TTP split a major dividend of talks policy

ISLAMABAD: The parting of ways by the Khan Said alias Sajna faction of the Mehsud militants with the TTP is considered as one of the major dividends of the government’s dialogue policy, which right from the beginning created a rift between the pro-talks and anti-talks militants.

Sajna was one of those leading Taliban commanders who even last year had conveyed to Ulema, involved in the first round of the talks process that ended with the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud by a US drone, his willingness to engage for peaceful settlement of the issue.

The Sajna-led Mehsud militants have enormous influence in South Waziristan and now there are growing chances of a possible agreement between the government and the Sajna group. In South Waziristan, the military already has an agreement with the Mullah Nazir Group — known as “good Taliban”. In such a scenario, South Waziristan would become peaceful.

Sources engaged in the dialogue process during the last several months hope that the North Waziristan-based Hafiz Gul Bahadar group could play an important role in getting a peace deal signed between the government and the Sajna group. Like the Mullah Nazir group in South Waziristan, the military already has a peace agreement with Hafiz Gul Bahadar group in North Waziristan. The Gul Bahadar group is also bracketed in the category of ‘good Taliban’.

Government sources are excited at the move of Sajna-led Mehsud militants. They insist that they would talk to all those who want to talk to attain the objective of peace. These sources said there are some other Taliban factions, who are also in contact with the government for a dialogue.

Former Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq had announced on Wednesday the Mehsud militants’ decision to part ways with the TTP. “It is unfortunate that the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban has fallen into the hands of naive persons and conspirators bringing a bad name to the Jihadi organisations in the world,” Azam Tariq was quoted as saying by the media.

“After days of thinking and discussions, we finally decided to abandon Mullah Fazlullah and the people around him. The majority of members of our Taliban network have been involved in un-Islamic activities. They are engaged in the killing of innocent people, kidnapping for ransom and extortions which had never been the objectives of our slain leader Baitullah Mehsud,” said Azam Tariq, a former schoolteacher.

Azam Tariq had said his new group will operate under the banner of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan-South Waziristan Agency (TTP-SWA), and added that Khalid Mehsud, whose real name is Khan Said alias Sajna, would lead the new faction of the Mehsud Taliban.

The government-Taliban dialogue process was facing suspension during the last several weeks because of the infighting within the TTP, which led to the most serious setback to the Taliban unity since the TTP’s creation.It is said that Mullah Fazlullah, who is presently leading the TTP, is not acceptable to military authorities for his “crimes” whereas not much opposition is there for Sajna, who has been a known supporter of the talks process.

Even on Wednesday, Azam Tariq told the media: “We wanted to find out a peaceful solution to the conflict and favoured the peace talks with the government. However, those Pakistani Taliban sitting in Afghanistan and running the group from across the border opposed the talks.”

This situation is encouraging for those who have been supporting the dialogue process. While there were many who always disapproved the talks process, it was a foreseen conclusion that the dialogue process would divide the Taliban while the military operation would unite them.

Major parties welcome Sharif’s India visit

 

ISLAMABAD: Major political parties on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s decision to accept Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi’s invitation to attend his swearing-in ceremony.
In their separate statements, the leaders of major political parties said Sharif’s invitation to accept Modi’s invitation was a step in the right direction that would pave the way for detente between Pakistan and India.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s decision to accept the invitation to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi.

PPP spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said the former president termed the decision “politically correct and wise”.

“Such decisions are often not easy but are necessary and need to be taken by the political leadership in the larger national interest,” he said.

In a press talk on Thursday, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah had advised Nawaz Sharif to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Khursheed said he was a supporter of every step taken for the peace initiative, and if the prime minister attended the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi, it will ease tension between Pakistan and India.

He was of the opinion that if tension eased between the two countries then the people of both countries will heave a sigh of relief.

“When we want to keep good relations with the United States and Russia then why not with neighbours,” he added.

Agencies add: In a statement, President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Javed Hashmi also welcomed the government’s decision saying that Sharif’s visit was in the national interest. He said there would be progress on the core issues between the two countries.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said by accepting the invitation, the Government of Pakistan had given a positive gesture to the Indian government.

Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party (ANP) said the prime minister had taken a very good decision to participate in the oath-taking ceremony of his Indian counterpart.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed said the nation, army and government should be on the same page when it came to the security of Pakistan.

Talking to media persons at the Karachi airport Saturday, Saeed did not approve of Nawaz’ visit to India and advised him to reconsider his decision. He also warned him to be very cautious during his visit to India.

Major parties welcome Sharif’s India visit

 

ISLAMABAD: Major political parties on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s decision to accept Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi’s invitation to attend his swearing-in ceremony.
In their separate statements, the leaders of major political parties said Sharif’s invitation to accept Modi’s invitation was a step in the right direction that would pave the way for detente between Pakistan and India.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s decision to accept the invitation to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi.

PPP spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said the former president termed the decision “politically correct and wise”.

