The following are selected postings from the MEMRI Urdu-Pashtu Media Blog from the week of February 15-22. In that time, the U.S. and coalition forces have been battling Taliban insurgents in Marja and throughout Afghanistan. The blog also follows other important regional developments.
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February 22, 2010
Pakistani PM Says Nuclear Program to Remain Top Priority
On Saturday Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani reiterated his government's determination to keep the country's nuclear program at the top of its priority list, according to a Pakistani daily.
Gilani made the statement in an address to a gathering of engineers and scientists at the Khushab Nuclear Complex, which houses some of the country's most prestigious nuclear facilities. Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Tariq Majeed, Strategic Planning and Development (SPD) Director General Khalid Kidwai and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Chairman Ansar Pervez were present on the occasion.
During his visit, the PM was given a comprehensive briefing on the various facilities of the complex and future modernization plans, according to a report in the Lahore-based Daily Times newspaper.
Gilani also approved a number of projects aimed at strengthening the country's nuclear program. He added that the peaceful use of nuclear technology will help the country in addressing its electricity crisis.
Nuclear technology is not only important for the country's defense, but its positive effects will play an important role in economic progress and national prosperity, he said, pointing out that Pakistan's defense policy is based on the well-established principle of "credible minimum deterrence."
Source: Daily Times, Pakistan, February 21, 2010
South Korean Police Arrest Pakistani "Taliban"
The South Korean police said on Friday that they have arrested a Pakistani man for using a fake passport. The man claims to be a member of the Taliban, according to a Pakistani daily.
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Pakistani Envoy In Kabul: 200 Taliban Militants Trying To Cross Into Pakistan Due To Marja Operation Arrested
The Afghan defense ministry has said that six Taliban militants have been killed so far in the security operation underway in the southern Helmand province, according to a Dari-language Afghan daily.
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Islamic Militants Behead Two Sikhs In Pakistan; Indian Government Condemns The "Barbaric Act"
Two abducted members of the Sikh community were beheaded. One was found in Pakistan's militancy stricken-tribal district of Khyber and the other in Orakzai, according to an Urdu-language newspaper.
Jaspal Singh and Mahan Singh, were seized separately by Islamic militants a month ago in Orakzai and Khyber, according to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Mashriq.
The report said that the body of Jaspal Singh was found in the Akakhel area of the Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency, while Mahan Singh was found dead in the Shah Dala area of Orakzai Agency.
According to another report on the website of the Pakistani daily Dawn, the militants beheaded the two Sikhs after their relatives failed to pay ransoms.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hizb-e-Islami Announces Proposal For "Persistence Peace" In Afghanistan
Hizb-e-Islami, led by fugitive militant leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has announced what it calls a proposal for "persistent peace" in Afghanistan. The proposal contains 15 articles and information regarding the style of government desired, withdrawal of foreign forces, security, transitional justice and some others issues, according to a Dari-language Afghan weekly.
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Report In Pakistani Daily: "[After Mullah Baradar's Arrest] Mullah Omar Has Sent A Message To The Shura Members And Commanders To Be United Against The Enemies And Their Conspiracies"
A report in a leading Pakistani daily notes that after the arrest of Mullah Baradar, Taliban leader Mullah Omar, the top military commander of the Taliban in Afghanistan, has asked the Taliban commanders to guard against enemy conspiracies.
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Report: Customs in Pakistan Seizes Explosives Bound For Afghanistan
Pakistan Customs has seized several containers full of explosive material that could be used by terrorists, according to a Pakistani daily.
The containers, which arrived from different countries, were being transported through the Pakistani territory as part of the Afghan Transit Trade agreement.
According to a report in The News daily, the explosives seized are useful for preparing fireworks, bombs, and jackets used in suicide attacks.
Munir Qureshi, a customs official, said: "We are working to amend the Afghan Transit Trade system in accordance with international standards."
