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Bailable warrants issued in Justice Nizam murder case
Robbers kill junk dealer
Man held for desecrating Holy Qur’aan
Biggest dacoity in the history of Karachi: Stolen Electronic goods recovered from NWFP
Placement list for XI Pre-Engg (male) notified
Exchange of harsh words in Senate
Rocket attacks on army check posts: Leader of JUI being interrogated
Iran begins uranium enrichment
Another US hostage beheaded
Musharraf, Bush, Karzai hold trilateral meeting
US urged to redress grievances of Muslims: Musharraf addresses chamber dinner
Bailable warrants issued in Justice Nizam murder case
KARACHI: A division bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC)
comprising Justice Wahid Bux Brohi and Rehmat Hussain Jaffery on Tuesday
issued bailable warrants of arrest against Javed Akhtar Pirzada in the sum of
Rs300,000. The bench was hearing a reference made by trial court (District
and Sessions Court, Central) for cancellation of bail of the accused who is
facing trial in murder case of Justice (Rtd) Nizam Ahmed and his only son,
Nadeem Ahmed. Both the victims were gunned down by unidentified gunmen in
1996 allegedly over a property dispute. Asif Ali Zardari, husband of former
Premier Ms Benazir Bhutto, Baber Sindhu, and Bilal Shaikh, are the others
accused in the case. When the case was called, the court noted that the SHO,
Ferozabad, was not present.
Robbers kill junk dealer
KARACHI: Two persons including a junk dealer was shot dead
and his brother sustained bullet injuries during a robbery bid, four persons
lost their lives in different mishaps and a young girl succumbed to her burn
injuries in various areas of the provincial capital on Tuesday, police said.
According to details, Moeen, 26, a shopkeeper and a
resident of Dharam-c-wara locality of Ranchoor Lane, was gunned down and his
brother, Mateen, received bullet wounds when they resisted a robbery attempt
in their shop in Eidgah police jurisdiction.
After the robbers had gone, the brothers were shifted to
the Civil Hospital, where doctors pronounced Moeen dead.
Fayyaz alias Fauji, dealing in cattle business, was shot
dead when unidentified gunmen fired upon him in Malir City.
ACCIDENTS: Gulzar, 24, a vegetable seller and a resident
of Lyari, was crushed to death by a recklessly driven hit-and-run vehicle
near New Sabzi Mandi. His body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Mariam, 40, wife of Arab Ali and a resident of Hingoorabad
Lyari, was killed when a carelessly driven vehicle knocked her down on
Mauripur Road. Her body was shifted to the Civil Hospital.
DROWNED: Fahad, 5, S/o Aman, drowned in the Lyari River
when he fell into it near his house within the Pak Colony police
jurisdiction. His body was shifted to the Civil Hospital.
ELECTROCUTED: Aslam Khan, 22, hailing from Peshawar and an
employee of a seminary, situated in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, was electrocuted when
he was turning on an electric pump inside the seminary premises. His body was
shifted to the JPMC.
SUCCUMBED TO INJURIES: Fareeha, 19, who had suffered
serious burn wounds on September 14 in Landhi police precinct, succumbed to
her injuries on Tuesday in the Civil Hospital.
Man held for desecrating Holy Qur’aan
KARACHI: The Baloch Colony police have arrested one Abdun
Nabi alias Labba red-handed while he was tearing the pages of Holy Qur’aan
on Tuesday.
A spokesman for the Sindh police said that they received
information that a man was tearing the pages of Holy Qur’aan near City
School in Baloch Para, Shaheed-e-Millat Road and a police party arrested him
red-handed. An FIR No 204/2004 under section 295-B has been registered
against the arrested person.
Meanwhile, Ferozabad police caught a robber who was
running after looting cash from one Kashif Ismail on Tuesday morning.
