KARACHI: Thousands of people who fled the war-ravaged South Waziristan for Karachi have not only left behind their homes, but their right to vote as well. The election commission has not bothered to come up with the laws needed for them to cast their ballots. “We haven’t been told to make [registration] arrangements for the displaced population living in the city,” said Mohammad Najeeb, the director of the Sindh election commission. The News.
KHAR: Although Bajaur Agency was cleared of militants, yet it didn`t mean that they were eliminated completely, said Political Agent Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah. Addressing a jirga here on Wednesday, he said that tribal people should realise the situation and perform their duty of defending the borders of country with honesty as militants were still a serious threat to peace in the tribal region. On the occasion, the elders and religious scholars belonging to Mamond tribe assured the local administration of their support in holding peaceful elections in the tribal region. Dawn.
LANDI KOTAL: The political administration in Landi Kotal has imposed a ban on display of arms and use of indecent language dunng the election campaign. The decision was taken during a meeting here on Wednesday that was attended by all the candidates contesting elections from NA-45 constituency of Khyber Agency and Assistant Political Agent Dr Azmat Wazir. Dr Wazir told the participants of the meeting that administration would take all possible steps to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. He said that sufficient security would be provided to all candidates. Dawn.
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice on Wednesday took suo moto notice of the killing of a woman who had been stabbed to death before her body was dumped in bathroom of the Lady Reading Hospital. The police in its preliminary investigation claimed that Noor Bibi, a young woman, had gone missing from her home four days ago, she had been married to one Aurangzeb four years back and her body was found in the bathroom of Accident and Emergency Department of the LRH Monday evening. The News, The Express Tribune.
LANDI KOTAL: People from different parts of the country have thronged Wazir Dhand Market in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency to buy non-custom paid vehicles after the Federal Board of Revenue announced tax amnesty for such vehicles. The prices of all types of such vehicles in Wazir Dhand have doubled as the demand has increased manifold after the amnesty scheme announced by the government in the beginning of this month,` Haji Afsar Khan, owner of a car sale centre, told Dawn on Wednesday. Dawn.
LONDON: Terror threat emanating from Pakistan remains a danger to Britain’s national security, the head of Britain’s counter-terrorism strategy says. In an exclusive interview with Jang Group of Newspapers, Charles Farr, director general of the Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism, said that the threat from Pakistan mainly comes from the tribal areas along the Afghan border. He said that although Al-Qaida is weakened and depleted in numbers and capability but it continues to operate from this region and still has the capability to conduct terrorist attacks in the UK and other countries. The News.
PESHAWAR: The target killing incidents continued unabated as a government official belonging to the Shia community was killed and his son was injured in Gulberg while another member was kidnapped from Rahatabad on Wednesday. The police said the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of the Town-III, Imran Ali Khwaja, along with his son, Ali Raza, left home in Gulberg in official car bearing registration number Peshawar-A 1220. The two men lying in wait opened fire on them at the Izzat Khan Chowk. The News, The Express Tribune, The Frontier Post.
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The police arrested a member of banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) on Wednesday, said an official of the DI Khan district police office. Fazlur Rehman was reportedly wanted for involvement in sectarian violence and terrorist attacks across the district. He was a resident of Mohallah Fatheullah Badshah, and was nicknamed Fazal Mujahid. Police also recovered a 30-bore pistol and 13 bullets from his possession. The Express Tribune.
KOHAT: The internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Tirah valley in Khyber Agency who travelled to Kohat and Peshawar in the wake of the clashes between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) and Ansarul Islam (AI) were forced to live under an open sky and wait for government’s assistance. Residents of Adamkhel, Malikdinkhel, Shalobar Qambarkhel, Zakhakhel and Qambarkhel were displaced due to the attack and occupation of TTP and LI of their houses. The News, Dawn.
KOHAT: Unidentified persons blew up a filling station in lower parts of Kurram Agency on Wednesday, tribal sources said. The sources said unidentified persons placed a bag near the manager’s room at the filling station owned by Gul Manan in Sadda Bazaar. The manager was out of the room when explosion took place, the sources said, adding the manager’s room was completely destroyed in the blast, but there was no casualty. The News.
PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Khyber Agency chapter leaders on Wednesday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to establish polling stations for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Peshawar and others district to enable them to exercise their right to vote. Speaking at a press conference, JUI-F Khyber Agency senior vice-president Shamsuddin said over 0.3 million tribesmen had been uprooted from the agency as a result of militancy in the region and were residing at the IDP camps. The News.
PESHAWAR: A woman who lost her husband and son in a blast in the Bannu district Wednesday asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (r) Tariq Pervez to provide compensation to the bereaved families. Talking to reporters in Bannu on Wednesday, Sajida Naureen said her husband Dil Nawaz and son Sahab Ahmad were on their way home from the school when they fell victim to the remote-controlled bomb blast on March 12 near the Saddar Police Station. The News.
PESHAWAR: A 16-year old boy stabbed a foreign soldier to death in the Shinwar district in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province on Wednesday, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported. It said the incident took place in Gurguri village in the Shinwar district close to the border with Pakistan. The ISAF office in Kabul admitted that a foreign soldier was killed in an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan but it didn’t provide details of the incident, the AIP added. The News.
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior has warned of a massive terrorist threat in the corning elections. A presentation made during a meeting between officials of the ministry and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to discuss security issues revealed that the banned Jandullah organisation, in coordination with Lashkar-iJhangvi (LJ) and Tehreeki-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was planning to carry out large-scale terrorist attacks in Balochistan, with Nushki and Quetta as their particular targets. Dawn.
MARDAN: Two police officials were shot dead by unidentified motorcyclists at the Durdana Abad check post here on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday. Police said the victims, head constable Islam Gul and constable Amjid, were on a routine duty at the check post located on the road leading to Swabi when the attackers riding two motorcycles attacked them. Police contingents rushed to the area soon after the incident and cordoned off the locality and launched a search operation. Dawn, The Frontier Post.
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday set a seven-day deadline for the Election Commission of Pakistan to finalise its plan for participation of internally displaced persons from tribal areas in general elections. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Syed Afsar Shah asked ECP to set up polling stations for IDPs at suitable places so that they could exercise their right to vote without hassle. Dawn.
MIRANSHAH / LOWER DIR: At least 12 children have died because of measles in North Waziristan and Timergara, Lower Dir, while a large number are said to be infected. The exact number of deaths and those infected with measles in North Waziristan could not be ascertained because of the curfew imposed since the suicide attack on Esha check post, which claimed the lives of 17 security personnel and wounded 40 others. However, reports from the troubled region indicate two children from Dossali and Lora Mandi died due to the unavailability of medicines on Tuesday. The Express Tribune.
FRC REPORT
D.I.KHAN: A bomb implanted on a road side went off with a huge big bang in Manzai area of District Tank here on Wednesday, however no casualty was reported in it, FRC Field Reporter learnt. According to details given by the locals, the blast seemed to be targeting the FWO workers as they were passing across the area at the time of blast. The miscreants had planted two bombs in which one went off while the other was defused by the bomb disposal unit. Political administration and the military sources also confirmed the incident. Till the filing of this report no militant group has claimed the responsibility.
NAWAF KHAN, SHARAFAT ALI CHAUDHARY
