “irresponsible.”[1]

• Admiral Mike Mullen spoke with several of Pakistan’s top military leaders in Rawalpindi on Saturday, asking them to consider American security interests while pursuing a peace deal between 
  
  Kabul and the Haqqani network. Although Mullen expressed his view that “it is far too early to think that reconciliation is around the corner” he did acknowledge that reconciliation with the Haqqanis could be a future possibility. Mullen also warned the international community of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s potential to emerge as a “terror organization with global aspirations.” Mullen’s statements came from reports that Lashkar-e-Taiba had grown since the 2008 Mumbai attacks and was now collaborating with other terror groups, but did not make any statements regarding Pakistan’s involvement with the organization.[2]
• 
  A newly released Pentagon report claims that Pakistan does not receive enough credit for the sacrifices made by the military and civilian government in the war against terror. The report states that since the beginning of last year’s operation in Swat the military has been engaged in 16 months of continuous combat in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and FATA and has more than 140,000 troops currently deployed to the region, making it the “longest military campaign in Pakistani history.” However, the report also took note of Pakistan’s challenges in providing basic services to civilians living in the affected areas and its efforts to improve the training for security forces, which has improved but is still hampered by a lack of resources.[3]
• 
  Pakistan has officially acknowledged that Faisal Shahzad met with TTP commander Hakimullah Mehsud prior to carrying out the failed attack in New York’s Times Square. The statement comes several days after video footage emerged showing Mehsud shaking hands and hugging Shahzad after making a declaration to wage an attack against the US.[4]

 

FATA

• Pakistani authorities have indicated that they plan to begin repatriating the first group of 30,000 to 40,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their villages in South Waziristan by the second week of August. Syed Shahab Ali Shah, South Waziristan’s political agent, stated that 44,000 IDPs have been registered so far and have been issued cards which will ensure that they receive monetary compensation, food rations, and other essential goods. The government is also drawing upon Mehsud tribesmen to a raise a Levies force which will supplement local village defense committees in providing security throughout the region.[5]

• 
  Several missiles fired from a US drone struck a Taliban compound in the village of Dwasarak in South Waziristan on Saturday, killing at least 16 militants. On Sunday, a total of at least nineteen more militants were reported killed between three separate drone strikes in the Shaktoi and Sararogha areas of South Waziristan and the Tabbi Tolkhel area of North Waziristan.[6]
• 
  At least 24 militants were killed during bombings which targeted Taliban hideouts in various locations throughout Upper Orakzai on Sunday as ground forces were reported to have moved in to secure militant strongholds in Daburai. Separately, airstrikes in the Neka Ziarat and Gawaza areas of Kurram Agency left at least 10 militants dead and destroyed three suspected hideouts.[7]
• 
  On Sunday, suspected militants in Bajaur Agency blew up a Bajaur Levies outpost in the Meena area of Mamund sub-district. Separately, a local commander of the Tehrike-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) surrendered to security forces along with seven of his associates during a Badaan tribal jirga in Mamund sub-district.[8]
• The beheaded body of a tribesman accused of spying on militants was discovered in a graveyard in Darra Adam Khel on Sunday. Local sources say that the victim had been kidnapped from the Zarghunkhel area on July 5.[9]

 Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

• 
  Mian Rashid Husssain, the only son of Khyber-Pakhtukhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, was shot to death while walking home with a friend in the town of Pabbi in Nowshera district on Saturday, an attack for which the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) later claimed responsibility. On Monday, at least seven people were killed and more than 20 others wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside Mian Iftikhar Hussain’s home in Pabbi while senior officials were visiting the house to mourn his son’s death. A Taliban spokesman, Ahsanullah Ahsan, contacted reporters by phone to claim responsibility for the bombing, saying that attacks against the Awami National Party were “just beginning.”[10]

 Af-Pak Relations

• On Sunday, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke called the recent dialogue between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani a “good thing, not a bad thing.” Holbrooke also acknowledged that although holding direct talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan is a “tough, difficult policy” it is “only one that meets our regional and international/national security interests.”[11]

 

Punjab

• 
  Pakistan is scheduled to test-fire an experimental missile at the test range in northern Punjab tomorrow. The new Ghauri ballistic missile is a liquid fueled rocket capable of deploying nuclear and conventional warheads at distances of up to 1050 kilometers away. The test will be attended by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is also chairman of the National Command and Control Authority, as well as by several top military officials.[12]
• Six policemen were injured when bombs placed under two security vehicles outside the Lytton road police station detonated on Friday evening. Separately, a constable was killed when unknown gunmen riding motorcycles later opened fire on the Gulshan Ravi police station.[13]

