ISLAMABAD: The top military brass resolved on Tuesday to continue the fight against terrorism. The meeting, chaired by Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne, was attended by Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Asif Yasin Malik, Chief of General Staff, Director General Joint Staff, Director General of Inter Services Intelligence, Director General of Strategic Plans Division and other senior military officers from the three services. Dawn.
BARA: Forty-six militants, including an Uzbek commander, were killed in twin suicide attacks on the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the headquarters of the Tirah-based Ansarul Islam (AI), tribal and official sources said on Tuesday. The sources said that when the militants of TTP entered the main office of the AI in Bagh area, a suicide attacker blew himself up on Monday. Another suicide attack, the sources said, was carried when the TTP militants moved into the ammunition depots inside the headquarters of the AI. The sources said 46 militants, including Uzbek commander Abu Islam, were killed and a dozen others injured in the two attacks planned by the AI. The News, The Frontier Post.
CHARSADDA: Unidentified persons killed a soldier of Frontier Constabulary and injured two policemen in Charsadda on Tuesday. Sources said that the assailants opened firing on Qadir Khan, the FC man, who was performing duty near local courts in Shabqadar. He was killed on the spot while two policemen identified as Shoaibul Islam and Mukhtar were injured in the attack. The assailants managed to escape after committing the crime. The firing created panic and fear among the local population. Police registered a case against unidentified assailants and started investigation. Dawn, The News, The Express Tribune.
ISLAMABAD: Three Islamabad police officers who went hunting for a Pakistani criminal hiding in Afghanistan located him near the city of Jalalabad but returned home Tuesday empty handed. Police sources explained that since an extradition treaty does not exist between Afghanistan and Pakistan the officers could only identify their wanted man to the Afghan police and hope for action from them. Connections and state rivalries seem to continue favour Roohullah who is wanted for murdering a retired judicial officer of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the federal capital in February 2010. Dawn.
PESHAWAR: As lawyers on Tuesday began a three-day mourning against the bombing of Judicial Complex in the provincial capital, Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan said he had himself been supervising the investigation to trace the real culprits and would take action against police if they were found guilty of dereliction of duty. Lawyers stayed away from courts and therefore, no court work could be performed. Officials in different courts changed the dates of the hearing into cases fixed there. Dawn.
LANDI KOTAL: The intra-party elections held by Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) resulted in intensifying differences in its Khyber Agency chapter as a group in the party refused to accept results of the polls. The three member election committee comprising Advocate Saadullah Khan, Advocate Sohail and Advocate Javedullah had declared on March 17 Iqbal Afridi as president-elect of PTI Khyber Agency chapter. The committee said that Mr Afridi secured 319 votes against his rival Ameenzada, who got 179 votes. Other offices were also grabbed by Iqbal Afridi group. Dawn.
KALAYA: More than 3,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have fled Tirah valley of Khyber Agency due to fighting between militant groups and reached Orakzai Agency, an official said on Tuesday.Talking to reporters, Orakzai Agency Political Agent Mehmood Aslam said that the IDPs would be provided free transport facility. “Around 972 families have been registered so far at the Kalaya checkpost while 1682 families at the Ziara checkpost,” he added.The political administration had established mobile medical centres at three points in Orakzai for the displaced persons, he added. The News.
PESHAWAR: Governor Shaukatullah on Tuesday asked the authorities concerned to expedite efforts for development of sports facilities; promotion of games and arrangement of sports events in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Talking during a briefing on development of sports facilities; prevailing state of working of the Directorate of Sports, Fata, and the future assignments in this respect, the governor desired that efficient arrangements needed to be made to ensure better output. The News, The Frontier Post.
PESHAWAR: The All Fata Students Organisation on Tuesday asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to reinstate Prof Shafiqur Rehman as vice-chancellor of the Fata University. Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, the organisation office-bearers Ilyas Afridi and Adnan Afridi said that Prof Shafiqur Rehman was appointed vice-chancellor of the Fata University on January 23, 2012. They said later at the behest of the Fata Secretariat officials, Governor Shaukatullah removed him from the post. The News.
PESHAWAR: Primary school teachers say the government’s policy to give them additional assignments for elections and vaccination drives is putting the future of many children at stake. Malik Khalid Khan, provincial president of the All Primary Teachers Association (APTA), said while on one hand the government is spending large sums on money to increase literacy in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, on the other hand teachers are being forced out of class and expected to perform additional duties, including polio vaccinations, preparing voter lists, census and house counting, Malik said. The Express Tribune.
PESHAWAR: Security forces with assistance from the police and paramilitary forces conducted a search operation in several villages of Mattani and arrested several suspects. The operation commenced around midnight and continued till 6am, during which houses in Mattani, Shera Kera, Rahimabad and Gaziabad as well as Aza Khel were searched. Weapons were recovered and those arrested have been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation. “We have not seen an operation on such a large scale in the area,” said a local elder requesting anonymity. The Express Tribune.
LONDON: Malala Yousufzai returned to school on Tuesday for the first time since she was shot in the head by militants in October for campaigning for girls’ education. The 15-year-old said she had “achieved her dream” and was looking forward to meeting new friends at the independent Edgbaston High School for Girls in Birmingham, central England, where she is now living. “I am excited that today I have achieved my dream of going back to school,” she said in a statement. “I want all girls in the world to have this basic opportunity.” Dawn.
FRC REPORT
WANA: Two girls were injured when a missile descended in front of a house near Afghan Camp located in the east of Rustam Bazaar in Wana, the headquarters of SWA, here on Tuesday evening, FRC Field Reporter told. According to details two missiles were fired by unknown militants from a nearby mountain ‘Kwand Seray’. One of them landed near a bridge outside the Wana Bazaar causing no casualty, while the second landed in Afghan Camp in Wacha Khura area. Two girls of a family, belonging to Kaka Khel tribe, a sub-tribe of Ahamdzai Wazir, were injured in the incident. Both were rushed to hospital and are said to be in stable conditions. No militant group has claimed the responsibility so far. For the past few months, missiles have repeatedly been fired towards Wana Rustam Bazaar from unknown locations. It has not yet been ascertained who is behind these attacks.
NAWAF KHAN, SHARAFAT ALI CHAUDHARY
