Pakistan Conflict Monitor

Disarming of Key City Proposed to Stop Targeted Killings

Targeted Karachi Killings Lead to Calls to Disarm City, Central Asia Online, 28 July 2010

EXCERPT: "Disarming Karachi is essential to control the city’s skyrocketing rate of assassinations, analysts say. Worried about increases in targeted killings, political observers are demanding that the government de-weaponise the city and divert funds into economic policies, such as reducing poverty and increasing job opportunities, to curb the violence. The government has formed a committee to look into implementation of a de-weaponisation programme, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said, adding the government has ordered a judicial enquiry into the increase in targeted killings from January 2010 until the present. About 42 people were killed July 21-26. Some of the dead were affiliated with the Awami National Party (ANP), the Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Punjabi Pashtun Ittehad (PPI); most were not political activists. The MQM and ANP have blamed each other for the recent violence, but Federal Home Minister Rehman Malik rejected accusations of either party’s involvement and instead denounced the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). 'People from different castes, creeds and backgrounds live in the city in harmony, but terrorists want to spark violence on an ethnic basis in order to achieve their dirty motives,' Malik said. [...] 'In the first six months of this year, 889 people have been murdered, of which some 260 were targeted in the city,' Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) data indicate. "

Read the full story.

Related articles:
SHC demands comment on target killings, The Express Tribune, 30 July 2010
Sindh govt establishes tribunal to investigate Karachi killings, DAWN, 27 July 2010

Related posts:
Following a "spate of targeted killings", Karachi begins crackdown on "criminal elements", 27 July 2010
Political meetings in Karachi banned, 16 June 2010
Wave of violence sparks protests across Karachi, 14 June 2010
200 arrested after political killings in Karachi, 20 May 2010
Targeted killings, ethnic violence plague Karachi, 25 January 2010

Separatist Violence Drives Thousands of Settlers Out of Balochistan

Violence Drives Settlers Out of Province, Gulf News, 28 July 2010

EXCERPT: "Around 100,000 settlers in Balochistan from other parts of Pakistan have left the troubled province so far because of violence involving Baloch separatist militants, Interior Minister Rahman Malek told the Senate here yesterday. Making a policy statement on the situation in the mineral-rich southern province rocked by recurring attacks and acts of sabotage, the minister said 'mysterious hands' were behind the unrest, but did not elaborate. Since January this year alone more than 250 people from other provinces who had settled in Balochistan had been killed in attacks, Malek said. He promised to provide details and concrete evidence about anti-Pakistan elements active in Balochistan and their foreign backing in an in-camera briefing to the lawmakers. He said four private militias — the Balochistan Liberation Army of Harbyar Marri, the Balochistan Republican Army, the Balochistan Liberation Front of Dr Allah Nazar and Lashkar-e-Balochistan run by Javed Mengal — were operating in Balochistan."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
"100,000 settlers have migrated from Balochistan", The News International, 28 July 2010
Govt comes up with tougher anti-terror law, DAWN, 28 July 2010
Guns smuggling on the rise in Balochistan, Central Asia Online, 9 April 2010
India supplying weapons to Balochistan terrorists: Bashir, Sify News, 25 February 2010

Related posts:
Unrest in Balochistan, 23 July 2010
Army tries "hearts and minds" strategy in Balochistan, 12 July 2010
Govt fails to curtail violence in Balochistan, 6 July 2010
Security concerns challenge development in Balochistan, 2 March 2010
Strategic Balochistan becomes a target in war against Taliban, 22 December 2009

Taliban Violence Creating Social Revolution among Pashtuns

Taliban Violence Creating Social Revolution among Pashtuns, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 23 July 2010

