afghanistan articles: May 2013

Friday, 10 May 2013

Bangladesh building collapse toll hits 931

SAVAR, Bangladesh: The death toll in Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster on Thursday rose to 931 as rescuers overnight pulled out 97 more decomposed bodies from sandwiched floors of the ill-fated eight-storey building that collapsed last month."Ninety seven more bodies were retrieved since last night ... the figure now stands at 931," an official of the makeshift army control room told as the military-led salvage operation entered the 16th day on Thursday.He said 2,443 people were rescued alive so far but 13 of them succumbed to their wounds as they were being treated at different hospitals.Hundreds of bodies are still trapped under the debris of the illegally constructed Rana Plaza building as many have remained missing, local media reported.

NEW DELHI: CBI chief Ranjit Sinha on Thursday accepted the Supreme Court's observation that the country's premier investigating agency was a "caged parrot" that "speaks in its master's voice".Asked by reporters about his views on the apex court's caged parrot remark, Sinha said: "Whatever Supreme Court said is correct.

BEIJING: External affairs minister Salman Khurshid arrived here on Thursday on a two-day visit for talks with Chinese leaders, just days after the resolution of a row over Depsang Valley in Ladakh where the troops of People's Liberation Army intruded recently.Besides talks with his counterpart Wang Yi, Khurshid is expected to meet new Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is planning to visit India later this month, making it the first stop of his maiden foreign tour.

LAHORE - Lahore Development Authority (LDA) plaza on Thursday caught fire.According to details, the fire erupted on the seventh floor of the building. Rescue officials reached the scene and efforts were being made to evacuate people from the building. However, officials said that the rescue efforts were hindered because of the amount of smoke in the building.

MULTAN - Ali Haider Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Thursday.According to details, Ali Gilani was kidnapped by two unknown gunmen in a black Honda City when they accosted him in Multan while he was on the way to a rally. They opened fire at his car and five people were injured in the firing.

QUETTA: At least two people were killed and three others were injured when gunmen opened fire on a Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) rally in Balochistan’s Turbat region on Thursday.According to police, PML-N candidate for PB-50 Mohammad Akbar Askani, who had joined the party last year, was the target, however, he survived the attack.Moreover, a wheel-jam strike was being observed against the coming polls in Baloch-dominated areas of Kalat, Mastung, Khuzdar, Turbat and Noshki.

HONOLULU — A small helicopter lost power and came crashing down from 3,000 feet onto a busy downtown Honolulu street Wednesday afternoon, but no one was seriously injured, authorities said."It's a pretty miraculous situation that no one was badly hurt by this," said Capt. Terry Seelig, a spokesman for the Honolulu Fire Department. "This is a pretty busy area.

Tens of thousands of Malaysians, dressed in black, have gathered to denounce the country's elections which they claim were marred by fraud by the coalition that has ruled for 56 years.Malaysia's opposition leader is leading demonstrations against alleged electoral fraud in Sunday's election.

DHAKA: At least eight people have been killed in a fire that swept through a garment-making factory in the Bangladeshi capital, with the owner among the victims, police said on Thursday.The cause of the fire was not known but authorities said it broke out during the night on the third floor of an 11-storey building housing two garment factories in the capital's Darussalam district.

Pakistan seeks international probe into Sanaullah Ranjay's death

NEW DELHI: The Pakistan high commission has requested the Indian government to institute an international probe into the death of Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay, who died on Thursday at a Chandigarh hospital after being attacked in Jammu jail last week."We have requested the government of India for an international inquiry into the brutal attack on the Pakistani citizen. We request the government of India to immediately give his body to his family members so the funeral can take place according to Islamic rituals," Manzoor Ali Memon, one of the three diplomats granted consular access to the prisoner, told a TV channel.Sanaullah, who had been at the PGIMER hospital after his attack in Jammu's Kot Bhalwal jail May 3, died just before 8am on Thursday.

ISLAMABAD: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is in Dubai due to security threats, may not be able to cast his vote on May 11 as the Election Commission of Pakistan has rejected his application for permission to cast vote through postal ballot.

NEW DELHI: Sanaullah Haq, the Pakistani prisoner who was attacked in an India prison in Jammu last week, died in the Chandigarh Hospital on Thursday, DawnNews reported.

“His condition was extremely critical. He died early morning,” a senior doctor at a government hospital in Chandigarh told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Ranjay, who was admitted to the Chandigarh hospital in a serious condition, had suffered renal failure late Wednesday, the doctor said.

HYDERABAD: The Sunrisers Hyderabad's attack, which had bamboozled visiting sides on five previous occasions and had converted the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium into a fortress, came apart on Wednesday night as the batting might of the Chennai Super Kings was felt in full measure.
Mauled by the Mumbai Indians in their previous game, the Super Kings were in no mood to show any mercy to the Sunrisers bowlers, who for once, failed to rise to the challenge.

Mainstream parties shun reservations over self-governance order

GILGIT: Leaders of mainstream political parties in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B ) shunned the reservations of religious parties against the G-B Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009, claiming the fault lies with the rulers and not the system itself.

“There is nothing written against any sect in the legislation, so we will not support any struggle on sectarian lines,” said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) regional head Hafizur Rahman on Wednesday.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Ahle Sunnat Waljamat (ASWJ) on Tuesday observed a ‘token strike’ in parts of G-B against the 2009 legislation, asking authorities to revoke it and amalgamate G-B with Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). They alleged the order and the chief minister were both biased and favoured a particular sect.

20 or so independents may hold the key in a split mandate

ISLAMABAD: More than twenty independents from amongst hundreds of such party-less contestants, who are likely to return, coupled with the winners of smaller parties, are going to play a decisive role in the formation of the next federal government should the May 11 elections throw up a split mandate, writes Tariq Butt.

In the 2008 polls, a total of twenty-three independents originally succeeded. Most of them subsequently went with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led coalition.

At the time, the maximum number of independents from amongst the winners, 13, came from Punjab followed by six from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), two from Balochistan and one each from Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The religious vote divided

Nowshera district has been prolific in producing leaders of national stature. As electioneering for the coming general polls goes into top gear, what the voters and parties’ activists are missing is the political wisdom of such stalwarts as Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Ajmal Khattak and Nasirullah Khan Babar.

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Both the mainstream political and religious parties have a solid vote bank in Nowshera, which has two national (NA-5 and NA-6) and five (PK-12 to PK-16) provincial assembly seats.

Nawaz for Kargil probe if elected

NEW DELHI: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has said if elected to lead Pakistan again he would set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the Kargil military adventure by former army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf.

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In an interview broadcast on Tuesday, Mr Sharif told CNN-IBN’s Karan Thapar that he wanted to take relations with India to the high trajectory of February 1999 when he signed the Lahore accord with then Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Elections 2013 Pakistan’s hard right turn

Electioneering in Punjab is in full swing while elsewhere in Pakistan the campaign remains soaked in blood.

The three secular political parties, the Awami National Party (ANP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have sustained countless attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Scores of leaders and cadres — principally of the ANP — have fallen to the terror attacks that keep increasing in viciousness by the day. The ANP’s National Assembly candidate from Karachi, Sadiq Zaman Khattak was shot dead this past Friday. Along with Khattak the TTP killed his son too: pumping six bullets into the four-year-old Aimal as they were leaving a mosque.

A shrinking economy

The last assessment — or one can call it the final report card — of the previous government’s performance on the economic front is in and there are really no surprises. All the growth targets have been missed, and by a significant margin.

