Current Projects
Pakistan Conflict Tracker Monthly Report – September 2012
The raging wave of violence substantially reduced during September across Pakistan. Ethno-political violence in Karachi, religio-terrorism in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and nationalist-separatist violence in Balochistan, meanwhile continued to mount the death toll. The deadly wave of target killing in Karachi, which ensued in the last week of March, left almost 131 persons dead during the current month. In total, 162 persons perished in Karachi during September. Also, the militancy stricken areas of FATA and KP continued to seethe under violence, wherein a whopping 300 persons lost their lives during the month under review in different circumstances. The data collected throughten newspapers that CRSS uses as the source, depicts that some 506 people lost their lives in 205 incidents of violence across the country (for details see data sheet). The violent clashes also left 526 people injured across the country in September. A concise peep into the casualty figures underscores that the civilians remained the major target of violent actors, with the civilians accounting for 3/5 of the total deaths as a result of various acts of violence and terror in Pakistan. As noted in pie chart I below, civilians were almost 59 percent of the total dead in September. The share of civilian deaths is slightly higher than the previous month, wherein 43 percent of the dead were innocent civilians. As a whole 298 civilians were killed during the month. Moreover, the data suggests that the militants fighting against the state remained the second major target i.e. 34 percent (170) of the total dead. Clashes also left 38 security forces– personnel (7 percent of total deaths) dead and these were mostly recorded in insurgency infested areas of FATA, ethno-political violence hub, Karachi, and nationalist-separatist epicenter, Balochistan. Furthermore during September (from August 31 to 27 September), three CIA operated drone strikes were reported...
Weekly Data Sheet – September 21 – October 04, 2012
Pakistan Conflict Tracker Weekly Report – September 21 – October 04, 2012
The overall level of violence further sub-sided across Pakistan during the current week. Ethno-political violence in Karachi, the largest metropolis of Pakistan, also decreased slightly during the week, wherein almost 42 persons (compared to 44 last week) lost their lives. Meanwhile, the wave of bomb blasts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), armed clashes between militants and the security forces in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the recovery of mutilated dead bodies-continued to mount death toll. The data collected throughten newspapers that CRSS uses as the source, indicates that as many as 101 persons were dead, as a result of 58 violent incidents across the country during the reported week (for detailssee data sheet).The violent incidents also left 31 people injured. Like in case of past week yet again, the civilians bore the major brunt of violence during current week, wherein civilians were accounted for 52 percent of the total death toll. In total, 53 civilians were killed and 16 others wounded as a result of violent clashes across Pakistan. The second highest number of deaths was ofmilitants, wherein 41 militants were killed under different circumstances. Furthermore, one CIA operated drone strikesstruck in Haiderkhel village of Mir Ali sub-division, North Waziristan Agency (FATA), during the course of the week, killing two suspected militants. Meanwhile, continuing their campaign to demolish state infrastructure, militants blew up two power pylons and two state-run schools in different areas of KP and FATA. Moreover, eight sectarian attacks left eight persons, five Sunnis and three Shias dead in Karachi (Sindh) and Quetta (Balochistan). The number of deaths due to target killing soared by six percent, (42 percent against last week 36 percent) during the current week. Overall, 67 percent of the total violent attacks wereoftarget killingin nature.The trend also underlines that the target killing insistently remains the preferred weapon in the hands...
