Identities of four foreign tourists killed in Pakistan determined

Source : APA

Ten foreigners were among 11 people killed in a pre-dawn attack in Pakistan's northern area of Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday, said P Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, APA reports.

The identities of four foreign tourists have been determined and they includ nationals, one Chinese American and one Nepalese, said the minister, addi nationality of the remaining six are yet to be determined. The spokesman a Embassy in Islamabad confirmed that a US citizen was among the dead. Ea minister said that five Ukrainians were also killed in the attack.

The assault happened at the base camp of Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth mountain, in Gilgit-Baltistan. There were conflicting claims of responsibility A Pakistani militant group known as Jundullah, with a track record of attack province, was the first to say it was behind the raid. Later in the day, the Te Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the murder in an announcement m spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan.

India warns Pakistan of massive retaliation even in case of midget strike

Source : Pakistan News

New Delhi, Apr. 30 (Xinhua-ANI): India has warned Pakistan of a massive retaliation even if there is a midget nuclear strike by the neighboring country, local media reported Tuesday.

"India will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, but if it is attacked with such weapons, it would engage in nuclear retaliation which will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage on its adversary. The label on a nuclear weapon used for attacking India, strategic or tactical, is irrelevant from the Indian perspective," 'The Times of India' quoted Shyam Saran, the convener of the National Security Advisory Board, as saying.

Slamming Islamabad for its role in the Mumbai massacre, in which over 170 people were killed by 10 Pakistani militants in November 2008, Saran said "What Pakistan is signalling to India and to the world is that India should not contemplate retaliation even if there is another Mumbai because Pakistan has lowered the threshold of nuclear use to the theater level. This is nothing short of nuclear blackmail, no difference from the irresponsible behaviour one witnesses in North Korea."

Issuing a stern warning to Pakistan, the former Indian foreign secretary added "A limited nuclear war is a contradiction in terms. Any nuclear exchange, once initiated, would swiftly and inexorably escalate to the strategic level. Pakistan would be prudent not to assume otherwise as it sometimes appears to do, most recently by developing and perhaps deploying theater nuclear weapons."

India and Pakistan are arch-rivals and have fought at least three major wars over the disputed territory of Kashmir in the last 60 years. (Xinhua- ANI)

Blast injures 13 in SW Pakistan

Source : Xinhua

ISLAMABAD, April 24 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 people were injured when a bomb went off outside a hospital in Pakistan's southwest Quetta city on Wednesday morning, local media reported.

Geo TV said that the incident happened at about 8:10 a.m. ( local time) in Satellite town area located at southwestern suburbs of Quetta, the capital city of the country's Balochistan province.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Fayyaz Sumbul said that the bomb was detonated by a remote controlled device and an estimated 2 to 3 kg of explosive materials were fixed on a bicycle parked near the hospital.

The injured people were shifted to hospital where one of them was reported critical.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Police and paramilitary troops cordoned off the area and kicked off investigation into the incident.

Wednesday morning's blast is the fifth of its kind in Quetta over the last 14 hours. Last night, eight people were killed and 45 others injured when four blasts including one detonated by a suicide bomber, rocked the city.

Police said that the most serious blast in the current string of bombing in the city happened at the Nechari Road area last night, when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the check post of Frontier Constabulary (FC), killing eight people including a security man and injuring 32 others.

Pakistan: US drone strike in South Waziristan kills five

Source : The Muslim News

PESHAWAR, (Dawn): Missiles fired from US drone aircraft killed at least five people on Wednesday in Babar Kot’s Sararogha village, ar of South Waziristan.

According to official sources, US drone strike fired two missiles on a compound, owned by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants.

The strikes destroyed the compound completely.

http://dawn.com/2013/04/17/us-drone-strike-in-south-waziristan- kills-four

Pakistani ex-President Musharraf disqualified for elections

Source : Xinhuanet

ISLAMABAD, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Courts in Pakistan have disqualified former President Pervez Musharraf for contesting parliamentary elections for suspending the constitution and imposing emergency in 2007 during his rule, lawyers said Tuesday.

Musharraf wanted to stand for a National Assembly seat from four constituencies including capita Islamabad but his nomination papers were rejected by the election authorities.

He had filed appeals against rejections of papers by the local election authorities in three areas Karachi, Kasur in Punjab province and Islamabad, but his appeals were also rejected in the Electio Tribunals, comprising judges of high courts.

Musharraf's papers were only accepted in the northern Chitral district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, however, his political rivals had challenged acceptance of papers.

A three-member Election Tribunal on Tuesday accepted objections by Musharraf's rivals and disqualified him for contesting election from Chitral.

Lawyers of the rival candidates said that Musharraf had abrogated the constitution and that he is also facing cases in courts and is not-eligible to stand for the parliamentary seat.

They also argued that Chitral is a peaceful area and Musharraf' s election could create law and order problem.

Pakistani Taliban in a video have warned to attack Musharraf.

Mushararf, who ruled Pakistan 1999-2008, was disqualified a day after he announced election manifesto of his All Pakistan Muslim League party.

Legal experts say that Musharraf has the right to appeal in the Supreme Court.

Musharraf admits to a secret drone deal with US: report

Source : thenews.com.pk

ISLAMABAD: According to American news channel CNN, former president Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf has acknowledged that his government secretly struck an agreement with US regarding drone strikes in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

This is the first time a top past or present Pakistani official has admitted publicly to such a deal, the news channel said.

In an interview this week in Islamabad, Musharraf insisted Pakistan's government signed off on strikes "only on a few occasions, when a target was absolutely isolated and no chance of collateral damage", said the CNN report.

The US news channel added that still, his admission that Pakistani leaders agreed to even a limited number of strikes runs counter to their repeated denunciations of a program they long claimed the United States was operating without their approval.

The report further said that the drone strikes -- which the nonpartisan public policy group New American Foundation estimates have killed at least 1,990 people in Pakistan, including hundreds of civilians -- are unpopular in Pakistan.

Suicide attack on army check post kills 5 in NW Pakistan

Source  :  Trend.Az

At least five soldiers were killed in a suicide attack on an army check post in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan on Saturday night, said an Army statement.

Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the mouthpiece of Pakistan army, said in a brief statement that a suicide bomber rammed his explosive- laden vehicle into an army check post in Miran Shah, capital town of North Waziristan, on Saturday night, Xinhua reported.

The check post was completely destroyed in the attack, said the statement, adding five troops were killed in the blast.

The statement failed to give further details.

Some local media reports said that the attack killed six people and wounded 18 others.

No group has taken the credit for the attack.

Bordering east Afghanistan, North Waziristan is one of the seven tribal areas in northwest Pakistan, which is believed to be one of the havens for militants of various groups.

4 Killed in US Drone Strike in Northwestern Pakistan

Source  :  Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- At least four people were killed and one other was injured in a US drone attack in Pakistan's Northwestern tribal region of North Waziristan.

