indian affairs: June 2013

Friday 28 June 2013

Uttarakhand: 3-yr-old girl with fractures in both legs found abandoned in Gaurikund

Dehradun: A three-year-old girl who has got fractures in both her legs was found abandoned by pilgrims at Gaurikund after the flood fury in Uttarakhand. The minor is unable to communicate anything about herself or about her family's identity.

The pilgrims left her at a Rishikesh hospital where she received primary treatment for two days. Now Dehradun's Child Helpline has taken charge of the girl and have got her admitted to Dehradun district hospital where she has been for the last five days.

KARACHI: Lawyers across the country boycotted court proceedings on Thursday to protest against yesterday’s suicide attack on Sindh High Court’s (SHC) Justice Maqbool Baqar, DawnNews reported.

At least nine people were killed and 15 others injured on Wednesday when a bomb targeting the convoy of Justice Maqbool Baqar exploded near Karachi’s Burns Road area.

Narendra Modi met Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray at his home Matoshree in Mumbai today. Mr Thackeray had attacked him in two back-to-back editorials and later said his intent was to offer "constructive criticism" to the Gujarat Chief Minister.Mr Thackeray, in his party's newspaper this week - ran Mr Modi down on two fronts.

GILGIT: A family video showing two teenage girls enjoying rain in their house led to their murder in Chilas on Sunday night. Their mother was also gunned down allegedly by her stepson and his four friends.

Five masked men barged into the house of retired police officer Rehmat Nabi and started firing, killing his wife and daughters, aged 15 and 16.

According to police, the crime was motivated by a video clip circulated on mobile phones and showing the girls overjoyed by rain in the lawn of their bungalow.

Bombing in southeast Pakistan kills 2

QUETTA: An alleged suicide bomber and a civilian were killed in a explosion near a mosque in Kuchlak area of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province on Thursday.

A police officer who requested not to be named since he was not authorised to speak to media told Dawn.com that a suspected suicide bomber was carrying a suicide jacket, when killed in a mysterious blast.

"The suicide bomber was coming to Quetta to cause maximum damage, when his own suicide jacket went off", he said.

Ethnic riots kill 27 in in China's Xinjiang

A fresh wave of ethnic riots has hit China’s troubled restive far western region of Xinjiang, killing more than dozen people, state media say.

The riots erupted after knife-wielding mobs attacked police stations in a remote Turpan prefecture early on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the treason case against former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for an indefinite period to hold consultations over setting up of a special court to hear the case against the ex-army strongman.

Moreover, the apex court also rejected a plea to order the formal arrest of Musharraf citing that no formal charges against the former president had been put before the court.

Pakistan should hold talks with Taliban: Fazl

ISLAMABAD: Welcoming the initiation of Doha peace process, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday reiterated his desire that the Pakistan government should also hold talks with Taliban to bring peace and stability in the region.

“The use of force does not work all the time and in all situations,” said the JUI-F chief while talking to a group of reporters after his meeting with a delegation headed by the Special Representative of United Nations (UN) Secretary General on Afghanistan Jan Kubis.

A prominent Iranian cleric has strongly condemned the recent killing of Shia Muslims in Egypt, saying that Takfiri extremists are seriously damaging the reputation of Islam and the Muslim world through such vicious actions.

“The main problem facing the Muslim world is Salafist Takfiris, who are dealing heavy blows to the pillars of Islam and the reputation and dignity of Muslims worldwide through their brutal actions. They introduce Islam, which is a religion of mercy and kindness, as a religion of violence, bloodshed, cruelty and savagery,” Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi said in a statement released on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is hopeful of resumption of stalled peace dialogue with India in a few weeks in which trade is likely to take precedence over core bilateral disputes.

Soon after its installation, the PML-N government had signalled to India its desire for restarting the talks held up since January due to flare-up of tensions along the Line of Control. The Indian government has promised to send its proposals for resumption of talks, which are being awaited.

Dehradun : In a brazen show of competitive politics, Andhra Pradesh MPs belonging to Congress and Telugu Desam were today locked in a scuffle in public view at the Jolly Grant airport here over ferrying pilgrims back to the state.

