Political violence between December 29, 2012 and January 4, 2013 affected 190 people in 25 incidents across the country which left 89 people dead, 94 injured with seven being kidnapped. The militant death toll was 2 percent compared with 44 percent recorded in the previous week.
Region-wise, there were 10 political violence incidents reported in Sindh followed by eight in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), three in Balochistan, two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one each in Punjab and Frontier Region Peshawar. However, no incident was reported in Gilgit-Baltistan. Compared with the preceding week the number of incidents went down from 48 to 25 while the number of those killed fell from 108 to 89. However, the number of injured increased from 40 to 94.
Twelve people killed and 45 injured in target killings and attacks on political party workers in Sindh. In Balochistan 26 were killed with 25 sustaining injuries in a major sectarian attack in Mastung and two attacks on state security forces in Quetta. In FATA, 22 were killed and 23 injured in attacks on state security forces, militants and public. Among the dead were two militants with six others injured in a military operation in North Waziristan Agency. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, an attack on NGO workers left seven people dead, among them six women workers; one was injured. Militants shot dead 22 kidnapped Levies men in FR Peshawar while seven military personnel were kidnapped in Attock. In the reporting week, terrorism incidents claimed 42 lives, injured 14 with seven being kidnapped.
Three attacks on political party workers in Karachi killed six people and injured 45. Two workers representing the Pakistan People’s Party and Sunni Tehreek were shot dead while four participants were killed and 45 injured in a bomb blast near a political rally jointly organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran (TMQ). Two incidents of sectarian violence claimed 21 lives and injured 25 others. One person was killed in Karachi and 20 in Mastung where 25 people were also injured. Compared with the previous week, sectarian killing saw an increase of more than 100 percent
In three incidents of target killings in Karachi, four people were gunned down. The most lethal tactic was the use of bombs employed in three incidents that claimed 24 lives and injured 70. In 14 incidents in which guns/firearms were used, 45 people were killed with seven injured and as many kidnapped. One incident of aerial bombing killed four and injured 14. In two separate incidents improvised explosive devices (IEDs) caused the deaths of two people that also injured as many. Four incidents of missiles/mortars killed four people and injured 11 others. Violence was most widespread in Karachi where 12 people got killed and 45 injured in attacks on political party workers and target killings – an increase of 27 percent compared with the previous week. However, the number of those killed declined from last week’s 33 to 12 while those injured saw an increase – up from 12 to 45. Mastung was the second most violent city where 20 people were killed and 25 injured in a sectarian attack. Another 18 people were killed and 15 sustained injuries in Khyber Agency in attacks on public and a counter-terrorism strike by Pakistan Air Force while militants shot dead 22 kidnapped Levies men in FR Peshawar.
