afghanistan articles: June 2013

Friday 28 June 2013

Uttarakhand: 3-yr-old girl with fractures in both legs found abandoned in Gaurikund

Dehradun: A three-year-old girl who has got fractures in both her legs was found abandoned by pilgrims at Gaurikund after the flood fury in Uttarakhand. The minor is unable to communicate anything about herself or about her family's identity.

The pilgrims left her at a Rishikesh hospital where she received primary treatment for two days. Now Dehradun's Child Helpline has taken charge of the girl and have got her admitted to Dehradun district hospital where she has been for the last five days.

KARACHI: Lawyers across the country boycotted court proceedings on Thursday to protest against yesterday’s suicide attack on Sindh High Court’s (SHC) Justice Maqbool Baqar, DawnNews reported.

At least nine people were killed and 15 others injured on Wednesday when a bomb targeting the convoy of Justice Maqbool Baqar exploded near Karachi’s Burns Road area.

Narendra Modi met Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray at his home Matoshree in Mumbai today. Mr Thackeray had attacked him in two back-to-back editorials and later said his intent was to offer "constructive criticism" to the Gujarat Chief Minister.Mr Thackeray, in his party's newspaper this week - ran Mr Modi down on two fronts.

GILGIT: A family video showing two teenage girls enjoying rain in their house led to their murder in Chilas on Sunday night. Their mother was also gunned down allegedly by her stepson and his four friends.

Five masked men barged into the house of retired police officer Rehmat Nabi and started firing, killing his wife and daughters, aged 15 and 16.

According to police, the crime was motivated by a video clip circulated on mobile phones and showing the girls overjoyed by rain in the lawn of their bungalow.

Bombing in southeast Pakistan kills 2

QUETTA: An alleged suicide bomber and a civilian were killed in a explosion near a mosque in Kuchlak area of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province on Thursday.

A police officer who requested not to be named since he was not authorised to speak to media told Dawn.com that a suspected suicide bomber was carrying a suicide jacket, when killed in a mysterious blast.

"The suicide bomber was coming to Quetta to cause maximum damage, when his own suicide jacket went off", he said.

Ethnic riots kill 27 in in China's Xinjiang

A fresh wave of ethnic riots has hit China’s troubled restive far western region of Xinjiang, killing more than dozen people, state media say.

The riots erupted after knife-wielding mobs attacked police stations in a remote Turpan prefecture early on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

SC adjourns Musharraf treason case indefinitely

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the treason case against former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for an indefinite period to hold consultations over setting up of a special court to hear the case against the ex-army strongman.

Moreover, the apex court also rejected a plea to order the formal arrest of Musharraf citing that no formal charges against the former president had been put before the court.

ISLAMABAD: Welcoming the initiation of Doha peace process, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday reiterated his desire that the Pakistan government should also hold talks with Taliban to bring peace and stability in the region.

“The use of force does not work all the time and in all situations,” said the JUI-F chief while talking to a group of reporters after his meeting with a delegation headed by the Special Representative of United Nations (UN) Secretary General on Afghanistan Jan Kubis.

A prominent Iranian cleric has strongly condemned the recent killing of Shia Muslims in Egypt, saying that Takfiri extremists are seriously damaging the reputation of Islam and the Muslim world through such vicious actions.

“The main problem facing the Muslim world is Salafist Takfiris, who are dealing heavy blows to the pillars of Islam and the reputation and dignity of Muslims worldwide through their brutal actions. They introduce Islam, which is a religion of mercy and kindness, as a religion of violence, bloodshed, cruelty and savagery,” Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi said in a statement released on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is hopeful of resumption of stalled peace dialogue with India in a few weeks in which trade is likely to take precedence over core bilateral disputes.

Soon after its installation, the PML-N government had signalled to India its desire for restarting the talks held up since January due to flare-up of tensions along the Line of Control. The Indian government has promised to send its proposals for resumption of talks, which are being awaited.

Dehradun : In a brazen show of competitive politics, Andhra Pradesh MPs belonging to Congress and Telugu Desam were today locked in a scuffle in public view at the Jolly Grant airport here over ferrying pilgrims back to the state.