The embarrassing altercation between Congress MP Hanumantha Rao and TDP MPs Ramesh Rathod and K Narayana, who nearly exchanged blows, came in the presence of TDP chief N.

BANIHAL, J&K: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday flagged off the first train connecting Banihal in Jammu region with Qazigund in Kashmir Valley.

The newly constructed station here, 125 km from summer capital Srinagar, was decked up with flowers and garlands to receive the VVIPs for flagging off the first train which will pass through 11 km tunnel through Pir Panchal range.

The eight-coach train carrying school children and officials of IRCON and Railways reached Qazigund in 25 minutes.

The smooth and voluntary transfer of power by HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is unprecedented in the history of the Arab world, particularly the Gulf region, Dr Mohamed al-Misfar, professor of political science at Qatar University, said yesterday in a comment on Qatar TV.

He said he had seen that there was a consensus among many politicians, sociologists, mediapersons and university professors in the Gulf region that HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad is an amiable and much loved personality. He also enjoys a deep perspective in discussing all issues of the area.

KARACHI: At least nine people were killed and 15 others injured on Wednesday when a bomb targeting the convoy of Sindh High Court judge Justice Maqbool Baqir exploded near Karachi’s Burns Road area.

Spokesperson for the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ehsanullah Ehsan, told Dawn.com that the militant organisation was responsible for the attack on the senior SHC judge.

Ehsan further said that the judge was targeted for what he said were "anti-Taliban and anti-mujahideen decisions" adding that the group would continue to target judiciary.

ISLAMABAD: Several heavily armed rival groups on Wednesday launched major attacks against the Pakistan Taliban in Mohmand tribal region along the border with Afghanistan to expel the group’s supporters from the area, a Taliban commander said.

Omar Mukarram Khurasani, spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Mohmand agency, told The Express Tribune that hundreds of militants were resisting the opponents.

At a time when the whole nation is reeling in shock following the devastation caused by the killer floods in Uttarakhand in the last few days, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi reportedly rescued only Gujaratis from the affected areas, inviting criticism from various quarters.

It was reported that team Narendra Modi rescued 15,000 Gujaratis from flood-ravaged Uttarakhand during his two-day stay in the state.

LAHORE: Lawmakers belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) approached the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) and assured their extensive support for party head Pervez Musharraf — to be extended at the “right time.”

Details of the meeting were disclosed by political advisor and close aide of Musharraf, Chaudhry Sarfraz Anjum Kahlon.

Kahlon said that several senior lawmakers including representatives of PTI and MQM had privately conveyed their dismay over Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s stance on Musharraf and had provided assurances of extensive support for Musharraf.

The Kerala High Court yesterday dismissed petitions of opposition leader V S Achuthanandan and former bureaucrat Alphons Kannanthanam to against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the 1992 palm oil import case.

Upholding the trial court decision, the high court also wondered if the petitioners were trying to delay the trial and making political capital out of it. The court also observed that the petitioners did not approach any court after it was taken up for trial in 2004.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday condemned the militant attack in Srinagar in which five army personnel were killed, and said the "cowardly attack" would not deter the security forces engaged in bringing peace and order to the Kashmir Valley.

Six people were injured in the attack which took place when militants opened fire on an army convoy on the outskirts of the city ahead of the prime minister's visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Dehradun: On the morning after a tragic helicopter crash in which all 20 people on board, including five Indian Air Force personnel, are feared dead, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne is in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand and said, " Our rotors will not stop turning. We owe it to those who lost their lives in this rescue op."

The Air Chief landed in Dehradun this morning and then reached Gauchar, the hub of relief and rescue operations, to boost the morale of his men engaged in their largest-ever rescue mission. At Gauchar, the Indian Air Force's helicopters took off on their rescue sorties on schedule this morning.

KARACHI: Seven people were killed and 12 others sustained injuries in a bomb explosion at Burns Road, Karachi, Express News reported on Wednesday.

Police said Sindh High Court Justice Baqar Maqbool’s convoy was the target of the attackers. They added that explosive material was planted on a motorbike.

