indian affairs: February 2014

Friday, 14 February 2014

Volcanic eruption in Indonesia closes three airports

SURABAYA: Volcanic ash from a major eruption in Indonesia shrouded a large swath of the country's most densely populated island on Friday and closed three international airports.

Local media reported two people were killed when parts of their homes collapsed after Mount Kelud's explosive eruption overnight.

The initial blasts sent millions of cubic meters of dust and rocks into the atmosphere, according to the country's disaster agency, and could be heard up to 200 kilometers away.

KARACHI: An explosion took place near a Rangers' vehicle in Karachi's Qayyumabad area injuring two personnel on Friday, DawnNews reported.

A rescue source said that one of the wounded persons was wearing the Rangers' uniform whereas the other was dressed in plain clothes.

The wounded were shifted to PNS Shifa hospital for treatment.

KABUL: Authorities say 20 people have died after a truck skidded out of control and crashed into a dam in northern Afghanistan.

Abdul Maman Yaqubi, chief of police for Khan Abad district in Kunduz province, says the truck was travelling on icy and snowy roads Thursday morning when it spun out of control and slipped off the road.

DERA BUGTI: At least four suspected militants were killed during an operation conducted by security forces’ personnel in Balochistan’s Dera Bugti area on Thursday, DawnNews reported.

According to a Frontier Corps (FC) spokesman, security personnel were carrying out an operation in Chap Garh, which is 40 kilometres ahead of Dera Bugti.

The Lok Sabha turned into a battlefield on Thursday with senior MPs scuffling as home minister Sushilkumar Shinde introduced the Telangana bill around noon.

The UPA government struggled to table the bill as expelled Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal heightened the drama by spraying pepper spray in the air after being stopped from rushing to the Speaker's chair.

The pepper spray left several parliamentarians, staff and journalists coughing and teary-eyed. Many MPs tried to rush outside to avoid the smell and chemical effects of the spray.

KABUL: Afghanistan released 65 alleged Taliban fighters from jail on Thursday despite fierce condemnation from the United States, which says the men pose a threat to Nato and Afghan forces.

“The 65 prisoners were freed and walked out of the Bagram prison compound this morning,” Abdul Shukor Dadras, a member of the Afghan government body reviewing the detainees, told AFP.

“Their cases were reviewed and we have no reason to keep them in jail.” Dadras had also said.

Beirut: A Lebanese web developer has been sentenced to two months in prison for insulting President Michel Sleiman on Twitter, a judicial source told a news agency.

"Jean Assy was sentenced to two months in jail for defaming and insulting the President via Twitter," the source said.

"The court decision can be appealed within 10 days."The case is thought to be the first time a Lebanese citizen has been sentenced for views expressed on a social network, though people have previously been charged for similar insults.

Armed activities are against Sharia: Fazl

ISLAMABAD: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Wednesday that the key to negotiations with the Taliban was with the army headquarters.

Talking in a TV programme, he said armed anti-sate activities in Pakistan were against religious teachings.

Maulana Fazl also said that Taliban had been involved in attacks on him.

Meanwhile, Rustam Shah Mohmand, a member of the government’s negotiating committee, said some rivals of the Taliban wanted to sabotage the peace talks.

KARACHI: At least Thirteen policemen were killed and 37 others, including civilians, were wounded Thursday morning in an explosion targeting a police bus near Razzaqabad police training college in Karachi's Shah Latif Town, DawnNews reported.

Rescue teams reached the site of attack whereas the victims were shifted to Jinnah Hospital.

The rear portion of the targeted bus was completely destroyed in the explosion and 50 persons were reportedly on board the vehicle.

ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered the government to produce an anti-drone activist — who was apparently detained by the country's intelligence agencies — at a hearing on Feb 20, his lawyer said.

Kareem Khan was picked up from his home on the outskirts of Islamabad on Feb 5, according to his legal team, just days before he was due to testify before European parliamentarians.

SOCHI, RUSSIA: A militant Islamist group has urged followers to pray for an earthquake in Sochi during the Winter Olympics to avenge Muslims who died there fighting "Russian infidels".

The appeal was made by a local branch of the Caucasus Emirate, a group which is waging an insurgency for an Islamist state in Russia's North Caucasus and called on supporters last year to attack the Games.

The government is working on an anti-corruption reform, the Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said yesterday, continuing his mission to soothe investors’ concerns regarding political transparency and stability in Turkey.

Russian pilgrims praised the Saudi authorities for their constant efforts to develop and upgrade facilities for Haj pilgrims.

Elias Umakhanov, vice president of the Haj Council of Russian Federation, said it made it easy for them to perform the rituals at the holy sites.

Umakhanov, who is on a visit to the Kingdom, hailed the public transport system between Makkah and Madinah, the train service at the holy sites and the infrastructure projects, Haj Ministry officials said.

