PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party has decided to launch a campaign to build a coalition of political parties and state institutions against militancy after losing senior party leader Bashir Bilour in a suicide attack by Taliban last Saturday. “If the experience of recent past is anything to go by, the terrorists will not forgive any political or religious party, even those who have literally acted as supporters or apologists of the terrorists. It will be an exercise in futility to appease the terrorists,” the ANP president, Asfandyar Wali Khan, said during a news conference after chairing party think-tank meeting held to take stock of Bashir Bilour’s assassination. Daily Times, The News, The Frontier Post, The Nation, Dawn, Daily Mashriq.
LANDIKOTAL: Two Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and three children were injured in two explosions in Shahkas and Sepah areas of Bara and Jamrud on Tuesday, sources said. The first incident was reported in the Shahkas area of Jamrud where an explosive device placed near the resident of a tribesman, Gohar, went off injuring his three children, sources said. Administration officials rushed to the explosion site and collected evidence for a probe, sources said.
In the second incident, a security forces’ convoy was targeted with a remote-controlled bomb, planted by militants, on the roadside in Sepah area of Bara, sources said. Two FC troops, identified as Nauman Ahmad and Shaman Gul, were injured and moved to a military hospital. A tank was also destroyed in the explosion, sources said.
Meanwhile, a militant was killed and another wounded in a shootout between two militant groups in Maidan, a far-flung area of Tirrah Valley, sources said. staff report Daily Times, The News, Dawn.
BARA: The militants blew up the house of a known tribal businessman and former parliamentarian Haji Muhammad Shah in Sepah area in Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency on Tuesday, tribal sources said. The sources said that around a dozen militants placed explosives close to the house of Muhammad Shah and triggered the explosions with a remote control device. The building, the sources said, was destroyed in the explosion. The sources added the militants also took away material including the gates, bricks, furniture and iron rods from the house. The News.
LANDIKOTAL: The Information Technology (IT) teachers appointed on ad hoc basis in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in 2003 have urged the Supreme Court and Peshawar High Court to take notice of their pending salaries and direct the authorities to regularise their services. “We are running from pillar to post to get our salaries stuck up for the last six months, but the authorities have turned a deaf ear towards our problems,” an IT teacher, who wished not to be named, told The News. He said the higher judiciary was their last hope and it should ensure regularisation of their services and payment of their outstanding salaries. The News.
HANGU: A woman and her child sustained injuries in an explosion caused by gas leakage here on Tuesday, local sources said. The sources said that a woman, wife of Israel, was preparing breakfast when an explosion occurred due to gas leakage in Sangarh area in Hangu. The woman and her six-year old child sustained burn injuries and were taken to a local hospital. The condition of the child was stated to be critical. The News.
PESHAWAR: Central Chief, Progressive Muslim League, Mouazam Bhutt Advocate stressed United Nation (UN) to form a strategy with the consultation of all the member countries to eradicate terrorism in Pakistan. This he said while addressing a press conference in Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday. Mouazam Bhutt asked general secretary of UN to call a joint conference comprising of Pakistan, United States, Afghanistan, India, Iran and Saudi Arabia in which the countries should plan a policy against those countries who were providing funds to militants and other pro-militant organizations in Afghanistan and Pakistan for their personal interest. The Frontier Post.
PESHAWAR: The anti-polio campaign would continue in the province and Fata according to the programme of National Task Force (NTF) and the missed out children would be administered vaccines before the end of the current year. This was decided during a meeting presided over by MNA Asma Arbab Alamgir Khan and Chief Secretary Ghulam Dastagir Akhar, said an official statement on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by NTF members, Senator Robeena Khalid, Secretary Information and Culture Azmat Hanif Orakzai, secretaries’ health and home and tribal affairs, IGP Khyber Pakthunkhwa, divisional commissioners, district coordination officers, chief capital city police officer, UNICEF and world health organization officials. The Frontier Post.
PESHAWAR: Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that martyrs had sacrificed their lives for the great cause of peace and the nation would never forget their sacrifices and peace would prevail at last. He said this during his visit to the residences of martyrs of Dhaki Naalbandi suicide attack including Haji Noor Muhammad, former Nazim Mian Pervez, Haji Hashim and Abdul Mateen on Monday. He also visited Kabuli Police Station to condole the death of SHO Sattar Khattak in the incident. The Frontier Post.
WASHINGTON: An official US report warns that future terrorists could come from many different religions, including Christianity and Hinduism. “Right-wing and left-wing ideological groups — some of the oldest users of terrorist tactics — also will pose threats,” the report adds. But it hopes that the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq and a reduced military presence in Afghanistan will also decrease the terrorists’ ability to use America for stirring up Muslim anger. “The Future of Terrorism” is part of a larger report that studies global trends between now and 2030. The report was partially released earlier this month but the complete version has now been placed on the US State Department’s website. “The impending withdrawal of US forces from Iraq and decreases in US forces in Afghanistan will help to reduce the extent to which terrorists can draw on the United States as a lightning rod for anger,” says the report prepared by US intelligence agencies for American policymakers. “Soon, US support for Israel could be the last remaining major focus of Muslim anger,” the report adds. Dawn.
FRC REPORT
Parrachinnar: Pukhtoonkhuwa Student Federation of Kurram Agency Chapter held a protest rally at agency’s central place Parrachinnar on Monday and condemned the killing of senior minister of KPK Bashir Ahmand Bilour along with eight other people in Saturday’s suicide attack in Dakh Naghalbandi in Peshawar, FRC field Reporter told. A large number of Awami National Party workers besides PukhtoonKhuwa Students Federation members participated in the rally and condemned in their strong words the killing of their party’s number two by terming the attack a barbaric act of Terrorism. The notables among the attendees who addressed the rally were Imran Ali, Syed AbduLLah Jan, Nazir Noshy and Arif Torry. The addressee stressed upon the government to adopt a workable mechanism to counter the menace of terrorism and vowed to continue their fight against terrorism till its elimination from the country and that the terrorists cannot undermine their determination in this fight by applying such cowardious methods.
Parrachinnar: Like the rest of country, Christmas was also celebrated with religious fervor and enthusiasm in the Kurram Agency headquarters Parrachinnar, which was attended by a large number of Christian community despite the harsh weather, FRC Field Reporter told. Saint Thames church Parrachinnar was crowded with Christian community including children and women. Father Riaz Maseh highlighted the need of the hour and stressed to unite against all the ills, in the shape of terrorism, the country is facing at the moment.
In another incident, a dead body of a missing person, identified as Mohammad Farooq, was found in the fields of Lower Kurram Buggan area here on Tuesday. The deceased was abducted by unknown persons on Sunday.
NAWAF KHAN, SHARAFAT ALI CHAUDHARY
