The New York Times reported that the ISI had lost control of a number of militant groups that were at some point its protégé. These groups were dejected as the Pakistani military was targeting them in its ongoing operations1.

The security agencies meanwhile arrested an 18-year old boy named Aitzaz on January 19 at Dera Ismail Khan who is allegedly the key suspect in Benazir Bhutto’s killing. The boy confessed to the interrogators that he had been trained in South Waziristan along with Sher Zaman who was also arrested with him2. Prior to this, the Scotland Yard in its report had confirmed the Al Qaeda connection in the killing of Bhutto3. In a related development, the PPP sent a petition to the UN to initiate a probe in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto4.

In other domestic political developments, the PML-N demanded some sort of a national government, a proposition which was rejected by President Musharraf earlier in the week5. Musharraf reiterated that the polls would be conducted as per the schedule.

Incidents of violence continued across the country. A suicide bomb attack in Peshawar killed 10 people and injured at least 25 on January 176. Taliban militants took control of a fort in South Waziristan during the week which nonetheless was recaptured after a successful operation by the army7. The army also claimed success of ‘Operation Rah-e-Haq’ in the Swat Valley, which had been underway since several weeks and involved a large number of troops8.

• 1. Carlotta Gall & David Rohde, “Militants Escape Control of Pakistan, Officials Say,” The New York Times, January 15, 2008, at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/world/asia/15isi.html?ref=todayspaper
• 2. Irfan Mughal, “Boy, key suspect held in BB murder plot,” Dawn, January 20, 2008, at http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/20/top1.htm
• 3. “Al Qaeda assassinated Benazir: report,” Dawn, January 14, 2008, at http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/14/top2.htm
• 4. Shamim-ur-Rahman, “PPP sends plea to UN today,” Dawn, January 16, 2008, at http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/16/top4.htm
• 5. “Consensus govt only way out, says PML-N,” Dawn, January 18, 2008, at http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/18/top8.htm
• 6. Manzoor Ali Shah, “10 die in Peshawar imambargah blast,” Daily Times, January 18, 2008, at http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\01\18\story_18-1-2008_pg1_1
• 7. “Over 80 militants killed in clashes; army retakes fort: 22 paramilitary soldiers still missing,” Dawn, January 19, 2008 at http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/19/top1.htm
• 8. Amin Ahmed, “Army claims success in Swat operation: Militancy almost wiped out,” Dawn, January 17, 2008, at http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/17/top5.htm