Karachi police operation, 30 suspects held

KARACHI: Police in a search operation in Orangi Town on Wednesday hauled up 30 suspected persons, Geo News reported.

SP Orangi Town, Sajid Amir Saddozai said that police launched an operation against suspected persons at Pirabad, Qasba and Frontier Colony in Orangi Town by blocking all exit/entry roads started house-to-house search operation and picked up 30 suspects in the process.

Youm-e-Ali (RA) being observed across the country today

KARACHI: The country is observing Youm-e-Ali (RA), the martyrdom day of Hazrat Ali (RA), as law enforcement agencies have made strict security arrangements to avert any untoward situation in any part of the country, Geo News reported.

The mourning processions following the planned routes and finally gather at the pre-decided venues. Strict security is being observed throughout the processions routes while the district administrations have also installed CCTV cameras.

Five killed during operation in Karachi's Landhi area

KARACHI: Five suspected militants were killed during an operation in Gulshan-i-Buner area of Karachi's Landhi area.

Security sources said that a police team conducted the raid after receiving a tip-off regarding the presence of hardened criminals in the vicinity.

The police team was fired upon once they entered the area.

At least five 'terrorists' were killed in retaliatory firing by security personnel, while police also claimed to have recovered a weapon factory, in addition to a large quantity of arms and ammunition.

Pakistan restrict Mohammed Irfan to ODIs and T20s

Karachi: Pakistan team management have decided to restrict tall paceman Mohammed Irfan to only ODIs and T20s, keeping in mind team's interest in the next year's World Cup.

Injury-prone Irfan was stopped from participating in any Ramazan tournament as coach Waqar Younis called him back to the national cricket academy to concentrate on fitness.

"Waqar, who himself has been a fast bowler, has made it clear to Irfan that he should just work on his fitness and training at the NCA till the next domestic season starts in September," a source close to Irfan told PTI.Irfan said that he had been told that the Pakistan management had prepared a proper schedule for him and he would only be playing in the one-dayers and T20 matches in future.

Bannu IDPs: “We only have water to break our fast”

BANNU: For half a million Pakistanis displaced by a military offensive, the prospect of fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramazan amid severe food shortages has sharpened anger towards the government.

MQM will offer 'strong resistance' if Qadri arrested: Gabol

KARACHI/LAHORE: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Nabil Gabol said Saturday that the party would put up strong resistance if Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri was arrested, DawnNews reported.Speaking to media representatives, Gabol said Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz’s (PML-N) authoritative style of leadership was damaging for the democratic system in the country.

Another Attack Near Karachi Airport, All Flights Suspended

Kabul:  A security checkpost outside Pakistan's Karachi airport was attacked by gunmen on Tuesday, an official spokesman told AFP, a day after an all-night siege by the Taliban left 37 dead.

"Gunmen are exchanging fire with Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel at a checkpost guarding the airport," an ASF spokesman said.

TV footage showed paramilitary vehicles and ambulances racing to the scene of the attack.

Martyrs of Karachi airport attack laid to rest

KARACHI: Personnel of the Airport Security Force (ASF) who were martyred in the terrorist attack on the Karachi airport are being laid to rest in their respective hometowns amidst tears and sorrow.

ASF official Islamuddin’s funeral prayers were offered at the GPO ground in Multan. A resident of the Ghareebabad area of Multan, Islamuddin received a salute from the ASF officials before being laid to rest.

ASF ASI Tariq Masood Babar of Faisalabad was buried in his ancestral graveyard after his funeral prayers were offered in a nearby village.

US condemns Karachi airport attack; offers help with probe

WASHINGTON: Condemning the terrorist attack on Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, the United States on Monday offered Pakistan its help in investigating the incident on the country's largest airport.

“(We) join the Pakistani people in condemning this attack. We have offered assistance to the relevant Pakistani authorities in investigating this crime,” Deputy Spokesperson at the State Department Marie Harf said, while wishing the injured speedy recovery and condoling with families of the victims.

MQM workers, supporters observe Youm-i-Dua for Altaf’s recovery

KARACHI: Workers and supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were holding a Youm-i-Dua on Friday to pray for the early recovery of party chief Altaf Hussain who underwent an angiography in London yesterday.

