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| July 26, 2007 | Thursday | Rajab 10, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
British FM urges support for Pakistan's terror fight ISLAMABAD, July 26 (AFP) – Visiting British Foreign Secretary David Miliband called Thursday for international support for President Pervez Musharraf’s efforts to combat Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants along the Afghan frontier. In a markedly different tone from the United States which recently threatened to launch unilateral strikes on rebels in Pakistan's tribal areas, Miliband told a news conference: “The right way forward is one based on partnership between the countries.” He was asked if he had discussed the US threats of military action with Musharraf during their meeting earlier in the day. “In respect of the shared challenges we face in the tribal areas, in every aspect we have been talking about what we can do together, not me lecturing the Pakistani government or vice versa,” he added. The British minister said a strong relationship was needed between Pakistan government and the NATO and US forces in neighbouring Afghanistan to stabilise the volatile border between the two countries. “This is an issue that requires concerted efforts on both sides of the border. It is also a problem that requires elements of social intervention, as well as security intervention,” he said. His Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Kasuri used the joint press conference to lash out again at the increasingly tough line being taken by the administration of US President George W. Bush. “Such statements are irresponsible and should not be made,” Kasuri said. “It may be election season in the United States but it should not be at our expense”. (Posted @ 18:46 PST)
Talk of a unilateral US military strike against al-Qaida 'irresponsible': FM Kasuri ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 26 (AP) - Talk in Washington of a possible unilateral U.S. military strike against al-Qaida in Pakistan's tribal areas is “irresponsible” and “counter-productive” and undermines support for President Pervez Musharraf in fighting terrorism, foreign minister Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri said Thursday. “Even talk of that nature undermines the support for the Pakistan government and its efforts,” he told a press conference after meeting with visiting British Foreign Secretary David Miliband. Pakistan would use military force against those who would not “listen to reason” but ultimately, the situation in the tribal region could only be resolved politically, he stressed.. “We are told repeatedly that the North Waziristan agreement has failed. The point is, in the long-run you can only have a political approach,” Kasuri said. He said Pakistan had sent more troops so tribal elders overseeing the deal can make sure commitments are fulfilled _ for militants to desist from attacks on security forces, harbouring foreign fighters and cross-border raids on U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. (Posted @ 20:08 PST)
Soldier killed in Pakistan militant attack MIRANSHAH, Pakistan, July 26 (AFP) - Militants killed a Pakistani soldier in a rocket attack near the Afghan border Thursday, as roadside bombs wounded seven people in the latest attacks on security forces, officials said. The trooper was killed when insurgents fired a rocket at a checkpost at Sarwekai in South Waziristan, a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, one soldier was wounded by a roadside bomb attack on a military convoy in North Waziristan, another official said. Another device detonated harmlessly. A remote controlled bomb also hit a police van which was taking prisoners to a jail in the northwestern district of Dir, wounding four policeman and two prisoners, the official said. A second blast targeted a police team that arrived to investigate the incident, but caused no casualties. The attacks came as Pakistani troops shut down a key road in North Waziristan, where the United States says Al-Qaeda has rebuilt its extremist network and is plotting fresh attacks. Meanwhile, a dozen Islamic scholars and tribal chiefs were in Miranshah on Thursday for an unannounced visit for talks with pro-Taliban rebels, following the collapse earlier this month of a 10-month old peace deal with the government. (Posted @ 19:02 PST)
Pakistan test fires nuclear-capable missile ISLAMABAD, July 26 (Reuters) Pakistan successfully tested Thursday a cruise missile capable of carrying a variety of warheads, including nuclear, a military official said. The Babur Hatf VII missile has a range of 700 km. It was last tested in March. “It was a successful test,” the official said requesting anonymity. The Babur Hatf VII is a terrain-hugging, radar avoiding cruise missile. The missile was first tested in 2005. Since, then its range has been enhanced to 700 km, from 500 km previously.(Posted @ 10:35 PST)
