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| May 31, 2007 | Thursday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 14, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Thirteen people killed near Pakistan’s Tank town TANK, Pakistan, May 31 (Reuters) Gunmen broke into the house of a Pakistani official and killed 13 people near the northwestern town of Tank late Wednesday, police said Thursday. The killings took place in Gomal village, around 15 km southwest of Tank in North West Frontier Province. “We are investigating the motive behind the murder,” Mumtaz Zareen, a senior police official in Tank, said. The house belonged to Pir Aurangzeb, a senior official with WAPDA. Those killed included Aurangzeb, five members of his family and seven guests.(Posted @ 09:10 PST)
SC hears petitions in CJ Iftikhar case ISLAMABAD, May 31 (PPI)- The 13-member full court of the Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned hearing for Friday on a set of 24 identical constitutional petitions filed by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and others challenging the presidential reference and formation of the Supreme Judicial Council. Senior lawyer, Hamid Khan representing Pakistan Bar Council concluded his arguments on the maintainability of the petitions. Citing several verdicts and precedents, he argued that the petitions were maintainable. He submitted that the advice of Prime Minister in the case of Chief Justice should not have been made without the approval of the Cabinet, as the matter was of utmost significance. Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday in his remarks said that if a member of a family is denied justice, he would ultimately expect the head of the family to provide relief. The full court headed by Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday comprises Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice M. Javed Buttar, Justice Tassadduq Hussain Jillani, Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad, Justice Nasirul Mulk, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, Justice Ch Ijaz Ahmad, Justice Syed Jamshed Ali, Justice Hamid Ali Mirza and Justice Ghulam Rabbani. (Posted @ 18:42 PST)
Pakistan's anti-Musharraf protests continue LAHORE, Pakistan, May 31 (AFP) Thousands of Pakistani lawyers and opposition party supporters protested Thursday against President Pervez Musharraf’s decision to suspend the country’s top judge Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. About 2,000 lawyers held a rally in Dera Ghazi Khan in central Punjab province. Lawyers gave angry speeches blaming the government for political clashes in Karachi on May 12 which left more than 40 people dead, witnesses said. Some 3,000 lawyers, opposition activists, teachers, doctors and women's rights activists marched in Lahore and tore down hoardings of various government figures in front of the provincial assembly. Lawyers boycotted courts in protest at the treatment of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and chanted anti-Musharraf slogans. Rallies were also held in Multan, Bahawalpur, Peshawar and several other Pakistani cities.(Posted @ 14:40 PST)
Taliban says it shot down NATO chopper, 35 killed KABUL, May 31 (Reuters) Afghanistan's Taliban claimed responsibility Thursday for shooting down a NATO heavy-lift helicopter and said that 35 soldiers were killed, many more than the seven dead announced by the western military alliance. Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said the death toll came from sources operating in the southern province of Helmand.He said the twin-rotor Chinook was flying low ahead of a land vehicle convoy when it was shot down. NATO said seven soldiers, five of whom were Americans, were killed when a Chinook crashed late Wednesday in Helmand. (FirstPosted @ 10:15 PST, Updated@ 13:55 PST)
Imam-e-Kaaba arrives in Islamabad ISLAMABAD, May 31 (PPI) - The Imam-e-Kaaba has arrived in Islamabad. The distinguished guest was warmly received at the Chaklala Airbase by President Pakistan Muslim League Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Secretary General Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed and Religions Affairs Minister Muhammad Ejazul Haq. Soon after his arrival, Imam-e-Kaaba Sheikh Abdul Rehman Al-Sudais met with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at Prime Minister House. He led the Maghrib prayer there and offered special prayers for the unity of the Muslim Ummah and well-being of Pakistan. Imam-e-Kaaba will lead the Jumma Prayers at Faisal Mosque. (Posted @ 23:32 PST)
10 soldiers, five worshippers killed in Thailand YALA, Thailand, May 31, (AFP) - Ten soldiers were killed Thursday in a bomb attack and ambush by militants in Thailand's south, and five other people were shot dead inside a mosque, officials said. An army pick-up truck carrying 10 soldiers was first hit by a roadside bomb and then ambushed by militants in Yala province, said Colonel Acra Tiproach, an army spokesman. “All 10 soldiers in the truck were killed,” Acra told AFP. (Posted @ 22:42 PST)
Another soldier, 8 militants killed in Lebanon standoff: army NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, May 31 (AFP) - A Lebanese soldier and at least eight Fatah al-Islam extremists have been killed in a surge of fighting at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, the army said Thursday.The soldier was hit Thursday by sniper fire outside the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp where militiamen are holed up, a spokesman said. The militiamen were killed on Wednesday when the two sides fought fierce battles that also left three soldiers wounded, he added. (Posted @ 21:30 PST)
