Karachi News


DAWN/The News International, KARACHI	19 April 2005, Tuesday, 9 Rabi Awwal 1426

www.karachipage.com (click on underlined key-words/dates to get more details)
Kidnapped IJT activists found injured
4 robbers killed in police encounters
9 die in road accidents; 4 shot dead
US envoy calls on Minister for Religious Affairs
US general hints at massive army operation in N Waziristan
US forces arrest 24 suspected militants
Sectarianism consequence of state policies: report
Kidnapped IJT activists found injured
KARACHI: Farhan and Usman, two students of Jinnah College North Nazimabad and activists of Islami-Jamiat-e-Talba (IJT), who were kidnapped on Monday morning, were found injured near Walika Hospital in SITE in the evening.
People informed the police, who shifted the injured students to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
A police officer on condition of anonymity said that both the injured youths had been roughed up badly and both hands and legs of one of the injured were fractured.
Meanwhile, IJT alleged that their rivals, All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO) kidnapped two of their activists, Farhan and Usman from Jinnah College Karachi and released them after breaking ‘their hands and legs’.
He alleged that, SHO North Nazimabad Police Station Shafiq was supporting their opponents in beating, torturing and kidnapping IJT workers, and added that police was also detaining and harassing peaceful IJT workers.
"Police is not allowing students of Government Jinnah Science College to enter into the college and so far police has arrested four of our colleagues", he further charged.
Moreover, students belonging to IJT staged a protest demonstration at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) against fresh wave of violence at the educational institutions and demanded of the authorities to protect the peaceful students from terrorists.
Protesters carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against police and Sindh government chanted slogans against an ethnic political party, accusing them of resorting to terrorism.
They appealed to the authorities including the prime minister and corps commander to take stock of the situation and take steps to stop violence against IJT.
4 robbers killed in police encounters
KARACHI: At least four robbers were killed in three different police encounters on Monday, police said.

According to details, a police party was patrolling in their jurisdiction when they reached Khamiso Goth they spotted two persons on a motorcycle and signalled them to stop.

The suspects started firing which was retaliated resulting in injuries to one of the two suspects, police said.

The injured was arrested while his accomplice managed to escape. The injured suspect was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH), where he died. The deceased was identified as Zafar.

Similarly, a police party of Anti-Violent Crimes Cell (AVCC) spotted two suspects riding a motorbike near Northern Bypass in Surjani Town.

The two suspects instead of stopping tried to escape, police said.

The AVCC staff chased the fleeing suspects who opened fire, which was retaliated causing injuries to one while his accomplice managed to escape.

The injured was rushed to the ASH, where he was identified as Talib Rindh and disclosed his accomplice’s name as Aashiq Brohi, police said. The injured breathed his last.

Police claimed to have recovered one Klashinkov from the deceased’s possession and further claimed that Aashiq Brohi was wanted in several cases of heinous crimes. The body of the deceased suspect was placed in the Edhi morgue.

Separately, the Surjani Town police killed two robbers when they were fleeing after snatching cash and jewellery from a couple late Sunday night.

9 die in road accidents; 4 shot dead

KARACHI: At least nine persons were killed in road accidents, while two persons were shot dead in different parts of the city, police said on Monday.

Muhammad Quresh, 45, resident of Muzaffarabad Colony, was seriously injured when a recklessly driven hit-and-run vehicle knocked him down near Hospital Chowrangi in Shah Lateef Town. His body was shifted to the JPMC.

Irfan, 23, resident of New Karachi, was crushed by a recklessly driven bus of route 1-D that bumped his motorcycle, near Mehran Hotel on Sharea Faisal.

Abdul Hassan, 60, resident of Block 4-A Gulistan-e-Jauhar, was crushed to death when a carelessly driven hit-and-run vehicle knocked him down near Mosamyat Chowrangi in Mubina Town, while he was crossing the road.

Sajid, 20, a motorcyclist was crushed to death when a recklessly driven contract bus ran over his motorcycle near Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

Sohni, 45, resident of Bheem Pura, suffered serious injuries when a speeding rickshaw knocked her down near NIPA Chowrangi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, while she was crossing the road.

Shahid, 28, resident of Pehalwan Goth, was crushed to death by a recklessly driven mini-bus of route X-24 in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

Zubair, 30, resident of Darya-abad Lyari, was crushed to death by a recklessly driven hit-and-run vehicle at the Native Jetty Bridge. Hafiz Ahmed Saeed, 45, resident of New Karachi was killed by a recklessly driven bus of bumped their motorbike near Nagin Chowrangi.