Source: The News, Pakistan, February 21, 2010
Lashkar-e-Islam Spokesman Blames Rival Militant Group For Suicide Attack On Deputy Chief
Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), the militant organization based in Pakistan's Khyber Agency, blamed the rival militant group Ansarul Islam (AI) on Friday for the suicide bombing that targeted Lashkar-e-Islam's deputy chief. The organization vowed to avenge the attack, according to a Pakistani daily.
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Taliban Spokesman Says No To Peace Talks As Long As Even A Single Foreign Soldier Remains In Afghanistan
Rejecting Afghan President Hamid Karzai's peace offer, the Taliban said once again on Saturday that it will not lay down its weapons unless the foreign forces leave Afghanistan, according to a Pakistani daily.
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Ten Taliban Militants Killed In Kunar Province
Ten Taliban militants were killed in the Manogai district of Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province, according to a Pashtu-language Afghan news website.
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Suicide Bombers Launch Attacks On Police Stations In NWFP
Suicide bombers on Saturday attacked police stations in Balakot and Mansehra, both in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), killing a senior police official and wounding several others, according to a Pakistani daily.
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Eight Militants Found Dead In Kohat District, 100 Militants Detained In Bajaur Agency
The dead bodies of eight militants, believed to be foreign fighters, were found in the Kohat district of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), while Pakistani security forces took control of the Damangi area of Bajaur Agency, according to an Urdu-language daily.
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American Soldier Converts To Islam In Khost Province
An American soldier, identified simply as Johns, on Wednesday converted to Islam in Afghanistan's eastern Khost province, according to a Dari-language Afghan daily.
Johns, while talking to a gathering of Islamic scholars, said that he was first convinced in favor of Islam by his loved ones in America but at that time he did not convert and consequently his Palestinian girl friend did not marry him.
According to a Dari-language newspaper Roznama Cheragh, after he converted to Islam, many Muslims put flowers on his head.
Source: Roznama Cheragh, Afghanistan, February 21, 2010
Suspected Suicide Bomber Arrested From Lahore
A would-be suicide bomber was arrested from the outskirts of Lahore on Saturday, according to a Pakistani daily.
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Afghan Cabinet: ‘'33 Civilians Killed In NATO Air Strike''
The Afghan government has said that at least 33 Afghan civilians were killed in a NATO air strike in southern Oruzgan province on Sunday, according to an Afghan website.
The NATO forces have confirmed civilian casualties, but have not provided specific information about the number of deaths, according to a report in the Afghan website quqnoos.com.
"Initial reports indicate that NATO fired Sunday on a convoy of three vehicles ... killing at least 33 civilians, including four women and one child, and injuring 12 others," the Afghan cabinet said in a statement.
Source: www.quqnoos.com, Afghanistan, February 22, 2010
Top Hizbul Mujahideen Militant Killed In Indian Kashmir
A top Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed in a fierce gunbattle with Indian security forces in the Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir on Sunday, according to an Urdu-language daily.
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Report: Afghanistan My Seek Mullah Baradar's Extradition
The Afghan government has indicated that it may ask Pakistan to extradite Mullah Baradar, the Taliban's supreme military commander, following his recent arrest in Karachi, according to a Pashtu-language Afghan daily.
According to a Pashtu-language Afghan daily, an unidentified official of Afghanistan's National Security Department (NSD), who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the government is considering the extradition of Mullah Baradar to Afghanistan's judicial system.
According to the Pashtu-language newspaper Wrazpanra Weesa, Afghan experts believe that Pakistan may not hand over Mullah Baradar to Afghanistan because he has vital secret information.
Source: Wrazpanra Weesa, Afghanistan, February 21, 2010
In India, Imams (Mosque Prayer Leaders) Oppose Government Move To Regulate Madrassas
In India, imams (prayer leaders of mosques) have described an Indian government initiative to regulate madrassas as fitna (mischief) and have said that the initiative will not be acceptable to them in any case, according to an Urdu-language daily.