The embarrassing altercation between Congress MP Hanumantha Rao and TDP MPs Ramesh Rathod and K Narayana, who nearly exchanged blows, came in the presence of TDP chief N.

BANIHAL, J&K: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday flagged off the first train connecting Banihal in Jammu region with Qazigund in Kashmir Valley.

The newly constructed station here, 125 km from summer capital Srinagar, was decked up with flowers and garlands to receive the VVIPs for flagging off the first train which will pass through 11 km tunnel through Pir Panchal range.

The eight-coach train carrying school children and officials of IRCON and Railways reached Qazigund in 25 minutes.

The smooth and voluntary transfer of power by HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is unprecedented in the history of the Arab world, particularly the Gulf region, Dr Mohamed al-Misfar, professor of political science at Qatar University, said yesterday in a comment on Qatar TV.

He said he had seen that there was a consensus among many politicians, sociologists, mediapersons and university professors in the Gulf region that HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad is an amiable and much loved personality. He also enjoys a deep perspective in discussing all issues of the area.

KARACHI: At least nine people were killed and 15 others injured on Wednesday when a bomb targeting the convoy of Sindh High Court judge Justice Maqbool Baqir exploded near Karachi’s Burns Road area.

Spokesperson for the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ehsanullah Ehsan, told Dawn.com that the militant organisation was responsible for the attack on the senior SHC judge.

Ehsan further said that the judge was targeted for what he said were "anti-Taliban and anti-mujahideen decisions" adding that the group would continue to target judiciary.

ISLAMABAD: Several heavily armed rival groups on Wednesday launched major attacks against the Pakistan Taliban in Mohmand tribal region along the border with Afghanistan to expel the group’s supporters from the area, a Taliban commander said.

Omar Mukarram Khurasani, spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Mohmand agency, told The Express Tribune that hundreds of militants were resisting the opponents.

At a time when the whole nation is reeling in shock following the devastation caused by the killer floods in Uttarakhand in the last few days, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi reportedly rescued only Gujaratis from the affected areas, inviting criticism from various quarters.

It was reported that team Narendra Modi rescued 15,000 Gujaratis from flood-ravaged Uttarakhand during his two-day stay in the state.

LAHORE: Lawmakers belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) approached the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) and assured their extensive support for party head Pervez Musharraf — to be extended at the “right time.”

Details of the meeting were disclosed by political advisor and close aide of Musharraf, Chaudhry Sarfraz Anjum Kahlon.

Kahlon said that several senior lawmakers including representatives of PTI and MQM had privately conveyed their dismay over Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s stance on Musharraf and had provided assurances of extensive support for Musharraf.

The Kerala High Court yesterday dismissed petitions of opposition leader V S Achuthanandan and former bureaucrat Alphons Kannanthanam to against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the 1992 palm oil import case.

Upholding the trial court decision, the high court also wondered if the petitioners were trying to delay the trial and making political capital out of it. The court also observed that the petitioners did not approach any court after it was taken up for trial in 2004.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday condemned the militant attack in Srinagar in which five army personnel were killed, and said the "cowardly attack" would not deter the security forces engaged in bringing peace and order to the Kashmir Valley.

Six people were injured in the attack which took place when militants opened fire on an army convoy on the outskirts of the city ahead of the prime minister's visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Dehradun: On the morning after a tragic helicopter crash in which all 20 people on board, including five Indian Air Force personnel, are feared dead, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne is in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand and said, " Our rotors will not stop turning. We owe it to those who lost their lives in this rescue op."

The Air Chief landed in Dehradun this morning and then reached Gauchar, the hub of relief and rescue operations, to boost the morale of his men engaged in their largest-ever rescue mission. At Gauchar, the Indian Air Force's helicopters took off on their rescue sorties on schedule this morning.

KARACHI: Seven people were killed and 12 others sustained injuries in a bomb explosion at Burns Road, Karachi, Express News reported on Wednesday.

Police said Sindh High Court Justice Baqar Maqbool’s convoy was the target of the attackers. They added that explosive material was planted on a motorbike.

Police and rescue personnel have reached the area and injured – including Justice Maqbool – have been shifted to nearby hospitals. The affected area has been sealed for initial investigation.