US Ambassador Nancy Powell has sought a meeting with Narendra Modi which will take place on Thursday in Gandhinagar, signalling an end to America's boycott of the BJP leader after nearly nine years.

Powell apparently wants to discuss with the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate issues related to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and his vision for the country, sources said.

They said the Ambassador's request for meeting has been accepted by Modi and exact time and date are being firmed up.

Iran slams Pakistan over border guards abduction

TEHRAN: Iran on Sunday denounced what it called Pakistan's inability to secure its own borders after five Iranian soldiers were kidnapped and taken into its eastern neighbour by extremists.

“We are unhappy with the Pakistani government over the abduction of our guards and their transfer to Pakistan,” Fars news agency reported quoted police chief Esmail Ahmadi-Moghadam as saying.

Jaish-ul Adl, the rebel group formed in 2012 whose name in Arabic means Army of Justice, has said it was behind the kidnapping in Iran's restive southeast province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

KABUL: A roadside bomb ripped through an Afghan army vehicle in southwestern Afghanistan on Sunday and killed eight soldiers, officials said.

The vehicle was hit in the Dilaram district of Farah province, said defence ministry spokesman General Zahir Azimi.

Mohammad Sarwar Sebat, the governor of neighbouring Nimroz province, told AFP the soldiers were transporting ammunition to Farah from their base in Nimroz when the blast struck them.

ISLAMABAD: The government negotiators holding talks with the Taliban are anxiously waiting for a reply from the leadership of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan to the conditions set by them.“We have put two conditions — talks will be held within the parameters of the Constitution and their scope will be limited to insurgency-affected areas of the tribal belt,” a member of the government’s committee told Dawn.He said now the ball is in the Taliban’s court and the future of peace negotiations, which began on Thursday, would be determined by their response.

ISLAMABAD: Expressing serious concern over the discovery of mass graves in Balochistan, provincial Health Minister Rahmat Saleh Baloch claimed on Saturday that all the decomposed and mutilated bodies found in Tootak area of Khuzdar district were of those who had been missing since long.“This is intolerable and a cause of serious consternation, especially among the youths losing all hopes fast,” the minister said while talking to Dawn.

More children dying in Afghan violence, says UN report

KABUL:The number of children killed and wounded in Afghanistan's war jumped by 34 per cent last year as the Taliban stepped up attacks across the country and continued to lay thousands of roadside bombs, the United Nations said Saturday.Overall civilian casualties were up by 14 per cent, reversing 2012's downward trend and making 2013 one of the deadliest years of the 12-year war for civilians, the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan said in a report.

A complete shutdown of the city was being observed on Saturday on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's 'appeal' to observe a day of mourning across Sindh against extra-judicial killings of its party members, DawnNews reported.Businesses, commercial centres and shops were shut in most parts of the country's financial capital.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Pervez Rashid on Friday said the government committee was taking into consideration the demand by the Taliban committee to meet the prime minister, army chief and director general Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), DawnNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives, Rashid said the government was awaiting recommendations from its negotiators on the demand put forth by the Taliban committee, adding that whatever recommendations are brought forward would be facilitated and implemented by the government.

ISLAMABAD: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has given its negotiators the authority to agree on a ceasefire if the government agrees to halt troop deployment, DawnNews quoted sources as saying.

The authority was delegated to the negotiating body headed by Maulana Samiul Haq in a contact between members of the group with Qari Shakeel, who is heading the nine-member monitoring committee of the TTP.

At least 22 people were Thursday found dead in an attack in Nigeria's Plateau state, a security source said.

The security source, who declined to be named, told Xinhua that he counted 22 bodies with over 10 houses razed down by attackers at Mavo in Wase local government area of southern part of the state.

He said the gunmen stormed the villages at about 2 a.m. Thursday.

ISLAMABAD: The special court constituted to try former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for treason resumed the case's hearing on Friday with the retired general failing to appear before it, DawnNews reported.

The three-judge court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court, began the proceedings.

During the proceedings, Musharraf's lawyers filed requests in the court to not issue any directives before any decisions on the ex-army strongman's plea for exemption and other miscellaneous petitions have been announced.

Iraqi Parliament speaker in bid for ‘joint Iraq decision’ on oil exports to Turkey

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi has underlined the importance of reaching a joint decision by the federal government in Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on the controversial issue of planned pipe oil exports to Turkey.

Al-Nujaifi described the aim of his visit as being to normalize bilateral relations between the two neighbors, adding that “he had succeeded in bringing the views of the two countries closer to each other.”

KARACHI: A two kilogram bomb planted by unidentified men was defused on Friday in the Baldia Town area of Karachi, DawnNews reported.

The bomb was planted next to a shop near Baldia's Chandni Chowk.