SC directs ECP to devise formula for registration of deprived voters ISLAMABAD, July 26 (APP): A three-member bench of the Supreme Court Thursday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to prepare a comprehensive formula about the registration of voters who were left unregistered . The bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Rana Bhagwandas and Justice Ghulam Muhammad Rabbani heard the petition filed by the former Prime Minister Benzir Bhutto regarding missing of millions of voters from the electoral lists. The bench granted time to the Election Commission by accepting the request for filing a concise statement before the apex court. The case was adjourned for August 10. (Posted @ 17:38 PST)
Lal Masjid reopened for prayers ISLAMABAD, July 26 (Reuters): Islamabad’s Lal Masjid was reopened for prayers on Thursday, three weeks after it was battered by fierce clashes between security forces and militants in which scores of people were killed. The mosque's walls, peppered with bullet holes, have been repaired. The adjoining battle-scarred women's madressah was razed because it was structurally unsafe. Big cranes were being used to remove rubble and tents were erected in the mosque courtyard for Friday’s congregation prayers. However, bullet scars on trees in and around the mosque and a gutted building of the Ministry of Environment across the complex were stark reminders of the fierce battles fought in the centre of the capital. “We hope that such tragic incidents do not recur in our country,” Mohammad Ejaz-ul-Haq, Minister for Religious Affairs, told reporters after attending the first prayers in the mosque since the assault. The government has appointed a soft-spoken Imam to lead prayers. (Posted @ 21:14 PST)
ANP President calls for national cohesion against extremism PESHAWAR, July 26 (APP): Awami National Party (ANP) President, Asfandyar Wali Khan on Thursday underscored the need of national cohesion and unity against extremism. “National cohesion is the need of the hour to defeat extremism,” Ttalking to journalists after Quran Khwani for former Afghan King late Zahir Shah at Bacha Khan Markez he urged the government to allow the political parties to play their role against extremism and simultaneously asked the political parties to play their role to meet the challenges in the current geo political situation in the region. The ANP leader warned that if the US commits aggression against the Pakistan, the ANP would lead to resist it with all the force. (Posted @ 21:38 PST)
President to visit Saudi Arabia, UAE on July 27-28 ISLAMABAD, July 26 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf will be paying a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates from 27 to 28, says a press release. While in Saudi Arabia, the President will perform Umra and meet Khadim-ul-Harmain Sharifain King Abdullah. (Posted @ 21:32 PST)
ISAF, Pak-Army hold flag meeting in Chaman CHAMAN, July 26 (APP):- ISAF officials on Thursday hailed the security arrangements made by Pakistan on Pak-Afghan border and stresses the need of further strengthening coordination among the forces. Gen. Jackopage, Gen. Vorder and Brigadier John represented ISAF, Qandhar Police Chief Ghulam Ali Wardag and Chief of Afghan Corps 5 Nabi Gula Agha represented Afghanistan while, IG Frontier Corps Maj. Gen. Salim Nawaz, Brig. Nasrullah Niazi and FC commandant Col. Masood represented Pakistan in the quarterly meeting. After a briefing, ISAF officials appreciated the security measures made by Pakistan for checking intrusion of militants into Afghanistan and urged that no one be allowed to cross border without clearance through biometric system. (Posted @ 21:16 PST)
Twenty killed in Baghdad car bombing BAGHDAD, July 26 (Reuters) - At least twenty people were killed and 60 wounded when a parked car bomb exploded near an intersection in the central Baghdad district of Karrada on Thursday, Iraqi police said. At least one building and several cars were ablaze after the blast. Earlier on Thursday, a parked car bomb killed seven people and wounded 45 near a popular kebab restaurant and shops in the city of Kirkuk, 250 km north of Baghdad. (Posted @ 21:06 PST)
Taliban extend deadline for South Korean hostages KANDAHAR, July 26 (AFP) - Taliban militants have extended until noon Friday the deadline to negotiate the release of 22 kidnapped South Koreans, Yusuf Ahmadi, spokesman for the militants, told AFP on phone from an undisclosed location Thursday. “The deputy interior minister asked us to give them extra time until tomorrow 12:00 to be able to handle the issue. The Taliban leading council decided to give them time until tomorrow noon,” he said. (Posted @ 20:54 PST)
