U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Terrorism 2005 - Pakistan

The Government of Pakistan continued to pursue al-Qaida, the Taliban and their allies aggressively with counterterrorist police measures throughout the country and large-scale military operations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Al-Qaida has declared the Government of Pakistan one of its main enemies, and has called for its overthrow. Nearly 160 people were killed in Sunni-Shia sectarian attacks, a decline from the nearly 200 killed in 2004.

In the run-up to the September parliamentary elections in Afghanistan, Pakistan deployed approximately 80,000 troops, including Frontier Corps (FC) units, to the border region. Pakistan Army and FC units raided key al-Qaida safe havens in North and South Waziristan, including a compound used by Jalaluddin Haqqani, a leading Taliban figure. President Musharraf reported in November that Hamza Rabia, al-Qaida's chief of external operations, was killed in an explosion in North Waziristan. These operations significantly degraded al-Qaida's command and control capabilities in the region and disrupted cross-border operations. Parallel to this military effort, the government developed a strategy designed to win the support of the tribes in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with a combination of negotiations and economic development investments.

Pakistani security services cooperated closely with the United States and other nations in a campaign to eliminate international terrorism. Hundreds of suspected operatives of al-Qaida and other terrorist groups have been killed or captured by Pakistani authorities since September 2001. Notable arrests by Pakistani security forces included Syed Mohammad Hashim, wanted in connection with the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl, Lashkar i Jhangvi chief Asif Choto, and leading al-Qaida fugitive Abu Faraj Al Libi. Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi was arrested and transferred to Afghan custody in October. In January, Pakistan extradited two suspected al-Qaida figures to Turkey. The government also cracked down on several groups that had been active in the Kashmir insurgency, banning the publication of the monthly magazine Shahadat run by the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen.

Despite these successes, al-Qaida and Taliban operations in Pakistan continue to pose a threat to U.S. interests, and tribal support for operations against al-Qaida and the Taliban is mixed.

Uneasy relations between the national government and elements in the province of Balochistan have also led to violence. Pakistani authorities charge that a Baloch separatist group was behind two blasts in Lahore in September that killed six people, a November car bombing in Karachi that killed three, and a December missile attack on a paramilitary base during a visit by President Musharraf. At the close of 2005, Government of Pakistan security forces were engaged in operations to subdue the rebellious Baloch militants.

Following the July 7 London subway bombing, in which three of the bombers had widely alleged ties to Pakistan, President Musharraf addressed the nation on television to condemn terrorism and call for a "Jihad against extremism." Among the measures he announced were a crackdown on banned organizations, hate materials, and incitement by religious leaders; the expulsion of foreign madrassa students; and new registration and financial disclosure requirements on madrassas. Government and religious leaders continued to negotiate over the implementation of these measures.

The October 8 earthquake that devastated Pakistan, killing more than 80,000, created an opportunity for al-Qaida-linked relief organizations to provide aid to survivors in the affected areas. The Government of Pakistan provided its own relief operations, facilitated international relief operations, and promised to shut down known terrorist relief camps, but nonetheless several such groups were able to raise funds and reap public relations benefits.

Pakistan's antiterrorism courts continue to prosecute terrorism cases. In May, six activists of Harakat ul-Mujahedin al-Almi received 19-year sentences for possession of bombmaking equipment and weapons. In March, two physicians, brothers Arshad and Akmal Waheed, were charged and convicted of providing medical treatment to al-Qaida terrorists.

U.S.-Pakistani joint counterterrorism efforts were extensive. They included cooperative efforts in border security and criminal investigations and several long-term training projects.