Report: Taliban Sent Eight Female Suicide Bombers To Punjab

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or the Movement of Pakistani Taliban) have sent eight female suicide bombers to attack high-value targets in the Pakistani province of Punjab, according to a Pakistani daily.

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Report: Taliban Replacing Commanders Ahead Of Helmand Operation

The Taliban in Afghanistan are replacing their commanders in the southern Helmand province ahead of an impending military operation by the U.S. and NATO troops, according to a Pashtu-language Afghan website.

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Pakistani Cleric Says Banned Militant Outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan To Be Revived, Pakistan Is On The Verge Of Destruction

Maulana Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi, the chief of the militant religious group Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat, has said that Pakistan is on the verge of collapse due to the wrong polices of the government, according to an Urdu-language newspaper.

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Taliban: Will Participate in Talks That Only Deal With Formation of An Islamic Government In Kabul

In its latest statement, the Taliban in Afghanistan has said that the organization is ready engage in talks that will only focus on the formation of an Islamic government in Afghanistan, according to a Pashtu-language daily.

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Balamurghab District Governor Arrested For Links With Taliban

Association Urges UN To Stop ‘‘Indian Genocide’’ In Kashmir

Senior Pakistani Leader Survives Assassination Bid

Photo: Roznama Jang

Senior Pakistani politician Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, a former federal minister and chief of the Awami Muslim League party), escaped an assassination attempt on Monday, according to a Pakistani daily.

Fear gripped the residents of Rawalpindi after unknown assailants opened fire at the election office of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, according to a report in The News daily.

Tribal Elders Urge Reconciliation With Taliban

Tribal elders in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province have urged the Karzai government to accelerate its efforts to achieve reconciliation with the Taliban, according to a Dari-language Afghan daily.

The elders also asked the Taliban and other opposition groups to lay down their weapons and accept peace talks, according to a Dari-language newspaper Roznama Cheragh.

It’s not clear how the Taliban will react to the tribal elders’ efforts.

Source: Roznama Cheragh, Afghanistan, February 8, 2010

Afghan Interior Ministry To Prevent Taliban Infiltration Into Police Force

The Afghan interior ministry has said that it is taking measures to prevent the infiltration of Taliban militants into the police force, according to a Dari-language daily.

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Pakistan Army Hints That Operation Against Militants In South Waziristan Will Be Completed Soon

Pakistan Army has hinted that it will complete Operation Rah-e-Nijat (Path to Deliverance) against the Taliban militants in South Waziristan by March, according to an Urdu-language newspaper.

The supply line of militants has been cut-off, their training centers have been eliminated and communication systems have been jammed, according to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Mashriq.

The report, quoting undisclosed military sources, said that a majority of the militants have been killed and their leadership have escaped to other places.

The report noted that military sources have not formally confirmed the killing of Tehreek Taliban Pakistan Emir Hakimullah Mehsud.

Source: Roznama Mashriq, Pakistan, February 9, 2010

Militants Attack Police Station In Indian Kashmir

Islamic militants attacked the Sopore police station in the Baramulla district of India’s Jammu & Kashmir state, killing a policeman, according to an Indian news agency.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (North Kashmir) Abdul Qayoom Manhas said that head constable Mohammad Yousuf was entering the police station at 10:45am when heavily-armed militants fired, killing him.

“The exchange of fire between militants and police was [on]going,” said Manhas as the report came in on Monday.

Source: www.ptinews.com, India, February 8, 2010

Taliban Ringleader Detained In Nangarhar Province

Padsha Khan, ringleader of a 15-member Taliban group, has been detained in the Khogiani district of Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province, according to an Afghan daily.

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Indian Court Rejects Affirmative Action Policy On Religious Grounds

The High Court in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh today quashed a state government decision to reserve 4% of places for Muslims in education and in the state government services, according to an Indian website.

Pronouncing its verdict in the case, the High Court said that the quotas for minorities are unsustainable and cannot be implemented as per the constitution, according to a report on the website of The Times of India daily.

The court order is a big blow to the state government, which created the legislation setting the 4% quota for “backward” groups among the country’s Muslims.

Source: www.timesofindia.com, India, February 8, 2010

Pakistan Urges The West To Allow Gulbuddin Hekmatyar And Taliban To Come To Power In Kabul; Pakistani Taliban Are Spending 3.6 Billion Pakistani Rupees On 15,000 Fighters

According to Owais Ghani, the Governor of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan has urged the West to allow Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the Taliban to come to power in Kabul through a political settlement.