Weekly Data Sheet – September 21-27, 2012
Pakistan Conflict Tracker Weekly Report – September 21-27, 2012
The raging wave of violence de-escalated slightly across Pakistan during the current week. Relentless wave of ethno-political violence in the largest metropolis, Karachi, picked up drastically during the week, wherein almost 44 persons were butchered during the course of the reported week. Meanwhile, the wave of bomb blasts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), armed clashes between militants and the security forces in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the recovery of mutilated dead bodies - continued to wreak havoc. The data collected throughten newspapers that CRSS uses as the source, indicates that as many as 119 persons perished, as a result of 54 incidents of violence across the country during the reported week (for detailssee data sheet).The violent incidents also left a staggering 241 people injured. As in case of past week, yet again, it were the civilians who bore the major brunt of the persistent wave of violence across Pakistan during current week, wherein civilians were accounted for 66 percent of the total death toll. In total 79 civilians were killed and 173 others wounded as a result of violent clashes across Pakistan. The second highest number of deaths was ofmilitants, wherein 67 militants were killed under different circumstances. Furthermore, two CIA operated drone strikesstruck in Dattakhel and Mir Ali sub-divisions of North Waziristan Agency (FATA), during the course of the week, killing eight suspected militants. Meanwhile, continuing their campaign to demolish state infrastructure, militants, blew up two power pylons, two state-run schools and a portion of gas pipeline in different areas of KP and Balochistan. Moreover, five sectarian attacks left 11 persons, four Sunni and seven Shia men, dead and another four Shia men injured in Karachi (Sindh) and Quetta (Balochistan). The number of deaths due to target killing incidents surged by eight percent, (36 percent against last week 28 percent) during the current week. Overall, 65 percent of...
After Osama: Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Future of Regional Stability
Brussels: Addressing the first of the European Peace and Studies Programme Lecture Series of 2012, at Free University of Brussels , Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director CRSS, said conflicting interests of various actors in the extended South Asian region ´ India, Pakistan, China, Iran and the United States ´ do not augur well for peace and stability in the region. Nor will these competing interests make the Afghan reconciliation any smoother. The days ahead in the region are likely to be overshadowed by the Presidential elections in the United States as well as generals elections in Pakistan a few months later. Domestic political compulsions ´ both for President Barack Obama and President Asif Ali Zardari plus the Pakistani military ´ are for the time being biggest obstruction in the way of the peace process in Afghanistan. The short-term objective of the US to pullout bulk of its troops from Afghanistan in July 2014 and the long-term interest of Pakistan not to antagonize the Afghan Pashtoon tribes inhabiting both sides of the Pak-Afghan border are mutually exclusive and thus rule out a synergy of action of these two countries, particularly because the United States as the sole super power wants to fix everything in its own way and on its terms, which result in friction with Pakistan. Also, the US antagonism with Iran casts its shadow on its relations with Pakistan. At the same time the Indian influence in Washington and Kabul, works as a discomforting factor for Pakistan, and thus holding it back from whole-hearted cooperation in efforts for regional peace. Conflicting American and Pakistani narratives on the region, Gul said , essentially lie at the heart of frictions and the lack of trust between the two countries. The mistrust flows from Pakistan alleged involvement with the India-focused militant group Lashkare Taiba and the Afghan Haqqani Network , recently designated by the US as a terrorist group. As long as the bilateral relationship were defined by this...
View: Pakistan, Russia and Opportunities for Regional Cooperation
Pak-Russia ties are witnessing a fresh start with an exchange of high level visits from both the sides. Something considered improbable in the past, may soon become a reality as both the sides are vying for a new start in bilateral ties. Although Russian President Putin has postponed his much-hyped visit to Pakistan, yet a visit by the Russian delegation, in early September, headed bythe Russian Sports Minister, to Islamabad and potential visit by Pakistani Army Chief to Moscow presents positive prospects for furthering bilateral ties. Putin's visit was primarily intended for a quadrilateral Afghan summit in Islamabad that also had one on one meeting with the Pakistani President on agenda. Officials on both the sides have given indications of signing of multiple MOU's (Memorandums of Understanding) for development and investment in steel and energy sectors. President Zardari, while meeting with the Russian delegation expressed his desire for cooperation with Moscow in the aforementioned sectors.[i] Historically, Russia and Pakistan have never enjoyed prolonged periods of fruitful ties. Even after Pakistan's inception, Liaqat Ali Khan, Pakistan's first Prime Minister, preferred to visit USA, even though was invited first by the then Soviet Government. The relations saw only one major milestone during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's Government, when on his visit, in 1974[ii], the Soviet Government agreed to establish the Pakistan Steel Mill on its own expense, coupled with helping in Nuclear Energy sector. It was during the Zia's regime when Carter administration, of USA, Saudi Arabia and General Zia teamed up with the help of right-wing parties to train Mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan[iii]. Keeping in context Pakistan's current political situation, these latest developments hold utmost importance for the country. Currently, the United States and its allies have increased pressure on Pakistan to force support for Washington's policy of strengthening its...