According to the reports, the US unmanned plane on Thursday night targeted a house in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, Pakistan's restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

The drone fired two missiles at the house that killed four people present inside while leaving one other injured, Xinhua reported.

The strike destroyed the house completely besides making cracks in the nearby buildings.

Soon after the attack local people rushed to the site and started rescue work as there is no official rescue service available in the area.

Thursday's strike is the second in the current month. Earlier on March 10, a US drone targeted a house in the Tehsil Boya area of the same region and killed two persons.

It is also the 10th strike of its kind in Pakistan's Northwestern tribal areas since the start of the current year, killing 64 people in total.

Pakistan has been protesting and expressing its reservations over such attacks, terming them as the violation of its sovereignty

Pakistan - Six army officers involved in abductions: DIG CID Balochistan

Source  :  Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Submitting a progress report regarding the missing persons, DIG CID Balochistan has told the Supreme Court that six army officers are involved in the abduction of missing persons in Balochistan.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Balochistan on Wednesday submitted a report on missing persons before a three- member bench, which was hearing Balochistan law and order case.

According to the report submitted by DIG CID Feroze Shah, 10 military personnel are accused of abducting the missing persons. “Some 18 missing persons had returned home safe and sound but 48 people are yet to be traced,” he said. “Following the statements of 12 missing persons after they returned home the Balochistan police asked the Frontier Corps to trace the whereabouts of the accused army men including two Lt colonels, six majors and two subedars”, said the report submitted by the DIG in the SC.

The report further states that the FC personnel assured that they would extend full cooperation for the completion of investigation and the recovery of the missing persons. According to FC, some of the officers did not belong to the organisation and others had gone back to Pakistan Army.

Security forces continue operations in S. Pakistan

Source :  KUNA

ISLAMABAD, March 20 (KUNA) -- Several suspects were arrested in an operation launched by paramilitary in Karachi city of southern Pakistan on Wednesday. According to the media reports paramilitary cordoned the Musharraf Colony area of the city and blocked all the entry and exit points. A house-to-house search operation has started and many suspects have been arrested so far. Meanwhile, security forces conducted an operation to arrest criminals and militants in many parts of Karachi city after a blast hit Abbas Colony blast and killed 48 people. A wave of violence struck the city as an aftermath of this operation. Security forces arrested over 100 people many of whom were found wanted criminals and militants. (end) sbk.nfm KUNA 200947 Mar 13NNNN

Bomb kills three in southern Pakistan

Source : Trend.Az

A bomb blast killed three people and injured five others in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi early Friday, police said, dpa reported.

Up to 2 kilogrammes of explosives were detonated outside the office of a cable television operator in Landhi area of the country's biggest city and commercial centre, police officer Naeem Broka said.

There was no immediate indication that the business was targeted, as the owner "has denied receiving any threats," Broka said.

A police officer was among the dead, but it was not clear whether he was on duty at the time.

An employee of the office was about to check an unattended bag when the bomb went off, an unnamed witness was quoted as saying by television reports.

The explosion appeared to have been triggered by remote control, Broka said.

Karachi has a long history of ethnic, criminal and political violence, which has seen a spike in recent months.

Suicide bomber kills 2 in northwestern Pakistan

Source : LBCI News

A police official says a suicide bomber has blown himself up near a police van in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least two people.

The official, Zaheer Khan, says Tuesday's attack in the district of Bannu in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan also wounded at least 10 people.

He says initial reports suggest the attacker was on foot and targeted a police van near a police station.

Khan says rescuers were transporting the dead and injured to a nearby hospital.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion fell on Pakistani Taliban who often target police and security forces deployed there.

The district of Bannu is located just outside the North Waziristan tribal region where several Pakistani, Afghan and al-Qaida-linked militant groups are based.

Quetta bombing: Countrywide protests enter third day

Source : The Express Tribune

Families of the Quetta blast victims continued their sit-in for the third day in Hazara Town and Alamdar Road on Tuesday, refusing to bury their loved ones, Express News reported.

To express solidarity with the Shia Hazaras in Quetta, several protests and sits-in across the country also continued after the government failed to fulfill the demands of the Hazara community.

In Lahore, many roads were blocked, including the GT Road and motorway interchanges, causing inconvenience to transporters. A sit-in was also being held at Shahdara Chowk.

The Majlis-e-Wehdat-e-Muslameen (MWM) members continued their sit-in outside Governor House in Lahore, demanding those involved in the blast to be arrested.

Streets in Karachi also remained deserted while private schools were closed. Several areas, including Ancholi and Ayesha Manzil, were blocked as protesters burnt tyres. Shia Ulema Council and MWM in Karachi said that they would continue with their sits-in till their demands are met.

Awami National Party’s (ANP) Ameer Nawab and Bashir Jaan came to the sit-in in Karachi to express solidarity with the protesters.

In Patel Para protesters opened fire at the police after the funeral was held for one of the four people killed in last night’s firing in the area. The police resorted to aerial gunfire and shelling to disperse the protesters.

On February 16, a massive bomb ripped though a busy market in a Shia Hazara neighbourhood of Quetta, killing more than 80 people and injuring nearly 200.

Pakistan tests another nuclear-capable missile

Source : Pakistan News

Islamabad, Feb. 15 (Xinhua-ANI): Pakistan on Friday tested a missile that can carry nuclear warheads, the second such test in a week, the military said.

"Pakistan today successfully test-fired the Short Range Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile Hatf II (Abdali), as part of the process of validation of land based ballistic missile systems," an army statement said.

Hatf II (Abdali), with a range of 180 km, can carry nuclear as well as conventional warheads with high accuracy.

The test was witnessed by Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Khalid Shameem Wynne, Director General Strategic Plans Division Lieutenant General (Retd) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, Commander Army Strategic forces Command, Lieutenant General Tariq Nadeem Gilani, senior officers from the strategic forces and scientists and engineers of strategic organizations.

The president and prime minister of Pakistan have congratulated the scientists and engineers on this outstanding achievement which consolidates Pakistan's deterrence capability both at the operational and strategic levels, the statement said.

It was the second missile test by Pakistan in a week.

On Monday, Pakistani military said it had conducted a successful test fire of a short range Surface to Surface Missile Hatf IX (NASR), which has a range of 60 km and can carry nuclear warheads.

Pakistan, which tested nuclear tests in 1998 in response to Indian tests, has several missile series. (Xinhua-ANI)

Pakistan Taliban says American, British fighters killed

Source : Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD (AFP) - The Pakistani Taliban have included a Briton and an American in a slideshow of fighters killed in battle that also eulogises Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden.According to the US monitoring service SITE, the 12-minute, 56-second video was posted on jihadist websites on February 6 and was prepared by Umar Studio, the media wing of Pakistan's umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) faction.It identifies the American by the name of Inaam and the Briton as Abbas, whom SITE said had been identified by the TTP in a prior video as Omar al-Britani and who gave a speech in English.No date ..