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Pakistani Militants Blow Up Boys’ School, Healthcare Center In Mohmand

Taliban militants blew up a government run school, a healthcare center and the house of a pro-government tribal elder in Pakistan’s troubled tribal district of Mohmand, according to an Urdu-language daily.

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Clerics Reject Proposal To Introduce Co-Education In Punjab, Describe It As Attempt To Achieve Western Agenda In Pakistan

Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia, an independent network of 9,000 madrassas in Pakistan, has rejected a proposal to introduce co-education in government-run schools in the Punjab province, according to an Urdu-language daily.

The clerics of the Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia said that the system of co-education, whereby boys and girls sit in the same classroom, will be ‘‘an accomplishment of the Western agenda.’’

The clerics added, “This thinking is against our religious teachings. It is regretted that co-educational institutions create social problems, while our leaders have kept their eyes shut and instead of eliminating the basic roots of crimes, they are trying to promote it.”

Taliban ‘‘Force’’ Radio Pakistan To Discontinue VOA Program

After ‘‘direct threats’’ from the Taliban for airing ‘‘American propaganda,’’ Radio Pakistan management has decided to scrap an agreement with Voice of America (VOA) to broadcast its Pashtu-language radio program, according to a Pakistani daily.

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Indian Interior Minister: Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen Planning Attacks In India

Indian Interior Minister P. Chidambaram on Sunday slammed Pakistan for allowing Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen to hold a conference in Muzaffarabad last week, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir.

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Ruling Party Cleric Accuses Blackwater Of ‘‘Committing Crimes In Pakistan,’’ Says 9,000 Blackwater Personnel Present In Islamabad

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the Emir of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) party, has said that the personnel of the U.S. security firm XE, formerly Blackwater, outnumber policemen in Islamabad, according to an Urdu-language newspaper.

There are 7,000 cops in the Pakistani capital while the number of the XE personnel is 9,000, the Pakistani cleric said, according to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Express.

“If the Taliban are committing crimes in Pakistan, the U.S. company is also involved in crimes. Americans cannot be allowed to roam freely in Pakistan,” Rehman stated. Rehman’s JUI-F is part of the governing coalition in Islamabad.

Pakistani Security Forces Detain Commander Of Jandullah

Pakistani security forces have detained commanders of Jandullah and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan on the outskirts of Risalpur, a town in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province, according to an Urdu-language daily.

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Taliban Blow Up Girls’ School Near Bannu Town

The Taliban blew up a school for girls near the town of Bannu in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP), according to a Pakistani daily.

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Dubai-Bound Emirates Flight Grounded In Mumbai After Terror Alert

A Dubai-bound Emirates plane with 356 passengers on board was grounded in Mumbai on Sunday after a terror threat was called in, according to an Indian website.

The flight EK 505 was grounded after an anonymous call was received saying that there were suspected terrorists on the plane, a Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson said.

All the passengers were deplaned and a thorough checking of the passengers and luggage was carried out by the Indian security agencies, according to a report on the website of The Times of India daily.

Taliban Spokesman Asks U.S. To Release Pakistani Scientist

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban in Afghanistan, has called on the U.S. to release Pakistani scientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who was recently found guilty by a Manhattan court of trying to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan, according to a Pashtu-language daily.

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Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Blames U.S. For Attacks On Shi’ites In Karachi

Syed Munawwar Hasan, the Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, has blamed the U.S. and India for the February 5 bomb blasts that killed dozens of people, mainly Shi’ite Muslims, in Karachi, according to an Urdu-language daily.

‘‘India and the U.S. are involved in the rising incidents of terrorism in Karachi but the [Pakistani] government is reluctant to name them despite solid evidence,’’ Hasan said.

Over two dozen people were killed and over 100 others were injured in two bomb explosions in Karachi on February 5th as the city was marking Chehlum, the 40th day, after the martyrdom of Imam Husain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

Source: Roznama Islam, Pakistan, February 8, 2010

19 Taliban Militants Killed In Helmand Province

Nineteen Taliban militants were killed during a joint operation of the Afghan and international forces in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, according to a Dari-language Afghan daily.

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Jihadist Groups Organize Conference In Pakistani Kashmir, Issue Declaration Stating: ‘‘As Long As Jammu & Kashmir Is Under Indian Subjugation, Jihad Must Continue…’’

Jihadist groups in Pakistan organized a Kashmir solidarity conference in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir on Thursday, where they pledged to continue jihad against India in Kashmir, according to a Pakistani daily.

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Hizb-e-Islami Spokesman Rejects Reports About Moldova Conference

Haroon Zarghoon, the spokesman for the Gulbuddin Hekmatyar-led Hizb-e-Islami in Afghanistan, has rejected media reports that representatives of Hizb-e-Islami and the Taliban met recently in Moldova to pave the way for an international peace conference, according to a Pashtu-language Afghan daily.