Moreover, in a targeted operation led by Rangers in the city's Sohrab Goth area, at least eight suspects, including three alleged members of a banned organisation were arrested from the Hasan Noman Colony.

Cracks appear in Balochistan ruling coalition

QUETTA: Balochistan’s coalition government, led by Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, is facing a new dilemma as differences have emerged between the allied parties on the issue of empowerment; and PML-N ministers and advisers and those in the allied parties have decided to quit the provincial cabinet.

A joint meeting of the PML-N and its allied PML-Q ministers and MPAs was held here on Thursday night in which it was observed that the PML-N and its allied parties’ members have not been given enough powers to run their departments.

“The meeting decided that all ministers and advisers of PML-N and its allied parties will resign from the cabinet,” Akbar Askani, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Fisheries, said after the meeting. All ministers and advisers of both the parties would resign from the provincial cabinet en masse.

‘TTP Peshawar chief’ owns up to Tuesday’s sectarian attack

MIRAMSHAH: A TTP militant claiming to be the Peshawar district chief of the banned group has accepted responsibility for Tuesday evening’s suicide attack on a hotel that left nine people dead.

Although the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan had denied its involvement in the explosion at Pak Hotel in Koocha Risaldar locality of the old city area, Mufti Hasaan Swati told reporters on Wednesday that the bombing had been carried out to avenge an attack on a seminary in Rawalpindi in November.

“It was carried out to avenge the death of innocent students of Madressah Taleemul Quran.”

CAIRO: Egyptian army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said he will run for president, a Kuwaiti newspaper reported on Thursday.

Al Seyassah quoted Sisi as saying that he had no alternative but to meet the demands of the Egyptian people for him to run in the elections.

“I will not reject the demand,” said Sisi, who is seen as a decisive figure that can ease political turmoil that has hit Egypt's economy hard. “I will present this to the Egyptian people to renew confidence through free voting.”

PESHAWAR: Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle on MIramshah-Mirali road in Pir Kallay area of North Waziristan tribal region killing all its occupants, who were later identified as a local Taliban commander and his bodyguards.

Security sources told Dawn.com that the assailants fled from the scene after carrying out the attack.

Those killed in the attack were identified by locals as Shafiq, a Taliban commander, and his three guards, according to the security sources.

The United States has issued a warning to airports and to some airlines flying to Russia for the Olympics to watch for toothpaste tubes that could hold ingredients to make a bomb on a plane, a senior US security official said.

The official on Thursday did not say whether any specific intelligence led to the warning, which was not issued to the public, according to Reuters news agency.

ABC News first reported the warning.

At least 41 militants killed in Egypt

Cairo: At least 41 militants were killed and score of others injured Monday in an army raid on hideouts of hardline Islamists in Egypt's North Sinai province, a security source said.

"At least 15 dangerous jihadist elements were killed and wounded in the village of Goes Abou Raad in southern Rafah city, while 26 others were killed and injured in the village of Wady Al-Akhder in Sheikh Zuweid city," Xinhua quoted the source as saying.

Other 12 militants were arrested in the crackdown with weapons, explosive materials and ammunition in their possession, he added.

Two militants detained with suicide vests in Afghanistan

Afghanistan's National Directorate for Security (NDS) has captured two militants along with four suicide vests, foiling possible terror attacks in Kabul.

"Personnel of NDS arrested 2 members of Haqqani terrorist network with four suicide vests, six pieces of AK-47 and nine magnetic bombs and other explosives in Kabul province yesterday," Xinhua reported citing an NDS statement issued Tuesday.

New Delhi: With the Telangana issue dragging its feet and uncertainty over the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday stressed on the need to have a “peaceful” bifurcation, in a meeting with leaders of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).

"Nothing should be said or done that can inflame passions. I appeal to all that the bifurcation process should be peaceful," the PM told the TRS delegation headed by party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.

ISLAMABAD: Five days after rejection of his review petition, former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf approached the Supreme Court again on Tuesday, but this time for questioning the issuance of bailable arrest warrants against him by the special court where he is facing treason charges.

“Today Musharraf has filed two petitions challenging the Jan 31 special court order of issuing bailable warrants of arrest and the Jan 10 order in which the trial court decided to make provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) applicable in the treason case,” Advocate Chaudhry Faisal Hussain, a member of his legal team, told reporters.

Suicide blast near Imambargah kills nine, injures 50 in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Nine people were killed and 50 others injured when a powerful bomb blast ripped through a local hotel frequented mostly by Shias in the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday night, said officials.

The incident took place at Pak Hotel near Imambargah Alamdar in Kucha Risaldar, a Shia dominated neighbourhood of Peshawar.