Pakistani leader to talk with Afghan Taliban in Qatar

Source : Pakistan News

Pakistani political leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman has gone on a "private visit" to Qatar to hold talks with the Afghan Taliban, a media report said Sunday.

Rehman, the chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F), was playing a "pivotal role" in the Afghan peace process, party leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed was quoted as saying by the Dawn.

Ahmed said the use of force was not a solution to the conflict between the Taliban and the military, and urged them to sit on the negotiating table to restore peace in the region.

The leader also urged the Pakistani government and the army to take seriously the offer for talks by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

JUI-F spokesman Abdul Jalil Jan, however, only said that Rehman had gone abroad on a "private visit".

Western media reports say the US is in contact with the Taliban in Qatar to persuade the outfit to initiate negotiations with the Afghan government, as Washington prepares for the withdrawal of troops by 2014.

Another party leader, Sirajul Haq, said the Pakistani government was looking towards the US for a "signal" after the negotiation offer by the Taliban.

"The government is not sincere in peace negotiations and is waiting for dictation from Americans," he said.

He said if the US could hold talks with the Taliban, there was no reason why Pakistan could not do so.

6 killed in U.S. drone strike in NW Pakistan

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed and two others injured on Friday evening as a U.S. drone attacked a house in the northwestern tribal region of Pakistan, local media reported.

Local Urdu TV channel Express News reported that the unmanned aircraft targeted a house in the Babar Ghar village that lies at the border of North Waziristan and South Waziristan, Pakistan's two volatile tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

According to the reports, the drone fired two missiles at the house and killed six people inside besides injuring two others.

The house was completely destroyed in the attack.

Local people rushed to the site and pulled out the bodies and injured from the rubbles.

Friday's attack is the 8th of its kind in Pakistan's northwestern tribal areas since the start of the current year. So far this year at least 53 people have been killed in such strikes.

Nothing can stop Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

Pakistan Ambassador to Tehran says nothing can prevent the progress of the multi- billion-dollar Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project.

Khalid Aziz Babar said on Wednesday that based on an agreement signed between the two parties, the gas pipeline must be completed by December 2014 and after its completion, gas transfer from Iran to Pakistan will start.

On January 29, an Iranian deputy oil minister said Tehran would finance and help build the 700-kilometer tranche of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline on the Pakistani side.

“Aside from a 250-million-dollar loan, Iran will also provide the supplies and equipment necessary for the construction of the part of the pipeline on Pakistani soil,” Javad Owji, who is also managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company, said.

This is while Pakistan has constantly dismissed rumors that it might pull out of the project amid efforts by the United States to convince the country to abandon the pipeline.

The pipeline, projected to cost about USD1.2-1.5 billion, would enable the export of 21.5 million cubic meters of Iran’s natural gas to Pakistan on a daily basis.

Iran has already built more than 900 kilometers of the pipeline on its soil.

Pakistan Warns US Not to Cross Red Line

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Pakistan's ambassador to the United States blasted the Obama administration for continued drone strikes in Fata, calling the violation a "red line" that should not be crossed.

At a breakfast meeting with the Christian Science Monitor staff, Sherry Rehman said that drones strikes were "a clear violation of our sovereignty and a violation of international law" that threatened stable relations between the two governments, Dawn reported.

She rejected persistent media reports that Pakistan tacitly approved the strikes while denouncing them publicly as untrue. "Let me assure you that since we have been in government, there has been no quiet complicity, no question of wink and nod," she said.

The United States has launched hundreds of drone strikes in Fata, killing dozens of militant leaders. Pakistan says that the drones also have killed a large number of innocent civilians.

Pakistan warns that the civilian deaths are counter-productive as they increase public sympathy for the militants and wants the United States to stop the strikes.

The drone strategy "creates more potential terrorists on the ground and militants on the ground instead of taking them out," the ambassador said. "We need to drain the swamp, but instead it is radicalising people."

Ambassador Rehman complained that the United States had failed to appreciate Pakistan's domestic terrorism problems and counter-terrorism operations, which have cost nearly 50,000 military and civilian lives and billions of dollars in expenditures and lost income over the past decade.

Afghanistan, Pakistan leaders in UK for talks

Source : The Daily Star

LONDON: The leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan are due to hold talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron in London on the Afghan peace process.

Cameron initiated the meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari last year, aiming to boost cooperation between the countries and promote regional stability.

The talks are expected to focus on preventing a Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan when British and other NATO troops withdraw from the country next year.

Cameron plans to dine with Karzai and Zardari at his country residence Chequers later Sunday, before holding formal talks with both leaders and their top officials early Monday.

Downing Street says the trilateral meeting will include Afghan and Pakistani army and intelligence chiefs for the first time.

US warns Pakistan of sanctions over Iran gas pipeline deal

Via :  StratRisks

SUKKUR: US Consul General Michael Dodman has said that the US State Department will impose sanctions on Pakistan if it carries on work on the Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline Project. He added it was a clear policy of the US because Iran had violated the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty and was continuing nuclear proliferation.

He stated this while talking to selected journalists here at a local hotel on Monday.When asked that Pakistan as an independent country can chalk out a policy which suits it to address the energy crisis, he said that the Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline Project was against the US laws so they will not support Pakistan in this regard.

He said that the US wanted to see a stronger Pakistan as well as democracy. He said that Pakistan and Afghanistan have to talk about Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, which create problems between the two countries.

Talking about business and trade ties, he said that the US respects the Pakistani laws and gives free trade access to Islamabad without any duty.

The consul general said that the State Department had been motivating the US business community to invest in Pakistan. However, he said that the US business community had shown security concerns over the law and order situation in Pakistan. He added that there was no security concern in interior Sindh and that was why the State Department was making efforts to build up the confidence of the US business community for direct investment in Sindh and in this regard the focus was on Karachi Chamber of Commerce as well as the Sindh Board of Investment.

The consul general said that there were good crops of dates and rice in Sindh and pledged that the US was ready to import these items.He said that the State Department has planned to launch hydro electric projects in Pakistan, especially in Sindh, to address the energy crisis.

The official dispelled the impression that the US was behind the political instability in Pakistan.The US diplomat said that the US believes in having good relations with Pakistan and wanted to see a strong democracy here. He said that the US was not supporting any political party in the forthcoming elections. Dodman said that the US wants real democracy not a controlled one in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, US Consul General Michael Dodman paid a visit at Kot Diji Fort in Khairpur.On the occasion, he said that the US has launched many projects of assistance for the preservation and conservation of the archeological sites in Sindh

In the meantime, a press release issued by the US spokesman said the United States Consul General Michael Dodman and US Embassy Political Counselor Jonathan Pratt visited Sukkur and surrounding areas this week to strengthen ties with the people of Sindh, experience Sindhi culture and raise awareness of many US funded projects in the areas of education, health and economic growth.