Chief of Army Staff

• 
  On Saturday, the chief spokesman for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Ahsan Iqbal, told reporters that his party was not consulted on the decision to grant a three-year extension to Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. Iqbal refused to comment on the value of the decision, saying that party chief Nawaz Sharif would discuss the matter upon his return to the country. On Sunday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani criticized the PML-N for trying to politicize the issue, saying that the decision to extend Kayani’s term was an administrative decision and therefore did not require the government to consult political parties.[14]

Karachi

• 
  Violence continues to sweep across Karachi with at least 10 people killed in various shooting incidents across the city in addition to reports of a minibus and medical store being set ablaze. Three people were killed and dozens others wounded on Saturday in violence which followed the killing of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activist at the party’s office in Gulistan-i-Jauhar on Friday evening.[15]

 

India-Pakistan Relations

• 
  Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony stated that US military assistance to Pakistan is “disproportionate to the war on terror” and expressed the concern that “there is every possibility of diverting this sophisticated equipment against India.” Antony discussed these matters during US National Security Advisor James Jones and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen’s visit to New Dehli Last Week.[16]

Sources:

---

[1] Greg Jaffe and Karen DeYoung, “Files leaked to Wikileaks suggest Pakistan is aiding Afghan rebels,” Washington Post, July 26, 2010. Available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/26/AR2010072601570.html?wprss=rss_world/asia&sid=ST2010072502561. Mark Mazzetti, Jane Perlez, Eric Schmitt, and Andrew W. Lehren, “Pakistan Aids Insurgency in Afghanistan, Reports Assert,” New York Times, July 25, 2010. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/world/asia/26isi.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss. “Pakistan denies Wikileaks reports it ‘aided Taliban’,” BBC, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10758188.

[2] “Call to rein in LeT,” Dawn, July 25, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/call-to-rein-in-let-570.

[3] Anwar Iqbal, “Sacrifices made by Pakistan not fully realised: Pentagon,” Dawn, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/16-sacrifices-made-by-pakistan-not-fully-realised-pentagon-670-hs-06.

[4] “Pakistan acknowledges Faisal Shahzad met Taliban chief,” Dawn, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-pakistan-acknowledges-faisal-shahzad-met-taliban-chief-ss-07.

[5] Rahimullah Yusufzai, “Displaced Mahsuds set to return to homes in S Waziristan,” The News, July 26, 2010. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30307.

[6] “Pakistan drone attack ‘kills 16 militants’,” BBC, July 24, 2010. Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10748616. Reza Sayah, “Drone strike in Pakistan kills 16,” CNN, July 24, 2010. Available athttp://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/pakistan.drone.attack/index.html?eref=edition_asia&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fedition_asia+%28RSS%3A+Asia%29#fbid=dm8LfFElkvn. “Weekend of Pakistan drone attacks leaves 35 dead,” BBC, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10758876.

[7] “Thirty-four militants killed in Orakzai, Kurram,” Dawn, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-twenty-one-militants-killed-in-kurram-orakzai-ss-07. “24 militants killed in Orakzai,” The News, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30298.

[8] “Levies outpost blown up,” The News, July 26, 2010. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=252947. “8 militants surrender F.P. Report,” Frontier Post, July 25, 2010. Available athttp://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=ts&nid=5166&ad=25-07-2010.

[9] “Tribesman killed on spying charges,” The News, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30309.

[10] Waseem Ahmad Shah, “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister’s son shot dead,” Dawn, July 25, 2010. Available athttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/06-unidentified-gunmen-kill-kp-info-ministers-son-rs-01. Waseem Ahmad Shah, “Taliban claim responsibility for killing minister’s son,” Dawn, July 26, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/taliban-claim-responsibility-for-killing-ministers-son-670. Ishtiaq Mehsud, “Suicide Bomber Kills 7 in Pakistan,” New York Times, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/07/26/world/asia/AP-AS-Pakistan.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss. “Suicide attack near KP Minister Mian Iftikhar's house,” Dawn, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/03-explosion-outside-kp-minister-mian-iftikhars-house-ss-08.

[11] “Holbrooke: Karzai-Pakistani dialogue ‘a good thing’,” AFP, July 25, 2010. Available athttp://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100725/pl_afp/afghanistanunrestpakistanusdiplomacy. “US supports Pak-Afghan direct talks: envoy,” The News, July 26, 2010. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=109154.

[12] Hanif Khalid, “Pakistan to test fire nuclear missile tomorrow,” The News, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=252944.

[13] “Constable killed in Lahore attacks,” Dawn, July 24, 2010. Available athttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/19-constable-killed-in-lahore-attacks-470-hh-04.

[14] Amir Wasim, “'PML-N not consulted on Kayani extension',” Dawn, July 24, 2010. Available athttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/06-pml-n-condemns-legislatures-with-fake-degrees-ahsan-rs-04. Zulqernain Tahir, “Gilani says he tried to contact Nawaz before extension,” Dawn, July 26, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/gilani-says-he-tried-to-contact-nawaz-before-extension-speech-670.

