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| February 20, 2007 | Tuesday | Safar 2, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
SC notes non-compliance in Hsiba Bill-2006 ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (APP) An eight-member bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday said the NWFP government did not comply with its opinion given in 2005 in letter and spirit while preparing its new Hisba Bill-2006. The court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, concluded the hearing of a presidential reference filed in December regarding the Hisba Bill-2006. Attorney General, Makhdoom Ali Khan, appeared before the court on behalf of the President and said the bill was designed to create a parallel judicial system in the province. The Attorney General also provided a detailed chart carrying a comparative study of the Hisba Bill-2005 and Hisba Bill-2006, and pointed out various sections/provisions that were not in compliance with the previous opinion of the Apex Court. Khalid Anwar represented the provincial government of NWFP and defended all the sections of the Hisba Bill-2006 passed by the government of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal. (First Posted @ 22:22 PST Updated @ 23:06 PST)
Gunman kills female minister in Pakistan LAHORE, Pakistan, Feb 20 (AP) A lone gunman shot and killed a provincial cabinet minister in Gujranwala city on Tuesday as she prepared to address a gathering of workers from her political party, officials said. Zil-e-Huma Usman was Minister for Social Welfare in Punjab province and a senior figure in the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) party. Police arrested the attacker, Mohammed Sarwar, and said he had been a suspect in the murder of several woman in the past. Police said Sarwar confessed to the killing and had told investigators that women should not hold important positions. The suspect also said that “since fashionable women spread obscenity in the society, he has been targeting them as a mission to purge the society of evil,” police added. (First Posted @ 14:00 PST Updated @ 21:52 PST)
Indian police release sketches of two bomb suspects NEW DELHI, Feb 20(Reuter) Police released sketches on Tuesday of two men believed to have jumped off a train bound for Pakistan shortly before two suitcase bombs exploded, sparking a fire that killed 68 people. “Around 11:30 (p.m.), these people got down, and the blasts happened 15 minutes later,” police Inspector-General Sharad Kumar told a televised news conference in Panipat town, close to the site of the blasts some 80 km (50 miles) outside New Delhi. One of the men was around 35 or 36 years old, “plumpish” and dark, with a moustache, the second around 26 or 27, wearing a scarf wrapped around his head, Kumar said. Both men were speaking the local Hindi language. “This is the statement of one of the eyewitnesses,” he said. Kumar said police were also questioning a Pakistani national whose name he gave as Usman Mohammed, who claims to have thrown one of the suitcases off the train. “The suitcase was thrown on the track,” he said. “Usman was there and said he had thrown it. We are verifying it. We are not giving a clean chit. He was drunk.” Meanwhile, many newspapers criticised on Tuesday security lapses that allowed bombers to board what is meant to be one of the best guarded trains in India. (First Posted @ 11:50 PST; Updated @ 12:33 PST)
Sheikh Rashid deplores non-cooperative attitude of Indian authorities ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (APP): Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Tuesday deplored the “non-cooperative” attitude of some Indian officials who he said have not yet provided the correct details of the dead and injured Pakistanis travelling by Samjhota Express train. He told the National Assembly that so far there are reports of 67 deaths in the train but the Indian rail officials have conveyed the name of only one dead passenger named Shafique. The Indian officials have said 13 Pakistanis were injured who are admitted to a Delhi hospital but their condition is such that they cannot be allowed to travel for another 56 hours, he added. He said immediately after the incident, he contacted the Indian railway officials and rushed to Wagah border but after initial contact, they could not be reached. “They had put down the phone receivers and I immediately contacted the president and the prime minister and informed him of the situation.” Sheikh Rashid said a C-130 transport plane and a special train was ready to bring the bodies back to Pakistan. He said Indian authorities for no apparent reason stopped the train at Atari and the short distance to Wagah was covered in six hours. He said locking the train doors, despite clearance by the security officials, was the cause of large number of deaths. The Minister said Pakistani investigating agencies should also be involved in the inquiry. (Posted @ 12:52 PST)
Indian PM visits victims of train blast NEW DELHI, Feb 20 (Agencies) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who met victims of the train blast tragedy at a hospital on Tuesday, told reporters that the best way to honor them was “to remain steadfast in our commitment to normalized relations between our two countries.” "It is an act of terror designed to interfere and disrupt the peace process between India and Pak which is moving satisfactorily," Singh said. He said it is a "solemn resolve of both the government of India and the government of Pakistan that we will not let these nefarious designs of terrorists to succeed." (Posted @ 23:26 PST)