All seven militants dead at end of Kabul airport attack

KABUL: All seven militants who launched an attack Monday on Kabul airport died in the assault, Afghan police said, adding that no civilian and security force casualties had yet been reported.

"There were seven assailants -- two (suicide bombers) died detonating themselves and five others were killed in fighting," Mohammad Ayoub Salangi, chief of Kabul police, told reporters.

The Lebanese Army issued a statement on Sunday in which it said that a citizen was killed in a clash which took place near the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, as demonstrators arrived to the region to protest the Syrian developments.

BAQUBA: Three near-simultaneous bombings -- two car bombs and a suicide attack -- killed at least a dozen people in a fruit and vegetable wholesale market north of Baghdad on Monday, officials said.

The blasts went off in the town of Judaida al-Shat, which lies just west of the restive city of Baquba and remains one of Iraq's most dangerous.

The bombings left another 48 people wounded, a police officer and a medic said.

QUETTA: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) issued non-bailable arrest warrants against former dictator Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz in connection with the Akbar Bugti murder case on Monday, reported Express News.

The arrest warrants were issued due to repeated absence from the court. The former governor of Balochistan, Owais Ghani and former deputy commissioner of Dera Bugti, Samad Lasi were also included in the list of issued arrest warrants.

Javed Hashmi withdraws calling Nawaz Sharif his leader

MULTAN: Senior leader of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Javed Hashmi on Sunday, June 9, announced the withdrawal of his remarks made in the National Assembly that Nawaz Sharif was his leader and will always be his leader.

At a press conference Javed Hashmi said his supporters and voters from his constituency did not like the remarks therefore he was withdrawing them.

However, Hashmi accused media and some anchors for fueling the controversy. He said that he had made the remarks out of respect.

PESHAWAR: Six people were killed when militants attacked three Nato containers in Shagai area of Jamrud tehsil of the Khyber tribal region on Monday.

Security forces were engaged in a firefight with the militants who attacked the containers and set them on fire.

As a result, six people, including the drivers of the containers were killed.

Khyber is among Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, rife with homegrown insurgents and home to a number of militant organisations.

New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani on Monday resigned from all party posts just a day after party President Rajnath Singh made Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi the chief of Central Election Committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The resignation of Advani, who was reportedly sick and ignored by the party top leadership at the two-day National Executive meet in Goa, brings the split within the party out in the open. Advani's resignation has stunned the BJP leaders to silence, who are refusing to speak on the issue. BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu met Rajnath Singh a few minutes after Advani's resignation.

QUETTA: Five bullet-riddled bodies were recovered in different parts of Balochistan on Sunday, June 9.According to levies sources, three bodies were found in Johan area of Kalat. They said that the dead bodies were almost one month old. The victims belonged to Bibi Nani area of Bolan district and they were kidnapped a month ago by armed gunmen.

QUETTA: Announcing the abolition of secret funds in his address to the provincial assembly soon after taking oath as the 14th Chief Minister of Balochistan, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch on Sunday said he would rule with respect and prefer resignation to compromising on principles.

Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi administered the oath of office to Dr Malik at the Governor’s House. Acting Chief Minister Nawab Ghous Bukhsh Barozai, Speaker Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Alam Khan Khattak, IG Frontier Corps (FC) Maj.

The Ministry of Haj has decided to limit the validity of Umrah visas to only 14 days because of the ongoing work to expand the mataf — the open area around the Holy Kaaba.

According to a circular sent two days ago to Umrah agencies in the Kingdom and Saudi missions abroad, the new rule comes into effect from Monday, June 10.

There will be no one-month visas this year.

New Delhi apologises over Pakistani diplomat’s mistreatment

ISLAMABAD: In a telephone call to the Pakistani Foreign Office on Tuesday, India's foreign secretary apologised to his Islamabad counterpart over the mistreatment of a Pakistani diplomat in New Delhi, diplomatic sources told DawnNews.

Pakistan's First Secretary (Trade) Zargam Raza and his driver Haider were beaten up by a group of men while the former was returning home from the High Commission Monday evening.

DHAKA: Former Bangladesh cricket captain Mohammad Ashraful was suspended from the sport on Tuesday after he confessed his involvement in fixing, a top cricket official said.