During the visit, CG Dodman and Political Counselor Pratt visited Kot Diji Fort, IBA Sukkur and met with civil society, business, media and political leaders.

Speaking to the press, CG Dodman noted, “I have been impressed by the depth of local culture and the warmth of everyone I have met. It is a source of pride that the United States is providing tens of millions of dollars to support basic education in Sindh, construct new hospitals and rebuild flood damaged schools among many other projects.” CG Dodman is dedicated to strengthening the people-to-people ties between the United States and Pakistan and is deeply committed to deepening the economic engagement between our two countries. He promises to return to upper Sindh in the near future.

Pak govt. yet to take action on YouTube issue

Source : Pakistan News

Five months after the Pakistan government blocked access to video- sharing website YouTube in the wake of protests across the country over a blasphemous movie, it is yet to either get the objectionable content removed from the website or open access to its non- controversial pages for millions of internet users.

According to sources in the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, Pakistan needs to sign the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with the US before asking the America- based company Google - which owns YouTube - to remove the objectionable content from the website, reports The Dawn.

Convener of the Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (ISPAK), Wahajus Siraj, said countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Indonesia and Malaysia have entered into agreements with the US.

The agreement safeguards interests of the service provider by not holding it responsible for any blasphemous or anti-state content posted online by individuals/users, Siraj said.

According to Siraj, absence of the treaty was why, despite repeated requests from Pakistan, Google has not taken out the anti-Islam movie. Access to YouTube was blocked on September 18 last year following protests in the country.

Siraj said that signing the agreement could be done within two months given that government officials in the ministry of information technology worked proactively on the matter. (ANI)

Clash of militants leaves 53 killed

Source : thenews.com.pk

KHYBER AGENCY: At least 53 extremists including 30 Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan militants were killed in an armed clash between two rival groups here on Friday, Geo News reported.

“The local residents have started migrating for their lives as both the clashing extremist clans are using all kinds of weaponry at will and indiscriminately in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency”, sources told Geo News.

The collision has left dozens of combating militants injured as well.

Six killed as a building catches fire in Pakistan's Lahore

Source :  Xinhua | English.news.cn

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least six people including a police officer were killed and four others injured on Saturday night as a four-storey building caught fire in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, local media reported.

According to the reports, the fire broke out at the third floor of a four-storey building located at the Abbot Road area of Lahore.

The fire was so intensive that it quickly engulfed all other storeys of the building and also affected three other buildings located around it.

Police, rescue teams and fire fighters rushed to the site and started rescue work.

Rescue chief told media that they shifted six bodies and four injured people to the hospital besides rescuing 50 others who were trapped in the building.

At least 14 fire engines took part in the operation to put off the fire.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Lahore Noor ul Amin, the fire erupted due to the electricity short circuit that later covered the whole building

Pakistani court passes 48 death sentences on terrorist

Source : Voice of Russia

On Thursday, a Pakistani court passed 48 death sentences on an extremist for masterminding a terrorist attack in 2011, an attack that claimed 48 lives.

According to the local media, Akhil, better known as “Doctor Ousmane”, was also sentenced to 110 years behind bars and is due to pay an almost one million dollar fine.

The terrorists blew up their car bomb in Pakistan’s third-largest city of Faisalabad outside a local police department building on March 8th 2011.

Voice of Russia, RIA

Pakistani court adjourns PM's corruption case for six days

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned till Jan. 23 hearing of a corruption case against the incumbent Prime Minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf, in which the apex court has already ordered his arrest, local media reported.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the country's anti- corruption body to arrest the prime minister and 15 other people in 24 hours who were accused of taking kickbacks in purchasing Rental Power Projects (RPPs) when Ashraf was the minister for water and power in the present government.

The three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary had ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), to arrest the prime minister and submit a report on Thursday.

However, the NAB refused to arrest the prime minister on the plea that its own investigation report in the corruption case was flawed and that evidence is not enough to arrest him.

The NAB chief, Fasih Bukhari, told the apex court that the bureau's inquiry report earlier submitted to the Supreme Court in the RPP case as inaccurate.

The court had ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf after reviewing the two investigation reports submitted by NAB. But, during Thursday's hearing, NAB chairman claimed that the reports did not have the complete record of the case.

Bokhari also said that the investigation officers had worked in a hurry and did not provide proofs in their reports.

The Chief Justice observed during the hearing that the court had issued the order for all those accused in the case and not just for Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. He said that NAB authorities needed to justify as to why the court's directives had not been implemented.

"Why could there be no record against the accused and why had no arrests been made," the chief justice asked the NAB authorities.

He added that implementation of the court's ruling in the case had been in pending since March 2012, adding that the NAB chief had also been issued a notice for contempt of court.

Legal experts are of the view that despite the arrest orders the prime minister can continue his duties unless he is convicted.

The apex court in its earlier verdict in March last year had observed that the rules and regulations were violated in these projects due to which the national exchequer witnessed losses of billions.

The Supreme Court has declared the RPPs as illegal and also ordered them to be shut down.

The Supreme Court had in the last year verdict ordered to initiate proceedings against the former Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and all others involved in the case. However, the country's anti-corruption panel had not carried out required investigation despite the orders.

Pervez Ashraf had been in the Prime Minister's house since his arrest orders had been issued and he performed his professional duties. He consulted party leaders and legal experts on Thursday, the PM office said.

Pakistan rejects Indian army chief's warning

Source :  Xinhua

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 15(Xinhua) --Pakistan on Tuesday rejected remarks by Indian army chief that the killing of two Indian soldiers was a pre-planned and pre-meditated action by Pakistani troops and India reserves the right to retaliate at "time and place of its choice," local media reported.

Indian army chief Gen. Bikram Singh on Monday blamed Pakistan for the 2003 ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the two countries in the disputed Kashmir region, and termed as "unpardonable" the alleged beheading of a soldier by Pakistan.

A Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Pakistan did not want to vitiate the already tense situation along the LoC by making irresponsible statements.

He was responding to the recent remarks made by the Indian army chief on the ceasefire violations on the Line of Control, the Foreign Ministry said.

"Pakistan attaches great importance to the ongoing peace process with India, and is committed to resolve the issue of LOC violations under the agreed mechanism," the spokesman said in a statement.

Pakistan and India accused each other of ceasefire violations over the past 10 days, which resulted into the killing of four soldiers from the two sides.

The Pakistani spokesman also reiterated the country's earlier offer to hold a thorough investigation into the recent violations of LOC by the United Nations Military Observer's Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).

He welcomed the statement by the Indian Minister for External Affairs who reiterated his government's commitment to ensure that the peace process would not be derailed.

