Malala Yousufzai, the 14-year-old Swat girl who championed the cause of girls’ education and dared to criticise Taliban’s attack on schools and school going girls, was shot and seriously wounded here on Tuesday. As she struggled for life in a Peshawar hospital, Taliban claimed responsibility for the chilling attack and threatened to target her again and kill her if she managed to survive this time. Malala’s courage was recognised and praised worldwide and she was nominated for several international peace awards. Pakistan decorated her with a gallantry award. Malala, who has two brothers, wants to be a politician. “I wanted to be a lawyer but I know there is need for good politicians, so I want to be a good politician to make good laws and good legislations. I want to do something for girls’ education,” she had told a private TV channel. Dawn, The News, The Frontier Post.
About 15 militants were killed in two incidents in Khyber Agency on Tuesday. Six activists of the militant Lashkar-i-Islam organisation and their ‘commander’ Khan Mohammad were killed when a bomb exploded in a bunker they had occupied after a clash with their rival Tawheedul Islam group. Bullet-riddled bodies of seven Tawheedul Islam militants were found in a drain in Sipah area of Bara. There were marks of torture on the bodies, they added. The TI men had been kidnapped from Bazaar-Zakhakhel area a week ago.
A Christian man was kidnapped from Jamrud Bazaar. Khasadar officials said that Navid Piyara had come to Jamrud from Rawalpindi to settle a monetary dispute with a local man. Dawn, The News, hThe Frontier Post.
Parties in the PPP-led ruling coalition as well as the opposition condemned on Tues-day the barbaric attack on schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai and described it an act of cowardice. President Asif Ali Zardari said that terrorists would never be able to shake the resolve of the nation by such dastardly acts and the government, with the support of the nation, would continue its fight against terrorists till its logical conclusion. He said that girls like Malala Yousufzai symbolised the quest for knowledge among girls of Swat and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Dawn.
The US State Department on Tuesday condemned the shooting of Malala Yousufzai, calling it a cowardly and barbaric act. The report of her shooting spread like a jungle fire and media outlets across the world described her as a child campaigner for education who stood up against the might of Taliban. “We strongly condemn the shooting of Malala. Directing violence at children is barbaric, it’s cowardly, and our hearts go out to her and the others who were wounded, as well as their families,” the State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, told reporters at a news briefing in Washington. Dawn.
Three persons were injured when militants attacked a passenger vehicle near Paro village in lower Kurram Agency on Tuesday. The vehicle carrying 20 passengers was going from Parachinar, the administrative headquarters of Kurram Agency, to Peshawar. The passengers said that attackers lobbed a hand grenade at the vehicle and then opened firing, causing injuries to three commuters. The wounded persons were identified as Kazim Hussain, Muneer Hussain and Arif Hussain. They were shifted to CMH in Thall. One of the injured passengers was stated to be in critical condition. Security forces besieged Paro village and arrested 17 persons under the collective responsibility clause of FCR. The elders of Turi and Bangash tribes condemned the attack and demanded of the government to ensure security to passengers moving from Parachinar to other parts of the country. Dawn.
Two children were killed and one was seriously injured in a hand grenade blast here on Tuesday. The children were playing with the hand grenade when it exploded with a bang in a street in College Town. Police said that the children had found the hand grenade in the street. The children, who died in the blast, were identified as Tahir and Zakir while Reshma Bibi was injured. The victims of the blast were taken to KDA hospital by volunteers. Dawn.
Tribal elders belonging to various tribes in South Waziristan Tuesday declared the peace march of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran as a historic initiative undertaken to protect the human rights of the tribal people. Addressing a jirga, the elders of the Mahsud, Wazir, Burki and Bhittani tribes said that Imran had won the hearts and minds of millions of the tribal people. The speakers including Malik Janan Mahsud, Malik Bakhtiar Mahsud, Maulana Ahafta Khan Bhittani, Malik Ali Muhammad Wazir and Malik Rafiuddin Wazir said the peace convoy of Imran Khan included 12,000 vehicles. They said that more than 0.1 million people took part in the peace march despite the fact that various tactics were used to bully the participants of the rally. However, they said the rumours of suicide bombings targetting the rally, distribution of fake pamphlets and other means of threats and warnings could not deter the peace marchers. The News.
Four persons, including two women, were killed when a mortar shell hit a house in Mamozai area in Orakzai Agency, tribal sources said. The sources said that the shell hit the house of Sultan Mir in Mir Kadamkhel village in the Taliban-controlled Mamozai area at 10am. Zarif Khan and Khan Muhammad and two women were killed on the spot, they said, adding, Sultan Mir and a child sustained injuries in the attack. They added the house was completely destroyed in the incident. The injured were taken to a local hospital. They could not be shifted to any settled district or government hospital in the area as the roads were closed due to military action against the militants, said a tribesman. The News.
The militants on Tuesday blew up a state-run school in Malkadhera in the limits of the City Police Station, official sources said. The sources said the explosive devices planted in the Government Primary School in Malkadhera went off early in the day. Two rooms were destroyed while another room and boundary wall were partially damaged. An official of the bomb disposal unit said it was a homemade bomb in which five kilograms explosives had been used. It was the 27th school blown up by the militants in Charsadda district. The News.
Governor Barrister Masood Kausar on Tuesday blamed the officials of the health department for the failure of eradication of polio from Fata. He said that the government had made all possible efforts to eradicate polio and had these officials done their work properly, Fata would be polio free.
Talking to media after presiding over a meeting at Governor House, he said that the government was committed to restore peace in Fata and eradication of polio was also a priority of the government.
He said that strict action was taken against the officials who were negligent during the polio eradication campaign. The Frontier Post.
FRC Report:
FATA Research Center in an in house session condemned the incident of militancy in which National Peace Award winner Malala Yousafzai was shot and seriously injured.
FRC in house session was held on Wednesday at seminar hall at FRC Headquarters Islamabad.
Mr Mansoor Khan Mehsood Director Administration and Research termed this incident as ‘symbolic’. “Taliban tried to give message of their presence in Swat to anti Taliban elements as well as to the state”.
Mr Zaheer Khan the Program Manager regarded this attack as ‘brutal and coward’ in its nature and aginst the social norms.
Mr. Mehran Ali Khan Senior Research Analyst analyzed the occurrence from strategic point of view. He stated that this incident occurred as result of state’s counter terrorism strategy. “The state applied the low cost counter terrorism formula in which civilians were used to counter militancy”.
A nominee of international peace award Ms Yousafzai was shot because she was used by state as an anti Taliban national hero, Mr Khan asserted.
NAWAF KHAN, SHARAFAT ALI CHAUDHRY
