Clashes again erupts in Kurram Agency F.P. Report

PARACHINAR: Clashes erupted in trobuled Kurram Valley once again on Monday. According to details a group of millitants attacked the Pak-Afghan bordering village Pewar with heavy weapons. The millitants usedthe rocket launchers and mortar guns by attacking on the Turi tribe population of village Pewar. According to latest situation fighting is continued and turi tribe is resisting against the millitants. Uptill now the reports of six injuries came while the exact number of casulities and injuries are not known as the area is located on hills and hardest geographical region. The number of injured and casuilities may increase due to increase in intensity of fighting and use of heavy weapons from both the sides. It is worthmentiong here that on one side government and law enforcing agencies claims of complete peace and seize fire in area while the ground realities are that sever fighting is continued during diffrent intervals with addition to complete closer of main Thall-Parachinar Road from Last six months. Turi tribe elders accused that some persons in bureucracy and Law enforcing agencies are involved for converting the stratagic important Pak-Afghan Kurram valley to Taliban state or another Waziristan, moreover these persons are sending wrong reports to high ups as well. But the patriotic people of the Kurram valley will never allow this anti state agenda. Meanwhile social and politacal circles especially the local leadership & actvists of PPP and ANP Kurram demanded thier leadership to end the human tragedy in Kurram Valley by opening the main Thall-Parachinar Road and ending the seiege of half million population of Parachinar otherwise they all will quit the ruling parties by giving resignation they threatend. The Frontier Post (Peshawar) Tuesday, May 6, 2008, Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1429 A.H.

Jirga help sought to restore Fata peace

By Syed Irfan Raza

ISLAMABAD, May 5: The government on Monday sought tribal elders’ help for its efforts to restore peace in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

“The government and tribal elders have agreed to cooperate for maintaining peace in troubled areas,” federal Minister for Frontier Regions Najamuddin Khan, who attended a grand tribal jirga along with Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik, told Dawn.

He said the two sides had agreed to form a special committee to maintain law and order in the Kurram Agency.

The tribal leaders, he said, had assured the government that they would persuade the militants to end the blockade of the main road in the agency.

Some tribal leaders expressed reservations over the previous government’s claims that it had spent Rs7 billion on development projects in Fata during 2007-2008.

They told the adviser that contrary to the claims, there was no visible improvement in water supply, irrigation, education, health and forestation sectors.

The jirga opposed the enforcement of the FCR in its present shape and called for amending the laws immediately. It rejected Fata’s administrative system under which political agents simultaneously acted as police, judiciary and development authorities and the local people could not even file an appeal against their (political agents’) decisions.

The jirga comprised 200 people, including adviser to the tribal jirga Sahibzada Bhutan, Haji Rafique Mangal from Kurram Agency, Dr Farooq, chief of the PPP in Mohmand Agency, Khyber Agency’s PPP president Farhad Shahab, party’s vice-president in Bajaur Agency Haji Mohammad Khan, general secretary of PPP Fata Mirza Mohammad Jehadi, PPP chief in Kurram Agency Dr Syed Riaz Hussain, joint secretary of PPP in Fata Changez Khan Mohmand and the party’s general secretary in North Waziristan, Shamur Rehman.

Rehman Malik announced that Saiful Islam Afridi, president of the People’s Student Federation in Fata, would work as his adviser on tribal affairs.

Mr Malik formed a special committee to suggest ways of solving tribal people’s problems.

During the meeting, the minister for states and frontier regions assured the tribal leaders that the FCR laws would be changed in accordance with the people’s wishes. “The laws will be brought in conformity with local customs and traditions.” He said that no substitute system contrary to Islamic laws would be considered for Fata. The jirga members also called for increasing development funds and extending the Political Party Act to Fata.

“We have come to power to change the system. Industrial zones will be set up in Fata … and development funds will be increased … Frontier Constabulary and Levies will be reorganised and restructured and the salary of personnel between scales 1 to 5 will be increased.”

In a separate meeting, Rehman Malik praised the role of civil armed forces in maintaining peace. The meeting decided to increase their capacity to enable them to ward off threats and overcome challenges. The advisor assured that his ministry would boost their operational capability.

DAWN

Karachi

Tuesday

May 06, 2008

Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1429

Militants attack Kurram village

APP PARACHINAR: Miscreants Monday attacked Pewar village in a bid to disturb law and order of the agency. According to official sources, light and heavy weapons were used in the attack. However, no loss of life or property was reported. The attack was launched from the mountains of the Mangal tribe on the village of Pewar of Turi tribe early morning. The political administration has decided to take action against criminals in the area. The POST Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Rain starts in Parachinar

Rain starts in Parachinar

PARACHINAR (APP): A heavy rain started here at evening and the Kurram Agency has so far received a record rain till Saturday's night. The weather has become pleasant in the agency after current rain in most parts of the agency. The Frontier Post, Sunday, May 4, 2008, Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1429 A.H.