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What is worse, the already dismal rate of growth seems to be tapering off, which is perhaps because of the extremely irresponsible fiscal behaviour of the previous government in its last year in office, which was obviously election year.

A hazy crystal ball

MOST voters will not decide on Election Day about the candidate for whom they’re going to vote.

If someone has been voting for party ‘A’ there’s a good chance they will vote for party ‘A’ again.

Old habits die hard.: Galileo insists that the universe cannot be read until we have learned the mathematical language in which it is written. Statisticians study possible outcomes or a ‘voter swing’ in an election on the basis of comparative data from past elections results and public perceptions about the recent performance of political parties. Similar techniques are used to decipher post-election fiascos.

No party will get majority: survey

THE May 11 election will result in a National Assembly in which none of the three leading parties will win a simple majority of the seats, the results of an exclusive Herald survey conducted among 10 top experts on Pakistan’s electoral politics indicate.

The survey conducted in the last week of March 2013, and involving experts from the academia, think-tanks and civil society organisations, shows Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) getting the highest percentage of seats — at 34.89 per cent, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) getting the second highest percentage — at 24.89pc, and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) getting the third highest percentage of seats in the National Assembly — at 12.11pc.

Talal Bugti decides to boycott general election in protest

QUETTA: In a dramatic turn ahead of polls, Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) President Nawabzada Tala Akbar Bugti on Wednesday announced to boycott the May 11 general election in protest against the non-rehabilitation of Bugti refugees.

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Addressing a press conference at the Bugti House, he said that he would not contest election from NA-259 and NA-260, adding that his party felt that despite clear orders of the superior courts, the JWP was being pushed against the wall and the powerful elements were using all their links in this regard.

PHC declares drone strikes illegal, orders govt to compensate victims

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday declared the CIA-led drone strikes on Pakistani territory illegal and ordered the government to compensate the victims of drone attacks.

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The PHC chief justice Dost Mohammad said drone attacks must equal to a war crimes.

He added that the attacks were violating human rights and were against the United Nations’ charter.

Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son kidnapped in Multan

MULTAN: Ali Haider Gilani, a son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, was kidnapped from Multan on Thursday.

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The kidnapping occurred when a Pakistan Peoples Party corner meeting ongoing on Multan’s Matti-Tal road was attacked by gunmen.

Ali Haider Gilani’s personal secretary, Mohiuddin, was killed in the attack and several others were said to have been injured in the shooting.

As Pakistan votes, the military watches sternly from its barracks

ISLAMABAD: When a rock-band song mocking Pakistan’s army was mysteriously blocked on Internet sites recently, no one was surprised. But, as political parties jousted their way to this Saturday’s elections, it was a small reminder of where power really lies.

There is no doubt that attempts to bury a legacy of decades of military rule have made headway in Pakistan, where - for the first time - a civilian government completed its five-year term and stood aside to allow voters choose its successor. But it would be a mistake to interpret the army’s decision to stay put in its barracks throughout those five years as a sign that it has loosened its grip on power, or that civilian primacy has at last arrived in the nuclear-armed nation.

As Pakistan votes, the military watches sternly from its barracks

Nawaz will investigate any ISI role in Mumbai blasts

ISLAMABAD: Nawaz Sharif, seen as the front-runner in Pakistan’s election race, said he would not allow militant groups to attack India from his country and would work to improve ties with New Delhi if elected.

“If I become the prime minister I will make sure that the Pakistani soil is not used for any such designs against India,” Nawaz Sharif told CNN-IBN in an interview.

Despite recent strains, India and Pakistan’s relations have improved after nose-diving in 2008 when gunmen killed 166 people in Mumbai in a three-day rampage that India blamed on a Pakistani militant group.

Despite Pak leaders’ silence on Kashmir, separatists hopeful of their support

With Pakistan’s election campaign nearing an end and politicians there making no significant mention of Kashmir, the region's separatists are saying their struggle will remain unaffected by this changed stance of Pakistan’s political class.

Kashmiri separatists, many of whom have aligned themselves with Pakistan, said they were not worried about Kashmir going off the election map in Pakistan, where campaigning would end on Thursday and votes would be cast on May 11.

The discourse of many past elections in Pakistan had centred on Kashmir to such an extent that Pakistani leaders used to term Kashmir as Pakistan’s "jugular vein".

Political stability in Pak must for lasting peace in region: Mufti

Patron of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has hoped the improvement in the relationship with Pakistan after the ongoing general elections and formation of a new government in the neighbouring country would help push forward the peace process.

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Addressing a gathering at Kalakote today, Mufti reiterated that dialogue was the only way to solve all vexed problems and hoped that a stable democratic government would be formed after the ongoing general elections in Pakistan.

SHO issued notice over Lal Masjid FIR against Musharraf

Islamabad High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to SHO Aabpara on a petition seeking registration of FIR against former president Musharraf in Lal Masjid case.

A single-member bench, comprising Justice Noor Ul Haq Qureshi, heard a petition filed by Haroon Urrashid, the son of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi who was killed in army action.

Abdul Rashid Ghazi’s mother was also killed in the operation.

LAHORE: In majority Muslim Pakistan, religious minorities say democracy is killing them.

Intolerance has been on the rise for the past five years under Pakistan's democratically elected government because of the growing violence of Islamic radicals, who are then courted by political parties, say many in the country's communities of Shiite Muslims, Christians, Hindus and other minorities.

LAHORE: A full bench of the Lahore High Court disqualified on Tuesday former MNA Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal from contesting the upcoming elections over possession of dual nationality, DawnNews reported.Iqbal was arrested earlier in April, for wrongly stating his dual nationality status while filing his nomination paper from NA-162 Sahiwal-III, and was charged under the Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution and was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 5,000.

DHAKA: Bangladeshi opposition parties have called a two-day nationwide shutdown from Wednesday to protest what they describe as the “mass killing” of Islamists in a crackdown by security forces.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist allies called the strike after saying that hundreds of people were killed on Sunday and early Monday, when police broke up a mass rally in central Dhaka.

According to an AFP tally compiled after talking to police and medical sources, 38 people are known to have been killed since Sunday afternoon when police first confronted Islamist activists who had blockaded the capital.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said the Israeli air raids on Syria were "unacceptable."

"No excuse can justify this operation," Erdogan told ruling party lawmakers in parliament after Israel's weekend strikes on the war-torn country sent regional tensions soaring.

Israeli air raids killed at least 42 soldiers, according to monitoring groups, fuelling international concern over a spillover of the conflict, as Damascus warned it would strike back.

HANGU: At least 10 people were killed and several others wounded when a bomb went off near a JUI-F’s election gathering here on Tuesday.According to police, the blast took place at the main market in Doaba area of Hangu district. JUI-F candidate in PK-43 Mufti Saeed Janan is also among the injured.Rescue and police teams reached the scene and started the injured to hospitals.According to district administration, curfew was clamped in Hangu immediately after the terrorist attack.

There were reports that Saif Ali Khan's daughter Sara will soon enter filmdom and her aunt Soha admits that her niece has the potential, but right now they want her to complete her studies.

Sara is Saif and his ex-wife, actress Amrita Singh's daughter.

"Sara is very smart. She is studying in college in America. She is very confident and super smart. She even dances very well. Right now, we all want her to finish her education," Soha told IANS here. She is shooting here for director Faraz Haider's war comedy War Chhod Na Yaar with Sharman Joshi and Javed Jaffrey.