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The Madrassa Board initiative by the Indian government is aimed to regulating Islamic seminaries in order to protect against extremist influences and introduce reforms in their curriculum.
The All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques (AIOIM), an umbrella body of imams, asked the Indian government to ensure better educational opportunities to the Muslim community, especially Muslim girls, according to a report in the Urdu-language daily Roznama Sahafat.
Taliban Commander Killed In Helmand Province
Prominent Taliban commander Mullah Amanullah was killed in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand, according to a Pashtu-language daily.
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14 Afghan Policemen Arrested For Surrendering Before Taliban
At least fourteen policemen who surrendered to the Taliban three days ago have been arrested by police in Afghanistan's southern Zabul province, according to a Pashtu-language Afghan daily.
Mohammad Halim Fadai, the governor of the central Maidan Wardak province, said that the policemen had surrendered in his province to the Taliban, handing over their weapons, according to a Pashtu-language newspaper Wrazpanra Bakhtar.
The policemen were arrested from the Zabul province and an investigation is underway, the report added.
Source: Wrazpanra Bakhtar, Afghanistan, February 21, 2010
February 19, 2010
Interior Minister: Pakistan Not To Hand Over Mullah Baradar To U.S.
Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Friday that Pakistan will not hand over the Afghan Taliban's No. 2 leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, and two other high-value militants captured this month to the U.S., according to a Pakistani website.
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Police In India Detain Dozens Of Terror Suspects Over Pune Blast
In India, the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) has arrested dozens of Muslim youth for interrogation in connection with last Saturday's bomb blast in the city of Pune that killed nine people and wounded 60 others, according to an Urdu-language daily.
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Pakistani Cleric: Islamic Scholars Will Have To Decide Whether Pakistan Is Darul Amn (Home Of Peace) Or A Battlefield
Maulana Samiul Haq, the Emir of pro-Taliban religious party Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUI-S), has vowed to mobilize a protest movement if the Pakistani government does not review its role in the U.S.-led war against terror, according to a Pashtu-language daily.
"After getting riding all of the country's institutions of U.S. influence, the Ulema [religious scholars] will have to decide whether this country is the home of peace [Darul Amn] or a battlefield," the cleric said, according to a report in the Pashtu-language daily Wrazpanra Wahdat.
The JUI-S has started an awareness campaign for the independence and stability of the country, he said, adding that the masses will be mobilized to fight for the country's independence from U.S. influence.
Source: Wrazpanra Wahdat, Pakistan, February 19, 2010
Lashkar-e-Islam's Deputy Chief Killed In Khyber Agency Blast
Azam Afridi, the deputy chief of outlawed militant organization Lashkar-e-Islam, was among the 30 people who died in an explosion caused by a suicide bomber in the Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency on Thursday, according to a Pakistani daily.
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Afghan Taliban Issue New Directive To Their Fighters In Afghanistan
The Taliban Movement of Afghanistan has issued new guidelines and directives to its fighters, in a document titled "Nusrat (Victory) Declaration." The declaration urges militants to use all available means to target the interests of the U.S. and Europe, according to a Pakistani daily.
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February 18, 2010
Haqqani Network Chief's Son Killed In Drone Attack In North Waziristan
A son of Jalaluddin Haqqani is reported to be among several militants killed in a U.S. drone attack in North Waziristan on Thursday, according to a Pakistani television channel. Jalaluddin Haqqani leads the Haqqani Network of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
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Pakistan's Former Spy Chief: As Long As Foreign Troops Remain In Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda and The Taliban Cannot Be Divided
General Ehsanul Haq, the former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has said that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda could only be divided when foreign troops leave Afghanistan, according to a Pakistani daily.
According to a report in the Lahore-based Daily Times newspaper, Haq said that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda are united against the common foe of the U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan and only when they leave will it be possible to divide the two groups.
The former ISI chief said that both groups have different agendas but are held together by the presence in Afghanistan of a "common enemy" – foreign troops.