Jafaria Alliance of Pakistan (JAP) for UN enquiry into Kurram Agency turmoil

Jafaria Alliance of Pakistan (JAP) for UN enquiry into Kurram Agency turmoil F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Jafaria Alliance of Pakistan (JAP) Friday urged the government to conduct an inquiry under United Nations into the violent incidents in Kurram Agency in which hundreds of people have been killed and wounded so far. More than 500 people have been killed and hundreds others injured in the Kurram Agency so far after clashes erupted between rival tribesmen last year whereas hundred of people were displaced from the troubled area. Speaking at news conference at the cafeteria of Parliament House here, Senator Abbas Komail, President JAP also appealed the government to open Kohat-Parachinar road and ensure reasonable food supply on immediate basis along with foolproof protection to the passengers traveling from restive Parachinar to other parts of the country. He also warned that the JAP would give call to block the Karakuram Highway as protest if government failed to maintain law and order situation in Kurram Agency and did not fulfilled the demands. He held foreign elements settled in the Agency responsible for the ongoing violence and urged the government to take strict actions against them as well as eliminate them from the peaceful area. He demanded that Parachinar should be declared calamity-hit area and a relief package be given to the affectees of the violence. “Due to the deteriorating law and order situation in the Agency, the residents are seriously facing shortage of food items like atta, ghee, sugar, rice, pulses and medicine, fuel and other necessities” he added. Komaili urged that flights of PIA from Peshawar to Parachinar should be re-launched on emergency basis facilitate the stuck up passengers. For the restoration of peace, he said Kurram Malitia (Frontier Corps) should be re-deployed in the Agency and the Turi and Bangash tribes be rehabilitated in their native village Sadda and protection be given to them in future. He accused foreign hands of fueling the violence in this sensitive bordering tribal area with Afghanistan, who want to destabilize the country and its foundations. He also criticized the former Governor NWFP Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai and political administration and alleged that their partial attitude had further fueled the violence instead of normalizing the situations. He hoped that the present Governor NWFP Awais Ghani would look into the entire situation with impartial way to restore peace in Kurram Agency. Komaili also thanked the PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and Advisor to Prime Minister Rehman Malik for playing positive role in restoring peace of the area. He soon after the formation of the government, efforts were made to stop the clashes. He urged that the issues be resolved through impartial Jirga in which elected representatives of the people be included. The Frontier Post, Saturday, May 3, 2008, Rabi-us-Sani 26, 1429 A.H.

Shiite-Sunni Strife Paralyzes Life in Pakistan’s Kurram Tribal Agency

Shiite-Sunni Strife Paralyzes Life in Pakistan’s Kurram Tribal Agency

Type :	Report
Title :	Shiite-Sunni Strife Paralyzes Life in Pakistan’s Kurram Tribal Agency
Source :	Global Terrorism Analysis // The Jamestown Foundation
Date Added:	1-May-2008
Publication Date :	30-Apr-2008
URL :	http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374137
Abstract :	Pakistan’s Kurram Tribal Agency has been at the center of sectarian Shiite-Sunni conflict for decades. The area witnessed bloody clashes between the two rival sects of Islam long before the arrival of the Taliban phenomenon and foreign al-Qaeda elements in the region in the wake of the U.S. attack on the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in late 2001. Major sectarian riots hit the region for the first time in 1963. Violence resumed in the mid-1980s and a third wave of major sectarian clashes occurred in 1996, amid the growing influence of Salafist Muslims in the area. After a decade of relative peace and harmony, however, Kurram Agency has once again plunged into a vicious cycle of sectarian violence that began last year. Despite many peace truces and pledges of rival groups to end the hostilities, the mayhem is still going on. The clashes intensified in the last month and have not only left scores of people dead and injured, but have also completely paralyzed life in the region. Overall, up to 700 people have been killed and over 1,000 wounded since the conflict began in April last year. (Dawn [Karachi], April 12; The News [Islamabad], March 1).