The police said Ismail was on his way to a bank on Tariq
Road when an armed mugger snatched his cash, Rs9,000, and escaped. He
informed Madadgar-15, who acted in time and a police patrolling party was
informed which chased the fleeing robber and nabbed him along with looted
money and a TT pistol. The held man was identified as Syed Riaz Ali.
Also, the city police have arrested 23 accused persons
from various city areas and claimed to have recovered a Klashnikov, eight
pistols, minute quantity of different narcotics and other stolen goods from
their possession.
The Anti-Car Lifting Cell, Karachi claimed to have
recovered 14 stolen vehicles, including four cars, a van and nine
motorcycles, from various city areas.
Biggest dacoity in the history of Karachi: Stolen Electronic goods recovered from NWFP
KARACHI, Sept 21: The electronic goods, which were taken away from several godowns in Saddar last month, were recovered by the investigation police from the NWFP.
An investigation team, headed by DSP Gul Hameed Samoo, made over 75% recovery of the stolen goods.
Addressing at a distribution ceremony held in Electronics Market, Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui termed the recovery a great achievement of police. He said that following the dacoity in which containers were used to shift the electronic items, police started its investigation.
After getting a credible tip, a police party was dispatched to the NWFP which made the recovery, he added. Later, the minister handed over the recovered items to the traders.
Around 40 armed suspects had taken chowkidars at gunpoint and shifted electronic goods from 16 god owns in several containers on August 19. The traders of the electronics market had termed the incident the biggest dacoity in the history of Karachi.
Placement list for XI Pre-Engg (male) notified
KARACHI: The Centralised Admission Committee on Tuesday
announced the placement list of first year classes of Pre-Engineering (male)
group.
Some 14,097 male candidates have been placed for admission
to Pre-Engineering faculty in 55 government-run colleges and higher secondary
schools in the city.
Among the selected candidates, some 1,844 bear A-1 grade,
3,968 of A-grade, 4,301 belong to B-grade, 3,984 secured C-grade in
pre-requisite SSC exams.
The remaining 1,369 candidates bearing C-grade in the
matriculation exams will be offered admission to rest of the faculties of
first year classes.
This year, Government Adamjee Science College has achieved
highest merit position in the placement list for Pre-Engineering faculty,
where admission closed at 721 marks.
The chosen candidates have been directed by the admission
committee to submit fee and finalise rest of the admission formalities in
their colleges concerned within a week.
The minimum and maximum cut off marks for admission to
various colleges and higher secondary schools is as under:
Adamjee Govt Science College: 799, 721; Islamia Govt
Science College: 697, 562; Govt PECHS Education Foundation College: 688, 583;
Govt Degree Boys College, Gulzar-e-Hijri: 654, 522; Govt Degree College,
Gulshan-e-Iqbal: 737, 646; Govt National College: 730, 607; Govt Degree
College, Stadium Road: 720, 653; Govt Degree College, Gulistan-e-Jauhar: 654,
522; Govt Jamia Millia Degree College: 665, 430; Govt Superior Science
College: 675, 541; Govt Degree S/C College, Landhi, Korangi-6: 27, 425; Govt
Boys College Landhi No 4 Sector 36-B: 677, 425; Govt Allama Iqbal College:
624, 492; Govt Degree Science College, Malir: 695, 425; Govt Degree Science
College, Malir Cantt: 737, 645; Govt College Razaqabad: 586, 426; Govt
College Murad Memon Goth: 642, 425; Govt Degree College Quaidabad: 602, 427;
Govt Degree College Korangi 2-1/2: 677, 460; DJ Sindh Govt Science College:
748, 688; SM Govt Science College: 710, 600; Govt Nabi Bagh College: 641,
511; Govt St Patrick College: 704, 641; Govt Aisha Bawany College: 699, 574;
Govt Degree Science College, Lyari: 619, 425; Haji Abdullah Haroon Govt
College Khadda: 582, 426; Govt Delhi College: 779, 674; Govt City College,
