Pakistan-Afghanistan Update: Drone Strike Hits Near Datta Khel; Afghan Vote Audit Process Moving Slow

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Topline

• The audit process continues in Afghanistan, but disputes between the two campaign over the criteria by which ballots will be thrown out, and a shortage of observers, has slowed the process; the Ghani campaign briefly walked out on Saturday, but returned to the process on Sunday. IEC officials say the process will accelerate in the coming week. A Predator drone strike killed as many as fifteen militants near Datta Khel on Saturday; Pakistani military source suggest operations in Datta Khel, and the Shawal valley nearby, will be the next major ground movements in the ongoing Waziristan operation. A Pakistani civilian was killed in fire along the Line of Control in Kashmir, military officials report. Nominations have reportedly been finalized for a Pakistani parliamentary committee on electoral reforms. Prime Minister Sharif departed for Saudi Arabia on Sunday; assistant Tariq Fatemi will travel to Washington this week.

Pakistan — Security

• Predator Drone Strike: As many as fifteen militant suspects were killed in a U.S. Predator drone strike on Saturday that targeted a compound in the Datta Khel village in North Waziristan. Local sources tell the NYT and WSJ that the majority the dead were Punjabi militants involved in sectarian terrorism, although their identities and affiliations have not been confirmed; some of the dead were also reported to have been Uzbeks. AFP and AP sources instead suggest that most of those killed were Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan members, including two unidentified “important” commanders. Pakistan’s foreign ministry formally condemned the strike in a statement Saturday. [Reuters]
• Waziristan Operations: Pakistani military officials reported the “consolidation” of control over the villages of Boya and Degan on Saturday; Peshawar Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Khalid Rabbani visited soldiers in the area the same day. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif touted the military’s progress in interviews on Saturday. Anonymous sources tell Dawn that efforts to retake Datta Khel, formerly held by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, will begin next, followed by movement into the Shawal Valley system; on Sunday, the military carried out airstrikes in the Shawal area, which spokesmen said killed 28 militant suspects. There is no independent confirmation of military figures, which have not acknowledged any civilian deaths in the more than month-long offensive; Reuters interviews residents who claim that seventeen civilians were killed in bombing on Friday. A “rapid assessment” of IDP needs began on Saturday; more than 990,000 have been registered since the beginning of Operation Zarb-e-Azb. On Friday, however, the National Database and Registration Authority said it could not verify the identities of over 33,000 people who have registered as heads of families, through which aid and cash grants are being distributed; over 92,000 families have been registered in total. A jirga of displaced tribal elders met on Sunday in Bannu to seek compensation and an early return to their homes in North Waziristan. [Dawn]
• India Border Clashes: Cross-border mortar fire along the Line of Control in Kashmir near Sialkot killed one person and injured at least three on the Pakistani side on Sunday; Pakistani military officials accuse Indian forces of “unprovoked firing”. [Dawn] [Dawn] [ET]
• Khuzdar Bombing: At least three people were killed and more than 27 wounded when a bomb went off in Khuzdar, Balochistan on Saturday, targeting a paramilitary Frontier Corps vehicle. No claim of responsibility has been reported.

Pakistan — Politics and Diplomacy

• External Diplomacy: Tariq Fatemi, a special assistant to Prime Minister Sharif on foreign affairs, will travel to the U.S. on an official visit this week to hold meetings with U.S. officials. In meetings last week, a delegation of security officials held meetings with Pentagon and CENTCOM officials, during which they reportedly sought continuing assistance after the expected expiration of the Coalition Support Fund program following the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, PM Sharif departed for Saudi Arabia on Sunday, where he will reportedly hold talks on a range of issues, including strained ties between the government and the intelligence services. [Dawn]
• PTI Protests: A five-member cabinet committee was appointed on Saturday, headed by Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, to prepare for Independence Day celebrations culminating August 14 in Islamabad, coinciding with the PTI’s planned protest rally in the city. Smaller ceremonies are planned throughout the month of August, “dedicated to martyrs of Tehreek-i-Pakistan and war against terrorism”. Rafique told reporters that the government had no intention to use force to stop the PTI’s rally.
• Complaints and Electoral Reforms: On Saturday, nominations were finalized for a parliamentary committee to consider electoral reforms, which will reportedly be headed by Science and Technology Minister Zahid Hamid. The Express Tribune reports that the PML-N government may accept the PTI’s demand for a full audit of votes cast in the 2013 general elections, a process that could take as much as 18 months. Separately, dueling disqualification petitions are expected to be filed against Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif this week. [Dawn] [ET] [Dawn] [ET]
• MQM Leadership Temporarily Suspended: MQM leader in exile Altaf Hussain temporarily suspended 19 members of the party’s central leadership committee on Sunday — on grounds that they had failed to carry out the responsibilities assigned to them — before reinstating them less than twelve hours later. Dawn reports that low collections of zakat and other donations during the Ramazan period were the principle point of dispute within the party.

