Peshawar is among 14 districts in the country with high incidence of violence against women over the first six months of the current year, according to an Aurat Foundation report. Other districts are Lahore, Okara, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Gujrat, DG Khan, Pakpattan, Muzaffargarh, Sahiwal, Mirpurkhas, Sheikhupura and Ghotiki, said the ‘Violence Against Women In Pakistan Monitor (Jan-June 2012) report released here on Tuesday. According to the report, women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are at a high risk of subjugation but culture and societal norms in the province make it harder for women to report violence against them.
During January and June this year, 283 VAW cases were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the number is six per cent of the countrywide incidence of such crimes. Around 55 per cent of VAW incidents reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in six months were of murder totaling 157, while the province registered nine cases of abduction and kidnapping during the period. Overall, 32 cases of domestic violence, 23 of honour killing and 30 of suicide were reported in the province between Jan and June 2012. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the prevalence of sexual violence was reportedly low as seven cases of rape or gang rape were reported in six months. Dawn.
Two persons including a suspected militant were shot dead while another was injured during a search operation in Akkakhel area of Bara on Tuesday, sources said. Although security forces declined to give details of the search operation conducted in Gud Malang and Misri chowk localities of Akkakhel, local sources said that the dead included a passer-by and an activist of a local militant group. Sources said that the operation was conducted jointly by army and Frontier Corps. They said that security forces rounded up 150 residents of the area and shifted them to Fort Salop for investigation. The officials of Bara political administration, when contacted, said that such operations had become a routine exercise in Bara with little or no results. “They (security forces) never share such information and plans with the local administration and most of the time they act on their own,” said an administrative official, who wished not to be named. Dawn, The News.
In Mohmand Agency, Levies personnel and volunteers of Haleemzai Peace Committee demolished the houses of five suspected militants in Roadh Mandi area on Tuesday. The owners of the houses were identified as Saraf Khan, Zawo Jan, Zar Shah, Amir Shah and Akbar Shah. Earlier, a jirga of Haleemzai tribe decided to demolish the houses of the suspected militants, who were allegedly involved in a bomb blast in the area. The participants of the jirga said a fine of Rs1 million would be imposed on those tribesmen, who provided shelter to militants. Addressing the jirga, Haleemzai Peace Committee chief Malik Mohammad Ali said that they would extend full support to security forces and political administration to restore peace in the area. In this connection, an agreement was also signed by the tribesmen, bounding them to stand united to fight against militants and protect their area. Dawn.
Three personnel of Frontier Constabulary (FC) were injured in a blast on Frontier Road on the outskirts of Peshawar on Tuesday morning. An official of Badhber police station said that militants had planted a four-kilogram heavy bomb along the roadside at a place where law-enforcers used to take a rest while checking suspected elements. He said that the bomb went off when FC personnel reached the area. As a result three FC men identified as Bakht Munir, Zulfiqar and Zahid received injuries. The injured were rushed to Lady Reading Hospital. A hospital source said that the injured were in stable condition. A case against unidentified terrorists was registered at Badhber police station. Dawn.
In Lakki Marwat, a villager was seriously injured in a bomb explosion near a primary school in Nar Bakhmal Ahmadzai area on Tuesday. Police said that Mohammad Munir along with his father Mohammad Ayaz went to his fields in the morning and saw a bucket lying there. “When he tried to lift the bucket an explosion took place. He was injured seriously in the blast,” they said. The injured was taken to a hospital in Naurang while police and security forces reached the area and defused another homemade explosive device planted in the school building. According to bomb disposal squad the bomb weighed 10 kilograms. An official of education department said that more than 250 students were enrolled in the school. Dawn.
Fifteen people have been arrested over two bomb attacks on the convoy of Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Monday, district police officer Abdul Rashid said on Tuesday. Mr Rashid told Dawn here that police were interrogating suspects mostly from Swabi and hoped that the culpable people would be arrested ‘very soon’. He, however, refused to disclose the suspects’ names and native areas. The first blast occurred on Swabi-Jehangira Road when the chief minister was on the way to Karnal Sher Khan Chowk for the inauguration of Swabi-Mardan and Swabi-Topi roads, while the second blast took place in Shewa Adda area when the chief minister’s convoy was passing through it. Dawn.
