By Ali K Chishti

Daily Times has learned of a massive conspiracy to destabilize Karachi, Pakistan’s only economic hub by none other than various jihadi groups which only recently decided to regroup and reorganize themselves courtesy of Qari Zafar of the TTP to launch a series of high-profile killings and bomb blasts.

Previously, Daily Times was the first publication in Pakistan to break the story that the assassination of an MQM legislator, Raza Haider, was the work of Qari Zafar of the TTP which resulted in killing of more than 95 people in various targeted killings and organized attacks in Karachi.

“But bigger players have just joined in Karachi,” a Western intelligence source stationed abroad confirmed.

Daily Times could confirm al Qaeda presence in Karachi, which is understandably very upset with the counter-terrorism moves by the government, which is yielding results and significantly, denting al Qaeda’s leadership and operational capabilities inside Pakistan.

Only recently, a drone attack killed one of their top commanders and number three, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid aka al-Masri, and this is not their only concern.

Interestingly, for a precision attack on a certain target anywhere, a sim-like chip has to be fixed at the spot for the missile from the drone to hit the target, which could only be possible if someone fixed that chip. So human intelligence is something the CIA operational panel rallies up which leads to the conclusion that ISI who already has a vast network of operatives and assets inside FATA is closely working with its American counterpart to “hound and destroy” at least, al Qaeda in Pakistan.

Daily Times could confirm that the “Quetta Shura” which consists of the top leadership of the Afghan Taliban, headed by Mulla Omar, from an unknown place in Pakistan and whose at least nine out of 18 leaders had been arrested to this date, has cut ties with al Qaeda, leaving al Qaeda and Arab militants inside Pakistan no choice other than to join the TTP. The “Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan is milking money from al Qaeda too for providing safe-havens and working as sub-contractors too,” another Western diplomat stationed in Afghanistan confirmed.

According to various counter-terrorism officials who spoke to Daily Times confirmed that “there’s a plan which was revealed by the recently-captured terrorists to launch a 26/11 Mumbai style fidayeen attack similar to ones happening in Lahore inside Karachi”.

Another plan which is being discussed is to target the second-tier leadership of the MQM, the ANP, the Sunni Tehreek and the PPP at the same time to create “fitna” which is so much embedded in al Qaeda’s ideology to provoke sentiments. The whole idea of course is to somehow engage the Pakistan Army in various cities and especially in Karachi and the plan, “almost succeeded” said one source. (Daily Times)

NOWSHERA: An explosive-laden vehicle has been reported parked near the residence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Geo News quoted police sources as saying Monday.

On Saturday evening, Mian Iftikhar who is a senior leader of northwest’s secular ANP party, lost his son when unknown gunmen shot the latter dead while he was taking a walk with his cousin in a public area near Nowshera, a city east of Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Sunday afternoon claimed responsibility for the killing Iftikhar’s son.

The 25-year-old son of the minister, the only son of the minister, died right on the spot after receiving four bullets in his body while his 29-year-old nephew was seriously injured.

Main Iftikhar Hussain, the information minister of Khyber Paktunkhwa province, is a well-known anti-terrorism politician in Pakistan. A couple of weeks ago, at a seminar held in Peshawar, he warned that the Taliban militants are regrouping in Khyber Paktunkhwa province and its neighboring tribal areas and vowed to fight the terrorists to the end.

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Sunday afternoon claimed responsibility for killing the son of a senior ANP leader who is also the Information Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwest Pakistan.

The news was first broken by Dunya TV on Sunday.

On Saturday evening, unknown gunmen shot dead the son of the minister while he was taking a walk with his cousin in a public area near Nowshera, a city east of Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

The 25-year-old son of the minister, the only son of the minister, died right on the spot after receiving four bullets in his body while his 29-year-old nephew was seriously injured.

Main Iftikhar Hussain, the information minister of Khyber Paktunkhwa province, is a well-known anti-terrorism politician in Pakistan. A couple of weeks ago, at a seminar held in Peshawar, he warned that the Taliban militants are regrouping in Khyber Paktunkhwa province and its neighboring tribal areas and vowed to fight the terrorists to the end.

Shortly after the incident took place, both the Pakistani President Zardari and the Prime Minister Gilani as well as many other party leaders strongly condemned the killing which is believed to be aimed at issuing a warning to the government officials who are fighting against the militants.