Four US troops killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, July 26 (AFP) - Three US marines and a sailor were killed while fighting in the restive Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, the military announced on Thursday. (Posted @ 20:44 PST)
Five Palestinians killed by Israelis GAZA CITY, July 26 (AFP) - Five Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Thursday, as ground troops raided the southern Gaza Strip and attack aircraft launched a series of sorties targeting militants. Islamic Jihad commander Omar al-Khatib, 39, one of the main commanders of its military wing who escaped assassination in an Israeli raid on Tuesday, and two of his militants were killed when an Israeli aircraft fired two missiles into a car in Gaza City. Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles also pressed an incursion into the southern Gaza Strip, sparking clashes with Palestinian gunmen. Sharif Breissi, 33, from the military wing of Hamas was killed by tank fire around Rafah. Three Jihad gunmen were wounded in another Israeli air strike. A third Israeli air raid wounded two Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip. A fifth Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank village of Taqoa, near Bethlehem. Further south, in the village of Al-Dhahiriyeh, an 18-year-old youngster was shot and wounded by Israeli special forces while working in his father's quarry, Palestinian medics said. (Posted @ 20:32 PST)
Qaeda safe haven may be inaccessible -US officials WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's safe haven in northwestern Pakistan is largely inaccessible to outside forces and unlikely to be eliminated by either the U.S. or Pakistani military, top intelligence officials said Wednesday. At a U.S. House of Representatives hearing, Pentagon intelligence chief James Clapper said the United States is not content to sit still while the militant network regenerates its strength in North Waziristan. “I think our objective will be to neutralize, not eliminate, but certainly make this safe haven -- as we have the others -- less safe and less appealing for AQ,” Clapper told a joint session of the House armed services and intelligence committees. But Clapper, under secretary of defence for intelligence, presented the task of eliminating al Qaeda's influence in the region as a long-term project that will hinge on U.S. economic aid to the local populace and contributions of military assistance including sophisticated surveillance equipment to the Pakistani military. “This is going to be a long haul process,” he said. “I don't think we'll have any demonstrable change within (a) three-year time-frame.” Clapper and other officials spoke to lawmakers about al Qaeda's emergence in Pakistan after White House homeland security adviser Frances Townsend refused to rule out U.S. military action against al Qaeda in Pakistan. Officials appeared to play down expectations that current Pakistani military operations could include a full scale assault on al Qaeda sites in a remote mountainous region populated by hostile and heavily armed tribes. “Al Qaeda is now in a part of Pakistan that is largely inaccessible to Pakistani forces, the Pakistani government. Always has been. And it is a very difficult operating environment for them,” said Edward Gistaro, the top U.S. intelligence analyst on transnational threats.“It is just a very difficult environment for outside forces to operate in,” he added. (Posted @ 16:44 PST)
Draft organ transplantation ordinance ready: SC told ISLAMABAD, July 26 (APP): Federal Cabinet Secretary Masood Aalam Rizvi Thursday informed the Supreme Court that draft ordinance would be placed before the cabinet, expected to meet on coming 'Wednesday, for approval of “Transplantation of organs ordinance” according to the direction of the apex court. Responding to various questions raised by the three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Rana Bhagwandas and Justice Ghulam Mohammad Rabbani, the Secretary requested the bench for granting more time and said the government would honour the court direction. Health Secretary Khushnood Lashari also appeared before the court on notice and apprised the court about measures to stop illegal business of human organs. The court directed the Secretary Health to make arrangements for conducting survey of hospitals and medical centres dealing with this inhuman business. (Posted @ 17:40 PST)