[15] Azfar-ul-Ashfaque, “Ten more killed as violence persists in Karachi,” Dawn, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/16-minibus%2C-medical-store-set-on-fire-10-more-killed-as-violence-persists-670-hs-02. “Karachi descends into new round of violence,” Dawn, July 25, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/metropolitan/04-karachi-tense-four-killed-qs-10. “Activist dies in attack on MQM office in Karachi,” Dawn, July 24, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/19-activist-dies-in-attack-on-mqm-office-470-hh-01.

[16] “India reiterates warning over US arms supply to Pakistan,” Dawn, July 26, 2010. Available athttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/03-india-reiterates-warning-over-us-arms-supply-to-pakistan-ss-04?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dawn%2Fnews%2Fworld+%28DAWN.COM+-+World+News%29.

 

Pakistan Security Update - 23 July, 2010

• General Kayani’s term extended
• State Department blacklists Haqqani Network
• Mullah Fazlullah video released
• video of Times Square bomber with Hakimullah Mehsud emerges
• 16 militants killed Orakzai Agency
• U.S. warns militant groups could incite war between India and Pakistan
• 4 people killed in Karachi violence
• Pakistan pleased with performance of Chinese frigates.

General Kayani’s Term Extended

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday announced a three year extension in the term of Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, who was due to retire in November of this year.During a televised address on national television, P.M. Gilani said that the country had reached a critical stage and that Kayani’s continued leadership is essential to the country’s fight against militancy.  P.M. Gilani also said that the successful military campaigns in Swat, Malakand, and South Waziristan were only possible under the “dynamic” leadership of Gen. Kayani. Although U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen has often praised Kayani for taking “bold steps” against militant along the Af-Pak border, the Obama Administration says it is frustrated by his “failure to disown the Afghan Taliban.”[1]

U.S.-Pak Relations

The U.S. Treasury on Thursday black-listed the Haqqani Network and froze the assets of three key leaders, including Nasiruddin Haqqani, allegedly involved in managing the group’s finances. Nasiruddin is a key leader of the network and brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, who was blacklisted by the U.S. in March 2008. Some observers in Washington say that theObama Administration’s decision to target three individuals shows “how it wants the reconciliation in Afghanistan to proves and who it wants excluded from the process.”[2]

• 
  
  The U.S. on Thursday said Pakistan should aggressively investigate the Mumbai attacks and bring those responsible to justice. “There are things, clearly, that Pakistan must do. And certainly, continuing to investigate and bring to justice those who are responsible for the Mumbai attacks is an important element,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson told reporters in Washington.[3]
  
  The U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan said on Friday that Pakistan is cooperating more in U.S. peace efforts in Afghanistan, but not to the extent sought by Washington. Briefing reporters in Britain after holding meetings with Britain’s Chief of Defense Staff and National Security Advisor, Richard Holbrooke cited several areas of progress, but added, “I don't want to mislead you ... it (cooperation) is not yet where we hope it will be. Holbrooke stressed that the Haqqani Network is a “real problem.”[4]

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

• A newly released 40-minute video obtained by the Associated Foreign Press appears to show Mullah Fazlullah, one of Pakistan’s most wanted militants, firing an AK-47 and addressing a group of suicide bombers. Fazlullah waged a violent two-year campaign to impose Sharia law in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, opposing education for women and beheading political opponents until Islamabad ordered in thousands of soldiers. In the video, Fazlullah blames the government for “promoting vulgarity and obscenity” and for terrorizing the people of Swat. It remains unclear when and where the video was recorded. Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Court in Swat declared 50 suspects, including Fazlullah, as wanted terrorists.[5][6]

• 
  
  The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, claims that a terrorist network has been disrupted and at least 100 suspected militants have been arrested during search operations throughout the province. Addressing a gathering in Regi Model Town on Friday, Hussain said that security forces would complete the operation within five days. Attributing success against terrorism to political developments in Pakistan, Hussain said it was now up to the independent judiciary to prosecute militants.[7] Hussian's son was also killed on Saturday by the extremists in the PKP province.