Railway line, culvert damaged near Quetta QUETTA, Pakistan, May 31 (PPI): Suspect ed terrorists damaged railway track and a small bridge near Killi Zareen in Sariab area of the provincial capital Thursday morning. As a result, almost all the trains were detained for two to three hours. The track was repaired in the afternoon when normal traffic was restored, Railway officials said. (Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Death sentence in PIDC car bomb blast case KARACHI, May 31 (PPI): Anti Terrorism Court-V Karachi Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch Thursday awarded death sentence to two accused in car bombing case outside the PIDC building in Karachi on November 15, 2005. Aziz Khan and Mangla Khan, said to be affiliated with an anti-state organization, were tried for executing car bombing which left four people dead and 17 others injured. Brahamdakh, a grandson, and Abdul Hameed Bugti, the nephew , of late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, were declared absconders in the said case. (Posted @ 18:36 PST)
Pakistan, India Permanent Indus Water Commission meeting begins New Delhi, May 31 (PPI) :The annual meeting of Permanent Indus Water Commission of Pakistan and India which began Thursday in New Delhi is discussing objections raised by Islamabad on Kishan Ganga Hydro and Uri-11 Hydro projects being constructed by Delhi in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Commissioner Indus Water Commission Syed Jamat Ali Shah is heading 9-member Pakistan delegation while his counterpart Dr. Thareja leading Indian side at 4-day meeting. (Posted @ 18:18 PST)
Three dead, 11 injured in Britain’s motorway pile-up LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - Three people died and 11 were injured in a pile-up on the M40 motorway in Buckinghamshire on Thursday morning, police said. The crash happened on the southbound carriageway between junctions four and three. Police said two lorries and a car had collided on the Loudwater flyover near Beckinsfield. (Posted @ 18:14 PST)
Seven Iranian soldiers killed in border clashes TEHRAN, May 31(AFP) - Seven Iranian soldiers, including two generals, have been killed in clashes with rebels near the town of Salmas in Iran's West Azarbaijan province, 30 kilometres from the border with Turkey, the official IRNA agency reported on Thursday. Ten rebels were also killed. “The commander of the Aba Abdollah al-Hossein second brigade Brigadier General Ali Reza Talaie and the head of intelligence of this unit Ghorban Ali Ebrahimi were martyred, along with their comrades,” an army statement said. (Posted @ 18:04 PST)
Taliban ambush kills 16 Afghan police KABUL, May 31 (AFP) - A Taliban ambush of a three-vehicle police convoy on way from Zabul province to Kabul Thursday left 16 policemen dead and six injured , interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told AFP. There were also casualties on the Taliban side, Bashary said, without giving the number. Taliban militants fled the area after army reinforcements arrived, a defence ministry statement said. (Posted @ 17:10 PST)
Dozens of Taliban killed in clashes across Afghanistan KABUL, May 31 (AP) - Afghan and NATO forces launched an operation Thursday in the volatile south, killing and wounding at least 20 suspected Taliban, while a clash in the west left 10 alleged militants dead, Afghan officials said. A statement from the Defense Ministry said “tens of enemies” were killed and wounded in clashes and airstrikes in the Sangin district of Helmand. It did not provide any further detail. In the western Farah province, insurgents attacked the Pusht Rod district late Wednesday, and the ensuing clashes with police left 10 militants dead and 15 wounded, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. In Kandahar, militants were planting mines on the main highway between Panjwayi and Kandahar on Wednesday night when one of the charges exploded, killing two and wounding another, who was arrested, said Panjwayi district chief Niaz Mohammad Serhadi. (Posted @ 16:56 PST)
Afghans protest again in north, demand governor's trial MAZAR-I-SHARIF, May 31 (Reuters) Hundreds of Afghans protested on Thursday in northern town of Shiberghan, demanding the removal and trial of Governor Juma Khan Hamdard, who they accuse of being responsible for the 13 deaths in Monday's demonstration. A spokesman for the governor said the protests were part of an armed uprising provoked by General Abdul Rashid Dostum against provincial and central authorities. “Dostum has actually started distributing arms to people and bracing for violence,” he said. The interior ministry has also accused Dostum of provoking the protesters who were largely ethnic Uzbeks.(Posted @ 16:00 PST)
Four more die as ethnic violence spirals in India JODHPUR, India, May 31 (AFP) - Police on Thursday shot dead two Gujjar protesters in Rajasthan state's Sawaimadhopur district after a police station was set ablaze, police inspector-general Ajit Singh said. “Police opened fire after a huge mob went around torching government buildings and vehicles in the district's Boli town,” Singh said . Another protester died overnight when police opened fire, while a fourth died of bullet wounds sustained on Tuesday. A total of 17 people including at least two policemen have died in the violence and more than 100 been injured. Some 20 vehicles were torched as the violence spiralled Thursday. The Gujjars want to be included among the “scheduled castes,” for whom state aid and jobs are “reserved.” Meanwhile, Rajasthan's main highway linking Jaipur to New Delhi and Agra remain blocked while 10 trains linking Jaipur with Delhi were also cancelled. “Several important highways in the state of Rajasthan have been closed due to ongoing riots,” said a US embassy statement in its travel advisory. (Posted @ 17:04 PST)
