Latest News

Rawalpindi, Nov 2 (IANS) At least 34 people were killed Monday when a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle triggered a powerful explosion close to a luxury hotel and a bank in this garrison city abutting capital Islamabad. The blast occurred barely 500 metres from the Pakistani Army Headquarters, which had come under Taliban attack last month.

The massive explosion took place on a day when the Pakistan government offered a reward of $5 million for information on the country’s Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud and 18 of his associates.

At least 34 people were killed and 32 wounded in the suicide explosion in Rawalpindi cantonment area, Geo TV quoted spokesman of Rescue 1122 as saying.

The blast occurred at 10.40 a.m. when people had queued up at the bank to collect their salaries.

“The suicide bomber came on a motorcycle and blew up close to people gathered to get salaries. We found parts of a suicide vest and some body parts of the suicide attacker,” senior police official Aslam Tarin told reporters.

The blast rocked Shalimar Hotel behind Pearl Continental Hotel, located on Mall Road in the cantonment area of Rawalpindi.

Most of the victims were reported to be security forces personnel.

Sajid Khan, a witness, told mediapersons that he was driving through the area when he heard the explosion.

“It was a huge blast. It was close to the General Post Office Chowk (roundabout) on Mall Road. I saw smoke rising from one of the buildings. I sped up to escape,” Khan was quoted as saying.

The explosion damaged several cars waiting at a traffic signal.

“When I reached the scene there were dead and wounded people lying everywhere,” DPA quoted another witness Shaukat Ali as saying.

“Some bodies did not have heads and some were missing legs. People covered the women whose clothes were burnt by the explosion. It was so shameful.”

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the terror attack.

Schools in the city were shut following the blast and security personnel escorted children back home.

The heavily fortified Pakistani Army’s General Headquarters had come under attack Oct 10 when 10 terrorists in military uniform laid siege to it. At least 19 people, including nine raiders, died in the 22-hour standoff. One militant was arrested.

The army has stepped up its offensive in South Waziristan against the Taliban, which has vowed retaliation.

The government released an advertisement Monday offering cash reward totalling $5 million for concrete information on the whereabouts of Mehsud and his associates, who have stepped up terror strikes across Pakistan.

The advertisement says: “Anyone who captures these people dead or alive or provides concrete information, the government will award them a cash reward.”

“The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) terrorists are daily involved in deadly activities and because of their activities innocent Muslims are going to the valley of death,” it added.

The largest rewards of 50 million Pakistan rupees each were offered for Mehsud, senior leader Wali ur-Rehman Mehsud and Qari Hussain Mehsud, also described as a master trainer of suicide bombers.

The latest wave of Islamist militant violence in Pakistan started with a suicide bombing at the offices of the UN World Food Programme in Islamabad Oct 5.

Over 200 people have been killed in the string of terror attacks, including massive bombings. The attacks have taken place in various parts of the country, including capital Islamabad.

Oct 28 saw the worst terror attack in Pakistan this year when over 110 people were killed in a massive bombing in a crowded market of Peshawar.

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) India seeks to live in peace with all its neighbours and the “world at large”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Friday.

Stressing that India sought good relations with all its neighbours, the prime minister said: “We sincerely wish to resolve all outstanding issues with our neighbours through dialogue… that should characterise our relations.”

His comments at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit comes two days after he offered Pakistan a “hand of friendship” while addressing crowds in the Kashmir.

In his opening remarks, he noted that former US president George W. Bush, “a good friend of India”, was also speaking at the summit.

He said the opening day of the summit coincided with the 100th birth anniversary of the “great Indian scientist” Homi J. Bhabha. He added that in “concluding the civil nuclear agreement”, we sought to realise “Bhabha’s dream”.

Srinagar, Oct 29 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday ended a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir saying that curbing terrorism by Pakistan was not a precondition but “a practical way” to create an atmosphere conducive for peace talks.

“India’s and Pakistan’s destinies are very closely interlinked. If negotiations to deal with all outstanding issues are to make any headway, it is essential that the terrorist elements should be brought under control,” Manmohan Singh told reporters here, referring to Pakistan and the anti-India Islamist groups based there.

“We are a democracy. If day in and day out terrorist attacks continue to take precious lives, we cannot create the requisite ‘maahol’ (atmosphere) for meaningful negotiations. It is not a precondition (for talks). It is a practical way of looking at things,” he said, a day after extending a hand of friendship to Pakistan.

He said for confidence building measures to take root, “we require the cooperation of the government and people of Pakistan. We will be happy to discuss… these issues with Pakistan. I sincerely hope that Pakistan will create an atmosphere in which negotiations (can take place)”.