Times Square Bomber

• 
  
  A newly released video shows the failed Square bomber, Faisal Shazad, meeting the leader of the Pakistan Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud. U.S. investigators were skeptical of Shahzad’s claims to have met face-to-face with Mehsud. However, Flashpoint Global Partners, a global security and terrorism consultancy, released a previously unpublished video on Thursday of a meeting between Shahzad and Mehsud. In the video, the two are shown shaking hands and hugging. [8]

Orakzai Agency

• Helicopter gunships attacked militant positions in Orakzai Agency on Friday, killing at least 16 suspected militants. The attacks targeted four hideouts in Upper Orakzai’s Ghundakai and Lapti regions. According to sources, militant commander Suleman Mehsood was also killed.On Thursday, at least 39 militants were killed in clashes with security forces in Ghalju.[9]

India-Pak Relations

• U.S. officials warned on Thursday that militants groups might push nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India into military conflict if operations similar to the 2008 Mumbai attacks were to succeed. The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, said that the Mumbai attacks demonstrated the “strategic impact” that small militants groups can have on the geopolitical situation in the region. Briefing reporters in Dehli, Richard Holbrooke said that Lashkar-e-Taiba is just one such militant groups looking to destabilize South Asia. “They seem to be growing closer together ... (and) their long-term objective is the same: to create the maximum number of problems between India and Pakistan ... to create a crisis,” Holbrooke said.[10]

• Addressing a gathering of press clubs in Sindh on Friday, President Asif Ali Zaradari said talks between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India collapsed because of problems in India’s internal politics, but added that he was hopeful that they would resume soon.  President Zardari also said that both countries ought to withdrawal forces from Siachen, as it incurring substantial costs.[11]

Karachi

• 
  
  At least four more people were killed in Karachi on Friday, bringing the death toll in the last four days to over 25. According to police sources, three bodies were found Friday morning in Natha Khan, Alfalah, Drigh Road. Also, political activist was killed by gunmen in Sarajani Town.[12]

Sino-Pak Relations

• Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir said on Friday that the Pakistan Navy is “deeply satisfied” with the performance of the two F-22P frigates it purchased from China. “We are very happy with the performance, and some technology is as good as of the Western countries,” the China Daily quoted Admiral Bashir as saying. Pakistan hopes to buy bigger ships with greater firepower from China and has proposed an agreement for strategic maritime cooperation with China in both military and commercial sectors. “The friendship between China and Pakistan is greater than the Himalayas and deeper than the ocean. We already made progress in air force and other areas. Now, we should further and expand the cooperation in Navy, a broadly-based relation,” Admiral Bashir added.[13

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sources:

[1] “Gen Kayani gets three year extension,” Express Tribune, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://tribune.com.pk/story/30093/gen-kayani-gets-three-year-extension/

“Pakistan extends army chief's term,” BBC News, July 23, 2010. Available on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10735197

“Pakistan PM gives army chief three-year extension,” AFP, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100722/wl_afp/pakistanmilitarykayaniextension

Salman Masood, “Army Chief to Serve 3 More Years in Pakistan,” NYT, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/world/asia/23pstan.html?_r=2

[2] “Treasury Targets Taliban and Haqqani Network Leadership: Treasury Designates Three Financiers Operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” U.S. Treasury, July 22, 2010. Available onhttp://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg782.htm

Anwar Iqbal , “US acts against Haqqani network ,” Dawn, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/us-acts-against-haqqani-network-370

[3] “US wants Pakistan to act against Mumbai attackers,” Dawn, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/44-us-wants-pakistan-to-act-against-mumbai-attackers-fa-0?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dawn%2Fnews%2Fworld+%28DAWN.COM+-+World+News%29

[4] “US, Pakistan cooperating more, can improve: Holbrooke,” The News, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=109036

 “New video shows wanted Pakistani cleric,” AFP, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100722/wl_sthasia_afp/pakistanunrestnorthwestvideo

[7]  “Terrorists’ network dismantled, says Mian Iftikhar,” The News, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=252425

[8] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/times-square-bomb-suspect-met-taliban-leader-2033521.html\

“Video shows Faisal Shahzad with Hakimullah Mehsud,” Express Tribune, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://tribune.com.pk/story/30356/video-shows-faisal-shahzad-with-hakimullah-mehsud/

“ New video shows meeting between Faisal Shahzad, Mehsud,” Geo, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://www.geo.tv/7-23-2010/68834.htm

[9] “Sixteen ‘militants’ killed in Orakzai blitz,” Dawn, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-orakzai-blitz-16-killed-qs-02

“39 militants killed in Orakzai,” Express Tribune, July 23, 2010. Available on http://tribune.com.pk/story/30249/39-militants-killed-in-orakzai/http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=252372

“ 29 militants killed in Orakzai,” The News, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=252372

[10] “LeT growing to threaten globe; ISI-Taliban link a problem: US,” The News, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30238

[11] “Talks collapsed due to India's internal politics: Zardari,” Geo, July 23, 2010. Available on http://www.geo.tv/7-23-2010/68838.htm

[12] “Karachi target killing toll reaches to four,” Geo, July 23, 2010. Available on http://www.geo.tv/7-23-2010/68837.htm

“Karachi death toll rises to 23,” Express Tribune, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://tribune.com.pk/story/30291/karachi-death-toll-at-22/

[13]  “Pakistan Navy satisfied with Chinese frigates, ” the News, July 23, 2010. Available onhttp://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=252422