The Spokesperson underlined Pakistan's desire to continue the dialogue process with India in a sustained and result-oriented manner.

It is important that both sides make serious efforts to avoid distractions in their common efforts towards creating a peaceful environment, he said.

Thousands rally in Pakistani capital against gov't

Source : APA

Baku-APA. Thousands of Pakistanis fed up with political leaders they say are corrupt and indifferent rallied in the Pakistani capital Tuesday, as the cleric who organized the rally called for the government to resign, APA reports quoting Associated Press. The dramatic entry into Pakistani politics of Tahir-ul-Qadri, a preacher who until recently lived in Canada, has sparked concern from some that he is seeking to derail elections at the behest of the powerful army. Polls are expected this spring.

Qadri has denied that and insisted his vague demands for election reform are simply meant to root out corruption in the political system. He pledged several weeks ago to lead a "million- man march" on Islamabad on Monday to press his demands. Early in the morning after Qadri finished his speech railing against the government, some of the marchers pushed aside the shipping containers that had been placed on the street to block their access to the city center and government buildings in a protected enclave. Some of the marchers then walked toward the enclave where another row of shipping containers and a heavy police presence protected the government buildings. There were no clashes with security authorities, and the marchers appeared to stop there.

During a 40-minute speech in the early morning hours, Qadri told his supporters that the government's mandate was finished. "Tonight your mandate is finished ... I give you time until tomorrow to dissolve national and all four provincial assemblies otherwise the nation will dissolve them on their own," he said, speaking behind bulletproof glass. Qadri also asked his supporters to take the security of the capital in their hand and guard and protect each of the buildings of Islamabad. The cleric took an oath in front of the crowd that they all will remain peaceful but stay in Islamabad until the revolution is completed. "They are no more rulers but former rulers. Don't follow their orders! I have come here to get you out of their slavery," he said. Many in the crowd waved green and white Pakistani flags and wore buttons emblazoned with the cleric's picture. Security was heavy throughout the city. In addition to the shipping containers blocking the crowds, thousands of paramilitary forces and police in riot gear were deployed and cell phones were jammed after the government warned that militants were planning to attack the protesters. Qadri left his home base in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday accompanied by at least 15,000 people in hundreds of vehicles, and the procession was expected to grow as it approached Islamabad. It was unclear exactly how big the crowd was when the cleric finally arrived in Islamabad at about 2 a.m. Tuesday.

Qadri returned to Pakistan in December after years in Canada, where he's also a citizen. He heads a religious network in Lahore and gained some international prominence by writing a 2010 fatwa, or religious opinion, condemning terrorism. But he was never a national political figure until this winter, when his calls for reforms ahead of elections galvanized many Pakistanis disenchanted by the existing parties. The cleric's vaguely worded demands include vetting of political candidates to make sure they're honest and taking steps to even out the playing field so more people can participate in the political process.

India, Pakistan armies holds flag meeting in Kashmir following skirmishes

Source : APA

Baku-APA. The armies of India and Pakistan Monday met for Brigade-level flag meeting following deadly skirmishes on line-of-control (LoC) in Kashmir, officials said.

The meeting between army official from both sides was held at Chakan Da Bagh in Poonch.

"The flag meeting between brigade commanders of India and Pakistan started around 1300 hours (local time) and ended at 1332 hours at Chakan-Da-Bagh point in Poonch," said Col R K Palta.

The Indian team was led by 10th Brigade Commander Brig. T S Sandhu.

Officials said aim of the meeting was to ease tension between two sides and stop ceasefire violations along LoC.

On Sunday evening the two sides exchanged heavy fire and mortar shells in the Krishna Ghati sector of frontier Poonch district, around 180 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into Indian and Pakistani controlled parts.

The two armies have been engaging in deadly skirmishes on LoC since Jan. 6. Since then four troopers of both countries (two from each side) were killed in these skirmishes, thereby heightening tension between the nuclear neighbors.

Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firing on LoC and breaching the ceasefire line.

Official sources said both the sides lodged strong protests over the ceasefire violations and killings of troopers.

Following the heightened tension between two countries cross LoC Trade and travel was suspended. The officials posted on LoC from Pakistani-controlled Kashmir side refused to open the gate for goods trucks and bus, officials said.

New Delhi and Islamabad in 2003 agreed to observe a ceasefire along the international border and LoC in Kashmir. Though some violations have been reported on both sides, the ceasefire remains in effect.

The allegations of intrusion on each other have alerted the armies from both sides deputed on LoC. According to defense analysts intrusions by India and Pakistan troopers into each other 's territory was unheard of since late 2003.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from British, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.

Fresh exchange of fire between India, Pakistan armies in Kashmir

Source :  Xinhua | English.news.cn

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The armies of India and Pakistan Sunday exchanged heavy fire and artillery shells once again on line-of-control (LoC) in Indian- controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The ceasefire violation took place Sunday evening along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector of frontier Poonch district, around 180 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian- controlled Kashmir.

"Pakistani troops this evening again resorted to unprovoked firing using machine guns and mortars on our several posts," said Col. R K Palta, Indian army spokesman based in Jammu. "We also retaliated back."

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into Indian and Pakistani controlled parts. "We have not suffered any damage due to Pakistani firing today," said Palta.

The ongoing skirmish since last Sunday between Indian and Pakistani troopers on LoC is heightening tension between the two nuclear neighbors. So far four troopers of both countries, two from each side, were killed in these skirmishes on LoC.

Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firing on LoC and breaching the ceasefire line. New Delhi and Islamabad in 2003 agreed to observe a ceasefire along the international border and LoC in Kashmir. Though some violations have been reported on both sides, the ceasefire remains in effect.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from British, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.

Pakistan said it wants a third party inquiry into the ceasefire violations on the LoC. Islamabad, according to reports, has already contacted United Nations Military Observer Group in Indian and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) and proposed investigation into ceasefire violations. However, New Delhi has rejected any UN investigation, saying they do not want to internationalize the issue.

An office of UNMOGIP is also in Srinagar. The office was set up in 1949 to monitor the ceasefire line, now known as LoC.

India and Pakistan Square Up Over Kashmir

Source : RIA Novosti

NEW DELHI, January 12 (RIA Novosti) - India and Pakistan are rushing to reinforce their armed forces in the disputed border area of Kashmir, following a spate of clashes between their armies last week across the so-called Line of Control which left several soldiers dead, Indian TV channel Zee News reported.

The Indian military have deployed unmanned air vehicles (UAV) in the area, the channel says. Indian military sources claim the Pakistan Army opened fire on eight of its posts along the Line on Friday. Pakistan has also closed all border trading posts in the area.