The prime minister took questions on a variety of issues at his media interaction in Srinagar, the urban hub of a dragging separatist drive that has left thousands dead in Jammu and Kashmir since 1989. These ranged from Maoist insurgency to Kashmir’s infrastructure.

At the same time, Manmohan Singh said he was not satisfied with the action taken by Pakistan against the masterminds of the Mumbai terror attack of November 2008 that left some 170 people dead in India’s financial capital.

“We are not satisfied. That goes without saying,” he said. “We hope Pakistan will take effective measures to bring to justice all the perpetrators of 26/11.”

Manmohan Singh denied Islamabad’s allegations that India was backing the insurgency in Balochistan and the Taliban to destabilise Pakistan. “What was said about the Indian role in Balochistan has no basis. Those who are levelling these false charges know it jolly well.

“The same applies to the accusation of India supporting the Taliban. Nothing can be far fetched, far from the truth. We are victims of terrorism aided and abetted from the Pakistan side. Both, references to Balochistan and what is said about Taliban, are widely false,” he said.

A day after declaring he was ready to embrace anyone to win peace in Kashmir, he voiced hope that “my appeal for dialogue will be reciprocated in the same spirit in which it was made” and asked separatists to give up the gun and begin talks”.

“We are willing to engage in serious discussions with every group provided they shun the path of violence. We are willing to carry all stakeholders with us,” he said.

The prime minister, who Wednesday inaugurated a railway link between Anantnag and Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley, said he was “satisfied” with his Kashmir visit. He told the state government that New Delhi would “extend full support” for peace and development of the state.

“I had fruitful discussions with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his cabinet colleagues. I had wide-ranging discussions with various political parties and sections of the civil society,” he said, announcing a slew of measures initiated by the central government for the state.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who also heads the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), accompanied Manmohan Singh to the Kashmir Valley. For the first time, both addressed a mammoth rally together in Anantnag without using the customary bullet-proof screens.

The prime minister pledged to provide support to economic reconstruction, employment generation and infrastructure building in the only Muslim-majority state. He said Jammu and Kashmir had the potential to become one of the world’s greatest tourist destinations.

The central government, he said, would provide additional 500 MWs of power to the state during the winter — a step likely to bring relief to the people in the power-starved state.

About escalating Maoist violence, the prime minister said it needed to be dealt with “in a holistic way”.

“Every state has to maintain and enforce law and order. Law and order is a precondition for any sustained social and economic development,” he said.

On Tuesday Pakistan’s capital saw two suicide explosions. Five people are dead.

The blasts in Islamabad’s International Islamic University was another Taliban’s attack, seventh for the last two weeks and the first after the launch of the military plan to do away with the Taliban.

The blasts were heard at about 3:00 pm (0900 GMT) in the one of the world’s largest Islamic universities open to students from all over the world.

As the US embassy in Pakistan announced, this atrocious attack proves the terrorists’ inhuman and heartless nature.

During these explosions seven people were killed and 29 injured.

After the attack Pakistani officials decided to close schools and colleges to avoid any commotions.

Since October 5 a series of terrorist attacks has been carried out in the country. The number of casualties estimates 180 people. It emphasizes the scale of the revolt that the authorities are making attempts to stop.

It is considered that the source of all these attacks is in South Waziristan that lies in the West of the country.

According to official data, since Saturday the scuffle that broke out in this semi-autonomous region had taken away the lives of 98 militants and 13 soldiers. This forced more than 120,000 peaceful people to move to the territories outside the war zone.

Unleashing a fresh wave of terror, suspected Taliban militants, including women, on Thursday stormed a Federal Investigation Agency office and two police training units in near-simultaneous attacks in Pakistan’s Lahore city, sparking fierce gun battles that killed at least 23 people.

Among those killed in the attacks that took place a little after 9.15 am local time were five terrorists while the rest were security personnel and civilians. At least 18 people were also injured in the strikes.

Police said three groups of terrorists carried out the attacks, exchanging heavy gunfire with security forces at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) office on Temple Road located close to Mall Road, the Elite Force police training centre at Bedian Road which is six kms from the airport and another police training facility at Manawan on the outskirts of Lahore.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Pervaiz Rathore said security forces had successfully thwarted the attacks on the FIA office and the police training facility at Manawan.

However, TV news channels reported that terrorists had taken some security personnel hostage at the facility at Bedian Road.

Pakistan has witnessed a sudden spurt in terror strikes since May after it launched an offensive against the Taliban in the restive North West Frontier Province.

Two inspectors and four civilians died in the attack on the FIA office, police officials at the site told PTI. A terrorist wearing a suicide jacket was gunned down by security forces, they said. Among the civilians killed was a banker.

Guards deployed at the gate stopped the attacker before he could enter the FIA office. Security forces evacuated the office and nearby buildings and launched a search for terrorists still believed to be in the area.

