An upsurge was recorded in the number of violent incidents resulting in killing and injuring people throughout the country except in Punjab province. Compared to the 385 deaths in March, the figure grew to 514 in April registering over 30% rise. Over 30% of the total mortalities were in Sindh, nearly 60% in FATA, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) combined and less than 10% in the Punjab and Islamabad. The sudden increase was attributed to Taliban refusal to the government demand to extend ceasefire for another month and the ensuing in-fighting among the Taliban groups and as such majority of the dead comprise militants.

Target killings in Karachi declined in April but it increased in other parts of Pakistan. Insurgents in Balochistan escalated their activities in the province and also claimed responsibility for the bomb explosion at Sabzi Mandi (fruit and vegetable market) in Islamabad. There is a noticeable change in the nature of crimes countrywide which have been reviewed and analyzed in the following report.

All these events and other facts reported in the national newspapers are collected to make this report as informative and factual as possible. Errors and omissions, as always are a possibility in all statistical works including this one, are expected. However, such mistakes do not grossly affect the basic objective of this report. This report mainly covers the following topics:

Casualties during April 2014

Casualties among militants

Claiming acts of violence

New elements

Victims of violence and counter violence operation

Karachi killings

Sectarian violence

CRSS will appreciate receiving comments from readers on the report.

Report prepared by:

Mohammad Nafees

Senior Research Fellow

Center for Research and Security Studies

NOTE: Readers can approach CRSS for source of any information included in the report. Please send your request to: [mail@crss.pk]

OVERVIEW

Casualties during April 2014

There was a 30% increase in the number of casualties thus raising the figure to 941 (514 dead and 427 wounded) as compared to 731 for March (Refer to Graph 1 and Table 1). Sindh, the second highest populated province, had the highest number of deaths while the Punjab, with highest population had the lowest number of deaths (Refer to Graph 2). Among the major cities, Karachi accounted for the maximum number of deaths followed by Khyber Agency, North Waziristan Agency, Kalat, Islamabad, Peshawar and others (Refer to Graph 3). Balochistan (Quetta), this month suffered less number of casualties because of a change in its security situation. But for the first time, in the last 12 months, nine districts of Balochistan (Kalat, Sibi, Quetta, Mastung, Naseerabad, Khuzdar, Panjgur, and Turbat) experienced violence during April. Meanwhile, other than Dera Ghazi Khan where four people were killed, rest of the Punjab remained peaceful.

Graph 1: Deaths due to violence during April 2014:

Table 1: Deaths due to violence during April 2014:

Graph 2: Number of people killed in provinces due to violence:

Graph 3: Number of people killed in major cities:

Graph 4: Victims of violence in Pakistan ´ April 2014:

Casualties Among Militants ´ April 2014

In April, in-fighting among two Taliban rival groups claimed 33 out of 157 lives almost four times more than March. On the other hand, 39 government officials including policemen, Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel, and soldiers died, down from 53 in March, recording a drop of nearly 30%. Counter terrorism drive left 38 criminals dead as compared to 49 last month (Refer to table 2).

Table 2: Victims of violence during April 2014

Claiming Acts of Violence ´ April 2014

In April, Taliban or its affiliates did not claim a single incident of violence. (Refer graph 5). However, ground realities appear to be different.

Two Balochistan outlawed insurgent groups claimed responsibility for the following incidents: United Baloch Army (UBA) claimed responsibility for the bomb explosion inside the Jaffer Express train on April 9, at Sibi Railway Station leaving 17 persons dead and 50 injured. They also claimed the bomb explosion at Sabzi Mandi in Islamabad on April 10. However, security agencies did not accept their claims. Baloch National Army (BNA) claimed responsibility for the bomb explosion on the railway tracks in Rahim Yar Khan April 28, injuring two persons.

Graph 5: Claimants of violence in Pakistan ´ April 2014:

New Elements

Some new elements have surfaced in the existing volatile situation such as robbers, smugglers and Taliban splinter /rival groups. Following is a brief review of the nature of violence, its severity, and how the security agencies are dealing with them.

