There was an unparallel surge in violence during this week. Twin suicide blasts, targeting a senior security official in Quetta on Wednesday, September 7 was among the deadliest of terrorist attacks in Quetta in recent months, which killed at least 26 people including Frontier Corps– (FC) Colonel Khalid, spokesperson Murtaza Baig and wife of the Deputy Inspector General FC Brigadier Farrukh Shehzad. The blast caused serious injuries Brig. Shehzad and his children. In sum, 27 people were preyed upon by terrorists during the week.
In a joint operation with Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of USA, Pakistan Army arrested a senior Al-Qaeda leader and close confidant of Osama bin Laden, Younis al Mauritani, on September 5 near Quetta along with two other senior Al-Qaeda operatives.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader in Balochistan, Senator Haji Lashkari Raisani, accused Interior Minister Rehman Malik of sabotaging peace efforts in Balochistan on Monday, September 5. Talking to the media in Quetta, Raisani said that the interior minister resorted to violence for restoring peace in Quetta, while talked about holding dialogue with militants in case of Karachi.
Reko Diq (located in Chagai district of Balochistan) copper mining project, which is jointly run by Chilean and Canadian mining companies, is reportedly to get the nod of Balochistan government later in September. The said project has been delayed due to permit issues and licensing disputes in recent months, which led to Supreme Court of Pakistan intervention.
Heavy rains and flash floods have once again struck the already fragile recovery efforts in Balochistan against the backdrop of last year worst floods. At least 40 mud houses collapsed in Kalat district, about 145 kilometers south of Quetta, as heavy rains continued to affect the area till early Monday morning.
Week in Review
a) Acts of Terrorism/Subversion
- A Hindu trader was shot dead on September 4 allegedly by extortionists, 700 kilometers south west of Quetta. Seth Ado Mal, who was also an ex-councilor, was opening his shop in main Hub town when armed assailants, after an argument, opened fire on him, according to police officials.[1]
- Two suicide bombers, targeting a senior security official, struck near government offices in Quetta on Wednesday, September 7 killing 26 people, and injuring over 60, according to police officials. The first blast occurred near commissioner office in the Civil Lines area, when one of the suicide bombers blew himself up in a vehicle packed with 100 Kg explosives near the car of the Deputy Inspector General FC, Brigadier Farrukh Shehzad. Consequently, Mr. Shehzad was wounded in the blast, while Colonel Khalid and FC spokesperson Murtaza Baig were killed. After five minutes, another suicide bomber entered into Brig. Shehzad house, and blew himself up. Two Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel, two children and the spouse of Brig. Shehzad, were killed. Tehreek-i- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) took responsibility for this deadly attack and termed it as revenge for the arrest of three Al- Qaeda operatives on September 5 by security forces.[2]
- Quetta police on Thursday, September 8, arrested more than 250 suspects in a search operation conducted in sensitive areas of the city in the backdrop of twin suicide blasts on Wednesday. According to police sources, Afghan refugees are also among those arrested.[3]
- Pakistan has completely sealed off its borders with Afghanistan, after recent reports of Afghan citizens– involvement in most of terror attacks in Pakistan in recent months, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday, September 11. Addressing a press conference in Quetta, he blamed Afghans of involvement in other crimes as well. When asked if key operatives of Al-Qaeda and Taliban were in Quetta, he said that after the death of Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda has declared an all out on Pakistan.[4]
- With the technical assistance of CIA, Pakistan Army arrested a senior Al-Qaeda leader, Younis al Mauritani, on September 5 in the suburbs of Quetta. Two other senior al Qaeda operatives, Abdul Ghaffar al Shami (Bachar Chama) and Messara al Shami (Mujahid Amino) were also arrested along with Al Mauritani. According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) and Western intelligence officials, Mauritani was among the top Al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan and had close links with Osama bin Laden.[5]