The International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) has been probing allegations of match-fixing during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a Twenty20 competition.

“As Ashraful has confessed his involvement in fixing to the ACSU team, so he should not be allowed to play any level of cricket until we get a full report of the investigation,” Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan told reporters.

ISLAMABAD: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court on Tuesday recused himself from the bench hearing the appeal challenging the cancellation of Pervez Musharraf's bail in the judges' detention case on account of what he called a smear campaign against him on social networking websites.

Justice Siddiqui dissociated himself from the IHC's divisional bench, comprising himself and Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan, at the start of today's hearing of the appeal.

The appeal was filed against the rejection of the former military ruler’s post-arrest bail petition by the Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad.

BRUSSELS: As NATO defence ministers began a two-day meeting here on Tuesday, the alliance secretary-general ruled out an immediate decision on the number of troops that would stay in Afghanistan post 2014.

“I wouldn’t expect this meeting to make decisions on the exact number of troops and trainers after 2014,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters. NATO and ISAF defence ministers would adopt guidelines for the new mission in Afghanistan, he said.

About the shape of the Resolute Support mission, beginning in 2015, he said certain elements were already clear and that it would be a non-combat campaign with a much smaller number of troops and trainers.

New Delhi: There is more trouble for arrested cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan in the IPL spot-fixing case. They have been sent to judicial custody till June 18 along with 21 others.

Prosecution has invoked the harsh Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against them. But the police have not decided on whether MCOCA will be applicable to all those arrested in the case.

MCOCA is one of the most stringent laws. It provides for any confession made in front of the DCP in Delhi or the SP in any other state to be accepted as evidence.

The U.S. Embassy to Turkey has issued a warning to its citizens in Turkey about potential violence, the Hürriyet Daily News has learned.

The embassy issued a warning letter for the attention of American citizens, reminding of the tension in the country that has been ongoing since last week.

The Daily News has also learned that U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone has canceled a trip to the U.S. due to the ongoing unrest in Turkey. He had been due to attend an American-Turkish Council meeting.

ISLAMABAD: Nawaz Sharif, whose nomination papers for the prime minister's election were submitted today, is set to become prime minister for the third time after his party secured simple majority in the newly-elected National Assembly.

The nomination was submitted by Ishaq Dar, Tariq Fazal, Khawaja Asif and Abdul Qadir Baloch on Sharif's behalf.

Moreover, Amin Fahim, who also submitted his nomination papers is the Pakistan Peoples Party's candidate for premiership.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army started on Monday war games codenamed Azm-i-Nau (New Resolve) IV to update its readiness strategy for dealing with the complex security threat environment.

“This Army War Game is the culmination of the series of such exercises and aims at validation and crystallisation of operational plans prepared in view of the emerging threat environment,” a military spokesman said about the exercise being held at the National Defence University, Islamabad.

The drill is taking place amid renewed fears of chaos and instability in Afghanistan after withdrawal of coalition forces in 2014, continuing internal threat of terrorism and India’s growing regional ambitions.

New Delhi: The Delhi Police have arrested a woman and her nephew, who were travelling on the two-wheeler that hit a Pakistani envoy's car on Monday. Both have been accused of rash and negligent driving, among other charges.

The action came after Pakistan issued a strong statement seeking a thorough probe into the incident. Trouble began after Pakistan's First Secretary Zirgham Raza's car hit a woman and her nephew on a two-wheeler and an argument broke out.

Pakistan 207 for 4 (Farhat 56, Hafeez 54 retired) beat South Africa 202 for 9 (McLaren 55, Duminy 43, Wahab 3-30, Asad 3-30) by six wickets.

There were enough Pakistan supporters at The Oval to give the impression that this warm-up ahead of the Champions Trophy mattered, but in essence it was pointless, not just in terms of the group stages but also in the general scheme of things.

Pakistan will claim a psychological advantage after breezing to a six-wicket victory against South Africa with more than four overs to spare, they were vastly superior throughout and their supporters celebrated a well-drilled victory with their usual enthusiasm, but it will not much matter in the morning.

ANKARA: A 22-year-old man died in a hospital after being shot during anti-government protests in southern Turkey, the NTV television reported Tuesday.