Indian daily The Hindu says the latest incidents may be the result of an incident last fall in which a villager crossed the Line of Control from Indian- to Pakistan- controlled territory, prompting India to beef up its border fortifications. That prompted Pakistani calls to stop, which escalated to firing. Until last week, the two sides had maintained a nine-year ceasefire in the tense region.

The latest fighting in the area began on January 6, when a Pakistani soldier was killed by Indian forces, India's Daily News and Analysis said. Another incident took place on January 8, when India claimed two of its soldiers were killed and one of them beheaded in an attack on an outpost by Pakistan. Delhi lodged a formal protest with Islamabad over the incident.

Pakistan denied any involvment in the incident and accused India of an attack on one of its frontier posts on January 10 in which another Pakistani soldier was killed. India rejected a call by Pakistan for an independent UN investigation into the incident. India called for a meeting with the Pakistani military on the frontier to resolve the situation, which was declined, according to Zee News.

The Indian Prime Ministerial security adviser, Shiv Shankar Menon, said on January 10 that the number of incidents along the Line of Control has risen drastically in the last two years, but added this would not cause India to break off dialog with Pakistan.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hinna Rabanni Khar said last Thursday the incidents should not be allowed to interfere with the broader rapprochement between the two nations.

“The Pakistan government and the Pakistani people have demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to normalize and improve relations with India and to really start a journey of trust-building," she said.

The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has been the scene of an on-going insurgency since 1989, with separatists from the majority-Muslim population demanding autonomy from India. Armed separatist groups remain active in the region including Laskhar-I-Taiba and Harakat-ul-Jihad-al Islamiya.

India maintains a garrison with an estimated size of almost half a million soldiers in the area, making it one of the most heavily-militarized regions on earth. Pakistan also has sizeable forces in the region.

India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring the insurgent groups in the region and assisting them with funding and training, while Islamabad maintains they are independent and are a response to Indian occupation.

Kashmir ended up divided after Pakistan and India fought for it after gaining independence from Britain in 1947. Pakistan occupies 33,000 square miles of the region and India around 39,000 square miles, as a result of the war the two sides fought over the region in 1947-49, with the Line of Control as the de facto border. The two nations went to war over the area again in 1965 and 1971 and came close to war again in 1991.

India and Pakistan borders in Kashmir tense after skirmishes

Source :Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI - Pakistan Friday lodged a strong protest with India over border skirmishes as New Delhi put its border troops on alert following continuous ceasefire violations blamed by the nuclear-powered neighbours on each other.

Pakistani Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani summoned India's high commissioner Sharat Sabharwal and asked that the Indian government thoroughly investigate "repeated violations of the ceasefire" along the de facto border.

The Line of Control a ceasefire line that divides disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir between the two neighbours remained tense following repeated incidents of cross border shelling and border conflict that led to the killing of two Indian soldiers earlier this week.

There were three separate clashes along the de facto border this week, with the latest incident taking place Thursday.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after Jan 6 when a Pakistani soldier was killed allegedly by Indian troops.

Two days later, two Indian soldiers were killed and beheaded near the LoC. Indian officials blamed Pakistani troops for the horror.

An Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told reporters in New Delhi Friday that Indian troops in the Mendhar sector in Kashmir responded in a "controlled" way to unprovoked firing from the Pakistani side.

Pakistan's military said a soldier was killed in the "unprovoked firing" by the Indian Army.

Pakistan military spokesman Major-General Asim Saleem Bajwa said Thursday's attack was the 10th ceasefire violation by India so far this year. The two neighbours had agreed on a border truce about a decade ago that has largely held so far.

Pakistan's foreign office said "such unprovoked attacks" are against the spirit of the ongoing peace process and create "unnecessary and unavoidable distractions" in peace efforts.

Pakistan also said it has pursued dialogue with India "with seriousness" and taken "significant steps" to create a peaceful environment.

An Indian military official told reporters in Delhi that Pakistani troops Friday again opened fire at Indian posts close to the LoC in the Krishna Ghati sector, around 250 km from Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The army offered a calibrated response to silence Pakistani guns," said the official pleading anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

The firing lasted for half an hour, he said.

"There were no casualties on this (Indian) side."

Pakistan has suspended the cross border bus service, blocking trade as it also did not open its gates to allow goods truck

Pakistan summons Indian ambassador over killing of second soldier

Source :  Xinhua

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Friday summoned Indian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry and a formal protest was lodged over the killing of its second soldier in Indian firing in less than a week, state media reported.

Pakistan Army said Thursday that Indian forces killed one of its soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between the two countries in the disputed Kashmir region. "The Indian High Commissioner was summoned and handed over a protest note on the unprovoked Indian attack on a Pakistani post along the Line of Control that killed a Pakistani soldier yesterday,"radio Pakistan reported.

Pakistan Army said that the solder, Havildar Mohyuddin, was killed due to unprovoked firing by Indian troops at Hotspring sector in Battal sector.

The statement from the Pakistan military's Inter-Services Public Relations said that the Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing at a Pakistani post named Kundi.

India has also accused Pakistani forces of killing two of its soldiers in its parts of Kashmir on Tuesday, but the charges were denied by Pakistan.

Pakistani Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, on Thursday denied Indian claim and said Pakistan wants a third party to conduct inquiry into the ceasefire violations on the LoC.

The clashes escalated tensions along the LoC and posed threat to the 2003 bilateral ceasefire.

Foreign Minister Khar told a news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan has also contacted UN military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) and proposed investigation into the border violations.

New Delhi has rejected Pakistan's offer to seek UN investigation into the alleged LoC clashes, saying it is a bilateral issue.

Pakistan Shi'ite leader criticizes army chief after bombings

Source : LBCI News

In a rare challenge, a Shi'ite leader publicly criticized powerful Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani over security in the country after bombings aimed at the minority sect killed 114 people.

"I ask the army chief: What have you done with these extra three years you got (in office). What did you give us except more death," Maulana Amin Shaheedi, who heads a national council of Shi'ite organizations, told a news conference.

Earlier, Pakistani Shi'ite leaders called on the military on Friday to seize control of the provincial capital of Quetta to protect the Muslim minority after one of the worst sectarian attacks in the country's history.

Shi'ite leaders also told Reuters they would not allow the 82 victims of two bomb attacks in Quetta on Thursday to be buried until their demands were met.

Fresh tension as India and Pakistan border row escalates

Source :Pakistan News

DELHI - India and Pakistan were Thursday locked in a fresh war of words and a bitter diplomatic row over a border skirmish that led to the killing of two Indian soldiers earlier this week.

There were reports of cross border mortar shelling again Thursday as Pakistan army alleged that Indian soldiers killed one of their border colleagues, in the worst outbreak of violence since the nuclear rivals agreed on a ceasefire a decade ago.

A Pakistan army spokesperson said one of soldiers was killed by "unprovoked" fire from the other side of a de facto border in Kashmir a Himalayan state claimed in full by both but ruled in parts.