Russian commander visits GHQ RAWALPINDI, Feb 20 (APP) The First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Morozov AS, along with three members of his defense delegation visited the General Headquarters on Tuesday and met the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, General Ahsan Saleem Hyat. The delegation, currently on a six-day official visit to Pakistan, discussed matters of professional interest during the meeting. (Posted @ 22:56 PST)
Gunmen attack Pakistani minister in Balochistan QUETTA, Pakistan, Feb 20 (Reuters) Gunmen attacked the convoy of a Pakistani government minister in Quetta on Tuesday but he escaped unhurt. Minister for States and Frontier Regions Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind came under attack when he was traveling with a police escort near his village in Lando area, 150 km east of Quetta. Earlier on Tuesday, suspected rebels blew up a gas pipeline on the outskirts of Quetta, cutting supplies to four districts near the city and a 95 MW city power plant. Supplies might be restored to some areas within 24 hours, officials said. (First Posted @ 12:38 PST Updated @ 22:16 PST)
McConnell takes over as new U.S. intelligence chief WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) Retired Adm. Mike McConnell was sworn in on Tuesday as the U.S. national intelligence director. McConnell assumes the most senior intelligence position from John Negroponte, who is now deputy secretary of state. McConnell will be responsible for briefing President George W. Bush daily on intelligence matters. (Posted @ 22:12 PST)
Pakistan FM urges cooperation after train attacks NEW DELHI, Feb 20 (AFP) Pakistan's foreign minister said Tuesday that New Delhi and Islamabad needed to cooperate “meaningfully” to end attacks like the train blasts on a trans-border train Sunday that killed 68. Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, who arrived in India late Tuesday for scheduled talks with his Indian counterpart on Wednesday, spoke to reporters after a hospital visit to Pakistani survivors of the train attack. “Incidents like these (the bombing), which are very heart-rending and which affect both countries and both peoples, can only add to the urgency of the need for cooperation,” Kasuri said. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already said New Delhi would share information with Islamabad on its investigations, Kasuri said. “It goes without saying that Pakistan is as interested to get to the bottom of this very unfortunate criminal activity,” Kasuri said, adding he did not want to pre-judge the investigation. (First Posted @ 14:58 PST Updated @ 22:08 PST)
Pakistan to hold multinational naval exercise KARACHI, Pakistan, Feb 20 (AP) Pakistan will hold a multinational naval exercise against “maritime terrorism” next month involving the United States and China and with Iran as an observer, the Navy said Tuesday. In all, 27 countries will participate in the March 6-13 exercise, called Aman 07, with ships special operations forces and observers, said Adm. Muhammad Afzal Tahir, the chief of Pakistan's navy. The exercise is “designed to develop and improve response tactics, techniques and procedures against maritime terrorism,” Tahir said. Tahir said the exercise was conceived a year ago as a contribution to security in the Indian Ocean and bore no relation to current tension between Iran and Western nations. (Posted @ 21:46 PST)
Pakistan arrests two militants ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (AFP) Pakistani police said Tuesday they had arrested two militants suspected of involvement in sectarian attacks. The two suspects, identified as Mohammad Ali and Mudasir Ali, were arrested from a residential area in the capital on Monday, said police. The two arrested men were linked to the murder of Azam Tariq, the former head of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba organisation, who was gunned down with his driver and three bodyguards in Islamabad in October 2003. (Posted @ 19:18 PST)
Indian trooper died rescuing passengers in fire-bombed train NEW DELHI, Feb 20 (AFP) An Indian soldier on board the fire-bombed “Friendship Express” to Pakistan died while rescuing trapped passengers from blazing carriages, officials said Tuesday. Inspector Kashmir Singh was part of a rail security team on the cross-border train. “After the twin blasts, Singh smashed through a steel door and an emergency hatch of one of the two blazing carriages and helped five or six passengers get out,” police said. “He kept pushing out people from the coach (carriage) despite being on fire himself ... and finally the flames overwhelmed him,” added police. (Posted @ 19:16 PST)
Sri Lanka condemns train bombing as 'abominable' COLOMBO, Feb 20 (AFP) Sri Lanka Tuesday condemned as an “abominable act of terrorism” the firebombing of a train from India to Pakistan that killed 68 people.”As a fellow South Asian nation that continues to be affected by similar acts of terror, Sri Lanka firmly takes its place with the governments and people of India and Pakistan,” the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said. (Posted @ 19:12 PST)
