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Country Reports on Terrorism 2008 - Pakistan

International terrorist organizations, including al-Qa'ida (AQ) and its supporters, continued to operate and carry out attacks in Pakistan. Violence stemming from Sunni-Shia sectarian strife, ethnic tensions, and militant sub-nationalists claimed civilian lives. Attacks occurred with greatest frequency in the regions bordering Afghanistan: Balochistan, the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), and the adjacent Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), but militant attacks continued to grow and target urban centers including Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Rawalpindi.

The coordination, sophistication, and frequency of suicide bombings that increased sharply in 2007, continued to grow in Pakistan in 2008. By November 30, there were already 57 recorded suicide attacks in Pakistan, in comparison to 45 reported attacks in 2007. These suicide attacks often resulted in large numbers of casualties, and several occurred in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore. The attacks targeted high profile government, military, and western-related sites, such as hotels. The most prominent among the attacks this year was the September 20 suicide bombing against the Marriot Hotel in Islamabad where at least 60 people were killed and over 200 injured. Two Americans died in this sophisticated attack aimed at foreigners and Pakistan's international reputation. Other instances in which Americans were targeted included attacks on an American diplomat and the killing of a USAID contractor, both in Peshawar.

Other high profile bombings in Islamabad have targeted foreigners, including the June 2 bombing of the Danish Embassy and the March 15 bombing of an Italian restaurant where several Americans were injured. In response to these incidents, diplomatic security and police checkpoints surrounding Islamabad have increased significantly.

The majority of suicide attacks across Pakistan have targeted well-protected military and government installations. These attacks included very high profile targets and caused high casualty rates, such as the August 21 bombing of an ammunitions factory at Wah Cantonment killing over 70 people and the March 11 suicide bombings in Lahore targeting the Federal Investigation Agency. In January, the first ever female suicide bomber in Pakistan targeted a police checkpoint in NWFP. Also the newly elected civilian government has been the target of several attacks, specifically the coalition-partner Awami National Party (ANP) in the NWFP. Militants have tried unsuccessfully to kill ANP leaders across NWFP, including ANP Chairman Asfandyar Wali Khan in Charsadda and senior minister Bashir Bilour at the Inter-provincial Games in Peshawar. It is also believed that militants were responsible for the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 1007.

Extremists led by Baitullah Mehsud and other AQ-related extremists spread north throughout the FATA with an increased presence in Bajaur and Khyber. In most of the FATA, the militants continued to openly challenge the writ of the state with high levels of violence. In the bordering districts of NWFP, the militants tried to extend their influence by targeting CD shops, barber shops, police stations, and girls' schools. As the militancy seeped into the settled areas of NWFP this year, small towns such as Nowshera and Kohat saw an increase in suicide attacks.

There was a growing trend of militants garnering support by promising to fill a vacuum left by "ineffective" government structures. Baitullah Mehsud formed the Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) in Pakistan in December 2007 as a loose alliance of militants. In 2008, the TTP became the most public signal of broad local militant coordination aimed at attacking Pakistani security forces. TTP was active all over the FATA and NWFP, but specifically in Kurram, Swat, Bajaur, North Waziristan, and South Waziristan. In February, Mehsud called a unilateral ceasefire and the lull in attacks lasted until after the parliamentary elections in, but resumed shortly thereafter. In August, the Government of Pakistan officially banned the TTP and froze its bank accounts. The ban allowed Pakistani security forces to arrest anyone associated with the group. In addition, media outlets were not allowed to broadcast interviews or other interaction with the TTP. The Pakistani government also turned down the TTP's offer of a ceasefire and peace talks. Militants and related criminal elements increased their direct targeting of individual foreigners, including aid workers, journalists, diplomats, and politicians in the NWFP. Most of the victims were kidnapped for ransom whereas some of the targets were assassinated, such as American citizen and USAID worker Stefan Vance who was killed in Peshawar in November. Other significant attacks included the attempted kidnapping of the Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, the kidnapping of the Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin, and the kidnappings of Chinese engineers and Iranian and Afghan diplomats.

Pakistani security services cooperated with the United States and other nations to fight terrorism within Pakistan and abroad. Hundreds of suspected AQ operatives have been killed or captured by Pakistani authorities since September 2001. Pakistan continued to pursue AQ and its allies through nationwide police action and military operations in the FATA and elsewhere. Despite having approximately 80,000 to 100,000 troops in the FATA, including Army and Frontier Corps (FC) units, the Government of Pakistan's authority in the area continued to be challenged. Pakistani security forces pursued major military operations in South Waziristan, Darra Adam Khel, Bajaur, Khyber, and Swat. The rise of local "lashkars" or tribal militias to combat militants has added some support to Pakistan Army operations.

Despite an increased number of infiltrations across the Line of Control, Pakistan-India relations were improving, with trade opened for the first time in over 60 years, until they were significantly set back by the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India in November. These attacks were attributed to the (Pakistan-based) Kashmir terrorist group Laskhar-e-Tayyiba (LT), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, and to its fundraising subsidiary, the Jamaat ud-Dawa (JUD), which the Government of Pakistan banned after the UN Security Council listed the group and certain named individuals in the 1267 Sanctions Committee. In response to allegations of involvement by the LT and JUD in the Mumbai attacks, Pakistani officials cracked down on a LT camp in Muzzafarabad and arrested or detained more than 50 LT or JUD leaders in Punjab and elsewhere in Pakistan. Pakistani officials pledged to prosecute all individuals in Pakistan found to be involved in the Mumbai attacks and offered to share intelligence regarding the attacks with the Government of India. President Zardari said non-state actors (terrorists) were operating on Pakistani soil and noted his own wife (Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto assassinated on December 27, 2007) had been a victim of terrorism. The composite dialogue between Pakistan and India was frozen by the Indian government in December, however, contributing to heightened tension between the two governments.

In terrorist financing, Pakistan worked with the UNSCR 1267 Committee to freeze assets of individuals and groups identified as terrorist entities linked to LT/JUD. AQ and the Taliban, however, continued to operate in Pakistan. Despite government efforts to curb illicit financial transactions, unlicensed informal hawalas (money changers) still operated illegally in parts of the country. The informal and secretive nature of the unlicensed hawalas made it difficult for regulators to effectively combat their operations. Most illicit funds were transacted through these unlicensed operators.

The United States and Pakistan engaged in a broad range of cooperative counterterrorism efforts including border security and criminal investigations, as well as several long-term projects. Pakistan is a major recipient of U.S. military and economic assistance.

Topics: Terrorism, Counter-terrorism,