EXCERPT: "[...] The Taliban, by use of a brutal assassination campaign that targets tribal leaders and other influential locals, has gained the upper hand in Pashtun-populated areas such as the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar. The strategy has weakened tribal solidarity among Pashtuns, effecting a societal breakdown that has both reduced their collective ability to resist extremists and made them wary of cooperating with government and coalition forces. The traditional clan hierarchy has eroded, leaving elders vulnerable to reprisals from young clan members who have broken family ranks and joined with the Taliban. Whether in remote Pashtun villages or in bustling cities, Al-Qaeda and Taliban ideologues lure illiterate Pashtun youth to their side by way of propaganda, cash, or the promise of revenge for personal tragedies. [...] Drawing on Al-Qaeda's employment of 'takfir,' which justifies the killing of Muslims accused of apostasy, local extremists in areas straddling Afghanistan and Pakistan have killed hundreds of Pashtun politicians, tribal leaders, and clerics. Local leaders get little protection from their governments, whether in Afghanistan or Pakistan."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
A game no more in Pakistani Pashtun village, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 12 July 2010
Analysis: Tormenting the tribes, Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy, 2009
Pashtuns, Complex Operations Wiki, 2010

Related posts: 
The AfPak policy and the Pashtuns, 24 June 2010
Tribal leaders to hold a jirga, plan anti-Taliban strategy, 19 March 2010
Identity and conflict in the Pashtun tribal belt, 17 March 2010
Pashtunistan: The real challenge, 7 December 2009
The Talibanisation of Pakistan's western region, 3 December 2009

Unrest in Balochistan

Unrest in Baluchistan, International Relations and Security Network // Security Watch, 22 July 2010

EXCERPT: "While the world focuses on the end game in Afghanistan, multiple crises brewing in a neighboring region have the potential to spoil international efforts to stabilize the  country. Extremist groups, secessionist movements, and grinding poverty and oppression are all contributing to instability in Baluchistan, a vast desert region spanning Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran along the Arabian Sea shoreline. Islamabad and Tehran face active insurgencies in their parts of Baluchistan. Developments in the region affect relations between Pakistan, India, Iran, and Afghanistan, delaying plans for economic and energy cooperation. It was not surprising, then, when a much-anticipated meeting on July 15 between the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers ended without progress. The meeting -- the first high-level Indian visit to Islamabad since the deadly Mumbai attacks in November 2008 -- fell victim to public accusations over Baluchistan, proving that this remote and impoverished province may have superseded even Kashmir as the biggest thorn in bilateral relations. Speaking to journalists after an exhausting day of official rounds in the damp monsoon weather, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi called the talks valuable and said the two sides would continue meeting. But he indicated that the issue of New Dehli's support for ethnic Baluchi secessionists had been discussed."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Another BNP-M leader shot dead, The Express Tribune, 20 July 2010
"Baloch target killings: Bureaucracy not involved", The Express Tribune, 17 July 2010
No proof provided by Pak over India's role in Balochistan: Krishna, Sify News, 16 July 2010
JI flays Baloch leader's murder, The News International, 16 July 2010

Related posts:
Gunmen kill nationalist leader in Balochistan, 14 July 2010
Army tries "hearts and minds" strategy in Balochistan, 12 July 2010
Govt fails to curtail violence in Balochistan, 6 July 2010
Security concerns challenge development in Balochistan, 2 March 2010
Strategic Balochistan becomes a target in war against Taliban, 22 December 2009

Pakistan’s Police between Centralization and Devolution

Pakistan’s Police between Centralization and Devolution [pdf], Norwegian Institute of International Affairs via the Human Security Gateway, 16 July 2010

EXCERPT: "President Obama’s long-awaited review of the Afghanistan conflict proposed a ‘civilian surge’ for Afghanistan, and the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act – better known as the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill – explicitly ties security aid to progress in emancipating Pakistan’s civilian government from military influence. A major aspect of this strategic reorientation has been a renewed focus on the role of the civilian police. This paper examines the challenges faced by a proposed police-based counter-insurgency strategy for Pakistan by placing them in the context of the limitations faced by the police. Historically, the ambit of policing has been limited, in terms of geographical reach as well as vertical penetration of local communities. A brief account of colonial mechanisms of governance and their effects on policing is provided, to highlight the path dependencies created by British indirect rule and divide-and-rule for modern Pakistan. Ignorance of the history of policing and of the political struggle over police control has led foreign donors to support attempts at centralizing security governance, worsening the state’s crisis of legitimacy and arguably heightening insecurity. The complex history of these failed attempts at governance reform shows how difficult it is to ignore the highly political nature of all such undertakings."

Read the full report [pdf].

