ISLAMABAD: The treasury on Tuesday blocked a key legislation for giving representation to women from FATA in parliament. The proposed law was moved by a treasury member in the Lower House of parliament, which also witnessed a walk out from the JUI-F against imposition of governor’s rule in Balochistan. Yasmeen Rahman of the PPP introduced The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2013 envisaging women representation from FATA in parliament, on the private member’s day. However, PPP chief whip Syed Khursheed Shah opposed the bill, saying that it is a constitutional issue and needs an amendment. He suggested the matter should be put on hold for further discussion. Yasmeen insisted on referring the bill to the relevant committee of the House, however Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi, who was chairing the proceedings, declined the request following opposition from Khursheed Shah. Reacting to the move of the treasury, Yasmeen pointed out that whenever the issues concerning women, like domestic bill or women representation from FATA came in assemblies, they are dragged on. Daily Times.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan has called upon the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to bring the killers of 18 tribal people to book. The tribesmen were killed in their homes in Bara on Jan 15. Area people and relatives of the victims accuse personnel of security forces of carrying out the killing. In a letter to KP Governor Barriester Masood Kausar, the PTI chief demanded measures to prevent such incidents in future. He expressed dismay over the silence of the federal and KP governments on the incident and for not taking action against those responsible for the gruesome murders. He said the government must conduct a thorough probe into the incident and bring the culprits to book. The killings, he said, had triggered protests, but the role played by the government had rubbed salt into the wounds of the grieving families. Dawn.
SWABI: Two improvised explosive device blasts on Tuesday ripped through two buses of a private school in Chota Lahor tehsil here. However, no damage to human life was reported as the buses had no one on them at the time of the blasts. Police said two IEDs were planted inside the buses, which were parked by drivers outside Quaid International Model School on Swabi-Jahangira Road after dropping students at the educational institution. Mazhar Khan, owner and principal of the school, said bombs went off one after another creating panic among students and teachers inside the school. He said at the time of the explosions, drivers of the two buses were sitting in another bus waiting for the closing time of the school. The owner said the administration had received threats over the telephone from militants of Miramshah in North Waziristan Agency that the school would be targeted by them. He said it was the fourth time that different branches of the school were targeted by militants. Dawn, The News, The Nation, Daily Times.
PESHAWAR: Another doctor fell victim to targeted killings in the provincial capital on Tuesday as unidentified people gunned down Dr Shah Nawaz Ali in his cantonment area clinic. Earlier this month, Dr Riaz Hussain Shah was shot dead in Dabgari area. Police said Dr Ali, an eye specialist, was gunned down inside his clinic on the busy commercial Liaquat Street in Saddar Bazaar at around 4pm. Local residents told Dawn that the physician had confined his activities to his profession and had no association with any sectarian group. They said the apparent reason for the killing was that Dr Ali, who lived in cantonment area, belonged to Shia sect. When contacted, police’s investigation officer Zahid Alam said the case of the killing had not been registered as the heirs of the physician had yet to record statements with police. Dawn, The News, The Express Tribune.
TANK: Two members of the pro-government peace committee were killed and another was injured when unidentified persons opened fire on them in Karhi Haider area, police sources said on Tuesday.The sources said unidentified persons shot dead members of the anti-militant peace committee Haqi Khan and Din Muhammad and dumped their bodies near the Takwara stream. Another member of the committee, Saifullah, sustained injuries in the attack.The police registered a case on the report of Mirza Ali Khan against the unknown accused. The News.
MIRANSHAH: Four personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) were seriously injured when unidentified persons attacked a convoy of the security forces on the Thall-Mir Ali Road in North Waziristan Agency on Tuesday, government officials said. They said a convoy of the Thall Scouts, a wing of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC), was on its way to Spinwam in Mir Ali subdivision from Thall subdivision in the Hangu district when it was targetted through an improvised explosive device (IED). The injured soldiers were taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Thall subdivision. Security forces later started a search operation but could not make any arrest. Local residents said security forces fired some shots but there was no information about any casualty. The political administration served notices on local tribesmen under the territorial responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and asked them to hand over those involved in the attack or face the consequences. The News, The Nation.
PESHAWAR: A two-member bench of Peshawar High Court on Tuesday took exception to the killing of two ‘missing persons’ and summoned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial police officer along with several other officials, directing them to explain as to why they failed to trace out the culprits involved in the incidents. The bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Irshad Qaiser also put on notice the principal secretary to the prime minister and federal finance secretary, asking them to submit reply and explain as to why a poor woman whose missing son was allegedly killed in custody should not be provided with appropriate compensation not less than blood money. The bench directed the deputy attorney general, Muzamil Khan, and an additional advocate general, Naveed Akhtar, to positively submit their reply before Feb 22, the next date of hearing, failing which the court would be constrained to order attachment of some properties of federal and provincial government to recover amount of blood money to compensate the woman, Hameeda Bibi. Dawn.
