Pakistan torn over its tribal areas Nov 15, 2008
General Headquarters in Rawalpindi realizes that should the more than 10,000 troops there not be pulled out, they will face a dire war of attrition, but if they leave, the militants will gain strength. Kabal and Kanju are the only war theatres left in the valley with battles raging and with the military in partial control, but come. (Asia Times Online)
In Pakistan, optimism proves unwarranted Nov 11, 2008
Supporters of Pakistan's deposed chief justice Iftikar Chaudhry chanted slogans against President Asif Zardari during a lawyers convention last week in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad. (Faisal Mahmood/Reuters) By Ali Wyne November 11, 2008. (Boston Globe)
Pakistan arrests four over hotel blast Oct 24, 2008
The men were arrested recently from Islamabad and the neighbouring garrison city of Rawalpindi, he said. No further details of their identities or their affiliations were available. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
India, Pakistan Cross the 'Line' Oct 24, 2008
So, there's clearly more than commerce riding on the new trade across the Line of Control, gingerly reviving an old trade route from Srinagar to Rawalpindi. But a durable peace in a conflict that has been at the epicenter of the existential hostility between India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947, will require a lot more than a modest trade in spices and grains and fruit. (Time.com)
India, Pakistan open trade route across Kashmir Oct 21, 2008
"I was 12 years old when I last saw baskets of fruits being packed to be sent to Rawalpindi," said Haji Abdul Ahad Bhat, a 74-year-old apple farmer from the Indian side, referring to a Pakistani city near the capital, Islamabad. The opening of the trade route is meant to bolster a 2004 peace agreement between the South Asian rivals. (International Herald Tribune -- Travel)
Police will question two former intelligence chiefs and a former Punjab chief minister over suicide blasts at a rally held in Karachi Karsaz area last year to welcome Benazir Bhutto back to Pakistan Oct 18, 2008
Benazir Butto had survived the suicide attack on October 18 that had killed around 140 people and injured hundreds more, but was assassinated in another suicide attack in Rawalpindi on December 27 after addressing an election rally. Police had initially refused to entertain Bhuttos allegations but are now doing so after a court order, said Sohail Chattha, a senior police official. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
BACKGROUND: Terrorist attacks in Pakistan Oct 11, 2008
December 27, 2007: Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is murdered in a bombing in Rawalpindi. Twenty other people died along with the politician, who was twice prime minister. (Monsters and Critics.com)
US, Pakistan torn apart over terror Oct 10, 2008
The raids were the major issue discussed at the 111th meeting of the Corps Commanders at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on September 12-13. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) began mounting combat air patrols over Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) for the first time since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. (Asia Times Online)
UN wont probe Benazir's murder Oct 8, 2008
This is first time that the UN has made it clear that it is not going to hold an independent inquiry into the assassination of Bhutto on December 27 in Rawalpindi during an election rally. . (Sify.com, India)
Akhtar in, Yousuf out Oct 8, 2008
The maverick bowler known as the Rawalpindi Express for the sheer pace of his deliveries was in April banned for five years for publicly criticising the PCB after he was left out of a 15-man list for lucrative contracts. A PCB appeal committee reduced the ban to 18 months but also imposed a fine in June. (iAfrica.com)
The FIA and the CIA, in collaboration with other intelligence agencies, are set to launch a crackdown against hoax callers Oct 6, 2008
RAWALPINDI: The FIA and the CIA, in collaboration with other intelligence agencies, are set to launch a crackdown against hoax callers. The operation would be launched in major cities, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
* UN orders children of foreign staff to leave Islamabad Oct 4, 2008
Under the decision, UN expatriate staff will no longer be allowed to live with their children in the capital, the neighboring city of Rawalpindi or in Quetta, on the Afghan frontier. Amena Kamaal, a UN spokeswoman in Islamabad, said only about 20 families were affected. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
UN raises alert level in Pakistan, orders children of staff to leave Oct 3, 2008
The heightened security level applied to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, and nine districts of Baluchistan, it said. A UN information officer in Islamabad, Ishrat Rizvi, said the world body remained committed to Pakistan. (Boston Globe)
Islamabad increasingly a danger zone Oct 3, 2008
Under the decision, U.N. expatriate staff will no longer be allowed to live with their children in the capital, the neighboring city of Rawalpindi or in Quetta, on the Afghan frontier. Amena Kamaal, a U.N. spokeswoman in Islamabad, said only about 20 families were affected. (MSNBC -- International)
The fight goes on, militants tell Pakistan Oct 3, 2008
