PESHAWAR: Mullah Fazlullah alias Mullah Radio has been elected as the new chief of the Pakistani Taliban following the death of Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike. Pakistani intelligence believes Fazlullah has links to the attempt to kill Malala Yousafzai in Swat in October 2012, an attack which was claimed by the TTP. He is also said to be involved in the high profile killing of Major General (retd) Sanaullah Khan Niazi, General Officer Commanding Swat, in Upper Dir in an IED blast. The News, Daily Times, Dawn, The Express Tribune, The Frontier Post, The Nation, Daily Mashriq.
ISLAMABAD: The selection of the Afghanistan-based Mullah Fazlullah as the first non-Mehsud Ameer of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) could not have materialised without the backing of the Ameer of the Afghan Taliban Mulla Mohammad Omar, well-informed sources in the establishment have disclosed. The News.
JAMRUD: A driver was injured when unidentified armed men opened fire on a container truck, carrying supplies to Nato forces in Afghanistan, in Jamrud Teshil of Khyber Agency on Thursday, official sources said. The News, Daily Times.
ISLAMABAD: Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch has rejected the impression that Pakistan was in any way involved in the drone attack that killed Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud. The News.
ISLAMABAD: Asking Taliban to renounce violence and bloodshed the members from the treasury and opposition benches said the government should move ahead with the dialogue process with Taliban for bringing peace and stability in the country. The Frontier Post.
ISLAMABAD: If a hint dropped by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the Senate on Thursday is anything to go by, the newly-appointed head of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Mullah Fazlullah, came to Pakistan lately from Afghanistan as a result of efforts made by the PML-N government to facilitate peace talks with militants. “How Maulana Fazlullah has come (to Pakistan) from Afghanistan?” the minister said in a meaningful way while recalling the efforts he had made for bringing the militants to the table for talks in light of the decisions of the all-party conference two months ago. The statement came hours before the formal announcement of Fazlullah’s selection as the new TTP chief. Dawn.
ISLAMABAD: Ijazul Haq said the government should convene another all parties’ conference to take consensus decision about NATO’s supplies. He said we should take decisions keeping in view our national interests‚ honour and dignity. The Frontier Post.
LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawar Hasan has opposed another All Parties Conference (APC) on talks with the Taliban, and urged the PML-N government to implement decisions taken at the previous APCs. Daily Times.
PESHAWAWR:The Khyber Pakhtumjkhwwa Governor, Engineer Shaukatullah has said that the FATA with peculiar state of circumstances deserves to pave special strategy for polio eradication. In case of management failure, we will have no other option but to replace the entire management and carry forward efforts with a new team at every level. The Frontier Post.
LAHORE (INP): Senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi has claimed that blockade of NATO supply routes will bring a positive change as it would ensure sovereignty of country and stability in the region. he said that no one has right to sabotage the dialogues for peace as Pakistan is sovereign country and is capable of deciding about its future. The Frontier Post.
ISLAMABAD (INP): Former interior minister Senator Rehman Malik on Thursday said that the opposition would extend full support to the government if it decided to shoot down US drones. The Frontier Post, The Nation.
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Thursday informed the Senate that hectic efforts were made to initiate peace talks with Taliban. He rejected the impression that peace negotiations were just a drama. “We held several meetings with several fractions of Taliban, which are about 37,” Nisar told the Senate, adding that according to other sources there are 50 groups. Daily Times.
ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday said polio eradication was among the top priorities of the government in health sector. The president expressed confidence over the government’s firm resolve to continue its close collaboration with the Rotary International to strengthen its national efforts in ridding the country and the world of this crippling disease. He said despite various challenges to polio eradication teams in FATA, the government was determined and taking all out steps including innovative immunisation strategies and close coordination with the security forces to reach out to each and every child under the age of 5 years in remote tribal areas especially FATA. Daily Times, The Frontier Post.