Suicide bomber strikes police station in northern Iraq BAGHDAD, July 26 (AP) - A suicide bomber blew himself up at the gate of a police station in northern Iraq on Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding 13, authorities said. The explosion occurred about 11 a.m. in the Tal Abta area, some 80 kilometers west of Mosul, police Brig. Gen. Mohammed al-Waqaa said. Those killed included five policemen and one civilian, while the 13 wounded included 10 policemen, according to al-Waqaa. (Posted @ 20:12 PST)
Pope's private secretary warns of Islamisation of Europe BERLIN, July 26 (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI's private secretary warned of the Islamization of Europe and stressed the need for the continent's Christian roots not to be ignored, in comments released Thursday. “Attempts to Islamize the west cannot be denied,” Monsignor Georg Gaenswein was quoted as saying in an advance copy of the weekly Sueddeutsche Magazin to be published Friday. “The danger for the identity of Europe that is connected with it should not be ignored out of a wrongly understood respectfulness,” the magazine quoted him as saying. Gaenswein also defended a speech Benedict gave last year linking Islam and violence, saying it was an attempt by the pontiff to “act against a certain naivety.” Muslims around the world protested against Bendict's speech. (Posted @ 19:42 PST)
NATO soldier, 60 Taliban killed KABUL, Afghanistan, July 26 (AP) - U.S.-led coalition forces and Afghan troops clashed with militants in two separate battles in southern Afghanistan leaving more than 60 suspected Taliban dead, while a NATO soldier was killed in another incident, officials said Thursday. Coalition forces and Afghan troops late Wednesday attacked on a cluster of buildings in Musa Qala in Helmand province triggering a 12-hour gunbattle. Coalition air support dropped two bombs on the compounds. More than 50 Taliban were killed in the clash and a number of others were wounded, the coalition said. In neighbouring Kandahar province's Maruf district, Afghan troops clashed with Taliban for three hours on Wednesday, leaving 10 suspected militants and one policemen dead. Separately, a NATO soldier was killed Thursday following a clash with militants in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said in a statement. The soldier's nationality and the exact location of the clash were not revealed. (Posted @ 19:22 PST)
Sudan floods claim 59 lives KHARTOUM, July 26 (Reuters) - Flash floods and rains in Sudan have killed some 59 people and damaged 35,000 homes, an official spokesman said Thursday. Officials described the floods as the worst in memory and the ICRC said the floods could affect some 2.4 million people across 16 of Sudan's 26 states. Heavy rains and floods have destroyed 19,409 homes. damaged another 15,643 besides destroying more than 130 government buildings, health centres, police stations and schools. Most roads linking Sudan and Egypt had been closed and major roads to some parts of the country and bridges had either been washed away or disabled. (Posted @ 19:10 PST)
Three killed in factory blast at SITE Hyderabad HYDERABAD, JULY 26 (APP):- Three persons were killed and one person was seriously injured after the roof of a gas filling facility caved in in Hyderabad industrial zone late Wednesday night after a big blast. Bodies of three persons were removed from the debris while one injured was removed to hospital. The cause of the blast which occured at 11:45 pm was not yet known, police said. (Posted @ 18:00 PST)
Azad Kashmir: 23 died of snake bites in Kotli KOTLI, Azad Kashmir, July 25 (APP): Incidence of snake bite is on rise in the Kotli district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and at least 23 people have died of snake bite during the last one month, mainly due to non-availability of the vaccine in hospitals of district Kotli, Hanif Malik, Chairman of a local NGO Awami Behbood Council (ABC), told APP. Hospitals and health officials however insisted that the vaccine was available in all government hospitals, and that all the 23 deaths occurred before the victims reached the hospitals. Many lives were saved when the victims reached hospitals in time, they said. (Posted @ 17:54 PST)
PML govt has brought stability, continuity of policies: PM ISLAMABAD, July 26 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Thursday said the government of PML and its allies has brought stability, continuity and consistency of policies, leading to improved governance and welfare of the people. Talking to PML President, Ch. Shujaat Hussain at the PM House he said the ruling coalition encourages different points of view but at the same time they are committed to promoting the process of democracy and development for growth, prosperity and harmony. The two leaders discussed the overall political situation in the country, organizational matters of the PML and its enrolment drive. (Posted @ 17:20 PST)