A three-year-old child was killed and six other passengers were injured when a coach overturned in Safi tehsil of Mohmand tribal region on Tuesday. The residents of the area said that the passenger coach was on its way to Peshawar from Nawagai when it met the accident in Qandahri area of Safi tehsil. A three-year-old child was killed and six others, including women, were injured in the accident. The injured were shifted to a local hospital for treatment.Sources said that a woman passenger was in critical condition. Dawn.
The death toll of the Afghan security personnel from a Taliban attack in western Herat province yesterday climbed to 10 as the local authorities confirmed the two missing soldiers have also been killed. The dead security personnel included five policemen and as many Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers, the Herat governor’s spokesman Mahiuddin Noori told the AIP. The Obeh district police chief Major Bismillah Khan and deputy police chief of Chisht Sharif were also among the dead, he added. Two additional policemen and as many ANA soldiers sustained injuries in the gunfight that erupted after the Taliban attacked the security forces between the Obeh and Chisht Sharif districts. The Frontier Post.
Chief Executive Officer Tribal Areas Electricity Supply Company (Tesco) Pervez Khankhel Swati has said that kidnapping of company employees is a reaction of the recovery campaign started in tribal areas under the directives of Ministry of Water and Power. He said this while addressing a ceremony in Peshawar today held in the honour of Line Superintendent Javed Iqbal and Driver Rahim Jan kidnapped employees of TESCO SS & TL Division who were recovered last week. TESCO Chief lauded the efforts of Superintending Engineer Rahat Ali Afridi and Political administration of South Waziristan agency for safe and prompt recovery of the employees. He directed the field formations to get security and support of concerned political authorities prior to performing operational duties in FATA. The Frontier Post.
An oil tanker exploded on Tuesday near Tarujaba oil depot damaging another oil tanker as well. Both tankers were completely destroyed; however, no casualty was reported. Police said that the oil depot was safe from any damage, as the explosion took place at a distance from it. Some drivers who also had their tankers at the depot said the tanker which exploded was empty and terrorists might have placed the explosive in it when it was in Bajaur. The driver of the exploded tanker, Khaistaman, was not there when the incident took place; however, cops have registered an FIR against him. The Frontier Post.
FRC REPORT
Parrachinaar: The former chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party Nusrat Bhutto first anniversary was celebrated at Parrachinnar Kurram Agency here on Tuesday, FRC learnt.
According to details, the first anniversary of Pakistan Peoples’ Party former chairperson was celebrated in peoples’ House Parrachinnar. While addressing the gathering PPP person Hamid Toory, highlighted the sacrifices made by the former chairperson’s family for the sake of the country. He appreciated role played by PPP leaders and former Prime Ministers Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto for the uplift of the FATA and paid tribute to them.
Parrachinnar: Computerized Passport nhanced problems for the tribesmen of Parrachinnar as people suffered lingering wait in getting their passports even after the passage of three to four months, FRC learnt. According to local tribesmen the staff of Passport office at Parrachinnar is applying different delays tactics for the reasons unknown to them in issuing computerized passports to the locals which has increased the worries of the applicants.
Parrachinnar: Paramedical association of Parrachinnar has announced that they will go on strike if their demands would not be fulfilled till November third, FRC field reporter. The Parrachinaar Paramedical staff said that if the government would fail in fulfilling their demands till third November then they would go on a strike. “76 employees of the paramedic’s staff have been promoted and they should be deployed in their own localities as per rules”, said the secretary general of the association.
Bajaur Agency: Hundreds of employees of the education department in Bajaur tribal region failed to receive their Eid advance salary due to the absence of agencys’ education officer for the last several weeks. An official of education department told the reporter on Tuesday that hundreds of teachers in the different government educational institutions of the agency besides other staff members were deprived to get their Eid-ul-Azha advance salary from the office. “Cheques of the advance salary of all the employees are prepared for the last two days but there is no agency education officer to sign them”, source added. Source said that post of the agency education officer in the education department has been vacant for the last three weeks due to the retirement of the former AEO Mohammad Din Khan from his service.
NAWAF KHAN, SHARAFAT ALI CHAUDHRY