Police and rescue personnel have reached the area and injured – including Justice Maqbool – have been shifted to nearby hospitals. The affected area has been sealed for initial investigation.

Militants Incident - Attack an attempt to malign Pakistan: NA

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Sunday unanimously passed a resolution to condemn the ghastly terror attack on foreign tourists in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB ), terming it a deliberate attempt to undermine Pakistan’s image internationally and portray it as an unsafe place for foreign tourists.

The lawmakers called for a new national security policy to tackle the growing menace of terrorism effectively. At the onset of proceedings, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the House about the shocking incident in Gilgit-Baltistan and said that he has suspended the region’s chief secretary and IG. Following a lengthy debate on the tragic incident, the House adopted the resolution moved by Deputy Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shah Mahmood Qureshi on behalf of all the parliamentary parties, severely condemning the act of terror.

Afghanistan Taleban --Taliban Vows To Continue Fight Despite Peace Negotiations

Kabul : The Taliban militants group in Afghanistan on Friday vowed to continue to its insurgency activities until all their demands are not met and US forces left Afghanistan.

Follow up:

Taliban said that the opening of new political office in Qatar as an evidence of their success on the battlefield. A local Taliban fighter in Zherai district of southern Kandahar province quoted by AFP said, “We welcome the opening of the Taliban office in Qatar, and we are happy about it.”

Terrorism - Major terror attacks on foreigners in Pakistan since 9/11

LAHORE: The recent killing of nine international tourists at the base camp of the world’s ninth tallest mountain of Nanga Parbat near Gilgit by Taliban to avenge the death of one of their leaders killed in a drone strike, is not the first time when foreigners, their worship places, business houses, work places, embassies and other installations have been targeted in Pakistan since the September 11, 2001 episode.Here follows a time-line of some of the most widely reported attacks on foreign nationals:

According to CNN, on February 22, 2002, the famous “Wall Street Journal” reporter, Daniel Pearl, was kidnapped and murdered in Karachi by Khalid Sheikh Muhammad and company. The American journalist was beheaded.

Militants Incident Gilgit incident terrifies foreign tourists

LAHORE: Already wary of non-professional tourist guides, touts and the ever-deteriorating law and order situation in Pakistan, members of reputed international travel forums like Couch Surfing, Hospitality Club, Virtual Tourist and the Thorn Tree Lonely Planet etc have reported that following the killing of foreign trekkers near Gilgit late on Saturday night, the local police had not allowed vehicles carrying foreigners to proceed up the Karakoram Highway (KKH) from the checkpoint near Dubair, about 20 minutes north of Bisham, after 4 pm on Sunday.

The KKH, dubbed as the eighth wonder of the world due to its high elevation, is the highest paved international road in the world. It connects China’s Xinjiang region with Pakistan’s Gilgit–Baltistan across the Karakoram mountain range through the Khunjerab Pass, at an elevation of 4,693 metres.

Militants Incident - Jundullah also claims responsibility;

GILGIT, June 23: ..... Jundullah, another militant group with a track record of attacks in Gilgit-Baltistan, was the first to say it was behind the incident

“These foreigners are our enemies and we proudly claim responsibility for killing them, and will continue such attacks in the future,” Jundullah spokesman Ahmed Marwat told Reuters by telephone.

The attackers beat up the Pakistanis who were accompanying the tourists, took their money and tied them up, a local government official said.

Militants Incident - TTP claims responsibility for killing tourists in Gilgit-Baltistan

ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility on Sunday for the killing of nine foreign tourists and their guide in Gilgit-Balitistan.

Postmortem of the tourists confirmed that their deaths were caused by firing.

The incident took place near a camp base, where the tourists were staying.

TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan called The Express Tribune and said the group’s faction named Junud-e-Hafsa carried out the brutal attack.

Musharraf - Pakistani premier says military ruler who ousted him in coup should be tried for treason

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s premier says the military ruler who ousted him in a coup over a decade ago should be tried for treason.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke in parliament Monday as the Supreme Court held a hearing on a possible treason case against Pervez Musharraf.

