JI reiterates demand for troop deployment

KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has reiterated its demand for deployment of army troops at polling stations in Karachi to ensure fair and transparent elections.

Speaking at an election rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah here on Sunday, JI leaders said that fair and transparent elections were necessary for getting Karachi rid of target killing and extortion.

They warned that if army troops were not deployed in Karachi the ‘thappa mafia’ would hijack the polls.

Terror bid foiled in Karachi, bomb defused outside mosque

KARACHI: Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) defused a bomb, found outside the mosque in Garden area of Karachi, Geo News reported.

Police said people informed them about the presence of suspicious bag on bicycle outside Gulzar Habib Mosque. On this police reached on the site.

Three die in apartment roof collapse in Karachi

KARACHI: Three people were killed when the roof of their apartment in Karachi’s Kharadar area collapsed on Tuesday, DawnNews reported.

Those who died include a woman and a child.

Thirty Pakistani soldiers martyred, 80 terrorists killed

PESHAWAR: A decisive operation has been launched against militants in the Tirah valley of Bara by Special Services Groups (SSG) forces along with regular troops, during which at least 23 troops have been killed along with local lashkar men.

Scores of militants have also been killed in the offensive during the last three days.

Official sources confirmed to Dawn.com that several soldiers, including SSG commandos, have been killed in the battle for Tirah valley on Saturday, around 30 militants have also been confirmed dead along with scores of others injured.

On late Sunday evening, a clash took place between security forces and militants in Akka Khel area of Bara tehsil. Ten militants were killed in the fighting, official sources said.

Gunmen attack primary school, principal killed

KARACHI: Gunmen on Saturday hurled a firecracker and opened fire at a primary school in Karachi, killing its principal and wounding eight children, police said.

The children were aged between five and ten while the headmaster was a member of the Awami National Party, which consists mainly of ethnic Pashtun migrants from the country’s northwest, police added.

“The principal of the private school was killed and eight children were wounded when unknown gunmen fired at school gate and threw a cracker inside the school,” senior police official Imran Shaukat told AFP. The gunmen fled on motorbikes and nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack, Shaukat said, adding that police have started an investigation.

Death toll in Peshawar grid station attack rises to eight

PESHAWAR: At least eight bodies of policemen and Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) officials were found in fields near Budh Berh’s Sheikh Muhammadi area after a militant attack on a grid station on Tuesday.

Police said the dead include five Wapda employees, including an SDO, and three community police personnel who were on guard duty on the outskirts of Peshawar.

During the attack, the assailants fired seven rockets at a 500 kilowatt grid station in Sheikh Muhammadi, causing it to catch fire, according to officials.

The grid station was reported to have been completely destroyed in the incident.

Station House Officer of Budh Berh police station, Granullah, told Dawn.com that six vehicles of Wapda, control room and official records were also damaged in the attack.

Dozens held during search operation in Karachi areas

KARACHI: Security forces continued targeted search operations in many areas against the criminals and apprehended dozens of suspects while arms and ammunition were also recovered, Geo News reported Tuesday.


According to sources, Rangers personnel kicked off a search operation in Qasba Colony and sealed the entry and exits points of the area. At least 700 commandos and female personnel are taking part in the operation during which no one was allowed to enter or exit the area.

Rangers also smashed the barriers placed in Qasba Colony and recovered arms during search operation while two dozen suspects were held who are currently being interrogated.

The search operation was monitored by the helicopters.

Nato containers torched in Balochistan’s Bolan district

QUETTA: Unknown militants torched five containers, carrying back Nato supplies from Afghanistan to Port Qasim Karachi, in Balochistan’s Bolan district on Monday.

Levies sources told Dawn.com that four motorcycle-riding militants opened fire on containers in Kambiri area of Bolan district adding that the drivers survived the attack.

Levies further said that the armed men set containers in fire after the drivers fled from the site.

SHC issues notices to federation, ECP, AG over MQM petition

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices for March 27 to the Federation, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Attorney General (AG) over Karachi’s new delimitation of constituencies, Geo News reported.

The court was hearing the petition filed by Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) against the new delimitation of constituencies.

Man killed, two bodies found

KARACHI: A man was shot dead after a brief altercation over parking of a vehicle in Mahmoodabad area and two bodies were found in Lines Area and Haji Camp areas on Sunday, police said.

Police said that Muhammad Luqman, 38, had had a heated argument with one Abdul Qadir when the latter parked the car outside his hardware shop near Gujjar Chowk close to Mahmoodabad furniture market.

MQM challenges Karachi delimitation in SHC

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Monday filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s recent decision for delimitation of a number of constituencies in Karachi.

The petition filed by MQM leaders Farooq Sattar and Farogh Naseem stated that the ECP’s decision for a Karachi-centric delimitation was unconstitutional.

Justice (retd) Zahid Qurban takes oath as interim CM of Sindh

KARACHI: Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad Khad administered oath to Justice (retd) Zahid Qurban Alvi as Sindh’s caretaker Chief Minister on Monday, DawnNews reported.

The Sindh Assembly was dissolved late on Tuesday after Governor Ibad signed a summary sent by former chief minister Qaim Ali Shah.

Inquiry ordered into use of childrea in bomb blasts

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani on Tuesday constituted a judicial inquiry into the alleged involvement of 11 children in acts of terrorism.

“The judge of the BHC will conduct judicial inquiry into the issue of alleged involvement of 11 children in bomb blasts and other terrorism-related activities,” Mr Raisani said.

College principal Sibt-e-Jaffar shot dead in Karachi

KARACHI: Unidentified armed men shot dead college principal within the vicinity of Liaquatabad police station, Geo News reported.

Sources said college principal Sibt-e-Jaffar was on his way from the college to his home on motorcycle, when unidentified armed men intercepted him in Liaquatabad area and opened fire, killing him on the spot.

M. M. Alam passes away in Karachi

KARACHI: Air Commodore (retd) Mohammad Mahmood Alam passed away in Karachi this morning after a prolonged illness, DawnNews reported.

Alam, 78-years-old at the time of his death, is considered a hero of the 1965 Pakistan-India war.