Moosa Colony: 628, 439; Govt Degree Science College, Liaquatabad: 676, 425;
Govt Sirajuddullah College: 615, 444; Govt Pakistan Shipowners College: 673,
518; Govt Degree College for boys, North Karachi: 659, 425; Govt Boys
College, Mangopir Gadap: 563, 426; Govt Boys College, Konkar Village Gadap:
604, 475; Govt Boys College, Surjani Town: 595, 426; Govt Degree College for
boys, New Karachi (5 L): 711, 425; Govt Degree Science College, Buffer Zone:
669, 503; Govt Jinnah College: 733, 476; Govt Degree Science College, Orangi
Town: 643, 425; Govt Degree College for Boys Asifabad: 673, 425; Govt Degree
College Boys Jungle Shah Kea: 652, 428; Govt Degree College for Man,
Nazimabad: 703, 635; Govt Degree Boys College Shams Pir Hawks Bay: 484, 425;
Govt Boys HSS Kamal Khan Jokhio Kathore: 469, 436; Babawalliyat Govt HSS
Orangi Town: 581, 433; Ghazi Mohammad Bin Qasim HSS: 597, 432; Allama Iqbal
Govt Boys HSS: 642, 425; Govt Comprehensive HSS Korangi No 3: 596, 427; Govt
Boys Comprehensive HSS Azizabad: 567, 428; NJV Govt Boys HSS (Urdu Medium):
576, 427; Govt Boys HSS No 2-K Area Korangi: 484, 429; Govt Mumtaz Boys HSS,
Landhi: 539, 429; Govt Boys HSS Konkar Village: 531, 479; NJV Govt Boys HSS
Sindhi Medium: 554, 429; and Govt Boys HSS Haji Natho Malir: 577, 429.
Exchange of harsh words in Senate
ISLAMABAD, Sept 21: An unprecedented rumpus was witnessed in the Senate on Tuesday evening when opposition senators and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sher Afgan traded harsh words and to avert an ugly situation the chair adjourned the session briefly.
The brawl started during the speeches for and against a court verdict sentencing former speaker Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. The opposition accused the government of victimizing the former speaker for refusing to cooperate whereas the government side defended the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court verdict.
The house also passed a condolence resolution expressing its deep sorrow over the sad demise of a Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal's MNA and eminent religious scholar from the NWFP, Maulana Inayatur Rehman, which was read out by Prof Khursheed Ahmed.
Later, both sides admitted that the rowdyism witnessed in the Senate was unprecedented in the national history which, they said, was uncalled for and ought to be avoided in future.
Most of the acrimony revolved around allegations of the changing of loyalties by certain legislators who the opposition alleged got lucrative posts in the government while those refusing to desert their parties were victimized by the NAB.
The House saw brewing up of another bout between the opposition and Minister for Law and Justice Wasi Zafar but then the opposition staged a protest walkout against the chair for allowing the minister to utter derogatory remarks against the opposition parties when they were allowed to speak on the jail sentence of Mr Gilani.
The deputy chairman of Senate in an attempt to appease the treasury benches asked one member from their side to respond to every speech of the opposition members against the sentence of former speaker.
Initiating the debate, Mian Raza Rabbani, parliamentary leader of the People's Party Parliamentarians, said: "Today, the parliament is in chains as its powers are being encroached upon and its former speaker has been sentenced to 15 years (accumulative) even in violation of NAB ordinance which allows a maximum of 10 years imprisonment."
He alleged that reference against Mr Gilani was processed after failing to get his loyalties changed. Asfandyar Khan Wali of the Awami National Party generated quite a heat by his remarks when he said that there were some "NAB zadas" (sons of NAB) and others NAB zaddas (NAB victims).
He said that the first prime minister of the present government, Zafarullah Khan Jamali, was afforded a thin majority thanks to NAB. Dr Sher Afgan Niazi was ridiculed by the opposition when he tried to defend himself against the allegations of becoming a turncoat.