"The Pakistan-Afghan border is porous and is now causing trouble for us in Bajaur," a senior security source in the military told a news briefing in Rawalpindi. The call to arms to join the militants is reverberating across the tribal areas in unprecedented fashion and the flames of war from Afghanistan that have burned for the past seven years could now engulf Pakistan. (Asia Times Online)
Diplomat children to return to UK Oct 3, 2008
The Foreign Office added it was continuing to advise British nationals against non-essential travel to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar "in view of the heightened threat to Westerners" in the cities. It said: "We also advise against using major international hotels which are frequented by Westerners at this time.". (BBC News -- South Asia)
Islamabad After the Marriott Bombing: The Baghdad Effect Oct 3, 2008
The international airport in neighboring Rawalpindi was closed to taxis and civilian vehicles the night I flew in because of bomb threats. Worshippers at one of the biggest mosques now have to park some distance away after another bomb scare. (Time.com)
Al-Qaeda And The Marriott Sep 24, 2008
Since the commando raid into the Lal Masjid (or Red Mosque) of Islamabad in July last year, the TTP and individual terrorists acting on their own have repeatedly demonstrated a capability for terrorist strikes in highly protected areas in Islamabad, Rawalpindi (where the General Headquarters of the Army are located), and other cantonments. They had even targeted the GHQ itself as well as the offices of the ISI. In most of these cases, the explosions took place under identical circumstances--the... (Forbes)
Change of plans saved Pakistani leaders from blast Sep 22, 2008
Pakistan army troops carry the coffin of Czech Ambassador to Pakistan Ivo Zdarek who was killed in the suicide attack on Marriott hotel with 52 others, at Chaklala airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Monday, Sept. 22, 2008. A top Pakistani official said the country's leaders were due to dine at the luxury hotel devastated in a weekend bombing, but changed the venue at the last minute. (Florida Times-Union)
Pakistan hunts Al-Qaeda cell after hotel blast: officials Sep 22, 2008
"We are collecting evidence. The explosives were similar to those used in the Danish embassy, which was claimed by Al-Qaeda, and the attack on the ISI camp in Rawalpindi last year," the official said ... No group claimed responsibility for the bombing of a bus near a facility of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Rawalpindi in November last year, which killed at least 15 people. (Yahoo! Asia News)
Militants destroy hotel at Pakistan capital's heart Sep 21, 2008
The new president, Asif Ali Zardari, lost his wife, the two-time prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, in a suicide bomb and gun attack in the neighbouring city of Rawalpindi last December. (Additional reporting by Kamran Haider; writing by Simon Cameron-Moore; editing by Elizabeth Piper). (AlertNet)
CHRONOLOGY-Recent bomb attacks in Pakistan Sep 21, 2008
Nov. 24 - Twin suicide car bomb attacks kill 15 people in Rawalpindi, on the eve of the return of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from exile in Saudi Arabia ... Dec. 27 - Bhutto is killed in a gun and bomb attack after a rally in Rawalpindi. (AlertNet)
US pushes Pakistan towards the brink Sep 18, 2008
At a meeting of corps commanders in Rawalpindi on September 12, Pakistani Chief of Staff General Ashfaq Kiani received unanimous support for his relatively mild public denunciation of the recent US strikes inside Pakistan in which he said the country's borders and sovereignty would be defended "at all cost". Pakistani security officials claimed on Monday that firing by Pakistani troops and tribesmen had forced two US military helicopters to turn back to Afghanistan after they crossed into... (Asia Times Online)
All the concerned parties should adopt a joint strategy in the war on terror Sep 18, 2008
McKiernan met Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Gen Tariq Majeed and Army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani at the Rawalpindi GHQ. According to ARY One World, the Pakistani officials informed McKiernan of Pakistans concerns about cross-border attacks by US-led forces. McKiernan said NATO forces were not mandated to operate inside Pakistan. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
Alleged U.S. raid into Pakistan is denied by officials Sep 16, 2008
Major Murad Khan, a military spokesman in Rawalpindi, said, "There has been no border violation and we have not fired on the Americans.". Tensions have been mounting since the United States intensified its campaign in Pakistan's border areas against militants suspected of having ties to Al Qaeda and the Taliban. (International Herald Tribune)
US attack: Pak lodges protest Sep 13, 2008
"All elements of national power under the new democratic leadership will safeguard the territorial integrity of Pakistan with full support and backing of the people," Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said addressing a conference of commanders of the Pakistan Army at the 00004000 General Headquarters in Rawalpindi near here. Earlier on Wednesday, Kayani had warned foreign forces against conducting operations on the Pakistani soil, saying the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be... (India Times, India)
Zardari looks to US for cash Sep 12, 2008
Taliban suicide bombings in cities including Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi have added to the human and economic disaster. Budgetary allocations for improving law and order have been increasing, but the worsening situation following counter-terrorism operations in the tribal areas has been a major factor in reducing the country's ability to attract foreign capital, according to economists. (Asia Times Online)