Related articles:
Pakistan's police force ill-equipped against Taliban, Hurriyet, 6 July 2010

Related posts:
Political dimensions of police reform in Pakistan: Report, 19 July 2010
Police struggle to battle militants in Pakistan, 6 July 2010
Torture prevalent in security forces' custody: Report, 25 June 2010
Swat trains community police to keep Taliban away, 24 March 2010
Court orders inquiry into past cases of police torture, 5 March, 2010
Pakistani police underfunded, overwhelmed, 30 November 2009

Mosque Attacks Aim to Exploit Sectarian Rift, Follow Qaeda Strategy

Islamists Exploit Sectarian Shrine Rift in Pakistan, The Washington Times, 21 July 2010

EXCERPT: "[...] Multiple suicide bomb attacks on Pakistan's most sacred Muslim shrine in Lahore, the country's cultural capital, have exposed this rift between the nation's two largest Islamic sects. Members of the Barelvi sect, which esteems shrines, have condemned adherents of Wahhabi, which regards historic sites as idols that should be destroyed and whose followers include elements of the Taliban, al Qaeda and other radical Islamist groups. Government officials and analysts say exploiting the differences between the sects is part of a strategy by al Qaeda and its local affiliates to foment unrest and find new sanctuaries in cities, as well as recruit militants. The July 1 attack on the centuries-old Data Darbar complex, which houses the tomb of Muslim sage Hazrat Ali Hajveri, left 45 people dead and triggered large-scale protests against the provincial government of Punjab for harboring and abetting terrorists. The attack on the mosque appears to have strengthened anti-Taliban and anti-al Qaeda sentiment in Pakistan, but it also is prompting new fears of large-scale sectarian clashes in Pakistan's provinces."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Engaging Pakistan's moderate majority, Foreign Policy // The AfPak Channel, 22 July 2010
Police arrest 60 Sunni Tehrik activists in Pak, Zee News, 16 July 2010

Related posts:
Deobandi elders warn of sectarian rift following recent terror attack, 14 July 2010
Pakistan's largest sect to take action against Taliban, 9 July 2010
Coordinated suicide attacks kill at least 42 in Lahore, 5 July 2010
At least 80 killed in attacks on minority sect, 28 May 2010
Religion, politics and governance in Pakistan, 23 February 2010

Military's Influence Hinders Political Progress

To Spite Zardari, Pakistan Military Foiled Peace Talks, Hindustan Times, 10 July 2010

EXCERPT: "When the prime ministers of India and Pakistan met in Thimpu in early May, Yousuf Raza Gilani indicated he had the full support of Pakistan’s military to resume the dialogue with India. But by the time the foreign ministers of the two countries met in mid-July, the men in khaki had become opposed to any dialogue. Three developments, say sources in both countries, led them to change their minds. The first was the political resurgence of President Asif Ali Zardari. [...] Second was David Coleman Headley’s testimony.[...] Third was the attack by the Punjabi Taliban on the Data Durbar shrine in Lahore on July 1.[...] New Delhi now has a clearer understanding that the military remains directly and forcefully involved in running the show in Islamabad, admit officials, especially when it comes to relations with India. The military’s political games at home, however, mean dialogue will not be high on its priority list and make medium-term prospects for the Indo-Pakistan peace process bleak."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Pakistan's ISI spreading network in Tripura, Sify News, 19 July 2010
Pak demand proves ISI, Army dictating terms, The Economic Times, 19 July 2010

Related posts:
Torture prevalent in security forces' custody: Report, 25 June 2010
Army chief pays a controversial visit to Washington, 22 March 2010
Military "biggest obstacle" to reconciliation with Taliban, 9 February 2010
Govt, military wary of US overtures, 25 January 2010
Pakistan's military balks at Obama's Afghan surge, 20 January 2010

Political Dimensions of Police Reform in Pakistan: Report

Political Dimensions of Police Reform in Pakistan [pdf], Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 14 July 2010

EXCERPT: "Few reforms would make more of an impact on Pakistan’s security and political situation than reforming the civilian security forces, particularly the police. Only a strong police force can prevent the expansion of radicalism by tackling the problem at the grassroots level. Only a strong police force, working with local administration and the judiciary, can provide long-term security. Strong and efficient security forces are also the only way to diminish the civilian government’s dependence on the army to ensure domestic security. They can help restore confidence in the government and its ability to protect people. Increasing the capacity of the police will lead to greater efficiency in security management and, as a result, increase the legitimacy of the regime. These goals have been the cornerstone of assistance programs to Pakistan’s police service, including the hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. assistance to be spent annually on police reform contained in the much-talked-about Kerry-Lugar-Berman law. The link between security and legitimacy is obvious in most countries, including in dictatorial regimes where the need to re-establish security is often the pretext for taking power. However, the causality between security and legitimacy is somewhat distorted in the case of Pakistan."