Dr Safdar Abbasi and Enwar Baig of the Parliamentarians were too vocal in decrying the arguments articulated by the minister. Senate deputy chairman reprimanded the minister at one point by addressing him, "Mr minister the atmosphere of this house is quite different to that of the National Assembly and try to remain within the decorum."
Prof Khursheed of the MMA termed the sentence of former speaker as shameful and against the sanctity of parliament. He asked for evolving of an accountability system of parliamentarians by parliament as a sovereign body.
He said in his view all needs of justice were not fulfilled in case of former speaker's sentence and termed the NAB's role as disputed and partial. On the occasion, minister for law and justice provoked the opposition by his remarks when he addressed the PPP directly by accusing it to have been trying to join the government through backdoor talks in last four years.
He also accused the former government of Nawaz Sharif for filing of reference against the ex-speaker, a claim which was immediately challenged by Pakistan Muslim League-N's Ishaq Dar.
His remarks led to the harsh exchanges of allegations which finally led to opposition's staging a token walkout. Raza Mohammad Raza said: "We condemn and reject as unconstitutional and illegal the sentence of former speaker." NAB, he added, was set up to undermine and subjugate democratic institutions and democratic people.
Only one item out of 50-item agenda, discussion on public transport system, was debated by the house before it was adjourned till Thursday afternoon. The issues relating to the transport system were referred to the house committee on communications.
The senators lashed out at the most unplanned and irregular transport system in the country which they stressed needed an overhaul and streamlining to meet the needs of commuters.
Rocket attacks on army check posts: Leader of JUI being interrogated
KOHAT, Sept 21: An Afghan war veteran and leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, who recently surrendered to authorities, is being questioned by intelligence personnel for his involvement in rocket attacks on army check posts in the Orakzai Agency.
Sources said that some military officials, including a major, had been killed in the attacks. He is also accused of distributing handbills asking the people to "topple" the government and "save" Pakistan.
He surrendered to local authorities a few days ago after evading arrest for three months following immense pressure on elders of his village, who were warned of a police operation and house-to-house search for his arrest.
It may be recalled that Haji Safeerullah, accompanied by eight masked men brandishing rocket launchers mounted atop their pick-ups, had addressed a public meeting in Doaba, 60 kilometres west of here, on June 14.
He had asked the people to "join" his force for launching Jihad against US and those involved in killings of "freedom fighters" in Wana. He was booked by the police under the anti- terrorism and treason acts.
In another major development, the Mamozai tribe of the Orakzai Agency signed a written agreement and assured the tribal agency's deputy administrator not to provide shelter to the remnants of Al Qaeda or Taliban besides promising to expel all foreigners teaching or studying in local seminaries.
The Mamozai tribe had been asked sometime ago to give an undertaking that it was not helping terrorists. Elders of the tribe and its sub-tribes signed an agreement in the presence of deputy administrator Jan Mohammad and tehsildar Tariq Hassan at Ghiljo, headquarters of the tribal area, and agreed to face punishments under the FCR 40 if they were found to be guilty of harbouring foreigners.
The Mamozai tribe was represented by Malik Sher Ali Khan, Nooran Khan, Mir Salam Khan, Hafiz Qari Mohammad Riaz, Maulana Fazl Jamil, Mir Janan, Mohammad Ghani, Akhtar Jan, Taj Mohammad, Khayal Khan and Abdul Ghaffar who also signed the agreement.
The Orakzai agency was the first tribal area in Pakistan where Taliban movement was introduced by Akhunzada Mohammad Aslam Farooqi, a close aide of Mullah Mohammad Omar.
Iran begins uranium enrichment
VIENNA: Iran has begun converting a large amount of
uranium ore into the gas feedstock needed to enrich uranium, a senior Iranian
official said on Tuesday, in defiance of a UN call for it to fully suspend
this sensitive process that can make material for nuclear weapons.