Army chief urges US to show patience in finding comprehensive solution to complex FATA issue Sep 12, 2008
RAWALPINDI: Top military commanders on Thursday supported Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani on his criticism of cross-border US raids in Pakistan, saying only Pakistani forces are authorised to conduct military operations in Pakistani territory. On the first day of the monthly corps commanders meeting chaired by Gen Kayani, the army said Pakistan was part of international efforts against terrorism and had done more in the war on terror than any other country. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
Keep Up The Good Work Sep 12, 2008
It is because of their efforts that in a recent poll in Afghanistan, 80 per cent of those polled expressed "strong approval" of India and its assistance programme - a development that the Taliban and its mentors in Rawalpindi evidently find unbearable. India's imprint in Afghanistan is visible across the country. (India Times, India)
Traders take shine to ancient Silk Road Sep 10, 2008
Part of the ancient Silk Road connecting Europe with Asia, it winds from Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, to the bustling market town of Rawalpindi, in Pakistan, 100 miles away ... Along with chants of "azadi," or "freedom," protesters in Srinagar this summer chanted, "Kashmir's market is in Rawalpindi.". (Boston Globe)
Business briefs Sep 8, 2008
Noor earned his medical degree at Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He served his internal medicine internships and residencies at Army Medical College Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and New York Medical College Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center, Bronx, New York. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Police likely to review VIP routes security Sep 7, 2008
RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi and Islamabad police in collaboration with other law-enforcement agencies are likely to review security arrangements on VIP routes following firing on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilanis motorcade on Wednesday ... They said foolproof security of high profile personalities during their movements between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi was the biggest challenge for the law-enforcement agencies. (Daily Times)
Pakistan reserves the right to appropriately retaliate against unilateral attacks by coalition forces from Afghanistan Sep 6, 2008
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan. Saturday, September 06, 2008. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
Pakistan premier's car comes under fire Sep 6, 2008
Ms Bhutto was killed last December by an assassin's bullet, minutes after she emerged from a political rally in Rawalpindi, the military's main garrison city outside Islamabad. Ms Bhutto's was assassinated just weeks after reports that Baitullah Mehsud, a hardline pro-Taliban militant in the border region, had dispatched suicide bombers to kill her. (Financial Times)
Pakistan Says Attack on Gilani's Motorcade Was Bid to Destabilize Nation Sep 4, 2008
Gunmen fired shots that hit Gilani's car in Rawalpindi yesterday, the government said in a statement, adding the prime minister was unharmed ... Rawalpindi is 6 kilometers (3 ... Terrorist attacks in Pakistan last year killed 2,000 people, including , the former leader of Gilani's Pakistan Peoples Party, who died in a suicide bombing in Rawalpindi on Dec. 27. (Bloomberg -- Asia)
Pakistan PM's motorcade attacked Sep 4, 2008
In December former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed at an election rally in Rawalpindi ... Last year militants grew increasingly confident and carried out a series of attacks in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the country's main garrison town. (BBC News)
Shooters Attempt to Assassinate Pakistan PM Sep 4, 2008
At least two bullets hit the front window on the driver's side of Yousuf Raza Gilani's limousine on the main highway linking Islamabad with the nearby city of Rawalpindi, officials said. Zahid Bashir, the premier's press secretary, said unknown assailants fired "multiple sniper shots" in what he described as a "murder attempt.". (Fox News)
Two bullets hit prime minister`s car on its way to airport, Interior secretary says Gilani and his staff were not in the vehicle Sep 4, 2008
Rawalpindi City Police Officer Rao Muhammad Iqbal said the motorcade was on its way to the airport to pick the prime minister. The [prime ministers] car was going towards the airport when it was fired upon from a small hill. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
PM motorcade shooting investigated Sep 4, 2008
While there were conflicting official reports about whether Gilani himself was in the convoy at the time of the shooting Wednesday along the Islamabad-Rawalpindi highway, Interior Minister had ordered the National Police Bureau to submit a report on the incident within 24 hours, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported ... Rawalpindi, which is near Islamabad, is the country's military headquarters. (United Press International)
Pakistan's PM 'escapes' assassination attempt Sep 4, 2008
Two bullets struck the prime minister's bulletproof car in Rawalpindi ... Pakistan's Information Minister Sherry Rehman told CNN that Gilani was not in the car when his motorcade was struck by bullets in Rawalpindi ... Rawalpindi, about 18 miles (30 kilometers) from the capital city of Islamabad, is a closely guarded city which is home to the country's military headquarters. (CNN -- World)
