300 Political Assassinations?
WTF?
the CSM
The death of Raza Haider, a member of parliament and senior leader of the secular Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party, is the latest and most high-profile in a series of political assassinations that have deepened ethnic tensions in Pakistan’s financial capital. Over 300 people have been assassinated for ethnic or political reasons in Karachi this year. But now, the government claims that militant groups are behind Haider's assassination.
That may be the case, but Pakistani society is seeing a growing degree of both religious and ethnic polarization. There have been attacks by militants on Sufi shrines in other parts of the country. And while retaliation has been limited so far, there were signs of further trouble in the overnight rioting. The MQM represents Karachi's majority Urdu-speaking population and are rivals for political leadership and land ownership with minority Pashtuns who have migrated from northwestern Pakistan seeking employment.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Pakistan violence: Sparked by Karachi's 300th assassination this year
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Pakistani government official assisnated in tribal region.
A Pakistani administrative official and his guard were gunned down by unidentified terrorists. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but I would put my money on the taliban. Xinhuanet ISLAMABAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified gunmen Thursday shot dead a government official and his guard in Pakistan's tribal region, the News Network International news agency reported.
The car which seated the administrative officer named Amanullahin North Waziristan tribal region came under attack while heading to the town of Razmak in the area, said the report.
Amanullah and his guard died on the spot while another official was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Report from Spainish Defense Ministry: ISI helps Taliban
The ISI, the Pakistani spy service, helping to train and arm the taliban...nothing new here really. A Spanish report from Spain's Defense Ministry says that the ISI provided training, intelligence and set up camps on Pakistani soil to help the taliban use explosives to assisnate Afghanistan officials. The ISI of course denies these claims but I'm inclined to trust Spain's Defense Minister over the ISI.
AFPMADRID, Spain (AP) — A report marked confidential and bearing the official seal of Spain's Defense Ministry charges that Pakistan's spy service was helping arm Taliban insurgents in 2005 for assassination plots against the Afghan government.
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The report, which was obtained by Cadena Ser radio and posted on the station's Web site on Wednesday, also says Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency — or ISI — helped the Taliban procure roadside bombs.
It alleges that Pakistan may have provided training and intelligence to the Taliban in camps set up on Pakistani soil. The report says the Pakistani agency planned to have the Taliban use the explosives "to assassinate high-ranking officials."Fernando Reinares, a terrorism analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid and former chief counterterrorism adviser at Spain's Interior Ministry, said the document appeared to be an internal report intended for high-level officials. Spain has about 800 soldiers deployed in northwest Afghanistan.
The report says "it appears possible" that advanced training camps exist in Pakistan "where the Taliban receive training, help and intelligence from the ISI," and where they are also developing new improvised explosive devices. The report says the Taliban had also been receiving help from al-Qaida.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Shots Fired at Pakistani PM's Motorcade
Update: According to al Jazeera the taliban have claim responsibility for the assassination attempt. What a shocker.
Multiple sniper rounds were fired at Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's motorcade. The motorcade was either travelling to Islamabad or from Islamabad. Gilani's spokesman said that Gilani was on his way to Islamabad at the time but Interior Ministry Secretary Shah said the motorcade was driving to pick up Gilani.
Suspicion falls on al Qaida or the taliban. A couple of weeks ago terrorists fired on a US consulate worker's motorcade in Peshawar. This attack shows that the terrorists are increasingily brazen in their attacks.
The prime minister's spokesman, Zahid Bashir, said shots were fired at Gilani's car as he was driving into the capital, Islamabad, from the city's airport.
"Multiple shots were fired at the prime minister's motorcade. The prime minister is safe, by the grace of God," Bashir said.
But Interior Ministry Secretary Kamal Shah told state-run television the motorcade was on its way to the airport to pick Gilani up.[...]
The prime minister's office said multiple sniper shots had been fired and two bullets hit the bullet-proof window on the driver's side. Television pictures showed two bullet marks on the window.