Robbers

In one incident, robbers killed six security personnel and injured 12, including the assistant commissioner in a bank robbery attempt in Mastung. Out of the five robbers, two were killed, two were arrested, and one of them managed to escape[1]. Another incident took place in Islamabad, where a policeman was killed when he tried to arrest robbers who were trying to steal a mobile[2]. In April, security agencies killed 13 robbers eleven (11) in Karachi and two (2) in Mustung.

Smugglers

Two security personnel were killed and one was injured during an exchange of fire with drug smugglers in Balochistan’s Mashkel area on April 29. According to a press report, security forces tried to stop a convoy of drug smugglers that was trying to sneak into Iran from Mashkel, close to the Iranian border. Both sides used heavy weapons against each other. The armed smugglers sped away after the incident[3].

In fight between Taliban Rival Groups

In-fighting between two Taliban rival groups; (Khan Said alias Sajna and Shehryar Mehsud of Waliur Rahman and Hakeemullah Mehsud factions) resulted in the death of 33 militants. In March, rivalry claimed 40 fatalities. Militant death toll increased when Pakistan Army carried out an operation against the militant hideouts in Khyber agency. The operation carried out on April 24 was on a tip- off that the militants responsible for the bomb explosion at the Sabzi Mandi in Islamabad and an attack on the police in Charsadda were present in the area[4].

The rivalry has impacted adversely on the negotiations between the government and the Taliban. A senior Taliban commander made the following observations. He said: ‘Some people who had conducted dozens of high-profile suicide attacks had been ignored in the peace talks. It is a mistake of the TTP leadership and the government. Let me assure you even if they sign the peace accord the attacks would continue in the country.[5]‘ It is clear that the government is not making much headway with its talk with the Taliban nor it is easy to bring all the well-armed splinter groups on the same platform who is not on the same page themselves. The groups against whom army operation was conducted are those who carried out attacks in different parts of the country and were kept out of the negotiation process.[6]

The total casualties of Taliban in-fighting, militancy, and military operations are as follows:

Dead Injured

TTP In-fight 33

Militancy 34 156 (militants– attacks and terrorism)

Military Operation 69 20

Total 136 176

Victims of violence and counter violence operation: April 2014

The data on violence and counter violence operations indicate that the number of civilians killed were far more than the criminals in Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad. In KP and FATA, militants were killed in high numbers both in in-fighting and army operation. The dead among the government officials (policemen, rangers, FC personnel) were less than the civilians, militants, or criminals in all provinces. (Refer to table 3).

Table 3: Victims of violence in provinces of Pakistan – April 2014

Karachi killings ´ April 2014

April saw a drop in the crime rate in Karachi and the numbers of people killed were155 as opposed to 185 in March. Target killings claimed 109 lives as against 118 last month. The killing in Karachi claimed lives of 85 civilians, 34 political activists, 28 militants/criminals and 5 policemen.

The political activists killed were affiliated to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) (14), Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamat (ASWJ) (11), Sunni Tehreek (3), Awami National Part (ANP) (1), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) (1), and Jamati-i- Islami (JI) (1). This month Lyari gang war claimed eight (8) lives as compared to 70 in March, indicating a let up in the violence. (Refer graph 6). However, political and sectarian killings continued unabated. Most of the victims belonged to the MQM, Shia sect, (ASWJ) and the police (Refer graph 7).

Graph 6: Locations of violence in Karachi ´ April 2014:

Graph 7: Affiliation of victims of violence in Karachi ´ April 2014:

Sectarian violence ´ April 2014

In April, sectarian violence claimed 40 lives throughout the country. Over 90% were carried out in Sindh (85%) and Balochistan (8%) the rest took place in FATA, KP and Islamabad. (Refer to graph 8).

In Karachi, 31people were killed on sectarian grounds and three (3) in Hyderabad. Among the victims there were Shia (18), Sunni (19), Hindu (3), and unknown (1). People from Sunni sect belong to various religious parties while Shias are mostly professional or common people. Professionally, the sectarian violence left two doctors, two lawyers, two prayer leaders, three scavengers, and 14 political activists dead. (Refer table 4).