David Miller scored the third-fastest century in Indian Premier League history and single-handedly powered Kings XI Punjab's remarkable chase and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs. His unbeaten 101, off just 38 balls, helped Punjab to a six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Monday.After being asked to bat, half-centuries from Chris Gayle and Cheteshwar Pujara ensured that Bangalore put up 190 for 3. But, in response, Punjab couldn't string together a big enough partnership.

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/QUETTA : A bomb blast struck a JUI-F public meeting in central Kurram on Monday, killing as many as 24 persons and injuring over 50 others, including two candidates of the religious party.However, a spokesman of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl confirmed that over 50 people were injured.

Around 3000 people were attending the rally, jointly organised by the party’s candidates from NA-37 and NA-38 Haji Munir Khan Orakzai and Ainuddin Shakir at a local seminary in Sewak village of Para Chamkani area, when the bomb planted at the site went off.

WASHINGTON: Asserting that China has signed agreements for arms exports worth USD 11 billion from 2007 to 2011, the Pentagon has said that Pakistan remains Beijing's primary customer for conventional weapons.

WASHINGTON: China has engaged in widespread cyber espionage in a bid to extract information about the US government's foreign policy and military plans, said a Pentagon report issued Monday.

China kept up a steady campaign of hacking in 2012 that included attempts to target US government computer networks, which could provide Beijing a better insight into America's policy deliberations and military capabilities, according to the Pentagon's annual assessment of China's military.

New Delhi: The Indian government may have denied any deal behind the Chinese troops' withdrawal from the Depsang Valley in Ladakh, but reports said New Delhi has agreed to remove bunkers set up by the Indian Army in Chumar near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The concession of demolishing bunkers at Chumar only facilitated the deal that led to the Chinese troops pulling back to their pre-April 15 position, highly placed sources said.

Kabul will never recognise Durand Line: Karzai

Afghan president Hamid Karzai on Saturday said the Afghan government would never recognised Durand Line as the international border between the two countries.

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He said that the government of Pakistan was trying to force Afghanistan to accept Durand Line as the formal border by creating issues including the construction of border gates and other military installations.

Karzai called on the Taliban to fight Afghanistan’s enemies in what was widely seen as a swipe against Pakistan days after the neighbours’ security forces clashed on their border.

Karzai asks Taliban to fight Afghan ‘enemies’

* Statement seen as swipe against Pakistan days after clash of security forces on the border
* Afghan president denies CIA cash buys off warlords

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on the Taliban on Saturday to fight Afghanistan’s enemies in what was widely seen as a swipe against Pakistan days after the neighbours’ security forces clashed on their border.

Karzai’s remarks are likely to unsettle already shaky ties with Pakistan and come as the United States wants Pakistan to help Afghanistan persuade the Taliban to engage in peace talks ahead of the withdrawal of most foreign troops by the end of next year.

Eight militants killed in Orakzai

KALAYA/BARA: At least eight extremists were killed and three hideouts destroyed in security forces’ action against militants in Orakzai Agency on Saturday, while unidentified men shot dead a tribal leader in Khyber Agency.

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According to details, security forces conducted operations against militants in different areas of Upper Orakzai Agency, including QismatSanga and Sheen Qamar. The forces engaged the suspected hideouts of extremists with heavy artillery fire and destroyed three of them, killing eight militants.

Fazl issues fatwa against voting for Imran

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: JamiatUlema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief FazlurRehman has issued a decree (fatwa) against Imran Khan, saying that vote to Imran is ‘haram’.

Talking to reporters on Saturday, he assured that Imran was an agent of ‘Ahmedi’ and Zionist lobbies.

Moreover, Fazl reminded that Imran gave a fake decree with the reference of MaulanaSaeed Ahmad Usmani, who had passed away in 2010.

Bombs target JI candidate, office

PESHAWAR/QUETTA: A candidate running for parliament in next week’s historic election was injured on Saturday as his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in the troubled northwest, officials said.

Raj Mohammad, a National Assembly candidate from the Jamaat-e-Islami, was on his election campaign in the Lower Orakzai Agency when his vehicle hit an IED. “Raj Mohammad and his driver were injured in the attack and their vehicle was badly damaged,” Wali Mohammad, a local government official told AFP. “The victims are out of danger and had no life threatening wounds,” he said. Meanwhile, two people were injured in a grenade attack on the provincial office of JI on Saturday night.

Another MQM office bombed; three killed

* 35 others including children wounded as two blasts hit MQM’s unit office near Nine Zero

KARACHI: At least three people were killed and 35 others, including Rangers personnel and children, were wounded when two consecutive blasts jolted a MuttahidaQaumi Movement (MQM) office near the MQM head office Nine Zero on Saturday evening.

According to details, the first bomb exploded at around 8:50pm near the MQM Unit-153 office in Azizabad Block-8. MQM workers were present at party office at the time of blast, which injured several people. Following the first blast, MQM’s supporters, rescue workers and law enforcers rushed to the crime scene and were busy shifting the injured to the hospital when, at around 9:10pm, the second and more intensive blast occurred.

Geelani to write to PM, Pak on prisoners

Kashmir’s hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani on Saturday said he would write letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Government of Pakistan calling for increased vigil inside prisons and demanding an immediate end to recent attacks against prisoners, which he termed were acts of reprisal.

Geelani, while addressing a press conference at his residence here in the city, said the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan were the ‘custodians’ of prisoners and they should fulfil their responsibility towards securing their lives.

“We will write letters to the Prime Minister of India and caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan and tell them that they should increase vigil on the prisons and should not let these acts of reprisal to continue,” said Geelani.

Veteran American diplomat named as new US special representative for Afghanistan, Pakistan

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has tapped a veteran American diplomat to be the new U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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Secretary of State John Kerry says he chose Ambassador James F. Dobbins because of his “deep and long-standing relationships in the region.”

Kerry called the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Friday to inform them of his decision. He praised Dobbins as one of America’s “most accomplished diplomats.”

Taliban bullets kill ANP candidate, son in Karachi

Karachi - Awami National Party (ANP) candidate SadiqZamanKhattak, contesting for NA-254 Karachi, was gunned down along with his four-year-old son by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in Bilal Colony on Friday.

Following the killing, the Election Commission postponed polls in the constituency while the ANP gave a mourning call in the port city for today.

Spokesperson for outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) EhsanullahEhsan claimed the responsibility of the killing.

SadiqZamanKhattak and his son Ahmed Saddiq were shot dead by four motorcyclists near a mosque in Bilal Colony area of Korangi when they were going back after offering Friday prayers.

At least eight militants killed in Orakzai

PESHAWAR: At least eight militants were killed on Saturday in an operation carried out by security forces in the Orakzai tribal region.

Sources said the action was carried out in Upper Orakzai’sAsmatKhanga and ShenQamar area.

Jet fighters were also used in the operation in which four militant hideout were destroyed.

Security officials have claimed in the past that up to 92 per cent of Orakzai has been cleared of insurgents in the ongoing military offensive in the restive tribal region.

Bilawal not to return to Pakistan for elections

KARACHI: The chief of the Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto would not be present in Pakistan on the election day.

Bilawal has already left the country and would not be addressing any party rallies or meetings due to threats to his life. Central party leader TajHaider on Friday confirmed that consensus had been reached in the party and that, in the wake of serious threats to Bilawal’s life, the party has advised him to not lead the election campaign in person. “We have already lost Benazir Bhutto and will not risk losing Bilawal. The threats to his life are very real,” he said.