Al-Qaeda remains threat to Pakistan

Al-Qaeda remains threat to Pakistan

Thursday, May 01, 2008 The News International By Umar Cheema NEW YORK: Al-Qaeda's continued public calls to overthrow President Pervez Musharraf has remained a 'threat to Pakistan', said the US State Department's Country Report on Terrorism 2007 that has also declared attacks on Benazir Bhutto as the 'deadliest' of the previous year. The report released on Wednesday said despite having huge presence of approximately 80,000 to 100,000 troops in Fata, the government's authority in the area continued to be challenged. It said military operations though disrupted militant activities no senior al-Qaeda leader was either captured or killed in 2007. According to the report, the government freed 28 militants in November last year in exchange for the release of 213 Pakistani soldiers held by militant commander Baitullah Mehsud. Out of the 28 released, three of them were convicted on terrorism charges. However, over 1,000 Pakistani military personnel have been killed since 2001 while carrying out counter-terrorist operations, the report said. Pakistan arrested or detained several high-profile terrorist suspects, but faced significant challenges in prosecuting such cases, the report said. Giving examples of those militants freed in exchange of the release of military personnel, the report also mentioned Naeem Noor Khan, alleged al-Qaeda's computer expert, and said he was released without formally being charged, notwithstanding the government's claim that he was top al-Qaeda operative. The report said although anti-money laundering ordinance has been adopted, its certain parts don't meet international norms and Financial Action Task Force Recommendations, nor it has even handed implementation. "The trend and sophistication of suicide bombings grew in Pakistan this year. The December 27 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, in a suicide bombing after a political rally in Rawalpindi, was the most prominent suicide attack. Between 2002 and 2006, the Department recorded approximately 22 suicide attacks in the country, whereas in 2007 there were over 45 such attacks," the report said. A number of these attacks targeted well-protected government sites and made use of coordinated and complex operations, such as the November 24 and September 4 suicide attacks in Rawalpindi, the report said. On October 18, the deadliest suicide attack in Pakistan's history took place against Bhutto's homecoming procession in Karachi, killing over 130, and injuring hundreds more, it adds. In separate suicide attacks in Peshawar and Charsadda, extremists targeted Federal Minister for Political Affairs Amir Muqam in November, and former Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao in December and April; neither were killed, although there were other casualties. Earlier this year, extremists took over the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in Islamabad for a number of months until they were ousted in July during a military operation. Extremists have also gained footholds in the settled areas bordering Fata, including Swat, Tank, and DI Khan. The report said al-Qaeda's continued public calls for the overthrow of President Musharraf remained a threat to Pakistan, despite government efforts to eliminate al-Qaeda elements. Pakistan continued to pursue al-Qaeda and its allies through nationwide police action and military operations in Fata and elsewhere. Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and other groups continued planning of attacks. In 2007, Kashmir-focused groups continued to support attacks in Afghanistan, and operatives trained by the groups continued to feature in al-Qaeda trans-national attack planning. Sectarian violence claimed hundreds of lives this year and increased since 2006, according to data from the Institute for Conflict Management, the report said. In November, more than 100 people were killed in Sunni-Shia fighting in Parachinar. In April, approximately 80 people were killed in Kurrum (in the Fata), when sectarian fighting broke out after a religious procession was attacked. In 2006, President Musharraf and governmental agencies developed the Fata Sustainable Development Program (SDP) to accelerate economic and social development and strengthen political administration and security in the region, the report said. The government created a Fata Development Authority and filled all of its executive positions in Nov 2006. Pakistan allocated $120 million in its FY-2007 budget for Fata development programme, with the bulk going to education and infrastructure projects, it said. Although, Pakistan continued to work with the UNSCR 1267 Committee to freeze assets of individuals and groups identified as terrorist entities linked to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, several UN-sanctioned entities continued to operate in Pakistan. In September, the long-awaited anti-money-laundering (AML) ordinance was adopted by a presidential decree. Unfortunately, parts of the ordinance did not meet international norms and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations, particularly in areas of designated offence categories and the statutory definition of money laundering. The AML ordinance formally established a Financial Management Unit (FMU) to independently suspicious transactions. According to the report, The State Bank of Pakistan required all informal money changers (or hawaladars) to register as authorised foreign exchange dealers and meet minimum capital requirements, although the enforcement was uneven. The regulation had limited success in consolidating the national foreign exchange regime, subjecting it to more stringent regulation and accounting standards. Despite the government efforts, unlicensed hawaladars still operated illegally in parts of the country (particularly in Peshawar and Karachi). The informal and secretive nature of the unlicensed hawaladars made it difficult for regulators to effectively combat their operations. Most illicit funds were transacted through these unlicensed operators, it further said. The United States and Pakistan engaged in a broad range of counter-terrorism cooperative efforts including border security and criminal investigations, as well as several long-term training projects. Pakistan is the third largest recipient of the US military and economic assistance. Reuters adds: Nearly seven years after the Sept 11 attacks, al-Qaeda remains the biggest terrorist threat to the United States and its allies, the US State Department said in an annual report on Wednesday. The country-by-country survey of terrorism trends and incidents in 2007 said al-Qaeda had used tribal areas of Pakistan to reconstitute some operational capabilities, replace killed or captured fighters and rebuild its leadership. Al-Qaeda "utilises terrorism, as well as subversion, propaganda, and open warfare; it seeks weapons of mass destruction in order to inflict the maximum possible damage on anyone who stands in its way, including other Muslims and/or elders, women and children," said the report. The number of terrorism attacks worldwide fell slightly in 2007 to 14,499, from 14,570 in 2006. A total of 72,066 people were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2007, down from 75,211 in the previous year, data from the US National Counter-terrorism Centre showed. In the two theatres of US-led wars, terrorism incidents in Iraq fell to 6,212 last year from 6,628 in 2006, but in Afghanistan they rose to 1,127 from 969 in the previous year, data showed. The report said Afghanistan had made progress fighting extremists, but "the Taliban-led insurgency remained strong and resilient in the South and East" with an undiminished ability to recruit foot soldiers from rural ethnic Pashtuns. The list of designated state sponsors of terrorism -- Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria -- remained unchanged, despite efforts to remove North Korea from the blacklist through slow-moving nuclear disarmament negotiations with Pyongyang. The report said Sudan continued to take significant steps to cooperate in anti-terrorism, but Cuba, Iran and Syria had not renounced terrorism or worked to combat terror groups. "Iran and Syria routinely provided safe haven, substantial resources, and guidance to terrorist organizations," said the 312-page report.