At least 25 killed in Fallujah bombing BAGHDAD, May 31 (AP) - A suicide bomber hit a police recruiting center in Fallujah on Wednesday, killing at least 25 people and wounding 50, police said. Ten policemen were among the dead in the attack. (Posted @ 16:50 PST)
Three more US soldiers die in Iraq BAGHDAD, May 31 (AFP) -Three US soldiers have died in a pair of incidents which the US military reported late Wednesday. Two soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb during a foot patrol Wednesday, the military said. Another soldier died from a “non-battle related cause” in Baghdad, bringing the total for May to 116, the highest since 137 troops died in the November 2004 full scale invasion of Fallujah.(Posted @ 15:50 PST)
Twenty-three dead bodies found across Baghdad BAGHDAD, May 31 (Reuters) The bodies of 23 people were found in different parts of Baghdad in the past 24 hours, police said. A civilian was killed and five were wounded when a parked car bomb exploded in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, police said. One soldier was killed and three others were wounded by a roadside bomb targeting their vehicle in western Baghdad’s Jamiaa district, police said. In southeastern Baghdad, gunmen killed police Brigadier Alla Abdul Razaq with two of his bodyguards, police said. Separately, gunmen killed police Colonel Mohammed Shakir in a drive-by shooting in west-central Baghdad, police said. Three civilians were killed and 21 were wounded when several mortar rounds landed in the Abu Shama'a village in Mahmudiya, 30 km south of Baghdad, police said.(Posted @ 09:55 PST)
15 killed when shell hits Yemen petrol station SANAA, May 31, 2007 (AFP) Fifteen people were killed when the Yemeni army accidentally bombarded a petrol station in an area at the heart of a rebellion by the Zaidi minority against government forces, a tribal source said Thursday.An army official confirmed the incident in the northern region of Saada on Wednesday, saying a number of people were killed and injured.Thousands of people have died since a three-year-old uprising by the Shiite Zaidi minority resumed in January in Saada, according to various sources.(Posted @ 15:15 PST)
Rice tells Iran it is time to change course VIENNA, May 31 (Reuters) U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday it was time for Iran to change its course and give up sensitive uranium enrichment work if it wanted to avoid becoming more isolated. “It is time for Iran to change its tactics,” Rice said just hours before EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana was due to meet Iran's nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, in Madrid. “The international community is united on what Iran should do and that is to suspend (uranium enrichment),” Rice told reporters on the sidelines of a women's empowerment conference in Vienna.(Posted @ 14:45 PST)
Nine hurt as bus overturns near Badin BADIN, Sindh, May 31 (PPI) Nine persons including four women were injured, three of them critically, as an over-speeding passenger bus bound for Muhammad Raju, the coastal area of Golarchi town, turned turtle when its tie-rod broke. The vehicle fell into a ditch near Golarchi Thursday.(Posted @ 14:25 PST)
Manila bus robbery, armed chase kills five MANILA, May 31 (Reuters) Police chased armed robbers through the streets of the Philippine capital during rush hour Thursday after they held up a bus, and at least five people were killed in an exchange of gunfire. Police chief of Manila's northern district said four people were arrested after the car chase and running gunbattle along Manila's major highway.(Posted @ 11:25 PST)
Militants kill police officer in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, May 31 (AFP) Suspected militants killed a senior police officer during a gunbattle late Wednesday in occupied Kashmir, police said Thursday. The officer was killed in southern Doda district when an unknown number of militants hiding inside a house opened fire as police conducted a raid, a police spokesman said.(Posted @ 11:15 PST)
Two Palestinians killed in West Bank car blast NABLUS, West Bank, May 31 (AFP) Two Palestinian civilians were killed when a car exploded in the West Bank town of Nablus late Wednesday, Palestinian security sources said. The two were in a car belonging to Sofian Kandil, a leader of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, when it blew up.(Posted @ 09:40 PST)
Nine hurt in turbulence on KLM plane bound for Japan TOKYO, May 31 (AFP) Nine people were hurt Thursday when a KLM passenger jet was hit by turbulence after taking off from Amsterdam en route to Japan, an airport spokesman said. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Flight 867, which was carrying 276 passengers to the western Japanese city of Osaka, hit turbulence two and a half hours after it departed from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.(Posted @ 09:20 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 154.21 points: KARACHI, May 31: At close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 12994.38, up 154.21 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, May 31: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.98 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:42 PST)
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