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The way Pak army used to deal terrorists: The story of Afghan's hijack of the school bus in Islamabad 93. By ex-DG ISI Ashraf Qazi

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That's the way and that's how (Benazir Bhutto) leaders take ownership of operations.
@Irfan Baloch that is the way. Our present military approach is totally wrong, Generals of 80 and 90 eras had an excellent approach. Zero tolerance with Afghans. The operation was run by the Afghan chief from Afghanistan.

Listen to every word DG ISI is saying ..


Pakistanis Held Hostage by 3 Afghan Gunmen : Crime: The masked men hijack a school bus and demand $5 million. Some children are released.​

L.A. TIMES ARCHIVES
FEB. 21, 1994 12 AM PT
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan —
Three Afghans armed with pistols and hand grenades hijacked a school bus to Islamabad from the northwestern Pakistani town of Peshawar on Sunday, taking 73 schoolchildren and staff hostage, officials and witnesses said.
The masked gunmen, who later released all but 16 Pakistani schoolboys, said they wanted $5 million, officials said.
Earlier, the gunmen said they would free the boys, ages 12 to 14, only after food supplies were delivered to the beleaguered Afghan capital, Kabul.
“We want guarantees that food has reached and been distributed equally among the people of Kabul,” one of the gunmen said, outlining their demands in an interview with a reporter of the British Broadcasting Corp.

“We are not enemies of the children, and when we are sure supplies have gone to Kabul we will release them,” the gunman said.

The Afghans allowed the bus to be moved from its initial position outside the Parliament building and entered the Afghan Embassy with their hostages after negotiations began with Pakistani Interior Minister Nasirullah Babar.

Babar said he had offered to meet their demands for food to war-shattered Kabul and a safe passage back to Afghanistan but had refused a ransom demand.

He said the gunmen had asked for 2,000 truckloads of food for Kabul, where 900 people have been killed and 10,500 injured in bloody battles for power between President Burhanuddin Rabbani and Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar since Jan. 1.

“We said we will give you more, and we will give you medicines also if you want,” Babar said. “I will ensure your safe passage and take you by helicopter anywhere you want in Afghanistan.”

Hundreds of police cordoned off the embassy and the orange bus that was hijacked in Peshawar, 100 miles from Islamabad, as it was picking up children to take them to school early Sunday.

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It's interesting all the SSG have pistols for a clean close shots to avoid collateral damage.
 
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Lt Gen (R) Javed Ashraf Qazi's Comments

Seeing the Bannu hostage situation and terrorist demand for air transportation to Afghanistan I am reminded of a similar incident in 1993.
Three Afghan hijackers brought a bus full of school children from Peshawar and parked it in Islamabad. Gen Babar negotiated and got the girls and lady teachers released in return for allowing them to move the bus to Afghan Embassy . They placed the boys on the floor in one room and one armed Terrorist sat with gun facing them. Two of them sat in adjoining room. They took turns in guarding the children. Their demands were a high level official as hostage, one million dollars and a heli lift to Afghanistan. Gen Waheed asked me as DGISI to take charge and sent Comd 10 corps and DGMI to assist me. Benazir called a meeting to discuss what should be done. I was for elimination of these people as Iran had done in a similar case . I argued that if we accept their demands it will lead to many more hijackings. Gen Babar offered himself as hostage demanded by terrorists which was rejected by BB. The Comd 10 Corps supported by DGMI wanted a negotiated settlement so that no child is harmed. After much debate the Prime Minister asked me to go ahead with an armed action and took the responsibility of any mishap occurs. On my request Gen Babar was now disengaged . I requested Gen Waheed who concurred with my approach to call back the two senior military officers who wanted a negotiated settlement. I requested for a section of SSG who were flown in.
We now set our plan in motion. Gen iftikhar and Brig Majeed engaged the hijackers in discussing their demands. There were three armed hijackers to be tackled. One sitting over the heads of children and two in the adjoining room with weapons taking turns to give guard in next room and one person trying to sleep. I decided to attack them at midnight. We called a doctor and put sedative in the tea served to them. They did drink lot of tea and digested lot of sleeping pills with it.
The SSG carried out their reccee and decided to attack through a window of the adjoining room. Two SSG solders will rush the guarding terrorist and kill him on the spot. At the appointed time four SSG personnel attacked by breaking the glass on the window and hurtling stun grenades. The blast stunned the two hijackers and the SSG which broke through the window killed both of them.
The encounter in the children room was launched as planned. The SSG boys entered with guns blazing targeting only the hijacker. He was hit but fired back and injured one of our soldiers. The children were all rescued without any harm and all the three hijackers who were identified belonging to Afghan Intelligence and sent by Gen Faheem were eliminated. Till this Bannu incident the Afghans did not dare to hijack or hold hostage . A very successful operation for which the Army awarded Sitara e Basalat to Gen Iftikhar and myself. Brig majeed got Tamgha e Basalat. SSG boys were also awarded. Benazir wanted to award us from the ISI but Gen Waheed told her that we are Army people and therefore will be appreciated by the Army.
The purpose of remembering the past is to emphasise that these Afghanis should be eliminated as we did in 1993.
 
