Steve Quayle News Alerts

August 14, 2002

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan is winning the fight against terrorism according to President Pervez Musharraf, who has vowed to crush Islamic military in the country in an Independence Day address to the nation.

At least 16 Islamic militants were arrested by Pakistani police in a series of raids in the Punjab province ahead of the country's Independence Day celebrations Wednesday.

"There are no quick-fix solutions to sectarianism and extremism," President Pervez Musharraf said in his annual address marking the 55th anniversary of Pakistan's independence from Britain, The Associated Press news agency reported.

He promised to increase security and stated that all Islamic militants involved in recent attacks on Christian institutions "have been killed or arrested."

The arrests, in connection with last week's attacks on a Christian hospital, were made in the Vehari district of Punjab province, police said Tuesday.

Fifteen members of the outlawed militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad, were arrested in raids on Sunday and Monday, according to Reuters news agency.

Another man was arrested with five hand grenades in his possession and was suspected to be planning attacks on Christian targets in Punjab. He belonged to the militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Vehari police officer, Zafar Dogar, told Reuters.

Also detained in the swoop was the secretary general of Sipah-e-Sahaba, a banned Muslim extremist group, an Interior Ministry official told AP.

Due to threats of militant attacks independence day celebrations were relocated and the venue closed to the general public, according to media reports.

In his speech Musharraf also dismissed India's announcement for elections in Kashmir as "yet another effort to give a mask of legitimacy to India's illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir."

"The government of India has organized such farcical elections in the past as well. These so-called elections have invariably been rigged and have always been boycotted by the Kashmiri people," Musharraf said.

Musharraf also pledged free October elections for Pakistan and an "an era of true democracy."

"On this solemn occasion, let me give the whole nation a personal guarantee," he said. "I will take all possible measures to ensure a free, fair and transparent election."

Fourth fatal attack

Last week's assault on a Christian hospital, in the town of Taxila, left four people dead and was the fourth fatal attack by suspected Islamic militants on Christian establishments since October.

Attacks on Christian or Western targets have risen since Musharraf joined the U.S.-led war against terrorism last year, riling extremist Islamic groups in this Muslim majority nation and sparking a crackdown on suspected militant groups.

On August 14 last year, Musharraf, announced the ban on militant Islamic groups, particularly those engaged in sectarian violence.

Many Western nations have advised their citizens against visiting Pakistan and embassies and foreign companies have scaled back staff levels in the wake of the attacks.

Monday the U.S. State Department strengthened a Pakistan travel warning, stating "the possibility of other threats to Americans, Christian facilities and other civilian targets continues."

Earlier this month, the U.S. consulate in Karachi closed its public operations "indefinitely" due to security concerns. In June, a number of Pakistanis who were near the consulate building died when a car bomb exploded there.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/08/14/pakistan.arrests/index.html