Indian rail officials sacked over security lapses NEW DELHI, Feb 20 (AFP) India's state-run railways Tuesday sacked three officials for letting passengers travel illegally on a high-security express train to Pakistan which was firebombed. Police in northern Haryana state said at least four passengers possessed valid tickets which were issued without passport checks. Indian railways said it has launched an independent probe. (Posted @ 19:06 PST)
Cricket: Saqlain Mushtaq joins Sussex LONDON, Feb 20 (AFP) Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq has joined Sussex as a European Union player on a two-year contract, the English county champions announced Monday. He is set to play for the Hove-based club as a European Union player in the upcoming season meaning he will not be classed as an overseas signing. Saqlain has joined Sussex initially as cover for fellow Pakistan slow bowler Mushtaq Ahmed while the leg-spinner is with the team at the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean. (Posted @ 19:00 PST)
Ahmadinejad rejects UN nuclear deadline TEHRAN, Feb 20 (AFP) President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday rejected a looming UN deadline for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment. “We are in favour of dialogue. But in order for us to talk they are imposing a condition that would deprive us of our right,” Ahmadinejad said in a public rally in Gilan province. “If they say that our nuclear production plant and its fuel cycle should be shut down, this is fine. But justice necessitates that those who want to negotiate should halt their own nuclear fuel cycles!” he said. (Posted @ 16:38 PST)
Blasts kill at least 14 in Iraq BAGHDAD, Feb 20 (AFP) At least 14 people were killed and dozens wounded in attacks in Iraq on Tuesday. Six people were killed and at least 105 wounded or overcome by fumes when a clorine gas tanker exploded in the town of Taji, north of Baghdad, security and defence sources said. At least three people were killed and 12 wounded when a car bomb exploded at a gas station in Saydia, western Baghdad, an interior ministry source said. Five more were killed and at least 19 wounded in a second car bomb attack at the Al-Rasheed food market in the same area, security, defence and medical sources said. (First Posted @ 13:30 PST Updated @ 16:34 PST)
Pakistan confirms bird flu in Islamabad zoo ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (Reuters) Four peacocks and a goose have died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in the only zoo in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, an Agriculture Ministry official said on Tuesday. “We conducted tests and they were all positive for H5N1,” Mohammad Afzal, livestock commissioner at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, said. Authorities had closed down the Marghazar Zoo and health officials were conducting screening tests and taking measures to ensure it did not spread, said a spokesman for the city administration, which runs the zoo. (Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Pakistan MPs deplore attitude of Indian authorities ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (APP): Parliamentarians in the National Assembly on Tuesday deplored the sluggish attitude of the Indian authorities towards the train inferno incident and urged India to include Pakistani authorities in the investigation process. Members from both the treasury and opposition benches jointly expressed concerns and dissatisfaction over the delayed response of the Indian government in communicating details of the incident, identification of the dead and insufficient security measures. The members described the incident as unfortunate and expressed condolences with the bereaved families urging both the Indian and Pakistani governments to step up efforts for providing maximum medical facilities to the injured and make arrangements for visit of their heirs to India. (Posted @ 15:55 PST)
Death toll rises to 68 in train tragedy, 49 identified ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (APP) The death toll in the Samjhota Express tragedy rose to 68 on Tuesday, of which 49 have been identified, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khusro Bikhtiar said. Those identified included 22 Pakistani nationals and 27 Indian nationals, the minister informed the National Assembly here, adding that the Indian authorities also detained one person on charges of being involvement in the incident. (First Posted @ 11:15 PST Updated @ 15:35 PST)
Cricket: New Zealand beat Australia by one wicket HAMILTON, New Zealand, Feb 20 (AFP) New Zealand beat Australia by one wicket in the third and final match of the Chappell-Hadlee one-day cricket series here Tuesday. Australia made 346 for five and New Zealand reached their target with one wicket and three balls to spare. New Zealand won the series 3-0. Scores: Australia 346-5 (Matthew Hayden 181 not out, Shane Watson 68; Tuffey 10-0-68-1, Gillespie 10-0-83-2, Patel 10-0-70-2), New Zealand 350-9 (Fulton 51, McMillan 117, McCullum 86 n.o.; Tait 10-0-60-2, Johnson 10-0-81-3, Watson 10-0-88-2). (First Posted @ 10:05 PST Updated @ 14:55 PST)