Afghan Lawmakers, Taliban Representatives Held Talks In Maldives Last Month
Afghan lawmakers and Taliban-allied representatives held talks at a resort in the island nation of Maldives last month, according to a Pakistani daily.
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Pakistani Security Forces Arrest Two Ex-Taliban Governors
Pakistani security forces have arrested two governors of the erstwhile Taliban regime in Afghanistan from Peshawar and the Nowshera district of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), according to an Urdu-language daily.
Haji Salaam, who was the governor of Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province during the Taliban regime, was arrested by Pakistani security forces in the Akora Khattak town of the Nowshera district, according to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Ummat.
Haji Salaam, who is also known as Mullah Abdul Salam, recently had been residing in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's Baluchistan province, the report added.
Pakistan's Interior Mister: Taliban Moving To Karachi, Hyderabad And Lahore From Waziristan
Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that the Taliban are fleeing to Karachi, Hyderabad and Lahore following a successful operation by the Pakistan Army in South Waziristan, according to an Urdu-language daily.
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U.S. Air Strike Kills Four Militants In North Waziristan
At least four suspected militants were killed and two wounded in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan's tribal district of North Waziristan, according to an Urdu-language daily.
Local officials said that the unmanned U.S. aircraft fired two missiles at the house of a tribesman, Sikandar, in the Tappi Tollkhel area near Miran Shah, the main town of North Waziristan.
According to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Aaj, unnamed security officials said that militants used to stay in the house before crossing into Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, six militants were killed and two wounded in a clash between two militant groups in the Sherzai area of the Kurram Agency.
Source: Roznama Aaj, Pakistan, February 18, 2010
Urdu Daily Warns That Taliban Militants May Escape Into Pakistan From Helmand
In an editorial, an Urdu-language Pakistani newspaper warns that Taliban militants may escape into Pakistan as a result of the foreign troops' operation in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province.
The Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Mashriq said: "It is feared that the Taliban may escape to Pakistan which could create problems for Pakistan.''
"The NATO officials needed to take Pakistan into confidence before starting the operation in the Helmand province so that Islamabad could have taken necessary security steps in the region,'' the editorial said, accusing the foreign troops of removing checkposts along the Pakistan border.
The editorial noted that the Taliban crossed into Pakistan's border areas after the United States started its operations in Afghanistan in 2001, creating problems for Pakistan.
Source: Roznama Mashriq, Pakistan, February 18, 2010
February 17, 2010
Taliban Statement: 15,000 Afghan And Foreign Troops Fail To Capture Marja
In a statement, the Taliban in Afghanistan has said that despite the efforts of 15,000 troops, the Afghan government and the West have failed to capture the Marja district in the southern Helmand province, according to a Pashtu-language Afghan daily.
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Transcript Of Taliban Video Of French Hostages: ‘We Would Like For The French Government To Negotiate With These People So That We Can Be Freed As Quickly As Possible'
On February 14, 2010, the Taliban in Afghanistan released a 2-minute and 15-second video containing the statements of two French journalists who are being held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
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Jamaat-e-Islami Leader Urges Pakistan Army, Government To Quit U.S.-Led Alliance
Qazi Hussain Ahmad, the former Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, has described the ongoing war against terrorism in Pakistan as a "war against Islam, not against terrorism,'' according to an Urdu-language daily.
Peace will automatically be restored to the country if the army and the Pakistani government pull out of the U.S.-led alliance and the "so-called war on terrorism,'' the cleric said, according to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Islam.
Qazi Hussain Ahmad also strongly condemned the recent demolition of the house of Haroon-ur-Rashid, a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami in Bajaur district, saying "The houses of tribesmen who are fighting for the defense of the country's borders and Kashmir are being bombed."
He said that the Pakistani security forces blew up the house of the Jamaat-e-Islami leader which resulted in the death of Rashid's mother and niece. The security forces have said that they blew up the house because militants were sheltered there.