“Such decisions are often not easy but are necessary and need to be taken by the political leadership in the larger national interest,” he said.

In a press talk on Thursday, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah had advised Nawaz Sharif to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Khursheed said he was a supporter of every step taken for the peace initiative, and if the prime minister attended the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi, it will ease tension between Pakistan and India.

He was of the opinion that if tension eased between the two countries then the people of both countries will heave a sigh of relief.

“When we want to keep good relations with the United States and Russia then why not with neighbours,” he added.

Agencies add: In a statement, President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Javed Hashmi also welcomed the government’s decision saying that Sharif’s visit was in the national interest. He said there would be progress on the core issues between the two countries.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said by accepting the invitation, the Government of Pakistan had given a positive gesture to the Indian government.

Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party (ANP) said the prime minister had taken a very good decision to participate in the oath-taking ceremony of his Indian counterpart.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed said the nation, army and government should be on the same page when it came to the security of Pakistan.

Talking to media persons at the Karachi airport Saturday, Saeed did not approve of Nawaz’ visit to India and advised him to reconsider his decision. He also warned him to be very cautious during his visit to India.

60 militants dead after major attack on Afghan army post

 

KABUL: Afghan forces repulsed an assault by hundreds of militants, many from across the border, officials said on Wednesday, in the biggest clashes since the presidential election almost four weeks ago.
NATO air support was called in to help beat back the attack that left 60 militants and at least five Afghan soldiers dead at an army base near the porous border on Monday night. “A group of terrorists and foreign fighters numbering about 500... launched a big operation targeting army posts in Zirok district of Paktika province,” the Afghan defence ministry said in a statement.

It said the militants were trying to score a high-profile victory after failing to mount a significant attack on polling day despite threatening to target voters, election officials and security forces.

The Afghan National Directorate of Security, the country’s intelligence agency, said 300 fighters from the Haqqani network, which is allied to the Taliban, and other insurgents were involved.

“Haqqani and foreign fighters along with suicide attackers carried out an assault on the night of April 28 to capture a military base in Zirok district,” it said. “As a result of a counter-attack by government forces backed by coalition air force, 60 members of the Haqqani group and other foreign fighters were killed and a large number injured.”

The Haqqani network is blamed for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan, including bombings of the US and Indian embassies in Kabul. A Haqqani source in Pakistan confirmed Monday’s incident to AFP. “Allied forces and the Afghan army retaliated to the assault and killed 60 fighters,” he said.

“The fighters left and took with them 40 bodies of their colleagues and 12 Afghan soldiers who were alive.” The Haqqani source said the bodies of 20 militants were with the Afghans and a message had been sent offering to exchange the captured soldiers for them. Afghan officials said only one soldier had been taken hostage

Rampant corruption in Sindh poses a major threat

ISLAMABAD: Security officials in Sindh have warned that if the present political dispensation does not ensure good governance and does not check massive corruption, the nationalist and separatist voices in the province would strengthen beyond anyone’s imagination, sooner rather than later.

Official sources told The News that things are going from bad to worse, both in terms of governance and corruption in the province, leading to the worsening law and order situation and a greater sense of deprivation among the people, particularly in the interior Sindh.

Corruption, it is said, has reached extreme levels and there is no check on such illegal practices. The provincial bureaucracy is badly politicised and the police and Rangers, particularly in Karachi, are completely frustrated for not getting the political backing; instead they are facing hurdles from government authorities and political parties in going after the criminals.

It is said that as the government is preparing to do some huge purchases worth Rs5 billion for the Sindh Police, a reputed Additional Home Secretary Syed Mumtaz Hussain Shah was transferred on Sunday.

While Rs5 billion for police procurement is being released, the Rangers demand for Rs01 billion for the purchase of weapons, protective clothing and vehicles is not being cleared for several months. The source alleged that it is being done because for the Rangers procurement, a transparent system is to be followed.

It is added that despite of late frustration of the DG Rangers in public, the provincial government is not ready to announce head money for 162 most wanted criminals, belonging to different political parties and groups. They are also waiting for the appointment of prosecutors.

They lament that despite the promise made by the provincial government in the presence of the prime minister, the development package for Lyari is not being announced. “Such is the situation in the province that some of the senior police officers have been approached by chief minister’s daughter Nafeesa Shah requesting the top cops to press Qaim Ali Shah to announce the Lyari package.”

Despite the recent Thar embarrassment that involves the death of nearly 200 children due to the apathy and callousness of the provincial government, it is said that things are not improving and the state of affairs remain unchanged.

The security official said that only a few months back, some key political figures were trapped in a Rs06 billion hawala scandal. These political figures were alleged to have sent their Rs06 billion abroad through a hawala agent who, interestingly, fled to Canada with the money.

No FIR could be lodged as these public figures had no justification to tell the world from where they got this money. They reportedly raised the issue with one of their political superiors, who allegedly gave them a shut up call and suggested them to forget and move on.