Yousuf, 58, resident of Orangi Town, suffered serious injuries when a speeding rickshaw ran over him near Liaquatabad Dak Khana while he was crossing the road.

The injured was rushed to the ASH, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

SHOT DEAD: Saleh Muhammad, 28, resident of Bengali Para, was shot at when unknown gunmen opened fire upon him in Shah Jalal Street in Docks police jurisdiction. The injured was rushed to the Civil Hospital, where he died.

Abdul Rehman Siddiqi, 22, resident of Sector 11-D New Karachi, was shot at when unknown gunmen, on a motorbike opened fire upon him, while he was sitting in front of an ice-cream parlour near Sindh Government Hospital New Karachi. The injured was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH), but died on way to hospital.

Arif, 22, and Hanif, 25, were shot at and injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire upon them near Teen Hatti in Jamshed Quarters. The injured were rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where Arif died.

Shakil was shot dead by armed men in Muhammadi Colony, Kalri.

STABBED TO DEATH: Syed Shafa’at Hussain, 70, resident of C-1 Area Landhi, suffered stab wounds when his son Kifayat Hussain, attacked him. The injured was rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where doctors pronounced him dead.

FOUND MURDERED: Babu, 40, who had been living alone since last 15 years near Khuwaja Nazimuddin Park, was found murdered.

ROBBERY: Seven dacoits barged into Bank Al-Falah, Hydery Market branch and looted cash over Rs1.8 million, two-repeater guns from security guards, computers and surveillance camera.

VEHICLES: Carjackers took away 17 vehicles including 11 motorcycles from various city areas. Police claimed to have recovered 10 vehicles including eight motorcycles.

US envoy calls on Minister for Religious Affairs

ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan Riyan Crocker called on Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Muhammad Ejaz-ul-Haq here on Monday and discussed matters of mutual interest. Talking to the ambassador, Ejaz said the measures, being taken by the government to create a sectarian harmony in the country, have proved fruitful. He said a committee set-up to provide contemporary education along with religious education in the Madaris will also yield better results. He lauded the role of Madaris in the promotion of religious education in the country and said the government will work with the Madaris organisations to maintain their independent status and provision of contemporary and religious education. Crocker appreciated the role of Pakistan in the war against terrorism, extremism and the measures being taken by the Pakistan government for the creation of sectarian harmony in the country.

US general hints at massive army operation in N Waziristan

RAWALPINDI: A tripartite commission comprising senior military and diplomatic representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States agreed here on Monday to further improve coordination and information sharing to enhance the effectiveness of counter-terrorism operations, reports APP.

Pakistan hosted the 10th meeting of the commission, which has been meeting periodically since its inception. The delegations expressed satisfaction with the successes in 2004 and decided to make counter-terrorism operations more effective through better coordination and information sharing.

All parties welcomed the recent successful visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to Pakistan and stressed the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan, said an official statement released after the deliberations.

The parties welcomed the establishment of a counter-narcotics working group, a body in parallel to the tripartite commission, which has been formed to facilitate discussions of officials of the three parties on counter-narcotics issues.

The tripartite commission will meet again in June 2005 in Kabul. Military Operations Director General Major-Gen Muhammad Yousaf headed the Pakistani delegation, Afghan National Army chief of operations Lt-Gen Sher Muhammad Karimi headed the Afghan delegation while Lt-Gen David W. Barno, commander of the Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, led the US delegation.

Leader of the US army in Afghanistan Lieutenant General David Barno said that after the army operations in South Waziristan a massive operation would be launched in North Waziristan, reports Geo.

"Al-Qaeda is planning a huge attack in the next few months therefore it is necessary that the war against terrorism should be made more effective so that both al-Qaeda and its followers can be eliminated," Barno said.

While talking to newsmen at the residence of the US ambassador in Islamabad General David Barno said that the enemy has not accepted defeat in Afghanistan and we are continuously facing opposition however the support for the Taliban and al-Qaeda in the Afghan people has decreased to a great extent.

David said that during the last 18 months important successes have been made against terrorists, which also include the operation in S Waziristan. He said that after South Waziristan an operation would be launched in North Waziristan.

"The operation in North Waziristan would be carried out by the Pakistan Army and we would provide logistic support to the Pakistan Army," Barno remarked. He said it was difficult to trace Osama Bin Laden but we would continue pressurizing the terrorists.

US forces arrest 24 suspected militants