Migration on in S Waziristan

WANA: The evacuation of people from different areas of South Waziristan is underway and people are shifting to Bannu, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan through North Waziristan.




After launch of security forces operation against militants, massive migration from Shakoi and Zangra areas of South Waziristan is going on. Local residents have established makeshift at Mir Ali for the displace persons. The entry of the migrants is carrying out at Khajori check post. Some of the people hired houses; however, no arrangements have been made by political administration for the affectees.

Will Punjab CM make way for a free and impartial enquiry into the Lahore terror incidents?

The provincial capital came under attack on Thursday as terrorists unleashed coordinated raids on three law-enforcement facilities, killing at least 19 people, including 14 security officials and 41 others sustained injuries, in fierce fighting, before security forces brought the situation under control. All nine attackers were also shot dead by security personnel, officials said.

The three attacks were launched within an hour of each other – starting 9.30am with a raid on the building that houses FIA offices and followed by assaults on the Manawan Police Academy and the Elite Force Training Centre at Bedian Road. The brazen attacks on tightly guarded security sites came just six days after a highly organized attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. A TTP faction – the Amjad Farooqi group – has claimed responsibility for the attacks, reported a private TV channel.

Thursday’s attack on three different sites was the fifth major terror incident in the city during the current year. At least 50 people were killed in the previous four attacks. On June 12-- Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi, a leading anti-Taliban cleric, was assassinated, with six other people killed and five injured, when a suicide bomber detonated himself at the Jamia Naeemia madrassa in Garhi Shahu. On May 27--suicide bombers detonated a vehicle loaded with 100kg explosives near the offices of the capital city police officer (CCPO) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Around 27 people were killed and 326 injured. On March 30--around 10 terrorists entered the Police Training School Manawan. Eight cadets and one civilian were killed while 93 cadets and civilians were injured. On March 3--twelve terrorists armed with hand grenades and sophisticated weapons attacked the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team near the Liberty Roundabout. Six cricketers were injured, while six policemen and two civilians were killed.

The attacks in Lahore took place despite warnings from intelligence agencies that this would happen. Some of these warnings had appeared in the media. In spite of that the Punjab government, it seems, didn’t take it seriously, yet it found an opportunity making use of it for their political purposes and forced postponement of the by-elections already scheduled by Election Commission. If we are unable to stop the militants despite such precise intelligence, there is quite obviously something that is very wrong. We need to find out where these oversights or lapses or negligence are occurring and why. In times of war there can be no room for mistakes, especially ones that lead to death and destruction on this scale.

Will the Punjab chief minister being the chief executive of the province own this responsibility and make way for a free and fair enquiry into the matter, as the general public including the aggrieved people would like some heads must roll for the criminal lax and laxity on the part of the authority. We must find out why it has occurred and come up with ways to stop the other bombers, who even now may be chalking up their plans and detecting security weaknesses they can exploit.

Triple terror attack: Women join Taliban to strike Lahore

Lahore: Five days after striking at the heart of the Pakistani military headquarter, the Taliban laid siege to this cultural capital of the country Thursday, staging simultaneous and "multi-directional" attacks at three police establishments that have killed at least thirty seven people, police and eyewitnesses said.


Pakistani volunteers remove a body as they walk past an attackers body (R) at the premises of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) - criminal police building after gunmen attacked in Lahore on October 15, 2009. Eleven people, including six security officials, died after gunmen stormed three police buildings in Pakistan's eastern city Lahore on October 15, a senior police official said. AFP PHOTO/ARIF ALI



Armed men dressed in military uniform stormed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the training centre of the Elite Force and the Manawan police training school that is just 12 km from the India-Pakistan border. There were women in those who carried out the attack. There was heavy exchange of fire in all three establishments. Loud blasts and gunshots could be heard, eyewitnesses said. Helicopters hovered above to keep a watch on the terror drama unfolding across the city.


Lahore Commissioner of Police Khusro Pervez told Dawn News that it was a "multi-directional attack".


Taliban owns up assault
The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that had claimed responsibility for the audacious assault on the Pakistani General Headquarters (GHQ) in the garrison town of Rawalpindi Saturday, owned up Thursday's attacks.

Pervez said seven people were killed in the attack on the FIA building and three people injured. These included two terrorists - a third was taken into custody, media reports said. The FIA, Pakistan's federal law enforcement agency, is located close to a school.

An official of the Ganga Ram Hospital confirmed that the dead bodies have been transferred to the facility.

