Pakistan:
The Independent: Imran Khan, the leader of the Tehreek-e-Insaf Pakistani political party, is marching into Pakistan’s remote tribal areas as a form of protest against the US drone campaign there. “The cricketer-turned-politician said he would hold the government of President Asif Ali Zardari responsible if anything happened to those taking part. Mr Khan is tomorrow due to lead a convoy of vehicles into the tribal areas, culminating in a rally in South Waziristan on Sunday night. He is to be accompanied by human-rights campaigners from the US and Pakistan. In recent days, government officials had tried to warn the politician off, suggesting it might not be safe for the large contingent, despite an apparent statement from the Taliban that it would not target the activists.”
Radio Free Europe: Those in Pakistan who place bounties on people who have criticized Islam, such as Ghulam Ahmad Bilou, are cashing in on anti-Western fervor and trying to win the support of the Taliban. “…Bifour has benefited in a way that he, and perhaps his secular nonviolent party, might have been calculating: The Taliban has removed his name from its hit list and potentially paved the way for further rapprochement with his secular party ahead of the general elections slated for March 2013.
Maybe more importantly, Bilour proudly took the stage on September 28 at the historical Mahabat Khan Mosque in Peshawar, the minister’s home constituency, to the chagrin of rivals from the pro-Taliban Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam. The appearance was bound to be met with praise irrespective of the performance of his ministry over the past few years.”
Pakistan Observer: Pakistani Chairman Senate Syed Bokhari has told Mr. Gordon Hook, Executive Secretary of the Asia Pacific Group, that Pakistan is introducing the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2012 to address concerns over terrorism funding. “The Chairman told Executive Secretary that Pakistan is itself very much interested to know who is financing terrorist activities so that we can get hold of them and freeze terrorist’s assets. He apprised Mr. Gordan that narcodollars from narcotics have been used as well for inciting terrorists and spreading terrorism.”
Afghanistan:
Pakistan Today: As the US-led surge in Afghanistan is ending, the Taliban have emerged from the biggest military operation against them intact, and there are concerns that a civil war may be imminent. “…while the unpopular conflict might end for NATO, some analysts predict a collapse of the Western-backed government and a civil war worse than that in the 1990s when Soviet troops withdrew after their own 10-year occupation.
‘I think it is only a matter of time before the government collapses. That is certain,’ says Candace Rondeaux of the International Crisis Group.
“What will come to dominate in Kabul in 2014, 2015 will be chaos and violence.
‘And the fracturing that we saw in the 1990s will only be compounded by the fact that there are more weapons in the country and greater incentives now for a lot more brutality than we have seen before.’”
CNN: The Afghan government has classified insider, or ‘green-on-blue’, attacks as terrorism. “‘The majority of it is a terrorist infiltration in the (Afghan army) ranks and forces which is a tragic thing in itself,’ Jawed Ludin, Afghanistan’s deputy foreign minister, said of ‘green on blue’ attacks, in which Afghan soldiers turn their weapons on NATO forces alongside whom they serve.
U.S. officials have said a percentage of such attacks can be attributed to cultural grievances by Afghan forces, as well as Taliban or other insurgents exploiting the situation to drive a wedge between the United States and Afghanistan.”
India:
The Times of India: The attack on Lt-Gen KS Brar has prompted the NIA to investigate pro-Khalistan activism and fundraising channels. In particular, the activities of the Sikh Organization for Prisoner Welfare (SOPW) and the Punjabi e-paper Rozana Spokesman are to be probed as potential funders of militancy.
Bangladesh:
Whec.com: “Bangladesh’s High Court asked the government on Wednesday to explain why local officials failed to provide security to minority Buddhists whose homes, temples and businesses were attacked over a picture of a burned Quran posted on Facebook.” The Government has already acted in removing a local police chief for allowing the attacks to go ahead.
