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| May 14, 2007 | Monday | Rabi-us-Sani 26, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Pakistan top judge hearing postponed ISLAMABAD, May 14 (AFP) Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday adjourned a hearing into the legality of charges against the country's top judge Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The hearing in Islamabad was postponed until Tuesday minutes after it began when one of the judges, Falak Sher, said he could not sit on the 14-judge full bench dealing with the case, officials said. Sher said he had “seniority issues” with suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other judges and there might therefore be a risk of bias. “On account of seniority issues ... it might be inappropriate for me to hear this case,” Sher told the court. Pakistan's acting Chief Justice, Rana Bhagwandas, later reformed the bench with 13 judges, a court official said. “Now a 13-member panel of judges would hear the case from Tuesday on a day-to-day basis,” the official said requesting anonymity. “Justice Falak Sher is not in the new panel,” he added. Chaudhry's main lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan said his team had no objection to the developments. (First Posted @ 11:32 PST, Updated @ 12:56 PST)
Strikes paralyse Pakistan KARACHI, May 14 (AFP) - Strikes called by opposition parties brought Karachi and other Pakistani cities to a standstill Monday. Shops and schools were closed while most public transport remained off the streets in Karachi, where nearly 40 people were killed at the weekend in clashes between pro- and anti-government supporters. The violence erupted on Saturday after pro-government activists blocked Chaudhry from addressing lawyers convention. Sporadic unrest spilled into a third day in several parts of Karachi as angry protesters fired in the air, burnt tyres and blocked roads overnight, witnesses said, although there were no reports of casualties. Police however said they found the bullet-riddled body of a man in a large sack in the city's port area Monday. Troops were ordered to shoot rioters on sight in Karachi on Sunday and authorities also banned gatherings of more than five people in the city to prevent further trouble. Sindh province home secretary Brigadier Ghulam Muhammad Muhtaram said that authorities intend to expel some opposition leaders from the city, although names have not been finalised. Karachi police official Faqir Ahmed said there was a “very tense situation” because ethnic clashes had now developed. Most of the eastern city of Lahore was also shut down by a strike while lawyers boycotted courts, witnesses said. Around 2,500 protesters in Lahore burned effigies of Musharraf and of Altaf Hussain, the exiled leader of the pro-Musharraf Muttahida Qaumi Movement. The strike also paralysed North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan including the provincial capital Peshawar, witnesses and officials said. Similar rallies, lawyers boycott of the courts, and shut down strike was observed in all other major cities and towns throughout Pakistan.(Posted @ 16:30 PST)
1 Pakistani, 1 U.S. soldier killed in militant shooting near Afghan border ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 14 (AP) - Militants opened fire Monday on a convoy, killing a U.S. and a Pakistani soldier and wounding several others near the Afghan frontier, Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said. The convoy was carrying military officials who attended a meeting in the northwestern town of Teri Mangal. At least two other Pakistani soldiers and two Americans were wounded, he said. Afghan military officials also attended the talks to discuss recent fighting between Afghan and Pakistani forces that Kabul says has killed at least 13 people inside Afghanistan. NATO confirmed ISAF casualties but not the exact number of injured or killed. Maj. William Mitchell, a spokesman at the U.S. military base in Bagram, Afghanistan, said officials were trying to verify conflicting reports of violence. Rahmatullah Rahmat, governor of Afghanistan's Paktia province that lies opposite Pakistan's Kurram tribal region where Teri Mangal is located, said that he, U.S. military advisers and Afghan army leaders travelled by helicopter to the Pakistan side of the border for the meeting. He said that after the meeting finished, gunmen opened fire as group members headed toward their helicopters. Rahmat said two Americans died and two were wounded. He said that American soldiers returned fire. Pakistan has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident, Maj-Gen Arshad said. He had no details on the conditions of the wounded soldiers or their identities. He said the Americans had been shifted to Afghanistan for treatment. “The latest information that I have got is that one Pakistani soldier died of his wounds, and one American soldier died of his wounds,” Maj-Gen Arshad said. “Efforts are being made to determine from where the firing came from and who carried it out. The area has been cordoned (off),” he said. (First Posted @ 16:55 PST Updated @ 18:52 PST)