Pakistan — Economics and Development

• Polio Crisis: Five new polio cases were registered across the country on Saturday, bringing the national total for the year to date to 99. Despite the surge in cases, health officials tell the Express Tribune that they hope to stop polio transmissions by 2015 and achieve polio-free status by 2018. [Dawn]
• Trade Deficit: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics figures released on Friday indicate that Pakistan recorded a $19.8 billion trade deficit for the previous 2013-14 fiscal year, a 2.5% decrease from the previous year but still wider than government and IMF targets.

Pakistan — Remainders

• Youm-e-Ali Processions Held Under Tight Security [Dawn] [Dawn] [ET] [ET] [ET] [Dawn]
• WorldCall Cable Operator Offices Attacked in Karachi [Dawn]
• Five Peshawar Police Killed in Separate Attacks [Dawn] [Dawn]
• In Pakistan, A Master Bomb Technician Fights a New Kind of War [WAPO]
• Faisalabad MP and Supporters Attack Police Station, Free Prisoner [Dawn] [Dawn] [ET]
• Parliamentary Committee to Nominate National Human Rights Commission Head [ET]
• Auditor General Challenges Successor’s Appointment [ET]
• State Bank of Pakistan Leaves Interest Rate Unchanged [ET]
• Sindh Provincial Revenues Rose 20% in 2013-14 [Dawn]
• Petroleum Ministry Recommends Liquefied Petroleum Gas Price Cut [Dawn]

Afghanistan — Security

• Paktika Bombing Aftermath: President Karzai, First Vice President Qanooni, and Abdullah Abdullah all made separate visits to Paktika’s Urgun district over the weekend to visit survivors of last week’s market bombing there; Ashraf Ghani had also visited last week.
• Helmand Bombing: Two Afghan police officers were killed when their vehicle was hit by a suicide bomber in Helmand on Monday; another fifteen people, including eight policemen, were injured.

Afghanistan — Politics and Diplomacy

• Election Audit Moving Slowly: ISAF forces began transferring ballot boxes from provincial offices to the Independent Election Commission headquarters in Kabul on Saturday. Disputes continue between the two campaigns’ observers at the IEC over the criteria by which ballots will be thrown out, suggesting a long and slow process which is likely to run until the end of August. Campaign observers for Ashraf Ghani staged a walkout on Saturday after disputing some ballot audits, although the process resumed on Sunday. As of Sunday, 435 out of 22,828 ballot boxes are reported to have undergone the audit process; IEC officials say they plan to accelerate the process to around 1,000 boxes a day beginning next week. Special Representative Dobbins has returned to Kabul, and met with Pres. Karzai on Sunday to discuss the audit process. In meetings on Friday, Abdullah and Ghani continued conversations on a prospective national unity government to follow the audit process; a small protest against the inclusion of warlords in such a government was held by civil society groups in Kabul on Sunday. [TOLO] [TOLO] [BBC] [Guardian] [AFP]

Afghanistan — Remainders

• Former Taliban Leader Agha Jan Motasim Criticizes Pakistani Taliban Attacks [ET]
• MPs Give No Confidence Vote to Members of Independent Commission for Overseeing the Implementation of the Constitution [TOLO]
• Heavy Clashes Reported in Faryab [Khaama Press]
• Commentary: What Happened in the Afghanistan Elections? – “46% of polling centers had a decrease of nearly a million votes from the runoff (~980k) while the polling centers which had increased turnout saw an average increase of 679 voters per polling center. These polling stations contributed an additional 2,281,613 votes in comparison with the first round.” [Drew Bollinger and Ian Schuler, Development Seed]