- PPP leader in Balochistan, Senator Haji Lashkari Raisani on Monday, September 5, said that Interior Minister Rehman Malik had been sabotaging efforts to restore peace in Balochistan. Speaking to the media in Quetta, Raisani said that the interior minister resorted to violence for restoring peace in Quetta and at the same time entered into negotiations with militants when it came to Karachi. Meanwhile, Advocate Tariq Asad has filed an application in the Secretariat Police Station in Islamabad for the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Rehman Malik for sabotaging peace process.[6]
- Moreover, Senator Raisani disclosed on September 6 that Baloch insurgents are willing to negotiate with the government to find a political situation to Balochistan issue. Talking to media, he said he was approached by a Baloch separatist leader ´ known to be involved in insurgency in the province ´ about entering the political mainstream. ‘A separatist group, waging insurgency in Balochistan, contacted me and agreed to work out a peaceful struggle within the framework of Pakistan,’ Lashkari told to media. Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, in a statement, welcomed the development for the future of Balochistan.[7]
- Wednesday twin suicide attacks not only shook Quetta, but appeard to have shaken the provincial government off its slumber with respect to the city volatile internal security. At a high-level meeting, chaired by the chief minister on Thursday, September 8 the provincial government decided to drive out illegal immigrants from the city, citing them as a major security threat.[8]
c) Natural Calamity
At least 40 mud houses collapsed in Kalat district, about 145 kilometers south of Quetta, as heavy rains continued to lash the area early Monday morning. Flash floods, triggered by latest rains, swept through Dasht Mugalzai town in Kalat after breaching bunds onto agriculture land. Land spread over thousands of acres was destroyed and crops were badly damaged. The communication system was also damaged. More than 40 families have been rendered homeless in Kalat and are forced to live in the open without any relief supplies.[9]
d) Economic Front
Reko Diq (located in Chagai district, Balochistan) copper mining project, jointly run by Chilean and Canadian mining companies is likely to receive the nod of Balochistan government in September, said in a report on September 6. Reko Diq has been delayed due to permit issues and licensing disputes. The London listed Antofagasta and Barrick, each hold a 37.5% percent stake in the project, while the Pakistani government owns the remaining 25 percent, under the banner of a joint venture calledTethyan Copper Company (TCC).[10]
The latest casualty of official negligence in Balochistan is forest cover that has dwindled from 2.6 per cent in 2010 to 1.2 per cent in 2011. Officials in the Balochistan forest department said on September 8 that the rapid reduction is due to lack of planning and paucity of resources and manpower, but also criticized the government apathetic attitude.[11]
[1] Suspected extortionists: Hindu trader shot dead in Balochistan–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/245104/suspected-extortionists-hindu-trader-shot-dead-in-balochistan/
[2] Suicide bombers kill 20 in Quetta–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/246965/twin-explosions-in-quetta-2-dead/
[3] Quetta police detain 250 suspects in wake of attack–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/247879/quetta-police-detain-250-suspects-in-wake-of-attack/
[4] ¿Taliban moving to Quetta from FATA–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/249841/taliban-moving-to-quetta-from-fata/
[5] Senior al Qaeda leader arrested from Quetta: ISPR–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/245296/senior-al-qaeda-leader-arrested-in-pakistan-ispr/
[6] Rehman Malik sabotaging efforts to restore peace in Balochistan’, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/245289/rehman-malik-sabotaging-efforts-to-restore-peace-in-balochistan/
[7] ¿Baloch separatists willing to talk peace–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/246125/baloch-separatists-willing-to-talk-peace/
[8] Securing the city: Twin blasts prompt cleanup of Quetta–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/247879/quetta-police-detain-250-suspects-in-wake-of-attack/
[9] Balochistan floods: 40 mud houses collapse in Kalat–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/246059/balochistan-floods-40-mud-houses-collapse-in-kalat/
[10] Reko Diq to get Balochistan government approval: Report–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/246468/reko-diq-to-get-balochistan-government-approval-report/
[11] Official negligence: Balochistan forest cover decreasing at alarming rate–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/247484/official-negligence-balochistan-forest-cover-decreasing-at-alarming-rate/