Quetta Express escapes rocket attack

QUETTA: Peshawar-bound Quetta Express train narrowly escaped a rocket attack in Much, Balochistan, on Friday.

Unidentified men fired rockets on the Mach Railway Station when the Quetta Express was passing by. However, the rockets landed in an open area causing no loss. A heavy contingent of law enforcement agencies’ personnel reached the site and cordoned off the area.

Pre-election violence rattles KP, Balochistan

* Blast at JUI-F election rally kills 16, wounds 36 in Kurram
* NP candidate escapes grenade attack in Turbat
* PPP candidate’s election office attacked in Charsadda

PESHAWAR: Bomb blasts and rocket attacks targeting election candidates and polling booths continued to mar the pre-election environment on Monday.

At least sixteen people were killed and 36 others, including a candidate of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Maulana Ainuddin, were injured in a bomb explosion at an election meeting in Upper Kurram tribal region near the border with Afghanistan, officials said. Reuters said that 36 people were killed in the blast.

Taliban Bomb Kills at Least 20 at a Pakistan Political Rally

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A Taliban bomb ripped through a crowded political rally in Pakistan’s tribal belt on Monday, killing at least 20 people and wounding 45 in the deadliest attack so far of the campaign for next Saturday’s national election.

The attack occurred in Kurram tribal region, along the border with Afghanistan, where several thousand tribesmen had gathered at a madrasa to hear Munir Khan Orakzai, a former member of Parliament. The bomb exploded just as Mr. Orakzai finished his speech and was stepping off the stage. The candidate was not injured but the bomb caused widespread devastation; one witness told The Associated Press of a “hell-like” situation with dozens of wounded people crying for help.

Disowned by their countries, many foreign militants languish in jails

The killing of Sarabjit Singh and attack on Sanaullah Khan has thrown the spotlight on the plight of Indo-Pak prisoners.

Many foreign militants in jails have been awaiting deportation for years, many of whom have been disowned by their countries. Some of them have become mentally unstable.

Mohammad Abdul Aziz (Saudi Arabia national)

The future of Saudi Arabia national, Mohammad Abdul Aziz, arrested in 2005, hangs in the balance as the Saudi government has denied him citizenship. Since 2009, Aziz, booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), had been seeking his repatriation.

China, ASEAN members reach consensus on peace

Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) shakes hands with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during a meeting at the Istana presidential palace in Singapore on Friday. Wang was on a two-day visit in Singapore, his first official visit as foreign minister. MOHD FYROL / Agence France-Presse

China and ASEAN members reach consensus on maintaining peace

China attaches great importance to its ties with neighboring countries and places ASEAN at a prioritized position in its relations with surrounding neighbors, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday before wrapping up a five-day visit.

A Homemade Style of Terror: Jihadists Push New Tactics

WASHINGTON — Aware that intensified American counterterrorism efforts have made an ambitious Sept. 11-style plot a long shot, Al Qaeda propagandists for several years have called on their devotees in the United States to carry out smaller-scale solo attacks and provided the online education to teach them how.

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“I strongly recommend all of the brothers and sisters coming from the West to consider attacking America in its own backyard,” wrote Samir Khan, an American who joined Al Qaeda’s Yemen branch and emerged as a fervent advocate of homegrown, do-it-yourself terrorism before he was killed in an American drone strike in September 2011.

Clash resumes on Afghan, Pakistan border area: officials

JALALABAD: Afghan and Pakistan troops exchanged fire on Monday at a contested border area in eastern Afghanistan days after an Afghan border policeman was killed, Afghan officials said.

Two senior officials from Nangarhar province where the clash took place told Reuters that fighting resumed after Pakistani troops attempted to repair a gate damaged in the previous clash.

The clash on Thursday, in the border district of Goshta, drew nationwide condemnation in Afghanistan, and saw protests in the east and in the capital, Kabul.

Moreover, the Spokesperson of the Foreign Office said responding to a query regarding President Karzai's recent press conference in Kabul that Durand-line is a settled issue. Opening discussions on this issue is a distraction from the more pressing issues requiring the priority attention and cooperation of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Ahmedis announce boycott of election over ‘discrimination’

* Jamaat Ahmediyya alleges discrimination against Ahmedis in voter lists

LAHORE: In order to register its protest against alleged discrimination in voters list, the Jamaat Ahmediyya Pakistan (JAP) has formally announced again that separate voter lists based on religious beliefs specifically for Ahmedis is discrimination and against the spirit of joint electorate, therefore the Ahmedis would not participate in the upcoming elections.

The spokesman of the JAP, Saleemuddin has reconfirmed the group’s stance in a press release issued on Sunday, which read that its disassociates itself from the elections “because of the discrimination with the Ahmedis in the voter lists”. He said that the voter registration forms that the election commission has introduced have a special entry for religion.

Ludhianvi spotlights Pakistan’s sectarian menace

JHANG: Hardline cleric Maulana Ahmad Ludhianvi may have been defeated in polls five years ago but he’s confident of winning a seat in Pakistan’s election on Saturday, furthering his bid to oppress Shias.

A terrorist to his enemies, a man of peace to his supporters, Ludhianvi heads the country’s largest anti-Shia group, which has been described as the political wing of terror group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

He is part of a coalition led by cleric Samiul Haq, nicknamed Father of the Taliban, having said he was dumped by election frontrunners the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) in favour of his arch rivals, the local feudal Akram family.

Man killed in Quetta, school blown up

QUETTA: Unknown armed men gunned down a man on the Circular Road here on Sunday. According to police, the victim identified as Asad Ali was on way home when armed assailants riding a motorbike opened fire on him and fled.

He succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to the hospital. The body of the deceased was handed over to the heirs after legal formalities. The reason behind the killing could not be ascertained and police are looking into the matter. Meanwhile, a boys high school was blown up in the Killi Sahibzada area of Naushki district. The building was partially damaged and no casualties were reported.

Extremists Pursue Mainstream in Pakistan Election

KHALID WALID, Pakistan — Dust swirled as the jeep, heralded by a convoy of motorcycle riders and guarded by gunmen in paramilitary-style uniforms, pulled up outside the towering tomb of an ancient Muslim saint.

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Out stepped Maulana Abdul Khaliq Rehmani, a burly cleric with a notorious, banned Sunni Muslim group. Thanks to a deft name change by his group, he was now a candidate in Pakistan’s general election, scheduled for Saturday.

LeT militant held for killing NC sarpanch

The police has arrested a Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militant who was allegedly part of the four-member group of the outfit that was involved in conspiring and killing of a ruling National Conference Sarpanch in north Kashmir in September last year.

The police said Muzaffar Ahmad Lone of Raipora, Palhalan Baramulla was arrested on Sunday on the basis of information about his movement in Pattan area.

“Lone was the only militant of the four- member group of the LeT who was at large after the killing of Sarpanch Ghulam Mohammad Yatoo of Raipora Palhalan,” the police said.

16 militants killed in Tirah Valley operation

PESHAWAR: Pakistani troops overran two militant hideouts and killed 16 insurgents after heavy overnight fighting at a flashpoint near the Afghan border in which two soldiers also died, the military said on Sunday.

The fighting took place in the wake of a fresh military push in the Tirah Valley in the Khyber district, where the military has been targeting Taliban and Lashkar-e-Islam militia who threaten the nearby northwestern city of Peshawar.

