Breaking: Passenger killed, several crew injured as gunmen open fire on plane landing at Peshawar airport in North-West Pakistan: ...The attack came after the Pakistan military launched a major offensive on June 16 in the dangerous tribal district of North Waziristan along the Afghan border, where Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants had taken refuge. Pakistani jets have pounded suspected militant hideouts and the Taliban have vowed to hit back... abc.net.au/news/2014-06-25/gunmen-fire-on-plane-at-pakistan-airport/5548220 North Waziristan has also been the target of unlawful US drone attacks (amnesty.org/en/news/usa-must-be-held-account-drone-killings-pakistan-2013-10-22) and these drone attacks have unfortunately commenced this month after a 6 month lull at the same time as Pakistani military operations. This leaves the people in this region in a frightening trap between three types of military forces-Militants such as the Taliban, the Pakistani military and the US military. In addition to the report on drone attacks in North-West Pakistan, Amnesty international has also a number of comprehensive reports about this region just within the last 3 years. For example: * As if Hell Fell on Me: The Human Rights Crisis in Northwest Pakistan:amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/millions-suffer-human-rights-free-zone-northwest-pakistan-2010-06-10 * The Hands of Cruelty: Abuses by Armed Forces and Taliban in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas: amnestyusa.org/research/reports/the-hands-of-cruelty-abuses-by-armed-forces-and-taliban-in-pakistan-s-tribal-areas Since 2003, after the US commenced its War on terror about 50 000 people have been killed in Pakistan. Australian DFAT country Smart Travel information indicates that Australian consulates in Karachi and Lahore have closed down indefinitely due to concerns of safety while the post in Islamabad is on high security alert, with a no children at post policy (smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Pakistan).
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 23:29:23 +0000