The terrorists who attacked the police training centres at Bedian Road and Manawan lobbed several grenades and traded fire with policemen and paramilitary Pakistan Rangers troops that surrounded the facilities.

Rathore said six security personnel and four terrorists were killed at the Manawan facility. One of the terrorists wearing a suicide jacket blew up when he was shot by policemen while another detonated his explosives, Rathore said.

Reports said 13 terrorists, including three women, attacked the training facility at Bedian Road. Six persons were killed in the attack.

Lahore Police Commissioner Khusro Pervez said the terrorists were heavily-armed and had explosives.

Army commandos were called in to end the terrorist siege at Bedian Road. Pervez said the terrorists had been isolated in a section of the facility and security forces were working “to get hold of them as soon as possible.”

Several loud explosions were heard from within the Bedian Road centre. Dozens of ambulances rushed to the site to take the dead and injured to nearby hospitals.

Security personnel faced problems in their operation as the Bedian Road facility is spread over 25 acres.

The FIA office that was attacked this morning is located next to another building of the same agency that was targeted by a suicide car bomber on March 11 this year. That attack had killed 24 people and injured scores. The building targeted last year is currently empty as it was very badly damaged.

In March this year, terrorists had stormed the police training centre at Manawan, killing eight policemen and injuring 90 others.

Today’s attack was also part of a new trend of terrorists storming the facilities of security agencies.

Last week, a group of terrorists attempted to storm Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Nine attackers and 14 security personnel and civilian employees of the armed forces had died in the assault.

Source

Islamabad: National Assembly’s standing committee on sports chairman, Jamshed Dasti is against the players talking to the media and questions Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt.

Dasti asks, “”What is this all about? We read nearly every player whether it is Shahid Afridi or Shoaib Malik giving statements on a regular basis.”

He says further, “Doesn’t the PCB have a contract with these players? Are there no regulations or rules for them?”

Dasti and other members of the committee asked Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt to explain why the players were not being hauled up for speaking so much with the media.

New Delhi: Pakistani spy agency the ISI is trying hard to push terrorists into Indian Territory, recent reports suggested.

The reports said further that ISI has given the surrendered Taliban fighters two options: Either rot in jail or continue with terrorism in India.

This time, they are not allowed to run their activities in Pakistani boarder side but across the Line of Control (LoC) in India.

Intelligence agencies have recently intercepted telephonic conversations between top ISI officials and Taliban commanders about carrying more infiltration bids in the days to come.

With the continued military and financial aid from the US, Pakistan had increased pressure on the Taliban militia and tactically devised this new strategy of turning militia’s loss into its advantage.

ISI wants to take advantage of Taliban’s experience of fighting the American forces and their knowledge of modern warfare against India in a clandestine manner.

Mumbai: Imran Khan seemed to be upset after the Chairman of the National Assembly’s standing committee on sports accused the Pakistan cricket team of intentionally under-performing against Australia and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy.

Khan supported skipper Younus Khan and said that his commitment was flawless. He also added that he was shocked to hear the allegations against the team.

Imran is of the opinion that non-experts and people who are not well-informed about the game should limit themselves on commenting on such fragile issues.

This is not the first time that they have been framed. Earlier they faced allegations of match-fixing from a Parliamentarian, but Pakistani cricketers got the much-needed assistance of their Board, which said the players did their best in the Champions Trophy.

New Delhi: Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan skipper and a regular ESPN Star Sports (ESS) commentator, was reportedly not be commentating during the ESS broadcast Champions League Twenty20, beginning in India this week, because he is Pakistani.

Now, sources from the Indian Premier League have told a TV channel that there is ‘no ban’ on Wasim Akram commentating in India.

The clarification comes after reports that emerged in Pakistan that the pacer-turned-commentator had reportedly been denied permission by the Indian government to commentate in the upcoming Champions League tournament.

Akram, who is part of ESPN’s commentary panel for the ongoing Champions Trophy in South Africa and was expected to be in India for the high profile League, could not be reached for comment.

Sources close to the former Pakistani paceman though, said he was upset about what had transpired.

Islamabad: According to the latest reports, a powerful bomb blast rocked near a United Nations office in Islamabad.

Officials say, a foreigner is said to be among at least three people killed in the blast, near the World Food Programme offices.

Last week at least 16 people were killed in two suicide car bomb attacks in north-western Pakistan.

Tariq Mehmood, a police official at the emergency response department, said “It was a bomb blast, we are checking if it was a suicide attack.”

This is said to be the most serious attack in least three months to take place in the city, and security has been tightened across Islamabad.

More reports are awaited, though, it’s being said that at least three people were killed and six injured.