A soldier and seven militants were killed in a clash in Ghaljo area of Orakzai Agency on Wednesday, security officials said. The sources said that the clash took place in Kago Qamar Darra in Dabori, some 68 kilometers away from Ghaljo when militants attacked the troops advancing towards Mamuzai. The official sources said the gunbattle lasted for two hours during which both sides used heavy arms against each other. A soldier identified as Shehzad was killed and another one, Sabir sustained injuries. He was rushed to the Agency Headquarters Hospital in Kalaya.The sources claimed that seven militants were killed and one of their vehicles was destroyed in the retaliatory firing by the troops. The News, The Nation, Dawn.
The government has decided to introduce the local bodies` system in Fata and the final draft of the Local Government Regulation, 2012 has been made public for feedback from tribal elders, elected representatives and political parties. With a population estimated at roughly five million though this figure is disputed by locals the region has so far been governed directly by Islamabad through political agents and the 1901 Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR), a system inherited from the British. Although some reforms have been introduced in the FCR, Fata`s tribesmen have in general been denied self-rule and access to the regular justice system of the country and live at the mercy of the political agents. Dawn.
Five officers of Governor Development Programme (GDP), who were kidnapped five months ago, were released on Wednesday. According to sources, the five officers had been kidnapped by unidentified armed men from Manzai area of FR Tank, 30 kilometers from Tank, on February 29 when they were on their way back after inspection of a protective dyke. The sources said that the kidnapped officers were unconditionally released by the kidnappers. Daily Times.
NATO supplies to Afghanistan remained suspended on the eight consecutive day through the Torkham area due to security threats on Wednesday. The supplies to NATO forces were stopped when a driver was killed in a militant attack on a convoy that was heading for Afghanistan. Officials’ privy to the development said that the security arrangements have been tightened to ensure a safe journey for the convoys. Daily Times, Dawn.
Five personnel of the Kurram Levies sustained injuries in an explosion in Sadda Tehsil of Kurram Agency on Wednesday, official sources said. The sources said an explosion took place inside the Tehsil building at 8pm where the personnel of the Kurram Levies were staying. Five officials were wounded. Some of the injured were identified as Samiullah, Saeedullah and Waheedullah. They were shifted to the Agency Tehsil Hospital in Sadda where condition of one of the officials was stated to be precarious. When contacted, the officials of the Kurram Levies said that the incident took place due to a gas cylinder explosion. The News.
Amid growing refusals by parents to immunize their kids against polio disease, four new polio cases have surfaced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and adjoining tribal areas. The first case came from Mardan after five years where six months old Sulaim, son of Saidul Islam, was confirmed with polio virus. He is the resident of Rahmat Khan village of Mohib Banda. The parents had refused polio drops to their kids on religious misconception. The News, Dawn, Dawn.
Four people were killed and three others, including two women, were injured in a clash between two groups in Boya village sited on the Miranshah-Dattakhel road here Wednesday. In a separate incident, one person was injured in a clash over sale of ice. The News
The Jamaat-e-Islami has termed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with Washington over NATO supplies in Ramazan as unfortunate. A Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) spokesman, Askari, said details of the MOU had not been announced at the press conference in Islamabad. Expressing concern over the attitude of the government, he said earlier the US was to pay US dollars 5000 per container but now the US will be paying just $250 per container. Askari said it was an affront to the solidarity and integrity of Pakistan. The News.
In the backdrop of a World Food Programme warning to slash food rations for Fata IDPs, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has requested the centre to urgently release 200,000 metric tons of wheat to the UN body to enable it to continue relief operations. The request was sent to the federal government after UN agency owing to funding constraints had already cut down food handouts for the IDPs in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, official sources said. The sources said the WFP was likely to further reduce quantity of food rations to IDPs and also slow down other activities in Pakistan if international community did not provide donations for Pakistan programme. The agency says it immediately needs about $70 million for distribution of food and other activities by October next. Dawn.
The government-run educational institutions reopened after one month summer vacations in Bajaur tribal region on Wednesday. According to the agency education deportment, all schools and colleges in the public sector have reopened after the summer holidays. However, tribesmen said, only a few schools opened on Wednesday. `Although the summer vacations in all the educational institutions of the agency have ended but all colleges including government postgraduate degree college Khar, government degree college Khar Barkhallozo, government higher secondary school for girls, government degree college Nawagai and Zor Bandar and government college of management science Khar were still closed,` students told Dawn. Dawn.
Tahir Amin