Khyber straddles the NATO supply line into Afghanistan, used by US-led troops to evacuate military equipment ahead of their 2014 withdrawal, and officials say it is key to protecting security in Peshawar for historic elections next week.

2 killed in election rally blast as violence continues

* Hand grenade attack injures three PTI workers in Mardan
QUETTA: A roadside bomb exploded at an election rally in Sibbi on Sunday killing two people, officials said as violence continued ahead of historic polls on Saturday.

The remote-controlled bomb went off when Sarfraz Dombki, an independent candidate for a provincial assembly seat, was leading a rally in Sibbi, 160 kilometres southeast of Quetta, senior administration official Aziz Jamali told AFP. “The blast hit one of the cars in the convoy in which two of his guards were travelling. Both were fatally wounded,” Jamali said. He said Dombki’s supporters spotted two men fleeing on a motorbike after the blast. “They opened fire and killed one and captured another who had been wounded in the firing,” he said.

Pakistan election violence targets both secular, Islamist politicians

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Bomb blasts tore through two campaign events in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 18 people, authorities said, as attacks ahead of Saturday’s national election continued against liberal politicians as well as a pro-Taliban Islamist party.

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About 100 people have been killed since April in violence against candidates and party supporters, according to media tallies. Some experts say the election — a landmark democratic achievement that is expected to bring the transition of one elected government to another — has turned out to be the bloodiest in the country’s history.

Omar’s plan to revive handicraft sector in state falls flat

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s grand plans for reviving the handicraft sector in the state seem to have fallen flat as the audit has revealed that 64 per cent of cooperative societies established for promoting crafts and providing employment to unemployed youth are defunct or under the process of liquidation.

As per the data, of the 1,789 societies, 1,143 are non-functional. The training centres run by the Department of Industries for unemployed have failed to provide proper skills-improvement courses across the state, thereby defeating the idea propounded by the coalition government to make youth productive and defeat the agenda of separatists to take away youth from the path of peace.

Valley bandh call a failure: Cong leaders

Jammu-based Congress leaders and prominent citizens today described the shutdown call given by the civil society of Kashmir on Monday against spurious drugs scam a total failure.

They said the criticism should not be on the “communal and regional basis” but on factual position.

The leaders and the citizens said when the state government had handed over the investigation of the spurious drugs scam to the Crime Branch of the police and the matter was with the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, then why were some leaders and medical association from the Valley taking up the issue.

Army searches for militants in Kupwara forests

The Army is carrying out massive searches in the dense forests of Kupwara close to the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir to zero in on a group of militants who are believed to have infiltrated a few days ago.

The search operation was launched in the forests of Bodnambal, Chowkibal Kupwara in the morning hours but so far no contact has been established with the militants.

Army sources said troopers have also been airlifted to Bodnambal, Chowkibal to ensure that the militants don’t escape the cordon. “We received information this morning about the presence of militants in the dense forests of Bodnambal. Immediately troops from the 68 Mountain Brigade were mobilised and a massive search operation was launched. However, so far there has been no contact with the militants,” a senior Army officer said in Srinagar.

Afghan-Pakistan clashes flare for second time in days

* Both sides accuse each other of firing first over border construction
* ISAF spokesman says border issue could be solved via trilateral meeting

JALALABAD: Cross-border clashes flared on Monday between Afghan and Pakistani security forces for a second time in five days as Kabul and Islamabad engaged in a war of words over the porous frontier, officials said.

On the edge of the Afghan capital, more than 2,000 people, mostly villagers, demonstrated and chanted anti-Pakistan slogans to protest against the fighting. Relations between the fractious neighbours have become increasingly strained despite renewed efforts last month by US Secretary of State John Kerry to get them to work more closely on peace efforts in Afghanistan.

Durand Line a settled issue between Pakistan, Afghanistan: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday said that the Durand Line is a settled issue and opening discussions on this issue is a distraction from the more pressing issues requiring the priority attention and cooperation of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Responding to a query regarding Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s recent press conference in Kabul in which he said the cross-border clashes could be an attempt by Islamabad to put pressure on Kabul to accept the “Durand Line”, the disputed border which Afghans do not accept.

Christians vote for protection in Pakistan

* Religious minority says two largest parties, PPP and PML-N, offer only hope of protection at this week’s general election

LAHORE: Traumatised Christians in a Lahore slum where angry Muslims torched more than 100 homes say Pakistan’s two largest parties offer the only hope of protection at this week’s general election.

The Pakistan Muslim League-N of Nawaz Sharif, a man accused of being soft on the Taliban but tipped to win Saturday’s polls, and the main outgoing Pakistan People’s Party both gave affected families $5,000 each in compensation. PML-N is the party in power in Punjab, the home of the largest Christian community in Pakistan. PPP led the outgoing federal government.

Delhi Police deny permission for Yasin Malik's protest

New Delhi: Delhi Police have denied permission to Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik to hold a 48-hour hunger strike in the capital to press for his demands including handing over the body of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru to his family.

"Yes," said City Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar when asked whether any decision was taken to deny permission for the protest at Jantar Mantar starting on Friday.

The decision came after security agencies submitted a report to the Union Home Ministry that giving permission to Malik to hold protest in Delhi may create law and order problem.

Amritsar: Angry protests on Thursday broke out in Sarabjit Singh's native Bhikhiwind village after the Indian prisoner died in a Lahore hospital with villagers lashing out at Pakistani authorities for the deadly attack on him. Shouting anti-Pakistan slogans, several villagers burnt Pakistani flags to register their protest.

During their protest demonstrations, the villagers charged Pakistan with murdering Sarabjit. They also lashed out at Pakistani authorities for not shifting Sarabjit to some other country for "proper treatment."

Pakistani authorities on Thursday ordered a judicial inquiry into the murder of Indian death row convict Sarabjit Singh. He died after being comatose for nearly a week following an assault by other inmates of Kot Lakhpat Jail.

Najam Sethi, the caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab province, ordered the judicial inquiry. He directed officials to ensure that the probe was completed in 15 days.

“Chief Minister Najam Sethi has directed the Home Department to prepare terms of reference for a judicial inquiry into the murder of Sarabjit Singh. The inquiry would be completed within 15 days,” a Punjab government spokesman said.

Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh 's death has angered the nation and political parties have demanded strict action against Pakistan. Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit calls Sarabjit's death "an unfortunate incident". The External Affairs Minister will tell us what actions are to be taken next, says Kamal Nath.

ISLAMABAD: An Afghan border policeman was killed and two Pakistani soldiers were wounded in an exchange of fire along the Pak-Afghan border late on Wednesday, officials from both countries said.

A senior Afghan official said hundreds of additional Afghan troops were sent to a disputed border gate after the exchange of fire, which lasted for more than two hours.

An Afghan official who declined to be named said that one Afghan was killed in several hours of artillery exchanges.

HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain that May 11 general election is a contest between liberal and extremist forces and vowed that his party would not boycott the polls.He was speaking to party workers at MQM’s main election campaign meeting on Wednesday night in Pucca Qilla ground.

New Delhi: Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh's sister Dalbir Kaur said Pakistan has murdered her brother and alleged that Pakistan human rights activist Ansar Burney had demanded Rs 25 crore to help Sarabjit. "Had I paid Rs 25 crore to Ansar Burney, Sarabjit would have returned to India. I am poor so could not pay him. Burney had told me that at least pay Rs 2 crore to get Sarabjit. He told him that if I will give him the money in the morning, Sarabjit will be released by evening," she alleged.