Source: Roznama Islam, Pakistan, February 17, 2010
Taliban Commander Held In Kandahar Province
The NATO-led troops have detained a Taliban commander responsible for small arms ambushes and roadside bomb attacks against Afghan and coalition troops in southern Afghanistan, according to an Afghan daily.
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Food And Clothes Distributed To Surrendered Taliban In Herat Province
Food and clothes have been distributed among 120 surrendered Taliban militants in Afghanistan's western Herat province, according to a Dari-language Afghan website.
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Ten Taliban Militants Killed In Helmand Province
The Afghan and international security forces said that they have killed ten Taliban militants in the country's southern Helmand province, according to a Dari-language Afghan daily.
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Report: Mullah Baradar's Arrest Reveals That Taliban Consider Karachi A Safe Place To Hide In Pakistan
According to a report in a leading Pakistani daily, the arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's number two leader, from Karachi reveals that the Pakistani port city has emerged as a safe place for the Taliban to hide.
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Pakistan Army Spokesman Confirms Arrest Of Taliban's Supreme Commander Mullah Baradar
Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas has confirmed the arrest of top Taliban military commander and head of the Taliban's Quetta Shura Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, according to a Pakistani website.
The website of The Nation newspaper quoted Abbas as saying: "It has been confirmed that the man arrested in Pakistan was Naib [deputy] of Afghan Taliban founder Mullah Muhammad Omar as well as Head of Taliban Quetta Shura Abdul Ghani Baradar.''
However, for security reasons, Abbas's statement, issued on Wednesday, did not clarify operational details of the arrest or where it occurred. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has also been a close associate of Osama bin Laden, the world's most wanted terrorist.
Source: www.nation.com.pk, Pakistan, February 17, 2010
Pakistani Daily: ‘Mullah Baradar Not Only Has First-Hand Knowledge Of The Nature And Extent Of The Taliban Network..., [And] Knows Details Of... [The Taliban's] Linkages With The Pakistani Intelligence Corps'
A report in a leading Pakistani daily notes that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the top Taliban leader arrested in Karachi this week, possesses valuable information about the Taliban's connections with Pakistani intelligence officials. However, it's not clear if he will reveal any vital information.
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Report In Urdu Daily Outlines Pakistan's Objectives For Arresting Taliban Leader Mullah Baradar
A report in a Karachi-based Urdu-language newspaper discusses Pakistan's objectives behind the arrest of Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
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Report In Pakistani Daily On Mullah Baradar's Arrest: "Mullah Baradar Has Been Credited With Rebuilding The Taliban Into An Effective Fighting Force And Running The Group's Day-To-Day Affairs For The Past Many Years''
A report in a leading Pakistani daily notes that in recent years Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar had emerged as the main operational leader of the Taliban. Baradar, the Taliban's number two leader in Afghanistan, was arrested in Pakistan's port city of Karachi a couple of days ago.
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February 16, 2010
Taliban Confirm Capturing Two French Journalists
Two French journalists who were kidnapped by the Taliban late last year are still alive, according to a Pashtu-language Afghan daily.
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Taliban Spokesman Rejects Reports About The Arrest Of Mullah Omar's Deputy
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the number two Taliban leader in Afghanistan, has reportedly been arrested by U.S. and Pakistani security officials in Karachi. However, a Taliban spokesman denied the report, according to media reports.
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General (Retired) Musharraf Hints At Return To Politics
Former Pakistani President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf has hinted at a return to politics, saying he will "do anything'' for Pakistan, according to a Pakistani daily.
"I love my country and I would do anything for Pakistan," the former Pakistan Army chief said at a meeting at the Chatham House think-tank in London.
"For Pakistan one will be prepared to do anything. However, it is for the people of Pakistan who need to decide," Musharraf said.
"I have to come through the political process, through the process of elections. But I think it's very good — it's very good because I think I will have that legitimacy which I never had," he said.