Read the full report [pdf].

Related articles:
Police open fire on thousands of protesters in Kashmir, The Canadian Press, 19 July 2010

Related posts:
Police struggle to battle militants in Pakistan, 6 July 2010
Torture prevalent in security forces' custody: Report, 25 June 2010
Court orders inquiry into past cases of police torture, 5 March, 2010
Public dismayed by crisis of governance, 18 January 2010
Pakistan slips five places in Transparency International Corruption Index, 18 November 2009

Deobandi Elders Warn of Sectarian Rift Following Recent Terror Attack

Deobandi Elders’ Warning to Punjab Govt, DAWN, 14 July 2010

EXCERPT: "Alleging that the Sunni Ittehad Council is attempting to ignite sectarian riots in the country, elders of Deoband school of thought have warned the Punjab government to stop ‘patronising’ their rival sect or be ready to contest the next election on divisions along Deobandi and Barelvi sects. [...] It demanded a judicial commission headed by the chief justice of Pakistan to probe Data Darbar tragedy and public hanging of those found involved in the terror act at the Minar-i-Pakistan. [...] Ludhianvi said he would accept any punishment if any arrested member of his outfit was found involved in terror activities otherwise he himself would suggest penalty for those calling him and his colleagues militants.lleging that some people were conspiring to pitch Deobani and Barelvi schools of thought against each other in the garb of Data Darbar suicide attack, he warned that such a scenario would be destructive for Pakistan."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Breaking Pakistan's Sufi heart, The Wall Street Journal, 12 July 2010
Govt-backed Ulema fanning sectarianism, says JUP-N, DAWN, 7 July 2010

Related media:
The never ending blame game [video], The Express Tribune, 3 July 2010

Related posts:
Pakistan's largest sect to take action against Taliban, 9 July 2010
Coordinated suicide attacks kill at least 42 in Lahore, 5 July 2010
At least 80 killed in attacks on minority sect, 28 May 2010
Sectarian clashes kill seven, 1 March 2010
Religion, politics and governance in Pakistan, 23 February 2010

In Karachi Jail: Should Jihadists Be Separated?

In Karachi Jail: Should Jihadists Be Separated?, TIME, 13 July 2010

EXCERPT: "The jail, the largest of the 22 in the crime-infested, religiously conservative Sindh province, has a capacity of 1,800 but is home to 3,800 men, including more than 150 extremists like Hanif. [...] The extremists are kept separate from other prisoners and are confined to their quarters most of the time. Unlike other prisoners, who are permitted to benefit from the literacy, computer, fine-arts, music and Koran lessons on offer at the jail, the extremists are left to themselves and their Islamic texts. 'To save the other prisoners from the terrorists, we keep them in,' jail superintendent Nusrat Hussain Mangat says, explaining why they have been sequestered. [...] Little has been done to proactively tackle militancy in urban settings like Lahore and Karachi (beyond running gun battles with militants after they have staged attacks) and less still to eradicate the extremist ideology that fuels the violence. There is no Pakistani equivalent of the ambitious Saudi government program to rehabilitate militants by persuading them to disavow violent Islamist ideologies."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Globally, nations grapple with de-radicalization, NPR, 21 January 2010
Fighting terrorism with terrorists, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 6 January 2008

Related reports:
Prisons and terrorism: Radicalisation and de-radicalisation in 15 countries [pdf], The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, 1 July 2010

Related posts:
US and UK models of radicalization compared, 13 May 2010
Easy access to "jihadist material" aids youth radicalization, 12 May 2010
Battered Pakistan turn to clerics, 8 December 2009