The former military ruler can only be tried for treason if the federal government presses charges against him.

Militants Incident One security man killed in Bannu

BANNU: At least one security man was killed and two others were injured in a militant attack in the Frontier Region of Bannu District on Sunday, official sources said.

According to the officials, a security forces’ vehicle was targeted with a remote-controlled bomb in Khawa Khawar area of Bannu, killing one security person and injuring two others. The casualties were shifted to a nearby hospital. Security forces later launched a search for the militants.

Afghanistan Polity Jobs, not bullets, in Afghanistan

The writer is the deputy chief of mission of the Afghan Embassy in India, who formerly served as Afghanistan's deputy assistant national security adviser

In complex post-conflict environments such as Afghanistan, security and development needs are intertwined. Without addressing both at the same time, it would be hard to ensure an environment that enables sustainable economic growth. In other words, bullets alone cannot remedy Afghanistan's current situation. In fact, as former U.S. President Bill Clinton once said, "it's the economy stupid," something that is even more relevant in the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Taleban - Afghan endgame: Baradar doing more for peace in captivity, say officials

ISLAMABAD: While Kabul may have been seeking the release of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to expedite the Afghan peace process, Islamabad appears to have its reasons to keep Mullah Omar’s former second-in-command in custody at this stage.

Follow up:

Background discussions with officials familiar with the reconciliation efforts have revealed that Baradar was instrumental in bringing the Taliban leadership to the negotiating table. According to a senior foreign ministry official, Baradar had been quietly communicating not only with the Taliban leadership but also with US and Afghan officials over the past few months.

Afghanistan America India - Kerry seeks India role on Afghanistan

NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged a greater role for India on Afghanistan and climate change as he sought to revive stuttering cooperation between the world’s two largest democracies.

Follow up:

On his first visit to India as the top US diplomat, Kerry tried a few words in Hindi, pressed his hands in a traditional namaste greeting and quoted Mark Twain who said the diverse land was the sole country all people want to see.

Economy - IMF Three IMF installments worth $263 million due on June 28

Pakistan has to repay as much as $263 million (equalling Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) 175.6 million) against the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) and Extended Credit Facility (ECF) to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by June 28.

Follow up:

The upcoming payments, which include two instalments of SBA and one instalment of ECF, is likely to result in a drastic cut in the country's fast depleting foreign exchange reserves, already hit by rising foreign debt payments and slow inflows of foreign funds.

Musharraf - Collaborators may also face the court, say legal experts

ISLAMABAD : As Pakistan will mark the first of its kind treason trial of an army general, the sword also hangs on the heads of many collaborators of former army chief General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, legal and constitutional experts say.

Treason trial against Musharraf’s collaborators will be initiated under clause 2 of Article 6. If a court decides to go ahead with the trial, many high-ranking officials will then be answerable, experts add.

‘Opening a Pandora’s box’

“This case will open a Pandora’s box,” says senior lawyer SM Zafar. “Musharraf’s collaborators will be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution. I also mentioned names of several high-ranking officials who could possibly be Musharraf’s collaborators in this unconstitutional act,” Zafar added.

Gilgit Baltistan -- Nanga Parbat massacre: Thousands protest against the ‘unprecedented’ incident

GILGIT: Thousands of people participated in a demonstration in Chilas town on Monday against the vicious massacre of foreign tourists near the base camp of Pakistan’s second highest peak – Nanga Parbat.

Follow up:

“We strongly condemn the brutal act which defamed the entire country especially Diamer valley,” said Taifoor Shah, a local leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, as he addressed the rally.

Tourism is one of the main sources of income for locals. Those committing such crimes want to deprive people of livelihood, pointed out Shah.

Gilgit Baltistan - Gilgit Baltistan: You have taken away our livelihood

Yesterday was a sad day for Pakistan. 10 foreigners, who were in Nanga Parbat to witness first hand the country’s beauty, were murdered in cold blood, allegedly to avenge a death caused by drone strikes.

Follow up:

How these innocent travelers are related to drone strikes is beyond me.