Lt Gen (R) Javed Ashraf Qazi's Comments

Seeing the Bannu hostage situation and terrorist demand for air transportation to Afghanistan I am reminded of a similar incident in 1993.
Three Afghan hijackers brought a bus full of school children from Peshawar and parked it in Islamabad. Gen Babar negotiated and got the girls and lady teachers released in return for allowing them to move the bus to Afghan Embassy . They placed the boys on the floor in one room and one armed Terrorist sat with gun facing them. Two of them sat in adjoining room. They took turns in guarding the children. Their demands were a high level official as hostage, one million dollars and a heli lift to Afghanistan. Gen Waheed asked me as DGISI to take charge and sent Comd 10 corps and DGMI to assist me. Benazir called a meeting to discuss what should be done. I was for elimination of these people as Iran had done in a similar case . I argued that if we accept their demands it will lead to many more hijackings. Gen Babar offered himself as hostage demanded by terrorists which was rejected by BB. The Comd 10 Corps supported by DGMI wanted a negotiated settlement so that no child is harmed. After much debate the Prime Minister asked me to go ahead with an armed action and took the responsibility of any mishap occurs. On my request Gen Babar was now disengaged . I requested Gen Waheed who concurred with my approach to call back the two senior military officers who wanted a negotiated settlement. I requested for a section of SSG who were flown in.
We now set our plan in motion. Gen iftikhar and Brig Majeed engaged the hijackers in discussing their demands. There were three armed hijackers to be tackled. One sitting over the heads of children and two in the adjoining room with weapons taking turns to give guard in next room and one person trying to sleep. I decided to attack them at midnight. We called a doctor and put sedative in the tea served to them. They did drink lot of tea and digested lot of sleeping pills with it.
The SSG carried out their reccee and decided to attack through a window of the adjoining room. Two SSG solders will rush the guarding terrorist and kill him on the spot. At the appointed time four SSG personnel attacked by breaking the glass on the window and hurtling stun grenades. The blast stunned the two hijackers and the SSG which broke through the window killed both of them.
The encounter in the children room was launched as planned. The SSG boys entered with guns blazing targeting only the hijacker. He was hit but fired back and injured one of our soldiers. The children were all rescued without any harm and all the three hijackers who were identified belonging to Afghan Intelligence and sent by Gen Faheem were eliminated. Till this Bannu incident the Afghans did not dare to hijack or hold hostage . A very successful operation for which the Army awarded Sitara e Basalat to Gen Iftikhar and myself. Brig majeed got Tamgha e Basalat. SSG boys were also awarded. Benazir wanted to award us from the ISI but Gen Waheed told her that we are Army people and therefore will be appreciated by the Army.
The purpose of remembering the past is to emphasise that these Afghanis should be eliminated as we did in 1993.
DG Qazi is a good man. Brave man and true Pakistani. Wish him a long life and health.
Some of his accounts of Bosnia are worth a book.
 
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Sorry , what do you expect civilians to come to your rescue ?

Go do your Job

If the batch that went to Dubai to watch world cup comes back send them on border to do the job instead of going overseas

Do your job
 
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Why do you think MP5A2 was introduced for CQB.

I guess evolving terrorist tactics and engagement distances --- and the need for kill shots --- has forced most SMUs away from 9mm SMGs and onto carbines like the HK416.

The MP5SD is a great machine. A manifestation of Zarrar's early formation on the SAS model.
 

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