ISLAMABAD: The counsel for former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has once again asked for the constitution of a larger bench of the Supreme Court to hear petitions seeking treason charges against him.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, has been hearing a set of petitions seeking the initiation of a treason case against the former army strongman.

Supreme Court barred PPP's Syed Murad Ali Shah from contesting elections

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court barred on Thursday former Sindh government minister Syed Murad Ali Shah from contesting elections overturning the Sindh High Court decision.A three member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry on Thursday issued an order to prevent Murad Ali Shah, belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) from contesting in May 11 polls on the ground that he holds dual nationality and thus violates Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

Supreme Court barred PPP's Syed Murad Ali Shah from contesting elections

Lahore/New Delhi: Sarabjit Singh, the Indian who was attacked in a prison in Pakistan where he spent 22 years after being convicted of terrorism, died early this morning at a Lahore hospital after a cardiac arrest.

Pakistan has agreed to send back his body to India for his last rites. It had turned down India's appeals to let Mr Singh be treated either in India or another country.

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that a special plane will be sent to bring Mr Singh's body home.

Concern raised over pro-Khalistan group’s links with US lawmakers

A marginalised Sikh group, which in the past had known supporters of Khalistan, has once again gained access to the powerful corridors of the Capitol Hill, raising concerns for India — this time piggybacking on the issue of hate crime that the community is facing in the US.

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When more than two dozen lawmakers announced the formation of first-ever Sikh American Congressional Caucus last week at the Capitol Hill, it was the presence of quite a number of individuals and representatives of organisations, who in the past have openly supported Khalistan, raised eyebrows among the friends of India in Washington.

India frets as UK House says caste discriminatory

NEW DELHI: The British parliament's decision to recognize the existence of caste alongside race as a form of discrimination could hurt India's long-held argument that the two sources of bias could not be equated.

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Worse, it may give a strong push to portray caste as a global phenomenon like race, undercutting India's claim that caste prejudice was indigenous to Indian society and it could not be a subject of policy at international fora like the UN.

As the law in the UK became a reality earlier this week, experts said it would trigger lobbying for similar legal protection in the US, Canada, South Africa and Australia - countries that have a strong presence of Indian diaspora, but have little awareness of caste.

More blasts as pre-election violence refuses to die down

KARAK: The pre-election violence continued on Monday with several more attacks on election candidates.

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Two candidates came under attack in Karak District on Monday in two separate incidents during their election campaigns, but no lose of life was reported in the two incidents. Police sources said that in the first incident two unidentified motorcyclists attacked the convoy of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Sami) candidate for NA-15 Karak and Central Deputy General Secretary of the party Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz in Jangrezi area of Tehsil Banda Daud Shah.

He narrowly escaped the assassination attempt and all other workers and supporters of the candidate also remained unhurt. Hafiz Faisal Tariq, a close aid of the candidate, claimed that Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz was going to a public meeting regarding his election campaign. He had not registered an FIR of the incident until the filing of this report.

Two die in attacks on ANP poll offices

CHARSADDA/NOWSHERA/KARAK/MARDAN - Militants continued targeting election offices and campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday and killed at least two people and wounded over a dozen in attacks in different parts of the province.

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One person was killed and 12 wounded in an explosion outside the election office of Awami National Party (ANP) candidate for PK-18, Muhammad Ahmad Khan, in Charsadda. In Nowshera district, two gunmen attacked a campaign office of ANP candidate for PK13, Shahid Khattak, killing a party worker and injuring three others.

Two Afghan diplomats among 10 killed in Peshawar blast

PESHAWAR: At least 10 people, including two Afghan diplomats and a journalist, were killed and over 60 others sustained injuries in a motorbike blast on the busy University Road here on Monday.

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“Around five kilograms of explosives were planted on the back seat of the motorbike. Ball-bearings were also embedded in the explosive layers to cause more casualties and damage,” Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) Shafqat Malik told The News.

Earlier, it was reported that a suicide bomber had rammed his motorbike and exploded it near a police van on the University Road near Arbab Road, moments after Commissioner Peshawar Sahibzada Mohammad Anis had passed through the area.

Afghan president confirms the US has made payments to his national security team for a decade

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Monday that his national security team has been receiving payments from the U.S. government for the past 10 years.

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Karzai confirmed the payments when he was asked about a story published in The New York Times saying the CIA had given the Afghan National Security Council tens of millions of dollars in monthly payments delivered in suitcases, backpacks and plastic shopping bags.

During a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, where he was on an official visit, Karzai said the welcome monthly payments were not a “big amount” but were a “small amount,” although he did not disclose the sums. He said they were used to give assistance to the wounded and sick, to pay rent for housing and for other “operational” purposes.

ASEAN, Chinese FMs to meet over S China Sea disputes

JAKARTA - Secretary-General of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Le Luong Minh said on Monday that foreign ministers of ASEAN member countries will have a meeting with their Chinese counterpart in Beijing to further discuss peaceful settlement on territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

"The meeting between ASEAN foreign affairs ministers and Chinese foreign affairs minister has been scheduled in August or September this year in Beijing," Minh told Xinhua on the sidelines of a media briefing on the results of the recent high-profile ASEAN Summit held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

He said that during the summit, all ASEAN members agreed to assign their foreign ministries to continue to work actively with China on the way forward for early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) on the basis of consensus.

Myanmar port to be built on US$200m Japan loan

A port construction project in Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will start next year using US$205 million low-interest, long term loan from Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA), according to Myanma Port Authority (MPA). Japan, who has keen interest in the economic and political reforms in Myanmar, has earlier agreed to offer financial assistance for developing infrastructures at Thilawa SEZ in Yangon, the commercial hub of Myanmar. ODA's loan will be used in construction of the port's first phase, which will be located on the land plot 25 and 26 of Thilawa

Myanmar should deploy more troops in volatile state: commission
By Aung Hla Tun and Jared Ferrie
YANGON | Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:24am EDT

China says can go a few steps back, India wants total retraction

India has shot down a proposal by China that troops of both sides could slightly back off from their existing eyeball-to-eyeball position in Ladakh even as Defence Minister AK Antony made it clear that the country would take every possible step to safeguard its interests.

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Chinese troops have to go back to positions held before the April 15 intrusion to defuse the current border crisis, the Indian side said during a flag meeting with China today. The third flag meeting, held between Brigadier-level officials at the ‘Spanggur-Gap’ in eastern Ladakh, lasted for nearly four hours. China, sources said, offered a phased response and it looked that as if it was testing India’s military resolve.

At least 20 militant camps operating along LoC: Army

As many as 20 to 30 militant-training camps are operating in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), very close to the Line of Control (LoC). General Officer Commanding, 16 Corps, Lt Gen DS Hooda, made this disclosure to mediapersons on the sidelines of the Veterans Rally at Kalakote in Rajouri today. The Army has stepped up vigil to prevent any infiltration bid, he said.

“As many as 200 militants are waiting at the launching pads to infiltrate into India,” he said.

He said militants were being given different kinds of training at these camps. He said 200 Pakistan-trained infiltrators were also waiting across the LoC to enter into India.

Geelani invited to conference in UK

Chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani has been invited to attend an international conference on Kashmir in the United Kingdom next month.

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“Geelani has been invited to participate in a Kashmir-related international conference on May 27 to be held in Birmingham,” a spokesman of the hardline Hurriyat said.