ANP, PPP activists call off hunger strike in Kurram

PARACHINAR: Local leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) called off hunger strike in Kurram Agency here Monday.The leaders of both parties went on a hunger strike on Sunday to protest against the government’s failure to curb sectarian violence during the last several months, which caused closure of the main road leading to Parachinar.Later, the central leaders of PPP and ANP and some tribal elders assured the strikers of restoring peace and opening of roads, and the strike was postponed for a week. Addressing a press conference, PPP’s Hamid Hussain and ANP’s Qurban Ali said certain elements fanned militancy and sectarian strife in the area to defame the PPP-led government in the Center and that of ANP’s in the Frontier. To counter the conspiracies, they decided to stage protests over the issue, they said, adding if order were not restored, they would again go on strike.On the occasion, both the political leaders appealed to PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and President Pervez Musharraf to take measures for restoration of peace in the agency.

The NEWS International
4/29/2008

Tension erupted in troubled Kurram Agency once again F.P. Report

PARACHIINAR: Tension erupted in already troubled Kurram Agency (FATA) today once again when militants set on fire a town of Turi tribe consisting of more than thirty houses along with Masjid & Imam Bargah located near village Pewar on Pak-Afghan border. According to details this occurred on Saturday when militants violated the peace treaty and seize fire once again by setting on fire a town named Gubazana near village Pewar located on Pak-Afghan Border. The militants used petrol and other explosive for destroying the whole Town consisting of more than thirty houses ,while the security Forces personals were watching this game of fire as silent spectators, some eyewitness present there said to reporters on condition of not exposing their names. It is worth mentioning here that the owner population of this town of Gubazana belongs to Turi tribe in Upper Kurram and Sada in Lower Kurram have already migrated to safer places in the era of Zia’s regime. After this the already tense situation in troubled Kurram Valley once again is going to worse but the local administrations especially Political Agent (PA) is doing no measures to control the situation, seems to be puppet in the hands of militants. Meanwhile the elders of Turi tribe call their people to be peaceful and calm and demaded the government and administration to take action against militants in 72 hours. The elders of Turi tribes accused some officals of Bureaucracy and security forces that they are backing militants. According to elders of Turi tribe the proof of which is that militants broke the peace agreement for more than dozen time by violating the cease fire, but instead of taking action against these militants they are given state sponsorship. They further said that a “hidden hand “want to convert the Paradise like Kurram Agency into another Waziristan but the patriotic Turi tribe will not allow them to do so. Meanwhile, thousands of South Waziristanis are on the verge of fleeing thier homes in a famine like situation, due to acute shortage of food items in most parts of the volatile tribal agency bordering Afghanistan, the inhabitants of the area told The Frontier Post here on Friday. All most every kind of food item is short and in most parts of thje agency wheat and rice are not available for the last few days, due to which they are in a famine like situation and every one is packing up their movable belongings to leave their homes this time not due to military operation but due to hunger . Talking to The Frontier Post, one of the famine affected middle man , who named himself Khan Sarwar said, “ me and my children are eating boiled rice of a very low grade and quality at a very high price and the food stock in everyone home is on the verge of finishing point. (The Frontier Post ), Sunday, April 27, 2008, Rabi-us-Sani 20, 1429 A.H.

Road opens for traffic F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: Thal-Parachinar road was opened for traffic on Tuesday. According to a statement issued by ISPR, Thal-Parachinar road in Parachinar has been opened for vehicular traffic, private TV channel (Geo) reported. Pakistan Army organized a free medical camp in Shin and Kotenai villages of Shangla in which 167 patients including women and children were treated, the statement added. (The Frontier Post) , Saturday, April 26, 2008, Rabi-us-Sani 19, 1429 A.H.