If true, Thursday's would be the third fatal attack in five days along the ceasefire line or the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between the two neighbours.

A Pakistani soldier was killed Sunday. This followed the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers Tuesday, officials from respective countries said.

The two sides have lodged diplomatic protests with Pakistan even proposing a UN probe into the killings.

But India has rejected the proposal of the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) taking up the investigation into the incidents. The group is present on both sides of the LoC.

"We are certainly not going to agree to internationalise the issue or allow the UN to hold an inquiry. That demand is obviously rejected out of hand," Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said at a news conference.

He was speaking to the media after taking part in the meetings of the high level cabinet panel on security, also attended by Defence Minister A. K. Antony.

"We take a serious view of what happened. Whatever has to be done will be done," Chidambaram said as India alleged that one of the dead soldiers was decapitated brutally.

As the border tension raged, Pakistan disallowed Indian goods trucks from Jammu and Kashmir to enter its territory, temporarily halting the cross border trade.

In Islamabad, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar reiterated the demand for a third party enquiry into the ceasefire violations.

Khar said she was "unpleasantly surprised" by Indian accusations against Pakistan.

She however allayed fears that the standoff could escalate to derail the peace process with India.

"You asked whether this will set back or derail the (peace) process. I will hope not and I (do not) see it derailing or setting back the process," Khar told reporters at the Foreign Office.

"I hope both the countries will show their commitment to correct (the situation) as we are showing our commitment to correct. "

7 killed, 12 injured as another two blasts hit Quetta in SW Pakistan

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed and 12 others injured when another two blasts hit Pakistan' s southwest city of Quetta on Thursday night, reported local media Dunya.

Two of the injured were in critical condition, the report quoted hospital sources as saying.

Earlier on Thursday afternoon, a car bomb hit a paramilitary checkpost in the Bacha Khan area of the city, leaving at least 11 people including one paramilitary personnel dead and 50 others including seven paramilitary personnel wounded.

The second blast took place at about 8:45 p.m. local time inside a snooker club located on the Alamdar Road in the city.

The target is the local Shia Muslims, said local media.

A few minutes later when police and media were rushing to the blast site, a third blast went off on the Airport Road leading to the Alamdar Road.

Several policemen and journalists were injured in the explosion, said local TV channel Samaa.

All the injured have been shifted to the civil hospital in the city and an emergency has been declared at the hospital.

Pakistani FM seeks third party inquiry into cross-border attacks

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar Thursday said Pakistan wants a third party inquiry into the ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between Pakistan and India in the disputed Kashmir region, after India accused Pakistani forces of killing two of its soldiers.

The foreign minister told a news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan has also contacted United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) and proposed investigation into the border violations.

"Pakistan abides by the ceasefire and follows the mechanism to deal with such kinds of issues," she said while speaking at a joint press conference along with the visiting Foreign Minister of Thailand Surapong Tovichakchaikul.

Reports from India suggest that New Delhi has rejected Pakistan 's offer that the UN probes the alleged LoC clashes.

Indian officials alleged that Pakistani forces entered some 100 meters into its territory and killed two soldiers, adding that one soldier was beheaded.

Reacting strongly to the contradictory statements emanating from India, Foreign Minister Khar said Pakistan made responsible statements and followed the mechanism to defuse the situation.

"Pakistan will not like to escalate situation with India and hoped the recent incident at the LoC will not cause setback to the peace process," she said.

She said Pakistan has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improve relations with India. "In this regard, we have also taken several trust building measures," she said.

She said the people of Pakistan are peace loving and extend a hand of friendship to all the regional countries including India. She said her country has taken a lead role in building trust with India.

To a question about the granting of the Most Favored Nation status to Indiam, Hina Rabbani Khar said Islamabad remains committed to improving trade relations with New Delhi. "Pakistan wants removal of all visible and invisible trade barriers with India," she said.

Pakistan-India tension has prompted international calls for calm and talks to avoid escalations. The UN and the United States, have appealed to Pakistan and India to respect the ceasefire in the Kashmir region.

In New Delhi, Pakistani High Commissioner was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday and a formal protest was lodged over the alleged Pakistani incursion.

Senior Pakistani and Indian military officials on Wednesday also talked on phone and discussed the current situation, the Pakistani military said.

Bomb Attack Kills 11 in Pakistan's Quetta

Source : Naharnet

A bomb tore through a Pakistan security forces' vehicle on Thursday, killing 11 people and wounding dozens more in a crowded part of the southwestern city of Quetta, officials said.

The vehicle belonging to the paramilitary Frontier Corps was completely destroyed along with about seven other vehicles, an AFP reporter said.

Pools of blood, smashed window panes, charred pieces of metal and merchandise from stree stalls littered the roadside after the blast.

"Frontier Corps personnel were the target because the bomb was planted underneath their vehicle," said senior police investigator Hamid Shakeel.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack.

Quetta is the capital of the province of Baluchistan, one of the most deprived parts of Pakistan, which suffers from Islamist militancy, a separatist insurgency and sectarian violence

"According to our information, 11 people were killed and 27 injured in the blast. We will be able to tell you after some time what kind of device it was, but it was a crowded place," said Quetta police chief Mir Zubair Mehmood.

Allah Dad, a local shopkeeper who sells blankets and small bags, said he heard a deafening blast.

"I went out of my shop and saw a thick cloud of dust. I was very scared and saw people screaming in panic. There were dead bodies and injured people shouting for help," he told AFP.

Bomb disposal official Abdul Razzaq said the bomb, packed with 20 to 25 kilograms (44 to 55 pounds) of explosives, was detonated by remote control.

TV stations broadcast harrowing images of casualties being stretchered from the scene, heavily damaged vehicles and survivors picking through the debris.

It was the worst attack in Baluchistan since a car bomb killed 19 Shiite Muslim pilgrims en route to Iran in Mastung district on December 30.

Shiites make up around 20 percent of Pakistan's 180-million strong population and activists say they are increasingly being targeted by extremist Sunni factions who operate with impunity.

Baluch rebels rose up in 2004, demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region's natural mineral, oil and gas deposits.

The province borders Afghanistan and Iran.

Cross-border attacks in Kashmir pose threat to India-Pakistan ties

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan and India have accused each other of launching deadly attack on the other side and violating the 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between the two rivals in the disputed Kashmir region.

A Pakistani army statement said that Indian troops crossed the LoC in Haji Pir Sector in Bagh district and raided a Pakistani checkpoint on Sunday, killing one of its soldiers and injuring another.

India did not officially respond to Pakistan's claim. But on Tuesday, Indian security officials said that Pakistani troops sneaked into Indian-controlled Kashmir and ambushed an army patrol, killing two Indian soldiers.