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Yemeni Official Reveals Pakistan Link To Al-Qaeda In Yemen, Says Pakistani Explosives Expert Behind Attempt To Kill Saudi Prince

A Pakistani explosives expert was responsible for manufacturing the explosive capsule that was used by an attempted suicide bomber in a failed attempt last August to assassinate Prince Muhammad Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, the Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs of Saudi Arabia said, according to Saudi websites.

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Cartoon In Pakistani Daily: Karzai’s Offer Of Peace Talks

Source: Daily Times, Pakistan, February 5, 2010

Pakistan Bans Entry Of Foreign NGOs In Malakand Division

Governor: Foreign Militants Entering Musa Qala District Are Coming From Quetta In Pakistan

Mullah Abdul Salam, the district governor of Musa Qala in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, has said that foreign militants entering the district are coming from Quetta in Pakistan, according to a Dari-language daily.

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32 Taliban Militants Killed In Helmand Province

Thirty-two Taliban militants were killed during a joint operation of the Afghan and international troops in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, according to a Pashtu-language Afghan news website.

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Taliban Commander Killed In Zabul Province

A Taliban commander has been killed, along with his five men, by Afghan security forces in the country’s southern Zabul province, according to a Pashtu-language website.

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Five Taliban Militants Arrested In Balkh Province

Five Taliban militants have been arrested in the northern Balkh province of Afghanistan, according to a Dari-language daily.

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Four Foreign Militants Killed In Pakistan’s Bajaur District

Afghan Taliban Threaten To Execute Captured U.S. Soldier If U.S. Does Not Free Convicted Pakistani Scientist

The Afghan Taliban have demanded the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist convicted by a Manhattan court of trying to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, and have threatened to execute an American soldier they are currently holding in Afghanistan, according to a Pakistani daily.

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Taliban Spokesman Claims Responsibility For Attack On U.S. Soldiers In Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or the Movement of Pakistani Taliban) has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack that killed three American soldiers on Wednesday, according to a Pakistani daily.

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Pakistan Army Chief: ISI Not Playing Double Game In War On Terror

Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani has strongly rejected allegations that Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency – the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) – is using a double standard in the war on terror, according to a Pakistani daily.

General Kayani said that the Pakistan Army has made more sacrifices than the coalition forces in the war on terrorism in Afghanistan.

Kayani said that more than 2,000 Pakistani officers and soldiers have been killed and 6,000 wounded during counter-insurgency campaigns in the restive tribal belt of Pakistan. He added that 73 intelligence officials have also been killed in the war on terror in Pakistan, while 11 have been killed in Afghanistan.

His statement comes amid allegations that the ISI has been supporting the Taliban militants in Afghanistan.

Source: Daily Times, Pakistan, February 4, 2010

Video Footage Shows Taliban Commander Beating People For Not Offering Prayers

New video footage shows a Taliban commander beating people in Pakistan’s tribal district of Orakzai for not offering prayers under the leadership of Taliban commanders, according to an Urdu-language newspaper.

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Speculation About Maulvi Jalaluddin Haqqani’s Killing In U.S. Drone Attack In North Waziristan Astonishes Pakistan Government and Taliban

The death toll from Tuesday’s attacks by nine U.S. drones in North Waziristan rose to 31 on Wednesday as 14 more bodies were retrieved from the houses hit in the missile strikes, according to a Pakistani daily.

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Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Emir Hakimullah Mehsud: Our War With Pakistan Has Two Objectives – Pakistan 'Should Abandon the Company Of America… [And] Enforce Islamic Shari'a' - No. 2602- Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - October 16, 2009

Eminent Pakistani Author: Talibanization is Threatening Southern Punjab - No. 2600 - Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - October 16, 2009

In Open Letter to Shanghai Summit, Taliban Urges Participants 'To Render Assistance in the Work of Liberating People and Countries of the Region from the Claws of the Colonialists – and To Take a Decisive Stand on the West's Invasion of Afghanistan' - Special Dispatch Series - No. 2599- Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - October 15, 2009

Afghan Daily Urges Action Against Uzbek Militants: Without Timely Action By Afghanistan and Pakistan, 'Northern Afghanistan Can Become a Launching Pad for Militants' Attacks against Central Asian Countries' -  Special Dispatch Series - No. 2596 - Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - October 14, 2009

Debating the Pakistani National Interest over the Kerry-Lugar Bill - Inquiry & Analysis Series- No. 553- Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - October 13, 2009

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