Hussain’s angiography report had also been prepared and is expected to be reviewed by a medical board at a London hospital.

Blast in Karachi's Baldia Town injures four

KARACHI: An explosion occurred early on Saturday which injured four people in Karachi's Baldia Town, DawnNews reported.The blast took place near the Muhammad Khan Police checkpost.Police said that the explosive material was planted in a donkey-cart.

Gunmen kill Pakistan Navy man in Karachi

KARACHI: Unknown gunmen attacked a Pakistan Navy man near Karasaz area on Karachi's Shahrah-e-Faisal on Monday, DawnNews reported.

Security and rescue teams reached the attack site situated on the port city's main artery.

The targeted Navy man was rushed to a hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his wounds during treatment.

Police sources said that the incident appeared to be sectarian motivated.

Shootout in DHA leaves teenage boy and police guard dead, two wounded

KARACHI: An 18-year-old student and a police guard were killed while another teenage boy and a private security guard were wounded in an exchange of fire in the Defence Housing Authority in the early hours of Thursday.

The deadly exchange of fire took place at the bungalow of Suleman Lashari, an A-level student, in DHA Phase V on Khayaban-i-Shamsheer following a quarrel between the teenagers over some petty issue, police said.

FBI agent doesn’t enjoy diplomatic immunity: FO

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Thursday that the FBI agent arrested in Karachi on Monday did not enjoy diplomatic immunity.

“He was not a diplomat and, therefore, had no immunity,” FO spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said at the weekly media briefing.

Joel Cox was arrested while attempting to board a flight for Islamabad, for carrying bullets, small knives and spy gadgets. The man was later identified as FBI official sent to Pakistan on a short-term assignment with the US embassy in Islamabad.

Death toll from toxic liquor consumption rises to 18

The death toll from the consumption of toxic bootlegged liquor in the southern port city of Karachi rose to 18, as at least nine more people lost their battle for life on Monday, hospital officials said.

At least half a dozen people were still admitted to the hospital in precarious condition, raising fears that the casualties may rise further.

“It is a sorry situation and seven more people passed away one by one during the course of the day,” a senior doctor at the Jinnah Hospital, the city’s biggest state hospital, said.

Three killed in blast inside Karachi-bound Shalimar Express

KARACHI: Three people were reported killed in an explosion that took place inside a bogey of the Shalimar Express near Punjab province's Toba Tek Singh district on Monday.

Fifteen people were also injured in the explosion that occurred inside the Karachi-bound train which had begun its journey from Lahore.

Mobile phone services to be suspended for Yaum-e-Ali

ISLAMABAD: Mobile phone services would remain suspended in most cities of the country on Wednesday as part of security arrangements for Yaum-e-Ali being observed today, DawnNews reported.

Mobile phone services would remain blocked in Karachi from six am till 8pm whereas the services would remain suspended till 6 pm in certain areas of Lahore.

Imran says fall from forklift saved him from dying in a blast

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has confirmed speculations doing the rounds in the country in the run-up to the May 11 elections that there was a plot to assassinate him and that the fall off a forklift at a Lahore rally on May 7 that nearly killed him “had quite possibly saved my life”.

In an article carried by Britain’s MailOnline on Sunday, Mr Khan wrote he had been told he was number one on the terrorist hit-list. There are perhaps 25 militant groups which call themselves ‘Taliban’ and any one of them could have been hired by his political opponents.

MQM, PTI brace for court battle

KARACHI / ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, claiming damages of Rs5 billion for allegedly defaming and maligning MQM chief Altaf Hussain.

The PTI announced that it also would file a defamation suit against the MQM and its leaders.

Protest rallies against attack on Hazrat Zainab’s (RA) shrine

Demonstrators on Sunday took to the streets in Karachi and twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi against a rocket attack on the shrine of Hazrat Zainab (A.S) in Syria.

In Islamabad, hundreds of people marched and presented a memorandum to officials of Foreign Office.

The rally, which was taken out from from Sector G-6/2 Imambargah to Radio Pakistan Intersection, was led by Aleema Amin Shaheedi, Deputy Secretary General of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM).

“It was not attack on the shrine of Bibi Zainab, it was an assault on the unity of Islamic ummah,” one of the protesters remarked.