PESHAWAR: At least three CD and music shops were blown up in two back-to-back blasts near the traffic police lines at Bacha Khan Chowk here on Tuesday evening. An official of Faqirabad police station said that dynamites were planted near the shops that went off one after another. However, the blast caused no casualty and people present in the area remind unhurt, he added. The official said that the blasts also damaged the power supply system and caused panic among the people in the area. Dawn, The Nation, Daily Times.
MIRANSHAH: Four children died of measles in Dattakhel and Machis areas in North Waziristan on Tuesday, a senior doctor said. Talking to reporters, Medical Superintendent Agency Headquarters Hospital Dr Azam Wazir said medical teams had been sent to concerned areas to provide treatment to infected children. He said the children in North Waziristan couldn’t be immunised against measles because the provincial health department didn’t have the anti-measles vaccines. Child Specialist Dr Muhammad Ali advised parents to keep their children warm as the cold weather was the main cause behind the spread of the disease. He said cold-related diseases, including pneumonia and cough, had registered an increase due to the biting cold. The News.
HANGU: A house was partially damaged in an explosion in Hameedullah Banda in the limits of City Police Station on Tuesday, police sources said. The sources said that explosive devices planted by unidentified persons near the house of Sana Gul Orakzai went off in the evening, causing partial damage to the house. However, it caused no loss of life. The bomb disposal unit reached the spot. The News.
PESHAWAR: The activists of Muslim Students Federation (MSF) staged a protest against the killing of 18 tribesmen in Bara. The demonstrators, led by MSF Zeeshan Ali, Aamir Khan and Qaiser Bacha, staged the protest outside the Peshawar Press Club. Holding placards, the protesters chanted slogans against the killing of tribesmen. They said the rulers were not able to root out militancy from the tribal areas, saying the tribal people were being victimised for the crimes they never committed. The News.
PESHAWAR: A member of the Sikh community was kidnapped from outside his house in Quaidabad area in the jurisdiction of Bhanamari Police Station late Monday night. Ranbhir Singh, a trader in Karkhano Market, was standing outside his house when armed men seized him and bundled him into their car. Earlier, this month, another trader from Jogan Shah area of Dabgari, Mahindar Singh, was killed in Khyber Agency. He was kidnapped for ransom in November. The News.
MARDAN: The Amn Jirga, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Tuesday expressed concern over the increasing acts of terror in the Swabi district and asked the government to take proper security measures in the area. Presided over by its chief Syed Kamal Shah, the Jirga members including Arshad Manan Yousafzai, Mujeebur Rahman, Fazal Malik Khan, Raj Wali Khan, Abdul Khalik, Dr Yousaf, Adnan Ali Shah, Fazal Raziq Khan and former MPA Maulana Israrul Haq Haqqani in a meeting expressed concern over the prevailing security situation. The Jirga asked the government to arrest the elements involved in fanning militancy in the Swabi district. The elders also condemned the killing of innocent people in Bara and Mir Ali. They asked the government to immediately stop military actions in the tribal regions. The News.
PESHAWAR: The contractual lectures hailing from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday took out a rally against the government for non-regularization of their services. Dozens of the protestors led by the general secretary Ad-hoc Lecturers’ Association were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans inscribed with slogans in favor of their demands, gathered here outside Governor House and then marched towards press club. Amid chanting anti-government slogans and in favour of their demands, they held a protest demo outside press club. The Nation.
PESHAWAR: In order to involve the youth in healthy activities, Mohmand Sports Festival has been kicked off at Agency Headquarters Ghallanai Mohmand Agency on Tuesday. Sports festival carrying events like cricket and volleyball in which 112 registered teams will take part across the agency. A press release issued by Fata Secretariat stated that to provide sporting opportunities to youth of the agency, the political administration has organized a colorful event at Ghalanai Cricket Stadium. Additional political agent Abdul Hameed along with Tehsildar Haleemzai and Agency Sports Officer Saeed Akhtar formally inaugurated the event. The Nation.
FRC REPORT
MIRANSHAH: A two days long shutter down strike was observed in Miranshah NWA against the prolonged power outages in the agency in which thousand locals besides tribal elders participated, FRC field reporter learnt. The protestors were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the Wapda administration and their failure to provide electricity to the natives of the agency. They protestors in front of Miranshah press club. The strike was called on by Waziristan action committee and vowed to continue their strike their fulfillment of demands. The protesters also raised slogans against political administration of the agency and demanded off their immediate transfer of Political Agent and tehsildar Miranshah.
NAWAF KHAN, SHARAFAT ALI CHAUDHARY