Pakistani military officials, however, dismissed the Indian accusation of unprovoked firing as 'propaganda'

"It looks like an Indian propaganda to divert attention from the Sunday raid on a Pakistani post by Indian troops in which a Pakistani soldier was killed," a statement issued by the Pakistani military said.

After years of a lull, the cross-border tension between the nuclear rivals has raised serious concerns and calls for de- escalation around the world.

Guns had been relatively silent along the LoC since then Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali announced a unilateral ceasefire along the LoC in November 2003 in view of the civilian casualties on both sides of LoC as troops of the two countries used to routinely exchange fire.

India had positively responded to Pakistani announcement by also declaring ceasefire, which was widely welcome around the world. This resulted in the return of thousands of Kashmiris who had fled their homes due to frequent clashes between the two sides.

Pakistan also mounted pressure on Kashmiri militants fighting for an end to Indian rule to respect the truce. Indian authorities later admitted a substantial decrease in 'intrusion' of militants into its part of Kashmir from the Pakistani side.

The two rivals launched several other mutual confidence- building measures including restarting Kashmir bus service to allow the divided Kashmiris to visit each other, followed by truck service to boost trade and economic cooperation, substantially easing tension between the arch rivals in South Asia.

However, the 2008 Mumbai terror attack pushed the two countries to the brink of conflict after New Delhi blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack and suspected the role of Pakistani intelligence agencies in the carnage. Pakistan had rejected the claim as absurd.

India suspended comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan following the attack. However, both countries gradually revived diplomatic contacts after the arrests of several suspects by Pakistan.

As the ties warmed up, then Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani visited India to watch a cricket match between India and Pakistan at the World Cup semifinal in March 2011 at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh. The relations got a further boost when Pakistan granted the Most Favored Nations trade status to India last year.

However, the recent escalation along the LoC have once again cast doubt over the fragile ceasefire and the bilateral composite dialogue process.

One positive sign is that defense ministry officials of the two countries will meet soon in New Delhi to discuss the recent clashes and hopefully de-escalate the tension in Kashmir, according to Indian media.

Neither Pakistan nor India can afford tension as it took the two important countries in South Asia a long time to normalize relationship, which is also the key to stability of the region and even the world.

World will keenly observe next elections in Pakistan, say US senators

Source: Pakistan News

Senior American senators have said that the world would observe the upcoming general elections in Pakistan with great interest.

They made the statement during a meeting between a US delegation and Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and his cabinet members Hina Rabbani Khar and Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh at the PM House, according to The Express Tribune.

The US senators said relations between the two countries were on the right track.

Ashraf, on his part, said the Pakistan government was committed to holding free, fair and impartial elections and a smooth transition of power. He expressed the hope that relations between the two countries would further strengthen in the interest of the region and the world. Ashraf also said Pakistan desires peace and stability in Afghanistan post-2014 when the US is scheduled to withdraw its troops from the war-torn country.

He welcomed the re-election of US President Barack Obama, saying the move would ensure continuity in relations. He also appreciated the services of former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, and welcomed the nomination of Senator John Kerry as her successor.

The US delegation comprised member of the Armed Services Committee Senator Jack Reed and US Ambassador Richard Olson. (ANI)

Puppet Pakistani Regime and US continue killing Pakistani civilians

Source : Islamicturkey

least 16 people have been killed in several US assassination drone strikes in northwestern Pakistan.

In yet another US drone attack in Pakistan, US drones fired ten missiles at different targets in the country’s northwestern tribal area of South Waziristan, on Sunday.

According to local media, the aerial attacks left at least seven others injured.

On Thursday, 10 people were killed in similar attacks in the Sar Kanda area of Birmil in South Waziristan near the Afghan border.

Pakistan’s tribal regions are attacked by US assassination drones almost regularly, with Washington claiming that militants are the targets. However, casualty figures clearly indicate that Pakistani civilians are the main victims.

The killing of Pakistani civilians, including women and children, has strained relations between Islamabad and Washington.

Last month, Pakistan’s Jama’at ud-Da’wah political group took legal action against the ongoing drone attacks. The group said despite a resolution passed by the Pakistani parliament in condemnation of the US attacks, the drone strikes continue to claim the lives of civilians.

In addition, the Lahore High Court called on the Pakistani government on November 3 to immediately respond to the group’s petition that had called for an end to US airstrikes.

Over the past months, massive demonstrations have also been held across Pakistan to condemn the United States for violating Pakistan’s sovereignty.

ASIA - Pakistani and Indian troops exchange fire in Kashmir

Pakistani and Indian troops exchanged fire Sunday along their disputed border in divided Kashmir, with each side blaming the other for the flare-up and Pakistan saying one of its soldiers was killed.

Pakistan said Indian troops crossed the de facto border known as the Line of Control and stormed a military post, an accusation denied by the other side.

A Pakistani military statement said the Indian troops came across the frontier in the Haji Pir sector, 80 kilometres (49 miles) north of Islamabad, and "physically raided" a checkpost named Sawan Patra.

"Pakistan Army troops effectively responded to the attack successfully. One Pakistani soldier embraced martyrdom while another was critically injured," it said in a statement.

The Indian troops retreated, leaving behind a gun and a dagger, it said.

An Indian army spokesman in Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, denied its troops crossed the border.

Colonel Brijesh Pandey accused the Pakistani military of firing mortar bombs into a village in the Uri district in Indian Kashmir, which faces Haji Pir in the Pakistani sector of the territory.

"At 3:15 am today (2145 GMT Saturday) Pakistani troops resorted to heavy mortar firing, targeting a village in Uri sector," Pandey told AFP, adding that the homes of some villagers were damaged.

"We retaliated with small arms and the exchange continued for over an hour," the spokesman said.

He said no Indian troops were hurt but had no information about any Pakistani casualties.

Muslim-majority Kashmir is a Himalayan region which India and Pakistan both claim in full but rule in part. It was the cause of two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947.

The nuclear-armed neighbours have observed a ceasefire in Kashmir since November 2003, but there have been occasional clashes and accusations of truce violations from both sides.

Last month officials in Pakistani-administered Kashmir said cross-border fire from Indian troops killed a man and wounded three other civilians in two villages.

According to an official Indian report cited by the Press Trust of India, there were 71 firing incidents along the Line of Control in 2012 in which four Indian soldiers, two Indian civilians and one alleged Pakistani infiltrator were killed. Fifteen others were injured, according to the report from the Kashmir state home ministry.

The latest clash occurred as the two countries wrapped up their first bilateral cricket series for five years.

Cricket has been used in the past to mend ties, but analysts have said the prospect of a diplomatic dividend this time appeared slim.

India suspended its peace process with Pakistan after deadly attacks by Pakistan-based militants in 2008 in Mumbai. Talks only resumed in February last year. Both sides remain deadlocked over Kashmir but have made some progress on less contentious subjects such as trade.

Source : Huryet