KARACHI: The counterterrorism department (CTD) in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province announced on Wednesday the killing of a suspected Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant involved in a major 2013 bombing and last year’s attack on police headquarters in Karachi.
Umar Farooq, described as a TTP commander, was suspected of participating in a deadly assault on a Shia mosque in Abbas Town in March 2013, using a car bomb that killed 48 people and injured over 180.
Nearly a decade later, Karachi witnessed another major attack in February 2023 when militants laid siege to the city’s police headquarters, killing four, including two officers, in a battle claimed by the TTP.
Shortly after the second attack, police announced the killing of two militants, identifying one of them, Aryad Ullah, as the alleged mastermind.
In a statement issued earlier today, the CTD said it had acted on a tip-off and apprehended Farooq, who was waiting near Hanifia Masjid on the northern bypass of the city.
“The terrorist began firing at the police to evade arrest,” the statement said. “In the ensuing exchange of fire, he was wounded and fell down.”
The CTD informed Farooq shot a policeman in the chest, who survived because he was wearing a flak jacket.
The statement noted the TTP militant was declared a fugitive by an anti-terrorism court for his role in the police headquarters attack.
It also mentioned that a recent threat alert issued by the Sindh home office warned that Farooq had been sent to Karachi by the top TTP leadership to carry out “terrorist activities” and rebuild a network.
The statement said the TTP commander had fled to Afghanistan after his acquittal in several cases, including murder, attempted murder and militancy.
Police records show 10 cases were filed against him at different police stations in Karachi between 2013 and 2014.
Pakistan’s counterterrorism police announce killing of suspected militant involved in major Karachi attacks
https://arab.news/zdn5j
Pakistan’s counterterrorism police announce killing of suspected militant involved in major Karachi attacks
- Umar Farooq was said to be part of the 2013 Abbas Town bombing and last year’s attack on police headquarters
- The suspected militant, who was killed in a shootout, was believed to be working on rebuilding the TTP network
Pakistan says it has received no request to join Gaza stabilization force
- Foreign Office says any decision on participating in an international mechanism will be guided by sovereign policy considerations
- It says Pakistan’s security collaboration with Saudi Arabia is longstanding and should not be narrowly viewed as troop deployment
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has not taken any decision on joining a proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza and has received no formal request from the United States or any other country in this regard, the foreign office said on Thursday.
Trump’s Gaza plan, outlined as part of a 20-point framework, envisages the deployment of troops from Muslim-majority countries during a transitional stabilization phase, intended to support security and governance as the war-ravaged Palestinian territory moves toward reconstruction and a longer-term political settlement.
International media outlets claim Washington views Pakistan as a potentially significant contributor given its battle-hardened military, which has fought a brief but intense conflict with India this year and continues to combat insurgencies in its remote regions.
Responding to a query during his weekly media briefing, the foreign office spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, said discussions on ISF for Gaza were ongoing in “certain capitals,” but Pakistan had neither committed to participate nor received any specific request.
“We have not taken a sovereign decision to participate in ISF as yet,” he said. “I am not aware of any specific request made to Pakistan. We will inform you about any development if it takes place.”
He added that while Gaza and Palestine remain part of Pakistan’s broader diplomatic engagements with regional partners, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and members of the United Nations Security Council, the issue of deploying a stabilization force had not been discussed as a standalone, structured agenda item.
“These discussions come up in the broader context of how to stabilize Gaza and ensure peace, but not as a specific, formal proposal,” he added.
The spokesperson maintained Pakistan supports efforts aimed at Gaza’s stabilization and peace but would make any decision on participation in international mechanisms strictly in line with its sovereign policy considerations.
In response to a question about a recent news report by Reuters about a possible visit by Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir to the United States to meet US President Donald Trump, Andrabi said there was no confirmation of such plans.
“I can contradict the report in its essence,” he said. “The report suggested as if a visit has been planned or finalized. I do not have any information on the timing or any future visit.”
Earlier, a White House official told Arab News on background no meeting was scheduled between Trump and Munir “at this time.”
The foreign office spokesperson stressed that official visits by Pakistan’s political or military leadership are announced formally by the government ahead of time.
“When an official visit takes place, there is an official announcement. I do not have any such information to share,” he added.
To a question regarding the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) signed in September, he said security collaboration between Islamabad and Riyadh was longstanding, reiterating that the latest pact had only codified and further elaborated the partnership.
Andrabi maintained the pact should not be interpreted narrowly as the deployment of Pakistani forces, noting that defense cooperation covered a wide spectrum including training, joint exercises and institutional collaboration.
“As I said, it’s an ongoing process,” he said. “You should not read it just in the context of sending your forces. There are training, joint exercises that keep on going. If you interpret training as sending forces, I cannot say that. I mean, sending of forces is a very broad term. But our defense corporation, as I said, is ongoing.”