Geelani has accepted the invitation and will participate in the conference if the government provides him the required travel documents, he said. — PTI

NC-Cong govt lacks credibility: Mehbooba

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti today said the people of the state were fed up with non-performance, mis-governance and corruption of the state government, which lacked credibility.

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“The only achievement of the present coalition is its survival, merely on the strength of numbers in the Assembly and external lifelines, otherwise people are fed up with its non-performance, mis-governance and corruption,” Mehbooba said while addressing party workers in Beerwah constituency.

The present government lacks credibility which is a pre-requisite for any efficient governance system, she said.

Chinese incursion in Ladakh as deep as Pakistan’s in 1999

Pak had intruded 20 km into the Kargil area; Chinese intrusion has been 19 km deep Azhar Qadri

The latest transgression by the Chinese army in the Ladakh region, which is turning into a standoff between India and China, is as deep as Pakistan’s 1999 Kargil incursion which led to a war between India and Pakistan.

For the past fortnight, Chinese troops have stationed themselves 19 km deep inside the Indian territory in the Daulat Beg Oldie sector of the Ladakh region.

In 1999, the Pakistani troops and irregulars had intruded 16 to 20 km deep inside the Kargil area of the Ladakh region, triggering a limited war between the two countries.

Pakistan’s 1999 incursion was, however, spread over nearly the entire length of the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kargil area where they (Pakistani troops) had stationed themselves on mountain peaks overlooking the strategic Srinagar-Leh national highway. In contrast, the Chinese have limited themselves to a specific spot.

US report warns of crisis for Pakistan minorities

WASHINGTON: A US government-appointed panel urged Washington Tuesday to step up pressure on Pakistan over religious freedom, warning that risks to its minorities have reached a crisis level.

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In an annual report, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom also raised concerns about what it called a worsening situation in China, as well as problems in Egypt, Iran, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and other nations.

The commission, which advises the government but does not make decisions, called for the United States to designate Pakistan as a "country of particular concern," meaning it could be subject to sanctions if it fails to improve.

Future of Pakistan hinges on fair elections: Kayani

* COAS says we must not harbour any suspicions or misgivings about May 11 election
* Polls a golden opportunity to end hide and seek between democracy, dictatorship

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said on Tuesday that general elections would be held in the country on May 11 and emphasised that the future of the country depends on their fair conduct.

“We must not harbour any suspicions or misgivings about it,” he said while addressing the participants of the “Yaum-e-Shuhada” (Martyrs Day) ceremony at the GHQ. He said this indeed was a golden opportunity, which could usher in an era of true democratic values in the country. The COAS said that in his opinion, it is not merely retribution but awareness and participation of the masses that can truly end this “game of hide and seek between democracy and dictatorship”.

Future of Pakistan hinges on fair elections: Kayani

Candidate among four killed in Balochistan

QUETTA: An independent candidate, Abdul Fateh Magsi, was gunned down on Tuesday in the provincial capital along with his three supporters while two others were injured in pre-election violence in Balochistan.

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Abdul Fateh Magsi had submitted his nomination papers as an independent candidate from PB-32 Jhal Magsi. The election commission postponed elections in the area following the incident. Talking to media, Jhal Magsi Deputy Commissioner Saeed Umrani said that unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire on Abdul Fateh Magsi and his colleagues. Resultantly, Magsi and his three supporters were killed on the spot and two others sustained critical injuries. “Abdul Fateh was on way for some political activities in Jhal Magsi when he got targeted in the area,” DC Umrani said.

Court awards ‘political death’ to Musharraf

PESHAWAR: A four-member bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday banned former military ruler Pervez Musharraf from contesting elections for the rest of his life for abrogating the country’s constitution.

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The verdict came in response to an appeal Musharraf filed over the rejection of his nomination papers for NA-32 seat in Chitral district. Headed by Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and including Justice Malik Manzoor, Justice Syed Afsar Shah and Justice Ikramullah, the bench ruled that since Musharraf had abrogated the constitution twice, he could not be allowed to contest elections either for the National Assembly or the Senate.

Caretaker PM’s cousin kidnapped

KANDHKOT: Unknown armed men kidnapped a cousin of caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso here on Tuesday.

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According to details, unidentified gunmen stopped vehicle of Rahim Baksh Khoso, cousin of caretaker PM at Thal Indus Highway in Kandkot area of Sindh. The gunmen forcefully pulled out Rahim Baksh Khoso from his vehicle and took him away in their vehicle.

Hundreds of people blocked the Indus Highway after the kidnapping incident and protested. They chanted slogans against law enforcement authorities and demanded early recovery of the victim.

Pak-Afghan border closed down following scuffle between soldiers

LANDI KOTAL: The Torkham border was closed down by Pakistani security officials for several hours on Tuesday, while protesting over the incident involving an Afghan soldier slapping his Pakistani counterpart.

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According to Pakistani officials, an Afghan soldier had slapped a member of the Khasadar Force while he had been checking the passport of an Afghan. The incident led to the border closure from dawn to dusk.

Thousands of Afghan nationals were stranded on both sides of the border for several hours. NATO supply trucks and other vehicles, including those carrying old people or dead bodies were also not allowed to cross the border.

At least four militants killed in Orakzai

ORAKZAI: Fighter jets on Wednesday targeted insurgent hideouts in the Orakzai tribal region, killing four militants and destroying two hideouts.

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The militants and their hideouts were targeted in Upper Orakzai’s Asmat Khana region with the help of jet fighters.

Moreover, security forces also foiled a sabotage bid in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s capital and seized a huge cache of explosives along with arresting two suspects.

At least four militants killed in Orakzai

TTP focused on ending democracy, says Mehsud

MIRANSHAH: In a letter to the media, leader of banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has said that his group is focused on jeopardising democracy by hindering elections in the country.

“We have succeeded politically after we were asked to negotiate by the government,” said Hakimullah Mehsud.

He added that the group was now solely ‘focused’ on the next elections.

As elections are nearing, TTP’s aim would be to “end the democratic system,” the letter further said. Mehsud also urged TTP militants to target senior politicians and party leaders, while continuing the battle against security forces.

Furthermore, in a rare address from an undisclosed location, the militant chief claimed that the TTP was not just fighting a war on a tactical level, but were also able to ‘subdue’ politicians by making them negotiate.

Myanmar must look beyond 'flawed' report to stop cycle of Buddhist-Muslim violence

Amnesty International Tuesday 30th April, 2013

Recommendations in a government-backed report investigating last year's devastating violence in Myanmar fail to effectively tackle discrimination against Rohingya Muslims and could trigger more human rights abuses, Amnesty International said.

The government-appointed Rakhine Commission this week issued a briefing on its investigation into violence between Buddhist and Muslim communities in Rakhine state, western Myanmar, which first erupted in June 2012. The clashes have resulted in a considerable loss of life and left thousands displaced.

Three British soldiers killed in Afghanistan

KABUL: Three Nato troops killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan were British, officials said on Wednesday.

The three soldiers from the Royal Highland Fusiliers died on Tuesday when their vehicle was hit on a routine patrol in the district of Nahr-e Saraj, part of the southern province Helmand.

“Their deaths come as a great loss to all those serving in Task Force Helmand,” army spokesman Major Richard Morgan said in a statement from London.

The British defence ministry said that security in Helmand, a hotbed of the Taliban insurgency, was improving but that it remained a risky and dangerous environment for British troops.