Police officer Rizwan Khan said that the hotel is frequented mostly by Shias who visit Imambargah Alamdar next door. Most of the dead and wounded were Shias, he added.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf “intends” appear before a special court set to try him for high treason, his spokesman said Tuesday, after speculation he could escape trial by going abroad for medical treatment.

The 70-year-old is facing treason charges, which can carry the death penalty, over his imposition of a state of emergency in 2007 while he was president.

“We can confirm that former President Musharraf has posted bail and intends to appear in the special treason court on February 7th, 2014,” Raza Bukhari, a spokesman for Musharraf, said in a press statement.

Suspected SIMI operative arrested near Ujjain, explosives seized

UJJAIN: Over a month after seven SIMI suspects were nabbed from the vicinity of temple town Ujjain triggering unrest in the area, another operative was arrested late on Monday. The terror suspect was held from Mahidpur, 50 km Ujjain along with a haul of explosives.

The anti-terrorist squad swooped down on the densely populated Nagori Mohalla in Mahidpur and arrested Juber, son of Mohammad Hussain, and recovered 200 detonators, gelatin rods and explosive powder which were hidden in a cooler.

Russia has said its ally Syria will soon ship more chemical weapons abroad for destruction after the government of President Bashar al-Assad was accused of dragging its feet on disposing of the arms.

Syria has failed to meet its deadline to eliminate all chemical agents by next week, but Russia said the government would be able to complete the removal by March 1.

India's top court stays execution of Delhi car bomber

New Delhi :India's Supreme Court on Friday stayed the execution of a Sikh militant convicted over a car bombing two decades ago, after his wife said he had developed mental illness while languishing on death row.

The Supreme Court announced it would review a plea for clemency for Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, who was convicted over a car bombing in the Indian capital that killed nine people and injured more than 20 in 1993.

KANDAHAR: An Afghan official says the Taliban have attacked three police checkpoints overnight in the southern province of Helmand.

The police repelled the attacks but lost one officer.

Police chief of Marjah district, Zamaria Zarak, said on Friday that at least 13 insurgent fighters were killed in the gunbattles that followed the checkpoint attacks.

MIRPURKHAS: Prime Minister and former president Asif Ali Zardari Friday jointly performed groundbreaking of the US 1.6 billion dollar Thar Coal power project to help the country meet its energy needs.

The project will initially provide 660 MW of power for Pakistan's energy starved industrial units.

It will complete in 2017 and help spur economic development and bring energy security to the country.

NEW DELHI: India crumbled to an embarrassing 87-run defeat in the fifth and final one-day international against New Zealand to crash to a 0-4 series loss at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Friday. Chasing a victory target of 304 runs, India were bundled out for 216 runs in 49.4 overs.

India lost their last hope of victory when Kane Williamson had captain MS Dhoni caught by James Neesham at long-off.

Dhoni hit 3 fours in his 72-ball 47 before falling to Williamson.

India were struggling with seven wickets down with the dismissal of Ravindra Jadeja off Kyle Mills.

An Indian worker convicted of murdering his Saudi sponsor in Wadi Al-Dawasser was executed on Thursday, the Interior Ministry said.

The court found Muhammad Latif had killed Dhafir Al-Dossari by hitting him with an iron pipe during a dispute. The man then hid the body in an abandoned well.

MIRAMSHAH: The objective of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is enforcement of Sharia in the country, according to its spokesman Shahidullah Shahid.

Talking to Dawn from an unspecified location on Thursday, he said what mattered was enforcement of Sharia, “whether through peace or war”.

He expressed satisfaction over the formation of a four-member team by the government for talks with the outlawed TTP.

Baghdad, Reuters—Six suicide bombers burst into an Iraqi ministry building, took hostages and killed at least 18 people including themselves on Thursday before security forces regained control, a senior official said.

The brazen attack on the building belonging to the Ministry of Transportation in northeast Baghdad coincides with a month-long standoff between the Iraqi army and anti-government fighters in the western province of Anbar.

IED blast kills three security personnel, wounds four in Khuzdar

QUETTA: A security forces' convoy was targeted in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack near Balochistan's Jhao area followed by gunfire, killing three security personnel and wounding four others, DawnNews reported.

A Frontier Corps' spokesperson said that the security convoy was traveling from Wadh area to Bela when it struck a remote controlled explosive device planted on the roadside near Jhao area in Khuzdar district of Balochistan, killing three personnel and wounding four others.

He added that following the blast, militants who had taken positions in nearby mountains opened fire on the security personnel.

The government sacked or reassigned around 800 police officers on Jan. 30, as it pressed on with a purge of the country's police force in response to the ongoing high-level graft probe.

Senior officers were among those removed from their posts in the latest wave of sackings in the capital Ankara and the western port of Izmir, according to reports.

More than 500 police officers were removed in Ankara and another 274 in Izmir.

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