Gunmen kill 13 bus passengers in Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan: Dozens of gunmen disguised in police uniforms shot to death 13 people they pulled off of a convoy of buses in southwest Pakistan and dumped their bodies in a nearby ravine, officials said Tuesday.

The motive for the attack Monday night was unclear since no one has claimed responsibility. But suspicion may fall on separatists who have been waging a low-level insurgency in southwest Baluchistan province for decades.The buses were headed to central Punjab province, and the separatists have a history of attacking Punjabis who they view as outsiders encroaching on their independence. The province is also home to many Islamic militants who have carried out attacks in the past, especially on minority Shiite Muslims.

Punjab govt to boost industrial activities

ISLAMABAD: Industries are being set up across Punjab and foreign investors would be provided investment opportunities in a bid to boost the economy.

This was stated by Chaudhry Mohammad Shafiq, Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment during a meeting with a delegation of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI).

Fourteen including three security officers, killed in Mach

BOLAN: Rebel separatists Tuesday killed 14 people, including three security officers, after stopping vehicles at a fake checkpoint in Balochistan.

The attack happened in the Mach area of Bolan district, 70 kilometres (44 miles) southeast of the provincial capital Quetta. It appears to have targeted mostly people from the central province of Punjab ahead of Eidul-Fitr.

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.

Mid-day meal deaths: principal absconding, no arrests yet

The principal of the government school in Chhapra whose 23 children died in the midday meal tragedy suspected to have been caused by poisoned food was absconding, as it emerged that the free food served did not undergo any quality checks.

Kuldip Singh Brar's attack in London was premeditated

London: Lieutenant General (retired) Kuldip Singh Brar was followed before his throat was slashed with a knife in a premeditated revenge attack in London, a UK court was told on Tuesday.

78-year-old Mr Brar, who commanded the Operation Blue Star in 1984, was on a private visit to London with his wife Meena when the suspected Khalistan sympathisers attacked the couple.

He sustained serious injuries while his wife escaped unharmed and was instrumental in raising an alarm to call the police.

Couple sentenced to nine months for racially abusing Sikh taxi driver

Melbourne: A couple has been sentenced by an Australian court to nine months in jail for a racial attack in which a Sikh taxi driver's turban was ripped off.

Angeline Kim Sollitt, 44, and Michael John Arbouin, 40, were handed down the nine-month prison-term for the "unprovoked" and "malicious" attack on taxi driver Jagroop Singh, 'NTNews' reported.

"The turban is the crowning glory of the Sikhs. For Sikhs, the head and the turban are sacred, they must not be touched or insulted in any way," Judge Stephen Southwood said.

LDA plaza catches fire, 30 people trapped in building

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.

David Miller special fashions Punjab's thrilling win over Bangalore

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.

Punjab: Protests erupt in Sarabjit's native village

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."

Pak’s Punjab CM orders judicial probe into Sarabjit’s death

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.

Pak activist Ansar Burney demanded Rs 25 crore to save

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.

India to send plane to bring back Sarabjit's body

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.

American Islamic group seeks maximum penalty for man who beat a Sikh

WASHINGTON: An American Islamic group sought maximum penalty for a man from Washington who has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Seattle on charges of hate crime against a 50-year-old Sikh man.

"We ask that federal prosecutors seek the maximum penalties in order to send the message that anti-Muslim violence, or violence targeting any minority group, will not be tolerated in our state or in our nation," Jennifer Gist, civil rights coordinator of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement.

SC rejects Punjab probe report in woman assault case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has rejected the Punjab govt's magisterial probe report on assault of a woman by police at Taran Taran.

The apex court castigated the magistrate for saying police need to resort to lathicharge in such situations indicating that the girl and her father were the aggressors.