"The FIA building has been cleared and search operations are being carried out in the surrounding areas," Pervez said, adding that a suicide jacket had been recovered.

At the Elite Force headquarters at Bedian Road, 10 terrorists, including three women, barged into the premises, lobbing grenades and firing indiscriminately. Police said the exchange of fire was still on and the complex had been encircled.
Six armed terrorists stormed into the Manawan academy, located five km from the Elite Force establishment, lobbing grenades and firing from automatic weapons.

According to Pervez, security forces were still searching for the terrorists. This was the second attack on the establishment this year after the March 30 assault that left 13 people dead.

Lahore under terror siege, three more places under attack

Thu, Oct 15 11:15 AM


Lahore, Oct.15 (ANI): The eastern Pakistan city of Lahore appeared to be under siege from terrorists on Thursday morning, with at least four security installation under attack.
While senior police officials confirmed the end of the attack on the FIA building as short while ago, three other places- the Elite Police Center, the Manawan Police trining Academy and the main police station in the Civil Lines area were being attacked.

Television reports said heavily armed attackers stormed into the Manawan Police Academy on the outskirts of Lahore. Reports of firing at the Elite Police Center (EPC) were also received.
Unconfirmed reports said eight to ten terrorists had targeted the EPC, and an intense gun battle was still on till the reports last filtered in.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik has also confirmed that commando operations were on at both of these two places.Earlier, militants raided the FIA building, situated on Temple Road, and took several officials hostage.
Five persons, including two terrorists were killed in the rescue operation which followed.Senior police officials confirmed that the 20-25 hostages were rescued room the building, which houses several government and private offices.(ANI)

World must stop Indian intervention in Pakistan: Malik

Thursday, October 15, 2009


Says arms supply to terrorists coming from Afghanistan; ‘we gained nothing from playing close ally role in terror war’

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Wednesday demanded of the international community to pressure India to stop intervention in Afghanistan and Pakistan to ensure establishment of peace in the region.



“India is increasing its intervention in Pakistan through Afghanistan. Pakistan-Afghanistan border must be sealed and international community must help stop Indian intervention,” said the minister while talking to newsmen at the Parliament House.



ìIn my speech at Interpol, I had informed the international community that ammunition supply to terrorist elements is coming from Afghanistan where Indian intervention is increasing with every passing day as a conspiracy to destabilise Pakistan.î



He said Pakistan has always been termed close ally but it is inevitable that international players play their role to end Indian intervention for positive results. “We gained nothing from playing close-ally role in the war on terror. After Afghanistan-Russian war, we received millions of Afghan refugees still staying in the country. After 9/11, we got suicide attacks in our country,” he said and added that we had been calling for early repatriation of these refuges.



He said one should think a while as why only Pakistan is suffering during the prevailing situation in the region and the security situation would persist until the Indian intervention is stopped in Pakistan. The minister categorically rejected the apprehensions from the West alleging the presence of the Taliban leadership in Pakistan and described such statements as baseless. “Today, I categorically reject the statement that the Taliban leadership, including Osama Bin Laden and Mulla Omer, are present in our area. Talks about Quetta Shura are totally baseless,” he clarified.



Regarding the decision to launch operation in South Waziristan, the minister said it would be finalised after the return of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani from foreign visit and taking all stakeholders into confidence. “Neither the timing of the operation has been finalised nor has the duty been assigned to anyone for operation in South Waziristan,” said the minister. He said security forces operation in Swat and Malakand was successfully completed as it had the backing of the people and the political leadership as the government took along all the political leaders, including those of Tehrik-e Insaaf and the Jamaat-e-Islami into confidence.



Malik said the probe into the terrorist attack at the GHQ, Rawalpindi, is underway and the investigation report would be made public after it is finalised. He said the Army has its own investigation set-up and other agencies, too, are involved in probing into the GHQ attack and added the capital police also worked shoulder-to- shoulder with the Army in this whole episode.



He said Pakistan’s security as well as integrity is linked with the Pakistan Army and one should not try to create hatred among the institutions. “No one should create hatred among institutions. This was not only the attack on the GHQ, rather the whole country, the people,” said Malik.

Lahore: several killed as 3 security forces buildings targeted

Lahore: several killed as 3 security forces buildings targeted
LAHORE: Once again terrorists attacked three security forces buildings in Lahore today. As per reports, unidentified terrorists targeted Federal Investigati ....