You know what is even sadder? Reportedly, local tour guides have started to receive emails from tourists who were to visit the area in July and August. They do not wish to visit Pakistan anymore; they have requested for the cancellation of their reservations.

Power -- Power sector: Prime minister apprised of features of new energy policy

ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif chairing a meeting to review the country’s new energy policy on Monday said that transparency will be maintained at all levels in the implementation of the new energy policy.

Follow up:

He said efficiency, transparency and provision of maximum relief to the common man should be the hallmark of new energy policy, which would be announced after completion of a consultative process with stakeholders, including all federating units.

Kashmir Manmohan PM to reach out to Valley with a clutch of development plans

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be landing at his familiar destination of Kashmir tomorrow with a bagful of developmental plans that would give the Valley an unhindered access to the rest of the country round the year and also lighten the dark houses in this power starved state.

Follow up:

Notwithstanding the attacks by militants on the Army and the paramilitary forces in Srinagar, inflicting few casualties on them, the Prime Minister would be connecting himself directly with the “aam adami” (common man) who is looking forward to development. The violence is the handiwork of those who want to derail the progress of Kashmir and show that the Valley is still conflict-ridden.

Kashmir Incident Militants strike again, kill 8 jawans in Valley

On the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, militants carried out two deadly attacks here in a span of 30 minutes, killing eight soldiers and injuring over 13 others.

The security agencies had an input that militants were planning to carry out a sensational attack in the Valley ahead of the PM’s visit to make their presence felt.

The attack on the Army convoy took place on the Srinagar bypass at Hyderpora around 4.30 pm. Militants, riding a bike, lobbed hand grenades inside an Army truck besides opening indiscriminate fire.

Guwahati: National Democratic Front of Bodoland chairman Ranjan Daimary, the prime accused in the October 30, 2008 serial blasts, has been granted bail by Kamrup District and Sessions court.

Daimary was granted bail yesterday against Rs three lakh, with two sureties of the same amount each.

Daimary was, however, restricted from moving out of Assam without permission. He was also asked and to deposit his passport and driving license.

BIRMINGHAM: It came down to the proverbial wire, but in the end all of England's melancholic weather and the T20-like drama could not deny India its share of joy in gloomy Birmingham on Sunday. From the start of the Champions Trophy early this month, they had been the team to beat here. In the end, they remained unbeaten.The only coveted trophy missing from India's cupboard - MS Dhoni's too - was finally won in dominating style as they signed off from the United Kingdom on the note that they had signed in. The men in blue had once shared this trophy with Sri Lanka in 2002 after being declared joint-winners because of a final marred by rain, but the result wasn't quite appetite whetting.

BJP president Rajnath Singh today arrived here on a two-day visit to bolster the party's preparations for the next general elections post the separation with NDA partner JD(U).

Singh was accorded a warm reception by the Bihar BJP leaders at the Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport, from where he drove to Sanjay Gandhi stadium to address party workers later in the day.

Kerry arrives in India on three-day visit

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in New Delhi on Sunday to participate in the fourth round of Indo-US strategic dialogue, even as the US announced to invest $100 million in India's burgeoning clean energy sector.

Kerry, 69, accompanied by a high-level delegation arrived here on a three-day visit, the first one after assuming the charge of the state department earlier this year.

Four army jawans were killed on Friday in a gunbattle with suspected Hizbul Mujahideen militants in Pulwama district, 45 km south of Srinagar — an incident that gave a blow to chief minister Omar Abdullah’s efforts to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Monday announced that each member of the Indian team will be awarded a cash prize of Rs.1 crore for winning the Champions Trophy Sunday night.

Led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India beat England by five runs in a thrilling final at Edgbaston, Birmingham to be crowned Champions Trophy winners for the second time.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A Syrian Arab Army unit killed a notorious foreign terrorist from the FSA called Abdul Rahman Ayachi, the son of a Wahhabi cleric Bassam Ayachi, in Sinjar, near Maarat Noman in Idleb countryside north of Syria in what Nusra Front terrorist organization called ‘Fatah Mubeen’ battles, or ‘Clear Opening!’.