Source: Daily Times, Pakistan, February 16, 2010
Governor Of Balkh Province: Some Of The Taliban's Conditions Should Be Accepted
Attah Mohammad Noor, the Governor of Afghanistan's northern Balkh province, has said that some of the Taliban's conditions should be accepted in order to pave the road for peace talks, according to a Pashtu-language daily.
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Taliban Spokesman Rejects Afghan President's Peace Offer, Says: "No One Should Think That The Taliban Will Surrender Weapons; The Enemy Will Not Be Able To Suppress The Taliban Resistance In Helmand''
The Taliban has once again turned down Afghan President Hamid Karzai's offer of reconciliation, saying that the offer amidst the massive military offensive in the Marja district of the Helmand province is "foolish thinking," according to an Afghan website.
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Pakistan Army Chief: Key Objectives Achieved In South Waziristan Operation; Most Of High-Profile Militants Killed
Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani said on Sunday that the key objectives of the military operation in South Waziristan have been achieved, according to a Pakistani website.
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Afghan Officials Claim That Marja Is Out Of Taliban's Control
Afghan officials have claimed that the Marja district, where a massive security operation is underway against the Taliban by the Afghan and foreign troops, is no longer under Taliban control, according to a Pashtu-language daily.
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Taliban Commander, Four Arab Militants killed In Helmand Province
A Taliban commander has been killed in the Washir district of Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, according to a Pashtu-language Afghan news website.
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NATO Missiles Kill 12 Civilians In Helmand Province
A dozen Afghan civilians were killed in a NATO missile attack in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan on Sunday, according to a Dari-language Afghan daily.
The NATO forces said that the civilians were killed accidentally, according to the Dari-language newspaper Roznama Cheragh.
The victims included 10 members of one family. President Hamid Karzai has expressed deep concern over the deaths. He has directed government officials to launch an immediate probe into the incident.
Source: Roznama Cheragh, Afghanistan, February 16, 2010
27 Taliban Militants Killed In Farah Province
Mohammad Faqir Askar, the police chief of Afghanistan's western Farah province, said that 27 Taliban militants were killed in the province's Shagi district on Sunday, according to a Dari-language Afghan daily.
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February 15, 2010
Helmand Governor: Taliban May Use Civilians As Human Shields
Gulab Mangal, the governor of Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, has accused the Taliban of intending to use civilians as human shields. The Taliban's refusal to allow civilians to evacuate the Marja area, where a massive U.S. and NATO security operation has begun, led Mangal to make this accusation, according to Pashtu-language daily.
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25 Taliban Militants Killed In Western Afghanistan
Twenty-five Taliban militants were killed during separate operations by the Afghan and international forces in the Farah and Herat provinces, according to a Pashtu-language Afghan daily.
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Conflicting Reports About Hekmatyar's Talks With Afghan Government
Afghan militant commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar will not hold talks with the Afghan government if his demand for the withdrawal of foreign forces is not met, according to a Pashtu-language newspaper.
Hekmatyar will neither agree to dialogue with the Afghan government nor will he accept President Hamid Karzai's reintegration plan, Qari Abdullah, a spokesman for Hekmatyar's Hizb-e-Islami, said.
The withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and installation of a caretaker government in Kabul are preconditions for any talks, Qari Abdullah said, according to a report in the Pashtu-language newspaper Wrazpanra Wahdat.
However, the report, quoting an unnamed spokesman of the Afghan government said, that talks are continuing between the Hezb-e-Islami and the Afghan government.
Source: Wrazpanra Wahdat, Pakistan, February 15, 2010
Seven Militants Reported Killed In U.S. Missile Strikes In North Waziristan
Pakistani officials said that missiles from a U.S. drone aircraft killed seven militants at a training compound in North Waziristan on Sunday, according to a Pakistani daily
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Taliban Commander Arrested In Nimruz Province
A Taliban commander was arrested in Afghanistan's southwestern Nimruz province, according to a Dari-language Afghan daily.
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