Sunni victims

Shia victims:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 4: Victims of sectarian violence in Pakistan – April 2014

Date	Source	Killed	Injured	City	Religion	Method	Affiliation	Name of Victims
1-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	35-year-old Ali Haider
2-Apr-14	Express Tribune	1	1	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	Ahsanul Uloom seminary	Seminary student shot dead: Muhammad Ahsan, and 25-year-old Ahsan died while 24-year-old Saad is under treatment
3-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Asad Ibrahim Chawala, 25
6-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	ASWJ	Kaashan Munir, 35
6-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	unk	Gunned down		Syed Sarfraz Alam, 45,
8-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Anwer Shah
9-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Dr Qasim Abbas
9-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Zahid Imam, 55,
9-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	ASWJ	Ziauddin, 40,
9-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	ASWJ	Mohammad Sarfaraz, 35
10-Apr-14	The News	3	0	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	ASWJ	20-year-old Hayatullah, 19-year-old Ali Ahmed and a third youth
10-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Syed Iqbal Shah, 40-year-old
10-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Dr Haider Raza, 45-year-old
10-Apr-14	Express Tribune	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	PMLN	Waqarul Hasan Zaidi = Advocate
11-Apr-14	The News	1	2	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Ghulam Hussain, 40,
11-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Quetta	Sunni	Gunned down		armed men riding motorcycles opened fire at Moulvi Khalil Ahmad in the Moosa Colony in Quetta
12-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Syed Ghulam Haider, 50, an assistant director of the federal ombudsman office
12-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	ASWJ	Feroz Ahmed, 35,
13-Apr-14	The News	2	0	Quetta	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Hazara	unk
13-Apr-14	Express Tribune	1	0	Peshawar	Sunni	Dead body		The beheaded body of a prayer leader and schoolteacher, who was kidnapped a week ago from a mosque in Bazargai, Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar, was recovered from Zayri area of Jina Kor. Mullah Younas had close ties with militants in the past
14-Apr-14	The News	2	0	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	ST	Shahid Qadri and Saleeem Qadri, were activists of the Sunni Tehreek
14-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	ASWJ	third, Amjad, was a legal adviser of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ
16-Apr-14	The News	3	0	Hyderabad	Hindu	Explosion	Hindu Community	Scavenger Natthu, his son Vishnu and daughter Tulsi, were killed in an explosion
18-Apr-14	The News	1	1	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Sadiq Hussain, 55,
19-Apr-14	Express Tribune	2	0	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	ASWJ	Qari Eesarul Qasmi, 25, and his 32-year-old cousin Masood Ahmed
21-Apr-14	the News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Ali Raza, Twenty-two-year-old
22-Apr-14	Dawn	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Syed Sajjad Mehdi, 30,
23-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Bajaur	Sunni	Gunned down	Tableeghi Jamaat	Bacha Said – member of the Tableeghi Jamaat in Salarzai tehsil
23-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Shahid Hussain, 50,
24-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Shia	Gunned down	Shia Community	Ejaz Hussain, 40,
24-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	ASWJ	Amjad Khan, 28,
24-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Faisalabad	Shia	Gunned down	MWM	Ehsan Kabeer Zaidi, 45,
26-Apr-14	The News	1	0	Karachi	Sunni	Gunned down	ST	Kamran Qadri, 32,

Conclusion

In-fighting among the Taliban and retaliatory army operation against attacks on security personnel have been two major factors for the rise in the number of dead and injured persons. Infighting led to the break down in government-Taliban talks resulting in attacks on civilians by the rival groups.

There was a decline in target killings in Karachi but burglary related incidents grew noticeably. The ongoing security operation against criminals is having results, but MQM and ASWJ blamed the security personnel of targeting their workers. Meanwhile, sectarian violence continues targeting doctors, lawyers, teachers and others. What is however worrisome is the issue of militancy which takes new shapes and forms while the government remains clueless in how to address this malaise with punitive action or peace talks.