Powerful earthquake in northeastern Indonesia triggers tsunami warning JAKARTA, Indonesia, Feb 20 (AP) - A powerful earthquake in northeastern Indonesia triggered a tsunami warning Tuesday and caused panicked residents to flee shaking buildings, officials and media reports said. The U.S. Geological Survey initially put the temblor's magnitude at 6.9, but later revised it to 6.5. The quake struck 210 kilometers from Ternate, the capital of Maluku island at a depth of 31 kilometers . “We have called local authorities in Ternate and coastal areas to warn them of a potential tsunami,” said Fauzi, a seismologist. (Posted @ 13:50 PST)
Suicide blast wounds 3 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan KHOST, Afghanistan, Feb 20 Reuter) - An Afghan suicide bomber disguised as a doctor blew himself up and injured three U.S. soldiers during a function at a hospital in Khost on Tuesday, officials said. Khost governor Arsala Jamal told Reuters “the bomber wore a gown and looked suspicious. “An American soldier saw him, fired at him and then the bomber blew up his explosives in which three American soldiers were wounded.” He had no more details. A U.S. soldier was killed in fighting on Monday in the eastern province of Kunar, the U.S. military said in a statement. (Posted @ 13:40 PST)
Pakistan dismisses ”absurd” Qaeda report ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (AFP) - Pakistan on Tuesday dismissed as “absurd” US claims that Al-Qaeda has established compounds in a remote tribal area to train small groups of operatives for possible attacks . Pakistan foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam angrily rejected the allegations.””This is an absurd report and we dismiss it,” she told AFP. Pakistan was committed to fighting terrorism and more than 700 of its troops had been killed fighting Al-Qaeda-linked militants, she said. Pakistan had 80,000 troops and 1,000 military posts on the border and was “taking further steps to control the border starting with selective fencing” of around 35 kilometres (20 miles) of the frontier. “No one should have any doubts about our commitment and will to fight terrorism and extremism,” she stressed.. Pakistan military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said that the report deserved no response, as the government had answered similar questions during a media trip to the North Waziristan tribal area at the weekend. (Posted @ 13:25 PST)
Cheney starts Asia tour TOKYO, Feb 20 (APP/AFP) - US Vice President Dick Cheney arrived Tuesday in Tokyo on the start of a tour of Japan and Australia for talks on Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea. His three-day visit to Japan will include talks Wednesday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Posted @ 12:57 PST)
Militants behead, mutilate 'US spy' MIRANSHAH, Pakistan, Feb 20 (AFP) - Authorities in North Waziristan tribal district found the body of the Afghan national dumped on a road late Monday with a note identifying the man as “American spy Nek Amal,” a security official said. The man's head, hands and feet had all been severed and were lying near the body, the official said, adding that the remains were taken to Afghanistan's Khost province by relatives. (Posted @ 11:25 PST)
Afghan forces retake western town that was overrun by Taliban KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb 20 (AP) - About 200 Afghan police supported by NATO troops moved into the remote town of Bakwa in Farah province early Tuesday and recaptured it. Afghan forces were searching the vicinity for the militants, who moved into Bakwa on Monday and briefly held it and then left, taking three seized vehicles with them, an official said. Also on Monday, U.S.-led coalition forces dropped a 2,000-pound bomb on a cave where insurgents retreated after a clash in southern Uruzgan province, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. David Accetta said. He had no details on insurgent casualties. (Posted @ 10:30 PST)
Pakistani couple watched their kids die in train attack NEW DELHI, Feb 20 (AFP) - A Pakistani couple has recounted the agony of watching five of their six children die on a cross-border train that was firebombed in India. Ruksana and Rana Shaukat Ali were heading for home in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad after attending a family wedding when the overnight train burst into flames after two explosions late Sunday. “Barely had we fallen asleep when we heard a loud roar. I opened my eyes, it was very difficult, I saw my children slowly dying,” Rana Shaukat Ali told Tuesday's Indian Express newspaper. “Blood was streaming from their faces, the blast had occurred right near their berths. Later, it all went dark and when I regained consciousness, I was in the hospital,” the 46-year-old departmental store owner said. More than a dozen children were among the 67 people killed in the blasts and subsequent fire. (Posted @ 10:15 PST)
Karachi Stocks down 114.58 points: KARACHI, Feb 20: At close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 11463.18, down 114.58 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Feb 20: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.7 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
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