Syria blast kills 15 soldiers DAMASCUS, July 26 (Reuters) An explosion at a military complex in northern Syria Thursday killed 15 soldiers and injured 50, a Syrian official said. “There is a heat wave and temperatures reached close to 50 degrees, which caused an ammunition dump to explode,” the official told Reuters.(Posted @ 14:18 PST)
Eight killed by rampaging elephants in India GUWAHATI, India, July 26 (AFP) Eight people were killed and nine injured when two elephants went on a rampage in India, officials said Thursday. The two animals were killed after they ran wild through villages in the northeastern state of Mizoram Wednesday, a wildlife official said. “I was forced to give the order to kill the two elephants in a bid to save the lives of dozens of more villagers,” a magistrate in Mizoram, told AFP.(Posted @ 14:15 PST)
Bomb attack kills five Iraqi police HILLA, Iraq, July 26 (AFP) A bomb attack killed five police patrolling south of Baghdad Thursday, according to security and medical officials, amid ongoing insurgent violence across central Iraq.Lieutenant Hamza al-Waeli of the Hilla Police told AFP that five members of a police task force were killed and two wounded by the roadside booby-trap near al-Dagharah, 120 kilometres south of Baghdad.(Posted @ 13:04 PST)
Strong quake rattles Indonesia, but no tsunami or damage JAKARTA, July 26 (AFP) A 6.6-magnitude quake rocked Indonesia's northeast Thursday, rattling furniture and panicking residents, but a tsunami warning was cancelled and no damage or casualties were reported. The earthquake, centred 57 kilometres under the seabed some 234 kilometres northwest of Ternate, struck at 1:40 pm.(Posted @ 12:55 PST)
Two militants killed in attack on police in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, July 26 (AFP) Two militants were killed in an attack Thursday on a police camp in Srinagar, police said. “Two heavily-armed militants were killed in a fierce 30-minute gunbattle triggered by their attempt to storm the battalion headquarters of the Indian Reserve Police Force,” a police spokesman said. In other bloodshed a day earlier, two militants and a policeman were killed in a marathon 24-hour clash in Nadihal, 60 kilometres north of Srinagar, police said. A 16-year-old boy was also killed by crossfire as he sheltered in his home during the clash. Two others people including a shepherd were killed in southern Doda district Wednesday, police said.(Posted @ 12:55 PST)
Military talks between two Koreas break down PANMUNJOM, South Korea, July 26 (AFP) High-level military talks between South and North Korea broke down Thursday due to differences over their disputed sea border. “We've come to a conclusion that we don't need these fruitless talks any more,” North Korea's chief delegate Lieutenant-General Kim Yong-Chol said on the third and final day of the meeting at the border truce village of Panmunjom. Kim attacked the South for refusing to discuss replacing the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea with a new maritime border, calling the current line “illegal.” The Northern Limit Line, drawn up by United Nations forces at the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War, has been a potential flashpoint in recent years. The North refuses to recognise it.(Posted @ 11:15 PST)
US lawmakers threatens to block Indian nuclear deal WASHINGTON, July 25 (AFP) A bi-partisan group of lawmakers warned Wednesday that Congress could block a landmark US-India nuclear cooperation deal if it sidesteps safeguards to prevent military uses of the technology. The 23 legislators sent a letter to President George W. Bush saying the so-called “123” operating agreement, which reportedly allows India to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, could end up violating US law. “The agreement for nuclear cooperation is subject to the approval of Congress, and any inconsistencies between the agreement and the relevant US laws will call congressional approval deeply into doubt,” said the letter from the 23 members of the House of Representatives.(Posted @ 09:05 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 89.07 points: KARACHI, July 26:At the close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 13684.27 ,up 89.07 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, July 26: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 61 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
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