Pakistani radio show uses mothers and mullahs to undercut Taliban
(Reuters) - Slowly, Ziarat Bibi recalled the last words she spoke to her son, her pain seeming to fill the dimly lit radio studio. "He was preparing for his exam. I told him to pick up his books," she said, as transmitters beamed her grief to listeners across northwest Pakistan. A Taliban bomb killed her son before he took his exam. She has not been able to touch his books since. Bibi is one of many bereaved mothers sharing their stories on a Pashto-language radio show aimed at undercutting support for the Taliban in their heartlands along the rugged frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan's weak civilian government, a U.S. ally often derided as inept and corrupt, is struggling to defeat the insurgency and largely failing to win hearts and minds. State-run radio spent years issuing dry updates on the prime minister's schedule while the Taliban broadcast hit lists and fiery recruitment calls from dozens of FM stations, some hidden in the back of a donkey cart. Alarmed at the success of hardline propaganda, veteran Pakistani journalist Imtiaz Gul decided to try something different: a mix of reports and live debates designed to get people thinking critically about militancy. One of his shows is called The Dawn and the other The Voice of Peace. They are an hour long and run back to back. New transmitters funded by the United States and Japan are about to start beaming them out across the mountains. Recent topics have covered how to respond if al Qaeda members show up on your doorstep, whether polio vaccination campaigns are run by the CIA and if suicide bombs killing Muslims are justified. Pashtun tribal elders, mullahs, activists, and officials hold debates and listeners are invited to call in. A recent show on whether religious leaders were doing enough to promote peace got more than 80 calls. TALIBAN HIT LISTS It wasn't always like that. When Gul first started the shows in 2009, people were too scared to talk. The army had just pushed back Taliban...
Pakistan Conflict Tracker Weekly Report – September 14-20, 2012
The overall level of violence picked up drastically across Pakistan during the current week. Meanwhile, unrelenting wave of ethno-political violence in the largest metropolis, Karachi, continued to wreak havoc and pile up misery. During two weeks, almost 70 persons were assassinated in the city. Meanwhile, the wave of bomb blasts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and armed clashes between militants and the security forces in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the recovery of mutilated dead bodies-continued to mount death toll. The data collected throughten newspapers that CRSS uses as the source, depicts that as many as 151 persons perished, as a result of 51 incidents of violence across the country during the reported week (for detailssee data sheet).The violent incidents also left 112 people injured. Like the preceding week, yet again, the civilians turned out to be the major victims of the persistent wave of violence across Pakistan during the week, wherein civilians were accounted for 60 percent of the total death toll. In total 92 civilians were killed and 110 others wounded as a result of violent clashes across Pakistan. The second highest number of deaths was ofmilitants, wherein 58 militants were killed under different circumstances. Furthermore, like the previous week no CIA operated drone strikewas reported in any part of the country during the course of the week. In continuation of their campaign to demolish state infrastructure, militants, however, blew up four state-run schools in different areas of KP and FATA. No sectarian attack was reported in any part of the country during the week. The number of deaths due to target killing incidents further dropped by three percent, (28 percent against last week 31 percent) during the current week. Overall, 57 percent of the total violent attacks wereoftarget killingin nature.The trend also underscores that the target killing insistently remains the preferred weapon in the hands of violent actors to...
Weekly Data Sheet – September 14-20, 2012
TOP STORIES
TESTIMONIALS
“
I am also a member of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting. Recently, we held a meeting with the Director General of Radio Pakistan and we told them to initiate such local programs (like Constituency Hour) in regional languages to educate and inform people. Even Indian Radio can be heard in FATA which is being used for propaganda purposes and must be closed. Therefore, we should launch some standard and quality programs like CRSS that will change the taste of the listeners.