Actor Salman Khan will be tried for culpable homicide for a hit-and-run accident in 2002 in which one person were killed and four were injured in Mumbai.

If convicted for this charge, Mr Khan, who was not in court today, faces a 10-year jail term. He has been given a month to appear in court.

OHANNESBURG: Nelson Mandela is in a critical condition, South Africa's presidency said Sunday, a sudden and significant deterioration in the hospitalised hero's health.

“The condition of former president Nelson Mandela, who is still in hospital in Pretoria, has become critical,” said presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj, 16 days after Mandela was admitted for treatment for a lung infection.President Jacob Zuma visited Mandela on Sunday evening and was told by doctors “that the former president's condition had become critical over the past 24 hours.”

PESHAWAR: Unknown gunmen on Monday shot dead the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) traffic and his driver in Peshawar’s Faqirabad area in a firing incident.

Sources told Dawn.com that gunmen opened fire on DSP Amanullah Khan and his driver Amjad when they were on their way to office on Faqirabad's Dalazak road.

The deceased were subsequently shifted to Lady Reading Hospital.

PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is looking for expansion of his Muslim vote bank after split in NDA, got a shot in his arm when the religious head of Ajmer Sharif dargah, one of the most important Muslim shrines in the country, praised the CM and called him 'commander' of secular forces.

GILGIT: The security forces have rounded up over 37 suspected persons during the search operation launched in different villages after killing of eleven persons including 10 foreign tourists at a base camp of Nanga Parbat in Diameer district of Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday.

The suspected persons taken into custody have been shifted to unidentified place for interrogation.

DIG Gilgit-Baltistan told media police, army and scouts are taking part in search operation.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif dropped the strongest hint on Monday to file a written request before the Supreme Court to try former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for treason under Article 6 of the Constitution.

It is pertinent to mention that if convicted, Musharraf can face a possible death penalty or life imprisonment.

Addressing the National Assembly (NA), Nawaz Sharif said that the former president had committed treason by abrogating the Constitution and he should be tried under the law.

MADHOPUR (PATHANKOT): Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday made a full-throated declaration of support for BJP election campaign committee chairman NarendraModi saying the NDA was a united and ShiromaniAkaliDal would contest the 2014 LokSabha polls under Modi's leadership.

"Punjab and I feel it's a privilege to have you addressing your first rally after taking charge. You are our flag-bearer now," the Akali patriarch said at a rally to mark the 60th 'martyrdom day' of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.

Ten Islamist militants get death in Bangladesh

Ten militants of a banned Bangladeshi Islamist outfit were sentenced to death on Thursday by a fast-track court here after they were found guilty of involvement in a deadly suicide bombing in 2005 that claimed eight lives.

The court handed down death penalty to 10 operatives of the banned Islamist outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for the 2005 suicide bomb attack that killed eight people, including lawyers, at suburban Gazipur.

LAHORE: The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has justified its allocation of over Rs 61 million to the largest centre of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, saying the funds are needed to continue the services being provided to people by the facility.

A spokesman of the Punjab government said the Punjab government had taken "administrative control of the welfare institutions being run by (the JuD) in compliance with Security Council resolutions of the United Nations".

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA called for the release of Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the man who gunned down Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer in 2011.

PTI MNA from Mardan, Mujahid Ali Khan made the demand during a debate on the budget in the National Assembly.

Khan had won the NA-11 seat in the May 11 elections.

Singapore's prime minister has warned that the haze engulfing the city could last for weeks, as air pollution in the city-state soared to record levels.

At 13:00 local time (05:00 GMT) Singapore's pollution standards index reached 371, breaking all previous records and reaching hazardous levels.

The haze is caused by illegal forest fires in Indonesia's Sumatra island.

Former chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Tauqir Sadiq – the principal accused in a multibillion-dollar scandal – is expected to return to Pakistan shortly after he voluntarily surrendered himself, documents available with The Express Tribune revealed.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials said that a special team will leave for Abu Dhabi soon to bring the former Ogra chairman back after completing the legal formalities. The development comes after an Abu Dhabi court ordered deportation of Tauqir Sadiq on June 3.