Twelve killed in Afghan, Pakistan border clash KHOST, Afghanistan, May 14 (AFP) - Eight policemen and four civilians have been killed in artillery clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces which continued for a second day Monday, Afghan military officials said. The fighting, described by Afghanistan as the worst for decades between the two countries, erupted early Sunday in Afghanistan's Paktia province.“Eight policemen and four civilians have been killed since yesterday,” army general Sami-Ul Haq Badar told AFP. Badar said “scattered firing” continued Monday. Afghan reinforcements armed with artillery and armoured tanks were dispatched to the area. Afghan interior ministry said in a statement that Pakistani troops had occupied two Afghan border posts for two hours on Sunday but were pushed back by Afghan forces. Afghan troops and tribesmen later seized and held two Pakistan posts for four hours, the ministry said. It did not give any information about the casualties. It said the clashes “erupted due to a misunderstanding between two Afghan and Pakistani border posts.” Pakistani military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad told AFP in Islamabad that commanders from both militaries and their counterparts in the NATO- and US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan met Monday to solve the issue. “Last night there was an exchange of firing but no casualties reported,” he said.(Posted @ 16:50 PST)
Pakistan Supreme Court official shot dead at home ISLAMABAD, May 14 (Reuters) - Gunmen shot dead Syed Hammad Raza, an additional registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan at his home in Islamabad early on Monday. Raza was shot at point-blank range by two or three gunmen just before dawn, police said. “Investigations are going on. Presently, we don't know about the motive,” a police official said. Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry visited the house of the deceased to condole with the family. “You called him to Islamabad. You should have protected him, and now my children need protection as well,” Shadana, Raza's widow, told Chaudhry. Raza was stationed in the province of Baluchistan before being reassigned to the Supreme Court. Shadana told Reuters that she was convinced it was a targeted killing as there was no attempt at robbery. “They just came and shot him. He opened the door and they shot him and ran away.” Justice Javed Iqbal of the supreme Court also visited Raza's residence in Islamabad and told reporters the Supreme Court had summoned police officials on Tuesday to know how swiftly they responded to the killing. “For a common man, it is a matter of great insecurity,” Justice Javed Iqbal said. British High Commission officials have visited the dead man's family at the behest of his widow, who says she holds British citizenship. (Posted @ 17:20 PST)
Two killed in clashes with Pakistani militants PESHAWAR, Pakistan, May 14 (AFP) - Clashes erupted Monday between security forces and militants in the town of Tank bordering the volatile Waziristan tribal area in Pakistan's northwest, killing two people and injuring 10, local officials said. The trouble started when suspected militants hurled grenades at a paramilitary vehicle, killing a soldier. Exchanges of rocket and mortar fire then spread to other neighbourhoods in the town. . Tank was placed under curfew for several weeks last month following days of violence sparked by the killing of a local militant leader after the hardliners raided a school to recruit students for “jihad” in neighbouring Afghanistan. (First Posted @ 12:15 PST Updated @ 18:00 PST)
Seven Afghan soldiers killed in Taliban attack KABUL, May 14 (AFP) - Seven Afghan soldiers were killed and 10 others wounded in a firefight with Taliban rebels in eastern Afghanistan Monday, an army commander said. The casualties happened when an Afghan unit came under attack in the mountainous Kamdish district of Nuristan province, its commander Major Adam Khan Mateen told AFP. “Seven soldiers were killed and 10 others were injured,” he said. Two military vehicles were also destroyed in the fighting which lasted several hours, Mateen added. Nuristan, a rugged mountainous region is one of the most troubled provinces in eastern Afghanistan. (Posted @ 21:08 PST)
Taliban chief says brother to replace Dadullah KANDAHAR, May 14 (AFP) - Taliban's leadership council led by Mullah Mohammad Omar has appointed Dadullah's younger brother, Mullah Bakht Mohammad, to take his place, spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP by telephone. The one-legged commander, who was aged about 40, had fought long and hard before he was finally killed. “Mullah Dadullah had resisted and fought for a full day, 24 hours, against NATO and Afghan troops and then he was martyred,” the spokesman said. (Posted @ 21:04 PST)
Attacks kill four US soldiers in Iraq BAGHDAD, May 14 (AFP) - Four more US soldiers have been killed in attacks around Baghdad, the military announced on Monday, bringing US losses in Iraq since the 2003 invasion to 3,395. One soldier was killed and another wounded outside the volatile town of Haditha in the western province of Anbar, while one was killed and another wounded while on patrol in Salaheddin province north of Baghdad. Two more US soldiers were killed on Monday when their patrol came under fire southeast of Baghdad, the military said. (Posted @ 21:02 PST)
German defence minister calls for changes in Afghanistan tactics after civilian casualty reports. BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 14 (AP) - German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said Monday that changes were needed to the tactics of international troops in Afghanistan after recent reports of civilian casualties during operations involving troops with the U.S.-led coalition. “We have to make sure that in the future, operations do not take place in this way,” Jung told reporters at a meeting of EU defence ministers. “We don't want the population against us. We have to prevent that.” (Posted @ 20:00 PST)
Iran's Ahmadinejad arrives in Oman MUSCAT, May 14 (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began a two-day visit to Oman on Monday, the second and final leg of a regional tour, state television reported. Upon arrival he headed directly to the palace of Sultan Qaboos where the two leaders began talks, Omani television said without providing further details. Ahmadinejad arrived from the United Arab Emirates, where he warned of a severe response to any US attack on Iran over its controversial nuclear programme. (Posted @ 19:46 PST)
