Govt ignores TTP threat, to execute three militants

ISLAMABAD: Despite threats by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the government has decided to carry out the execution of condemned prisoners and the death penalty for the first batch of terrorists belonging to outlawed groups will be implemented next week.

While the TTP has issued a ‘warning’ to the government to refrain from implementing the death penalties of its members, the interior minister says the new government is determined to establish the writ of law.

John Kerry expected to visit Pakistan on July 31

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to arrive in Islamabad on July 31, sources told DawnNews on Monday.

Kerry had accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan, extended to him by Adviser to Pakistan's Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 20th Ministerial Meeting of the Asean Regional Forum on July 2.

PPP announces boycott of presidential election

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday announced its decision to boycott the upcoming presidential election, DawnNews reported.

PPP's former Law Minister of Sindh, Ayaz Soomro, informed the Chief Election Commissioner in writing about the party's decision to boycott the presidential election.

Addressing a press conference in the federal capital city PPP's presidential candidate and senior leader Senator Raza Rabbani said that his party was left with no other option but to boycott the poll.

One child killed; five injured as mortal shell explodes in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: At least one child was killed and five others injured Thursday night when a mortar shell appearing to be a toy exploded in Peshawar's Bajaur Agency when the children were playing with it, official sources said.

A political administration official said the explosion occurred in the Nisarabad Kausar area of Khar in Bajaur Agency when a child took a toy-like mortar shell home and it went off.

MQM, PTI brace for court battle

KARACHI / ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, claiming damages of Rs5 billion for allegedly defaming and maligning MQM chief Altaf Hussain.

The PTI announced that it also would file a defamation suit against the MQM and its leaders.

Mamnoon strongest PML-N candidate

ISLAMABAD: With two days remaining for submission of nomination papers for the presidential election, the PML-N is reported to have narrowed down the list to three candidates.

Senior PML-N leaders told Dawn that former governor of Sindh and party loyalist Mamnoon Hussain was the front-runner followed by PM’s adviser on foreign affairs and national security Sartaj Aziz and former chief justice of Pakistan Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui.

Nisar plans Karachi visit to assess law & order

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is going on his first visit as federal minister to Karachi on Monday to assess the law and order situation in Sindh, particularly in its capital.

An official of the interior ministry said the minister would meet Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and discuss ways of enhancing coordination between the centre and the province for improving the security situation.

He will preside over a meeting of heads and senior officials of security and law-enforcement agencies in the province.

Pakistani lawmaker’s guards clash with police

Islamabad: Private security guards of a Pakistani provincial lawmaker Thursday clashed with policemen at the entrance of the Balochistan assembly, a media report said.

The clash between guards of Sardar Sanaullah Zehri and policemen led Balochistan Chief Minister Malik Baloch to suspend the city’s superintendent of police, Dawn News reported.

Though as per the directives of the assembly speaker, private armed men are not allowed to enter the assembly premises, the chief minister said that since Zehri had tribal disputes therefore his private security guards stood close to him.

Six cops arrested after Pak Taliban militants escape custody

Karachi: The mysterious escape of five undertrials including two militants of the Pakistani Taliban from the courts here this week has led to the suspension and arrest of six police officials of the CID.

The six officials of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) were sent on a two-day judicial remand by a magistrate today following their arrest after two militants of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ghulam Ishaq and Nazrab Khan managed to escape from the city courts yesterday.

They escaped soon after a key witness picked them out from an identification parade in a case involving bomb blasts in Karachi's Orangi Town.

KP governor calls on PM Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah Khan called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday to discuss the law and order situation of KP province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), DawnNews reported.

According to DawnNews sources, the KP governor met with PM Nawaz in Islamabad. During the meeting, matters pertaining to the law and order situation of KP province were discussed.

PTI separates govt, party offices in KP

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has decided to separate party and government offices in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and asked its five party leaders, now in the government, to vacate their positions with immediate effect.

The Central Election Commission of the PTI announced on Tuesday that KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had been asked to vacate the post of party secretary general for the province after assuming the high public office.

Similarly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, who was holding the position of provincial president, had been asked to quit the party post.

Fifteen gunned down in Karachi

KARACHI: As many as 15 more people were killed as firing and violent incidents continued in Karachi, Geo News reported Monday.

A man identified as Zahid was killed in Sector-7 of Surjani Town, while a firing incident gulped down a political activist, Yaseen, near Kali Pahari.

Gen. Kayani to brief APC on national security

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Pervaiz Rashid, said on Sunday that preparations for the all parties conference (APC) scheduled for July 12 had been completed.

He said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani will brief the politicians on national security. He said the PML-N-led government was committed to overcoming terrorism and would send invitations to all parties for the conference.

Two girls, mother killed over family video

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.

Hopes for revival of dialogue with India

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.

Pakistani Taliban claim attack on SHC judge in Karachi

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.

PTI, MQM lawmakers extend support to Musharraf: Aide

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.

DSP traffic; driver shot dead in Peshawar

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.

Hafeez Saeed group gets 61 mn from govt

The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has allocated millions of rupees in its budget for fiscal 2013-14 for the largest centre of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, considered a front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Besides a grant-in-aid of over Rs. 61 million for the JuD centre known as

'Markaz-e-Taiba', the provincial government has allocated Rs. 350 million for setting up a "Knowledge Park" at the centre and other development initiatives.

Details of the allocations were presented in budget documents tabled in the Punjab assembly on Monday by the PML-N government led by chief minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Imran Khan to take MNA oath on June 19

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (TPI) Chairman Imran Khan will take oath as a member of the National Assembly on June 19 (Wednesday).

“I will be taking oath in NA on 19th and speaking on the budget the same day,” Imran tweeted on Monday.

He has also planned to lay down his policy on national issues particularly on budgetary related matters before the Parliament on the same day. “My address to the Parliament will lay out PTI’s policy on crucial national issues and how the K-P Govt will be a role model of clean, efficient governance,” he added.