“Abdullah Comert was seriously wounded… after gunfire from an unidentified person,” the station reported, quoting a statement from the local governor’s office in the Hatay province.

He died in hospital on Monday, the private station added.

Mumbai: Bollywood actress Jiah Khan was found dead in her apartment in Juhu, Mumbai on late Monday night. The police suspect it is a case of suicide but no suicide note found so far. Jiah was found dead around 10.45 pm on Monday by her mother.

The police also claim that there are some marks on Jiah's neck. A post-mortem has been ordered. Her body was taken in an ambulance to Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital in Juhu for post-mortem. Jiah is believed to have hung herself to death.

Turkish protesters turn Istanbul mosque into makeshift hospital

ISTANBUL :A total of 173 people were injured in clashes between protesters and policemen in the nationwide protests in the past week, according to Turkish authorities on Monday.

Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler said that 115 police officers and 58 protesters were injured in the anti-government demonstrations which were staged last week by a group of protesters in Istanbul Taksim's Gezi Park to stand guard against the uprooting of trees.Protesters used a mosque in Istanbul’s Besiktas district near the prime minister’s office as a makeshift hospital following attacks by police early in the hours of June 3.

KABUL: A suicide bomb attack targeting US and Afghan forces killed nine children heading home from school in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, officials said.

One policeman was also killed and two coalition soldiers were among about 16 people wounded, Zalmai Uriakhail, the police chief of Paktia province, told AFP of the attack, which used an explosives-packed motorcycle.

TEHRAN : Afghan Foreign Ministry Spokesman Janan Mosazai underlined the need for the further expansion of ties and cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan.The Afghan foreign ministry spokesman pointed to the good and friendly relations between Iran and Afghanistan, calling "Iran a very good neighbor".

"Iran has always supported the Afghan government in its campaign against terrorism," Mosazai said.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim said on Monday that his party would nominate a candidate for the prime minister’s election scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

Speaking to media representatives in front of Parliament House, Fahim said the PPP received two requests from PML-N leaders urging it to support their candidates for the elections of speaker and prime minister.

“The party accepted the request for the speaker’s election but rejected the other request for supporting Nawaz Sharif to be elected as prime minister,” Fahim said.

Patna: Senior BJP leader CP Thakur on Sunday said the party wants to win the hearts of Muslims through development in the party-ruled states, and does not want to "mislead them by providing skull caps". "The BJP neither intends to mislead Muslims by providing skull caps for them in the party-ruled states nor wants to advertise their photographs with the minority people in the newspapers.... all the BJP wants is carry out development and welfare works for the minorities and win their hearts in the process," Thakur, BJP national vice-president said at the meeting of the party's minority front in Patna.

KABUL: A Taliban spokesman has confirmed that the Afghan insurgents have sent a delegation to Iran for three days of talks. The unprecedented meeting signals that Iran could be seeking the role of regional mediator between the Taliban and Kabul.

Spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said Monday in an email that emissaries from the Taliban's political office met with Iranian officials over the weekend.

TEHRAN :The Iranian intelligence ministry announced that it has disbanded a terrorist cell tasked with conducting sabotage activities concurrent with June 14 presidential election in Iran.

In a statement released on Sunday, the intelligence ministry said it has managed to identify and arrest all members of the terrorist cell after finding traces and gathering accurate information about the cell's activities and mission.

N Srinivasan will not carry out his duties as BCCI president until the commission appointed to conduct an inquiry into the betting and spot-fixing charges in IPL 2013 completes its task. During this period Jagmohan Dalmiya, a former BCCI president and current head of the Cricket Association of Bengal, will run the daily affairs of the board.

TEHRAN :Iran and Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on mutual trade cooperation.

The MoU was signed during a meeting between Head of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Hamid Safdel and Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs Yuri Octavian Thamrin earlier this week.

Octavian Thamrin, heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Tehran on a three-day visit starting on Monday to attend the fifth meeting of Iran-Indonesia Political Consultative Committee.

KARACHI: After the poor showing of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the May 11 parliamentary elections, President Asif Ali Zardari says he will not seek another term in office.

Asif Zardari was elected to the Presidency on September 6, 2008 and his five-year constitutional term expires in September 2013.

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