Iranian Vice-President and atomic energy chief Reza
Aghazadeh told reporters in Vienna that some of the 37 tonnes of uranium
yellowcake, or ore, which Iran had previously said it would be converting,
had now been used.
"Tests have been successful," he said and
"have to be continued using the rest of this material." Aghazadeh
said Iran has the centrifuge technology in place in order to convert the gas
feedstock into enriched uranium if it so decided. His announcement at a
general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) here was
the first confirmation that Iran had actually begun the large-scale
conversion.
Aghazadeh said that Iran did not recognise the validity of
the IAEA demand for Tehran to halt uranium enrichment, as enrichment is
allowed under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He said that Iran
would decide, "based on our national interest", what it would do
about enrichment.
Aghazadeh said that it was "possible" Iran would
honour the IAEA demand as a gesture to help persuade the IAEA to drop its
investigation of Tehran’s nuclear program at the November 25 board of
governors meeting.
He reiterated Iran’s position that its suspension of
uranium enrichment, agreed on with Britain, France and Germany in October
2003, was "based on a voluntary gesture". Meanwhile, President
Mohammad Khatami vowed on Tuesday to continue the nuclear program even if it
means ending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
"We’ve made our choice: yes to peaceful nuclear
technology, no to atomic weapons," President Khatami said at a military
parade in Tehran. "We will continue along our path even if it leads to
an end to international supervision of our nuclear activities," Khatami
said.
Khatami said that Iran would not seek nuclear weapons
regardless of IAEA supervision. "I declare to the world that whether we
are under supervision or not, we won’t go for nuclear weapons at all,"
he said. "We won’t go for nuclear weapons not because we fear others,
but because of our beliefs and principles, because we oppose nuclear weapons
and consider them a threat to humanity."
Khatami was speaking at a ceremony marking the anniversary
of Iran’s 1980-88 war with Iraq. The parade included an example of Iran’s
ballistic missile, the Shahab-3, which has the capacity to carry nuclear
warheads and the range to hit Israel. A banner on the truck, carrying the
missile, read: "Israel must be wiped off the world map."
Iranian officials have denounced, as "illegal"
demands by the IAEA that Iran ceased enrichment, a process that can produce
fuel for both nuclear power stations and nuclear weapons. Referring to Saddam
Hussein, Khatami said: "The invader of yesterday is now in the quagmire
of humiliation, captivity, disgrace and misery, a quagmire prepared by the
same people (America) who encouraged him (Saddam) to invade Iran."
Khatami said THAT Iran was now much stronger than when Iraq invaded. "A
nation that is not powerful cannot succeed in defeating invaders and cannot
succeed in promoting peace," he said.
Another US hostage beheaded
DUBAI, Sept 21: A militant group headed by Al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has killed second American captive in Iraq after the lapse of a 24-hour deadline on Tuesday, Arabic channel Al Jazeera said.
It said a statement announcing the killing by the Tawhid and Jihad group had been posted on the Internet. It gave no further details.
Meanwhile, in Washington, a US intelligence official said on Tuesday after the CIA determined that the Al Qaeda ally was the speaker on the videotape of the beheading of the American hostage Eugene Armstrong. "There is high confidence that the voice is indeed of Abu Musab al Zarqawi," a CIA official said. -Reuters
Musharraf, Bush, Karzai hold trilateral meeting
NEW YORK: A trilateral meeting between President Pervez
Musharraf, US President George W Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai was
held here on Tuesday afternoon. The three leaders met on the sidelines of the
UN General Assembly session, which got under way earlier Tuesday morning.
Besides war against terror, coordination with regard to security arrangements
vis-a-vis the October 9 Afghan elections and registration of Afghan refugees
might have been discussed in the trilateral meeting. President Musharraf is
paying a six-day visit to represent Pakistan at the 59th session of the UN
General Assembly. He has also held bilateral meetings with the world leaders
attending the meet.