Pakistan's Growing Chain of Violence Sep 4, 2008
Two gunmen fired on the prime minister's motorcade as it drove from the prime minister's residence in Islamabad to pick him up at the airport in nearby Rawalpindi ... Assassins attempted to kill on a different part of the route connecting the two cities back in 2003; former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's convoy was attacked nearby on December 27th, the day that Prime Minister candidate and Pakistan People's Party chair Benazir Bhutto was killed in a suicide blast at an election rally in... (Time.com)
Sharif facing corruption cases Sep 3, 2008
"We expect the special judge Central Rawalpindi Courts to hear the case on 4 September," the prosecutor, Zulfiqar Bhutta, told the BBC.. He denied there was any political motive for the move. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Asif Ali Zardaris purge betrays Benazir Bhutto's legacy Aug 31, 2008
Bhutto was killed by an assassin s bullet as she waved to supporters at an election rally in Rawalpindi on December 27 last year. Shortly after her death Zardari took control of her Pakistan People s party (PPP) and led it to an election victory, invoking Bhutto s memory and capitalising on the public grief that followed her death. (Times Online)
Pakistani presidential candidates Aug 31, 2008
Bhutto was assassinated on Dec. 27, 2007 in the city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad, shortly after returning to Pakistan forthe election. After his wife's death, Zardari became the co-chairman of the PPP, along with his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. (Xinhuanet, China)
Musharraf building retirement villa Aug 30, 2008
Still living at 'Army House'Musharraf, a gregarious 65-year-old who counted President Bush as a personal friend, has received a stream of guests at Army House in Rawalpindi, south of the capital, where he continues to live even though he stepped down as army chief nine months ago. He has taken to the tennis court and the golf course to unwind after a tumultuous nine-year reign in which he took Pakistan into America's war on terror, warded of economic calamity and dealt with the aftermath of the... (MSNBC -- International)
Musharraf Eyes Comfy Retirement Home Aug 30, 2008
Musharraf, a gregarious 65-year-old who counted President Bush as a personal friend, has received a stream of guests at Army House in Rawalpindi, south of the capital, where he continues to live even though he stepped down as army chief nine months ago. He has taken to the tennis court and the golf course to unwind after a tumultuous nine-year reign in which he took Pakistan into America's war on terror, warded of economic calamity and dealt with the aftermath of the devastating 2005 earthquake. (CBS News -- World)
Pakistani lawyers press government Aug 29, 2008
In Islamabad, protesters tore down banners of Zardari while similar protests were held in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and smaller cities. Police bus blown upAs the politicians tussle over the judges and who will replace Musharraf as president, violence has been surging in the northwest where security forces are battling militants in several areas and the militants are striking back with bombs. (MSNBC -- International)
SHC judges oath-taking shocks lawyers Aug 28, 2008
Sardar Asmatullah, president of the Lahore High Court (Rawalpindi Bench) Bar Association, said lawyers with the help of other people will stage sit-ins at the busy intersections of Rawalpindi city like Kutchery Chowk, Liaquat Bagh and Murree Road. Meanwhile, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Secretary Muhammad Amin Javed told media that the lawyers with the participation of members of civil society, students, workers of All-Pakistan Democratic Movement and traders, would stage sit-ins at... (PakTribune.com)
Kashmiri Separatists Shift Focus from Militancy to the Marketplace Aug 26, 2008
Map of Srinagar to Muzaffarabad/Rawalpindi route. The solution, Farooq and other Kashmiri leaders say, is in a relatively unused road that goes from Srinagar to the Pakistani border town of Muzaffarabad, and from there to markets in Rawalpindi, on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan's capital ... At massive rallies recently in Srinagar, Kashmir's summer capital, protesters for the first time shouted slogans like, "Kashmir's market is in Rawalpindi.". (Voice of America)
Pakistan hope to fill the gap Aug 26, 2008
Rawalpindi: The Pakistan Cricket Board says it has contingency plans for its team to play international cricket next month after the Champions Trophy was postponed for one year due to security concerns. PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said Monday that Pakistan were in talks with Australia, South Africa, England and New Zealand to try and slot matches in September. (Calcutta Telegraph)
ICC postpones Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan Aug 25, 2008
The ICC had maintained the Champions Trophy would not be moved, although a decision was taken to drop Rawalpindi, the scene of last year's assassination of Benazir Bhutto, and stage matches only in Lahore and Karachi. Pakistan appointed a special task force to oversee security during the event, but that was not sufficient for several teams. (International Herald Tribune -- Sports)