The Himalayan tragedy continued to unfold today with fears that thousands of pilgrims staying in 90 rest houses may have been washed away in flash floods even as rescue operations were today stepped up with additional IAF choppers pressed into service to evacuate stranded people in Kedarnath area.

In its report to the Union Home Ministry, the State Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre has said that casualties in the affected areas may run into thousands with about 90 'dharamashalas' (rest houses for pilgrims) swept away in the flash floods. However, the toll has been kept officially at 150.

SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Pakistan Army will stay in Waziristan till complete peace is restored, said Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani on Thursday.

According to a Radio Pakistan report, Kayani said “the army is engaged in the area to bring peace and provide protection to the people so that they could live peacefully.”

Kayani was speaking during the inauguration ceremony of 50-kilometre-long road from Wana to Angoor Aadda.

The United States has not scheduled talks with the Taliban, the State Department said, after reports that discussions with the Afghan insurgent group could begin this week in Qatar.

"Reports of a meeting being scheduled or on the books aren't accurate," spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, saying Washington had "never confirmed" the date and place of any specific meeting.

Close to 63,000 people remained stranded or cut off in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand on Wednesday as the toll touched 150 and the rain finally let up after three days, helping authorities step up rescue and relief operations.

However, with 400-odd roads and 21 bridges washed away and vast swathes of land under water, it remained an uphill task.

The number of dead in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh - where many rivers are in spate - stood at 18 and in Himachal Pradesh at 14, according to reports.

Shiite Syed Imran Abbas, 32, was martyred when terrorists of Sipah-e-Sahaba opened fire on a school van in New Karachi.

The terrorists are believed to have been lying in wait for the school van and opened fire on it when it arrived. The driver, Shiite Syed Imran Abbas, was killed as a result. His body has been shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Six soldiers were killed and two more injured when militants ambushed an army patrol on the outskirts of Peshawar in North-west Pakistan, security sources said on Thursday.

The patrol was passing through the Mattani area on the outskirts of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa capital when it was attacked by a group of militants at 10 pm on Wednesday.

MOGADISHU: Islamist militants carried out a deadly assault on the main UN compound in the Somali capital on Wednesday, dealing a blow to fragile security gains that have allowed a slow return of foreign aid workers and diplomats.

The assault, claimed by Islamist group al Shabaab, began before midday when a car bomb exploded outside the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) base. Rebel gunmen forced their way into the compound and fought with security guards.

New Delhi: After repeated postponements, Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch LK Advani finally met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday here.

On Wednesday, the meet between the duo was deferred after the BJP leader conveyed that he was "unwell".
Bhagwat and Advani couldn't meet on Tuesday either, as was expected.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has won the floor test in Bihar Assembly on Wednesday, with the JD(U) securing 126 votes in its favour.

Congress, CPI, LJP and some Independents voted in favour of the confidence motion moved by Mr. Kumar. Twenty-two MLAs from Lalu Prasad's RJD and two Independents voted against the motion.

Flash floods and landslips triggered by the monsoon fury left eight more persons dead, taking the number of people killed in calamity-hit Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to 138 even as 2,700 pilgrims and locals were rescued from Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts.

The weather cleared in most places in the north making it easier for rescue personnel to launch operations for those stranded, especially in Badrinath shrine where 12,000 pilgrims are still stuck.

India today said it will take up with Islamabad the allocation of over Rs 61 million in Pakistan's Punjab province budget to a centre of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the parent body of terror group LeT that had carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

"I can't comment on what the state government in Pakistan is doing. Whatever comes to our knowledge and is a concern for our security will be taken up with Pakistan federal government," External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.

LAHORE:A member of the Jamaat-i-Ahmadia was shot dead in Green Town, allegedly because of his faith.

Four armed teenagers entered Jawad Karim’s house on Monday and shot him dead. They then walked away from the scene, said Imtiaz Adnan, Karim’s brother and a witness to the incident.

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Wednesday 26 June 2013

Tuesday 25 June 2013

Monday 24 June 2013

Friday 21 June 2013