US urged to redress grievances of Muslims: Musharraf addresses chamber dinner
NEW YORK, Sept 21: President Pervez Musharraf urged the United States on Monday to overcome Muslim perceptions of a Western anti-Islamic bias by helping resolve global political disputes, especially in the Middle East.
Speaking at a dinner hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce here, President Musharraf said to redress the grievances of the Muslim ummah the Palestinian issue must be resolved because it would help promote a better understanding between the US and the Muslim world.
"Muslims today are feeling as if Islam as a religion is being targeted. This needs to be undone," he said. The president, who also took questions from the audience, said he worried about the continuity of the present set-up in the country and whatever decision he took about his uniform would strengthen the existing system.
"What worries me is the imperative need for continuity," he said. The president stressed the need for ensuring "the continuity of policies, and the continuity of action to enhance national cohesion and prosperity".
When asked if he would retain his uniform to ensure the continuity of his policies, the president said: "I have not yet decided, and I will take a decision in a few months time."
President Musharraf said he realized that his uniform was the most debated subject in Pakistan today but it also was a complex issue. There were also other issues such as "restructuring of national economy, and bringing about social changes in Pakistan that require continuity in policies," he said.
Besides domestic policies, he said, there was also a need for carrying forward the policies that affect Pakistan's relations with other nations. The most important among them, he said, was the current peace process between India and Pakistan.
"It needs courage and boldness to sustain these policies," he said. In the recent past, he said, terrorism was allowed to prosper in Pakistan but the silent and voiceless majority was always against it and is now reasserting itself.
President Musharraf said issues such as the blasphemy law and the Hudood ordinance also needed to be addressed. Pakistan, he said, was a country of 150 million, which offers lucrative and profitable returns on foreign investment. "But we have not been able to project the softer face of the Pakistani society and that's why we have not been able to attract investors," he said. He also stressed the need for US help in combating poverty and illiteracy, which he described as issues that 'form the core of causes of terrorism'.
President Musharraf said Pakistan was committed to ridding the country of terrorist groups and their supporters. "We will end terrorism and Al Qaeda presence in Pakistan," he stressed.
TRILATERAL MEETING: Later on Tuesday, President Musharraf was to join US President George W. Bush and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai for a trilateral meeting seeking to ensure peace and security during the Afghan elections.
Terrorism, Afghan elections and the registration of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan will be discussed in the meeting, President Musharraf told reporters. Talking to Pakistani newsmen after attending the inaugural session of the 59th UN General Assembly, he said the registration would allow the refugees to participate in the presidential election.
"We would take action against any terrorist hiding in Pakistan," said Gen Musharraf while expressing his support to the electoral process in Afghanistan. He denied speculations that the US and Afghan governments were forcing Pakistan to monitor the Pakistan-Afghan border without fulfilling their own responsibilities. They were not asking us to do so and even if they did, we are not going to accept this responsibility, he said.
Gen Musharraf described terrorism as Pakistan's number one problem, which was also preventing economic and social development. But Pakistan, he added, was already doing its best to fight terrorism. "Tell me, who is doing more than Pakistan," he asked, adding that he felt upset when people doubted Pakistan's sincerity to fighting terrorism.
Commenting on President Bush's address to the General Assembly, Pakistan already had a fully functional democracy as Mr Bush had defined in his speech. There was nothing in Mr Bush's speech to cause us concern in this regard. Parliament and democratic institutions were working on track and all was well, he said.
Answering a question about his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sept 24, the president said it was an important meeting. The dialogue with India, he said, was still in its initial stage and "we have to move forward to take this process to a logical conclusion". The peace process, he said, could help resolve all issues including the core issue of Kashmir.
The president said there was no proposal to accept LoC as a permanent border and there was no reason for Pakistan to accept this change of status. Pakistan, he said, wanted a purposeful and meaningful dialogue with India on all issues.