Danish soldier killed, five wounded in Iraq blast COPENHAGEN, May 14 (AFP) - One Danish soldier was killed and five wounded when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb near Basra on Monday, a Danish military spokesman said. (Posted @ 19:24 PST)
Three killed 16 wounded in road accident near Dheerkot, AJK MUZAFFARABAD, May 14 (APP): At least three persons were killed and 16 injured in a road accident near Dheerkot on Sunday night, police said Monday. According to reports, a Bagh- bound van coming from Rawalpindi plunged into a ravine in the forests of Minhasa near Dheerkot when the driver lost control. Three person were killed on the spot while 16 injured were rushed to hospital, police said. (Posted @ 19:22 PST)
Vehicles torched, police fire tear gas shells in Karachi’s Lyari KARACHI, May 14 (PPI): Several vehicles were torched and protesters pelted stones at police in Aath Chowk, Baloch Chowk and Chakiwara Chowk areas of Lyari on Monday evening. Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters on the third day of the violence in Karachi which claimed at least 40 lives on Saturday. There were also reports of aerial firing in the area by law enforcing agencies. (Posted @ 19:14 PST)
Eight killed in attacks across Iraq BAGHDAD, May 14 (AFP) - At least eight people, including several police officers, were killed in attacks in and around the Iraqi capital on Monday, security and hospital officials said. Three people were killed and another six wounded when a car bomb went off in Karrada district near the centre of Baghdad, a hospital official said. Another car bomb went off on Palestine street, killing a policeman and wounding two others on a main road while in Zafraniyah a roadside bomb killed at least one person and wounded another 13, including four policemen. Elsewhere, gunmen opened fire on Iraqi police patrolling west of Baquba , killing three of them, a local hospital official said. (Posted @ 18:38 PST)
Palestinian interior minister resigns GAZA CITY, May 14 (APP/AFP): Interior minister Hani al-Qawasmeh on Monday resigned from the Palestinian unity government amid a dispute over security control following the deadliest factional violence in two months. “He asked for more authority which was not granted. He was not informed about the deployment last week and that's why he resigned,” a spokesman said. (Posted @ 17:44 PST)
Cheney leaves Jordan at end of Mideast tour AQABA, Jordan, May 14 (AFP) - US Vice President Dick Cheney left Jordan and headed home on Monday, ending a Middle East tour aimed at drumming up support for Iraq and curbing Iran's influence, the US embassy said. He wrapped up his six-day tour with talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba, after stops in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and a surprise visit to Iraq.(Posted @ 16:45 PST)
Two killed in northeast India bombing GUWAHATI, India, May 14 (APP/AFP) - Two people were killed and 10 injured Monday in a bomb attack at a crowded marketplace in Guwahati in India's insurgency-wracked northeastern state of Assam, police said. The bomb was planted on a parked motorcycle. (Posted @ 15:19 PST)
Wedding van collides with lorry in India, 21 killed HYDERABAD, India, May 14 (Reuters) Twenty-one members of a wedding party were killed, including the bridegroom, when the van in which they were travelling collided with a lorry in southern India Monday, police said. Another 25 people were injured in the accident north of Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh state. “The accident occurred when the speeding lorry hit the wedding party vehicle at a blind turning in the early hours,” a senior police officer said. (Posted @ 15:19 PST)
28 dead bodies found in Iraq Baghdad, May 14 (Reuters) - The bullet-riddled bodies of 22 people were found in different districts of Baghdad on Sunday, police said. The bodies of six people, including a policeman, were found shot in different districts of Mosul on Sunday, police said. Also in Mosul, gunmen killed two members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, police said. (Posted @ 14:43 PST)
Bomb hits NATO convoy in Afghanistan, some injured HERAT, Afghanistan, May 14 (AFP) - A roadside bomb hit a NATO-led Spanish convoy Monday in Herat, injuring an undisclosed number of soldiers, a NATO spokesman said. (Posted @ 14:33 PST)
New truce declared after deadly Gaza clashes GAZA CITY, May 14 (AFP) A new truce was to go into effect in the Gaza Strip early Monday, Hamas and Fatah officials said. Officials from the rival factions said the truce would take effect from 12:30 am, hours after deadly clashes between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza City. (Posted @ 08:59 PST)
U.S. soldier killed in attack north of Baghdad BAGHDAD, May 14 (Reuters) A U.S. soldier was killed in an attack (involving an explosion) on his patrol in Salah ad-Din province north of Baghdad Sunday, the U.S. military said Monday. (Posted @ 08:58 PST)
Ten die in Russian cafe blast MOSCOW, May 14 (AFP) Ten people were killed when a blast tore down a cafe at a market in Russia's southern Orenburg region’s Orsk town, Russian news agencies reported early Monday. (Posted @ 08:56 PST)
Karachi Stocks down 23.94 points: KARACHI, May 14: At the close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 12343.68, down 23.94 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, May 14: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.65 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:17 PST)
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