Hefajat chief lands from chopper, addresses rally

Hefajat ameer Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi came to Bogra by a private helicopter from Hathazari in Chittagong to address a rally of the Islamist group at Eidgah ground in the town yesterday.

Leaders of Hefajat-e-Islam Bangladesh have threatened to unseat the government if their 13-point demand is not met by May 5.

They sounded the warning from rally held at Central Eidgah in Bogra town yesterday.

Chaired by Mufti Abdur Rahman, the rally was addressed, among others, by Ameer of Hefajat-e -Islam Bangladesh Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi, Secretary Junaid Babunagari, central Vice President Noor Hossain Kashimi, Bogra unit member-secretary Engineer Shamsul Islam, Maulana Abdur Rouf and Nazmul Ahsan.

US withdraws Rs.450 mn grant to Justice Ministry

Bureaucratic inefficiency or negligence on the part of the Justice Ministry or the Economic Development Ministry had resulted in Sri Lanka losing a US grant equivalent to Rs.450 million.

It was to be given for the purpose of upgrading the country’s judicial system by bringing it on par with modern technology and prevent legal delays.

The US grant has been withdrawn because an agreement could not be reached with government officials.

Tripartite hydropower cooperation

The govts. of Bhutan, Bangladesh and India are to frame an agreement on principles and guidelines
The governments of Bhutan, Bangladesh and India have discussed the possibilities of building hydropower projects beyond the 10000-megawatt (MW) initiative in Bhutan.

Director general of the department of energy, Dasho Yeshey Wangdi, said that the three governments, during the recent meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh, agreed to frame an agreement that will have the principles and guidelines of cooperation in the hydropower sector.

Indian leaders for language-based federalism: Dahal

Since the arrest of alleged Hizbul Mujahideen militant Syed Liyaqat Shah from the Indo-Nepal border by the Delhi Police in March, nearly a dozen former militants have returned home to Kashmir under the state’s rehabilitation policy.

And, they too, returned through the Nepal route, which is yet to be designated an official entry point for the return of former militants. After the recent controversy over Liyaqat’s arrest, the government is now set to make the Nepal border route an “official” entry point for the return of former militants.

“The controversy generated in the wake of Liyaqat’s arrest has not stopped former militants from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to return to Kashmir. Since his arrest, 10 former militants have returned under the rehabilitation policy,” said a senior police officer.

NC leader rules out pre-poll alliance with Congress

Senior National Conference leader Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday said there will be no pre-poll alliance with the Congress during the next year’s elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

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National Conference and Congress are two key constituents of the ruling coalition in the state.

“There will be no pre-poll alliance with Congress,” Kamal told reporters on the sidelines of a May Day function held at the National Conference headquarters here. Kamal, often in the news for making controversial statements, is Additional General Secretary of National Conference and uncle of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Convoys of two election candidates bombed

KARACHI: An election candidate escaped unharmed on Wednesday when a suicide bomber blew himself up in southern Pakistan wounding two passers-by, police said, in the latest in a wave of attacks to hit the campaign.

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The attack came in Shikarpur district of Sindh province when Mohammad Ibrahim Jatoi, a candidate for the May 11 poll, was on the campaign trail. Violence has spiked ahead of national elections on May 11, with at least 61 people killed in attacks on politicians and political parties since April 11, according to an AFP tally.

“A suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up near the car of Mr Jatoi, but he was unharmed,” local police station chief Zaheer Mahesar told AFP.

Moderates’ join hands to fight ‘conspiracies’

* PPP, ANP and MQM say conspiracy underway to promote fundamentalist parties in May 11 elections
* Appeal people to foil nefarious designs by voting them in

KARACHI: Three ‘moderate’ political parties on Wednesday have vowed to resist all conspiracies underway to restrain them from contesting polls and aimed at promoting fundamentalist parties in the May 11 general election.

They continued reiterating their stance against ‘conspiracies’ through their joint appearances at different venues.

Leaders of the three parties gathered at residence of ANP’s Senator Shahi Syed in the morning and later at the PPP’s Secretariat in the evening. Late on Tuesday, they had also gathered at the MQM Headquarters, Nine-Zero.

PTI will stop military operations across country: Imran

* PTI chief says if voted to power his party would hold local bodies polls as soon as possible

LORALAI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has said that after coming into power his party would end military operations in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country, saying bullet is not the solution to any problem.

Speaking at a public rally here on Wednesday, he said that the PTI would transform the country into a welfare state where justice would be dispensed without any discrimination. He said local bodies’ polls would be held in the country as soon as possible. “We would not allocate development funds to any MNA or MPA, but the problems would be resolved through local bodies,” Imran added.

Military intends to back Qaeda candidates: AHRC

LAHORE: There have been some developments during the past two weeks that reveal that in the coming election, elements of the Taliban and al Qaeda have been offered seats in the parliament, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said on Wednesday.

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In a statement, the commission said that before the developments, the security agencies with the help of right-wing parties had also allowed 53 sectarian candidates to contest the election without passing through the sword of articles 62 and 63 of the constitution, which debar any candidate known to be involved in cases of sectarian violence, hate campaigns or having been charged with murder and killings through sectarian violence.

Pakistan, Afghan forces clash along border injuring soldiers

From the fringes Gilgit-Baltistanis silently observe elections.

Gilgit-Baltistan might be the last thing on the minds of Pakistan’s election-contesting parties — none of them have included these far-flung northern areas in their manifestos — but its more politically inclined residents are keeping a close eye on who gets to form a government in Islamabad come May 11.

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“Our fate-politically, economically, legally — remains in the hands of Islamabad, thanks to the quirks and tragedies of history,” says Tahir Hussain, a Skardu resident. “We might have nothing to say — we will not be voting — but the next election will matter.

US report warns of crisis for Pakistan’s minorities

WASHINGTON: A US government-appointed panel urged Washington Tuesday to step up pressure on Pakistan over religious freedom, warning that risks to its minorities have reached a crisis level.

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In an annual report, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom also raised concerns about what it called a worsening situation in China, as well as problems in Egypt, Iran, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and other nations.

The commission, which advises the government but does not make decisions, called for the United States to designate Pakistan as a “country of particular concern,” meaning it could be subject to sanctions if it fails to improve.

Balochistan operation commences today

QUETTA: Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani has said that a 15-day targeted operation by the army and Frontier Corps against the armed militants will commence today (May 1) in different parts of the province.

“It can be launched anytime and anywhere,” he told The Express Tribune on Tuesday, and added, “We will take every necessary step to provide a safe, secure and conducive political atmosphere for politicians, election contenders, political workers and voters.”

The operation will be taken against all proscribed organisations, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the Balochistan Republican Army (BRA), the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLA), the United Baloch Army (UBA), the Lashkar-e-Balochistan (L and “all those who are involved in subversive activities to sabotage the election process,” Durrani said.

Afghanistan peace negotiator killed in bombing

KABUL, Afghanistan — A roadside bomb killed a provincial peace negotiator and two police officers in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, dealing another setback to President Hamid Karzai’s attempts to get talks started with Taliban militants after more than 11 years of conflict.

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Malim Shah Wali Khan, 53, and his security detail were driving through the volatile southern province of Helmand when militants detonated the bomb, killing him and two of his bodyguards, according to the provincial governor’s office.

Four other police officers were injured in the attack. When the blast occurred, Khan and his security team were on their way to a meeting to discuss plans for the ongoing handover of security responsibilities in the province from U.S.-led troops to Afghan forces.

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