The Pakistan People`s Party (PPP) on Saturday stepped up its efforts to muster support for its Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari Aug 24, 2008
Taseer also held a two-hour-long meeting with Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid Ahmed at his Lal Haveli in Rawalpindi and told reporters he sought Rashids support for Zardari. Rashid said his party would make a decision in a working committee meeting. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
J&K: Opening of trade route tops wishlist Aug 24, 2008
Additionally, it would also be a big boost to the pro-Pakistan constituency which has taken to roads with slogans "fruits to bahana hai, Rawalpindi jana hai". Even the hardline Geelani faction, which is otherwise opposed to talks with Centre, signed on the charter of deman 00004000 ds hammered out by the coordination committee of rival Hurriyat factions. (India Times, India -- Community News)
Pakistan calls vote to replace Musharraf Aug 23, 2008
city police chief of Rawalpindi. Rao said 103 people were wounded in the deadliest strike by the Taliban in the past 18 months. (United Press International)
Bhutto's widower will be party's candidate for Pakistan presidency Aug 23, 2008
The death toll in those attacks rose Friday to 78, said Rao Muhammad Iqbal Khan, the city police chief of Rawalpindi. Rao said 103 people were wounded in the bombings, the deadliest strike by the Taliban in the past 18 months. (International Herald Tribune)
60 die in suicide blasts at Pakistan factory Aug 23, 2008
Nasir Durrani, chief of the Rawalpindi police district, said most of those killed were civilians who worked in the factory ... Dozens of the wounded were rushed to the main hospital, but the overwhelming number of casualties forced officials to begin directing ambulances to hospitals in the nearby city of Rawalpindi. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The Taliban movement has claimed responsibility for the Wah atrocity and threatened to carry out further suicide attacks if an army offensive against militants is not stopped Aug 22, 2008
Maulvi Omar told AFP: Similar attacks will be carried out in other cities of Pakistan including Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The Wah factory is a killer factory where arms are being produced to kill our women and children, he told Reuters. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
* Twin suicide attacks kill 45 in Pakistan Aug 22, 2008
Similar attacks will be carried out in other cities of Pakistan including Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi ... Similar attacks will be carried out in other cities of Pakistan including Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, he said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Pakistan critics have a field day Aug 22, 2008
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - Pakistan's worst-ever eighth-place finish in men's field hockey yesterday prompted former players to attack the playing standard and call for an overhaul of the team. "I am really feeling sad and have no words to describe this pathetic show," Pakistan's celebrated former Olympian Samiullah said. (Boston Globe -- Sports)
Show us the money, Shoaib: PCB orders paceman to pay Aug 20, 2008
RAWALPINDI: Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been told he must pay an outstanding fine of seven million Pakistan rupees ($105,780) to the Pakistan Cricket Board if he wants to play in next month's Champions Trophy ... The 33-year-old "Rawalpindi Express" has not played international cricket since a Test last December against India ... au/news/cricket/champions-trophy-ditches-rawalpindi/2008/08/11/1218306778687. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Pakistani upheaval as bowler faces a two-year drug ban Aug 20, 2008
The 33-year-old "Rawalpindi Express" has not played international cricket since a Test last December against India. He has been at the centre of controversies for the past two years. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Champions Trophy tournament dealt blow Aug 20, 2008
Despite Rawalpindi being dropped as a venue - leaving Lahore and Karachi to share all 15 matches - the Australian Cricketers' Association said the danger posed by suicide bombers could not be eased before the eight-country limited-overs tournament. Lahore has recently witnessed bomb blasts. (International Herald Tribune -- Sports)
Newsweek: What Musharraf's departure means Aug 19, 2008
He will remain in his British-colonial-style "camp office" in the Rawalpindi army garrison for the next few days, then he is expected to leave on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, a former senior aide--whose information has proved reliable in the past--told NEWSWEEK. According to the source, Musharraf will remain outside for two to three months while tempers cool. (The United States, which stood by Musharraf as his popularity waned, has cooled on him of late. (MSNBC -- International)
Musharraf foes set to hold talks Aug 19, 2008
Mrs Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi in December last year. Bookmark with. (BBC News)
General (r) Pervez Musharraf will get a president`s security Aug 19, 2008
RAWALPINDI: General (r) Pervez Musharraf will get a presidents security, Express News quoted Premiers Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik as saying on Monday ... They added that troops, instead of routine security officials, guarded the route when he returned to Rawalpindi Camp Office from the presidents house after addressing the nation. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
